Blink-182's Mark Hoppus Discusses Reunion

Blink-182's Mark Hoppus Discusses Reunion

One of the biggest news stories in the past few weeks has been about the reunion of pop-punk legends Blink-182. The band ended four years of silence when they reunited on stage at 51st Annual Grammy Awards and announced that they were making music again. Since then the band has updated their website with new photos and merchandise as well as announced that they are working on their first new album in almost six years and will be touring this summer.

Scott Heisel of Alternative Press sat down with bassist and vocalist Mark Hoppus to get the hairy details on how the band came to reunite and what the future holds for them.

Here are some excerpts from the interview:

Alternative Press: So when did talk of a reunion first commence?

Mark Hoppus: Probably a couple weeks after we first started talking. I dunno, maybe it was longer than that. But I remember sitting in our studio--me, Travis and Tom [DeLonge, guitar]--and we were just talking and hanging out. Tom had just kind of come out to L.A. for the day, and I remember he said, "So, what do you guys think? Where are your heads at" And I said, "I think we should continue with what we've been doing for the past 17 years. I think we should get back on the road and back in the studio and do what we love doing."

Was that feeling mutual or was there some trepidation?

There wasn't any trepidation. I think all of us had come to the point that we wanted to continue with what we started. It was just a natural thing. It's been, knock wood, a really positive experience so far. Everybody's in a really good place, everybody is really supportive of each other and it's probably the most supportive we've been as a band in a really, really long time.

What was the first song that you guys played once you got back together in one room?

We still haven't. We haven't been in the same room playing instruments together at the same time. The way that we're writing songs now is coming up with different ideas. We're still in the beginning stages of writing the album. We have a handful of songs that we have in many stages. I have probably 10 different song ideas that I've brought to the table, and Tom has a bunch of ideas, and Travis has ideas. So we kind of start off with something that maybe I'll work on in the studio for a while and I'll show it to Tom and he'll jump on that. Same with Travis. But we haven't sat down as a band together and been three people in a room playing the songs together.

Looking at the music that both you and Tom have made since Blink went on hiatus, is there a specific song that Tom wrote that jumped out at you as a really good song?

I thought that "The Adventure" was a really cool song. I thought that was a cool jam.

Are the new Blink-182 songs you're working just general song ideas, or did you think of them specifically for Blink?

The songs that I'm bringing to the table are song ideas that I've been working on for the past couple of years. I think that it's the same with Tom and Travis as well. And that's kind of how we've always worked-everyone brings their initial ideas to the table, but the magic happens when the other two people get their hands on an idea and change it into something better than it was. That's something I've always loved about Blink: I can have an idea and the final result is so different from where I thought the song was going. The way that Travis deals with arrangements and rhythms and different ideas that he brings to the table is something that I would never think of. It takes all of our ideas to a higher level. Same with Tom. He'll come up with an idea for a song and for me, personally, if I write something, I love handing it to Tom and Travis and seeing what they do with it. That's the strength. There's this battle within Blink-182 with these ideas and what everyone brings to the table, and there's this tension--not in a negative way--but this pulling of ideas between the three of us that's exciting to me.

Have you made an official decision on what the future of (+44) will be?

I don't consider it done. We'll never say never with anything. As soon as you say, "I'm not gonna do that anymore," you find yourself in a situation where you wanna do that. Shane [Gallagher] and Craig [Fairbaugh] are awesome guitarists and great fun to play in a band with, so we definitely won't say that the band is done. But obviously, for the foreseeable future, all of our energy is going into Blink-182. This isn't a temporary thing. We aren't even calling it a reunion. It's more of a continuation. When I hear a band are doing a reunion, it just sounds fake to me, and that's not how we are with this. Everybody's putting 100 percent of their effort into continuing what we've always done. It's not like we're just gonna do a tour and then call it for a while and then do another tour and then call it for a while. We're just continuing Blink-182 as we always have.

Ideally, when would you like to have the new record out?

Hopefully in 2009. That's what we're talking about and everything is moving so much faster than I ever even imagined that it could possibly happen. A couple months ago we were barely talking and now we're six songs into a new album and planning a tour and things seem to be falling into place. So I don't know when the record will actually be out. We're still discovering. It's been very comfortable to be back working as our band--as Blink-182. It's gonna be a process, but it's been a very positive process. We don't feel pressured to have an album out by a certain date. We're just gonna record on our own terms until we have album that we absolutely love.

The full interview can be. read here.

After announcing their reunion on live television, the band posted the following message on their site:

"Hi, we're blink-182. This past week there've been a lot of questions about the current status of the band, and we wanted you to hear it straight from us. To put it simply, we're back. We mean, really back. Picking up where we left off and then some. In the studio writing and recording a new album. Preparing to tour the world yet again. Friendships reformed. 17 years deep in our legacy. Summer 2009. Thanks and get ready..."

Slash Commences Recording Solo Album

Slash Commences Recording Solo Album

Former Guns N' Roses and current Velvet Revolver guitarist Slash has commenced recording his debut solo album with Josh Freese (A Perfect Circle, Nine Inch Nails) on drums, Chris Chaney (Jane's Addiction) on bass, and Eric Valentine (Smash Mouth, Third Eye Blind, Good Charlotte) in the producer's chair. Slash says, "I know you're saying, 'Didn't Josh play with Axl's Guns N' Roses?!' He did in the '90s for a while but left after a couple years, so I don't know if it counts much. Besides, that doesn't undermine that he is an amazing drummer."

Regarding which singers will guest on his upcoming CD, Slash said, "Unfortunately, I can't divulge that info yet, but you'll know soon enough. I will say, however, that they are fantastically talented songwriters who it's been an honor to work and write with, to say the least."

Slash's wife Perla Hudson said in a video interview at Rockerrazzi.com that both Ozzy Osbourne and Fergie will make guest appearances on her husband's upcoming solo album. Slash himself told The Pulse of Radio that he was still working out the guest list. "I'm using different singers for each song, so we're figuring out which song goes with which person and I'm not sort of divulging the list of singers, but they're all well-known singers and...sort of, you know, like I go and play on a lot of other people's records, so I'm just making a record and gonna have people come play on this one, you know."

Slash left Guns N' Roses in the mid-'90s, forming Slash's Snakepit before later assembling Velvet Revolver with several other ex-members of Guns N' Roses and Stone Temple Pilots singer Scott Weiland.

Velvet Revolver is currently searching for a replacement for Weiland, who was dismissed last April.

Music Militia Top 100 Guitarist

Guitar World has picked the 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists for their upcoming March 2004 issue, while the magazine states:

"This is not a list that ranks who can play the fastest or with the most taste, feeling or technique (although many players on our list have all of those arrows in their quiver)," the editors stress in the accompanying introduction. "It is, rather, a tribute to the great men who shit iron and piss stainless steel razor blades, and do it every time they plug into an amplifier."

Although this list has a lot of great guitarists which no doubt are "top metal guitarists" (like Kirk Hammet of Metallica, Slash of Guns N' Roses, Eddie Van Halen, Tom Morello and many many more), it is also include some definitely not metal guitarists, like Jimy Page of Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix and Joe Perry.


1. Tony Iommi (Black Sabbath)
2. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (Metallica)
3. Angus & Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
4. Randy Rhoads (Ozzy Osbourne)
5. Eddie Van Halen (Van Halen)
6. Jimmy Page (Led Zeppelin)
7. Dimebag Darrell (Pantera, Damageplan)
8. Zakk Wylde (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Label Society)
9. Adam Jones (Tool)
10. Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman (Slayer)
11. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (Iron Maiden)
12. Jimi Hendrix
13. Glen Tipton & K.K. Downing (Judas Priest)
14. Ace Frehley & Paul Stanley (Kiss)
15. Slash (Guns N' Roses)
16. Ritchie Blackmore (Deep Purple, Rainbow)
17. Yngwie Malmsteen
18. Joe Perry & Brad Whitford (Aerosmith)
19. Dave Mustaine & Marty Friedman (Megadeth)
20. Chuck Schuldiner (Death)
21. Brian May (Queen)
22. Michael Schenker (Msg, Ufo)
23. Nigel Tufnel (Spinal Tap)
24. Jeff Beck
25. Tom Morello (Rage Against The Machine)
26. Head & Munky (Korn)
27. John Petrucci (Dream Theater)
28. Kim Thayil (Soundgarden)
29. Vivian Campbell (Def Leppard)
30. Daron Malakian (System Of A Down)
31. Scott Ian (Anthrax)
32. Tom G. Warrior (Celtic Frost)
33. Chris Degarmo & Michael Wilton (Queensryche)
34. C.C. Deville
35. Marten Hagström & Fredrik Thorndendal (Meshuggah)
36. Alex Lifeson (Rush)
37. Paul Gilbert (Mr. Big, Racer X)
38. Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains)
39. Mantas (Venom)
40. Jason Becker (Dave Lee Roth)
41. Phil Collen & Steve Clarke (Def Leppard)
42. Mikael Ã…kerfeldt & Peter Lindgren (Opeth)
43. Fast Eddie Clarke (Motorhead)
44. Nuno Bettencourt (Extreme)
45. Warren Demartini (Ratt)
46. Mick Mars (Motley Crue)
47. George Lynch (Dokken)
48. Ted Nugent
49. Jake E. Lee (Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands)
50. Rudolf Schenker & Uli John Roth (Scorpions)
51. Oystein "Euronymous" Aarseth (Mayhem)
52. Scott Gorham & Brian Robertson (Thin Lizzy)
53. Steve Vai (Dave Lee Roth)
54. Reb Beach (Winger, Dokken)
55. Trey Azagthoth (Morbid Angel)
56. John Sykes (Thin Lizzy, Blue Murder)
57. Hank Shermann & Michael Denner (Mercyful Fate)
58. Richie Sambora (Bon Jovi)
59. Jon Donais & Matt Backhand (Shadows Fall)
60. Stephen Carpenter (Deftones)
61. Alex Skolnick & Eric Peterson (Testament)
62. Brian Tatler (Diamond Head)
63. John Christ (Danzig)
64. Scott "Wino" Weinrich (The Obsessed)
65. Pepper Keenan & Woody Weatherman (C.O.C.)
66. Tommy Victor (Prong)
67. Leslie West (Mountain)
68. Vernon Reid (Living Colour)
69. Glen Buxton & Michael Bruce (Alice Cooper)
70. Bjorn Gelotte & Jesper Stromblad (In Flames)
71. Jim Matheos (Fates Warning)
72. Gary Holt & Rick Hunolt (Exodus)
73. Donald Buck Dharma Roeser (Blue Oyster Cult)
74. Michael Amott (Arch Enemy)
75. Robert Fripp (King Crimson)
76. Andre Olbrich (Blind Guardian)
77. Joe Satriani
78. Frank Hannon & Tommy Skeoch (Tesla)
79. Ty Tabor (King's X)
80. Mark Morton & Will Adler (Lamb Of God)
81. Dino Cazares (Fear Factory)
82. Pete Townshend (The Who)
83. Jon Schaffer (Iced Earth)
84. Timo Tolkki (Stratovarius)
85. Neil Young
86. Abbath Doom Occulta (Immortal)
87. Kai Hansen (Gamma Ray)
88. Uffe Cederlund & Alex Hellid (Entombed)
89. Leigh Stephens (Blue Cheer)
90. Jim Martin (Faith No More)
91. Michael Romeo (Symphony X)
92. Bill Steer (Carcass)
93. Piggy (Voivod)
94. Tony Bourge (Budgie)
95. Sammy Hagar (Van Halen)
96. Alexi Laiho (Children Of Bodom)
97. Akira Takasaki (Loudness)
98. Michael Angelo
99. John Kay & Michael Monarh (Steppenwolf)
100. Nick Bowcott (Grim Reaper

100 Greatest Solos Of All-time

100 Greatest Solos Of All-time
Readers' Choice from Guitar World magazine, September 1998
Stairway To Heaven - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
Eruption - Van Halen (Edward Van Halen)
Free Bird - Lynyrd Skynyrd (Allen Collins, Gary Rossington)
Comfortably Numb - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)
All Along The Watchtower - Jimi Hendrix
November Rain - Guns N' Roses (Slash)
One - Metallica (Kirk Hammett)
Hotel California - The Eagles (Joe Walsh and Don Felder)
Crazy Train - Ozzy Osborne (Randy Rhoads)
Crossroads - Cream (Eric Clapton)
Voodoo Child (Slight Return) - Jimi Hendrix
Johnny B Goode - Chuck Berry
Texas Flood - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Layla - Derek and the Dominos (Eric Clapton and Duane Allman)
Floods - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
Heartbreaker - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
Cliffs Of Dover - Eric Johnson
Little Wing - Jimi Hendrix
Highway Star - Deep Purple (Ritchie Blackmore)
Bohemian Rhapsody - Queen (Brian May)
Time - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)
Sultans Of Swing - Dire Straits (Mark Knopfler)
Bulls On Parade - Rage Against The Machine (Tom Morello)
Fade To Black - Metallica (Kirk Hammett)
Aqualung - Jethro Tull (Martin Barre)
Smells Like Teen Spirit - Nirvana (Kurt Cobain)
Pride And Joy - Stevie Ray Vaughan
Mr Crowley - Ozzy Osborne (Randy Rhoads)
For The Love Of God - Steve Vai
Surfing With The Alien - Joe Satriani
Stranglehold - Ted Nugent
Machine Gun - Jimi Hendrix
The Thrill Is Gone - BB King
Paranoid Android - Radiohead (Johnny Greenwood)
Cemetery Gates - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
Black Star - Yngwie Malmsteen
Sweet Child O' Mine - Guns N' Roses (Slash)
Whole Lotta Love - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
Cortez The Killer - Neil Young
Reeling In The Years - Steely Dan (Elliot Randall)
Brighton Rock - Queen (Brian May)
While My Guitar Gently Weeps - The Beatles (Eric Clapton and George Harrison)
Sharp Dressed Man - ZZ Top (Billy Gibbons)
Alive - Pearl Jam (Mark McCready)
Light My Fire - The Doors (Robbie Krieger)
Hot For Teacher - Van Halen (Edward Van Halen)
Jessica - The Allman Brothers Band (Dicky Betts)
Sympathy For The Devil - The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards)
Europa - Santana (Carlos Santana)
Shock Me - Kiss (Ace Frehley)
Master of Puppets - Metallica (Kirk Hammett)
The Star Spangled Banner - Jimi Hendrix
Since I've Been Loving You - Led Zeppelin (Jimmy Page)
Geek USA - The Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan)
Satch Boogie - Joe Satriani
War Pigs - Black Sabbath (Tony Iommi)
Walk - Pantera (Dimebag Darrell)
Cocaine - Eric Clapton
You Really Got Me - The Kinks (Dave Davies)
Zoot Allures - Frank Zappa
No More Tears - Ozzy Osborne (Zakk Wylde)
Money - Pink Floyd (David Gilmour)
Black Hole Sun - Soundgarden (Kim Thayil)
Little Red Corvette - Prince
In Bloom - Nirvana (Kurt Cobain)
Blue Sky - The Allman Brothers Band (Duane Allman & Dickey Betts)
Beat It - Michael Jackson (Edward Van Halen)
Starship Trooper - Yes (Steve Howe)
And Your Bird Can Sing - The Beatles (George Harrison)
Purple Haze - The Jimi Hendrix Experience
Maggot Brain - Funkadelic (Eddie Hazel)
Walk This Way - Aerosmith (Joe Perry)
Stash - Phish (Trey Anastasio)
Lazy - Deep Purple (Ritchie Blackmore)
Won't Get Fooled Again - The Who (Pete Townshend)
Cinnamon Girl - Neil Young
Man In The Box - Alice In Chains (Jerry Cantrell)
Truckin' - The Grateful Dead (Jerry Garcia)
Mean Street - Van Halen (Edward Van Halen)
You Shook Me All Night Long - AC/DC (Angus Young)
Sweet Jane - Lou Reed (Steve Hunter & Dick Wagner)
21st Century Schizoid Man - King Crimson (Robert Fripp)
Scuttle Buttin - Steve Ray Vaughan
Santeria - Sublime (Brad Nowell)
Moonage Daydream - David Bowie (Mick Ronson)
Whipping Post - The Allman Brothers Band (Duane Allman & Dickey Betts)
Cult Of Personality - Living Color (Vernon Reid)
Kid Charlemagne - Steely Dan (Denny Dias)
Killing In The Name - Rage Against The Machine (Tom Morello)
Let It Rain - Eric Clapton
Heard It Through The Grapevine - Creedence Clearwater Revival (John Fogerty)
Stray Cat Strut - Stray Cats (Brian Setzer)
The End - The Doors (Robbie Krieger)
Working Man - Rush (Alex Lifeson)
Yellow Ledbetter - Pearl Jam (Mike McCready)
Honky Tonk Woman - The Rolling Stones (Keith Richards)
Cherub Rock - The Smashing Pumpkins (Billy Corgan)
Under A Glass Moon - Dream Theatre (John Petrucci)
Cause We've Ended As Lovers - Jeff Beck
Three Days - Jane's Addiction (Dave Navarro)

James Hetfield - Metallica

James Alan Hetfield
Born August 3, 1963 (1963-08-03),
Downey, California
Genre(s) Heavy metal,thrash metal,hard rock
Occupation(s) Musician,songwriter,producer
Instrument(s) Guitar,vocals
Years active 1978–present
Label(s) Warner Bros.,Elektra,Megaforce
Associated acts Metallica,Spastik Children
Website www.metallica.com

Bought This Hetfield Signature!!!


Early life and family
James Hetfield was born on August 3, 1963, in Downey, Los Angeles County, California to a family of English, Irish, Scottish, and German descent.

James' father, Virgil (a truck driver who later left the family) and mother, Cynthia (a light opera singer) were devout and strict adherents to Christian Science, and accordingly, much of James' young life revolved around Christian Science.[2]

In accordance with their beliefs, Hetfield's parents strongly disapproved of medicine or any medical treatment and remained loyal to their faith even as Cynthia was dying from cancer.[2]


Musical influences
Cynthia's death and James' subsequently turbulent relationship with religion have both been the focal point of many Metallica lyrics throughout the years - the songs "Mama Said", "Dyers Eve" and "The God That Failed," are about Hetfield's parents, and "Until It Sleeps" is about cancer.[3]

Hetfield was nine years old when he first began piano lessons, after which he took on his brother David's drums and finally, at the age of fourteen, James began to learn to play guitar. [4]

James identifies Aerosmith as having been his main musical influence as a child, and has said that they were the reason why he wanted to play guitar. Other bands such as Motörhead, Black Sabbath, Diamond Head, Iron Maiden, Queen, Led Zeppelin and Thin Lizzy also had a major influence on his musical tastes.[3]


Pre-Metallica Bands
Hetfield formed his first band, Obsession, when he was in his early teens. The members of Obsession were:

The Veloz brothers on bass and drums,
Jim Arnold on guitar, and
James Hetfield on lead vocals
Obsession spent much time in the Veloz brothers' garage jamming, with Ron McGovney and Dave Marrs acting as roadies. Marrs and McGovney subsequently joined the band itself when the Veloz brothers quit.

After the death of his mother, James moved to Brea, California where he attended Brea Olinda High School and met up with drummer Jim Mulligan. The two jammed during lunch breaks, scaring fellow pupils with their loud and heavy music.

Hetfield's next band Phantom Lord was born with Tanner on guitar, Mulligan on drums, and Hetfield singing and playing guitar. The group went through a few bass players until graduation, when Hetfield moved back to Downey.[1]

Once back in Downey, Hetfield moved into a house owned by McGovney's parents that was slated for demolition due to an expressway expansion.

Hetfield talked McGovney into playing bass guitar, Phantom Lord disbanded, and then the third band under Hetfield's leadership, Leather Charm, was born. Hetfield no longer played guitar, McGovney played bass guitar, while Tanner and Mulligan retained their former Phantom Lord positions.

Leather Charm was largely a hard rock combo which played a few originals along with covers of songs such as Iron Maiden's "Remember Tomorrow". Hetfield would later go on to perform "Remember Tomorrow" with Metallica in 2008.

The band performed at a few parties and recorded a demo, but then began to fall apart.

Tanner left the band, to be replaced by Troy James, then Mulligan left for a more progressive, Rush-like band.

Without a drummer, the rest of the band decided to call it quits. It was Mulligan's departure that led to Hetfield searching for a new drummer. It was through a classified ad in a local newspaper, The Recycler, that Hetfield would meet Lars Ulrich. The two would form Metallica in 1981.

Synyster Gates - Avenged Sevenfold

Synyster Gates



Buy Synyster Guitar !!!!




Background information
Birth name Brian Elwin Haner, Jr.
Also known as Synyster Gates
Born July 7, 1981 (1981-07-07) (age 27)
Huntington Beach, California, United States
Genre(s) Hard Rock, Heavy Metal, Metalcore, Avant-Garde Metal
Occupation(s) Musician, Songwriter, Guitarist, Pianist
Instrument(s) Vocals, Guitar, Piano, Organ, Keyboards, Synth
Years active 2000–Present
Label(s) Good Life Recordings, Hopeless Records, Warner Bros. Records, Bucktan Records
Associated acts Avenged Sevenfold, Pinkly Smooth, Good Charlotte, Burn Halo, Ballistico, Sigmund Freund Does His Own Mother

Brian Elwin Haner, Jr. (born July 7, 1981), better known by his stage name Synyster Gates or simply Syn, is an American musician. He is currently the lead guitarist for Heavy Metal band Avenged Sevenfold.
Haner went to Mayfair High School in Lakewood, California and also Ocean View High School in Huntington Beach, California.

Haner attended, but did not graduate from, the Musicians Institute in Hollywood as part of the GIT program, studying jazz guitar. Up until that time he was primarily self taught by watching music videos and reading books, which is surprising because his father was/is a songwriter and guitar player, having played with Frank Zappa during his career. After six or so months of being there, he got a phone call from The Rev (and the rest of the current line up of Avenged Sevenfold) asking him if he wanted to join the band as lead guitarist. Haner joined up with them rather than continuing his education and becoming a studio musician. [1]

Avenged Sevenfold
Brian joined Avenged Sevenfold when he was 18 at the end of 1999, right before the recording of the band's first album, Sounding the Seventh Trumpet. He was featured on their EP, "Warmness on the Soul", and on the reissue of their first album. He also plays piano for the band on songs such as "Beast and the Harlot" and "Sidewinder", though a friend of the band, bassist Justin Meacham, played the piano on Warmness on the Soul.

In the Avenged Sevenfold DVD All Excess, to emphasize the seemingly random placing of names, Brain stated that his name was thought of on a drunken drive through the park with The Rev. His exact words were: "I am Synyster Gates, and I am awesome!"[2]

He has won numerous awards, including the "Young Shredder" award of the year in the Metal Hammer awards in 2006 and the "Guitarist of the Year" Award for Total Guitar Magazine in 2006.