The below advertisement is for software I’ve never heard of, Guitar Rig 2 (although I don’t claim to be an expert in music software). I stumbled across it quite by accident while YouTube surfing, and apparently it’s at least four years old, which makes the fact that I’ve never seen it before all the more surprising. In any case, it’s best that I don’t tell you much about it, lest I spoil the fun — so just watch.

Maybe President Obama should just send Gojira to Iran on a diplomatic mission; the French metallers wouldn’t likely be able to stop the country’s nuclear buildup, but they’re certainly heavier than the enriched uranium the country’s government so covets. Maybe they’d even be able to unite the oft-troubled Middle East region in synchronized headbanging… or a collective “elephants marching” session to “Vacuity.”

Getting Mahmoud Ahmadinejad to headbang might be wishful thinking, but there’s at least one Gojira fan in Iran who thought it’d be cool to interview frontman/guitarist Joe Duplantier for a new series called “Scream For Me Tehran” on the website Manoto1 TV. Unfortunately Google Translate can’t handle what’s being said inside YouTube videos (yet!) but Joe’s answers are in English, and as always they provide an insightful (if brief) look into the motivations behind his music, in this case the quite topical issue of why he chooses to sing in English. Thanks to loyal MS reader and fellow Gojira supernerd Shinaain for sending this in:

Of course we all know that Gojira are currently recording (or perhaps have already finished recording?) a new EP, the benefits of which will be going to the Sea Shepherd organization. But did you know that Sea Shepherd’s got a boat named Gojira? Footage of that uber-sweet sea-faring vessel, which has apparently circumnavigated the entire world, after the jump:

Says the YouTube description:

The Ocean 7 Adventurer is a unique high-tech 35 m (115 ft) stabilized monohull twin diesel powered vessel designed by Nigel Irens. Construction of the Adventurer began in June 1997 and she was launched on March 16, 1998. The official naming ceremony took place on 3 April 1998 in London’s West India Dock.

Originally named the Cable and Wireless Adventurer she was built for the purpose of circumnavigating the world in less than 80 days. This was successfully accomplished in July 1998 in 74 days, 20 hours, 58 minutes, traveling more than 22,600 nautical miles (41,800 km). Among the crew, Doctor Melinda Brecknell, A British doctor who has embarked on many other adventures, including treating the poor in Costa Rica and the rich in Singapore. This achievement set a new Guiness World Record for a powered vessel. However, on June 27, 2008 Earthrace, the biodiesel powered wave-piecing trimaran, set a new world record when it docked at the Vulkan shipyard in Sagunto, Spain after completing a circumnavigation in just 60 days 23 hours and 49 minutes

So I guess the boat isn’t actually named Gojira… but still, neat.

Look for that new EP some time soon, we hope.

I feel bad for Frankie Banali, or for that matter for any aging rockstar who only ever had one or two big hits and whose heyday is long since gone. When you’re 59 years old (!) and you’ve only ever done one thing in life… what other options to do you have but to play shitty clubs and attempt to relive your glory days? It was only too fitting that “Metal Health” was the theme song for Mickey Rourke’s character Randy “The Ram” Robinson in The Wrestler, matching eras aside.

Poor Banali’s been forced to hire a mulleted former Van Hagar cover band singer to fill late Quiet Riot lead singer Kevin Dubrow’s shoes since his death in 2007, maybe because he wants to but certainly because he has to in order to survive. As my compadre Axl commented in September when this sad news was announced:

Not a Van Halen cover band. A Van Hagar cover band. A group of men who went out of their way to learn and perform Van Halen’s catalog without David Lee Roth.

Them bills gotta get paid, I guess. And playing in what’s the Quiet Riot equivalent of 2010 Axl N’ Roses — except the friggin’ drummer, not the iconic frontman, is the only original dude left — beats slicing deli meat at the supermarket, I suppose. The above footage of “Metal Health” filmed on Saturday comes from SleazeRoxx.com [via reader Dave Dorst] and is the first with new lead singer Mark Huff. At least the dude’s got the pre-wig Dubrow hair style right, and for what it’s worth he’s a pretty solid Dubrowian singer.

I hope Frankie Banali is happy. Truly, actually happy.

Goatwhore – Live from REKFilms on Vimeo.

Goatwhore are on tour with Watain, Skeletonwitch and Black Anvil right now. Don’t miss ‘em. Dates here.

Yep! This was filmed in Monastiraki Square in Athens. If these fellas get this excited about a brass band, imagine how crazy they must go at a Septic Flesh show.