A couple of weeks ago, we posted the premiere of Scars on Broadway's new song, "Fucking." This week, the band's vocalist-guitarist Daron Malakian and drummer John Dolmayan (both of System of a Down fame) answer a couple of questions about the song.

REVOLVER What’s this song about? (Dare we ask?)
DARON MALAKIAN This song is about how the media—TV, internet, marketing—sexualizes children by exposing them to Viagra, Girls Gone Wild, etc in between ball games or at your local neighborhood Hooters restaurants, and how this is changing society and the next generation of values and morals. The song is not for or against it, it’s just an observation I guess.

Why are you playing only a one-off show, at the Avalon, and what can fans expect at that?
JOHN DOLMAYAN We are playing on August 20 for the pleasure of playing and being on stage together as a band again. Fans can expect to have a great time in an intimate setting which is something different and special for both the fans and ourselves.

Check out this interview with Liturgy from Scion Rock Fest 2010 and watch them play "Ecstatic Rite" at Rock Fest! Scion has also launched a 24/7 online metal radio station called Radio Doom, which you can listen to here.

Interview

Scion Rock Fest: Liturgy Interview from Scion A/V on Vimeo.

Liturgy Perform "Ecstatic Rite"

Scion Rock Fest: Liturgy "Ecstatic Rite" from Scion A/V on Vimeo.

Scars on Brodway, which features System of a Down's Daron Malakian and John Dolmayan, are releasing their new single, “Fucking,” which you can download by sharing the news.

All you have to do is visit ArmageddonComeAlive.com and log into your Facebook or Twitter account. You'll then be prompted to post a text update containing a link back to the website. After you post it, you get the song.

Thanks to SoundCloud, the band was able to custom build this powerful “Share to Download” feature, using tracks already on their SoundCloud account.

This free download comes upfront of Scars on Broadway playing a special one-off show at the Avalon Theatre in Los Angeles, on August 20th 2010.

Read an interview with the band about the song here.

Fucking by SCARS ON BROADWAY

Check out this interview with Brutal Truth from Scion Rock Fest 2010 and watch them play "On the Hunt" from their Rock Fest set! Scion has also launched a 24/7 online metal radio station called Radio Doom, which you can listen to here.

Scion Rock Fest 2010: Brutal Truth Interview from Scion A/V on Vimeo.

Scion Rock Fest: Brutal Truth "On The Hunt" from Scion A/V on Vimeo.

Avenged Sevenfold, Revolver Magazine, and QMCODES Join Forces to Create Special Augmented Reality Collector's Issue of Revolver Magazine

Featuring Seven Alternate Covers, to Celebrate July 27th Release of New Album Nightmare

To celebrate the release of Avenged Sevenfold's new album Nightmare, Revolver magazine has created a special collector's issue devoted to the band that features seven different cover images and interactive technology by QMCODES to unlock exclusive mobile content. The issue will hit newsstands on July 27^th, the day the album is released by Warner Bros. Records. Featured inside are a complete oral history of the Southern California band's rise in their own words, a tribute to late drummer The Rev (including never-before-seen photos and classic interviews), details about Nightmare, a pictorial of A7X fan tattoos, mobile video, secret interviews and much more.

"We at Revolver have been following Avenged Sevenfold since they first broke onto the national stage in 2002," says the magazine's editor in chief, Brandon Geist. "When I joined the Revolver staff three years later, City of Evil was cranking in our office just about every day. Since then, we've watched Avenged Sevenfold grow, watched them reinvigorate heavy metal music with their unique signature sound, and watched our readers rally behind them. Now in celebration of the band's latest album and in a remembrance for Jimmy 'The Rev' Sullivan, we're very proud to give A7X their own issue, and we thank them for sharing their story—and their new music—with us all so courageously."

The issue will be printed with seven different covers (see below), with each band member gracing one cover, plus two group portraits. One of the portraits, featuring band members M. Shadows, Zacky Vengeance, Synyster Gates, and Johnny Christ, will be available on newsstands for three months. The six alternate covers, including one featuring a band portrait with Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan, are available exclusively online at www.revolvermag.com/store, as part of the deluxe box-set edition of the issue, which is limited to 1,000 sets. Avenged Sevenfold have appeared on Revolver's cover four times over the years, but this is the first time they have received this special treatment.

Also for the first time, the issue will feature QR Codes, an Augmented Reality technology that allows cellphone users to scan a unique code with their mobile phone to unlock bonus videos, photos, and interviews. This Avenged Sevenfold collector's edition of Revolver brings content beyond the page with the QMCODES Link.Me platform, an incredible new way to bring print media to life, leveraging the proliferation of smart phones with the advancement of mobile media and combining it with the reach and depth of established media channels. QMCODES has been pioneering interactive print since 2007 and counts HarperCollins, Warner Bros. Records and Universal Music amongst its clients, creating new user experiences in a simple Augmented Reality experience that keeps readers coming back for more.

"We're really excited to be bringing this amazing technology to the music publishing industry and working with a cutting-edge magazine like Revolver, creating a true convergence of online, offline, and mobile, bringing the best elements together in one simple action with the Link.Me platform," says QMCODES' founder Antony McGregor Dey. "Our years of experience in the book publishing industry with clients like HarperCollins show that consumers are ready to use this and want richer media experiences."

This past April, Jimmy "The Rev" Sullivan won the Best Drummer Award at the 2010 Revolver Golden Gods. His parents and sisters accepted on his behalf. Vinnie Paul (Pantera, Hellyeah) and Joey Jordison (Slipknot, Murderdolls) presented the award.

This week on the Revolver TV Mobile channel: Converge live in concert; we go into the studio with Disturbed as they track their new single “Another Way to Die"; Blasko interviews his boss, Ozzy Osbourne, on the Black Carpet; plus the new music video from Overkill. It’s all available now on the Revolver TV app and mobile channel.

We're updating the app daily, so check back often. To get it for your phone, click here.

The Big Four of Thrash—Metallica, Slayer, Megadeth, and Anthrax—are four of the most influential bands in metal. And yet, in the nearly 30 years since their debut albums were released, these four giants have never shared a stage due to a mix of bad blood, growing pains, and other logistical problems. Now, finally, the Big Four are sharing one stage for a short string of European festival dates this summer. And as if this meeting of metal titans weren’t earth-shaking enough, their performances at the Sonisphere Festival in Sofia, Bulgaria, will be broadcast live to select theaters throughout the world on Tuesday, June 22, so that headbangers from New York to Peru can witness this historic day in metal history. Find where the Big Four will be playing near you at thebigfourlive.com. Revolver tracked down Slayer guitarist and hellraiser Kerry King in Austria and Megadeth frontsmasher Dave Mustaine in Warsaw, Poland, where they graciously filled us in on this amazing global event.

REVOLVER When did you first hear the term “The Big Four” in reference to you guys?
DAVE MUSTAINE That term’s been around for a long time. We used to be called the Four Horsemen. Maybe 20 years ago.

How did the Big Four tour come about?
KERRY KING It was something that was trying to be made happen, so it just took everyone signing off on it. I gotta tell you, man, I can’t believe, in the 27 years since we put our first record out, that no one’s tried to make this happen. Because now that it is happening, it’s so cool, it’s so important, that every territory in the world wants it. I don’t know what took so long.
MUSTAINE We had some opportunities to do these festivals, and we had been doing the Carnage dates [futureusgallerywith Slayer], which were of course so popular in the States and Canada. For me, personally, I didn’t see it coming… Having dinner with Lars

Has there been a change amongst metal fans to suddenly give the Big Four tour this much worldwide attention?
MUSTAINE No, this has just been a long time coming. The fans have always been there. All types of people love this music. A lot of people like to poke fun at it, or perpetuate this image of the Jeff Spicoli character, but in my experience, that’s not always how it is. The other day, a fan handed me a cigar who turned out to be a cardiologist that operates on pregnant women and on their babies. I thought, Oh, God. Someday my wife’s gonna get surgery, and the guy’s gonna be listening to “Black Friday!”

With the satellite broadcast, will this tour become an international act?
MUSTAINE Maybe. I love to play. It was what I was created to do. This production with the movie-theater broadcast is just much more than I expected, and now, looking back on everything we’ve done together, this feels like the completion of a journey. It’s been up, it’s been down…but we’ve been there, I was there, a part of it, and it’s been a great ride. So yeah, hopefully, we’ll take it to the States, and we can do the next interview backstage.
KING I think, as far as American metal, it’s gotta be the most important tour that’s ever happened… I think the only reason [futureusgallerythe movie theater broadcast] is happening is because it’s not scheduled to go to the States yet. So for now, it’s the only way to see it. It’s not even full sets—I think it’s 45 minutes of all of us and an hour of Metallica.

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For a long time, it seemed like there was bad blood between you guys, specifically between Slayer and Megadeth, and Megadeth and Metallica. What squashed that beef?
KING Before we did the Australian and Japanese run with Megadeth, I was reading the Revolver Slayer issue, and reading this interview we did with Dave. And I just couldn’t remember why I wasn’t friends with this dude anymore—I could not remember what I was upset about. So we get to the airport, and I saw him coming out of the lounge, and I came up, shook his hand, and said, ‘Hey, dude, I don’t think I’ve talked to you in about 15 years!’ We have a shitload of dates coming up, and honestly, when I’ve talked to him, I remember the guy I dug 25 years ago.
MUSTAINE We’ve just learned how to step back see what we stand for in the world, the Big Four, and how each band has contributed to that in its own way. I had a huge turnaround on my whole outlook at life walking into this tour, these dates, with just a brand new relationship. The first person I talked to was Kirk [futureusgalleryHammet]. We talked for a while, and then at dinner, I sat next to James and Lars, and it was cool to look at it—just how much we changed the world… Twenty years ago, this tour probably wouldn’t have happened—we were all young, and we weren’t dealing with the fame too well.

What do Slayer represent in the Big Four?
KING We represent all that is evil in the Big Four, and historically, I think we’ve represented thrash the best, but it’s funny, just how these four bands from this same movement went off to become different entities.

What about Megadeth?
MUSTAINE Our lyrics are a little deeper than some of the others, but we’re each different in that way—Slayer’s lyrics are really different from Anthrax’s. We’re really just like a four-paned window, you know—four different vantage points, all getting across that same message.

Since Metallica is headlining these shows, Kerry, should they be worried about getting blown off the stage by one of you?
KING The one thing I’m not happy about—and we didn’t know this until we got here—is that it’s not always the Big Four in a row. Some days, there are bands in between us, and that’s kind of a bummer. A night ending with Anthrax, Megadeth, and Slayer would be brutal. I have nothing against those other bands, but I didn’t know about that. But yeah, we open for Metallica some nights. I’ve seen Metallica twice on this tour, and they may not have all the spiel and bells and whistles they had in the States, but they’ve been killing it. They’re pros, man, they’ll have no problem. That said, man, our set’s brutal, and it ain’t there to make friends.

Interview by Chris Krovatin

Twenty-one years ago, Sodom released a thrash-metal beast in Agent Orange. Recently reissued by SPV as a two-disc deluxe edition with bonus tracks galore, the record has become one of the genre's triumphs, becoming what's rumored to be Germany's best-selling thrash-metal album. The band wouldn't last, though. Guitarist Frank Blackfire would leave soon after to join Kreator, and drummer Chris Witchhunter, who passed away in 2008, would leave the band in 1992. Here, vocalist-bassist Tom Angelripper—the band's sole original member—looks back.
 

REVOLVER Why do you think Agent Orange was so successful?
TOM ANGELRIPPER I remember that we had been on tour at that time and we got phone call from our label. They informed us about the chart entry. We were surprised, because we entered the charts as the first metal band ever! That was awesome. Now we got the respect we deserved but we didn’t do the music for any labels or the music industry; we did it for the fans. Agent Orange also changed my life in one important way. That was the right album at the right time and got a good-selling album. From that time I quit my job in the coalmine, where I had been since 1979. My dream came true to live just from the music and spent all my time for touring and rehearsing with the band.

What do you think of the album today?  
It represents the spirit of the end ’80s. But it’s not my favorite Sodom album. Every album marks another step in our career and history. We also love to play a couple of these songs in the current set list. The title track is a real classic.

Coming out of Persecution Mania, what did you want to do differently on Agent Orange?
The songwriting was the same like it was on Persecution Mania, but the production was better and more powerful. We mixed the tracks in a different studio in Hannover, a state of the art recording in that times. But also SPV did a great job, and they started a big promotion campaign hat helped us to get more respect from the magazines and promoters.

Why were you so fascinated with the Vietnam War, which influenced many of the album’s lyrics? 
I`ve been always interested in history and I try to describe the bad things in this world without any political opinion or message. I know that we can`t change the world, but to be a singer in a thrash band gives me the opportunity to scream it out. Vietnam is just symbolic for all the wars in this world

Why did guitarist Frank Blackfire leave after this release? 
I think he had a good friendship with Kreator, and they offered him to join the band for the upcoming U.S. tour. That was very sad, ’cause we also booked a sold-out European tour. Many years later he told me that he was unable to work with Chris anymore, ’cause of massive problems during the recording session to Agent Orange. But nowadays I am still in contact with him. I’ve organized reunions over the years. I like it so much to talk about the good old times with all the ex-members.

You’ve said you’re still friends with Frank. How has his opinion of the album changed over the years? 
He always tell me that he is proud to be a strong part of the Sodom history and he will never forget the good old times.

What are your fondest memories of writing or recording Agent Orange? 
I remember that there was a personal crisis brewing between the Frank and Chris. During the the last days they didn’t had any conversation, ’cause Frank was pissed off about Witchhunter`s attitudes. It’s possible that he got the offer to join Kreator at this time, but he wanted to finish the production. In this bad atmosphere, we got drunk every day to get the same level. Harris was very disappointed about the situation, but he always pushed us to bring it to the end, but the problems got so massive and our anger discharged by destroying the whole hotel equipment. But anyway, we did it, and finished the production as professional as possible.

Interview by Kory Grow

Silent Civilian, the band that singer-guitarist Jonny Santos started after the disbandment of SpineShank, just released its second album, Ghost Stories (Mediaskare). Other than Santos, the band consists of all new members—and to make the genesis of the album all the more complicated, Santos re-formed SpineShank in the years since Silent Civilian's debut. Nonetheless, as proven with their lead single “Atonement,” the band hasn't missed a step. Here, Santos tells how the record was made and what lies ahead of both of his bands.
 

REVOLVER What did you want to do differently on this album from your last?
JONNY SANTOS I wanted to evolve. My mindset was much different from the last, and I knew I had to deliver a better piece of work. I challenged myself and let go of the reins a bit by sharing guitar work with Dave . I wanted to create a record that would ultimately strike a nerve for better or worse, I wanted to piss people off as much as I was. I wanted to make a dangerous record. I feel we did so.

You have a whole new Silent Civilian lineup on this album. What happened to the Return of the Temple lineup?
Well, you are talking about a lineup that never had a chance. I think a lot of the guys joined the band thinking they were gonna be rich and be an instant rockstar because of my past success in SpineShank. That was not the case. I was starting all over with a new vision, a new band, and a label that nobody had ever heard of. There were a lot of fill-ins, but I will give most past credit to Chris Mora and Disco . They are still great friends of mine, and we keep in touch. Hell, Chris and I still hang out. They just had other things going on in their personal lives that prevented them from continuing on with Silent Civilian. The new lineup isn't so new. We have been solid for two years. We have just been writing, and everyone is in other projects as well. I support that kind of creative behavior.

You formed Silent Civilian when you thought you could do everything you could with SpineShank. What freedoms did you exercise on Ghost Stories?
I exercised all demons. This band has been such an outlet for me and what I always wanted to do. I have had total freedom to write what I wanted to. I was even allowed to produce Ghost Stories. The shoe fits differently in this band as opposed to SpineShank, in the sense that I have a bit more of a hold on things. Not to say that I am a control freak by any means, but Silent Civilian is my brainchild, so I watch over it closely. It has grown in the last four years, and I feel it has the right lineup now, the members of whom share the same vision, so I dont have to be as cautious. These guys know what the fuck is up, and I love it. It finally feels like a band.

In 2008, you re-formed SpineShank and toured on Music as a Weapon the following year. Why did you decide to revisit that band?
SpineShank will always be my firstborn. The reunion comes down to two things—friendship, and chemistry. Tommy Decker and I were children together and started something 14 years ago that will never die. Mike and Rob joined in our teenage years, so it’s safe to say that we all grew up together. We have never changed members and never will. That is just the essence of the Shank. Wierd, but true. We were friends before a band, so in my mind that changes everything. After the last tour in 2004, we decided it was time for a break. A much needed one, I might add. What it really comes down to is that we buried the hatchet, like many bands do, and got back to doing what we do best. We just finished the record and I am very excited. Its been six years since the last release, and I think people are ready for it. Music as a Weapon proved that we still have a solid fanbase and it was great to be back onstage with them. SpineShank killed it like we never left.

How did having SpineShank active while writing this album affect the music you were writing with Silent Civilian?
It didnt affect it at all. Two different animals. The writing process for me as a vocalist-guitarist is so night and day when it comes to both bands. I understand the difference in the two, and I obey the guidelines. I actually wrote Silent Civilian material while touring with SpineShank, and vice-verca. I actually feel lucky and blessed as a musician to have the opportunity to be in two completely different bands with two completely different styles of music. It’s like being married to two really awesome, beautiful, talented women. You just don’t get a day off.
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What are your plans to record new music with SpineShank?
No plans. Already done. We just finished the new record. It has been a long process, but we wanted to make sure it is all substance. Over the last two years, we have written well over 35 songs. Fifteen will make the record. We figured that if we were gonna put a new record out, we needed to make sure it was the best thing we had ever done. We are talking about SpineShank six years later. We are different people with different mindsets now, and we wanted that to be evident. I love the anticipation. I’m excited.

You let Revolvermag.com premiere “Atonement.” What are your other favorite songs on Ghost Stories and why?
I love “Cast the First Stone” because it has an anthem feel to it. It is a song about unity and friendship when times are bad. It is a song about true colours and what a person is made of. It reminds me of being 16 years old with my best friend stuck in an alley in L.A. getting ready to fight seven guys and knowing that we might die fighting side by side. I love that feeling. It makes you appreciate who your true friends are. Even if one of you goes down, You will die trying to pick the other up. It is a song of loyalty, respect, and love for a friend. My other favorite is “The Phoenix,” just because it is heavy as fuck, and has a very nostalgic thrash feel to me in a wierd way. I feel like the metal community needs a few songs like that these days.

You recorded 15 songs for the album, but only 11 made the album. What’s going on with the other four?
Well, we had the same issue on the last record. To be honest, we are not sure what will come of them. What we are sure of is that they didnt have their place on this record. Maybe someday we will put out a record of all the songs that didn’t make the record. But dont hold your breath. We are not in the habit of putting a bunch of filler on our records. If I thought for one second that they were good enough to be on the record, they would be there.

You titled the album Ghost Stories. What’s your favorite ghost story?
The one where I come back from the dead and haunt you.

Interview by Kory Grow