Carl Palmer States No More Reunion Shows For ELP

FROM CLASSIC ROCK MAGAZINES DAVE LING:

Carl Palmer has told Classic Rock that, so far as he is concerned, Emerson, Lake & Palmer’s 40th anniversary reunion gig at this summer’s High Voltage Festival will be the trio’s final appearance together.
We asked the drummer whether, after 12 years away, it was difficult to reactivate the beast.

“Well, for reasons I won’t go into it’s always hard to rev it up. We rehearsed for it for a month, which almost killed me. Not the physical side of it, just keeping interested. Me personally, I didn’t need a month. But that’s what we did, and when it came to the gig what you saw was what you got. That’s as good as it will ever be (again). Everyone seemed pretty happy with it, and I think that gig will be far as the three of us can take things.”

After so long away, standing at the side of the stage how did it feel to go on there and do it again? Was there some anxiety?

“Not from me, I’m not the nervous type. I play all the time,” Palmer responded. “Greg (Lake) and Keith (Emerson), on the other hand, were highly nervous and that was part of the problem though they both did the best they could. I looked at it not exactly as just another festival, but well… Asia have played more than 200 gigs since the reunion, and of course I’ve also got my own band. For me, like I said, it was the month’s rehearsal and not the gig that really frustrated me.”

If you missed the band’s High Voltage farewell then do not panic. A DVD of the event is being put together.

“We’ve been doing some overdubs and there will also be an audio CD, but it’s looking really good,” reveals Palmer. “And that’s about it, really. There are no plans to do anything else, not from my perspective anyway. I’ve let the other two know that. Being the 40th anniversary, it seemed a great way to finish things. Let’s just leave it there.”

Palmer tours the UK with Asia throughout December. For details go to: http://originalasia.com/

THERION: 'Sitra Ahra' First-Week Sales Revealed

"Sitra Ahra", the new album from Swedish progressive/experimental metallers THERION, sold around 800 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 44 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.

"Sitra Ahra" was released in North America on October 26 through Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was mixed at the legendary Polar Studios in Stockholm by Lennart Östlund (LED ZEPPELIN, ABBA). The cover artwork was created by Thomas Ewerhard, who worked on all of the band's most recent releases in addition to collaborating with EDGUY, AVANTASIA, RAGE and HAMMERFALL, among others.

"Sitra Ahra" was mastered in New York and it features the following track listing:

01. Sitra Ahra
02. Kings Of Edom
03. Unguentum Sabbati
04. Land Of Canaan
05. Hellequin
06. 2012
07. Cu Chulain
08. Kali Yoga III
09. The Shells Are Open
10. Din
11. After The Inquisition: Children

THERION recently recruited Christian Vidal from Argentina as the band's new guitarist.

Vidal made his live debut with THERION on June 4, 2010 in Mexico City.

Christofer Johnsson announced in May 2009 that Vikström had become a permanent member of THERION.

EVERGREY To Headline 'Rockin' The Galaxy' Cruise

Swedish metallers EVERGREY will headline the Rockin' The Galaxy cruise, which will leave the Stockholm, Sweden port on November 25 for Åbo, Finland, and return the following day. Other acts scheduled to perform on the cruise — which will be held aboard the Tallink-Silja ship Galaxy — include BAI BANG, SYSTEMATIC SLAUGHTER and DEFUELED.

The purpose of the Rockin' The Galaxy cruise is to provide ambitious and talented rock bands an opportunity to showcase their talent to a new and wider audience, much larger than they are accustomed to. 25 different bands — both established and unknown — will perform during the 24-hour rockin' cruise from Stockholm to Åbo and back. Two stages will be rigged, a huge main stage for bands attracting larger crowds and a smaller club scene for newer talent on the rise. The music genre ranges from rock, hard rock, metal to death metal. There will be several different and exciting competitions held during the cruise with great prizes including loads of music equipment donated by Club Centurion sponsors. At the end of the cruise, the eight best guitarists will also compete in a Guitar Battle.

For more information, visit http://RockinTheGalaxy.se

RUSH's 'Time Machine' North American Tour Grosses $19 Million

According to Billboard.com, RUSH's "Time Machine Tour" that played North American venues from late June through early October grossed a total of $18,989,834. The top gross among the reported concerts came from a two-performance engagement at Red Rocks Amphitheatre in Morrison, Colorado, with sales of more than 16,000 tickets for both shows (August 16 and August 18). The largest amphitheater crowd for a single performance came from the Houston market with 15,225 fans in attendance at the Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion on September 25.

The "Time Machine Tour" kicked off on June 29 in Albuquerque, New Mexico and finished on October 2 in West Palm Beach, Florida, hitting a total of 37 cities. The centerpiece of the trek was the band's first-ever performance of its classic 1981 album "Moving Pictures" in its entirety. The group also played other beloved tracks from its catalog as well as new songs that the band has been working on.

This was RUSH's first road trip since touring extensively behind its 2007 studio album, "Snakes & Arrows".

Mark Westworth Leaves IQ

From the IQ website:

It is with great sadness that we have to announce Mark Westworth’s decision to leave IQ. Here is Mark’s explanation:
“It all stops here! Well, it's been an honour to have become a small part of the history of IQ, however I've made a decision to follow my head rather than my heart and will be leaving the band at the end of the year. Having to juggle family life, a full time job and finding time to play all this prog nonsense has been more than a handful of late. Anyway, I shall leave with some great memories and will definitely miss the camaraderie and frequent lunacy of the band and crew, and the loyal fans. Creating music will always be my passion, so hopefully I'll find an outlet to release something in the not-too-distant future. All the best, Mark x”
Mark’s final appearance with IQ will be at the O2 Academy, Islington, on 11th December. We would like to thank Mark for everything he has contributed to the band over the last three years and we wish him every success in his future endeavours.

October News Bytes

• Voiceprint Records is set to release the 21st Century Schizoid Band Live In Japan Concert CD and DVD bringing together both the visual and audio elements of the concert in one package. As both the separate elements of Live in Japan have been unavailable for some time this reissue now means you have both together in the one package and as King Crimson and the relevant offshoots of the band
• The members of Yes are going in studio to record a new album that should be ready next year. They are working with producer Trevor Horn.
• Singer Rob Sowden has decided to part ways with the band Arena. The explanation given so many times at moments like this is ‘musical differences’, usually as a veil for somewhat darker reasons; but actually, in this case, it is precisely the reason.
• Believe, the outstanding art/progressive rock band led by the former guitarist of the Polish prog rock legend Collage, return with their fourth studio album. The new material entitled “World Is Round” will be released in January 2011.
• Gary Husband, pianist and drummer, is about to release an all star album titled Dirty And Beautiful which will feature Gary Husband (Drums and Keys);Allan Holdsworth (Guitar); John McLaughlin (Guitar); Robin Trower (Guitar); Steve Hackett (Guitar); Steve Topping (Guitar); Jan Hammer (Keyboards); Jerry Goodman (Violin); Jimmy Johnson (Bass); Mark King (Bass); Laurence Cottle (Bass); Livingstone Brown (Bass); Steve Price (Bass)
• Brett Stranne Of Cairo is battling cancer. Donations can be given through this website: http://brettstranne.com

JON LORD To Compose Concerto For Hammond And Tympani

According to a posting on the JonLord.org web site, former DEEP PURPLE keyboardist Jon Lord has been commissioned to compose a concerto for Hammond organ and orchestra and with special parts for tympani. The piece will be premiered with the Oslo Philharmonic Orchestra with Tom Vissgren on tympani in Oslo, Norway in the spring of 2012. "It is basically a concerto for Hammond and an orchestra with a very virtuoso tympany part," explains Jon Lord.

"Tom Vissgren and I had become acquaintances, and he had asked me if I would write a tympany concerto. I said, 'I am not up to writing a tympany concerto but how about this…'

"I had been thinking for years about writing a Hammond Concerto. Something I could turn up and play as part of a program with an orchestra. It doesn't have to be a program of only my music, just slot me in along next to Mahler and I would be happy. So I thought about that, and told Vissgren that I could write a really virtuoso tympany part to go alongside it. We took the idea to the management of the Oslo Philharmonics and it's now commissioned for the spring of 2012. I'm getting on well with this and it's coming along nicely."