We’re dealing with an insane winter blizzard today and -37C, but it’s warmer than last weeks -44C with wind chill! It will probably be a good idea to stay home in the warm and write some hot metal riffs…ha!
It was a great year of touring for us in 2008. The Symphony X USA tour and Japan were the 2 high points for me. During the long drives we would crank Symphony X’s last album, ‘Paradise Lost’ and try to air guitar the licks and sing along to Russel’s smooth pipes.
I was personally out of the touring game in mid-September because Cortney and I were expecting a baby. Music has always been number one in my life, but I had to stay home and support the family. On November 28, 2008 Lucca Jacob Yngwie Roth was born into our world at 9:36 am. Cortney picked his first name, so I got to pick his middle names. Jacob was my father and Yngwie is my all time favorite guitar player. The choice of names was an easy one for me. Now all of my time has been dedicated to the family and it will be into the next year as well.
I want to wish the band, management, label and the fans a Happy New Year in 2009. Thanks to everyone for all the continued support during these crazy times. There are a few shows being booked in 2009, so we’ll see you all again soon. Keep it metal!
TIM
PS Here are some cool albums that I have been digging in 2008.
1. Yngwie Malmsteen- Perpetual Flame
2. Guns N Roses- The Chinese Democracy
3. Cynic- Traced In Air
4. Opeth- Watershed
5. Dragonforce- Ultrabeatdown
6. Testament- Formation Of Damnation
7. Metallica- Death Magnetic
8. Warral Dane- Praises To The Warmachine
9. Trivium- Shogun
10. Zero Hour- Dark Deciever
11. Kataklysm- Prevail
12. Judas Priest- Nostradomus
13. Buckcherry- Black Butterfly
The wait is finally over as Canadian extreme progressive metal icons Into Eternity proudly present their new conceptual, visual masterpiece for “Time Immemorial”. The track appears on the group’s critically acclaimed concept album, “The Incurable Tragedy”, which debuted at 17 on the Billboard Heatseekers Chart upon its September release.
The video, which features vocalist Stu Block in a prominent role, was filmed in Montreal in August, just before the group embarked on the Summer Slaughter Canada tour. That trek was followed by a run alongside the legendary Iced Earth, which capped off a year that also saw the band tour with Symphony X, At The Gates and The Dillinger Escape Plan, among others.
Block (vocals) further comments: “It was really cool and, to be frank, kinda creepy doing some silent acting in the video. I’ve done some acting in high school and some extra work in Vancouver, so I was sorta familiar with what to do. So, hey Rob Zombie, I’m ready man; throw me in yer next slasher flick!
“It was a long day for everyone – 14 hours, I think. I don’t think we knew what to expect from the video because the focus was more on the acting sequences as opposed to band performance, which was kind of weird for us. Everyone involved with the video were really laid back and cool, and the other actors and actresses were really awesome and helped me out if I had any questions. (They are the pro’s, after all!)
“We filmed the video in Montreal at a haunted house that had been turned into a nightclub/restaurant, so it was a treat both for us to be filming a video in Canada and for me being a horror movie buff, as I was definitely in my element. I was hoping for a ghost sighting or for people to start disappearing periodically, but well, that never happened.
“We were really pressed for time near the end of the shoot due to the fact we had to pick up our tour manager from the airport since we were going to start a new tour, but what a way to start a tour! I think all in all we are happy the video is finally finished, and we hope our fans enjoy it! Thanks to all our fans for picking up “The Incurable Tragedy”, and we will see you all on the road in the future.”
It has been an extremely productive and successful 2008 for Canadian extreme progressive metal icons Into Eternity, who wrapped up their North American tour with Iced Earth a few weeks ago. This was preceded by the band’s first Japanese tour supporting At The Gates and Dillinger Escape Plan, their first full Canadian tour (Summer Slaughter Canada) and a spring trek as direct support to progressive legends Symphony X. In addition, the band’s first concept album, the critically acclaimed “The Incurable Tragedy”, debuted at #17 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart, which also marked their highest first week sales.
Earlier this year, the band shot a video for the track “Time Immemorial”. The clip will finally premiere next Wed., Dec. 10, exclusively on MySpace Metal. To whet fans’ appetites, the band has posted some behind-the-scenes footage from the video shoot. Check it out below!
Canadian extreme progressive metal icons Into Eternity wrapped up their North American tour with Iced Earth in Los Angeles on Friday, October 24. It was the band’s first-ever tour without founding guitarist Tim Roth, who could not participate for several reasons – the biggest being that he is about to become a father.
Into Eternity has now announced that Roth will rejoin the band for four shows in western Canada this week, including a Winnipeg concert alongside Dismember and a headlining appearance on Halloween night at the Zombiefest in Lethbridge, Alberta. Meanwhile, fill-in touring guitarist Sean Maier will now rejoin his primary band Blessed By A Broken Heart, whose seven-week European tour kicks off on October 30.
Commented drummer Steve Bolognese, “Iced Earth was a very memorable tour, and it was great to tour with such cool bands and really good guys. There were so many good shows – one of our best being an off-date in Mexico with Deicide. It was a real treat to meet and hang with those guys.
“I am happy to say that we got through the tour even without Tim. I wasn’t sure how it was going to go, but we did it -and now, he’s back! I want to again say thanks to Sean Maier for filling in at the last minute so we could make this tour happen, and as always, I want to thank the fans for coming out and supporting us through this time without Tim. We couldn’t have done it without you.”
Into Eternity tour dates:
Oct. 30 Walkers – Saskatoon, SK
Oct. 31 Zombiefest – Lethbridge, AB
Nov. 01 The Exchange – Regina, SK
Nov. 02 Royal Albert – Winnipeg, MB
The tour has been going better than expected, and we want to thank everyone who’s come out and shown support! We’ve recently had the opportunity to play with a great variety of bands on our off-dates. In Louisville, it was cool partying it up with Suicide Silence and seeing our fellow Canadians in Beneath the Massacre again. We also got a chance to fulfill a childhood dream by opening for Testament in Syracuse, where it was awesome seeing Solient Green as well. We’re also super-stoked to be playing with death metal pioneers Deicide in Mexico, where we haven’t been since we played the Monterrey Metal Fest in 2005 with Danzig, W.A.S.P. and Motorhead.
After the Mexican onslaught, we’ll return to America to continue the tour with Iced Earth. I can’t wait to find out how many bad guys Barlow’s nabbed. (He’s still not onto us, so shhh…) Again, we can’t thank Sean Maier enough for helping us out on this tour. He’s a phenomenal guitarist, and I’m sure you will hear more of him in the coming years. Check him out in his band Blessed By A Broken Heart or his ripping solo shit on MySpace. He’s doing really well with us, but it’s still weird not sharing the stage with Tim. Rest assured, we will be back at 100% soon.
All of this would be in vain without our fans supporting us every night. It’s been a long road so far, and it’s a good feeling to know that we have fans supporting us in both the good times and the not-so-good. Thank you again for your undying support!
Troy checked in from the road with the following update:
“It’s been a pretty crazy week for all of us in the Into Eternity camp. The insanity began when we found out that Tim would not be coming with us on the Iced Earth tour. Our initial reaction was to cancel, for how could we go on without our founding member? After much discussion, we decided that a replacement shredder would be flown in from New York with only five days of practice, that I would try and figure out how to sing and help out on vocals as best as can be, and that Stu would take over the rest of the vocal responsibilities. Easy, right?
“When we started the 14-hour death drive to the first show in Minneapolis, I can’t convey how strange the feeling was of leaving the city without Tim – not to mention that this fill-in shredder had only five days to practice the tunes, and that none of us had ever met him. No worries, right? We arrived in Minneapolis a day early and picked up our new shredder from the airport. It turned out his name was Sean Maier. Sean and Justin worked that night and the next day, and crammed as much into his overloaded head as possible. The first show was definitely not perfect, but as a band we could not believe how well Sean played. There definitely was a collective sense of relief within the band after we realized the first show had passed and no trainwrecks occurred.
“The improvement has been steady with every show. It’s awesome to watch such an accomplished musician take on such a huge task and do so well. Beyond his playing abilities, Sean has also become a good friend and fit in to this rolling circus easily. We’ve unofficially coined this tour the ‘Hell or High Water Tour,’ for the way we look at it, our backs are against the wall and we have nothing to lose and everything to prove. We’ve now had seven shows together, and it really is going better than expected. We all owe our thanks to Sean for his relentless hard work and focus. The biggest realization, though, is how accepting our fans have been. The unconditional support we’ve received through such trying times has been amazing. We cannot thank our fans enough for sticking with us and supporting the band unconditionally. Thanks again, and we’ll see you all on the road!”
And now, here’s an introduction from Sean:
“Ahoy ShredHeads and Into Eternity Fans… Please allow me to introduce myself: I’m Shred Sean from Blessed By A Broken Heart. The last 10 days have been absolutely crazy for me. I got a call from Century Media last Friday, asking me if I could fill in for the mighty Tim Roth from our labelmates Into Eternity on the upcoming tour with Iced Earth. “‘Uh…ok,’ I said. ‘How long do I have to learn the set?’ ‘Five days. And then you will get on a plane to Minnesota and headline a show without ever having played with the band.’ ‘Um, OooooK.’
“So I spent the next 120 hours playing IE songs overandoverandover, washing my all-black clothes, getting my guitars set up for drop C and flying to Minnesota. And now I’m on the road with these guys – who are totally cool – and having a great time meeting all the IE fans and playing with such excellent musicians. And while I know there is no replacement for Tim, I’m grateful for the opportunity to step into his shoes and play for you guys, so the SHOW CAN GO ON! (And NO – this is not permanent, YES – Tim is coming back to IE, and YES – I’m still in Blessed!!) So be sure to come out to the shows, and come up and say hi, and let me know what you think! And if you want to hear more of my stuff, check out my band Blessed By A Broken Heart (myspace.com/blessedbyabrokenheart). We’re really different than Into Eternity. Our new record “Pedal To The Metal” just got a 9/10 from Metal Hammer, who dubbed us ‘hairmetalcore – which I think sums it up pretty well. And if you need even more fretburningly face meltage, take a listen to my solo instru-metal shred project GuitarsFromMarz (myspace.com/guitarsfrommarz). Be sure to let me know what you think!! Rock On!”
Canadian extreme progressive metal quintet Into Eternity – whose new album, “The Incurable Tragedy”, debuted at 17 on the Billboard Heatseekers chart last week – return to the road this weekend, when they kick off a string of dates alongside Iced Earth. However, the band’s lead guitarist, Tim Roth, is unable to participate in the tour.
The group has issued the following statement to explain matters further: “All of us in the band, and especially Tim, have been looking forward to this tour with Iced Earth for months. Over the years, Iced Earth has been a huge influence on Into Eternity, as anyone who owns “Dead or Dreaming” [the group’s second album, which features a picture of Tim wearing an Iced Earth t-shirt] knows.
“Unfortunately, the events of the past two years have recently taken their toll on Tim. Emotionally, he’s a rock, but there are some important legal, financial and family-related matters at home that he needs to take care of right now. However, he’s given us his blessing to do the tour without him so we can honor our commitments to our fans (who won’t get a refund if the support act cancels), and continue to promote an album that we all very much believe in.
“Luckily, Sean Maier from our labelmates Blessed By A Broken Heart has agreed to fill in on super-short notice. From what we’ve seen and heard on his MySpace (www.myspace.com/guitarsfrommarz), Sean‘s an amazing shredder, and we can’t thank him enough for stepping in. Meanwhile, Stu is going to do his best to handle all of Tim‘s vocal parts, as well as his own. The vocal harmonies won’t be as rich, but Stu vows to do the best he can.
“Please know and understand that Into Eternity‘s lineup is not changing, and that Tim will rejoin the group on tour as soon as humanly possible. Again, it’s not that Tim doesn’t want to do this tour; it’s just that he can’t right now. Over the last three years, Tim has led Into Eternity through 300+ shows with death metal bands, power metal bands, prog-metal bands, metalcore bands and everything in between. We’ll miss him out there, but the show must go on.
“Thanks again to all the fans around the world who picked up “The Incurable Tragedy”. We weren’t sure how people would respond to such an emotional roller coaster, but we couldn’t be more grateful for our fans’ continued support. We can’t wait to see you all on tour.”
Canadian progressive metal titans Into Eternity are in the midst of an extremely successful run as part of Summer Slaughter Canada, which also features Necrophagist, Dying Fetus, Beneath The Massacre and Whitechapel. This trek marked the kick off of their worldwide touring cycle for their much anticipated fifth full-length “The Incurable Tragedy”, which is slated for a Sept. 2nd release in North America, Europe on Aug. 25th and Japan on Aug. 27th. Look for the group to embark on a massive North American tour with the Matt Barlow-fronted Iced Earth this fall.
Into Eternity just posted the riveting new track “Time Immemorial” on their MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/officialintoeternity, so head over now to check it out. The band recently shot a new video for the track with acclaimed director Craig Bernard (Theory Of A Deadman). Expect the clip to premiere next month.
Troy Bleich (bass) further comments, “This tour has just started and already the chaos has begun! We left Regina in a clusterfuck and managed to only leave behind one wallet and a Blackberry! We were lucky enough to realize this two hours in on our 37-hour death-trek to Montreal, but luckily, we’re heading back that way in a few days, so we’ll be up to full power in no time.
“We ended up making it to Montreal just in time for our video shoot for “Time Immemorial”. The location was awesome, as it was apparently a haunted house. Didn’t see any ghosts, though. That would’ve been cool, as it might have filled in the 13 hours of time spent waiting for Stu’s acting career to take flight! In all seriousness, it was a very cool experience and I think the video is going to be awesome. Thanks to the director Craig and the rest of the crew for making it a time that was truly…immemorial.
After that, we headed off to the first show of the Summer Slaughter Tour in Quebec City. Regardless of the insanity of nine different bands with too much gear, the show went off with out a hitch and I think everyone had a killer time. Thanks to all our fans that came out and showed support! It’s already apparent that all the bands are wicked cool and that this will be a killer tour. We’re looking forward to the rest of the shows.”
“The Incurable Tragedy” is the first Into Eternity album to feature Justin Bender (guitars) and Steve Bolognese (drums), who came aboard shortly after the group finished Gigantour ‘06. The album can be pre-ordered now for $10 at http://www.cmdistro.com
Today we are leaving on tour for the Summer Slaughter Canadian Tour. The band is from Canada, but we have never done a “proper” full Canadian tour, all the way across the country. The band is really excited to play some new venues and it will be our first time ever in Thunder Bay. It’s been 3 years since we played Calgary, Edmonton and Prince George, so we are interested to see how those gigs go. Playing out east in Toronto, Montreal and Quebec City is a great way to start this tour for us, because we always hit those cites on our US tours, so we hope to see our die hard friends there! The band is also pumped to play in Winnipeg, which is always killer and Regina, our hometown. The band has never come through town on a tour before, so this will be cool for us to chill at home for one day!
Vancouver will end this tour and it’s our singer Stu‘s original hometown. I remember last time we played there with The Haunted, it was insane! It was our biggest merch night of that whole tour, so we are happy to come back. I hope those cafe’s are still open downtown and we’ll be heading to Scrape Records to spend some of our tour money I’m sure…ha!
After a long bit of work, we can finally unveil the new design for our Myspace and our website. Thanks to Marlies Wobben for coming through, as always, creating the best site like she knows how to do! Thank You to Stephanie Shoulders for her great job on our Myspace page. We think the ladies did a great job on these redesigns for “The Incurable Tragedy” release. We always try to answer any inbox messages we get as well as our emails from fans. It’s very important to always listen to what the fans have to say.
The color green is the theme of the album. The new sites run with the green theme as well. Before Dave died, he got a killer green IE Icon tattoo on his forearm. Since then, fans from all over have got this same tattoo, but different colors of course. Dave and I had talked about this 5th release back in 2006 and we agreed to go with the color green and then he got his cool tattoo. Dave never got to see it all come to life, but here it is done today for you all to see.
The band will soon be starting rehearsals for our upcoming Summer Slaughter Canadian Tour. It’s been a while since we have done a brutal death metal tour, so we are pumped for this to happen in our home country. We have August, September and October to be fully on the road supporting the new album. The Iced Earth Tour is going to be the highlight of the year for us though I bet. The band is ready to head back out on the road and play these new songs for you people. We’ll see you all soon.
The color green is the theme of the album. The new sites run with the green theme as well. Before Dave died, he got a killer green IE Icon tattoo on his forearm. Since then, fans from all over have got this same tattoo, but different colors of course. Dave and I had talked about this 5th release back in 2006 and we agreed to go with the color green and then he got his cool tattoo. Dave never got to see it all come to life, but here it is done today for you all to see.