Away Team

March 27th, 2012- While the band name Flying Colors might be unfamiliar to you, the members of this rock supergroup have individually sold millions of records and strong fan base around the world. Flying Colors’  self-titled  debut album is released today through Music Theories/Mascot Label Group/MRI.

The members of Flying Colors are drummer Michael Portnoy (Dream Theater,) guitarist Steve Morse (Deep Purple,) vocalist Casey McPherson (Alpha Rev,) Neal Morse (keyboards,) and Dave LaRue (bass.) Flying Colors marks Portnoy’s first project since he departed Dream Theater.

The seeds of Flying Colors’ formation were sown in 2008, when executive producer Bill Evans brought the idea to each of the musicians as well as to producer Peter Collins. Intrigued by the idea of working together, the four musicians wrote and recorded this album in just nine days.

Portnoy says “This album has bits and pieces of what you’d expect from each of us. The sum of all it’s parts led to brand new, uncharted territory for everyone involved.”

Dave LaRue says “It was quite an experience. The band moved at a fast pace, ideas flying around the room at all times. Sections of tunes were arranged, then rearranged. Ideas were tried every which way until we made them work, or in some cases, discarded them altogether. Just keeping track of everything was a challenge! It’s been an inspiring challenge melding folk, prog, pop and metal all into one big recording.”

Flying Colors Track Listing

1. Blue Ocean 

2. Shoulda Coulda Woulda  

3. Kayla   

4. The Storm  

5. Forever in a Daze  

6. Love Is What I’m Waiting For   

7. Everything Changes  

8. Better Than Walking Away  

9. All Falls  Down  

10. Fool in My Heart  

11. Infinite Fire

For More Info on FLYING COLORS visit the band’s official website here.

Click here to purchase the album.

GIGANTOUR—the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by esteemed metal titans MEGADETH–will make its highly anticipated return for the first time since 2008. The multi-artist bill–with metal heavyweights MOTÖRHEAD, VOLBEAT and LACUNA COIL all personally picked by MEGADETH frontman DAVE MUSTAINE–will kick off January 26 in Camden, NJ. Before wrapping February 28 in Denver, CO, the tour will make stops all across the U.S. and Canada including a January 28 show in New York and February 24 in Los Angeles. Tickets are on-sale beginning November 4. For more information visit: http://www.gigantour.com. MEGADETH has also teamed up with VIPNation.com to provide fans with Ultimate VIP packages including premium tickets, meet and greets, exclusive gifts and more. Go to www.megadeth.com for all the details.

GIGANTOUR is a chance to, as MUSTAINE says, tour with like-minded artists “that play heavy music in a high-energy environment,” with a fan-friendly ticket price. He founded the tour in 2005 and invited such artists as Anthrax, Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Lamb of God, Opeth, Static-X and In Flames to join MEGADETH.

Lemmy, frontman of the legendary MOTÖRHEAD, looks forward to performing at this year’s GIGANTOUR amongst all the other talented musicians. “We’ve done festivals in Europe with Lacuna Coil and they’re workaholics as well! Volbeat are great too; the whole bill is pretty diverse and I advise everyone who likes being deaf, and/or can lip-read already, to come out and see what the stuff that doesn’t get any MTV Video Awards sounds like! Gigantour is just that!”

He goes on to say, “Megadeth are one of the greatest bands to tread a stage anywhere and me and Dave have been promising each other we’d tour together ever since we met! Volbeat and Lacuna Coil are interesting choices and I think it’s gonna be incredible trying to understand each other backstage! Come and see what eclectic means! (look THAT up in your Funk & Wagnall‘s)! See you!”

VOLBEAT vocalist and guitarist Michael Poulsensaid the band couldn’t refuse MUSTAINE‘s offer to join the tour. “This is something you don’t think twice about; it’s a must and a blessing. They [Megadeth and Motörhead] are two of the world’s biggest/best and most important bands in heavy rock history. Since the beginning, Megadeth and Motörhead have been a huge inspiration of my/our musical careers. To have the opportunity to go on the road and share the stage with these two legendary rock bands, is another dream come true in the Volbeat adventure. We are very thankful and cannot wait to play in front of these two legendary bands’ audience for some intense minutes of Volbeat rock!”

LACUNA COIL is eager to return for their second GIGANTOUR; they first performed as part of the 2007 tour. “When we were invited to join Gigantour once again, we were really happy as it seems like the perfect way to start the Dark Adrenaline album cycle in the US,” says co-vocalist Andrea Ferro. “Our new album will be released during the tour and it’s gonna be great. We will be playing alongside metal legends like Megadeth and Motörhead and it’s gonna be awesome. It’s a great touring package with two classic bands and two younger bands who each have a unique sound like Lacuna Coil and Volbeat. I Can’t wait!”

Co-vocalist Cristina Scabbia agrees. “WOW! Gigantour! I am super excited!! I mean are you kidding me? A tour with Megadeth, Motörhead, Vollbeat and us? This is going to be so crushing that I think the walls are gonna fall down in some of the venues!! Are you guys ready? I definitely am!”

GIGANTOUR 2012 Tour Dates:
Thu 1/26 Camden, NJ Susquehanna Bank Center
Fri 1/27 Uncasville, CT Mohegan Sun Arena
Sat 1/28 New York, NY Theater at Madison Square Garden
Sun 1/29 Lowell, MA Tsongas Arena
Wed 2/1 Glens Falls, NY Glens Falls Civic Center
Thu 2/2 Quebec City, QC Colisee Pepsi Arena
Fri 2/3 Montreal, QC Bell Centre
Sun 2/5 Kingston, ON K-Rock Centre
Tue 2/7 Oshawa, ON General Motors Centre
Wed 2/8 Hamilton, ON Copps Coliseum
Thu 2/9 Auburn Hills, MI Palace of Auburn Hills
Fri 2/10 Chicago, IL Aragon Ballroom
Sun 2/12 Milwaukee, WI Eagles Ballroom
Tue 2/14 St. Paul, MN Myth
Thu 2/16 Saskatoon, SK Prairieland
Fri 2/17 Edmonton, AB Shaw Conference Centre
Sat 2/18 Calgary, AB Big 4 Building
Mon 2/20 Abbotsford, BC Abbotsford Ent & Sports Centre
Tue 2/21 Kent, WA Showare Center
Thu 2/23 San Jose, CA Events Center
Fri 2/24 Universal City, CA Gibson Amphitheatre
Sat 2/25 Phoenix, AZ Comerica Theatre
Sun 2/26 Albuquerque, NM Tingley Coliseum
Tue 2/28 Denver, CO The Fillmore Auditorium

For more GIGANTOUR click here.

Away-Team: I’m here with Corey Beaulieu from TRIVIUM, thank you Corey for taking time to talk with us today! So you were born in Maine, and TRIVIUM hails from Florida, how did you end up hooking up with them?

Corey Beaulieu: After I graduated High School, I needed something to do. I always wanted to be in a band, but up there I didn’t have a band, there just wasn’t anything going on up there. I couldn’t find any musicians. Up there it isn’t really much of a metal scene…

Away-Team: You mean Maine isn’t the hot bed for metal in America?!?!?!

Corey Beaulieu: You’d think… but no! (laughs) it was very hard to find people that could actually play the kind of music I wanted to play. So after I graduated High School I needed to do something and I was always interested in recording so I moved to Orlando, Fl and went to Full Sail for recording. And before I even started classes, I heard about this club right around the corner from where I was living that had a metal show. I went there and TRIVIUM was one of the local bands, they were a three piece at the time. And when they played I was like, ‘Wow, these guys play the same kind of shit I am in to.’ I ended up meeting Matt’s Dad who was managing the band at the time. He gave me some info on the band and said they were playing this thing at Full Sail the next week so I went there. I got introduced to Matt, we became friends, emailed back and forth, I’d see him at other metal shows and whatever. Then a year later I saw on their website they were looking for a second guitar player so I hit them up and told them I was interested in trying out. He knew I played guitar, but he had never seen my play guitar he just knew we had some of the same influences. I went over to his house one day and we jammed, I had learned a few songs of theirs before I went there and we just jammed. After that he asked me to come jam with the band, so I jammed with the band and they were like, ‘you wanna be in the band?’ and that’s all I’ve been doing ever since.

Away-Team: Did you complete Full Sail or just blow it off for the riches and fame of TRIVIUM?

Corey Beaulieu: (laughs) I joined the band about a month before I graduated, so after I graduated I just went full on with the band. And eventually it all took off and did what it’s done and we are lucky enough to make a career out of it. Luckily I didn’t have to go schlep around for a job, because a job in that field that I went to school for is every difficult to find a job today. Since there’s no studios, the only people that have studios anymore are like in their own homes or whatever. Nobody goes to traditional studios anymore. Even people I went to school with at Full Sail seven years ago, nobody has a job in that field anymore. I was very fortunate that even going down there to do that, I was able to actually do what I wanted and that was be in a band. I always say I paid $35,000 to join a band (laughs).

Away-Team: (laughs) And Full Sail can use you for the job placement advertising… ‘Join Full Sail and you too can become a Rock Star!’

Corey Beaulieu: Yeah, well, no one’s ever hit me up from there. (laughs)

Away-Team: You and Matt share lead and rhythm guitar duties in the band. While not the first time for a band, it is definitely unique. How did you come up with this style for Trivium, and how does it benefit you and the band?

Corey Beaulieu: Well….

Away-Team: I mean, you normally have two guitarists, and your lead guy is the shredder, he’s the one that stands out and rips out a solo as guys throw horns into the air and girls throw their panties on stage… You have some great licks; you have a great talent on the guitar…

Corey Beaulieu: Wow, thank you…

Away-Team: Does sharing that with Matt take away from that ‘guitar god’ status a little bit? Do you lose a little individuality when you share lead guitar with another guitarist?

Corey Beaulieu: Not Really… We both have different styles of playing; we both like playing lead, so we chose to both do it. We just divvy it up evenly as much as possible. And it is cool because we have different takes on playing lead so there are different dynamics within the song and within the solos by trading off. Ever since I joined the band as he was the only guitar player, since I could do lead also, just right out of the box we said let’s both do it. It was a natural thing for us, so we just did it, and a lot of our favorite bands growing up except for Metallica had that, Megadeth was Mustaine and Friedman, Slayer both play lead, Iron Maiden had… well they have three lead players now. I just always liked the multiple lead guitar thing, especially when you have one guy with a monster solo and it just leads into another solo by the other guy… It’s just always been a natural part of our sound. I think now on the new album too it has really worked out because Matt just found the sound that thing he was going after on it, a certain style and feel, and what suited his playing the best. He’s doing more melodic old school, kinda simplistic solos, and I’m doing the melodic slash shreddy stuff. It is very easy to decipher who’s playing which solo because our styles on this album are so different and distinct. We’re not treading the same waters playing the same fast crazy shit all the time. Since we both like to play lead that has just always been our signature sound and part of our songwriting.

Away-Team: Your musical style has changed over the years, you are no longer thought of as metalcore, which I never pegged you as, but more straight forward thrash. Was that a conscious decision on your part, or was it just maturing and stretching as musicians?

Corey Beaulieu: We just play every record as we just play whatever we feel like playing. It’s all very natural for us, we don’t go, ‘oh let’s do this record this way, and then we’ll do the next record sounding like that.’ We just start writing the songs and in that moment and time it just takes its own shape and sound. The style just dictates itself we don’t consciously decide, ‘oh on Crusade we’re going to do this.’ Musically it just came out naturally. We always find new influences to incorporate into the new album; we don’t want to keep churning out the same shit every album, so we’re always pushing the boundaries of what we can do with our songwriting. This last album (In Waves out now!), we decided we needed to define our sound. Because the last couple of albums we were experimenting with different tunings, different sounds, and different styles of songs and just seeing what we could do. On this record we just knew what the record had to be and we just wanted to write a record that was a career defining moment. Just put our foot down, like we’re fucking serious here, this is a serious fucking metal album, and just solidify our sound. So you’re like, ‘oh, that’s TRIVIUM! That’s their sound, that’s what they are all about.’ The other thing we wanted was to make the album sound cohesive, we wanted the songs to flow, to have the same style and sound, so that none of the songs were like an odd man out and didn’t fit the record, they all have the same…. vibe or sound or feel to them, that they belonged on that record. We just wrote a lot of songs and made sure that the songs worked well and fit with the other songs on the record. And we also made the heaviest record we have ever done. The heavy stuff is heavier and more intense than anything else we’ve ever done.

Away-Team: The band came out after Shogun, and said that it was what it was, that you couldn’t describe what/or who it sounded like. It was Trivium and it stood on its own. Were you guys really that concerned about the comparisons to Metallica or other bands then? Isn’t there some sense of flattery of being compared to one of the biggest metal bands in the world?

Corey Beaulieu: When people listen to music, they are always gauging shit, always comparing them to someone else. If you read a review it is always, ‘for fans of this,’ or ‘if you like this band you’ll love this.’ I guess being compared to the biggest metal band of all time is not a bad thing I just felt it was kind of limiting as far as… Take The Crusade record, I listen to that and there are influences on there, riffs, songs, tones, styles, that are just in no way comparable to Metallica. And Matt’s vocals may style wise remind you of James, but he doesn’t sound like James. I just think a lot of the songs and riffs on that record are just very Un-Metallica. I think Shogun stepped away from that more and this record (In Waves out now!!!) that , ‘oh they sound like Metallica clones’ has been put to rest, at least by us. If people say that now, then they are fucking idiots. You’re obviously not listening to what we are playing. Don’t get me wrong, they are obviously a big metal influence, but so are Megadeth, Testament, Slayer, and Iron Maiden. There are a lot of stuff in there. Over the years we have found a way to take those influences, with other elements outside that style of music, and put our own twist on it, so that now what you hear is TRIVIUM only. I think In Waves sets us apart from other bands out there today, it ensures that we don’t sound too much like anyone else, it sounds like TRIVIUM in vocals, and in guitar riffs, so that if we are to be compared, it is them to us.

Away-Team: On a festival like this, the Rockstar Energy Drink Mayhem Festival, you play about 35 minutes, what do you do the other 23.5 hours of the day to keep from being bored out of your mind or trapped on the bus?

Corey Beaulieu: We try to catch a lot of the bands on the side stages, just hang out and watch them perform. We try and do a lot of press, and there are a lot of people on this tour, so it’s always a lot of just hanging out with other bands. There’s always something going on. After our set, we shower, dinner, and then go watch Megadeth. There’s always something going on, a party here and there, enough people to make something happen all the time.

Away-Team: In Waves comes out next week (at time of interview… In Waves came out last Tuesday! Go. Get. It.), Mayhem ends in a few weeks, what’s next on the horizon for TRIVIUM?

Corey Beaulieu: Yes, In Waves comes out, go pick it up! After Mayhem we have about a month long tour with Dream Theater from mid September to October. Then Europe from early November through almost Christmas. We haven’t properly toured over there in fucking ages so that should be a blast! We’re touring there with In Flames so that should be killer. Then next year is Australia, South America which hasn’t been announces yet.

Away-Team: Is that headlining?

Corey Beaulieu: No! We’ve never been there before so we are going with some other bands that have. We felt the safest route was to go with someone who has done it before, instead of going on our own and guessing and making huge mistakes. We’re going with two other bands that have been down there a few times before, and we have a lot of demands to play down there and a lot of fans down there so we are really looking forward to that. Hopefully in the spring we’ll be back in the US touring again. Yesterday our first active rock radio single went out to all the stations, so hopefully that takes off soon, some stations already have it in full rotation and hopefully more pick it up. And if it really takes off on the radio and gets us new fans it could really change the landscape of what we do tour wise in the spring. Call your local rock radio station and fucking request some TRIVIUM!!!

Away-Team: Yeah DAMNIT!

Corey Beaulieu: Yeah, we need that shit! (laughs)

Away-Team: Good luck with the single, new album, the tours, and continued success Corey, and thank you again for taking the time to sit in this wonderful 100 degree heat and talk with us!

Corey Beaulieu: Thank you, the album is out, you can check us out online, if you like what you hear buy it please! And support music!

Away-Team: And… Trivium sounds like… Trivium.

Corey Beaulieu: Yes… Heavy Metal Baby!!!! (laughs)

There is a long list of people to thank for making this and all of our Mayhem Fest interviews happen, so, forgive me if I forgot anyone, but thanks to Lilly at Roadrunner, Bill at eOne Music, Rikki, Natalie, and Jessica at Adrenaline, and Laura Jean with Mayhem.

For more TRIVIUM click here.

From Trivium.com:

‘We are proud to announce we will be supporting Dream Theater this September/October Across the US.’

Confirmed tourdates:
Sept. 24 San Francisco, CA The Warfield
Sept. 25 Los Angeles, CA Nokia Theater
Sept. 27 Seattle, WA Showbox SODO
Sept. 28 Vancouver, BC Queen Elizabeth Theatre
Oct. 3 Royal Oak, MI Royal Oak Music Theatre
Oct. 4 Pittsburgh, PA Trib Total Media Amphitheatre
Oct. 6 Toronto, ON Massey Hall
Oct. 7 Montreal, QC Place des Arts
Oct. 8 Quebec City, QC Pavilion de la Jeunesse
Oct. 10 Boston, MA Orpheum Theatre
Oct. 11 Morristown, NJ Mayo Performing Arts Center
Oct. 12 New York, NY Beacon Theatre
Oct. 22 Cleawater, FL Ruth Eckerd Hall
Oct. 25 Houston, TX Verizon Wireless Theater
Oct. 26 Austin, TX Bass Concert Hall









Trivium just released In Waves yesterday. You can pick it up here.

He’s been a producer, band member and solo artist. Guitarist Tony MacAlpine, in his 25-year career, has redefined hard rock jazz-fusion for a generation of progressive-minded music fanatics. Whether it’s with the groundbreaking prog-rock band Planet X (with Derek Sherinian of Dream Theater), the jazz-fusion super-group CAB or the band of another guitar hero Steve Vai, MacAlpine has set the bar exceedingly high.

On June 21, this most anticipated all-instrumental masterpiece Tony MacAlpine (Favored Nations Entertainment) will be released, his 13 solo album (and 26th album over-all). The album contains 12 tracks of complex, intricate heavy music that demands concentration. It is a true solo album in every sense of the word. Drummers Virgil Donati and Marco Minnemann, as well as bassist Philip Bynoe are utilized on various tracks. MacAlpine plays everything else: seven-string guitar, eight-string guitar, keyboards, bass and programming.

Written and recorded at “The Cottage” studio in Pasadena, California, MacAlpine has blended jazz-fusion, metal, prog and rock’n’roll into a tightly-wound trip of mammoth proportions. “My music is instrumental guitar-oriented heavy rock with a fusion flair,” he explains. “Having started with classical piano since the age of five, I’ve been exposed to many genres and styles from contemporary to the Romantic and Classical periods. This early development helped me define my writing and improvisation which is evident in my sound today. My guitar playing encompasses many different styles, with an emphasis on composition and theater.”

As with any true artist, change is the only constant. As he says, “in my 25 year career, my sound and artistic output has continually evolved, because I’m always striving to discover new ways to express myself through the music. Although this album is identifiably `me,’ in recent years I’ve been working with younger modern players, and have been aware of some of the newer musical trends going on. Those elements inspired the sounds and compositional direction of the new record.”

TONY MacALPINE tracklisting:
Serpens Caudo
Oludeniz
Fire Mountain
Dream Mechanism
Ten Seconds To Mercury
Flowers For Monday
Angel Of Twilight
Pyrokenesis
Blue Maserati
Summer Palace
Salar de Uyuni
The Dedication









For more TONY MacALPINE click here.

The first press release to cross my desk today:
AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows told The Pulse Of Radio that the band was not happy about the public way in which drummer Mike Portnoy‘s split with his former group DREAM THEATER was played out, which may have soured Portnoy‘s relationship with AVENGED, ultimately causing his departure from the band. “We were actually a little more shocked,” M. Shadows said. “We felt that maybe both parties could have handled it a little more internally without being so press release-happy about what had happened between them. Because we’re a band that, really, when it comes to news all over web sites or this or that about bands, you know, we don’t tweet much, we don’t try to put ourselves out that much, and all the drama and controversy wasn’t something that we wanted at all.”

The second press release to cross my desk today:
AJ Maddah, who is responsible for organizing Australia’s Soundwave festival, has slammed AVENGED SEVENFOLD for allegedly refusing to play during the day or clash with festival headliners IRON MAIDEN, despite being billed in tenth place on the lineup poster.
In a series of comments posted on Twitter, Maddah said, “AVENGED have decided, despite having originally confirmed a mid-afternoon spot, that they are now unwilling to play unless it is night time. At the same time, they are refusing to play at the same time as MAIDEN… In other words, they want MAIDEN to play in the afternoon!
While AVENGED are a massive band, having sold around 8,000 copies of their new album nationally, I won’t be able to move MAIDEN‘s time slot. I have now reached the point where I can no longer mess around 70 other bands and 180,000 ticket holders to appease this band’s nonsense. I have every expectation that they will go back on their agreement and cancel.”

The third press release to cross my desk today:
AVENGED SEVENFOLD has pulled out of the 2011 edition of Australia’s Soundwave festival, set to take place in late February/early March.

The band’s official statement on the matter reads as follows:
“AVENGED SEVENFOLD regretfully announce they will not be performing at the upcoming Soundwave in Australia. After much effort, the band decided that they could not offer fans the live experience they have come to expect and didn’t want to disappoint them. AVENGED SEVENFOLD will return to Australia soon to headline their own tour.”

Way to not air dirty laundry in the press. To be fair, the promoter is the one who came out via Twitter and said that he cannot appease them, and is tired of trying to jump through their hoops. But, For a band who ‘stays private’ and out of the press as much as possible, it will be interesting to see what the fourth press release to cross my desk today reads like from AX7.
And… as an aside… why are you in the press saying that you think Mike Portnoy and DREAM THEATER handled their split wrong if you keep your dirty laundry out of the press? Isn’t that in fact airing out your own dirty laundry? Mike stepped up and said nothing but mad respect for you and your band… and you step up and call him a whiney little bitch? Really?

And to think just yesterday I put your album in my top ten list of 2010. Not that this takes away what was accomplished on that album, but I’m betting your next album sans MP will not be as strong.

“Hold On“, the new video from ALL THAT REMAINS, has been released. The clip, helmed by Ramon Boutviseth (TRIVIUM, DREAM THEATER, INCUBUS), features a narrative involving a variety of characters dealing with internal struggles and their inability to change their fate as their world crumbles down around them, both figuratively and literally. The force behind the destruction is the manifestation of their dark emotions, which ALL THAT REMAINS embodies as they unleash an epic performance in a post-apocalyptic urban wasteland.

“Hold On” is the first single from ALL THAT REMAINS‘ new album, “For We Are Many“, which is scheduled for release on October 12 via Prosthetic Records / Razor & Tie. The CD hits the same day the band heads out on a month-long U.S. headlining tour with support from ASKING ALEXANDRIA, UNEARTH, BORN OF OSIRIS and AND SHE WHISPERED.





“Hold On”

All That Remains | MySpace Music Videos




ALL THAT REMAINS dates:
Vogue Theatre, Vancouver, BC Thu,October7
El Corazon, Seattle, wa Fri, October 8
ROSELAND THEATRE, Portland, OR Sun, October 10
The Regency Ballroom, san francisco, ca Tue, October 12
Knitting Factory, Reno, NV Wed, October 13
Soma, San Diego, CA Fri, October 15
House of Blues – Sunset Strip, West Hollywood, CA Sat, October 16
Fremont East District, Las Vegas, NV Sun, October 17
The Summit Music Hall, Denver, Colorado Wed, October 20
Sunshine Theater, Albuquerque, New Mexico Fri, October 22
Phoenix Event Complex, Phoenix, AZ Sat, October 23
Emo’s (Outdoor), Austin, TX Mon, October 25
Warehouse Live, Houston, Texas Tue, October 26
The Palladium Showroom, Dallas, TX Wed, October 27
The Masquerade, Atlanta, GA Fri, October 29
The Club at Firestone, Orlando, Florida Sat, October 30
Amos’ Southend, Charlotte, NC Sun, October 31
Lincoln Theatre, Raleigh, NC Mon, November 01
Norva, Norfolk, VA Wed, November 03
Rams Head Live, Baltimore, Maryland Thu, November 04

For more ALL THAT REMAINS click here.

On the heels of the release of his latest opus, ‘Static Impulse’, JAMES LABRIE has finally announced his return to the stage as a solo artist and will embark on a North American tour this winter! The DREAM THEATER vocalist has released two releases in a side project dubbed MULLMUZZLER and two solo releases including 2005’s ‘Elements of Persuasion’ and the latest masterpiece ‘Static Impulse’ which was released last week via InsideOut Music.

LABRIE comments: “Hello Everyone, Matt, Marco, Peter, Ray and I are extremely psyched to announce a tour in support of the new album ‘Static Impulse’. Everyone that played on the disc will be on stage. This is going to be a very powerful and memorable evening. Just us and the fans doing what we both love doing. You will hear songs from MullMuzzler, EOP and of course the latest, Static Impulse. Come out and support this US/ Canada tour and let’s have a blast. We will hit you like a sledgehammer, but I promise it won’t hurt… See you out there. Goooooooooo!!!!! James.”

Tickets for the trek go on sale today exclusively via EnterTheVault.com where fans can purchase both regular and VIP tickets for the trek. VIP packages include entrance to the venue 1-hour early, a meet-and-greet with JAMES LABRIE and a signed tour poster!

Longtime collaborator MATT GUILLORY added: “James, Marco, Ray, Peter, and myself are all really excited about touring the US and Canada in support of our new album Static Impulse. The response we’ve been getting since the album was released has been so amazing. We can’t wait to play this stuff live. This is going to be a lot of fun. We look forward to seeing everybody on the road!”

‘Static Impulse’ was produced by LABRIE and GUILLORY with mixing and mastering being handled by the mighty JENS BOGREN (OPETH, KATATONIA). Fans can download a free MP3 of the song “Mislead” as well as purchase the album at the following location.

JAMES LABRIE tour dates:
Nov 26 – Charlotte, NC – Tremont Music Hall
Nov 27 – Raleigh, NC – Volume 11
Nov 29 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theater
Nov 30 – Philadelphia, PA – The Trocadero
Dec 02 – Montreal, QUE – Club Soda
Dec 03 – Toronto, ONT – Opera House
Dec 04 – Detroit, MI – Blondies
Dec 06 – Cleveland, OH – Peabody’s
Dec 07 – Chicago, IL – Reggie Rock Club
Dec 08 – Minneapolis, MN – Station 4
Dec 10 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
Dec 11 – Portland, OR – Berbati’s Pen
Dec 14 – Los Angeles, CA – Key Club
Dec 15 – Ventura, CA – Ventura Theater
Dec 16 – Tempe, AZ – Marquee Theater
Dec 18 – San Antonio, TX – Backstage Live
Dec 19 – Dallas, TX – Trees
Dec 20 – Houston, TX – Scout Bar

For more JAMES LABRIE click here.

DREAM THEATER have issued the following statement regarding Mike Portnoy‘s announcement yesterday that he was leaving the band:

“To all of our loyal fans and friends: It is with profound sadness – regret – we announce that Mike Portnoy, our lifelong drummer and friend, has decided to leave Dream Theater. Mike‘s stature in the band has meant the world to all of us professionally, musically, and personally over the years. There is no dispute: Mike has been a major force within this band.

While it is true that Mike is choosing to pursue other ventures and challenges, we can assure you that Dream Theater will continue to move forward with the same intensity, and in the same musical tradition, that you have all helped make so successful, and which is truly gratifying to us. Fans and friends: File this episode under ‘Black Clouds and Silver Linings.’

As planned, we begin recording our newest album in January 2011, and we’ll follow that with a full-on world tour. ‘The Spirit Carries On.’

All of us in Dream Theater wholeheartedly wish Mike the best on his musical journey. We have had a long and meaningful career together. It is our true hope that he finds all he is looking for, and that he achieves the happiness he deserves. He will be missed.”

Read Mike Portnoy‘s announcement here.

For more DREAM THEATER click here.

Drummer Mike Portnoy of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER has released the following statement:

“I am about to write something I never imagined I’d ever write.
“After 25 years, I have decided to leave DREAM THEATER… the band I founded, led and truly loved for a quarter of a century.
“To many people this will come as a complete shock, and will also likely be misunderstood by some, but please believe me that it is not a hasty decision…it is something I have struggled with for the last year or so….
“After having had such amazing experiences playing with HAIL!, TRANSATLANTIC and AVENGED SEVENFOLD this past year, I have sadly come to the conclusion that I have recently had more fun and better personal relations with these other projects than I have for a while now in DREAM THEATER.
“Please don’t misinterpret me, I love the DREAM THEATER guys dearly and have a long history, friendship and bond that runs incredibly deep with them… it’s just that I think we are in serious need of a little break.
“DREAM THEATER was always my baby…and I nurtured that baby every single day and waking moment of my life since 1985… 24/7, 365… never taking time off from DREAM THEATER‘s never-ending responsibilites (even when the band was ‘off’ between cycles)… working overtime and way beyond the call of duty that most sane people ever would do for a band.
“But I’ve come to the conclusion that the DREAM THEATER machine was starting to burn me out…and I really needed a break from the band in order to save my relationship with the other members and keep my DREAM THEATER spirit hungry and inspired.
“We have been on an endless write/record/tour cycle for almost 20 years now (of which I have overseen EVERY aspect without a break) and while a few months apart from each other here and there over the years has been much needed and helpful, I honestly hoped the band could simply agree with me to taking a bit of a ‘hiatus’ to recharge our batteries and ‘save me from ourselves’…
“Sadly, in discussing this with the guys, they determined they do not share my feelings and have decided to continue without me rather than take a breather… I even offered to do some occasional work throughout 2011 against my initial wishes, but it was not to be…
“While it truly hurts for me to even think of a DREAM THEATER without Mike Portnoy (hell, my father named the band!!), I do not want to stand in their way…so I have decided to sacrifice myself and simply leave the band so as to not hold them back against their wishes.
“Strangely enough, I just read an interview that I recently did that asked me about the future of DREAM THEATER and I talked about ‘always following your heart and being true to yourself’… Sadly, I must say that at this particular moment, my heart is not with DREAM THEATER…and I would simply be ‘going through the motions,’ and would honestly NOT be true to myself if I stayed for the sake of obligation without taking the break I felt I needed.
“I wish the guys the best and hope the music and legacy we created together is enjoyed by fans for decades to come… I am proud of every album we made, every song we wrote and every show we played….
“I’m sorry to all the disappointed DREAM THEATER fans around the world… I really tried to salvage the situation and make it work… I honestly just wanted a break (not a split)… but happiness cannot be forced, it needs to come from within.
“You DREAM THEATER fans are the greatest fans in the world and as you all know, I have always busted my ass for you guys and I hope that you will stay with me on my future musical journey, wherever it may lead me…. (and as you all know my work ethic, there will surely be no shortage of future Mike Portnoy projects!)”

Read it all right here at MIKE PORTNOY‘s own forum and website.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION — the Anglo/American rock supergroup featuring vocalist/bassist Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE, BLACK SABBATH, TRAPEZE), drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN), Derek Sherinian (DREAM THEATER) and blues rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa — will release its debut album, “Black Country“, in Europe on Monday, September 20 via Mascot Records and North America on Tuesday, September 21 through J&R Adventures. The CD was produced and mixed by Kevin Shirley (BLACK CROWES, AEROSMITH, LED ZEPPELIN), and mastered by the legendary Bob Ludwig. It was recorded at Shangri-La Studios in early 2010.

All songs are sung by Glenn Hughes, with the exception of “Song Of Yesterday” and “The Revolution In Me“, which are both sung by Joe Bonamassa. Hughes and Bonamassa share lead vocals on “Sista Jane” and “Too Late For The Sun“. Also included is a new version of “Medusa“, the rock classic Hughes originally recorded with his first band TRAPEZE.

“Black Country” track listing:
01. Black Country
02. One Last Soul
03. The Great Divide
04. Down Again
05. Beggarman
06. Song Of Yesterday
07. No Time
08. Medusa
09. The Revolution In Me
10. Stand (At The Burning Tree)
11. Sista Jane
12. Too Late For The Sun

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION initially came to fruition when Shirley saw Hughes and Bonamassa join forces on stage in Los Angeles in November 2009 for an explosive performance at Guitar Center‘s King of the Blues event. Shirley then recruited Bonham and Sherinian for the project, which is named after the industrial area in the British Midlands where both Hughes and Bonham were born and raised.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION is planning a tour in 2011.

For more information on BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION visit their website here.