Scars and Guitars

Scars and Guitars Extreme metal musician interviews Join Andrew McKaysmith as he talks to prominent artists and musicians.
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The majority of content will be from the world of hard rock and heavy metal.

Blabbermouth picked up my chat with Fredrik Åkesson from Opeth. I always enjoy our conversations, he’s down-to-earth, an...
22/11/2024

Blabbermouth picked up my chat with Fredrik Åkesson from Opeth. I always enjoy our conversations, he’s down-to-earth, and we can dive deep into discussions about guitars and playing techniques.

I recently finished The True Tale of Mista Bone, the autobiography of Great White frontman Jack Russell. For context, I’...
21/11/2024

I recently finished The True Tale of Mista Bone, the autobiography of Great White frontman Jack Russell. For context, I’m not a fan of the band and know very little about them, but I have a deep appreciation for hard rock musician autobiographies.

You don’t need to be a fan of Great White to dive into this book, but I found it a challenging read. It had the potential to echo the rawness of Mötley Crüe: The Dirt, given the sheer level of hedonism Jack seems to have put his body through—something far beyond what most people could imagine. However, the book misses the mark. Either Jack’s substance abuse was so overwhelming that it left little room for a coherent story, or the narrative is so broad and lacking in detail that it fails to bring the chaotic events to life.

In the end, what could have been an intense and gripping autobiography feels underdeveloped, losing the depth and insight that makes this genre of memoirs so compelling. Just my take.

Opeth’s guitarist, Fredrik Åkesson, delves into the intricate guitar work and themes of their forthcoming album, The Las...
20/11/2024

Opeth’s guitarist, Fredrik Åkesson, delves into the intricate guitar work and themes of their forthcoming album, The Last Will & Testament, scheduled for release on November 22, 2024, via Reigning Phoenix Music.

https://scarsandguitars.com/7263-2/

This discussion was envisioned as part of a comprehensive two-part series exploring Opeth’s guitar techniques and musical evolution. Hopefully part 2 happens soon! Fans can also look forward to Opeth’s return to Australia and New Zealand in November 2025, marking their first tour in the region in six years.

Order THE LAST WILL & TESTAMENT: https://opeth.rpm.link/lastwillPR

OPETH AUSTRALIA & NEW ZEALAND TOUR DATES 2025

Friday, 14 November – Auckland – Town Hall
Monday, 17 November – Sydney – Sydney Opera House
Tuesday, 18 November – Sydney – Sydney Opera House
Thursday, 20 November – Brisbane Fortitude – Music Hall
Friday, 21 November – Melbourne – Palais Theatre
Saturday, 22 November – Adelaide Hindley – St Music Hall
Monday, 24 November – Perth – Astor Theatre
For tickets and details, visit https://metropolistouring.com/opeth-2025/ or https://davidroywilliams.com/tours/opeth-2025/

Former Celtic Frost guitarist Oliver Amberg discusses his time with the band, focusing on the Cold Lake era. Oliver shar...
17/11/2024

Former Celtic Frost guitarist Oliver Amberg discusses his time with the band, focusing on the Cold Lake era. Oliver shares insights into the album’s creative process, studio dynamics, and the band’s stylistic shift. He addresses the backlash from fans, reflects on Cold Lake’s legacy, and discusses his creative relationship with Tom G. Warrior. We also explore the album’s visual branding, the possibility of unreleased material, and how fan perceptions have changed over time.

https://scarsandguitars.com/oliver-amberg-ex-celtic-frost/

Check out Oliver’s recent music projects here: https://oliveramberg.bandcamp.com/

Some of Oliver’s favourite musical selections as an introduction to his music: https://oliveramberg.bandcamp.com/album/songs-like-horses
https://oliveramberg.bandcamp.com/album/the-remote-sessions-rewinded

Kissing Lucifer (Featuring Oliver) plays a swing version of Cherry Orchards: https://youtu.be/8_XqDLs_L-A?si=EN8OWhKaGb73gP7f

It seems someone from Blabbermouth is keeping an eye on the show…
15/11/2024

It seems someone from Blabbermouth is keeping an eye on the show…

Blabbermouth deemed Necrobutcher’s comments on the Lords of Chaos biopic newsworthy. For the record, I believe it’s an e...
14/11/2024

Blabbermouth deemed Necrobutcher’s comments on the Lords of Chaos biopic newsworthy. For the record, I believe it’s an excellent film, and Jonas Åkerlund deserves significant credit for bringing it to life.

Max Cavalera revisits Sepultura’s groundbreaking early albums – Be***al Devastation, Morbid Visions, and Schizophrenia –...
14/11/2024

Max Cavalera revisits Sepultura’s groundbreaking early albums – Be***al Devastation, Morbid Visions, and Schizophrenia – sharing stories of challenges, influences, and production. He reflects on Andreas, Paulo Jr., and overlooked contributor Jairo Guedz and dives into the early tape-trading scene with legends like Chuck Schuldiner and Euronymous.

https://scarsandguitars.com/max-cavalera-cavalera-soulfly-ex-sepultura/

No idea who did this, but it’s too funny not to share! 🫠
13/11/2024

No idea who did this, but it’s too funny not to share! 🫠

Jørn Stubberud, better known as Necrobutcher, joins the show ahead of Mayhem’s January 2025 shows in Australia, celebrat...
13/11/2024

Jørn Stubberud, better known as Necrobutcher, joins the show ahead of Mayhem’s January 2025 shows in Australia, celebrating the band’s 40th anniversary. In this candid conversation, Jørn opens up about his relationship with Varg Vikernes, his thoughts on the late Euronymous, working with vocalist Attila, and the controversial promotion of the bootleg Dawn of the Blackhearts, infamous for featuring a distressing image of his friend and bandmate Per Ohlin, also known as Dead. He also discusses the Lords of Chaos biopic, his connection to Australia, his legacy and much more!

https://scarsandguitars.com/necrobutcher-mayhem/

Blabbermouth picked up the chat with Chuck. Amongst all the topics they focused on Chuck’s comments about touring with M...
11/11/2024

Blabbermouth picked up the chat with Chuck. Amongst all the topics they focused on Chuck’s comments about touring with Metallica.

Metallica have inexplicably sold out their Brisbane show at Suncorp next year. I’m sure it’s the same across AUS. I don’t get it. I suppose it’s like the modern day Cradle thing, who sold out their AUS tour.

Testament are a superior band in almost every way to Metallica. And no, I don’t care about your feelings. But if Chuck could get Dave Mustaine and Kerry King to agree to Clash of the Titans style tour, now we’re talking!

Meh…
11/11/2024

Meh…

Andrew Roachford as he reflects on returning to Australia for his *Then and Now Greatest Hits Tour* after nearly two dec...
11/11/2024

Andrew Roachford as he reflects on returning to Australia for his *Then and Now Greatest Hits Tour* after nearly two decades. We discuss pre-show rituals, his powerful performance mindset, and his unique journey balancing solo work with Mike + The Mechanics. Andrew shares insights on the lasting impact of his music, pivotal career moments, hidden gems in his catalogue, and his thoughts on rock ‘n’ roll’s overlooked legacy alongside influences like The Beatles.

https://scarsandguitars.com/andrew-roachford-roachford/

Testament’s Chuck Billy addresses controversies head-on, responding to a question about former bassist Greg Christian an...
11/11/2024

Testament’s Chuck Billy addresses controversies head-on, responding to a question about former bassist Greg Christian and shedding light on the Kukar Rockin’ Fest 2014 incident in Indonesia.

https://scarsandguitars.com/chuck-billy-testament/

Chuck also reflects on Testament’s legacy, sharing thoughts on classic songs and personal favourites while revealing the inspiration behind recent album themes. He discusses career crossroads, including his Sepultura audition and other band opportunities that might have been. He touches on the Nick Barker situation and working with James Murphy during his brief stint in Testament. Looking forward, Chuck talks about the band’s upcoming Australian headline tour, their first since 2010, potential setlist changes, and Testament’s current goals and ambitions.

TESTAMENT June 2025 Australian Tour Dates

Wednesday 18th June - BRISBANE, The Tivoli
Friday 20th June - SYDNEY, The Metro
Saturday 21st June - MELBOURNE, Northcote Theatre
Sunday 22nd June - ADELAIDE - The Gov
Tuesday 24th June - PERTH, Metropolis Fremantle

John Gallagher has been the driving force at the forefront of Raven for over four decades. In this insightful conversati...
06/11/2024

John Gallagher has been the driving force at the forefront of Raven for over four decades. In this insightful conversation, he shares his thoughts on their Australian shows in November 2024, the band’s enduring legacy, often-overlooked albums, and reflections on former members, including his brother and longtime guitarist, Mark Gallagher. He also opens up about his experiences with the Osbournes, Metallica, and his perspective on the growing wave of authoritarianism across the Western world.

https://scarsandguitars.com/john-gallagher-raven/

John Sanders, one of Alarum’s two guitarists, joins the show ahead of the release of their new album, Recontinue, and th...
06/11/2024

John Sanders, one of Alarum’s two guitarists, joins the show ahead of the release of their new album, Recontinue, and their Australian tour with Pestilence and Abramelin. In this dynamic and engaging conversation, John discusses the intricacies of the new album, details of the tour, his career in radio, and how he has confronted personal challenges.

https://scarsandguitars.com/john-sanders-alarum/

About Recontinue: The album will be released on November 8, 2024. It explores themes of regeneration, resilience, and finding strength in adversity. The album comprises 11 tracks that blend heavy and soft elements, showcasing Alarum’s signature fusion of progressive metal, jazz, and thrash.

It’s always a pleasure having CJ Ramone on the show. This time, we had a truly candid conversation covering his days wit...
04/11/2024

It’s always a pleasure having CJ Ramone on the show. This time, we had a truly candid conversation covering his days with the Ramones, his experiences touring Australia with Me First and the Gimme Gimmes, insights on social issues, current affairs, and much more. Ultimate Guitar has already featured it!

https://scarsandguitars.com/cj-ramone-ramones-me-first-and-the-gimme-gimmes/

Farkn and tonight. Never give up the rock life!
02/11/2024

Farkn and tonight. Never give up the rock life!

I’m considering expanding Chronicles of Filth content, knowing many of you follow the channel for interviews with former...
31/10/2024

I’m considering expanding Chronicles of Filth content, knowing many of you follow the channel for interviews with former band members.

So, here’s a question for you: what type of content would you like to see me create within reason?

Les and Robin aren’t available at the moment, and like you, they’re my top picks for a conversation. But beyond more interviews with past band members, what else would you be interested in?

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For those who've been around the block, Rob's stint with Metallica is just one highlight in a storied career that's seen him jam with legends like Ozzy, Suicidal Tendencies, Jerry Cantrell, Zakk Wylde, and, my personal favorite, Infectious Grooves, who absolutely killed it on stage last night. He put on a tour de force of bass shred. He’s one of the very best. Infectious Grooves

Brand new Status bass!!!
Brand new Status bass!!!

I’ve been a fan of Mark King from Level 42 since discovering his incredible talent through Bass Player magazine in the 90s. I learned about his use of Alembic and Jaydee basses, but it was the Status Graphite basses that truly fascinated me. Owning one seemed like an impossible dream, but today, I received a Series 23, and I’m overjoyed, feeling like a kid on Christmas Day! I’m excited to play it live with The Curve Band in February!

Late Night Listening Session: Does anyone have this album too? I bought it as soon as it was released, initially on cassette and later on CD. I'm totally into this album; Joey's performance outside of Anthrax is amazing. I really wish he had continued with more solo projects. Joey Belladonna

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