Metal News - September 2003

3	MÖTLEY CRÜE Singer Slams RIAA For Lawsuits Against Downloaders MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman Vince Neil has taken the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA) to task for launching — and later quietly settling — a lawsuit against 12-year-old Brianna Lahara for illegally downloading more than 1,000 songs off the Internet. "I just think it's terrible these big companies will go after a 12-year-old," Neil told The Edmonton Sun in an interview last week. "They're the ones who shove Britney Spears and these people down your throat, and then when it's on the Internet and you can download it, why wouldn't you? It just boggles my mind that these companies would be so petty as to do something like this. It's pretty shameful." Neil said he doesn't believe artists are losing a significant amount of revenue from online file-swapping. "If you look at it in the real perspective, it's pennies. It doesn't add up to that much money to sue your fans, because finally your fans are going to go, 'You know what? Fuck you.' You make your money at the concert tours, you're selling your merchandise, they're still going to buy your records too if they're fans."
3	MONSTER MAGNET Re-Name New Album, Switch Producers MONSTER MAGNET have changed the tentative title for their forthcoming studio album to "Monolithic Babies" from the previously announced "Radiation Day". In addition, the band appear to have switched producers for the project, with the original choice of Joe Barresi (LIMP BIZKIT, BUCKCHERRY, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, KYUSS) having been jettisoned in favor of Scott Humphrey (ROB ZOMBIE, SPINESHANK, ANDREW W.K.), who recently worked with MONSTER MAGNET mainman Dave Wyndoirf on the score for Ice Cube's next movie, "Torque". The CD, the group's first with bassist Jim Baglino (LORD STERLING) and drummer Micheal Wildwood (ex-CHROME LOCUST), will feature such cuts as "Master Of Light", "On the Verge", "Slut Machine Mach 2", "Ultimate Everything", "Monolithic Babies" and "Little Bag Of Gloom". An early 2004 release through SPV Records is expected. A MONSTER MAGNET "greatest hits" CD, titled appropriately enough "Greatest Hits", is being issued in Europe on September 15 through A&M Records. While the first CD contains the obvious collection of singles and a random series of tracks picked by MAGNET's old label, the second CD includes a couple of hard-to-find b-sides and a complete selection of their video clips. The complete track listing for "Greatest Hits" is as follows: CD 1: 01. Tractor 02. Medicine 03. Dopes To Infinity 04. Melt 05. Spacelord 06. Powertrip 07. Atomic Clock 08. Heads Explode 09. Bummer 10. Negasonic Teenage Warhead 11. Dead Christmas 12. Silver Future 13. Black Balloon 14. Crop Circle 15. Kiss Of The Scorpion 16. Spacelord (Intergalactic 7 Mix) CD 2 : 01. Unsolid 02. Big God 03. Into The Void 04. I Want More 05. Spacelord (Video) 06. Powertrip (Video) 07. See You In Hell (Video) 08. Heads Explode (Video) 09. Twin Earth (Video) 10. Face Down (Video) 11. Negasonic Teenage Warhead (Video) 12. Spacelord (Intergalactic 7 Mix - Video) MONSTER MAGNET will play the London Astoria on December 7 as part of the annual Kerrang! Fest. It is not presently clear if the gig will be part of a more extensive European tour. In other news, Wyndorf recently conducted an interview with Norway's Metal Express in which he discussed the upcoming album, the "Greatest Hits" compilation and the group's recent signing with SPV.
6	ARTHEMESIA Part Ways With Drummer, Postpone Album Recordings Finnish black metallers ARTHEMESIA have parted ways with drummer Mor Vethor. "Mor Vethor had to leave the band, because his skills didn't match the requirements of our music, thus all recordings [for our new album] are now cancelled," the band write on their official web site. "We will restart the recording sessions again in the late spring [2004] with our new drummer. And I promise our new drummer will blow your head away (we will inform his name sooner or later, let's keep some secrecy for awhile)! Consider yourselves warned! Due to the postponed studios, the album will be out in October 4th [2004]." The group, whose style is being described in an official press release as "an extremely powerful hybrid of black metal and death/thrash/heavy metal with a touch of classical and dark ambient music," are planning on recording and mixing their upcoming album, "ShamaNatahS - II Describe I Mind", in three different studios (Christslayer, Hellhole and Sonic Pump) before mastering it at Finnvox Studios (NIGHTWISH, STRATOVARIUS, SONATA ARCTICA) with Mika Jussila. Cover artwork for the album will be created by Mike Bohatch (Eyes of Chaos). The complete track listing for the album (in no particular order) is as follows: 01. Mors Principium Est 02. Swampendom 03. Transcendental Mindflow - Into the Cosmos Unknown 04. Uhrikelpoisia Teuraseläimiä 05. Death Executed by Complex Actions 06. The Order of the Opposite Force 07. ShamaNatahS 08. Patheme "ShamaNatahS - II Describe I Mind" will be released through Holland's Karmageddon Media (formerly Hammerheart Records).
8	MÖTLEY CRÜE: 'Loud As F@*k' A two-disc anthology of MÖTLEY CRÜE's greatest tracks plus 10 of their finest promo videos on DVD has been compiled for release through Universal Music/Mötley Records. Titled "Loud As F@*k", this package has been developed by UMI with the help of former Kerrang! editor Dante Bonutto and MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx. The set comprises of: * 2CD + 1DVD * 40 classic MÖTLEY tracks — the definitive CRÜE collection! * 10 promo videos available for the first time on DVD! * 12 page full-color booklet featuring exclusive liner notes by Dante Bonutto, rare photos and imagery * Luxury 8 panel DVD-sized digipak in a slipcase More information will be made available soon. In related news, the New York Post is reporting that MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee backed out of Andrew Buckler's men's fashion show at Bryant Park on Friday (September 12). No reason was given for Lee's cancellation.
11	JEFF WATSON Talks About His Work On The New MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP CD NIGHT RANGER guitarist Jeff Watson has elaborated further on his recent work on the latest MICHAEL SCHENKER GROUP (MSG) CD, "Arachnophobiac", telling Dinosaur Rock Guitar that "It all started a couple of years ago when Michael was in that studio doing a record for Mike Varney [Shrapnel Records]. At the time Michael borrowed a couple of guitars and an amp from me. I'd met him previously in Japan. We did some photos together. I was a big fan of Michael's when I was younger — it comes naturally with regards to that style. Anyway, I was up there with my girlfriend just tooling around. I wanted to show her the studio and Varney happened to be there. He approached me and said: 'Schenker's gone AWOL for a few days and we need to finish this album.' (Varney) wanted me to work on four songs. He said: 'Do you mind? I'll give you 36 hours to do them.' So I came down to my studio, plugged it in and played on four tracks. Without vocals I had no idea what I was doing. But evidently they did a real good job with the completed tracks later in their studio. I played between vocals that weren't there."
14	No Hope For GREAT WHITE Gig In Massachusetts Jeanne M. Rideout of the Holbrook Sun reports that "mounting criticism from the enraged relatives of victims killed in The Station inferno — and a request from Mayor David Madden — caused [GREAT WHITE] to cancel a controversial gig in a Route 18 club in South Weymouth [Massachusetts] on Sept. 26. "The event at the Odyssey Club would have been the band's first performance in New England since 100 people died in the Feb. 20 blaze at The Station in West Warwick, R.I. Of the victims , 33 were from the six-state area. "GREAT WHITE's appearance would have been part of a fundraiser for families of The Station victims. "DOUBLESHOT, the band slated to open for GREAT WHITE, will go on with the show. " 'It's an opportunity to turn a negative into a positive,' said Ed Carvalho, singer for the South Shore band. "DOUBLESHOT had been scheduled to play the show before GREAT WHITE was added. "I had some reservations, but we were excited about the opportunity," he said of opening for GREAT WHITE. 'I understand why they pulled out, though. I kind of expected it.' "The band pulled the plug on the show hours after Madden found out at 7 a.m. last Thursday (Sept. 4) that GREAT WHITE planned on coming to town. "Madden called on club owner Bill King to cancel the show. "The decision to cancel was made by the Los Angeles band's management that night as victims' families lashed out at the rock group and wary Weymouth officials pushed to have the show at the Club Odyssey cancelled. "Fire and police officials met with Madden that afternoon to discuss concerns that the Odyssey, the former Village Steak House, did not have the capacity to handle the crowd expected to show up. The club can accommodate up to 300 people. "Another concern was that $25 tickets would only be sold at the door, rather than in advance."
16	New LIMP BIZKIT Guitarist Explains How He Landed Gig LIMP BIZKIT guitarist Mike Smith recently spoke to Australia's The Daily Telegraph about the chain of events that led to his joining the group in April of this year. According to Smith, his destiny took its course when the now-defunct band SNOT were invited to tour on Ozzfest in 1998, which featured LIMP BIZKIT as the main attraction. "Our buses would travel together so we hung out a lot," he says. "I live in LA and Fred [Durst] had just moved to L.A., so I hung out at his house a couple of times over the next couple of years." Little did Smith know at the time that this growing bond would help him secure the coveted role of lead guitar player in one of his favorite bands three years later. "Basically when they did that whole guitar player search, I ended up running in to John Otto, the drummer, at a bar one night and I hadn't seen him in a long time," he recalls. "We just started talking about old times and touring and after 20 minutes I asked about how the band was going. "I said I had heard that a girl had won the guitar search and he said no, that they were hoping for a family member but they couldn't find anyone and it was really hard on them. "I left it about 20 minutes, 'cause I didn't want it to seem like I was there to talk to him about that, because I wasn't. "So a couple more minutes went by and I said 'Hey, you know what, if you're up for it I'll come down and jam with y'all', so we exchanged numbers, a few days went by and the next thing you know I'm in a room with these guys." Smith remembers the look of impatience on the band members' faces when he first walked in the studio, describing them as "over it" given they had been searching for the right player for so long. However when Smith took to his guitar, a certain chemistry transpired between the group and all other hopefuls were promptly sent away. "The first riff I played, they just looked at each other and they were like, 'Whoa!' and we ended up jamming for four hours after that," he says. "It felt really great, right away, we just locked in. "The first riff I ever played for the band ended up being the main riff for our first single 'Eat You Alive', so that's pretty rad." Despite this instant rapport, Smith and LIMP BIZKIT parted ways after jamming for five weeks and the band went on to record an album without a lead guitar player. But seven months later, Smith got the phone call that changed his life. "They said I was the only guy they really had chemistry with and asked if I would play live with them," he says. "So we played Wrestlemania together and on the way back from there Fred and I were in a plane and he said 'you know what Mike, we have this new record and we're happy with it, but I feel like there's something special with you. I really feel like we could do something if we tried, if we just went to a rehearsal room with no pressure'. "Next thing you know we wrote 13 or 14 songs in the studio. The vibe was really on."
18	LACUNA COIL, MOONSPELL, PASSENGER, POISONBLACK To Tour Europe LACUNA COIL, MOONSPELL, PASSENGER and POISONBLACK will teaming up for a European club tour this winter. An as-yet-unannounced opener will kick off the proceedings, and will be followed by Finland's POISONBLACK, who feature in their ranks SENTENCED frontman Ville Laihiala on guitar and CHARON frontman J.P. Leppäluo. Sweden's PASSENGER will add a different favour: Anders Fridén, well known as the frontman of IN FLAMES, riff-god Niclas Engelin (GARDENIAN) and Patrik J. Sten (ex-TRANSPORT LEAGUE) will rock the clubs with catchy tunes. Finally, Portugal's MOONSPELL, who are releasing their highly acclaimed album, "The Antidote", on September 29 and the bewitching Cristina Scabbia together with her fellow Italian bandmates from LACUNA COIL will round out these special evenings. Confirmed dates so far are as follows: Dec. 25 - Hamburg, GER @ Markthalle Dec. 26 - Antwerpen, BEL @ Hof Ter Loo Dec. 27 - London, UK @ Astoria Dec. 28 - Utrecht, NETH @ Tivoli Dec. 29 - Tilburg, NETH @ 013 Dec. 30 - Köln, GER @ Live Music Hall Dec. 31 - Pratteln, SWI @ Z7 Jan. 02 - Budapest, HUN @ Petöfi Hall Jan. 03 - Wien, AUT @ Planet Music Jan. 04 - Nürnberg, GER @ Löwensaal Jan. 05 - Milano, ITA @ Transilvania Jan. 06 - Paris, FRA @ Elysée Montmartre Jan. 07 - Stuttgart, GER @ LKA Jan. 08 - Halle, GER @ Easy Schorre
19	MAX CAVALERA On SOULFLY Member Changes: 'It's No Big Deal' SOULFLY mainman Max Cavalera has broken his silence about the departures of bassist Marcello D. Rapp, drummer Roy Mayorga, and guitarist Mike Doling. "This is no big deal," Cavalera said in a statement. "SOULFLY is always evolving. I am always going to introduce new musicians to the fans. In fact there has never been the same band on any consecutive SOULFLY record. I never intended SOULFLY to be a traditional band." As previously reported, Cavalera will be joined by guitarist Marc Rizzo (ex-ILL NINO), drummer Joe Nunez (who played on the group's "Primitive" release and subsequent world tour), and bassist Bobby Burns (ex-PRIMER 55 guitarist) at the group's live appearances in California and Arizona, scheduled to take place later this week. A more permanent lineup is expected to be announced soon. SOULFLY tour dates: Sep. 25 – Whiskey A-Go Go - Hollywood, CA Sep. 26 - La Luna/Gotham - San Bernardino, CA Sep. 27 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ The group's performance in Tempe will be part of the 7th annual D-Low (Dana Wells) Memorial Show, which has been held every year since Dana's (stepson of Max) death in August 1996. SOULFLY are also working on an on October 18 show on the Navajo Indian Reservation on for their yearly fair. Several thousand people are expected to attend. More information will be made available soon. Cavalera is expected to begin pre-production for the group's fourth album this fall for a tentative mid-2004 release through Roadrunner Records.
21	Florida Theater Owner Pulls Plug On Suicide Band The owner of a theater where a band said it would stage a live suicide during a concert next month said Wednesday he isn't allowing the show to take place, according to the Associated Press. Meanwhile, the owner of another club where the band HELL ON EARTH said they intended to move their show, also said Wednesday he won't allow the show either, leaving in question whether the band will be allowed to play at all. David Hundley, owner of the State Theater in St. Petersburg, said he was certain the suicide was either a publicity stunt or would be an "illusion," but said he was worried of what some other "nut case" might do during the show. "We couldn't allow anything to happen," Hundley said at a news conference. "We deal with a lot of kids here and we don't want their parents to think anything bad or that their kids are ever at risk." The owner of Club Venom, a Pinellas Park venue where the band said would be the new location of the show, also said he won't allow them to play if a suicide is going to be part of the act. "We're going to nip it before it happens," owner Matt Mullins said. Lead singer Billy Tourtelot did not immediately return a phone message. The band has a nationwide tour planned for the weeks following what would have been its St. Petersburg concert. HELL ON EARTH are a rock band known for their stage antics, which have included grinding up rats in a blender. The group said last week on their web site that a terminally ill member of a right-to-die group planned to commit suicide on stage in a political statement about euthanasia. St. Petersburg police, unable to do anything before the performance, had planned to have officers in the audience if a suicide was attempted. Hundley said he was worried the international attention the event had already attracted would harm his theater's reputation, as well as the businesses along St. Petersburg's downtown commerce district. "Now that the word is out, we can't allow them even to go on," Hundley said of the band.
22	VELVET REVOLVER's SLASH And DUFF Explain Why IZZY STRADLIN Is Not Part Of The New Band Former GUNS N' ROSES members Slash and Duff McKagan recently spoke to Guitar World magazine about ex-GNR guitarist Izzy Stradlin's brief involvement with their current project, VELVET REVOLVER. According to Slash, when Stradlin suddenly started showing up at rehearsals during the early songwriting sessions for VELVET REVOLVER, current VR second guitarist Dave Kushner began to wonder if his days in the band were numbered. "Izzy just came out of nowhere, as Izzy does," Slash says, laughing. "Poor Dave. Izzy's sitting there, this ominous presence, and Dave's thinkin', That's the original guitarist from GUNS N' ROSES. Am I still gonna have a job? But we're real loyal people. It wasn't like, 'Hey, Dave, we're gonna work on some songs with Izzy — call us back in a couple of weeks!' When Izzy was there, we just played with three guitarists." Stradlin hung out and jammed with his old mates for several weeks, but Slash and McKagan both say there was never any real possibility of their old guitarist joining their new band. "The Izzy thing probably got misconstrued a little bit," says McKagan. "I think he wanted to come in, like, 'Let's go out on tour right away! I've got eight songs, let's go! We'll do some covers — Duff and I will sing!' [laughs] But Matt [Sorum] and Slash and I were more like, 'If we're gonna do this, we're gonna have to do it so it's amazing.' I've heard a lot of fans saying, 'Why don't you have Izzy in the band now?' Well, this isn't cut out for him — he's more of a guy who will be here one day and be gone the next, and you won't know where he's gone to. But he added a new energy that we probably needed at that point." "You have to understand our relationship with Izzy," Slash explains. "Izzy's always been the guy who's sort of there and sort of not there. Duff and I have seen Izzy periodically — I've played on his records a couple of times, and Duff has done the same thing. And then he called up right when we were in the midst of writing, and he actually came over and brought a couple of songs with him. And then we just started hanging out and jamming, and we wrote, like, 10 or so songs. It was just a lot of fun, but he didn't want to deal with the fuckin' long haul at all. As soon as we started to physically audition singers, we didn't see him again." Slash laughs. "He's so fucking shattered from his experience [with Axl Rose] that he refuses to ever do anything involving a singer again!"
24	LINKIN PARK Get OK For Malaysia Concert LINKIN PARK have received the government's permission to perform next month in Malaysia — but they won't be allowed to scream, jump around or wear shorts onstage, according to the Associated Press. The Ministry of Culture and Arts said Wednesday it has approved plans for the band to hold a concert on Oct. 15 at a 50,000-seat stadium in this conservative, predominantly Muslim Southeast Asian country. "The government believes the performance will provide an alternative type of entertainment in Malaysia," the ministry said, while warning that the rock stars must abide by a strict code of "artist performance ethics." "Male artists must cover their bodies from the chest to knee level," the statement said. "The artist must not display rough, raunchy actions that conflict with pure values, such as leaping around, screaming or throwing something from the stage to the audience," The code also prohibits any sexually provocative gestures or speech, as well as clothing or accessories that can be considered "obscene, linked to drugs or related to negative elements." Western entertainers are popular in Malaysia, but they often bypass this country of 25 million people in their Asian tours for more lucrative stops with larger audiences, such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Japan. Some performers have had trouble coming here. In 1996, officials in the central Malaysian state of Selangor refused to grant a concert permit to Michael Jackson, fearing his hip gyrations and pelvic thrusts would prove a bad influence. The show eventually went ahead in Kuala Lumpur. LINKIN PARK's concert in Kuala Lumpur will be the first stop in a three-nation Asian tour that also includes Japan and South Korea. Though their songs contain plenty of frenzied rhythms and lyrics dealing with frustration and fury, LINKIN PARK are known for not peppering songs with curse words. Bandmates make it a point to avoid alcohol and drugs.
25	BRUJERIA To Play Ventura In Late October BRUJERIA, the extreme metal project led by former FEAR FACTORY guitarist Dino Cazares (a.k.a. El Asesino), will reportedly be performing at The Ventura Theater in Ventura, California on October 26. The band's previously announced show at Allen's Theatre in Southgate, California on September 27 was cancelled last week after "the city of South Gate as well at its police department would not allow the BRUJERIA show to go on," according to an official statement from the group. BRUJERIA have also lined up a one-off gig in Chicago on October 2 at the Aragon Ballroom. As previously reported, the current BRUJERIA lineup consists of Cazares alongside vocalist El Brujo, NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury (a.k.a. Hongo), and drummer Nick Barker (a.k.a. Hong Jr., DIMMU BORGIR, ex-CRADLE OF FILTH).
26	WITHERING SURFACE Rejoined By Drummer, Begin Work On New Album Danish metallers WITHERING SURFACE have been rejoined by drummer Nikolaj Borg in time for the recording sessions for the group's new album, tentatively due in early 2004. Borg's temporary replacement, SACRIFICIAL drummer Lukas Meier "couldn't manage to overcome the drummer job in WS because he was feeling insecure that he would not satisfy himself and us within the time frame we are working with," the band write on their web site. "But Nikolaj was up for the job when we asked him to record the album with us. He's learned the tracks faster than we could possibly imagine and it's working out better than ever! We took the chance to rewrite some of the tracks and to write a couple of new ones to replace some of the stuff that we weren't 100% satisfied with. What ever role Nikolaj will have in the band only the future will tell. We are concentrating on this album for now." WITHERING SURFACE will enter the studio this Friday (September 26) to begin recording the follow-up to 2001's "Walking On Phantom Ice" — the group's first since their split with British label Copro Records. "We will record 12 tracks and probably end up with 10 tracks on the album," the band write. "We could go on praising the mew material, but we'll spare you for that at this point. But we do want you to know that this will be the most heavy and intense stuff you have ever heard from us!!!"
27	SKINLAB's ESQUIVEL To Collaborate With Ex-PUSHED Singer - Sep. 24, 2003 SKINLAB frontman Steev Esquivel has posted the following message to the band's official web site: "Hey what's up everyone. I wanted to give you the low down on DEF IGNITION. I entered the recording stages of the project. As of last week, I started collaborating with production team Marc Pattison and Luke Shedd of Bay Area electro act HYPNOMATIC. So far we've got drums laid out for one song, we laid down scratch tracks for guitars and bass last night, and we'll pick up again this week. I'm really stoked to be working with these guys. Marc and I have been meaning to hook up for about 3 years now, but due to both of our hectic schedules things never happened ..till now. "I'm still going for a heavy rock sound, actually tuning lower than I ever have. Thanks to ESP for the 7-string. And still going to incorporate different soundscapes. The songs are very dark and emotional and stand tall for what people close to me know me as. "I've also found a singer, his name is Travis Neal, formerly of PUSHED from San Diego. Travis flew down a couple weeks ago for few days and it was more than obvious that we should write some shit together! He's got a killer voice and a sick-ass stage presence. So shit's a rollin' finally. "Plans for a web site are in the works, I'll keep you all posted. "I'd also like to thank all the friends and musicians that emailed me in support of this project. I'm still going through 'em all and they still keep pilling up, if I haven't replied to you. I received and overwhelming amount and will be hitting ya'll up soon. "For anyone that might find this news derailing and not to informing for SKINLAB fans. Hold tight we got a bunch of killer news coming to you this week. "In other news... I'm now booking shows for iMusicast in Oakland. It's an all ages venue, 500 capacity with a killer vibe!! My idea is to help showcase bands to different industry types. There are a lot of killer bands out there right now. And they deserve the attention from people that wouldn't have otherwise know of them. Some of these bands are self financed self promoted touring acts that deserve the attention. All shows will be broadcasted over the internet in real time, as the artists perform!! All styles of music will be welcome. "iMusicast is a next-generation DVD & streaming media production company, combining the excitement of live performances with all the leading-edge possibilities of a digital, fully web-enabled audio/video recording and webcast studio. "Our services include: Live webcasting DVD production Full audio and video production Encoding and hosting Soundstage and studio rental For more information checkout www.imusicast.com "Bands, Agents, and Labels. contact steev_imusicast@hotmail.com."