Posts Tagged ‘french’

Ozzy Osbourne Suffers Injuries in House Fire

Larry Busacca, Getty Images A freak fire in the home of Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne early this morning (Jan. 17) has left metal music’s ‘Prince of Darkness’ with singed hair, no eyebrows, minor burns to his face and a setback to an existing hand injury. Firefighters were called to the Osbournes’ Beverly Hills home at around 4:45 AM this morning to extinguish a fire caused by a candle which had not been blown out before the husband and wife retired to bed. The candle was housed in a glass vase that reportedly exploded, causing a small fire in the Osbourne’s living room. Sharon and Ozzy, who had undergone hand surgery the day before, attempted to put out the flames, but their efforts resulted in minor injuries to the  Black Sabbath vocalist. Ozzy attempted to put out the fire with his hand still in the cast from his surgery as Sharon got some water and unintentionally caused the oily fire to spread as she splashed the flames. The resulting blast of fire burned Ozzy’s long hair up to his ears, seared off his eyebrows and left his cheeks skinned. Luckily, Sharon and the Osbourne’s many pets suffered no injuries. Sharon described the incident with intricate detail on her show ‘The Talk’ today [via  Contact Music ]: At five o’ clock (in the morning), I heard a noise like metal had fallen. I thought it was my housekeeper coming in and she had dropped her keys on the tiles, that’s what it sounded like, so I didn’t pay any attention. A few minutes later, my eyes are stinging and my throat’s closing up, (I thought), ‘Something’s weird smelling in here’. Then my dog started to bark. I go downstairs and the whole living room (was on fire). The candle had burst and the cracking sound was the glass and the candle exploding… My husband had an operation on his hand yesterday so he’s in a complete cast… He comes down and goes, ‘Oh, the fire, the fire!’ (and tries to put it out) with his hand in the cast. Then he opens the French doors and I go into the kitchen and throw water on it and it erupted… Ozzy’s front of his hair from (his ear down is), gone! His eyebrows (are gone)… he’s got like, skinned cheeks. We are, like, two idiots, it was like The Three Stooges… Everything you are not meant to do – go to bed with candles alight, open the doors and put water on – we did it all. They (the firemen) come up, they give us a lecture, and Ozzy’s like, ‘She’s been doing this to me for 32 years! You tell her, you tell her, no more candles!’ I apologize to my husband because he put himself out. He made his hand worse, it started to bleed, the whole nine yards, and I’m sorry and I love you and I will never light a candle again… I want to thank the firemen from Beverly Hills Fire Station because you are magnificent there and I want to say to everyone out there, please, please check your candles before you go to bed. We’re glad to hear Ozzy escaped with only minor injuries. As it stands, 2013 is shaping up to be big year for the metal legend, as Black Sabbath have just announced that they will release their long-awaited new album, ’13,’ in June. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/campaign-rename-birmingham-airport-after-ozzy-osbourne/” title=”Campaign Launches to Rename Birmingham Airport After Ozzy Osbourne” align=”center”]

Former Judas Priest Guitarist K.K. Downing Returns to Music as a Promoter

Andrew H. Walker, Getty Images Guitarist  K.K. Downing may have officially retired from  Judas Priest  in 2011, but the rocker apparently isn’t one to stray too far from the stage. After spending time in the last few years pursuing various business opportunities , Downing is returning to the music scene as a promoter. The guitarist tells the Shropshire Star that he’s interested in finding new, young talent and providing them with a showcase to get their music heard. As such, he’s announced a pair of shows in Wolverhampton and Birmingham where he’ll highlight some rising stars. Downing’s promotion firm will operate under the moniker The Future of Heavy Metal, and it finds him collaborating with industry veteran Dave Coleman to discover the talent. The guitarist says, “The Black Country and Birmingham are known as the home of heavy metal. Back in the ’70s and ’80s the area produced so many good bands from Black Sabbath and Led Zeppelin to Judas Priest and even Slade. In some ways it’s been difficult for other bands to fill the void. Now it’s time for the next generation to step up to the plate.” Among the bands he’s currently promoting are local acts such as Hostile, Left Unscarred and Under Blackened Skies, as well as French outfit Moray Firth. The first show will take place May 15 at the Slade Rooms in Wolverhampton, with the second show scheduled for May 17 at the Asylum in Birmingham. [button href=”http://loudwire.com/best-judas-priest-songs/” title=”Next: 10 Best Judas Priest Songs” align=”center”]

Metal Band of the Year – 2012 Loudwire Music Awards

Here we have a batch of stellar bands who just happened to shape the metal music landscape in 2012. The accomplishments made by the following acts cannot be underestimated, as metal as a genre continues to dominate the underground music world. Once again, we’ve got veterans facing new-school heroes for the title of Metal Band of the Year, and it’s the fans who will decide who deserves the award. Check out the 10 nominees in the Metal Band of the Year and be sure to vote in the poll below: Anthrax Having released ‘Worship Music’ in 2011, the thrash legends of Anthrax released ‘I’m Alive’ as a single in 2012, along with headlining the second stage at this year’s Mayhem Festival and touring extensively with Testament and Death Angel. ? ? ? As I Lay Dying Metalcore leaders As I Lay Dying had a strong year in 2012, releasing the album ‘Awakened’ to critical acclaim. The band turned the tracks ‘Cauterize’ and ‘A Greater Foundation’ into singles this year, along with performing on the 2012 Mayhem Festival. ? ? Between the Buried and Me Guitarist Paul Waggoner was hoping to create similar excitement for their 2012 album, ‘The Parallax II: Future Sequence’ that they conjured with ‘Colors’ in 2007. From fan reaction, Between the Buried and Me succeeded with their 2012 masterpiece. The prog metal act even gave fans a taste of ‘The Parallax II’ during the 2012 Summer Slaughter tour. ? Down Phil Anselmo and the rest of Down crunched their Southern sludge into an EP this year with ‘Down IV Part 1 – The Purple EP.’ Fans are absolutely rabid to check out these new tracks live, and they’ll get the chance to do so when Down hit the road early next year. ? ? Gojira The French mad scientists of Gojira absolutely exploded in 2012 with the album ‘L’Enfant Sauvage.’ The masterful album brought in a massive new group of fans while keeping the old ones happy, a feat that is among the most difficult of accomplishments for a progressive act. ? ? Lamb of God Having released ‘Resolution’ in early 2012, Lamb of God embarked on various tours before being stopped in their tracks by the arrest of vocalist Randy Blythe in the Czech Republic. Lamb of God persevered through the controversy, hitting the road once again later in the year to a red-hot ‘Welcome Home’ from fans. ? Machine Head Along with creating a more-than-impressive video for the song ‘Darkness Within’ in 2012, Machine Head treated fans worldwide to a string of live performances. After headlining a tour with support from Suicide Silence and Darkest Hour, Machine Head continued to play gigs with Dethklok, All That Remains and the Black Dahlia Murder. ? Napalm Death The British grindcore legends of Napalm Death blew away grind fans with their 2012 album, ‘Utilitarian.’ Having created one of this year’s most brutal and imaginative albums, Napalm took grindcore into a new realm proceeding their tour with Municipal Waste and Exhumed. ? ? Pig Destroyer After a five-year wait, grind masters Pig Destroyer released yet another pummeling triumph, ‘Book Burner.’ Under the influence of mastermind Scott Hull, ‘Book Burner’ showcases brilliant sonic attacks by all involved, including Kat Katz, Richard Johnson and broadcasting legend Larry King via his reading of Henry Miller’s ‘Tropic of Cancer’ audiobook. ? Testament Boasting one of metal’s most purely talented lineups, Testament crushed the world of thrash with their ‘Dark Roots of Earth’ album. The band made memorable videos for ‘True American Hate’ as well as ‘Native Blood,’ while touring with fellow thrash legends Anthrax and Death Angel. ? ? Sorry, you need to have javascript running to see this poll. Get Notified When Winners Are Announced Enter your email address below to receive the daily Loudwire newsletter, which will include notification of our full list of winners in the 2012 Loudwire Music Awards, as well as the top stories in rock and metal. Email

Twisted Sister’s Jay Jay French Says Trademark Law Doesn’t Offer Choice on What to Defend

Ethan Miller, Getty Images Twisted Sister made headlines last month with talk that they were planning to take legal action against the owner of a Minneapolis food truck over usage of their band name, but guitarist and a manager Jay Jay French says there really wasn’t much of a choice in taking action. The band sent a cease-and-desist letter to the owner of the Twisted Sister House of Hunger food truck, and owner Wesley Kaake told local station WCCO-TV that in researching the matter, he discovered that there were at least six other businesses who also received similar letters from the band. In response to the backlash, French told Blabbermouth , “I get how stories like these appear like David vs. Goliath. I also get how easy it is to take cheap shots at my band because of our former image and the ’80s-era iconography. [But] the fact of the matter is that trademark law doesn’t give me a choice on who and what to defend. The law is very clear: either defend your trademark or lose rights to it.” The guitarist says over the years he’s had to take action against major companies like Six Flags, Urban Decay, and Harley-Davidson as well as some of the “mom and pop companies.” He adds, “The defense is almost always the same. They first claim that they never heard of the band and then they say that no one would confuse the two anyway. I have won every case. The unique juxtaposition of the words ‘Twisted’ and ‘Sister’ have never ever appeared in print prior to my band’s use of it. This was established in the Six Flags case.” French concludes, “The name is so unique, like Led Zeppelin, that any use would confuse the marketplace as either the product or service is owned or endorsed by us. Also, if I let one go, that just emboldens someone else with the rationale that ‘you didn’t bother them, so why go after me.’ I have heard this many times before.” The guitarist also states that he’s not opposed to the food truck using the name for their business so long as they legally license it from the band. He adds, “One hundred percent of the licensing money will go to the OUIF (Ocular Immunology and Uveitis Foundation.” [button href=”http://loudwire.com/twisted-sister-pee-wees-big-adventure-cameo/” title=”Next: Twisted Sister – Musician Movie Cameos” align=”center”]

Daily Reload: Metallica, Nirvana, President of Heavy Metal Elections + More

Theo Wargo, Getty Images Here’s a look at the top stories of the day on Loudwire and around the Web: – Metallica have been dedicating their time to completing a new concert DVD and Blu-Ray, and guess what? ‘Quebec Magnetic’ will be ready for the holidays. [ Loudwire ] – Wonder how Kurt Cobain would feel about this? CBS has started developing a new sitcom utilizing the name of Nirvana ‘s hit song — ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’ — as its working title. [ Loudwire ] – The Presidential debates may be over, but there’s still plenty left to discuss while voting for the President of Heavy Metal. See which eight candidates remain in the Quarterfinals and vote for your favorites to advance. [ Loudwire ] – Former Kiss drummer Peter Criss responds after hearing that Aerosmith ‘s Steven Tyler called his onetime group “a comic-book band.” [ Ultimate Classic Rock ] – Happy 48th birthday today to Metallica bassist Robert Trujillo. Find out more about his musical and personal history. [ Ultimate Metallica ] – Gaslight Anthem have landed ‘Happy Endings’ cutie Elisha Cuthbert for their latest video for ‘Here Comes My Man.’ [ Diffuser.fm ] – French metal favorites Gojira will play their first North American headlining tour early next year, with support from the Devin Townsend Project and the Atlas Moth . [ Rock Music Report ]

Nightwish Unveil Own Brand of Wine + New Trailer for ‘Imaginaerum’ Movie

NightwishWine.com Finnish symphonic metal masters Nightwish have been working on a film to complement their ‘Imaginaerum’ album, which was released to critical acclaim. Along with a new trailer for the movie, Nightwish have just announced that they will be creating Imaginaerum wine to bring the experience to a completely new sense. Even with the recent departure of singer Anette Olzon , the direction of Nightwish’s ‘Imaginaerum’ projects has gone unhindered. “We are proud to present a new Nightwish item, Imaginaerum wine ,” begins keyboardist Tuomas Holopainen. “Imaginaerum is the most imaginative wine on the planet. It’s inspired by otherworldly splendours, moments of wonderment and the joyous sound of laughter with a hint of campfire poetry, music of the spheres, and the long, smooth, star-filled finish of Lucid Dreams. It is a wine best enjoyed with the ones you hold dear. Cheers and enjoy!” Winemaking is no easy business, and it would be easy to simply bottle some sort of rushed and half-assed product, but Nightwish have taken the task very seriously. The grapes used for the wine were up to 100 years old and gave off super intensive aromas before spending 14 months in small barrels made of French oak. As for the newest ‘Imaginaerum’ movie trailer, the finished promo looks absolutely phenomenal, delivering some incredibly eye-gasmic cinematography. “Basically [the film is] about this old guy who use to be a composer and he’s really sick,” Holopainen told us in an exclusive interview . “He’s lying on his death bed in a hospital and he’s going through his life, through his dreams — that’s the basic story line. It’s all about praising life and life’s beauty, imagination and all the strife and the bad stuff we have to face.” The first bottling of Imaginaerum wine is set to take place this week, and the ‘Imaginaerum’ film is set to be released in Finland on Nov. 23. Watch the Trailer for ‘Imaginaerum’

Gojira vs. Cradle of Filth – Death Match

Roadrunner / Nuclear Blast Gojira have cracked out another win in our latest Death Match, beating out black metal legends Enslaved by a respectable margin. We needed to find a massive and worthy opponent for Gojira this week, because if the French metallers win one more match, their song ‘The Axe’ will be declared as immortal in the Death Match Hall of Fame. Gothic extreme metal veterans Cradle of Filth enter this week’s Death Match, creating a huge battle pitting France against England. Cradle of Filth are set to release their 10th studio album, ‘The Manticore and Other Horrors,’ on Halloween Eve, with the track ‘For Your Vulgar Delectation’ having already been unveiled to the delight of their eager fans. Will Gojira chop their way into the Death Match Hall of Fame? Or will Cradle of Filth scare the French metallers away? The choice belongs to the fans. Vote for your favorite track in the poll below. (This Death Match ends on Tuesday, Oct. 16, at 10AM ET. Fans can vote once per hour! So come back and vote often to make sure your favorite song wins!) Gojira, ‘The Axe’ Cradle of Filth, ‘For Your Vulgar Delectation’ ? 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.