| Metal News - July 2003 |
| GREAT WHITE's JACK RUSSELL: 'I Cry Every
Single Day' In preparing for the group's upcoming weekend shows to raise money for The Station Family Fund, GREAT WHITE's manager Charrie L. Foglio interviewed the band's lead singer Jack Russell and guitarist Mark Kendall and provided the media with statements from the band members, according to the Providence Journal. In those written statements, Russell and Kendall say they are sorry that The Station fire happened, and they emphasize how much they want to help the victims. Kendall said he doesn't know how Rhode Islanders feel about GREAT WHITE now. "Some have to have a lot of anger and want to cast blame on us," he said. "But I would hate for them to think that we would use something that could hurt people without permission. We don't go out and do things to make people mad. That's why this band has been around for 20 years." Kendall added, "I think people are going to realize, when this whole thing is a little further behind us, as to who's responsible and who's not." Russell said, "I think all of this is going to come out in the wash and people will understand why this happened and why it didn't have to happen. There's a lot of reasons that I'm not going to get into it right now." When asked if he had a message for "the folks of Rhode Island," Kendall said, "Yes, that I am sorry that this happened. I don't think that people should ever even witness something like this. I've never even seen anything like this on the news. I am really sorry that all this happened, and I want them to know that I would talk to them any time and that I would do anything to help the families." With regards to what they have been doing since the fire, Russell said, "Basically, just trying to heal myself. The mail helps a lot. The support helps a lot." Kendall said, "What actually helped me was counseling with my pastor, who is actually an ex-brother-in-law. He's like a true man of the Lord. He walks right in the light, so he would help me through the really difficult times. We did a lot of praying for the families." Foglio asked for Russell's reply to people who want GREAT WHITE to disappear and not play again. "That makes me feel horrible," he said. "It really hurts me a lot. But I guess I can understand that people are in a situation where they are grieving." Russell said playing music is his way of helping the victims. "If I were a carpenter, I would be out there doing carpentry to help these people out," he said. "I sing to make money. This is how I make my living, and it is really unfortunate that people aren't going to understand that, but there are people who really want our help." Foglio asked whether Russell has wanted to make contact with victims of the fire. "Every single day," he replied. "I think about everyone involved every single day, and I cry every single day. It will never go away." Kendall said he wouldn't want to be invasive but would be willing to talk with any of the survivors. "Of course, the powers that be — the attorneys — are telling me not to say anything yet just because it's 'the way,' " he said. "It's not guilt or innocence. It's just the system. But when I am OK to speak to the families, I certainly will." |
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| STRAPPING YOUNG LAD Guitarist Offers
Update From The Road In his latest update from the road, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD guitarist Jed Simon sheds a little light on the hazards of being on the road, some great new & vintage music to listen to, the virtues of dual rectifiers, and pointy guitars: "SYL has been writing and compiling video footage lately... except our video camera got stolen at the Hultsfred Festival (Sweden). How fucking lame is that? I think the festival folks are going to get us a new one though, which is cool. The festival itself was great: hung out with [THE HAUNTED guitarist] Jensen all day and got to see my fave band again (THE HAUNTED). Then immediately after our show, we had to get in a van, drive all night to the airport, get on the plane to Holland, get in another van, drive two hours to the Fields of Rock Fest, and arrived 30 minutes before show time. Talk about tired, but we pulled it off to a freakin' full house and it was killer! Then we hung out with the NILE boys, MUDVAYNE, PRONG, ARCH ENEMY. (Jed meets Angela, loses mind. Ultra cool to chat with Mike Amott as well.) Then it was sleepy fuckin' time. It was a blur. Me and Byron [Stroud, SYL bassist] have started buying the new AC/DC re-releases, so it has been nothing but ACDCACDCACDC for a month. Strange, but we have been doing some heavy partying lately. Hmmm... Have also been spinning 'One Kill Wonder' (THE HAUNTED), 'The Last DJ' (TOM PETTY... my hero), 'Restless and Wild' (ACCEPT), 'Animal Magnetism' (SCORPIONS), 'Fair Warning' (VAN HALEN) to name a few. I've recently hooked up with [an endorsement deal with] Mesa Boogie, so I am a proud member of the MB family (DUAL RECTIFIERS!!). We've also hooked up with ESP/LTD again and got some new sweet pointed guitars!" STRAPPING YOUNG LAD will be returning to the U.S. with SAMAEL and CATHEDRAL for a tour that will kick off in New York on September 4. Confirmed dates are as follows: Sep. 04 - Downtown – Farmingdale, NY Sep. 05 - Agora Theater – Cleveland, OH Sep. 06 - Pop's – Sauget, IL Sep. 07 - Rockhouse USA – Aurora, IL Sep. 08 - Ascot Room – Minneapolis, MN Sep. 10 - Ogden Theater – Denver, CO Sep. 12 - The Pound – San Francisco, CA Sep. 13 - Ventura Theater – Ventura, CA Sep. 14 - The Whisky – West Hollywood, CA Sep. 15 - Galaxy Theater – Santa Ana, CA Sep. 16 - Bash On Ash – Phoenix, AZ Sep. 17 - Club 101 – El Paso, TX Sep. 18 - Launch Pad – Albuquerque, NM Sep. 19 - The Underworld – Dallas, TX Sep. 20 - Fitzgerald's – Houston, TX Sep. 22 - Culture Room – Ft. Lauderdale, FL Sep. 23 - State Theater – St. Petersburg, FL Sep. 24 - The Masquerade – Atlanta, GA Sep. 25 - Jaxx – West Springfield, VA Sep. 26 - The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY Sep. 27 - Connections – Passaic, NJ Sep. 28 - The Palladium – Worcester, MA Sep. 29 - Don Hills – New York, NY Sep. 30 - The Trocadero – Philadelphia, PA |
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| SALIVA, P.O.D., FILTER To Appear On
'Tomb Raider' Soundtrack SALIVA, P.O.D. and FILTER are among the acts on the hard rock and electronica-fused soundtrack to "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life", due July 22 on Hollywood Records. The soundtrack features "Time", a previously unreleased track from SALIVA, FILTER's "The Only Way (Is the Wrong Way)" , and a Paul Oakenfold remix of P.O.D.'s "Satellite". The complete track listing for "Lara Croft Tomb Raider: The Cradle of Life" is as follows: 01. SALIVA - "Time" 02. MOBY - "Jam for the Ladies (Jason Nevins Remix)" 03. THE CRYSTAL METHOD - "Starting Over" 04. P.O.D. - "Satellite (Oakenfold Remix)" 05. ALEXANDRA SLATE - "Bad Girl" 06. FILTER - "The Only Way (Is the Wrong Way)" 07. 3RD STRIKE - "Into Hell Again" 08. SLOTH - "You Can't Look Away" 09. DANDY WARHOLS - "You Were the Last High" 10. DAVEY BROTHERS - "Heart Go Faster" 11. NADIRAH "NADZ" SEID - "I Hate This" 12. DAVID A. STEWART - "Flight to Freedom" 13. KASABIAN - "Reason Is Treason" 14. LUNATIC CALM - "Leave You Far Behind" 15. CONJURE ONE feat. SINEAD O'CONNOR - "Tears From the Moon" 16. ALAN SILVESTRI - "Pandora's Box" |
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| IMPALER To Release DVD
The early 80's shock/horror metal band IMPALER celebrate their 20-year-anniversary with the release of their first DVD, due out by year's end. IMPALER were originally signed to Combat Records and released the classics "Rise Of The Mutants" (featured in the film "Trick Or Treat" with Ozzy, as well as making Tipper Gore and the PMRC's most-hated list), and "If We Had Brains, We'd Be Dangerous", produced by HUSKER DU's Bob Mould. The as-yet-untitled DVD will include all videos through the band's blood-soaked career as well as live footage from the recent tour, featuring reunions of guitarist Michael Torok and bassist Commander Court Hawley, interviews and general mayhem. The disc will be released by Minnesota icon Earl Root on Root Of All Evil Records. IMPALER are currently touring behind their latest CD "Old School Ghouls". |
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| EDGE OF SANITY's DAN SWANÖ Checks In
With Studio Update Producer/musician/songwriter Dan Swanö is currently recording a new EDGE OF SANITY album, "Crimson II", tentatively on August 26 through Black Mark Records. The following is Swanö's latest studio update, as posted to his official forum: "The vocals have been recorded now and there's been some changes. Rogga is still here, Granvik too (doing some backing vocals only). [HYPOCRISY's] Peter Tägtgren won't be there though, because Rogga suprised both himself and me by pulling off some really amazing 'Åkerfeldt meets DISSECTION Jon' style highpitch vocals, and that was the kind of style I wanted him to do...the main change of course is the fact that I'M GROWLING!!! "Oh yes..and you all go.....BUT YOU SAID......Yes, I know what I said and I really tried to growl a few weeks before recording the backing tracks, and It sounded awful, awful, awful....so how did this happen??? "I really don't know...but I guess it's psychological. "When we were recording the vocals, I was bossing Rog and Gran around going, 'No, out of timing, sound more like me, etc etc.' and after a while (and some beers in the system...) I just went up to the microphone and growled my heart out and it sounded good, REALLY GOOD!!! Everything just came back, and it was all there… the power, the rasp (The lungs were not though...) but anyway… so I ended up doing pretty much 50% of the vocals (Including the clean stuff) and there are some dual vocal parts between me and Rog, me and Gran as well.... "Well, what can I say...my throat aches likes fuck and I have strained every muscle in my body, but It's worth it...it soundz great..and just when I grow tired of my own voice, Rog comes in and kick it!!! Variety rules....Still no news on the lead guitars though… but I hope it'll be alright as well..." |
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| BORKNAGAR Cancel European Festival
Appearances Norway's BORKNAGAR have been forced to cancel their previously announced appearances at the Summer Breeze and Metalfest Vienna festivals. "The last couple of months we have been totally occupied with the recording of our new album, a process in which has been postponed and extended in time," guitarist Øystein G. Brun said in an official statement. "Therefore, we have not managed to incorporate with a session guitarist yet. As for live shows we need a replacement for Jens F. Ryland, whom left the band earlier this year. "Time is running and we regard it as unrealistic for us to get the line-up sorted till the end of August, to do these shows. Therefore we have decided to cancel the shows now and not the week before. "There might be an overall impression that we have cancelled allot of shows lately. In our defense, I would draw attention to the fact that this is the very first time we cancel because of internal band related matters. To this point all cancellations has been due to external factors, out of our control. "Our new album is being released early next year. In relation to that we'll for sure see you out there, somewhere…" As previously reported, BORKNAGAR are hard at work at Toproom and Fagerborg Studios with producer Borge Finstad (MAYHEM, SOLEFALD) recording the follow-up to 2001's "Empiricism", due in early 2004 through Century Media Records. |
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| Safety Concerns Delay Florida Metal
Festival Edward Fitzpatrick of the Providence Journal reports that a Florida heavy metal festival, which was going to raise money for The Station Family Fund, has been postponed because of fire-code issues raised by the local fire marshal. Metalfest 2003 — with a list of performers that included LYNCH MOB, FIREHOUSE, BANG TANGO and BULLET BOYS — was expected to draw at least 18,000 people to an auto-racing track near Tampa, Florida, over the course of the Fourth of July weekend. And 10 percent of the ticket sales was earmarked for families of those who died in The Station fire. But the fire code allows only about 7,800 people at the track under its current configuration, Hillsborough County Fire Marshal Don Goff said yesterday. So the festival has been postponed. Goff said he wanted to make sure that people could safely exit the track if a fire were to break out. "Otherwise, you could have a program for Rhode Island and end up with a Rhode Island," he said, referring to the Feb. 20 West Warwick blaze, which killed 100 people. In theory, the infield at East Bay Raceway Park can accommodate as many as 55,000 people, Goff said, but the track is surrounded by a foot-thick concrete retaining wall with only four exits. "If something would have happened, there is no way in God's creation to get 55,000 people out of there in time," he said. "I just wanted to make sure that if an issue came up, we'd be able to egress people out safely." Given the number of exits, the fire code allows just 3,564 people in the track infield, plus another 4,242 in bleachers, Goff said. That leaves the legal capacity at 7,806 — far below the number expected during the weekend-long event. Goff said he realizes the event was going to raise money for victims of the Rhode Island fire. "It's too bad," he said. "I'd love to say 'Go for it.' But I'm not going to jeopardize someone's life." Postponement might have been avoided if the event's promoter had addressed fire-code issues earlier, Goff said. But he said the promoter first talked to him two weeks ago after the sheriff's department notified him of the event. "He was trying to do the right steps, but it was too late in the game," Goff said. The promoter, Tim Bryant, president of Past 2 Present Promotion & Production, did not return calls seeking comment yesterday. The Metalfest 2003 web site contained the following message: "Due to fire marshal attendance regulations, Metalfest has been postponed (not canceled)." GREAT WHITE's web site said Metalfest has been postponed until Labor Day. |
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| CRUACHAN Booted Off THE GATHERING Show
In Ireland Ireland's CRUACHAN have issued the following statement regarding the last-minute cancellation of the group's gig with Holland's THE GATHERING on Friday, June 27 at The Village in Dublin: "Firstly, apologies to anyone who came to see us, it was out of our control and I want my Friday 27th June back! "Anyway, here's what I believe happened. Some of this may be a bit wrong: We (CRUACHAN) arrived [at the venue] on time at 5:30 p.m. to begin setting up only to hear THE GATHERING still had not soundchecked. Fuck...they should have been finished at that time. Turned out The Village hadn't got an important piece of equipment for them to use their ear-piece things! The equipment arrived after 7 and they began soundchecking.... We accepted that we would have no sound check...just straight on! As far as I hear off Paul and H the venue were none too helpful either. Anyway, time was ticking away and THE GATHERING were still soundchecking. Paul asked would they shorten their set given the circumstance, they said no. Eventually after 8 they finished soundchecking and then we got our gear on stage and started setting up. It was now ten to nine...the time we should have been getting off at and THE GATHERING were adamant that they would not shorten their set so their tour manager 'Bobo' started getting all 'I will cancel you, I've done it before' to us, and that basically is what happened. Cancelled. It wasn't Emerald's fault and it certainly wasn't ours, I was really pissed off and threatened to knock the gatherings tour manager out....heat of the moment thing really as we were all rightly pissed off! Anyway, we will definitely arrange a gig in Dublin soon at a cheap entry price to make up for the people who were let down." Upcoming CRUACHAN tour dates: Jul. 10-13 - Vikedal Roots Music Festival - NOR Aug. 17 - Eamonn Dorans – Dublin, IRE |
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| GUANO APES: 'Quietly' Single To Include
Brand-New Material Germany's GUANO APES will release a new single, "Quietly", on July 21. The digipak version of the single will include two brand-new songs which were exclusively recorded for the new release, according to the group's official web site. A video clip has already been shot and is currently being edited. "Quietly" comes off GUANO APES' latest album, "Walking On A Thin Line", which entered the German Media Control charts at No. 1 upon its release in early February. The band's previous CD, "Don't Give Me Names", achieved the same feat three years ago. The band have yet to secure a U.S. release for the new album. Upcoming GUANO APES tour dates: Jul. 04 – Wiesen, AUT - Forestglade Festival Jul. 05 – Imst, AUT - Forestglade West Festival Jul. 12 – Joensuu, FIN - Ilosaarirock Festival Jul. 25 – Cádiz, SPA - Esparrago Festival Jul. 26 – St. Vith, BEL - Alive Festival Aug. 08 – Zofingen, SWI - Heitere Open Air Aug. 30 – Biddinghuizen, NETH – Lowlands |
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| Should Mosh Pits Be Banned? Ryanne Scott of The Gazette reports that concertgoers say exhilaration, excitement and chaos are to be found in wading to the front of the audience and throwing themselves into a mosh pit with other fans who love metal and punk music. The pit thrives on physical contact. Moshers enter jumping and thrashing around, all while slamming into and bouncing off each other to the music. Pits are aggressive but social: It's unwritten law to help people to their feet if they fall and it's not uncommon for moshers to pat each other on the back or even hug at a song's end as mutual recognition of endurance and toughness. But not everyone walks away from a pit unscathed. Some don't walk away at all. Paul Wertheimer, a concert-safety expert, said fans often equate moshing with a roller-coaster ride: There's a sense of danger but it isn't real. This false sense of safety gets fans trampled, seriously injured or killed. "Old-school rock fans just took it. The new school believes they have a right to a great concert that is reasonably safe — punk, heavy metal, rap, whatever," Wertheimer said. "There has to be a standard of care for rock fans, period. No individual can protect themselves against 10,000 other people." Wertheimer's Chicago-based Crowd Management Strategies compiles an annual injuries and deaths survey from news and police reports, lawsuits, industry sources and public-information documents. Sampling last year's most dangerous events, Wertheimer surveyed 31 concerts in eight countries and counted 21 deaths, 4,567 injuries, 2,683 arrests and about $524,000 in property damage. Still, he asserts mosh-pit culture could be made reasonably safe if the people who plan and manage concerts took common-sense steps to protect fans from those who use the pit's anonymity to injure people or sexually assault women. |
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| ONE MINUTE SILENCE Cancel U.K. Dates Britain's ONE MINUTE SILENCE have cancelled the remainder of their U.K. tour after Brian "Yap" Barry was taken ill with "mental exhaustion." No further information is available at this time. ONE MINUTE SILENCE's third full-length album, "One Lie Fits All", is due on July 7 through Taste Media. The follow-up to 2000's "Buy Now... Saved Later" was produced by John Leckie (MUSE, RADIOHEAD, KULA SHAKER, JOHN LENNON) and John Cornfield (SUPERGRASS, CATATONIA) at Airfield Studio in St. Merryn, Cornwall. ONE MINUTE SILENCE have yet to secure a U.S. record deal for the forthcoming album, having parted ways with V2 Records at the end of 2001. |
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| GARY MOORE Cancels Remaining Festival
Dates Legendary guitarist GARY MOORE was forced to cancel the remaining summer festival shows on his current European tour due to his hand/tendon injury not responding to further extended, detailed treatment. Gary's hand injury, which he sustained towards the end of the Monsters Of Rock tour with WHITESNAKE, is not improving, and rather than try to rehearse for the summer shows and possibly aggravate the injury, he has been told to rest for the remainder of the summer, if not longer. Gary "would like to thank everyone who has sent in get well messages, and he is particularly upset that the injury has stopped the band in it's current tracks, especially as the Monsters Of Rock shows were going down so well, with a return to the older 'rock' tunes," according to the guitarist's official web site. "And that the injury has denied him the opportunity to play in Dublin along with WHITESNAKE, where he is well aware of the loyal support he receives. Plans for a replacement show in Dublin and, or even a series of Irish shows, were being worked on, but now these are on hold, along with everything else, until the injury improves." In other news, Moore's Sheffield Monsters Of Rock show was filmed and recorded for a possible 5.1 surround DVD release. No further information is available at this time. |
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| HEADPLATE Part Ways With Bassist,
Announce Replacement Gothenburg, Sweden-based metallers HEADPLATE have parted ways with bassist Håkan Skoger (PASSENGER). Håkan "has felt for some time that he doesn't have the same interest in playing that he used to, and since he wants the best for the band he has decided to let someone who has the drive and energy that he used to have take his place," the band write on their official web site. "The good news is that we have recruited a new bass player named Johan Andreasen. He is a very good and talented bass player and we feel that he is worthy of taking Håkan's place." In other news, HEADPLATE will be releasing a new album in August outside of Sweden. Titled "Pieces", it will contain 15 tracks culled from the band's "Delicate" and "Bullsized" efforts. "All the tracks have been re-mastered and we have done a new cover for the album," the band said. "First off it will be released in Canada through PHD Canada in August and then later on it will be released in the U.K., Germany, Spain and a couple of other European countries." |
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| CRYPTOPSY To Get 'Really Intense' On
Next Album Canadian technical death metallers CRYPTOPSY are currently hard at work writing new material for their upcoming fifth studio album — the group's first with new vocalist Martin Lacroix (ex-SPASME). The as-yet-untitled effort will be recorded at Wild Studio in St-Zenon, Quebec, Canada with producer Pierre Rémillard (KATAKLYSM, GORGUTS, KRISIUN) and is tentatively set for an early 2004 release through Century Media Records. Guitarist Alex Auburn recently checked in with the following report on the group's songwriting process: "We just finished the seventh song for the album. The new stuff is really intense so far, well-balanced between all instruments leaving enough room for each instrument to have its space when we record. We will be doing one or two more songs and that's it. All of the songs are very different because everybody in the band wrote a lot. Studio time is booked for October and November. We are also set to headline the first huge metal festival in Australia on August 22nd alongside MARDUK, DORO and SODOM among others. No other shows outside of Australia are currently scheduled due to time constraints and us having to continue writing." |
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| SHADOWS FALL Confirmed For TAKE ACTION
TOUR 2003 Massachusetts-based thrash metal quintet SHADOWS FALL have just been added to the fourth annual Take Action Tour 2003 that launches September 11 in Minneapolis and wraps October 12 in Seattle. Confirmed artists on this year's tour include POISON THE WELL, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, DEATH BY STEREO, EIGHTEEN VISIONS, SHAI HULUD, THIS DAY FORWARD, SINCE BY MAN and BLACK CROSS, with more bands to be announced. The Take Action Tour raises awareness and funds for The National Hopeline Network for suicide prevention. In addition to the cross-country tour, SHADOWS FALL will be featured on the Take Action Volume 3 compilation. The double CD features THRICE, POISON THE WELL, THURSDAY, GOOD RIDDANCE, THE ATARIS, FURTHER SEEMS FOREVER, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BOY SETS FIRE among others. Take Action Volume 3 is due out September 9 on Sub City Records, a division of Hopeless Records, which raises funds for various non-profit organizations. SHADOWS FALL are currently destroying people's senses on the second stage at Ozzfest and are being touted as this year's breakout band. Catch the Take Action 2003 tour in the following cities: Sep. 11 - Minneapolis, MN @ The Quest Sep. 12 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues Sep. 13 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's Sep. 14 - Pontiac, MI @ Clutch Cargo Sep. 15 - Cleveland, OH @ Agora Theater Sep. 16 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza Sep. 17 - Old Bridge, NJ @ Birch Hill Niteclub Sep. 18 - Worcester, MA @ Palladium Sep. 19 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory Sep. 20 - Washington, D.C. @ 9:30 Club Sep. 22 - Charlotte, NC @ Tremont Music Hall Sep. 23 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade Sep. 25 - Jacksonville, FL @ Free Bird Cafe Sep. 26 - Ft. Lauderdale, FL @ Venu Sep. 27 - Lake Buena Vista, FL @ House of Blues Oct. 03 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre Oct. 04 - San Diego, CA @ Soma Oct. 05 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues Oct. 06 - Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues Oct. 07 - Los Angeles, CA @ House of Blues Oct. 09 - San Francisco, CA @ Fillmore |
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| JAG PANZER Drummer Welcomes Addition To
Family Congratulations are in order for JAG PANZER drummer Rikard, wife Barbra, and son Gunnar, who welcomed Sophia Karin Siri Stjernquist into their family three months ago. As previously reported, JAG PANZER will be supporting HELLOWEEN on their two-week tour of North America in early October. Also set to appear on the bill are BEYOND THE EMBRACE. Confirmed dates are as follows: Oct. 03 – Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Oct. 04 – West Hollywood, CA @ Key Club Oct. 06 – Denver, CO @ Ogden Theater Oct. 08 – Chicago, IL @ Vic Theater Oct. 10 – Toronto, ONT @ Opera House Oct. 11 – Montreal, QUE @ Medley Oct. 12 – New York, NY @ BB King's Oct. 13 - West Springfield, VA @ Jaxx |
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| KID ROCK And PAMELA: Romance Heating Up
Again
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| SOLEFALD: Going After A 'Purer, More
Focused Sound' Norway's SOLEFALD are presently in Iceland writing material for their fifth full-length album, tentatively due in early 2004 through Century Media Records. "Composition has been going great, in a more classic Black Metal 1993-ish style...," the band write on their official web site. "Much of the material is now written, it sounds unmistakably like SOLEFALD. "Iceland has everything we wanted to get: Great barren landscapes, volcanoes, hot springs, sea, viking history, sagas and of course a good deal of brennivin (Icelandic booze)! "The result of actually going to a site like Iceland to write Nordic/Viking music is a purer, more focused sound. This might be bad news for the fraction of SOLEFALD fans that love [1999's] 'Neonism' and hate [1997's] 'The Linear Scaffold'… For the people more into the '…Scaffold' and our 'Jernlov' demo (Iron Law, 1996), the new songs should hit and fit pretty well. "During our stay we have witnessed the schizophrenic Icelandic weather, with rain one minute and sunshine the next. We have also been to a Viking festival and seen authentically dressed Vikings, swordfights, arts and crafts such as silverwork and tailoring, and there are rumours of a blot taking place this week - a blot is a sacrifice to the Norse gods in the Asatru pantheon, usually taking place in a natural setting. Our trip to Iceland is thus in all ways a return to our roots, both when it comes to music (BATHORY, DARKTHRONE, ENSLAVED and IMMORTAL feature prominently in our CD collection for the trip) and history —the new album will actually tell about a destiny of the Viking age, but fear not: the music that goes with it has taken command over the story in the old SOLEFALD way." |
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| CHILDREN OF BODOM's LAIHO: 'We Ain't
Ready To Fucking Die Yet!' As first reported here on Monday, Finland's CHILDREN OF BODOM have now officially confirmed the departure of rhythm guitarist Alexander "Aku" Kuoppala. "We just wanted to make the point clear that there is absolutely no bad blood between us whatsoever," guitarist/vocalist Alexi Laiho writes on the band's official web site. "We really try not to make a big deal out of this, and since it's not our place to talk about Alexander's personal affairs, we have to be brief about this. "Alexander realized he couldn't take this constant touring life anymore and felt that he was holding us back by not enjoy doing this anymore and that it was better for him to bail out than not giving the whole 100% and making himself unhappy. His exact words to me were, 'It's not fair to me, to you, or to our fans to pull an act in front of you all and just do it for money.' "We understand that some of [the fans] might feel that it's not [CHILDREN OF BODOM] without him, and it is true that he was a huge part of us just like every other member, but we hope that YOU understand that this has not been easy for us, but, goddamn, we will carry on with a new guy (which we'll let you know about later), 'cuz after all, the fact is: CHILDREN OF BODOM AIN'T READY TO FUCKING DIE YET!" A replacement for Kuoppala is expected to be announced before the band's next gig on August 16 in Moscow. |
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| SLIPKNOT Members To Contribute To DEATH
Tribute Album SLIPKNOT guitarist Mick Thomson and bassist Paul Gray have both been confirmed as "major contributors" to the forthcoming DEATH tribute album currently being put together by former DEATH/TESTAMENT guitarist James Murphy, ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION/SUFFOCATION drummer Dave Culross, ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION vocalist Brett Hoffmann and CKY guitarist Deron Miller, Murphy has revealed to BLABBERMOUTH.NET. In addition, former DEATH/MASSACRE and current SIX FEET UNDER bassist Terry Butler will contribute "some bass tracks" to the CD, which is tentatively scheduled to be recorded beginning in mid-to-late August at SR Studios (MURDERDOLLS) in Des Moines, Iowa. The exact track listing for the as-yet-untitled tribute CD is currently under wraps. However, the following cuts are definitely set to appear on the effort, according to Murphy: 01. Land Of No Return 02. Forgotten Past 03. Lowlife 04. Lack Of Comprehension 05. Jealousy Murphy, who is spearheading the project and is the primary beneficiary of the funds raised through the sales of the album, has yet to secure a label deal for the tribute CD, which is expected to surface in early 2004. James is currently receiving treatment for a massive brain tumor with which he was diagnosed in August 2001. |