Studio Jonkillz An incredibly exciting new musical project is beginning to take shape. To create the soundtrack for an upcoming documentary film about Phil Anselmo ‘s ‘House of Shock’ haunted house attraction, members of Slayer , Exodus , Queens of the Stone Age and Amen have joined forces for a full-on sonic boom. There have been countless “supergroups” formed throughout the history of rock and metal, but this project is a new breed entirely. When Exodus guitarist Gary Holt filled in for Slayer then-ailing guitarist Jeff Hanneman , Holt formed a strong creative bond with Slayer drummer Dave Lombardo . “Whenever Dave and I would get on deck for soundcheck, we’d go up there first and jam make up stuff everyday,” Holt tells Noisecreep . “It just comes easy for us. We’re both into being spontaneous and improvising. We probably have an album’s worth of material.” Legendary producer Ross Robinson ( Slipknot , Deftones ) was self-admittedly blown away by the “fire, energy and wisdom” created by Holt and Lombardo, so when the producer was approached to help provide music for the ‘House of Shock’ documentary, Robinson immediately knew who he wanted to work with. “The first thing I wanted to do was tap into this energy between Gary and Dave,” says Ross of the unnamed project. “And Casey [Chaos, Amen] has this amazing ability to do these amazing choruses and be so violent and ruthless at it.” Along with Casey Chaos coming in as another contibutor, former Queens of the Stone Age bassist Nick Oliveri became the fourth musician to join the collective. With such a unique lineup cemented together for the soundtrack, an obvious question presents itself: Will the diverse group form a new band and create their own album? Although both Holt and Lombardo are hard at work for new Exodus and Slayer albums, respectively, Lombardo keeps an open mind. “If we came in for two weeks of just riff-writing and another two weeks of putting it all together, we’d have an album that would throw people for a loop,” explains the drummer. “They wouldn’t know what hit them … I’m as proud of this stuff as anything I’ve ever done. It’s phenomenal.” Stay tuned for more news on this non-monikered project and the tunes they’re creating for the ‘House of Shock’ documentary.
Metal Blade Swedish ambient heavy metallers Ghost have just released their first offering from their upcoming sophomore album. This offering comes in the form of a new song titled ‘Secular Haze.’ Even better, Ghost are giving it away for free. If ‘Secular Haze’ is any indication of what the band’s highly anticipated 2013 album will provide our ears, we’ve got something great to look forward to next year. For those who are unaware of Ghost, the band consists of five nameless ghouls draped in pious robes and masks, while the collective’s singer dons the exterior of an evil Pope. Ghost’s vocalist, Papa Emeritus, is the only member given a name, although he now goes by Papa Emeritus II, perhaps to signify the proceedings of a second album. Ghost’s debut album, ‘Opus Eponymous,’ received an incredibly positive response from critics and metal / rock fans, mostly due to its originality, atmosphere and strong composition. Be sure to keep your ears tuned to Ghost throughout 2013, as they could certainly be one of the year’s most important breakout acts. To download ‘Secular Haze’ for free, head on over to Ghost’s official website and type in your email. Also, see below to check out ‘Secular Haze’ performed live to take in both the sonic and visual elements of that which is Ghost. Ghost, ‘Secular Haze’ (Live)
Rise / Relapse In a Death Match that featured two first-time competitors, the Acacia Strain was able to defeat Australian metalcore act Parkway Drive. With one win already under their collective belt, the Acacia Strain now face a group of underground grind legends. Pig Destroyer are one of the foremost innovators of the extreme when it comes to 2000s metal. Having already released a slew of masterpieces this century, Pig Destroyer have added yet another accomplishment to their brutal mantle with the album ‘Book Burner’ and a new lyric video for the song ‘Burning Palm.’ Pig Destroyer fans have been waiting for over five years for a new album, but it was worth the wait, as ‘Book Burner’ proves to be another brilliant work. Can the Acacia Strain pull off another win? Or will Pig Destroyer stomp out their competitors? Your votes decide who moves on. Make your choice! (This Death Match ends on Tuesday, Oct. 30, at 10AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) The Acacia Strain, ‘Victims of the Cave’ Pig Destroyer, ‘Burning Palm’ ? Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. ? Email Me When Death Match Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of the weekly winner of the Death Match, as well as our top stories of each day. Email Rules of Death Match Two bands fight to the death each week. Fans can vote once per hour. The triumphant band goes on to compete in the next Death Match. If a band wins four straight Death Matches, its song will be honored as immortal in the Loudwire Death Match Hall of Fame.