ARCH ENEMY

ARCH ENEMY

Band members

Current members

• Michael Amott − guitars, backing vocals (1996–present)
• Daniel Erlandsson − drums (1996, 1998–present)
• Sharlee D'Angelo − bass (1999–present)
• Alissa White-Gluz − lead vocals (2014−present)
• Jeff Loomis − guitars, backing vocals (2014−present)

Former members

• Nick Cordle − guitars, backing vocals (2012−2014)
• Angela Gossow − lead vocals (2000–2014)
• Per Wiberg - keyboards (2000–2007, 2009–2013, session member 2014)
• Christopher Amott − guitars, backing vocals (1996–2005, 2007–2012, touring member 2014)
• Fredrik Åkesson − guitars (2005−2007)
• Gus G − guitars (2005)
• Johan Liiva − lead vocals (1996–2000); bass (1996)
• Martin Bengtsson − bass (1997−1998)
• Peter Wildoer − drums (1997)

Arch Enemy is a Swedish melodic death metal band, originally a supergroup, from Halmstad, formed in 1996. Its members were in bands such as Carcass, Armageddon, Carnage, Mercyful Fate, Spiritual Beggars, Nevermore, and Eucharist. It was founded by Carcass guitarist Michael Amott along with Johan Liiva, who were both originally from the influential death metal band Carnage. The band has released nine studio albums, two live albums, three video albums and three EPs. The band was originally fronted by Johan Liiva, who was replaced by German Angela Gossow as lead vocalist in 2000. Gossow left the band in March 2014 and was replaced by Canadian Alissa White-Gluz, while remaining as the group's manager.
Arch Enemy, the brainchild of Michael Amott (Carcass, Carnage, and Spiritual Beggars), was originally assembled when Amott left Carcass. He and his younger brother Christopher (Armageddon) joined with vocalist Johan Liiva (ex-Carnage, Furbowl, Devourment) and then-session drummer Daniel Erlandsson (Eucharist).
The band's debut, entitled Black Earth, was recorded in Studio Fredman and released by the now defunct Wrong Again Records in 1996. It obtained a fair amount of success in Japan, achieving MTV rotation with their first single "Bury Me an Angel", as well as moderate success in Sweden. At this point, Arch Enemy was more of a "solo effort" than a full band; Michael Amott wrote most of the songs himself, and even played bass guitar on the album, contrary to the album's liner notes, which listed vocalist Johan Liiva as handling bass duties. Amott later revealed that he had the credits listed that way to make the album seem more of a "band" effort. Many consider it to be the band's most aggressive album, a trait that was softened to some degree on its following releases, but never abandoned. In 1999, Sharlee D'Angelo assumed the role of Arch Enemy's bassist, and Daniel Erlandsson was once again recruited to handle drum duties, this time on a permanent basis. Burning Bridges was released, and was soon followed by the live album Burning Japan Live 1999, which was initially a release limited to Japan, but later given worldwide distribution due to strong demand.During the touring-cycle for Burning Bridges, D'Angelo was temporarily replaced twice.
The first album with songs featuring Gossow was Wages of Sin, released in 2001. This is also the first album where the band used C tuning, which they have kept until the present. In December of the same year, Arch Enemy took part in the "Japan's Beast Feast 2002" concert, playing alongside Slayer and Motörhead.
 Arch Enemy's seventh album, entitled Rise of the Tyrant was released on September 24, 2007 in Europe and September 25, 2007 in the United States. Rise of the Tyrant debuted at number 84 on the Billboard 200 chart. This surpassed the Doomsday Machine chart entry, making it the band's highest charting effort to date. Gossow said the new album has more emotion and less double vocals, as well as less vocal processing, yielding a more "raw" presentation.

New project Black Earth, and upcoming albums (2016−present) 

On January 22, 2016, the founding members of Arch Enemy formed a side project named Black Earth. Consisting of former members Liiva and Christopher Amott, and current members Daniel Erlandsson, Michael Amott, and Sharlee D'Angelo, the band will tour Japan to celebrate the 20th anniversary of both Arch Enemy and the release of their debut album, Black Earth, as well as only play songs from the band's first 3 albums Black Earth, Stigmata, and Burning Bridges.

On August 26, 2016, it was announced that they are working on a new album which will be released in 2017. On September 7, 2016, Alissa White-Gluz was signed to Napalm Records to record a solo album scheduled for 2017 as well.

Musical Style   

Arch Enemy's musical style has been classified as melodic death metal. AllMusic critic Steve Huey describes the band's sound as a "blend [of] progressive and death metal influences." Earlier albums, such as Burning Bridges, while still classified as melodic death metal, are more centered around classic death metal.

 

Studio albums

• Black Earth (1996)
• Stigmata (1998)
• Burning Bridges (1999)
• Wages of Sin (2001)
• Anthems of Rebellion (2003)
• Doomsday Machine (2005)
• Rise of the Tyrant (2007)
• Khaos Legions (2011)
• War Eternal (2014)

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POWERSURGE

POWERSURGE

Genre: Thrash Metal, Groove Metal

Members:

Riff Guitars: Saimum Hasan Nahian

Vocal: Jamshed Chowshury

Drums: Asif Mahmud

Solo Guitars: SAMIR Hafiz

Guitars: ZERIF Ahmed

Bass: Shahriar Firoz TONMOY

Producer: Raef Al Hasan RAFA

Hometown: Dhaka, Bangladesh.

Record Label: G-Series

Biography: A masterpiece of modern Thrash Metal in Bangladesh where Guitars rip, drums pound, bass thunders and lyrics resonate as the group of five soars from Dhaka, Bangladesh to be defined as the Powerhouse of Dhaka – POWERSURGE!!!

It is a glittering explosion of neck-snapping riffs, grandiose melodious choruses and outstanding musicianship from all five members of the band. And with good reason; to witness Powersurge live is to understand both their unique internal chemistry with savage thrash intricacy and riffage and the undeniable bond that the band shares with its audience which ultimately crashes HEAD FIRST into bludgeoning head banging. With a performance that has been honed and strengthened through all over the country, Powersurge are touted by many as the most energetic live band in Bangladesh Metal. In January 2006, NAHIAN a.k.a SCHIZO, aligned with Drummer SAMIUL ISLAM to form a thrash metal band from various American and German thrash/heavy influences. After the initial forming, the band had settled the other members by March 2006 starting with JAMSHED CHOWDHURY who delivers a hitherto unheard depth and maturity with his throats. NAHIAN and his six- string counterpart SAMIR HAFIZ KHAN have reached a new plateau of blurred-finger brilliance, with instantly memorable riffs and ear- searing fret-melting solos where Samir delivers the divine melodious licks.

 When Schizan Shahed Antu joined to pick up the bass duties for the group, the band was finally complete. The band immediately started performing in underground shows, where they were gaining rapid popularity because of their aggressive style and vicious stage acts. The underground crowds were overwhelmed and accepted Powersurge’s Thrash dominion for their rock solid performances and song qualities. In the mid 2006 Powersurge had their 1st single “Durboddho Monushotto” released in a mixed band compilation album “Underground”, where the song itself was much more of an experimental track apart from the Powersurge thrash style. Now, the band was getting forward with seemly success in the underground gigs, while the huge was yet to come. In January 2007 Antu was kicked out of the band because of his insincerity towards his work and pestiferous attitude towards the other members and within a short time Farhan Abedin was assigned for the bass duties and the band continued ruling. In April 2007, the band participated in Grameen Phone Djuice Drockstars2, one of the biggest reality Musical Band hunt shows to take place in the country’s history. The band started acquiring huge success and feedback from the whole nation, slowly planting thrash seeds in millions. Meanwhile, in May 2007, whilst the Drockstar competition was running, Farhan had to quit the band for his higher education out of Bangladesh, so AREFIN AHMED SAEED, a previous ally of Nahian in their other Brutal Death Metal band SEVERE DEMENTIA, joined the band permanently. With the new upgraded bass line up, Powersurge exceeded powerfully in the contest. With the aid of Nahian’s technical and amazing riffs, Samir’s blistering solos and shredding, Jamshed’s unique voice and lyrics throw and of course the steady and quality head crashing Thrash blasts of Samiul attained the band to become the Champions of DRockstars2.Powersurge previously being famous in the underground gigs now having huge mainstream support and fan base in the midst of the competition as the show was broadcasted on the national TV- channel I. This was also fulfilling the sole motto of the band- that is to build a firm and solid spot for Thrash metal music in Bangladesh. Now, after achieving the ultimate success in earning a massive number of fans who would never miss a Powersurge show.The Band has released its first full length album titled “Auprostut Juddho” on September 2008 . And it has been very much apprehended which created a milestone in the history of Bangladesh by creating Thrash Metal Music a major part of the Bangladeshi Music. . It’s an obscenely brave and ambitious end to a glorious collection of songs that seems destined to cement Powersurge’s reputation as the heaviest, sharpest, smartest and hardest working band of their new generation. And the most precious asset of the band – THE FANS are ready to bang their fucking head against the stage until it bleeds and sing along with the crowd-rousing chorus lines of POWERSURGE!

The band was now an icon in both the underground and mainstream scenes.

Current Location: Dhaka..

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AC/DC

AC/DC

Current members

• Angus Young – lead guitar, occasional backing vocals (1973–present)
• Stevie Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1988, 2014–present)
• Chris Slade – drums (1989–1994, 2015–present)
• Axl Rose – lead vocals (2016–present)

Former members

• Cliff Williams – bass guitar, backing vocals (1977–2016)
• Brian Johnson – lead and backing vocals (1980–2016)
• Phil Rudd – drums (1975–1983, 1994–2015)
• Malcolm Young – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1973–2014)
• Simon Wright – drums (1983–1989)
• Bon Scott – lead vocals (1974–1980)
• Mark Evans – bass guitar (1975–1977)
• Dave Evans – lead vocals (1973–1974)

AC/DC's mammoth power chord roar became one of the most influential hard rock sounds of the '70s, and is now one of the defining sounds of rock and metal. In its own way, it was a reaction against the pompous art rock and lumbering arena rock of the early '70s. AC/DC's rock was minimalist -- no matter how huge and bludgeoning their guitar chords were, there was a clear sense of space and restraint. Combined with Bon Scott's larynx-shredding vocals, the band spawned countless imitators over the next two decades and enjoyed commercial success well into the 2000s, scoring their biggest hits after Brian Johnson replaced the departed Scott.
AC/DC were formed in 1973 in Australia by guitarist Malcolm Young after his previous band, the Velvet Underground, collapsed (Young's band has no relation to the seminal American group). With his younger brother Angus serving as lead guitarist, the band played some gigs around Sydney. Angus was only 15 years old at the time and his sister suggested that he should wear his school uniform on-stage; the look became the band's visual trademark. While still in Sydney, the original lineup featuring singer Dave Evans cut a single called "Can I Sit Next to You," with ex-Easybeats Harry Vanda and George Young (Malcolm and Angus' older brother) producing

With Flick of the Switch, AC/DC's commercial standing began to slip, and they weren't able to reverse their slide until 1990's The Razor's Edge, which spawned the hit "Thunderstruck." While not the commercial powerhouse they were during the late '70s and early '80s, the '90s saw AC/DC maintain their status as a top international concert draw. In the fall of 1995, their 16th album, Ballbreaker, was released. Produced by Rick Rubin, the album received some of the most positive reviews of AC/DC's career; it also entered the American charts at number four and sold over a million copies in its first six months of release. Stiff Upper Lip followed in early 2000 with similar results. AC/DC signed a multi-album deal with Sony the following year that resulted in a slew of reissues and DVDs, and they returned to the studio in 2008 for Black Ice, an all-new collection of songs that was followed by the group's first world tour since 2001. Two years later, the band's music was featured heavily in the action movie Iron Man 2, and a compilation was released in conjunction with the film under the title Iron Man 2.

As AC/DC began work on a new album with producer Brendan O'Brien in 2014, they announced that Malcolm Young was suffering from dementia and had left the band; his nephew Stevie Young took his place at the recording sessions and the accompanying 40th anniversary tour. Just prior to the December release of Rock or Bust, drummer Phil Rudd was arrested under charges of attempting to procure a murder, threatening to kill, and possession of cannabis and methamphetamine. Although the arranged murder charges were dropped, the other charges remained and the drummer's future with the band was uncertain. Nevertheless, AC/DC marched forward with the release of Rock or Bust and plans for a 2015 tour. 

Studio albums

• High Voltage (1975) (Australia only)
• T.N.T. (1975) (Australia only)
• High Voltage (1976) (International version)
• Dirty Deeds Done Dirt Cheap (1976)
• Let There Be Rock (1977)
• Powerage (1978)
• Highway to Hell (1979)
• Back in Black (1980)

For Those About to Rock We Salute You (1981)

• Flick of the Switch (1983)
• Fly on the Wall (1985)
• Blow Up Your Video (1988)
• The Razors Edge (1990)
• Ballbreaker (1995)
• Stiff Upper Lip (2000)
• Black Ice (2008)
• Rock or Bust (2014)

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Children of Bodom

Children of Bodom

Band members

Current members Alexi Laiho – lead vocals, lead guitar (1993–present) Jaska Raatikainen – drums, percussion (1993–present) Henkka Seppälä – bass, backing vocals (1996–present) Janne Wirman – keyboards, synthesizer (1997–present), backing vocals (2013–present) Daniel Freyberg – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2016–present)

Former members Samuli Miettinen – bass, backing vocals (1993–1995) Alexander Kuoppala – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (1995–2003) Jani Pirisjoki – keyboards, synthesizer, backing vocals (1995–1997) Roope Latvala – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2003–2015) Former live members Erna Siikavirta - keyboards, synthesizer (1998) Kimberly Goss - keyboards, synthesizer (1998) Antti Wirman – rhythm guitar, backing vocals (2015)

children of bodom  is a melodic death metal band from Espoo, Finland. Formed in 1993, the group currently consists of Alexi Laiho (vocals, lead guitar), Janne Wirman (keyboards), Henkka Seppälä (bass), Jaska Raatikainen (drums) and Daniel Freyberg (rhythm guitar). In total they have released nine studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD.
The band's third studio album, Follow the Reaper, was their first album to receive a Gold certification in Finland, and since then, all seven of the band's studio albums have acquired the same status. In Finland, Children of Bodom has released three consecutive albums that debuted at number one on Finnish album charts, and has also seen chart positions on the United States Billboard 200.
The band has incorporated many different musical styles, leading critics and fans to label their work as melodic death metal, "extreme power metal" and thrash metal. They are one of Finland's best selling artists of all time with more than 250,000 records sold there alone.

Children of Bodom was formed in 1993 by guitarist Alexi "Wildchild" Laiho and drummer Jaska Raatikainen under the name of Inearthed. Both musicians had known each other since early childhood and had shared an interest in heavy metal, especially death metal groups, such as Dissection, Entombed, and Obituary. Bassist Samuli Miettinen completed the initial line-up of the band. Inearthed recorded its first demo, Implosion of Heaven, during August of the same year.
Samuli was the main composer of the band's lyrics for the two years that he took part in Inearthed, but his family moved to the United States in 1995, making it impossible for him to remain in the band. His last contributions to Inearthed were the lyrics of the songs from their second demo, Ubiquitous Absence of Remission which was the first time they worked with producer Anssi Kippo at Astia-studios (Lappeenranta, Finland). In this demo, keyboards were incorporated into the band's songs for the first time. In order to achieve this, both Laiho and Raatikainen played the keyboards separately, and subsequently mixed the recorded track with the other instruments. Laiho, who had previously only composed the melodies of the songs, assumed the role of the band's lyricist.
At the time, Raatikainen played French horn in a local big band, and during a rehearsal he met Alexander Kuoppala, a trumpet player and also a proficient guitarist. Shortly after the recording of their second demo, Kuoppala was invited to join Inearthed as a rhythm guitarist.
The bassist chosen to replace Samuli was Henkka "Blacksmith" Seppälä, whom Laiho and Raatikainen had previously known from school. Apart from playing the bass, Seppälä also often doubles as the band's backing vocalist. Also, the band recruited a musician to specialize on keyboards, whose name was Jani Pirisjoki. Both joined Inearthed in early 1996.
With this new line-up, Inearthed proceeded to record their third demo, entitled Shining. This demo did not impress record labels any more than the previous ones had, and none took interest in the band. Despite their efforts, their music got little exposure and managed only to play at local events. As a last resort, the band decided to record an independent, self-funded album. Considering that none of the musicians had much money to begin with, it was an audacious move.
Laiho wanted to make use of the keyboards more effectively, but Pirisjoki was not attending rehearsals. Thus, he was fired and replaced by a friend of Raatikainen's, a jazz pianist named Janne "Warman" Wirman.
Wirman was the component which was previously missing from Inearthed. His presence allowed the band to assume the style which would later characterize Children Of Bodom. With Wirman, the band successfully recorded their first album in 1997. Their debut, Something Wild, was supposed to be released by a small Belgian label, Shiver Records, but second vocalist Sami Tenetz (from Thy Serpent) acquired a copy of their album through the hands of Kuoppala. They both worked for the same company at the time. Shortly after Inearthed signed this contract, Spinefarm Records' boss immediately became interested in signing them for a country-wide release. The latter deal was much more attractive to the band, since the Belgian label was offering them close to no help, to the point where they would have to distribute and sell the album themselves.
The band was required to create a new name to sign up to Spinefarm Records. The contract with Shiver records had already been signed under the name of Inearthed. The answer to that problem came as the members looked for good names in their local phone book. When they stumbled upon Lake Bodom, they realized that it was a name with impact and one which had an interesting story behind it. A long list of possible names involving the word Bodom was then made, and they settled with Children Of Bodom. The band's name is derived from the Lake Bodom murders.

I Worship Chaos (2015–present)

On April 7, 2015, the band announced that they have begun working on the follow-up of Halo of Blood. On May 29, 2015, the band announced on their Facebook page that Roope Latvala is no longer part of Children Of Bodom with the new album to be recorded as a four piece for the first time. However, the band later updated that Roope's part in the band will be filled in by Antti Wirman, keyboard player Janne Wirman's younger brother for live commitments until the end of the year; he debuted with the band in a private live show in Helsinki. In a later interview with Janne Wirman, he stated that Antti Wirman would not join the band permanently.
On June 8, 2015 the album title was announced as 'I Worship Chaos' and was released through Nuclear Blast on October 2, 2015.
On January 19, 2016 the band announced the addition of Daniel Freyberg on guitar. He would make his live debut with them in Tampa, FL on February 9.

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System of a Down

System of a Down 

Members

• Serj Tankian - Vocalist & Keyboardist
• Daron Malakian - Guitar
• Shavo Odadjian - Bass
• John Dolmayan - Drums

Previous members

• Andy Khachaturian - Drums

System of a down, sometimes shortened to SOAD or System, is an Armenian-American heavy metal band from Glendale, California, formed in 1994. The band currently consists of Serj Tankian (lead vocals, keyboards), Daron Malakian (vocals, guitar), Shavo Odadjian (bass, backing vocals) and John Dolmayan (drums).

The band achieved commercial success with the release of five studio albums, three of which debuted at number one on the Billboard 200. System of a Down has been nominated for four Grammy Awards, and their song "B.Y.O.B." won the Best Hard Rock Performance of 2006. The group briefly disbanded in August 2006 and reunited in November 2010, embarking on a tour for the following three years. System of a Down has sold over 40 million records worldwide. 

Discography

1. System of a Down (30 June 1998)
2. Toxicity (4 September 2001)
3. Steal This Album! (26 November 2002)
4. Hypnotize (26 April 2005)
5. Mesmerize (27 September 2005)

Soil (1992–94)

Serj Tankian and Daron Malakian attended Rose and Alex Pilibos Armenian School as children, although due to their eight-year age difference they did not meet until 1992 while working on separate projects at the same recording studio. They formed a band named Soil with Tankian on vocals and keyboards, Malakian on vocals and guitar, Dave Hakopyan (who later played in The Apex Theory/Mt. Helium) on bass and Domingo "Dingo" Laranio on drums. The band hired Shavo Odadjian (another Rose and Alex Pilibos alumnus) as manager, although he eventually joined Soil as rhythm guitarist. In 1994, after only one live show, and one jam session recording, Hakopyan and Laranio left the band, feeling that it was not going anywhere.

Music videos

• 'Sugar' from System of a Down (1998)
• 'Spiders' from System of a Down (1999)
• 'War' from System of a Down (2000)
• 'Chop Suey!' from Toxicity (2001)
• 'Aerials' from Toxicity (2002)
• 'Toxicity' from Toxicity (2002)
• 'Boom!' from Steal This Album! (2003)
• 'Cigaro' from Hypnotize (2005) (announced, yet to be released)
• 'B.Y.O.B.' from Mesmerize (2005) (announced, yet to be released)

System of a Down have relaunched their website - www.systemofadown.com. The revamped site will offer intriguing glimpses of the artwork for "Mezmerize/Hypnotize," much of which was designed and painted by Vartan Malakian, guitarist/producer Daron Malakian's father.

System of a Down wrote some thirty tracks for "Mezmerize/Hypnotize" and recorded them at producer Rick Rubin's Laurel Canyon studio between June and November of 2004.

  The album was produced by Rubin and Daron Malakian and mixed by Andy Wallace, who also mixed "Toxicity" and "Steal This Album!" The new songs are more complex, more progressive, more unorthodox, and more experimental than ever, while retaining the idiosyncratic, ironic and schizophrenic qualities that make System of a Down so distinctive. Topics include relationships, the evils of television and corporate mind control, the mysteries of life and death, and a surreal experience at a celebrity baseball game. Some of the song titles are "Radio Video," "Old School Hollywood," "Cigaro," "Lost in Hollywood," "Question," "Vicinity of Obscenity" and "Revenga." The decision to release the two discs six months apart was made simply to give fans time to get into and really live with the music from Disc One before plunging into Disc Two.

 The second installment, Hypnotize (2005), is inferior, and can't help sounding like a bunch of leftovers, although even leftovers are worth listening to when they are leftovers from good albums.

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LAMB OF GOD

LAMB OF GOD

When the nominees for the 2016 Grammy awards were announced last month, veteran metal act Lamb of God found themselves in the running for Best Metal Performance thanks to “512,” the relentless single from their acclaimed 2015 disc “VII: Sturm und Drang.”

One person was unaffected by the news: Randy Blythe, lead singer of the Richmond, Virginia-based band.

Speaking the morning after the Grammy nominees were announced, Blythe said frankly, “You know, I don’t care. It’s pretty meaningless to me. It’s cool for some of my dudes, but I just don’t care. It’s our fifth (Grammy nomination); I can say I’m a five-time Grammy loser eventually.”

So we shouldn’t expect Blythe to hit the red carpet or be smiling for the cameras at the 58th Grammy's, happening Feb. 15 at the Staples Center in Los Angeles.

“(It’s) not my scene at all,” Blythe said with a laugh. “It is what it is. I’m not really into awards or trophies or whatever.”

 Lamb of God is an American groove metal band from Richmond, Virginia. Formed in 1994 (as Burn the Priest), the group consists of vocalist Randy Blythe, guitarists Mark Morton and Willie Adler, bassist John Campbell, and drummer Chris Adler. The band is considered a significant member of the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement.
Blythe is, however, still on the road with Lamb of God in support of “VII: Sturm und Drang.” The band’s current tour with Anthrax, Deafheaven and Power Trip hits Starland Ballroom in Sayreville on Tuesday, Jan. 26.
The band hails from Virginia, but the band has deep ties to New Jersey. Originally known as Burn the Priest, the group played the first show of their first tour as Lamb of God right here in the Garden State: also featuring Gwar and Amen. The fateful gig went down at the former Birch Hill night club in Old Bridge.
“It was a really good time, and I’m always had a lot of love for the Jersey crowds because they’ve shown us a lot of love. … Jersey’s always been really good to us,” Blythe said. “You’ve got a long tradition of metal and hardcore there.”

Toothgrinder to unleash 'Nocturnal Masquerade'

When Lamb of God last made tracks through Jersey, for an August engagement with Slipknot at the PNC Bank Arts Center in Holmdel, Blythe even took some time for a visit to the beach.
“I made a pilgrimage to Asbury Park,” said Blythe. “I went surfing because they have killer waves right there. Not far from the Stone Pony there’s a jetty right there, and I got to go and catch a couple of waves.”

The success of the band’s latest album, which debuted at the top of Billboard’s Rock and Hard Rock Album charts and at No. 3 on the Top 200 in July, followed one of the most trying times in the band’s history.
In June 2012, Blythe was arrested and detained in Prague, charged with manslaughter in the 2010 death of a fan of the band, 19-year-old Daniel Nosek, who Czech prosecutors accused Blythe of pushing from the stage during a Prague concert. Nosek hit his head on the venue's concrete floor and died from his injuries two weeks later.
Blythe spent five weeks in custody before being released on bail in August 2012. A Czech court acquitted him him in March 2013. The ordeal was chronicled in a 2014 documentary, “As the Palaces Burn.” Blythe told his side of the story in the gripping book "Dark Days: A Memoir," released in July through Da Capo Press.
“I didn’t want to write the book," Blythe said. "I had this weird, brief moment in the beginning of the book when I was being questioned, I was like, ‘This is going to make a great book someday.’ And by someday, I was thinking, maybe, when I’m 60, not so soon after it happened. But I was convinced to write the book by a literary agent who was like, ‘Your memories are going to fade, you need to get this down while it’s still fresh,’ and I was like, ‘You’re right.’ "

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The process of writing "Dark Days," Blythe said, was a learning experience. "It taught me how to be a writer, a prose writer, a real writer, as opposed to the lyrical form which I’ve always worked mostly in before," he explained. "With lyrics, it only takes so long to write a song. The book is almost 500 pages, and that took a long time. It taught me a lot of discipline."
With one book out, Blythe said he's already started working on a follow-up. Eventually, he said, he plans on transitioning from heavy metal frontman to author on a full-time basis.
“I wanted to write books since I was a child," Blythe said. "I never thought I’d be in a band when I was a kid, but I always wanted to write books. I wasn’t one of those kids who fantasized about being on stage. It was just kind of accidental the way I wound up in a band. I’m just good at being a clown, basically. That’s what’s required to learn how to be a frontman, a willingness to get up and look stupid long enough in front of enough people until you learn how to do it. So it was kind of accidental, that’s the only qualification I really brought to my job as a musician.

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