| Metal News - June 2003 |
| 04 | DRAGONFORCE Split With Drummer, Announce
Temporary Replacement Drummer Didier Almouzni has officially left British melodic speed power metallers DRAGONFORCE. The group, who released their debut album, "Valley of the Damned", through Sanctuary/Noise Records earlier this year, will be utilizing the services of temporary replacement Christian Wirtl (of Swedish power metal band SOUL SOURCE) during their appearance at Sweden Rock festival this weekend. According to the group's official web site, "Christian only has two days to learn all the songs, and the first time he will play with DRAGONFORCE will be on stage at Sweden Rock! Due to the extreme short notice any rehearsals are not possible, but trust us, he is easily fast and good enough! We would like thank him for helping us out by taking this daunting task in such short notice. Canceling the show was never an option and we hope you'll all enjoy the show with whatever may arise due the circumstances beyond our control!" |
| 07 | HALFORD To Film Anaheim Show For
Upcoming DVD Legendary vocalist Rob Halford and his band HALFORD will film and record their Sunday, June 8, 2003 concert at The Grove of Anaheim in Anaheim, California for a future DVD release. Tickets for this historic show are being sold at a special 2-for-1 discount. By providing a special password — the word "metal" — fans can purchase two tickets for the price of one at all Ticketmaster locations, Ticketmaster.com, at The Grove of Anaheim's box office or by calling The Grove of Anaheim's box office at 714-712-2700. The HALFORD band will perform material from their "Resurrection" and "Crucible" releases as well as JUDAS PRIEST and FIGHT favorites. The Anaheim show is the last of HALFORD's string of West Coast dates promoting the 2002 album "Crucible". |
| 09 | SUPERJOINT RITUAL: 'A Lethal Dose Of
American Hatred' Track Listing Unveiled! SUPERJOINT RITUAL, the Louisiana-based band fronted by PANTERA/DOWN singer Philip Anselmo, have finalized the track listing for their sophomore effort, "A Lethal Dose Of American Hatred", due on July 22 through Sanctuary Records. The follow-up to last year's "Use Once And Destroy" will include the following cuts: Drug Dealer's A Dick* 01. Sickness 02. Waiting For The Turning Point 03. Dress Like A Target 04. The Destruction Of A Person 05. Personal Insult 06. Never To Sit Or Stand Again 07. Death Threat Her 6th Lesson In Life* 08. Permanently 09. Stealing A Page Or Two From The Armed And Radical Pagans 10. Symbol Of Nevermore 11. The Knife Rises 12. The Horror 13. Absorbed Black Mood* * Please note that not all the tracks are numbered. SUPERJOINT RITUAL will be filming a video for an as-yet-undisclosed cut from the album on Saturday (June 7) in their hometown of New Orleans. The video will be directed Tom Mignone (MUDVAYNE, SLIPKNOT), who had previously worked with the group on their "Live From Dallas" DVD. |
| 13 | MARILYN MANSON Left Out Of Buffalo
OZZFEST Date MARILYN MANSON has been left out of the lineup of Ozzfest when the tour comes to Six Flags Darien Lake in Darien Center, Genesee County, Aug. 11, reports Democrat and Chronicle. According to Six Flags Darien Lake spokeswoman Lauren Spallone, "Several people in the area expressed an uncomfortable feeling about having that artist in our area." Spallone did not elaborate on how many area residents complained about Manson, how they made their feelings known or what it was about Manson they specifically objected to. Spallone says the park last spring notified both Clear Channel Communications, the promoter of the tour, and Manson's agent that the park would use its contractual right to restrict artists from performing. "We decided to pass on the Marilyn Manson performance," says an e-mailed statement from the venue. Noise and traffic problems associated with concerts there have long been a source of contention between the park and the rural community surrounding it. Clear Channel Communications said in a statement, "It's a Six Flags decision" but stressed that Manson is welcome to play in Buffalo venues as he previously has. In other news, Billboard has reported that despite vocal opposition from local political groups, Marilyn Manson's Saturday (June 7) concert at Milan's Mazda Palace as part of the Gods Of Metal festival will go ahead as scheduled. The artist originally was to have appeared in nearby Monza, but was prevented from doing so by its city council. The venue was subsequently switched to Milan, where members of the city council also protested. Milan's city council was due to vote on the matter on May 22, but the debate did not take place and, as a result, the concert will. Locals had objected on such grounds that the performance was offensive and would likely corrupt the youth audience. Monza's decision to ban Manson and Milan's threat to do so were described by Roberto Meglioli, president of the concert promoters association Assomusica, and Enzo Mazza, director general of record industry body FIMI, as a dangerous case of "cultural censorship." |
| 16 | 'THE OSBOURNES' To Return Next Week Ten new episodes of the MTV reality series "The Osbournes" will air throughout the summer, starting at 10:30 p.m. EDT Tuesday, June 10, according to the Associated Press. The cable music channel said Tuesday (June 3) that the shows will follow Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack Osbourne, and their various pets and friends, at their Los Angeles home and on the road. The episodes were shot before Jack, the heavy metal star's 17-year-old son, entered rehab in late April for alcohol and marijuana abuse. Jack Osbourne, a part-time talent scout for Epic Records, said at the time, "I got caught up in my new lifestyle and got carried away with drugs and alcohol." Ozzy Osbourne said his son's newfound clean living has inspired him to give sobriety another try. He told People magazine for its June 16 issue that after decades of struggling with substance abuse, he hasn't touched any alcohol or marijuana in more than a month, and he's running about five miles a day. "Jack and I are racing to be the first one to 100 days sober," Osbourne told the magazine. "The Osbournes" won an Emmy last year for best reality series. |
| 19 | SUKI JONES To Become ADLER'S APPETITE SUKI JONES, the new band featuring former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler, RATT/ex-LOVE/HATE singer Jizzy Pearl, ex-SLASH'S SNAKEPIT guitarist Keri Kelli, FASTER PUSSYCAT guitarist Brent Muscat, and ex-VINCE NEIL/RATT bassist Robbie Crane, will be officially changing their name to ADLER'S APPETITE. According to The Official Steven Adler Fan Site, "Steven said that so many people came up to him at the [recent] SUKI shows and told him that they had no idea that is was the former GUNS N' ROSES drummer's new band! Steven wants there to be no question that he is in the band, and while they are playing the 'Appetite For Destruction' material, he believes that ADLER'S APPETITE is more appropriate and less confusing." In other news, Adler, Kelli and Crane teamed up with former SKID ROW frontman Sebastian Bach to perform the GUNS N' ROSES classics "Welcome To The Jungle" and "Rocket Queen" during an appearance Saturday night (May 31) at the "Meatloaf & Friends All Star Jam & Pool Party" at Skin at the Palms in Las Vegas, Nevada. The event was hosted by Meat Loaf and all proceeds were to benefit the Lili Claire Life Skills Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. |
| 23 | KITTIE To Lend Support To Fellow London
Musician's Family At First Hometown Gig In Three Years KITTIE will make their first hometown appearance in three years at a June 20 show planned to lend support to the family of Neil Wolfe, father of local musician Justin Wolfe of the band ACACIA and Gregg Wolfe of the band DAM 13, who has been struggling with cancer for several years. "Over the years of playing in ACACIA, we have met a lot of friends and caring people who want to help out as much as they can with my situation," said Justin Wolfe. "So it was only fitting to put on this show. It was more or less meant to be a gift, from KITTIE and all the bands that we have played with and friends, to the family." As longtime friends of ACACIA, KITTIE felt compelled to take part in the show. "We feel that it is our place to at least try and reach out to help those who are near and dear to us," said KITTIE guitarist/vocalist Morgan Lander. "Compassion is the one of the greatest feelings anyone can have, and if this contribution helps the Wolfe family in any way, it will make all of us feel like we accomplished something." ACACIA and DAM 13, which features Justin's brother Gregg, will also play. The all-ages show will be held at Call The Office in downtown London. Doors are at 6:30 p.m. Tickets are $10, with all proceeds benefiting the Wolfe family's medical bills. KITTIE will head to Mexico for the first time in late June and will also play a handful of dates on the East Coast, including Hellfest, a three-day metal and hardcore extravaganza in Syracuse, N.Y., featuring 99 bands. Upcoming KITTIE tour dates: Jun. 20 - Call The Office - London Ontario, CAN (w/ ACACIA, DAM 13) Jun. 28 - Circo Volador - Mexico City, Mexico Jun. 29 – TBA - Monterrey, Mexico Jul. 02 – Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA Jul. 03 – Jaxx - W. Springfield, VA Jul. 04 - Hellfest New York State Fair - Syracuse, NY Jul. 05 – L'Amour - Brooklyn, NY |
| 24 | STRYPER To Embark On Reunion Tour Classic Christian heavy metal band STRYPER are reportedly planning a reunion tour of about 25 shows beginning in August. Exact cities and venues are expected to be announced within the next two weeks. STRYPER released a "greatest hits" collection, "7: The Best Of Stryper", in March through Hollywood Records. Included in the package were two brand new songs, "Something" and "For You". SYSTEMATIC Film Video For 'Breakable' - June 5, 2003 SYSTEMATIC have recently finished filming a video for the track "Breakable" from the band's sophomore CD, "Pleasure To Burn". "Breakable" will likely be the second single from the album, which was released in April through Elektra Records. "Pleasure To Burn" — the group's first effort to feature ex-SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph and former ECHO 3/MAXIMUM PENALTY bassist John Mark Bechtel (a.k.a. Johnny Chow) — was produced by Howard Benson, who has previously worked with P.O.D., MOTÖRHEAD, SEPULTURA and CRAZY TOWN, among others. |
| 26 | VINTERSORG, ANGEL DUST, TAD MOROSE To
Appear On URIAH HEEP Tribute CD VINTERSORG, ANGEL DUST and TAD MOROSE are among the artists scheduled to appear on the forthcoming tribute to URIAH HEEP, "A Return To Fantasy", due on Aug. 18 through Century Media Records. The complete track listing for the effort is as follows: 01. ANGEL DUST - "Easy Livin'" 02. NARNIA - "Sunrise" 03. TAD MOROSE - "Rainbow Demon" 04. ONWARD - "Bird Of Prey" 05. LIEGE LORD - "Too Scared To Run" 06. JACK FROST - "Lady In Black" 07. NIGHTINGALE - "Stealin'" 08. LANA LANE - "Weep In Silence" 09. VINTERSORG - "Rainbow Demon" 10. SACRED STEEL - "Return To Fantasy" 11. EASY LIVIN' - "Circle Of Hands" 12. FREEBASE - "Suicidal Man" 13. METALIUM (feat. Ken Hensley) - "Gypsy" |
| 27 | MNEMIC Film Video For 'Ghost'
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| 28 | Bassist PAUL CHAMPAGNE Leaves EXCITER Bassist Paul Champagne has announced his decision to leave Canadian thrash pioneers EXCITER. The following is Champagne's official statement on the matter: "After much thought, I have decided to leave EXCITER due to musical and personal differences. The expectations of the band were causing me to compromise my musical integrity in terms of playing style and personality to a point that I was no longer comfortable. It was in mutual agreement with the rest of the band that it would in everyone's best interest that I no longer continue with the line-up. I hope that the band will find a suitable replacement on bass and I wish them all the best in the future." As previously reported, EXCITER will enter the studio later this month to re-record 16 of their "best" songs for an upcoming "Best Of" album, tentatively due before the end of the year. The group, who were recently rejoined by frontman Jacques Belanger, will re-record material from the following albums: "Heavy Metal Maniac", "Violence and Force", "Long Live the Loud", "Kill After Kill", "The Dark Command" and "Blood of Tyrants". EXCITER will be performing at the Bomb Shelter in Manchester, New Hampshire on June 20. Also appearing on the bill will be CANDY STRIPER DEATH ORGY. |