| Monthly Metal Rundown |
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GWAR are celebrating the 20th anniversary of their rebirth on Earth with a triumphant tour of their most depraved stomping grounds. Beginning Oct. 7 & lasting until everything is dead, North America shall reel under the savage assault of Gwar, the most dangerous band in this or any other universe. Fresh from their glorious participation in the ultra-sick Sounds of the Underground tour, everybody's favorite Antarctican war-gods will crush the cities of man one by one until the people of Earth are reduced to quivering piles of molten flesh. "There have been abundant rumors of a hideous summoning, and the great beast T-Rex Gor Gor stirs in his subterranean lair," said spokesman & lead throat-thing Oderus Urungus. "We will harness our gore-flecked war machines as Gwar returns with a devastating 20th anniversary tour, damning all humankind to an eternal doom of pus-drenched necro-bestial nasal violation!" Since 1985 Gwar has unleashed over ten albums & countless video's in their long & tarnished history on Earth, and have even been nominated for two completely meaningless Grammy awards. In 2004 and 2005 the band released of some of their most successful efforts to date, the much-lauded "War Party", & their first-ever live album, "Live from Mt. Fuji", respectively. The band also terrorized the masses in a special guest slot on this summer's Sounds of the Underground tour, gaining legions of new fans. In 20 unmatched years of metallic majesty, Gwar has set the standard for all things that are loud, smelly, & generally obnoxious, & shall continue their reign of supreme dominance of Earth until the planet is reduced to a seething mudball! QUEEN Launch Radio Networks reports: Some people are wondering whether Queen will be the next band featured on the "Rock Star" TV series, but Brian May says forget about it. On the official BrianMay.com website, the guitarist wrote, "Ha! Apparently they are voting on us being in the next show?!!! Ha! Ha! Can you imagine? I don't think so! For any number of reasons...so don't bother voting for us, folks!! I mean, REALLY!!! (As Fred would have said!)." Queen has toured this year with Bad Company front man Paul Rodgers on lead vocals, they recently put out a live album called "Return of the Champions", & a DVD is on the way. Two U.S. shows will be played next month; the group will do a proper Nth American tour next year. "Rock Star" producer Mark Burnett, the man behind "Survivor" & "The Apprentice", told The Edmonton Sun that Queen & Van Halen are among the bands who need a front-man, but he stopped short of announcing either one as doing the show. Burnett also said the show could wind up putting together an all-new group. Inxs used the show to pick J.D. Fortune to be their front man. Their first single is "Dirty Vegas", which Fortune sang on "Rock Star" a few times, it will be available on iTunes next Tuesday (Oct. 4). A new album called "Switch" will be released Nov.29, and a tour will star in January. AMORPHIS Completed the final mix for their new album on Saturday, September 24 at Finnvox Studios in Helsinki with Mikko Karmila (who previously worked with the group on their "Am Universum" CD). The follow-up to last year's "Far from the Sun" was recorded at Sonic Pump studios in Helsinki with engineer Nino Laurenne (Thunderstone). The production duties were handled by the band and Marco Hietala (Nightwish) for vocals. Commented bassist Niclas Etelävuori: "[The new CD is] atmospheric & heavy. Tomi Joutsen did a fantastic job on the vocals; he's doing clean vocals & growling like never before. We all feel very strong about this album; we can't wait for people to hear it." The as-yet-untitled effort will be released worldwide in February 2006 by Nuclear Blast. PANTHEON I The Norwegian extreme metal band featuring vocalist/guitarist Andrè Kvebek (1349) & guitarist John Espen Sagstad (Abiotic) have parted ways with drummer Eirik Renton (Sarkom). "Eirik decided to leave Pantheon I in May 2005 as he felt he had lost his inspiration to play drums in extreme metal," the group write in a statement. "We want to thank Eirik for the time spent, & the impact on the band & our music. We wish him all the best of luck in the future! "This summer we have auditioned for a new drummer, & Eirik's replacement has been found! Our new drummer is Dan Theobald from U.K. black metallers Twisted Autumn Darkness." Pantheon I recently completed work on their debut album, "Atrocity Divine", tentatively due late 2005/early 2006 via World Chaos Productions. The artwork was handled by Kjell Åge Meland (who was also responsible for the art on the band's seven-inch single). Pantheon I had previously released a four-song demo, titled "MMIII", in April 2003. A limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single which includes the tracks "Is This A Prophecy?" & "Transparent" was made available via the group's official web site last year. KROKUS front-man Marc Storace will be Alice Cooper's special guest on Cooper's radio show "Nights with Alice Cooper" airing on Wednesday, September 28. The program is a classic-rock format & is nationally syndicated on the United Stations Radio Networks. Air times differ, so make sure to check out NightsWithAliceCooper.com for more information. Krokus are in the middle of their first U.S. tour since 1988. The tour, like the group's recent "Fire & Gasoline" live album, features all the old Krokus hits and fan favourites from "Heatstrokes" & "Longstick Goes Boom" to "Midnite Maniac", the power ballad "Screaming In The Night", "Night Wolf", "American Woman" and others off their biggest albums like "Headhunter" & "The Blitz". They will follow this mini-tour with a bigger U.S. tour in early 2006 in support of a new album. Krokus recently spent time in the studio working on the follow-up to 2003's "Rock the Block", tentatively due in early 2006. The group's current line-up includes Storace, Mandy Meyer (guitar), Patrick Aeby (drums), Dominique Fave (guitar) and Tony Castell (bass). AUDIOSLAVE Singer Chris Cornell and his wife, Vicky, are expecting a son in November, according to InsideBayArea.com. The child will be the second for the couple, who have a one-year-old daughter named Toni. Cornell also has a five-year-old daughter named Lily from his previous marriage to ex-Soundgarden manager Susan Silver. The news about the impending arrival was part of an interview in which Cornell mostly discussed Audioslave's historic trip to play in Havana, Cuba last May. Cornell said that Cuban dictator Fidel Castro went on TV every day to speak out against America during their stay. "He just complained & complained the whole time we were there...But it didn't make any difference in terms of how our day went, because nobody there cared where we were from," he said. A CD/DVD document of the trip & concert, called "Live in Cuba", will be out on Oct. 11. Audioslave began a headlining arena tour of North America on Saturday night (September 24) in Bakersfield, California. Seether & 30 Seconds to Mars are the opening acts. TODESBONDEN After releasing the first EP, 'Stormbringer', through Pale Moon Records, Todesbonden is getting ready to release the first full length, which will be recorded between the end of this year and the beginning of 2006. The chosen title is 'Ghost of a Crescent Moon', & it will be produced by Markus Stock (Empyrium, Noekk, The Vision Bleak) & released through the German label Prophecy Productions CRY HAVOC Debut album re-issued, re-mastered, & re-packaged - Refuel!!! 19 September 2005 Scottish melodic hard rockers Cry Havoc have their highly regarded 'Fuel That Feeds The Fire' debut album reissued in expanded, repackaged & remastered form as Refuel next month. With a bonus second disc containing six live tracks, now is the time to pick up on a fantastic album that won many converts to the cause on its original, limited release BLINK-182 Tom DeLonge has revealed that he has a new project called Angels & Airwaves. Following the demise of Blink-182 in February 2005, DeLonge has been in the studio with his new band recording their as yet untitled debut album for Geffen. "I love my fans, and I promise, I will not let you down," says DeLonge ALQUIN Blue Planet Released at Universal 18 September 2005 Alquins new Album Blue Planet is released by Universal on the 16th of September 2005. The band will tour the Netherlands starting next week till the end of October LINEA 77 Italian antagonists Linea 77 are geared up for the release of their long overdue new album 'Available for Propaganda'. After much touring in support of their 2003 release, Numb, the band spent time in the USA at Paramount & Ameraycan Studios in Los Angeles (famous for hosting Led Zeppelin, Jimi Hendrix, Cypress Hill and Tool to name just a very few). DAVE NAVARRO The Los Angeles Rock & Roll crowd have got together to hold a benefit concert for the victims of Hurricane Katrina at The Key Club in Hollywood on Sunday, September 18th. Appearing that night are Members of Inxs with Dave Navarro, Keith Emerson, Bobby Kimball & David Paich of Toto, Heaven and Earth, Howard Leese of Heart, Slash of Velvet Revolver, Thunderstruck & many others. AS I LAY DYING Have been voted 'Artist of the Year' at the Fifteenth Annual San Diego Music Awards. The Christian Hardcore outfit beat off competition from 5 other nominees to win the award that is voted for by the fans. "This award was truly a surprise!" said vocalist Tim Lambesis as he collected the award with drummer Jordan Mancino BRAIN MURDER After some months of uncertainty, Brain Murder's got a new singer. This change gives the band a different style; the vocals have changed now from a Black Metal style to a Thrash-Death style. Soon the first Brain Murder L.P. will be released. More brutal, melodic, & with acopassetic-arythmic bars! Stay tuned! PEARL JAM Will perform at a special concert to benefit the survivors of Hurricane Katrina on Wednesday October 5th 2005 at the Chicago House of Blues. All net proceeds go to Habitat for Humanity (www.habitat.org), The American Red Cross (www.redcross.org) & Jazz Foundation of America (www.jazzfoundation.org), a New York City-based non-profit that assists musicians in need, who will work in co-operation with the New Orleans Musician's Clinic to co-ordinate assistance for musicians impacted by Hurricane Katrina. MEGGIDO Following a long break, Meggido return to the UK metal scene with a new front man and bassist. Vocalist Iain Miro has an enviable & impressive track record on the UK metal scene having worked with Killswitch, Goma, El Jefe & Artisian and the new line up is now completed by ex- Levanter bass player; Steve Banks BON JOVI Will launch their 'Have a Nice Day' World Tour in the United States this November. The first leg of the tour, which is slated for North American cities in 2005, has been announced (see Gig Guide for confirmed dates). This will be Bon Jovis first tour since 2003 & will take them around the world through 2006 In other news: Jon Bon Jovi has slammed Tom Cruise, saying the actor has "lost it". The rocker claims the heartthrob star "courts celebrity for the sake of it" & he believes Tom's fiancée Katie Holmes is feeding off of his star status. The rocker told Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper: "Some people just court celebrity for the sake of it. People like Tom Cruise. He was always a great actor, but I think the man's lost it. "You won't ever catch me jumping up & down on Oprah going on about how I love this woman. And then others start feeding off it. Suddenly Katie Holmes is on the cover of magazines" The handsome singer also hot out at hotel heiress Paris Hilton saying she is "famous for being infamous" He said: "Another one is Paris Hilton Famous for being infamous & then the people who should be getting the attention, people like Bob Dylan, aren't It's sad" "These people claim they hate the intrusion that fame brings but then they bring it on themselves by having huge entourages wherever they go, attracting attention to themselves" Jon Bon Jovi will be on the silver screen this weekend in a new horror thriller called Cry Wolf. Bon Jovi plays Rich Walker, a teacher at a private school who gets caught up in an urban legend about a serial killer. Bon Jovi told us that he was pleased with the part: "It's actually a pretty big release. It's a thriller. It's actually really good. Really good. Its a pretty substantial role in a really good movie." Bon Jovi's previous acting credits include U-571, Pay It Forward, & a guest role on TV's Ally McBeal. The new Bon Jovi album, Have a Nice Day, comes out Tuesday (September 20th). On Monday he'll perform at the Bon Jovi: Have a Nice Day Launch in New York City, which will be broadcast live to 100 movie theaters around the country. Bon Jovi kicks off a North American tour on November 2nd in Des Moines, Iowa. ARCH ENEMY have reluctantly taken the decision to reschedule their September UK shows to December 2005 due to the loss of the advertised and proposed support bands. Dark Tranquillity recently pulled out of the tour, & despite all the efforts of band, label & management, it has not been possible to find two adequate International acts to replace them at such short notice. Arch Enemy also announced their first ever Australian tour last week. We expect the guys in Nov. Cant wait personally. THE STROKES Are putting the finishing touches to their third album. Tentatively titled 'First Impressions of Earth', the album is being mixed by Andy Wallace (Nirvana, Prince, Bruce Springsteen) & is scheduled for a January 2006 release date. The first single from the album will be 'Juice Box' & is expected in November this year MERCENARY Danish Melodic Death Metal combo Mercenary have a new video clip for the track 'Firesoul' available for streaming in the download section of http://www.centurymedia.de. Taken from the band's latest release, '11 Dreams' (2004), the clip was directed by Maurice Swinkels of Lowlifemedia. Mercenary are currently touring Europe with Nevermore and Dew-Scented KORPIKLAANI The band wishes to thank everyone who participated their gigs on the Wild-Tour across the Europe. The tour continues in a few weeks, this time in Russia, Austria and again through Germany. Remember also vote the Kädet Siipinä -video on the Nordiska Videolistan. Vote Here! http://www.yle.fi/extrem/musik/nvllistan.php DARK OBSCENITY The EP "Heretic" is now for free downloading (including the cover) in the band's official site, www.dark-obscenity.tk. The band is already working in the new songs for a new CDR to be released in 2006. In related news, the Templaria reunion has been put on hold. MILLION DEAD Are to split after their current UK tour. In a statement, the band says: "Million Dead are breaking up. After four years & two albums, we have mutually decided that this is the best thing to do. Irreconcilable differences within the band mean that it would be impossible to continue & anyway, we'd rather leave a good-looking corpse... LACUNA COIL the Italian hard rock sensation, whose standout Active Rock singles for "Heaven's A Lie" and "Swamped," led Billboard to name them one of last year's biggest success stories - entered the studio on September 3rd to begin tracking 'Karmacode', the highly anticipated follow-up to their critically acclaimed commercial breakthrough album, 'Comalies'. The new effort is currently being co-produced once again with Waldemar Sorychta & Lacuna Coil & will be mixed by the acclaimed Ronald Prent (Rammstein, H.I.M., Iron Maiden). An early 2006 release is expected. Andrea Ferro (vocals) describes the meaning behind the album's unique title: "When it came to coming up with an album title I wanted to combine one 'old' word that is spiritually connected with another that offers a link to our more 'modern' times. If there were an actual translation of Karmacode it would be something like 'spiritual DNA & the message behind it'. The title attempts to balance our modern, overwhelming, self-centred, fast-paced lifestyles & the desire we all have to live a more spiritual, more compassionate & more fulfilling life." With three full-length albums & two EPs to their credit, Lacuna Coil has ensured that each offering further enunciates the subtle, solemn beauty the sextet creates. 'Comalies' maturely exhibits the trademarked gothic overtones & poignant melancholy of their haunting musical landscape. In early 2004, Lacuna Coil's successes were validated with an invitation to participate in that year's Ozzfest, supporting such metal stalwarts as Judas Priest, Slayer & Ozzy Osbourne himself. Additional summer touring with P.O.D. & Ozzfest off-date performances with Dimmu Borgir & Bleeding Through gave the band its busiest season yet. Led by the undeniably captivating Cristina Scabbia (vocals), the group garnered mainstream acclaim from such publications as Entertainment Weekly, Rolling Stone and Stuff, among others. The group spent this summer performing at some of Europe's premier festivals alongside such household names as Green Day, Incubus and System of a Down, while completing the song writing process for the new album. 'Karmacode' is shaping up to be the band's career defining release and it will force the entire hard rock world to take notice. BACKYARD BABIES "Tinnitus + Live Live in Paris" 2CD will be released on October 17th, 2005. The band just finished a sold out 4-week tour with Social Distortion all over Europe in August 2005 and is one of the originators of the Swedish Punk rock'n'Roll invasion (The Hellacopters, The Hives etc) since the late 80's. The double CD set Tinnitus + Live Live in Paris contains the best songs from each Backyard Babies album to date on CD1 & a tremendous live gig, recorded May 2004 in Paris on CD2. Tinnitus + Live Live in Paris is an overdue introduction to one of rocks unsung diamonds, it combines experiences of the Backyard Babies' teenage years listening to The Clash, Kiss, Dead Boys, Motley Crue, The Stooges, Hanoi Rocks & The Rolling Stones with the rock n' roll circus experiences gained as a touring band. Abacus Recordings were founded in 2003 in LA, California, as an imprint for Century Media Records. In a very short time Abacus was established as one of the most promising Hardcore/Punkrock labels & growing as a strong unit on its own. This Backyard Babies compilation is the first European release, followed in November by a new studio album from The Juliana Theory (an Emorock band that already soled more than 100.000 copies in the US). 2006 will start with new releases by Sworn Enemy (on EU tour w/ Madballl this October), Ignite & the long awaited Backyard Babies full-length album in late spring. KREATOR Germanys most successful thrash metal act Kreator are about to bring out an unusual release at the very beginning of the coming year: their album success, 'Enemy Of God', is scheduled for re-release on Steamhammer/SPV in a top-quality DVD edition in Dolby 5.1 surround sound with brand-new video clips. Kreator front man Mille Petrozza: Enemy of God is our best-produced album to date, & the sound is clearly even more brutal in the Dolby surround version. On top of various surprises, Kreator will present video clips by star directors Jörg Buttgereit (renowned for his cult movie, Nekromantik), Richard Kern (Fingered, Marilyn Manson, various photo art books) and Niels Ruf (Kamikaze on German music channels, Viva & Viva 2, among others). And then there will be two more sensations: 1. the first fully animated video clip in the bands history (one of the few in the metal genre), & 2. The Kreator TV show, introducing Mille Petrozza as few people know him. I was interested to see how such different directors as Richard Kern, Niels Ruf or Jörg Buttgereit would interpret our music, comments band leader Mille Petrozza, who also came up with the idea that spawned the project. Our sound is extreme, & these three artists create extreme video installations, films & TV shows, each in their own style. The two elements go together. I used to scratch the band name on my school desk, & now were shooting a clip together".....says Niels Ruf about the project. And what about the fans? What kinds of images go through their minds when they listen to Enemy of God? Thats a point that Mille has been interested in for a long time: A lot of people have their own DV camera & an editing program on their PC the production tools are in the hands of the fans at last. All we have to do is bring their ideas out of them. As of now, anybody with a concept for a video clip inspired by the song, Dying Race Apocalypse (from 'Enemy Of God'), is invited to put it into practice & send in the finished clip to the record company (address see below). The winner will receive 1000 euros, & his or her clip will be released on the upcoming DVD. If you only have a good idea, but no money to realize it: not to worry. Mille promises: Ill read every treatment and every concept. So just jot down your idea & send it in & with a bit of luck youll be rewarded with a production budget of 1000 euros & a release alongside a number of renowned clip producers! On top of all that, there are 33 Kreator fan packages to be won, including the new DVD & various merchandise items. The judges decision is of course final. For more information about the competition, see www.kreator-terrorzone.de , where you will also find the registration form. Steamhammer/SPV will advertise this unusual competition, not only in Germanys most important heavy metal magazines, but also in trade magazines for digital media productions, such as Mac or Kameramann. Register on the Kreator homepage by mid-October & send in your clips by mid-November. Please send your clips to the following address: SPV GmbH Mark Kewitsch Brüsseler Str. 14 D-30539 Hannover Germany LION'S SHARE Swedish melodic heavy metal masters Lion's Share have announced the addition of singer Patrik Johansson (Astral Doors) to the group's ranks. Johansson and the rest of the current Lion's Share line-up which includes main man Lars Chriss (guitar), and recent addition Sampo Axelsson (bass; ex-Glenn Hughes, Crawley) are currently writing material for a fifth album to be released sometime during 2006. The songs written so far are being described as "heavier and more straight-ahead with tons of energy and attitude." In a statement confirming his addition to the Lion's Share line-up, Johansson writes, "Lars Chriss called me up about two years ago and asked if I was interested in joining Lion's Share. I felt honoured, of course, and didn't need any second thoughts; Lion's Share is, for me, one of the institutions in the metal business. From that moment, me, Lars and now also Sampo, have been working with the song writing for the next album. Now, finally, we have started the demo recordings and the result so far is goddamn amazing! "Some of you may know that I've done a couple of things the last two or three years: Space Odyssey, Wuthering Heights and Astral Doors.I want to make one thing perfectly clear: Space Odyssey and Wuthering Heights are like session jobs to me. My two main bands are Astral Doors and Lion's Share. Make no mistake about that! "I hope, and truly believe, that this new mark in the great career of Lion's Share will appeal to the old fans and bring a lot of new ones as well. See you on the road!" For more information, visit www.lionsshare.org CELTIC FROST Front-man Tom Fischer has posted the following message in his official blog: "Walking the last few hundred yards towards my home after the final intensive sessions at Oakland Recording couldn't have been more symbolic. Gusts of wind from an approaching storm were bending the trees on both sides of my path, and low, dark grey clouds raced across the sky, swallowing the bleak, fading fall light as cold, tiny droplets of impending rain hit the skin of my face. As if a harbinger of the reactions to the work we had at long last just concluded. My MP3 player had launched into playing Neil Young's 1969 recording of 'Running Dry', the title of which describes my current state to perfection. I am utterly spent, exhausted physically and mentally, although now in a state of strange calm, contentment, and tranquility. How good it felt to leave the studio this evening, knowing I will not have to go back to work on this album again. At last. At last! This Schweizer, the assistant engineer in these final sessions, a death metal singer in his own right, said that it had become an album that grows and reveals new things with each listen. His face, his voice, revealed appreciation, astonishment, and bewilderment, all at the same time. It was the same with Walter, our close friend and Celtic Frost's engineer for so many years, who, theoretically, should be used to our immoderation by now. The album will be mastered at the end of this coming week, and it will then pass into the hands of our management. Our work on its music has come to a conclusion, finally, after years of writing, rehearsing, and demoing, discarding, recording. And not a week, a day, an hour, a minute too soon. But I'm pleased, although far too worn out to be jubilant. It is pretty much as it needs to be. Who knows whether anybody else out there will like this album or not. And some will hate it with a passion. They probably already hate it now, before hearing it. Makes me chuckle. The situation now feels so much like the first Hellhammer demo, which we knew would provoke radically divided reactions. But it is as it needs to be." © Cameron Edney Sept. 2005. Used on tinfoil.music with permission and not under tinfoil.music's Creative Commons license. Add this page to your favorite Social Bookmarking websites          Add your comment
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