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Full Blown Chaos Get Punishing LP In Order; Plus Megadeth, Down & More News That Rules, In 'Metal File'

'We're not going to stop fighting,' hardcore punks' frontman says. 'Cut our legs off, and we'll drag ourselves.'

It isn't easy to sum up in one word Full Blown Chaos' forthcoming album, Heavy Lies the Crown, but "vicious" certainly comes to mind -- even "venomous." The New York hardcore punks' music is downright evil, and the lyrics ... well, they're straightforward and to the point. You see, FBC frontman Ray Mazzola's not a subtle dude, and he doesn't censor himself -- he speaks his mind, regardless of the consequences.

"You f--- with someone in this band, and you're going to end up with a song about you," the stout singer explained. "There will be people who'll read these lyrics, and they'll know the song's about them -- they'll read it and go, 'Ouch.' Some of the actual lyrics are from letters I'd written to people, and e-mails, just basically confirming or cutting off friendships. I have no qualms with putting that into my music, because that's who I am. I can't deny myself. If you deny yourself, then who are you? I'm a person, an individual, and I have very strong emotions towards things. It's time people see what's been going on this last year."

Mazzola said a lot has gone down since the band's memorable appearances on last year's Ozzfest. In that time, Full Blown cut ties with Hatebreed ringleader Jamey Jasta's Stillborn Records and bids came in from many metal labels -- including Century Media, Metal Blade and Roadrunner Records -- all of whom wanted to add some Chaos to their rosters. In the end, the band inked a deal with Ferret, which will release Heavy Lies the Crown August 21. The set -- produced by Biohazard's Billy Graziadei -- features a dozen tracks, including "The Hard Goodbye," "Fail Like a Champ" and "Raise Hell."

But label politics aside, Mazzola said that, on a personal level, he has learned over the past year who his true friends are, and much of the resulting disappointment and ire that came with that understanding helped shape the disc's feel.

"There have been a lot of people who were supposed to be in our corner fighting for us that just totally neglected the situation," he explained. "We were throwing punches, and they should have been holding our back the whole time. They weren't. We needed to know where our friends were and where we stand and who was going to have our back at the end of the day. The album's title refers to a friend who we came up [with] ... going to shows, doing our thing, pushing our bands. One person went one way and one person went the other way. You can go the one way and remember where you came from, or you can go the other way and manipulate situations for your own greedy endeavors. And that's what's happened.

"Everyone will be able to take something from it, whether it's how to maintain and use their anger in a positive way or help them understand that not everybody in the world feels like they do," he added. "This record deals with everything from problems with general life, the music business, relationships and trying to keep everything under control [to maintaining] your own individual self."

Unfortunately, Full Blown Chaos haven't been able to line up any tours around the album's release. But they will head out this fall with Obituary, Hemlock and Alabama Thunderpussy for a U.S. run that's scheduled to launch September 1.

Mazzola said he can't wait to get back out there and play the new material, which is punishing and ultra-aggressive, and teems with sludgy, Southern metal influences. While Mazzola said there are some positive moments on the record, they are few and far between.

"This album shows you the problem and gives you the solution -- that's the type of record it is," he said. "Our New Year's resolution was, 'It's time to step it up and take it to the next level, and see if we can roll with the bigger bands.' I know we can. We focused on the material more, the songwriting, and we came together to make this awesome record. It's a real record -- it shows you where we stand and that we're not going to stop fighting. Cut our legs off, and we'll drag ourselves. That's how it works: Nothing's going to stop the momentum of this band -- at least not while I'm fronting it."

The rest of the week's metal news:

Megadeth will release Warchest, a box set containing four CDs and one DVD, October 2. The package features 33 previously unreleased audio and video tracks, including a full 1990 concert from London's Wembley Stadium, B-sides and demos of "Holy Wars ... the Punishment Due," "Tornado of Souls," "Five Magics" and "Architecture of Aggression." The DVD features 10 songs recorded at London's Hammersmith Odeon in 1992. "This is, by far, the best and most comprehensive look at all things Mega," frontman Dave Mustaine said in a press statement. "With some of the most famous, and infamous, shows and any of the fluid, or flammable, lineups, listening to this box set -- when it was all done -- was an adrenalin surge. I have got to hand it to my past bandmates, they played great for how turbulent times could get in the blink of an eye." ...

After months of speculation, Down's forthcoming album III -- Over the Under has finally been scheduled for release: Look for it in stores on September 25. ... Divine Heresy, the new band featuring ex-Fear Factory guitarist Dino Cazares, will release their debut album, Bleed the Fifth, August 28. The day of release, the group will play a record-release show at West Hollywood, California's Whisky a Go Go -- its second gig with new bassist Joe Payne (ex-Nile). "I began my musical career in Los Angeles, and I felt that there was no better place to launch the debut," Cazares said in a statement. "The Whisky is the perfect-sized venue for this record-release show so we can get close to the fans and give them the most intense performance we possibly can." The band recently shot with director Christoffer "Salzy" Salzgeber (Damageplan, Soulfly) a video for its first single, "Failed Creation," that which will go to video outlets soon. ...

Cellador guitarist Bill Hudson will take the stage Friday night (August 10) with one of his idols, Danger Danger singer Ted Poley, for a concert in São Paulo, Brazil. "I'm sure it'll be an amazing experience," Hudson said in a press release. "As much as Danger Danger sounds nothing like Cellador, they're one of my favorite bands of all time." (Maybe so, but if you've heard Cellador's music, they clearly take a back seat to Iron Maiden.) Cellador will enter the studio with Erik Rutan (Morbid Angel, Hate Eternal) in November to record the follow-up to 2006's Enter Deception. ... Sick of It All, As I Lay Dying, Unearth, Converge, Earth Crisis and Walls of Jericho raised money in a recent German eBay auction for the charity organization Zartbitter, which provides help for sexually abused children. For the auction, which ran through Sunday, each band signed a skateboard deck at the Pressure Festival in Herne, Germany. ...

Vancouver, British Columbia's comical extreme-metal band Zimmers Hole have started tracking their third full album, which will be released by their new label Century Media later this year. Tentative track titles include "The Dark Church of Whatever," "We Rule the F---ing Land" and "Hair Doesn't Grow on Steel." "As you can see, it's all about having a good time with the Hole," the band said in a press release. "Make no mistake, though, we are very serious about our love of metal: It made us who we are, and we wear our influences on our sleeves proudly." Zimmers Hole feature ex-Strapping Young Lad members Byron Stroud (bass) and Jed Simon (guitar), along with singer Chris "The Heathen" Valagao and drummer Steve Wheeler. ...

Experimental Norwegian pagans Ulver will release Shadows of the Sun, the band's first offering since 2005's Blood Inside, October 2. "We believe we have succeeded in giving our fears some kind of form," the band said in a statement of the new songs. "We feel it is our most personal record to date. Low-key, dark, and tragic. As we are." Tracks include "Eos," "Vigil," "Let the Children Go" and "Funebrae." ... Power-metal powerhouses Brainstorm have entered Gate Studios in Wolfsburg, Germany, with producers Sascha Paeth (Angra, Kamelot) and Michael Rodenberg (Rhapsody of Fire, Heaven's Gate) to record their seventh album, which should drop in early 2008. "Recordings are going extremely well so far and we are simply overwhelmed how [impressive] the new songs sound," the Krauts wrote on their MySpace site. "These are definitely the best Brainstorm songs that have seen the light of day yet." ...

Los Angeles thrash band Warbringer have signed to Century Media for the release of their full-length debut. The band is currently in the studio working on the album with producer Bill Metoyer (Slayer, D.R.I.). "Working with Bill has been excellent," singer John Kevill said in a press release. "He completely gets the kind of sound we are going for. He's an easy guy to work with and has a lot of good input on how to make things sound right. The album has been coming along at a very nice steady pace and we think it's sounding great so far." The yet-untitled disc is scheduled for release in January, in time for the band's tour with Exodus, Goatwhore and Arsis. Dates will be forthcoming. ... Speaking of Exodus, they're the latest band to land guest slots in the metal cartoon series "Metalocalypse." Singer Rob Dukes described the experience as a dream come true. "If I died today it would all be good," he wrote on Exodus' MySpace page.

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