JAMES LABRIE's 'Static Impulse': First-Week Sales Revealed

"Static Impulse", the new solo album from DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie, sold around 1,700 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 14 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

"Static Impulse" was released on September 28 (one day earlier internationally) via InsideOut Music. The CD marks LaBrie's first solo effort in over five years and is sure to please his legion of diehard fans, as well as win over many new devotees in the process.

"Static Impulse" track listing:

01. One More Time (4:16)
02. Jekyll Or Hyde (3:46)
03. Mislead (4:18)
04. Euphoric (5:09)
05. Over The Edge (4:20)
06. I Need You (4:11)
07. Who You Think I Am (3:57)
08. I Tried (3:58)
09. Just Watch Me (4:18)
10. This Is War (4:30)
11. Superstar (3:32)
12. Coming Home (4:29)
13. Jekyll Or Hyde (demo) (3:48) *
14. Coming Home (alternate mix) (4:23) *

* Limited-edition digipak bonus tracks

Mixed and mastered by Jens Borgen (OPETH, KATATONIA), "Static Impulse" features LaBrie's longtime songwriting partner and keyboardist Matt Guillory; Peter Wildoer from Swedish thrashers DARKANE on drums and screaming vocals; Marco Sfogli on guitar; and Ray Riendeau (HALFORD) on bass.

"Musically speaking, 'One More Time' is sort of a marriage of old-school progressive elements and modern melodic death metal," Guillory told Noisecreep. "We wanted to have a drastic contrast between what's going on in the verses and what's going on in the choruses. There's almost a pop feel near the end where both James' vocals and my vocals start layering in different ways. Lyrically, the song is about dealing with the loss of a loved one."

PORTNOY Accuses LABRIE Of Being 'Insensitive'; Singer Claims His Words Were 'Misconstrued'

Former DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy has accused the group's lead singer, James LaBrie, of being "insensitive" and "disrespectful" for proclaiming in a recent interview that the remaining members of DREAM THEATER were "not sad at all" about Mike's departure from the group.

During an appearance on the September 28, 2010 edition of the "Used Bin Radio" show, LaBrie was asked if he was "sad" over Portnoy's decision to leave DREAM THEATER, the band Mike formed and led for 25 years. "You know what?! I'm not sad at all," LaBrie replied. "I've gotta be honest with you. I think that everyone out there needs to know that there's four guys in the band that are... We're excited, we're really looking forward to the next chapter. And I think one of the other things that everyone really has to remember is that there's four more-than-capable guys there. We're all extremely... I know everyone is out there going, 'Holy shit! Is this guy full of himself or what?' But I wanna say it like it is. There's four very capable people in the band, and we're all talented and we all know what we're doing, and we're all capable of doing everything and keeping DREAM THEATER exactly what it's been and bringing it to another level and bringing it to
uncharted waters, but I think very exciting and fulfilling waters. So, no, we're not down. I can guarantee you none of us are down. We're actially pretty excited... and very positive."

Earlier today, a registered user of Portnoy's official forum asked the site's moderators if threads about LaBrie's upcoming solo tour were being deleted from the MikePortnoy.com site. Portnoy himself then chose to respond, writing, "I'm afraid your eyes are not playing tricks on you."

He continued, "I was willing to ignore that the [DREAM THEATER] guys insisted all [Mike Portnoy]-related stuff be removed from DreamTheater.net [DREAM THEATER's official web site].... but then on Monday reading the Blabbermouth headlines with James [LaBrie] insensitively proclaming they are 'not sad at all' about my departure from DREAM THEATER, I cannot in 'happy' standing promote his solo tour....

"I am so sad it comes to this, but I am even more shocked and hurt by James' completely disrespectful quote."

[Note: The thread containing Mike's comments has since been deleted from Portnoy's forum.]

A short time after Mike's quote appeared on the MikePortnoy.com site, LaBrie released the following statement in an attempt to clarify the comments that were attributed to the singer in the "Used Bin Radio" interview:

"It seems there is a misunderstanding.

"When I said I was not sad with Mike's departure, it, unfortunately, leaves plenty of room to misconstrue such words.

"No one can tell you or me how to think and feel.

"Initially with Mike's departure I was extremely upset, down and shocked. But one needs to deal and work through these emotions in order to arrive at a more positive and optimistic place. That is where I am now and was when the interview took place.

"Let me put it more plain and simple. Life does not afford us the luxury to wallow in our sorrow. You have to deal with the situation at hand and make it a productive and positive endeavor. In other words, onward and upward.

"Mike made it perfectly clear why he chose the current path. I would much rather his words be the definitive answer.

"In the end, does it really matter what our views are? Other than human curiosity, it doesn't change a thing.

"I have said my piece and believe there is no room for misinterpretation.

"I will give no further weight to this subject; all has been said."

Source RNR Cola

DREAM THEATER Singer Says He's 'Not Sad At All' Following MIKE PORTNOY's Departure

Vocalist James LaBrie of progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER was interviewed on the September 28, 2010 edition of the "Used Bin Radio" show. During the chat LaBrie discussed his new solo album, "Static Impulse", as well as the recent departure of DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy. A couple of excerpts from the interview follow below (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET).

Q: What it is that [DREAM THEATER is] looking for in a new drummer — a technically proficient guy?

LaBrie: "Oh, absolutely. I mean, that comes first and foremost. I can assure you that all these guys [that are going to be auditioning for the drummer slot] are monsters on the kit — they are absolutely phenomenal. They are more than capable of playing everything that DREAM THEATER's done — from day one to [what we're doing now]. So they're more than capable, technically speaking. They're scary. So what are we looking for? We're looking for a few things. We wanna make sure that that person can completely absorb and represent everything that DREAM THEATER is about as far as the drums and the attitude and the personality and the chemistry; those points have to be there. These guys [that are set to audition for the band] are more than capable of playing the songs and blowing us away with their technical prowess, but we're looking for the guy that has the right chemistry and the right personality — even the right kind of flow behind the kit. And he's
got [to have the right] look and we just [have to] feel comfortable around [him]. And that's really the ingredients that these guys have to have."

Q: Are you sad, James? I mean, this is a huge shift in the world of DREAM THEATER and progressive rock. It's a fucking earthquake.

LaBrie: "You know what?! I'm not sad at all. I've gotta be honest with you. I think that everyone out there needs to know that there's four guys in the band that are... We're excited, we're really looking forward to the next chapter. And I think one of the other things that everyone really has to remember is that there's four more-than-capable guys there. We're all extremely... I know everyone is out there going, 'Holy shit! Is this guy full of himself or what?' But I wanna say it like it is. There's four very capable people in the band, and we're all talented and we all know what we're doing, and we're all capable of doing everything and keeping DREAM THEATER exactly what it's been and bringing it to another level and bringing it to uncharted waters, but I think very exciting and fulfilling waters. So, no, we're not down. I can guarantee you none of us are down. We're actially pretty excited... and very positive."

Q: The relationship with the fans of DREAM THEATER has mainly emanated from Mike. So how does that get distributed now? Does it get distributed or does one guy sort of take it all on?

LaBrie: "Absolutely, it gets distributed. it gets distribtued and we all know that we have to now all be a part of that. And that's how it's gonna be distributed. It's gonna be all of us being the contact for our fans, it's gonna be all of us really making sure that there's that face-to-face [interaction] going on constantly [and] consistently. We're all ready for it. We've already started it — we're all on our various web sites, I'm on Twitter and I'm talking to people a lot and just saying what's going on and what's happening with my solo stuff, what's happening in the DREAM THEATER camp."

Q: So that means in the future of DREAM THEATER we're gonna see a lot more press interviews with John Myung [bass]?

LaBrie: "You know what?! I believe you will."

Q: I didn't even know he knew how to talk. I've gotta be honest...

LaBrie: "Neither did we. But lately he's really been extremely involved and very much a beacon for us, because he's right in there going, 'I was thinking about this,' and 'I was thinking about that,' and it's kind of cool; it's refreshing."

OPETH: 'In Live Concert At The Royal Albert Hall' DVD First-Week Sales Revealed

OPETH's "In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall" DVD sold 3,200 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 2 on Billboard's Top Music Videos chart.

"In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall" has registered the following Top Music Videos and Music DVD chart positions so far:

USA: #2
Germany: #2
Canada: #3
UK: #3
Netherlands: #6

"In Live Concert at the Royal Albert Hall" was released on September 21 via Roadrunner Records.

Twenty years and nine records into their legendary career, OPETH's "progressively creative spirit" (ARTISTdirect) remains unwavering, propelling the band through the "Evolution XX: An Opeth Anthology" tour, which brought the Swedish titans to six of the world's most unique venues, and now, with the release of "In Live Concert At The Royal Albert Hall", into the homes of their fans.

The performance at the Royal Albert Hall includes two sets, the first consisting of the band performing 2000's now-classic, breakthrough epic "Blackwater Park" in its entirety, and the second, a chronologically arranged selection of material from the rest of OPETH's extensive catalogue, totaling almost three hours of music. It is, like the rest of OPETH's greatest work, "purposefully warped in all the right places" (Decibel). The front cover artwork concept pays tribute to DEEP PURPLE's "Concerto for Group and Orchestra", underlining the band's longstanding love for their prog-rock roots.

Thinking back to the concert, frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt says "OPETH had a magical night playing the Royal Albert Hall. It was a dream come true, and now afterwards, it still feels like a dream. We got it all on film, and this, our third live recording and DVD, might be my personal favorite.

"One couldn't help to think of all the fantastic artists that played there over the years. Looking back at this night of celebration brings me fond memories of our 20th anniversary — this package is the delayed birthday present."

The release is available as three very special configurations:

01. Limited-edition vinyl box set, which includes:

* Double-DVD set of OPETH's performance at the legendary Royal Albert Hall in its entirety. Bonus features include an exclusive interview and the behind-the-scenes documentary, "On Tour with Opeth". DVDs are in 5.1 Dolby surround sound, produced and mixed by Jens Bogren.

* A set of four 180-gram LPs of the concert's live audio in its entirety. The vinyl is pressed overseas to the highest of standards and housed in white poly lined inner sleeves which are packaged as two double gatefold set with exclusive artwork. Vinyl only available in this box set.

* Exclusive, numbered lithograph with artwork designed by Mikael Åkerfeldt and longtime OPETH designer Travis Smith.

* 20-page, LP sized booklet printed on coated paper stock that chronicles the night's events in photos.

* MP3 download of live audio in its entirety sent via e-mail on release day.

* Expanded, exclusive artwork and more.

* Content of this set is housed in a custom foil stamped slipcase.

02. Five-disc set that consists of two DVDs and three CDs. The set not only includes the legendary evening captured on video, but the concert's live audio in its entirety as well.

03. Double-DVD set of OPETH's performance at the legendary Royal Albert Hall, in its entirety, including bonus features.

Track listing is as follows:

Set 1

* The Leper Affinity
* Bleak
* Harvest
* The Drapery Falls
* Dirge For November
* The Funeral Portrait
* Patterns In The Ivy
* Blackwater Park

Set 2

* Forest Of October
* Advent
* April Ethereal
* The Moor
* Wreath
* Hope Leaves
* Harlequin Forest
* The Lotus Eater

REDEMPTION Working On New Material

Los Angeles-based progressive metal band REDEMPTION, which features in its ranks vocalist Ray Alder of FATES WARNING, is "in the early pre-production stage" of writing material for its new album for a 2011 release. Guitarist/songwriter Nicolas van Dyk states, "It's too early to say too much, but I can share that the arrangements vary from short (for us!) hard-hitting songs to at least one and possibly two more sprawling ideas, and that a few of the working titles at this point are 'Noonday Devil', 'Dreams From The Pit' and 'Rain In My Soul'."

In November 2008, Nicolas van Dyk was diagnosed with multiple myeloma, a disease that he described at the time as "a particularly bad form of blood cancer which is generally considered incurable and which has a five-year survival rate of 34%." He now says, "I remain in complete remission with no trace of the disease that I announced publicly about a year ago. I remain on three powerful medications to ensure that the cancer does not return. Of the five original active lesions in my bones, none are active for cancer and one of them has resolved (i.e. been completely repaired with new bone). The other four are in the process of being repaired and that is the next big milestone.

"Patience is required but I believe they will get there. If that happens, it is a good sign that I am well down the road to being cured (according to the very aggressive doctor to whom I entrust my care). However I must remain on these medicines for two more years. They have many unpleasant side effects but I am resolved to stick with the program and beat 'incurable' blood cancer."

On February 4, REDEMPTION was interviewed for an episode of "Hard" on the AUX music channel out of Canada. The six-minute segment, which includes performance footage, can be viewed below.

REDEMPTION released its fourth CD, "Snowfall on Judgment Day", on October 6, 2009 through Inside Out Music. The album was mixed and mastered by Tommy Newton, who produced the group's last two CDs, at Area 51 Studios in Celle, Germany. The artwork was once again created by Travis Smith.

REDEMPTION is:

Ray Alder - Vocals
Nick van Dyk - Guitar, Keyboards
Bernie Versailles - Guitar
Sean Andrews - Bass
Chris Quirarte - Drums
Greg Hosharian - Keyboards

REDEMPTION released a concert DVD, "Frozen in the Moment: Live in Atlanta", in late February/early March 2009. The disc contains a five-camera, high-definition shoot of the band's ProgPower USA VIII festival appearance in Atlanta, Georgia in October 2007. In addition, there is a 12-minute video and photo tour diary set to the band's previously unreleased instrumental from the DREAM THEATER songwriting contest that REDEMPTION wrote back in 2003.
Source: RNRCOLA

DREAM THEATER To Be Inducted Into LONG ISLAND MUSIC HALL OF FAME

Progressive metal giants DREAM THEATER lead this year's class of inductees into the Long Island Music Hall of Fame. The third annual ceremony will take place on Tuesday, November 16 at the famed Oheka Castle, 135 West Gate Drive in Huntington, New York.

The third Long Island Music Hall of Fame induction class includes (alphabetically):

OSCAR BRAND
CAROLE AND PAULA
TEDDY CHARLES
DREAM THEATER
STANLEY DRUCKER
ERIC B AND RAKIM
MORTON GOULD
BOB GRUEN
ROY HAYNES
AL KOOPER
STEVE MARTIN
DONNIE MCCLURKIN
DENIS MCNAMARA
My Father's Place (venue)
EDDIE PALMIERI
LOU REED
THE SHANGRI-LAS
JOHN ZORN

Long Island Music Hall of Fame will also present the 2010 Music Educator of Note Award to a recipient who will be selected by November 1, and will formally present the 2009 Award to the family of Joseph Sugar, who passed away in 2009.

Inductees are selected by the Long Island Music Hall of Fame Board of Directors from an evolving and growing list of people, artists, and entities that were born, raised, founded, or have resided on geographic Long Island (Brooklyn, Queens, Nassau, Suffolk) for a significant portion of their career. Induction is based on historical importance and the significance of their contribution to Long Island’s rich musical heritage.

Long Island Music Hall of Fame (LIMHOF) is a 501(c)(3) museum and membership organization dedicated to the idea that Long Island’s musical heritage is an important resource to be celebrated and preserved for future generations. The organization defines Long Island geographically as Kings, Queens , Nassau and Suffolk counties. The Hall of Fame sponsors the Long Island Sound Award (LISA), traveling educational exhibits, and a scholarship program. It is also creating a museum home where the story of the Island's musical heritage will be told.

Documentary Director Says ROCK AND ROLL Hall OF FAME Snub Is 'Unfortunate'

Scot McFadyen, who co-directed the award-winning documentary about legendary Canadian trio RUSH, called "Rush: Beyond The Lighted Stage", tells Entertainment Weekly that the band once again being snubbed by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame at next year's induction ceremony is "unfortunate. We were hoping a lot more people in the [nominating] room had seen our documentary, and maybe that would have given them a different perspective on the band," he said. "But there are just some people that are holding out."

McFadyen says that he wasn't surprised by RUSH's continued exclusion from the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame even though the band has been eligible for the Hall since 1999. "They've never been a critics' band," he said. "The industry people that are involved with the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, RUSH has never been cool enough for them."

Source: RNRCOLA