Here is the new video from prog-metal pioneers, or whatever you want to call them these days, Dream Theater. The new video, A Rite Of Passage,  comes off of their upcoming album Black Clouds & Silver Linings, set for a June 23rd release date on Roadrunner.

Dream Theater will be taking their Progressive Nation tour to Europe and the UK. Along for the ride will be Sweden prog-metal masters, Opeth. Also on the tour will be Bigelf and Unexpect.

I’m sure you’re familiar with Dream Theater and Opeth, but chances are you haven’t heard of or heard much of Bigelf. Bigelf is a rock outfit that kind of fuses the sounds of Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd and The Beatles into an amazingly different, yet cool sound. They released Cheat The Gallows last year through custard records. Dates have yet to be confirmed for Progressive Nation.

Image: Amazon.com

Dream Theater have wrapped up the drum tracks on the next Dream Theater album. Metal Underground reports that drummer Mike Portnoy has made the following statement about the new record:

“Imagine a Dream Theater album with ‘A Change Of Seasons,’ ‘Octavarium,’ ‘Learning To Live,’ ‘Pull Me Under’ and ‘The Glass Prison’… all on one album… COULD YOU HANDLE IT?? Excited? I sure am!!!!”

Sound like this could be an interesting album, but we’ll have to wait until next year to find out.

Image Source: Newscom.com

Headbanger’s Ball was alright last night, from what I saw. I really like that Pelican video for Dead Between The Walls, the Dead Child Sweet Chariot Video and the Dream Theater video for Forsaken. However I really wish they would take that Century Black Ocean video out of rotation. I’m not a huge Dream Theater fan by any means but this new (Yeah I know, not really new) song and video are pretty cool. Mike Portnay must have said Opeth about a hundred time. Dude, I know you like Opeth, but damn. Anyway, enjoy the video.

Holy shit it’s been forever since I did a Metal Shavings bit. I’ve been covering so much press releases and such lately that I have lacked the human side of this site. My opinion is my outlet on things that are wrong, right or indifferent. And like everyone else I have to get shit off of my chest. Let’s see what we have on our platter tonight…

Anheuser Busch settled it’s lawsuits with the families of victims of the 2003 Station nightclub fire, paying 21 million dollars as opposed to going any further with legal actions and fees. How the hell Anheuser Busch was responsible in any way of this tragedy is beyond me. It’s like the stupid woman that didn’t know here McDonalds coffee was hot. The legal and justice system in this country is all f*cked up. Next up to settle is the company that makes the urinal candies…cause you know they are responsible for this somehow as well.

Read more

For those that do not know, Record Store Day was a day to celebrate and emphasize the importance of independent records stores. Not only are independent records stores a great place to pick up records but they are a cultural icon. Even though I encourage and support legal internet downloads I still like to be able to go into a small record store and look through their catalog and see what they have. Sometimes you can find some rarities and cds at good prices. Although larger stores like F.Y.E. have a great selection you can bet that the prices will be higher than most places and the employees are clueless about what they have and what it is about. They have to look in the computer if you ask them if they have something. Smaller, independent records stores usually hire employees that have a love for music and are knowledgeable in different genres. Getting to the video, various bands and artists came together to support Record Store Day to include Prog Metal Icons Dream Theater and Metal Icons, Metallica. Below is Dreamtheater’s Mike Portnay.

Read more