Gender: Male
Status: Single
Age: 38
Sign: Capricorn
City: CHICAGO
State: ILLINOIS
Country: US
Signup Date: 5/22/2006
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04 Jul 09 Saturday
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Category: Music
* *** PRESS RELEASE #15 *** * -Absu Forced To Cancel Dallas/Ft. Worth Appearance On June 29, 2009
Absu's scheduled Ft. Worth, TX performance on June 29 was canceled due to their tour bus breaking down earlier in the day outside Baton Rouge, Louisiana. The show, the final on the band's current tour, was to feature Rumpelstiltskin Grinder and a "special guest." The band has already confirmed with the promoter for the show that the performance will be rescheduled later this summer and anyone who purchased tickets will have them successfully redeemed for the rescheduled performance.
The band will perform at this weekend's Hostile City Festival in Philadelphia. Tickets are available http://www.etix.com/ .
For more information visit http://www.myspace.com/hostilecitydeathfest or http://www.hostilecitydeathfest.com/ .
http://www.myspace.com/absu http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #16 *** * -I'm Better Than Everyone To Release Eyehategod Vinyl
New Orleans' Eyehategod have spent the last two decades at odds with a corrupt music industry, using their music as a proverbial middle finger aimed at everything from government officials to sanctimonious sh*theads hiding behind organized religion. They have defied all odds and continue to exist and persist despite personal and professional setbacks, from drug addiction to natural disasters. In the midst of all this turmoil Eyehategod have become the high water mark when it comes to "sludge metal," having birthed rock's unholy bastard feasting on the teat that Black Sabbath and Black Flag built. They became the cornerstone for countless of sonic acolytes following in their fetid footsteps and continue to inspire bands around the world.
CONFEDERACY OF RUINED LIVES is their fourth and latest studio album, released in late 2000. I'm Better Than Everyone Records is extremely proud and honored to collaborate with Eyehategod and finally give this a vinyl release, the way it was intended to be heard, without compromises nor excuses: A beautiful f*ck you to all the non- believers.
CONFEDERACY OF RUINED LIVES is slated for an August release. Stay tuned for further details.
http://www.myspace.com/eyehategod http://www.imbetterthaneveryonerecords.com/ http://www.myspace.com/imbetterthaneveryonerec
* *** PRESS RELEASE #17 *** * -Weedeater Confirmed To Support North American Down Tour
That is right, sound the alarms: North Carolina's sludge pillagers Weedeater have been confirmed as support for a full-on North American Down tour! The lineup changes throughout the routing; The Canadian dates feature secondary support from Voivod, while the bulk of the American dates feature The Melvins. Other opening support for the tour will be Danava for the first half and Evil Army for the latter half of the dates.
Weedeater will play several shows in North Carolina and Tennessee on the way to the opening and after the closing of the tour, and will headline sporadically in chunks throughout the main tour. And of course they will do what they do best: sonically reduce every venue they enter to a resin-coated heap of rubble.
Weedeater's latest album GOD LUCK AND GOOD SPEED was released in 2007 on Southern Lord Recordings; a deluxe double LP version just released in 2009. They have ruled the stage with their filth-mongering approach within the doom, stoner and metal circuits for over a decade now, and it appears things are about to get a whole lot filthier for us all.
Weedeater live:
7/28/2009 Drips' - Hickory, NC 7/29/2009 Rocket Club - Asheville NC 7/30/2009 The Muse - Nashville TN w/Zoroaster 7/31/2009 Hi Tone Cafe - Memphis TN w/Rwake, The Lewd, Royal Thunder 8/01/2009 Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City OK w/Down, Danava 8/03/2009 Beaumont Club - Kansas City MO w/Down, Danava 8/04/2009 The Venue at Playmaker's - Fargo ND w/Down, Danava 8/05/2009 Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg MB w/Down, Voivod, Danava 8/07/2009 Edmonton Events Centre - Edmonton MB w/Down, Voivod, Danava 8/08/2009 MacEwan Hall - Calgary AB w/Down, Voivod, Danava 8/10/2009 Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver BC w/Down, Voivod, Danava 8/11/2009 Showbox SoDo - Seattle WA w/Down, Melvins, Danava 8/12/2009 Roseland Theater - Portland OR w/Down, Melvins, Danava 8/14/2009 Grand Ballroom - San Francisco CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava 8/15/2009 The Wiltern - Los Angeles CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava 8/16/2009 House of Blues - San Diego CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava 8/18/2009 House of Blues - Anaheim CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava 8/19/2009 House of Blues - Las Vegas CA w/Down, Melvins, Danava 8/21/2009 In The Venue - Salt Lake City UT w/Down, Melvins, Danava 8/22/2009 Gothic Theatre - Denver CO w/Down, Melvins, Danava 8/24/2009 Black Sheep - Colorado Springs, CO 8/28/2009 Red 7 - Austin, TX w/Dixie Witch 8/29/2009 Rock Bottom Tattoo Bar - San Antonio, TX w/Dixie Witch 8/30/2009 Walters On Washington - Houston, TX w/Dixie Witch 9/01/2009 CW Center Stage - Atlanta GA w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/02/2009 House of Blues - Lake Bueno Vista FL w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/03/2009 Brass Mug -Tampa, FL 9/06/2009 Volume 11 Tavern - Raleigh, NC 9/07/2009 The Half Shell - Virginia Beach, VA 9/08/2009 Sonar - Baltimore MD w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/09/2009 Northern Lights - Clifton Park NY w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/11/2009 Nokia Theatre Times Square - New York NY w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/12/2009 Electric Factory - Philadelphia PA w/Down, Evil Army 9/13/2009 House of Blues - Boston MA w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/14/2009 AS220 - Providence, RI 9/15/2009 Webster Theater - Hartford CT w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/16/2009 Main Street Armory - Rochester NY w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/18/2009 Koolhaus - Toronto ON w/Down, Voivod, Evil Army 9/19/2009 Emerald Theatre - Detroit MI w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/21/2009 The Vogue Theatre - Indianapolis IN w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/22/2009 House of Blues - Cleveland OH w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/24/2009 Sokol Auditorium - Omaha NE w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/25/2009 Pop's - Sauget IL w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/26/2009 The Pearl Room - Mokena IL w/Down, Melvins, Evil Army 9/28/2009 Jackpot - Lawrence, KS 9/29/2009 The Gypsy - Fayetteville, AR 10/02/2009 The Jinx - Savannah, GA 10/03/2009 Soapbox - Wilmington, NC w/ASG
http://www.myspace.com/weedeater http://www.southernlord.com/ http://blog.southernlord.com http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings http://www.tonedeaftouring.com/
* *** NEWS/RUMORS *** * -Check out About Heavy Metal's "Best Heavy Metal Albums Of 1981" article at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/7Mby .
-HeadbangerNYC.com reported a new Alice In Chains song called "A Looking In View" is available from iTunes and Amazon, and the single "Check My Brain" will be released to radio next month. The band's new studio album, BLACK GIVES WAY TO BLUE, is due September 29.
-Black Robot features ex-Buckcherry members Yogi Lonich on guitar, Jonathon Brightman (J.B.) on bass, and Devon Glenn on drums, along with vocalist Huck Johns. Hype says Black Robot "taps into the influences of classic hard rock acts like AC/DC and Aeromsith, while creating something new and refreshingly cool." The band's self-titled debut is due later this year. Track list: "Baddass," "Cocaine," "Momma Don't Cry," "I'm In Love," "Money," "In My Car," "Black Robot," "Love On A .45," "Stop The World," "Dissatisfaction," "Nervous Breakdown." Check out a few songs at http://www.myspace.com/blackrobot and check out other clips at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=28011 . See http://www.blackrobotmusic.com/ for more.
-Vocalist Tony Martin plans on celebrating the 20th anniversary of the release of the Black Sabbath's HEADLESS CROSS by touring the U.S. Martin's band -- which will also be called Headless Cross -- will consist of the following musicians: Rolf Munkes (guitar), Jamie Mallender (bass), Geoff Nicholls (keyboards), Danny Needham (drums). Check out http://www.myspace.com/headlesscrosstour2009 for the latest tour dates.
-Century Media Records' CM Distro site has big sale going on through Monday, July 6, with every item on sale. Additionally, if you spend at least $150 you're get a free CM Distro T-shirt. See http://www.cmdistro.com/ for more.
-The Dead End Kidz have a live video of "The One" on Famecast.com, and are asking fans to vote for it. See http://www.myspace.com/dekmusic , http://www.youtube.com/john8186 , http://twitter.com/thedeadendkidz , and http://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-DEAD-END-KIDZ/6323764485 for more on the band, and check out the video at http://www.famecast.com/contest/stage.php?sid=1&rid=1498&aid=20654&vid=20694 .
-The set lists from the first night of the Def Leppard/Poison/Cheap Trick tour, in Camden, NJ:
Cheap Trick: "On Top Of The World," "I Want You To Want Me," "These Days" (new), "She's Tight," "Sick Man Of Europe" (new), "If You Want My Love," "Dream Police," "The Flame," "Surrender."
Poison: "Look What The Cat Dragged In," "I Want Action," "Ride The Wind," "I Won't Forget You," "Your Mama Don't Dance," "Fallen Angel," "Something To Believe In," "Unskinny Bop," "Every Rose Has Its Thorn," "Talk D1rty To Me," "Nothin' But A Good Time."
Def Leppard: "Rock! Rock! (Till You Drop)," "Rocket," "Let's Get Rocked," "Too Late For Love," "Nine Lives," "Love Bites," "Rock On," "Two Steps Behind," "Bringin' On The Heartbreak," "Switch 625," "Hysteria," "Animal," "Armageddon It," "Photograph," "Pour Some Sugar On Me," "Rock Of Ages."
-Iced Earth main man Jon Schaffer announced a third Demons & Wizards is in the works for a mid- to late 2010 release. Read his full commentary at http://www.icedearth.com/ .
-Europe's new single "Last Look At Eden" is out now on Edel. Track list: "Last Look At Eden," "U Devil U," "Superstitious" (live), "Start From The Dark" (live), "Since I've Been Loving You" (live), "Last Look At Eden" (video). Check out the video at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=28014 . See http://www.europetheband.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/europe for more.
-The fourth album from power metallers Ilium, AGELESS DECAY, is on Escape Music. The band now consists of Mike DiMeo (Riot, Masterplan) on vocals, Jason Hodges on guitar, Adam Smith on guitar, bass, and keyboards, and Tim Yatras on drums. The disc was produced by Smith and mixed and mastered by Tommy Hansen. Track list: "Mothcaste," "Hibernal Thaw," "Tar Pit," "Omnipaedia," "Xerophyte," "Nubia Awakes," "Ageless Decay," "Eocene Dawning," "Fragmented Glory," "The Neo-Mortician," "The Little Witch Of Madagascar," "Idolatry." Check out clips of every song at http://www.nehrecords.com/SHOP/IliumAgeless.htm and http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=27971 . See http://www.myspace.com/iliummetal for more on the band.
-Upcoming shows for The Iron Maidens:
7/11 - Sunset Station Casino Pool Party, Henderson, NV 7/12 - Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet, Santa Fe Springs, CA 7/17 - The Underground, Reno, NV 7/18 - Bar 24/Bill's Casino Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV
See http://www.theironmaidens.com/ for more.
-Upcoming Mad Margritt shows:
7/3 - Muscle Racing Festival, Sarasota, FL (w/ BulletBoys) 7/12 - Rocklahoma, Pryor, OK 7/17 - Lubys, Lawrenceville, GA 7/18 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Augusta, GA 7/24 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Marietta, GA 7/25 - 37 Main, Buford, GA 7/31 - Chills, Thomaston, GA 8/14 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Macon, GA 8/15 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Suwanee, GA 8/21 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Raleigh, NC 8/22 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Greenville, SC 8/29 - S.A. Rocking Summer Fest, San Antonio, TX (w/ Moxy, Broken Teeth, & more)
See http://www.madmargritt.com/ for more.
-Megadeth is set to debut a new song from its upcoming album, ENDGAME, on July 7 at 11:00 a.m. EDT at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/headcrusher .
-Phoenix -- comprised of ex-Argent members John Verity (vocals, guitar), Jim Rodford (bass, guitar), and Robert Henrit (drums) -- has its 1977 self-titled debut reissued now on Airmail Recordings. Track list: "Easy," "Drowning In Tears," "From The Ashes," "Winnebago," "Try A Little Rock 'N' Roll," "A Woman Like You," "Mississippi Neckbone," "I'll Be Back For More," "Honey," "I'll Be Gone. Check out short clips of the first four tracks:
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Phoenix_Same/00000001.mp3 http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Phoenix_Same/00000002.mp3 http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Phoenix_Same/00000003.mp3 http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Phoenix_Same/00000004.mp3
See http://www.phoenixrocks.eu/ for more.
-Steel Panther's FEEL THE STEEL is out now on Universal. Hype says the band -- Michael Starr on vocals, Satchel on guitar, Lexxi Foxxx on bass, and Stix Zadinia on drums -- "takes us back to a time where sex, drugs and pure balls to the wall metal of the '80s reigned supreme with bands such as Motley Crue and W.A.S.P. created insanity with their establishment baiting lyrics and to use a cliché cranks it up to 11!" Track list: "Death To All But Metal," "Asian Hooker," "Community Property," "Eyes Of A Panther," "Fat Girl," "Eatin' Ain't Cheatin'," "Party All Day," "Turn Out The Lights," "Stripper Girl," "The Shocker," "Girl From Oklahoma," "Hells On Fire." Check out clips at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=28040 , and see http://www.steelpantherrocks.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/steelpantherkicksass for more.
-Stryper will release its new album MURDER BY PRIDE via Frontiers Records next month.
-U.D.O.'s new limited edition E.P. called INFECTED is out now on AFM Records. Track list: "Infected," "Systematic Madness" (non-album), "Bodyworld" (non-album), "Platchet Soldat" (remix), "Poezd Po Rossii" (live in Moscow 2008). Check out song clips at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=28012 . U.D.O.'s new album DOMINATOR is due next month. The basic version of the album includes "The Bogeyman," "Dominator," "Black And White," "Infected," "Heavy Metal Heaven," "Doom Ride," "Stillness Of Time," "Devil's Rendezvous," "Speed Demon," and "Whispers In The Dark." The European limited edition digi-pak version adds a bonus track "Pleasure In The Darkroom," whereas the Japanese version adds a bonus track "Bleeding Heart." See http://www.udo-online.de/ and http://www.myspace.com/udoonline for more.
-Eddie Van Halen married his girlfriend Janie Liszewski on June 27, with son Wolfgang serving as best man and brother Alex officiating the non-denominational service. In related news, Chickenfoot had to postpone its July 1 show in Madrid due to an arm injury drummer Chad Smith suffered at the band's Paris gig.
-Verity -- featuring Argent/Phoenix's John Veirty -- has its 1983 album INTERRUPTED JOURNEY re-mastered and reissued now by Airmail Recordings Japan. The album is described as "classic AOR." Track list: "Rescue Me," "Just Another Day (In The Life Of A Fool)," "Stay With Me," "Love Is Blind," "Are You Ready For This," "You're The Loser," "It's Coming Right," "Chippin' Away At The Stone," "In The Arms Of Someone Else," "Fallin'." Check out clips of the first four tracks at:
http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Verity_Inter/00000001.mp3 http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Verity_Inter/00000002.mp3 http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Verity_Inter/00000003.mp3 http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Verity_Inter/00000004.mp3
See http://www.johnverity.com/ for more.
-Vindictiv's GROUND ZERO is out now via Escape Music. The band features Goran Edman on vocals, Stefan Lindholm on guitar and keyboards, Nalle Pahlsson on bass, Pontus Larsson on keyboards, and Zoltan Csorsz on drums; Oliver Hartmann and Mark Boals contribute additional vocals. The disc was produced by Lindholm and mixed by Chris Laney, and has this track list: "Modern World," "Ground Zero," "Reach Out," "Golden Gate," "Venom," "Tweedledum And Tweedledee," "I'm Back Home," "Martha's Song," "Overshoot Day," "No Matter What," "The Sacrifice." Check out band an album info, plus clips of all the tracks, at http://www.nehrecords.com/shop/VindictivGround.htm and http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=27970 . See http://www.vindictiv.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/vindictivmusic for more.
Thanks to John Erigo, Eddie Smith, Chad Bowar, HeadbangerNYC.com, Robert Pancur/Target Records, Music Buy Mail, and wipemybox@aic.com for help gathering some of this information.
* *** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE *** * by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
-My wife and I went up to Summerfest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, last Saturday and saw Kiss. It was our first time at Summerfest (sad, yes I know) and it's quite the cool set-up: numerous outdoor stages are spread along a strip filled with tons of food, beer, merchandise, and -- surprisingly -- very polite people. The south end of the strip leads to the "big" venue, the Marcus Amphitheater, which is very similar to most outdoor pavilion-with-a-lawn section venues. There were sooo many people -- particularly young kids -- decked out in Kiss makeup; I was amazed. Chevelle opened but due to a snafu at the front gate, it took forever to get inside and we missed most of their set. Based on the three songs we did catch, though, I was okay with missing most of their set...
I hadn't seen Kiss' Stanley/Simmon/Thayer/Singer lineup, and it'd been nearly a full decade since I'd seen Kiss at all, so I was a little curious to see how everyone was holding up. The stage show seemed pretty similar to what's documented on the 2005 ROCK THE NATION LIVE! DVD, and since it's the "Alive 35" tour the set list featured nearly all of the songs from ALIVE! plus a lengthy encore of post-ALIVE! material. The set list: "Deuce," "Strutter," "Got To Choose," "Hotter Than Hell," "Nothin' To Lose," "C'mon And Love Me," "Parasite," "She," Tommy Thayer's solo, "Watchin' You," "100,000 Years," Eric Singer's solo, "Cold Gin," "Let Me Go, Rock And Roll," "Black Diamond," "Rock And Roll All Nite." Encore: "Shout It Out Loud," "Lick It Up," Gene Simmons' solo, "I Love It Loud," "I Was Made For Lovin' You," "Love Gun," "Detroit Rock City." And I forget exactly where in the set this occurred, but Paul Stanley led some noodling around with Led Zeppelin and The Who covers... He also confirmed a new studio album is due out in September.
The band looked and sounded good, and although I thought the whole "revisiting ALIVE!" theme was cool, my wife was sort of bummed because she's more familiar with the total classics and the newer stuff. (A couple families seated near us were in the same boat -- I could tell the parents were digging it but the kids seemed lost until stuff like "Rock And Roll All Nite" and "Detroit Rock City" fired up.) My wife hadn't ever seen a "big show" like this, and in that regard Kiss definitely did not disappoint -- all the usual bombs, fireballs, sparklers, confetti blasts, etc. were present, as were Gene's fire- breathing, blood-drooling, and flying antics.
Check out some video and photos from this show:
Videos of "Nothin' To Lose," "C'Mon And Love Me," "Hotter Than Hell," "Detroit Rock City," "Deuce," and "Rock And Roll All Nite": http://davelawrenceonline.com/2009/06/28/tour-tracker-video-kiss-summerfest-milwaukee-wi-june-27/
Photos: http://www.jsonline.com/multimedia/photos/49345907.html?c=y&index=1&page=0
(Thanks to John Erigo for helping jog my memory on some of the details here!)
-My friend Bill turned me on to an excellent feature at Pop Dose. Famed producer Tom Werman -- take a gander at his discography at http://www.artistdirect.com/artist/credits/tom-werman/508682 -- is writing weekly blog entries at http://www.popdose.com/tag/tom-werman/ where he recalls his experiences and run-ins with artists like Ted Nugent, Cheap Trick, Motley Crue, Twisted Sister, Molly Hatchet, Krokus, and Blue Oyster Cult. Apparently Werman is writing a book and some or all of this material may appear there; after reading the first several blog entries I must say I'm definitely looking forward to the complete book!
-Check out some *early* footage of Loudness performing the songs "Loudness" and "Burning Love" on TV at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q588jDGJuAA&feature=rec-HM-r2 . (Thanks again, John!)
-And finally, more funny stuff sent over by my friend Bill:
Before They Were Heavy: 10 Awkward Yearbook Photos of Metal Stars http://www.funkjelly.com/2009/06/before-they-were-heavy-10-awkward.html
The 16 Funniest Fake Bands of All Time http://www.funkjelly.com/2009/06/16-funniest-fake-bands-of-all-time.html
The 12 Most Bad Ass Album Covers of the Week http://www.funkjelly.com/2009/06/12-most-bad-ass-album-covers-of-week.html
-In my current playlist: Chickenfoot - s/t (Chickenfoot, LLC/Redline Entertainment), Twisted Sister - STAY HUNGRY - 25TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION (Rhino), Lion's Share - DARK HOURS (Blistering Records), VII Gates - IN HOC SIGNO VINCES (Lion Music).
* *** REVIEWS *** * CAGE - SCIENCE OF ANNIHILATION (A-/B+) Connecting Music, 2009 13 tracks, RT: 55:30 [ http://www.cageheavymetal.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/cageheavymetal ] [ http://www.connecting-music.eu/ ] [ info@connecting-music.eu ] It would be easy to dismiss Cage as just another comic book themed power metal band, but on SCIENCE OF ANNIHILATION they effectively put that notion to rest with a performance that can only be described as explosive. You'll have these guys on your short list of acts to see live when you hear such metal chargers as "Scarlet Witch," "Operation Overlord," "Power Of A God," and "Die Glocke." Cage just really excel at intensity, with special recognition going to that force of nature vocalist of theirs Sean Peck, good grief man! Not to take anything away from the rest of the band, however, as you have simply one of the best dual guitar attacks currently working in metal with Anthony Wayne McGiness and Dave Garcia, along with kinetic bassist Mike Giordano and hyperactive new skinsman Norm Leggio (ex-Psychotic Waltz). Peck really drives it home though, with his devastating blend of Rob Halford, King Diamond, and Ripper Owens in full force here. Production wise I wish the drums had been mixed a bit better and I thought the lead guitar work was somewhat abbreviated in places, but these are relatively minor citations. At the end of the day this is the type of thing you either like or don't, so I'll just summarize by saying if you are a fan of Judas Priest, Halford, King Diamond and Vicious Rumors you'll most certainly get a kick in the ass from SCIENCE OF ANNIHILATION, as these professors of headbanging have killing with metal down to, well, a science! - Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)
DORO - FEAR NO EVIL (C+) AFM Records, 2009 11 tracks, RT: 47:51 [ http://www.doropesch.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/doroband ] [ http://www.afm-records.de/ ] .. Well, the cover art is very cool. :) I hate to say this but Doro's latest just leaves me flat. The aforementioned cover art and the first track's title -- "The Night Of The Warlock" -- had me thinking this disc was going to be a fun, cool return to the '80s metal days of her old band Warlock. And in a way it is, as there *are* anthems and an overall "metal" vibe, but most of the songs just aren't very memorable. "The Night Of The Warlock" is an anthem but it's too repetitive and too long at nearly six minutes, and "Running From The Devil" has a stomping, gnarly bass drive and a decent guitar solo but the anthemic elements come off as fairly silly/childish. Things start to gel a bit better with track #3, "Celebrate," which is yet another simplistic anthem, but the chorus is downright catchy and the song just feels more accomplished than its predecessors. "Caught In A Battle" strains credibility though, with it's comically over-the-top fast/heavy approach; the drums just seem totally fake and goofy, and the song seems pieced together on a computer rather than played live by a band. Thankfully, the lovely Ms. Pesch dials it back down for "Herzblut," which is another of her trademark German-language power ballads; she does these things so, so well. The album's high point is "On The Run," which has a cool, dark vibe and a driving beat -- hark! methinks I hear a "Painkiller" riff in there! -- and it sounds 10 times more organic and complete than, say, "Caught In A Battle." (More like this one, please!) "Walking With The Angels" is another good, heartfelt power ballad; it's a duet sung with another woman and the effect is striking. "I Lay My Head Upon My Sword" falls back into the mid-tempo, lyrically repetitive anthem range. "It Kills Me" throws a bit of a curveball; it's slow, dark, and unquestionably sultry in parts; Pesch emotes all over the place in this one. "Long Lost For Love" chugs along well enough and has a nice ending solo...but it gets buried by vocals. Oh well. The closer, "25 Years," is intended to be a valentine to Doro's longtime fans. It starts with 90 seconds of her saying "thank you" and "I love you," and then morphs into a slowwwwww plod. The song certainly means well but it's just not something you'd probably want to listen to over and over. Frankly, aside from a few tracks, that's how I feel about the whole album. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
ENSOPH - REX MUNDI X-ILE (B) Cruz Del Sur Music, 2009 12 tracks, RT: 54:42 [ http://www.ensoph.it/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/ensoph ] [ info@ensoph.it ] [ http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/cruzdelsurmusic ] [ info@cruzdelsurmusic.com ] Ensoph has got to be one of the strangest bands I have ever come across, and that's not a bad thing. Unique, avant-garde, experimental, and weird -- all these words combined may not even be enough to describe everything that Ensoph is doing. The title of their newest album alone, REX MUNDI X-ILE, sounds like something foreign, something scientific or otherworldly. That is the way I would describe the ambiance of every song, although every song holds its own unique charm. To get a better idea of what Ensoph sounds like, they say that they draw influence from black metal, gothic metal, experimental/ extreme metal, and electro-industrial metal. More than any of the others, I would say electro-industrial metal describes them the best, but they do fuse the other genres of metal that I just listed with this. Ensoph seems to be a band where you are not just a fan of their music, but of their radical philosophy. They are a well researched band with an elaborate aesthetic persona. The vocal style sounds demonic for the part, sung in a high pitched, black metal-esque tone. At some times, it is more decipherable and is almost sung in a straightforward way. The use of typical metal instruments can be heard, but they are overshadowed by other bizarre techno sounds. The band is talented, and I really appreciated seeing the use of unconventional instruments and sounds. During listening to this album, I couldn't help but think that it could easily be used as a soundtrack for some kind of sci-fi, adventure movie. A song that I'd recommend to check them out with is, "Dance High & Shine, Shiva!" This should give you an idea of what the band is all about. - Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@comcast.net)
BILL LEVERTY - DEEP SOUTH (A-) Leverty Music, 2009 10 tracks, RT: 44:59 [ http://www.leverty.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/billleverty ] [ http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Leverty/1736764379 ] [ http://www.reverbnation.com/billleverty ] [ http://www.twitter.com/Leverty ] The FireHouse guitarist returns with solo album #3, and takes 2007's all-instrumental SOUTHERN EXPOSURE several steps further. DEEP SOUTH is a true "back to the roots" album in every sense of the term -- Leverty presents his takes on some very old, traditional songs that are part of his family's southern U.S. heritage. Leverty proves to be quite the man of 1,000 faces as he does damn near EVERYTHING here; all the technical chores are his, and all the musical chores except one bit of guest harmonica and some female vocals are his, too. So this is truly a "solo" album as well. And to further show how personal this album is, those female vocals come courtesy of his wife, Kristina, and the artwork pieces are reproductions of wood cut / blockprints done by his grandfather, William G. Leverty. All of this is truly amazing, yes, but what about the music? The album is a heady mix of blues, southern rock, country, bluegrass, funk, and straight-up rock, and it sports all manner of instruments such as a guitarelele, accordian, banjo, dobro, piano, lap steel guitar, and mandolin. The crazy thing is Leverty is truly adept at all of this -- he's not just doinking around with everything in the closet for vanity's sake. The most "rocklike" songs would have to be the excellent "Boll Weevil" (whose first 90 seconds are so ominous and downright cool that I have to declare it my song of the year so far; I wish Queensryche was still this interesting), the percussion-driven "Samson And Delilah," the combo funk/blues number "Trouble So Hard," and the foreboding "Wade In The Water." But by no means should you overlook the more diverse tracks. "Hit The Road Jack" (complete with Mrs. Leverty and some killer guitar and piano from Bill) is jazzy fun; "Man Of Constant Sorrow" is a swampy jam; "Nine Hundred Miles" has some great guitar hero moments over an acoustic/electric ramblin' tune; and the acoustic "Walk Beside Me" (a contemporary track) and "Rain And Snow" showcase unique vibes and atmosphere. If you're looking for heartfelt, nonstandard solo album from an accomplished guitarist, then road trip into the DEEP SOUTH. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
TED NUGENT - MOTOR CITY MAYHEM (DVD) (A-) Eagle Vision, 2009 RT: 2:05:23 TED NUGENT - MOTOR CITY MAYHEM (B+) Eagle Records, 2009 Disc 1: 11 tracks, RT: 43:11 Disc 2: 12 tracks, RT: 1:04:14 [ http://www.tednugent.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/tednugent ] [ http://www.eaglerockent.com/ ] Hey, wow, ANOTHER live set from Ted Nugent. But before you roll your eyes you need to realize this one commemorates a special gig: Terrible Ted's 6,000th show, which took place July 4, 2008. Whether you dig the Nuge or not, you have to give the man his props, as that is quite an accomplishment. The set list is the same on both the two-CD and DVD versions, with some of the onstage banter edited out for the CD: "Ted Nugent Intro," "The Star-Spangled Banner," "Motor City Madhouse," "Wango Tango," "Free For All," "Stormtroopin'," "Dog Eat Dog," "Need You Bad," "Weekend Warrior," "Love Grenade," "Honky Tonk," "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang," "Bo Diddley/Lay With Me," "Baby Please Don't Go," "Geronimo And Me," "Jenny Take A Ride," "Soul Man," "Hey Baby," "Cat Scratch Fever," "Stranglehold," "Great White Buffalo," "Fred Bear," "Outro." As you can see, this is a nice mix of '70s Nuge classics, early Amboy Dukes stuff, some choice covers, and a few newer tracks right on up to 2007's LOVE GRENADE. The show is at an outdoor venue; the stage is adorned with guns, a big LOVE GRENADE prop, cattle skulls, flags, etc., and a very cool "Ted as Uncle Sam"-style backdrop banner. Everything starts off with Ted, surrounded by members of the military, being presented with a giant cake onstage, and -- surprise! -- a bikini babe jumps out and grinds while he salutes the U.S.A. with his rendition of the national anthem. Overall the show is very enjoyable, with copious amounts of bluesy jamming, and Ted's backing band of bassist Greg Smith and drummer Wild Mick Brown is top-notch. (Smith does a great job singing "Need You Bad," by the way.) But the highlights are definitely the educational cover songs and the guest appearances. Ted brings out his very first guitar teacher, Joe Podorsek, to trade licks on "Honky Tonk" (you'll immediately recognize it when you hear it) and the moment somehow manages to simultaneously be very tender and very rock 'n' roll. The "Bo Diddley/Lay With Me" medley is basically Ted's solo; it features a brief sing-along, then various blues riffs where he name-checks every guy named King who's ever played the blues, and then launches into "Lay With Me." "Baby Please Don't Go" and "Geronimo And Me" pretty much blend right into the medley and the whole affair extends into a full-band solo section; very cool. Brown steps aside during "Jenny Take A Ride" so that Mitch Ryder & The Detroit Wheels drummer Johnny "Bee" Badanjek can jam with Ted; very cool and very classy. But the top highlight for me is when once and future(?) sideman Derek St. Holmes joins the band for the trifecta of "Hey Baby," "Cat Scratch Fever," and "Stranglehold" to great effect. Man, the harmony guitars from Nugent and St. Holmes in "Stranglehold" are spot-on. (While I do appreciate Nugent soldiering on as a power trio, I've long maintained he needs that additional guitarist/singer to give his songs that extra live kick.) The encore consists of a rousing "Great White Buffalo" (complete with Ted in a headdress, shooting a flaming arrow through a big white guitar) and "Fred Bear," Nugent's touching tribute to a fallen friend. The closing credits roll over footage of fireworks and the recent re-recording of the Amboy Dukes' "Journey To The Center Of Your Mind." Great stuff all the way around, with the only quibbles being 1) a lack of DVD bonus features and 2) the crazy vocal ad libs get a little distracting. I know that sounds like blasphemy -- Nugent's always been a hilarious fast-talker live, and "Soul Man" has a funny part about BBQs, but man... Just try and count the number of times he says "spirit," "freedom," "celebrate," and "Independence Day" over and over and over... I swear it's on par with hearing "metal," "power," and "die" at a Manowar concert. Ah well, no matter. Pick this up in time for your own backyard BBQ this weekend -- light off some fireworks and jam with Uncle Ted this 4th. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
SAGA - THE HUMAN CONDITION (B+) InsideOut Music, 2009 9 tracks, RT: 47:14 [ http://www.sagaontour.ca/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/sagaca ] [ http://www.insideout.de/ ] [ http://www.insideoutmusic.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/insideoutamerica ] [ http://www.myspace.com/spvusa ] You've got to commend Saga, after the departure of celebrated vocalist Michael Sadler they would have been justified in calling it a day, but they've opted to move ahead with new vocalist Rob Moratti to release the surprisingly strong THE HUMAN CONDITION. The title track starts things off in fine form, the band quick to show they're still in possession of the chops that made them a household name for progressive rock fans during the late '70s/early '80s. Saga have always utilized keyboards as a big part of their signature sound, their ethereal foundation often breaking to mirror the guitarist in thrilling fashion -- well, longtime fans will be happy to know that this aspect has remained constant, along with the flashy but tasteful guitar work, engaging bass playing and solid, captivating drumming; what fans may not be prepared for is the difference Moratti makes to the overall sound of Saga, for make no mistake about it, the vocal aspect here is completely different to what Sadler brought to the party. Moratti is a very good vocalist, for sure, but his style will almost certainly bring to mind Journey, Styx and latter day Yes, smooth and assured on cuts such as the vital "Step Inside," spirited "Let It Go," and the rockin' "Crown Of Thorns." The whole band really gels on the classic sounding "A Number And A Name," probably the closest thing on here to traditional Saga. A few of the tracks kind of meander into pedestrian territory but there's nothing here to embarrass. In summary, a well produced album of quite enjoyable tracks, Saga's hard rock side more prevalent, with a new singer who brings a decidedly different atmosphere to the proceedings but somehow makes it work. Definitely worth checking out. - Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)
JOHN TAGLIERI - LIVES (B+) Leap Dog Music/danaCreative, 2009 8 tracks, RT: 25:35 [ http://www.JohnTaglieri.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/johntaglierimusic ] [ http://www.facebook.com/people/John_Taglieri/508614900 ] [ http://www.reverbnation.com/johntaglieri ] [ http://www.TheLivesProject.com/ ] [ http://www.leapdogmusic.com/ ] [ http://www.danacreative.com/ ] Singer/guitarist/mastermind John Taglieri and guitarist Brad Whitley have quite the project going on here. LIVES is the first installment of the "Lives Project," a storyline that's expected to include four six-song E.P.s, accompanying/complementing books/graphic novels, and online presences for the two main characters. Pretty ambitious, no? Well, if this first volume is any indication I believe the guys are up to the task. Shave off two minutes' worth of "carnival barker" intros and outros, and this release is comprised of six nice, concise power pop/rock tracks. On the rockier, more up-beat side, "Ferris Wheel" comes off like a bouncy, glammy mix of Cheap Trick and the Beatles; "Breathe" is 100% catchy modern pop; and "Make A Mistake With Me" is an aw-shucks, happy-go-lucky bounder that will put a smile on your face, guaranteed. On the other hand, "The Lives Of Splattered Flies" has some sweet moments and strikes me as a more serious, non-goofy Green Day song; "With You I Want To Be" (I think Yoda wrote this one) is an intriguing, stringed, full-band ballad with a Queen-like climax; and the bittersweet "Farewell" is like good ol' Billy Joel beer-waving song that says "good-bye...for now?" Good stuff all the way around, musically, except sometimes it seems the drums are mixed too loud. As far as the book is concerned, I must admit up front that when I do read it's usually sci-fi or fantasy, so contemporary relationship stories aren't exactly in my wheelhouse, so to speak. But I found the near 80-page story (written by Gil Gonzalez) to be breezy, engaging, and entertaining, if a bit heavy on the exposition in the first two chapters where we meet Max and Cate. The former is a bartender who was raised by a hard-ass military man, and the latter is a carefree artist with a number of bad relationships under her belt. They meet by chance and agree to travel cross-country, from the East Coast to San Diego; along they way they fall in love, hit some bumps in the proverbial road, and...I can't give it away now can I? There are some funny and poignant exchanges between the two characters, an in-joke about a Taglieri live show, a Simon Cowell name-drop, and some serious product placement for Apple. (Like they need it.) Taglieri, Whitley, and Gonzalez do a great job of keeping the six main songs and the book's six chapters -- all named alike -- aligned. Regarding the "extras" like the Web site and characters online, regrettably I haven't had time to investigate all that. If you're curious keep an eye out for "MrLuckyMax" and "CateTries" on MySpace, Facebook, Twitter, and Blogspot. The remaining installments of the project are due in October, April 2010, and October 2010. Give LIVES a shot -- you might get hooked. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
* *** FEEDBACK *** * 1. From: jeffwalsh@aol.com (Jeff Walsh) Re: Chickenfoot CD
Hey Tim, I have left mine both in the sun and even on my laptop and in both cases the artwork shifted from the heat sensitive to completely viewable and was stuck in that state... until... I put it in my freezer for about 2 minutes. Then it went black, again.... so, maybe that will work in your case too. I am not sure if there is some prolonged level of exposure that changes it... or if it loses the heat sensitivity either over time or over various extreme exposures.
Good luck.
[The freezer?! That's awesome. Thanks for the tip. I ended up just taking my CD inside the house and after a couple hours the "none more black" front and back cover had basically returned. I probably should've put it in the freezer though -- just to see what my wife would say. :) - Tim]
* *** OUT *** *
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04 Jul 09 Saturday
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Category: Music
* *** LET IT BE KNOWN *** * -Happy July. Let's start it off with a bonanza of album reviews, eh? - Tim
* *** PRESS RELEASE #1 *** * -Kiss To Headline New Orleans Voodoo Experience!
Special Price On A Three-Day Pass Available To The Kiss Army!
Attention Kiss Army!
Kiss, one of the most influential and successful rock and roll bands of all-time, will anchor this year's Voodoo Experience!
More than 150 artists are confirmed for this year's Voodoo Experience, Friday, October 30, Saturday, October 31 and Sunday, November 1. The 11th annual Voodoo Experience -- and the third to coincide exactly with Halloween -- will once again celebrate music, as well as New Orleans' bohemian culture, arts and cuisine.
Kiss Army fan club members receive a special discount price on the three-day pass for Voodoo Experience!
The special Price is avaialable from Friday @ 10 a.m. - Monday @ 5 p.m. (local venue time). Kiss Army fan club members will find a special code after logging in to the tour page: http://www.kissontour.com/
If you have not renewed your Kiss Army membership and you want access to presale tickets, now is your chance!
Click http://www.kissontour.com/service.php?module=subscribe_step_one to renew your Kiss Army membership and get this exclusive, Kiss Army fan club T-shirt!
For only $35, Kiss Army members will get all of the following:
o EXCLUSIVE Kiss Army Fan Club T-shirt o $10 coupon to the Kiss Online Shop o 10% discount and members-only merchandise from the Kiss Online Shop o Presale access to Kiss concert tickets and VIP packages before the public on-sale o Members-only portion of KISSOnline.com
IMPORTANT: Members will first have to log in to the site and will be redirected to complete the renewal purchase once logged in. If your membership expires in more than 30 days, you will not be directed to the renewal purchase page.
Stay tuned to KISSOnline.com for all the latest updates.
* *** PRESS RELEASE #2 *** * -Magic Circle Music Update
Ultimate Tour Passes Not Available For Show In Romania
Due to logistical reasons, the previously announced Ultimate Tour Pass will not be available for the Manowar show in Romania. We apologize for any inconvenience. Regardless, we hope to see you at B'estfest Aftershock in Bucharest where we will rock Romania like it has never been rocked before!
The Loreley: A Festival Site Unlike Any Other In The World
The Loreley Open-Air Theatre lies on a mighty plateau not far from the top of the Loreley rock (133 metres high). It is not only surrounded by myths and legends, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site. Due to its unique natural acoustics and architectural style, it is also one of the most legendary open-air venues anywhere. It was Genesis that started the rock festival tradition in 1976. The years that followed saw all the international icons of pop and rock performing in the theatre. Immortal festivals such as the Bizarre Festival and the Summer Jam premiered at the Loreley. And now the story continues with the Magic Circle Festival 2009.
Travel Information: To The Loreley By Car, Train Or Plane
The legendary Loreley Open-Air Theatre is in St. Goarshausen (postcode: 56346), Germany. Whether you're coming from the north, south, east or west, if you're travelling by car you'll find all the directions and a route planner at the Magic Circle Festival site. If you're travelling by train you should get off at the "Sankt Goarshausen" train station and then take the bus to the festival site. You'll find information on train connections the Magic Circle Festival site at the "Deutsche Bahn" (German Rail). If you want to fly to the Magic Circle Festival, there are four airports within a radius of 150 kilometres: Frankfurt-Hahn, Frankfurt am Main, Cologne-Bonn and Mannheim. You'll find all the information you need at the Magic Circle Festival site.
DEFIANCE By Jack Starr's Burning Starr Now Available On MP3!
DEFIANCE by Jack Starr's Burning Starr is now available for sale online in high-quality, DRM-free, MP3 format only at The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store. The downloadable version of the E.P. will contain the same content as the original CD.
Keep posted to http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/ for more information and look for Jack Starr's Burning Starr at Magic Circle Festival III at the Loreley on the Rhine River on July 18, 2009. For tickets and details visit http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/ .
THE ESSENTIAL SHRED GUITAR COLLECTION By Joe Stump Now Available On MP3!
THE ESSENTIAL SHRED GUITAR COLLECTION by Joe Stump is now available for sale online in high-quality, DRM-free, MP3 format only at The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store. The downloadable version of the E.P. will contain the same content as the original CD.
Keep posted to http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/ for more information and look for Joe Stump on tour with HolyHell and Manowar on the Death To Infidels Tour 2009. For tour dates and details visit http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/ .
The World Reacts To "Father"
The response to "Father" has been phenomenal! The first song released on Manowar's new E.P. THUNDER IN THE SKY was recorded in 16 languages and included as a Bonus CD. As soon as the fans heard their respective languages, the mail started pouring in!
"Hi, my name is Ayten Karasakal from TURKEY. I am 15 years old. I love your BABA/FATHER song. I love MANOWAR so much. You are the greatest. You'll always carry heavy metal's flag. We want to see you in Turkey! Please, please, please, please, please come to Turkey. Thanks for your Turkish song."
"There is no such words, that can express my feelings when I listen to this song in my national language. It was a great idea to record it in so many languages. I think that you gave a feeling of being special to all fans, if not, you gave it to me. Congratulations to Eric for singing in Polish, because it's quite difficult for foreigners to even speak in it. You did very well, Eric! My woman said that she would like to sing this song to her parents on the day of our wedding. I'm sure I'll do it with her cause I sing in band and it would be great to sing it in two voices! hehe... Manowar song on my wedding party. Just thinking about it is making me crazy! HAIL TO YOU ALL!!!" Merin
"I want to thank you for amazing show you did Finland at Provinssi rock. I watched a documentation about the song Father on Finnish fan page of Manowar and you talked about the song and how it touches many with its message. The lyrics truly are touching and compelling, I don't know whether you write your songs from your own experiences or not, but the song is really profound. To me this song is important because I'm not that close to my father and the lyrics don't really reflect the relationship between me and my father, but Eric's voice and the sound of this track makes me feel content that I even have a father. I want to say you that your songs touch me deeply and help me carry on."
"Hail from Romania! My name is Mihai Popescu , I am 16 years old. You are the truly kings of metal. This song, Father [TATA], WOW it's... like I don't know how to say, but my grandfather has listened to it and he loves this song, and he doesn't listen to metal. He lost his father in WW2. Anyway... you are the first band doing this...and this is absolutely awsome."
"Father" is available at all festivals on the "Death To Infidels Tour 2009" recorded in German, Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Norwegian, Spanish, French, Greek, Turkish, Polish, Japanese, Croatian, Portuguese and Finnish. Along with THUNDER IN THE SKY the new E.P. It is also available for sale online in high-quality, DMR- free, MP3 format only at The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store. The downloadable version of the E.P. contains the exact same content as the version on sale during the tour: "Thunder In The Sky," "God Or Man," "Let The Gods Decide," "Father," "Die With Honor," "The Crown And The Ring" (2008) and 16 versions of "Father."
Watch the "Father" video here. Be sure to share it with yours! Hail and Kill! http://www.youtube.com/watch--Q-v--E-3sXSEPSppDQ
Manowar http://www.manowar.com/
Magic Circle Festival http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/
Magic Circle Music http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/
Kingdom Of Steel Online Store http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #3 *** * -"Rocknation TV" Interviews Deep Purple's Steve Morse
West coast VJ Jeffrey Easton got this exclusive interview with Steve Morse for "Rocknation."
The interview can be previewed online at http://www.rocknation.us/ and featured on Episode 46.
"Rocknation TV"
"Rocknation TV" is a weekly 30-minute metal program featuring videos such as Halford, Devil Driver, Lamb Of God, Jetboy, Megadeth & more. The TV show is online and aired nationwide on Time Warner, Comcast, Service Electric and Charter Communications. Some of the cities airing the show include Manhattan-NY, Houston-TX, Anaheim-CA, Chicago-IL, Austin-TX, Denver-CO, Atlanta-GA, Cleveland-OH, Dallas-TX and Sacramento-CA.
"Rocknation TV" has had exclusive TV interviews with Judas Priest, Buckcherry, Heaven & Hell, Testament, Deep Purple, Story Of The Year, MXPX, Dream Theater and more.
For more info, check out the "Rocknation TV" Web site http://www.rocknation.us/ or http://www.myspace.com/rocknationtv .
* *** PRESS RELEASE #4 *** * -Paul Gilbert Hits The Charts With New Release UNITED STATES
UNITED STATES Out Now On Mascot Records U.S.A.
HOLLYWOOD, CA -- UNITED STATES is the first collaboration of Paul Gilbert and Freddie Nelson. The album features 10 new songs which they wrote, performed, and produced together in the summer of 2008. As the new album gets rave reviews UNITED STATES takes a hold of the airwaves this week nation-wide!
Week 1 on the radio and Gilbert's adds and spins are coming in strong:
CMJ Loud Rock 18 total adds
FMQB Metal Detector #7 Most Added w/26 adds Debut #67 on the charts w/30 spins!
Commercial Specialty KFLY Eugene, OR KFTE Lafayette, LA KMKF Manhattan, KS KZZE Medford, OR Rebel Radio Northbrook, IL WBYR Ft. Wayne, IN WCHZ Augusta, GA WEDG Buffalo, NY WHEB Portsmouth, NH WKGB Binghamton, NY WKLL/WKRL Waterville, NY WOBX Nags Head, NC WPUP Bethlehem, GA WVBR Interlaken, NY
College / Community KNON Dallas, TX KSJS San Jose, CA KZSC Santa Cruz, CA WBGU Bowling Green, OH WEOS Waterloo, NY WMPG Portland, ME WNHU West Haven, CT WXOU Rochester Hills, MI
Paul Gilbert began his career with the legendary shred-metal band Racer X in 1986. Since then, his guitar playing has brought him number one hits with the band Mr. Big, and a devoted following of guitar and music lovers all over the world. Gilbert's recent foray into instrumental guitar music brought him even more attention, and has resulted in extensive touring with Joe Satriani's "G3" tour in North America and over 100 shows as a headliner in Europe, Japan, and South America.
UNITED STATES is one Paul Gilbert album you must add to your collection.
Track listing: 1. The Last Rock'n Roll Star 2. Hideway 3. Waste Of Time 4. Bad Times Good 5. Paris Hilton Look-alike 6. The Answer 7. I'm Free 8. Pulsar 9. Girl From Omaha 10. I'm Not Addicted
For more information go to http://www.paulgilbert.com/ or http://www.mascotrecordsusa.com/ .
* *** PRESS RELEASE #5 *** * -Napalm Records News
Saltatio Mortis: Orkus Cover Story & New Video Clip
The latest issue of Orkus offers fans of the gleemen (and those who would like to join their ranks) an exclusive look behind the scenes. The focus of the in-depth cover story is of course the upcoming album WER WIND SAT..., which will be released on August 28. However, it is a known fact that Saltatio Mortis never rest on their laurels and thus are already providing the finishing touches to their newest video, the album opener "Ebenbild." Fans will not have to wait much longer, as the video will go online in merely seven days. The countdown has begun and the gleemen will soon rock the Middle Ages!
http://www.saltatio-mortis.com/ http://www.myspace.com/mittelalterpunk
Alestorm: New Video
Scottish bucaneers and chartbreakers (number 60 in the German LP charts and 14 and 17 in the British Independent Album Charts and Rock/ Metal Charts respectively) have finished filming their brand new video. The new band anthem "Keelhauled" was transferred successfully to the visual medium and offers fans a one-of-a-kind pirate adventure including just the right amount of rum, gold and of course, Nancy the Tavern Wench. Privateers and landlubbers may watch the clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ta-Z_psXODw .
http://www.myspace.com/alestorm
Draconian: Israel Clip
The Swedish Doom/Gothic metal band brought a special video document from their recent trip to Israel. The clip to "Bloodflower" -- the brightest jewel on their latest album TURNING SEASON WITHIN -- captures the unique atmosphere of these special gigs. Fans may watch the clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YOe7uvm-kp4 .
http://www.draconian.se/ http://www.myspace.com/draconianmusic
Upcoming Releases: July Ahab CD - THE DIVINITY OF OCEANS - Nautik Funeral Doom Metal - 24.07.2009 Syrach CD - A DARK BURIAL - Doom Metal - 24.07.2009 Leaves' Eyes MCD - MY DESTINY - Gothic Metal - 24.07.2009
August Saltatio Mortis CD+DVD - WER WIND SAT... - Medieval Rock - 28.08.2009 Leaves' Eyes CD - NJORD - Gothic Metal - 28.08.2009
http://www.napalmrecords.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #6 *** * -Executive Producer Jesse James Dupree Develops New TV Show, "Full Throttle Saloon"
[Note: Two very similar press releases came out back-to-back, so here they both are. - Tim]
Following the success of the Emmy-nominated hit MTV show, "Two-A- Days," executive producer Jesse James Dupree of Mighty Loud Entertainment, has partnered with Arnold Rifkin of Cheyenne ("Die Hard," "Armageddon") and A. Smith & Co ("Hell's Kitchen," "I Survived A Japanese Gameshow") and has just placed his next show with the Tru Television Network. Based on the world's largest biker bar in Sturgis, South Dakota, the show follows bar owner Mike Ballard through the rally, and what it takes to run the Full Throttle Saloon. Ballard manages over 300 employees (100 of which are quite voluptuous bartenders) -- all the while having only nine days to generate millions of dollars. Jesse describes the show as, "'The Deadliest Catch' meets 'Coyote Ugly' on steroids. Everyone should show up to the Full Throttle Saloon this year and be a part of our new show." "Full Throttle Saloon" will air mid-summer.
In addition to Executive-producing cable television shows, JJD has produced three Pay-Per-Views and the "Dirt Poor Comedy" show. He also runs Mighty Loud, which is a full-service entertainment company, that produces television shows, band management, and a record label distributed through Universal / Fontana. Jesse is also the General Manager of Kiefer Sutherland and Jude Cole's label, Ironworks (Billy Boy On Poison, Rocco Deluca & The Burden, and honeyhoney). In 2008, Jesse James Beer was launched, which is currently available in Kansas, Missouri, and South Dakota, while JJD released a solo album REV IT UP AND GO-GO, as Jesse James Dupree & Dixie Inc. In addition to all of the above, JJD remains the front man of the rock group Jackyl, that continues to perform more than 50 shows a year headlining festivals across the country. Jackyl has sold more than three million albums and is currently planning on releasing a new album at the end of the summer. Jackyl holds the Guinness World Record for 100 shows in 50 days. Jesse James Dupree is an executive producer, rock star, entrepreneur, record label exec, and all around hardest working man in show business.
Mike Ballard's Full Throttle Saloon To Be Featured In New TV Show
Mike Ballard, owner of the world's largest biker bar, has partnered with Jesse James Dupree (Mighty Loud), Arnold Rifkin (Cheyenne), and A. Smith & Co. ("Hell's Kitchen," "I Survived A Japanese Gameshow") to solidify a new TV show, "Full Throttle Saloon," that will soon air on the Tru Network. The show centers around Mike Ballard and what it takes to run the world's largest biker bar -- managing 300 employees, including 100 voluptuous bartenders, over nine days to make as much money as possible. When roughly 700,000 bikers descend upon Sturgis for the annual rally week, things are bound to get interesting! "I'm so proud to be working with the Tru Network," says Ballard. "It's been a long time coming. Jesse Dupree and I have worked day and night to land a show for the last seven years. We both knew I had built something golden, and Jesse had seen it the first time he played the Full Throttle Saloon. I have put everything on the line multiple times to keep growing the Full Throttle Saloon brand. I've rolled the dice every year and I've been lucky so far -- but you never know what tomorrow will bring."
"I'm ready for everyone to see what it's like to run the world's largest biker bar, Full Throttle Saloon," adds Ballard. "I would like to give you something to compare it to but it doesn't exist. With that being said you will have to tune into TruTV this fall and watch the series. "My hat's off to TruTV for having the foresight to film the Full Throttle Saloon in action, and bringing us into your living room or bedroom."
Shot last year, the second cycle of "Full Throttle Saloon" will be filmed at the 2009 Sturgis Rally this August. Look for the first airing to hit late summer. For more information about the Full Throttle Saloon, visit http://www.fullthrottlesaloon.com/ .
* *** PRESS RELEASE #7 *** * -Z Records News
Marseille Confirmed For Z Rock 2010
It is with great pleasure that Z can announce that Liverpool's very own Marseille are the latest addition to Z Rock 2010 on May 8th next year. The addition of Marseille is one that will hopefully make more people realise that the band should have been huge and at the forefront of the Hard Rock scene revival back in the late '70s and early '80s; sadly that was not meant to be due to factors beyond the band's control. Marseille are currently recording a new album for release circa the time of Z Rock 2010 so watch this space for more info.
Promoter and fellow scouser Mark Alger commented "I saw the band live many many times during the late '70s and the debut for me had the same impact that Def Leppard's HIGH 'N' DRY had during the early '80s. They were melodic, had the riffs and dare I say an attitude that many other English acts lacked at that time, they should have been simply huge. They got me through my o'levels lol and people really will still be impressed with material such as 'Armed And Ready,' etc. It will be a great performance for sure."
Neil Buchanan and Steve Dinwoodie of Marseille chatted with Paul Anthony of 106.1 Rock Radio Manchester about the recent reformation of the band that were actually right at the forefront of the NWOBHM scene until the untimely demise of their label, whilst the band were touring the U.S.A. in 1980. Check it out for yourself at http://www.rockradio.co.uk/ .
Lineup for the event now stands as follows.....
May 7th: VON GROOVE, EDEN May 8th: THE STORM, STEVE AUGERI, ARABIA, MARSEILLE
venue: JB's Dudley
Further acts will be announced shortly.
Those still wishing to take advantage of the special offer to Z Rock 09 attendees only are reminded that the ticket discount is only available for a few more weeks at which point tickets will revert to full price and general sale on July 17th. For details email zrockagency@zrecords.net or visit http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest .
Z Searches For Radio/Club/Internet Contacts
We are currently upgrading our radio mailing list, club promo list, etc. If you are a presenter, journalist or DJ and would like to receive promos please contact us now at zrockrecords@btinternet.com. You should include Web site details, club verification or Web site/ magazine details with your application.
Join Z On MySpace And Facebook
If you're a member of MySpace or Facebook you can keep right up to date with everything by adding us to your friends.
On MySpace go to http://www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk or Facebook search Z ROCK FEST in groups.
We look forward to hearing from you.
House Of Lords / Eden U.K. Tour Rescheduled
The House Of Lords and Eden U.K. tour scheduled in September has been put back slighty. Tickets already purchased for the September shows are still valid.
October 31: JB'S, DUDLEY November 1: THE CAVERN, LIVERPOOL
[Tickets on sale at X Records, Bolton / Music 90, Wigan / Probe, Liverpool / Action Records, Preston / and the Cavern Club, Liverpool.]
http://www.zrecords.net/ http://www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest
* *** PRESS RELEASE #8 *** * -3 Inches Of Blood Announce HERE WAITS THY DOOM Official Track Listing; Comment On Cover Track Selections
The world is eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of one of the biggest defenders of traditional heavy metal, 3 Inches Of Blood, and the anticipation continues to build to epic proportions. The stunning new album, HERE WAITS THY DOOM, was tracked in Seattle's Sound House Recordings with renowned producer Jack Endino (High On Fire) and is soon to be hailed as the gospel of all things heavy. The album's official track listing is below along with some very interesting covers that span the hard rock spectrum and will be appearing as B- sides and/or bonus tracks for the upcoming release.
HERE WAITS THY DOOM is set for a Sept. 8th release and stay tuned to the bands official MySpace page (below) for all tour dates, videos and current news.
Track listing - HERE WAITS THY DOOM 1. Battles And Brotherhood 2. Rock In Hell 3. Silent Killer 4. Fierce Defender 5. Preachers Daughter 6. Call Of The Hammer 7. Snake Fighter 8. At The Foot Of The Great Glacier 9. All Of Them Witches 10. 12:34 11. Execution Tank
Covers: *Not Fragile (Bachman-Turner Overdrive) *Cities On Flame (Blue Oyster Cult) *Daytona (Zeke)
Cam Pipes (vocals) further explains the band's decision process when picking out what songs to pay homage to: "We decided to cover 'Not Fragile' by Bachman-Turner Overdrive because they're a Canadian band and we wanted to represent our Canadian musical roots. BTO had many hits, but we wanted to do a deeper cut from their catalog plus 'Not Fragile' has a heavy driving riff at the core of the song which we felt translated well with our style.
"Blue Oyster Cult's 'Cities On Flame With Rock And Roll' is a song that our guitarist Justin had played the main riff to at soundcheck for a few years now and I guess it just got stuck in our heads, so we decided to learn it and record it. We've also been friends with Zeke for many years and 'Daytona' has always been a favorite Zeke song of ours. It's another one we've loosely jammed out in the rehearsal space and soundchecks before. It's a rare, slow Zeke song, which is good because we'd probably butcher one of their fast songs."
Shane Clark (guitars) states: "Our new album is finished and we've named it HERE WAITS THY DOOM. Much like our last record it is a step beyond the album that precedes it. We've again taken what we do a step further and not made FIRE UP THE BLADES PART 2, we've stuck to our formula -- no formula. We are true metal fans and we've made an unapologetic metal record. I think this our most focused record to date, from writing all the way to mixing there was no unnecessary drama or too many cooks in the kitchen. This is 3 Inches Of Blood at its most punishing, epic and mighty."
http://www.3inchesofblood.com/ http://www.myspace.com/3iob
* *** PRESS RELEASE #9 *** * -Digital Exclusive "Best Of" Comps From... Lacuna Coil, Nevemore, Sentenced, Arch Enemy & Dark Tranquillity!
Century Media's metal brigade has unleashed havoc via iTunes (and other online services) with digital releases of your favorite bands including Italy's alternative rock band Lacuna Coil, Seattle's Nevermore, Finland's Sentenced (R.I.P.), as well as Sweden's Arch Enemy and Dark Tranquillity.
Keep it cranking with these individual albums from the "Manifesto" collection that include a compilation of Century Media releases and are available to purchase online. What better way to complete your collection than these "best of" releases, suited to scratch that metal itch? Check out the Digital Compilations on iTunes!
*Manifesto of Lacuna Coil *Manifesto of Nevermore *Manifesto of Sentenced *Manifesto of Arch Enemy *Manifesto of Dark Tranquillity
* *** PRESS RELEASE #10 *** * -Available Now! In This Moment's THE DREAM (Ultra Violet Edition); Snap Photos Of The Band On Warped Tour!
Just a few days after their Warped Tour kick off show in Pomona, California comes the release of the Ultra Violet Edition of In This Moment's glorious album THE DREAM. The new edition features their new Active Rock hit single "Call Me," plus the B-sides "A Dying Star," and "Sail Away" along with an instrumental version of "Call Me" and "Forever"!
If you head over to Warped Tour this summer, be sure to catch In This Moment and snap a few pictures while you're at it. Share all your photos with other ITM fans by uploading them to In This Moment's group album on photobucket.com:
http://www.photobucket.com/inthismoment
The eye-popping new video for the track "Call Me" was shot in London by up-and-coming director Nathan Theys of Link Productions, which we think showcases the band in a whole new light. To watch the video for yourself, check out In This Moment on MySpace by clicking below!
http://www.myspace.com/inthismoment
* *** PRESS RELEASE #11 *** * -Delain Album Released In North America
The much anticipated second album from Delain is finally here! Originally conceived by ex-Within Temptation keyboardist Martijn Westerholt as an all-star studio project, the success of the debut album LUCIDITY tipped his hand and Delain evolved into a full blown active band. With Charlotte Wessels on vocals, Ronald Landa on guitar and grunt vocals, Sun Caged bassist Rob Vander Loo, and Sander Zoer on drums, Delain took Europe by storm. The band initially opened for many acts including sister band Within Temptation, and performed at numerous festivals. Ultimately they became a headliner in their own right. With that behind them they went into the studio to create their sophomore opus, APRIL RAIN.
Martijn Westholt is clearly at the helm -- the epic symphonic sounds that he brought to Within Temptation and Delain's debut are obvious. There are differences though...engineer Jacob Hansen's mix slams with immediacy and crunch. With all the band members now contributing, a clear style has been defined. APRIL RAIN also benefits from the guest performances of Nightwish bassist Marco Hietala who sings male vocals on two tracks, as well as world renowned cellist Maria Ahn.
The comparisons to Within Temptation and Nightwish will continue but it's evident that Delain has come up with a sound that stands on its own. APRIL RAIN is THE symphonic gothic metal album of 2009. The album debuted on the Dutch Top 100 album charts at #14, and at #1 on the Dutch Alternative Charts. The band just completed a tour as direct support for Kamelot, which was immediately followed by their European headlining tour. Licensed from Roadrunner Records, who released the album in Europe and Japan, we are able to offer a digi-pak edition, with the exclusive bonus track "Come Closer."
More news to be announced soon...
http://www.delain.nl/ http://www.myspace.com/delainmusic http://www.lasersedgegroup.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #12 *** * -Stormental Presents Heavy Metal With Contemporary Music On New Video Clip
Brazilian metallers Stormental launched a video clip for "In Front Of You," the first single of their forthcoming CD/DVD, which shall be released between September and October. The album is a soundtrack made for "Perception Of The Other" show, created in a partnership with Siedler Cia. de Dança de Florianópolis (Siedler dance company), mixing heavy metal and contemporary music, which won FUNARTE's Klaus Vianna award.
According to the band, "'Perception Of The Other' is based in human perceptions and 'In Front Of You' is about searching distance places, which, sometimes, are just in front of you."
Stormental http://www.stormental.com.br/ http://www.myspace.com/stormental
* *** PRESS RELEASE #13 *** * -D.O.A To Release THE MEN OF ACTION 30th Anniversary DVD
Classic footage of the band's 30-year career is packaged with their new album NORTHERN AVENGER, and 12-page photo booklet
Sudden Death Records ( http://www.suddendeath.com/ ) and MVD Visual ( http://www.mvdvisual.com/ ) are pleased to announce the release of D.O.A's THE MEN OF ACTION 30th Anniversary DVD for worldwide distribution on August 11, 2009.
D.O.A., Canada's legendary punks and the progenitors of hardcore punk, have produced an extraordinary DVD that covers the band's 30 year career. It's an essential collection of songs and punk/activist stories.
The DVD consists of 26 songs, 10 that the band produced storyline videos for and 16 that are live productions. There are two ways to view the DVD: "Chaos Program" features the music videos only, while "Anarchy Program" features Joe Sh*thead Keithley, Canada's godfather of punk, telling the story of D.O.A. and punk in general as the videos play.
The anniversary DVD package also includes as a bonus, D.O.A.'s critically acclaimed new album NORTHERN AVENGER, produced by the legendary Bob Rock. The album has received rave reviews around the world. Also included is a 12-page booklet that includes rare photos of D.O.A. On the DVD itself, included are some hilarious hidden tracks.
Track Listing: "D.O.A.," "Disco Sucks," "World War 3," "New Age," "Get Out Of My Life," "Last Night," "War," "001 Loser's Club," "F*ck You," "I'm Right, You're Wrong," "America The Beautiful," "Liar For Hire," "General Strike," "F*cked Up Ronnie," "Lumberjack City," "Midnight Special," "The Warrior Lives Again," "Let's Wreck The Party," "2+2," "The Prisoner," "Behind The Smile," "Death Machine," "I See Your Cross," "We're Drivin' To Hell N' Back," "Police Brutality," and "Human Bomb"
Hi Res Cover Art http://files.dvdnote.com/images/300dpi/mvdv4893.jpg
Direct Link to Item http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=MVDV4893
In other news, D.O.A. have just released the first video from their new album NORTHERN AVENGER. When D.O.A. leader Joe Keithley was finishing writing the songs for NORTHERN AVENGER, Polish immigrant Robert Dziekanski was unnecessarily tasered five times by the R.C.M.P. at the Vancouver Airport and died as a result of that callous action. The song and the video "Police Brutality" are D.O.A.'s reaction to that brutal act.
"Police Brutality" Music Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ji1M6G4361o&feature=related
The hardcore kings D.O.A. have two short tours this summer. See the men of action in Germany, Holland and California in July and August. At the Force Attack Festival in Rostock, Germany, D.O.A. is one of the headliners at Europe's biggest punk festival. In California, D.O.A. have four great shows lined up on the Warped Tour in late August.
D.O.A. in Europe - Wednesday July 29, Zakk in Duesseldorf, Germany (w/ Dickies, Adolescents, SNFU, + more) - Thursday July 30, The Stage in Arnheim, Netherlands - Saturday August 1, Force Attack in Klingendorf/Rostock, Germany - Friday July 31, NO-OK in Bremen,Germany (w/ Misfit Society & Roughcast) - Sunday August 2, AU in Frankfurt, Germany
D.O.A. in California - Warped Tour Dates - Thursday August 20, Shoreline Amphitheater, Sacramento, CA - Friday August 21, Sleep Train Amphitheater, San Francisco, CA - Saturday August 22, Cricket Amphitheater, San Diego, CA - Sunday August 23, Home Depot Center, Los Angeles, CA
D.O.A. at the Commodore Ballroom (Vancouver, BC) Friday September 26 with SNFU
MVD Entertainment Group PO BOX 280 Oaks PA 19456 http://www.mvdb2b.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #14 *** * -The Black: ALONGSIDE DEATH Full-Length Streaming Now!
Long overdue new album, ALONGSIDE DEATH, from Swedish cult black metallers The Black is now streaming in its entirety here: http://www.myspace.com/pulverisedrecords .
The stream will be active until July 3, 2009. ALONGSIDE DEATH will be available worldwide on July 29, 2009. Featuring eight tracks of unholiness, ALONGSIDE DEATH is the band's first full-length since 1994's THE PRIEST OF SATAN and is an attestation that pure black metal is alive, well and more abhorrent than ever! Featuring members of Tyrant, Eternal Darkness and Vinterland, the long player was recorded, mixed and mastered at Studio Beast in Sweden by Peter Bjärgö (Tyrant, Arcana, Crypt Of Kerberos) with cover artwork and layout by The Black vocalist D.F Bragman.
http://www.myspace.com/officialtheblack
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26 Jun 09 Friday
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Category: Music
* *** PRESS RELEASE #15 *** * -First Egyptian Band To Perform At With Full Force Festival (Germany) -- United We Rock Competition
DUBAI, UAE -- The battle of the bands United We Rock's winner Scarab will be performing at With Full Force festival in Germany on July 5th 2009, as part of their grand prize! The contest reward also included a slot to play live at Dubai Desert Rock Festival earlier this year.
Scarab @ With Full Force
With Full Force is a yearly three-day metal festival held in Leipzig (Germany), whose 16th edition will be held from the 3rd until 5th of July 2009, with over 70 bands, headlined by Motorhead, Sepultura, Soulfly to name a few.
Scarab, from Cairo (Egypt), won the United We Rock online battle of the bands earlier this year, giving them the once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to perform at both Dubai Desert Rock Festival on March 6th and With Full Force early afternoon of Sunday 5th of July.
Formed of a combination of different musical tastes and personalities, Scarab stand as a united musical entity. The music is heavy, powerful, raw and brutal yet melodic, while the lyrical theme is mainly about Spirituality, theories and philosophy in how they perceive the world around them.
Despite the many barriers and financial problems the band has faced, 2008 has been a major leap for the band with the recording of their first full-length album entitled BLINDING THE MASSES, considered a continuation over VALLEY OF THE SANDWALKERS.
"We are very excited to be playing with great bands that have influenced us for years now and defiantly looking to have the German metal fans see, feel our music and agree to it. We have a message of globalizing metal and having a unity regardless of what culture you're from. WFF and CSM granting us the chance to showcase our music is a dream come true. This will mark history in the metal world for us coming from Egypt." - Scarab.
United We Rock and Desert Rock
Continuously witnessing the enormous potential of unknown artists spread across the Middle East, Desert Rock's organizers Center Stage Management (CSM) decided to develop their annual local battle of the bands formerly known as Shamal, into a greater opportunity called United We Rock. The latter would give the chance to unsigned Arab and German bands to perform at both Desert Rock and With Full Force festivals, established in the hard rock capitals of South West Asia and Europe: Dubai and Germany!
The finalists' biographies, photographs, videos and original songs were uploaded online enabling visitors to elect the opening act who will perform at both festivals, an all expenses paid trip to Dubai and Germany.
With Full Force festival http://www.withfullforce.de/
Scarab MySpace http://www.myspace.com/scarabtheband
United We Rock UAE - http://www.unitedwerockbattle.com/ Germany - http://www.united-we-rock.de/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #16 *** * -Static-X Announces Additional Headlining Tour Dates
Pedal To The Metal Tour With Mudvayne And Black Label Society This Summer
HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Static-X announces additional headlining tour dates along with the Pedal To The Metal tour coming your way this summer 2009.
The Pedal To The Metal Tour 2009 will kick off July 24 in Portland, ME, and conclude September 9, in Oklahoma City, OK (see complete itinerary below). Pre-sale tickets were available to all of the bands' fan club members beginning Wednesday, June 10, at 12 p.m. local time at http://www.pedaltothemetaltour.com/ , general public went on sale Friday, June 12, at 10 a.m. local time.
Static-X front man Wayne Static says of the tour: "I'm very picky about who we tour with. I think Static-X slaughter most bands live, and I pride myself in our show -- I refuse to open for a band that I don't think is worthy, so that says a lot about Mudvayne, Zakk Wylde, and this entire package."
TOUR DATES:
July 24 - Portland, ME - Cumberland County Civic Center 25 - Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena 27 - New York, NY - Fillmore * 28 - Reading, PA - Sovereign Center 29 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Center 31 - Big Flats, NY - Tag's Summer Sale
August 01 - Albany, NY - Altamont Fairgrounds 03 - Dayton, OH - Mc Guffy's * 04 - Ft. Wayne, IN - War Memorial Coliseum 05 - Battle Creek, MI - Kellog Arena 06 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop * 07 - Moline, IL - iWireless Coliseum 08 - Rockford, IL - Metro Center 09 - Madison, WI - Willow Island 11 - Topeka, KS - Landon Arena 12 - Mankato, MN - Alltel Center 13 - Sioux Falls, SD - Ramkota * 15 - Little Rock, AR - NS River Water Park 16 - Wichita, KS - KS Coliseum Lot 18 - Boise, ID - Napa Idaho Amphitheatre 19 - Missoula, MT - Ryan Creek Meadows 25 - Eugene, OR - Cubhert Amphitheatre 26 - Reno, NV - Events Center 28 - San Jose, CA - San Jose Civic Center 29 - Bakersfield, CA - Rabobank Arena 31 - Anaheim, CA - HOB *
September 01 - San Diego, CA - Sports Arena 02 - Mesa, AZ - Mesa Amphitheatre 04 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete Street Pavilion 05 - San Antonio, TX - Sunken Gardens 06 - Lubbock, TX - Lonestar Amphitheatre 09 - Oklahoma City, Ok - Zoo Amphitheatre
* - Static X Headline Shows
* *** PRESS RELEASE #17 *** * -Fattooth "Natural Disaster" Tour Takes A Bite! East Coast Canadian Dates Postponed
Kicking off their Natural Disaster tour last week at the NXNE music fest in Toronto, Fattooth were in preparation for a kung pow fury to storm the Canadian East Coast, but due to scheduling conflicts that stretch of the tour has been postponed.
"We're really bummed out to put the eastern leg of the tour on hold, especially since the East Coast fans have been so good to Fattooth," comments Fattooth bassist Buddha.
The tour will continue with the next tour date to begin in Oshawa, Ontario on July 2nd and will see the band continue across North America until the end of August. East Coast Canadian tour dates will be announced upon confirmation.
Fattooth's Upcoming "Natural Disaster" Tour Dates:
June 20, 2009 - NXNE Festival @ The Hideout Toronto, Ontario June 24, 2009 - The A-Chord (postponed) Saint. John, New Brunswick June 26, 2009 - TBA (postponed) TBA June 27, 2009 - TBA (postponed) TBA June 28, 2009 - Coconut Grove (postponed) Halifax, Nova Scotia July 2, 2009 - The Atria Bar and Grill Oshawa, Ontario July 4, 2009 - Katacombes Montreal, Quebec July 8, 2009 - BOGIES Albany, New York July 9, 2009 - The Trash W/ KUNG FURY New York, New York July 10, 2009 - TBA Philladelphia, Pennsylvania July 11, 2009 - MOJO13 W/ Moonshine Mile Wimington, Delaware July 15, 2009 - The MetalShaker Chicago, Illinois July 16, 2009 - Madison Frequency Madison, Wisconsin July 17, 2009 - NorShor W/ Lucyd, Blue Felix Duluth, Minnesota July 18, 2009 - BLACK PIRATES PUB Thunder Bay, Ontario July 21, 2009 - TBA St. Cloud, Minnesota July 23, 2009 - Nestor's Pub Fargo, North Dakota July 24, 2009 - The Viking Gimli, Manitoba July 25, 2009 - The ZOOW/Dreadnaut, Winnipeg, Manitoba July 28, 2009 - North Hill Brandon, Manitoba July 29, 2009 - w/ Dreadnaut Regina, Saskatchewan July 30, 2009 - The Roxy Saskatoon, Saskatchewan July 31, 2009 - TBA Edmonton, Alberta August 1, 2009 - The Stetson Calgary, Alberta August 6, 2009 - The Dirty Jersey Kamloops, British Columbia August 13, 2009 - The Cambie w/ Mendozza Nanaimo, British Columbia August 14, 2009 - Logan's Pub W/ Mendozza Victoria, British Columbia August 15, 2009 - Pub 340 Vancouver, British Columbia August 20, 2009 - The Funhouse Seattle, Washington August 22, 2009 - The Samurai Duck w/Omega Crom Eugene, Oregon
Check Out Fattooth's recent NXNE music fest photos -
"With their randy sense of humour and witty one-liners, Fattooth boast an amusing slice of tongue-in-cheek punk rock 'n' roll heavily influenced by the likes of hardcore, metal and even elements of c*ck rock." - Exclaim!
"These nine tracks become almost a deli platter of variety where one can pick and choose whatever entices them at that moment." - Exclaim!
"The energy and talent coming outta this band is phenomenal... I love the sound" - Snap! Magazine
"You'll be hooked" 4/5 - Shockwave Magazine
"Fattooth brings on a mix of Punk, C*ck Rock and Metal roots that make the sluts rip their shirts off..." - Komodo Rock
Check out Fattooth via their MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/Fattooth
Fattooth Promo Clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jsogvWcEgcc
Fattooth Studio Outtakes - http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=mNLvx9RaMnA
Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Fattooth
* *** PRESS RELEASE #18 *** * -Lightning Swords Of Death To Take Part In Video Game Soundtrack
California black metallers Lightning Swords Of Death were recently invited to take part in the soundtrack to "Undead Knights," a new PlayStation game from leading video game/publisher TECMO. The game was unveiled earlier this month at the illustrious E3 Expo -- the Electronic Entertainment Expo -- an annual trade show for the computer and video games industry.
In "Undead Knights," the player is the anti-hero, battling the wrath of fearless enemies to build the nastiest, most irreverent army possible. Your inherently foul-mouthed army and raging metal soundtrack helps you channel your inner anger. If you can deal with the gut-wrenching, smack-talking, fluid-spitting, and limb amputating ways of your battalion, you can embark on your journey of vengeance to defeat the king!
TECMO sought a supremely evil soundtrack to coincide with the game's morbid concept and thus, Lightning Swords Of Death, along with fellow black metal brigade Valdur, was called upon to do the unholy deed. "'Undead Knights' follows a being from hell as he destroys his enemies and turns them into undead soldier-slaves for his army," reiterated LSOD vocalist Autarch excitedly. "Once the premise of the game was presented to us, it was clear that this rare opportunity provided yet another form of media that could be used to spread our message, without sacrificing the principles and ideology of the band. We also take delight in the idea of children all over the world receiving the glory of our hymns while enslaving the dead." "Undead Knights" will be released this Fall. At press time, the game had not yet been rated by the Entertainment Software Rating Board.
In related news, Lightning Swords Of Death will embark on string of live dates this summer, including a spot on this year's Kansas City Power Metal Fest where LSOD will be the only black metal band on the bill. "Since our inception, we have always felt it necessary to perform this ritual beyond the comfort of Satan-centric gatherings," said Autarch from the confines of his dimly lit abode. "We take great pleasure in spitting bile, cursing upon the uninitiated. It's a feeling that could only be described as jubilation."
LIGHTNING SWORDS OF DEATH Tour Dates 6/28/2009 The Knitting Factory - Los Angeles, California 8/09/2009 Java Lounge - Sacramento, CA 8/11/2009 Club Expose - Salt Lake City, UT 8/14/2009 Kansas City Power Metal Festival with Manilla Road @ The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO 8/17/2009 The Lit Lounge/Precious Metal Night - New York, New York 8/21/2009 Viaduct Theatre - Chicago, IL
http://www.myspace.com/lightningswordsofdeath
* *** PRESS RELEASE #19 *** * -Marduk U.S. Tour Dates Announced!
Following a last minute visa issue that forced the band to sit out Blackenedfest, Swedish black metallers Marduk, their visas securely in hand, have scheduled the following U.S. tour dates with support from Withered and Black Anvil. Said guitarist Morgan Håkansson, "We are excited to finally be over in the states and do these shows after all the problems with the visas. The three shows in August are just the start. We are preparing for a full tour in the winter that will cover all the areas we missed on Blackenedfest. Please join us as we raise the Banner Of The Wolf!"
MARDUK Confirmed Dates: 8/12/2009 Sonar - Baltimore, MD Tickets on sale: http://sonar.thundertix.com/orders/new?performance_id=9462
8/13/2009 Johnny Brenda's - Philadelphia, PA Tickets on sale via: http://www.ticketweb.com/t3/sale/SaleEventDetail?dispatch=loadSelectionData&eventId=1954144
8/15/2009 Gramercy Threatre - New York, NY also w/ Tombs Tickets on sale via: http://www.livenation.com/edp/eventId/409910
Marduk entered Endarker Studios in Norrkoping, Sweden last month to begin recording their eleventh album, due before the end of the year via Regain Records.
http://www.marduk.nu/ http://www.myspace.com/truemarduk http://www.regainrecords.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #20 *** * -Sunn O))) West Coast Tour Aktions Announced
Sunn O))) is pleased to unveil more U.S. tour dates in support of their latest opus MONOLITHS & DIMENSIONS.
Following their previously announced Midwestern U.S. tour beginning next week, the band will devastate the West Coast this August. The tour kicks off in Seattle where Sunn O))) will headline two Southern Lord label showcase events. The first night will be as a duo performing the the SHOSHIN/GRIMMROBE DEMOS in its entirety! They will be joined by label mates The Accused (this show serving as a record release show for the Accused album THE CURSE OF MARTHA SPLATTERHEAD!). An encore Seattle performance follows the next night, this time alongside Southern Lord brethren Earth, Pelican and Eagle Twin. Sunn O))) then surges south along the coast through California and into Utah and Colorado alongside label mates Eagle Twin and The Accused.
Sunn O))): MONOLITHS & DIMENSIONS West Coast 2009 8/05/2009 Neumo's - Seattle, WA w/ The Accused (record release show!), Trap Them, Black Breath 8/06/2009 Neumo's - Seattle, WA w/ Earth, Pelican, Eagle Twin 8/08/2009 Independent - San Francisco, CA w/ The Accused, Eagle Twin 8/09/2009 Historic Brookdale Lodge - Brookdale, CA w/ The Accused, Eagle Twin 8/11/2009 Center for Arts, Eagle Rock - Los Angeles, CA w/ The Accused, Eagle Twin 8/13/2009 Bluebird Theatre - Denver, CO w/ The Accused, Eagle Twin 8/14/2009 Avalon Theatre - Salt Lake City, UT w/ The Accused, Eagle Twin
MAXIMUM VOLUME YIELDS MAXIMUM RESULTS.
http://www.ideologic.org/ http://www.southernlord.com/ http://blog.southernlord.com http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
* *** PRESS RELEASE #21 *** * -Master Tour Update
In less than two weeks, death metal icons Master -- who recently signed with Singapore's Pulverised Records -- will kick off their long-awaited Slaves To Society U.S. tour with support from Ibex Moon recording artists Dreaming Dead and Goreaphobia. The tour kicks off July 2nd at a FREE Tones Of Death-sponsored [ http://www.tonesofdeath.com/ ] show at Fontana's in New York City and will run through 19 cities before winding down on July 31st at the Central Illinois Metalfest in Urbana, IL. Said Master main man Paul Speckmann of the tour, "I am once again looking forward to returning to my home turf and crushing along with Goreaphobia and Dreaming Dead for three incredible weeks of underground metal!"
MASTER Tour Dates 7/02/2009 FREE Tones Of Death Show @ Fontana's - New York, NY (w/o Dreaming Dead)* Just added 7/05/2009 Hostile City Death Fest - Philadelphia, PA [ http://myspace.com/hostilecitydeathfest ] 7/09/2009 Broadway Joe's - Buffalo, NY (Master only) 7/10/2009 Big V - St Paul, MN 7/11/2009 Nite Caps - Chicago, IL 7/12/2009 Mac's Bar - Lansing, MI 7/14/2009 The Muse - Nashville, TM 7/15/2009 Room 710 - Austin, TX 7/16/2009 Schotzi's - College Station, TX 7/17/2009 Walter's - Houston, TX 7/18/2009 The Pit at Josabi's - San Antonio, TX 7/20/2009 The Compound - Albuquerque, NM 7/21/2009 UB's Bar, Mesa, AZ 7/22/2009 The Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, CA 7/23/2009 The Knitting Factory - Hollywood, CA 7/24/2009 Annie's Social Club - San Francisco, CA 7/25/2009 The Cheyenne Saloon - Las Vegas, NV 7/27/2009 Union Station - Colorado Springs, CO 7/28/2009 Knickerbockers - Lincoln, NE 7/29/2009 The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO 7/31/2009 The Canopy Club/CIM 2009 - Urbana, IL [ http://www.myspace.com/centralillinoismetalfest ]
http://www.myspace.com/masterspeckmann http://www.myspace.com/pulverisedrecords
* *** NEWS/RUMORS *** * -Dynazty -- featuring singer Nils Molin, guitarists Rob Love (Zan Clan) and John Berg, bassist Joey Fox, and drummer George Egg -- has BRING THE THUNDER out now on Perris Records. Hype says the band is "for fans of Whitesnake, Skid Row and Shotgun Messiah." The album was recorded in Stockholm, Sweden, with producer Chris Laney (Zan Clan, Animal). See http://www.myspace.com/dynaztyband for more.
-Former "American Idol" contestant Carly Smithson has teamed up with former Evanescence members Ben Moody, Rocky Gray, and John Lecompt, plus Marty O'Brian, in a new group called The Fallen.
-Check out a cool discussion on Jimi Jamison, with a focus on the song "As Is" from his new album CROSSROADS MOMENT, at http://popdose.com/death-by-power-ballad-jimi-jamison-as-is/ .
-Kiss' Gene Simmons has reportedly confirmed Walmart stores will soon have "entire sections" devoted to the band.
-Lillian Axe's SAD DAY ON PLANET EARTH is out now on Blistering Records. Track list: "Cocoon," "Megaslowfade," "Jesus Wept," "Ignite," "The Grand Scale Of Finality," "Sad Day On Planet Earth," "Hibernate," "Within Your Reach," "Down Below The Ocean," "Blood Raining Down On Her Wings," "Cold Day In Hell," "Nocturnal Symphony," "Divine," "Kill Me Again," "Fire, Blood, The Earth And Sea." Hype says the album "packs more dynamics and diversity than many bands do in their entire career." Check out http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=27969 for song clips. See http://www.lillianaxe.com/ live video of "Jesus Wept," and see http://www.myspace.com/lillianaxe for more.
-Manimal's DARKEST ROOM is out now on AFM Records, and is described as "melodic metal with a few progressive influences as a mix of Crimson Glory, Conception and Chroming Rose." Track list: "Shadows," "The Darkest Room," "Living Dead," "I Am," "Ordinary Man," "Human Nature," "Spinegrinder," "Dreamers And Fools," "The Life We Lived." The band consists of vocalist Samuel Nyman, guitarist Henrik Stenroos, bassist Pether Mentzer, and drummer Richard Mentzer. Check out http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=27918 for song clips, and see http://www.manimal.se/ for more.
-Duff McKagan's Loaded is interviewed in the latest issue of Fight Magazine. Check out the online version of the interview now at http://blog.fightmagazine.com/junes-deleted-scene-duff-mckagan-873/ .
-Metallica.com is now selling "To Live Is To Die: The Life And Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton," the biography by Joel McIver. The book features a foreword by guitarist Kirk Hammett, and interviews with Burton's bass teacher Steve Doherty, Exodus' Gary Holt, Metal Blade's Brian Slagel, Burton's guitar tech Chuck Martin, former Metallica fan club manager K.J. Doughton, producer Flemming Rasmussen, Metal Church's John Marshall, Burton's former girlfriend Corinne Lynn, and others. In related news, the third edition of McIver's earlier book, "Justice For All: The Truth About Metallica," is due soon from Omnibus Press.
-Paul Shortino (Rough Cutt, Quiet Riot) has teamed up with guitarist and producer Michael Voss (MSG, Casanova, Silver) for a new album called CHASING MY DAY. Track list: "Remember You," "To The Cross," "Prelude Missing," "Missing," "Nocturnal," "Side FX," "Alone They Ride," "Chasing Your Dream," "Great Dreamer," "Take My Heart And Run," "Promises," "Plan Of Attack" (bonus track). Joining Shortino and Voss are bassists Roland Bergmann (Mad Max) and Michael Mueller (Jaded Heart), lead guitarist Johnny Douglas (K2), and guitarist Ralf Heyne (Doc Heyne, Biss). See http://www.paulshortino.com/ and http://www.metalheaven.net/ for more, and check out MP3 samples at http://www.sleazeroxx.com/news09/0501sho.shtml .
-There's a new Devin Townsend interview at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/7KL2 .
-Voivod's INFINI, the band's last studio album, is out now on Relapse.
Thanks to Bill "DB" Kotowski, Chad Bowar, Music Buy Mail, and HeadbangerNYC.com for help gathering some of this information.
* *** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE *** * by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
-I thought I was way, way beyond done with tribute albums but then of course I found HELL BENT FOREVER - A TRIBUTE TO JUDAS PRIEST from Deadline/Cleopatra. It snuck out last year and I'm surprised I didn't hear about it. The track list: Motorhead - "Breaking The Law," Fozzy - "Metal Gods," Jani Lane - "Electric Eye," Vince Neil - "Desert Plains," Great White - "Diamonds And Rust," Angel City Outlaws - "Heading Out To The Highway," Broken Teeth - "Devil's Child," Warrant (w/ Jaime St. James) - "Hell Bent For Leather," FireHouse - "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," L.A. Guns (Phil Lewis version) - "Living After Midnight," Sin City All-Stars (w/ Lou Merlino and Brent Muscat) - "Turbo Lover," Tim "Ripper" Owens - "Exciter," Sepultura - "Screaming For Vengeance," Icarus Witch - "The Ripper." And dang it if this thing isn't really good! Frankly, what drew me in were the tracks by Great White, FireHouse, Broken Teeth, and L.A. Guns. And, to be totally honest, I had a morbid curiosity concerning Vince Neil. They're all pretty good; "Diamonds And Rust" is the coolest thing Great White has done in a while, Bill Leverty's guitar work stands out in "You've Got Another Thing Comin'," and Broken Teeth sound suitably angry. Elsewhere, Motorhead bashes ahead in typical fashion, Owens has a blast twisting his track around, and Angel City Outlaws turn in a fine performance. The lowlight is definitely the Sepultura song -- the vocals are horrible but I must say, the guitar work almost saves the day. And I don't quite get the inside artwork that depicts a pile of skulls and bones, but...eh...you don't listen to these things for the artwork!
-Further to Stephanie's Sweet live album below, I was looking at the track list recently and I marveled at how many of the band's hits have been covered by other artists. Just off the top of my head, I came up with "Action" by Steve Stevens and Def Leppard, "Love Is Like Oxygen" by Audiovision, "Set Me Free" by Heathen and Vince Neil, and "Ballroom Blitz by Krokus. And I have to assume the bands Sweet F.A. and Wig Wam took their names from Sweet songs. I'm sure there are at least 20 more examples I'm overlooking... That's influence.
-When you read the cool Jimi Jamison article mentioned above, be sure to take the time to click the link for "Frankie Sullivan" in the first paragraph. Somebody's got some strong feelings there.
-I've kinda been on a Ted Nugent kick lately, trying to get a review of his new live set MOTOR CITY MAYHEM done. Man, I'm lame. I had NO IDEA Meat Loaf sang a few of Ted's old songs.
-It's been REALLY hot in the Chicago area this week. I left the Chickenfoot CD in my car for a few days. I hope that nifty cover art with the heat-sensitive ink isn't trashed...
-Going to see Kiss this weekend in Milwaukee. Woo-hoo!
-In my current playlist: Iron Maiden - FLIGHT 666: THE FILM (DVD) (UMe), Ted Nugent - MOTOR CITY MAYHEM (DVD) (Eagle Vision), Magnum - INTO THE VALLEY OF THE MOONKING (SPV/Steamhammer), Crescent Shield - THE STARS OF NEVER SEEN (Cruz Del Sur Music).
* *** REVIEWS *** * ARTAS - THE HEALING (A-) Napalm Records, 2008 13 tracks, RT 50:53 [ http://www.myspace.com/artasmetal ] [ http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords ] Hailing from Austria, Artas is out with their debut album, THE HEALING. They are described simply as "modern metal." Modern they may be, but this is too basic of a description for this powerfully intense band. They've got elements of death metal, some thrash, some groove and even a little bit of hip hop and rap. Not only that, but lyrics are sung in three languages, English, German and Spanish. Artas got their rise to fame by winning the Metalchamp 2007 competition, and subsequently signed with Napalm Records. After listening to THE HEALING, it is easy to see why Artas won that competition. The album opens with a brutal, yet catchy song, "Barbossa." This song sees vocalist Obi using ranges from vicious death metal, to a slightly softer, more decipherable range. The cover song "Gangsta's Paradise" stood out to me as truly unique, not only for this album, but in the world of metal as a whole. It's not often that you hear the lyrics delivered in a rap-like style, but sung in a death metal tone. It's kind of humorous, but they really pull it off well. The song has strong metal overtones. It was my favorite song on the album! The cool thing about this album is that you don't know what to expect next. On the song "Through The Dark Gates," we see a slower pace, only to be launched into metal mode at rocketing speeds. And then the song slows down again, only to ricochet back into a rapid death metal pace. There wasn't a lot of guitar soloing on this album, but I can say that this band is very talented and they know what they're doing. I think that Artas can appeal to all kinds of metalheads, because their style is so eclectic. Instrumentally, their music is expertly executed. This album does not disappoint. Very impressive! - Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@comcast.net)
EARSHOT - THE SILVER LINING (C) InDeGoot Recordings/Fontana, 2008 11 tracks, RT: 42:07 [ http://www.earshotmusic.biz/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/earshot ] [ http://www.indegoot.com/ ] [ http://www.indegootrecordings.com/ ] Earshot's MySpace page is not easy to find; it will be the last entry in a search, but it's the only one with the trademark (®) symbol. The page only lists three members: Wil Martin on vocals, Daren Pfeifer on drums, and Edward Rodriguez playing bass. However, there are more musicians involved in the sound of this band than their homepage would make you think (check out the photo shoots of the band and read their liner notes). Earshot has been around a while; their first CD from 2002, LETTING GO, gave us the hit single "Get Away." "Wait" came from their second CD in 2004 called TWO. From this 2008 CD, there are already two singles worth listening to, "Closer" and "Don't Hate Me." Other than that, don't expect much from THE SILVER LINING. It's evident from their singles that the band has potential, but they are spreading the good stuff too thinly over too many releases. The disappointment of THE SILVER LINING is that you can hardly tell when one song ends and the next begins, with 7 of the 11 tracks rating at 5 or less on a scale of 1-10. Track #5 ("Sometimes") and track #8 ("Beside Myself") are so similar that one of them should have been left off the disk. It is definitely possible to go overboard with vocal technical effects and THE SILVER LINING is a perfect example. On the upside, the whole mood of "Wasted" fits the words perfectly and the drums are outstanding on "Where The Pain Begins." Earshot fans will probably want this CD in their collection, but while "Closer" and "Don't Hate Me" are both definite winners, they are not worth purchasing the entire release -- go get them from iTunes. "Get Away" and "Wait" are at iTunes also, so give them a listen while you are there if you have not heard them already. Earshot deserves the chance to come out with another CD, because with a little more variety, I think they stand a chance of breaking further out of the smaller tour circuit they are stuck in now. - Jan W. (jw4jzon@hotmail.com)
REBELS WITHOUT APPLAUSE - LOW END HEAD STOMP (B+) EMA/Polydisc, 2009 10 tracks, RT: 38:43 [ http://www.myspace.com/rwachicago ] Take a healthy dose of King's X, mix in some Armored Saint and a bit of aggressive hip hop and you might come close to the sound of Rebels Without Applause. You may remember guitarist/vocalist Greg Fulton and drummer Tony Heath from their killer '80s thrash outfit Znowhite, but on LOW END HEAD STOMP Greg and Tony have traded breakneck speed for chunkier and funkier territory, conjuring crushing rhythms, crying solos and soulful singing to ignite such tasty fare as kinetic opener "My Success," groovin' rocker "Rain Or Shine," the smoldering "Someday" and explosive "Sublime." Joined by guitarist Mark Alano and bassist Kirk Behrendt, the band seem to be pretty much firing on all cylinders here. I found "I Don't Wanna Know" a bit strange with its reference to Fleetwood Mac's "Players" and you have some salty language mixed in several of the jams including an off-the-wall but hilarious closer called "Shout Outs," but this ultimately just adds to the raucous fun. I really think this is the type of thing you almost certainly have to hear live to fully appreciate, but LOW END HEAD STOMP is a very good recorded representation of what these veterans are all about. Make sure to check it out and look for them in a town near you soon. - Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)
SWEET - LIVE! IN AMERICA (B+) indie, 2009 16 tracks, RT: 1:16:08 [ http://www.thesweetband.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/thesweetband ] Sweet began their music career way back in the 1970s and emerged as one of Britain's breakout glam rock bands. Their style was characterized by an Archie's-like bubblegum style. They started to rise in fame with 13 Top 20 hits in the 1970s. Sweet started out writing songs that fell under the pop genre, with hits like, "Little Willy," and "Wig Wam Bam." Later on, Sweet stated writing hard rock songs, much to their fan's approval. From that point forward, they continued to write more rock oriented songs. LIVE! IN AMERICA is Sweet's latest album showcasing songs spanning from their long career. Immediately when I first started listening to this album, I could tell this was a band of the past. It's very much classic rock, fused with some pop elements. Vocalist Joe Retta has a very clean, easy to understand voice. Songs like "Fox On The Run" have a style that brings you back in time, to halcyon days when life was carefree. It's got a light and catchy chorus that can appeal to anyone. I noticed a great deal of rhyming on some songs, which is clever from a lyrical standpoint, but it can be excessive at some points. But then again, you must remember that many of these songs were penned years ago when that kind of style was the norm. "Hell Raiser" is a song that is a little bit tougher in theme, but still retains that pop-like innocence that all of the songs seem to exude. "Love Is Like Oxygen" stood out to me. The lyrics and the theme call to a melancholy mood, but the instruments are upbeat; so it kind of collides and makes for a conflicting song. The song also has a nice piano interlude, which was a welcome break. The song "The Six Teens" is another nostalgic song, this time reminiscing about teenage years. It seems like some of Sweet's songs are reflective like this. "Sweet F.A." was a bit darker, but had Sweet's intrinsic catchy beat to it. This song reminded me of a '70s Queen style. Some of the songs had lengthy instrumental pieces, which were all very good and I really appreciated that. Some songs I would say are for Sweet fans only, like "Little Willy." You can tell it's an older song, and the lyrics are very goofy to complement the overly pop theme of the song. I can't stress the word "goofy" enough. This album will most likely appeal to those who have always been a fan of Sweet as well as people who just want to have fun. Since the songs are a few generations old, they also probably would appeal to people who lived through that time period. Instrumentally, they are talented, and I must say they sounded phenomenal for this being a live album. Some may want to call them hard rock, but I'd say they're really just rock or AOR by today's standards; hard rock mixed with pop. But this dichotomy works for them. Overall, they did a nice job on this recording and it makes me want to see these guys live. - Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@comcast.net)
* *** OUT *** *
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26 Jun 09 Friday
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* *** LET IT BE KNOWN *** * -Not much is happening around here, other than sitting around enjoying the heat and humidity. Yum. - Tim
* *** PRESS RELEASE #1 *** * -Twisted Sister Storms New York For Two In-Store Appearances And Signings
Constantine Maroulis To Present Band With Gold Plaques
Twisted Sister will make back-to-back in-store appearances in New York City and Long Island on Tuesday, June 30. Dee Snider, Jay Jay French, Eddie Ojeda, Mark Mendoza, and A.J. Pero will all be on hand to celebrate the release of the 25th Anniversary Edition of STAY HUNGRY, out June 30 on Rhino. Constantine Maroulis from the five-time Tony® nominated musical "Rock Of Ages" will be on hand at J&R Music World to present the band with RIAA certified Gold plaques for the single "We're Not Gonna Take It." The J&R Music World event takes place Tuesday, June 30 at 12:30 p.m. Please call J&R Music World at (212) 238-9000 or visit http://www.jr.com/information/liveEvents.jsp for more information. The Looney Tunes Event takes place at 7:30 p.m. Please call Looney Tunes at (631) 587-7722 or visit http://www.looneytunescds.com/ for more information.
WHO: TWISTED SISTER & CONSTANTINE MAROULIS WHAT: Signing the 25th Anniversary Edition of STAY HUNGRY WHEN: TUESDAY, JUNE 30
12:30 p.m. J & R MUSIC WORLD LOWER MANHATTAN 23 Park Row New York, NY 10038
7:30 p.m. LOONEY TUNES LONG ISLAND 31 Brookvale Ave West Babylon, NY 11704
* *** PRESS RELEASE #2 *** * -Magic Circle Music Update
Magic Circle Festival 2009 Tickets And Outlets
The Magic Circle Festival is being staged at the Loreley "Freilichtbühne" (Open-Air Theatre) in just a few weeks now, so it's high time you thought about getting your tickets (EUR 75.00 plus booking fee). The simplest way to order them is from the online shop. The tickets will then be sent straight to you within 2-3 days. Tickets are also available from all the regular ticket outlets and at the box office as well on the day for €85.00 for those deciding to go at the last moment.
You can order your tickets online here: http://www.magic-circle-festival.de/
Death To Infidels Ultimate Tour Pass!
Manowar has embarked on the Death To Infidels Tour 2009! Last stop was France where Hellfest attendees wanted to get backstage for personal time with the band...! Thus the Ultimate Tour Pass was born! Similar to the Ultimate Fan Package for the Magic Circle Festival, the Ultimate Tour Pass entitles a few ultimate fans to a personal backstage tour, a meet-n-greet with Manowar, photos with the band, personal autographs and a bag of exclusive merchandise for the purchaser of each UTP.
Tour passes are available for 150 Euros for the following shows on the Death to Infidels Tour: Metalway Festival on June 27th in Zaragoza, Spain, B'estfest Aftershock on July 5th in Bucharest, Romania and Norway Rock Festival on July 10th in Kivndesal, Norway. Fans can purchase the passes online at The Kingdom of Steel Store: http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/
For details on the tour, the new E.P. THUNDER IN THE SKY, the Asgard Saga and all things Manowar, keep posted to OFFICIAL sites http://www.manowar.com/ , http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/ , http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/ , http://www.asgard-saga.com/ .
Magic Circle Music http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #3 *** * -Testament Update
Full Metal Jackie of Altitude TV conducted an interview with vocalist Chuck Billy of San Francisco Bay Area metal veterans Testament on June 11, 2009 backstage at the House Of Blues in West Hollywood, California.
Watch the chat w/ Full Metal Jackie in two parts by clicking below:
Part 1 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QRoxVtv_GqU
Part 2 http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UxJJO2ixPG8
HardTimes.ca recently interviewed Testament on May 21, 2009 at Metropolis in Montreal, QC - Canada. Watch the chat w/ HardTimes.ca by clicking below:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=57877930 http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=57816571
Testament guitarist Alex Skolnick will make an appearance at the National Guitar Workshop between June 27 and July 2 in McLean, Virginia.
The National Guitar Workshop is dedicated to bringing the best in music education to guitarists, bassists, keyboardists, drummers and vocalists regardless of style of music or level of ability. The NGW acclaimed faculty and world-renowned guest artists, combined with highly developed courses and supportive learning environment, foster meaningful experiences through performance instruction, jamming and master classes.
For more information, click here:
http://www.guitarworkshop.com/guest.php?guest=Alex+Skolnick&guestID=45
Away-Team.com senior staff writer Jim Keller recently conducted an interview with guitarist Alex Skolnick. Read the interview by clicking here:
http://www.away-team.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1245722013&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
http://www.testamentlegions.com/ http://www.myspace.com/testamentlegions http://www.facebook.com/pages/Testament/23598655331
* *** PRESS RELEASE #4 *** * -Sonata Arctica Returns To North America With...
Finland's Sonata Arctica will return to tour North America this Fall (September / October '09) as direct support to British epic power metallers DragonForce. Opening each night of the tour will come from Las Vegas' Taking Dawn.
Confirmed dates so far: 09/17/09 The Jumping Turtle - San Marcos, CA (SONATA ONLY) 09/18/09 House of Blues - Hollywood, CA 09/19/09 Regency Center @ The Grand - San Francisco, CA 09/20/09 Roseland Theater - Portland, OR 09/21/09 Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC - CANADA 09/23/09 Edmonton Events Centre - Edmonton, AB - CANADA 09/24/09 MacEwan Hall Ballroom - Calgary, AB - CANADA 09/25/09 Odeon Events Centre - Saskatoon, SK - CANADA 09/26/09 Burton Cummings - Winnipeg, MB - CANADA 09/28/09 Beaumont Club - Kansas City, MO 09/29/09 The Cabooze - Minneapolis, MN 09/30/09 House of Blues - Chicago, IL 10/02/09 Sound Academy - Toronto, ON - CANADA 10/03/09 Le Medley - Montreal, QC - CANADA 10/04/09 Theatre Imperial - Quebec City, QC - CANADA 10/06/09 The Fillmore @ Irving Plaza - New York City, NY 10/07/09 Ram's Head Live - Baltimore, MD 10/09/09 The Palladium - Worcester, MA 10/10/09 The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY 10/11/09 Theatre of the Living Arts - Philadelphia, PA 10/12/09 Webster Theater - Hartford, CT (SONATA ONLY) 10/13/09 Rex Theater - Pittsburgh, PA (SONATA ONLY) 10/15/09 Music Hall - London, ON - CANADA (SONATA ONLY) 10/16/09 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH (SONATA ONLY) 10/17/09 Uncle Pleasants - Louisville, KY (SONATA ONLY) 10/18/09 Rave - Milwaukee, WI (SONATA ONLY)
Tickets to Sonata Arctica headlining dates went exclusively on pre- sale on June 19th via EnterTheVault.com. On July 10th, tickets will be available thru all ticketing outlets.
In early May 2009, Sonata Arctica issued the following update:
"Many... OK, let's not kid ourselves here, but at least some of you wonder how the [new Sonata Arctica] album is progressing. So far the drums, bass and rhythm guitars are done. Some weeks ago we had a meeting with the boys and among other things we decided which songs are going to be on the album and in what order. Hell yeah!! So we're right on schedule and... still have a couple of weeks until the mixing starts. Those dear days will be spent on working out the keyboard tracks, Tony's [Kakko] got a bunch of vocals left to do, we're still waiting on some guest 'tracks, etc. All in all we're once again excited as hell about the new stuff and if everything goes well you'll have a new Sonata album in your hands next fall."
Klingenberg previously described the new Sonata Arctica material as "a bit darker and maybe not so complex as [2007's] UNIA. Nevertheless, it's definitely not a back-to-the-roots album with fast power metal. All the trademark Sonata stuff is on there, solos, lots of singing some slower songs."
Members of Sonata Arctica recently joined forces with Dark Tranquillity members to form Rockstars Of Poker, a poker team which aims to give fans a chance to meet their heroes while playing poker online.
Rockstars Of Poker works together with Betfriends.com and gives everyone a chance to challenge the team totally free. In addition to the prizepool sponsored by Betfriends.com, whoever kicks any of the team members out of each tournament gets special band-related prizes.
Rockstars Of Poker co-founder Henrik Klingenberg (of Sonata Arctica) explains: "Me and Marko (Paasikoski, Sonata Arctica) and Martin (Brandstrom) as well as Martin (Henriksson, both of Dark Tranquillity) met over a couple of beers at a festival in Italy last summer and found out that we're all really into poker. Later we stayed in touch and at some point a poker playing friend of ours asked us why we don't have our own tournaments."
As both bands have gotten several requests for chat meetings and different online interaction with their fans, they decided to join forces and combine a dear hobby with a little bit of "work."
"Instead of just chatting online which is not really our thing (mind you, we're a bunch of rock dudes in our 30, who like beer), we thought that we might as well play some poker while we meet up with whoever has something they want to know... or say," says Klingenberg.
"The best thing is that it's totally free for everyone so you really don't have to be good at poker, but you still have a chance to win some money and prizes as well as ask us anything, so everybody wins."
Log on to http://www.rockstarsofpoker.info to find out how to register.
http://www.sonataarctica.info/ http://www.myspace.com/sonataarctica http://www.facebook.com/pages/Sonata-Arctica/21128872968
* *** PRESS RELEASE #5 *** * -Asia Featuring John Payne Kicks Off Summer Tour At American Music Festival July 5th
Classic AOR Band Hits Festivals/Venues Around The Nation
Los Angeles, CA -- Classic AOR band Asia Featuring John Payne is scheduled to appear at festivals and venues around the U.S.A. this summer beginning July 5th at the American Music Festival in Riverfront Park, Harrisburg, PA. Asia Featuring John Payne will perform many of Asia's hit songs plus new material from their upcoming release MILITARY MAN.
Asia Featuring John Payne's tour dates are as follows with additional dates TBA:
July 5, 2009 - American Music Festival, Riverfront Park in downtown Harrisburg, PA 6:30 p.m. http://www.harrisburgevents.com/ July 11, 2009 - Riverfest, East Hartford, CT http://www.riverfront.org/events/festivals/#Info1 July 12, 2009 - Tupelo Music Hall, 2 Young Road, Londonderry, NH 03053 7 p.m. http://www.tupelomusichall.com/ July 14, 2009 - Mohegan Sun Casino, 1 Mohegan Sun Blvd. Uncasville, CT 8 p.m. http://www.mohegansun.com/ July 16, 2009 - The Boogie Festival, Springville, IN 11 p.m. http://www.abateofindiana.org/events/boogie.html July 18, 2009 - Rock N Resort Music Festival, Clays Park Resort, North Lawrence, OH 44666 7:30 p.m. http://www.rocknresort.com/ August 7, 2009 - Crestwood Fest, Caesar Park, Crestwood, IL 9:45 p.m. August 9, 2009 - Valley Cultural Arts, Warner Park Ctr., 5800 Topanga Canyon Blvd. Woodland Hills, CA 6 p.m. http://www.valleycultural.org/concerts_park.php August 12, 2009 - Trocaderos Event Center, 107 Third Ave., Minneapolis, MN 8 p.m. http://www.trocaderos.com/ August 13, 2009 - Waterfest, Riverside Park, Oshkosh, WI (with Night Ranger) 8 p.m. http://www.waterfest.org/ August 15, 2009 - Wisconsin State Fair, Cousins Subs Amphitheater, West Allis, WI 8 p.m. http://www.wistatefair.com/ September 12, 2009 - Sky City Casino, Interstate 40 Exit 102, Acoma, NM 87034 8 p.m. http://www.skycity.com/
John Payne became the front man of the supergroup Asia in 1992 at the invitation of keyboardist Geoff Downes, replacing vocalist/bassist John Wetton. Asia extensively toured the world for the next 14 years performing new classics and old favorites. With John Payne fronting the band, Asia released eight stunning studio albums and several live recordings. In 2006, Geoff Downes left the band to reform the 1982 lineup for their 25th anniversary. On the 9th of May 2006, John Payne, Geoff Downes, John Wetton, Carl Palmer and Steve Howe contractually agreed that John Payne would continue his 14 year legacy with Asia as "Asia Featuring John Payne." Asia Featuring John Payne have commenced touring in North America and a new studio album is planned for release in late 2009.
Asia Featuring John Payne Member Bios
Guitarist Mitch Perry joins Asia Featuring John Payne for the 2009 summer tour. Gold records, sold-out concert tours, MTV video and network TV appearances, numerous magazine features and recognition in the form of several guitar awards, over the last 25 years Mitch Perry has accomplished all of the above in a career working alongside some of the most renowned and popular musicians in the world. Mitch's discography and touring experience reads like a who's who of rock ranging from Aerosmith to Michael Schenker Group to Cher and Edgar Winter. His performances both live and in the studio show him to be a truly world class guitarist. http://www.myspace.com/mitchperry
Drummer Jay Schellen joined as Asia's premiere drummer in 2005, toured in Europe with the band and recording the album Asia Featuring John Payne EXTENDED VERSIONS for Sony in 2006 when he remained with Asia Featuring John Payne. Before joining Asia, Jay played drums for Hurricane, Unruly Child, Badfinger and Conspiracy with Chris Squire from Yes. http://www.jayschellen.com/
Keyboardist Erik Norlander joined Asia Featuring John Payne in November of 2007. Erik's evocative synthesizer technique is reminiscent of the legendary Rick Wakeman, Keith Emerson and Jon Lord while still very unique made him an obvious choice for the band. His works include over 25 releases with Lana Lane, Rocket Scientists and solo titles. http://www.eriknorlander.com/
Vocalist/bassist John Payne fronted Asia for 14 years replacing John Wetton in 1992. Eight studio albums and six live albums followed including extensive world touring with the band. In 2006, John formed "Asia Featuring John Payne" and is performing shows with his current lineup. Previous to Asia, John sang with Roger Daltrey, CCCP, ELO Part 2 and more recently GPS plus being chosen as the Parson in Jeff Wayne's The War Of The Worlds stadium tour. http://www.johnpaynemusic.com/
For more information about Asia Featuring John Payne, please visit http://www.theasiaband.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/asiafeaturingjohnpayne .
* *** PRESS RELEASE #6 *** * -Exodus Featured In Johnny Orlando Video Podcast
"The world's leading metal journalist," Johnny Orlando Jr., has released his first roundtable interview featuring Exodus and Kreator. The discussion is available as part of this week's episode of the UVTV Podcast, which also features promotional and and live videos of Exodus and Kreator.
The podcast can be watched from iTunes at this location:
http://ax.itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/browserRedirect?url=itms%253A%252F%252Fax.itunes.apple.com%252FWebObjects%252FMZStore.woa%252Fwa%252FviewPodcast%253Fi%253D55861468%2526id%253D168075141
Read an interview with Rob Dukes at TheGovernersBall.com:
http://www.puregrainaudio.com/govsball/exodus-sacred-oath
Read an interview with Tom Hunting at TheDailyRock.com and Away-Team.com:
http://www.thedailyrock.com/2009/06/03/interview-with-tom-hunting-of-exodus-the-10-commandments/ http://www.away-team.com/index.php?subaction=showfull&id=1243895199&archive=&start_from=&ucat=1&
http://www.exodusattack.com/ http://www.myspace.com/exodus http://www.facebook.com/pages/Exodus/7667169706
* *** PRESS RELEASE #7 *** * -Death Angel: First Footage Of New Drummer Posted Online
Capital Chaos has uploaded the first footage of San Francisco Bay Area metal veterans Death Angel performing with their new drummer -- Will Carroll, formerly of Scarecrow, Old Grandad and Vicious Rumors. The clip, which was shot this past Sunday afternoon (June 14) at the 32nd annual Haight Street Fair -- the most celebrated street fair in San Francisco -- can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y6a8uWAgqZg
Death Angel's longtime drummer and original member Andrew Galeon left the band in April. Carroll will hande the drum duties for the upcoming local shows in June and the Summer Madness Tour in Europe with Kataklysm and Keep Of Kalessin.
The group said, "Will's been jamming with us for over a month now and is tearing it up! We'll be performing songs from FROLIC and ACT III that we haven't played live since back in the day so prepare for a dose of some serious old-school thrash!"
Five years after the release of the band's acclaimed comeback album, THE ART OF DYING, and the follow-up effort, KILLING SEASON, influential Bay Area metallers Death Angel have just issued a DVD with two full-length concerts filmed in Germany.
Entitled SONIC GERMAN BEATDOWN: LIVE IN GERMANY, the package -- which came out on April 17, 2009 (Europe) and will be released on July 28, 2009 (North America) -- includes footage from the 2007 edition of the Rock Hard Festival and a 2008 performance in Adelsheim.
http://www.deathangel.com/ http://www.myspace.com/deathangel http://www.facebook.com/pages/Death-Angel/9938175758
* *** PRESS RELEASE #8 *** * -In This Moment Launches Video For "Call Me" On MySpace!
As the members of In This Moment prepare themselves to spend their entire summer as part of this year's Warped Tour the group returns with a new offering, THE DREAM (Ultra-Violet edition), which features their new Active Rock hit single "Call Me." The eye-popping new video for the track was shot in London by up-and-coming director Nathan Theys of Link Productions and showcases the band in a whole new light. This clip is a must-see and the video made its worldwide debut today exclusively on MySpace, so click below now to check it out.
THE DREAM (Ultra-Violet edition), which is set for a June 30th release, bonus disc also features "Dying Star" and "Sailing Away," which are two unreleased studio tracks from THE DREAM recording session. It is rounded out with the "Forever" radio edit and "Call Me" Karaoke version, alongside a slew of bonus video material. The Warped Tour kicks off on June 28th and head over to the band's official Myspace page (below) in order to view the complete touring itinerary.
Chris Howorth (guitars) further comments: "Here we go again, video number four, this was a last minute quickie video that we did while on tour in England. We did it in London and had a great time making it. We hope you like the video as much as we enjoyed making it."
"I also have to tell you how excited we are to announce the revamped version of THE DREAM with all new artwork, unreleased songs that we can't wait for everyone to hear along with some crazy video footage that we have been compiling over the past year!"
In This Moment kicked off 2009 with a bang embarking on a massive North American trek alongside Mudvayne and Nonpoint. The Mudvayne run came on the heels of the band's most successful year yet which saw Brink landing major cover features in Inked, Revolver and Metal Edge as their latest album, THE DREAM, debuted at #70 on the Billboard Top 200 chart, marking the group's first Billboard entry.
IN THIS MOMENT Warped Tour 2009 06/26 Pomona Fairplex - Pomona, CA 06/27 Pier 30/32 - San Francisco, CA 06/28 10 Seaside Park - Ventura, CA 06/30 Cricket Pavilion - Phoenix, AZ 07/01 NMSU Pan American Center - Las Cruces, NM 07/02 AT&T Center - San Antonio, TX 07/03 The Showgrounds at Sam Houston race Park - Houston, TX 07/05 Superpages.com Center - Dallas, TX 07/07 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - Indianapolis, IN 07/08 Post Gazette Pavilion at Star Lake - Pittsburgh, PA 07/09 Time Warner Cable Amphitheatre - Cleveland, OH 07/10 Arrow Hall - Toronto, ON (CAN) 07/11 Park Jean Trapeau - Montreal, QC (CAN) 07/12 Meadows Music Theater - Hartford, CT 07/14 Merriweather Post Pavilion - Columbia, MD 07/15 Toyota Pavilion at Montage Mountain - Scranton, PA 07/16 Darien Lake P.A.C. - Buffalo, NY 07/17 Susquehanna Bank Center - Camden, NJ 07/18 Nassau Coliseum - Uniondale, NY 07/19 Monmouth Park Racetrack - Oceanport, NJ 07/21 Comcast Center - Boston, MA 07/22 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - Virginia Beach, VA 07/23 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - Charlotte, NC 07/24 Central Florida Fairgrounds - Orlando, FL 07/25 Cruzan Amphitheatre - Miami, FL 07/26 Vinoy Park - St. Petersburg, FL 07/28 Lakewood Amphitheatre - Atlanta, GA 07/29 Riverbend Amphitheatre - Cincinnati, OH 07/30 Marcus Amphitheatre - Milwaukee, WI 07/31 Comercia Park - Detroit, MI 08/01 First Midwest Bank Amphitheatre - Chicago, IL 08/02 Canterbury Park - Minneapolis, MN 08/03 Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - St. Louis, MO 08/04 Sandstone Amphitheatre - Kansas City, KS 08/07 Idaho Center Amphitheatre - Boise, ID 08/08 Utah State Fairgrounds - Salt Lake City, UT 08/09 Invesco Field at Mile High - Denver, CO 08/12 Race City Speedway - Calgary, AB (CAN) 08/14 Thunderbird Stadium - Vancouver, BC (CAN) 08/15 The Gorge Amphitheatre - Seattle, WA 08/16 Washington County Fairgrounds - Portland, OR 08/19 Save Mart Center - Fresno, CA 08/20 Shoreline Amphitheatre at Mountain View - Mountain View, CA 08/21 Sleep Train Amphitheatre - San Francisco, CA 08/22 Cricket Wireless Amphitheatre - San Diego, CA 08/23 Home Depot Center - Los Angeles, CA
Check out the "Call Me" Music Video on MySpace Now! http://www.myspace.com/inthismoment
* *** PRESS RELEASE #9 *** * -The Iron Maidens Update
The Iron Maidens -- "World's Only Female Tribute To Iron Maiden" -- are proud to announce that their own Courtney Cox who portrays guitarist "Adriana Smith" in the band has now added "Jackson Guitars" to the band's list of endorsers which include DigiTech, Dunlop, GHS Strings and Rocktron, SIT, G&L, Rotosound, Soldano, BBE Sound, Monster Energy Drinks, Coffin Cases, ENGL Amps, Paiste, Vic Firth, DW Drums, pedals & hardware.
She has also been picked as the "Runner Up" for the "2010 Guitar World Buyers Guide Model Search" which hits the stands on July 14, 2009.
More info on The Iron Maidens can be found at their Web sites: http://www.theironmaidens.com/ http://www.myspace.com/theironmaidens
Jackson Guitar Endorsers Link: http://74.125.155.132/search?q=cache:v1XwGa1Lz14J:www.jacksonguitar.com/artists/index.php%3Fid%3D460+%22the+iron+maidens%22&cd=69&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us
The Iron Maidens have performed with Snoop Dogg, Cypress Hill, Nevermore, Danzig, Nightwish, Motorhead, Bachman-Turner Overdrive, Live, Great White, Nicco McBrain, Alex Skolnik, Jackyl, The B-52's, Kiss, Steven Pearcy and more.
UPCOMING 2009 APPEARANCES of THE IRON MAIDENS
Sat, June 27- Cane's San Diego, CA Sat, July 11 - Sunset Station Casino Pool Party, Henderson, NV Sun, July 12 - Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet, Santa Fe Springs, CA Fri, July 17 - The Underground, Reno, NV Sat, July 18 - Bar 24/Bill's Casino Lake Tahoe, Stateline, NV Thur, July 30 - Second Wind, Santee, CA Sat, Aug 1- The Galaxy Theatre, Santa Ana, CA Sat, Aug 8 - The Aliante Casino- Las Vegas, NV Fri, Aug 14 - The Voodoo Lounge- San Jose, CA Sat, Aug 15- Annie's- San Francisco, CA Fri, Aug 21- Cane's San Diego, CA Sat, Aug 22- Paladino's, Tarzana, CA Sat, Aug 29- The Brixton, Redondo Beach, CA Mon, Aug 31- San Manuel Casino, Highland, CA
"World's Only Female Tribute to Iron Maiden" http://www.theironmaidens.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #10 *** * -Steevi Jaimz - MY PRIVATE HELL Out Now Through Cargo/SCS Records
Recent Album reviews:
: Melodic.net Scandinavia http://www.melodic.net/reviewsOne.asp?revnr=7784
: RockEyez http://www.rockeyez.com/reviews/cd/steevi-jaimz/rev-my-private-hell.html
: glorydazemusic http://www.glorydazemusic.com/articles.php?article_id=3572
Track of the day on Classic Rock magazine Web site: http://www.classicrockmagazine.com/
Brand new and long-awaited studio album from the tenacious vocalist.
Steevi was a member of Tigertailz for their first album YOUNG & CRAZY and wrote their Top 40 single "Livin' Without You."
MY PRIVATE HELL combines Steevi's trademark Glam style melodies with Kiss and Ozzy Osbourne style Hard Rock. The album was written, performed and produced in Sweden with Chris Laney and Anders Ringman a.k.a. Platform (Crash Diet, Europe, Candlemass) and mixed at Polar Studios (Led Zeppelin, Genesis and ABBA) in Stockholm during 2008.
This is easily Steevi's most accomplished release to date. All the songs are written by Jaimz with Laney and Ringman except for "Don't Say It's Over" that was written by Laney with Ryan Roxie (Alice Cooper / Slash's Snakepit). A version of "Amazing" was recently featured on the Classic Rock magazine cover mount CD.
Track listing: "Amazing," "Don't Say It's Over," "Something Good Something Bad," "Still Crazy," "Little Sistah," "My Private Hell," "Kiss Of Death," "I Don't Wanna Walk Away," "Dancin' With Danger," "Kikk It Down"
Reviews: "...Steevi is flying solo with a crack band of lipstick smearers. As the raucous, '80s-fuelled headbanger 'Amazing' shows, Steevi is still delightfully crazy after all these years. Absolutely awesome!!..." - Classic Rock Magazine
"...I'm listening to your music right now, I really like what you're doing, great voice, 'Amazing' kicks some serious ass...kudos..." - Beau Hill (Producer: Alice Cooper, Warrant, Ratt, Europe)
Video: "Amazing" (live clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QT9eTdIK0jc
"Still Crazy" (live clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OJp-ycIeCCI
"Livin' Without You" (live clip) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EG07fTjLzj0
"Cat On A Hot Tin Roof" (slideshow) http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=401QuPIAsdQ
Contact: http://www.steevijaimz.com/ http://www.myspace.com/steevijaimz http://www.cargorecords.co.uk/release/8306
* *** PRESS RELEASE #11 *** * -Swashbuckle: Videogame, E-card And Album Trailer: Part 2
The second trailer for BACK TO THE NOOSE, the new album from New Jersey's thrashing pirates SWASHBUCKLE, can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NEo23inPgTQ
The album is scheduled for release on July 24, 2009 (Europe) and August 11, 2009 (North America) via Nuclear Blast Records.
Check out the online "Cruise Ship Terror" game and e-card here:
http://www.nuclearblast.de/splash/swashbuckle_ecard/index.html
Swashbuckle has been added to this year's Paganfest Europe tour alongside Korpiklaani, Unleashed, Alestorm, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter and Ex Deo, after recently completing the North American edition of Paganfest. The trek kicks off on September 11 in Munich, Germany and concludes on October 3 in Linz, Austria.
"Cruise Ship Terror," the new video from Swashbuckle, can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53A4GyB96RI
Commented the band: "Arrg, legendary metal music video director David Brodsky (Kataklysm, Arsis, The Black Dahlia Murder) by chance caught us pirates in the act of looting and pillaging a fine vessel along the seas of the Atlantic. With nary a chance of escape, David bartered passage to dry land in exchange for rendering a motion picture tale of our nautical pilferings."
http://www.swashbuckle.info/ http://www.myspace.com/swashbuckle http://www.facebook.com/pages/Swashbuckle/71641780327
* *** PRESS RELEASE #12 *** * -We Are Hollywood Tease!
Formed out of the ashes from the once smog city of Stoke-on-Trent, we have risen to bring back what's been missing from the music scene of today.
It's time for a band to be different and that band is us.
Powder, paint and guitarmageddon, what you see is what you get!
A bunch of hard hitting lads with just as much attitude to go with it.
With an ever growing fan-base, we're gonna storm the world with our raw presence and plant a great big Hollywood Tease kiss on the asses of your girlfriends!
This band are looking to book gigs in and around the U.K. and will be selling their self-financed E.P. ALL HOOKED UP at all venues.
Ashe Masters - Vocals Jay Starr - Guitars Scotii Horror - Guitars King - Bass Paul e. Raw - Drums
Reviews: "...Hollywood Tease are definitely one of a kind. They are kind of a big deal. It may sound over-glorifying but it's true. And I know you can only say 'they're so rock 'n' roll' so many times before it gets old, but these guys are rock 'n' roll personified.
"So, if you're looking to be highly entertained, aspired, entranced, amazed and enthralled and want to get your kicks to some pretty damn good rock tunes, DO NOT miss your next chance to see HT live...." - Sian Eardley
Contact: http://www.myspace.com/hollywoodteaseuk
* *** PRESS RELEASE #13 *** * -Arkaea: New Video
Debut Album Worldwide YEARS IN THE DARKNESS To Release July 14th, 2009 On E1 Music
HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Arkaea has premiered their first video "Locust" from their debut album YEARS IN THE DARKNESS Saturday night, 6/20 on MTV's "Headbanger's Ball." If you missed the premier take a look here:
http://headbangersblog.mtv.com/2009/06/18/video-premiere-arkaea-locust
"'Locust' was our first pick for a music video and as the opening track for the album because it really sets the tempo of the album," explains Raymond Herrera, Arkaea drummer. "It is a strong track that shows a great introduction to what Arkaea is all about. We knew that we needed to come out swinging and 'Locust' definitely offers that Punch."
Arkaea, featuring members Raymond Herrera and Christian Olde Wolbers of Fear Factory and Threat Signal, debut album YEARS IN THE DARKNESS is set to be released on July 14, 2009 on E1 Music, formerly KOCH Records.
YEARS IN THE DARKNESS was produced by Christian Olde Wolbers and Arkaea and mixed by legendary Producer Terry Date, best known for his work with the Deftones, Slipknot, White Zombie, Soundgarden and Pantera. The CD was mastered by Ted Jensen of Sterling Sound, who also mastered Fear Factory's gold album, OBSOLETE.
Track listing for YEARS IN THE DARKNESS is as follows:
Locust Beneath The Shades Of Grey Years In The Darkness Gone Tomorrow Awakening Black Ocean Break The Silence Lucid Dreams My Redemption War Within The World As One Rise Today Away From The Sun
First song on the album, "Locust," is available streaming on the band's MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/arkaeamusic
* *** PRESS RELEASE #14 *** * -Ravenland Posts New Song Featuring Ex-Theatre Of Tragedy Guitarist
Gothic metallers Ravenland posted two new songs online from their forthcoming album, ...AND A CROW BRINGS ME BACK. The tracks are "...Till Death Unite Again" and "Velvet Dreams." The last one features Tommy Lindal (ex-Theatre Of Tragedy). The songs are available at the band's MySpace profile, which was recently updated with a new layout based on the album artwork.
"We decided to post two songs of ...AND A CROW BRINGS ME BACK so the fans can listen a little bit more of our album. The CD will be available untill the end of July through Free Mind Records and in August it will be available all over Brazil and some foreign countries," comments vocalist and violinist Camilla Raven.
"Ravenland's MySpace page was relaunched based on the artwork cover and booklet so we can present its atmosphere to the fans. We are very happy with the final result and feedback that the CD is receiving even before being available for ordering. 'Velvet Dreams' was one of the two songs chosen by Tommy Lindal, and his part can be checked and appreciated in the end of the song, when it has a doom metal atmosphere, beginning at 3:47 in the song," added the vocalist Dewindson Wolfheart.
Official links: http://www.ravenland.net/ http://www.myspace.com/ravenland http://www.youtube.com/ravenlandchannel
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20 Jun 09 Saturday
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Category: Music
* *** PRESS RELEASE #15 *** * -Total Metal Festival 2009: New Bands On
After Finntroll, Malevolent Creation and Vomitory, waiting for the final complete lineup, Vivo Management Agency officially annouce a few bands more that will take part of the Total Metal Festival 2009 next 19 September at the New Demodè club in Bari (Southern Italy).
Those bands have been Confirmed: Modern Age Slavery, Kernel Zero, Golem and Shank.
So this is the current situation of the Total Metal Festival 2009.
FINNTROLL MALEVOLENT CREATION VOMITORY MODERN AGE SLAVERY GOLEM KERNEL ZERO SHANK
Soon more bands will be announced.
LINKS:
Total Metal Festival - http://www.myspace.com/totalmetalfestival Vivo Management Agency - http://www.vivomanagement.it/ Finntroll - http://www.myspace.com/officialfinntroll Malevolent Creation - http://www.myspace.com/malevolentcreation Vomitory - http://www.myspace.com/vomitoryswe The Modern Age Slavery - http://www.myspace.com/themodernageslavery Golem - http://www.myspace.com/golemneverdies Kernel Zero - http://www.myspace.com/kernel0 Shank - http://www.myspace.com/shank555
* *** PRESS RELEASE #16 *** * -Whiplash To Co-Headline Mexico's Monterrey Metal Festival IV
New Record To Be Released July 15th Via Pulverised
Legendary New Jersey thrashers Whiplash will co-headline this year's Monterrey Metal Festival! The Monterrey Metal Fest IV will be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2009 (Mexican Independence Day) at the Santa Lucia Arena in the city of Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico. The confirmed band lineup (minus the soon-to-be revealed headliner) is:
CHILDREN OF BODOM (Finland) AMORPHIS (Finland) WHIPLASH (U.S.A.) STRAVAGANZZA (Spain) MALIGNO (Mexico) SPLIT HEAVEN (Mexico's Wacken Metal Battle winners)
Only 3,000 VIP tickets will be made available for the new re-designed metal festival.
For additional information, check out the official festival Web sites:
http://www.mmf.com.mx http://www.myspace.com/monterreymetalfest
Whiplash recently put the finishing touches on upcoming full-length UNBORN AGAIN. The record, recorded at Mozart Studio with engineer/ producer Harris Johns (Sodom, Kreator, Helloween, Sepultura) and mixed and mastered at Spiderhouse Studio in Berlin, is scheduled for release on July 15 via Pulverised Records.
The three-piece power trio formed in 1984 when Tony Portaro (guitar, vocals) and Tony Scaglione (drums) joined forces, recruited Tony Bono on bass and released their first CD, POWER AND PAIN, in 1985 on Roadrunner Records. The debut CD was followed up by their first live performance at Ruthie's in Berkley, California with Possessed and Death Angel.
Whiplash's current lineup: Tony Portaro - Guitar/Vocals Joe Cangelosi (ex-Kreator, ex-Massacre ) - Drums Rich Day Bass (ex-Primal Scream) - Bass
The band will make their first hometown appearance in ten years later this month!
When: Saturday - June 20th Where: Dingbatz - 620 Van Houten Ave., Clifton, NJ http://www.dingbatznj.com/ w/ Deathrash, Ashes Of Your Enemy, Gas, Arch Demon Choir
http://www.myspace.com/whiplashusa http://www.pulverised.net/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #17 *** * -Fattooth! "Natural Disaster" Tour Storms NXNE Musicfest - June 20th
http://www.myspace.com/fattooth
There's nothing more juicy than a good old Fattooth! as the Montreal punk/metal thrashers will be grinding down the 401 en route to Toronto to be blowing up their North American Tour at this year's NXNE Music Festival on Saturday, June 20th at The Hideout, 482 Queen Street West.
"I hope the Toronto riot squad is ready for some testorone fueld rock n' roll! It's a punch in the face!" says Fattooth bassist PowPow.
Fattooth recently released their debut self-titled E.P. produced by Rob Shallcross (Strapping Young Lad, Gwar, Mr. Plow) and released via Reversed Records. Fattooth is a new form of punk/metal that methodically touches every genre of rock and roll imaginable. They wear costumes, they have an awesome drummer, and they're intent on world domination.
Fattooth @ NXNE The Hideout - 482 Queen Street West Showcase Time: 2 a.m. Supporting Acts: Psychotropical Orchestra (Montreal), Dirtblonde (U.K.), HotKid (Cambridge, ON), The Shondes (Brooklyn, NY), Trigger Effect (Montreal)
Fattooth "Natural Disaster" North American Tour Dates June 20, 2009 - NXNE Festival @ The Hideout - Toronto, Ontario June 24, 2009 - The A-Chord - St. John, New Brunswick June 27, 2009 - Coconut Grove - Halifax, Nova Scotia June 28, 2009 - Pavillion - Halifax, Nova Scotia July 2, 2009 - The Atria Bar & Grill - Oshawa, Ontario July 4, 2009 - Katacombes - Montreal, Quebec July 8, 2009 - Bogies - Albany, New York July 9, 2009 - The Trash - New York, New York - w/ Kung Fury July 10, 2009 - TBA - Philladelphia, Pennsylvania July 11, 2009 - Mojo13 - Wimington, Delaware - w/ Moonshine Mile July 15, 2009 - The MetalShaker - Chicago, Illinois July 16, 2009 - Madison Frequency - Madison, Wisconsin July 17, 2009 - NorShor - Duluth, Minnesota - w/ Lucyd, Blue Felix July 18, 2009 - Black Pirates Pub - Thunder Bay, Ontario July 21, 2009 - TBA - St. Cloud, Minnesota July 23, 2009 - Nestor's Pub - Fargo, North Dakota July 24, 2009 - The Viking - Gimli, Manitoba July 25, 2009 - The Zoo - Winnipeg, Manitoba - w/ Dreadnaut July 28, 2009 - North Hill - Brandon, Manitoba July 29, 2009 - TBA - Regina, Saskatchewan - w/ Dreadnaut July 30, 2009 - The Roxy - Saskatoon, Saskatchewan July 31, 2009 - TBA - Edmonton, Alberta August 1, 2009 - The Stetson - Calgary, Alberta August 6, 2009 - The Dirty Jersey - Kamloops, British Columbia August 13, 2009 - The Cambie - Nanaimo, British Columbia - w/ Mendozza
August 14, 2009 - Logan's Pub - Victoria, British Columbia - w/ Mendozza August 15, 2009 - Pub 340 - Vancouver, British Columbia August 20, 2009 - The Funhouse - Seattle, Washington August 22, 2009 - The Samurai Duck - Eugene, Oregon - w/ Omega Crom
"With their randy sense of humour and witty one-liners, Fattooth boast an amusing slice of tongue-in-cheek punk rock 'n' roll heavily influenced by the likes of hardcore, metal and even elements of c*ck rock." - Exclaim!
"These nine tracks become almost a deli platter of variety where one can pick and choose whatever entices them at that moment." - Exclaim!
"The energy and talent coming outta this band is phenomenal... I love the sound" - Snap! Magazine
"You'll be hooked" 4/5 - Shockwave Magazine
"Fattooth brings on a mix of Punk, C*ck Rock and Metal roots that make the sluts rip their shirts off..." -Komodo Rock
Check out Fattooth via their MySpace - http://www.myspace.com/Fattooth Fattooth Promo Clip - http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=jsogvWcEgcc Fattooth Studio Outakes - http://www.youtube.com/watch? v=mNLvx9RaMnA Twitter - http://www.twitter.com/Fattooth
* *** PRESS RELEASE #18 *** * -Black Skies Tour Update
Chapel Hill, NC doom trio Black Skies recently kicked off a string of tour dates in support of their latest E.P., HEXAGON, issued as a limited edition 12" via I'm Better Than Everyone Records. This will mark the band's first time ever playing on the West Coast!
From the aptly named opening track "The Quiet Before The Storm" through the thundering conclusion of "Chain Of Command," Black Skies throw their heavy hat into the ring with HEXAGON. Together for just over three years, guitarist/vocalist Kevin Clark, bassist Michelle Temple and drummer Cameron Weeks weave their songs with well-thought and executed riffs playing alongside a churning organic groove. This is tonal chemistry befitting of a legendary band sharing the same initials, yet with a decidedly American flavor. Through hard work Black Skies has been making waves across the eastern half of the United States and continue gaining momentum with tours booked throughout 2009. If these six tracks serve as a fitting prelude of greater things to come, the next waves of attack from this sonic strike-force will truly be something to behold.
Black Skies Tour Dates 6/18/2009 Cobra Lounge Bullwhip Solution - Chicago, IL w/ Imperial Battlesnake 6/19/2009 The Picador - Iowa City, Iowa w/ Russian Circles & Coliseum 6/20/2009 O'leaver's Pub - Omaha, NE w/ Bloodcow 6/21/2009 3 Kings Tavern - Denver, CO w/ Mobile Deathcamp Workhorse 6/22/2009 Burt's Tiki Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT w/ Old Timer & The Water's Deep Here 6/24/2009 Funhouse - Seattle, WA w/ Sod Hauler & Dark Skies 6/25/2009 East End - Portland, OR w/ Danava, Radio Moscow, Dark Skies, & Dudelord 6/26/2009 Cafe Coda - Chico, CA w/ The Abominable Iron Sloth! 6/27/2009 Annie's Social Club - San Francisco, CA w/ Totimoshi 6/28/2009 The Z Club - San Luis Obispo, CA 6/29/2009 The Scene Bar - Glendale, CA 6/30/2009 The Radio Room - San Diego, CA 7/01/2009 The Slurp - Tempe, Arizona w/ Drone Throne 7/03/2009 Headhunter's - Austin, TX 7/04/2009 JJ's Bohemia - Chattanooga, TN w/ Night Of The Wolf, etc. 7/17/2009 Divebar Raleigh - Raleigh, North CA 8/14/2009 Devilneck Metalfest @ Lenny's - Atlanta, GA 8/15/2009 The Milestone - Carrboro, NC w/ Giant Squid & Grayceon
http://www.blackskies.us/ http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies http://www.imbetterthaneveryonerecords.com/ http://www.myspace.com/imbetterthaneveryonerec
* *** PRESS RELEASE #19 *** * -City Of Ships Reveal New Tracks From Upcoming Album LOOK WHAT GOD DID TO US; Exclusive Preorder Packages Available
Today City Of Ships posted two new tracks -- "Wraiths In Flight" and "Praise Feeder" -- from their Translation Loss Records/Sound Study Recordings release entitled LOOK WHAT GOD DID TO US due July 21st, 2009 to their MySpace Page. Check the tracks out here: http://www.myspace.com/cityofships .
LOOK WHAT GOD DID TO US was recorded at Translator Audio in Brooklyn, NY by Andrew Schneider (Pelican, Made Out Of Babies, Unsane) and mastered by Nick Zampiello at New Alliance East (Bloodhorse, Battlefields, Pelican). LOOK WHAT GOD DID TO US is now available for exclusive preorder w/ package deals only available at the Translation Loss Records and Sound Study Recordings Web-stores! Packages include the CD (digi) w/ exclusive T-shirt designs (two color variations available) only found at the Translation Loss web-store. Sound Study Recordings has the LP version w/ exclusive hand numbered screen print poster and coozie!
To Preorder the CD+T-Shirt package (two color variations available) of LOOK WHAT GOD DID TO US from Translation Loss Records, click http://translationloss.com/store/ .
To Preorder the LP+Poster+Coozie package of LOOK WHAT GOD DID TO US from Sound Study Recordings, click http://soundstudyrecordings.com/shop.html .
CITY OF SHIPS CURRENT TOUR DATES: 6/11/2009 - Pilam - Philadelphia, PA - w/ Liquid Limbs, Irepress, Junius 6/12/2009 - The Charleston - Brooklyn, NY - w/ Liquid Limbs 6/17/2009 - Firlej Club - Wroclaw, PL - w/ Rosetta & Blindead 6/18/2009 - Klub 007 Strahov - Prague, CZ - w/ Rosetta & Blindead 6/19/2009 - An Club - Athens, GR - w/ Rosetta & Blindead 6/20/2009 - Yacht Club - Brno, CZ - w/ Rosetta & Blindead 6/21/2009 - Dürer Kert - Budapest, HU - w/ Rosetta & Blindead 6/22/2009 - Arena Dreiraum - Vienna, AT - w/ Rosetta & Blindead 6/23/2009 - TBA - Munich, DE - w/ Rosetta & Blindead 6/23/2009 - Atari - Leipzig, DE - w/ Rosetta & Blindead 6/24/2009 - JH Eglantier - Berchem, BE - w/ Rosetta, Blindead, Maudlin, Timer 6/25/2009 - Offerandum Fest - Knokke-Heist, BE - w/ Rosetta, Blindead, Maudlin, Sensual Noise 6/26/2009 - TBA - Ghent, BE - w/ Rosetta, Blindead 6/26/2009 - Rota Flora - Hamburg, DE - w/ Rosetta, Blindead 6/28/2009 - 013 - Tilburg, NL - w/ Rosetta, Blindead 6/30/2009 - Black Fleck - Potsdam, DE - w/ Braveyoung 7/01/2009 - Az Conni - Dresden, DE - w/ Braveyoung 7/02/2009 - Zoro - Leipzig, DE - w/ Braveyoung 7/03/2009 - Elfer Club - Frankfurt, DE - w/ Braveyoung 7/04/2009 - De Rots - Antwerpen, BE - w/ Braveyoung 7/06/2009 - Le Select - Lille, FR - w/ Braveyoung 7/07/2009 - Harry's Bar - Stoke on Trent, UK - w/ Braveyoung 7/08/2009 - Criterion - Leicester, UK - w/ Braveyoung 7/09/2009 - Captain's Rest - Glasgow, UK - w/ Braveyoung 7/10/2009 - Royal Park Cellars - Leeds, UK - w/ Braveyoung 7/11/2009 - Groomfest - Lincoln, UK - w/ Braveyoung 7/12/2009 - Kingstown Cafè - Le Havre, FR - w/ Braveyoung 7/13/2009 - The Secret Place - Montaigu (Nantes), FR - w/ Braveyoung 7/14/2009 - Basement Show - Tulle, FR - w/ Braveyoung 7/15/2009 - Le Pavillon Sauvage - Toulouse, FR - w/ Braveyoung 7/16/2009 - "La Vieja Escuela" Open Air Fest, Leon, ES - w/ Braveyoung 7/17/2009 - Altar Cafè Concerto - Porto, PT - w/ Braveyoung 7/18/2009 - tba - Madrid, ES - w/ Braveyoung 7/19/2009 - Estraperlo Club - Badalona, ES - w/ Braveyoung 7/20/2009 - Centre Civic La Fonteta - St. Feliu De Codines, ES - w/ Braveyoung 7/21/2009 - Lyon's Hall - Lyon, FR - w/ Braveyoung 7/22/2009 - Big Rooster - Cittadella (PD), IT - w/ Braveyoung 7/23/2009 - Habitat Skatepark - Arezzo, IT - w/ Braveyoung 7/24/2009 - Sunny Red - Meunchen, DE - w/ Braveyoung 7/25/2009 - Waldmeister Club - Solingen, DE - w/ Braveyoung 7/26/2009 - Lokal - Berlin, DE - w/ Braveyoung 7/28/2009 - AZ - Aachen, DE - w/ Braveyoung 7/29/2009 - Immerhin - w/Braveyoung Wuerzburg, DE - w/ Braveyoung 7/30/2009 - Winston - Amsterdam, NL - w/ Braveyoung 7/31/2009 - ACU - Utrecht, NL - w/ Braveyoung 8/01/2009 - Offshore Fest - Blankenberge, BE - w/ Braveyoung 8/01/2009 - La Taverne du Théâtra - La Louvière (Hainaut), BE - w/ Braveyoung
What folks are saying about City Of Ships:
"Pounding bass lines and quirky rhythms and structures that almost have a math metal sort of vibe, but there's also a constant flow of all kinds of incredibly tactful 'post-' influences, from lush clean passages and swirling, spacey effects to noisier layers of intense guitar work. I'm really f*ckin' impressed by this material. Excellent." - Aversionline.com
"The group's frenetic energy and obvious emotional stake in the music which they play is simultaneously impressive and inspiring." - Scenepointblank.com
"Amidst the ocean of droney post-rock, post-hardcore clones, there are only a couple bands that catch my attention. City Of Ships had me hooked from beginning to end." - Razorcake
"This takes me back to a time of discovering exciting new sounds in the underground scene that really blew minds, from Kerosene 454 to Ethel Meserve -- bands unhindered by genre and expressing endless enthusiasm for just playing great music. City Of Ships are hard to describe and easy to enjoy, both great things." - Exclaim
* *** PRESS RELEASE #20 *** * -Susperia Vocalist Set To Return At Steinkjer Festival In Norway
Athera (Pål Mathiesen), vocalist for Norwegian thrashers Susperia is set to return to the stage at the Steinkjer Festival [ http://www.steinkjerfestivalen.no/ ] in Norway on Friday 26 June 2009. The singer, who earlier this year suffered a heart attack which resulted in major open heart surgery, has made a rapid recovery and doctors have now given him the go ahead to make his comeback.
Athera recently gave his first interview since the heart attack to Belgium's Metal Nose. Talking about his new perspective on life he said, "I haven't seen the light or anything but things are certainly different. I would never ever dare to touch any kind of drugs anymore and I don't understand now how people can pull smoke into their lungs and stuff like that, even though I used to love it. I guess you must go through something like this to realize the dangers and insanity of some of the bad things in life." Read the full interview here:
http://www.metal-nose.org/news.php?item.575.16
Susperia's fifth studio album ATTITUDE was released last month via Candlelight Records, entering the official Norwegian Album Charts at position No. 28, whilst in the U.S.A. it was the No. 3 most added album on specialist Rock Radio Playlists. ATTITUDE is the band's debut for the Candlelight label and features guest appearances from Chuck Billy (Testament) and Shagrath (Dimmu Borgir). Recording took place at Strand Studio and Studio Cyrus, Norway, with the mix being completed at Studio Fredman in Sweden by Henrik Udd and Fredrik Nordstrom (Dimmu Borgir, Arch Enemy, Opeth).
http://www.susperia.net/ http://www.myspace.com/susperiafans
* *** NEWS/RUMORS *** * -Check out About Heavy Metal's list of "Best Hair Metal Ballads" at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/7I2E .
-Killer Metal Records has reissued Dark Mirror's VISIONS OF PAIN with four bonus tracks, new artwork, and a 12-page booklet. See http://www.killermetalrecords.de/ for more.
-The Dead End Kidz were asked to contribute a track to a compilation CD that will accompany the release of an upcoming Nikki Sixx biography, entitled "An Education In Rebellion: The Biography Of Nikki Sixx!" The book is due out in August. See http://www.myspace.com/dekmusic , http://www.facebook.com/pages/THE-DEAD-END-KIDZ/6323764485 , and http://www.twitter.com/thedeadendkidz for more on the band.
-"Deluxe" versions of Def Leppard's PYROMANIA and ADRENALIZE are out this month. Each disc comes with re-mastered audio plus a bonus disc of rarities. PYROMANIA's track list: "Rock! Rock! (Til You Drop)," "Photograph," "Stagefright," "Too Late For Love," "Die Hard The Hunter," "Foolin'," "Rock Of Ages," "Comin' Under Fire," "Action! Not Words," "Billy's Got A Gun." The bonus disc features tracks recorded live at the L.A. Forum in 1983: "Rock! Rock! (Til You Drop)," "Rock Brigade," "High 'N' Dry (Saturday Night)," "Another Hit And Run," "Billy's Got A Gun," "Mirror Mirror (Look Into My Eyes)," "Foolin'," "Photograph," "Rock Of Ages," "Bringin' On The Heartbreak," "Switch 625," "Let It Go," "Wasted," "Stagefright," "Travellin' Band" (featuring Brian May). ADRENALIZE track list: "Let's Get Rocked," "Heaven Is," "Make Love Like A Man," "Tonight," "White Lightning," "Stand Up (Kick Love Into Motion)," "Personal Property," "Have You Ever Needed Someone So Bad," "I Wanna Touch U," "Tear It Down." The bonus disc features "rare, live, acoustic and demo" tracks: "Hysteria - In The Clubs In Your Face" (Bonn 05/29/92), "Photograph - In The Clubs In Your Face," "Pour Some Sugar On Me - In The Clubs In Your Face," "Let's Get Rocked - In The Clubs In Your Face," "You Can't Always Get What You Want" (B-side), "Little Wing" (with Hothouse Flowers) (B-side), "Tonight" (version 2) (demo version) (B-side), "Now I'm Here" (live featuring Brian May) (B-side), "Two Steps Behind" (acoustic) (B-side), "Tonight" (acoustic - Sun Studios version) (B-side), "Too Late For Love" (live) (B-side), "Women" (live) (B-side). See http://www.defleppard.com/ for more.
-Empyria's a new release called THE LONG ROAD HOME through Nightmare Records.
-The Gods Of Now, an "Alternative / Metal / Screamo" band from Montreal, currently has its album available for free download at http://www.thegodsofnow.com/download/ . The band consists of Schrecker on vocals and guitar, Zasta on drums and live vocals, Jon on lead guitar, and Alex JD on bass. See http://www.reverbnation.com/thegodsofnow for more.
-Metal Sludge reported XYZ vocalist Terry Ilous filled in at a recent Great White gig in Iowa, when Jack Russell "was injured and was not able to perform." Check out a clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jxr3qOurJ2E&feature=player_embedded .
-Ex-Tigertailz vocalist Steevi Jaimz has a new solo album out called MY PRIVATE HELL. The disc also features Chris Laney and Anders Ringman, both on guitar, bass, and drums. Hype has the songs combining "Steevi's trademark Glam style melodies with Kiss and Ozzy Osbourne style Hard Rock." Track list: "Amazing," "Don't Say It's Over," "Something Good Something Bad," "Still Crazy," "Little Sistah," "My Private Hell," "Kiss Of Death," "I Don't Wanna Walk Away," "Dancin' With Danger," "Kikk It Down." "Don't Say It's Over" was co-written by Laney and Alice Cooper/Slash's Snakepit guitarist Ryan Roxie. Check out clips at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=27787 and see http://www.steevijaimz.com/ and htt://www.myspace.com/steevijaimz for more on Jaimz.
-Lizzy Borden is now sporting a revamped lineup with Chris Sanders and Dario Lorina on guitar. See http://www.lizzyborden.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/lizzybordenband for more.
-Upcoming Mad Margritt shows:
6/19 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Marietta, GA 6/20 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Macon, GA 7/3 - The Muscle Racing Festival, Sarasota, FL (w/ BulletBoys) 7/12 - Rocklahoma, Pryor, OK (w/ Twisted Sister, Skid Row, Great White, L.A. Guns, Vixen, Nelson, etc.) 7/17 - Lubys, Lawrenceville, GA 7/18 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Augusta, GA 7/24 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Marietta, GA 7/25 - 37 Main, Buford, GA 7/31 - Chills, Thomaston, GA 8/14 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Macon, GA 8/15 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Suwanee, GA 8/21 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Raleigh, NC 8/22 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Greenville, SC 8/29 - The S.A. Rockin Summer Fest, San Antonio, TX (w/ Moxy, Broken Teeth, etc.)
See http://www.madmargritt.com/ , http://www.myspace.com/madmargritt , and http://www.reverbnation.com/madmargritt for more.
-Magnum's INTO THE VALLEY OF THE MOONKING is out now. Track list: "Intro," "Cry To Yourself," "All My Bridges," "Take Me To The Edge," "Th Moon King," "Noone Knows His Name," "In My Mind's Eye," "Time To Cross That River," "If I Ever Lose My Mind," "A Face In The Crowd," "Feels Like Treason," "Blood On Your Barbed Wire Thorns." The disc comes with a bonus DVD featuring a 48-minute band interview with BBC Radio's Paul Franks; "You're The One," "Stormy Weather," "How Far Jerusalem," and "On Christmas Day" recorded live in 1992; "Endless Love" recorded live in 1985; a segment with guitarist Tony Clarkin introducing Richard Mason's edited footage to "Les Mortes Dansants"; and album lyrics, artwork, and credits. Check out song clips at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=27765 and see http://www.magnumonline.co.uk/ for more on the band.
-Megadeth will release ENDGAME this September on Roadrunner Records. The disc was produced by main man Dave Mustaine and Andy Sneap, and will include songs entitled "Headcrusher," "1,320," "How The Story Ends," and "This Day We Fight." See http://www.megadeth.com/ for more.
-Check out http://news.yahoo.com/s/eonline/20090612/en_music_eo/128818 for Poison main man Bret Michaels' take on his recent mishap at the Tony awards.
-Slayer will play at Wacken Rocks Seaside and Wacken Rocks South Festival. See http://www.wackenrocks.com/ for more.
-The "Summer Rock Fest" tour features Faster Pussycat, BulletBoys, Bang Tango, and Swirl. The dates so far:
7/31 - Shark City, Glendale Heights, IL 8/1 - Riverstar Entertainment Complex, Cincinnati, OH 8/6 - Jaxx, Springfield, VA 8/7 - Crazy Donkey, Farmingdale, NY 8/8 - New Wave Café, New Bedford, MA 8/19 - Scoutbar, Houston, TX 8/20 - Scoutbar, San Antonio, TX 8/21 - Trees, Dallas, TX 8/22 - Red Eyed Fly, Austin, TX 8/27 - Galaxy Theater, Santa Ana, CA
-Tribe's PRAY FOR CALM... NEED THE CHAOS is out now on SAOL/CMM. The disc was produced by Sascha Paeth, and features Paul Kettley on vocals, Nick Dunne on guitar, piano, and vocals, Gaz McKenzie on bass, and Adam Goldsmith on drums. Track list: "Head," "Sons Of Bukowski," "Absolution," "The Beating Of Black Wings," "Ghost Ballet," "Milovani," "Oberon," "Catch Me," "Havels Hurricane," "Words That Kill," "Arual," "Bad Dreams," "Rise Up (And Fuel The Flame)" (bonus track). Check out clips at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=27786 and see http://www.tribe.uk.net/ and http://www.myspace.com/tribeband for more.
Thanks to Mike Kischnick, Chad Bowar, Roscoe, Jens Häfner, John Erigo, Music Buy Mail, HeadbangerNYC.com, and Bill "Twice Shy" Kotowski for help gathering some of this information.
* *** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE *** * by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
-I just got the two-disc 25th anniversary edition of Twisted Sister's STAY HUNGRY, so watch for a review soon. The first disc is the original album, and the bonus disc features a whopping 18 tracks! There are five early demos of songs that wound up on the album, 10 non-album tracks, 1 radio spot, a new song entitled "30," and an unlisted track featuring Dee Snider goofing around in the studio. So yeah, on the surface I figured this bonus disc basically was a "lost" Twisted album, what with 10 non-album tracks plus the new song and all. But, alas, not quite... Most of the non-album tracks are really just pieces of songs. To give you an idea the entire 18-song disc clocks in at just over 39 minutes. (Remember when Gene Simmons always used to boast that he'd written like 40 songs for whatever the latest Kiss album was, and he had to whittle it down to only four or five for the record? This is probably what he was talking about -- a bunch of 90-second or two-minute song fragments.) So anyway, this all got me thinking, because the main album is also quite short: just over 37 minutes. I looked back at some long CDs I'd received recently, and the beefiest ones I could find were SuidAkrA's 13 YEARS OF CELTIC WARTUNES and Sweet's new live album LIVE! IN AMERICA; curiously, both clock in at 1:18:12. So I'm thinking they easily could've put all this Twisted material on one disc. But the prospects of a 27-song CD probably turned off the record company folks. I bet they worried people would think it was an S.O.D. album or something. :)
-This past Monday I picked up the Best Buy ad and saw Spinal Tap had a new release coming out called BACK FROM THE DEAD. Then, purely by coincidence, I noticed they were scheduled to perform that night on "The Tonight Show With Conan O'Brien." I watched; they did a rather tepid performance of "Heavy Duty" and then sat for a brief interview segment with O'Brien. Dutifully, the next evening I cruised out to Best Buy. Turns out BACK FROM THE DEAD is a bit of an odd release. It features newly re-recorded versions of all 11 tracks from the 1984 soundtrack to "This Is Spinal Tap!," so in some strange way you could deem this a 25th anniversary package. In addition, there are a handful of all-new songs plus newly re-recorded versions of "Back From The Dead" and "Warmer Than Hell," two tracks that surfaced over the years since 1992's BREAK LIKE THE WIND. (But, sadly, "Goat Boy" from the old mid-'90s IBM TV commercial is nowhere to be found.) A DVD is also included, featuring the three main band members -- Michael McKean as guitarist/vocalist David St. Hubbins, Christopher Guest as lead guitarist Nigel Tufnel, and Harry Shearer as bassist Derek Smalls -- talking about (and sometimes demonstrating) each track from the CD. The set is a fold-out digi-pak that twists into a stage set-up featuring 10" standees of St. Hubbins, Tufnel, and Smalls. It's funny at first but having to deal with it every time you want to dig out one of the discs quickly gets tiresome.
-Very cool to hear Empyria is back.
-In my current playlist: Bill Leverty - DEEP SOUTH (Leverty Music), Spinal Tap - BACK FROM THE DEAD (The Label Industry Records), Mastercastle - THE PHOENIX (Lion Music), XXX - HEAVEN, HELL OR HOLLYWOOD? (Perris Records), Saidian - EVERCIRCLE (Blistering Records).
* *** REVIEWS *** * BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - SKULLAGE (CD/DVD) (B+) Eagle Vision, 2009 CD: 16 tracks, RT: 1:15:20 DVD: RT: 1:55:00 [ http://www.ZakkWylde.com/ ] [ http://www.blacklabelsociety.net/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/blsnet ] [ http://www.blacklabelsocietystore.com/ ] [ http://www.eaglerockent.com/ ] [ http://www.eagle-rock.com/ ] Infamous Ozzy guitarist Zakk Wylde's long-running Black Label Society project gets the "best of" treatment with this CD/DVD combo, and it's a satisfying collection of BLS highlights and some rather, ahem, interesting Wylde extras. For the uninitiated, Black Label Society dispenses a fairly brutal form of southern flavored biker metal, laying down traditional heavy crunch on "Doomsday Jesus," "Stillborn," "Bleed For Me" and "Suicide Messiah," although Zakk also has a softer side as evidenced on the acoustic "The Blessed Hellride" and "Spoke In The Wheel." The DVD includes live and conceptual videos, the best of which are the raging "13 Years Of Grief" and explosive "Fire It Up." Zakk is well-known for his guitar skills, but he has an interesting vocal style as well, eerily blending Ozzy with Layne Staley. One of my favorite aspects of the package is "Welcome To The Compound," featuring bonus footage of Zakk hanging out at home; in addition to some fascinating philosophical musings and insight into the songs you also get Mr. Wylde emotionally recalling comrade Dimebag Darrell, all this balanced by hilarious segments of Zakk drinking while exercising and paying offbeat homage to Ozzy by appearing in a dress (!?). There's additional zaniness but it will be more fun if you discover it yourself. Hardcore fans may find they already have much of this material, and I was surprised that "Blood Is Thicker Than Water" wasn't included, but for casual fans and neophytes to Black Label Society this is a solid compilation, offering even the Zakk fanatic some must-see moments... - Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)
CRIMFALL - AS THE PATH UNFOLDS... (B+) Napalm Records, 2009 11 tracks, RT: 46:46 [ http://www.crimfall.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/crimfall ] [ http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords ] Crimfall's music is classified as "epic folk metal" but, really, this band goes way beyond these already descriptive boundaries. They are not shy to call their music "weird," and that is exactly what some people may use to sum up what this band sounds like after giving it a listen. Their debut album, AS THE PATH UNFOLDS..., showcases the musical vision of Jakke Viitala. There are two vocalists that sing on two different extremes: female vocalist Helena Haaparanta sings in a light, melodic tone, while a male vocalist Mikko Hakkinen sings hardcore black metal. Yet, these two sing harmoniously together, taking turns singing their pieces in every song. There are some parts of the album that could be described as folk. There are some chanting, echoing and voice layering on some songs. While listening to this album, I couldn't help but think that nearly every song could probably be used as a movie soundtrack for some kind of epic adventure movie. There are orchestral components to be heard on nearly every song. The one that I liked the best was "The Crown Of Treason"; you'll hear a straightforward sounding metal opener, but sung by the female vocalist. Without warning, the vocalist with the black metal sounding voice steps in...and blows you away. The chorus is catchy and you'll probably have it memorized by the time the song is over. Towards the end, there are some mysterious sounds thrown in, like metal clanking, wind chimes, and what sounds like fire burning. It conjures up images of being in a distant, ancient land, where a battle is going to take place. Every song seems to hold with it something unique. I could hear the piano being played in one song, and a few other songs had acoustic instrumentation. The songs do a good job of creating an ambiance. Some songs are full of passion and vigor; some of the folk inspired ones are lively and light-hearted in a sense; then others give off a melancholy, reflective feel. This is a very compelling album for a debut. - Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@comcast.net)
FEJD - STORM (C+) Napalm Records, 2009 12 tracks, RT: 59:51 [ http://www.fejd.se/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/fejd ] [ http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords ] I was skeptical of this album when I first saw the genre it was classified into: Nordic Medieval Folk. Having the word "metal" conspicuously absent, I was hoping that maybe this was just a mistake. But after listening to STORM, I knew it wasn't. To get better acquainted with this band, Fejd is from Sweden, comprising of folk music duo Patrik and Niklas Rimmerfors and a third of the Swedish metal act Pathos. While listening to this album, I could definitely hear a lot of folk instruments. Some of the songs go at a slightly darker, melancholy pace, but most of them are upbeat and enchanting. The vocals are clean, a little raspy at times, but nothing over the top. Patrik sings at the same range most of the time. The most metal thing about this album is Esko Salow's drumming, which is for the most part very straightforward. The guitars are not heavy; in fact you'll hear more acoustic playing than anything else. The lyrics are not sung in English. The song "Älvorna Dansar" has a clean and angelic sounding female guest vocalist singing alongside Patrik. Songs like "Bergakungen" are catchy and flow at a faster pace. The band is clearly very talented and knows how to make beautiful music; folk music. If you want something even remotely heavy, this is not for you. On the other hand, if you like any kind of folk music, I'd recommend this. - Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@comcast.net)
IAN GILLAN - ONE EYE TO MOROCCO (B) Eagle Records, 2009 12 tracks, RT: 43:26 [ http://www.gillan.com/ ] [ http://www.gillansinn.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/iangillan ] [ http://www.eaglerockent.com/ ] [ http://www.edel.com/ ] When the name Ian Gillan is mentioned one rightfully thinks of Deep Purple, as his voice informs many of Purple's best moments; what is often forgotten is that Mr. Gillan has also released an impressive number of albums outside of the Deep Purple camp, including his Ian Gillan Band and Gillan projects along with his solo work. ONE EYE TO MOROCCO is Ian's first solo album of original material since 1997's unusual DREAMCATCHER release, and finds the venerable vocalist evoking a variety of tones and moods. Some of the tracks have a pensive quality, such as the brooding title track, while "Don't Stop," "Change My Ways," and "Ultimate Groove" have more of an upbeat, party feel, in part as a result of the tasteful use of harmonica, saxophone and Hammond organ. Favorite has to be the atmospheric groove of "Deal With It," which is really quintessential Gillan, from the lyrics to the urgency of the vocals. Overall an engaging album that departs from Deep Purple's hard rockin' formula but will likely still appeal to their fan base, while certainly capturing the attention of longtime Gillan followers. - Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)
JSS - BEAUTIFUL MESS (B) Frontiers, 2009 14 tracks, RT: 51:17 [ http://www.jeffscottsoto.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/sewtoe ] [ http://www.frontiers.it/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords ] Vocalist extraordinaire Jeff Scott Soto rechristened himself "JSS" for this solo project, just to mess with those of us who file are music in alphabetical order. Moving past that... BEAUTIFUL MESS will surprise fans who only know Soto's more metallic, old school work with artists such as Yngwie Malmsteen and Axel Rudi Pell. Soto's been involved with innumerable projects over the years -- metal, AOR, unplugged, funk rock, even disco (remember The Boogie Knights?) -- and I daresay this album's title sums it all up perfectly. Just about every aspect of Soto's past is on display here, with an emphasis on modern rock with groove, and a funk/soul/R&B flair. (The man abbreviates his song titles in Prince-like fashion for a reason!) A few heavier riffs are on display in tracks like "21st Century" and "Mountain" -- and I swear to God that "Testify" sounds like a vintage Black Sabbath riff put to a dance beat -- and a few songs remind me of what Paul Stanley was doing on 2006's LIVE TO WIN, particularly "Our Song" and the bonus track "Heart Starts Healing." But the best stuff is the more mature material that seems to flow effortlessly, like the smooth "Cry Me A River" and the radio-ready "Hey." "Bring It Home" could be pretty good, too, in the right environment -- put it on, grab your significant other, darken the lights, and see what pops up. [Note: The CD version of this album comes with a DVD; I didn't receive a copy but it reportedly contains the videos for "21st Century," "Gin & Tonic Sky," and "Hey," plus a 20-minute EPK, photo gallery, and desktop wallpapers.] - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
UFO - THE VISITOR (B+) SPV/Steamhammer, 2009 10 tracks, RT: 42:25 [ http://www.ufo-music.info/ ] [ http://www.spv.de/ ] [ http://www.spvusa.com/ ] [ http://www.mypace.com/spvusa ] Third time out with guitarist Vinnie Moore turns out to be the charm for rock veterans UFO on their latest offering THE VISITOR. After two albums of generally solid but admittedly hit-and-miss material Vinnie has shed his role as a hired gun and taken his place as a natural member of what has become a decidedly different but still vibrant UFO, the revered axeman delivering spirited rhythms and blistering solos throughout. Bluesy hard rock is the order of the day here as the band tear through some sure-to-be crowd pleasers like opener "Saving Me," this one starting off with some nice slide work from Vinnie before establishing a classic UFO rhythm actualized by that distinctive Phil Mogg vocal. Other highlights include the robust "Hell Driver," hard livin' lamentation "Can't Buy A Thrill," tenacious and tasty rocker "Stranger In Town," and my favorite, the melodic '80s vibe of "Stop Breaking Down," this one finding Vinnie sprinkling notes everywhere for one of the album's best solos. Drummer Andy Parker shows he has lost precious little of the power that fueled so many of the early UFO staples, and Paul Raymond's keyboards remain and integral part of the band's signature sound. Unfortunately bassist Pete Way is absent for this one, but his duties are ably filled by stand-in Peter Pichl. Front man Phil Mogg sounds great here, his performance nuanced and affective. Several standard numbers bring the score down slightly, including the obligatory Stones-y ballad "Forsaken," but overall this is an album that can be appreciated by fans of both the old and new style UFO. While THE VISITOR may not be up there alongside classics such as NO HEAVY PETTING, LIGHTS OUT and OBSESSION, it is quite good and likely their best since the excellent reunion disc WALK ON WATER. Suffice it to say, this one will be visiting my CD player frequently all summer long! - Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)
* *** OUT *** *
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20 Jun 09 Saturday
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Category: Music
* *** LET IT BE KNOWN *** * -Sorry we're late this week. Time's been flyin' by over here. - Tim
* *** PRESS RELEASE #1 *** * -Magic Circle Music Update
Thunder Online! New E.P. On MP3!
THUNDER IN THE SKY, the new E.P. from Manowar, is now available for sale online in high-quality, DMR-free, MP3 format only at The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store. Click HERE to buy!
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/product/976/Manowar-MP3-Thunder-In-The-Sky-Hi-Fi-00---Entire-CD
The downloadable version of the E.P. contains the exact same content as the version on sale during the tour: "Thunder In The Sky," "God Or Man," "Let The Gods Decide," "Father," "Die With Honor," "The Crown And The Ring" (2008) and versions of "Father "recorded in German, Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Norwegian, Spanish, French, Greek, Turkish, Polish, Japanese, Croatian, Portuguese and Finnish.
Keep posted to your Official Manowar Web sites for more information on The Asgard Saga, Magic Circle Festival III and The Death To Infidels Tour!
The Fans Have Waited Long Enough! New HolyHell CD On MP3!
HolyHell fans have been patient enough! Now the band wants to reward them with pre-sales of their long awaited debut album! Even before the self-titled CD is officially released on June 26, 2009, HolyHell will offer it online in high-quality, DRM-free, MP3 format only at The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store. Click HERE to buy!
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/category/171/HolyHell
The downloadable version of the CD contains the exact same content and features epic material set to climb straight up the charts! Track list includes: "Wings Of Light," "Prophecy," "Revelations," "Eclipse," "The Fall," "Angel Of Darkness," "Holy Water," "Mephisto," "Gates Of Hell," "Resurrection," "Last Vision," "Apocalypse," "Armageddon."
So get your HolyHell before anyone else does! Keep updated on HolyHell via official Web sites: http://www.holyhell.com/ , http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/ .
Magic Circle Music http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #2 *** * -Warrant Update
"The Sweet Spot" Steven Sweet Road Report: Comanche Nation Casino, Lawton, OK. May, 16th 2009
This was a strange trip to say the least. As a band, you become accustomed to traveling together which equates to spending time together in close quarters most of the time. Four of us live in the "Greater" Los Angeles area; one in the San Fernando Valley, one in the Foothills between the valley and Pasadena, one in the Hills of Anaheim and one in the lovely wine country a little further South (okay two of us live in the "Greater" Los Angeles -- not sure why they refer to it as "Greater" because I've been to many places on this globe and L.A. is not necessarily what I would call "Greater" than any place else, maybe "Bigger," or "Stranger" or full of more "Fake-pretenders" -- yes). Let's begin again... two of us live around L.A. and two of us live in the O.C. (Orange County -- and yes, they are rich and fabulous beyond all comprehension -- the television show is spot-on!). Now the fifth of Warrant and quite possibly the most travel savvy of us all is a desert dweller -- Arizona to be more specific. Why am I telling you this, well, because there are occasions when we don't all fly out of the same airport (LAX = "Los Angeles Xairport"). For this particular Warrant outing we came in from three different locales which meant we were.... "dun, dun DUUUUUUUU"... traveling separately, not only were we traveling from different ports of air, we were flying into different cities all together. I KNOW -- WTF Right?! Jerry and I flew from Burbank's Bob Hope Airport ("let me tell ya something..." that was my Bob Hope impression... loses something in translation, not to mention when it's only written word without audio, sorry) directly into Lawton, out-ternational airport (since it's a small airport not sure what to call it when it's not International). Joey and Erik flew from Ontario (California, NOT Canada -- that would be stupid since Ontario Canada, albeit the most populous and second-largest province of Canada, is in no way near Southern California let alone the O.C. -- NOT an acronym for Ontario Canada) into Oklahoma City (or the O.C., not Orange County or even Ontario Canada, that would be really, I MEAN REALLY stupid because then they would have to get to Lawton Oklahoma by show time the next day which would be a pain, not to mention horrible travel planning). Robert travelled by Camel to Oklahoma City, which is what Desert-dwellers do. (Sure, I made that last part up because I'm sure you know that Robert doesn't even own a Camel -- it's an Alpaca Llama, which as we all know don't take kindly to people jumping on their backs, as I found out the hard way once -- they're cute, but really quite nasty when provoked). So, there we all are in different Oklahoma cities (not that there are more than one city in Oklahoma named Oklahoma City, but different cities in Oklahoma) the night before the show at the Comanche Nation Casino in Lawton, Oklahoma -- which turns out, you don't even need a passport to get into, just a willingness to throw your money away in exchange for some free drinks... "ca-chingg" (cash register sound)... "burp" (free drink sound).
Another fun detail about this particular trip was that we were accompanied by the Brown brothers, Ryan and Joe. Ryan is our fearless get'er done guy who handles various duties like production detail, travel detail, food detail, drink detail, merchandise detail, can I get some duct tape please detail, etc. (fun fact: Ryan did a summer tour of duty with the "Girls Gone Wild" party bus -- woo hoo, which doesn't explain at all why he came back to Warrant -- or DOES it????). Joe is Ryan's brother who is an accomplished sound engineer, currently taking a break from Extreme travel (not "extreme" extreme, as in "Man VS Wild" stuff where he has to find his way back from the wilds of South America with only a pair of socks and some swizzle sticks). What I mean to say is that he's usually out on the road with the band Extreme (incidentally, Joe is a man of few words, ironic considering.... never mind, you see where I was going?). So here we are with Ryan and Joe, "The Brown Brothers" (they are both White Italian boys from Boston -- NOT actually Brown-Brothers which would be a redundant nick name anyhow) they are quite something to witness, they aren't twins, there is an age difference of about 3 years but there remains something eerily twin-like about them nonetheless. Their mannerisms and their pattern of speech are incredibly similar as is the way that the lights glint off their neatly polished heads -- though they have two distinctly different physical appearances from the cranium down. Ryan bears the appearance of a man who might dabble in Cage Fighting now and then (does one really "dabble" in things like Cage Fighting? Dabbling is better suited to activities like baking and needlepoint, even pharmacology but not mashing someone else's face into a bloody chain-link cage while twisting their arm behind their back with a forearm-breaking knee-drop maneuver), while Joe looks as though he has run the Boston Marathon, more than once in his lifetime (which spanned the mark of 40 years on this exact weekend) or perhaps more than once in the same day even. Great guys to be around and to work with, I consider myself blessed that even with all our differences as a band and as a people we manage to pull together to bring the Warrant show to life each chance we get, even if it means dealing with sometimes difficult travel arrangements (referring to our 6 hours of missed flights and delays returning home from this weekend) Note to self: avoid out-ternational airports if given the choice!
I realize I haven't even mentioned the show. Here I am babbling on about different O.C. locations, airports and Brown brothers and haven't even mentioned the show... it was fun, great crowd -- thank you Comanche Nation and all your Comanche nationals (no passport needed), and of course all you Warrant fans, for without you... I'd have no one to purge my writing upon. Gotta go for now -- I am expecting a case of O.C.D. shortly (no, not Obsessive Compulsive Disorder -- I am expecting a delivery of Orange Crush Diet -- it's very hard to come by, most stores don't stock it anymore, you have to special order online). Okay, that was really dumb I realize that, and my apologies go out to each and everyone of you who spent all this time reading through my aimless text only to be whapped with something like that at the end. So I will leave you with this... a little something in honor of Father's Day:
The memories of my family outings are still a source of strength to me and have informed who I am today. I remember we'd all pile into the car (I forget what kind it was) and drive and drive. I'm not sure where we'd go, but I think there were some trees there, maybe some water too. The smell of something was strong in the air as we played whatever sport we played. I remember a bigger, older guy we called "Dad." We'd eat some stuff, or not, and then I think we went home at some point. I guess some things never leave you.
Happy Father's Day Dad's -- you know who you are (or maybe you don't?)
Steven
WARRANT Tour Dates
Jun 25 - Hard Rock Hotel - Orlando, FL July 04 - Toyota Park - Bridgeview, IL July 10 - Rocklahoma - Pryor, OK July 21 - Chameleon Club - Lancaster, PA July 22 - Inner City Harbor Amphitheater - Syracuse, NY July 23 - Crocodile Rock Cafe - Allentown, PA Aug 14 - Galaxy Concert Theater - Santa Ana, CA Aug 15 - Storm Stadium - Lake Elsinore, CA Aug 20 - Rock Gone Wild - Algona, IA Aug 29 - DuQuion State Fair - DuQuion, IL Oct 02 - Northern Lights - Clifton Park, NY Oct 03 - Mohegan Sun Casino - Uncasville, CT Oct 09 - Brixton South Bay - Redondo Beach, CA Oct 10 - The Canyon Club - Agoura Hills, CA
WARRANT PO Box 301 Murrieta CA 92564 info@warrantweb.net http://www.warrantweb.net/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #3 *** * -Nightwish's END OF AN ERA Now Available On Blu-Ray Disc
END OF AN ERA is a massive documentation of Nightwish's incredible power as a live band. The highly anticipated Blu-Ray version of this popular concert contains footage from the final show of the legendary ONCE tour (and the historic last performance with ex-singer Tarja Turunen)!
A must have for Nightwish's rabid fanbase, this crystal clear quality will be the beginning of a new era indeed for metal fans worldwide!
DVD Track list: 1. Dark Chest Of Wonders 2. Planet Hell 3. Ever Dream 4. The Kinslayer 5. Phantom Of The Opera 6. The Siren 7. Sleeping Sun 8. High Hopes 9. Bless The Child 10. Wishmaster 11. Slaying The Dreamer 12. Kuolema Tekee Taitelijan 13. Nemo 14. Ghost Love Score 15. Stone People 16. Creek Mary's Blood 17. Over The Hills And Far Away 18. Wish I Had An Angel
* *** PRESS RELEASE #4 *** * -Z Records News
Watchmen Signal The Big Push From Z
Watchmen's critically acclaimed debut will be unleashed on June 29th. Fans of Whitesnake, Burning Rain, etc., should seriously check out this release you wont be disappointed. A Special preview track can currently be found at http://www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk . All copies purchased direct at http://www.zrecords.net/ will also come with a special 10 track promo compilation.
Von Groove And Eden To Tour U.K.
Following on from Z Rock 09 we are proud to announce a Z double whammy: Von Groove and Eden will tour the U.K. this October in support of both bands' forthcoming releases for Z.
Dates confirmed so far...
October 10th - JB's - Dudley October 11th - The Engine Room - Skelmersdale
[Tickets on sale from June 19th from X Records, Bolton / Vibes, Bury / Music 90, Wigan / Probe, Liverpool / Action Records, Preston and online at http://www.zrecords.net/ .]
Watchmen Launch And Preview Night This Saturday
A special Watchmen playback will take place at the Salutation Inn, Nottingham this Saturday June 20th between 9 p.m. - 9:45 p.m. Make sure you check out this amazing album which will be released on June 29th. There will also be a chance to win a Z Records baseball shirt. After the playback you'll be able to stay for the classic and melodic rock night held by our good friends at Frontiers rock nights.
Eden Have Confirmed For May 7th 2010
The lineup for Z Rock 2010 on May 7th and 8th has another addition. Z's very own Eden have confirmed their involvement on the Friday night of May 7th. The lineup now looks as follows:
May 7th: VON GROOVE, EDEN May 8th: THE STORM, STEVE AUGERI, ARABIA
Further acts will be announced shortly. Those still wishing to take advantage of the special offer to Z Rock 09 attendees only are reminded that the ticket discount is only available for a few more weeks at which point tickets will revert to full price and general sale. For details e-mail zrockagency@zrecords.net.
Eden Join House Of Lords For U.K. Tour
Eden will be hitting the road with House Of Lords during September for four days, three dates are confirmed so far...
Thurs. Sept. 3rd - tbc Fri. Sept. 4th - Coroporation - Sheffield Sat. Sept. 5th - The Engine Room - Skelmersdale
[Tickets on sale from June 19th from X Records, Bolton / Vibes, Bury / Music 90, Wigan / Probe, Liverpool / Action Records, Preston and online at http://www.zrecords.net/ .]
Sun. Sept. 6th - JB's - Dudley
Tickets for all shows are priced at £17.50.
Z Records And Z Rock 09 Shirts Now Available Online
The following shirts and baseball shirt are now available via mail- order priced at £15 incl p&p [to U.K. addresses]. The Z Rock 09 shirt is also available in babydoll format as well as all sizes. To order e- mail the size and quantity you require to mark@zrecords.net. Visit http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest for close-up views.
http://www.zrecords.net/ http://www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest
* *** PRESS RELEASE #5 *** * -Napalm Records News
Alestorm & Tyr: Chartbreakers
The Scottish bucaneers have hoisted the black sails, entered the German LP charts, and made it to the sensational number 60! In addition, the British Independent Album Charts and Rock/Metal Album Charts welcome Alestorm at number 14 and 17 respectively. The band and Napalm Records raise their rum-filled mugs and send out a hearty "Yarr!" to all pirates and landlubbers who made it possible!
http://www.myspace.com/alestorm
The vikings are in close pursuit and land their dragonships at number 88 of the German LP charts. In accordance with the title of their new anthem "Hold The Heathen Hammer High," the Faroese warriors and Napalm Records thank the fans for their incredible support!
http://www.tyr.net/ http://www.myspace.com/tyr1
Mortemia: New To Napalm Records
Gothic Metal icon Morten Veland (Tristania, Sirenia) has inked a deal with Napalm Records for his new band Mortemia. Morten promises his fans a sweeping listening experience, which will follow the path of Tristania's masterpiece BEYOND THE VEIL. The first songs stay true to his promise and offer beautiful melodies and bombastic choir passages, thus creating the perfect blend of traditional Gothic Metal and modern elements.
"I am happy to have signed to Napalm Records for my new project Mortemia. I am looking forward to the cooperation with the label and to bring out more music to all the metal fans out there."
Glittertind & Stream Of Passion: Further Chart Entries
The Folk Metal band has sky-rocketed into the Norwegian national album charts with their latest offering LANDKJENNING and made it to number 21! Even the Norwegian international LP charts are not safe from the folk melodies and welcome Glittertind at number 56. A big "Thank You" to all supporters!
http://www.glittertind.net/ http://www.myspace.com/glittertind
Stream Of Passion caused quite a stir by entering the Dutch LP Charts! Their latest album THE FLAME WITHIN made it to a spectacular number 57! In addition, THE FLAME WITHIN made it to number 2 of the Alternatice Charts. The band and label thank everyone involved for the tremendous support! Fans should make sure to keep checking the band's Web site for upcoming live dates and other events.
http://www.streamofpassion.com/ http://www.myspace.com/streamofpassionband
Trail Of Tears: Special Feature
German webzine sounds2move.de has posted an in-depth Trail Of Tears online feature. In addition to reviews of each release of the Gothic Metal pioneers, Ronny and Cathrine comment on all songs of their latest album BLOODSTAINED ENDURANCE. Fans may check out the special HERE:
http://www.sounds2move.de/Stories/trailoftears_bse_special/trailoftears_bse_special_09.htm
http://www.trailoftears.no/ http://www.myspace.com/trailoftearsmetal
COMING IN SUMMER 2009:
July Ahab CD - THE DIVINITY OF OCEANS - Nautik Funeral Doom Metal 24.07.2009 Syrach CD - A DARK BURIAL - Doom Metal 24.07.2009 Leaves' Eyes MCD - "My Destiny" - Gothic Metal 24.07.2009
August Saltatio Mortis CD+DVD - WER WIND SAT... - Medieval Rock 28.08.2009 Leaves' Eyes CD - NJORD - Gothic Metal 28.08.2009 Schelmish CD - DIE HASSLICHEN KINDER - Medieval Rock 28.08.2009
Napalm Records http://www.napalmrecords.com/ http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=napalmrecords
* *** PRESS RELEASE #6 *** * -Radiant Records: News From Neal Morse!
Hello,
How are you doing? We are in Germany and are having a great time! Neal played at Sweden Rock and then we were in London for a week; now we are back in good old Germany and are excited about what is coming up!
The Get Closer weekend is THIS WEEKEND! We are thrilled to be having these meetings here in the beautiful mountains outside Cologne, Germany in the city of Bergneustadt (Translated: new mountain city).
Sue and I (Cherie Morse) are considering cooking some food between the meetings and it will be a good time to just hang out.
Please let us know if you are coming so we can get an estimate of how many people to cook for. Email: matthiasstegmann@gmx.de
Here are the details:
Get Closer Weekend June 20th - June 21st Ev. Gemeindezentrum Bergneustadt Breslauerstr. 20 a 51702 Bergneustadt Web site: http://www.ev-kirche-bergneustadt.de
Start each day: 2 p.m. - 4 p.m. Break: 4 p.m. - 6 p.m. next service time: 6 p.m. - 8 p.m. Finish each day: 8 p.m.
If someone needs a hotel room for the weekend check out http://www.feste-neustadt.de (a very nice hotel in the historical old part of the town approx 5 min. by car from the get closer location) or http://www.booking.com/ .
We have a new worship night just added in Hamburg! Here are the details:
IBC Hamburg, on Friday, July 10 at 7 p.m. Address: IBC Hamburg, c/o FEG-Holstenwall, Michaelispassage 1 20459 Hamburg
I guess that's all for right now. We'll keep you updated!
Take care,
Cherie Morse
* *** PRESS RELEASE #7 *** * -Foghat Goes Gold With Rhino's BEST OF CD, Will Tour Throughout Summer
British classic rockers Foghat continue to experience an incredible resurgence throughout the world -- but especially the U.S., where their 16-track compilation, THE BEST OF FOGHAT, recently obtained Gold certification (500,000 copies sold).
The collection, which was originally issued in 1989, includes all of Foghat's hits and rock radio standards, including such anthems as "Slow Ride," "I Just Want To Make Love To You," "Fool For The City," "Drivin' Wheel," and "Ride, Ride, Ride," among others.
As a result of this latest landmark accomplishment in the history of Foghat, the band -- which consists of Charlie Huhn (vocals, guitar), Bryan Bassett (guitar), Craig MacGregor (bass), and Roger Earl (drums) -- recently received gold plaques for THE BEST OF FOGHAT, presented by DJ Adam Furious from the New Hampshire radio station WGIR ROCK 101 and Noisy SOD management.
This is the group's eleventh gold or platinum award overall. Footage of the event can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ppUsvcy8C_8
"My wife told me that I could have a new Aston Martin with my next gold record," says Earl, "But apparently this one doesn't count! But on a serious note, I am very grateful to our fans -- both old and new. It's so cool to see all of those young faces out there, and showing them how a bunch of old bastards can really rock. And to still be rockin' with my co-captain, Craig MacGregor, after 35 years, and especially to Charlie and Bryan. They are such a blast to play with, and they had some big shoes to fill. And in the immortal words of Lonesome Dave, 'We're gonna roll 'til we're old, and rock 'til we drop.' Thanks!"
While MacGregor and Earl are the longest-tenured Foghat members in the lineup (all the way back to the '70s), both Huhn and Bassett have been Foghat members for nearly a full decade by this point, and for their contribution for keeping the Foghat legacy alive, also received gold plaques for THE BEST OF FOGHAT. Much can be attributed to Foghat's long-lasting popularity and increased album/ticket sales of late, as the quartet continues to tour relentlessly -- as evidenced by such strong recent live releases LIVE II [2007] and LIVE AT THE BLUES WAREHOUSE [2009], and strong concert reviews. Foghat has also reached a whole generation of young fans due to their all-time classic road anthem, "Slow Ride," being the first song on the popular "Guitar Hero III" video game, in addition to recently being sung by Adam Lambert and Allison Iraheta on "American Idol" to millions of viewers, as well as being used in various commercials (Honda Odyssey, Carl's Jr., Ace Hardware) and movies ("Wild Hogs"). And Foghat refuses to stand still, as the group continues to tour -- as evidenced by their live summer and fall schedule -- and is hard at work on a blues CD and a new DVD, both of which will be issued by the end of year.
Foghat U.S. Live Dates:
WED 6/17/2009 - San Diego, CA - The Paddock Concert Series FRI 6/19/2009 - Chicago, IL - Beverly Arts Center SAT 6/20/2009 - Oswego, IL - Prairie Festival SAT 6/27/2009 - Festus, MO - Municipal Airport WED 7/1/2009 - Milwaukee, WI - Summerfest - Clasisc Rock Stage FRI 7/3/2009 - Avon, CO - Avon Town Park SAT 7/4/2009 - Pennsauken, NJ - Cooper River Park THU 7/9/2009 - Penticton, BC (Canada)- So. Okanagan Event Centre FRI 7/10/2009 - Abbotsford, BC (Canada) - Abbotsford Entertainment & Sports Center THU 7/16/2009 - Walker, MN - Moondance Jam 18 FRI 7/17/2009 - Sloan, IA - Winnavegas Casino SAT 7/18/2009 - Modesto, CA - Xclamation Festival SAT 7/25/2009 - Clatskanie, OR - Biker Rally - Run 21 FRI 7/31/2009 - Aurora, IL - Downtown Alive! Rocks The Fox SAT 8/1/2009 - Billings, MT - Bones Brewing Pub MON 8/3/2009 - Sturgis, SD - Broken Spoke Saloon County Line FRI 8/7/2009 - Pittspurgh, PA - South Park Amphitheatre SAT 8/8/2009 - Kettering, OH - Fraze Pavilion For The Performing Arts SUN 8/9/2009 - Scituate, MA - Scituate Harbor Heritage Fest SAT 8/15/2009 - Elizabethtown, KY - Freeman Lake Park SAT 9/5/2009 - Omaha, NE - Septemberfest - Salute To Labor MON 9/7/2009 - Denver, CO - A Taste Of Colorado SAT 9/12/2009 - Hot Springs, AR - Hot Springs Rally - Biker Event FRI 9/18/2009 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino (2 shows) SAT 9/19/2009 - West Springfield, MA - The Big "E" SAT 10/10/2009 - Gulf Shores, AL - 33rd Annual National Shrimp Festival SAT 10/17/2009 - Ormond Beach, FL - Broken Spoke Saloon SUN 10/18/2009 - Stuart, FL - Lyric, Theatre FRI 2/5/2010 - Morristown, NJ - The Community Theatre
http://www.foghat.net/ http://www.myspace.com/Foghat1
* *** PRESS RELEASE #8 *** * -Seventh Rize Inks A Worldwide Deal On Perris Records
Perris Records is pleased to announce the worldwide signing of Seventh Rize, a Texas hard rock band that will release their FULL MOON CD this summer. The CD is now available for pre-order at Perris Records' Web site, http://www.perrisrecords.com/ .
Seventh Rize was formed in the Fall of 1991 and hails from the rural oil fields of West Texas. Averaging over 200 shows per year, Seventh Rize headlined in clubs and festivals, opened numerous major concerts and was a featured artist on several regional radio stations and publications. Seventh Rize has performed shows with the likes of Warrant, FireHouse and White Lion... not to mention several headlining events, including a VH1 special, along with numerous in-store appearances. Seventh Rize also appeared at Rocklahoma '08! Seventh Rize began the next logical step... writing new material. The core writing sessions went extremely well and the band decided to bring back Bobby Rock to produce the new album, FULL MOON. The entire recording/mixing/mastering process for FULL MOON was spread between Texas and Los Angeles. Seventh Rize worked with an outside writer -- namely Bruce Turgon from Foreigner -- a chemistry which proved successful! The band worked night and day on FULL MOON to live up to its motto, "Let The Music Do The Talking." Once FULL MOON was complete, Seventh Rize began searching for the "right" label to promote it. The band was set on finding a label that shared their vision and truly lived for rock 'n' roll music! They found these qualities in Perris Records and signed with the label in April 2009. The first single, also the title track, will hit airwaves soon and FULL MOON is set for a nationwide release on July 14, 2009! Seventh Rize will be heavily touring in support of the FULL MOON from coast to coast...and maybe beyond! Whatever the case, Seventh Rize is prepared to deliver a unique Arena Rock Experience!
Seventh Rize co-founder/drummer Sulli states "I speak for myself and the entire Seventh Rize organization when I say that we very excited to join the Perris Family! Perris Records has a rich history of signing and promoting some amazing groups... and Seventh Rize is honored to join the ranks. Tom Mathers is a stand up guy with a serious work ethic. I can honestly say that Perris is the perfect match for Seventh Rize and the only label I trust to handle our newest recording, FULL MOON. Seventh Rize looks forward to a long, productive relationship with Tom and Perris Records!"
In response to numerous inquiries about the release of Full Moon on July 14th and tour dates to support it, Seventh Rize is excited to announce that they will hit the road for a limited number of exclusive dates with friend Mark Slaughter of SLAUGHTER!
The Brothers In Arms Tour - An Evening With Seventh Rize And Mark Slaughter will only hit a small number of selected markets and promises to burn the roof down... and keep ya Up All Night! The first four shows of the tour have been officially announced:
July 15 - The Music Vault - Harker Heights, TX 16 - River Stage Complex - San Angelo, TX 17 - Tequila Jungle - Lubbock, TX 18 - Dos Amigos - Odessa, TX
These shows will not only celebrate the release of FULL MOON, but they will also serve as a way for the band to help create more awareness of St. Jude Children's Hospital.
As stated by Sulli, drummer and co-founder: "St. Jude Children's is a wonderful organization that battles cancers of all kinds on a daily basis... and from the doctors to the nurses to the support staff, they are all committed to creating cures for every child that walks through their doors... regardless of a family's ability to pay. Being that this will be a very special tour, I thought we should help raise funds for a very special cause! St. Jude's operates 100% on donations and it's my pleasure to work with St. Jude's on our Brothers In Arms Tour! A portion of the proceeds from each show will be donated to St. Jude's Hospital.
"Stay tuned for more details and watch for added shows!"
Go to http://www.myspace.com/seventhrize and http://www.seventhrize.net/ for information on Seventh Rize.
Stacy "Big Daddy" Humphries - Vocals Darin Andersen - Guitars Jerry Stone - Guitars David Hamilton - Bass Sulli - Drums/Percussion
Perris Records http://www.perrisrecords.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #9 *** * -Swashbuckle: BACK TO THE NOOSE Album Trailer
A trailer for BACK TO THE NOOSE, the new album from New Jersey's thrashing pirates Swashbuckle, can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VDPN9Ew-muc
BACK TO THE NOOSE is scheduled for release on July 24, 2009 (Europe) and August 11, 2009 (North America) via Nuclear Blast Records.
Swashbuckle has been added to this year's Paganfest Europe tour alongside Korpiklaani, Unleashed, Alestorm, Die Apokalyptischen Reiter and Ex Deo, after recently completing the North American edition of Paganfest. The trek kicks off on September 11 in Munich, Germany and concludes on October 3 in Linz, Austria.
"Cruise Ship Terror," the new video from Swashbuckle, can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=53A4GyB96RI
Commented the band: "Arrg, legendary metal music video director David Brodsky (Kataklysm, Arsis, The Black Dahlia Murder) by chance caught us pirates in the act of looting and pillaging a fine vessel along the seas of the Atlantic. With nary a chance of escape, David bartered passage to dry land in exchange for rendering a motion picture tale of our nautical pilferings."
Swashbuckle was one of three winners of last year's Nuclear Blast MySpace Bands Contest.
http://www.swashbuckle.info/ http://www.myspace.com/swashbuckle http://www.facebook.com/pages/Swashbuckle/71641780327
* *** PRESS RELEASE #10 *** * -Contrive To Enter The Studio This Month
Australia's Contrive will enter the Toyland Studios, Melbourne this week to begin recording the follow-up to their acclaimed debut from 2005 THE MEANING UNSEEN (Mixed by Fredrik Nordstrom - Studio Fredman, Sweden)
Read Reviews:
http://www.sputnikmusic.com/album.php?reviewid=14581 http://metalobsession.net/contrive-the-meaning-unseen
The band's drummer Andrew Haug issued this update:
"Finally, we're hitting the studio to record what has been dubbed by friends and even us as the CONTRIVE DEMOCRACY! Meaning, the album has taken what seems like an eternity to complete. There were several setbacks that can lay blame for this delay over the last few years including our bassist Tim's motor accident whilst holidaying in earlier this year. Am happy to report he's now all mended and ready to thrash! Ok, what can I say about the album without creating a long drawn out tangent on just how damn great it's going to be? Ha! Well I can tell you it will contain eight songs and musically? Well, WE DIG IT! You'll have to make up your own minds when it's done! More updates soon! Horns - m/"
Contrive live in Bangkok, w/ Parkway Drive Feb. 2009; TV footage & interview from SPINearth TV:
http://www.myspace.com/contriveaustralia
Contrive now on Facebook -- become a fan -- join up
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CONTRIVE/16792407242?ref=ts
Write Contrive
PO Box 134 East Keilor 3033 Melbourne, Victoria, Australia
* *** PRESS RELEASE #11 *** * -Rusty Cage Records Update
Debut Fractal Gates Available Now!
This weekend the debut album of French metallers Fractal Gates called ALTERED STATE OF CONSCIOUSNESS has been released. It's a six-page digi-pak, containing 14 great doom/death/rock tracks. It will also be available at all major downloadstores, such as iTunes, eMusic.
When ordering this album at the Rusty Cage webstore, you will receive another RCR release for free during the month of June! (use vouchercode: RCR19 and pay only €10,- for 2 CD's!)
Non-Divine News: Non-Divine To Support Testament
Non-Divine will support Testament on their Dutch gig at the Hedon in Zwolle (Netherlands) on July 2nd.
Magnacult News: Magnacult To Support Mastodon
Dutch metallers Magnacult will support Mastodon on their only headlining date in Europe at the Le Trabendo in Paris (France) on July 6th.
The band is currently writing material for its as-yet-untitled sophomore album. They will enter the studio in April to start the pre- production. "We are very excited to enter the studio again and record our new material. We just played at two festivals in Holland this past weekend and already unleashed two new songs and the reactions from the crowd were great," says drummer Bionic.
Stay heavy, The Rusty Cage Records Team http://www.rustycagerecords.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #12 *** * -Ravenland: BACK E.P. Available On MySpace
When waiting for the release of their new album, entitled "...AND A CROW BRINGS ME BACK, which shall be available in a few weeks by Free Mind Records, Brazilian goth metallers Ravenland released the BACK E.P., which is now available on MySpace at http://www.myspace.com/ravenland .
BACK was recorded in Studio Fusão/Plug in, with production and drums by Ricardo Confessori (Angra, Shaman) and it has the following track list:
1 - Soulmoon 2 - End Of light 3 - Regret
Recently Ravenland launched a new YouTube channel, where is available a video clip for "End Of Light." Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlYlfxo59GU .
Ravenland http://www.ravenland.net/ http://www.myspace.com/ravenland
* *** PRESS RELEASE #13 *** * -Music News From Paul Speer
New Album
I am excited to announce that coming very soon will be the new album WONDERS, a collaboration with Paul Lawler ( http://www.paullawler.org/ ) from the U.K. and Satine Orient ( http://www.satineorient.com/ ) from Paris, France. We created musical impressions of awe inspiring places on Planet Earth. Paul Lawler and I composed all the music and Satine contributed vocals to two tracks. It will be released Tuesday, July 7th 2009 assuming everthing goes according to plan.
OCULUS At #38 For 2008
OCULUS came in at #38 on the World/Ambient/New Age radio chart for all of 2008. Not too shabby! It received and continues to receive airplay on numerous terrestrial, internet, cable TV, and satellite radio stations. A shout out to ace radio promoter Kathleen Monahan ( http://www.mc-kdm.com/ ) for her hard work on the project. If you don't have a copy and would like one, click here:
Solo Projects http://www.paulspeer.com/soloprojects.cfm
Free Stuff!
I can't fix the economy, end the wars, or stop global warming but what can I do to make the situation a little better? Spread some music around! And what better way to do that than give it away for free? This time, instead of one free download to all my friends on this list, I'm giving away a whole album download.
All you have to do is email me paulspeermusic@aol.com and mention the album you want and I'll send back a link to the download site. It is just my way of saying thanks for your support all these years.
Until next time,
PS
http://www.paulspeer.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #14 *** * -Texas Guitar Great Chris Duarte Sees Life From Fresh VANTAGE POINT At The War Memorial On June 25
TRENTON, N.J. -- The Chris Duarte Group will take the stage for two memorial sets at the Trenton War Memorial on June 25 at 7 p.m. as part of the "On Patriots Stage - The Kaplan Series."
"On Patriots Stage - The Kaplan Series" is a unique experience in musical performance distinguishing itself from any other concert series in America by offering audiences a rare opportunity to share the stage with world-renowned musical artists and enjoy an up-close and personal evening of music as well as an opportunity to meet the performers. Patriots Theater at the War Memorial, with its breathtaking architecture and state-of-the-art lighting and sound systems make it the perfect backdrop for the series.
When Sun Records founder Sam Phillips first heard Howlin' Wolf sing, he spoke the now famous words: "This is where the soul of man never dies." If Phillips had ever met Texas guitar great Chris Duarte he might have been moved to offer a similar insight into the eternity of the blues, Duarte's triumph over personal adversity and the firebrand passion to which this blues-rock guitar master brings to his music.
In a celebrity-driven industry rife with Faustian deals served up to the public via false advertising, Duarte has demonstrated that his soul -- and his love of the blues -- is not for sale. When listening to the Chris Duarte Band's new record, VANTAGE POINT (Blues Bureau/ Shrapnel), one senses Duarte's rejuvenated spirit, renewed creative breadth, an ability to tap into the blues' timelessness, and Duarte's rekindling of the youth exuberance he possessed during the making of his breakthrough debut TEXAS SUGAR/STRAT MAGIK.
The very title (VANTAGE POINT) alludes to Duarte's newfound self- awareness, his shedding of some bad personal habits, and his ability to view life from a different perspective. "I think I'm playing better than ever," claims Duarte. "Working with producer Mike Varney has really opened my eyes to a lot of possibilities regarding melody and what to listen for to make a good record even better."
Once pegged as a Stevie Ray Vaughan-abee, Duarte (a one-time longtime Austin resident now living in Atlanta) has emerged as an artist (worn Fender Stratocaster in hand) with his own, original kick-ass, stinging guitar-playing style. For years the name Stevie Ray hung like an albatross around Duarte's guitar's neck. VANTAGE POINT is not only Duarte's most fresh-sounding disk in years but also unabashedly acknowledges and embraces his longstanding influences.
"I don't deny my influences," says Duarte. "If people compare me to Stevie Ray, well, to me that's a compliment. My Stevie Ray tendencies are just one characteristic of my musical identity."
Expecting a blues artist to exist in a vacuum and not be influenced by music around him is unrealistic. The blues (back before there even was a formalized genre) has always been about building, borrowing and creating one's own artistic voice within a tradition. So it is not surprising that a dash of Stevie Ray mojo can still be found in Duarte's inspired six-string acrobatics. But listen closely enough and you'll also spot 'Trane, Bird, Zeppelin, Miles, John McLaughlin, Albert King, Freddie King, Howlin' Wolf's Hubert Sumlin, and a host of other artists.
Duarte sprinkles these influences across a baker's dozen of tracks appearing on VANTAGE POINT: check the Robert Plant vocal wail/Jimmy Page-Les Paul vibe of "Babylon"; the Hendrix-meets-Govt. Mule-meets- Mahavishnu Orchestra freak out guitar jams of "She Don't Live Here Anymore"; and the jazzy, goofy, witty and ridiculous mood of instrumental "Woodpecker," which could very well have been a recently unearthed Dixie Dregs track from deep inside the Capricorn vaults.
Fittingly, the slow, major blues "Troubles On Me" not only references Stevie Ray Vaughan's take on Albert King's version of the Elmore James classic "The Sky Is Crying," but also the blues standard "Goin' Down Slow" (specifically the 1961 Howlin' Wolf version, itself based on St. Louis Jimmy Oden's 1941 song). Duarte adds his own poignant twist to the soulful lyrics, which speak to his once turbulent personal life.
"The song is saying, 'Sorry, mom. I know this is not the life you would have wanted for me,'" says Duarte.
A self-described child of the Beatles generation, Duarte first picked up his brother's guitar when he was just 15 years old and learned the Fab Four's tunes via guitar-chord tablature texts. After quitting school at 16, Duarte moved from San Antonio, Texas, to Music City U.S.A. (a.k.a. Austin, Texas) with a great musical potential and an unchecked, naïve jazz "snobbishness."
"I was turning my nose up at it the blues, but when I did some serious investigation, suddenly I'm asking myself, 'Why don't I sound like that guy on the record?,'" Duarte says.
Duarte worked his butt off through constant practice, soaking up as much knowledge as he could from veteran blues cats, and pounding the boards in venues throughout Austin (and greater Texas). He witnessed the rise of Austin as a music Mecca; caught a young Stevie Ray Vaughan at the Continental Club when the future blues-rock icon was still finding his own voice; founded his own trio; and began playing 25 shows a month when fans and critics alike stood up and took notice.
Suddenly the Midwest and upper South were Duarte's breadbasket. He was on the road constantly and cut such critically acclaimed records as TEXAS SUGAR/STRAT MAGIK, TAILSPIN HEADWHACK and 2007's BLUE VELOCITY.
Duarte's excitement is palpable when speaking about VANTAGE POINT. "There are some moments on VANTAGE POINT that hit me the same way as TEXAS SUGAR," says Duarte. "I was a young player then, didn't have the vocabulary I do now, but there is a certain vibe about the tracks -- then and now. I'm just really excited about and proud of this record."
Tickets are $25.00 and available at The Patriots Theater Box Office at (609) 984-8400, (800) 955-5566 or online at http://www.thewarmemorial.com/ or http://www.tickets.com/ and a 10% Military Discount (Box office only, must show ID).
A free 60-minute master class guitar instruction will be available on a first come first served basis starting at 5 p.m.
Blues Guitarist Extraordinaire Chris Duarte Hosts Exclusive Master Class At The Trenton War Memorial
TRENTON, N.J. -- Thursday, June 25, represents a fantastic opportunity for those whose thirst for knowledge is never quite satiated by the plethora of instructional DVDs and books out on the market.
Virtuosic bluesman Chris Duarte, once voted Best New Talent from readers of Guitar Player magazine, will be sharing his vast depth of knowledge in a 60-minute clinic at 5 p.m., preceding his performance at the Trenton War Memorial. Duarte, who has toured internationally for the past 18 years now, is thrilled to impart his philosophy on not only crafting memorable guitar solos, but also finding great tones in which to deliver them. This master class is free for all interested on a first come basis. For those interested, you are welcome to bring your own electric guitar.
The seminar will cover everything from basic soloing techniques to advanced application of melodic ideas toward soloing. Duarte will also expand on his own practice routine and devices that have proven helpful towards, making him the incredible player he has become. Time permitting, attendees will also enjoy the ability to jam out with Duarte, who will then advise them on ways to spruce up their playing, or maybe offer an insight that could help change their perspective on the instrument. Whether you are a serious player, or simply a curious hobbyist, the master class has something to offer anyone who has the passion to play the right notes.
http://www.thechrisduartegroup.com/ http://www.myspace.com/chrisduartegroup http://www.thewarmemorial.com/ http://www.meconcerts.com/ http://www.masterclass.us/Iss
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Category: Music
* *** PRESS RELEASE #17 *** * -Get A Stand At The Total Metal Festival 2009!
As every year a few stand positions will be available at the Total Metal Festival, the most important Metal happening in southern Italy. There will be stands of every kind: merchandise, artistes, advertisement, etc. The organizing agency, Vivo Management, announce that from now, for all those that would be interested, it's possible to book a position in the festival area to get a personal stand.
The date of the festival is fixed for Saturday, September 19 2009 (doors open at 1:30 p.m.) and that the confirmed location is the New Demodè Club in Modugno, Bari (the same of last edition). At the moment just a few bands are confirmed: FINNTROLL, MALEVOLENT CREATION and VOMITORY. Soon a lot of bands more will be announced.
Every stand can expose stuff off any kind provided that everything must be legal and not offensive.
The organizers could also provide for gazebos, tables and chairs if needed. Also is possible to expose in the festival area advertisement Banners and stuff like that.
If you want to get a place for your activity contact Vivo Management at the number +39.333.65.99.784 or write an e-mail to info@vivomanagement.it.
TOTAL METAL FESTIVAL 2009 September 19, 2009 1:30 p.m. New Demodè, Modugno, Bari (IT)
http://www.myspace.com/totalmetalfestival
* *** PRESS RELEASE #18 *** * -Ninetail To Release HALF TRUTHS & HAND GRENADES Through MVD Audio On July 14
Tour Dates With Mensrea (f/ Members of Gwar) Announced For June
With HALF TRUTHS & HAND GRENADES, the York, Pennsylvania-based metal monster known as Ninetail have taken their devastatingly intense variety of metal music to an entirely new level. This, their sophomore effort released by DRP Records ( http://www.drprecords.com/ ), is faster, heavier and more technically complex than their previous release.
In anticipation of the album's national release, Ninetail toured the country on the 2008 Project Independent Showcase Tour from August 29th - November 2nd, 2008. The tour, which consisted of 58 performances in 33 different states, introduced Ninetail to metalheads all across the country, and gave the band a chance to connect with countless new fans.
Ninetail was established in the Summer of 2005. The band -- with Don Belch and Chris Evan (guitars), J. William Heitmann (vocals), Griff (bass), Greg Weber (keys & samples) and Chris Appenzeller (drums) -- has enjoyed a slow and steady rise to the forefront of the American underground metal scene. Having thrilled more than 200 audiences in 35 different states with its ultra-violent, high-energy live performance, Ninetail has built a fanatically loyal fan base across the United States.
With the release of their debut full-length album, THE PROCESS OF CONVERSION, in June of 2006, Ninetail quickly introduced the world to a crushingly brutal new brand of heavy metal, with its down-tuned, jackhammer guitar riffs, growling, hound-of-hell vocals and atmospheric, industrial-esque keyboard/sample work inspired by bands like American Head Charge, Bloodsimple, Pantera and Lamb Of God. A fervent response to the album throughout the Mid-Atlantic States prompted invitations to share the stage with many different national acts, including: Static-X, Soulfly, Chimaira, God Forbid, Mushroomhead, Devildriver, Otep, High On Fire, In This Moment, and many more.
In the Fall of 2007, the band's blistering performance at the Project Independent Pennsylvania State Invitational earned Ninetail a coveted spot alongside seventeen of the underground metal world's elite on the nationally-distributed Project Independent Volume 4 compilation CD -- leading to a worldwide, online vote at http://www.projectindependent.net/ to determine the best unsigned metal act in the United States. With Ninetail's newly recorded track, "Westboro," the band was awarded the title of "2008 Project Independent Featured Artist" on January 1, 2008. These days, the band is touring like crazy in support of HALF TRUTHS & HAND GRENADES.
Upcoming Tour Dates withMensrea (f/ Members of Gwar): June 18 - KC's Music Alley (All Ages) - Fredericksburg, VA June 19 - Sonar (All Ages) - Baltimore, MD June 20 - The Depot (21+) - York, PA June 21 - Croc Rock Underground (All Ages) - Allentown, PA June 22 - Club Echo (18+) - Huntington, WV June 25 - Village Tavern - Mt. Pleasant, SC June 27 - Zakk's Coffeehouse (All Ages) - Murfreesboro, NC
"Half Truths & Hand Grenades" Music Video http://vimeo.com/channels/drp
Hi-res Cover Art and Additional Info http://www.mvdb2b.com/search/item.php?SESSION_NO=NADWND9DEN2M44L1N9RUNU271&sku=DRP030
Ninetail Web site http://www.ninetail.org/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #19 *** * -Hartless Hind Records Releases UP END ATOM: A TRIBUTE TO ATOM AND HIS PACKAGE
A Portion of the Album's Proceeds To Benefit the American Diabetes Association
Hartless Hind Records and MVD Audio are pleased to announce the release of UP END ATOM: A TRIBUTE TO ATOM AND HIS PACKAGE for worldwide distribution on July 14, 2009.
UP END ATOM is a tribute to seminal nerd rock icon, Atom And His Package. His quirky music and undeniable personality made him Philadelphia's most unique performer, and the world's most unlikely rock star. A chubby kid with a high voice on stage, armed with nothing but a musical synthesizer and a good sense of humor, played his way into the hearts of many. His musical journey would eventually be halted by Diabetes.
His contemporaries pay tribute to him on this record. Showing the breadth and width of his influences, artists such as Adult Swim's mcchris, German rock band Locas In Love, the originator of post-punk laptop rap MC Lars, Aussie punk band Yidcore, and hockey rock band The Zambonis all recorded tracks specifically for this tribute. All these artists come together with a common goal: to share their love for Atom And His Package and help fight Diabetes.
A portion of the album's proceeds are going to the American Diabetes Association, to fight the disease that forced Atom to retire from music.
"Atom never played a prison tour but, he is honestly for us right up there with Johnny Cash as a smart, musical, funny, innovative punk rock bad ass. We love him and are very proud to be on the CD." - Dave Schneider, THE ZAMBONIES
Track listing: 1. Steinbeck - "Possessions (Not The One By Danzig)" 2. mcchris - "Punk Rock Academy" 3. Math The Band - "Upside Down From Here" 4. The Zambonis and Atom - "Goalie" 5. Yidcore - "Avenger" 6. MC Lars feat. Worm Quartet - "(Lord It's Hard To Be Happy, When You Aren't Using) The Metric System" 7. Worm Quartet feat. Curt Allen - "It's A Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Mad Lib 2008" 8. Locas In Love - "I Am Downright Amazed At What I Can Destroy With Just A Hammer" 9. The Emotron - "Me And My Black Metal Friends" 10. Zolof The Rock & Roll Destroyer - "Happy Birthday Ralph" 11. Golden Bloom - "Lying To You"
Link to Hi Res Cover Art http://files.dvdnote.com/images/300dpi/hartless001.jpg
MVD Entertainment Group PO BOX 280 Oaks PA 19456 http://www.mvdb2b.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #20 *** * -Impiety End All Life With Latest Album
Singapore's almighty maelstrom returns, possibly with their most furious release to date. Impiety are one of the world's most notoriously destructive bands, gaining that reputation over the course of their near 20-year existence. The band's incalculably destructive nature amalgamates insanely high-speed blasting, brutally-fast riff structures and relentless guttural torment, resulting in some of the most destructive blackened death metal on the planet.
Impiety's sixth studio album -- appropriately entitled TERROREIGH: APOCALYPTIC ARMAGEDDON COMMAND -- is arguably the band's most hellish bloodstorm of relentless rage to date. Dedicated to and based upon the pitiful scum that humans are, the album presents a grim look at man's final days on Earth. The album presents ten tracks in total, including an Intro and Outro exclusively provided by Holocausto Vengeance of Beherit!
TERROREIGN: APOCALYPTIC ARMAGEDDON COMMAND track listing: 1. Intro 2. Vientos De Holocausto 3. Atomic Angel Assault 4. Terroreign 5. As Judea Burns 6. Goatfather 7. Bestial To The Bone 8. The Black F*ck 9. My Dark Subconscious 10. Outro
http://www.mightyimpiety.com/ http://www.agoniarecords.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #21 *** * -Sunn 0))) Announce American Live Aktions
Sunn 0))) will be heading to the Midwest for the first time in quite a while, playing shows in many cities and states they have not been to before. The lineup for these Midwestern sonic rituals will be:
Attila Csihar - Invocations Steve Moore - trombone, keys Stephen O'Malley - Guitar Greg Anderson - Bass
Joining Sunn 0))) on these live aktions will be one of Southern Lord's latest signings, Eagle Twin. West coast dates for sunn 0))) in August and east coast dates for September are in the planning stages and will be announced soon.
Sunn 0)))'s recently released seventh studio full-length MONOLITHS & DIMENSIONS is currently being devoured by the media; the band's constant/inherent tonal devastation and atmospheric tension have soared to traumatic new heights on the album. On stage, the band has just recently conquered shows in Japan, Mexico, and have just wrapped up a European tour.
You can witness one of Sunn 0)))'s recent shows in a massive church in Leuven, Belgium at this location:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7a0Z2yndlOs
Sunn 0))) w/ special guests: Eagle Twin
7/02/2009 Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL 7/05/2009 Varsity Theater - Minneapolis, MN 7/06/2009 Sokol Auditorium / Underground - Omaha, NE 7/07/2009 The Riot Room - Kansas City, MO 7/08/2009 The Firebird - St. Louis, MO 7/10/2009 House Cafe - Dekalb, IL 7/11/2009 Eagle Theater - Pontiac, MI 7/12/2009 Southgate House - Newport, KY
"Sunn's music has shown an astonishing capacity for expansion and transformation." - Signal To Noise
"...inverts all expectations; negative space infuses their pulverizing tendencies, revealing that light is the new heavy." - Spin Magazine
"Needless to say, this is not your dad's heavy metal... John Cage- inspired sonic experimentation, elements of modern classical music, folk, post-rock, and free jazz are embedded under the crush of ambient feedback. Ozzy it's not." - New York Magazine
"Per Sunn O)))'s long-standing dogma, 'Maximum volume [still] yields maximum results.' But this time, there's enough musical range and temperance to usher even the most resolute naysayer into this intricate wonderland." - Pitchfork.com
"This is an album for people who love their music, not something that can be dropped into a playlist for easier digestion. MONOLITHS & DIMENSIONS is tremendous in every way." - Brainwashed.com
MAXIMUM VOLUME YIELDS MAXIMUM RESULTS.
http://www.ideologic.org/ http://www.southernlord.com/ http://blog.southernlord.com http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
* *** PRESS RELEASE #22 *** * -Pulverised Records Signs Pestilential Shadows
Australian black metallers Pestilential Shadows recently inked a worldwide deal with Pulverised Records for their latest opus IN MEMORIAM, ILL OMEN.
In a world filled with disease and mindless genocide, it is no wonder why Pestilential Shadows chose the term "Anti-Human Plague Black Metal" to represent their brand of devastation. IN MEMORIAM, ILL OMEN is a pummeling onslaught of sorrow-drenched riffs with a sonic production that mirrors the early '90s black metal sound, courtesy of guitarist/singer Balam. Featuring past and present members of Naxzul, Rift, Illium, Funeral Moruning and many others. IN MEMORIAM, ILL OMEN is a timeless piece of art that transcends all forms of mournful resentment towards human nature. Recorded and mixed by Balam and mastered by D.Backovic. Stunningly beautiful oldschool artwork and layout by Balam.
Track listing: 1) Weapon Against The Sun 2) Beautiful Demise 3) With Serpents I Lay 4) Of Loss And Suffering Inherit 5) For Man And Heavens Ruin 6) Sundered 7) Ecclesia Moriendi (insrumental) 8) Bathed In Ashes
http://www.myspace.com/pestilentialshadows http://www.pulverised.net/
* *** NEWS/RUMORS *** * -AC/DC has chosen Anvil to open two upcoming stadium shows: July 28 at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, MA, and July 31 at Giants Stadium in E. Rutherford, NJ.
-Alice In Chains will release a new studio album through Virgin Records in September.
-Sebastian Bach joined the guys from IFC's "Z Rock" to judge the "America's Hottest Rocker Mom" contest. Check out http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pAiODlrjdw8&feature=player_embedded for more.
-Death On Two Wheels summer tour dates:
6/12 - The Roxy, Hollywood, CA 6/14 - Cinespace, Silver Lake, CA 6/17 - Lestat's, San Diego, CA 6/18 - Monterey Live, Monterey, CA 6/19 - The Wood Shed, Salt Lake City, UT 6/25 - Bohemeos's, Houston, TX 6/26 - The Vault, Stillwater, OK 7/3 - The Hummingbird, Macon, GA 7/4 - The Star Bar, Atlanta, GA 7/9 - The 5 Spot, Nashville, TN 7/10 - Tin Roof, Charleston, SC 7/11 - Evening Muse, Charlotte, NC 7/24 - Drunken Unicorn, Atlanta, GA 7/30 - Neumeirer's Rib Room, Ft. Smith, AK
See http://www.myspace.com/deathontwowheels for more.
-Thrashers Hellwitch have reformed and are working on a new album for release this fall on Xtreem Records. Meanwhile, a reissue of SYZYGIAL MISCREANCY is due out on June 15, complete with 12 bonus tracks and a 20-page booklet with lyrics, liner notes, and rare photos. Track list: "The Ascent," "Nosferatu," "Viral Exogence," "Sentient Transmography," "Mordirivial Dissemination," "Pyrophoric Seizure," "Purveyor Of Fear." Bonus tracks from the 1986 TRANSGRESSIVE SENTIENCE demo: "Nosferatu," "Satan's Wrath," "Torture Chamber," "Fate At Pain's End." From the 1987 MORDIRIVIAL DISEMANATION demo: "Degeneration," "Nosferatu," "Purveyor Of Fear," "Pyrophoric Seizure." From a 1989 rehearsal/demo: "Archangel" (Death cover), "Mordirivial Disemanation," "Viral Exogence." From the 1984 NOSFERATU demo: "Nosferatu."
-Check out a great interview with Iron Maiden drummer Nicko McBrain at http://www.examiner.com/x-5629-Heavy-Metal-Examiner~y2009m6d10-Listen-With-Nicko-Part-Flight-666-Exclusive-Interview-with-Iron-Maiden-Drummer-Nicko-McBrain .
-Upcoming tour dates for The Iron Maidens:
6/13 - Paladino's, Tarzana, CA 6/17 - San Diego Fair, San Diego, CA 6/20 - Angel's Roadhouse, Yucaipa, CA 6/27 - Cane's, San Diego, CA 7/11 - Sunset Station Casino Pool Party, Las Vegas, NV 7/12 - Santa Fe Springs Swapmeet, Santa Fe Springs, CA 7/17 - The Underground, Reno, NV 7/18 - Bill's Casino/Bar 24, Tahoe/Stateline, NV 7/30 - Second Wind, Santee, CA
See http://www.theironmaidens.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/theironmaidens for more.
-Jet has a new album due out in August. Check out a trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uAT2t1gtQZ8 .
-Jorn's SPIRIT BLACK is out now on Frontiers in Europe, and is due in the U.S. on July 14. Track list: "Spirit Black," "Below," "Road Of The Cross," "The Last Revolution," "City Inbetweeen," "Rock And Roll Angel," "Burn Your Flame," "World Gone Mad," "I Walk Alone," "The Sun Goes Down" (limited edition digi-pak bonus track). Hype: "SPIRIT BLACK is another slab of classic Hard Rock with '80s Metal elements which will definitely please all those who loved his recent LONELY ARE THE BRAVE." Check out song clips at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=27680 and http://www.frontiers.it/Default.aspx?tabid=85&pl=J . Jorn's touring lineup includes guitarists Igor Gianola (U.D.O.) and Tore Moren (Arcturus), bassist Nic Angileri (Gotthard), and drummer Willy Bendiksen (The Snakes, Bad Habitz). In related news, the U.S. release of Jorn's LIVE IN AMERICA DVD will see the light of day on July 14, on Frontiers. See http://www.jornlande.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/realjorn for more.
-Speculation surrounding the next Kiss album has it being a Wal-Mart exclusive.
-Check out the video for FireHouse guitarist Bill Leverty's new song, "Boll Weevil," at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fm4nR_gkPA . It's the first single from the Leverty's new solo album DEEP SOUTH. See http://www.leverty.com/ , http://www.myspace.com/billleverty , http://www.facebook.com/people/Bill-Leverty/1736764379 , http://www.reverbnation.com/billleverty , and http://www.twitter.com/Leverty for more.
-Check out a review of Joel McIver's Cliff Burton biography, "To Live Is To Die: The Life & Death Of Metallica's Cliff Burton," at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/7FhJ . In related news, rumor has it Anthrax and Overkill will open Metallica's Madison Square Garden show this November.
-Moth Eater -- featuring John Alaia, John Conley (Scar Culture), Buckshot (Dirty Rig), and Dave Ardolina (Dirty Rig) -- will hit the studio later this month to record its debut album, for a late summer release. Check out some demo tracks at http://www.myspace.com/motheater667 , and documentary footage at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa2ksBwBNuM .
-Nocturnal's VIOLENT REVENGE is due out June 15. Track list: "Hellhunt," "Atomic Warfare," "Slaughter Command," "Death Is The Answer," "Beast Of Hades," "Disgracer," "Dark Rat Eyes," "Swarm Of Insects," "Creation Of The Possessed," "Hells Forces." Hype says the disc is an "old school thrash album." The band plans to shoot a video for "Hellhunt."
-Check out an interview with OSI's Kevin Moore at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/7FhL .
-Poison front man Bret Michaels suffered a fractured nose and required three stitches after getting whacked by a "moving set piece" at the Tony awards this past Sunday night. Poison was there to perform in conjunction with the musical "Rock Of Ages," which features '80s music from them, Journey, Foreigner, and others. The show will reportedly be made into a film. For more on the Michaels incident, see http://new.music.yahoo.com/bret-michaels/news/bret-michaels-injured-by-set-piece-at-the-tonys--61989646 .
-Praying Mantis' SANCTUARY is out now on Frontiers. The disc was recorded in Atlanta, Georgia, with producer/engineer Andy Reilly (Bruce Dickinson, Asia, The Cult, FM, etc.) and has this track list: "In Time," "Restless Heart," "Tears In The Rain," "So High," "Turn The Tide," "Touch The Rainbow," "Threshold Of A Dream," "Playing God," "Broken Chains" (Japanese release only), "Highway," "Sanctuary." Hype says the music "is instantly recognizable and features plenty of great melodies and songs and shows their traditional NWOBHM style." Check out the video for "Turn The Tide" at http://www.praying-mantis.com/mantis/news/turn-the-tide-video/ , and check out song clips at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=27672 . The band's current lineup is Mike Freeland on vocals, Tino Troy on guitar and vocals, Andy Burgess on guitar, Chris Troy on bass and vocals, and Benjy Reid on drums. See http://www.praying-mantis.com/ for more.
-Striker's STRUCK BY LIGHTNING E.P. is out now. Check out clips of each track as follows:
"Intro" http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Striker/00000001.mp3
"Struck By Lightning" http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Striker/00000002.mp3
"Is This Love" http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Striker/00000003.mp3
"Underneath The Stars" http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Striker/00000004.mp3
A review at TargetRecords.de describes the songs as "really pure '80s catchy melodic rock, reminding a lot of H.E.A.T., Heaven and Work Of Art."
-The dates so far for SureFire Machine's "Grinnin & Sinnin" tour:
6/13 - The Roadhouse, Golden, BC 6/16 - 6/17 - The Rose And Crown, Banff, AB 6/19 - The Distillery, Calgary, AB 6/20 - Brixx, Edmonton, AB 6/26 - 6/27 - The Blarney Stone South, Red Deer, AB 7/4 - Edmonton Sky Dive Center, Westlock, AB 7/17 - Avalanche, Courtenay, BC 7/24 - Rock Show, Lesquiti, BC 7/25 - 7/26 - Lesquiti Island, Lesquiti, BC 7/31 - 8/1 - The Frontiersman, Coombs, BC 8/7 - 8/8 - The Vault, Rimbey, AB 8/9 - Blues On Whyte, Edmonton, AB
See http://www.myspace.com/SurefireMachine for more.
-Twisted Sister will appear June 30 at J&R Music World in New York City, starting at 12:30 p.m. The band members will sign copies of the 25th anniversary edition of STAY HUNGRY, which includes re-mastered audio, bonus tracks, and a new song entitled "30."
-Check out a trailer for the Sammy Hagar-less, Michael Anthony-less "Guitar Hero: Van Halen" at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cz0xikqdICE . In related news, Chickenfoot's self-titled debut album sold 49,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at No. 6 on The Billboard 200 chart. Chickenfoot is Chad Smith (Red Hot Chili Peppers), bassist Anthony (ex-Van Halen), guitarist Joe Satriani and Sammy Hagar.
-Check out the new video for Witchking's "And The Bearer Goes," from the band's self-titled debut album, online now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tcESbt0F_ME&fmt=18 . See http://www.witchking.pl/ for more.
Thanks to Robert Pancur, Gabor Kleinblösen, Nancy B. Sayle, Jon Asher, Displeased Records, HeadbangerNYC.com, Chad Bowar, Mateusz Gajdzik, Roscoe, and Bill "Audio/Video" Kotowski for help gathering some of this information.
* *** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE *** * by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
-Wiki-Steve-ia Shumake schooled me on that whole Running Wild/X-Wild/ Wild Knight family tree, after this week's announcement that vocalist Frank Knight and guitarist Majk Moti teamed up to form Wild Knight. (I probably could've figured it out for myself, eventually, but I know me and I know I would've gotten distracted looking at old Running Wild CD booklets, and I would've forgotten to finish the research...) Moti was in Running Wild way back, along with bassist Jens Becker and drummer Stefan Schwarzmann; he left and was replaced by Axel Morgan. Then when Running Wild main man Rock'n'Rolf cleaned house, Morgan, Becker, and Schwarzmann teamed up with Frank Knight to form X-Wild. That band went on to release three albums: SO WHAT!, MONSTER EFFECT, and SAVAGELAND. Now Mr. Knight and Mr. Moti have teamed up. Should be cool.
-I'm just now digesting John Taglieri's new multimedia package, the CD/book combo called LIVES. I really like this sort of thing, and I know plenty of artists have packaged CDs with comic books (Alice Cooper, HammerFall, etc.) but this is especially cool because each song relates to a chapter in the book. Last time I saw something close to this was a decade ago, when author Dale Sherman's Kiss fantasy "A World Without Heroes" came packaged with a tribute CD whose songs related to the book's chapters.
-I don't know how I managed to forget this twice, but I saw the Anvil movie a few weeks ago. It wasn't the full-blown "Anvil Experience" with the band members present and all, but it was still very cool to see the film on the big screen. Everything good you've heard about this movie is true. Everybody who reads Detritus needs to see it.
-Did you all read Mark Morton's excellent Nicko McBrain interview mentioned in "News/Rumors" above? If not, go do it now. Then, head on over to Best Buy this week because the "Flight 666" Maiden documentary is on sale for a mere $11.99. (And while you're there, grab the Chickenfoot disc for $9.99.)
-They installed new screen savers on our PCs at work, and the color scheme is tan with an image of a red and blue compass. EVERY time I see it I think of Angra's HOLY LAND album cover.
-Okay. Seriously. *Another* new Jorn album??? Wow.
-In my current playlist: Wolf - RAVENOUS (Century Media), Tankard - THIRST (AFM Records), Dirty Looks - SLAVE TO THE MACHINE (Perris Records), Hades - BOOTLEGGED IN BOSTON 1988 (DVD) (Cruz Del Sur Music).
* *** REVIEWS *** * ARKONA - OT SERDCA K NEBU (B-) Napalm Records, 2008 14 tracks, RT 1:03:31 [ http://www.arkona-russia.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/arkonarussia ] [ http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords ] Arkona is a pagan metal band from Russia, and they are out with their latest album OT SERDCA K NEBU, which translates to "From the Heart to the Sky." The band is fronted by female vocalist Masha "Scream," who uses a wide range. At some times she uses a soft, harmonious tone, chanting through the songs. Then suddenly, without warning, she'll explode into a loud shrieking voice, violently changing the course of the song. The album is written in the band's native tongue, Russian, so unless you know the language, you'll probably be lost with the lyrics. So, I cannot give my feedback in terms of lyrical content. This album is very unique instrumentally. It blends pagan instruments with the typical metal set. Although I'd say the feel of the album is predominantly pagan or folk. There are definitely some metal moments on the album, like when we hear Masha start screaming and the tempo pick up. There are some folk instruments used throughout the songs that I have personally never heard mixed into a metal song. There are some piano and flute pieces woven in there too. The song I'd recommend checking out to get a feel for the band would be the title track -- this song encompasses flute playing, chanting, echoed voices, distortions on the guitars, and a sample of the vocalist's heavy vocal range. Overall, I'd say this album is lacking from a metal standpoint, but is very unique because of the strong pagan overtones. - Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@comcast.net)
IRON THRONES - VISIONS OF LIGHT (B) Tribunal Records, 2009 9 tracks, RT: 53:26, multimedia section [ http://www.ironthrones.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/ironthrones ] [ band@ironthrones.com ] [ http://www.tribunalrecords.net/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/tribunalrecords ] Iron Thrones have partnered up with Tribunal Records to release their latest album, VISONS OF LIGHT. This is an album that took three years to complete. Their sound can be considered maybe straightforward death metal, maybe a little bit progressive metal -- they're hard to classify. Vocalist Adam Clemans uses a heavy sounding death metal- esque voice, which rarely varies in range or tone. The guitars from Steven Henningsgard and Adam Shaleen are very harmonious, but they don't stand out too much. Peter Clarke's drumming seems to be fairly straightforward. The album opens with "Swell To The Surface," an instrumental piece that starts off quietly and then builds with intensity. From here, the second song "The Dark Design" begins right where the first one leaves off, only now the listener is introduced to the vocals. There are some parts where the guitars really take over the song, even while Clemans is still singing. Otherwise, there aren't really any solos. "Still Waters" is a song that is what I would say is a hallmark of what the band has to offer. It starts out with a burst of energy, with some cool guitar playing to accompany the brutal vocals. After about three minutes into the song, the pace slows and you'll hear acoustic guitars and noticeably slower drumming. It's a nice break in the song, before going back to a death metal vibe. This is the way a few of their songs go, with these short, slower interludes strung into some of the longer songs. My personal favorite is "Illumination," which has a soft piano opener and gradually gets faster, giving off a very majestic feel. Then quite suddenly, the song erupts into a brutally fast death metal song, and even Clemans seems to be singing faster than on any previous track. The other song I want to mention is "Cover Of Smoke," just because it is the longest one, coming in at over 12 minutes. This song dips and dives going from fast to very slow paces at various times throughout the song. Yet, I felt like it couldn't fully keep my attention. Lyrically, the songs are very poetic, and some were a bit cryptic. There aren't really any choruses, and I don't find the songs to be catchy, but I don't think that is what Iron Thrones are looking to convey. - Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@comcast.net)
LEPROUS - TALL POPPY SYNDROME (A-/B+) Sensory, 2009 8 tracks, RT: 1:03:04 [ http://www.leprous.net/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/leprousband ] [ http://www.lasercd.com/ ] [ http://www.lasersedgegroup.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/lasersedge ] Now here is something interesting -- despite the rather unappealing name, Leprous actually play some quite beautiful progressive metal. It's nice to hear a band doing something unique, and Leprous have really attempted to explore some unusual soundscapes on TALL POPPY SYNDROME. Many times with prog metal the emphasis is on complex arrangements and dazzling technical passages, but Leprous take a more subtle approach and place accent on the emotional effect of the entire piece of music; indeed, it would be hard to extract individual songs for recognition, as the whole album is equally excellent and really needs to be heard in its entirety. What springs to mind when listening to TALL POPPY SYNDROME is craftsmanship, as the pieces are really carefully constructed and benefit from repeated listens. Only drawback for me is some of the vocals, which periodically stray into modern territory with demonstrations of the now ubiquitous anguished scream; it works though, as the subject matter is a stark reflection of distress and lamentation. Closest comparison musically would be to bands such as Pain Of Salvation and Opeth, but these guys are by no means copy artists. My recommendation: if you are at all into modern progressive metal, check out some samples of TALL POPPY SYNDROME and prepare to be impressed... - Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)
LION'S SHARE - DARK HOURS (A-) Blistering Records, 2009 11 tracks, RT: 44:06 [ http://www.lionsshare.org/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/lionsshare ] [ http://www.blisteringrecords.se/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/blisteringrecords ] Lars Chriss & Co. are back, and have improved upon 2007's EMOTIONAL COMA (which was a very good album to begin with!). DARK HOURS is one solid, ballad-free, guitar-driven classic heavy metal album, and I'm sure it'll appear on my "Best Of 2009" list later this year. Kickin' opener "Judas Must Die" sets the tone straight away, a gritty up-tempo burner with a good hook and great drumming and cymbal work. The band's welcome Dio- or Tony Martin-era Black Sabbath influence is still on display in a couple tracks, namely "Heavy Cross To Bear" and "Behind The Curtain," and there's also a bit of Yngwie's neoclassical flair to "The Presidio 27," some Megadeth in "Space Scam," and a creative take on the "Master Of Puppets" riff in the excellent "Napalm Nights." The production is crisp and clean throughout, the guitar work (both rhythm and lead) shines, and the song arrangements are spot-on. And I must say, the old-school run time (11 songs, 44 minutes) forces the tracks to grab you quickly -- and they do, which is always a good thing. Some highlights are "The Presidio 27," the stomping closer "Behind The Curtain" (which even has a nod to Sabbath's "Children Of The Grave" -- awesome!), "Judas Must Die," "The Bottomless Pit" (with a heavy groove to die for), and the keyboard-colored rocker "Demon In Your Mind" -- and I could list three or four others. Great stuff! - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
PERSONA NON GRATA - SHADE IN THE LIGHT (B) Sensory, 2009 10 tracks, RT: 51:13 [ http://www.personanongrata.info ] [ http://www.myspace.com/personongrata ] [ http://www.lasercd.com/ ] [ http://www.lasersedgegroup.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/lasersedge ] Well I wasn't convinced by my first couple of listens to SHADE IN THE LIGHT, but I've warmed up considerably to this Greek outfit's worship of all things Fates Warning. In all fairness, the band do have other influences, Dream Theater certainly coming to mind along with the modern sensibilities of bands like Vanden Plas and Circus Maximus. Persona Non Grata are at their best on the expressive but crushing "Dual Unity" and the melodic drama of "Collision Course," but also show an aptitude for stirring instrumental brilliance on the short but poignant "Single Unity," and display authentic emotion on the sensitive ballad "Longing." Vocalist Bill Axiotis obviously studied Geoff Tate and Ray Alder meticulously, and at times he can be a bit histrionic, but he is good -- and genuine. Lots of piano here which is nice but a bit more guitar could serve to shore up the band's metal foundations and take them to the next level. A good start this, with lots of potential to break free of the idiosyncrasies of the genre... - Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)
SAIDIAN - EVERCIRCLE (B) Blistering Records, 2009 10 tracks, RT: 56:04 [ http://www.saidian.de/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/saidianband ] [ http://www.blisteringrecords.se/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/blisteringrecords ] Somehow I'd never heard of these guys, despite them being around for a few years and having ties to Jon Oliva's Pain... That's enough of an endorsement for me! EVERCIRCLE takes its cue from Edguy, as many of the songs are in that band's vein of catchy, active, fun -- and sometimes downright pompy -- melodic metal. Plus, my gosh, vocalist Markus Engelfried has a *strong* resemblance to Edguy's Tobias Sammet in many places. Yet, Saidian isn't just a mere clone band. Keyboards -- all kinds; piano, synth, traditional rock keys, etc. -- play a stronger role in Saidian's sound than Edguy's, and Markus Bohr gets equal spotlight time with guitarist Rodrigo Blattert. A couple of the songs here could use a bit o' editing, particularly "Solomon's Dance" (while uber-catchy, yes, it is overlong at 5:28), but that's a pretty minor quibble. Opener "Out Of The Shadows" is a bona fide kick-ass classic, "Pale Moon Rider" starts out like a synth-drenched dance song(!) but then turns chunky 'n' melodically stompin', "Sign In The Sky" has a strong neoclassical vibe and showcases Bohr and Blattert very well, and "The Princess" is laden with nice harmony vocals. Plus, wow, there's a cover of the pre-Craaft band Tokyo's song, "Tokyo." Very cool idea to unearth that gem! It's official: Saidian is no longer flying under my radar. :) - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
VALE OF PNATH (B-) Tribunal Records, 2009 4 tracks, RT: 18:03, multimedia section [ http://www.myspace.com/valeofpnath ] [ valeofpnath@yahoo.com ] [ http://www.tribunalrecords.net/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/tribunalrecords ] While this is only an E.P., Vale Of Pnath stands out as a powerful, emerging death metal band. Hailing from Denver, these four guys are already on their way to good start. The band cites influences from classic death metal and black metal artists such as Emperor and Death. I'd say that they could fall under the melodic death metal category. Vale Of Pnath's self-titled E.P. features four songs -- "A Witness To...," "...A Disoriented Blur," "Carcosa," "Dens Of Inequity" -- and they are all very fast and heavy sounding. The drumming by Jeremy Portz really stood out to me due to the constant rapid speed, very characteristic of death metal. The guitars from Vance Valenzuela and Mikey Reeves are also fast, but the drumming really overshadows them. Vocalist David Lercher uses a brutal lower range for most of the singing, but also changes to a slightly higher pitched tone, something reminiscent of Dimmu Borgir. The lyrics are hard to decipher, even for death metal, in my opinion. The songs aren't that catchy, but they are powerful and instrumentally can keep you entertained. There's not a lot of guitar soloing here, but the guitars do play in a harmonious way that stood out to me. At the end of the last song, I was left wishing for more. This E.P. is a great way to get acquainted with this up and coming band. - Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@comcast.net)
* *** OUT *** *
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12 Jun 09 Friday
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Category: Music
* *** LET IT BE KNOWN *** * -Everyone be sure to tune in to ABC's "20/20" tomorrow night for the big Adam Lambert special. Or, don't. :) - Tim
* *** PRESS RELEASE #1 *** * -FireHouse Guitarist Bill Leverty Gets Bluesy And Funky On DEEP SOUTH
Available Now From Amazon And iTunes
With his guitar work as a member of FireHouse, Bill Leverty set the rock world ablaze with his fiery riffs and solos. But Leverty is no one-trick pony, as evidenced by his new solo release, DEEP SOUTH. Instead of focusing on the arena-ready rockers that his full-time band specializes in, DEEP SOUTH is steeped in tough blues and southern rock sounds -- bringing to mind such legendary names as ZZ Top, Lynyrd Skynyrd, and the Allman Brothers. "When you hear the songs in context, you'll hear that this is not a typical hard rock/heavy metal album," explains Leverty. "On this one, I tried to let the music tell ME how to sound, not the other way around. There are so many different instruments on this album that I have never recorded before. This album is a chance for me to stretch out as a musician, singer, producer and engineer."
In addition to supplying guitar, Leverty also handles lead vocal duties, as well as incorporating such uncommon instruments as a guitarelele and dobro into the mix. Instead of whipping up a batch of tunes that replicate the sounds of the south, Leverty opted to go right to the source. "Most of these songs have been around for about 100 years," says Leverty. "I have a great new appreciation for the American music of the late 1800's and early 1900's, and I wanted to put my twist on it." Featured is the album-opening "Trouble So Hard" (of which was made popular by Moby, who sampled some of the original in his hit single, "Natural Blues"), as well as the album's first video, "Boll Weevil," the sweet acoustic strum of "Walk Beside Me," the muscular blues rock of "Samson And Delilah," and a finger-snappin' jazzy reading of the Ray Charles classic, "Hit The Road Jack" (which includes some impressive piano playing from Leverty, as well as vocals from his wife, Kris). Additionally, Leverty's grandfather's artwork adorns the album's front cover.
You will find yourself playing this album over and over again. It is destined to become a classic, possibly creating a new musical swath, and the CD belongs in the collection of every person who loves music, especially guitar. The album is very deep, and it seems Leverty has aptly entitled it, DEEP SOUTH.
Confirmed track listing for DEEP SOUTH:
Trouble So Hard Run On Boll Weevil Nine Hundred Miles Samson And Delilah Walk Beside Me Hit The Road Jack Rain And Snow Wade In The Water Man Of Constant Sorrow
For more information (as well as song samples and ordering info), visit: http://www.leverty.com/
To view the album's first video, "Boll Weevil," click here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1fm4nR_gkPA
To purchase the new CD via iTunes click here: http://itunes.apple.com/WebObjects/MZStore.woa/wa/viewAlbum?id=318427687&s=143441
To purchase new CD via Amazon click here: http://www.amazon.com/Deep-South/dp/B002BIS3K8/ref=sr_f3_2?ie=UTF8&s=dmusic&qid=1243822573&sr=103-2
* *** PRESS RELEASE #2 *** * -Ratt & Extreme Team Up For Summer Tour
NEW YORK, NY -- Celebrated rock pioneers Ratt and Extreme have teamed up to bring you this summer's most rockin' tour lineup. The tour, which will feature sets from both bands with Ratt closing, kicks off on July 12 in Amarillo, TX and runs through August 7th in Hampton Beach, NH. It will cross the U.S. and cover 16 markets, with more to be announced soon. In celebration of the 25th anniversary of their landmark debut OUT OF THE CELLAR, Ratt will be playing the album in its entirety.
Both bands are excited about the double bill. "Warren DeMartini and Nuno Bettencourt on the same stage, same night?? 'Nuff said, we'll see you there!" says Ratt's Bobby Blotzer. Extreme's Nuno Bettencourt concurs, "One hot summer night. Two bands fully loaded with musicianship. Mix in one part memorable songwriting. Add nine ounces of passionate performers. Throw in three well respected guitarists. Add a touch of West Coast raunch and a hint of East Coast funk. And you get yourself a recipe for one night of unforgettable rock and roll."
Ratt is currently in the studio recording its first new record in over 10 years with famed producer Elvis Baskette. The band announced its new partnership with Loud & Proud/Roadrunner Records earlier this year. The album is planned for release this fall. Extreme recently released their first new album in 13 years SAUDADES DE ROCK (pronounced "sow-dodge") which is a groundbreaking record that reaffirms the beloved, Boston-bred foursome's stature as innovators in the world of rock & roll.
Over the past two years, Ratt has toured the world in support of their releases TELL THE WORLD - THE VERY BEST OF RATT and their first ever DVD, VIDEOS FROM THE CELLAR - THE ATLANTIC YEARS. During this time, the current lineup of Stephen Pearcy, Warren DeMartini, Bobby Blotzer, Robbie Crane and Carlos Cavazo played shows in Australia, Colombia and Peru for the first time in their careers. Their mega-hit "Round And Round" was prominently featured in the Oscar nominated 2008 film "The Wrestler," and the band will be headlining Rocklahoma this July.
One of the most popular rock acts of the past 20 years, Ratt's brand of guitar-driven melodic rock helped shape the L.A. metal scene. The band boasts a deep catalog of hits including smashes like "Round And Round," "Lay It Down," "You're In Love," "Lack Of Communication" and "Wanted Man" which are beloved by fans the world over. The band has gone on to sell millions of albums worldwide. With 1984's mega- platinum debut OUT OF THE CELLAR celebrating its 25th anniversary this year, the band is looking forward to starting a new chapter with new music to complement the impressive legacy they have established over two-plus decades.
To date, the Grammy-nominated Extreme have released five albums, plus a greatest hits set -- selling over 10 million records worldwide. They also achieved a #1 hit single, "More Than Words" -- from their 1990 multi-platinum album Extreme II: PORNOGRAFFITTI -- on the Billboard Hot 100, which they followed with the Top Five "Hole Hearted." Although these two acoustic hits brought the band great mainstream success, the band's trademark sound has always been more a mix of hard rock funk -- fueled by guitar virtuoso Nuno Bettencourt's signature style, Gary Cherone's resonant vocals and socially conscious lyrics, Pat Badger's rock solid bass, and the hard hitting Kevin Figueiredo on drums. Extreme has recently been introduced to an entire new generation of fans with the inclusion of their song "Play With Me" in the popular video game "Guitar Hero" as well as "More Than Words" featured in hit movies "Forgetting Sarah Marshall" and "The Love Guru."
Tour dates are as follows:
7/10 - Pryor, OK - Rocklahoma** 7/12 - Amarillo, TX - Midnight Rodeo 7/13 - San Antonio, TX - Scout Bar 7/14 - Odessa, TX - Dos Amigos 7/16 - Tempe, AZ - Marquee Theater - on sale 6/6 7/17 - Los Angeles, CA - Wiltern Theater 7/18 - Las Vegas, NV - Hard Rock 7/19 - Anaheim, CA - Grove 7/22 - Denver, CO - Ogdon Theater - on sale 6/6 7/23 - Kansas City - Crossroads 7/24 - Chicago - HOB - on sale 6/6 7/25 - Toledo OH - Harley Davidson-LOT ** 7/26 - Cheswick, PA - Ches-a-rena - on sale 6/5 7/28 - New York, NY - Nokia Theater 7/30 - Westbury, NY - Westbury Theater - on sale 6/12 8/2 - Allentown, PA - Crock Rock Festival 8/5 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx*** 8/6 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom - on sale 6/12 8/7 - Hampton Beach, NH - Hampton Bch Casino - on sale 6/12 8/8 - Clearfield, PA - Clearfield County Fairgrounds** 8/15 - Sky City, NM - Sky City Casino** 8/29 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino**
** = Ratt only *** = Extreme only
* *** PRESS RELEASE #3 *** * -Magic Circle Music Update
Winners Of The Ultimate Fan Contest Announced
"Dick the Destroyer" had the "Balls of Steel" necessary to tattoo the "Sign of the Hammer" on his p*nis and definitely deserves to win Grand Prize as the Ultimate Manowar Fan!! He wins 2 Ultimate Fan Packages to Magic Circle Festival III on July 18, 2009 at the Loreley on the Rhine River in Germany!
Due to the fact that we have such kickass, devoted fans, there were thousands of entries to the contest! As a result, we were unable to select just 5 winners! Instead, we chose 10 winners for 2 different categories, Brothers of Metal and Sisters of Steel! Hail to all who participated! See you at Magic Circle Festival III!
Winners for the Ultimate Fan Brother of Metal:
1. Grand Prize Winner: 2 Ultimate Fan Packages for Magic Circle Festival III - Dick the Destroyer: With The Sign of the Hammer tattoo!
2. 2 Tickets to Magic Circle Festival III - David R.: For his amazing dedication and kickass video!
3. Manowar Merchandise worth Euro 75 (2 winners!) - Antonio B.: Branded from head to toe with Manowar tattoos! - Cory W.: A true brother of metal! Wall-to-wall Manowar at his place!
4. Manowar Sweatshirt - Volker K.: Owner of the MANOWAR MOBILE
5. Manowar Festival T-Shirts (2 winners!) - Renato from Brazil: Saved 3 years to travel to the Magic Circle Festival. He has a Heart of Steel! - Marco: Found new use for Manowar CDs! They are embedded in his walls!
Winners for the Ultimate Fan Sister of Steel:
1. 2 Ultimate Fan Packages to Magic Circle Festival III - Lena H.: She's FANtastically FANatic!
2. 2 Tickets to Magic Circle Festival III - Jamie K.: Artist extraordinaire and always traveling thousands of miles to see the band!
3. Manowar Merchandise worth Euro 75! - Leila B.: A true sister of steel!
4. Manowar Sweatshirt - Ruxia the Romanian Vixen: She doesn't need the sweatshirt, she had one painted on her!
5. Manowar Festival T-Shirt - Angelina Steel: Sexy Metal Mistress chosen as the METAL MODEL for Manowar merch.
Fantasy Becomes Reality!
Hail Brothers and Sisters of Steel! Fantasy becomes reality as Manowar releases the E.P., THUNDER IN THE SKY. The introduction to The Asgard Saga, Manowar's collaboration with Germany's best-selling fantasy author, Wolfgang Hohlbein, will feature six songs and a Bonus CD with "Father" recorded in 16 versions in 16 different languages. The E.P. is the prequel to the complete CD HAMMER OF THE GODS, due to be released at the end of 2009.
Destined to be a collector's item, the tour edition of the E.P. will be available at all the festivals Manowar headlines on The Death to Infidels Tour 2009.
In addition, the E.P. will be available for sale online in high- quality, DMR-free, MP3 format only at The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store ( http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/ ). The downloadable version of the E.P. will contain the exact same content as the version on sale during the tour: "Thunder In The Sky," "God Or Man," "Let The Gods Decide," "Father," "Die With Honor," "The Crown And The Ring" (2008) and versions of "Father" recorded in German, Italian, Hungarian, Romanian, Bulgarian, Norwegian, Spanish, French, Greek, Turkish, Polish, Japanese, Croatian, Portuguese and Finnish.
Keep posted to your official Manowar Web sites for links to sneak previews of the new Manowar songs set to be released on the E.P. http://www.manowar.com/ , http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/ , http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/ , http://www.asgard-saga.com/ .
Manowar Live At Gorky Park!
The Russian fans' demands have been heard! Manowar will be heading to Moscow for an exclusive concert on July 24th at the outdoor Gorky Park Green Theater! Not content to stand by as the rest of Europe experiences the "Death To Infidels Tour '09," the Russians have called and Manowar has answered! This will be the seventh major event that the band will be headlining and the first time the band will perform at an outdoor arena in Russia!
Stay tuned for more information as it develops. Meanwhile, check out http://www.revolutionconcerts.com/ for venue details and online ticket sales.
For a listing of all of Manowar's tour dates log onto http://www.manowar.com/ , http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/ or http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/ . These OFFICIAL sites have links to the festivals and details on worldwide ticket agencies.
In 2009, heavy metal is on a mission from the gods, join forces with Manowar on tour in support of true metal! Nastroveya!
Now Is The Time For Defiance!
The history of Heavy Metal is long and strong with many pioneers blazing paths of passion and unparalleled talent. Magic Circle Music perpetuates that history. It is a label with the belief that creativity is like fine wine, it only gets better with time. Thus, the signing of power metal pioneer and co-founder of Virgin Steele, Jack Starr, was right on target. Starr's creative maturity has produced stellar vintage with his new release, DEFIANCE, produced by Joey DeMaio of Manowar. Regrouping with former band, Burning Starr, featuring Ned Meloni on bass and vocal sensation, Todd Michael Hall, has proven to be the perfect formula for creative cuvee that was fermented to perfection, bottled, labeled and put out on the market exclusively for power metal connoisseurs. Starr took the formula to another level with this creation. He injected international flavor drawing from the musical spices of many countries and musically intoxicating listeners with this unique blend. DEFIANCE is proof positive that Jack Starr has not only written metal history, but is blazing a new path right into its future.
Look for DEFIANCE by Jack Starr's Burning Starr now available on the Magic Circle Music label. Jack Starr is scheduled to perform new material from his release at Magic Circle Festival III on July 18, 2009 at the Loreley on the Rhine River in Germany. For more details visit http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/ . For information about the festival and online ticket sales, visit http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/ .
The Shred Lord's Collection Is Essentially Yours!
When it comes to blazing guitars, one of metal's favorite sons has ignited many fires in the hearts of metal fans. Known as The Shred Lord, Joe Stump is already cemented in the annals of history as a metal guitar virtuoso. In recent years, he joined forces with power metal band, HolyHell and has been devoting much of his time to recording their debut album, set to be released in the summer of 2009. However, fans would not let him move on without releasing a collection of his greatest compositions. Hence THE ESSENTIAL SHRED GUITAR COLLECTION was born. In this collection, Stump breathes new life into favorites from many of his solo albums, as well as adding a few new tracks. It's a necessary addition to every guitar fans' collection, if not only to archive and preserve monumental moments in music history.
Look for THE ESSENTIAL SHRED GUITAR COLLECTION by Joe Stump now available on the Magic Circle Music label. Joe Stump, along with HolyHell, will be headlining 6 of Europe's major summer festivals as special guests of Manowar on The Death to Infidels Tour 2009. For more details, visit http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/ , http://www.holyhell.com/ , http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/ .
Manowar http://www.manowar.com/
Magic Circle Festival http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/
Magic Circle Music http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #4 *** * -Testament Checks In From North America
Guitarist Alex Skolnick of San Francisco Bay Area thrashers Testament -- who launched a North American headlining tour in early May with support from Unearth and Lazarus A.D. -- has issued the following update:
"We're in the homestretch of the tour and it's hard to believe it's almost over. This one really whizzed by, as we've hit a lot of places we were long overdue to play, such as Atlanta, New Orleans and St. Louis. Despite the fact that Testament, Unearth and Lazarus A.D. are three different generations of bands, there is a strong sense of camaraderie.
"Highlights include Sayreville, New Jersey, where we were joined on stage for 'Disciples Of The Watch' by Sirius XM Liquid Metal host Jose Mangin [see video here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0u70eCJ_50 ], proving that he can sing metal, as well as spin it. At that same show, Buzz from Unearth did a stage dive, causing the wrath of a security guard who, not realizing who he was tried to throw him out unsuccessfully, as we watched from the stage (it was a wild night).
"More and more fans have been participating in the VIP packages, and it's been fun to get to know them better and let them in on the set-up process with the shows. We're in the great state of Texas now, working our way west. Just over a week to go before we wrap in California for the last three gigs, San Diego, Los Angeles and San Francisco. Thanks to all the fans for making this a great tour for all three bands!"
Testament guitarist Eric Peterson talks about next studio album in a recent interview with Metal Asylum. Click here to read interview:
http://www.metalasylum.net/interviews/2009/i0909.html
Metal Mark of SkullsNBones.com conducted an interview with Eric Peterson on May 30, 2009 prior to Testament's concert in Atlanta, Georgia. Watch the eight-minute chat here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVfg6pYrwA4
http://www.testamentlegions.com/ http://www.myspace.com/testamentlegions http://www.facebook.com/pages/Testament/23598655331
* *** PRESS RELEASE #5 *** * -Anvil Experience Photos
Canadian Metal legends Anvil brought their "Anvil Experience" back to Manhattan on June 3 at the Village East Cinemas and Rockstarpix.com was front and center to capture the buzz that is Anvil!
Anvil has been jack hammering their way through America with their movie "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil," which for some lucky audiences has the band coming out and playing a short, enthusiastic set, as the movie closes. On this rainy night in New York, a sold out crowd witnessed a 30-minute Anvil onslaught and the crowd was so loud, you almost couldn't hear the metal that was pouring out of the speakers. This is an experience that must be seen and witnessed.
While http://www.rockstarpix.com/ undergoes some short term maintenance, we invite you to view the awesome pix at the Anvil NY Street team page (which is also run by rockstarpix.com's Dalila Kriheli) at:
http://viewmorepics.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=user.viewPicture&friendID=462406763&albumId=904235
YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE FROM NEW YORK to join, this is just another way to support and remain informed, about Anvil and the movie! METAL ON METAL!!!!!
* *** PRESS RELEASE #6 *** * -Former X-Wild And Running Wild Members Join Forces In Wild Knight
[Note: This is from http://www.myspace.com/xwildgermany . - Steve ]
Legendary vocalist Frank Knight (X-Wild, also known for his work with such bands as U.D.O., Accept, Majesty and Crystal Viper), and guitarist Majk Moti (Running Wild) have formed a brand new heavy metal band called Wild Knight.
The group's lineup is as follows:
Frank Knight - Vocals Majk Moti - Guitar Rob Ronson - Guitar Simon Strangeway - Bass Robin Hazelhurst - Drums
Wild Knight will make its live debut at the Hard Rocker Festival II in Katowice, Poland, on September 26. Their live show will include classic X-Wild and Running Wild songs. Also scheduled to appear are Mekong Delta, Tygers Of Pan Tang, Wizard, Lonewolf and many others.
Wild Knight is working on material for its debut studio album, scheduled for 2010. The band will also record a cover of the Running Wild song "Tsar" for the forthcoming official Running Wild tribute album titled REUNATON (Remedy Records).
http://blogs.myspace.com/xwildgermany
Management/Booking: http://www.myspace.com/bartgabriel
* *** PRESS RELEASE #7 *** * -Nevermore Complete Songwriting Process For THE OBSIDIAN CONSPIRACY; Enter The Studio Late This Summer
One always says that you can't rush greatness or perfection, and this couldn't be more true in the case of metal titans Nevermore, who last released the highly acclaimed THIS GODLESS ENDEAVOR in 2005. The Seattle quartet will triumphantly return with what could be their most impressive offering of their illustrious decade plus, heralded career.
THE OBSIDIAN CONSPIRACY will commence recording in August with producer Peter Wichers (who previously worked with Nevermore vocalist Warrel Dane on his solo debut PRAISES TO THE WAR MACHINE). Longtime friend and collaborator Andy Sneap (Megadeth, Opeth) will once again be handling mixing duties. The album is currently set for an early 2010 release. Fans can also follow Dane on Twitter (click below) for updates as to the progress of the new album.
Dane further comments: "These songs are full of newfound rage, lyrically and musically. Jeff Loomis has come up with some amazing new riffs that will no doubt please old and new fans alike. Also, I think the combination of Peter and Andy will result in something very, very special."
This quintessential metal band was formed out of the ashes of Seattle, Washington, based thrash act Sanctuary in 1991 by Dane and Jim Sheppard (bass), with the addition of Jeff Loomis (guitar, who had played in the final lineup of Sanctuary) and Mark Arrington on drums. A few years later, Van Williams joined the band (drums). The band has since released six full-length albums, toured the world a number of times and captivated the hearts of metalheads touring with such diverse and major acts ranging from Megadeth, In Flames, Disturbed, Arch Enemy, Dimmu Borgir and Children Of Bodom, among countless others.
Follow Warrel Dane of Nevermore on Twitter! http://www.twitter.com/warrel_dane
Nevermore http://www.myspace.com/nevermorefans http://www.nevermore.tv/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #8 *** * -Lost Horizon: Revelations From The Forthcoming Album Of Might
[Note: This is from http://www.oncelosthorizon.com/clips/ . - Steve]
Exposed to this world on 1st of June 2009
No fate, only the power of will.
Faith followers and die hard believers, ex fans and passive likers. The time has come to unveil some secrets about the new material. After massive waves of misery from all fans around the world praying in years for exposing a.n.y.t.h.i.n.g. about the new magic we have decided that we are now ready to do that.
Here are three clips from three different songs that will appear on the new album. It's midi drums here only and the whole thing is taken directly from a raw working/recording document, which means neither mix nor any kind of sound improvement has been applied on the clips, which is the very point of leaving the final effect for the real album. Also, it's MP3 format of course.
Feel and absorb the magical power, and if not then sell Your metal gears and buy golf equipment!
Mighty regards! /LOST HORIZON
Clip 1 from song with working name "Wizard" http://www.oncelosthorizon.com/media/wizard.mp3
Clip 2 from song with working name "Spirit" http://www.oncelosthorizon.com/media/spirit.mp3
Clip 3 from song with working name "Fire" http://www.oncelosthorizon.com/media/fire.mp3
Order the original T-shirts here! http://www.oncelosthorizon.com/merchandise/
Discuss the clips Enter to the Forum here and share Your thoughts with us! http://www.valgorth.com.ar/oncelosthorizon/viewtopic.php?t=398
CONTINUE TO THE MAIN SITE http://www.oncelosthorizon.com/aflametothegroundbeneath/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #9 *** * -Serge Entertainment Group Revives Label Division For Paris Keeling
Surgeland Records to release Paris Keeling's END OF RIDE REVISITED CD featuring powerhouse vocalist Kelly Keeling, guitarist Marty Paris
ATLANTA, GA -- Serge Entertainment Group has revived its label division Surgeland Records to release the upcoming Paris Keeling CD END OF RIDE REVISITED. The CD will feature songs previously released on the 2006 Paris Keeling CD END OF RIDE along with bonus tracks and re-mixes. The CD contains the renowned vocal talents of Kelly Keeling (Baton Rouge, Michael Schenker Group, Blue Murder, Carmine Appice's Guitar Zeus, King Kobra, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, O'2L) and guitarist Marty Paris (The Marty Paris Band, Permanent Reverse) along with several celebrity musicians. The collaboration between Paris and Keeling began several years ago with the culmination of their songwriting styles blossoming into melodic rock political and relationship-based songs.
"The CD release is slated for this summer," affirms Sandy Serge, Surgeland Records' president. "We felt this was the right time for the rebirth of our label. Even with the economic downturn, music is still selling well, particularly in digital format. The songs are timely and well-written, and Kelly and Marty complement each other well with their superb songwriting expertise."
Additional celebrity musicians who perform on the CD include Carmine Appice, George Lynch, Don Dokken, Al Pitrelli, Erik Norlander, Rick van Benschoten, Matt Goeke, Gintas Janusonis, Nate Howell, and The Aevia Trio featuring Diane Cox, Maud Kelley, and Juli Roach.
As a precursor to the upcoming release, Paris Keeling will perform for the first time together in several years on Thursday, June 25th at Alive at Five on Main Street in downtown Lincolnton, NC. The show begins at 6 p.m. Presales will be available at the show and are already available on the Web site at http://www.pariskeeling.com/ for a discounted price.
Surgeland Records previously released several CDs including a rock collaboration between former Sleeze Beez (Atlantic Records) members Andrew Elt and Don van Spall titled The Moon; a "Best of" CD by legendary Milwaukee rock band Bad Boy (featuring former Cheap Trick member Xeno); and SEEING IN THE DARK, the acoustic-driven CD by Iowa alt band NineDollarMelonBaller. All CDs are available on iTunes and at CD Baby.
For more information about Surgeland Records, please visit http://www.sergeentertainmentgroup.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/surgelandrecords .
* *** PRESS RELEASE #10 *** * -Z Records News
[Note: This is a compilation of several updates. - Tim]
Three Acts Announced For Z Rock 2010
We are proud to be able to announce the first three profile bands for Z Rock 2010.
Von Groove will return to headline Friday May 7th 2010, then on Saturday May 8th The Storm [feat. Kevin Chalfant] and Steve Augeri [Journey, Tall Stories] are now confirmed.
We hope to be announce another profile act within the next week so watch this space. The festival will once again be staged at JB's Dudley.
The special early bird offer is now available to those whom attended this year's show. If you want to take advantage of the offer and you've misplaced the booking sheets that where given out at this year's show simply e-mail zrockfest@zrecords.net for your replacement.
Arabia Set To Return Plus Z Rock 2010 Appearance
We are proud to announce the return of the critically acclaimed U.S. act Arabia after a seven-year absence. Fans can listen to a special demo preview of the song "I Still Believe" at http://www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk .
In addition to a forthcoming album which is currently being recorded we can also confirm the band's appearance at Z Rock 2010 on May 8th. For full details visit http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest .
http://www.zrecords.net/ http://www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest
* *** PRESS RELEASE #11 *** * -Hostile To Play Download
Midlands based band Hostile will once again return to the Download Festival, hoping to beat their 4K Kerrang reviewed 2008 set.
The band have been busy over the last 12 months, recording their debut album, with none other than Judas Priest founder K.K. Downing at the production helm. The album has also been mixed by Richard Wood, who engineered NOSTRADAMUS for Priest.
Check out the album samples at http://www.airplaydirect.com/hostile .
Hostile play on the Tuborg stage at 14.45, on Sunday 14th June. Make sure you are there, as this will be an event not to be missed. It is the launch of the album, and a moment that will surely go down in Rock History.
* *** PRESS RELEASE #12 *** * -3 Inches Of Blood Complete Recording Process FOR HERE WAITS THY DOOM; Featured In "The Punisher" Comic Series
The world is eagerly awaiting the triumphant return of one of the biggest defenders of traditional heavy metal, 3 Inches Of Blood, and the anticipation continues to build to epic proportions. The stunning new album, HERE WAITS THY DOOM, was tracked in Seattle's Sound House Recordings with renowned producer Jack Endino (High On Fire) and is soon to be hailed as the gospel of all things heavy. Stay tuned to the band's official MySpace page (below) for video updates and studio reports.
Shane Clark (guitars) states: "Our new album is finished and we've named it HERE WAITS THY DOOM. Much like our last record it is a step beyond the album that precedes it. We've again taken what we do a step further and not made FIRE UP THE BLADES PART 2, we've stuck to our formula -- no formula. We are true metal fans and we've made an unapologetic metal record. I think this our most focused record to date, from writing all the way to mixing there was no unnecessary drama or too many cooks in the kitchen. This is 3 Inches Of Blood at its most punishing, epic and mighty."
Also, comic fans rejoice as The Punisher kills his enemy by blasting 3 Inches Of Blood looped with feedback from his external speakers on his helmet in the latest issue, #5. Click here to check it out:
http://office.centurymedia.com/3inches_punisher.jpg
Born out of a love for pure metal, weaned on a diet of fantasy and mythology, 3 Inches Of Blood have been slaying the infidel for nearly a decade. In that time, they've released three albums and splattered the ground with crimson streaks while on tour with such acclaimed acts as Satyricon, Black Dahlia Murder, Motorhead and Cradle Of Filth, just to name a few. These are mighty accomplishments for dedicated warriors from Vancouver, British Columbia, a region that's not exactly the Camelot of heavy metal. With their last album, FIRE UP THE BLADES, they have surpassed even their own manly exploits, crafting a number of undeniable anthems that crash, rip and roar like a Medieval skirmish.
3 Inches Of Blood demonstrate that the best way to stay ahead of the heavy metal curve is to write music that comes from the heart and sounds nothing like the horde of bands tapping into the latest trends. To that end, they draw fuel from their favorite artists, including Judas Priest, Mercyful Fate, UFO, Rainbow and Enslaved and compile it all into their own lethal potion.
In 2009, 3 Inches Of Blood raise the chalice another notch leaving their definitive mark on the metal genre.
http://www.3inchesofblood.com/ http://www.myspace.com/3iob
* *** PRESS RELEASE #13 *** * -In This Moment Post "Call Me" On MySpace And "A Dying Star" On Aboslutepunk!
As In This Moment prepare themselves to spend their entire summer as part of this year's Warped Tour lineup the group returns with a new offering, THE DREAM (ULTRA VIOLET EDITION), which features their new hit Active Rock single "Call Me." This stunning track can now be heard on their MySpace page! Click below to check it out. Also, be sure to pre-order your copy of THE DREAM (ULTRA VIOLET EDITION) now! You can hear another bonus track from the ULTRA VIOLET EDITION over at Absolutepunk.net by following this link:
http://absolutepunk.net/showthread.php?t=1106342
Check out the new IN THIS MOMENT single on MySpace now:
http://www.myspace.com/inthismoment
* *** PRESS RELEASE #14 *** * -NJ Band Let Me Run Continues To Generate Heat, As They Take Their Battle To The Road
The Band Sets Sail For Their East Coast Tour This Week
NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ -- The tour itinerary is familiar to most East Coast bands, but the sounds accompanying it are different this summer. With their punk rock roots, eclectic sounds, and love for rock 'n roll, Let Me Run is ready to do just that. The band will not only be running around the U.S. promoting their debut LP MEET ME AT THE BOTTOM; there are plans for heavy touring in Europe as well. Setting off on June 5th, Travis, Corey, Louis, and Trevor will traverse down the coast to Florida, pausing in each state along the way to infect both old and new fans with familiar songs. It doesn't take long for a fresh audience to become submerged as gang vocals and sing-alongs bounce around the venue. Accompanying the boys on tour are home-state friends We're All Broken, and PJ Bond, each for half of the dates.
Let Me Run has been paying dues at basement shows since they formed in 2007, and have been making great waves surrounding the release of their LP MEET ME AT THE BOTTOM, released on XOXO Records this past January. The recognition of the band has extended outside of their ever-growing NJ fanbase, being featured as one of AP Magazine's Top 100 Bands To Watch, along with a three-page feature in AMP Magazine. They are also known to grace the Punknews.org streams and featured interview page.
There are bands we can write off for a tour, vow to see them the next time they come around. Then there are bands that we are happy to say "I saw them when..." Let Me Run is in the beginning stages of becoming one of those bands we wish we hadn't missed at a smaller venue, because they're running fast, and there's no end in sight.
June 5 - Charm City Art Space, Baltimore, MD w/ We're All Broken June 6 - Plan B, Danville, VA w/ We're All Broken June 7 - Square One, Greensboro, NC w/ We're All Broken June 9 - The Wonderroot, Atlanta, GA w/ We're All Broken & The Brass June 10 - TBD, Savannah, GA June 11 - Doozer's, Jacksonville, FL w/ We're All Broken June 12 - The Atlantic, Gainesville, FL w/ We're All Broken June 13 - The Uptown, St. Petersburg w/ PJ Bond June 14 - Churchills, Miami, FL w/ PJ Bond June 16 - BBQ Bar, Orlando, FL w/ PJ Bond June 17 - Big Daddy's, Tallahassee, FL w/ PJ Bond June 18 - TBD, Birmingham, AL June 19 - TBD, Knoxville, TN June 20 - The Boiler Room, Lexington, KY w/ PJ Bond June 21 - TBD, Charleston, West Virginia June 22 - Garfield Artworks, Pittsburgh, PA w/ PJ Bond June 23 - The Brewery, State College, PA w/ PJ Bond
http://www.myspace.com/BabyLetMeRun http://www.XOXOrecords.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #15 *** * -"Eternal Descent" Comic Book To Feature God Forbid Guitarist Doc Coyle
Renowned metal guitarist lands cameo appearance in gothic comic book series Issue #2
LONDON, UK -- God Forbid guitarist Doc Coyle appears along side his band mates in the second issue of the gothic comic book series "Eternal Descent," slated for publication this Fall. The issue features a storyline inspired by God Forbid's fourth studio album IV: CONSTITUTION OF TREASON and will be available at comic book stores worldwide, scheduled for release through Diamond Distribution during the 4th quarter of 2009. Llexi Leon, creator of the multi-media concept Eternal Descent, began approaching ESP artists late last year to create the "Eternal Descent" comic. The series is inspired by and features cameos from a host of iconic metal musicians. The initial launch issue is slated for late October, 2009 with the God Forbid issue released in November. The bands Atreyu, Firewind, and Static X, among others, are also slated for upcoming cameo appearances in subsequent issues.
Coinciding with each guitarist's cameo, interview video footage will also be available on YouTube. Visit Doc Coyle's interview on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?y=qK1iILQkxFU . Samples of the comic book artwork are available for viewing at the following links:
Doc Coyle Eternal Descent Cover Art http://www.eternaldescent.com/imgv/content/Issue%20No%202/Colours/ED02cover_col.jpg
Doc Coyle art page 1 http://www.eternaldescent.com/imgv/content/Issue%20No%202/Colours/ED0212_col.jpg
Doc Coyle art page 2 http://www.eternaldescent.com/imgv/content/Issue%20No%202/Colours/ED0213_col.jpg
Byron of God Forbid art http://www.eternaldescent.com/imgv/content/Issue%20No%202/Colours/ED0210_col.jpg
Llexi Leon began making noise in London, England in 2005. His highly intricate guitar style exhibits the many influences corralled to create his intense sound -- from classical, flamenco, electronica, and ambient genres to the more prominent genres of rock and metal. All of these genres infused to one, Leon has built a cinematic metal fantasia with his music which has branched out to a comic book series. His main aspirations are bringing stories to life through escapism. He utilizes everyday events and his vivid imagination to drive him to create more avenues for his multimedia enterprise. To prove its tangibility, Leon, who is responsible for the basic concept artwork, storyboards, and character design/creation, has assembled a team of artists including:
Jason Metcalf: Pencils + Inks on "Eternal Descent" comics and "Phantom" single artwork. Talented and versatile artist has worked on Image comics titles such as "The Darkness" and "Magdelena."
Javier Tartaglia: "Eternal Descent" colourist, has provided stunning colouring work for many top Marvel comics titles.
Reiq: CD cover artwork. Fantasy illustrator and anime artist.
"Blond the colourist": Comic book colourist, has provided stunning colouring work for many top titles, such as "Ghost Rider," "X-Men," "City Of Heroes," and "Witchblade."
Leon also began his own production company Incendium Records to release his first concept album LOSING FAITH and the E.P. THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA. This fulfilled Leon's dream of having all Eternal Descent media developed with the utmost highest standards under one roof. Leon will soon begin recording his third CD release with producer Eddie Kramer (Jimi Hendrix, Led Zeppelin, Kiss) at the helm.
Eternal Descent endorses ESP Guitars, Ovation Guitars, Kahler Tremelos, Ernie Ball Strings, and Coffin Case.
http://www.eternaldescent.com/ http://www.myspace.com/eternaldescent
* *** PRESS RELEASE #16 *** * -Korpiklaani To Debut New Video On MySpace This Week!
"Vodka," the new video from Finnish folk metallers Korpiklaani, will make its online debut on Thursday, June 11, 2009 via the band's MySpace page:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.channel&ChannelID=92023174
The track is currently is available for streaming at this location:
http://www.myspace.com/korpiklaani
Korpiklaani will release its sixth album, KARKELO (English translation: "Pleasure" or "Party"), on June 26, 2009 (Europe) and August 25, 2009 (North America) via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Petrax studio in Hollola, Finland.
Track List: 01. Vodka 02. Eramaan Arjyt 03. Isku Pitkasta Ilosta 04. Mettanpeiton Valtiaalle 05. Juodaan Viinaa 06. Uniaika 07. Kultanainen 08. Bring Us Pints Of Beer 09. Huppiaan Aarre 10. Konnin Kuokkamies 11. Vesaisen Sota 12. Sulasilma 13. Kohmelo
http://www.korpiklaani.com/ http://www.myspace.com/korpiklaani http://www.facebook.com/pages/Korpiklaani/9283120349
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04 Jun 09 Thursday
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Category: Music
* *** PRESS RELEASE #16 *** * -Introducing I'm Better Than Everyone Records
I'm Better Than Everyone Records Location: Chicago, IL Specializing in: The true vinyl experience...
Mission Statement: In an age of low-quality MP3s reducing music to electronic files downloaded over the Internet, there's been an absolute disconnect from the artistic aspect of music. I'm Better Than Everyone Records was created with the goal to resurrect the experience of listening to music as it was intended. We believe that music should be an organic experience, where one is welcomed to participate in the artist's vision at creating their art both sonically and visually.
We won't be releasing any CDs, focusing instead on vinyl, which in our opinion is the only way to enjoy the true sound of the bands we choose to work with. Our goal is to rekindle the beauty of the almighty riff in its intended format: Needle against groove, analog trumping digital. Each release will be limited but no corners shall be cut. There will be a heavy focus on artwork with this label as well. I'm Better Than Everyone Records intends to give each release the opportunity to cater to those who appreciate rock the way it was meant to be heard.
Out Now:
Deadbird - THE HEAD AND THE HEART Deadbird have successfully fused the melancholic drone of Neurosis with the almighty riff worship perfected by High On Fire to create a new breed of metal not unlike their fellow Arkansas brothers in Rwake: A dark, brooding heaviness few bands can even attempt to harness. Their debut THE HEAD AND THE HEART (originally released on CD in '05) generated immediate interest worldwide and heralded Deadbird as a band to watch. I'm Better Than Everyone chose THE HEAD AND THE HEART as their debut vinyl release, with 500 hand-numbered copies on thick vinyl, and a deluxe gatefold jacket to immortalize Deadbird in the best manner possible. http://www.myspace.com/deadbird
Hail!Hornet - HAIL!HORNET Hail!Hornet, featuring members of Alabama Thunderpussy, Weedeater, Beaten Back To Pure and Sourvein, released their debut CD on Dwell in 2007. Although Hail!Hornet could be erroneously considered a "super group," none of the members are resting on the laurels of their respective bands. Collectively they've created a sound which personifies abrasiveness and glorifies doom; a style they've aptly christened as "grime metal." Few can argue upon listening to the angst-ridden sludge of Hail!Hornet that their particular style has all the subtlety of an exploding hand grenade. This vinyl pressing of their debut is strictly limited to 500 hand-numbered gatefold copies with artwork by renowned underground artist Tom Denney, known for his work with Kylesa, Sourvein and Soilent Green, among others. http://www.myspace.com/2hailhornet
On Deck:
Black Skies - HEXAGON From the aptly named opening track "The Quiet Before The Storm" through the thundering conclusion of "Chain Of Command," Chapel Hill, NC's Black Skies throw their heavy hat into the ring with their latest E.P. HEXAGON. Together for just over three years, Black Skies weave their songs with well-thought and executed riffs playing alongside a churning organic groove. This is tonal chemistry befitting of a legendary band sharing the same initials, yet with a decidedly American flavor. Through hard work Black Skies has been making waves across the eastern half of the United States and continue gaining momentum with tours booked throughout 2009. If these six tracks serve as a fitting prelude of greater things to come, the next waves of attack from this sonic strike-force will truly be something to behold. The limited edition vinyl pressing of Hexagon will be available very soon via I'm Better Than Everyone Records, and features exclusive cover artwork by Tom Denney. This edition will be in an edition of 500 hand-numbered copies, on 180g vinyl, with numbers 1-100 on clear brown vinyl and 101-500 on black. http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies
Power Pellut - POWER PELLUT Simply put, three Shreveport friends jammed and a band was born. However, pegging Louisiana's Power Pellut as simply the end result of a mere jam session would be a near-criminal disservice. This trio feasts on sonic dissonance and regurgitates thick, plodding and devastatingly heavy songs with emphasis on volume, catharsis and discomfort. With more than a cursory tip of the hat to Unsane, Melvins, Black Sabbath, the Jesus Lizard, and Merzbow, Power Pellut is a tribute to the ugliness that surrounds and consumes us all: An exercise in despair in the form of a song. To date, they've shared bills alongside Black Cobra, Jucifer, Black Skies, Collapsar, Rwake and Bible Of The Devil, among others, with more shows in the works. Power Pellut's debut LP is available via I'm Better Than Everyone Records and features artwork by Glyn Smith (Scrawled). This will be an edition of 500 hand-numbered, 180g vinyl. Records numbered 1-100 will be on turquoise vinyl and 101-500 will be in black. http://www.myspace.com/lonnietreyscott
:::I'm Better Than Everyone Records::: http://www.imbetterthaneveryonerecords.com/ http://www.myspace.com/imbetterthaneveryonerec
* *** PRESS RELEASE #17 *** * -Hatesphere Guitarist Begins Guest Column On Blistering.com
"We'll be blunt: Hatesphere rules." So says Blistering.com major domo David Gehlke, and thus why the Web site's been granted the privilege of a monthly guest column by Hatesphere guitarist Pepe Hansen! In his first installment for Blistering.com, Hansen discusses the trials 'n' tribulations of a metal band touring the European circuit, and often in a self-deprecating light. This first installment can be found here:
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/16143/tempidx/5/menuid/3
Hatesphere released in April their sixth album overall, TO THE NINES, which was both their first for new label home Napalm Records and also their first record to feature new vocalist Jonathan Albrechtsen. The album's been receiving rave reviews, and the band hope to tour North America again before year's end. For more info, consult http://www.hatesphere.com/ and http://www.napalmrecords.com/ .
* *** PRESS RELEASE #18 *** * -Behold! Lightning Swords Of Death
It began seven years ago when a pact was made within a dilapidated house hidden in Southern California. It was here that Autarch, Roskva and Menno found themselves in agreement that should the occult sciences be applied to music, the results would prove extremely dangerous to their sanity, yet yield spectacular results. Lightning Swords Of Death, as they would name it, would be in itself a meticulously designed hyper-sigil constructed to direct and antagonize the limitless dark energy that lurks within the less navigable chasms of the human mind and the space between spaces.
In 2007 the band unleashed THE GOLDEN PLAGUE upon the earth. This declaration of unholy war was well-received and inspired a tour of the west coast and north western blocks of the United States. Audiences witnessed performances by men possessed by insane devils. Lightning Swords Of Death live continuously proved to be a conqueror's fury leaving an ashen stain on every stage they destroyed. The tour began sharing battleground with bands like Nachtmystium and High On Fire and concluded with Lightning Swords Of Death opening for Danzig during the mighty Blackest Of The Black tour.
Said Decibel magazine of THE GOLDEN PLAGUE, "I truly wanted to know how USBM crew Lightning Swords Of Death get their sound. It's seriously crushing and vicious and yet it sounds like it's 10 miles away. Or 10 miles underground. Uncanny. You know, it's an art sounding this f*cked up. . . . 'Let This Knife Lead You To Us' has a riff worth killing for." SOD magazine simply called it "a torrent of anguish" while Pit added, "LSOD leave no face unripped with a blackened death approach that puts as much importance on memorable hooks and downtrodden groove as it does on blast beat blaspheme."
The second release took the form of a split CD with comrades Valdur which was only available for a limited time at performances during the country wide 2008 Blodhevn tour. Metal Maniacs called LSOD's part a "heavy, bestial and brutal assault bringing to mind a young and hungry Thornspawn." Said Decibel in a recent review of the split, "Sort of like Watain with American heft, LSOD's four beastly shanties shake Tiamat from their centuries-long slumber. And she ain't happy 'bout it."
The split continues to infect all who experience its unyielding expression of true chaos, but it's only a precursor of the grand and terrible horror that is looming in the future like a headsman's shadow...
The band will pillage their way through Missouri for this year's edition of the Kansas City Power Metalfest [ http://www.myspace.com/kansascitypowermetalfest ] on August 14th then make their way to New York City on August 17th for a show at Lit Lounge's renowned Precious Metal Party [ http://www.myspace.com/preciousmetalnyc ]. More dates TBA soon...
http://www.myspace.com/lightningswordsofdeath
* *** PRESS RELEASE #19 *** * -Marduk Statement Regarding U.S. Tour
The situation with Marduk not having performed during the first week of Blackenedfest is due to vocalist Mortuus not having received his visa yet. Note, it is not a "denied" visa. The band filed for a P-1 non-immigrant work visa, which is required for a band to play in the States. The visa was approved by the United States Government's Homeland Security Office. Furthermore, as required, the band members each individually went to their Visa appointments at the U.S. Embassy in Stockholm for the standard interview, at which point the persons handling the band's applications informed the band that there was no further action needed and that they should expect their passports in the mail with the P-1 visa attached. Everyone in the band received theirs except Mortuus. The day before the tour, while the rest of the band were at the airport awaiting to board their flights to the U.S., Mortuus returned to the embassy to inquire as to the location of his passport. At this point, he was informed that he was missing one document in order to finalize the visa. No one in the band, nor the label, was made aware of this missing form. After we were made aware of this missing document, we provided the document to the Embassy in Stockholm and we are currently awaiting each day for the Passport to be returned to Mortuus with the visa stamp. The Embassy is aware of the urgency of this matter and we expect the band to join the tour in progress any day now. We are hope to announce the arrival of the band soon.
BLACKENEDFEST TOUR DATES 5/29/2009 Sunshine Theater - Albuquerque, NM 5/30/2009 Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ 5/31/2009 House of Blues - San Diego, CA 6/02/2009 House of Blues - Hollywood, CA 6/03/2009 DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA 6/04/2009 Hawthorne Theater - Portland, OR 6/05/2009 Studio Seven - Seattle, WA 6/06/2009 Knitting Factory Concert House - Boise, ID 6/07/2009 Cervantes Masterpiece - Denver, CO 6/09/2009 Station 4 - St Paul, MN 6/11/2009 House Of Blues - Chicago, IL 6/12/2009 Peabody's - Cleveland, OH 6/13/2009 The Majestic Theater - Detroit, MI 6/14/2009 The Opera House - Toronto, ONT 6/15/2009 Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, QC
http://www.marduk.nu/ http://www.myspace.com/truemarduk
* *** NEWS/RUMORS *** * -Acero's album EN PIE DE GUERRA won an award for "Best Composer/Author Of The Year" in the "Hard Rock genre" at the recent VIII ACAM Awards gala. See http://www.nacion.com/viva/2009/mayo/26/viva1974612.html for more, and check out the "En Pie De Guerra" video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-D24hEYyjlk .
-Alestorm's BLACK SAILS AT MIDNIGHT is out this week on Napalm Records (see review below), and a limited edition version comes with a bonus live DVD featuring the band's 2008 Wacken appearance. View a teaser at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IwwmglYX7QE&feature=channel_page . Hype says the disc "consist[s] of just the right blend of sing-a-long refrains, catchy pirate melodies, and numerous mugs of rum." Record release parties in Germany -- presented by EMP, sounds2move, metal.de and Rock Hard! -- are scheduled as follows:
6/3 - Steinbruchtheater, Darmstadt 6/5 - Shadow, Leverkusen 6/6 - Labor, Hannover 6/6 - Hellraiser, Leipzig 6/13 - DK-Dance, Osnabrück
See http://www.alestorm.net/ and http://www.myspace.com/alestorm for more.
-Alice In Chains bassist Mike Starr reportedly will appear on the upcoming season of VH1's "Celebrity Rehab With Dr. Drew," which will begin early next year.
-HeadbangerNYC.com reported Ozzy Osbourne has filed a lawsuit against his Black Sabbath band mate Tony Iommi, "claiming that Iommi illegally took sole ownership of the band's name in a filing with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office." The suit asks for "a 50 percent interest in the 'Black Sabbath' trademark, along with a portion of Iommi's profits from use of the name."
-The Blind Guardian 20th anniversary reissue campaign continues with these releases: FOLLOW THE BLIND, TALES FROM THE TWILIGHT WORLD, IMAGINATIONS FROM THE OTHER SIDE, THE FORGOTTEN TALES, and NIGHTFALL IN MIDDLE-EARTH. These join previous reissues SOMEWHERE FAR BEYOND, BATTALIONS OF FEAR, and TOKYO TALES. Hype: "All tracks have been re-mastered from the original master tapes and each album contains updated layout & graphics. Plus most contain bonus tracks / alternate mixes."
-The Dead End Kidz' song "One Way Ride" is included in a "Top 10 Song Podcast" available at InternetRadioSyndicate.net. Check it out at http://www.internetradiosyndicate.net/podcast/ccount/click.php?id=35 . See http://www.myspace.com/dekmusic for more.
-Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius will soon release ONE FOOT IN THE NEXT WORLD, and Deninzon himself has been working on "an instructional book on violin improvisation" for Mel Bay. Upcoming shows:
6/19 - 6/20 - Freedomfest, Harmony, ME 6/26 - Lucky Mojos, Long Island City, NY 6/27 - Old Bay, New Brunswick, NJ 7/10 - Lucky Mojos, Long Island City, NY 7/11 - Great South Bay Music Festival, Patchogue, NY 7/17 - Ray Kelly's Pub, Bridgeport, CT 10/2 - 10/3 - Harvest Festival, Harmony, ME
See http://www.stratospheerius.com/ , http://www.myspace.com/stratospheerius , http://www.joedeninzon.com/ , and http://www.myspace.com/joedeninzon for more.
-Dirty Looks is reissuing the previously German-only SLAVE TO THE MACHINE on Perris Records, with two bonus tracks: "Slave In The Machine," "The Hole," "The Rotten Kind," "A Better Way," "Quite So High," "Better Off Dead," "Murder For Money," "Droperidol," "Jaw Breaker," "Anesthesia," "Getting Even," "Feelings Of Dread," "Last Crack," "Everything's Gonna Be Alright" (live), "Let There Be Rock" (live). The two bonus live tracks were recorded recently at the Warner Theatre in Erie, PA. See http://www.dirtylooksmusic.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/dirtylooksmusic for more.
-Disaster Peace (formerly Disasterpeace) is the new group featuring vocalist Wade Black (Crimson Glory, Seven Witches, Leatherwolf, Leash Law), guitarist Pete Blakk (King Diamond), bassist Hal Patino (King Diamond, Force Of Evil, Maltese Falcon), and drummer Jasin Marxx. The band's self-titled debut is out now via Music Buy Mail with this track list: "Disaster Peace," "Scarecrow," "S&M," "Purgatorio," "Judas Witch," "Hallowed Death," "Don't Come Back," "Immigrant Song" (Led Zeppelin cover), "Blood To Blood," "The Gaoler," "My Guns," "Inferno," "Kill 'Em & Love 'Em." Blakk co-produced the album with King Diamond guitarist Andy La Rocque, who also plays lead on "Hallowed Death." See http://www.myspace.com/officialdisasterpeace for more.
-Perris Records is reissuing Faithfull's LIGHT THIS CITY (2003), which is aimed at AOR and melodic rock fans who dig Bon Jovi, FireHouse, and Danger Danger. This new version includes the European and Japanese bonus tracks, "Please" and "Cast Out The Rain." Track list: "Light This City," "There's No Turning Back," "All I Want, All I Need," "I've Been Missing You," "You Won't Get Me Now," "Ending Song," "Melting Your Ice," "Learned My Lesson," "Like A Shadow," "The Way I Am," "Way Back," "Please," "Cast Out The Rain." Also check out the band's 2008 Perris release, HORIZONS. See http://www.faithfull-band.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/faithfullband for more.
-Gary Hoey has a new album due out later this summer, and is on a Fender clinic tour this week. See http://www.garyhoey.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/garyhoey for more, and check out a great new interview with Mark Morton of Heavy Metal Examiner at http://www.examiner.com/x-5629-Heavy-Metal-Examiner~y2009m5d30-Exclusive-interview-with-guitar-icon-Gary-Hoey--2009-Fender-clinic-tour-and-more .
-Upcoming shows for The Iron Maidens:
6/6 - OC Tavern, San Clemente, CA 6/13 - Paladino's, Tarzana, CA 6/17 - San Diego Fair, San Diego, CA 6/20 - Angel's Roadhouse, Yucaipa, CA 6/27 - Cane's, San Diego, CA 7/11 - Sunset Station Casino Pool Party, Las Vegas, NV 7/12 - Santa Fe Springs Swapmeet, Santa Fe Springs, CA 7/17 - The Underground, Reno, NV 7/18 - Bill's Casino/Bar 24, Tahoe/Stateline, NV 7/30 - Second Wind, Santee, CA
In related news, on June 12 Nikki McBurrain will sit in with Surfing With An Alien (a Joe Satriani tribute) at the Canyon Club in Agoura Hills, CA; on June 14 Steph Harris will perform "classical selections for the orchestra" in Culver Cith, CA; and on June 26 Nikki McBurrain, Mini Murray, Adriana Smith, and Bruce Chickinson will perform three one-hour sets with their new side project Crabby Patty at the Santa Fe Springs Swap Meet in Santa Fe Springs, CA. See http://www.theironmaidens.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/theironmaidens for more.
-Check out a new short video for Neal Morse's THE RIVER: WORSHIP SESSIONS VOLUME 4 at http://bandwidth.csrtechnologies.com/Worship_4_Compressed.mov . The disc is available at Radiant Records, http://www.radiantrecords.com/ . Morse also announced an additional "new solo acoustic/church thing" added to his June schedule:
6/18 - Neal Morse persönlich - live und unplugged Anskar Kirche Wetzlar Philipsstraße 4 35576 Wetzlar
Contact: Claas Kaeseler 0163 477 34 86 http://www.anskar-wetzlar.de/ Start time: 19:30
-Nympho -- featuring "Brazil's sleaze glam king" Criss Sexx on vocals -- released V.I.P. on Perris Records. Joining Sexx are guitarist Dick, bassist Olavo Barroka, and drummer Pablo Pinheiro. The band lists Kiss, Bon Jovi, and L.A. Guns as influences, and hype says the disc will appeal to fans of those bands. Track list: "Ignited," "Green Lights Go," "You Gotta Love," "I Ain't Over You," "Get Down (Nymphomaniac)," "All Night Long," "New Life," "Resurrection," "Say It," "Reason To Rock," "Tits & Ass," "Without You Tonight." See http://www.myspace.com/nymphovip for more.
-Queensryche's upcoming European tour dates for AMERICAN SOLDIER:
6/15 - Metropolis, Munchen, Germany 6/16 - LKA, Stuttgart, Germany 6/17 - Huxley's, Berlin, Germany 6/18 - Garage, Saarbrücken, Germany 6/19 - Capitol, Hannover, Germany 6/22 - Stahlwerk, Dusseldorf, Germany 6/23 - Gate Music Hall, Langquaid, Germany
See http://www.queensryche.com/ for more.
-Word on the street is Ratt and Extreme will tour together this summer and fall.
-Saris' CURSE OF TIME -- described as "Neo Progressive, Melodic Hard Rock" -- is available from Duck Dive Music. Check out some 30-second song samples:
"The Curse" http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Saris_Curse/00000001.mp3
"Falling Leafs" http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Saris_Curse/00000002.mp3
"Victims Of The Night" http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Saris_Curse/00000003.mp3
"Kingdom Of Shadows" http://www.targetrecords.de/mp3/Saris_Curse/00000004.mp3
-Check out a new interview with Stratovarius drummer Jorg Michael at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/7DQb .
-Blabbermouth reported Stryper guitarist Oz Fox is set to marry a "former high-class" prostitute named Annie Lobért on June 5. She founded an international Christian ministry called "Hookers For Jesus," gives lectures "in both secular and religious communities on the effects of the adult entertainment industry," and had an autobiography entitled "Hooker For Jesus" on the way. Read the full report at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=121206 .
-Sum 41 is working on a new album for a late '09 release, and plans to hit the road with The Offspring next month:
7/8 - Roseland Ballroom, New York, NY 7/10 - Paul E. Tsongas Arena, Lowell, MA 7/11- Meadowbrook, Gilford, NH 7/12 - WHRL Big Day Out Tuesday @ Saratoga PAC, Sarratoga Springs, NY 7/14 - Uptown Amphitheatre, Charlotte, NC 7/15 - House Of Blues, Myrtle Beach, SC 7/16 - Hard Rock Live, Orlando, FL 7/17 - St. Augustine Amphitheater, St. Augustine, FL 7/18 - Pompano Amphitheater, Miami, FL
The band's current release is the U.S. edition of last year's ALL THE GOOD SH*T: 14 SOLID GOLD HITS 2001-2008, a 14-song "best of" CD that includes a bonus DVD with all their promo videos. CD track list: "Still Waiting," "The Hell Song," "Fat Lip," "We're All To Blame," "Walking Disaster," "In Too Deep," "Pieces," "Underclass Hero," "Motivation," "Makes No Difference" (alternate version), "With Me," "Handle This," "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)," "Pain For Pleasure," "The Hell Song" (live). DVD track list: "Still Waiting," "The Hell Song," "Fat Lip," "We're All To Blame," "Walking Disaster," "In Too Deep," "Pieces," "Underclass Hero," "Motivation," "Makes No Difference," "With Me," "Over My Head (Better Off Dead)," "Pain For Pleasure." See http://www.sum41.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/sum41 for more.
-The first volume of John Taglieri's LIVES project is out this week. See http://www.TheLivesProject.com/ for more. Taglieri also announced he'll teach three dates at The School Of Rock in New Jersey -- two performance workshops and one recording workshop in July and August. Upcoming shows:
6/5 - Cheeseburger In Paradise, Iselin, NJ (4:00 p.m.) 6/5 - Sunset Pub, Lincoln Park, NJ (9:00 p.m.) 6/6 - Cheeseburger In Paradise, Middletown, NY (4:00 p.m.) 6/6 - Cheeseburger In Paradise, Secaucus, NJ (9:00 p.m.) 6/8 - Breakers Lounge, Herndon, VA 6/9 - Crystal City Sports Pub, Arlington, VA 6/11 - Market Street Inn, Salisbury, MD 6/12 - Jose O'Reilly's, Norwood, NJ 6/13 - Ft. Stewart, GA
See http://www.JohnTaglieri.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/johntaglierimusic for more.
-In addition to the 20th anniversary reissue of SLIP OF THE TONGUE mentioned here previously, Musictap.net reported Whitesnake will release a 25th anniversary "deluxe edition" of SLIDE IT IN. Like SLIP OF THE TONGUE, the SLIDE IT IN set will feature re-mastered audio, new cover art, bonus tracks, a 24-page booklet, and a DVD. The 10 bonus tracks are: "Need Your Love So Bad" (U.S. Mix/Single B-side), "Gambler" (U.K. Mix), "Slide It In" (U.K. Mix), "Standing In The Shadow" (U.K. Mix), "Give Me More Time" (U.K. Mix), "Slow & Easy" (U.K. Mix), "Spit It Out (U.K. Mix), "All Or Nothing" (U.K. Mix), "Guilty Of Love" (U.K. Mix), "Love Ain't No Stranger" (live in Japan). The DVD will feature seven clips videos: "Guilty Of Love," "Slow & Easy," "Love Ain't No Stranger," "Guilty Of Love" (Live Castle Donington 1983), "Love Ain't No Stranger" (unplugged live in Japan - STARKERS IN TOKYO); "Give Me More Time" (BBC "Top Of The Pops" (1984)), "Love Ain't No Stranger" (LIVE...IN THE STILL OF THE NIGHT (2006)). Both sets are due June 30.
-Witchking's new vocalist is Michael Zaczek (Reload). The band is working on its third album. See http://witchking@witchking.pl/ and http://www.myspace.com/witchkingband for more.
-XXX, featuring Snowy Shaw (drums, vocals), X (guitar, vocals), and Rob Nasty (bass, vocals), will release HEAVEN, HELL OR HOLLYWOOD on Perris Records. The disc was mixed by Andy La Rocque and produced by Shaw and X. Track list: "Hello!," "It's Suicide," "We're Gonna Rock," "Wall Of Fame," "I Want You To Want Me," "Singalongsong," "So Fuxxxing You," "Tomboy," "Miss Misery," "Heaven, Hell Or Hollywood?" The disc is hyped as appealing to fans of Motley Crue and Poison. See http://www.snowyshaw.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/snowyshaw for more.
Thanks to Jeff "Warhead" Adee, Bill "Here's A Song For Ya!" Kotowski, Chad Bowar, Tom Mathers, Mateusz Gajdzik, Mikey@HeadbangerNYC.com, Anne Leighton, and Robert Pancur for help gathering some of this information.
* *** REVIEWS *** * ALESTORM - BLACK SAILS AT MIDNIGHT (A) Napalm Records, 2009 10 tracks, RT: 46:17 [ http://www.alestorm.net/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/alestorm ] [ http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords ] The Scottish pirates are back with more tales of debauchery and violence on the high seas, expanding what they did so well on their 2009 debut CAPTAIN MORGAN'S REVENGE. Trash, gruff vocals, yo-ho-ho sing-alongs, ace riffing, etc. -- plus a surprisingly large amount of keyboards placed front-and-center -- make BLACK SAILS AT MIDNIGHT another winner for Alestorm. (And I still *love* that band name, too.) I mean, c'mon, the first four songs -- "The Quest," "Leviathan," "That Famous Ol' Spiced," and "Keelhauled" -- all rock, and effortlessly mix in such awesomeness as the amazingly hooky lyric "tearing bodies limb from limb / eviscerating on a whim" (from "Leviathan") and an intro bit featuring the odd trio of a kick drum, a violin, and an accordion (from "Keelhauled"). You cannot go wrong here...except maybe with the icky, too-long quasi-ballad "To The End Of Our Days." Elsewhere, the title track has kicks big ass with its wicked, macho riffing, "No Quarter" is a bounding instrumental, "Pirate Song" is a solemn-yet- funny recollection of a buccaneer's life, "Chronicles Of Vengeance" surges along triumphantly, and rollicking closer "Wolves Of The Sea" somehow manages to conjure up a lighthearted "Broadway show finale" vibe (but it's still metal of course, yaaaRRRR!). Hurry up and snag this release -- the first, limited edition version of the disc comes with a bonus DVD with the band's show at last year's Wacken Open Air festival. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
ASECRETDEATH (B) Tribunal Records, 2009 18 tracks, RT 58:42, multimedia section [ http://www.myspace.com/asecretdeath ] [ http://www.facebook.com/pages/asecretdeath/25371205744 ] [ http://www.tribunalrecords.net/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/tribunalrecords ] [ http://www.skullandbonesrecords.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/skullandbonesrecords ] Hailing from the sunny location of the Gold Coast in Australia, asecretdeath is out with its first full-length, self-titled album. The CD features six bonus tracks in addition to the 12 main ones, plus a bonus video clip (for the song "IDKFA"). One thing that stood out to me about this album was the fluidity from one song to the next -- the transitions are seamless and flow beautifully. Instrumentally, I'd say this is typical thrash metal with a little extra kick, but it could be considered post-metal or progressive metal as well. The songs are fueled by a vitality to keep the listener constantly entertained. Vocalist Nathan switches from a morbidly frightening death metal voice, then transitions into something softer, yet still full of the passion executed in the other range. Instrumentally, the songs had me captivated as well. There's not a dull moment to be found on this album. Some of the songs are rather short, lasting only a little over two minutes. However, those six exclusive CD bonus tracks ensure you'll have plenty of asecretdeath to listen to. You can tell this band has a love for creativity just by looking at the song titles alone. You can see this illustrated in songs like "Gloom With A View," "Peyote Ugly," and "Ordeal Or No Deal." I really appreciate that kind of play on words. To me, it seemed like the bonus tracks were lacking in caliber when compared to the original 12. It also seemed like the longer the song was, the better the song was overall. There aren't really any solos from guitarists Scott and Jacob, but the album has enough intensity and diversity to stand on with these two strengths. The song I'd recommend checking out is "Gloom With A View." This is a band worth seeking out. - Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@comcast.net)
FARFLUNG - A WOUND IN ETERNITY (C-) MeteorCity, 2008 8 tracks, RT: 45:36 [ http://www.myspace.com/farflung ] [ http://www.meteorcity.com/ ] [ http://www.stonerrock.com/meteorcity ] OK, kids, this is a weird one. The L.A. trio known as Farflung describe themselves as "an apocalyptic beacon from the dark cosmos" and claim that their mission is to "bring space rock to your mental galaxy bathed in infrared, shuddering under the strobes, and warping the eyes." Um...ooooo-kay. Once I cut through all the pretentious sci- fi B.S. in their press info and on their MySpace, I decided that this eight tracker was best summed up in one word: "Drone, drone, droooooooonnnne." (Well, that's actually three words, but you get my drift.) A WOUND IN ETERNITY, the band's seventh release, sounds like it would make a great soundtrack for a 'shrooming session or an acid trip; unfortunately for the band, I don't do that kind of stuff anymore. The vocals are drenched in echo and reverb for that spooky, "we are descending from outer space" vibe, the instruments sound as if they're coming from far away, and to me it all sounds like one very loooooonnng song. Hmmm, maybe I should've smoked something before I listen to this? Whatever. A WOUND IN ETERNITY is competently played and well produced, but this stuff simply ain't my style. The band's bio compares them to Hawkwind (a band that I know next to nothing about, other than the fact that they gave the world Lemmy a long time ago) alongside such names as Chrome, Damo Suzuki Network, and Pressurehed, none of which mean anything to me. I suppose if you're a fan of any of the aforementioned bands, feel free to go nuts, 'cuz this will probably be right up your alley. As for me, Farflung sound like Coheed And Cambria covering the early Floyd catalog (ugh!) and A WOUND IN ETERNITY couldn't end fast enough for me. Yawn. - Keith Abt (KeithAbt@yahoo.com)
GAMMA RAY - HELL YEAH!!! - THE AWESOME FOURSOME (A) SPV/Steamhammer, 2008 Disc 1: 11 tracks, RT: 1:01:20 Disc 2: 11 tracks, RT: 1:03:38 GAMMA RAY - HELL YEAH!!! - THE AWESOME FOURSOME (DVD) (A+) SPV/Steamhammer, 2008 Disc 1: 1:56:35 Disc 2: 2:34:12 [ http://www.gammaray.org/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/gammaraymyspace ] [ http://www.spv.de/ ] [ http://www.spvusa.com/ ] [ http://www.mypace.com/spvusa ] Gahh!! Somehow I managed to temporarily lose track of this release, and I never reviewed it last year. Bad, bad, bad me. You've probably read all about this already, if for no other reason than its goofy and loooong subtitle: AND THE FINNISH KEYBOARDER WHO DIDN'T WANT TO WEAR HIS DONALD DUCK COSTUME. Okay, all goofiness aside this live set -- two CDs or two DVDs -- is a true piece of metal brilliance. The main concert was recorded/filmed three years ago in Montreal, during the MAJESTIC tour, and features a great mix of Gamma Ray old 'n' new, plus a token nod to main man Kai Hansen's past life. The set list: intro, "Welcome," "Gardens Of The Sinner," "New World Order," "Man On A Mission," "Fight," "Blood Religion," "Heavy Metal Universe," "Dream Healer," "Heart Of The Unicorn," "Fairytale" (acoustic), "The Silence," "Beyond The Black Hole," "Valley Of The Kings," "Somewhere Out In Space," "Land Of The Free," "Rebellion In Dreamland," "I Want Out" (Helloween), "Send Me A Sign." The main thrust of the CD is an edited-down version of the show (i.e., stage banter is kept to a minimum), but as a bonus CD #2 features four extra, non-DVD tracks recorded on the more recent LAND OF THE FREE II tour: "Into The Storm," "Empress," "From The Ashes," and "Real World." Regarding the DVD set, the first disc keeps it simple, containing just the energetic Montreal show. The production values are top-notch, with multiple cameras and a Japanese concert video vibe due to the judicious use of split screens. Besides the show's overall energy and excellence, the disc's notable moments include the opening four-song salvo of burners, a fun vocal/guitar battle between Kai Hansen and Henjo Richter in "Heavy Metal Universe," and some humorous nuggets buried in the closing credits. (Don't skip 'em!) The second disc is, naturally, loaded with other goodies. The 47-minute hodge-podge entitled "Bits & Pieces Of Historay" features various live, studio, and interview clips of the band filmed between 1994 and 2006. Highlights include Hansen being "introduced" as the band's new singer in '94; live-in-Tokyo boots of "Beyond The Black Hole" (with a woman singing) and "Pray"; the band playing Helloween's "Future World" with HammerFall in Athens, Greece, and its own "Somewhere Out In Space" with Helloween bassist Markus Grosskopf; Hansen stage-diving from a height of at least 10', and then crowd-surfing; drummer Dan Zimmermann spitting fire (literally) on the SKELETONS IN THE CLOSET tour; and a press conference Q&A at the Wacken Open Air festival. The "Video Clips" section includes promo videos from the early Ralf Scheepers years right up to current: "Space Eater" (dig the *poofy* hair; Mr. Scheepers actually kinda resembles Michael Bolton here); "One With The World" (with nifty film-speed tricks like in Helloween's "I Want Out" video); "Gamma Ray" (the hippie vibe is tres freaky...); "Rebellion In Dreamland" (this one's a bit like a short film); "Send Me A Sign" (a slapped-together clip featuring live footage); "Heavy Metal Universe" (featuring live footage from this DVD); "Eagle" (with sci-fi CGI, mascot Fangface, and the band doing battle with lasers); and "Into The Storm" (a darker vibe, with a girl breaking free from a bloody brainwash session). The nearly 40-minute "Live @ Wacken 2003/2006" section features "One With The World," "Last Before The Storm," "Rebellion In Dreamland," "Heavy Metal Universe," and "Somewhere Out In Space"; "Unplugged In Japan" is 15 minutes of Hansen and Richter performing "Rebellion In Dreamland," "Land Of The Free," "Fairytale," and (a very cool and bouncy) "Send Me A Sign" acoustically; and the 16-minute "Road Movie" is a collection of candid "on tour" bits, showing the band in a dollar store, on the bus, backstage, and walking around various towns and cities. {Curiously, my promo copy has another segment entitled "Melbourne Playback" which simply has the "Heavy Metal Universe" promo video again; I wonder if that's a defect?) All told, these releases are a whole boatload of German melodic metal mayhem that will keep your fists flying and heads banging for hours. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
NASHVILLE PUSSY - FROM HELL TO TEXAS (B) SPV/Steamhammer, 2009 12 tracks, RT: 38:54 [ http://www.nashvillepussy.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/nashvillepussy ] [ http://www.spv.de/ ] [ http://www.spvusa.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/spvusa ] The ever-notorious Nashville Pussy returns with their fifth studio album, and believe it or not, though I've become quite familiar with their legendary rep over the years, this was the first time I'd actually heard these Atlanta-based hellraisers. For those who've been living under a rock (like me), the co-ed four piece (named after a lyric from Ted Nugent's "Wang Dang Sweet Poontang") play no frills, redneck sleaze rock, best described as a cocktail (ha!) of Bon Scott- era AC/DC, Thin Lizzy, the aforementioned Nuge, and a hit of Motorhead. This is the kind of stuff that's tailor-made for the soundtrack to one of Rob Zombie's 1970s styled, Southwestern-set splatter films. Vocalist Blaine Cartwright will never be considered one of rock's great vocalists, but he gets the job done, spitting out lyrics about drinkin', fightin', and f**kin' in a snarl that sounds like Alice Cooper at his nastiest while his backing band (wife Ruyter Suys on guitar, Karen Cuda -- who can certainly fill out a pair of Daisy Duke shorts, by the way -- on bass, and Jeremy Thompson on drums) belt out some righteous hellraisin' noise on their instruments. The production is a little on the thin/dry side but I'll bet this band must whoop some serious ass live. I especially liked "Speed Machine," the hilarious "Lazy Jesus" and catchy-as-hell "I'm So High" (Gotta love the title "Dead Men Can't Get Drunk" too -- so true!) but all 12 tracks zip by like a gang of Harley ridin' bikers on meth. If you put on this CD, you have two choices -- either shake your ass or get the hell out of the way! - Keith Abt (KeithAbt@yahoo.com)
REFLECTION - WHEN SHADOWS FALL (C+) Cruz Del Sur Music, 2008 12 tracks, RT: 47:49 [ http://www.reflection.gr/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/reflectiongr ] [ http://www.cruzdelsurmusic.com/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/cruzdelsurmusic ] [ info@cruzdelsurmusic.com ] I'd never heard of this Greek five-piece till this disc came through the mailbox, but apparently Reflection has been around since 1992 and they have quite a few prior releases under their belts. The band's bio says that they're "the driving force of Hellenic Epic Doom Metal," to which I say "Um... yeah, OK, whatever." They sound more like slower- paced melodic power/prog to me, but to each their own. The proof is in the tunes, and Reflection have got 'em to spare. WHEN SHADOWS FALL is a tight, machine-precise album full of crunchy riffs and epic, stirring choruses performed by extremely skilled musicians. Unfortunately, the odd, warbling vocal style of Leo Stivala took some getting used to. He's one of those guys who over-emotes every single note to the point where he sounds like he's about to keel over. I tried getting past that to enjoy the band's crunchy riffing, which does indeed sound great for awhile, but by the album's halfway point I found myself wishing that they'd kick things up a notch; almost the entire album is played at a rather frustrating mid-tempo plod. (Hence the "Epic Doom" tag, I guess?) I get the feeling that there could be a pretty decent power metal band inside these guys if only someone would light a fire under their asses. I also wonder if WHEN SHADOWS FALL is a concept album. The promotional copy I received didn't contain any lyrics so I don't know for sure, but these songs feel like they're all interconnected in some way, if that makes any sense. Anyway, the band chugs on for 11 songs about ghost ships and "the lost" and "desert lands" until the final track, an "orchestral" version of the song "Mistress Of Sea," which sounds like it could've come off the last Manowar album (editor's note: that's not a good thing) or the end credit song to a "Lord Of The Rings" sequel. These guys would probably take that as a compliment, but I found it unnecessary at best. In the end, I didn't hate WHEN SHADOWS FALL, but didn't love it either. It started out promising enough (aside from the vocals) but after several spins ended up sounding somewhat half-baked. I expected more from a band that supposedly has such a long history. Fans of Symphony X, Kamelot, and the like will probably get more out of this album than I did. - Keith Abt (KeithAbt@yahoo.com)
STRATOVARIUS - POLARIS (B+/B) Armoury Records, 2009 11 tracks, RT: 55:01 [ http://www.stratovarius.com/ ] [ http://www.eaglerockent.com/ ] [ http://www.ear-music.net/ ] Last week in my column I joked "Stratovarius is back?" Seriously, I didn't know. Longtime main man Timo Tolkki is forging ahead -- and already two albums deep -- with his new band, Revolution Renaissance, and I thought Stratovarius was left for dead. But a funny thing happened on the way to the cemetery... Singer Timo Kotipelto, bassist Lauri Porra, keyboardist Jens Johansson, and drummer Jorg Michael put all the b.s./publicity stunts/drama/wackiness behind them, found a new guitarist in Matias Kupiainen, divvied up the songwriting chores, and set to work. With the previous chief songwriter/guitarist gone you might think the resulting album would be a departure or "fresh start" for the band. And you would be wrong. Why mess with success? POLARIS fits right in with the lengthy Stratovarius back catalogue, and there are no crazy left turns taken or curveballs thrown here. The biggest surprise (for me anyhow) is how much "semi-new guy" Porra -- he came from Kotipelto's solo touring band to replace Jari Kainulainen back in '05, but POLARIS marks his Strato recording debut -- contributed to the band: he wrote no less than five of the album's 11 tracks. The remaining six are split evenly between the Kupiainen/Kotipelto tandem and Johansson. I love when musicians do this sort of thing; it evokes images in my mind of a "true band" mentality. Anyway... Opener (and first single) "Deep Unknown," follow-up "Falling Star," and "Higher We Go" all have that heavy-yet-commercial vibe the band has done so well, "Blind" and "Forever Is Today" are the burners (with the latter having a strong SEVENTH SIGN-era Yngwie Malmsteen vibe), "Winter Skies" and "Somehow Precious" are the power ballads (check out the particularly nice piano work and guitar soloing in the former), and closer "When Mountains Fall" is a delicate mix of vocals, guitar, and strings. The "epic" songs are Johansson's nearly seven-minute "King Of Nothing" and Porra's two-part, 11-minute "Emancipation Suite." Something for everyone, and I wager the band's fans will be well pleased. Welcome back, guys, and here's to your new beginning. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
TANKARD - THIRST (B) AFM Records, 2009 10 tracks, RT: 44:54 [ http://www.tankard.info/ ] [ http://www.myspace.com/tankardfrankfurt ] [ http://www.afm-records.de/ ] I've never really heard any Tankard before, aside from an occasional tribute album track, but I'm pretty sure I've seen the band referenced in some of the recent metal documentaries that have been making the rounds -- "Metal: A Headbanger's Journey," "Get Thrashed!," VH1's "Heavy: The Story Of Metal," etc. -- which certainly makes sense as the band has been around for 25+ years. I'm guessing THIRST is consistent and right in line with the band's career output. It sports 10 songs and a 45-minute running time (just like every album 25 years ago when we were copying each other's new acquisitions on blank, 90- minute Maxell tapes) and if you like thrash and/or beer, Tankard is the band for you. These songs feature crisp, clean production so every instrument is clearly audible, and despite my preconceived notions that these guys would be sloppy (I know I would be after 25+ years of drunken mayhem) the music is quite precise. There is some outstanding riffing and rhythm work from guitarist Andy Gutjahr, and the rhythm section comprised of bassist Frank Thorwart and drummer Olaf Zissel is most excellent. In time-honored German thrash fashion, vocalist Andreas Geremia shouts, screams, and growls his way through the album, but at no point is he ever unlistenable. "Octane Warriors" and "Deposit Pirates" kick things off in fine up-tempo, crunchy fashion, then the title track throws a bit of a curveball with some tempo changes and a fairly complex guitar solo. "Hyperthermia" starts off with a fierce, butt-shaking boogie and showcases another great Gutjahr solo. The riffing in "When Daddy Comes To Play" will have you whipping out the air guitar, and stay tuned for -- gasp! -- additional vocals from a children's choir. Elsewhere, "Zodiac Man" has more great riffing and "G.A.L.O.W." (stands for "Gods And Legends Of War") is speedy and the Greek mythology lyrics satisfy the D&D nerd in me. Then we have "Myevilfart." Yes, it's about farting and makes reference to "the burning flame of power." .. I know these guys have a sense of humor but you'll just *never* catch me walking around humming "Myyyyy eee-vil FART..." :) All in all, THIRST should quench your need for some fun thrash. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)
* *** OUT *** *
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04 Jun 09 Thursday
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* *** LET IT BE KNOWN *** * -The review bonanza continues. We can be prolific little buggers from time to time. - Tim
* *** PRESS RELEASE #1 *** * -Design By Hümans Music Series Presents: Kiss!
Design By Hümans is excited to present its newest DBH Music Series contest partner! Fresh off their "American Idol" performance with Adam Lambert, let's welcome Kiss!
Celebrating thirty-five years of rockin' the globe, Kiss founders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley along with longtime band members, guitarist, Tommy Thayer and drummer, Eric Singer, vow to bring the Kiss Army the time honored Kiss spectacular that has made their performances legendary.
3 lucky winners will receive: o $1000 Cash o $250 DBH Store Credit o $150 Kiss grab bag
Plus 1 of the winners will receive: o 2 concert tickets o a meet & greet with the band o a print of your winning design signed by the band
The awesome Kiss Grab Bag will include cool stuff like games, collectibles, apparel, and much more!
Oh, one last thing... One of the three winners will receive a pair of tickets to a Kiss concert with a meet & greet and photo opportunity with the band members!
Design Guidelines
For this contest we will accept two types of submissions:
1) Art based designs that do not contain any Kiss logos or branding.
AND
2) Designs that contain the Kiss logo as well as other Kiss design elements.
Winners will be chosen from both categories.
The contest is underway NOW so visit Design By Humans and vote for your favorite design!
http://www.designbyhumans.com/special_contest/details/20 http://www.kissonline.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #2 *** * -Rob Halford Update
Metal God Rob Halford Launches Metal God Records!
Rob Halford Meeting All NARM Attendees This Summer!
Metal God Entertainment and Rob Halford are pleased to announce the launch of Metal God Records -- a new music label providing global physical and digital distribution services for the world's Rock and Metal performers.
"It's been a long desire of mine to be a co-owner and participate in the operation of a label focused on supporting the Rock and Metal communities," explains Rob Halford. "The infrastructure we have been assembling at Metal God Entertainment now allows myself and other artists to benefit from Metal God Records' global physical and digital distribution networks, promotion and marketing services, apparel products and a broad range of Artist & Repertoire services."
Metal God Entertainment and Rob Halford are also pleased to announce several new strategic relationships aligned with Metal God Records beginning with -- ADA Global / Warner Music Group for the world excluding Japan; which is under license with Sony Music Japan; Canada operating under license with Conveyor / Universal Music Canada and beginning July 2009 in the U.S.A. Metal God Records is pleased to begin a new relationship with Fontana / Universal Music Group.
Metal God Records will debut Halford's CRUCIBLE WORLD TOUR - LIVE IN ANAHEIM DVD & Blu Ray Fall 2009.
Rob Halford will also be appearing in San Diego, CA at the NARM (The National Association of Recording Merchandisers) Convention June 7, 2009.
Please visit http://www.MetalGodRecords.com/ and http://www.RobHalford.com/ for additional Halford news and release details.
* *** PRESS RELEASE #3 *** * -Magic Circle Music Update
The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store Goes On Tour!
Hail brothers and sisters of steel!! The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store is going on tour!! Exciting new merchandise presently not available online, along with a wide selection of merch items already posted, will be featured at the Manowar merch booth at all festivals on the "Death To Infidels Tour 2009."
The Kingdom Of Steel store / merch booth will be on location at Provissirock 2009 in Seinajoki, Finland, Hellfest in Clisson, France, Metalway Festival in Zaragoza, Spain, B'estfest Aftershock in Bucharest, Romania, Norway Rock Festival in Kvindesal and Magic Circle Festival III at the Loreley on the Rhine River in Germany.
Due to the tour dates, June 5th will be the last date online orders will be shipped. Online orders will be accepted after that time with a shipping date of August 1st. Customer service inquiries will be available online throughout the tour.
Remember to get your Manowar condoms at the merch booth, so you can f*ck the world... Safely!
The Kingdom Of Steel Online Store http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/
Magic Circle Music http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #4 *** * -Steve Vai To Release NAKED TRACKS Box Set
Exclusively Sold @ Guitar Center; In Stores First Week Of June 2009
HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Steve Vai is set to release his famed NAKED TRACKS on CD for the first time. Previously only sold on http://www.vai.com/ and iTunes as downloads only, Vai wanted to give his fans and players of all ages something special -- An excellent practice tool for any guitarist. "Through the years, whenever I would mix my records I would usually do a mix of specific songs without the lead guitar. This allowed me to play along with the track or make loops to jam to, and because I figured perhaps someday maybe others would like to do the same," explains Vai. "Voila! We have arrived at someday!"
NAKED TRACKS is housed in a special limited edition digi-pack box set. This series of play-along CDs is designed to help create an atmosphere of focus so you can shred yourself into a personally-induced inspirational nirvana. Included in the set are five CDs featuring backing tracks from the following albums:
• PASSION AND WARFARE • SEX & RELIGION • ALIEN LOVE SECRETS • FIRE GARDEN • THE ULTRA ZONE • ALIVE IN AN ULTRA WORLD • REAL ILLUSIONS: REFLECTIONS
You can download the liner notes, transcripts, tab, lead sheet and scores all available soon at http://www.vai.com/nakedtracks . Here Vai will give the various parameters regarding the key, scale, time signature and more of each track as well as guitar solo transcripts and tabs.
Steve Vai is one of the most influential guitarists of our time. The NAKED TRACKS box set is a testament to his vanguard approach and creative mind-set. This box set is a must-have for the aspiring guitarist, the seasoned guitarist and for all Steve Vai collectors.
For more information click on http://www.vai.com/ or call the Guitar Center nearest you and find out your stores date of arrival for the NAKED TRACKS box set! For outside of the U.S.A. go to your nearest retail store or if you want it NOW download the full version from http://www.vai.com/ or iTunes.
* *** PRESS RELEASE #5 *** * -Escape Music News
Escape Music signed new distribution contracts with Inakustik for Germany and Cargo Records for the U.K. Ilium and Vindictiv are scheduled for May / June and the new Radiosilence is scheduled for July 24th.
Ilium - AGELESS DECAY / release: 19.06.2009
Ilium is a melodic power metal band with strong roots in the classic heavy metal sound as purveyed by the likes of Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath and Judas Priest, from Newcastle, Australia. The band has already released three albums and is currently poised to release their fourth album AGELESS DECAY on Escape Music. This album is the last to feature vocalist Lord Tim, Ilium have recorded their fourth album, entitled AGELESS DECAY with vocalist Mike DiMeo, a legend in metal circles being the longest serving vocalist for New York legends Riot before succeeding Jorn Lande as the lead vocalist for Roland Grapow's post-Helloween project Masterplan. The album will be mixed and mastered by the Danish power metal legend Tommy Hansen, who practically wrote the book on power metal production with the godfathers of the genre, Helloween.
Vindictiv - GROUND ZERO / release: 26.06.2009
The Basis of Vindictiv started in early 2004 and is the brainchild of Stefan Lindholm. At an early stage Stefan contacted keyboard maestro Pontus Larsson and they started to work on some of the songs Stefan had laid down. They recorded a demo with Tommy Karevik (Seventh Wonder) and guitarist Johan Larsson (Johan And Tommy Band). The result was the 2005 demo and it met with some great reviews in Sweden's rock magazines. However, Johan and Tommy decided to move on but Stefan managed to contact respected singer Goran Edman (Yngwie Malmsteen, Karma, etc.) and, as he liked the songs, he put his heart and soul into making them fantastic. Bass player Nalle Pahlsson (Zan Clan, Treat) joined the already impressive lineup and through Goran they got in touch with drummer Mikael Wikman, who played on the debut (ESM164). Zoltan Csorsz has since taken the stool and his fantastic drumming can be heard on GROUND ZERO.
http://www.escape-music.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #6 *** * -Lacuna Coil Announces Headlining North American Summer Tour
Italy's greatest musical export, Lacuna Coil, will make its triumphant return to North America on July 7th embarking on a five-week headlining trek with Kill Hannah, Seventh Void and Dommin. The much anticipated tour also marks the group's first headliner of North America in over two years, so it is definitely going to be a must see event. Lacuna Coil diehard fans can rejoice as this will be your chance to finally see the band perform an hour plus set consisting of many new tracks from SHALLOW LIFE, alongside some older classics. Be sure to visit the band's official MySpace page or see below to view their complete touring itinerary.
Andrea Ferro (vocals) further states: "We just got back from the great adventure that was the 'Music As A Weapon IV' tour in the States and let me tell you: our fans are the best! Regardless of these hard times with the economy, they were out there night after night to support live music, ready to rock out and have a good time! We couldn't have asked for a better start for the SHALLOW LIFE touring cycle and we really want to take the time to thank Disturbed and all of the traveling parties to make it such a great ride. June is coming and we're getting ready for the summer festival madness around Europe and to embrace all of our European fans and friends. We're gonna debut some new songs together with our old material and it's gonna be awesome!
"Shortly after that, we'll be back in North America for the first leg of the 'American Spellbound Tour.' We will be hitting a lot of towns and territories that we weren't able to on MAAW and sharing the stage with old time friends Seventh Void, our new friends Kill Hannah and Dommin. We are looking forward to having a blast as always in the U.S. and are sure you will too. Make sure to get your ticket soon and be ready to rock!"
Lacuna Coil has returned with the massively anticipated, new full- length release, SHALLOW LIFE, and has undoubtedly proven that it is one of hard rock's most revered artists as the album debuted at #16 on the Billboard Top 200 chart. This impressive position marks the band's highest Billboard chart entry, as well as the highest Billboard debut in the history of Century Media Records. The new effort was recorded with acclaimed producer Don Gilmore (Linkin Park, Pearl Jam) at the famed NRG Studios in Los Angeles.
Lacuna Coil recently completed a stunning new video for the Active Rock smash hit "Spellbound" that was shot in its hometown of Milan, Italy at the world famous Dolce & Gabbana nightclub Gold. The clip was directed by Saku, produced by Apnea Film and wardrobe was also provided by Dolce & Gabbana. Click on the link below to check it out.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r_VS2B48c24&feature=channel_page
Also be sure to check out a new video interview with LACUNA COIL from SynHERgy Metal at SkullNBones.com!
http://www.skullsnbones.com/profiles/blogs/synhergy-metal-interview
Lacuna Coil With Kill Hannah, Sventh Void and Dommin 06/04 Street Festival El Paso, TX 06/06 Diamond Ballroom Oklahoma City, OK 06/07 Beaumont Club Kansas City, MO 06/08 Electric Park Ballroom Waterloo, IA 06/10 Intersection Grand Rapids, MI 06/12 Station 4 St. Paul, MN 06/14 Wilma Theater Missoula, MT 06/15 Knitting Factory Spokane, WA 06/17 Knitting Factory Boise, ID 06/18 Roseland Portland, OR 06/19 Neumo's Seattle, WA 06/21 Last Day Saloon Santa Rosa, CA 06/22 House Of Blues Los Angeles, CA 06/24 House Of Blues Las Vegas, NV 06/25 The New Oasis Sparks, NV 06/26 Senator Theatre Chico, CA 06/27 Slim's San Francisco, CA
http://www.lacunacoil.it/ http://www.myspace.com/lacunacoil http://www.youtube.com/lacunacoil
* *** PRESS RELEASE #7 *** * -Metaltix Newsletter
[Note: This is an excerpt of the latest Metaltix newsletter. - Tim]
Rock, Metal and Gothic in the shadow of the "Blocksberg"
From the 9th to the 11th of July 2009, the Rock Harz Open Air Festival will be the meeting point of the Rock, Hard rock, and Gothic fans again. On the new festival ground, the picturesque airport in Ballenstedt/Harz, the Rock event in the Harz mountains already presents itself for the 16th time.
The Harz is the most mystic and obscure mountain in Germany. The legend has it that one time in the year, all the witches and demons of the world come to that place to celebrate a big feast on the highest mountain of the Harz, the famous "Brocken" or "Blocksberg" as it is called.
The organizers of the Rock Harz invite their guests to celebrate a much bigger feast consisting of Rock and Metal in the shadow of this legendary place.
This year the camping ground will be close to the stage areas for the first time. This will ensure short distances and a maximum of comfort for the visitors.
About 40 bands will play on the two open air stages over three days. Also internationally renowned artists of the genre will take part.
Bands: A.O.K., ARCH ENEMY, ASP, BATTLELORE, COPPELIUS, CRIPPER, DARK TRANQUILLITY, DIE SCHRÖDERS, EPICA, ERSTE ALLGEMEINE VERUNSICHERUNG, FIDDLER'S GREEN, GRAVE DIGGER, HEAVEN SHALL BURN, HEIDEVOLK, INGRIMM, J.B.O., KORPIKLAANI, LEGENDA AUREA, LYFTHRASYR, MEGAHERZ, MOONSPELL, NACHTGESCHREI, SCHANDMAUL, SUIDAKRA, TANKARD, TROLLFEST, UNHEILIG, W.A.S.P., 3 Bands WACKEN METAL BATTLE Finale GERMANY & more!
http://www.rockharz.com/
Tickets http://www.metaltix.com/item_list.php?item_cat=2011
Queens Of Metal Open Air 2009
18th to 20th of June 2009 in Kleinwenkheim (Germany, between Frankfurt and Nuremberg)
The QOMOA which made itself a name with its fair prices, its relaxed atmosphere and the nice festival area located in a forest, will take place for the fourth time in 2009. After the consistent increase of the number of visitors from about 750 in the first year to about 2,000 in the third year, this time there will be a limit of 2,200 visitors. So it would be a good idea to buy tickets in time. You can order the weekend ticket online at Metaltix or at the festival homepage for only 28€ plus pre-sale-charge. Camping and parking will be for free. Worth to be mentioned is also the above average sound quality for the complete festival ground and the premium selection of food, which can be seen on the festival homepage. To begin with the "Bratwurst," baked fish, "Jägerschnitzel" up to mozzarella sticks and many more, you will find a wide range of fine food, which will be prepared freshly and are sold for small prices. The price for 0.5l of beer will be 2€, so it's hardly worth to bring your own beer.
Bands: John Oliva's Pain (USA), Illdisposed (DEN), Misery Index (USA), Tankard (GER), Neaera (GER), Dream Evil (SWE), Cataract (CH), Sacred Steel (GER), Fueled By Fire (USA), Powerwolf (GER), Whitechapel (USA), Witchburner (GER), Enemy Of The Sun (GER/FIN), Hackneyed (GER), Bonded By Blood (USA), Orden Ogan (GER), Desilence (GER), Contradiction (GER), Ravage (GER), Davidian (GER), Ultrawurscht (GER/AUT), Sniper (GER), Path Of Devastation (GER), Cronos Titan (GER)
http://www.queens-of-metal.com/
Tickets http://www.metaltix.com/item_list.php?item_cat=3882
Metallica To Headline Sonisphere
New Global Touring Rock Festival To Feature Many Of Today's Hottest And Hardest Acts
Sonisphere, the first ever, international touring music festival, will bring together rock's A-list artists at venues across Europe this summer. Hundreds of thousands of fans will witness Metallica headlining at venues throughout Europe, while sharing the stage with a host of rock heavyweights, including Linkin Park, Slipknot, Die Toten Hosen, Lamb Of God, Mastodon, and many others.
"We're stoked to be touring England and Europe with Sonisphere," said Metallica's Lars Ulrich. "Summer festivals in Europe are what Metallica do best. We can't wait to see all of our fans over there." Sonisphere comes from the creators of the legendary Monsters Of Rock and Download Festivals. Their decades of experience in the organization and execution of quality concerts and music festivals will ensure that Sonisphere will be a cut above the rest.
Sonisphere is about QUALITY. Rather than squeezing as many bands as possible onto multiple stages -- and forcing fans to choose between performers -- Sonisphere will feature bands of the highest calibre performing on two alternate stages; meaning you won't have to miss any music; thereby solving a recurring complaint from rock fans at other events. Sonisphere will also have all the usual festival madness, stalls, fun fairs, jugglers, fire eaters and general rock debauchery for a full on festival. From 2010, Sonisphere will break beyond Europe and become a truly global phenomenon.
In addition to the headliner, Metallica, several of today's fiercest rock acts are already confirmed for some or all of the dates. The awesome Lamb Of God, whose new album, WRATH, is set to destroy ear drums worldwide, and Grammy-nominated Mastodon will play all dates, joining other special guests in each country. The mighty Slipknot enlist for Holland and Spain, while Germany welcomes local stadium superstars Die Toten Hosen. The multi-platinum, multi-faceted Linkin Park will play Finland and Knebworth in the U.K.
http://www.sonispherefestivals.com/
Tickets http://www.metaltix.com/item_list.php?item_cat=3846
SH-Promotion/Metaltix Hauptstr. 47 D-24869 Dörpstedt / Germany phone + 49 (0) 4627 18 38 38 fax + 49 (0) 4627 18 38 80 e-Mail: info@metaltix.com Web: http://www.metaltix.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #8 *** * -Perris Records New Release: Odin - BEST OF ODIN
Catalog # PER2092 UPC Barcode 670573020929
Odin was one of the legendary bands on the Hollywood Strip. This collection of 18 tracks was re-mastered by Roy Z (Judas Priest, Helloween) and features the unreleased track "Let The Show Begin." Odin also features Armored Saint's Jeff Duncan.
Nearly 10,000 days and nights have passed since the great Nordic god, Odin, ripped open the sky and positioned the sun to reveal lead vocalist Randy O., guitarist Jeff Duncan, bassist Aaron Sampson, and drummer Shawn Duncan in the limelight. As a heavy metal brigade collectively known by his namesake, Odin has come to represent the god's primordial attributes of magic, fury, and excitement. The band also possesses his well known command of war and battle. In the heady days of 1980s Los Angeles, the concert stages Odin played were a killing floor in the band's meteoric rise to become the most dominant hard rock/metal act of the west coast southland. An unstoppable force that sold out nearly every major venue in the sprawling metropolis of Los Angeles, including The Roxy, Whisky A-Go-Go, The Troubadour, and Chuck Landis' Country Club, Odin is the only unsigned band as a headliner to have shattered attendance records on multiple nights at both Gazarri's on the Sunset Strip and The Palace (now The Avalon).
By the time their landmark DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER E.P. was released in '85, Odin had landed lucrative opening slots for some of the most successful bands of the era including Warrant, W.A.S.P., Ratt, Tesla, Dokken, Armored Saint, Bang Tango and Keel. Odin's popularity reached a whole new level of stratospheric heights when the band released THE GODS MUST BE CRACY E.P. in '86. The opening cut on the record is "Little Gypsy." A hot-blooded paean to the seductive women who packed the band's live shows in droves, "Little Gypsy" and Odin are featured front and center in Penelope Spherris' classic documentary, "The Decline Of Western Civilization Part II: The Metal Years."
The sun shone brighter and the flames burned higher when Odin booked what were supposed to be three final shows at Gazarri's in '88 before relinquishing their reign. All three nights sold out in record time. Odin was put to rest, but the solar eye remained open. Hunger for the band's music went undiminished even as various members sought new musical allies. Recorded the same year as THE GODS MUST BE CRACY, Odin's first full-length disc, FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE, was released on Japan's JVC/Victor label in 1992.
As the end of an era fades further from view and the dawn of a new world emerges at a reckless speed, the battle scars sustained in a music industry jungle remain, but Odin is back with a vengeance. Performing a string of rare one-off shows to SRO crowds at well known L.A. venues The Troubadour and The Key Club, Odin has set the stage to return fire and restore their position in the royal pantheon of metal lore. Perris Records has joined forces with the band once again this year to release BEST OF ODIN. The compilation features the entire DON'T TAKE NO FOR AN ANSWER E.P. well as a brand new song, "Let The Show Begin." An ultra rare recording from Odin's almost extinct debut E.P., CAUTION, plus a live track recorded in the era when metal was more dangerous are also included. Rounding out the collection is a reserve of the heaviest songs from both FIGHT FOR YOUR LIFE and THE GODS MUST BE CRAZY.
Band MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/mightyodin
Track listing: 1. The Writer 2. One Day To Live 3. Don't Take No For An Answer 4. Solar Eye 5. Shining Love 6. Judgement Day 7. Fight For Your Life 8. She Was The One 9. Push 10. Serenade to the court 11. Modern Day King 12. Stranger Tonight 13. 12 O'Clock High 14. Midnight Flight 15. Little Gypsy 16. Over Your Head 17. She Needs My Love 18 Let The Show Begin
1. Selling points: For fans of Van Halen & '80s Hard Rock 2. Internet Campaign: Hundreds of online Web sites serviced for CD reviews & interviews worldwide. 3. Radio Campaign: Hundreds of radio stations serviced worldwide. 4. Print Campaign: Rocknation newspaper ads, reviews and interviews. Hundreds of magazines serviced for CD review and interviews worldwide.
Perris Records http://www.perrisrecords.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #9 *** * -Death Angel Update
EMG Pickups Video Lesson
Death Angel's Ted Aguilar and Rob Cavestany drop by the EMG PickUps office to discuss gear setup and show us an audio sample of of what EMG has to offer!
Check out the video clip by here: http://www.emgpickups.com/pages/emgtv
Interview With Rob Cavestany
Read an interview with Rob Cavestany and find out more about the upcoming DVD+CD release here: http://www.bravewords.com/features/1000615
Five years after the acclaimed comeback album THE ART OF DYING, and the following album KILLING SEASON, the legendary and one of the most influential bands of the Bay Area Trash Metal scene Death Angel will release a DVD with two full-length concerts filmed in Germany.
The DVD was filmed live at Rockhard Festival 2007 and in Adelsheim in 2008. It contains some of the new songs, two clips and a lot of old Death Angel stuff which is still seriously cult!
This is the first live DVD ever in the history of Death Angel and it will be released as a Live CD (North America), Live DVD (North America), and a Live DVD+CD / CD+DVD / 2LP (Europe).
So, what to say more: Grab SONIC GERMAN BEATDOWN - LIVE IN GERMANY and see by yourself that Death Angel are more alive than ever before! It's just amazing!
DVD (VERSION):
Live @ Rock Hard Festival 2007: Intro Seemingly Endless Time Voracious Souls Mistress Of Pain EX-TC 3rd Floor Thrown To The Wolves 5 Steps Of Freedom Thicker Than Blood The Devil Incarnate Disturbing The Peace Stagnant The Ultra Violence (introduction: Carnival Justice) Bored Kill As One
Live in Adelsheim, Live Factory, 2008: Lord Of Hate Evil Priest Sonic Beatdown Dethroned Voracious Souls Carnival Justice Buried Alive Soulless When Worlds Collide Seemingly Endless Time God Vs. God Steal The Crown Devil Incarnate 3rd Floor Kill As One Resurrection Machine Thrown To The Wolves
Bonus video clips: Thicker Than Blood Dethroned
CD (VERSION):
1. Intro 2. Seemingly Endless Time 3. Voracious Souls 4. Mistress Of Pain 5. EX-TC 6. 3rd Floor 7. Thrown To The Wolves 8. 5 Steps Of Freedom 9. Thicker Than Blood 10. The Devil Incarnate 11. Disturbing The Peace 12. Stagnant 13. The Ultra Violence 14. Bored 15. Kill As One
Band Parts Ways With Drummer
Death Angel has released the following statement in regards to the departure of longtime drummer Andy Galeon:
"As some of you may have already heard, Death Angel's long time drummer and original member Andrew Galeon has decided that it is time for him to move on from the band. While we are sad to see him go, we wish him nothing but success. Not only has he been an integral part of Death Angel from day one, but he's also family and a friend and we will miss him. All the best to you, Brother.
"As for the future of Death Angel, THE SHOW GOES ON! Old friend and long time fixture of the Bay Area metal scene, Will Carroll (Scarecrow, Old Grandad, Vicious Rumors, etc.), will be handling the drum duties for the upcoming local shows in June and the Summer Madness Tour in Europe with Kataklysm and Keep Of Kalessin. Will's been jamming with us for over a month now and is tearing it up! We look forward to hitting the stage with him very soon. We'll be performing songs from FROLIC... and ACT III that we haven't played live since back in the day so prepare for a dose of some serious old school thrash!
"Thank you all for your continued support over the years. See you on the road this summer!"
http://www.deathangel.com/ http://www.myspace.com/deathangel http://www.facebook.com/pages/Death-Angel/9938175758
* *** PRESS RELEASE #10 *** * -Holy Water - THE COLLECTED SESSIONS
Members and side men of Doro Pesch, Quiet Riot, Widowmaker, Saraya, Prong and Foreigner banded together under the moniker Holy Water in the late '80s to create music with all the promise of a true rock and roll classic: Hooks and melodies galore, monster guitar riffs, a bone crushing rhythm section and just enough keyboards and harmony vocals to bridge the gap between '80s pomp and '90s power.
Recently re-mastered by Patrick Klein (The Lizards) and packaged by artist Danny Frank, THE COLLECTED SESSIONS is a never-before-released CD chronicling Holy Water's mercurial career. The nine-song disc opens with The Green Machine Sessions, a stellar, three-song set featuring the brilliantly crafted AOR-ready single "I'm Not Worried Anymore." Produced in the early Nineties by former Foreigner keyboardist Al Greenwood, these three songs have been ranked among the classics of melodic rock by industry insiders. In addition to songs and demos from The Grand Slam Sessions, The Studio 1212 Sessions and The Mask Sessions, THE COLLECTED SESSIONS also features two newly recorded songs (dubbed The Perris Sessions): a remake of the Stevie Wonder classic "Living For The City," which demonstrates Holy Water's ability to take a keyboard oriented R&B classic and turn it into a guitar- driven rock anthem, and the original "All I Need," a beautiful, tender ballad that should easily rival songs like Mr. Big's "To Be With You" and Extreme's "More Than Words."
Joining vocalist David Knight, guitarist Thomas Jude and bassist Freddy Villano on these two tracks is drummer Bobby Marks, who recently filled in for Mick Brown on Dokken's summer tour, and keyboardist Jay Davidson, famous in the rock world for his work with Cinderella. Listening to Holy Water's music one can hear a maturity evidenced only in the truly great artisans of rock. The official release on Perris Records was in April 2009.
Band MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/thisisholywater
Track Listing 1. I'm Not Worried Anymore 2. If I Knew Then... 3. Some Things Have To Happen 4. Once Is Not Enough 5. If I Knew Then... 6. MonsteR Iff 7. Crocodile Rock 8. Living For The City 9. All I Need
1. Selling points: For fans of Foreigner and Bad Company. 2. Internet Campaign: Hundreds of online Web sites serviced for CD reviews & interviews worldwide. 3. Radio Campaign: Hundreds of radio stations serviced worldwide. 4. Print Campaign: Rocknation newspaper ads, reviews and interviews. Hundreds of magazines serviced for CD review and interviews worldwide.
Perris Records http://www.perrisrecords.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #11 *** * -Leaves' Eyes: MY DESTINY MCD
It has finally arrived: Leaves' Eyes delivers brand-new material to their anxiously awaiting fans with their latest E.P. MY DESTINY. The sweeping title track begins with an emotive and mystic interlude that soon turns into sonorous ear candy -- a true delicacy for all fans of symphonic rock music. The opulently produced orchestral and choir- filled compositions resonate with a fresh, powerful, and energy laden force. As always the case with Leaves' Eyes, expect the ensuing tempest with its impressive musical variety and dynamics to emphasize the band's world-class status, including "The Battle Of Maldon" and "Northbound," two smashing tracks to be found on the E.P. With the acoustic version of "Scarborough Fair," familiar to some fans from past unplugged shows, and the atmospheric "Nine Wave Maidens" the tone takes a more subdued turn. Liv Kristine once again bewitches the listener with her one-of-a-kind vocals and the package is completed with a re-mix of the title track. Up-close-and-personal, as well as "value-for-your-money" are always at the top of Leaves' Eyes' list, and thus the successful prelude to yet another journey with Leaves' Eyes to a land of myth makes landfall. MY DESTINY, the musical harbinger of the forthcoming album NJORD arrives on 24 July 2009!
http://www.leaveseyes.de/ http://www.myspace.com/leaveseyespage
* *** PRESS RELEASE #12 *** * -Exclusive Stream Of New Tyr Album On Blistering.com!
"By far their best, melding the band's penchant for multiple vocal harmonies with honest-to-Odin, ball-busting choruses. This, combined with the fact that this album contains some of the strongest guitar melodies we've yet seen from the outfit, seem to lend one to believe that 2009 just may indeed be the year Tyr breaks big worldwide" - Zero Tolerance
Tyr's forthcoming BY THE LIGHT OF THE NORTHERN STAR opus is available as an exclusive stream on Blistering.com. The album, the band's fifth overall, is now available in North America and is already being hailed as Tyr's best work ever. This exclusive stream can be found here:
http://www.blistering.com/fastpage/fpengine.php/link/1/templateid/16123/tempidx/5/menuid/3
Tyr recently completed a highly successful North American tour with label mates Alestorm this past March, and already plans are afoot for another North American tour later this year. For further info, consult http://www.myspace.com/tyr1 and http://www.napalmrecords.com/ .
* *** PRESS RELEASE #13 *** * -Dynazty Signs A Worldwide Deal To Perris Records
Perris Records is proud to find another Swedish band to break onto the music scene.
Dynazty's BRING THE THUNDER release will hit the CD stores this summer and is available for pre-orders at Perris.
Dynazty recorded at Polar studios in Stockholm, Sweden under the hands of producer Chis Laney (Zan Clan, Animal).
This thunderous heavy metal group dominated the Swedish live scene with its flamboyant shows and powerful anthems for many months before hooking up with producer Chris Laney to record a debut album. For one month Dynazty worked with Laney creating a fierce album that will make a lasting impression. Dynazty features Rob Love, a former guitar slinger in Zan Clan, along with Chis Laney.
Dynazty will have a full feature in Rocknation newspaper's Issue #13, featuring many artists appearing at the Rock On The Range, Vans Warped Tour, and Rockstar Mayhem festivals this summer. The band will be shooting a video and TV interview in Stockholm to appear on future "Rocknation TV" episodes.
Drummer George Egg had this to comment on the deal: "While the record industry is suffering from severe crisis most labels don't take any chances in signing new bands. President Tom Mathers of Perris Records did a great thing by signing us (and several other new bands) and giving us the chance to get our music out to the whole world. I believe this proves that Perris is more concerned with promoting great MUSIC, which I am sure will lead to huge success in the long run. We in Dynazty need a label that believes in our music, and for that reason we are extremely happy to have become part of the Perris family."
Dynazty members: George Egg - Drums Nils Molin - Vocals John Berg - Guitars Rob Love - Guitars Joey Fox - Bass
For more information: http://www.dynazty.com/ http://www.myspace.com/dynaztyband http://www.perrisrecords.com/
* *** PRESS RELEASE #14 *** * -Ravenland Launches New YouTube Channel And Video Clip
Brazilian gothic metal Ravenland launched a channel on YouTube where is available the band's first video clip, made for the song "End Of Light." The channel will be updated with official video clips, interviews and also TV, radio and webTv appearances. Check it out at http://www.youtube.com/ravenlandchannel .
The new video was recently aired on Brazil by AllTv, Rede NGT and also MTV Brazil and can be watched at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MlYlfxo59GU .
Ravenland's debut, entitled ...AND A CROW BRINGS ME BACK, which features drums by Ricardo Confessori (Angra, Shaman) and guest guitars by Tommy Lindal (ex-Theatre Of Tragedy, ...In Deviltry), will be released soon by Free Mind Records and will feature 14 new tracks and two multimedia videos.
Ravenland press@ravenland.net http://www.ravenland.net/ http://www.myspace.com/ravenland
* *** PRESS RELEASE #15 *** * -Dark Castle Ready To Tour... Again
Dark Castle will hit the road late this week for a month in support of their debut full-length, SPIRITED MIGRATION, out this week on At A Loss Recordings. The Floridian duo's eclectic, pentatonic, organic doom riffs and engaging live energy should be quite impressive alongside acts like Zoroaster, Mouth Of The Architect, It's Casual and more over the coming month.
Dark Castle dates: 5/30/2009 The Brass Mug - Tampa, FL w/ Zoroaster, Mouth Of The Architect 5/31/2009 The Backbooth - Orlando, FL w/ Zoroaster, Mouth Of The Architect 6/02/2009 Jack Rabbits - Jacksonville, FL w/ Zoroaster 6/03/2009 Big Daddy's - Tallahassee, FL w/ Zoroaster 6/04/2009 Dysfunction Junction - Panama City, FL w/ Zoroaster 6/05/2009 The Nick - Birmingham, AL 6/06/2009 Little Hamilton - Nashville, TN 6/07/2009 Cafe Berlin - Columbia, MO 6/09/2009 Love Garden - Lawrence, KS 6/10/2009 Box Awesome - Lincoln, NE w/ Empires 6/11/2009 Old Curtis Street Bar - Denver, CA 6/12/2009 The Loom House - Salt Lake City, UT 6/14/2009 Squid & Ink - Seattle, WA 6/17/2009 Plan B - Portland, OR 6/20/2009 Mountain Bar - Los Angeles, CA w/ Gort, It's Casual 6/21/2009 Sh*tty T-Pot - Scottsdale, AZ 6/24/2009 Pastime Tavern - Dallas, TX 6/25/2009 1011 (formerly the Warhol) - San Antonio, TX 6/27/2009 The Tavern - Hattiesburg, MS
What the mags are starting to say about Dark Castle's debut album SPIRITED MIGRATION:
"...a rupturing combination of doom wreckage and post-metal advancement..." - Decibel Magazine
"Listening to the debut from this Florida duo is like walking through a lush valley while the sky before you turns black." - Alarm Magazine
"This male/female doom-psych duo has crafted an impressive, assured, and surprisingly melodic debut." - Brainwashed.com
http://www.myspace.com/darkcastlemetal http://www.myspace.com/atalossrecordings
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