Sunday, December 31, 2006

NIKKI SIXX CHECKS IN FROM ASPEN

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx has posted the following message in his online diary:

'Spent the last few days here in Aspen [Colorado] relaxing and hanging out. Aspen Peak magazine threw us [Royal Underground, Nikki's clothing line with former St. John CEO Kelly Gray] a really cool event at Tomorrow's Laundry, which is the sister store to Boogie's, which are the two coolest stores in Aspen. We had the greatest time and the feedback on the clothes was amazing. Hanging out with Boogie himself, John Oates, Tom Gardner (co-founder of the Motley Fool), Domenico De Sole (a legend in fashion) DJ [Ashba, ex-BEAUTIFUL CREATURES guitarist and Nikki's songwriting partner] and Tiffany [Holliday, Ashba's fiancée and former Playboy playmate] and the list goes on…

'Happy holidays…off to ring in the New Year… and vacation with the kidz in Maui.'

Check out pictures from the Royal Underground launch party in Aspen at Wire Image, Getty Images.

Saturday, December 30, 2006

GREAT WHITE NIGHTCLUB FIRE: STATION PLAINTIFFS SET TO HIRE NEGOTIATOR

Stephen Kurkjian of The Boston Globe reports:

Lawyers representing more than 300 people who lost loved ones or who were injured in the devastating fire that swept a Rhode Island nightclub nearly four years ago have agreed to hire a nationally recognized specialist in conflict resolution as a first step toward trying to settle dozens of civil lawsuits.

The suits have been filed against the owners of the nightclub and nearly 100 others whom the lawyers allege played a role in the tragedy.

A team of nine lawyers who represent most of the plaintiffs sent a letter Thursday to the federal judge in Providence who is hearing the case requesting approval of their motion to hire Francis E. McGovern, a professor at Duke University Law School as a special master.

According to a 2003 profile on the law school's website, McGovern helped organize the distribution of $2.4 billion compensating 100,000 women who had sued the maker of the Dalkon Shield contraceptive intrauterine device and helped forge solutions in cases involving DDT toxic exposure in Alabama. McGovern did not return phone calls yesterday.

Read the entire article at www.boston.com.

Friday, December 29, 2006

AFTER FOREVER CONFIRMS NEW ALBUM TITLE

After four full-length albums and one mini-album, Dutch female-fronted symphonic metal outfit AFTER FOREVER has officially decided to make its upcoming album a self-titled affair.

Commented guitarist Sander Gommans: 'This album does not only show new elements of AFTER FOREVER, but it's also a reflection of the past. We wrote this album while negotiating with new labels and felt a lot of energy. The previous albums all had their own style and identity. This time we carried these different elements to the extremes.

'AFTER FOREVER is a metal band with classical influences. On our upcoming CD, the 'chemistry' between these two worlds worked out better than ever! Whatever we did in the past and planed for the future: you'll find it on 'After Forever'!'

According to an article on the Dutch web site Metalfan.nl, the song 'Discord' will feature the Prague Symphonic Orchestra, while vocalist Doro Pesch can be heard dueting with AFTER FOREVER frontwoman Floor Jansen in the track 'Who I Am'. ANNIHILATOR guitarist Jeff Waters reportedly makes an appearance on a track that had a working title of 'De-Energized', although it is not clear if the cut will be re-named before the final product is released on March 23 via Nuclear Blast Records. Other songs set to appear on the CD include 'Evoke', 'Transitory', 'Equally Destructive', 'Withering Time', 'Cry With A Smile', 'Envision', 'Who I Am' and 'Empty Memories'.

AFTER FOREVER's last album was 'Remagine', which came out in 2005. The follow-up to 2004's 'Invisible Circles' was recorded at Excess studio in Rotterdam, Holland and was mixed by Sascha Paeth and Philip Colodetti at the Gate studio in Wolfsburg, Germany.

AFTER FOREVER's former record label, Transmission Records, recently issued a two-disc compilation album containing the best songs from the band's first ten years of existence, plus previously unreleased material, non-album tracks, alternate takes, rarities and previously unreleased remixed versions. The set, which includes collaborations with such guest musicians as Sharon den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION), Arjen Lucassen and Damian Wilson (AYREON) and Marco Hietala (NIGHTWISH), entered the Dutch national album chart at position No. 69 upon its release in June.

PAUL STANLEY SCHEDULES AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES

KISS guitarist/vocalist Paul Stanley will embark on a tour of Australia beginning in early April. So far the following dates have been released:

Apr. 11 - Twin Towns, Coolangatta
Apr. 13 - WIN Entertainment Centre, Wollongong
Apr. 14 - Civic Theatre, Newcastle
Apr. 17 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Apr. 18 - Enmore Theatre, Sydney
Apr. 20 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Apr. 21 - Palais Theatre, Melbourne
Apr. 24 - Burswood Theatre, Perth
Apr. 26 - Thebarton Theatre, Adelaide

Tickets are AUD $95.00 and will go on sale approximately six weeks prior to the shows.

As was the case on Stanley's recent U.S. tour, the backing band for Paul's Australian trek will be the house band from the CBS-TV show 'Rock Star'. The group, comprised of Paul Mirkovich (keyboards), Jim McGorman (guitar), Rafael Moreira (lead guitar), Nate Morton (drums) and Sasha Krivstov (bass), appeared on the first season of the show, 'Rock Star: INXS', as well as this year's 'Rock Star: Supernova'.

Paul Stanley's solo concert at the House of Blues in Chicago on November 6 was filmed for possible DVD release, according to a posting on Stanley's web site.

Stanley's new solo album, 'Live to Win', came out on October 24 and sold just under 17,000 copies in the United States during its first week of release to land at position No. 53 of The Billboard 200 chart.

Wednesday, December 27, 2006

DORO: ILLNESS FORCES BELGIAN GIG CANCELLATION

DORO has reportedly cancelled today's signing session at Feedback in Aalst, Belgium and tonight's gig at Hof Ter Loo in Antwerp, Belgium due to illness. No further information is currently available.

As previously reported, DORO has been confirmed as the support act for EDGUY for their two headlining shows at the Wartenberg Oval in Fulda, Angersbach on February 23-24, 2007.

DORO released a new double DVD on November 17 as part of the '20 Years a Warrior Soul' version of her new career overview set, 'Warrior Soul Winter Edition (20 Years a Warrior Soul)'. On the first DVD you get a 90-minute documentary about DORO's 20-year anniversary show in Düsseldorf with guests like Lemmy (MOTÖRHEAD), Udo Dirkschneider (ACCEPT), Blaze Bayley (ex-IRON MAIDEN), Claus Lessmann and many more. It also contains a road movie about the 'Warrior Soul' tour, featuring footage from tour stops in Germany, Spain and Russia, as well as through big festival events (Sweden Rock). The second DVD features the entire 180-minute anniversary show from Düsseldorf.

STUCK MOJO GUITARIST INTERVIEWED BY BEN BARRACK: AUDIO AVAILABLE

STUCK MOJO guitarist Rich Ward was interviewed this past Christmas Eve (December 24) by Ben Barrack of KTEM 1400 in Austin, Texas. Listen to the hour-long program at this location (Note: Ward first appears around the 23-minute mark).

Commented Ward: '[The interview] took place at eight o'clock on Sunday morning and I was about as sharp as a musician at eight o'clock on Sunday morning. Sorry for all the stuttering and the 'uhs.' Thanks again to Ben for working with me while I went on a 45-minute tangent about my frickin' Mom. I'm official retarded. I actually used the word 'retarded' in the interview. Good one, Rich!'

With STUCK MOJO's new song/video 'Open Season', the band has taken a stand against the current, global jihad being waged by violent, Islamic extremists. This war is not only against America or Western Civilization, but against anyone who does not agree with their interpretation of their religion. The message of the song is perfectly clear â€" jihadists in America will not be tolerated.

The video for 'Open Season' caused a stir among fans when it was apparently blocked, without notification, from appearing in the 'Most Viewed' listings on YouTube despite its view count warranting a spot on the list. This censorship allegedly continues (as of Dec. 18, 2006) as witnessed by the fact that the video was viewed over 6,000 times during the day but still does not appear in the top 100 'Most Viewed' chart. (#100 has 1,200 views for reference.) You can view the video at YouTube here.

In a bold move, STUCK MOJO released the entire 'Southern Born Killers' album, absolutely free for download last week via their web site at www.StuckMojoMedia.com. The response has been overwhelming both in terms of sheer number of tracks downloaded as well as people purchasing a hard-copy of the album directly from the band to show their support. The limited-edition CD is numbered and signed by the band and it includes a bonus DVD with the 'Open Season' video, a feature on the making of the video, an interview and more. At the web site above, Rich Ward also explains the rationale behind making the CD available freely for download.

According to a press release, the strong message of 'Open Season' initially prompted some people to immediately dismiss is as being anti-Muslim 'which it is certainly not. It is anti-jihadist. Period.' The full lyrics to the entire 'Southern Born Killers' album can be found at this location.

Lastly, you can find a message directly from Rich Ward explaining the message behind 'Open Season' and why it had to be written at this location.

Monday, December 25, 2006

SERPENTCULT INKS DEAL WITH I HATE RECORDS

SERPENTCULT, the new band featuring former members of THEE PLAGUE OF GENTLEMEN and WELKIN, has inked a deal with Sweden's I Hate Records. The group's first recording, a four-track mini-CD entitled 'Trident Nor Fire', will be completed in January for an April release. A full-length album is expected to be recorded before the end of 2007. The group has also scheduled severeal gigs in Belgium in February and March, to be followed by an appearance at the Doom Shall Rise festival on April 27-28 in Göppingen, Germany. Additional dates in Germany and the Netherlands are planned for next spring.

SERPENTCULT (left to right in photo) is:

Cozy (drums)
Steven (bass)
Fred (guitar)
Michelle (vocals)

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/serpentcult.

THEE PLAGUE OF GENTLEMEN split up in July 2006 after the group's frontman Steve McMillan (real name: Steven Wackenier) was arrested in connection with what the rest of the Belgian doom metal band categorized as 'criminal acts that none of the members could ever imagine to happen and which are totally unacceptable.'

According to reports in the Belgian media, Steve was arrested on July 11 by the local police on charges of multiple child rape. He reportedly confessed to the rapes of four children between the ages of 5 and 7, but it is believed that more victims were involved. In addition to sexually attacking the children, Wackenier took pictures of his victims, according to a press release issued by the police.

Sunday, December 24, 2006

MOONSPELL PERFORMS ON PORTUGUESE PUPPET TV SHOW; VIDEO AVAILABLE

MOONSPELL made yet another appearance on Portuguese national TV (RTP1) recently when they performed a reworked version of their song 'Luna' to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the popular 'Contra-Informacão' show (a program where public figures of the Portuguese society are sarcastically portrayed in puppets, with dialogue commenting the daily happenings and news). MOONSPELL can be seen performing a 'subversive' version of 'Luna', featuring ex-USSR communism-related lyrics. Watch the video at YouTube.com.

As previously reported, MOONSPELL was the featured musical guest on the Portuguese comedy program 'Gato Fedorento' ('Smelly Cat') on December 10. The show, which consists of gags acted/scripted by four comedians â€" Zé Diogo Quintela, Miguel Góis, Ricardo de Araújo Pereira and Tiago Dores â€" featured MOONSPELL performing a metal version of the 'Noddy' TV theme. Watch MOONSPELL's performance at YouTube.com.

MOONSPELL recently posted the animated video for its song 'Luna' at this location.

MOONSPELL was named 'Best Portuguese Act' at MTV's 13th annual Europe Music Awards, held on Nov. 2 in Copenhagen, Denmark. This is the first time ever a metal band has won that particular award in Europe.

MOONSPELL will team up with NAPALM DEATH, BEHEMOTH and DEW-SCENTED for a European tour in March/April. A list of tour dates can be found at this location.

'Memorial' was released in April via SPV Records. The CD was recorded at Woodhouse Studios in Hagen, Germany with producer Waldemar Sorychta (LACUNA COIL, TIAMAT, GRIP INC.). A DVD, entitled 'Lunar Still/13 Years of Doom', is expected to surface via Century Media in 2007.

TALISMAN ANNOUNCES 'LAST-EVER' EUROPEAN TOUR

According to MelodicRock.com, long-running Swedish-American melodic hard rock band TALISMAN â€" which revolves around former YNGWIE MALMSTEEN members Jeff Scott Soto (vocals; now in JOURNEY) and Marcel Jacob (bass) â€" will hit the road in Europe for the last time in April 2007. Originally slated for October 2006, the trek was postponed due to Soto being drafted in to cover for Steve Augeri on JOURNEY's recent U.S. tour, and April 2007 will follow on from the JOURNEY dates recently released for the U.K. and mainland Europe. All in all, TALISMAN will hit eight countries on a whirlwind tour comprising 14 dates plus a couple of 'warm-up' gigs in Sweden. The final schedule is still awaiting detailed confirmation of all the venues but it is shaping up as follows:

Apr. 08 - UK Sheffield The Corporation
Apr. 09 - UK London Camden Underworld
Apr. 11 - Belgium Vosselar Biebob
Apr. 13 - Greece Athens Oxygono
Apr. 14 - Greece Thessaloniki Ksilourgeio Club
Apr. 16 - Holland Zootermeer De Boerderij
Apr. 17 - Germany Munich Elser Halle
Apr. 19 - Spain Barcelona (2) Apolo
Apr. 20 - Spain Madrid Heineken
Apr. 21 - Spain Barcelona Cafe Antzokia
Apr. 24 - Spain Las Palmas (GC) TBA
Apr. 26 - Italy Milan TBA
Apr. 27 - Italy Turin TBA
Apr. 29 - Italy Bologna TBA

Commented Soto: 'The latest [TALISMAN] album was discussed as our last before the JOURNEY gig came about. Even when I was there as a 'fill- in,' TALISMAN has basically run its course as most of us are pursuing other areas. It's not to say we'll never address this band again or that my working relationship is done with Marcel, but as we speak today, '7' is our swan song as are the tour dates being booked through Europe after the short JOURNEY run in the spring.'

Saturday, December 23, 2006

13 PEOPLE INJURED DURING DISTURBED / STONE SOUR CONCERT IN CEDAR RAPIDS

Po Li Loo of Iowa's Gazette Online has issued the following report:

At least 13 people were injured during a 'Music as a Weapon' concert Thursday night (Dec. 21), according to officials at two Cedar Rapids hospitals.

The concert drew a crowd of 7,186 people, almost maxing out the U.S. Cellular Center, which can fit up to 7,500 people.

Of the 10 people who were treated at St. Luke's Hospital for injuries suffered at the concert, one was taken into surgery, said Laura Rainey, director of marketing communications at St. Luke's. That patient was among two people who were admitted to the hospital. The others were treated and released.

Rainey said it's 'fairly rare' that the hospital gets patients injured at a concert but that 'at times it does happen.'

Jason Barnd, 20, of Mount Vernon, was one of three men treated at Mercy Medical Center after the concert. His father, Dan Barnd, said his son's lower right leg snapped just above the ankle when he was pushed on top of the person next to him in the tight crowd.

The tightly packed crowd is what is known as a mosh pit, where people pack themselves as close as possible to the stage. They don't even have standing room â€" it's more like tip-toe room.

Often, people in the mosh pit express themselves by jumping up and down on the same spot, known as pogo-ing, and also by body-slamming â€" launching themselves into the air onto other people in the pit.

'Lots of people were getting hurt. They're not gladiators,' said Dan Barnd, 50, of Mount Vernon. His son declined to be interviewed for this story.

Barnd was hoping to get some sort of compensation from the U.S. Cellular Center for his son's medical bills, but his lawyer told him that the center had a disclaimer written in fine print across the back of the concert ticket that absolves it of responsibility for his son's injuries.

'That's how they can put these things on. If not, however many people can sue them,' he said.

During the concert, one of the four featured bands â€" DISTURBED, STONE SOUR, FLYLEAF and NONPOINT â€" stopped its set to ensure a fan suffering from heat exhaustion could be removed.

Christy Frost, U.S. Cellular Center's director of marketing and programming, said there weren't an unusual number of injuries Thursday night.

'It was nothing that you wouldn't see from a typical rock crowd of 7,000 people,' she said. Frost said the center doesn't allow mosh pits at concerts.

The center informs the public of this policy by posting signs and playing a recording.

It also has put in place measures to control the crowd, Frost said. People who have been helped over the barricade in front of the stage the first time have their hands marked. The second time they get helped over, they're told to leave.

These measures, however, didn't stop people from getting hurt Thursday.

'Unless they do something totally different, things are not going to improve if they have mosh pits,' Barnd said.

As many as 30 people were treated for various injuries at Tuesday night's (Dec. 19) 'Music as a Weapon' tour concert at the Resch Center in Ashwaubenon, Wisconsin, according to the Ashwaubenon Public Safety Department.

Between 25 to 30 people suffered from either cuts, bruises, and overheating after participating in a mosh pit, officials said.

Friday, December 22, 2006

BURDEN OF GRIEF: NEW ALBUM RELEASE DATE ANNOUNCED

German death/thrash metal act BURDEN OF GRIEF will release its fourth full-length album, 'Death End Road', on March 30, 2007 via Remedy Records. The follow-up to 2004's 'Fields of Salvation' was recorded at Krachgarten Tonstudio in Kassel, Germany and was mixed at Jailhouse Studios in Denmark with producer Tommy Hansen (HELLOWEEN, PRETTY MAIDS, HATESPHERE).

'After some important line-up changes during that last year we have finally found our self-confidence again, and we can't expect to release our new record,' the band previously wrote on its web site.

'Death End Road' (view cover here) track listing:

01. Death End Road (instrumental)
02. Vita Reducta
03. Swallow The Sun
04. The Game
05. Running Scared
06. The Killer In Me
07. Drown In Sorrow
08. Schizophrenic
09. Passion Of The Night
10. Road Of Visions
11. Smashed To Pieces '07 (bonus track)
12. Immense Infinity '07 (bonus track)

Download an MP3 of the song 'The Killer In Me' at this location. Photos from the recording studio can be found here.

BURDEN OF GRIEF recently announced the departure of guitarist Ulrich Busch and bassist Dirk Bulmahn. Replacing them in the group's current lineup are guitarist Johannes 'Joe' Rudolph (GUTLOCK) and bassist Florian Bauer (TWILIGHT PROPHECIES).

Thursday, December 21, 2006

TESTAMENT CONFIRMED FOR POLAND'S METALMANIA FESTIVAL

Veteran San Francisco Bay Area metallers TESTAMENT have been confirmed for the 21st edition of Metalmania Festival â€" the biggest metal fest in Central-Eastern Europe â€" set to take place on March 24, 2007 at Spodek Hall in Katowice, Poland. As usual there will be two stages where around 25 bands will perform for thousands of metal freaks.

The band's lineup for the Metalmania performance will consist of in Chuck Billy (vocals), Alex Skolnick (guitar), Eric Peterson (guitar), Greg Christian (bass) and Nicholas Baker (ex-CRADLE OF FILTH, DIMMU BORGIR).

TESTAMENT is now tentatively planning to enter the studio in early 2007 to record the long-awaited follow-up to 1999's 'The Gathering', due before the end of next year.

Wednesday, December 20, 2006

FORMER ATLANTIC MARKETING DIRECTOR SHARES STORY OF DAY WITH LED ZEPPELIN

Former Atlantic Records regional promotion and marketing director Phillip Rauls recently shared his story of a day with LED ZEPPELIN in Memphis, Tennessee on April 17, 1970. Read all about it at Led-Zeppelin.com.

LED ZEPPELIN was inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame in November, alongside BRIAN WILSON, DUSTY SPRINGFIELD and ROD STEWART.

Tuesday, December 19, 2006

WITHIN TEMPTATION SIGNS U.S. LICENSING DEAL WITH ROADRUNNER RECORDS

Roadrunner Records has announce a U.S. license arrangement for rock powerhouse WITHIN TEMPTATION. One of The Netherlands' biggest selling bands is hard at work recording their first album for Roadrunner USA, due out in 2007.

WITHIN TEMPTATION was formed in The Netherlands in 1996 by Robert Westerholt (guitars) and Sharon den Adel (vocals) and is rounded out by Jeroen Van Veen (bass), Stephen van Haestregt (drums), Martijn Spierenburg (keyboards) and Ruud Jolie (guitar). Stated the band, 'We are very excited to work with Roadrunner Records in the United States. Roadrunner has already done a tremendous job for us in the U.K., Japan and Australia, and we look forward to expanding this to the United States.'

Their latest album, 'The Silent Force', sold over 650,000 copies in Europe, earning the band gold and platinum certifications in many countries, including The Netherlands, Belgium, Germany, and Spain. 'Mother Earth', which the band released prior to 'The Silent Force', was certified platinum in the Netherlands and gold in Belgium. In addition to the success of both albums, the band has sold 1.1 million records and DVDs worldwide. WITHIN TEMPTATION has received this year's Dutch 'Pop Prize,' awarded annually to the group that has made the most significant contribution to Dutch pop music.

The first single, to be released next spring in the U.S., 'What Have You Done', features a duet with Keith Caputo of LIFE OF AGONY. Other songtitles from the forthcoming album include 'The Howling' and 'Final Destination'.

'WITHIN TEMPTATION has been a success in every territory they've tackled,' says Mike Gitter, Director of A&R, who brought the band to the label. 'Through hard work and touring, they spread the story out from their native Holland to mainland Europe and the U.K. There's no reason to believe that the U.S. will be any different.'

WITHIN TEMPTATION is currently holed away in a Stockholm studio mixing with Stefan Glaumann, known for his work with RAMMSTEIN.

TAAKE: MORE EUROPEAN TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

Norway's TAAKE has lined up the following dates in March 2007:

Mar. 15 - Berlin, GER @ K17
Mar. 16 - Bischofswerda, GER @ East Club
Mar. 17 - Bitterfeld, GER @ Festung Bitterfeld
Mar. 18 - Arnhem, HOL @ Goudvishal
Mar. 19 - London, UK @ Elektrowerkz
Mar. 20 - Essen, GER @ Turock
Mar. 21 - Adelsheim, GER @ Live Factory
Mar. 22 - Wien, AUT @ Escape
Mar. 23 - Salzburg, AUT @ Rockhouse
Mar. 24 - München, GER @ Backstage
Mar. 25 - Piateda, ITA @ New Mexico
Mar. 26 - Lyon, FRA @ TBA
Mar. 27 - Paris, FRA @ TBA
Mar. 28 - Vosselaar, @ Biebob
Mar. 29 - Rotterdam, @ Baroeg
Mar. 30 - Lichtenfels, GER @ Ragnarök Festival
Mar. 31 - Osnabrück, GER @ Tomahawk Festival

As previously reported, TAAKE's side of the new split 10' with GIGANTOMACHY (featuring TAAKE guitarist Corax) includes a DESTRUCTION cover as a special bonus. Expect around 35 minutes of 'pure darkness and evil,' according to a press release. It is currently available via Agonia Records.

TAAKE's third album, 'Doedskvad', was released last year via Dark Essence Records. The band had previously released two albums on the Wounded Love label: 'Nattestid...' (1999) and 'Bjoergvin' (2002). 'Doedskvad' is the last installment in this trilogy.

DRAGONFORCE TO GUEST ON IRON MAIDEN SINGER'S RADIO SHOW

U.K. extreme power metallers DRAGONFORCE will be IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson's guests on Saturday, January 30 during Bruce's weekly BBC 6 Music radio show, aptly named 'Rock Show'. Listen to the program live via the Internet between 9:00 p.m. and 12:00 a.m. (midnight) U.K. time (between 3:00 p.m. and 6:00 p.m. EST) at BBC.co.uk.

As previously reported, DRAGONFORCE will team up with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE (headliners), CHIMAIRA and HE IS LEGEND for the first annual No Fear Music Tour, set to kick off in early 2007. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon.

DRAGONFORCE's 'Inhuman Rampage' CD has sold 94,000 copies in the United States since its June release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The follow-up to 2004's 'Sonic Firestorm' was recorded at Thin Ice Studios in Virginia Water (Surrey) and guitarist Herman Li's own studio in West London between April and September 2005, while production duties were shared between Li, fellow axeman Sam Totman and keyboard player Vadim Pruzhanov.

Monday, December 18, 2006

SEPULTURA VS. PAVAROTTI: LIVE VIDEO POSTED ONLINE

The recording entitled 'Sepultura vs. Pavarotti - Roots Bloody Roots' circulating on the Internet in MP3 format was in fact done by German band J.B.O. Contrary to popular belief, it does not contain any of the supposed singers' voices. A video clip of J.B.O. performing the song live has been posted online at YouTube.com.

'For five or six years now, every day we receive e-mails from fans asking about a version of 'Roots Bloody Roots' with Luciano Pavarotti as guest,' reads a posting on SEPULTURA's official web site. ''Is it really SEPULTURA in that song?' Of course not. This version of 'Roots Bloody Roots' was recorded by a German band called J.B.O. And it's probably one of the most popular versions for one of SEPULTURA's most popular songs.'

According to Wikipedia, J.B.O., is a fun-metal band from Erlangen, Germany. Known for their cover versions of various modern rock and disco songs, each of their covers often has humorous modifications to the lyrics. Since 2000 the band has begun producing more self-written compositions, however they continue to produce Blöedsinns (this is an intentional misspelling used by the band: The correctly spelled word is 'Blödsinn,' which means 'nonsense' in German) which refers to the nonsensical covers they perform.

The band's original name was 'James Blast Orchester'. Due to a legal argument with the record company of James Last they changed the name in June 1996 into the shortened form they are known by today. J.B.O. would not enter legal disputes for the last time as a result of the lawsuit â€" they were also sued for slander by the Patrizier Bräu German beer brewer because of the following 'insulting' quote: 'Patrizier finden wir nicht besser, das schmeckt wie reinstes Abgewässer.' ('We're not impressed by Patrizier, it tastes like dishwater')

Sunday, December 17, 2006

EVANESCENCE DRUMMER DRAWS INSPIRATION FROM LARS ULRICH FOR NEW ALBUM

Modern Drummer magazine (web site) recently conducted an interview with EVANESCENCE's William 'Rocky' Gray. An excerpt from the chat follows:

Modern Drummer: What was growing up in Little Rock like for you as a professional musician?

Rocky: There was a big music scene here in the late '90s and the early 2000s. It's slowed down now, but when it was big, it was good for everybody. I was playing in five or six bands. But as soon as it got big, it started trailing off pretty quickly.

LIVING SACRIFICE and EVANESCENCE are probably the biggest things to have come out of here. As many good bands that there are, I think a lot of people find that it's very hard to make it from around here. If you want to make it from this area, you have to get into the van and tour all over the place. A lot of these bands now are younger guys, and they're going to find out that the weekend van tour takes a toll on you. But the guys who will make it are the guys who stick with it.

Modern Drummer: When did you join EVANESCENCE?

Rocky: I was doing some session work here in Little Rock years ago. EVANESCENCE, before they had even done their 'Origin' record [in 2000] â€" this was before 'Fallen' â€" were getting some songs together. And I ended up working with Ben and Amy at the studio. Ever since then, I've been working with Ben off and on. Five years ago I came in and became pretty much permanent.

Modern Drummer: And they put you on board right after 'Fallen' had come out?

Rocky: Yeah, they needed to get a touring band together. They were out in LA, so it was a lot easier for them to hire someone like Josh Freese to come into the studio and record his things in two days, as opposed to me coming in and trying to do my thing. After they were done with 'Fallen', they called me up and said, 'Let's go.'

Modern Drummer: Tell me about getting your parts together for 'The Open Door'.

Rocky: Amy and Terry would get demos together for me and send them out to Little Rock. I'd listen to them, and on a lot of the songs, it wasn't obvious where the drums should go. So when we got into the studio, everything was still being arranged. It was pretty cool putting my parts in, because it was the first time anybody had heard a drum part on a given song, so everybody was really excited about that.

Modern Drummer: You'd been playing the parts off the 'Fallen' songs for a while, so 'The Open Door' is your chance to start fresh with your own parts. Was there anything you wanted to do differently from 'Fallen'?

Rocky: I knew from the get-go that this would be a completely different type of record. So anything that anybody had done with them before wasn't even in my mind. I knew I could put one hundred percent of me into the song. It was real easy. Terry is a completely different guitar player than Ben. He plays more of a metal style â€" not that Ben wasn't metal at all â€" but it was real easy to lock in with his guitar parts.

Modern Drummer: What was it like working with Dave Fortman?

Rocky: It was awesome. He's a great drummer as well; we spent a lot of time on the drums. And Dave had a lot of cool ideas for fills and things like that. Thankfully I was able to pop off anything he wanted to hear. Like, if I'd do one thing, and he wanted to hear three more takes with something completely different on each, I could do it. I think he really enjoyed taking advantage of having other options. So yeah, we bounced ideas back and forth on every song. It was so much fun, it almost wasn't work.

Modern Drummer: Anything specific you told Dave about your drums for this album session?

Rocky: I pretty much left it up to him. He had just finished doing the MUDVAYNE record, which sounded incredible. There wasn't anything I could say that Dave didn't already know. I let him handle it.

But as far as my playing on the record, I put up a note on a music stand that said, 'W.W.L.D.' â€" what would [METALLICA drummer] Lars [Ulrich] do â€" especially on the Black album. I went in with the mentality of keeping it powerful and not going crazy or ridiculous; just keep it powerful with the kick and snare. And I think that helped me a lot. Lars went from playing all that awesome, crazy stuff on '…And Justice For All' to laying back and hitting the snare as hard as he could on the Black album. That kind of helped me answer, 'Where should I go with this?'

Modern Drummer's entire interview with Rocky Gray can be found in the magazine's February 2007 issue. More information can be found at www.moderndrummer.com.

BLOODSHOTEYE: NEW LIVE VIDEO FOOTAGE POSTED ONLINE

Canadian metallers BLOODSHOTEYE have posted new live footage on their MySpace page. Check out the video for 'Lock & Load', recorded live in Royun-Noranda, Quebec last weekend during an appearance with fellow Galy Records labelmates MARTYR and NEURAXIS. Also available is a live clip for 'The Last Laugh', filmed earlier this year at the Sherbrooke, Quebec Metalfest.

BLOODSHOTEYE recently added a second guitarist to its lineup and is currently writing its third album. The band will hit the studio in Montreal in March with Chris Donaldson (of CRYPTOPSY).

Saturday, December 16, 2006

OZZY OSBOURNE, ACE FREHLEY TO PARTICIPATE IN 'SIX-STRING MASTERPIECES' DIMEBAG ART TRIBUTE

Ozzy Osbourne (BLACK SABBATH) and Ace Frehley (KISS) are among the latest artists who have signed on to participate in the 'Six-String Masterpieces: The Dimebag Darrell Art Tribute' â€" the art exhibit of guitars that have been hand-painted, illustrated and sculpted by top rockers and modern artists in tribute to one of the most influential metal guitarists of all-time, 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott of DAMAGEPLAN and PANTERA. Over the next two months, look for new Dean ML guitars painted by:

Ozzy Osbourne
Ace Frehley (KISS)
Al Jourgensen (MINISTRY)
Dean Karr (award-winning video director, photographer)
Paul Raven (MINISTRY, KILLING JOKE, PRONG)
Jim Root (SLIPKNOT, STONE SOUR)
Cristina Scabbia (LACUNA COIL)
Alex Grey (legendary psychedelic artist)
Billy Gibbons (ZZ TOP)
Leslie West (MOUNTAIN)
Jamie Jasta (HATEBREED)
Aaron Lewis (STAIND)

There will be a small collection of the art guitars going to winter NAMM and then to Guitar Center Hollywood in January. More details will be made available soon.

'Six-String Masterpieces: The Dimebag Darrell Art Tribute' was on display at most of the recent Ozzfest dates. This phenomenal exhibit features original artwork, painted on a guitar, by Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, METALLICA, MUDVAYNE, Zakk Wylde, Kerry King, Paul Booth, GODSMACK, DEFTONES, OTEP and many other leading musicians and artists. All guitars will be auctioned off to support a music and art education foundation in the name of Dimebag Darrell Abbott.

Friday, December 15, 2006

DISMEMBER CONFIRMED FOR SLOVENIA'S METALCAMP FESTIVAL

DISMEMBER and ARS MORIENDI have been confirmed for the Metalcamp 2007 festival, set to take place July 16-21, 2007 in Tolmin, Slovenia. More than 80 bands will perform on two stages over the course of five days of live music. The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

AMON AMARTH
ARS MORIENDI
BLIND GUARDIAN
DEW-SCENTED
DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER
DISMEMBER
DORO
GRAVEWORM
IMMORTAL
SARDONIC
SODOM
THE VISION BLEAK
THRESHOLD


For more information, visit www.metalcamp.com.

Thursday, December 14, 2006

EX-MARDUK SINGER'S WIFE LAUNCHES FUKK PROJECT

Former MARDUK vocalist Legion (a.k.a. Erik Hagsted) has issued the following update:

'So my wife Irina, our girlfriend Gothness, and our dear sister in sin Jensara Swann [are] joining forces in the punk outfit FUKK to make some old-fashioned noise and take their obnoxious attitude outside our clan. Inspired by the SEX PISTOLS, THE EXPLOITED and the MISFITS, they aim to create some disturbing entertainment, as Irina put it, 'sounding like shit inspired by Satan!' The songs 'Prince Albert Up My Ass', 'Out of Batteries' and 'Cum Before You Leave' are currently under construction and will be up in the MySpace player as soon as they are ready.'

FUKK is:

Jensara Swann -Vocals
Gothness - Bass
Irina Legion - Guitar
Snowy Shaw (ex-KING DIAMOND, DREAM EVIL) - Drums

For more information, click here.

DEAD TO FALL, TOO PURE TO DIE, AS BLOOD RUNS BLACK TO TEAM UP FOR SLAYING THE MIDWEST TOUR

DEAD TO FALL, TOO PURE TO DIE, AS BLOOD RUNS BLACK and NIGHTS LIKE THESE will team up for the 'Slaying The Midwest Tour 2007' beginning in late January. Confirmed dates are as follows:

Jan. 19 - Rogers, MN @ Showcase Skatepark
Jan. 20 - Milwaukee, WI @ Orchard Inn
Jan. 21 - Chicago, IL @ Logan Square Auditorium
Jan. 22 - Niles, MI @ Skunk's Nest
Jan. 23 - Saginaw, MI @ Jamestowne Hall
Jan. 24 - Toledo, OH @ Club Bijou
Jan. 25 - Covington, KY @ The Mad Hatter
Jan. 26 - Noblesville, IN @ Hamilton Exhibition Center
Jan. 27 - Columbus, OH @ Little Brother's
Jan. 28 - Nashville, TN @ The Muse
Jan. 29 - Huntington, WV
Jan. 30 - Erie, PA @ Forward Hall

Tuesday, December 12, 2006

ROB ZOMBIE GUITARIST JOHN 5 SCHEDULES 'ROCKLINE' APPEARANCE

Guitarist John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, ex-MARILYN MANSON) will be the featured guest on the nationally syndicated radio show 'Rockline' airing Monday, January 29. The live show begins at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET, and fans are encouraged to call in with questions during the program at (800) 344-ROCK (7625). To find a station near you, check out www.rocklineradio.com.

John 5 will release his eagerly awaited third solo album on April 3, 2007 via Shrapnel Records. Entitled 'The Devil Knows My Name', the CD will feature guest appearances by Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE), Joe Satriani, Tommy Clufetos (ROB ZOMBIE, ex-ALICE COOPER), Piggy D. (ROB ZOMBIE), and Matt Bissonette (DAVID LEE ROTH), among others.

John 5's second solo album, 'Songs for Sanity' (2005), featured guest guitar solos from Steve Vai and Albert Lee. John also worked with KISS frontman Paul Stanley on Stanley's second solo album, 'Live to Win', which was released in October.

In other news, John will be making an appearance at the NAMM show at the Anaheim Convention Center in Anaheim, CA to sign autographs. The details are as follows:

Friday, January 19, 2007:
Marshall Booth: 1-2 p.m.
Samson Booth: 2-3:30 p.m.

Saturday, January 20, 2007:
Coffin Case Booth: 2-3 p.m.
Samson Booth: 4-6 p.m.

Monday, December 11, 2006

GOAT OF MENDES WORKING ON FIFTH ALBUM

German pagan metallers GOAT OF MENDES have issued the following update:

'It has been silent for a long time, but there's life in the old dog yet. We got fresh blood and are currently working on the material for our fifth album. Two brand new songs are already finished, a third is to come within a short time. Our new drummer Nik has been familiarised so far and we have gotten the first offers for gigs in 2007. Also we have created a MySpace account by receiving many questions for one mainly from you guys abroad. You will find unreleased pictures and additionally a live track to download there with some other information.'

GOAT OF MENDES's fourth album, 'A Book of Shadows', was released in January 2005.

Sunday, December 10, 2006

DISTURBED: NEW AUDIO INTERVIEW AVAILABLE

93 ROCK's Toni Gonzalez spoke with DISTURBED's David Draiman, Dan Donegan and Mike Wengren on December 5, 2006 prior to their Music As A Weapon performance at the Hard Rock Live in Hollywood, Florida. Read the questions and listen to the band's answers at 93Rock.comom.

DISTURBED continues supporting its third album, 'Ten Thousand Fists', which features the band's No. 1 rock single, 'Land of Confusion'. The widely-seen video for the GENESIS cover was co-directed by renowned comic artist Todd McFarlane.

'Ten Thousand Fists' has sold 1.28 million copies since its September 2005 release.

The band's Music As A Weapon tour also features STONE SOUR, NONPOINT and FLYLEAF.

Saturday, December 09, 2006

DIMMU BORGIR: RELEASE DATES ANNOUNCED FOR NEW ALBUM

Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR have confirmed the following release dates for their new album, 'In Sorte Diaboli' (via Nuclear Blast Records):

Germany: May 4
Rest of Europe: May 7
North America: May 8

'In Sorte Diaboli' was recorded and mixed at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden with producers Fredrik Nordström and Patrik J. Sten.

Silenoz previously told Revolver magazine that the songwriting and recording process for the group's long-anticipated follow-up to 2003's 'Death Cult Armageddon' involved none of the intensive pre-production of their last two discs, no demos, and no gallinvanting around with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra. 'It's definitely going to sound way more epic and bigger than we thought, because Mustis [keyboards] has also contributed with his keyboard ideas,' said Silenoz. 'I have to admit that some of the keyboard things on 'Death Cult Armageddon' sound better on the demo version than [their symphony versions] on the album. I probably shouldn't say that, but it's true.'

This will be DIMMU's first 'concept album,' a story set in always-epic Medieval Europe that also serves as a treatise on the modern-day political and social abuses of organized religion. 'There's this dude that works as a priest's assistant, and after a while he just discovers that he has nothing to do with Christianity,' said Silenoz of the storyline, which he conceived in full before even a note of music was composed. 'He just sort of has this awakening and realizes that he has different abilities and different powers and is leaning more to the dark side.'

DIMMU BORGIR's current recording lineup is as follows:

Shagrath - Vocals
Silenoz - Guitars
Galder - Guitars
Vortex - Bass
Mustis - Keys
Hellhammer - Drums

Friday, December 08, 2006

DEFTONES FRONTMAN IN PRE-PRODUCTION WITH WILL HAVEN

According to MTV.com, DEFTONES singer Chino Moreno is in pre-production in Los Angeles with hardcore-metal band WILL HAVEN. In February, the group will begin recording at Bieler Bros. Studios in Pompano Beach, Florida. The yet-untitled disc is due in late spring or early summer via Bieler Bros. Records. The CD will mark the group's first release since 2001's critically acclaimed 'Carpe Diem'.

In an early 2006 interview with The Sacramento Bee, the WILL HAVEN members discussed their break-up in 2003 and their decision to reunite nearly three years later.

The band got together in mid-December 2005, but no one was sure if that first rehearsal would click. All of the original band members were on board, including drummer Mitch Wheeler, plus GHOSTRIDE guitarist Cayle Hunter.

'When Grady [Avenell, vocals] came in, there was some apprehension at first,' said guitarist Jeff Irwin. 'We weren't sure how he'd come across. But when he started singing again, it was like the old days again. This is Grady's calling right here. His cadence was right on, his voice was perfect.'

Thursday, December 07, 2006

RISE TO ADDICTION: NEW LIVE DATES ANNOUNCED

British rockers RISE TO ADDICTION, who feature in their ranks former BLAZE members John Slater (guitar) and Steve Wray (guitar), have announced the following dates:

Dec. 16 - Old Turk - Dewsbury, UK
Dec. 18 - Snooty Fox - Wakefield, UK
Jan. 09 - Purple Turtle - Camden, London, UK
Feb. 03 - Rock of Ages at Leeds University - Leeds, UK
Mar. 10 - Gasworks - Bradford, UK
Mar. 19 - Snooty Fox - Wakefield, UK

RISE TO ADDICTION recently completed work on its debut album, tentatively due in early 2007 through an as-yet-undetermined label. A total of 12 songs were laid down for the CD, which has a working title of 'All Human Life'. The band once again worked with Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, TRIVIUM), who produced last year's self-titled EP.

Wednesday, December 06, 2006

GREAT WHITE NIGHTCLUB FIRE: STATION NIGHTCLUB OWNER DISCIPLINED IN PRISON

The Associated Press reports:

An owner of The Station nightclub serving time in prison for a fire [at a GREAT WHITE concert] that killed 100 people has been disciplined for violating corrections department policy, officials said Tuesday.

Michael Derderian was sentenced in September to four years in minimum security at the state prison in Cranston after pleading no contest to involuntary manslaughter charges.

He was sanctioned last week for having an unauthorized visit from a 'personal acquaintance' at the Warwick auto body shop where he had been serving his work-release assignment, said corrections department director A.T. Wall.

Wall declined to say who visited Derderian, but said it was not a family member. He said Derderian then lied about 'several pieces of information' when questioned about the visit by corrections department investigators.

Read the rest of the article at this location.

Tuesday, December 05, 2006

DOG FASHION DISCO CALLS IT QUITS

Baltimore's DOG FASHION DISCO has officially called it quits. The group's vocalist, Todd Smith, has issued the following statement on the matter:

'Well, after all these years DOG FASHION DISCO are calling it quits. Actually, I wouldn't say 'quit,' but we are ending the band, although DOG FASHION DISCO's music, for me, will live on forever.

'I started this band over ten years ago and it was my decision to end it. I always told myself if it stopped being worth the effort, I would gracefully bow out and that's exactly what I'm doing. I'm not going to get into details exactly why everything is ending, because it really doesn't matter. I am so proud of 'Adultery' [2006] and I think it defines us as musicians and is an awesome way for people to remember us. I think 'Adultery' will be discovered by many generations to come and will find its place as a cult record people will listen to and talk about for many years.

'We will be playing our last show on Jan. 13th, 2007 at Sonar in Baltimore. I encourage everyone from far and wide to come out for this going-away party. We will be playing a super-long set and it will be a nice way for us to say our goodbyes face to face. Jeff Siegel will be playing keyboards and it will be a real cool get together for friends and fans.

'I feel very fortunate to have met everyone who has been a fan of this band for so many years. It's been so cool meeting everyone around the country and becoming fast friends and knowing they'd be there when we came to town. The experiences ive had I wouldn't trade for anything. How many people can say they've hurled there own shit at 800 juggalos? Or how many people have ever had to go the hospital after visiting a Chinese massage parlor in Rockford, Illinois? I even got the opportunity to share the stage with those douche bags in W.A.S.P. and then after our set pelt them with our veggie tray from our dressing room. I know we are personally responsible for MINDLESS SELF INDULGENCE now being prohibited to drink booze before there shows. Let's just say when we toured with them we weren't exactly knitting quilts backstage. I remember a certain gross-out contest in Wisconsin where Steve from MSI and Ollie from DFD were eating each other's vomit by the end of the night.

'It's been a lot of fun, to say the least. Jasan [Stepp, guitar] and Wendy [Brian 'Wendy' White, bass] have moved on to create another band PHANTOM COMMUNIQUÉ. I have heard the stuff they are doing in the studio and it's fucking killer. I have a feeling those guys will take that band very far. John Ensminger [drums] and I will be recording a demo to shop in February and that will determine if he and I venture into another band.'

MICHAEL KISKE: TRACK LISTING REVEALED FOR ACOUSTIC ALBUM OF HELLOWEEN CLASSICS

Former HELLOWEEN singer Michael Kiske will rearrange and re-record all of the songs that he wrote with his former band for an upcoming CD, to be released next year through Frontiers Records. The projected track listing for the album is as follows:

01. We Got the Right
02. A Little Time
03. Kids Of the Century
04. Goin' Home
05. You Always Walk Alone
06. When the Sinner
07. I Believe
08. Longing
09. In the Night
10. Your Turn
+ as-yet-undisclosed new song

When asked by a fan named Deborah Schwichtenberg what he thinks of people who are criticizing his decision to re-record the HELLOWEEN classics, claiming that Kiske 'used to eat from HELLOWEEN's songs' before slamming them in the press and now once again wanting to 'eat' from HELLOWEEN by selling new recordings of their material, Kiske responded, 'I don't give a hack about this! Unfortunately, the metal world is full of people who bark and complain and bark and complain forever anyway, no matter what I do. They will always search for reasons to cry.

'I was part of that band, so I didn't just 'eat' from them. That's a very weird way of thinking. I was BUILDING the band together with the original members, and no one can forbid me to re-record acoustic versions of MY OWN music. I don't think I have to ask 'metal popes' for their permission to do that at all. Those are MY songs â€" if I feel like doing this, I do it anyway!

'The good first HELLOWEEN years (with Kai Hansen) were also absolutely great; I don't reject them at all! And I think it was a good idea from Serafino (Frontiers Records) to give my songs of the past a new acoustic sound that fits me today. Because on one hand this shows that I don't reject my past; and on the other hand, it can also give some (more open and intelligent) people another perspective at those songs. And if anyone doesn't like that idea. no one forces him or her to listen to it! These new recordings will NOT AT ALL sound like HELLOWEEN or metal, so it is VERY stupid to put it the way some do. I have already started to go through some arrangements, and it's big fun; I'm really excited about it. Those early songs of mine were not so bad at all, and they work great as acoustics.

'Unfortunately, Deborah, metal these days means a lot of negativity, dogmatism and art-enemy mentalities. They really believe THEY have to tell musicians what they are 'allowed' to do or not (as you can see again). And they can also only look at everything from a negative and destructive angle; they will always put everything in a way so they can slander around about it. They just can't help it! And a lot of them don't even understand what I am talking about, when I'm explaining my ways of thinking. They also intentionally mix things up which are separate issues.

'I don't really say anything bad about Helloween. I had my problems with one particular person in there, and sometimes I have to defend myself a bit because of things this particular person (successfully) likes to spread about me, but I enjoyed the first years a lot! The reason for this hatred is that I name what is wrong and sick about today's heavy metal scene; and THAT'S really what many are so pissed about! The metal spirit tries to dictate laws for thinking and music, and if you don't follow those laws, you 'betray' them. But that spirit IS a pure betrayal of freedom in itself. So to be true to yourself, you've got to 'betray' that dogmatism sooner or later.

'This is actually a big part of WHY I can't stand this scene anymore. They can't handle someone like me anyway. I disagree with the typical metal ideologies in so many ways, and I'm not afraid to speak my mind about it; and that's enough for many to go against someone like me. They simply don't LIKE how I think, Deborah, so they will always find reasons to talk dirty against me. Who cares! But I'm always newly surprised again about the reactions of certain smart-asses there; about what they cherish and what they condemn. I can't see at all where my 'crime' is supposed to be here? I thought (think) this acoustic album of my past is a nice idea, which should cause some excitement and maybe even some peace, but many minds obviously function in different ways. But they won't have any effect on what I am doing anyway; that's for sure; I won't allow that. And my friends are going to enjoy this.

'I am slowly building my own fan base now, and I don't really need to know about all the nonsense certain jerks like to spread about me. They can fuck off! And you shouldn't let this get to you either, Deborah. Believe me: it ain't worth it! I'm trying to lead a pretty clean life. I'm not a perfect man, but I'm always straightforward and honest; so who are those a-holes to teach me morals?! ... They certainly don't stand for MY morals!'

Michael Kiske's latest solo album, simply entitled 'Kiske', was released in May via Frontiers Records.

Monday, December 04, 2006

JUDAS PRIEST FRONTMAN TO GUEST ON SIRIUS SATELLITE RADIO'S 'BLOODY ROOTS'

JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford will be a guest on 'Bloody Roots' on Sirius Satellite Radio on Tuesday, December 12 at 9:00 p.m. EST. Host Ian Christe interrogates the metal god for a full debriefing on growing up in Birmingham, England in the shadow of BLACK SABBATH, forging a path for metal in the '70s and '80s, and his many projects from the past decade â€" FIGHT, TWO, HALFORD, and the reunited, legendary JUDAS PRIEST. Rebroadcast dates/times: Friday, December 15 at 3:00 p.m. EST and Sunday, December 17 at 12:00 p.m. EST.

For more information, click here.

As previously reported, a brand new HALFORD song, entitled 'Forgotten Generation', has been made available for streaming at MP3.com. The track, which was officially released on November 21 via iTunes, is the first new HALFORD song in more than four years. Rob Halford wrote the tune and another new cut, 'Drop Out', with the HALFORD band this year during downtime from working with JUDAS PRIEST on their upcoming album 'Nostradamus'. 'We just thought it would be nice to offer fans an earful of new HALFORD stuff and let everybody know we're still around,' he said, according to MTV.com. Both new tracks are available on 'Halford: Metal God Essentials - Volume 1', which came out November 28. The album contains 15 songs spanning Halford's solo career and will also be available exclusively through iTunes. Also on November 28, Halford released the entire HALFORD catalog ('Resurrection', 'Live Insurrection' and 'Crucible'), plus the FIGHT demo 'K5 the War of Words Demos'. 'We love iTunes,' Halford said. 'It's a tremendous format and they're really looking after the Metal God in a really great way.'

Sunday, December 03, 2006

CRADLE OF FILTH: TOUR DIARY FROM SPAIN AVAILABLE

CRADLE OF FILTH has posted tour diary entries from Barcelona and Bergara, Spain on the band's current tour in support of its latest album, 'Thornography'. Read it at this location.

According to a posting on CRADLE OF FILTH's official web site, rumor has it that the band will fly over a few days prior to the start of its U.S. tour in late January to shoot a video with friend Bam Margera ('Jackass', 'Viva La Bam') and may even appear on his new TV show, 'Bam's Unholy Matrimony'. No further details are currently available.

CRADLE OF FILTH has recruited Czech drummer Marthus (real name: Martin Å karoupka) to replace Adrian Erlandsson. Martin was born on January 20, 1981 in the Czech Republic and has previously played with GALACTIC INDUSTRY and INNER FEAR, among other bands. 'A fine gent whose skills are second to none,' Martin 'will be continuing to play on the rest of the tour,' CRADLE OF FILTH writes in a statement. 'Those of you who have already seen us you will know that Martin is more than qualified for the job!'

CRADLE OF FILTH's new album, 'Thornography', has sold 29,000 copies in the United States since its October 17 release, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The follow-up to 2004's 'Nymphetamine' was recorded at Lincolnshire, England's Chapel studios with producer Rob Caggiano (BLEEDING THROUGH, ANTHRAX) and was mixed at Backstage Studios in Derbyshire, England by Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, SKINLAB, NEVERMORE).

Saturday, December 02, 2006

GODSMACK FRONTMAN TO PUBLISH MEMOIR IN FEBRUARY

A web site has been launched for GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna's upcoming memoir, 'The Paths We Choose', which details the first 30 years of his life up until GODSMACK got signed. Due on February 7 via Bartleby Press, the book 'is about what it took to get from Point A to Point B,' Sully previously told Launch. 'It's not the autobiography that's so cliché that talks about all the girls we (slept with) and how many drugs we've done and... who cares. This is a cooler story for me.' Erna also said that the book will have 'a lot of morals and lessons to be learned in it.'

GODSMACK plans to take some time off at the beginning of 2007 so that bassist Robbie Merrill and his wife can welcome their first child, a girl. Erna told Launch what else is in the works for the beginning of the year. 'January through March is gonna be dead time for us,' he said. 'We're just gonna take some time to relax with our families, maybe have a little vacation. I'm probably gonna go out to California and work, and I might try to tap into the acting thing a little bit more and maybe take some courses and that's kind of really where I'd like to go, is into the movie world a little bit. So I might go pursue that a little bit, and probably fire it back up around March or April.'

GODSMACK drummer Shannon Larkin, guitarist Tony Rombola and bassist Robbie Merrill's side project, called ANOTHER ANIMAL, is tentatively scheduled to release its debut disc in early 2007.

GODSMACK plans to shoot a video for its new single, 'The Enemy', and might enlist veteran actor Chazz Palminteri to direct it. Palminteri's acting credits include 'The Usual Suspects', 'A Bronx Tale' and 'Analyze This'.

BLACK MAJESTY CONFIRMED FOR CZECH REPUBLIC'S MASTERS OF ROCK FESTIVAL

Australian melodic power metal band BLACK MAJESTY has been added to next year's installment of the Masters of Rock festival, set to take place July 13-15, 2007 in the Czech Republic. Other confirmed bands include MOTÖRHEAD, RAGE, STRATOVARIUS, DIE HAPPY, PINK CREAM 69, AFTER FOREVER, EPICA, THE TOMMYS, DIVOKEJ BILL and SILENT STREAM OF GODLESS ELEGY.

BLACK MAJESTY is currently working on the follow-up to last year's 'Silent Company' album which was released through the German label Limb Music Products. The new CD is slated for a mid-2007 release. BLACK MAJESTY has also been confirmed for next year's Wacken Open Air festival in Germany.

Friday, December 01, 2006

INTO ETERNITY: NEW VIDEO POSTED ONLINE; NEW TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

Canadian progressive death outfit INTO ETERNITY have had a phenomenal year that saw the release of a new album â€" 'The Scattering of Ashes', which continues to be hailed by critics and fans alike as a metal masterpiece â€" and a high-profile run on Gigantour alongside such genre titans as MEGADETH, LAMB OF GOD, OPETH and ARCH ENEMY. They emerged as one of the fest's most talked-about acts and quickly developed new die-hard legions of fans along the way.

The group's stunning new video for the track 'Severe Emotional Distress' was shot by up-and-coming director Kevin Wildt ('Set Your Goals', 'The Warriors'). Click here to check it out.

Tim Roth (guitars, vocals) checks in with the following report: 'It's a full-blown blizzard here in our hometown, so we have been chilling out indoors. We plan on hitting the road on Jan. 13th for a Western Canadian tour, which will lead to an appearance at the Seattle Metal Fest on Jan. 20th. Hopefully, we'll see everyone out on the road soon!

'The band is ecstatic about our new video, 'Severe Emotional Distress', which is our first true promotional video. I think it turned out really well. Kevin did a great job producing the video. The storyline goes perfect with the aggressiveness of the song and the meaning behind the lyrics. Hopefully the video will open up new people to our band. Enjoy, and look for us on the road in the U.S. this spring. See you soon.'

Drawing from all aspects of heavy music, 'The Scattering of Ashes'
is the perfect blend of technicality, memorable songwriting, traditional heavy metal and the sheer savagery of metal's extreme genres. INTO ETERNITY have shown that they aren't afraid to bridge the gap between DREAM THEATER and DEATH, as well as appease all fans of guitar-oriented music. With 'The Scattering of Ashes', they prove that they are here to ride the new wave of technically proficient metal and create a tsunami all their own.

INTO ETERNITY tour dates:

Jan. 13 - The Exchange - Regina, SK
Jan. 20 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA (Seattle Metal Festival)
Jan. 21 - The Lucky Bar - Victoria, BC
Jan. 23 - The Stetson - Calgary, AB
Jan. 24 - Mead Hall - Edmonton, AB

Thursday, November 30, 2006

SICK OF IT ALL TO SUPPORT HATEBREED, AFI

After having worked hard the past 20 years to make SICK OF IT ALL one of the most influential artists in hardcore music, the band is not slowing down in the least with tons of exciting announcements to unveil! The group will be touring in support of its upcoming tribute album, 'Our Impact Will Be Felt'. This incredible album features bands such as RISE AGAINST, BLEEDING THROUGH, BOUNCING SOULS, SEPULTURA, and HATEBREED covering their favorite tracks that SICK OF IT ALL has recorded in the past 20 years and will be in stores on February 3, 2007 via Abacus Recordings.

SICK OF IT ALL will be direct support on tour with HATEBREED in December and AFI in February. The dates so far are as follows:

HATEBREED w/ SICK OF IT ALL:

Dec. 26 - Washington, DC @ 9:30 Club
Dec. 27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory
Dec. 28 - New York, NY @ Roseland Ballroom
Dec. 29 - Buffalo, NY @ TBA
Dec. 30 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place

AFI w/ SICK OF IT ALL:

Feb. 05 - New Orleans, LA @ House Of Blues
Feb. 09 - Columbus, OH @ Newport Music Hall
Feb. 11 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogarts
Feb. 15 - Tulsa, OK @ Cain’s Ballroom

SICK OF IT ALL is currently compiling material for a DVD that will be released early next year and is inviting fans to be apart of it by submitting their own video footage of the band.

SICK OF IT ALL continues to have one of the most energetic and engaging live shows in music today and your live footage of the band will help capture that on their DVD! If you have high-quality live footage of the band, specifically from:

* 20th anniversary show in NYC @ BB Kings
* CBGBs last show w/ AGNOSTIC FRONT
* The Roxy in Los Angeles, CA May 2006
* Santiago, Chile in September 2006
* Any other recent shows from 2006

Please e-mail info@abacusrecordings.com for more information on how you can submit your footage and in return receive limited SICK OF IT ALL vinyl, and other product that will make it well worth your while!

Check out these video shot by fans that are online now: Video#1, Video#2.

Wednesday, November 29, 2006

KISS: AUTOGRAPHED BANNER BEING AUCTIONED FOR CHARITY

A rare autographed KISS banner is being auctioned off as part of MusiCares online Grammy charity auction through December 7. The banner is 46' X 60' and there were only 25 of these banners created by ProStars. This is number two of that very limited edition. To bid on the banner, visit this link.

MusiCares provides a safety net of critical assistance for music people in times of need. MusiCares' services and resources cover a wide range of financial, medical and personal emergencies, and each case is treated with integrity and confidentiality. MusiCares also focuses the resources and attention of the music industry on human service issues that directly impact the health and welfare of the music community.

About The Banner:

* Size: 46' X 60'
* Material: Silkscreen on canvas
* Color: Full-color
* Presentation: Unframed
* Numbered: Limited-edition; number 2 of 25
* Condition: New/excellent
* Signatures Include: Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Eric Singer and Tommy Thayer on front in silver

Tuesday, November 28, 2006

STARKWEATHER WELCOMES BACK GUITARIST BILL MOLCHINOW

Philadelphia-based hardcore/metal act STARKWEATHER has announced the return of guitarist Bill Molchinow to the group's ranks. Molchinow played all the solos on the band's version of 'Hushabye', which appeared on the 'Definitely Not the Majors' compilation in 1996.

Commented guitartist Todd Forkin, 'After e-mailing back and forth with Bill over the last couple of months and sharing files of the new songs, we asked Bill if he would be interested in recording some of his guitarwork in his hometown of San Diego. After hearing his rough solo ideas it became obvious to us that we needed to get Bill back to the East Coast and into Deadverse Studio with Alap. On November 10 and 11 we loaded all of my guitar gear back into Deadverse, Bill warmed up, and in the next 7 or 8 hours he proceeded to blow our fucking minds. Imagine an odd mix of Holdsworth, Thordendal, Azagthoth, and Jeff Loomis and you have some idea of where Bill is coming from. Being a more traditional shred guitarist, it was amazing to watch Bill adapt to the dissonant racket we've created and add not only technically mind-blowing solos, but scraping textures, and chaotic arpeggiation as well. As a guitar player it was a humbling experience.

'Far from being a one off performance, Bill will be playing on our next full length as well. We just completed the final song for the next album and it looks like the thing is gonna clock in at about 75 minutes. I believe there are 8 songs for the next album, each with an average running time of about 10 minutes. It's difficult to say at this point what the stuff sounds like, but I like to think of it as a sick mixture of GORGUTS, KING CRIMSON, THOUGHT INDUSTRY, RADIOHEAD, and all the other bands listed as our favorites on our MySpace page.'

Candlelight Records has set a January 23 North American release date for STARKWEATHER's 'Crossbearer/Into the Wire'. This two-CD reworking of STARKWEATHER's early albums additionally features bonus material previously limited to rare singles, compilations, outtakes and hidden-away tapes from the band's numerous recording sessions.

Monday, November 27, 2006

BLITZKRIEG, SINNER, POWER QUEST CONFIRMED FOR U.K.'S BLOODSTOCK INDOOR FESTIVAL

NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) legends BLITZKRIEG, Germany's SINNER and Anglo-Italian melodic power metal band POWER QUEST have been confirmed for the Bloodstock Indoor Festival, set to take place Saturday, September 1, 2007 at the Derby Assembly Rooms, Market Square, Derby, England.

For more information, visit www.bloodstock.uk.com.

BLITZKRIEG supported German metal queen DORO on her U.K. dates in early November.

BLITZKRIEG's most recent album, 'Sins and Greed', was released in July 2005 via Metal Nation Records. The follow-up to 2002's 'Absolute Power' was recorded at Trinity Heights Studios in Newcastle Upon Tyne (U.K.) and features bass player Paul Brewis, who replaced Andy Galloway in early 2004. In addition, the CD marks Ken Johnson's first studio album following his performance on 'Absolutely Live'.

Sunday, November 26, 2006

BEFORE THE DAWN BEGINS RECORDING NEW ALBUM

Finnish dark metallers BEFORE THE DAWN entered the studio on November 21 to begin recording their fourth album, 'Deadlight', tentatively due in early 2007 via Stay Heavy Records. A studio diary has been launched at this location. On February 14, the 'Deadsong' single will be released featuring the following track listing:

01. Deadsong
02. Bitter End (PLACEBO cover)
03. Gehenna (old song re-recorded and mixed)

In other news, BEFORE THE DAWN's touring lineup (with the exception of keyboardist Joel Mäkinen, who is no longer involved with the band) has been upgraded to 'permanent member' status. The group's current formation is as follows:

Tuomas Saukkonen - Vocals, Guitar
Juho Räihä (GLORIA MORTI) - Guitar
Lars Eikind (WINDS) - Bass, Vocals
Aatu Mukka â€" Drums

BEFORE THE DAWN toured in Finland and the Baltic States in September/October with MOONSPELL, INSOMNIUM, EMBRAZE and DAWN OF SOLACE (which is another one of Tuomas' bands).

BEFORE THE DAWN's latest album, 'The Ghost', was released this past summer via Locomotive Music. The CD was recorded and mixed at Villvox studios during the fall and early winter 2005 by Aleksanteri Kuosa. Mastering duties were handled by Minerva Pappi at Finnvox studios.

Friday, November 24, 2006

VESANIA ISSUES POST-TOUR UPDATE

Polish black metal masters VESANIA, whose lineup includes Orion (BEHEMOTH) and Daray (VADER), have posted the following message on their official web site:

'We recently returned from another collection of shows that took us through Scandinavia with CRYPTOPSY, ABORTED, VISCERAL BLEEDING; and then through Poland on the Polish leg of the Blitzkrieg IV Tour with VADER, TRAUMA and AZARATH.

'The Scandinavian tour was a further opportunity for us to perform in places we've never ventured before. The highlight of the tour was undoubtedly Finland, an experience that we're going to remember for a very long time.

'In general, the tour provided many unforgettable moments, great company and a tonne of strengthening and motivating energy. Another experience and another step forward for the band with the final show being an important milestone in the history of VESANIA... and not only our history â€" just check out the picture!

'Blitzkrieg IV was another chapter altogether. The expectations we had were really hard to define as a place on the bill with VADER doesn't necessarily guarantee good shows. Whilst it was a great honour, we knew that in order to be well received we had to put in a lot of hard work. Fortunately, all of our anxiety dissipated on the very first day. The audience, including guests, was nigh on 1000 and the response was just unbelievable and this evening set the tone for the rest of the tour. This enormous energy that we receive from you all is the reason for us showing up on stage every evening and it means a real lot. We're growing stronger as a band thanks to your hunger for our music. Thank you all so very, very much for everything. We needed this dose of inspiration and emotion before undertaking the next album.

'By the way, news about the new stuff will be coming soon so stay tuned. We'd also like to apologise regarding the show in Opole where we've been banned. Unfortunately, not all things are within our control...

'To sum things up, 'God The Lux' turned out to be a breakthrough for us as an album but also on the live front as well. We hit the road for this album with The Domination Tour in February 2006 closely followed by Metalmania and the God The Black Eastern European Tour (headlining) in March, the Scandinavian/European Tour in August/September and finally Blitzkrieg IV. All in all, close to 80 shows! This is a good result and we made it through! Big thanks must go to the Massive Music agency for allowing us the opportunity to be such an active band. Further shows will follow the forthcoming album â€" see you soon, take care!'

Wednesday, November 22, 2006

FAIRYLAND TO SUPPORT KAMELOT AND LEAVES' EYES IN EUROPE

French symphonic metal band FAIRYLAND has been confirmed as the opening act for KAMELOT and LEAVES' EYES on the following European dates:

Mar. 29 - De Boerderij - Zoetermeer, NETH
Mar. 30 - Plato, Helmond, NETH
Apr. 03 - Zeche, Bochum, GER
Apr. 05 - Elysee Montmartre, Paris, FRA
Apr. 06 - Hofterloo, Antwerp, BEL
Apr. 07 - Z7, Pratteln, SWI
Apr. 08 - Capitol, Offenbach, GER
Apr. 10 - Hirsch, Nürnberg, GER
Apr. 12 - Masters Of Rock Cafe, Zlin, CZR

FAIRYLAND recently inked a deal with Napalm Records. The group's new album, 'The Fall of an Empire', which is already available in Japan, will be released in other parts of the world in early 2007, accompanied by the reissue of the band's 'Of Wars in Osyrhia' debut (2003).

Tuesday, November 21, 2006

SMASHING PUMPKINS DRUMMER CHECKS IN FROM STUDIO

According to MTV.com, SMASHING PUMPKINS drummer Jimmy Chamberlin has updated fans of the reunited rockers on the progress of the band's comeback album in a post on the PUMPKINS' MySpace page. 'We are moving along nicely in the studio,' the drummer wrote. '[Mainman Billy Corgan] pulled off a magnificent guitar symphony last night and it is still ringing in my ears this morning. Eight guitars resonating in one big harmonic handshake. ... Today we will be working on vocals and solos. Tomorrow, who knows?'

The PUMPKINS' forthcoming LP, which is being produced by Roy Thomas Baker (QUEEN, THE CARS), is slated for release next year.

Corgan announced the reactivation of the SMASHING PUMPKINS last year. Aside from himself and Chamberlin, it is unknown whether original guitarist James Iha, original bassist D'Arcy Wretzky or latter-day bass player Melissa Auf der Maur will be involved in the project.

No title has been revealed for the new PUMPKINS album, the first since 2000's 'MACHINA/The Machines of God'.

Corgan debuted several new songs at a low-key show with WHO guitarist Pete Townshend on November 7 in Los Angeles.

Monday, November 20, 2006

DIMEBAG APPAREL COMING SOON TO HOT TOPIC STORE NEAR YOU

Coffin Case has teamed up with Dime Hardware to offer exclusive 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott apparel â€" coming soon to select Hot Topic stores. Three exclusive Dimebag Darrell designs are scheduled at this time. Also, Guitar Center is now carrying the first of a series of blood-curdling effects pedals by Coffin Case.

The Blood Drive pedal features a classic rich analog distortion and warm boost circuit, but with more gain and tonal control for modern sounds as well as your favorite tones from times past! Guitarist extraordinaire John 5 (ROB ZOMBIE, ex-MARILYN MANSON) gives it a 'five-skull rating.'

Coffin Case is a music products company that brought the underground revolution to musicians with the coffin-shaped guitar case. The following years saw a rapid succession of new, innovative, and award-winning products for guitarists, bass players, and drummers, working both on stage and in the studio. Today, Coffin Case continues to introduce more industry 'firsts,' such the Black Kross Skullplate, and receive acclaims from both critics and musicians worldwide.

Visit www.coffincase.com for more information.

Sunday, November 19, 2006

SEBASTIAN BACH GUITARIST 'METAL' MIKE CHLASCIAK REPORTS FROM THE ROAD

Guitarist 'Metal' Mike Chlasciak (SEBASTIAN BACH, HALFORD, PAINMUSEUM) has posted the second installment of his tour diary covering Sebastian Bach's trek as the opening act for GUNS N' ROSES. An excerpt follows: 'There was a bit of hectic rescheduling and re-re-rescheduling when it came to our performance in Puerto Rico. Just a bunch of logistical nightmare, but we are very happy that we made the trip and went to play for everyone. The night before the show there, myself and (other) Bach guitarist Johnny Chromatic took a night out at a town. In pure rock 'n' roll fashion, first it's a stop at a local liquor store, then a long walk across town to see what trouble finds us. Eventually we took a car to old town San Juan, where all the bars are. This trip came in very handy, as after our performance next day, Baz, Axl, his girlfriend, Axl's beautiful assistant, Vanessa, myself and Johnny ended up at one of these bars shooting pool and drinking a little too much. People kinda freaked out when they saw none other than Axl Rose walk right into a local bar in Puerto Rico, but that's rock 'n' roll. The night for me ended at 6 a.m.; woke up with a hangover. I was met with the news that almost everyone else came back to the hotel at 11:30 a.m. That's 11:30, everyone! Can't tell you what happened between 6 a.m. and 11:30 a.m., as I wasn't there, and the stories that I heard are probably not for these pages, ha.'

Read the rest of the diary at this location.

Saturday, November 18, 2006

OFFICIUM TRISTE, MEMORY GARDEN CONFIRMED FOR GERMANY'S DOOM SHALL RISE FESTIVAL

Doom Shall Rise, the world's biggest festival exclusively dedicated to doom metal will go into its fifth round. The 2007 edition will once again take place at the Chapel in Göppingen, Germany and the dates are April 27 and April 28. The following bands have been confirmed so far:

CENTURIONS GHOST (UK)
DREAMING (Germany)
EARTHRIDE (USA)
FAITH (Sweden)
FORSAKEN (Malta)
LOW MAN'S TUNE (Germany)
MAEL MORDHA (Ireland)
MEMORY GARDEN (Sweden)
OFFICIUM TRISTE (Netherlands)
OUR SURVIVAL DEPENDS ON US (Austria)
SERPENTCULT (Belgium)
STEREOCHRIST (Hungary)
THE LAST SUPPER (Germany)
THE GATES OF SLUMBER (USA)

More acts will be confirmed soon.

For more information, visit www.doomshallrise.de.

Friday, November 17, 2006

VELVET REVOLVER IN PRE-PRODUCTION WITH BRENDAN O'BRIEN

VELVET REVOLVER is currently in pre-production for its long-awaited sophomore album with producer Brendan O'Brien. O'Brien has produced or mixed most of the major rock bands of the past 20 years, including PEARL JAM, SOUNDGARDEN, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and AUDIOSLAVE. 'Things are moving quick now, and we are all very excited,' drummer Matt Sorum said in an online posting. 'Rome was not built in a day so I believe everyone will be very happy when [the new CD is] finished.'

VELVET REVOLVER's sophomore album has a working title of 'Libertad'. The band's 2004 debut, 'Contraband', was certified double-platinum for sales in excess of two million copies in the United States.

Wednesday, November 15, 2006

MANNHAI: PENTAGRAM TRIBUTE SPLIT SINGLE AVAILABLE

MANNHAI, the Finnish group whose current lineup includes singer Pasi Koskinen (ex-AMORPHIS, AJATTARA), has issued the following update:

'MANNHAI has a brand new PENTAGRAM tribute 7' split single with Finnish doom metallers REVEREND BIZARRE out! Both of the bands do one PENTAGRAM cover song on this vinyl released by The Church Within Records. Jürgen Hendlmeier has produced MANNHAI's version of the '70s classic 'Forever My Queen' at Kick out the Jams! studios.

''Under the Sign of the Wolf' single is sold at least at Doom-Dealer and of course at forthcoming MANNHAI gigs. Only 1,000 copies printed, so be quick!'

MANNHAI's latest CD, 'Hellroad Caravan', was released in continental Europe on June 26 via Dockyard 1. The CD, which was issued in Finland on February 15, was recorded at Jive Studios in Helsinki and was described by the band as 'heavier and more guitar-driven' than the group's previous album, 2004's 'The Exploder'.

MANNHAI's 'Spaceball' single entered Finland's national single chart at position No. 1 back in January.

Tuesday, November 14, 2006

BYZANTINE PREPARES TO RECORD NEW ALBUM

West Virginia's forward-thinking metal band BYZANTINE will tentatively enter the studio December 8 to record the follow-up to 2005's '...And They Shall Take Up Serpents'. They will then take a break from the recording process to support GOD FORBID for two weeks on a tour package also boasting GOATWHORE, MNEMIC and ARSIS. Upon completion of the tour, BYZANTINE will return to the studio to finish recording. Production this time around will again be handled by Aaron Fisher and BYZANTINE for the yet-untitled full-length, due for a 2007 release through Prosthetic Records.

'We have so far 11 songs in the bag and most likely will have 15 penned by the time pre-production starts,' vocalist/guitarist OJ Ojeda previously stated. 'Normally we write 10 and use 10, but riffs are flowing like mad and all four of us are writing material this time, which has been very interesting. All I can say is if this album doesn't kick our first two albums' asses, something is wrong! Some songs are pure thrash, some songs are off time as hell and some songs are depressing and dark. This album WILL be our finest effort.'

In other news, BYZANTINE will appear on the upcoming EYEHATEGOD tribute record, 'For The Sick: A Tribute to Eyehategod', performing the track 'Shoplift'. The record is currently slated for a Feb. 20 release through Season of Mist.

BYZANTINE on tour:

Dec. 01 - Charleston, WV â€" The Sound Factory

With GOD FORBID, MNEMIC, GOATWHORE, ARSIS:

Feb. 02 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
Feb. 03 - Greenville, SC - The Handlebar
Feb. 04 - Jacksonville, FL â€" Thee Imperial
Feb. 05 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL - Culture Room
Feb. 06 - Orlando, FL - Backbooth
Feb. 07 - St. Petersburg, FL - The Garage
Feb. 09 - Covington, KY - The Mad Hatter
Feb. 10 - Nashville, TN - The Muse
Feb. 11 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Feb. 12 - Charlotte, NC - Tremont Music Hall
Feb. 14 - Huntington, WV â€" Huntington Music Hall
Feb. 16 - Poughkeepsie, NY â€" The Chance
Feb. 17 - Rochester, NY - Penny Arcade

Monday, November 13, 2006

OMNIUM GATHERUM BEGINS RECORDING NEW ALBUM; STUDIO DIARY LAUNCHED

Finnish death metallers OMNIUM GATHERUM entered Southeast Studios in Karhula, Finland on November 6 with producer Teemu Aalto to begin recording their third album, tentatively titled 'Stuck Here On Snake's Way'. So far, the drums have been recorded, according to a posting on the group's web site. A studio diary following the band's progress has been launched at this location.

OMNIUM GATHERUM recently inked a deal with Candlelight Records. The band recently uploaded two new tracks to its MySpace profile. The songs â€" 'A Part of God' and 'Undertaker' â€" are taken from the group's latest promotional recording, which the band used to procure its new record deal. The demo marks the first material recorded with brand new OMNIUM GATHERUM vocalist Jukka Pelkonen, who joined the group in May.

OMNIUM GATHERUM parted ways with Nuclear Blast Records last year. The band's latest album, 'Years in Waste', was released in the U.S. in March 2005. The follow-up to 2003's 'Spirits and August Light' was recorded at Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki, Finland with producer Nino Laurenne and engineer Teemu Aalto.

SEBASTIAN BACH: ACOUSTIC VERSION OF NEW SONG POSTED ONLINE

Former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach has issued the following update:

'Last Tuesday [Nov. 7], we went to WCCC Radio in Hartford, CT at 2 in the afternoon the day of show to perform three songs live, acoustic, in the studio. We did 'Little Wing' [JIMI HENDRIX cover], 'I Remember You' [SKID ROW], and the brand new song 'By Your Side'. It is always with some amount of trepidation that I enter into these situations live on the radio 'without a net,' not knowing the surroundings or how good the sound is gonna be. Well, I am happy to say that the session went great and I am real happy with how the sound went out on the air live all over Connecticut. Check out 'By Your Side' acoustic version [at this location]... the album version is not acoustic but I am really digging how Metal Mike and Johnny Chromatic pulled this song off without drums or bass. This song was written by [producer] Roy Z [HALFORD, BRUCE DICKINSON] and myself and will be on the new record coming out in 2007!'

Upcoming SEBASTIAN BACH tour dates (supporting GUNS N' ROSES, unless otherwise noted):

Nov. 13 - Baltimore, MD @ 1st Mariner Arena
Nov. 15 - Toronto, ONT @ Air Canada Centre
Nov. 16 - Whitby, ONT @ Johnny B's (headline show)
Nov. 17 - Ottawa, ONT @ Scotiabank Place
Nov. 18 - Quebec City, QC @ Colisee Pepsi Arena
Nov. 24 - Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
Nov. 25 - Auburn Hills, MI @ The Palace of Auburn Hills
Nov. 26 - Toledo, OH @ Headliners (headline show)
Nov. 27 - Chicago, IL @ Allstate Arena
Nov. 28 - Sauget, IL @ Pop's (headline show)
Nov. 29 - Milwaukee, WI @ Bradley Center
Dec. 01 - Ames, IA @ Hilton Coliseum
Dec. 02 - Minneapolis, MN @ Target Center
Dec. 04 - Winnipeg, MB @ MTS Centre
Dec. 06 - Calgary, AB @ Pengrowth Saddledome
Dec. 07 - Edmonton, AB @ Rexall Place
Dec. 09 - Spokane, WA @ Big Easy Concert House (headline show)
Dec. 10 - Everett, WA @ Everett Events Center
Dec. 11 - Portland, OR @ Rose Garden Arena
Dec. 13 - Fresno, CA @ Save Mart Center - Cal State U
Dec. 14 - Chico, CA @ Senator Theatre (headline show)
Dec. 15 - Oakland, CA @ Oakland Coliseum
Dec. 17 - Universal City, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre @ Universal CityWalk
Dec. 19 - Universal City, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre @ Universal CityWalk
Dec. 20 - Universal City, CA @ Gibson Amphitheatre @ Universal CityWalk
Jan. 10 - Sacramento, CA @ ARCO Arena T
Jan. 11 - Bakersfield, CA @ Rabobank Arena
Jan. 13 - Reno, NV @ Reno Events Center
Jan. 16 - San Diego, CA @ iPayOne Center

DEEP PURPLE FRONTMAN: AUSTRALIAN TOUR DATES ANNOUNCED

DEEP PURPLE frontman Ian Gillan will embark on a solo tour of Australia in late January in support of his 'Gillan's Inn' album. Confirmed dates are as follows:

Jan. 19 - Melbourne, AUS @ The Palace
Jan. 20 - Sydney, AUS @ Salinas
Jan. 21 - Sydney, AUS @ Revesby Workers
Jan. 23 - Newcastle, AUS @ Panthers
Jan. 25 - Wollongong, AUS @ Shelly's
Jan. 26 - Brisbane, AUS @ The Arena
Jan. 27 - Tweed Heads, AUS @ Twin Towns Services
Jan. 28 - Penrith, AUS @ Evan Theater

Gillan recently completed a five-week North American run to promote 'Gillan's Inn', which he released to celebrate 40 years in the music business. The CD, which came out in April, spans the four decades of Gillan's professional life and features some of his friends as guest performers, including his mates in DEEP PURPLE, the GOO GOO DOLLS, and singer-guitarist Jeff Healey, among many others.

'Gillan's Inn' is a DualDisc, and the DVD side has a track-by-track commentary from Gillan, along with scenes from the recording sessions, rare live footage, and other extras.

DEEP PURPLE recently resumed its two-year-long world tour behind its latest album, 'Rapture of the Deep'.

Saturday, November 11, 2006

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE TO PLAY FREE SHOW IN NEW YORK THIS MONDAY

According to Billboard.com, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE is one of the bands that will play free shows Monday (Nov. 13) to celebrate the launch of Microsoft's new Zune digital audio player. QOTSA will perform in New York. Also scheduled to perform are RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS (Los Angeles) and and T.I. (Atlanta). Venues will be announced on Monday by local blogs and media.

On Thursday (Nov. 9), Microsoft agreed to share revenue from Zune sales with record labels and artists. Forcing the issue was Universal Music Group, which at deadline is the only label named in the program. UMG refused to license its music to the Zune unless it could receive a percentage of each device sold, in addition to standard music licensing fees for downloads and subscriptions.

Read more at Billboard.com.

Friday, November 10, 2006

DIMEBAG INDUCTED INTO HARD ROCK CAFE DALLAS WALK OF FAME: PHOTOS AVAILABLE

John Austin of the Star-Telegram has issued the following report:

The Dallas Hard Rock Cafe added a star honoring slain guitar player 'Dimebag' Darrell Abbott to its walk of fame in a ceremony Thursday night (Nov. 9).

Abbott, along with his brother, drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, were part of PANTERA, one of the most acclaimed metal bands of the 1990s.

The brothers were performing with DAMAGEPLAN, a band they formed after leaving PANTERA, when Darrell Abbott was fatally shot onstage in Columbus, Ohio, on Dec. 8, 2004. He was 38.

The guitarist lived in Dalworthington Gardens at the time of his death and is buried in Arlington.

After the star unveiling, Vinnie Paul Abbott and Darrell's longtime companion, Rita Haney, presented the Dean guitar Darrell Abbott used on PANTERA's '101 Proof' tour. [See photo at this location.]

Last year the pair presented another guitar 'Dime' had owned to the Hard Rock cafe in San Antonio, according to a report in the San Antonio Express-News.

Other musicians with stars in the Dallas walk of fame include Elvis Presley, Jerry Lee Lewis and Texas trio ZZ TOP.

Check out more pictures at the Star-Telegram.

Thursday, November 09, 2006

DARKEST HOUR FORCED TO DROP OFF SOILWORK TOUR

Washington D.C.-based metallers DARKEST HOUR have issued the following statement:

'We are sorry to announce that we must cancel our upcoming shows in Pittsburgh, Rochester, and Detroit on our curent tour with SOILWORK, MNEMIC, and THREAT SIGNAL. One of the us has a serious health issue that must be addressed immediately. We apologize to all the fans and the other bands, but when you're on tour forever health has to come first. We will see everyone in the U.K. [with BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and MISERY SIGNALS] next month and everyone in the U.S. with a new record next year.'

The affected dates are as follows:

Nov. 09 - Rex Theatre - Pittsburgh, PA
Nov. 10 - The Penny Arcade - Rochester, NY
Nov. 11 - Harpo's - Detroit, MI

Pittsburgh, PA-based label A-F Records last month issued a collection of DARKEST HOUR's early recordings prior to the band's signing with Victory. Entitled 'Archives', the set marks DARKEST HOUR's ten-year anniversary and features over an hour of rare and unreleased material, including the band's recordings as early as 'The Misanthrope' EP, recorded in 1995 while the members were in high school. It continues the band's output with 'The Prophecy Fulfilled' from 1997 and singles from vinyl as late as 1998.

THE ABSENCE PULLS OUT OF ENTOMBED TOUR

Tampa, Florida's THE ABSENCE has issued the following update:

'We regretfully announce THE ABSENCE will be pulling out of the ENTOMBED, DISMEMBER, GRAVE tour this December because of several unresolved problems with our booking agent. We apologize to all the fans that were looking forward to those dates and promise to see you again soon!

'In other news, we are super excited to announce that we are going into Mana Studios (Florida) at the beginning of the year to track the new record. Taking control of production this time around will be Swede Jonas Kjellgren (SCAR SYMMETRY, CARNAL FORGE). The record will also be mixed by Jonas at his studio Black Lounge (Sweden). We are all huge fans of his work and are anxious to hear what he does with THE ABSENCE!'

THE ABSENCE's debut album, 'From Your Grave', came out in September 2005 via Metal Blade Records.

Wednesday, November 08, 2006

DREAM EVIL'S 'UNITED' SEES CHART ACTION

DREAM EVIL's 'United' album has hit the Swedish official album charts at position #24, the Swedish metal charts at #3 as well as the Greek album charts at position #41 (now up to #28).

On December 13, Sweden's DREAM EVIL will make its U.S. live debut when it headlines the Century Family's third annual Christmas Balls show at The Key Club in Hollywood. Tickets are on sale now. More performances will be announced in the coming weeks.

Commented Peter Stalfors (bass): 'Ever since we released our first album, 'DragonSlayer', we hoped to have the opportunity to perform in the U.S. Over the years, we received tons of mails from fans all over North America, and now at last we have the opportunity to give at least some of you a chance to see us. We are really excited about this and look forward to see you at the Key Club in Los Angeles, when it's finally time to show the U.S. what we’ve got. We will play songs from our new album, 'United', along with a ton of oldies as well, so we hope you are ready for a full-on metal onslaught.'

'United' was recorded at Sweden's famed Studio Fredman with DREAM EVIL guitarist and legendary producer Fredrik Nordström (ARCH ENEMY, OPETH, AT THE GATES). The limited-edition first pressing of 'United' includes a bonus second CD containing five exclusive, brand new songs.

DREAM EVIL recently completed a video for the new album's opening track, 'Fire! Battle! In Metal!', with renowned director Patric Ullaeus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL). The clip can be viewed at this location.