If you head to NME.COM you will find that they were a lil busy over the Download weekend interviewing quite a few Roadrunner bands who were playing the fest!

Head TO THIS LOCATION, to see video interviews with the following RR artists:

AIRBOURNE
WITHIN TEMPTATION
MADINA LAKE
KILL HANNAH
and
KIDS IN GLASS HOUSES

Enjoy!!

Last night the staff of the Roadrunner UK office popped across London to the O2 areana to hit the Indigo for the METAL HAMMER GODLEN GODS, and they had a few folks you may know with them to join the festivities- Max Cavalera (CAVALERA CONSPIRACY), Sharon Den Adel and Ruud Jolie (WITHIN TEMPTATION), Phil Demmel (MACHINE HEAD), Joel and Ryan O’Keeffe (AIRBOURNE), Vadim Pruzhanov (DRAGONFORCE)– all attended the awards.

The Roadrunner posse had plenty to celebrate by the end of the evening, picking up FIVE awards in total:

Best Metal Label: Roadrunner Records
Best Live Band: Machine Head
Spirit Of Hammer: Max and Igor Cavalera
Best Debut: Airbourne ‘Runnin’ Wild’
Riff Lord: Dave Mustaine (Megadeth)

There may be a few fuzzy heads today…

Roadrunner would like to take this opportunity to thank everyone who voted for them as a label and for their bands / band members. You frickin’ rock and we all know we would be nowhere without you. Thanks a million!!

Last night saw the infamous Metal Hammer Golden Gods and AIRBOURNE won the award for ‘Best Debut’ for their current album RUNNIN’ WILD (in stores now). They also have the title track from that album out now as a digital single in all the usual places. Go pick it up!

And if you were wondering where the 3rd and final instalment of the Q&A with frontman Joel O’Keeffe was, well it’s here!!

Is there anything you guys do to get ready for a show? – David
Gday David. Yeah have a few drinks and sometimes punch each other to rev each other up.

Does your voice hurt after a set? There seems to be a lot of strain on your voice as you let it rip. How do you keep that up over the course of a tour? – Brendan Keeley
Gday Brendan. Yeah it’s always in pain but that’s the nature of the game I guess. If I’m crook or struggling I’ve found that tighter jeans often helps to get the high notes.

How do you spend your time outside of the music industry? – Kelly
Gday Kelly. There’s not allot of time outside of touring really but if we get a night off hitting the town is always good.

Living in Victoria all of your life must have been a lot different in contrast to Melbourne. Do you think moving to the States will make things a lot easier to get your music to the people through recording and touring? – Michael Bailey
Gday Michael. Yeah it gets ya closer to more countries so you can get out and tour them harder, whilst also still allowing us to get back and tour Australia.

How do you go about getting inspiration to write music and lyrics? – Andrew
Gday Andrew. Inspiration comes from heaps of places but mainly in the hotel or in the van or at soundcheck. Most of the songs are stories from the road.

What are your musical influences? – Hannes
Gday Hannes. Rose Tattoo, AC/DC Motorhead, Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs, Creedence, Van Morrison, Little Richard, The Angels, Robert Johnson, Otis Redding, Gunner’s, ZZ Top, The Who, Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Jimmy Barnes, The Poor and Johnny Cash are just a few.

What AC/DC Albums do you own? And what are your favorites? – Matt
Gday Matt. Well mate I own all of them, from High Voltage to Stiff Upper Lip and they’re all my favorites. However If I had to pick one for this week I’d say Let Be Rock.

Pick up the debut album online now at THIS location.

BLACK STONE CHERRY are set to release their follow up to their self titled debut on August 18th. Titled FOLKLORE AND SUPERSTITION, it’s set to blow you all away, and to prove it we are offering you a track FREE to download. Head to the ROADRUNNER UK HOMPEAGE to grab yourself the track.

Them there fellas from Kentucky are currently winging their way over to the UK to play at the Isle of White festival on 14th June and the Download Festival on 15th June. They then head out with Witesnake and Def Leppard as support on a full UK tour. Dates as follows:

Tue 17th Jun – Glasgow SECC
Wed 18th Jun – Birmingham NEC
Fri 20th Jun – Manchester MEN Arena
Sat 21st Jun – Belfast Odyssey Arena
Mon 23rd Jun – Sheffield Arena
Tue 24th Jun – Newcastle Arena
Wed 25th Jun – Fibbers (BSC headline show)
Thu 26th Jun – London Wembley Arena

You can pick up debut album ‘Black Stone Cherry’ is in stores NOW and you can pick this up online HERE

Here we continue the Q&A (with questions lovingly supplied by yourselves) with Joel O’Keeffe of AIRBOURNE we started yesterday…

Any chance of your 2004 album that was independently released in Australia being reissued? Or the songs being re-recorded and released in some other way? – Charles Cannon
Gday Charles. Yeah hopefully one day we’ll either re-record it or actually release the old one. When we recorded it we used our saved up money from gigs and used to sell it at shows, it was never actually officially released on a label. But if ya know someone who’s got a copy of it, get them to burn one for ya.

What is your favourite song on your new album and why? – Jimmy Strong
Gday Jimmy. Well I love playing them all live but this week it’s Hellfire, coz it’s about touring and playing live and we’ve just started the first UK/USA tour for 2008.

How does it feel being compared to AC/DC all the time and were they an influence? – Owen
Gday Owen. We’re honoured to be compared to AC/DC, they’re the best Rock’n’Roll band in the world. The first time I seen them live was in melbourne when I was a kid and they absolutley blew me away with their power of Rock’n’Roll. Yeah AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Angels, The Poor, Billy Thorpe and the Aztecs are our main Aussie Pub Rock’n’Roll influences.

How has the success from the UK and America affected the band? – Lozza
Gday Lozza. We are still the same as always, we’ll never change we’re country boys from Warrnambool and we’ve even still got the same jeans and chesty bonds we bought whilst working at the pub 6 years ago.

Have you ever had any outrageous incidents of fans coming up on stage in the past? – Lauren
Gday Lauren. Every time someone jumps up on stage it’s great, we love rockin out with them and fightin’ off the security guards.

How important is rock n roll to you and the band? – AJay
Gday Ajay. Rock’n’Roll to us is like sex to a nymphomaniac, we need it every second of every day.

If you could choose any big band or famous singer as your support act, who would you like to choose? – Aki
Gday Aki. Well we’d like to have been on the bill at one of the legendary Sunbury festivals.

Did you boys meet in high school? Did you always know you wanted to play professionally? – Gemma-Kate
Gday Gemma. I met my brother Ryan when he was born and then met Dave when we worked at the pub and Ryan met Justin at a drinking session in the Thunder Point sand dunes. But yeah we’ve always loved Rock’n’Roll and always knew it was gonna be our path.

Airbourne have recently confirmed a full UK tour for November. Tickets are on sale NOW and you can catch them at the following venues:

Sat 1st Nov – Cardiff University
Sun 2nd Nov – Bristol Academy
Wed 5th Nov – Birmingham Academy
Thu 6th Nov – Sheffield Octagon
Fri 7th Nov – Liverpool Academy
Sat 8th Nov – Manchester Academy
Mon 10th Nov – Dublin Vicar Street
Tue 11th Nov – Belfast Limelight
Thu 13th Nov – Inverness Ironworks
Fri 14th Nov – Dundee Fat Sams
Sat 15th Nov – Glasgow Barrowlands
Mon 17th Nov – Newcastle Academy
Tue 18th Nov – Leeds Metropolitan University
Wed 19th Nov – Stoke Victoria Hall
Thu 20th Nov – Nottingham Rock City
Sat 22nd Nov – Oxford Academy
Sun 23rd Nov – Norwich UEA
Mon 24th Nov – Cambridge Junction
Wed 26th Nov – Folkestone Leas Cliff Hall
Thu 27th Nov – London Astoria

Due to the construction of the brand spanking new York venue The Duchess falling a lil behind schedule and will not be open in time, the BLACK STONE CHERRY headline show that was to take place on the 25th June has moved to YORK FIBBERS.

SHADOWS FALL have made a video for track ‘FOREVERMORE’ and you can check it out below!!

The video track is taken from current album THREADS OF LIFE, which is in stores NOW. You can pick it up online HERE

The European leg of the mighty “Unholy Alliance Tour, Chapter III” has been confirmed to kick off in Manchester on October 27 and will play nearly two dozen shows over a four-week period. This third installment of what has been hailed as “the heaviest, darkest tour of the year” will feature Slayer, TRIVIUM, and Mastodon. An additional opening act will be announced shortly. While Slayer will close the shows, they will be co-billed with Trivium on the UK dates.

Ticketing info is available online at: slayer.net, www.myspace.com/slayer, www.trivium.org, or www.myspace.com/trivium.

Matthew Heafy, Trivium’s frontman commented, “Trivium is honored that Slayer has invited us to tour with them on the ‘Unholy Alliance Tour.’ All of us in Trivium are diehard Slayer fans and we look up to them for their music and longevity. They are one of the true pillars of heavy metal and for us to share stages with them is both an honor and a privilege. We’ve also known the Mastodon guys for a few years and we’re definitely looking forward to hanging with them as well.” Guitarist Corey Beaulieu continues, “I can’t wait to get out on tour with Slayer so we can watch them crush every night and then have the opportunity to share many drinks with them and Mastodon after the shows! I better get my liver in shape… it’s going to be awesome!”

The Unholy Alliance tour first launched in Autumn 2004 with a European edition that featured Slipknot, Slayer, Mastodon and Hatebreed. The venture was so successful, the first North American trek, dubbed “The Unholy Alliance Tour, Chapter II: Preaching to The Perverted,” kicked off in Summer 2006 with Slayer, Lamb of God, Children of Bodom, Mastodon, and Thine Eyes Bleed stomping and screaming its way to 30 U.S. and Canadian cities. The European run of “Unholy Alliance Tour, Chapter II” took place in Autumn 2006, featuring Slayer, In Flames, Children of Bodom, Lamb of God, and Thing Eyes Bleed. Kerrang! said about The Unholy Alliance Tour, “It’s so metal, it HURTS!”

SLAYER
A journalist once wrote of Slayer, “If Thomas Jefferson were alive today, he undoubtedly would be listening to Slayer.” Indeed, in the beginning, when there were no blueprints, no set paths, no boundaries or steps to follow, SLAYER assaulted the world with its new hybrid of metal and punk. Heavier, faster and darker than the rest, Slayer set the new standard which all others continue to follow. Slayer is the band that all other heavy acts are measured against, defining not only a genre but an attitude. For more than two-and-a-half decades, Slayer’s onslaught of sheer brutality has proven them to be the supreme thrash-metal band on the planet. Entire countries have banned their music, NARAS has graced them with two Grammy Awards. Slayer is currently writing material for a new album, release date TBD.

TRIVIUM
Orlando, Florida heavy metallers TRIVIUM are delighted to be co-headlining with SLAYER on the UK leg of this year’s colossal Unholy Alliance tour. Having performed over 600 shows in the last 36 months alone, Trivium are no strangers to the stage and life on the road. Last year, the worldwide million-selling band toured extensively with Machine Head, co-headlining the impressive Black Crusade tour, as well as finding time to play shows with the legendary Iron Maiden amongst others, supporting their Top Ten record “The Crusade” (which entered the mainstream UK chart at #7). Since then, they have been hard at work on their next studio album for Roadrunner Records, recently wrapping up recording with producer Nick Raskulinecz. It is due for release on September 29, 2008.

MASTODON
Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Mastodon have been critically acclaimed by almost every publication in the US and Europe. Their Grammy nominated album, Blood Mountain, the group’s third release, isn’t just unconventional, it’s surreal, progressive and unrepentantly heavy. Mastodon combined their favorite musical styles, including thrash, doom, prog and psychedelic metal to concoct something utterly original, undeniably devastating and irrefutably entrancing. They are currently in the studio with producer Brendan O’Brien recording their follow up to “Blood Mountain.”

The initial European dates are (more will follow):

OCTOBER
27 Manchester Arena, Manchester, England
28 NEC, Birmingham, England
30 Hammersmith Apollo, London, England
31 Hammersmith Apollo, London, England

NOVEMBER
2 CIA, Cardiff, Wales
3 SECC, Glasgow, Scotland
5 Stadthalle, Offenbach, Germany
6 Palladium, Cologne, Germany
9 Schleyerhalle, Stuttgart, Germany
10 Eishallel Deutweg, Winterthur, Switzerland
11 Zenith, Paris, France
16 Gasometer, Vienna, Austria
18 Zenith, Munich, Germany
19 Columbia Hale, Berlin, Germany

AIRBOURNE are currently winging their way to the UK to play Download festival on Sunday, attend the Metal Hammer Awards on Monday and then play some dates in Ireland. Not only that, but they release digital single RUNNIN WILD on Monday 16th June (check out the video below).

Recently, RR UK visitors submitted questions to frontman Joel and so here we present part 1 of his answers. Part 2 to follow tomorrow…

I saw Airbourne at King Tuts in Glasgow on the 10th Feb. You played a solo of Scotland the Brave. Was that planned or did you just play a few notes and it sounded like the tune, and you went off in a tangent? – Yvonne McCutcheon
Gday Yvonne. Nah it wasn’t planned but it was one of the first things I learnt to play on the guitar and hadn’t played it for years, so it just came to me at the time to play it loud for the Scots. Fuckin love that tune!

Do you think music as a whole could or will ever take a turn from a hip hop and pop centered music culture back to a rock n roll style culture like the 70s and 80s? – Jesse Brillhart
Gday Jesse. Whatever the outcome Rock’n’Roll will always prevail. We shall fight with growing confidence and growing strength in the air, we shall defend Rock’n’Roll, whatever the cost may be, we shall fight on the beaches, we shall fight on the landing grounds, we shall fight in the fields and in the streets, we shall fight in the hills; we shall never surrender! Hopefully Churchill one mind me for that one!

What is the origin of the name of Airbourne? How did you decide on it? – Kee
Gday Kee. Diving out of an aeroplane with nothing but a chute and your mates straight into exploding flak and not knowing whether you’re gonna live or die is what we think touring and playing live is like.

Do you rate Powderfinger, Silverchair, Jet and Wolfmother as good Aussie bands? – Andrew
Gday Andrew. Yes I do, Powderfinger, Silverchair, Wolfmother and jet have all done kick arse things for the Australian music industry in the past 15 years such as opening locked doors overseas for other Aussie bands, so we fully support them 100 percent.

What strings and pickups do you guys use to get your specific sound? – Joel Hoyt
Gday Joel. Both roadsy and I use D’Adario 10-52’s and Seymour Duncan 59’ pickups. The amplifier is always a Marshall 100watt JMP or JCM800 through classic cabs.

Debut album RUNNIN WILD is in stores NOW. Click HERE to pick up a copy

If you head over to BEBO, you will see that on their music page, they have an exclusive on MADINA LAKE’S new video for the track PANDORA, which is taken from their current album FROM THEM, THROUGH US, TO YOU (in stores NOW).

Head on over to have a look by clicking HERE!!!

PICK UP THE ALBUM HERE