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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net

http://www.lakeoffire.net/

http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com

http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
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-Hey folks, welcome to 2012! First off, the good news: Congratulations to reader Mike Beer for winning our Eric Carr – UNFINISHED BUSINESS CD giveaway! Enjoy. Thanks to everyone who submitted an entry.

On to the rough stuff… Our winter hiatus lasted a bit longer than expected due to a couple of factors. Number 1, the complexity of my job has increased dramatically in the last couple of months, and with the holidays I just did not have time for Detritus. Number 2, I had one of those awesome “computer problems” in December and lost tons of files, including a bunch of Detritus material. Disheartening.

It all just got to be too much. I’ve been doing this e-zine more or less weekly for 13 years now (and that doesn’t include the columns I used to write for the old SFK newsletter!) and I have to take a break. I’ve toyed with similar decisions several times over the last couple of years but I really have to do it this time. I hope we’ll be able to resurface, possibly as a monthly instead of a weekly, but only time will tell.

So for now, feast your eyes on these last few bits ‘n’ pieces. We hope to see you again soon.

R.I.P. Mark Reale — you will be missed! – Tim

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Judas Priest’s Career Showcased With Extensive CD Box Set, THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION

Few heavy metal artists have built as stellar a discography as Judas Priest over the years. And now, fans will get a chance to acquire all of Priest’s classics in one fell swoop. On January 24th, Columbia/Epic/Legacy will release the 17-CD box set, THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION, which contains every studio and live album that featured the classic lineup of Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing, and Ian Hill.

Included will be brand new re-masters of Priest’s first two albums, 1974′s ROCKA-ROLLA and 1976′s SAD WINGS OF DESTINY (which have never been released before as authorized re-masters by the band), in addition to each individual album being packaged in a replica mini-LP sleeve reproducing that album’s original cover art. And although the 2009 live compilation, A TOUCH OF EVIL…LIVE is included; no other compilations will be present. Also featured in the set will be a 40-page booklet with photos, album credits, and liner notes by rock journalist/Priest fan Greg Prato. THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION will be available for purchase exclusively via Popmarket.com.

It’s not often that you can acquire all of the classic albums by one of rock’s all-time great bands in one gorgeously assembled package. Judas Priest’s killer THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION is certainly one of these rare occurrences.

Albums included in THE COMPLETE ALBUMS COLLECTION:

ROCKA-ROLLA (1974)
SAD WINGS OF DESTINY (1976)
SIN AFTER SIN (1977)
STAINED CLASS (1978)
KILLING MACHINE (1978)
UNLEASHED IN THE EAST (1979)
BRITISH STEEL (1980)
POINT OF ENTRY (1981)
SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE (1982)
DEFENDERS OF THE FAITH (1984)
TURBO (1986)
PRIEST…LIVE! (1987)
RAM IT DOWN (1988)
PAINKILLER (1990)
ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION (2005)
NOSTRADAMUS (2008)
A TOUCH OF EVIL…LIVE (2009)

For further information visit http://www.judaspriest.com/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Pretty Maids To Celebrate Their 30th Anniversary With The Release Of IT COMES ALIVE — The Band’s First Ever Audio-Visual Release!

Frontiers Records is pleased to celebrate Pretty Maids’ Thirtieth Anniversary with the release of the band’s first-ever live 2CD/DVD package entitled IT COMES ALIVE (MAID IN SWITZERLAND) on March 23rd in Europe and March 27th in North America.

Following the highly acclaimed 2010 album PANDEMONIUM, Danish melodic hard rockers, Pretty Maids have been touring more or less constantly throughout 2010/2011. They undertook a full scale European tour in 2010 and have since played several festivals and occasional gigs. The overwhelming response to the new songs and the ongoing requests coming from the fans prompted the band to take their chance and record a live 2CD/DVD last October 1st, 2011. Pretty Maids gathered in Pratteln, Switzerland with an enthusiastic and highly explosive crowd of die hard fans and followers to fulfill the demand, for an energetic and memorable performance which was recorded with a fully equipped mobile studio and cameras.

“Riding on the success of our previous studio album PANDEMONIUM and with maybe the strongest lineup ever, we thought that we’d make some kind of a live document of what this band is all about in the present time,” tells singer Ronnie Atkins. “IT COMES ALIVE is purely and simply a tribute to all our fans and supporters throughout the world, who gave us so many memorable moments, so much pleasure and making our childhood dreams come through.

“The band’s spirit during the last couple of years has been better than in a long long time,” says Atkins. And IT COMES ALIVE (MAID IN SWITZERLAND) shows the band at the top of their game, performing songs from a 30-year-long career.

“It’s always difficult to make a set list that satisfies everyone,” continues the singer, “It’s a combination of what the crowd expect us to play and what we like to play ourselves! But of course there are songs like ‘Future World’ and ‘Red, Hot & Heavy’ that we have been playing for the last 25 years so, they still get a new life every time we play ‘em and still seem to please our audience. But basically what you will find on this Live album are the songs that we toured with on the PANDEMONIUM tour, with a few exceptions.”

IT COMES ALIVE (MAID IN SWITZERLAND) will be exclusively released in a lavish 2CD/DVD digi-pak released and will include the following tracks:

CD1: Pandemonium; I.N.V.U; Hell On High Heels; Wake Up To The Real World; Destination Paradise; Another Shot Of Your Love; Scream; Walk Away; It Comes At Night; Queen Of Dreams; Savage Heart; Clay.

CD2: Yellow Rain; Rock The House; Back To Back; Rodeo; Love Games; Future World; Little Drops Of Heaven; Please Don’t Leave Me; Red, Hot & Heavy; Lethal Heroes*
* bonus track

DVD Contents: Pandemonium; I.N.V.U.; Hell On High Heels; Wake Up To The Real World; Destination Paradise; Another Shot Of Your Love; Scream; Walk Away; It Comes At Night; Queen Of Dreams; Savage Heart; Yellow Rain; Rock The House; Back To Back; Rodeo; Love Games; Future World; Little Drops Of Heaven; Please Don’t Leave Me; Red, Hot & Heavy; Rockumentary (incl. backstage footage and interviews with the band)

DVD Format: NTSC Region Free / Length 120 mins. / Stereo mix 2.0 / Screen 16:9

The album trailer can be enjoyed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E23eGK20h5w .

IT COMES ALIVE (MAID IN SWITZERLAND) captures Pretty Maids in their finest moment, live on stage — in your face! It’s party time, so just: TURN UP THE VOLUME!

Pretty Maids
Ronnie Atkins: Vocals
Ken Hammer: Guitar
Rene Shades: Bass
Allan Tchicaja: Drums
Morten Sandager: Keyboards

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Motorhead Kick Off 2012 In A Big Way With Epic DVD And Gigantour With Megadeth

Another country, another town, another place, the greatest road warriors in rock have once again bled their sweat all over another stage. A sold-out crowd roars their approval. Here we go: Lemmy steps up to the mike…

“WE ARE MOTORHEAD! . . . AND WE PLAY ROCK’N'ROLL!”

And after each show one thing is crystal clear: Motorhead remain the finest, loudest, hardest and coolest live British rock ‘n’ roll band around. The global tour for their 20th studio release, THE WORLD IS YOURS, took in Motorhead bangers from America to Argentina, Belgium to Brazil, from Sweden to Spain and dozens of other countries all over the world.

In celebration of their 35 years on the road, on January 24th Motorhead Music/UDR is proud to present: THE WORLD IS OURS – VOL. 1 – EVERYWHERE FURTHER THAN EVERYPLACE ELSE, a blistering DVD containing some of the finest moments from the tour, including the entire performance from Chile’s Teatro Caupolican, shot and filmed in classic black and white by Banger Films and Sam Dunn (Iron Maiden – “Flight 666,” Rush – “Beyond The Lighted Stage”). Mixed by the band’s longtime producer Cameron Webb, THE WORLD IS OURS – VOL. 1 – EVERYWHERE FURTHER THAN EVERYPLACE ELSE is stuffed with the classics Motorfans demand, from “Overkill” to “Ace Of Spades” to “Killed By Death” as well as some old gems like “Over The Top” and new favorites such as “I Know How To Die.”

As well as this epic Motorperformance, exciting numbers from the shows in Manchester and New York are also included on the triple-disc digi-pak set, along with a series of extensive, in-depth and exclusive interviews with the band, a bonus double live CD of the Chile show (incl. selected tracks from NY & Manchester), plus a superbly photographed booklet documenting life on the road during the tour.

On January 26, Motorhead make their return to the US and Canada on the multi-bill festival, Gigantour, with Megadeth, Volbeat, and Lacuna Coil. Gigantour is a chance to tour with like-minded artists “that play heavy music in a high-energy environment,” says Dave Mustaine. The tour will kick off on Jan. 26 in Camden, NJ and run through Feb. 28 in Denver, and will include stops in NY (Jan. 28) and Los Angeles (Feb. 24).

In other Motorhead news:

- “Lemmy, The Movie,” the film about Motorhead’s iconic front man, won Best Film/DVD at the recent Classic Rock Awards in the UK and has also received an RIAA Gold sales award in North America.

- Paul Inder, Lemmy’s son, runs a successful recording studio in Los Angeles, Inder Music Studios, where Lemmy has been known to work. Says Paul, “Everyone who has come here so far loves the vibe of the place.”

- In last month’s issue of Revolver Magazine, the cover story was dedicated to the 100 Greatest Living Rock Stars, with Lemmy (of course) among the greats.

- In CMJ’s 2011 year-end charts, Motorhead’s CD, THE WORLD IS YOURS, was number one on the Loud Rock chart. Upon the record’s release, it spent six weeks at number one on this chart, which is the longest that Motorhead has held that position at radio. Number One!

- We recently told you about Motorhead wine. (Their Shiraz got great reviews: “A fairly grown-up wine — can taste the fruitiness. A panel favorite.” And “A red wine that’s ‘Aces.’”) Now comes Motorhead Vodka. It’s a premium, 80 proof Vodka made from 100% locally grown wheat that has been distilled and bottled in Sweden. It has a rich, full-bodied and complex character, with a light and fruity aftertaste. One reviewer said, “That’s how women sometimes describe Lemmy.”

- In Duff McKagan’s ESPN.com weekly column, he recently wrote about his band, Loaded, opening for Motorhead in Germany. He says, “Being here on the road with Motorhead is to get an awe-inspiring peek into legend. Their consistancy remains a sort of explosive touchstone for all of us who need to be reminded of what is real and true and honest about rock music. Lemmy is still more on top of his game than five 20-year-olds combined. If you get a chance to see this band, don’t even try to think twice about it. They are the very best of what it is all about… it’s like going to rock and roll church.”

- Motorhead were recently nominated for a Shorty Award, honoring the best of social media, recognizing the people and organizations producing real-time short form content across the social Web.

- Lemmy performed with Camp Freddy on their last 2011 show, which took place at the at the world famous Roxy on the Sunset Strip on the day before Lemmy’s 66th birthday. Participating in the tribute to Lemmy that night were Slash, Matt Sorum, John Lydon, among others, and also included birthday greetings from Ozzy.

- Lemmy will be part of a Ronnie James Dio tribute album which will be out later this year.

- And finally, two German scientists/academics discovered Motorhead in recent years and wrote an article about them, saying: “This band is loud and fresh, hard and relevant… Motorhead are the hardest trio of the rock world… The band is rocking.”

We agree!!

http://www.imotorhead.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Jeff Scott Soto’s Return To Rock On DAMAGE CONTROL Out In The Spring On Frontiers!

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of Jeff Scott Soto’s fifth studio album DAMAGE CONTROL on March 23rd in Europe and March 27th in North America.

Extraordinary performer and amazing vocalist throughout, Jeff Scott Soto blasts through these hard-rocking tracks with energy and masters the transition smoothly from heavy rock to a delicate ballad. For his new album DAMAGE CONTROL, Jeff has turned to many of his past influences and most requested aspects of his career by blending the art of Melodic Rock with Hard Rock throughout.

“I feel DAMAGE CONTROL is more of a return to what my fans would expect to hear from me. It’s a perfect blend of my first two solo albums with Frontiers Records; PRISM and LOST IN THE TRANSLATION, but also mixes in some of my favorite moments of my past bands such as Talisman and Soul SirkUS,” tells Jeff. “It is heavy, AOR, hard rock with loads of great riffs and melodies.”

DAMAGE CONTROL was recorded in the fall of 2011 and is completed with appearances and co-writing along with his former and current band mates together with many guests including Jamie Borger and Nalley Påhlsson (Treat), Casey Grillo (Kamelot), Joel Hoekstra (Night Ranger), and legendary Y&T founding member Dave Meniketti. Jeff recalls: “Y&T drummer Mike Vanderhule played drums on a track and suggested I bring Dave on but, as he is a longtime friend and one on the ‘wish list’ of people I would have loved to have, I didn’t want to get an excuse that he was too busy or not interested, to my surprise I got neither… He was willing to do it and I was not only grateful but beyond pleased to work with another musical hero!”

The album will be released in two exclusive configurations: the basic version in CD jewel box will include 11 songs, while the deluxe edition in digi-pak format has an additional three bonus tracks and a DVD. Full track listing is below:

CD: Give A Little More, Damage Control, Look Inside Your Heart, Die A Little, Take U Down*, If I Never Let Her Go, Tears That I Cry, BonaFide, Elena*, Krazy World, How To Love Again, AfterWorld, NeverEnding War, Afraid To Die*
* Bonus tracks only available on the Deluxe Edition.

DVD: Look Inside Your Heart (video clip); NeverEnding War (video clip); Damage Control (video clip); EPK interview.

Sample:

http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/jss-look_inside_your_heart_sample.mp3

Jeff Scott Soto is currently planning tour dates that will support the release of the new record: “The plan is to do as much touring as possible wherever the World will have me. I plan to promote this album with a proper touring regiment!” concludes Jeff. Get ready for DAMAGE CONTROL — it will rock your World!

The first single “Look Inside Your Heart” can be streamed in full on Frontiers Records’ webradio at http://www.frontiers.it/webradio . The official trailer can be enjoyed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eHMnFbmxEuM .

Weblinks:

http://www.jeffscottsoto.com/

http://www.frontiers.it/

Musicians:

All Vocals: Jeff Scott Soto
Guitars: Gary Schutt, Jorge Salan, Diego Armelin, Rodrigo Armelin, Joel Hoekstra, Emo Markov, Dave Meniketti, Peter Pac Söderström, Alex Llorens, Joel Hoekstra, Roger Benet, Leo Mancini, JSS
Bass: Fernando Mainer, Nalley Påhlsson, Henrique Baboom, JSS
Keyboards: Fabio Ribiero, Ulf Wahlberg, BJ (Luis Paulo Almeida, Jr.), JSS
Drums: Edu Cominato, Carlos Exposito, Casey Grillo, Mike Vanderhule, Jamie Borger, Joey Soto

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Frontiers Records Signs British Uprising Metal Stars Furyon For The Worldwide Release Of Their Debut Album GRAVITAS

Frontiers Records is excited to announce the Worldwide release of Furyon’s debut album GRAVITAS on March 23rd in Europe and March 27th in North America.

Furyon is a new band from the UK who like nothing more than to challenge expectations. Raised on a diet of heavy metal, prog, and classic rock, Furyon mix all these components for a truly unique and contemporary sound. Delivering huge rock radio-friendly songs, with technically challenging, yet infectiously catchy musicianship. Dedicated to one sole purpose, making hard hitting songs that will stand the test of time. “Our music is good songs with touches of intelligence,” says singer Matt Mitchell. “There are a many different moods that come out from this album and all the songs have meaning and substance. Heavy and Melodic! That is what Furyon and this album GRAVITAS is about.”

What separates Furyon from the crowd is the sheer quality of their musicianship. Boasting two truly world-class guitarists in the form of Chris Green and Pat “The Shred” Heath, Furyon have few peers when it comes to the quality of their iconic riffs, and jaw-dropping solos. Backing them up is one of the tightest rhythm sections the rock world has to offer with the awesome combination of Lee Farmery and Alex (Nickel) Bowen. Leading from the front is the outstanding vocal versatility of Matt Mitchell, whose emotion drenched voice effortlessly moves between melodic and crunchingly heavy. “We really have been inspired by many bands over the time (as all musicians and writers are),” continues Matt, “but for this album inspirations from bands like Soundgarden, Alice In Chains, Tool, Mastodon, Alter Bridge, and Iron Maiden spring to mind.”

In 2009, after a sold-out tour and accompanying EP, Furyon set about the serious business of writing their debut album. The early demos reached the ears of US producer Rick Beato (Shinedown, Fozzy), and a powerful and symbiotic relationship was formed. “Our hook-up with Rick Beato was through Kip Winger,” recalls Matt. “We toured with Winger on their KARMA tour and we had spoken with Kip about the band Shinedown and how we liked there productions. Kip hooked us up with Rick and to our delight he was interested in doing the album. Rick is a truly great producer and writer.”

Released independently on a low profile and later covermounted on Metal Hammer UK, GRAVITAS received already rave responses from the press, including:

“I’ve seen hundreds of unsigned & unknown band in my career. Only a handful of them made me stand up and take any notice. Only one of them made me do that from the very first listen and that one band was Furyon.”
- Chris Ingham (Group Publisher Classic Rock, Metal Hammer)

“Brighton’s Furyon are the latest and arguably greatest metal band of the modern era…”
- Dom Lawson (Metal Hammer UK)

“Do you like massive hooks? Do you like world-class guitar playing? Do you like music you can bang your head to, stamp your foot to, drive to, and f*** to? Yes? …then, even if you’ve not yet heard them, Furyon are already one of your favorite bands.”
- Alex Baker (Kerrang! Radio)

“Furyon almost crashed the airwaves when they came on my radio show, I’ve never had so many listeners tune in. They deserve to be stars. They deserve to play stadiums.”
- Louise Brown (Presenter Totalrock Radio/Editor Terrorizer Magazine)

“It has real underlying guitar-driven fury”
- Classic Rock Magazine UK

GRAVITAS will be released on Frontiers Records with the following track listing:

Disappear Again; Stand Like Stone; Souvenirs; Don’t Follow; New Way Of Living; Voodoo Me; Fear Alone; Wasted On You; Our Peace Someday; Desert Suicide; Voodoo Me (acoustic)*; Souvenirs (acoustic)*
* Bonus tracks

Enjoy the video clip of the awesome first single “Disappear Again” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SEClIzmdBE8 . The song can also be streamed on the Frontiers Records webradio at http://www.frontiers.it/webradio .

Frontiers is now releasing this stunning debut worldwide with two bonus tracks. Pay attention: Furyon are destined to stardom!

Weblinks:

http://www.frontiers.it/

http://www.furyon.net/

Band:
Matt Mitchell – Vocals
Chris Green – Guitars
Pat Heath – Guitars
Alex “Nickel” Bowen – Bass
Lee Farmery – Drums

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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-Frontiers Records: Last Announcement Of 2011

JEFF SCOTT SOTO

DAMAGE CONTROL, the new album by Jeff Scott Soto, is near completion and promises to deliver a one-two punch in the standard that is expected from the artist who has mastered the world of Melodic and Hard Rock music through the ages! The album is completed with appearances and co-writing by his current and former live lineups as well as guests such as Dave Meniketti (Y&T), Jamie Borger (Talisman, Treat), Casey Grillo (Kamelot), and Joel Hoekstra (Night Ranger). There will be an 11-song single CD release of the album, as well as a 14-song digi-pak version along with a bonus DVD which includes videos and EPK. Get ready for DAMAGE CONTROL — it will rock your World!

CRAZY LIXX

Crazy Lixx are busy in the studio recording their third album that will be entitled RIOT AVENUE. According to singer Danny Rexon: “This time the music is a little more riff-based and straightforward. We wanted to make real a hard rock album, so we decided to have a little more raw feeling in the production, sound and song writing compared to our previous albums and there’s a lot more up-tempo songs than we had on NEW RELIGION. Also, the addition of a second guitarrist, Edd Liam, has made it possible to add some twin guitar playing and other interesting musical stuff that we’ve used on the album.” Some of the song titles are “Whiskey Tango Foxtrot,” “Young Blood,” “Riot Avenue,” “Church Of Rock,” “Fire It Up,” “Only The Dead Know,” and more. The album is planned for a worldwide release in April 2012 and will be followed by the usual string of live dates around the World.

PRIDE OF LIONS

Pride Of Lions is carrying on their proud heritage working hard on their as-yet-untitled fourth studio album. Jim Peterik says: “Our self-titled debut released in 2002 is still many of our fans’ favorite albums. So this album is a bit of a return to form. Of course there will be a few surprises and Toby Hitchcock is singing stronger than ever. I’ve hit a stride on the song writing with songs such as ‘Tie Down The Wind’ and ‘Coin Of The Realm.’” I needed the time since THE ROARING OF DREAMS to regroup and get reinspired. If you can’t make a great record that will last the test of time — why even bother? This time Toby and me wanna take Pride Of Lions on the road to promote this new one and spread the word.” This new Pride Of Lions from what we’ve heard so far promises to be both more melodic and harder edged. Release is planned for early summer 2012.

HARDLINE

Hardline will be back in 2012 with a brand new album and a new lineup which will mark the beginning of a new cooperation between singer Johnny Gioeli and the Italian producer/keyboardist Alessandro Delvecchio (Edge Of Forever, Eden’s Curse). The US singer says: “I’m really excited to be working with Frontiers on a new Hardline record! We have slated the release for mid-2012… This CD is filled with melody and class… I’m digging it. I hope the Hardline fans enjoy this CD as much as I have enjoyed creating it… Happy Holidays All!”

ECLIPSE

Eclipse are putting their finishing touches to their anticipated fourth studio album that will be entitled BLEED AND SCREAM. Musically the band is taking off the new release where the last album finished, yet with more refined and progressed song writing. It will be a 100% Eclipse-sounding album with big hooks, melodies and powerful riffs but it leans towards a more darker, moody, and epic side of the band. Songs like the title track, “Battlegrounds,” “A Bitter Taste,” and “After The End Of The World” will show an exciting new side of the song writing of the band. There will also be the first ballad in the history of the band entitled “About To Break.” Singer Erik Martensson tells: “This album was the hardest to write for us so far. On the other hand the most rewarding. We don’t know at this point how we are going to top this one. We have tweaked everything from quality of the songs, melodies, hooks, arrangements, guitar riffs, vocal performances, guitar solos, drumming, and the variety in the song writing in general. No stone is left unturned this time.” Frontiers plans to release the album in the first half of 2012.

FIND ME

Singer Robbie LaBlanc of Blanc Faces and Swedish producer/songwriter Daniel Flores (Mind’s Eye, The Murder Of My Sweet) have started working together on an exciting new project entitled Find Me. Musically it will have an heavier edge compared to Blanc Faces and Robbie sings louder and stronger than ever! Daniel Flores says, “This CD is some of the best AOR songs I’ve ever worked on, there are songs for everybody here, it is going to be a monster. Robbie has one of the best voices in the business and I’m proud to be working with him, he reminds me of the soulfulness of Martin Page and Lou Gramm’s singing. I have given every song on FIND ME its own identity for Robbie to showcase his great vocal diversity, all arrangements are carefully produced to fit his voice. The sonic impact will knock the socks out of you for sure! There are some great musicians involved on this CD, starting with the amazing solos from guitar wizard David Sivelind, the rhythm guitars of Daniel Palmqvist, and the very tight and inventive bass playing from Jonny Trobro. The amount of time put into keyboards was really a lot and will instantly remind the listener of the greats like Boston and Foreigner. All done with real vintage keyboards to give the album the organic feel, that unfortunately so many albums lack of these days. I have never been this satisfied with the keyboards and synthesizer arrangements like on this album!” Release is planned for the summer 2012.

PRIMAL FEAR

Metal Nation 2012 Tour including Primal Fear + Brainstorm + Special Guests!

30. March 2012 CZ – Zlin – Masters Of Rock Cafe
01. April 2012 CZ – Prag – Metrix
03. April 2012 AUT – Wien – Szene
04. April 2012 HU – Budapest – Club 202
07. April 2012 BUL – Sofia – TBA
08. April 2012 ROM – Bukarest – TBA
10. April 2012 D – Berlin – C-Club
11. April 2012 D-Ludwigsburg – Rockfabrik
12. April 2012 NED – Kerkrade – Rock Temple
13. April 2012 D – Burglengenfeld – VA Zentrum
14. April 2012 D – Bochum – Matrix
15. April 2012 BEL – Genk – Rondpunt 26
17. April 2012 CH – Pratteln – Z7
19. April 2012 ES-Gijon – Sala Albeniz
20. April 2012 ES-Pamplona – Sala Totem
21. April 2012 ES-Huesca – Sala Jai Alai
22. April 2012 ES-Madrid – Sala Ritmo y Compas

NEW SIGNINGS

Two very exciting new bands have joined or are about to join the Frontiers Records roster. One is a new Metal band from the UK which has already gathered a vast critical acclaim with their independently released debut album and that will finally have a worldwide release on Frontiers and another is a new Melodic Rock band from Sweden sounding like an exciting mix of Work Of Art and H.E.A.T.! Stay tuned for more news in early 2012 — more and more surprises are in the works !! Merry Christmas and Happy Rocking New Year!!

Frontiers Records

http://www.frontiers.it/

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*** REVIEWS ***
*
MADDAM INK – INKLINATION (C) indie, 2010
10 tracks, RT: 37:18
[ http://www.maddamink.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/maddamink ]
[ http://www.facebook.com/maddamink ]
[ http://www.reverbnation.com/maddamink ]
[ http://twitter.com/maddamink ]
This Allentown, Pennsylvania, foursome formed in 2004 and had their first CD under their belts by 2006. While that self-titled release did well on the local scene, they believed the second would do better. INKLINATION is that next CD though it took them four years to complete. Adam Burke led his band mates through quite a few shows during those four years as well. While Burke handles lead vocals, rhythm guitar duties and songwriting, he’s joined by Matt Scott on lead guitar and backing vocals, Steve Benecke on bass and backing vocals, and drummer Kyle Young. Maddam Ink has also played with the big boys, joining national acts like Alice Cooper, Black Sabbath, and Shadows Fall on the 2007 “Heaven And Hell Tour / LocoFest” in Manchester, New Hampshire. The band has also supported other groups such as Fuel, Nonpoint, and Days Of The New. Though they name influences like Black Sabbath, Pink Floyd, Led Zeppelin, and Jimi Hendrix, INKLINATION seems mellower than anything I’d expect from a full album by any of those influences. The main issue I have with this CD is that no matter how many times I played it, I was never able to tell one song from the other. When I tried random rotation, only one really seemed to have a different tempo, or to be played in a different key. I know that isn’t the case, but if I heard them live and wasn’t paying attention to the set, I’d never know one song from another, unless the audience applauded. Would they even know when they should? In fact, everything is so similar, there’s not even one song I can name as standing out in any way. Burke’s vocals are strong; he’s got a decent rock voice, but this CD leaves you wondering if he’s holding back or if he’s that limited. He should try stretching and showing off his abilities on the next release or risk having too many of the songs sound the same. Again. Nothing here is really bad — but none of these cuts make me want to tell anyone “go buy this CD and listen to this song.” Maybe it’s great as background, which is the one thing I didn’t try. There’s promise here, what they do with it will determine their fate.
- Jan W. (jw4jzon@hotmail.com)

ZOMBIE SHAKER BOX – ENCRYPTED (C) indie, 2010
10 tracks, RT: 45:28
[ http://www.zombieshakerbox.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/zombieshakerbox ]
[ http://www.facebook.com/pages/Zombie-Shaker-Box/351391867759 ]
[ http://www.last.fm/music/Zombie+Shaker+Box ]
The debut from Zombie Shaker Box was released in 2010, and in 2012, most of us still haven’t heard of this band. My prediction is that won’t change, if their next release is anything like this one. Even the videos on YouTube aren’t much to talk about. The band’s website boasts of several award wins in 2010 (in Vegas and L.A., like best rock album and best metal band), but I don’t see a hint of the band that should have won awards like that on ENCRYPTED. This band consists of Cory Kay on bass, Tomonori Sugiyama covering drums, Jami Lin on guitars, and Kirk Hulshoff as the lead singer. Hulshoff’s credits even include work with Marten Andersson of Lizzy Borden. Personally, I listened to this CD on multiple occasions over several weeks, hoping to form a better opinion of the band. However, there was just nothing on this release that stood out, nothing seemed different or innovative, so my thoughts about it never changed. “Welcome To My Rave,” the opening song, is the best of the lot, and I wouldn’t rate it more than 6 on a scale of 10; it’s slightly interesting, but I just can’t get more excited than that. The cut worth mentioning — for all the wrong reasons — is “Answer To No One.” This is a confusing mix that tries to be too many mismatched styles in one: blues, country, and believe it or not, a touch of hillbilly. The slowest songs are the longest — at nearly six minutes — and well before each is halfway through you wish they were over. Maybe their next effort will have a better handle on what they really want to do, but as for ENCRYPTED — this is not worth the time.
- Jan W. (jw4jzon@hotmail.com)

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*** OUT ***
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http://DetritusZine.com/

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Detritus/

http://www.myspace.com/detritusezine

To subscribe to the e-mail version do one of the following:
Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Detritus/
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To unsubscribe from the e-mail version:
Send a blank e-mail to: Detritus-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

To contact us:
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*
*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net

http://www.lakeoffire.net/

http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com

http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-Okay then, we managed to sneak in one more issue before “Holiday Hiatus ’11″ begins. To celebrate, we’re giving away a copy of the excellent new Eric Carr tribute/anniversary/solo album UNFINISHED BUSINESS, courtesy of Carr’s sister, Loretta Caravello. (Check out my interview with Ms. Caravello in last Friday’s Mini-Issue, #618.5.) To enter the drawing, simply email Detritus-owner@yahoogroups.com with “ERIC CARR CD” in the subject line, and include your full mailing address. Entries must be submitted by midnight on December 31; I’ll draw one winner’s name at random on New Year’s Day and announce the results in our first issue of 2012.

Until we meet again, have yourself a merry little Christmas, and happy holidays! – Tim

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-Y&T / Meniketti Update

[Note: This is from the band's December 2011 newsletter. - Tim]

A Message From Dave Meniketti…

I speak for the entire band in thanking you all for an inspiring and unforgettable 2011. Y&T has always been blessed with such amazing fans, and never has this been so apparent to me as it has this year. I’ll never forget how so many of you have shown your love and support for us in what has been a difficult year for the band, after having lost my best friend and Y&T bassist Phil Kennemore to lung cancer early in the year. His wish, and mine, was for the band to continue to bring the music to the people. And with this commitment, you all have been so amazing in accepting Brad Lang into the Y&T family and continuing to support the band as we move forward.

Now we all look toward 2012, which also happens to be the 30-year anniversary of the BLACK TIGER release. Expect many more great shows ahead, along with the possibility of some new things coming out of the Y&T camp this next year. It’s looking like another great year ahead and we hope you will be there with us for the ride.

Until then, on behalf of everyone in the Y&T organization, we wish you all a happy, joyful holiday season and a great New Year’s. We look forward to rockin’ with you all in 2012!

Cheers,
- Dave

Fillmore

We’re happy to announce Y&T’s next Fillmore show: Saturday, March 24. If you’ve been to any of these sold-out shows, you know what a cool vibe it is to see Y&T at San Francisco’s historic Fillmore. Tickets go on sale Sunday, December 11.

Bring The Kids!

We have some “all ages” shows next year, including Maryland, Pennsylvania, New York, California, with more in the works. So come on out and bring the kids to share in the Y&T live experience.

Stuff Those Stockings

You’ll find great holiday gifts with Y&T shirts, stickers, CDs, and baseball caps. And FACEMELTER chocolate bars (in milk chocolate or dark chocolate with sea salt) make good stuffing stuffers. Visit our online store and fill up your wish list.

http://store.meniketti.com/

Going, Going…

As many of you have learned, once a Y&T design is gone — it’s gone. So don’t miss out on any of this year’s designs. We still have a few EARTHSHAKER shirts left (extremely limited supply), a very small handful of FACEMELTER girls’ shirts, and our stunning 2011 tour shirt. Get yours while we still have ‘em. And while you’re there, check out our new long sleeve shirts.

http://store.meniketti.com/

Monsters Of Rock

Last we checked, there were still some cabins available on the Monsters of Rock Cruise. Get your special discounts & deals by using the Y&T promo code: YTMOR

Join Y&T with Cinderella, Tesla, Night Ranger, UFO, Kix, Stryper, Lynch Mob, FireHouse, Helix, Black ‘N Blue, Bang Tango, Faster Pussycat, Keel, XYZ, Rhinobucket, John Corabi, Eric Martin, and more, as we all rock and cruise to the Bahamas & Key West on February 25-28, 2012.

Y&T Shows

Details for each of the shows below are on the TOUR DATES page of the website.

http://www.meniketti.com/tourdates.html

Last Show For 2011!
December 10 ~ Brooks, CA – Cache Creek Resort

2012
February 10 ~ Modesto, CA – Fat Cat Music House
February 11 ~ Santa Cruz, CA – The Catalyst
February 25-28 ~ Monsters of Rock Cruise
Book with the special Y&T promo code to get deals & discounts: YTMOR
February 29 ~ Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage (all ages)
March 1 ~ Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater (all ages)
March 2 ~ New York, NY – B.B. King’s Blues Club (all ages)
March 3 ~ Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance Theater (under 16 must be accompanied by parent)
March 4 ~ W Greenwich, RI – The Rock House
March 7 ~ Pittsburgh, PA – Diesel
March 9 ~ Westland, MI – Token Lounge
March 10 ~ Bolingbrook, IL – Tailgaters
March 24 ~ San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore (all ages)

*Schedule subject to change. Be sure to verify with each venue.*
Check the web site TOUR DATES page for the most up-to-date concert information.

Thanks for your support!

The official Y&T and Dave Meniketti web site.

http://www.YandTRocks.com/

http://www.Meniketti.com/

Weblinks:

http://www.facebook.com/YandTRocks

http://www.myspace.com/YandTRocks

http://www.twitter.com/YandTRocks

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-Lance King: Hoping To Make A Difference

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/about/slavery/

I don’t normally do emailings like this one, but it’s something that is very close to my heart at this moment.

The link at the top says it all… Give directly if you can or go to my page, and listen to samples of my new album, for each sale of my new album A MOMENT IN CHIROS, I’ll be donating my artist royalty to Not For Sale. A small donation to a great cause and you get music to help you remember it by that will continue to give you a great feeling and a reminder that things could be worse. Together… we can make a DIFFERENCE.

Many blessings to you, your families and friends.

Lance King

http://www.LanceKingVox.com/

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-DimeBash 2011 To Feature Members Of System Of A Down, Slipknot, Disturbed, Anthrax, And More!

[Note: This is from http://www.revolvermag.com/DimeBash . - Tim]

Celebrating the lives fallen Pantera and Damageplan guitarist Dimebag Darrell and Ronnie James Dio, members of Slipknot, System Of A Down, Anthrax, and more are uniting to pay their respects at DimeBash 2011 at Hollywood’s Key Club on December 14. The event is a communion of songs and stories, where everyone present can tip their glasses to one of the true masters of not only guitar but music as a whole.

“Today marks the seventh year, which still doesn’t seem like a reality to me,” said Rita Haney, longtime girlfriend of Dime and the person who knew him best, in a statement. “Sometimes I think, Boy, this sure is a long-ass tour, but then I focus back in and realize what I’m working on at this moment. And I just have to smile and be thankful for all the amazing people that surround me — thanks to him. I hope everyone enjoys this event as much as we like bringing it to them. It’s nothing more, nothing less, than ‘about a damn good time!’ — one of my favorite Dime pastimes and phrases. There are no words to express my thanks to all the artists who make this event special and give ‘us fans’ a night to remember two truly amazing people and the music they created! I am forever at your beckon call, so c’mon out and experience the evening with us. It’s going to be quite magical!!!”

The Key Club Hollywood will play host to all-star jams featuring the vocal talents of Alice In Chains’ Jerry Cantrell, Disturbed’s Dave Draiman, Velvet Revolver and Loaded’s Duff McKagan, System Of A Down’s Serj Tankian, Suicidal Tendencies’ Mike Muir, and Sebastian Bach; the guitar of John 5, Anthrax’s Scott Ian, Machine Head’s Phil Demmel, Ratt’s Warren DeMartini, Ben Harper, In This Moment’s Chris Howorth, and Rage Against The Machine’s Tom Morello; and the rhythms of King’s X’s Doug Pinnick, James LoMenzo, Rob Zombie band member Ginger Fish, Whitesnake’s Brian Tichy and Slipknot’s Joey Jordison, with many more superstars lending their vocal and playing skills to the metal proceedings. The whole shebang being emceed by “That Metal Show’s” Eddie Trunk and his cohosts, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson. In addition, kicking off the event will be Kill Devil Hill, featuring the legendary Vinny Appice and former Pantera bassist Rex Brown. Also on deck are Dio Disciples, featuring the great Rudy Sarzo and vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens, with a special appearance by Glenn Hughes.

The entire proceeds from the event benefit the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up & Shout Cancer Fund. Additionally, attendees will be able to land some limited-edition merchandise and purchase Monster Energy cocktail drink specials with 100 percent of the proceeds benefitting the cause as well.

Ticket prices are $20 and are on sale now here:

http://www.keyclub.com/event/76497/

Doors open at 7 P.M.; Show begins at 8 P.M.

For more information go to http://www.MonstErenergy.com/ or http://www.Facebook.com/MonsterEnergyMusic .

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-Rage: Details On The New Album 21!

It’s heavy, fast, extreme — but at the same time virtuosic and melodic: the new Rage album 21 (OUT: 24th of February 2012). Once again the CD was produced in the Twilight Hall Studios in Krefeld, Germany by Victor Smolski and Charlie Bauerfeind.

Peavy, vocalist and founder of the band, explains: “It may have already got about that our new album will come off pretty heavy. We’ve been bubbling over with creativity and it was huge fun to work on the songs — as always, it was real teamwork. Working with such fantastic musicians like Victor and André is great.”

At the past weekend, the CD was presented to an international group of journalists which were gobsmacked and delighted at the same time.

“21 sounds harsher and more virtuosic. The waiting time will be darn hard,” states Tobias Blum of Rock Hard Germany. Andrea Vignati of Italian Metal Hammer is even more enthusiastic: “This is a milestone for Rage’s future.”

The artwork of 21 was created by Felipe Machado (Blind Guardian, Rhapsody Of Fire u.a.) and represents the power Rage are radiating in the year 2012.

The following tracks can be found on the CD:
1. House Wins
2. Twenty One
3. Forever Dead
4. Feel My Pain
5. Serial Killer
6. Psycho Terror
7. Destiny
8. Death Romantic
9. Black And White
10. Concrete Wall
11. Eternally

From March on, Rage will be on tour under the slogan “Metal Firestorm” together with their label mates Communic as well as Tyr.

23.03. D Speyer – Halle 101
24.03. D Andernach – JUZ
25.03. D Braunschweig – Meier Music Hall
27.03. D Hamburg – Markthalle
28.03. D Nürnberg – Hirsch
29.03. D Bochum – Zeche
30.03. D Aschaffenburg – Colos-Saal
31.03. D Mauerstetten – Sonnenhof
01.04. CH Pratteln – Z7

More dates will follow…

http://www.rage-on.de/

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-Doro: “Merry Metal X-Mas” Video Trailer!

On December 9, 2011 the queen of metal, Doro Pesch, will release the X-Mas metal anthem, “Merry Metal X-Mas” (featuring Onkel Tom Angelripper)!

Check out the official video trailer for “Merry Metal X-Mas” in which Doro talks the song and Christmas itself:

“Merry Metal X-Mas” will be released as digital download (available via iTunes) and limited colored 7″ vinyl (Christmas tree green — exclusively available at the Nuclear Blast Mailorder: http://bit.ly/sItTDv ).

Doro winter tour 2011
08.12.2011 GER – Saarbrücken @ Garage
09.12.2011 GER – Aschaffenburg @ Colos-Saal
10.12.2011 GER – München @ Backstage Werk
11.12.2011 GER – Hannover @ Capitol
13.12.2011 GER – Fulda @ Kreuz
14.12.2011 GER – Nürnberg @ Hirsch
16.12.2011 GER – Osnabrück @ Rosenhof
17.12.2011 GER – Herxheim @ Festhalle
18.12.2011 GER – Hamburg @ Docks

http://www.doro.de/

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-Nightwish: Album Released!

The waiting is over — IMAGINAERUM is now in stores.

The reaction of medias is overwhelming:

“Bombastic stuff” – METAL HAMMER (Italy)
“Very imaginative, theatrical and versatile album” – HEAVY ROCK (Spain)
“This is the beginning of a new era of Nightwish!” – SPARK (Czech Republic)
“A beautiful diamond” – ROCK HARD (Italy)
“Perfect Soundtrack for the movie to come!” – METAL MANIAC (Italy)
“IMAGINAERUM is Nightwish’s finest and most diverse album to date” – PROG (UK)
“A majestic, magnificent musical adventure” – TERRORIZER (UK)
“The epic masterpiece!” – SCREAM (Norway)
“A bold and bombastic masterpiece of epic proportions.” – POWERPLAY (UK)
“A perfect masterpiece” – ORKUS (Germany)

Watch the video clip for “Storytime” here:

Find all trailers for the album here:

If you wanna play the legendary Nightwish online game — the second level was just uploaded; play it here:

http://media.nuclearblast.de/bands/games/nightwish2/index.php

If you wanna see all different configurations of IMAGINAERUM, click here:

You find all configurations of the record and any kind of Nightwish merchandise here:

http://www.nuclearblast.de/de/shop/artikel/gruppen/51000.1.nuclearblast.html?article_group_sort_type_handle=rank&custom_keywords=nightwish%20imaginaerum

On iTunes, you get it here:

http://www.nuclearblast.de/en/data/bands/nightwish/nightwish-imaginaerum-download.html

Finally, check the band out on their next tour:

IMAGINAERUM World Tour 2012 – 2013
support: Battle Beast + Special Guest

11.04.12 DK Copenhagen – Falconer Theater
13.04.12 NL Amsterdam – Heineken Music Hall
14.04.12 D Düsseldorf – ISS Dome
16.04.12 B Brussels – Forest National
17.04.12 F Paris – Bercy
18.04.12 F Nantes – Zenith
20.04.12 F Lyon – Halle Tony Garnier
21.04.12 LU Luxembourg – Rockhal
23.04.12 D Frankfurt – Jahrhunderthalle
24.04.12 CH Zurich – Hallenstadion
25.04.12 IT Milano – Forum
27.04.12 AT Vienna – Gasometer
29.04.12 HU Budapest – Budapest Arena
30.04.12 CZ Prague – Tesla (T-Mobile Arena)
01.05.12 D Leipzig – Arena
03.05.12 D Hamburg – o2 World
05.05.12 D Nürnberg – Arena
06.05.12 D Stuttgart – Schleyerhalle
08.05.12 SL Ljubljana – Križanke

http://www.nightwish.com/

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-Almah To Release Third Album Via AFM Records

Formed by Angra vocalist Edu Falaschi over a decade ago, Brazilian metal act Almah have transformed from simply a side project of the top-tier power metal act into an expansive entity of its own volition, language and identity. AFM Records now confirms that MOTION, Almah’s third full-length, will be available to North American fans on January 17th, 2012.

Almah’s first two studio albums — ALMAH (2007) and FRAGILE EQUALITY (2008) — were accepted well both by fans and media alike. With Edu Falaschi being known for choosing excellent musicians and production crew for the creation of their releases, the lineup on MOTION will not disappoint. Falaschi’s Angra band mate Felipe Andreoli joins on bass, as well as Berklee-graduated guitar wizard Marcelo Barbosa, powerhouse drummer Marcelo Moreira and a master of fast solos and gargantuan riffs, Paulo Schroeber.

The musicians tread into more modern territory while keeping Almah’s recognizable style intact on MOTION. Recorded with 7-string guitars, tuned a half-step down (B flat), while the rhythm guitars were layered four times, the band has reached their optimal balance of heavy, modern metal and beautiful, catchy melodies. Edu Falaschi has already stated that this album is probably the best one in his whole discography. MOTION was recorded at Norcal Studios in São Paulo, Brazil produced by Falaschi and Andreoli, and mixed and mastered at Split Second Sound Studios in Amsterdam by Jochem Jacobs (Textures). The cover artwork was created by Edu Falaschi himself with his iPhone, using some applications to create that motion effect, which was later edited by Felipe Andreoli. Check out the cover art and more at http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/?p=3879 .

MOTION Track Listing:

1. Hypnotized
2. Living And Drifting
3. Days Of The New
4. Bullets On The Altar
5. Zombies Dictator
6. Trace Of Trait
7. Soul Alight
8. Late Night In ’85
9. Daydream Lucidity
10. When And Why

http://www.almah.com.br/

http://www.facebook.com/official.almah

http://www.afm-records.de/

http://de-de.facebook.com/afmrecords

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-Lion Music Label & Artist News

House Of Shakira Unveil New Album Sampler

A sampler of the forthcoming new album HOS from Swedish melodic hard rock sensations House Of Shakira has just been made available at http://soundcloud.com/lionmusicrecordlabel/house-of-shakira-hos-album .

The new album HOS marks the recording debut of new vocalist Andreas Novak in the band and features 13 tracks full of the lush melodic vocal orchestrations and rocking backings make this most complete House Of Shakira album yet.

House Of Shakira – HOS is released on 27th January 2012 through Lion Music.

http://www.houseofshakira.com/

http://www.myspace.com/houseofshakira

http://www.facebook.com/HouseofShakira

http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseofShakira

Status Minor Complete OUROBOROS

Finn progressive metallers Status Minor have completed work on their second album entitled OUROBOROS. Building on the critically acclaimed sound heard on their 2010 debut DIALOG, the new album sees the band get heavier and more direct yet retaining the musicianship and song sense of song craft that won them so many plaudits. We are pleased to unveil the artwork for OUROBOROS done by Carl-Andre Beckston (Monowasp).

Status Minor OUROBOROS has a tentative release date of April 2012.

Lion Music Webstore Super Sale!

A big box with 100 Mixed Lion Music back catalogue CDs for just 298 Euros!

Most of there are going to become rarities as they won’t be reprinted once sold out so now is the chance to discover some older gems from our back catalogue.

Visit http://www.lionmusic.com/ShopSelect.htm and click Mega Sale on left menu.

Lion Music

http://www.lionmusic.com/

http://www.facebook.com/LionMusicRecordLabel

http://twitter.com/lionmusic

http://www.youtube.com/lionmusicfinland

Latest tracks by LionMusicRecordLabel

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-Z Records News

Z Rock 2012 Ticketing Information As Day 2 Goes On Sale

As previously announced Z Rock 2012 is now a two-day event. We have fans already attending from as far away as the USA, Japan, Italy, Spain and Germany.

The confirmed lineup is now:

Day 1 – May 5th

PAUL SABU (exclusive)
PROPHET (exclusive)
ARABIA (exclusive)
LEGION (exclusive)
VANDEN PLAS (exclusive)
SHAKRA (exclusive)
With opening unsigned act Aftermath

Day 2 – May 6th

TONY MILLS
HUSH (exclusive)
D’ERCOLE (exclusive)
SUMMERS
Further acts to be confirmed
And opening unsigned act Scream Arena

Tickets for Day 1 are £45 in advance
Tickets for Day 2 are £35 in advance

Two-day offer ticket: £72.50 if purchased before March 18th. This offer is only available via the Z online store at http://www.zrecords.net/ and is limited to 150 on a first come first served basis so don’t delay.

Chris Nelson World Exclusive For Legion This Saturday

Tune into the “Hair Metal Haven” this weekend between 5 p.m. and 6 p.m. UK time to hear a World exclusive from the forthcoming Legion album NEMESIS. Chris will also be playing new material by Hush and Paul Sabu. Check it out online at http://www.phoenixradio.co.uk/ or at http://www.rockforces.com/ via podcast.

http://www.zrecords.net/

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-Pegazus: “Road Warrior” Video Released / Christmas Offers!

The Australian Metallers of Pegazus have just returned from their very successful European headlining club tour, after being away from the European live scene for 13 years.

Founding member and guitarist Johnny Stoj about being back in Europe after so many years: “I can only say that I have been overwhelmed by all the great responses from the fans during this tour. We’ve got such a warm ‘welcome back’ and it’s the best feeling in the world to be back on those stages again. We definitely will be back in Europe soon!”

And vocalist Justin Fleming about the tour, which was for him the first time in Europe: “I had a blast! Europe kicks ass and you can be sure that Pegazus is fired up now! We have proven to be back in business with a great new album and this great tour. I thank the fans for sticking with us during all these years and we will not disappoint you. We will keep touring, hopefully we will be back in Europe very soon and we’re also looking to all possibilities in other parts of the world. So, tell the promoters in your country to contact our management and the Thunder From Down Under will destroy some stages in your country as well!”

Just before they left for Europe, Pegazus filmed the video for “Road Warrior.” The song has been taken from the band’s latest album IN METAL WE TRUST, which was released on April 15, 2011 through Black Leather Records. The worldwide distribution is in hands of the German company Twilight Vertrieb.

The “Road Warrior” video can be seen at the following location: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxHVleVA8OM

The video was filmed on location in Melbourne, Australia in the same location and on the very same road that was used for the filming of the Australian classic movie “Mad Max.” It was directed again by Aaron McLoughlin and Judd Hyland, who were also responsible for the band’s “Haunting Me” video, released earlier this year.

Feeling sick of standing in line for the Christmas shopping? Looking for a great present for your friend, husband, wife, grandma or yourself? … The Pegazus Webstore offers this year some great Christmas packages for awesome prices and includes the rare European 2011 Tour Poster and Flyer! Check them all out at: http://www.pegazusofficial.com/store.html !

Pegazus is:
Justin Fleming – Lead Vocals
Johnny Stoj – Guitars and Vocals
Cory Betts – Bass
Ange Sotiro – Drums

For info and all samples from the new album, please visit the MySpace at: http://www.myspace.com/pegazusmusic

Follow Pegazus also through these sites:

Official website:
http://www.pegazusofficial.com/ (incl. a webstore with three great Christmas offers!)

Twitter:

http://www.twitter.com/pegazusmusic

Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/pages/PEGAZUS/56974008938

YouTube:

http://www.youtube.com/user/pegazusmusic

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-Sweden Rock Update

[Note: This compiles multiple updates. - Tim]

Welcome to Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, 6-7-8-9 June 2012!

Saint Vitus To Sweden Rock Festival 2012!

Saint Vitus (US)

Los Angeles’ Saint Vitus were first formed under the name Tyrant in 1978, but soon changed their name and released a self-titled debut album six years later. With one foot firmly placed in the roots of Black Sabbath’s downtuned doomsday heaviness and the other in the punky aggression of Black Flag, Saint Vitus (with colleagues such as Trouble and Pentagram) soon found themselves in the frontlines of the early doom metal movement, releasing now classic albums such as SAINT VITUS (1984) and BORN TOO LATE (1986). The quartet continued to spread the genres gospel up until their break-up in 1996 and were laid to rest as a true cult act.

2003 the original members Dave Chandler (guitars), Mark Adams (bass) and Armando Acosta (drums) temporarily reunited their classic lineup with Scott “Wino” Weinrich (The Obsessed) on vocals. Five years later the group decided to get back together on a more permanent basis with the drummer Henry Vasquez replacing Acosta who sadly passed away in 2010.

Saint Vitus have been working on new material for an album titled LILLY F65 (named after a barbiturate), the group’s first since 1995′s DIE HEALING. The release is set for early 2012, just in time for the doomsters first visit to Sweden Rock Festival.

Exodus To Sweden Rock Festival 2012!

Exodus (US)

If you ask metal fans who the originators of the Bay Area thrash metal scene are, most people will not just say, but shout out “Exodus!” The band was formed in 1980 — with a certain Kirk Hammett in the lineup — but the debut album BONDED BY BLOOD didn’t see the light of day until 1985. The album is now widely considered to be one of the best and most important albums of thrash metal history — and not to forget one of the most aggressive ones. Several killer releases followed — the commercially successful FABULOUS DISASTER (1988) to name one — before Exodus folded in 1993. 2004 saw thrash fans positively shocked when the band released the brilliant comeback album TEMPO OF THE DAMNED, and since then another three hard-hitting albums have been unleashed. Original members Gary Holt (guitar) and Tom Hunting (drums) are today joined by Jack Gibson (bass), Lee Altus (guitar) and Rob Dukes, the brutal heir to Exodus’ legendary past front men Paul Baloff (1960-2002) and Steve Souza.

Tickets are available at our website: http://www.swedenrock.com/ . There you can also find more information about ticket prices and accommodation.

Around 70 bands will perform on our five stages next summer. The following bands have been confirmed so far:

MOTLEY CRUE
LYNYRD SKYNYRD
BLUE OYSTER CULT
DIMMU BORGIR
SYMPHONY X
EDGUY
GAMMA RAY
DANKO JONES
EXODUS
ELECTRIC BOYS
SLADE
TYGERS OF PAN TANG
GIRLSCHOOL
PENTAGRAM
SAINT VITUS
BONAFIDE
HELL
SACRED REICH
GRAVEYARD
NATIONALTEATERN

More info about the bands can be found on our website: http://www.swedenrock.com/

Sodom, Krux And Nocturnal Rites Confirmed For Our Cruise In March!

Three more bands have been confirmed for the Sweden Rock Cruise, which sails from Stockholm to Turku and back on March 29th-30th: Sodom, Krux and Nocturnal Rites. As previously announced, Blind Guardian will also join the cruise, making the lineup so far look like this:

Blind Guardian
Sodom
Krux
Nocturnal Rites

Two more bands to be confirmed shortly!

Sodom (D)

30 years and 13 albums down the line, Sodom retains its position as one of the big three within German thrash metal. Having in its early days acted as a forerunner of the black metal genre, the three-piece went on to deliver one violent thrash opus after the other, with classics like OBSESSED BY CRUELTY and AGENT ORANGE settling in nicely in their discography together with their latest brutal album IN WAR AND PIECES (2010). This even in times where their colleagues would sell out and make pop records, or simply give up. As front man Tom Angelripper is not late to mention, Sodom never made a comeback or went back to their roots — simply because they never quit in the first place.

As much in the studio as on stage, the band remains a steamroller of a power trio, having no problems to give any young upstart a good run for their money.

Krux (S)

The father of doom metal, Leif Edling’s (Candlemass) side project Krux has been widely acclaimed for it’s first two albums KRUX (2003) and II (2006). Newly released III: HE WHO SLEEPS AMONGST THE STARS stays on the same successful path and was recently elected number one in Sweden Rock Magazine’s “Jury”-section.

With the versatile and well-reputed singer Mats Levén in the front, the band is a slightly, but just slightly, lighter cousin to the deep and heavy darkness that has made Candlemass famous. The collected curriculum vitae of band members such as guitarists Jörgen Sandström (Torture Division, ex-Entombed, ex-Grave) and Fredrik Åkesson (Opeth, ex-Talisman, ex-Arch Enemy) and drummer Peter Stjärnvind (Unanimated, Nifelheim, ex-Entombed) is a never-ending story.

There are only a select few who have been fortunate enough to see Krux play live. Since the members have been busy with their respective careers, the gigs have been rare and exclusive — as if we needed another reason to be proud to present a gig with this amazing band on the next Sweden Rock Cruise.

Nocturnal Rites (S)

Most fans of melodic and powerful metal had probably given up hope for Nocturnal Rites future when a few years of silence was all that followed the guitarist Nils Norberg’s departure in 2008. But when we least expected them to rise again, Christoffer Rörland was presented as the replacement and the planning for what will be the first record in almost five years started.

The band from Umeå in northern Sweden was formed in 1990 and released their debut album IN A TIME OF BLOO AND FIRE in 1995, but soon found themselves in the shadow of newcomers such as HammerFall and Edguy, in the wave of power metal that gained momentum at the end of the millennium.

The band however continued unwearyingly to write strong melodies and infectious choruses. With highly acclaimed albums such as THE SACRED TALISMAN (1999), SHADOWLAND (2002) and GRAND ILLUSION (2005) among their merits, many claim that Nocturnal Rites deserve a wider breakthrough. Especially the singer Jonny Lindqvist, who replaced Anders Zackrisson in 1999, has been praised as one of the most underrated in the genre of melodic metal.

Pris: Tickets including part in cabin from 595 SEK
Check-in: At the Tallink Silja terminal in Värta harbour, Stockholm at 18.15 on March 29th. The ship departs at 19.15.
Age limit: 18 years.

Booking and more info: Please visit http://www.tallinksilja.com/sv/cruises/special/galaxy/swedenRock2012.htm or call Tallink Silja at +46 8 666 3333.
Product code to state when booking: METAL

Sweden Rock Cruise website:

http://www.swedenrockkryssningen.com/

Sweden Rock Cruise on Facebook:

http://www.facebook.com/swedenrockcruise

Tel: 0456-317 95
Fax: 0456-317 94
E-mail: info@swedenrock.com

http://www.swedenrock.com/

Sweden Rock Festival
Nygatan 27
294 34 Sölvesborg
Sweden

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-Epica: First Album Details!

Title of new Epica album released: Epica’s fifth full-length album which will be released on March 9th in Europe and March 13th 2012 in North America, via Nuclear Blast will be called:

REQUIEM FOR THE INDIFFERENT

This title refers to the end of an era. Mankind can no longer stick their head in the sand for the things that are happening around us. We are facing many challenges. There is an enormous tension between different religions and cultures, wars, natural disasters and a huge financial crisis, which is getting out of control. More than ever we will need each other to overcome these problems. As we are all connected; the universe, earth, nature, animals and human beings, this period in time will be the prelude to the end for those who still don’t want to, or simply won’t see it. A REQUIEM FOR THE INDIFFERENT but also a possibility for a new beginning with great new chances!

Epica will present this album to the public on the 16th of March 2012, in 013, Tilburg (NL) tickets are still available but are going out fast!

Keep an eye on the official Epica website and social media for regular updates on REQUIEM FOR THE INDIFFERENT!

http://www.epica.nl/

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-Cult AOR Luminaries Michael Thompson Band Returns With A Brand New Album FUTURE PAST

Frontiers Records is excited to announce the return of Michael Thompson Band with the release of the brand new album FUTURE PAST on February 24th in Europe and February 28th in North America.

In 1988, after working to try and get a deal with his band Slang, guitarist Michael Thompson finally got signed by Geffen Records to release one album entitled HOW LONG, under the Michael Thompson Band (MTB) moniker.

On HOW LONG some great studio musicians appeared as guests, in particular drum maestro Terry Bozzio, singer Moon Calhoun (ex-The Strand), Pat Torpey (later on drummer with Mr. Big), bassist Jimmy Haslip, John Elefante (Kansas), Toto’s Bobby Kimball and Great White associates Michael Lardie and Wyn Davis (who also produced the album). Songwriters would include, among others, AOR stars such as Jeff Paris, Mark Spiro, Billy Trudel and Brett Walker.

As of today HOW LONG is still regarded as one of the highest examples of hi-tech AOR / West Coast, with a superb production and immaculate songwriting. “I think the album has stood the test of time with a great batch of songs and some really strong performances. It was heartfelt and I think people respond to music that comes from the heart. I’m glad that many fans of melodic rock still list this record amongst their favorites,” tells Michael Thompson.

HOW LONG was reissued in 2007 with three bonus tracks and started a relationship between Michael Thompson and Frontiers Records, which finally brings the anticipated release of the new Michael Thompson Band album in early 2012. “I’ve tried to keep the new MTB album FUTURE PAST in the same spirit as HOW LONG. I’m hoping that people will hear the natural progression of my music and appreciate the new record as much as the first one,” continues Michael. “Although 22 years is quite a gap time-wise the music was recorded with the same feeling and spirit as I always had.”

For the new album Michael teamed up with the awesome singer Larry King from Soleil Moon. Larry brought a new and more rocking approach to the MTB sound, but certainly the trademark elements of songwriting and melodies are still to be found in the new album FUTURE PAST. In Michael Thompson’s words: “When I was considering singers for this new record I said to myself, ‘Who is the best rock singer that I know?’ and only one person came to mind — Larry King. The guy has such a phenomenal range and texture and it goes perfectly with my guitars. We started writing songs together a little over a year ago and from the first song, ‘Can’t Be Right,’ I knew we had something special!”

MTB 2012 lineup is rounded up by Khari Parker on drums and Alan Berliant on bass. “Larry brought them into the picture and it was a pleasure for me to work with some knew guys that I wasn’t familiar with. It brought a fresh approach to the music,” says Michael.

The production of FUTURE PAST is just flawless and the album is destined to become soon another AOR music classic. “I think that the title kind of says it all — FUTURE PAST,” concludes Michael. “Larry and I are both big fans of Classic Rock and AOR Melodic Rock so we just naturally infuse that love into the music that we write. It’s elements of the past with a modern approach.”

FUTURE PAST track listing includes: High Times; Can’t Be Right; Future Past; When You Love Someone; Here I Am; Beautiful Mystery; Break Me Down; End Game; Gypsy Road; Can’t Miss 2012; Fight For Your Life.

The first single “Can’t Be Right” can be listened in full in streaming on the Frontiers Web Radio now! Tune in at http://www.frontiers.it/webradio

Weblinks:

http://www.michaelthompson.cc/

http://www.frontiers.it/

—–ooooOooo—–

Michael Thompson is one of today’s leading guitar players of the world. He was awarded the “Distinguished Alumni” award from his Alma Mater Berklee College of Music to commemorate his contributions to the music industry. Berklee’s program for the event noted that, “He is widely regarded as being among the elite studio session players, and his amazing list of credits includes such prominent names as Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Celine Dion, ‘N Sync, Toni Braxton, Phil Collins, Rod Stewart, the Scorpions, Vince Neil, Christina Aguilera, Michael Bolton, Mariah Carey, Bette Midler, Madonna, Babyface, En Vogue, Gloria Estefan, Stanley Clarke and Ricky Martin.”

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-RAM Release Video For “Flame Of The Tyrants” Exclusively Via Rock Hard Germany And Reveal Details On Bonus DVD For Upcoming New Album DEATH!

DEATH To Be Released January 27/30 On CD And LP!

Swedish Heavy Metal tyrants RAM make a return with their third album DEATH, to be released January, 27th/30th, 2012 via Metal Blade Records in Europe!

In collaboration with Rock Hard Germany RAM have now launched a video clip for the brand new song “Flame Of The Tyrants!” Surf over here to check out the clip and song:

http://www.rockhard.de/megazine/praesentationen/ram.html

Comments RAM: “Filming the video for ‘Flame Of The Tyrants’ was a very cool and almost surreal experience, we filmed it in an abandoned sandquarell outside of Gothenburg. We wanted that ‘Mad Max II’ feeling to it and I think we accomplished that. We had a great time on set and on behalf of RAM I would like to thank the Mad Ram gangers and everybody involved for making our vision come to life in such a brilliant manner!”

In other news Metal Blade Records announces that there will be a limited first edition of the European CD that will include a bonus DVD. The limited first edition will be sold as a regular CD, so make sure to pre-order while copies last!

The bonus DVD includes the full show RAM played at the Keep It True festival April, 24th 2010 plus the video clip for “Flame Of The Tyrants!” The show was filmed by Visions In Fear ( http://www.visions-in-fear.de/ ).

Track listing bonus DVD LIVE AT KEEP IT TRUE 2010:
1. Crushing The Dwarf Of Ignorance
2. Sudden Impact
3. Forced Entry
4. Awakening The Cimaera
5. Suomussalmi (The Few Of Iron)
6. Machine Invaders
7. Ghost Pilot (MI II)
8. Infuriator
+ Flame Of The Tyrants (video clip)

Make also sure to surf over to the landing page at http://www.metalblade.com/ram where you will find the pre-order options and the new song “Defiant!” DEATH will be available on CD and on vinyl! A shirt bundle is also available there!

Track Listing DEATH:
1. Death
2. Comes From The Mouth Beyond
3. I Am The End
4. Release Me
5. Defiant
6. Frozen
7. Under The Scythe
8. Hypnos
9. Flame Of The Tyrants
10. 1 7 7 1

RAM was created back in ’99 and released their first EP SUDDEN IMPACT in 2003. After playing numerous festivals and a support tour for Sebastian Bach they released their first long player FORCED ENTRY in late 2005 which brought the entire old school Heavy Metal community to its knees. RAM hit the road with Dark Tranquillity, did some Scandinavian shows with Gamma Ray and played gigs and festivals all over Europe.

In 2008 the band returned to the studio with producer Johan Reivén to record the album LIGHTBRINGER which was released in 2009 via AFM Records. This time they really took the time to explore the true heavy metal sound. The recording of the album took 10 months of nothing but strife for pure Heavy Metal perfection. RAM also headed out on a headline European tour to promote the album.

In 2011 RAM went back into the studio to record their third album DEATH. This time they worked with producers Per Stålberg and Olle Björk to create their best album to date by far. Live shows as support for Swedish extreme black metal band Watain followed as well as destroying some festivals.

The world trembles in fear before the release of the metal behemoth that is DEATH. RAM are back! Necks will be broken!

RAM is:
Oscar Carlquist – Vocals
Morgan Pettersson – Drums
Harry Granroth – Guitar
Daniel Johansson – Guitar
Tobias Peterson – Bass

http://www.facebook.com/pages/RAM/128575340510564

http://www.myspace.com/rammetal

http://www.metalblade.com/ram

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-Crash Street Kids’ SWEET CREATURES Album Streaming On AOL Listening Party

PHOENIX, AZ — Phoenix-based glamsters the Crash Street Kids currently have their new album, SWEET CREATURES, streaming on the AOL Listening Party program. Available for listening throughout the entire week of December 5 (5th – 11th) fans can listen to the album in its entirety or select tracks “on demand” to listen to as they wish.

“This is a great opportunity for an upcoming band like ours to get noticed a bit,” says drummer, A.D. Adams. “In the era of people downloading music illegally, you might as give them a platform to check your music out for free legally, for a whole week, right?!”

SWEET CREATURES is out though Vanity Music Group in the UK on 16 January and in the US on 17 January 2012.

Recently the band had a chance to hang out with their friends in CrashDiet when they met up in Tempe, AZ at CrashDiet’s in-store performance at Naked Dave’s, as well as before and after their show at Club Red.

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-New England Metal & Hardcore Festival Announces 2012 Dates

WORCESTER, MASS. — MassConcerts has announced that the 14th Annual New England Metal And Hardcore Festival will take place the weekend of April 20-22, 2012.

The New England Metal And Hardcore Festival, the largest and most successful metal festival in the United States, has presented some of the biggest and up-and-coming artists in the metal and hardcore music genres over the past 13 years.

And here’s a TEASER from a mystery headliner who will be at the 14th Annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival… click the link below:

http://massconcerts.com/NEMF.mp3

Lineup and ticket information with be announced on Monday December 12 @NOON EST.

http://www.metalandhardcorefestival.com/

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-Black Skies Tour Wrap-up; Live Footage Posted

Heavy rock trio Black Skies recently returned from a 16-date North American tour. Commented the band in a collective statement:

“Thanks a ton to MAKE & Vaz for joining us on parts of this last run. Getting to play with bands you enjoy not only musically, but also as people really makes the whole experience that much better. Thanks also to all the venues, promoters, and other bands for helping make this such an enjoyable time. Thanks to Mother Nature for being cooperative and allowing us and our friends to travel safely. Most importantly, thanks to all of those who came to the shows and supported us by buying merch, giving us places to stay, etc. You are the reason we can do this.

“This was the last tour we’ll be doing for a while, as we plan to take a break from touring over the next several months to focus on writing and other obligations not related to the band. With that in mind, having a good trip before this break was something very important to us, so thanks again to everyone who made it possible. We’ll see you soon with new songs. Until then, take care and be good to each other!”

Check out some live footage of the band (courtesy of Dan Andrews of Trickledown Productions) here:

http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/?p=3883

Black Skies have been tuning down and turning up since late 2005, constantly evolving their aural offerings of psychedelic sludge. With a combination of the foreboding heaviness of blues based proto-metal, the spry attitude and approach of punk, and the dynamics of progressive rock, their songs often project a dark and urgent energy. The band’s recently released ON THE WINGS OF TIME full-length is currently available on digital download cards included with the purchase of a limited edition, silk-screened poster. A CD version with alternate cover art is also available. Check the band’s website for further info. You can also check out the record in its entirety at the official Black Skies BandCamp page. Said Creative Loafing of ON THE WINGS OF TIME: “Black Skies play like an amped-up version of Sleep: think stoner metal on a caffeine bender. It’s visceral hard rock defined by low-end, hypnotic riffing.” Added The Kalidiaries: “ON THE WINGS OF TIME is a head banging punk rock ear fest with a lovely heavy grunge metal tinge… It’s a loud cacophony of guitars with understated vocals. It’s music to lose yourself in.”

http://www.blackskies.us/

http://www.facebook.com/blackskiesnc

http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies

http://www.blackskies.bandcamp.com/

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-The Devil’s Blood Update

[Note: This combines multiple updates. - Tim]

Post New Video From THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE Teaser Series

Today occult rock collective The Devil’s Blood unveil a new video teaser from their forthcoming full-length, THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE. The video is the second in a series of teasers leading up to the record’s North American release on January 17, 2012. Each week a new video will be viewable via the band’s official Metal Blade landing page.

Check out the clip for “Fire Burning” at this location:

http://www.metalblade.com/thedevilsblood/

The Devil’s Blood is a dedication to principles and principals more ancient than Time, a branch of a tree greater than the World, an exclamation of both the profound and the profane. The Devil’s Blood has always been one of the many vessels through which the Light of the Devil shines upon the darkness of the world and shall always be the possible entrance to a path walked alone. But only for those who have eyes to see and ears to hear. This path starts not in understanding but in confusion.

“…an 11-track opus of maximum cosmic significance…” — Decibel Magazine

“The Devil’s Blood are entity onto themselves, and could very well be considered metal’s most valid Satanic band. The songs from THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE will stick in your craw, that is a given. Whether they’ll haunt your dreams is entirely another thing, but don’t be surprised if they do.” — Blistering

Further info on The Devil’s Blood to come.

New Track Premiere Brought To You By Pitchfork

Today Pitchfork.com premieres “Fire Burning,” the eighth track from THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE, the upcoming full-length from Dutch occult rockers The Devil’s Blood. Set for North American release on January 17, 2012 via Metal Blade Records, the offering is already earning critical acclaim. Decibel Magazine called it “…an 11-track opus of maximum cosmic significance…,” Terrorizer dubbed it “dynamic and luminous,” while LA Weekly praised the band saying: “The Devil’s Blood bring to mind what Jefferson Airplane’s sound would have been if they abandoned their love of psychedelic drugs for good old-fashioned Satanism.”

Listen to “Fire Burning” here:

http://pitchfork.com/reviews/tracks/12871-fire-burning/

Comments The Devil’s Blood founder and leader SL: “The Devil’s Blood have proven time and time again to be a completely self-reliant and untethered entity; we hold no allegiance with anyone, not even internally. We do not belong to any scene and refuse to be the face of any kind of movement or organization. The Devil’s Blood is quite simply not of this world and holds no ties to it. We shall disappear as suddenly as we came when the time of the completion of our founding goals has been achieved. What these are is not known, not even to us. Without fear or hesitation we cast upon the fire our children for Moloch! Hail Satan!”

http://www.thedevilsblood.com/

http://www.facebook.com/thedevilsblood

http://www.metalblade.com/thedevilsblood

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-Megaton Leviathan: Portland Doom-Gazers Begin Work On New Full-Length

Band Announces January Mini-Tour

Portland, Oregon doom-gazers Megaton Leviathan, who completed a successful run of tour dates with cerebral black metal behemoths Wolves In The Throne Room this summer, are set to begin work on their as-yet-untitled new full-length. The record, which includes a “smacked-out version of Judas Priest’s ‘Here Come The Tears,’” according to the band, will be unleashed during the latter half of 2012.

Further comments vocalist/guitarist Andrew Costa on the direction of the new material: “The new tunes are dark but still retain the trademark Megaton Leviathan hooks and dreamy atmosphere fans have come to expect from us. It’s a transmutation of a lot of my personal experiences in Alaska as well as our recent trails and tribulations as a young band. It will be delivered in a way most everyone can identify with.”

The band is also working on a split release with L.A. noise band Actuary. Further details to be unveiled soon. In addition, the eclectic ensemble will kick off the new year with a short string of West Coast headlining dates.

Megaton Leviathan 2012 Winter Tour:

1/13/2012 TBA – Portland, OR w/ Winter In The Blood
1/19/2012 The Highline – Seattle, WA w/ He Whose Ox Is Gored
1/21/2012 TBA – Tacoma, WA TBA w/ Ear/2012 Control, He Whose Ox Is Gored
1/25/2012 TBA – Arcata, WA TBA w/ White Manna
1/26/2012 Eli’s – Oakland, CA Eli’s w/ Hazzards Cure
1/27/2012 The Tower Bar – San Diego, CA w/ Bridgejumper
1/28/2012 Yayo Taco – Las Vegas, NV w/ Demon Lung
1/29/2012 Mountain bar – Los Angels, CA w/ Actuary, Suffering Luna, Children Of God
1/30/2012 Elbo Room – San Francisco, CA

Earlier this year, Megaton Leviathan reissued their 2009 demo on limited-edition vinyl through their own Volatile Rock Records. Limited to 500 copies, the 35-minute production takes listeners on a cerebral journey that transcends far beyond the traditional confines of heavy music.

Words From The Converted:

“Bearing down upon the listener with all the post-punk attitude of a metalled-up Magazine or Joy Div, Megaton Leviathan’s power relies entirely on the impenetrable mesh that its musicians create; vocals being subsumed into the general stew of sound, and the rhythm section shuddering and jolting like a narrow gauge railway engine whenever left exposed.” — Julian Cope

“…Megaton Leviathan deliver a stunning set of post-doom rock, combining massive droney soundscapes with hugely powerful downer riffs. Adding to the sonic meltdown are ghostly echoed vocals, synths and other instrumental touches.” — Vincibus Eruptum

“If dissonance, reverb drenched vocal, soundscapes of feedback drenched seclusion and guitar riffs that could soundtrack the progress of a brontosaurus in search of food, make you prick up your ears, then Megaton Leviathan are a welcome addition to your collection.” — Alternative Matter

“…for fans of all things dark and heavy and dreamy and melodic, droney and drifty and pretty and poppy and trance-inducing…” — Aquarius Records

“every song on this EP is a sunset and sunrise of melodic euphoria.” — Cvlt Nation

“…five songs of slow-ish spaced-out heavy psych. There’s a great get-lost-in-it meander to much of it, but ML aren’t just mindlessly jamming on a doomy riff: these songs have somewhere to go, they just don’t mind taking their time getting there.” — The Bone Reader

http://megatonleviathan.com/

http://www.myspace.com/megatonleviathan

http://megatonleviathan.blogspot.com

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-So Is The Tongue: New LP Set For Release Via Nefarious Industries

New Jersey-based experimental progressive rock outfit So Is The Tongue are preparing to release their sophomore LP, A CHILD OF DIVORCE, this January via indie imprint Nefarious Industries.

So Is The Tongue’s emotional rock transcends from its convoluted jazz, folk, progressive metal, post-rock and other diversified origins into surreal and ultimately unique movements. Melodic vocals build into enraged outbursts, clean and distorted guitar riffs and rolling bass scales toil with blistering drum rolls, all converging into diverse and beautiful infectious flows, drawing the listener in like an engulfing sinkhole disguised as a tranquil footpath.

Full details on A CHILD OF DIVORCE, advance music from the album and more will be released in the days ahead via Nefarious Industries, a tight-knit indie label recently formed by several friends who perform in So Is The Tongue, East Of The Wall, El Drugstore and more.

In support of the album’s unveiling, So Is The Tongue is locking down an extended weekend of local tour dates, with many more live actions in the devising stages for the months ahead.

So Is The Tongue January Tour:

1/13/2012 TBA – Philadelphia, PA w/ A F*cking Elephant, the DRX, Gun Muffs
1/14/2012 Sound Station – Westfield, NJ [matinee show] w/ El Drugstore, A F*cking Elephant, the DRX
1/14/2012 The Loft – New Brunswick, NJ [night show] w/ A F*cking Elephant, the DRX, more TBA
1/15/2012 house show – Warwick, NY w/ Dead Channels, Tiger Flowers, A F*cking Elephant, the DRX, Pigeon
1/16/2012 – Lit Lounge – New York, NY w/ Lazyblood (Iceland), So Hideous… My Love

So Is The Tongue lineup:

Ron Varod – guitar/vocals
Justin Thouret – drums
Greg Meisenberg – bass

http://www.facebook.com/SoIsTheTongue

http://www.myspace.com/soisthetongue

http://www.nefariousindustries.com/

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*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
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-Check out BraveWords.com’s review and photo gallery of AFM Records’ recent 15th anniversary party at http://www.bravewords.com/news/173729 and http://www.bravewords.com/galleries/587 , respectively. See http://www.afm-records.de/ for more.

-All Else Fails has a new “Studio Spaces” webisode entitled “Cribs Spoof & Beach Combing The Rockies” online at http://www.youtube.com/watch%3Fv%3DyXSQPZRwaHE . See http://www.allelsefails.ca/ for more.

-There’s a new interview with Arrayan Path in the latest issue of Greek Metal Hammer, #324).

-There’s a Spanish-language with Sebastian Bach at http://www.themetalcircus.com/entrevista.php?id=1016 , and a two-part “Friday Frenzy” appearance at http://fb.me/1qoxQVWeq and http://fb.me/1nJRGADjF . Bach’s upcoming tour dates:

2/1 – Ziggy’s, Winston Salem, NC
2/2 – Ram’s Head Live, Baltimore, MD
2/3 – The Omni, Toledo, OH
2/4 – Emerald Theatre, Mt. Clemens, MI
2/7 – Peabody’s, Cleveland, OH
2/8 – Cubby Bear, Chicago, IL
2/10 – The Venue @ The Hub, Fargo, ND
2/11 – Deerfoot Inn & Casino, Calgary, Canada
4/12 – Teatro Caupolican, Santiago, Chile
4/13 – Teatro Flores, Buenos Aires, Argentina
4/14 – Carioca Club, São Paulo, Brazil
4/15 – Opiniao, Porto Alegre, Brazil

See http://www.sebastianbach.com/ for more.

-Battle Beast’s new video for “Enter The Metal World” is online now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ja6fFOJ2bXs . The song is from the band’s Nuclear Blast debut, STEEL, which is due out January 27. Pre-orders are now being taken for the CD/slipcase (with bonus track “Stay Black”), silver vinyl, and limited red vinyl versions at http://bit.ly/rF4MS4 . See http://www.battlebeast.fi/ for more.

-Bëehler — featuring drummer/singer Dan Beehler (ex-Exciter), guitarists Scott Walsh and Sean Brophy, and bassist Brian Stephenson — has its debut MESSAGES TO THE DEAD out now in Europe on High Roller. Check out the title track at http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/12/03/music-premiere-beehlers-messages-to-the-dead/ .

-Bermuda Saints is a new band featuring Colin Blades, son of Night Ranger’s Jack Blades, on lead vocals and Trev Lukather, son of Toto’s Steve Lukather, on guitar and backing vocals. Check them out at http://www.facebook.com/Bermudasaints .

-There’s a “Retro Recommendation” feature on Candlemass’ ANCIENT DREAMS at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/EUxA . Hype: “When it comes to doom metal, one of the first and best bands in the genre was Candlemass. Their 1986 full-length debut EPICUS DOOMICUS METALLICUS was a groundbreaking album for doom, and a classic in any genre. By 1988 the band had developed a signature sound and were hitting on all cylinders.”

-Joe Deninzon & Stratospheerius’ next album will be called THE NEXT WORLD. In the meantime, Deninzon will release his “electric violin method book” entitled “Plugging In: A Guide To Gear And New Techniques For The 21st Century Violinist” through Mel Bay Books next month. Check out a new live video of “Gutterpunk Blues” at http://youtu.be/VC2ClvFqYJM . See http://www.stratospheerius.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/stratospheerius for more.

-Check out Dimebag Darrell memorials from Rob Halford, Rex Brown, Zakk Wylde, Frank Bello, and Sean Yseult (White Zombie) at http://www.revolvermag.com/ .

-Foghat has holiday gifts available — including shirts, hats, photos, shot glasses, bottles of Foghat Cellars Wine, and LAST TRAIN HOME on double blue vinyl — available at http://www.foghat.net/merchandise.htm .

-Hell will open the following European shows for Accept in 2012:

4/6 – Bataclan, Paris, France
4/7 – PPM Fest, Mons, Belgium
4/10 – Big Box, Kempten, Germany
4/11 – Pilharmonie, Stuttgart, Germany
4/13 – Messehalle, Straubing, Germany
4/14 – Event Center, Geiselwind, Germany
4/15 – Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
4/17 – Turbinenhalle, Oberhausen, Germany
4/18 – Große Freiheit, Hamburg, Germany
4/19 – Huxleys, Berlin, Germany

See http://www.hell-metal.com/ for more.

-The Norwegian AOR band Hush is back and has signed a multi-album deal with Z Records. The band is set to perform at next year’s Z Rock Festival in the UK. See http://www.zrecords.net/ for more.

-Upcoming shows by The Iron Maidens:

12/10 – The Ruby Room, San Diego, CA
12/17 – The Can Club, Garden Grove, CA
12/30 – Green Valley Ranch Casino, Las Vegas, NV
12/31 – Paladino’s, Tarzana, CA (New Year’s Eve show)
1/13 – The Galaxy Theatre- Santa Ana, CA

See http://www.theironmaidens.com/ , http://www.facebook.com/TheIronMaidensOfficial , and http://www.myspace.com/theironmaidens for more.

-Iron Mask’s BLACK AS DEATH is due out December 16 on AFM Records. Check out the title track at http://soundcloud.com/afm-records/iron-mask-black-as-death .

-Check out a new video interview with Judas Priest’s Glenn Tipton and Ian Hill at http://www.bravewords.com/news/173860 .

-Lance King has new A MOMENT IN CHIROS T-shirts available at http://merchbooth.net/lance-king-moment-in-chiros-tee/ .

-Lillian Axe has signed with AFM Records and will release XI: THE DAYS BEFORE TOMORROW on January 27.

-There’s a new video interview with Lizzy Borden, from “Metal Gods TV” in Wales, at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=166830 .

-Metallica has been celebrating its 30th anniversary all this week with special gigs at the Fillmore in San Francisco, featuring guest stars, former members, memorabilia, opening bands, and tons more. The first two shows were December 5 and 7, with the last to scheduled for December 9 and 10. Guests at the first show included former bassist Jason Newsted, former guitar tech/live guitarist John Marshall (Metal Church), Sean Harris and Brian Tatler (Diamond Head), Biff Byford (Saxon), and the members of Apocalyptica. Comedian Jim Breuer, The Soul Rebels, Apocalyptica opened. Metallica’s set list: “The Call Of Ktulu,” “No Remorse,” “The Shortest Straw,” “Leper Messiah,” “The Day That Never Comes,” “Carpe Diem Baby,” “Hate Train” (previously unreleased; from the DEATH MAGNETIC sessions), “Please Don’t Judas Me” (Nazareth cover; acoustic), “Wherever I May Roam” (with fan club member John Dent), “Sad But True” (with Marshall), “(Anesthesia) Pulling Teeth,” “No Leaf Clover” (with Apocalyptica), “One” (with Apocalyptica), “Harvester Of Sorrow” (with Newsted), “Damage, Inc.” (with Newsted), “Motorcycle Man” (with Byford), “The Prince” (with Harris and Tatler), “It’s Electric” (with Harris and Tatler), “Helpess” (with Harris and Tatler), “Am I Evil?” (with Harris and Tatler), “Seek & Destroy” (with everyone). Guests at the second show included Newsted, Lou Reed, Marianne Faithfull, Ray Haller (Sweet Savage), Kid Rock, John Bush (Armored Saint, Anthrax), and Mercyful Fate’s King Diamond, Hank Shermann, Michael Denner, and Timi Hansen. The Soul Rebels and Armored Saint opened, and Anthrax’s Scott Ian joined Kirk Hammett onstage to tell Cliff Burton stories. Metallica’s set list: “To Live Is To Die,” “Enter Sandman,” “Holier Than Thou,” “Disposable Heroes,” “Bleeding Me,” “Wasting My Hate,” “My Apocalypse,” “Just A Bullet Away” (previously unreleased; from the DEATH MAGNETIC sessions), “Breadfan” (Budgie cover; with fan Andrew Dowis), “The Memory Remains” (with Faithful), “Killing Time” (with Haller), “Turn The Page” (Bob Seger cover; with Kid Rock), “The Four Horsemen” (with Bush), “Iced Honey” (with Reed), “The View” (with Reed), “White Light/White Heat” (with Reed), “Creeping Death” (with Newsted), “Battery” (with Newsted), “Mercyful Fate Medley” (with Diamond, Shermann, Denner, and Hansen), “Seek & Destroy” (with Newsted, Ian, Haller, Bush, Joey Vera, Gonzo Sandoval, and The Soul Rebels). For complete coverage including photos and video, go to:

1st show

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=166935

2nd show

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=167005

See http://www.metallica.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/Metallica for more.

-There’s a cool “Examiner On Examiner Spotlight” interview with writer (and longtime Friend Of Detritus) Mark Morton at http://www.examiner.com/rock-music-in-boston/examiner-on-examiner-spotlight-mark-morton . Check out Mark’s regular musings on metal and soundtracks at http://www.examiner.com/heavy-metal-in-national/mark-morton and http://www.examiner.com/soundtracks-in-national/mark-morton , respectively.

-Myon, from Finland, has a new video for “Call Of The Senses” featuring Kimberly Knox. Check out a teaser at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Hngt2w6549g . The track comes from the band’s unreleased sixth album, VITALWORKS, and the digital single and video are due out January 1 at iTunes. The band is comprised of Jukka Nummi on vocals, Jyrki Laiho on guitar, Keijo Koivikko on bass, Mika Pohjola on keyboards, and Matti Torro on drums. See http://www.myonmusic.com/ , http://www.myspace.com/myonmusic , http://www.facebook.com/Myonmusic , and http://www.rockngrowl.com/myon for more.

-Orden Ogan’s next album, TO THE END, is due out in April on AFM Records. Hype from the label: “We are right now listening to the first new Orden Ogan demos of the upcoming album TO THE END, which will be released in April. From what we hear, the band could well change their name to ‘Orden Awesom.’ What a blast! Metalheads, prepare for a killer release!”

-Attention Deficit Delirium has a “Digital Playlist” feature from Jasmin St. Claire at http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/12/07/digital-playlist-jasmin-st-claire/ .

-Check out samples of Status Minor’s upcoming OUROBOROS at YouTube at http://t.co/48vO5jx0 .

-Stryper’s next album is due out in the summer and will feature re-recordings of older tracks, plus two new songs called “Bleeding From Inside Out” and “Blackened.” Check out samples of those, and “Rockin’ Around The Christmas Tree 2011,” at http://www.facebook.com/Stryper . In other news, front man Michael Sweet is working on his autobiography and a new solo album, set to feature drummer Kenny Aronoff and guest stars. Sweet will chat about these projects December 16 at Stageit, at http://www.stageit.com/michael_sweet_of_stryper/intimate_chat_with_michael_sweet/6138 . See http://www.stryper.com/ and http://www.michaelsweet.com/ for more.

-Check out photos and a report from Corey Taylor’s (Slipknot, Stone Sour) December 5 unplugged/spoken word/Q&A show at the Highline Ballroom in New York City at http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/12/06/corey-taylors-unplugged-mayhem/ .

-Links to samples from the Michael Thompson Band’s new album FUTURE PAST:

“High Times”

http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/mtb_-_01_-_high_times_.mp3

“Can’t Be Right”

http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/mtb_-_02_-_can%E2%80%99t_be_right_.mp3

“Future Past”

http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/mtb_-_03_-_future_past_.mp3

See http://www.michaelthompson.cc/ and http://www.frontiers.it/ for more.

-TrashCan Symphony’s new ReverbNation page is located at http://www.reverbnation.com/trashcansymphony . Hype: “TrashCan Symphony is a hard hitting cover band from the Chicago suburbs. Comprised of three band members that have played together for many years and three musicians new to the fold; TCS is a fun generating machine willing to take on any song and either faithfully reproduce the original or make it their own. No decade, genre or artist is safe from the TCS treatment. From AC/DC to Avril, Van Halen to Pink, Kelly Clarkson or Quiet Riot; TrashCan Symphony selects songs that will get people jumping and singing along to current hits as well as forgotten favorites.” Go there and check out their Neil Young and AC/DC covers. See http://www.trashcansymphony.com/ for more.

-Tribunal Records’ estore has a sale throughout December where you can get 30% off of select items. Check it out at http://t.co/CpBQdriS .

-There’s a great new interview with Twisted Sister front man Dee Snider at http://www.powerlinemag.com/2011/12/04/dee-snider-talks-about-twisted-sister-legacy/ .

-Check out video of U.D.O. playing Accept’s “Fast As A Shark” and “I’m A Rebel” live in Cologne earlier this year at http://www.facebook.com/udoonline . The release of MASTERCUTOR ALIVE on vinyl has been postponed to December 16. In other news, the band members announced they will not be playing at the Assault Festival 2012. See http://www.udo-online.de/ for more.

-Check out the “Warrant Snack Attack” on Vimeo at http://vimeo.com/32144921 .

Thanks to Bill Leverty, Robert Mason, Marten Andersson, Bryan Reesman, Patrick Prince, AFM Records, Dan Marsicano, Jon Asher, Anne Leighton, Pitch Black Records, Axel Wiesenauer, George Pacheco, Blabbermouth, and Nightmare Records for help gathering some of this information.

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
ERIC CARR – UNFINISHED BUSINESS (A) Auto Rock Records, 2011
18 tracks, RT: 43:36
[ http://www.ericcarr.com/ ]
[ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vJswJyOgQQ (trailer)]
I’m a huge fan of ’80s Kiss — no great revelation there, to anyone who knows me — and I always felt drummer Eric Carr (R.I.P.) was relatively underappreciated by band leaders Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons. After all, he appeared on 10 studio albums but only had a handful of lead vocals and songwriting credits. I always wanted to hear more of his output, and thanks to some hard work by the folks involved with UNFINISHED BUSINESS, we now have it. The disc includes original material dating back years, songs that mix together older backing tracks and/or lyrics with current touch-ups, covers, and six short interview snippets. The first full song, “Just Can’t Wait,” is a breezy, summery AOR song featuring Danger Danger’s Ted Poley singing over a backing track recorded by Carr and former Kiss guitarist Bruce Kulick. “Troubles Inside You” is a crazily bouncy demo rescued from a decades-old cassette tape, featuring Kiss co-writer Mitch Weissman and Carr. “No One’s Messin’ With You” is a Carr/Kulick demo of the HOT IN THE SHADE track “Little Caesar,” with different lyrics. “Carr Jam 1981″ is a cover of the drummer’s signature solo, as performed by ZO2′s Joey Cassata with Benny Doro (Unchained) on guitar and bass. “Shandi” is a real treasure; it features Carr’s take on the UNMASKED song, from his original Kiss audition tape, a laidback and acoustic arrangement buffed up with new backing vocals and music. (Honestly, this is not Carr’s shining moment as a singer, but Kiss fans need to hear it.) “All Hell’s Breakin’ Loose” is ZO2′s straight-up cover of the ominous, stomping LICK IT UP rocker. The mid-tempo “Dial L For Love” is an instrumental demo from the CRAZY NIGHTS sessions; I remember reading about this tune 24+ years ago in Hit Parader or Circus and it’s great to *finally* check it out. “Elephant Man,” featuring Kee Marcello (Europe) on guitar and A.J. Pero (Twisted Sister) on drums, is particularly interesting because it was spawned from autobiographical lyrics Carr wrote back in 1991, shortly before he passed away. The music was only composed a few years ago, and fit around the lyrics. (Marcello rips out a great solo on this one, complete with some signature Ace Frehley licks!) The grooving instrumental demo “Midnite Stranger” is another one Kiss enthusiasts need to hear because it was donated to this project by none other than ANIMALIZE-era guitarist Mark St. John (R.I.P.), shortly before his own untimely death in early 2007. Carr had originally written the song and given it to all his Kiss band mates, but sadly, until now, nothing was ever done with it. “Eyes Of Love” is an excellent, pulsating ’80s rocker with a catchy chorus and a strong vocal from Carr. Another version of this track was released on a previous collection of Carr rarities, 1999′s ROCKOLOGY, but this one has updated music featuring Seether’s John Humphrey on drums and Doro on all other instruments. “Through The Years” is a five-minute compilation of live and rehearsal drum solo segments, including Carr’s innovative use of electronics and samples. The final musical track, “I Cry At Night,” is a bonus track from Carr — then still using his real name of Paul Caravello — and his 1960s band The Cellarman; from this song it’s easy to ascertain these boys were big Beatles fans. Regarding the interview clips, five feature Carr goofing around, talking about auditioning for Kiss, singing, and meeting up with St. John after the latter’s exit from the band; the remaining clip sees former Kiss manager Bill Aucoin (R.I.P.) recalling Carr’s audition. All told, the interview segments add up to only about two minutes’ worth of material, and since Carr rarely was interviewed back in the day I would love to hear lots, lots more. With the interviews and rare tracks, this CD is an absolute gold mine for fans of Carr and ’80s Kiss, and it’s capped off with a brilliant cover photo and detailed liner notes. It’s a shame a couple of the tracks, particularly “Eyes Of Love” and “Just Can’t Wait,” never made it onto any Kiss albums. (In my opinion, they easily could’ve replaced some of the chaff on CRAZY NIGHTS and HOT IN THE SHADE…) It’s my sincere hope that what’s presented here on UNFINISHED BUSINESS is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to the contents of the “Eric Carr Vaults,” and that future releases are on their way.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

WELICORUSS – KHARNHA (SINGLE) (B) indie, 2011
5 tracks, RT: 24:07
[ http://www.welicoruss.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/welicoruss ]
[ https://twitter.com/welicoruss ]
[ http://www.youtube.com/user/WELICORUSSofficial ]
[ http://vkontakte.ru/club587295 ]
Russia’s Welicoruss is billed as a “symphonic pagan metal band,” with two full-length albums under its belt: 2008′s WINTERMOON SYMPHONY and 2009′S APEIRON. “Kharnha” is an Internet-only single that starts with an ominous, building 70-second intro. It leads into “Bridge Of Hope,” which has a killer variety of male vocals including near-whispers, gang chants, and some gruff stuff, along with nice acoustic guitar work and a heartfelt electric solo. It in turn leads into the title track, which starts with a slugging, trudging battlefield march before ratcheting up the double-bass drums and wild vocals; then it slides back into a downright tasty, finely-crafted guitar solo. The atmospheric “Dolmen” is a male/female (male: harsh; female: operatic) duet and more overtly orchestral/symphonic, with a certain romantic darkness lurking beneath the surface. But the real gem here, in my opinion, is the closing, fully orchestral version of “Kharnha.” While the three main songs effortlessly mix elegant symphonic elements with pummeling metal and some thrash, and nicely feature lead guitar — yeah! — this spine-tingling track is a whole different animal that begs to be part of a fantasy film score. By no means am I an authority on the worlds of pagan and/or Viking metal, but to me Welicoruss seems to fit in somewhere as the more refined/sophisticated cousin of bands like Battlelore and Tyr. If you’re feeling adventurous, give the “Kharnha” single a spin.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

*
*** OUT ***
*

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*
*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net

http://www.lakeoffire.net/

http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com

http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-Happy Friday! Here’s a cool feature on the new Eric Carr UNFINISHED BUSINESS CD. I added a bunch of press releases and news bits that have been coming in fast ‘n’ furious, too. (I’m still not sure if there will be an issue next week, so this may be it for 2011. If so, we’ll see you back here in January.) – Tim

*
*** SPECIAL REPORT ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-Eric Carr – UNFINISHED BUSINESS Interviews
November 2011

Last week marked the 20-year anniversary of a sad date in rock history: on November 24, 1991, we lost Queen front man Freddie Mercury and Kiss drummer Eric Carr. It’s hard to believe two decades have passed by so quickly. I was always a bigger fan of Kiss than Queen, and Carr’s time in the band throughout the 1980s is my favorite period of Kisstory, so any time anyone mentions “The Fox” I take notice. The TALE OF THE FOX (1999) and INSIDE THE TALE OF THE FOX – THE ERIC CARR STORY (2000) home videos were excellent reflections on his life, and the albums THE ROCKHEADS (1998), featuring music recorded for a cartoon show idea Carr had in the ’80s, and ROCKOLOGY (1999), featuring songs Carr worked on for Kiss in the late ’80s with guitarist Bruce Kulick and songwriter Adam Mitchell, were absolute lost treasures. And now, 20 years after Carr’s tragic death, his sister Loretta Caravello has assembled and released UNFINISHED BUSINESS, which features even more lost treasures. The 12 musical tracks are comprised of demos, pre-Kiss material, cover songs, and older material spruced up by contributions from Kiss/Carr cohorts and fans Bruce Kulick (Kiss), Ted Poley (Danger Danger), A.J. Pero (Twisted Sister), Kee Marcello (Europe), John Humphrey (Seether), the band ZO2, Benny Doro (Unchained), and Marcia Juell. The CD also includes six interview segments with Carr and longtime Kiss manager Bill Aucoin. Just prior to the anniversary of Carr’s passing, I spoke to Ms. Caravello about what it took to create this great package, and what lies ahead…

DETRITUS: What sparked you to put together this CD?

LORETTA CARAVELLO: I’d have to say it was when I came across a couple of songs that no one had ever heard. I said, “How am I going to get these out there for the kids to enjoy?” I said, “I should put a little CD together, but how am I going to do this?” because we only have these two or three songs. But then what started to happen was other things started to come my way, like “Trouble’s Inside You” by Mitch Weissman. I just happened to be talking to him and he said, “Hey, I got a song your brother did with me,” which is on the CD now. [There was] a cassette from Mark St. John, where my brother wrote “Midnight Stranger,” and Mark said, “You know, this is something your brother had given me” — actually he gave it to all the Kiss members for a possibility on ANIMALIZE. So what happened, the spark lit slowly — let’s put it that way. (laughs) It was first a thought then it started to really become a reality.

D: I didn’t realize that song came from Mark St. John; he’s been gone for a little while now so that tells me you’ve been planning this for some time.

LC: That song is two years old! (laughs) No I’m kidding. It seems like it took that long, I’m telling you, because I had to put it off. My mother became ill, and things of that nature. I put it off because I had — remember, I had a lot of wonderful people helping with this; I know you’ve done some interviews which is great because they all enjoyed it — and I had to work with their schedules. Which is fine; you know, when people are helping you that’s the way you gotta go. So it took a long time, but it’s here. And actually, God works in funny ways because maybe it was meant to be out on his 20th.

D: When was it clear to you the timing of the release would coincide with his 20th anniversary?

LC: Last year when my mother died. That said to me, “You know, this is it now — you gotta get yourself together and you gotta pull this thing together no matter what direction it’s in right now.” Because it was all over the place… It kind of was, not a burden, but it was always in the back of my mind that I hadn’t finished this. I said, “This thing’s gotta get done for my brother.” That’s what happened. I really got into gear after my mother passed away. It kept me busy, and it was for my mom also, and you know, it’s for my brother of course.

D: What is your official title for the project, Executive Producer or Producer?

LC: Stupid Sister. (laughs) That’s me. No, that’s what would my brother would call me. “Get outta here!” (laughs) No no no, he wouldn’t say that. I would say I’m the Executive Producer, yeah.

D: How difficult was it to track down some of the folks who participated in the recordings? For example, I know Kee Marcello is in Scandinavia.

LC: Ralph Asbury, who designed the artwork, does a lot of tribute albums. He’s really great with CDs and everything. We became friends; I’ve known him for a lot of years, and he used to actually be a wrestler — that’s how I first met him. He said, “Loretta, I put my albums together and I ask everybody: ‘Look guys, do you want to be on this?’ This, that, and the other thing.” So he knew somebody named Marko Pukkila, the bassist who plays on “Elephant Man.” Marko knows all these people, musicians; he loves playing with people. He just happened to know Kee Marcello, and he said, “Listen Kee, let’s try this song.” So I never really came into any contact with Kee at all. This is what I mean — that this thing comes from all over and yet it just melted into one beautiful thing, and that even makes it more amazing, how it came together. You know, there’s just different artists, like Marica Juell. She knew, there again, somebody that I knew — friends of Bruce [Kulick] just happened to know her and she happened to be in town that week in L.A., just bopping around. So they said, “Hey, you want to try this?” And she said, “Sure, I’ll do it.” And she did it; she took it home with her to San Francisco. She has ProTools; she’s really talented and she put it together. I never heard from her and she never heard from me, basically. This went through someone else; I got the piece and [production assistant] Beth [Jordan] put it together. It just… It just worked out. It was very weird that everybody that’s on this was meant to be on it, because they came together in such peculiar ways.

D: What about the CD’s interview segments, which are interspersed among the songs? Where did they come from?

LC: They came from Tony Confessore, who did a tribute show for my brother many, many years ago. Actually, he interviewed my brother when he was alive, of course, because that’s where the material comes from. I just happened to know him — he’s a neighborhood guy, a real cool guy. I asked him, “Would it be all right if I threw a couple of these clips in?” He said, “Sure.” And that’s how it came about. It just so happened that my brother happened to talk about some of the stuff on the CD. I was gonna include more of the interviews but I wasn’t sure, you know, about the reaction from the fans. Me, it’s my brother, okay? And I could always turn my brother off when I wanted to. (laughs) So I said, “You know, maybe the fans will kind of listen and say, ‘Oh I don’t want it. Skip this. I just want to get to the music. Forget this! Forget this!’” But it’s been a good response. I probably would’ve been a lot better off putting a little more on for them.

D: Yeah! I’m a big Kiss fan from those days and it was unfortunate that I never really saw or read many interviews with your brother. I remember back when Dale Sherman’s book “Black Diamond” came out in 1997…

LC: Oh, he was a great guy, yeah. He came over to the house a couple of times. Great guy.

D: That book included a bonus CD featuring an interview with your brother. I thought that thing was complete gold, a total find.

LC: Oh it was, it was. And not that I want to spill the beans about anything right now, but someone came to me — it’s funny how people come out of the woodwork. They come to you and they offer you things that you never even knew existed. Someone from Canada came to me; he had interviewed my brother a few months — October — before he got sick in 1990. I know the timing of that, basically, when he wasn’t feeling too well. The questions that this guy asks my brother are questions that I never heard anybody ask. And my brother’s answers… If I was trying to find out what my brother was thinking about things, I found them out through this interview. I mean, he talks about the Rockheads. The guy says, “What about if ‘The Rockheads’ doesn’t take off as an animated thing?” My brother says, “Well, you know, maybe we could do some sweatshirts, or some other kind of stuff.” And that’s what I did with them. And I never knew that my brother was for it, that my brother would approve of something like that. I always thought it was the animated thing — which it is — but I never heard him offer a different direction. So we’re going to release this interview; the guy gave us permission to do it. And when you hear some of this stuff, it’s like — it makes me cry because it’s really my brother just talking as a brother. The stories he tells, and things that happened to us as kids that he’s never shared with anybody.

D: That sounds amazing.

LC: Yeah, it’s very touching to me. I mean, at least to me as a sister, just to find out, “Wow, that’s what my brother thought.” You learn things.

D: It’s amazing, even after he’s been gone this long. Does it feel like it’s been 20 years?

LC: Not really because I kind of do things to keep his memory alive. So he’s there every day, and it just feels like it was yesterday that I was with him. In a way it’s a good thing, you know — it just keeps you going. I mean, I got a lot of things in my life for myself, too, but my brother is part of that and will always be part of that. I can only do so much to carry on his memory, you know? (laughs) Someday I won’t be here, either. I’m not worried, because it’s gonna live through the kids. That’s what’s important.

D: What about the photo on the CD cover? That’s an awesome shot of Eric. Where did that come from? Did you have to dig for that or did someone give it to you?

LC: Oh yeah, I had to dig in my pockets real deep. (laughs) No I’m kidding you! I had to license that shot. But it came about by a fluke. I had Joey Cassata from ZO2 was over at my house, and Billy Amendola from Modern Drummer… And by the way I’ll throw this in — Modern Drummer is releasing a nice spread on the CD this issue, in November, in Modern Drummer. So everybody go out and get that! So we were sitting by my computer and I was showing Joey the original cover, and he said, “You can’t do that! Get something in makeup!” I said, “What are you talking about? I got three days left!” And then I was just flipping through shots that I had, that were just in my collection, and they said, “We want that one — it looks great!” So I’ve got to thank Joey and Billy — they’re the guys. I viewed it differently; I view it from another perspective. They view it as Kiss fans because they are huge Kiss fans, so they helped me in that way. And then I got in touch with Bill Ludwig, the original owner of the photo — and nobody knew who shot it — and he tracked me to Robert Keeling, who did that photo shoot for my brother in 1980. And the rest is history.

D: I have to ask… I’m sure everyone who’s a Kiss fan is dying to know if you contacted Paul Stanley or Gene Simmons about this project. Have they given their blessing, or anything like that?

LC: Not at all, not at all. Nope. I didn’t because, basically, it’s something that I did the right way; nobody could ever say that I did it the wrong way. It’s in good taste. We do have the rights to use my brother’s image and likeness as we wish, in that respect. As far as the shot on the cover, as long as you license the shot it doesn’t matter whether he has makeup or not, because you’re actually licensing the shot. But I wanted to thank them in the CD, personally, because, you know, overall if it was not for them my brother wouldn’t have lived his dream. He lived his dream, regardless of whether it was short. They gave him that chance. So as far as their blessings, in terms of that, they have not said anything to me. Meaning, they know the project, and they even said something very nice about my brother in the Modern Drummer article about the CD. Kissonline.com’s store is carrying the CD. So that was my way of interpreting them saying, “Hey, it’s okay. It’s in good taste and it’s a good thing. Go for it.” That was it. But I didn’t physically call them, no. There’s no need for that. If they called to talk I’d say, “Hi,” you know, but there’s no need for that.

D: How has the response been, from the people who’ve bought the CD?

LC: I have not had one negative response. Now, I don’t know, maybe I deleted those beforehand… Nah, I’m kidding. (laughs) But I’ve not had any negative response. Some are better than others, in terms of, you know, some people think it’s amazing, some people have their favorite songs. Some people understand the real concept of what it’s all about — it’s unfinished business. They were just so hungry to hear new stuff. And all the artists on it, they’re amazing what they did with the material, from “Shandi” to “All Hell’s Breaking Loose” — I mean, you couldn’t ask for better than that. “Eyes Of Love,” the way John Humphrey plays that with Benny Doro… it’s fabulous. What do you think about it? (laughs)

D: Ever since you started putting out the TALE OF THE FOX videos, and the ROCKOLOGY CD way back when, in the late ’90s…

LC: Yes, we go back a long way, you and I.

D: I mean, everything that you’ve put out I think has been great, just because he was a big reason why I got into Kiss — and hard rock — at the age I did, around when CREATURES OF THE NIGHT came out.

LC: Good time, yeah.

D: The sound of his drums was so amazing, and his Fox was a cool character. I even remember watching earlier, when he was introduced to the American fans on that show “Kids Are People Too.” Everything just clicked for me. I was like, “He’s cool! I like this guy!” But I always wanted him to hear him sing, and to do more. I remember the MTV concert from the ANIMALIZE tour, where he got to sing “Young And Wasted” and “Black Diamond,” and my friends and I were like, “Finally! This is so cool!” Every little scrap about your brother that comes out is important to me.

LC: And that’s basically, too, the way I felt with the CD, was… I mean, I went through an endless amount of tapes, okay? I do have hundreds of songs, but a lot of them are pre-Kiss — and not that that doesn’t make it good; some of them are spectacular where he sings and plays. The kids don’t care; they love the pre-Kiss stuff, too. They just want to hear him play and sing. It’s a lot of fun. But a lot of it you have to be careful what you use, what you don’t use, who’s on it, who’s playing — you’ve got to get permission and there’s a lot of red tape involved. As far as the video goes, there’s actually going to be another video coming, probably in July, a TALE OF THE FOX PT. 2 with all-new footage. That’s going to be put together by Jack Sawyers, who did the first one and who has hours — endless, endless hours — of video, professional video.

D: Well, good! I was going to ask about what else is coming up. You’d dropped hints to me before about a vinyl version of UNFINISHED BUSINESS. What else is on the horizon?

LC: A little bird told me there may be a vinyl ROCKOLOGY and UNFINISHED BUSINESS together, limited to a certain amount of copies. But that’s not right around the corner — it takes about three months for those things to at least even just be manufactured. We’re talking maybe more in the spring. And that’s not going to be put out from me — that’s going to be put out from someone else. There’s actually an awesome iPod cover — actually covers for all those Apple products — of my brother. There’s also going to be a Rockheads series — and these are all from a company called Magic Brands in Australia — so you’re going to get a lot of stuff there, you’re going to get sets of picks. There’s a new UNFINISHED BUSINESS drumstick that’s coming out, which is just going to be a limited edition, and some of them are actually going to be signed by the drummers on the CD. I think we’re only doing like 60 pairs of those. That’s going to be pretty cool. We got a lot of stuff. Would you like to see a card set? Three separate sets of 15 each with all personal shots that my brother owned, of the band.

D: Like the trading cards that came with the TALE OF THE FOX video, that sort of thing?

LC: Yes, three sets, 15 per set. And that’s taken from shots that he shot of the band, or someone shot for him. There’s a very cool shot of Gene blowing fire and he’s got his regular clothes on. This is stuff that like you or me, if we were just hanging out, would take shots. That’s coming out. There’s a lot of stuff. You just have to keep watching the website. Have you seen the series of videos we’ve been doing with BraveWords.com, the “Through The Years” videos?

D: Yes I have.

LC: Those are cool. Also, there’s going to be a contest coming up from BraveWords.com. I’m working with them, from EricCarr.com, to give away a gold record award. Paiste’s giving us a 22″ crash cymbal; they want to be part of the contest. There’s going to be CDs given away, signed sticks, signed CDs… It’s going to be really cool. The contest is actually going to be interactive, where Bruce Kulick, Marcia Juell, the whole group ZO2, John Humphrey from Seether, and Eddie Trunk are actually going to ask you a question. The answer’s found in the video trailer, which is going to follow them asking you the questions on the screen. Then you go to BraveWords.com to submit your answers. It’s going to be a random draw but there are going to be lots of prizes given away. It’s probably going to be announced maybe the first or second week of January. So we’re going to start it probably a week or two before Christmas. Everyone can be a part of it.

D: I’m glad so many people are helping you and pulling together to help celebrate Eric’s life.

LC: They’re all great people. In life sometimes you cross paths with people and you don’t understand why. Like I told you, I think everyone that is on this CD was meant to be there. Because believe me, a lot of people were asking, you know, who had a story or who had no belief — there were people that didn’t believe in the project and they didn’t even want to be part of it because they don’t like the way “Shandi” sounded, or don’t like the way this sounded… And I’m glad that they didn’t do it because it turned out better with the people that should’ve been on it.

D: So, ultimately, are you satisfied with the CD?

LC: Yeah! I’m very happy with it. Like I said to you, I wish I had more to share with the fans, in terms of recordings… I do have some recordings and things that still are going to come out, maybe as a download. Right now the CD is available on iTunes, Amazon — it’s available everywhere. But we’re going to do a limited edition, probably just from EricCarr.com, where you’ll get a downloadable 16-page booklet with all different photos and stuff, and probably a limited edition extra track.

D: Finally, I just want to say thank you so much for doing this project, and for the interview.

LC: Thank you — you’re the one helping us out. I appreciate it.

-Throughout our correspondence leading up to this interview, Loretta also put me in touch with several of the folks who had a hand in creating UNFINISHED BUSINESS. I conducted the following brief email interviews with:

Ted Poley – singer for several melodic rock acts, most notably Danger Danger, who toured with Kiss just prior to Carr’s passing.

Ralph Asbury – musician and multimedia mastermind behind Lunar Moth Entertainment and the TributeAlbums.com website.

Marcia Juell – successful dance music singer and songwriter, whose hits include “Beautiful Day,” “Free,” “Let It Flow,” “Fly Away,” and this year’s “Calling.”

Kee Marcello – former guitarist of Europe; he’s now an author and in the midst of a booming solo career with the Kee Marcello Band.

DETRITUS: What does Eric Carr, or his era of Kiss, mean to you?

TED POLEY: He was a very nice guy, and I loved watching him play every night when I was on tour with Kiss.

RALPH ASBURY: My first introduction to Kiss came from an older cousin that was into the band in the late ’70s. When Peter Criss first left the band, I was really too young too realize that there had been a change. Years later when I was a teenager with a band of my own, it was the Eric Carr/Bruce Kulick lineup that was an influence to me as a musician. Of course, I went back and learned the history at that point as well. So, at different points, Kiss has meant different things to me. What Eric Carr has always meant to me was the perfect example of meeting a hero and having them live up to your expectations. So many times you hear stories about people getting the chance to meet a rock star or and actor that they admired, and the person turns out to be a jerk. With Eric this was never the case, and his reputation clearly reflects that.

MARCIA JUELL: It was a total HONOR to be included in this amazing project dedicated to Eric! I did not grow up listening to Kiss, my parents were convinced they were devil worshipers! lol

KEE MARCELLO: A lot. CREATURES OF THE NIGHT is one of my all-time favorite Kiss albums. Eric’s explicit sound and style of drumming has left an unforgettable imprint. I have often used it as a sound reference when I’ve been recording/producing.

D: Why did you want to take part in the project, and how did you come to be involved with it?

TP: I was asked by his family to do it and I didn’t hesitate to participate.

RA: I little over 10 years ago I released an album called PROPHECY. It was a tribute to Eric Carr, and was modeled after the 1978 Kiss solo albums. The idea was to take the inspiration that I got from Eric and Kiss and write some songs as if I were a member of the band when the solo albums where produced, something Eric didn’t get a chance to do. When I was putting the project together I met Eric’s family through a mutual friend and discussed the project with them. They where very supportive of the project, and even offered the use of some material that was included on the album. I have been in touch with the family ever since, and was asked to participate in this project from the early stages a few years ago.

MJ: It kinda fell into my lap actually. I was introduced to Eric Carr’s sister Loretta by my good friend Tony Williams of Music Star Productions. He had recommended to Lor that I would be a good choice for some of the female vocals on UNFINISHED BUSINESS and “Shandi” was the song of choice.

KM: I got the question from the producer Marko Pukkila. He showed me the song “Elephant Man,” which I immediately liked, and instantly started hearing arrangements and my interpretation of it. I was very moved by the lyrics which so obviously where about himself.

D: How did you contribute to the CD?

TP: I sang the song “Just Can’t Wait.” I also arranged the backing vocals and sang them with my friend Mike Ledesma.

RA: I had a few hands in UNFINISHED BUSINESS. I designed the logo and the CD packaging. After discussing the theme and material that would be included, I am very happy to say that I came up with the title for the album. I also acted as somewhat of a project consultant in that I was able to help with some of the licensing involved, marketing options, and some of the business side of things.

MJ: I sang backing vocals on “Shandi.” I recorded and engineered my vocals in my ProTools home studio, in the San Francisco Bay Area.

KM: I arranged and played all the guitars on “Elephant Man.” It was an interesting process making the parts of the song “glue together,” since it’s both changing from acoustics with a slide melody into a heavy riffing second part and also has a tempo change. I think it turned out great!

D: What are you up to now, and how can fans best stay informed?

TP: I am touring the world in Danger Danger and with my solo band, I have many shows planned for 2012 around the world and I hope that my fans will come out and rock with me. I have a new digital single, “Breathe” available on iTunes, and a great video on YouTube, you can check it out at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3ewx665FeOo&feature=youtu.be . Please go to http://www.tedpoley.com/ and also see me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/pages/Ted-Poley/123851607689228 .

RA: Right now I am working on a number of projects including an animated film with an all-star cast, a have a book coming out shortly, and a bunch of smaller projects in the works. Visit my production company website for the latest: http://www.LunarMoth.com/ .

MJ: I’m excited about several new collaborations coming soon: “Save My Heart” (Soviet Recordings), “Live Again” (Bonzai Records), and “Happiness” (Housepital Records). All of my records can be found on my iTunes page at http://itunes.apple.com/us/artist/marcia-juell/id219711701 . Keep in touch with me on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=1720338302 and my main website http://www.marciajuell.com/ .

KM: I just released my autobiography, “The Rock Star God Forgot,” and my new album, REDUX: EUROPE, in Sweden. The book is being translated into English and is going to be available during 2012. The album is released worldwide in February. In June 28-30 my manager and I are launching “KeeFest” which is going to be one of the biggest rock festivals in Europe. It is taking place at Åby Racingtrack in Mölndal right outside Gothenburg City. It will have the capacity of five football courts. (!!!) My band, Kee Marcello Band, is embarking on a European tour which will start in Scandinavia in February. We have requests from all territories, so this will eventually be a World tour. For updates about this, coming tours, releases, etc., go to http://www.keemarcello.com/ . I want to take the opportunity to thank all my fans for the support. See you on the road soon!

-Clearly, UNFINISHED BUSINESS was a labor of love for many different people from all over the musical landscape. It’s a testament to Carr’s influence on, and relationships with, those who were close to him and those who followed his career, and it offers deeper insight into what made him tick. As a longtime fan I offer heartfelt thanks to everyone involved in putting it together. Long Live Eric Carr!

Relevant links:

Eric Carr

http://www.ericcarr.com/

“Through The Years” videos
Pt. 1 – Bill Aucoin & John Humphrey (Seether)

Pt. 2 – Bruce Kulick & Lydia Criss

Pt. 3 – A.J. Pero, Mark Slaughter & Carmine Appice

Pt. 4 – Carrie Stevens & Eddie Trunk

UNFINISHED BUSINESS CD trailer

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-The Last Vegas: The OTHER SIDE EP Release — Get It Now

The OTHER SIDE EP Is Here…

The Last Vegas’ new OTHER SIDE EP is now available through the TLV Merch Store ( http://www.shopbenchmark.com/thelastvegas ) and worldwide through Century Media Distribution ( http://www.cmdistro.com/ ). The CD version of the OTHER SIDE EP features a bonus track “My Way Forever,” not included on the digital version (available on iTunes, AmazonMP3, etc.). Plus, Santa says from now ’til Xmas, every TLV T-shirt in the Merch Store ships with a FREE copy of the new EP. Grab one.

And check out the video for “The Other Side” here:

http://www.youtube.com/thelastvegasvideos/

Chicago Tour Dates:
December 9, 2011 @ Cubby Bear Wrigleyville w/ Bad City
December 14, 2011 @ Bottom Lounge w/ Parlor Mob

2012 European Tour Dates:
February 3, 2012 Hondarribia Psylocibenea Spain
February 4, 2012 Burgos Estudio 27 Spain
February 7, 2012 Cangas De Morrazos Salason Spain
February 8, 2012 A Coruña Mardigras Spain
February 9, 2012 Leon Campus Spain
February 10, 2012 Vitoria Helldorado Spain
February 11, 2012 Pamplona Totem Spain
February 14, 2012 Madrid La Boite Spain
February 15, 2012 Cadiz Supersonic Spain
February 17, 2012 Valencia Durango Club Spain
February 18, 2012 Barcelona Rock Sound Spain
February 19, 2012 Monzón, Huesca Serjos Zona Rock Spain

…stay tuned to thelastvegas.com for updates.

Century Media Distro Pack Exclusive

Exclusively from Century Media Distribution, get the new OTHER SIDE EP, a collector’s edition album T-shirt, plus an autographed tour poster by the band for $20.00.

Order it now:

http://www.cmdistro.com/Item/Last_Vegas-_The_-_Other_Side_-CD+_TS+_Poster-_-Pre_Order-/PKG000977

The Last Vegas

http://www.thelastvegas.com/

http://www.facebook.com/thelastvegas

http://www.myspace.com/thelastvegas

http://www.reverbnation.com/thelastvegas

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-Lion Music Label & Artist News

House Of Shakira Gearing Up For Release Of HOS: Artwork, Track Listing & Video Teaser Revealed!

House Of Shakira, one of Sweden’s longest running and most respected melodic hard rock bands, are back with a revitalized lineup which sees Andreas Novak (solo/ex-Mind’s Eye) joining on lead vocals, a potent new set of songs and a bright future as their new opus HOS will testify on 27th January 2012, released via Lion Music.

The full track listing is now confirmed as:

1. Brick Wall Falling
2. Changes In Mind
3. Carry My Load
4. Zodiac Maniac
5. Fractions Of Love
6. Midnight Hunger
7. Endless Night
8. All Aboard!
9. What Goes Around…
10. I’ll Be Gone
11. Voice In The Void
12. Lost In Transition
13. Out Of My Head

In addition a video teaser of a selection of new tracks can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YdPU_Ny5YKU .

Full information coming shortly.

http://www.houseofshakira.com/

http://www.myspace.com/houseofshakira

http://www.facebook.com/HouseofShakira

http://www.youtube.com/user/HouseofShakira

Venturia Guitarist Charly Sahona Makes “Guitar Idol III” Final

Venturia founder/guitarist and solo artist Charly Sahona has been selected as a finalist and will appear live at “Guitar Idol III”; the world’s biggest and best guitar competition with its live final showcase on 4th December 2011 at The Garage, London (N5). Full info on the event at http://www.guitaridol.tv/ .

Charly’s solo album NAKED THOUGHTS FROM A SILENT CHAOS (Lion Music) was released in 2010 and he is currently finishing up the production of the third Venturia album (title TBC) set for release in 2012.

First Vocalist Confirmed For Book Of Reflections’ III

Book Of Reflections musical mastermind Lars Eric Mattsson has checked in with the following update.

“Things are going well with the new Book Of Reflections album. We are now in the final stages of recording with only the vocals remaining and I am today proud to announce that the phenomenal singer Carsten ‘Lizard’ Schulz (Evidence One, ex Domain) has joined the team.”

The new album sees an ever-evolving flow in the project’s style into progressive neo-classical waters and another vocalist announcement is expected shortly.

Book Of Reflections’ III is set for release later in 2012.

Lion Music Webstore Super Sale!

A big box with 100 Mixed Lion Music back catalogue CDs for just 298 Euros!

Most of these are going to become rarities as they won’t be reprinted once sold out so now is the chance to discover some older gems from our back catalogue.

Visit http://www.lionmusic.com/ShopSelect.htm and click Mega Sale on left menu.

Lion Music

http://www.lionmusic.com/

http://www.facebook.com/LionMusicRecordLabel

http://twitter.com/lionmusic

http://www.youtube.com/lionmusicfinland

Latest tracks by LionMusicRecordLabel

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-Electric Boys To Sweden Rock Festival 2012!

Electric Boys (S)

With an original hybrid of funk and the mighty distorted riff, Swedish Electric Boys’ debut album FUNK-O-METAL CARPET RIDE paved the way for all sorts of bland copies. Songs like “All Lips N’ Hips” and “Electrified” even had the hugely successful producer Bob Rock feeling so sure that Electric Boys were going to make it big that he produced an American version of the album in 1990. The musical content of the follow-up, GROOVUS MAXIMUS, backed up its title and songs like “Mary In The Mystery World” and “Knee Deep In You” cemented the fact that Electric Boys had carved themselves a very own chapter in rock history.

But nothing good lasts forever. The album FREEWHEELIN’ saw half of the band replaced, and the next inevitable step was a break-up in 1994 — for what seemed to be for good. The core duo of Conny Bloom (vocals and guitar) and Andy Christell joined the legendary Hanoi Rocks, but when the Finnish group broke up in 2009 it opened up for a reunion for Electric Boys. And so Conny, Andy, guitarist Franco Santunione and drummer Niclas Sigevall returned to the big stages in style with a very well-received gig at Sweden Rock Festival the same year. However, his time it will be even better. The band’s fourth album, AND THEM BOYS DONE SWANG (2011), proves that Electric Boys are stronger than ever.

Tickets are available at our website: http://www.swedenrock.com/ . There you can also find more information about ticket prices and accommodation.

Around 70 bands will perform on our five stages next summer. The following bands have been confirmed so far:

MOTLEY CRUE
LYNYRD SKYNYRD
BLUE OYSTER CULT
DIMMU BORGIR
SYMPHONY X
EDGUY
GAMMA RAY
DANKO JONES
ELECTRIC BOYS
SLADE
NATIONALTEATERN
TYGERS OF PAN TANG
GIRLSCHOOL
PENTAGRAM
BONAFIDE
HELL
SACRED REICH
GRAVEYARD

More info about the bands can be found on our website: http://www.swedenrock.com/

Welcome to Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, 6-7-8-9 June 2012!
Tel: 0456-317 95
Fax: 0456-317 94
E-mail: info@swedenrock.com

http://www.swedenrock.com/

Sweden Rock Festival
Nygatan 27
294 34 Sölvesborg
Sweden

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-Napalm Records News

Diabulus In Musica: Signs To Napalm

The gothic metal band signed a worldwide recording deal with Napalm Records. The new album will be released in March 2012! The latest live dates are listed below!

“We feel extremely happy and proud to start working hand-in-hand with one of the biggest labels in our genre today. We both share a similar enthusiasm towards the new album, which is why we feel confident about our future and are strongly motivated. Our upcoming release is full of passion, energetic, yet delicate, and also a big step forward in our music. We are sure that this new deal with Napalm Records will bring our music to the next level!”

27.02.12 BE – Brussels / Ancienne Belgique + TARJA TURUNEN
02.03.12 ES – Barcelona / Mephisto + LEAVES’ EYES, ATROCITY
03.03.12 ES – Madrid / Rythmo y Compas + LEAVES’ EYES, ATROCITY

http://www.facebook.com/diabulusinmusicaofficial

http://www.myspace.com/diabulusinmusicaband

http://diabulusinmusica.com/

Månegarm: Viking Warriors On Napalm

The Swedish warriors Månegarm are the latest addition to the Napalm roster! The Viking metal band has been releasing one anthem after another since the mid nineties and will continue this legacy with a new long-player in 2012:

“We are very proud to announce that Månegarm will sail under the Napalm Records banner from now on. We are very excited and encouraged as we enter this new collaboration and we’re certain that this will mean a big improvement for Månegarm as a band. We expect to release a killer new album in late 2012. Keep you eyes and ears open!”

http://www.facebook.com/Manegarmsweden

http://www.myspace.com/manegarm

http://www.manegarmsweden.com/

https://www.youtube.com/Manegarmofficial

Serenity: New Clip

The Austrian metallers produced a video to their song “When Canvas Starts To Burn”! The clip is available at http://www.youtube.com/napalmrecords#p/u/3/DIxgC0Hl4cU .

http://www.facebook.com/serenityaustria

http://www.myspace.com/serenitybandtyrol

http://www.serenity-band.com/

Xandria: Reveal Cover

Xandria reveals the cover and title of their new album. Fans may admire the NEVERWORLD’S END artwork and the second part of the studio diary at http://xandria.de/ .

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Xandria/22990570888?ref=ts

http://www.myspace.com/xandria

http://xandria.de/

Napalm Records

http://www.napalmrecords.com/

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-Patrick Hemer Releases MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE

Artist: Patrick Hemer
Title: MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE
UPC: 798576534028
Cat. #: MBR34-102
Genre: Metal / Progressive / Shred
Areas Of strength: Europe/USA/Japan

“Progressive Metal meets virtuoso guitar playing and amazing vocal work in this stunning masterpiece that proves that the Progressive Metal label can definitely include well-crafted songs.”

A long-respected studio musician, touring hired gun and guitar instructor, Patrick Hemer gained worldwide recognition at the dawn of the 2000s as the main man and fretboard wizard of the German metal band Horizon with whom he recorded a few cult albums, including the critically acclaimed THE SKY’S THE LIMIT (Massacre Records – 2002) and the outstanding WORLDS APART (Massacre/King – 2004) that received a warm welcome in Japan, thanks to the fervent support of legendary magazine Burrrn!

Back to the world of recording studios for a while after the untimely break-up of Horizon, Patrick collaborated in numerous projects in a wide array of genres, started getting involved in production, and also devoted himself more and more to teaching to become an in-demand clinician maintaining strong contacts with the guitar community.

But his deep, unwavering love for metal music finally had to take over again…

Now, teaming up with drummer extraordinaire Tom Wagner and keyboardist David Casanova, he has put together a new solo project meant to display his best, but also heaviest, playing and songwriting to date.

His current album, MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE produced by Patrick himself, is a perfect balance of huge guitar riffs, warm melodic vocal work with stellar harmonies and Hemer’s trademark out-of-this world soloing, all backed up by clever arrangements and Tom Wagner’s brilliant drumming.

Definitely proving that Patrick Hemer belongs to the small club of the best players on the planet, MORE THAN MEETS THE EYE is also a Progressive Metal masterpiece and a must for every fan of the genre.

Now, all the world’s Prog-Power Metal maniacs and shred guitar aficionados can feel confident in the future, they know that Patrick Hemer is here to keep the flame alive and well…

Track List:
1. Up From The Ashes
2. Thorn In My Flesh
3. Edge Of Insanity
4. For All Eternity
5. Firelight
6. The Godfather
7. Panem Et Circenses
8. Legend In Your Own Mind
9. Death On Two Legs
10. Guilty
11. Terra Incognita

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-Handsome Dick Manitoba Throbblehead Figure Announced

Pre-Orders Open Now, Shipping February 2012

Handsome Dick Manitoba, King of New York and fearless leader of The Dictators, has been promoted to throbblehead status!

This figure capturing Richard’s signature modern day look is limited to 1,000 numbered units, stands at 7 inches tall, and is made of super strong polyresin.

Don’t mess with Manitoba as he stands proudly representing the Lower East Side. He’s accurately sculpted right down to the weathered Dictators leather jacket and searing glare.

Currently, you can him out on his own radio show, “The Handsome Dick Manitoba Radio Program” in Little Steven Van Zandt’s Underground Garage, on Sirius – XM Satellite Radio (Ch. 21), Mon. – Fri., 8 p.m. – 12 a.m. (ET). You can also drop by his World Famous Rock And Roll Tavern, Manitoba’s, located at 99 Ave. B, NYC (Btwn. 6th & 7th Streets).

Link to Purchase:

http://www.aggronautix.com/products.cfm?productid=45

Manitoba is the twelfth person to be polyresinated by Aggronautix. In May of 2009, the company launched with a highly popular G.G. Allin “1991″ figure, which was limited to 2,000 numbered units.

All Aggronautix figures are now available for purchase on http://www.aggronautix.com/ or http://www.seeofsound.com/ and will also be available at many independent retailers, comic shops, tattoo parlors, etc via distribution by MVD Entertainment Group — a company specializing in music-related distribution since 1986.

Follow Aggronautix on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/Aggronautix .

# # #

Distributed by
Aggronautix
370 Washington Ave.
Phoenixville PA 19460

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-Himora’s ARGUE ALL YOU WANT Out Soon On Drugstore Records

Artist: Himora
Title: ARGUE ALL YOU WANT
Drugstore Records #DRDIGI04
File Under: Hard Rock
EAN: 707124504234 9
Release: December 9, 2011

Track list:
1. Just Can’t Stop
2. Like A Heart Attack
3. Too Long At The Fair
4. Birmingham
5. When The Boys Are Back
6. Wings
7. Big Betty
8. Summer Dress
9. Fisherman’s Blues
10.Mexico Smile
11.Legend In Your Lunchbox

Bio:
Himora takes you on a ride back to a time when rock music was interesting and fun! Good songs and great musicianship to quote a live review; “A gourmet dish served by fork-lift”

Even though ARGUE ALL YOU WANT is their first outing under the Himora moniker, these guys have been playing together, on and off, for about a decade.

Apart from a short stint in the US in 2004, and a couple of Norwegian tours as backing band for Eric Martin (Mr. Big) Himora has somehow slipped under the radar as far as commercial success goes. Still they’ve maintained a loyal (if exclusive) following and are known to be a supertight and powerful live act. This translates well on a lot of the tracks on ARGUE ALL YOU WANT. The arrangements are solid and Himora delivers a classic rock package that is both confident and rough, even beautiful in places.

This four-piece out of Oslo, Norway, juggles ’80s power-pop against a classic ’70s rock swagger, like Cheap Trick meets Bad Company with a bit of old school Aerosmith / James Gang funkiness thrown in there too.

Inspired by the usual suspects, Himora still put their own stamp on things. The discerning listener will recognize several influences, but for the most part, Himora dance the night away in their own right. If you’re into ’70s – ’80s melodic rock that veers slightly off the beaten path and if you enjoy the occasional wisecrack lyric, (think Joe Walsh, Fagen, Zappa) Himora might just be your new favorite band.

http://www.facebook.com/HimoraMusic

Label:
Drugstore Records
Grenseveien 11 b
0571 Oslo, Norway

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-Abnormal Thought Patterns: Debut EP Released Today

Stream Of Full EP Available Via Metal Underground

The blistering self-titled debut EP from technical progressive metal outfit Abnormal Thought Patterns is now officially available! Officially released today on the band’s own recently formed CynNormal Lab Recordings, Abnormal Thought Patterns is now available to the public via CD and high-quality digital download through several major online spots as well as from the band directly.

In celebration of the release, Abnormal Thought Patterns have reached out to the brethren at Metal Underground to host a stream of the entire EP for the coming weeks. Stop by and have your face removed by the seven tracks harnessed on the scorching ABNORMAL THOUGHT PATTERNS right here:

http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=74470

Multiple ordering options are available as well at this location:

http://www.facebook.com/#!/pages/Abnormal-Thought-Patterns/160108597365964?sk=app_155326481208883

Formed by Northern California-based brothers Jasun and Troy Tipton (both of Zero Hour, Cynthesis) and Mike Guy (Zero Hour), the instrumental act is arguably the most mind-melting display of technical proficiency from this closely-knit trio to date. Having performed together for over eight years in a variety of well-known progressive metal acts, Abnormal Thought Patterns fuse angular riffs, intricate time signatures and intense solos, generally at a very high velocity, constantly creating highly intense and invigorating song structures. In order to complete the live sound, the trio recruited longtime friend and talented guitarist Richard Sharman; a student of Jasun’s for many years and a great addition to the group. Five of the EP’s tracks were mixed by Dino Alden (Marty Friedman, Zero Hour), and the other two by Matt LaPlant (Sikth, Nonpoint), with mastering duties handled by Alan Douches (Between The Buried and Me, The Dillinger Escape Plan) and cover artwork by Erick “Wurm” Pollard.

“Between the impressive guitar work, controlled drumming, and dominant bass presence, this instrumental group is easily one to keep an eye on regardless of your taste in Progressive material. 8.5/10″ – Apoch’s Metal Review

“…a crazy 20-minute face melting technical shred-a-thon and by far the best work out of all three members of the band.” – The Inarguable

“…they are just too damn good on their instruments and must practice 25 hours a day. The opening track, ‘The Machine Within,’ is sick. I have never heard a bass guitar played so fast of so clearly in my life… I suddenly have a clear understanding of the Pythagorean Theorem. 4/5″ – MusikReviews

Abnormal Thought Patterns Facebook

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Abnormal-Thought-Patterns/160108597365964

CynNormal Lab Recordings Facebook

http://www.facebook.com/pages/CynNormal-Lab-Recordings/177487832338036

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
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-UK Hard Rock Band Starseed Set To Release Their Debut Single In The US

New Single, “Shine” Will Release On iTunes December 6, 2011

NEW YORK, NY — The UK based hard-rock band, Starseed will debut their new single, “Shine” in the US on December 6, 2011 through iTunes. Their soaring vocals and powerful melody will leave all hard rock and metal fans begging for more. The US release of Starseed’s album, PEACE MACHINE, will be released early 2012. Starseed will also be in the US for promotion early January.

Touring with bands such as Godsized and Senser, Starseed has also played major festivals alongside Rage Against The Machine, Rob Zombie, and Linkin Park. Most recently, they performed at the 2011 Download Festival. With these achievements, Starseed are also proud endorsees of PRS Guitars, Blackstar Amps, Tama Drums, Roland, Sabian Cymbals, Rotosound Strings, Protection Racket and TC Electronic.

Starseed, who includes Russell Spence (Vocals, Guitars), Gerald Gill (Guitar, Vocals), Peter Wicker (Guitar), Murray McClery (Bass, Vocals) and Andrew Spence (Drums, Vocals), produce some of the most satisfying melodic hard rock. Epic energy, powerful, and riff driven rock with electrifying stage shows, their music grasps many elements of the post grunge scene drawing influences from early Pearl Jam and Alice In Chains to the power and torment of Soil. More recent comparisons include the tenacity and energy of Stone Sour and intense melody of Alter Bridge.

For more information and to keep up to date on Starseed, visit:

http://www.myspace.com/starseedrock

http://www.facebook.com/starseedrock

http://www.planetstarseed.com/

http://www.twitter.com/starseedrock

http://www.youtube.com/starseedrock

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-Suicidal Bride Records Set To Release THROUGH THE GATES OF SLEEP Compilation

St. Albert, AB based indie label and home of melodic metal band All Else Fails are proud to release their latest compilation VOL. 1: THROUGH THE GATEST OF SLEEP on December 16th, which features 13 rising bands from the Canadian underground scene.

Track Listing:
“This Burden of Life” – All Else Fails
“Chaos In Cairo” – The Order Of Chaos
“Evolution Pain” – Inside It Failed
“Richard” – Until Dawn
“Chaosphere” – After The Fall
“Rage” – SILO
“From The Gallows” – Tyrant
“Demons Inside” – Aftertaste
“Eternity Below” – Quartered
“Incessant Rain” – Collective Unconscious
“Soul Devoid” – The Ruined
“Blissful Solitude” – Enduring The Fall
“Distance Means Nothing” (Acoustic) – Trash The Monument

Suicidal Bride Records, in co-presentation with BarsnBands.com, will also be presenting a listening party for the compilation at Eden Strip Club (13120 97 Street Northwest) in Edmonton, AB, where fans can get a lap dance to tracks from the release.

Barrett Klesko, label head and vocalist/guitarist of Suicidal Bride Records band All Else Fails, was asked why they were holding a release party at a strip club rather than the norm of a concert venue. He came up with his top reasons.

“Watch metal ‘rip in a whole new way, no pun intended. I have many reasons for choosing the listening party at Eden. Mainly for the reason that we were just looking for something fun and different for the metal head fans of the label and bands on the compilation plus we think getting a lap dance or two to a ripping metal track is pretty memorable plus my sister works there so I get to make it a family function lol.”

Event Details:

Time: 8 p.m. – 18+
Cover: $5 at the door if you mention your there for listening party. ($7 otherwise)
Location: Eden Strip Club
Address: 13120 97 Street Northwest

Facebook Event:

http://www.facebook.com/events/300090930012413/

http://www.barsnbands.com/Edmonton-Heavy-Metal-scene.html

Promo Trailer:

Suicidal Bride Records

http://www.facebook.com/SuicidalBrideRecords

http://www.myspace.com/suicidalbrideproductions

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-Contrive Support Cavalera Conspiracy Australian Tour 2012

Melbourne Power Trio Contrive are confirmed as opening support for the upcoming Cavalera Conspiracy Australian Tour 2012.

Guitar/Vocalist Paul Haug comments: “These guys are the reason Andrew and I picked up instruments in the first place, massively influential! These shows will be exciting to the say the least!”

The band has just begun writing new material for the follow-up to their 2010 album THE INTERNAL DIALOGUE, which was mixed by Devin Townsend. Review here:

http://www.sonicabuse.com/2010/10/contrive-the-internal-dialogue-album-review/

CAVALERA CONSPIRACY
AUSTRALIAN TOUR 2012
* Contrive play only these dates.

Tuesday 24th January Panthers, Newcastle
* Friday 27th January ANU BAR, Canberra
* Saturday 28th January Metro Theatre, Sydney
* Wednesday 1st February Billboard, Melbourne
Monday 6th February The Hi Fi, Brisbane

Check out the latest Contrive live photos from their recent House Of Rock show!

http://www.facebook.com/media/set/?set=a.10150425756992243.378946.16792407242&type=3

http://www.youtube.com/ContriveAustralia

http://www.reverbnation.com/contrive

http://www.facebook.com/contriveaus

http://www.myspace.com/contriveaustralia

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-The Devil’s Blood To Unveil THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE Video Teaser Series

Occult rock legion The Devil’s Blood will be releasing a series of video teasers leading up to the release of their upcoming full-length, THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE. Each week a new teaser will be viewable via the band’s official Metal Blade landing page. To start, check out the art teaser clip for the title track at http://www.metalblade.com/thedevilsblood/ .

Metal Blade Records recently announced its union with the eclectic rock ensemble and will unleash THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE in North America on January 17, 2012. The record offers up 11 tracks produced with the help of Pieter Kloos at Void Studios (Eindhoven, The Netherlands).

The myriad of influences, both artistically and spiritually, that creates the overall aesthetic of The Devil’s Blood takes the listener into a labyrinth of wondrous amazement and dark realization, using the tradition of rock ‘n’ roll music as being a mouthpiece for the influence of The Devil to evoke a powerful, sensual and energetic mixture of Musical Theatre and Ritual Practice. Using the power of their written material, which traditionally holds common ground with, for example, ’70s hard rock and ’60s psychedelia, as a stepping stone, the band moves into complex improvisational drifts that drive, clash, shake and force their way into the subconscious of the listeners while at the same time opening up their senses with the use of fire, blood, incense and other ritualistic ingredients.

Further info on The Devil’s Blood to come. Stay tuned….

http://www.thedevilsblood.com/

http://www.facebook.com/thedevilsblood

http://www.metalblade.com/thedevilsblood

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-”In Union We Thrash – Tour 2012″: Coming On February 2012!

Born from the collaboration of four between the most long-lived and noteworthy thrash metal bands of the Italian scene we are proud to announce the confirmation of “In Union We Thrash – Tour 2012″, itinerant kermess that will see protagonists Methedras, Irreverence, Brain Dead and Endless Pain, over half-century of thrash metal made in Italy. The dates scheduled are 10 and the beginning of the tour is foreseen in February 2012. The wish to realize this project come directly from the combined words of the bands involved:

“The initiative born from the will to give a shake to a scene (the Italian one) holed up for too many years cause of ‘managerial monopolies’ imposed by professed agencies, enmities and useful polemics between bands (nothing more than ‘battle of the have-nots’). We know ourselves reciprocally since many years and we are friends, the will to create this tour born from this, first of all. Evidence of this is the fact that the running order will change on every date. Doesn’t matter the slot we all we’ll have, but letting people hear our voices and offer a show that satisfy everyone of you that will support this tour. We sincerely hope that this will be the beginning of a new era for the Italian metal scene.

“Thrashy Yours!

“METHEDRAS, IRREVERENCE, BRAIN DEAD, ENDLESS PAIN”

The schedule of the definitive dates will be announced around the middle of December 2011 then stay tuned on the official bands’ web spaces!

Methedras

http://www.myspace.com/methedrasthrash

http://www.reverbnation.com/methedras

Irreverence

http://www.myspace.com/inthechaos

http://www.reverbnation.com/irreverence

Brain Dead

http://www.myspace.com/braindeadthrashband

http://www.myspace.com/felixbraindead

Endless Pain

http://www.myspace.com/endlesspainband

http://www.reverbnation.com/endlesspain

Official Tour Partners:

Italian Thrash Attack

http://www.italianthrashattack.com/

Merchmaker.com

http://www.merchmaker.com/

Madboys Eventi & Concerti

http://www.myspace.com/madboyseventieconcerti

MetalItalia.com

http://www.metalitalia.com/

Rock Hard Italy

http://www.rockharditaly.com/

Vivo Management

http://www.vivomanagement.it/

Irreverence – Thrash Metal Since 1995

http://irreverence.it/

http://myspace.com/inthechaos

http://youtube.com/user/irreverenceband

http://reverbnation.com/irreverence

http://twitter.com/irreverenceband

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-Heirs: Somber Post-Doom Unit Releases New EP And Video

Melbourne, Australia’s avant-garde post-doom quartet Heirs will unleash their newest release stateside next week, in the form of the HUNTER EP. Picking up where their 2010-released FOWL full-length left off, the new three-song mini-release takes its time permeating your psyche with nearly 25 minutes of even more mellow and somber passages, leading off with two original tracks and closing out the release with an extensive Sisters Of Mercy cover track.

HUNTER will be officially released on CD, 10″ wax and digital download in North America on Tuesday, December 6th via Heirs’ own Denovali Records, bearing new stateside distro via Nail Distribution.

This week the band have posted a brand new video for the title track to the EP. Check out “Hunter” and more on Heirs and the new EP at http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/?p=3820 .

HUNTER EP Track Listing:

1. Hunter
2. Symptom
3. Never Land (originally recorded by Sisters Of Mercy)

Stay tuned for more updates on the band as they plan more live actions and more throughout the new year.

http://www.myspace.com/heirsmusic

http://www.heirs.com.au/

http://www.myspace.com/denovali

http://www.denovali.com/

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*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
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-There’s new Arrayan Path interview at Lords Of Metal, at http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showinterview.php?id=4089&lang=en .

-There’s a new Sebastian Bach audio interview with Bloody Disgusting at http://www.bloody-disgusting.com/news/music/2340 .

-Check out these interesting Grammy nominations… In the “Best Recording Package” category Chickenfoot’s III is up against Reckless Kelly’s GOOD LUCK & TRUE LOVE, J. Viewz’s RIVERS AND HOMES, Arcade Fire’s SCENES FROM THE SUBURBS, and JAY-Z AND KANYE WEST’s WATCH THE THRONE. And the nominees for “Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance” are Dream Theater’s “On The Backs Of Angels,” Foo Fighters’ “White Limo,” Mastodon’s “Curl Of The Burl,” Megadeth’s “Public Enemy No. 1,” and Sum 41′s “Blood In My Eyes.”

-Upcoming tour dates for The Iron Maidens:

12/2 – Backstage Live, San Antonio, TX – all ages
12/3 – Smokin’ Aces, Mission, TX – 21+
12/4 – The Meridian, Houston, TX – all ages
12/10 – The Ruby Room, San Diego, CA
12/17 – The Can Club, Garden Grove, CA
12/30 – Green Valley Ranch Casino, Las Vegas, NV
12/31 – Paladino’s, Tarzana, CA

See http://www.theironmaidens.com/ , http://www.facebook.com/TheIronMaidensOfficial , and http://www.myspace.com/theironmaidens for more.

-Lance King’s new MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/lancekingvox , has a player that’s been updated with “brand new music and lots of older songs in it too!”

-Lord Volture from The Netherlands has a new podcast video at http://www.lordvolture.com/video and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B8d8hK9RHB8 . This one takes you behind the scenes of the NEVER CRY WOLF photo shoot. See http://www.lordvolture.com/ for more.

Thanks to Axel Wiesenauer, Pitch Black Records, Nightmare Records, and Bill “Jethro Tull” Kotowski for help gathering some of this information.

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*** OUT ***
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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net
http://www.lakeoffire.net/
http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com
http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
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-Just in case anyone was concerned, yes we did skip last week for Thanksgiving here in the US. (Call off the search party!!) So, this week we get a *big* issue. And I’m getting in the holiday mood so our Christmas break is looming, too. I’m not sure yet if this will be the last issue of ’11, or we’ll sneak one more in next week. So stay tuned! – Tim

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-Niji Entertainment Group Announces Collectible Dio Releases

Without question, Ronnie James Dio was one of the greatest vocalists in hard rock/heavy metal history, who built a fanatical and devoted following during his multi-decade career. And in the coming months, Dio collectors will have the opportunity to pick up some truly one-of-a-kind releases — a limited edition picture disc of Elf’s self-titled debut album, a deluxe picture disc of the Dio release MASTER OF THE MOON, and a limited edition and deluxe numbered super secret Picture Disc that will make HISTORY for RECORD STORE DAY 2012!

As a reminder, just released is the amazing, AND BEFORE ELF… THERE WERE ELVES featuring both live in the studio and live on stage tracks from 1971 from The Elves featuring a young Ronnie James Dio on vocals! The packaging is spectacular! The CD comes housed in a digi-pak with a custom Lenticular cover! When you turn the cover to the right, you see an image and when you turn it to the right, you see a completely different image! This CD is in stores now!

December 13th will see the release of the very first Elf album, as a deluxe numbered picture disc. Originally issued in 1972, the album shows off Dio’s vast vocal talents, as he handles honky tonk, blues, and rock, rather than the mega decibel rock that would later become his trademark. This release will be issued in the USA only, and each LP will be individually numbered from 1-2,500.

The next release, the MASTER OF THE MOON deluxe numbered picture disc, will be released on March 13, 2012. The album was originally issued in 2004, was Dio’s tenth studio solo effort overall, and featured such renowned rock names as Simon Wright on drums, Craig Goldy on guitar, Scott Warren on keyboards, and Jeff Pilson on bass. Unlike the other two aforementioned releases, the MASTER OF THE MOON deluxe picture disc will not be a limited edition release.

And lastly, on Record Store Day 2012 (April 16, 2012, to be exact), The Niji Entertainment Group has something very special that will sell out instantly! We don’t want to give it away yet, but trust us, fans will be waiting in line at participating Record Store Day locations to scoop this release up! Dio fans will be the first to know about it, so join the Official Ronnie James Dio Fan Page On Facebook!

Also recently launched is the Official Dio Store, where fans can buy shirts, CDs, DVDs, Blu-rays and more from Dio, Heaven & Hell and other artists signed to the label:

http://www.officialronniejamesdiowebstore.com/content/

Don’t wait long to pick up these three beautifully assembled Dio releases! These releases will be sold in local record stores across the US as well as online music retailers like Amazon.com and the Official Dio Web Store! The Official Dio Fan Page on Facebook gets over 25,000,000 visitors a month, and once the word is spread about this project, fans will be waiting in line overnight to get their copies. Get ready for some vintage Dio rock… with a sleek new look!

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/
http://www.facebook.com/OfficialRonnieJamesDio
http://www.officialronniejamesdiowebstore.com/content/

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-Dokken To Enter The Studio For A Brand New Album Due For Release In 2012

Frontiers Records is excited to announce the signing of Dokken for the worldwide release of the band’s forthcoming studio album in the spring of 2012.

The cooperation between Frontiers and Dokken started with the release of the band’s CD LIGHTNING STRIKES AGAIN in 2007. The album marked a return to Dokken’s signature style with melodic hook lines and blazing guitar riffs that epitomized the band’s sound on such records as TOOTH AND NAIL, UNDER LOCK AND KEY, BACK FOR THE ATTACK, and DYSFUNCTIONAL.

“So far we have written 10 songs in only eight weeks,” says singer Don Dokken. “Usually we spend a year or more on our music. I can’t explain why this time it came so fast, it just happened. So far the music is very up-tempo and heavy, of course we know our fans like the classic Dokken sound and this is where our new music is headed. It’s been a band of brothers doing what we love: ‘music.’”

Dokken plans to finish their new recording by the end of February and go out on the road in June. “In a perfect world we would like to release the new album before the summer and then play the festivals in Europe. Then hopefully we can jump on a package tour in the US,” tells Don Dokken. “We want to give everyone a great CD that will keep all music fans Rokkin’ during these troubled times!”

Dokken is now formed by Don Dokken on lead vocals, Jon Levin on guitar, Sean McNabb on bass and Mick Brown on drums.

Formed in 1978, Dokken is one of the bands that defined the American Hard Rock trademark sound of the ’80s. They have been nominated for a Grammy Award in 1989 and sold more than 10 million albums worldwide. Their next album will be their 11th original studio release.

Weblinks:
http://www.frontiers.it/
http://www.dokken.net/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Accept Announce New Album Title!

It’s always quiet just before the storm!

Accept’s 15-year break from the music business only served as a distant warning to the 2010 thunderous return of Accept to the metal forefront. Sweat soaked, table-sized club shows and triumphant appearances at the biggest rock festivals around the world created an excitement long not seen in the metal community. It was only natural that Accept’s comeback album BLOOD OF THE NATIONS entered the charts at #4, the band’s highest entry in their legendary career! In addition, BLOOD OF THE NATIONS charted high in countless other countries and cemented itself at #1 in many Reader Polls for a continuous 14 months! Accolades like “Album of the Year,” “Metal Anthem of the Year” and many more kept pouring in. The fans, in admiration of their heroes, flocked in the thousands to their notorious live shows, and Nuclear Blast, their record company, was salivating with satisfaction!

Inspired by their fans’ awe-inspiring reaction to their explosive live shows as well as the grandiose success of the comeback album, the band is now excited to jump right back into the studio and record another collection of heavy metal classics. To be called STALINGRAD, the new Accept album is scheduled to be released via Nuclear Blast Records in the spring of 2012. It will once again be produced by English star producer Andy Sneap who has long become a part of the Accept family.

As the saying goes… no rest for the wicked! Following the release of STALINGRAD, Accept will continue their unstoppable, Teutonic Terror in 2012 and beyond, invading stages from North to South, from East to West, leaving all nonbelievers in their metallic dust!

http://www.acceptworldwide.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Blind Guardian: Signed Cajón For Sale!

Cajón Signed By Blind Guardian In Support Of New Blood In Metal

From Saturday, 19th of November on, the Wacken Foundation will offer a limited Wacken style Cajón with original Blind Guardian signatures for sale!

http://www.ebay.de/sch/wackenfoundation/m.html?_nkw=&_armrs=1&_from=&_ipg=&_trksid=p3686

A cajón? That’s right! Originally a Peruvian instrument it has become one of the most famous and most widely used rhythm instruments. Even beginners can learn to play it quite quickly with the aid of a textbook and an instruction CD — and will for sure be able to play along with their favorite band Blind Guardian in the living room.

In order to shorten the waiting time for this great exclusive memorabilia, the cajón donated by Blind Guardian and the Wacken Open Air will be available for “buy it now” on eBay.

The proceeds will be used by the Wacken Foundation in support of up and coming rock and metal artists. More high-quality auctions to follow!

The Wacken Foundation is a non-profit foundation with big visions for the rock and metal scene. It was founded in 2008 by the creators of the legendary Wacken:Open:Air with the objective of giving newcomer bands a chance to gain name recognition within the ever-changing music business. For that purpose, the foundation offers financial support; rock and metal companies and bands can apply for it.

Before the end of the year, Blind Guardian will perform at the following events:

09.12. Geiselwind, Christmas Metal Meeting
10.12. Karlsruhe, Knock Out Festival

http://www.blind-guardian.com/

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-Doro Releases Official Metal X-Mas Anthem Featuring Onkel Tom Angelripper!

Legendary metal queen Doro just announced the release of the official X-Mas anthem for all metalheads!

“I had the feeling, the time was right to record a song for X-Mas,” says Doro. “I am at recording my new album right now, which should be out by next summer. While doing this, I suddenly came up with a fitting melody and lyrics.”

The song’s called “Merry Metal X-Mas,” performed by Doro and showcases a guest appearance by Sodom’s very own Onkel Tom Angelripper.

“I definitely wanted something loud and funny,” she explains.

“Merry Metal X-Mas” will be released December 9, 2011 and will be available as digital download and limited 7″ vinyl single (Christmas tree green).

Also don’t miss Doro live:

Doro Winter Tour 2011

08.12.2011 GER – Saarbrücken @ Garage
09.12.2011 GER – Aschaffenburg @ Colos-Saal
10.12.2011 GER – München @ Backstage Werk
11.12.2011 GER – Hannover @ Capitol
13.12.2011 GER – Fulda @ Kreuz
14.12.2011 GER – Nürnberg @ Hirsch
16.12.2011 GER – Osnabrück @ Rosenhof
17.12.2011 GER – Herxheim @ Festhalle
18.12.2011 GER – Hamburg @ Docks

http://www.doro.de/

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-Steelheart’s Miljenko Matijevic Sings “Hallelujah” And Brings Men To Their Knees

When Miljenko sings one can not help but take notice of the extraordinary vocal ability and passion that comes pouring out from his heart and soul. When Miljenko “Mili” Matijevic sings “Hallelujah” it is so powerful it brings men to their knees and fills eyes with tears.

“Hallelujah” is a song written by Canadian singer-songwriter Leonard Cohen, originally released on his studio album VARIOUS POSITIONS (1984). Achieving little initial success, the song found greater popular acclaim through a cover by John Cale, which later formed the basis for a cover by Jeff Buckley. Cover versions have been performed by a large number and broad range of artists, both in recordings and in concert. The song has also seen significant use in film and television soundtracks, as well as televised talent contests such as “The X Factor.”

Since the cover by Cale in 1991, the song has since been performed by almost 200 artists in various languages. To name a few of the most notable artists that have covered the song in recent years would be Jeff Buckley in 1994, Rufus Walnwright in 1997, k.d. lang in 2004, In 2006 the Norwegian quartet of Espen Lind, Kurt Nilsen, Alejandro Fuentes and Askil Holm released a cover of the song which became the fastest-selling hit ever in Norway, reaching #1 on VG-lista.

Other performers that have covered this powerful filled song is Alexandra Burke, Bon Jovi, Lisa Lois, Justin Timberlake and Matt Morris but none as touching, pure, emotional, and passionate than that of Miljenko’s newly released version of “Hallelujah.”

You can purchase the song at Steelheart’s Store.
http://www.Steelheart.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-Nightwish Update

[Note: This combines multiple updates. - Tim]

IMAGINAERUM Snippets & Lyric Video Available!

Here are the official tasters from IMAGINAERUM!

“Even Amazon was so enthusiastic about the album, that they had to share these samples without asking us… If you want to experience the true impact of the album, we recommend that you do something else and not listen to THESE.”

http://soundcloud.com/nightwishband/sets/imaginaerum

“With lots of respect; Nightwish”

And if you want to sing along to the new single “Storytime,” but can’t quite make out the words, we also have the solution now. Here is the “Storytime” video with lyrics:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WAagiSp_5Mc

New Trailer About IMAGINAERUM

Nightwish have one last trailer clip for you before IMAGINAERUM will be released this Friday. In today’s video, all five band members say a few sentences about the upcoming album. It also features some orchestral teasers as well as a first glance at the album’s booklet art. Click here to watch it:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JsInj2hBRT4

In other news, Nuclear Blast have launched an IMAGINAERUM online game to promote the album and help you pass the time until the release day.

Right now you can play the first (of four) level. Each Friday 12.00 CET a new level will be added and the high score winner will receive a special present. You can play it here:

http://media.nuclearblast.de/bands/games/nightwish/index.php

Nightwish
http://www.nightwish.com/

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-Dario Mollo & Tony Martin resurrect The Cage With The Release Of The Long Awaited Third Album In January!

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of the long awaited Mollo / Martin new album entitled THE THIRD CAGE on January 20, 2012 in Europe and January 24 in North America.

Dario Mollo and Tony Martin first got together when the Italian guitar player, producer, and composer needed the right singer after the put together a new set of songs in the late ’90s. The former Black Sabbath singer came about on a suggestion from producer Kit Woolven (UFO, Thin Lizzy) with whom Dario Mollo had been working during his Crossbones years. Tony Martin wrote lyrics and melodies for the amazing tracks that Dario had already assembled, and thus The Cage was born.

The first album, released independently in 1999, gained a great success among the Hard Rock fans and the critics and Dario started finally to make himself a reputation over the international markets. This debut was later followed by an equally acclaimed second album in 2002.

Mollo has been very busy since then, releasing one more album with the Voodoo Hill project with Glenn Hughes. He then toured Europe with Graham Bonnet and Don Airey. After Don became a permanent Deep Purple member, Dario and Graham Bonnet put up Elektric Zoo, touring Europe again, performing songs from Rainbow, Alcatrazz, Voodoo Hill and The Cage. In 2008 Dario released an album with the more alt-rock Italian band Noize Machine, before getting again to work on a new set of Hard Rocking songs for a new record with Tony Martin.

“As usual we are 50/50 partners,” explains Mollo. “I write all the music and Tony then contributes with the melodies and lyrics. We also try together different structures of the tracks and we rearrange them to better fit the vocal parts. Then I go ahead and take care of the entire production of the album, tracking, mixing and mastering.”

The songwriting, the sound and the video production of this new project are absolutely stunning and show the great skills that Mollo has developed in the past few years. All Hard Rock lovers should simply not miss this record which bravely melts several influences in a cutting edge release. “There are much better songs, performances and production on this album, plus we will finally bring this project live out there: we have a lot of great songs to perform to our loyal fans, we look forward to meet them,” concludes Dario Mollo.

THE THIRD CAGE will include the following tracks: Wicked World; Cirque Du Freak; Oh My Soul; One Of The Few; Still In Love With You; Can’t Stay Here; Wardance; Don’t Know What It Is About You; Blind Fury; Violet Moon; Wicked World (video clip).

The first single / video “Wicked World” can be streamed in full on the Frontiers Records webradio at http://www.frontiers.it/webradio . Enjoy the video clip following this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4y83C_DX81E

Weblinks:
http://www.dariomollo.com/
http://www.frontiers.it/

Mollo / Martin
Dario Mollo – Guitars, Bass, Keyboards
Tony Martin – Vocals
Roberto Gualdi – Drums
Fulvio Gaslini – Bass
Dario Patti / Brian War – Keyboards

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-Gotthard: New Singer Confirmed. He Is Swiss!

Gotthard has a new singer. The successor to Steve Lee, who was killed in a tragic accident last year, is Nic Maeder and he was born in Switzerland. So the most successful Swiss rock band stays “Homegrown” and will now continue with a fellow countryman.

The new recruit to the Gotthard family was born in 1971 in Lausanne and is one of the many singers who applied to become a member of the band. Nic Maeder is a real stroke of luck for Gotthard.

“Nic not only has a great voice and is a fantastic musician, but we also have a great person in our midst,” says Leo Leoni.

So a turbulent and moving time is coming to an end for Gotthard. During the months after the decision to carry on was taken, the rockers received more than 400 applications from all over the world, listen to them and invited the likely candidates to try out. Gotthard took a lot of time to find the best possible choice.

This was a choice that was far from easy for the four musicians Leo Leoni (guitar), Marc Lynn (bass), Freddy Scherer (guitar) and Hena Habegger (drums). It was clear that the successor to Steve Lee would have to bring a lot of potential, not only as a singer but also as a human being. Seldom in the history of music has the search for a singer produced so many talented candidates as in the case of Gotthard. Among the international applicants were several famous names as well as new and unknown voices.

“The individuality which each candidate presented made the decision far from easy. It has been a long and difficult road up to this point,” said Hena Habegger.

The final decision for Nic Maeder was unanimous.

Freddy Scherer said: “We noticed straight away that the chemistry, both musically and personally, was right. For us he is the new member of the family.”

Gotthard has in Nic Maeder an addition to the international character which their music has had since the beginning. At the age of two, Nic moved with his family to Melbourne, Australia and grew up as a cosmopolitan between Switzerland and “Down Under” and has a particular connection to the language of Rock and Roll.

“Music has been my companion all my life and always was an important part of it. It is a great feeling to be able to share in the birth of a song and to see how it keeps growing. I can experience that with Gotthard and it makes me happy. I am making music with friends,” says Nic Maeder.

Before he joined Gotthard, Nic played in several projects and had success with the band Maeder.

Of course you can write a lot about a new singer, but in the end there is nothing better than seeing and hearing him sing. So Gotthard has decided to produce a song with video, which can be downloaded free of charge by all the people who didn’t lose their belief in Gotthard and is dedicated to those who have supported the band during the past months.

From today this will be the first Gotthard song — “Remember It’s Me” with Nic Maeder — published on http://www.gotthard.com/ — have fun!

“We were privileged to read many personal and moving mails and could also get to know many singers with great voices,” said Marc Lynn. “With Nic, we have taken the right decision for Gotthard. A lot of courage is needed to step into the footsteps of such a great singer. Nic has earned our respect.”

The band is working with renewed energy and enthusiasm in the studio at the moment on songs for a new album, which will be released in the spring of 2012.

Finally, the band would like to thank all those who applied and wishes them lots of luck and success in the future!

“Remember It’s Me” can be downloaded free at http://www.gotthard.com/ .

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-Z Records News

[Note: This was edited together from multiple updates. - Tim]

Paul Sabu Orders That You “Rock Don’t Run!”

Some six months out from his eagerly awaited UK debut live appearance at Z Rock 2012, Paul Sabu has come up with an outright rocking gem to whet his fans’ appetite. As usual there are some whom doubt, well rest assured those whom did doubt are in for a shock because Paul’s forthcoming studio album for Z Records will more than please fans of Heartbreak or Only Child. Z Records head Mark Alger commented, “I’ve always been a Paul Sabu fan so signing Paul was a purely selfish act. What Paul is working on right now seriously rekindles the spirit of the awesome albums Paul’s most noted for from the ’80s.”

“Rock Don’t Run” is the first taster of what’s to come, a seriously mesmerizing track with a huge chorus that will stay in your head for days. Paul is joined by good friend and rock legend Frankie Banali on drums and the rest of the band, hmmmm, no we’ll save some news for closer to the release date in March 2012.

So you want to hear this awesome slab of Paul Sabu?? Hear “Rock Don’t Run” first by simply listening to Chris Nelson’s “Hair Metal Haven” via http://www.phoenixradio.co.uk/ between 5 p.m. / 6 p.m. [GMT] on Saturdays [6 p.m. /7 p.m. ECT or 12 - 1 p.m. EST]. If you cannot connect to the station visit http://www.rockforces.com/ where a stream of the show will be available for one week immediately after transmission.

Even better do you want to get your hands on a hard copy format of the awesome “Rock Don’t Run”???? Simply purchase a copy of December issue of Fireworks Magazine with the special sampler CD and you’ll be happy — street date December 13th!!!!!

Z Rock 2012 Tickets Discount Ending

The discounted ticket price offer for Z Rock 2012 will end at midnight on November 30. If you want to take advantage of the £7 saving per ticket go to http://www.zrecords.net/ .

Super Group Signs Worldwide Deal With Z Records

Z Records are extremely proud to announce the signing of the super group Acid For Blood to a Worldwide Deal. Acid For Blood features the immense talents of Paul Sabu (vocals, guitar), Frankie Banali (drums), Linkan Andersson (guitars), and Martin Karlsson (bass). The band’s debut OUT FOR BLOOD will be released during the summer of 2012. Z Records had been in long negotiations with the members and are ever pleased that the band signed the deal last week. The band’s debut is heavy but melodic and perfect for annoying the neighbors!

Legendary drummer Frankie Banali stated, “I am incredibly proud of Acid For Blood and the opportunity to work with the amazing Paul Sabu as well as Linkan Andersson and Martin Karlsson who are world class musicians. The release of Acid For Blood by Z Records is a music high water mark in my career.”

And Paul Sabu stated, “Some bands are great and some are magical… This band is like Houdini on Steroids!!! Working with Frankie Banali seems to dwarf the drummers I used to admire… Linkan Andersson and Martin Karlsson have taken the guitar to a whole new level. Playing with them is that special moment you wait for in life. Can’t wait for the release of Acid For Blood on Z Records!”

Further news to follow watch this space.

http://www.zrecords.net/
http://www.facebook.com/ZRECORDS.OFFICIAL

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-Lion Music Label & Artist News

November Releases Out Now

Available now is the hard hitting third strike DANGEROUS DIAMONDS from Italian metallers Mastercastle.

Powered by the soaring vocals of Giorgia Gueglio, expert guitar work of Pier Gonella and the tight dynamic rhythmic pull of bassist Steve Vawamas and drummer Alesandro Bissa; Mastercastle pull on the best elements from their previous two releases (THE PHOENIX and LAST DESIRE) to produce their best work to date.

Album promo page
http://www.lionmusic.com/cd/dangerousdiamonds.htm

Full song sample
http://soundcloud.com/lionmusicrecordlabel/mastercastle-dangerous

After the critical acclaim bestowed upon Consortium Project V – SPECIES earlier in 2011, Lion Music are proud to present the first of four reissues of the back catalogue from vocalist extraordinaire Ian Parry’s formidable Consortium Project series. All reissues come freshly re-mastered for optimum sound with the added bonus of two never-before-heard bonus tracks on each release.

Consortium Project I – CRIMINALS & KINGS is the gripping opening statement of what is being described as “one of metal’s essential concept stories” featuring a host of A1 names from the world of progressive power metal including Stephan Lill (Vanden Plas), Thomas Youngblood (Kamelot), Patrick Rondat (Elegy).

Album promo page
http://www.lionmusic.com/cd/cp1.htm

Full song sample
http://soundcloud.com/lionmusicrecordlabel/consortium-project-criminals

2012 First Quarter Release Schedule

Barring any last minute unforeseen delays we are pleased to confirm the following releases for the first quarter of 2012.

27 January 2012

House Of Shakira / HOS – Back with a revamped lineup featuring melodic rock powerhouse Andreas Novak on lead vocals, HOS sees the Swedish melodic hard rock masters House Of Shakira return with their best album in their highly illustrious career.

Consortium Project II / CONTINUUM IN EXTREMIS – Second release of our continuing Consortium Project reissues. Features completely re-mastered sound and additional two never-before-heard bonus tracks.

27 February 2012

Lord Of Mushrooms / PERSPECTIVES – Long awaited second album from the French progressive metallers. One of the most original bands out there now with new vocalist Gustavo Monsanto (ex-Adagio). Plus highly original packaging.

Consortium Project III / TERRA INOGNITA – Third release of our continuing Consortium Project reissues. Features completely re-mastered sound and additional two never-before-heard bonus tracks.

23 March 2012

Vendetta / WORLD UNDER FIRE – The British Traditional Metal merchants return with their third effort and one that will blow your brains out. Expert song craft and musicianship make this one not to miss for fans of Priest, Maiden, Heaven & Hell along with more ’80s metal sounds a la Fifth Angel.

Consortium Project IV / CHILDREN OF TOMORROW – Fourth and final release of our continuing Consortium Project reissues. Features completely re-mastered sound and additional two never-before-heard bonus tracks.

Lion Music
http://www.lionmusic.com/
http://www.facebook.com/LionMusicRecordLabel
http://twitter.com/lionmusic
http://www.youtube.com/lionmusicfinland
http://soundcloud.com/lionmusicrecordlabel

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-Rammstein Confirms North American Tour 2012

[Note: This is from Evigshed.com. - Tim]

Rammstein, the Berlin-based band known for their incendiary live performances, will bring their brand new live production to North America this spring for 21 dates kicking off April 20 in Ft. Lauderdale.

Tickets for the tour, presented by Live Nation, will go on sale beginning Friday, Nov. 18 and will be available at Ticketmaster.com and LiveNation.com.

Demand for Rammstein’s pyrotechnic-laden performances has been so great in Europe, where they regularly play capacity level soccer stadiums, the band spent nearly a full decade without setting foot on North American shores. In December 2010, the sextet returned to North America for two sold out shows including a performance at Madison Square Garden. Rammstein followed with a nine-day trek of major North American cities in Spring 2011.

The Los Angeles Times described the live experience as “…epic stagecraft on a Wagnerian scale, several notches up from most arena rock.”

The tour announcement comes on the heels of news of the band’s first retrospective release, MADE IN GERMANY 1995-2011, which will be available in North America (through a distribution deal between Universal Germany and Vagrant Records) on Dec. 13.

Rammstein recently released “Mein Land,” a new four-track digital single that features two new songs: the title track and “Vergiss Uns Nicht” as well as remixes from BossHoss and Mogwai. A video directed by Jonas Akerlund for “Mein Land” is also currently featured Rammstein.com. Rammstein’s most recent full-length album, LIEBE IST FÜR ALLE DA, debuted at #13 on the Billboard Top 200 in October 2009.

Rammstein first stormed America in 1998, touring with a set based on their Grammy-nominated breakthrough second release, SEHNSUCHT, featuring “Du Hast,” the song that brought the world’s attention to the band. During their 1998 Family Values tour, praise was high, as well as indignation: band members were jailed in the US on indecency charges due to the highly provocative live show.

Rammstein MADE IN GERMANY 1995-2011 North American Tour Itinerary

April 20 – Ft. Lauderdale, FL – BankAtlantic Center – On Sale Nov. 18
April 21 – Tampa, FL – St. Pete Times Forum – On Sale Nov. 18
April 23 – Atlanta, GA – Philips Arena – On Sale Nov. 19
April 25 – Baltimore, MD – 1st Mariner Arena – On Sale Nov. 18
April 26 – Philadelphia, PA – Wells Fargo Center – On Sale Nov. 18
April 28 – Uniondale, NY – Nassau Coliseum – On Sale Nov. 18
April 29 – Worcester, MA – DCU Center – On Sale Nov. 19
May 1 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre – On Sale Nov. 26
May 3 – Cleveland, OH – Quicken Loans Arena – On Sale Dec. 3
May 4 – Chicago, IL – Allstate Arena – On Sale Nov. 19
May 6 – Detroit, MI – The Palace of Auburn Hills – On Sale Nov. 18
May 8 – Minneapolis, MN – Target Center – On Sale Dec. 5
May 10 – Winnipeg, MB – MTS Centre – On Sale Nov. 25
May 13 – Vancouver, BC – Rogers Arena – On Sale Nov. 25
May 14 – Tacoma, WA – Tacoma Dome – On Sale Dec. 3
May 17 – Anaheim, CA – Honda Center – On Sale Nov. 19
May 18 – Glendale, AZ – Jobing.com Arena – On Sale Dec. 3
May 20 – Denver, CO – Denver Coliseum – On Sale Nov. 19
May 22 – Dallas, TX – American Airlines Center – On Sale Nov. 18
May 24 – San Antonio, TX – AT&T Center – On Sale Dec. 3
May 25 – Houston, TX – Toyota Center – On Sale Nov. 19

Itinerary subject to change.

http://www.rammstein.com/
http://www.ticketmaster.com/
http://www.livenation.com/

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-Lee Small – JAMAICA INN

Escape Music – ESM235
File Under: Hard Rock / Blues Rock
EAN: 5031281002358
Release: 20. January 2012

Specials: Shy & Phenomena vocalist with a solo album

Track list:
1. Jamaica Inn
2. The Captain’s Quarters
3. Black Bess
4. Walk The Plank
5. Shine A Light
6. Dead Man Walking
7. Voyager
8. I Am The sea
9. Smuggler’s Blues
10. Waiting For The Hangman
11. End Of The Road
12. The Renegade Accordion Player

Bio:
Lee Small hails from the West Midlands in the UK, a place that has brought a wealth of talent in rock music and heavy metal gentry, such as Black Sabbath, Judas Priest, Robert Plant, Magnum, John Bonham, Slade, Mel & Tom Galley, and the voice of rock, Glenn Hughes, to name just a few.

Lee started out originally as a bass player in bands at just the age of 14 years and was playing the midlands pub scene at 15. He took up guitar in 1986 and became a vocalist fronting a band for the first time three years later, then, quite by accident as the band he was playing in at the time kept losing the vocalist, they all decided to have a go at singing and he ended up getting the job!!

Since then, Lee has been quietly climbing the ladder to success. In the 1990s Lee fronted UK melodic rockers Pride and had the opportunity to tour with up and coming bands at the time such as Winger, Skin and Thunder. In the late ’90s he formed Native Cain with ex-Pride members and released the album PRIMITIVE SOUL with them in 1998. During 2000 he has been involved with Rock legends Budgie and Eric Bell’s Thin Lizzy. It was not long before Escape Music recognized his vocal talent and Lee features on Escape Music releases by Surveillance (ANGELSTATION) and Cloven Hoof (EYE OF THE SUN), not forgetting Tom Galley’s Psychofantasy project where Lee sang alongside such people as Tony Martin, Keith Murrell, and Glenn Hughes.

More recently Lee took to the mike stand for legendary UK melodic rockers Shy, and has helped create a marvelous piece of music which has received reviews of epic proportions. Lee Small is a name at the forefront of the rock scene at present and what a time to unleash his very own solo outing, an album which is full of surprises. Lee has given us a bluesy rock album that features contributions from Martin Kronlund (Gypsy Rose), Imre Daun (Don Patrol, Gypsy Rose) and Paul Bradder (Saracen). This is Lee at his finest, and this solo outing will see him take his talent to new heights.

Lineup:
All Lead & Background Vocals – Lee Small
Guitars – Carl Anthony Wright, Des Sherwood, Lee Small
Keyboards – Paul Bradder
Bass – Lee Small
Drums – Imre Daun

Guests:
Martin Kronlund (Gypsy Rose): Guitars
Imre Daun (Don Patrol, Gypsy Rose): Drums
Paul Bradder (Saracen): Keyboards

Label:
Escape Music
http://www.Escape-Music.com/
info@escape-music.com

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-Sweden Rock Festival Update: 6-9 June 2012!

[Note: This combines multiple updates. - Tim]

Sacred Reich (US) Confirmed For Sweden Rock Festival

Sacred Reich from Phoenix, Arizona is one of the classic bands of the “second generation” of American thrash metal, alongside the likes of Testament, Forbidden and Vio-lence. Their breakthrough came with the SURF NICARAGUA EP (1988), an impressive union of powerful metal riffs and the uncompromising aggression and political commitment of punk. More classic releases, like THE AMERICAN WAY (1990) and INDEPENDENT (1993) followed, before Sacred Reich folded in the year 2000. Happily, the band returned to the live scene seven years later and will be making their highly anticipated SRF-debut in 2012 — still featuring their classic lineup of vocalist/bassist Phil Rind, guitarists Wiley Arnett and Jason Rainey, and drummer Greg Hall.

Graveyard (S) Confirmed For Sweden Rock Festival

Of the numerous Swedish bands waving the flag for ’70s hard rock, Graveyard must be the very hottest at present. The eponymous debut of these Gothenburgers arrived in 2007 and was met by a favorable reception. However, that pales in comparison to the sensation stirred by its sequel, HISINGEN BLUES, in spring 2011. The album was a huge success and was bombarded with superlatives by ridiculously unanimous reviewers. Graveyard came off as the band no one could resist, with their bleak, unspeakably genuine style rooted in the likes of Led Zeppelin, Black Sabbath and psychedelic overlords Blue Cheer and Captain Beyond. In short: it’s the biggest Swedish sensation of 2011 that will be appearing at SRF in 2012.

Graveyard – “Hisingen Blues”
http://youtu.be/OnGBa8dVm6k

Slade (UK) Confirmed For Sweden Rock Festival

In the ’70s, Slade were one of the most barrier-transcending bands. A colorful glam act as well as working class heroes, greatly successful both with their ambitious albums and as an extremely productive hit-single factory. The ’80s saw their second golden age, not least in Sweden, with such massive hits as “My Oh My” and “Run Runaway.” Today, Slade is still a hard-working and entertaining live act, centered around original members Dave Hill (guitar) and Don Powell (drums). Along with bassist John Berry (ex-Mud) and vocalist Mal McNulty (ex-Sweet) they constitute something of a glam rock super-group — armed with countless lethal hits, such as “Cum On Feel The Noize,” “Mama Weer All Crazee Now” and “Far Far Away.”

Girlschool (UK) Confirmed For Sweden Rock Festival

After more than 30 years, Girlschool is the longest lasting, and definitely one of the most respected all-female heavy metal bands ever. Without a doubt, this is largely because Girlschool on their arrival didn’t use gender as a marketing ploy, but let future album classics like DEMOLITION (1980) and HIT AND RUN (1981) speak for themselves. The band’s raw, gritty heavy metal tinted with blues as well as punk is quite capable of holding its own, and to be referred to as “the female Motorhead” could hardly be described as an insult! In short, Girlschool is one of the most important bands from the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, and it gives us great pleasure to welcome Kim McAuliffe (vocals/guitar), Enid Williams (bass/vocals), Denise Dufort (drums) and Jackie Chambers (guitar) to SRF 2012.

Nationalteatern (S) And Tygers Of Pan Tang (UK) To Sweden Rock Festival 2012!

Nationalteatern (the National Theatre) is one of the greatest phenomena in Swedish rock history. Starting out as a theatre group they debuted on record in 1972. Over the years they delivered a round of classic albums with even more classic songs like “Livet Är En Fest” (“Life Is A Party”), “Jack The Ripper” and “Speedy Gonzales.” Traditionally, the band is considered part of the so called prog-movement, though their catchy songs really are more traditional rockers influenced by the likes of Bob Dylan and Lou Reed. The music that Nationalteatern created is still just as popular among today’s listeners, and band leader Ulf Dageby with cohorts still play to packed venues — or in this case, packed fields.

The industrial city of Newcastle is the birthplace of many a royalty from the New Wave of British Heavy Metal. Venom, Raven and, obviously, Tygers Of Pan Tang. The latter band was one of the movement’s first to become truly successful and their three first albums WILD CAT (1980), SPELLBOUND (1981) and CRAZY NIGHTS (1981) are genuine genre classics. Today’s Tygers Of Pan Tang, with unflagging guitarist Robb Weir in command, are still in fantastic shape, which they proved on the excellent ANIMAL INSTINCT (2008). However, their performance at SRF 2012 will be of a nostalgic nature — the menu will mainly consist of songs from the abovementioned three first albums. A true feast for friends of traditional, melodic heavy metal!

Tickets are available at our website: http://www.swedenrock.com/ . There you can also find more information about ticket prices and accommodation.

Around 70 bands will perform on our five stages next summer. The following bands have been confirmed so far:

MOTLEY CRUE
LYNYRD SKYNYRD
BLUE OYSTER CULT
DIMMU BORGIR
SYMPHONY X
EDGUY
GAMMA RAY
DANKO JONES
SLADE
NATIONALTEATERN
TYGERS OF PAN TANG
GIRLSCHOOL
PENTAGRAM
BONAFIDE
HELL
SACRED REICH
GRAVEYARD

More info about the bands can be found on our website: http://www.swedenrock.com/

Welcome to Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, 6-7-8-9 June 2012!

Tel: 0456-317 95
Fax: 0456-317 94
E-mail: info@swedenrock.com
http://www.swedenrock.com/

Sweden Rock Festival
Nygatan 27
294 34 Sölvesborg
Sweden

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-Thrashfest Classics Tour: Sepultura Song Voting Done!

For the upcoming Thrashfest Classics tour (kick off: Friday, November 25), a fan voting had been set up for the songs Sepultura, Exodus and Heathen are to play live on stage.

The three Sepultura songs that got the most votes and will be included in the bands classic set are…

“Mass Hypnosis”
“Infected Voice”
“Beneath The Remains”

Watch out for more info on the songs Exodus are chosen to play!

Tickets available at the Nuclear Blast mail order:
http://bit.ly/vMlBN5

Thrashfest Classics presented by:
Rock Hard D, Noizeletter, Rock Hard IT, Legacy D, Musix D, X-Tra-X, powermetal.de, metalnews.de, BLAST!

Tour Dates:
25.11.11 – DE Lichtenfels, Stadthalle
26.11.11 – NL Leeuwarden, Schaaf
27.11.11 – FR Paris, Bataclan
28.11.11 – DE Braunschweig, Meier Music Hall
29.11.11 – DE München, Backstage
30.11.11 – DE Saarbrücken, Garage
01.12.11 – CZ Prag, Kd Vltavska
02.12.11 – DE Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle* METALFEST Winter Edition w/ HATEFEST
03.12.11 – DE Giessen, Hessenhallen* METALFEST Winter Edition w/ HATEFEST
04.12.11 – BE Antwerpen, Trix
05.12.11 – DE Hamburg, Markthalle
06.12.11 – SE Göteburg, Trädgarn
07.12.11 – DK Aarhus, Voxhall
08.12.11 – DE Berlin, C-Club
09.12.11 – PL Katowice, Mega Club
10.12.11 – DE Leipzig, Hellraiser
11.12.11 – SK Bratislava, Majestic
12.12.11 – HR Zagreb, Boogaloo
13.12.11 – SI Ljubljana, Kino Siska
14.12.11 – IT Bologna, Estragon
15.12.11 – CH Pratteln, Z-7
16.12.11 – NL Eindhoven, Effenaar
17.12.11 – DE Stuttgart, LKA
18.12.11 – AT Wien, Arena

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-Battle Beast Sign A Deal With Nuclear Blast!

Finland — a mine of talented newcomer bands since the year one. With Battle Beast from Helsinki, Nuclear Blast are happy to welcome one of the most promising combos of this flourishing scene aboard!

Founded in 2008, the band already attended the W:O:A Metal Battle in their home country two years later and won the national contest, which enabled them to perform at the Wacken Open Air in Germany and represent Finland in the international Metal Battle finals. Battling 26 other bands from all around the world, Battle Beast emerged victorious. Under these circumstances a record deal with the world’s biggest independent heavy metal label seems to be the only logical consequence — Andy Siry, head of A&R at Nuclear Blast, agrees:

“Young, dynamic but still deeply rooted in traditional heavy metal — Battle Beast breathe new life into the scene and rekindle the sound of the ’80s with a fulgent livery. The well-deserved victory at the W:O:A Metal Battle 2010 was the first important step to which we want to live up by supporting these up-and-coming talents energetically. We’re looking forward to the cooperation!”

The band also expresses their joy. Guitarist Anton comments:

“We feel honored that Nuclear Blast show their interest in Battle Beast by releasing STEEL. Many thanks to our partners, closest people and most of all to our fans who believed in us and gave us their support. The journey continues!”

Battle Beast’s brilliant debut album STEEL will be released on January 27th 2012 via Nuclear Blast — the track list contains the following songs:

1. Enter The Metal World
2. Armageddon Clan
3. The Band Of The Hawk
4. Justice And Metal
5. Steel
6. Die-Hard Warrior
7. Cyberspace
8. Show Me How To Die
9. Savage And Saint
10. Iron Hand
11. Victory

Bonus Track:
12. Stay Black

About two months later the band will set off for a European tour as support of their future label mates Nightwish over the course of the IMAGINAERUM World Tour calling at the following cities:

11.04.12 DK Copenhagen – Falconer Theater
13.04.12 NL Amsterdam – Heineken Music Hall
14.04.12 D Düsseldorf – ISS Dome
16.04.12 B Brussels – Forest National
17.04.12 F Paris – Bercy
18.04.12 F Nantes – Zenith
20.04.12 F Lyon – Halle Tony Garnier
21.04.12 LU Luxembourg – Rockhal
23.04.12 D Frankfurt – Jahrhunderthalle
24.04.12 CH Zurich – Hallenstadion
25.04.12 IT Milano – Forum
27.04.12 AT Vienna – Gasometer
29.04.12 HU Budapest – Budapest Arena
30.04.12 CZ Prague – Tesla (T-Mobile Arena)
01.05.12 D Leipzig – Arena
03.05.12 D Hamburg – o2 World
05.05.12 D Nürnberg – Arena
06.05.12 D Stuttgart – Schleyerhalle
08.05.12 SL Ljubljana – Križanke

Get ready — Battle Beast break their chains and prepare for a high-end metallic assault!

http://www.battlebeast.fi/

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-Napalm Records News

Lonewolf: The Wolves Unleashed

Lonewolf has joined the Napalm ranks! The French power metallers will release their new album ARMY OF THE DAMNED in North America next spring. In addition, their classic long-player THE DARK CRUSADE will be re-released the very same month.

“The Wolf has joined the pack! We’re proud and grateful to join forces with Napalm Records to release our new album ARMY OF THE DAMNED. Our metal crusade continues. See you on tour! Hellbent on metal!”

http://www.myspace.com/metalonewolf

Nemesea & Rêverie: On Tour With In Extremo

Nemesea and Rêverie will join In Extremo for their December dates in order to present their new songs live on stage. Nemesea’s THE QUIET RESISTANCE is available now and Rêverie’s WANDEL will be released on 09 December in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, and on 30 January in the rest of Europe.

Rêverie with In Extremo
09.12.11 DE – Dresden / Alter Schlachthof
10.12.11 DE – Dresden / Alter Schlachthof
11.12.11 DE – Suhl / Congress Centrum Suhl
13.12.11 DE – Siegburg / Rhein-Sieg-Halle
14.12.11 DE – Wuppertal / Historische Stadthalle
15.12.11 DE – Mainz / Phönixhalle
16.12.11 DE – Neu-Ulm / Ratiopharm Arena
17.12.11 DE – Würzburg / s.Oliver Arena
18.12.11 DE – Fulda / Esperantohalle

Nemesea with In Extremo
20.12.11 DE – Ingolstadt / Saturn Arena
21.12.11 DE – Braunschweig / Stadthalle
22.12.11 DE – Regensburg / Donau-Arena
26.12.11 DE – Cottbus / Messe
27.12.11 DE – Kassel / Stadthalle
28.12.11 DE – Kaufbeuren / All-Karthalle
29.12.11 DE – Karlsruhe / Europahalle

http://www.nemesea.com/
http://de-de.facebook.com/reveriewelten

The Kandidate: Video Teaser

The new album’s teaser is available at http://www.youtube.com/napalmrecords ! FACING THE IMMINENT PROSPECT OF DEATH will be unleashed on February 7th, 2012 in North America!

http://www.thekandidate.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thekandidate

The 11th Hour: Album Update & Studio Report

Mastermind Ed Warby opens up about LACRIMA MORTIS, which will be released on February 7th, 2012 in North America: “LACRIMA MORTIS is another glimpse into the darker side of my musical persona: a thick slab of epic doom metal dealing with the subject of death and its repercussions. I’ve worked on it feverishly for the past year and to my mind it surpasses 2009′s BURDEN OF GRIEF in every way. I hope you’ll agree!”

To learn more about the upcoming album, fans may want to read the studio diary at http://www.angrymetalguy.com/ .

http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-11th-Hour/117564111594195
http://www.myspace.com/11thhourdoom

Napalm Records
http://www.napalmrecords.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
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-The Doors’ MR. MOJO RISIN’: THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN On DVD and Blu-ray January 24, 2012

The Doors

Launch “The Year Of The Doors” With 40th Anniversary Reissue Of Iconic L.A. WOMAN Album

And New DVD/Blu-ray MR. MOJO RISIN’: THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN January 24, 2012

Along With Rhino And Eagle Rock Entertainment

Includes Debut Of “She Smells So Nice,” A Newly-Discovered Original Song From The L.A. WOMAN Sessions

Fans of iconic rock band The Doors are in for something special. The group’s final album — 1971′s L.A. WOMAN, with the signature hits “L.A. Woman,” “Love Her Madly” and “Riders On The Storm” — is being celebrated with a special two-CD release from Rhino and a behind-the-scenes DVD/Blu-ray from Eagle Rock Entertainment.

The L.A. WOMAN 40th anniversary edition (Rhino 2-CD) features a never-before-heard song, “She Smells So Nice,” which captures the band — organist Ray Manzarek, guitarist Robby Krieger, drummer John Densmore and late singer Jim Morrison — joyfully barreling through a full-throttle original before segueing into the blues standard “Rock Me.” As the song closes, Morrison can be heard chanting, “Mr. Mojo Risin’” — an anagram of his name that was made famous during the bridge of “L.A. Woman.” Recently discovered by producer Bruce Botnick while reviewing the L.A. WOMAN session tapes, a teaser clip of “She Smells So Nice” can be heard here:

http://www.rollingstone.com/music/news/exclusive-preview-newly-unearthed-doors-track-she-smells-so-nice-20111117

In addition to “She Smells So Nice,” the second disc of the L.A. WOMAN reissue includes eight never-before-heard versions of songs from the album. Alternate takes of “L.A. Woman,” “Love Her Madly” and “Riders On The Storm” offer a fresh view on this landmark album, which was the group’s sixth straight Top 10. The studio chatter between the songs is a revelation, transporting listeners to The Doors Workshop: the West Hollywood rehearsal space where they recorded the album with Botnick. One segment in particular captures a fascinating moment of inspiration when Morrison suggests they add the now-iconic thunderstorm sound effects to the beginning of “Riders On The Storm.” Rhino will also release L.A. WOMAN: THE WORKSHOP SESSIONS, a double LP featuring all of the previously unreleased material found on the CD collection on three sides of vinyl, with the fourth side featuring a laser etching of the original “Electric Woman” art originally included with the L.A. WOMAN album.

MR. MOJO RISIN’: THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN (Eagle Rock Entertainment DVD/Blu-ray) is told through new interviews with Manzarek, Krieger and Densmore as well as Elektra Records founder Jac Holzman, original manager Bill Siddons, engineer/co-producer Bruce Botnick and others. The high-definition video also features live and studio performances as well as rare archival photos. This fascinating documentary contains rare footage of The Doors in the studio and on stage. The documentary was made with the full involvement, approval and cooperation of The Doors. [Pre-book Order Date December 20, 2011, MSRP $14.98 for DVD, $19.98 for Blu-ray].

“The Year of The Doors” will be marked by other special releases, with details to be announced soon.

L.A. WOMAN marked The Doors’ swan song, as Morrison would pass away a few months after its release. At the time, Rolling Stone’s Robert Meltzer called it “The Doors’ greatest album… A landmark worthy of dancing in the streets (5/27/71).” The first band to release eight consecutive platinum albums, The Doors were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame in 1993 and received the Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award and a star on the Hollywood Walk Of Fame in 2007.

MR. MOJO RISIN’: THE STORY OF L.A. WOMAN
DVD and Blu-ray Track Listing

MAIN PROGRAM -
Intro
Early Doors
The Changeling
Been Down So Long / The Miami Effect
The Doors Workshop
Crawling King Snake
Love Her Madly
L.A. Woman
The WASP (Texas Radio & The Big Beat)
Riders On The Storm
Cars Hiss By My Window / Jim In Paris
Hyacinth House
Closing Doors

BONUS FOOTAGE -
John Densmore On L.A. Woman
Riders On The Storm
The Doors Guide To L.A.
Thoughts On Performing Live
Crawling King Snake

L.A. WOMAN: 40TH ANNIVERSARY EDITION
CD Track Listing

Disc One
1. The Changeling
2. Love Her Madly
3. Been Down So Long
4. Cars Hiss By My Window
5. L.A. Woman
6. L’America
7. Hyacinth House
8. Crawling King Snake
9. The WASP (Texas Radio & The Big Beat)
10. Riders On The Storm

Disc Two: All Selections Previously Unissued
1. The Changeling – Alternate Version*
2. Love Her Madly – Alternate Version*
3. Cars Hiss By My Window – Alternate Version*
4. L.A. Woman – Alternate Version*
5. The WASP (Texas Radio & The Big Beat) – Alternate Version*
6. Been Down So Long – Alternate Version*
7. Riders On The Storm – Alternate Version*
8. She Smells So Nice
9. Rock Me*

L.A. WOMAN: THE WORKSHOP SESSIONS
LP Track Listing

Side One
1. The Changeling – Alternate Version*
2. Love Her Madly – Alternate Version*
3. Cars Hiss By My Window – Alternate Version*
4. L.A. Woman – Alternate Version*

Side Two
1. The WASP (Texas Radio & The Big Beat) – Alternate Version*
2. Been Down So Long – Alternate Version*
3. Riders On The Storm – Alternate Version*

Side Three
1. She Smells So Nice / Rock Me*

* Previously unreleased

# # #

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and over 90 gold discs, worldwide. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Toronto, Paris and Hamburg.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #19 ***
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-Sister Launch Brand New Music Video For “Bullsh*t and Backstabbing”! Video And Interview From Acoustic Set With Rock It TV available!

Tour With U.D.O. And Sister Sin To Kick Off This Week!

Swedish sleaze and punk influenced metal band Sister have just released their second music video off their brand new album HATED for the track “Bullsh*t And Backstabbing!”

Watch the brand new clip now at our good friends at Metal-Hammer.de who premiere this clip as a worldwide exclusive! Click here to dive into the action of “Bullsh*t And Backstabbing!”

http://www.metal-hammer.de/video-audio/premieren/article123349/sister-zeigen-ihren-clip-bullsh*t-amp-backstabbing-exklusiv.html

Here’s what the band had to say about their new video: “The video for ‘Bullsh*t And Backstabbing’ is the first video we’ve done with a crew behind the cameras. The song is a favorite of the album HATED for all of us in the band and it felt right to make a video of it. We found a greasy spot to shoot it at and got to work. Like always we wanted to keep it on a basic level and just do a video with what Sister is all about. Just deliver the punk rock we’ve always done. This is what we do and the video crew Bröderna Blom and Tinnerholm got it down and made it sick. Check it!

“P.S. No animals were seriously harmed during the shooting of this video!”

Make sure to also check out the video from the acoustic session Sister did for Rock It TV! Just click here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XqQaZUqiurQ

There’s also a video interview Chris from Rock It TVT did with Sister! Click here!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rKuS975Jf3I&feature=youtu.be

Sister, who hails from Stockholm/Jönkoping Sweden, formed in early 2006 working hard to build up a name as a strong act both live and in the studio. Sister consists of four members — Jamie on vocals, Lestat on guitars and backing vocals, Rikki on bass and backing vocals, and Cari on drums and backing vocals — who combine the sounds of Punk, Glam, Rock, and Metal with an end result sounding something like the bastard child of GG Allin and Guns N’ Roses.

Sister’s Metal Blade debut HATED came crashing through the metal scene, beer in hand, June 3rd/6th.

Make sure to catch Sister at the following live shows:

U.D.O.
+ SISTER SIN
+ SISTER
24/11/11 – NL – Zwolle – Hedon
25/11/11 – DE – Pirmasens – Quasimodo
27/11/11 – DE – Berlin – C-Club
30/11/11 – BE – As – GC Drieschaar
01/12/11 – DE – Recklinghausen – Vest Arena
02/12/11 – DE – Burglengenfeld – VA Zentrum
03/12/11 – DE – Leipzig – Hellraiser
04/12/11 – DE – Köln – Essigfabrik
06/12/11 – DE – Langen – Neue Stadthalle
07/12/11 – CH – Pratteln – Z7
09/12/11 – DE – Balingen – Volksbankmesse
10/12/11 – DE – Memmingen – Stadthalle

http://www.metalblade.com/sister
http://www.facebook.com/sisterband
http://www.twitter.com/sister_official
http://www.sisteronline.net/
http://www.youtube.com/sisterofficial
http://www.myspace.com/sisteronline

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*** PRESS RELEASE #20 ***
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-CLYDE THE CAT By Neil Zaza

[Note: This is from http://neilzaza.bandcamp.com/album/clyde-the-cat . - Tim]

CLYDE THE CAT

It’s here! Neil’s newest CD is finally available. Hot on the heels of his critically acclaimed last project, 212, CLYDE THE CAT features some very special new material, remakes and guitar tone and feel for days. There are some soon to be classic Zaza tunes on this CD!

Pre-order includes immediate download of 11 tracks in your choice of MP3 320, FLAC, or other formats. A link to the complete album will be emailed to you the moment it’s released.

Pre-order Now $9.99 USD
shipping on or around 06 January 2012
http://neilzaza.bandcamp.com/no_js/order_package?pkg=0

Digital Album

Pre-order of CLYDE THE CAT including immediate download of 11 tracks in your choice of MP3 320, FLAC, or other formats. A link to the complete album will be emailed to you the moment it’s released.

Pre-order Now $9.99 USD
releases 06 January 2012
http://neilzaza.bandcamp.com/download_tralbum

CLYDE THE CAT/212 Package

In case you don’t have Neil’s last CD, 212, this package is for you! With this very special offer you can get Neil’s newest CD, CLYDE THE CAT, as well as his last critically acclaimed disc, 212. You’ll be able to download CLYDE THE CAT immediately the moment you purchase this package. Enjoy!

Pre-order includes immediate download of 11 tracks in your choice of MP3 320, FLAC, or other formats. A link to the complete album will be emailed to you the moment it’s released.

Pre-order Now $14.99 USD
shipping on or around 06 January 2012
http://neilzaza.bandcamp.com/no_js/order_package?pkg=1

Track List
1. Funeral For A Friend (5:39)
2. Endless Highway (6:52)
3. Higher And Higher 2012 (3:42)
4. Jewel (3:50)
5. Adagio Intro (1:26)
6. Adagio (4:34)
7. Melodia 2012 (3:08)
8. Violet Twilight (4:18)
9. Untitled 2012 (3:32)
10. The National Anthem (1:53)
11. In My Dreams (Live Studio Version) (3:58)

releases 06 January 2012
Neil Zaza – All Guitars
Garrett Janos – Drums (1,2,3,6,7,9,10)
Steve Smith – Drums (4,8)
Walter Cerasani – Bass (2,4,5,6,7,8,9)
Todd Rogers – Keys (1,2,3,4,5,6,9,10)
Mark Leach – Hammond B3 (2,7,8)
Timothy M. Bradford – Piano (2,4,8,11)
Mistheria – Piano (6)
John Sferra – Drums (11)
Raymond J. Liptak – Bass (11)

Produced by Neil Zaza
Engineered by Neil Zaza, Joe Viers, Andrea Di Rocco, Michael Morales
Mixed by Rick Beato at Black Dog Sound (Stone Mountain, GA)
Assistant Mix Engineer: Ken “GL” Lanyon
Mastered by Dave “Sarge” Schultz at D2 Mastering (Los Angeles, CA)
CD Package Design: Rod Flauhaus
Photography: Neil Zaza and Rod Flauhaus
Front Cover Model: Clyde

Recorded at The Audio Kitchen (Akron, OH), John Schwab Recording (Columbus, OH), Mike’s Barn (Elyria, OH), The House of Todd (Las Vegas, NV), Studio M (San Antonio, TX), ADR Studio (Avezzano, Italy)

Carvin Guitars (Mark Keisel, Richard Cruz, Eddie, Don), Wizard Amplification (Rick St. Pierre), Celestion (Rick Skillman, Stan Burjek), Diezel (Peter Diezel and Peter Stapher), Blackstar (Joel Richardson, Ollie Russell Pearcey), Lava Cables (Tony Cole), George L’s Cables (Kimberly Lewis), Notion Music (Jim Boitnott), Avedis Audio (Avedis Kifedjian), Mark of the Unicorn (Dave Roberts), Boulder Creek Guitars (Mike Shellhammer), Dean Markley Strings (David Leinhard), Xotic (Toshio Horiba), Keeley FX (Robert Keeley), Radial Engineering (Peter Janis, Corey Phillips)

All titles © and p by Neil Zaza Music (ASCAP) except: Boom Tat Music (ASCAP) – 7,9
“Funeral For A Friend” appears courtesy of Universal – Songs Of Polygram International Inc.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #21 ***
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-A New Rock Opera To Excite The Progressive Rock / Metal Audience — Beyond The Bridge Debut With A Strong Musical Statement THE OLD MAN AND THE SPIRIT

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the signing of Beyond The Bridge, a new Progressive Metal band from Germany, for the release of their debut album THE OLD MAN AND THE SPIRIT on January 20, 2012 in Europe and January 24 in North America.

THE OLD MAN AND THE SPIRIT is an ambitious concept album dealing with the polarity of human sensuousness and superhuman awareness. Two main characters interpret the music on this theatrical and challenging record: “the Spirit,” who is the personification of all wisdom and awareness that is unachievable to mankind but that lacks of the ability to feel, and her opponent “the Old Man:” a bon vivant who has lived through all highs and lows of human sensations. These two characters are interpreted by the two band singers: a female Dilenya Mar and a male Herbie Langhans.

But the operatic and cinematic setting of the album was put together by the band’s two masterminds: guitar player Peter Degenfeld and the classically trained ivory tinkler Christopher Tarnow. “From the beginning it was our intention to do an album presenting one big piece of music,” tells Degenfeld. “One of the very first things that came about were the two characters together with the basic content of the story. Basically before the notes were written, we knew what each song had to sound and feel like and what the lyrics had to say. With these restrictions we started the songwriting process. In the end writing songs under these self-imposed limits turned out to be just great.”

While THE OLD MAN AND THE SPIRIT is undoubtedly a demanding musical statement, Beyond The Bridge are determined to make their steps to bring their music on tour. “We put a lot of effort into the goal of creating the studio sound on stage and we have already rearranged some parts to make them more suitable for live performances,” explains Degenfeld.

Beyond The Bridge’s lineup is rounded up by bass player Dominik Stotzem, Fabian Maier on drums and Simon Oberender on keyboards and guitar. Simon also took care of the album production at the famed Gate Studios (owned by the famed producer Sascha Paeth, who mastered the album).

While at first listen the album will easily appeal to the Progressive Rock / Metal audience, thanks to the virtuosity displayed in the playing and the compositional design, the album can be easily enjoyed by all who are looking for songs that can excite the listeners. “The music is touching. It will even touch you in a different way each time you listen to the album,” concludes Peter Degenfeld. “The lyrics are inspiring and ambiguous. This encourages to dig deeper into the spiritual journey of the ‘Old Man.’”

THE OLD MAN AND THE SPIRIT includes the following songs: The Call; The Apparition; Triumph Of Irreality; The Spring Of It All; World Of Wonders; The Primal Demand; Doorway To Salvation; The Struggle; The Difference Is Human; Where The Earth And Sky Meet; All A Man Can Do.

The song “The Apparition” can be streamed in full on the Frontiers Records webradio at http://www.frontiers.it/webradio and on the band’s official website.

Beyond The Bridge are:
Herbie Langhans – Vocals
Dilenya Mar – Vocals
Peter Degenfeld – Guitar
Christopher Tarnow – Keyboards
Dominik Stotzem – Bass
Fabian Maier – Drums
Simon Oberender – Keyboards/Guitar

Produced by Simon Oberender at Gate Studio

http://www.frontiers.it/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #22 ***
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-Wayne Kramer And James Williamson Guitar Gods Limited Edition Collectible Figures Released

Numbered Limited-Edition 7-Inch “Riffing” Figures With Rocking Heads

Arriving this month are the next figures in the Guitar Gods series…

Brother Wayne Kramer, founder of Detroit’s radical rock group MC5, and James Williamson, best known for co-writing and playing on RAW POWER in the protopunk rock band Iggy & The Stooges, KILL CITY with Iggy Pop, as well as producing NEW VALUES for Iggy Pop.

Both guitarists were named in Rolling Stone Magazine’s “100 Greatest Guitarists Of All Time.” Both figures deliver a signature riff at the push of a button and are displayed in a multi-panel box, stand at seven inches tall, are made of a lightweight polyresin, and retail for $24.95.

The Wayne Kramer figure is limited to 750 numbered units. Wayne dons his White Panther Party threads, curly hair, and American flag guitar. Brother Wayne’s inimitable style was the first to combine rock with free jazz to create the genre’s most unique result — high-energy sci-fi hard rock and roll.

Order and sound clip: http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=GRTGODS102

The James Williamson figure is limited to 500 numbered units. James is accurately sculpted right down to his signature threads, hipster hair, and Sunburst Solid Body Guitar. James’ guitar style is widely acknowledged to have been an influential guitar style for hundreds of guitarists from the Sex Pistols to the Red Hot Chili Peppers to Green Day. James was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2010 along with the other members of the Stooges.

Order and sound clip: http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=GRTGODS103

Guitar Gods Collectibles
http://www.facebook.com/GuitarGodsCollectibles

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*** PRESS RELEASE #23 ***
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-In Flames: “Where The Dead Ships Dwell” Digital Single Available

Track List:
1. Where The Dead Ships Dwell
2. Where The Dead Ships Dwell (Casper Remix)
3. Where The Dead Ships Dwell (The Qemists Remix)
4. Where The Dead Ships Dwell (Kristof Bathory – Dawn Of Ashes Remix) (iTunes exclusive track)

Purchase on iTunes & Amazon

Sweden’s own In Flames unleashes the digital single for their track “Where The Dead Ships Dwell.” The digital single includes not only the original song from the most recent album, SOUNDS OF A PLAYGROUND FADING — which debuted at #27 on the Top 200 Billboard Charts and topped international charts — but also features three extremely diverse re-mixes of the song.

With versions by German rapper Casper, drum and bass act The Qemists and Kristof Bathory, vocalist of the black metal band Dawn Of Ashes, there should be something everyone can enjoy. “The songs have already been made and the originals are as good as they can be, but what if I give them to an artist from a whole different genre, what would be there take on it?” says In Flames vocalist Anders Fridén. “I love collaborations like this and all the artists we worked with have done an awesome job. It’s not meant to be taken dead serious and it’s not how In Flames is gonna sound next, but I love it and I hope you’ll enjoy a twist to the formula.”

A preview including snippets from all of the remixes can be heard at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_-7hA__KHsM .

The music video for “Where The Dead Ships Dwell” was recently released and can be seen at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ylfn0o66jwM . In Flames also just announced a North American tour with Trivium, Veil Of Maya, and Kyng.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #24 ***
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-Prototype Releases New Song On “Rock Band” Network

California based prog/thrash band Prototype released their critically acclaimed second album CONTINUUM in 2006 via Nightmare Records. The following year, the Prototype song “The Way It Ends” was selected for inclusion in the “Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock” video game. The game was released shortly before Christmas of 2007 and quickly became the biggest selling music rhythm video game of all time. Consequently, Prototype gained a substantial amount of exposure as well as remarkable number of downloads on iTunes of their single “The Way It Ends.”

Prototype have now become recent additions to the “Rock Band” video game as well! “The Way It Ends” is officially for sale HERE and also through the in-game store and the live market place from the 360 dashboard.

http://marketplace.xbox.com/en-US/games/offers/80000c89-0000-4000-8000-000045410914

Prototype are expected to release their new album CATALYST via Nightmare Records in 2012. 

For more info on Prototype please visit:

http://www.prototypeonline.com/
http://www.facebook.com/protoadmin
http://www.myspace.com/prototypeonline
http://www.nightmarerecords.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #25 ***
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-Halcyon Way’s Jon Bodan Signs Endorsement Deal With Framus Amps

New Album INDOCTRINATION Available Now On Nightmare Records

Jon Bodan, guitarist of Halcyon Way has signed on with Framus Amps to be an official endorser of their products. Jon’s amp is the Framus Cobra Stack. For more info on Framus Amps and Jon’s endorsement you can go here:

http://www.framus.de/modules/endorser/endorser.php?endorserID=1257&mtpl=show_endorser&cl=EN

Bodan spoke about working with Framus:

“I’ve been using Framus for quite a while now, and the Cobra stack is key to my brutal tone. I’m very excited to be the newest member of the Framus Artist Family. I would encourage any rock or metal guitarist to check out their amp line.”

Halcyon Way, Atlanta’s premier metal band is bringing their powerful mixture of heavy, punishing riffs and infectious melodies to North America with their new release INDOCTRINATION. INDOCTRINATION is the sequel to 2010′s BUILDING THE TOWERS and continues the sound and theme of that album. It features five brand new original tracks; a cover of “Stand Up” by Steel Dragon (from the movie “Rock Star” — song originally written by Sammy Hagar), a radio edit of “The Age Of Betrayal,” and an industrial re-mix of “The System.”

Aurally combining the heaviness of bands like Testament, the technical prowess of Dream Theater, the power metallic attitude of Evergrey and soaring vocal melodies, Halcyon Way will leave you awestricken by their punishing riffs and unforgettable hooks.

Order your copy now at http://www.halcyonway.com/webshop .

INDOCTRINATION track list:
1. On Black Wings
2. Our Finest Hour
3. IndoctriNation
4. Revolution Is Now
5. The Wages Of War
6. Stand Up (Sammy Hagar cover)
7. The Age Of Betrayal (radio edit)
8. The System (karbonBlack RMX-Remixed-Bodan)

Discography:
2011 – INDOCTRINATION – Nightmare Records
2010 – BUILDING THE TOWERS – Nightmare Records
2008 – A MANIFESTO FOR DOMINATION – Nightmare Records

Members:
Steve Braun – vocals
Jon Bodan – guitars
Zane – guitars
Kris Maltenieks – bass
Ernie Topran – drums

Halcyon Way:
http://www.halcyonway.com/ (Official Website)
http://www.twitter.com/halcyonway (Twitter)
http://www.facebook.com/halcyonway (Facebook)

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*** PRESS RELEASE #26 ***
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-Anubis Gate Premiere New Video On Metal Injection

New Album Out Now On Nightmare Records

Anubis Gate recently completed work on a video for their song “Golden Days.” The song is taken from the band’s latest self-titled release which is available now on Nightmare Records. Metal Injection is hosting an exclusive premiere of the video here:

http://www.metalinjection.net/tv/view/7995/anubis-gate-golden-days-video-premiere

The music of Anubis Gate: Stylistically Anubis Gate is conglomeration of the classic ’80s heavy metal, a more epic ’90s ambience and a dark progressiveness of our days. You could describe it as metal with beautiful soundscapes, cool riffing, and a clear and powerful vocal performance.

The new album, titled simply ANUBIS GATE, is the most beautiful album the band has yet emerged with. The songwriting, which has always been the core of the “Anubis Gate sound,” stands stronger than ever. This time emphasized by the fact that Henrik Fevre, who was largely responsible for writing the vocals on the previous albums, gets to sing the songs he wrote himself, injecting the emotion and meaning into the lyrics that he had in mind when writing them.

ANUBIS GATE isn’t an album that’s about endless keyboard/guitar unison soloing. It’s all about the songs. From the classic Anubis Gate opener “Hold Back Tomorrow” to the melancholic, but very crunchy, “The Re-Formation Show,” this album displays Anubis Gate at the top of their game while in no way rehashing their last two albums. Quite to the contrary, this album sees the band taking new turns whilst retaining the core of all the albums that came before.

Track List:
1. Hold Back Tomorrow
2. The Re-Formation Show
3. Facing Dawn
4. World In A Dome
5. Desiderio Omnibus
6. Oh My Precious Life
7. Golden Days
8. Telltale Eyes
9. River
10. Circumstanced

All songs written by Kim Olsen & Jesper M. Jensen

Discography:
ANUBIS GATE – 2011 (Nightmare Records)
THE DETACHED – 2009 (Locomotive Records)
ANDROMEDA UNCHAINED – 2007 (Locomotive Records)
A PERFECT FOREVER – 2005 (Locomotive Records)
PURIFICATION – 2004 (Locomotive Records)

For more info visit:
http://www.anubisgate.com/
http://www.nightmarerecords.com/

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-Power Pop Rockers Namesake Premiere New Video On Rock Confidential

Are they pop or are they rock? It’s a tough question to answer when it comes to Namesake, who sound equally committed to both styles, as evidenced by their single, “Worlds Away” (which is for sale on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/worlds-away-single/id448358150 ). And a video for the song has premiered on Rock Confidential at http://rockconfidential.com/Videos/2011/11/namesake-worlds-away/ .

Hailing from Atlanta, Georgia, Namesake is comprised of Will Crafton – vocals, Brad Wagner – guitar, Troy Harmon – guitar and Kevin Nordeste – drums. And the story behind the group’s name is a simple one — all of the group’s members bear their father’s name, hence, “Namesake.”

Signed to Imagen Records, the band recently recorded their debut full-length album BORDERS & FENCES in Orlando, FL with famed record producer James Paul Wisner, who’s best known for his work with Paramore, Underoath, and New Found Glory. The release is scheduled for early 2012. But to preview what lays in store from the band, the single “Worlds Away” is a fine starting point (which has already earned rave reviews by users on iTunes, including a fan who gushed “This song is freakin’ amazing BUY IT NOW”), as well as its Scott Hanson-directed video clip.

“It was an incredible experience,” said Troy about the filming of the video. “I really had no idea what to expect, but it was so much fun. I can’t wait to shoot the next one!” And Brad shares Troy’s enthusiasm for the clip. “Working with Scott Hanson was incredible. I feel he helped us reach a whole new plateau as a band.”

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:
http://www.facebook.com/Namesakerock

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-Blotted Science Mastermind Ron Jarzombek Publishes Instructional Video Ahead Of European EP Release

Blotted Science guitarist/mastermind Ron Jarzombek (WatchTower, Terrestrial Exiled, Spastic Ink) has released an instructional video for the song “Cretaceous Chasm” from the band’s THE ANIMATION OF ENTOMOLOGY EP which can be viewed at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IVyUHFl0iB8 . In it, the guitarist explains the application of the 12-tone system devised specifically for the writing process of the EP, which will be the subject of a forthcoming DVD, titled DISSECTING BUGS.

States Jarzombek: “I’ve been mentioning this ’12-Tones In Fragmented Rows’ system in interviews and it seems that even non-musicians are interested in it, so I put together this video to give listeners some insight on how it all works. I thought it would be best to break this all down into its most basic theoretical form, and play examples of its use. I chose to post the basic guitar tracks to ‘Cretaceous Chasm’ because it is the simplest song on the EP and is the easiest to grasp theoretically. The song will also appear first on my upcoming instructional DVD, DISSECTING BUGS, where I will go in-depth with all of the 12-tone theory, and play all guitar parts on all songs from the EP. Things do get a bit complicated when melodies and solos are laid on top of the note groups, but we’ll get to all of that good stuff on the DVD.” More information about the sample video, including the transcription/tabs, can be found at http://www.ronjarzombek.com/CretaceousChasmTab1.html .

THE ANIMATION OF ENTOMOLOGY, which also features the talents of bassist Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal) and drummer Hannes Grossmann (Obscura, Terrestrial Exiled), will get its European release via UK-based Basick Records today, November 28. The follow-up to the band’s highly acclaimed 2007 THE MACHINATIONS OF DEMENTIA full-length album was produced and mixed by Ron Jarzombek and recorded in San Antonio, Texas; Tampa, Florida; and V. Santura’s (Obscura, Triptykon) Woodshed Studios in Landshut, Germany where the drums were cut. Mastering duties were once again handled by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Destruction) at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark.

Track List:
1. Ingesting Blattaria
2. Cretaceous Chasm
3. Vermicular Asphyxiation
4. A Sting Operation – I. Human Barbequed
5. A Sting Operation – II. Cessation Sanitation
6. A Sting Operation – III. Seeing Dead People
7. A Sting Operation – IV. Omitting Eyes

Blotted Science online:
http://www.ronjarzombek.com/BlottedScience.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blotted-Science/78922582770
http://www.basickrecords.com/bands/blotted_science

“Creataceous Chasm” video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gKkn-YjYmCA

“Vermicular Asphixiation” video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRYpsCsjnXk

“Ingesting Blattaria” video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mE-VP83nBno

Blotted Science
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Blotted-Science/78922582770

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-Bolt Thrower Announce Boltfest 2012!

Mighty English war machine Bolt Thrower have announced their first show for 2012 which will be their very own 25th anniversary show! The Bolty Birthday Bash is now called Boltfest.

“Well, after meeting a lot of people and looking for suitable clubs, we’ve finally found a great venue along with some like-minded people to host the Bolty Birthday Bash — Boltfest. It will be held at the prestigious HMV Forum in London, on Saturday 7th April, 2012 (Easter Bank Holiday weekend). More info on tickets, bands, etc. coming soon.”

On the 21st/24th of October, Metal Blade Records Europe finally reissued the three Bolt Thrower albums MERCENARY, HONOUR VALOUR PRIDE, and THOSE ONCE LOYAL on vinyl. All three albums are out now as Gatefold LPs in colored vinyl!

http://www.boltthrower.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/BOLT-THROWER/18374462491
http://www.myspace.com/boltthrower

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-Jammit & D’Addario Strike Up New Partnership

Suicide Silence Promotion Kicks It Off!

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Jammit is proud to announce its new partnership with D’Addario & Company, the first jamming and learning music software/application solution that isolates individual audio tracks from original multi-track master recordings — spanning the history of popular music from the mid 1960s to present! To kick off this new partnership, guitarists that purchase any set of D’Addario guitar or bass strings can simply use the code on the packaging to redeem a free song on Jammit.

Additionally, D’Addario, Jammit and Suicide Silence have partnered for a limited time promotion. Purchase a set of D’Addario guitar or bass strings and any Suicide Silence song and get their new single “Slaves To Substance” FREE.

Visit http://www.daddario.com/jammit for promotion details.

Revolutionizing the way musicians can learn licks, solos and entire songs, players can download actual master recordings from bands including Alice Cooper, Anthrax, Collective Soul, Dashboard Confessional, Deep Purple, Dream Theater, Godsmack, Grateful Dead, Rush, Jane’s Addiction, Kiss, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Motley Crue, No Doubt, Peter Frampton, Rob Zombie, Steve Vai, The Allman Brothers, Wolfmother, and many, many more.

The patented Jammit technology allows musicians to isolate, loop and vari-speed an individual instrument within a dense mix and hear the exact intricacies of the original recording, allowing players to accurately learn the part and even play along with their favorite bands. Each instrument part is meticulously translated for notation or tab and the exclusive software scrolls notation in synch with the track as it plays. Users have a choice of guitar, bass, drums, keyboards or vocal versions.

“We are honored to be part of the D’Addrio family. We share their commitment to delivering the highest quality products to musician’s world-wide,” states Scott Humphrey, founder of Jammit.

“Upon hearing about this amazing technology,” says Brian Vance, Director of Product Management, D’Addario & Company, “we knew we had to be a part of it.” He continues, “D’Addario and Jammit share the same passion for music education and technology. This is an incredible opportunity for musicians to not only better learn their instruments but to share the passion of playing music with their favorite band. It must be experienced to be believed, it’s that revolutionary!”

Promo valid from Nov 1 to Feb 1.

For more information on D’Addario and Jammit, please visit http://www.daddario.com/ and http://www.jammit.com/ .

# # #

Scott Humphrey is a world-renowned multi-platinum producer, composer and digital recording pioneer. In the early 1990s Humphrey’s technical contributions to the Pro Tools audio software helped to shape the digital audio standard by which most of today’s recordings follow. Highly acclaimed recording artists such as Metallica, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi have all prospered as a direct result of Humphrey’s digital audio artistry. He has also been a long time producer/collaborator with Rob Zombie and is the founder of The Chop Shop recording studios in Hollywood, California. For more information on Jammit™ go to http://www.jammit.com/ .

D’Addario & Company, Inc. designs, manufactures, and markets complete lines of strings for fretted and bowed musical instruments, drumheads, drum practice pads, and guitar and woodwind accessories under the proprietary brand names D’Addario, Evans Drumheads, Planet Waves, Rico, Pro-Mark Drumsticks and PureSound Percussion. The company also runs theLessonroom.com and Guitar.com. D’Addario products are marketed in approximately 120 countries.

MySpace: http://www.myspace.com/jammitapp
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/JammitApp
YouTube: http://www.youtube.com/jammitapp

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-Havok: Metal Injection Hosts Exclusive Video Premiere; Band To Hit The Road Again This February

Popular video portal, Metal Injection, is hosting an exclusive video premiere of “D.O.A.,” the latest work of cinematic awesomeness from Denver thrash sensations, Havok. The tune comes off the band’s critically-lauded TIME IS UP full-length, released via Candlelight Records earlier this year. The video was directed by Josh Gold and shot in various locations around Denver.

Commented vocalist/guitarist David Sanchez: “This video is a reflection of the lyrics to ‘D.O.A.,’ a song about drunk driving and smashing your face through the f*cking windshield! It’s a pretty brutal video for a brutal song.”

Check out “D.O.A.” here:

http://www.metalinjection.net/tv/view/8024/havok-doa-video-premiere

Havok recently completed a near month-long tour with Exhumed and Goatwhore, which proved to be a great success despite some van troubles. Said Sanchez of the trek: “The tour with was a blast! We had lots of great shows and met some rad people. It was great to finally hit the American Southeast. Up until this trip, we had never made it there before. Due to vehicle issues, we had to miss the last couple of shows. Our transmission blew up in the middle of nowhere in Texas and we’re stuck here, as I write this. We plan on rescheduling those shows to make up for the ones we missed. In times like these, I can’t help but remember a sacred adage that an old wise man once told me: ‘Sh*t happens!’”

The band will return to the road this February for a short run of dates alongside English Dogs, The Casualties and Toxic Holocaust! The tour will commence on February 10 in Baltimore at the Ottobar and ravage its way towards the West Coast, coming to a close February 25 in Santa Ana at the Galaxy Theatre.

Havok Winter 2012 Tour:
w/ English Dogs, The Casualties, Toxic Holocaust
2/10/2012 Ottobar – Baltimore, MD
2/11/2012 The Middle East – Boston, MA
2/12/2012 Europa – Brooklyn, NY
2/13/2012 Les Foufounes Electriques – Montreal, QC
2/14/2012 The Opera House – Toronto, ON
2/15/2012 Peabody’s – Cleveland, OH
2/16/2012 Reggie’s Rock Club – Chicago, IL
2/17/2012 Station 4 – St. Paul, MN
2/19/2012 Summit Music Hall – Denver, CO
2/21/2012 Studio Seven – Seattle, WA
2/22/2012 Branx – Portland, OR
2/23/2012 The Pound – Oakland, CA
2/24/2012 Key Club – West Hollywood, CA
2/25/2012 Galaxy Theater – Santa Ana, CA

“I do not know why they are not opening the Big Four tour.” – Stereokiller

“…one of the best slabs of thrash revivalism in an era swamped with bands wanting to sound like Testament and Exodus… with solid songwriting, insane chops, and crushing production — not to mention the youthful enthusiasm of the group itself — TIME IS UP pays homage to the ’80s while feeling completely fresh and vital.” – AV Club

“Havok have emphatically outdone their previous effort and come up with a thrash masterpiece…” – Metal Assault

“Everyone should be worshipping at these Denver native’s altar as they have the flashy skill, ridiculous song-writing chops and prodigious lead guitar work that’ll have even the most jaded ears saying, ‘Okay, just this last one…’” – Rock Sound

“This is a damn good thrash album. Call it retro, new thrash revival or whatever, Havok have the chops and the ability to prove that they have the staying power to last in this genre.” – About.com

“…for those who feel Metallica wussed out, Megadeth got too corporate, Anthrax too modern and Slayer too, well, the same as always, Havok should be a great reminder as to what made thrash so damn cool in the first place.” – Hardrock Haven

http://www.facebook.com/HavokOfficial
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/

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-Zebulon Pike: Minneapolis Instrumental Prog-Doom Metallers Unleash SPACE IS THE CORPSE OF TIME

Hailing from Minneapolis, Minnesota, Zebulon Pike is an instrumental prog-doom metal band formed in late 2002. Inspired in equal parts by heavy sounds of the ’70s (Mountain, Pentagram, Captain Beyond, early Judas Priest), progressive rock (King Crimson, Rush), and 20th century classical (Bela Bartok, Arvo Part, and many others), Zebulon Pike combine the impact of metal with the calculated approach of “art” music. The result is a refined, muted aggression necessary for inciting the slow motion apocalypse.

The group’s fourth and most ambitious release yet, SPACE IS THE CORPSE OF TIME, marries uncompromising abstraction with all the pummeling directness of classic heavy metal. Released earlier this year but remaining woefully under-the-radar, it’s stunning alchemy of the conceptual and the visceral is sure to make an impression on those seeking new vistas in heavy music.

Having shared the stage with contemporary genre-mates like Orthrelm, Zombi, Rwake, High On Fire, Don Caballero, Pelican, YOB, Hammers Of Misfortune, The Sword, as well as time-tested veterans like The Hidden Hand, Blue Cheer, Boris, Helmet, and The Melvins, Zebulon Pike churn an intriguing mixture of melodic melancholy, old-school guitar-isms, and Wagnerian dynamics that marks a mighty presence in the world of heavy music.

ZEBULON PIKE:
Tom Berg – bass
Morgan Berkus – guitar
Erik Bolen – drums
Erik Fratzke – guitar

http://www.zebulonpike.com/

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-Kill Ritual (Ex-Imagika, Eldritch, Dark Angel) Sign With Rock N Growl!

Bay Area Thrasher Kill Ritual, the new band featuring former members of Imagika, Dark Angel, and Eldritch, have sign a worldwide management deal Germany’s with Rock N Growl Management.

Rock N Growl & Kill Ritual currently shopping the new album THE SERPENTINE RITUAL, to find a suitable record deal very soon.

New Band, New music, Same Mission! Time To Kill!

Check out the track “Old School Thrasher”:
http://soundcloud.com/killritualmetal/old-school-thrasher

Kill Ritual is:
Steve Rice – Lead Guitar (ex-Imagika)
Josh Gibson – Vocals (ex-Rock Candy)
Wayne DeVecchi – Drums (ex-Doom Society, ex-Imagika)
Roberto Proietti – Guitar (ex-Eldritch)
Danyael Williams – Bass (ex-Dark Angel)

Formed in October 2010 by former Imagika Lead Guitarist Steve Rice and Imagika Drummer Wayne DeVecchi, Kill Ritual began as a continuation of the music Steve and Wayne had been working on before the demise of Imagika. After recruiting former Eldritch guitarist Roberto Proietti, former Dark Angel bassist Danyael Williams and SF Bay Area vocalist Josh Gibson the band immediately set to work on the writing and recording of their debut CD. Bringing in elements of the collective members history Kill Ritual has forged a sound where classic and modern Metal meet.

THE SERPENTINE RITUAL track listing:

1. The Serpentine Ritual
2. Torn Down
3. Time To Kill
4. Ambush
5. Old School Thrasher
6. Coat Of Blood
7. Cold Hard Floor
8. Law Of The Land
9. The Day The World Dies
10. Prisoner Of The Flesh

Kill Ritual’s debut THE SERPENTINE RITUAL was Engineered and Produced by Lead Guitarist Steve Rice and tracked at Fang Studios (drums) San Mateo California and Fossil Sound (guitars, bass, and vocals) San Jose California. Mixing/Mastering by Andy LaRocque at Sonic Train Studios Varberg Sweden. Cover and Logo art was designed by Jobert Mello for Sledgehammer Graphix (Sabaton, Primal Fear)

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Kill-Ritual/192028644161072
http://www.myspace.com/killritual
http://www.reverbnation.com/killritual
http://www.youtube.com/killritual
http://www.soundcloud.com/killritualmetal
http://www.rockngrowl.com/kill-ritual

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-Pilgrim Launch Landing Page Featuring First New Song, Cover Artwork And Pre-Order Options For Upcoming Debut Album MISERY WIZARD To Be Released Early 2012!

American Doomster Latest Band To Sign To A.A. Nemtheanga’s Poison Tongue Records!

Almighty Pilgrim, a three-piece doom metal band from Rhode Island, USA! With a mix of destruction, misery and beauty, these young disciples of doom blend a surprisingly original sword and sorcery feel with the classic chest-caving heaviness of the masters, Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Reverend Bizarre and Pentagram. Their thick walls of majestically darkened guitar, massive booming bass, and dangerously powerful yet calculated drumming lull listeners into an intense dream-like trance, abducting them to places they never knew were dwelling within their own minds.

Pilgrim now signed a record deal with Poison Tongue Records, the label of Primordial vocalist A.A. Nemtheanga. Comments the band: “Working with Alan was an honor and a pleasure. He invested a lot of his personal time and energy into making this record happen, despite us being separated by an ocean. He’s a wealth of knowledge regarding metal music and its industry, a perfect mentor for a band of young musicians like ourselves.”

Pilgrim’s debut album MISERY WIZARD will be released early 2012 via Metal Blade Records in Europe on CD and LP. Check out the first song and album opener “Astaroth” at http://www.metalblade.com/pilgrim . Make sure to also check the pre-order options.

Pilgrim about their debut album MISERY WIZARD: “MISERY WIZARD is a sonic journey through a strange and mystical legend. Hidden within are the twisted tales of the evil demons, ancient aliens and powerful sorcerers that once inhabited the dark realms of our fable. We wanted to make a record that harnessed the foreboding sounds of classic doom metal and mesh it with our tales of high-fantasy.

“We’re influenced by dark, heavy music, Black Sabbath, Saint Vitus, Reverend Bizarre, Darkthrone, Burzum and the like. Unlike a lot of modern musicians, we wanted to pay tribute to these bands without BEING them, so to speak. I think originality and individuality is a staple of this record. No two songs are too similar. Each is a unique gem revealing an unsung tale of old. Each song is a portal into a different scene of the overarching mythos that is Pilgrim.”

Pilgrim formed in early 2010 and was built on the worship of “true doom metal.” Krolg, The Slayer Of Man (drums), Count Elric The Soothsayer (bass) and The Wizard (guitars and vocals) have set out on a holy pilgrimage of domination through amplification.

Tucked away high up in the US’ New England coastline, you can find Pilgrim making their fabled pilgrimages to New York City to showcase their mysterious songwriting for shadowy un-lit rooms of coked-out metal-heads.

Pilgrim is a sonic documentation of the friendship of three young men inspired and awe-stricken by the dark sounds of traditional doom metal. Something sinister always seems to be following in their footsteps. Hear them soon, before it’s too late.

MISERY WIZARD track listing:
1. Astaroth
2. Misery Wizard
3. Quest
4. Masters Of The Sky
5. Adventurer
6. Forsaken Man

Pilgrim is:
The Wizard – guitars and vocals
Count Elric The Soothsayer – bass
Krolg, The Slayer Of Man – drums

http://www.facebook.com/hailthepilgrim
http://www.myspace.com/spacepilgrims
http://hailthepilgrim.bandcamp.com

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-Black Skies Issue Roadside Update; Live Song Posted

North Carolina power trio Black Skies have been ravaging the North American masses since November 14 on their 2011 Fall tour excursion in support of the recently unleashed ON THE WINGS OF TIME full-length.

The band checks in from the van:

“The tour is going great! We’ve played some of our favorite venues. Hit some new ones and had a great first time playing Canada! The crowd, promoters and venues in Montreal and Toronto were very welcoming and we look forward to going back! We’ve been playing songs off our new record for the most part including a tune we hadn’t really played out live before and a May Blitz cover on some nights. It’s been a blast being back out. Our friends Make from Chapel Hill were on the first half of the tour with us. It’s been great to share the stage with these guys every night. They’re an excellent band, and good, fun people to hang with. We joined up with Vaz in Montreal for a string of dates. It’s time to take over Easthampton, Brooklyn, Philadelphia and Annandale!”

BLACK SKIES – Fall Tour 2011 [remaining dates]:
11/26/2011 Flywheel Arts Collective – Easthampton, MA**
11/27/2011 St. Vitus – Brooklyn, NY**
11/28/2011 JRs – Philadelphia, PA**
11/29/2011 Cellar Door – Annandale, VA
** w/ Vaz http://www.vazmusic.bandcamp.com

ON THE WINGS OF TIME is currently available at all shows on digital download cards included with the purchase of a limited edition, silk-screened poster. A CD version with alternate cover art is also available. To hear ON THE WINGS OF TIME in its entirety, visit the band’s official BandCamp page. In addition, you can check out a live recording from the band’s first show of the tour at the Get Down in Asheville, North Carolina here:

http://www.reverbnation.com/play_now/song_11010107

…

“Black Skies play like an amped-up version of Sleep: think stoner metal on a caffeine bender. It’s visceral hard rock defined by low-end, hypnotic riffing.” — Creative Loafing

“ON THE WINGS OF TIME is a head banging punk rock ear fest with a loverly heavy grunge metal tinge… It’s a loud cacophony of guitars with understated vocals. It’s music to lose yourself in.” — The Kalidiaries

http://www.blackskies.us/
http://www.facebook.com/blackskiesnc
http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies

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-Basick Records Sign Two New Acts: The Algorithm & Skyharbor!

Basick Records is extremely happy to welcome two exciting new international acts to its ever expanding roster: French electro-metal producer The Algorithm and Indian progressive metal band Skyharbor! The signing of these two new acts further cements Basick’s reputation as a solid choice for some of the world’s most progressive and forward thinking artists.

The brainchild of talented producer Rémi Gallego, The Algorithm infuses modern metal breakdowns with a menagerie of electronic subgenres such as IDM, chiptune and breakcore to concoct his own potent style of fiercely heavy music. After a successful premiere of his live show at this year’s Euroblast Festival, Rémi will now be focusing on playing more shows around Europe, including a Basick showcase in London, scheduled for early next year.

The Algorithm will release a new single “Tr0jans” (which includes new versions of the tracks “Isometry” and “Antikythera…”) and a new, as yet untitled album via Basick in early 2012. More details to follow.

Stream the track “Isometry” from the forthcoming single here:
http://soundcloud.com/basickrecords/the-algorithm-isometry

Starting out as a simple bedroom studio project, guitarist Keshav Dhar has seen Skyharbor quickly evolve into one of India’s hottest metal prospects, with huge admiration coming in from some of the biggest names in metal worldwide. An astonishing amount of buzz also surrounded the band’s first ever performance at the Bacardi NH7 Festival in Pune, India earlier this month, where they played to over 1,000 people and were one of the weekend’s highlights.

The long awaited debut album from Skyharbor promises to be a landmark release for the Indian independent music scene, in no small part thanks to the incredible number of international guest appearances it will see, including the likes of Marty Friedman (ex-Megadeth), Daniel Tompkins (ex-TesseracT), Vishal J. Singh (Amogh Symphony) and Sunneith Revankar (Bhayanak Maut).

Skyharbor will release the debut album BLINDING WHITE NOISE: ILLUSION & CHAOS worldwide via Basick in early 2012. More details to follow.

Stream the track “Celestial” featuring Marty Friedman and Dan Tompkins here:
http://soundcloud.com/basickrecords/skyharbor-celestial-edit

http://basickrecords.com/

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-King Giant: Dark Southern Rock Outfit To Self-Release Sophomore Album In January

Taking the dark tales of their Appalachian folk forefathers to contemporary Southern doom territory, Northern Virgina-based quintet King Giant have wrapped up the final details on their sophomore full-length release, DISMAL HOLLOW, and are preparing to self-release it just after the kickoff of the new year.

Brooding even darker and more sinister homage to their rock and metal forefathers than their heralded self-released 2009 debut album, SOUTHERN DARKNESS, this new album sets a new par for King Giant, further developing their hard but harmonized style, as always chock full of well-written hooks and deep grooving thunder. Recorded at Inner Ear Studio (Minor Threat, Fugazi, Avail, Jawbox, Dave Grohl), and inherently boasting full-on Americana both musically and conceptually, the eight tracks harnessed on DISMAL HOLLOW are easily King Giant’s most well-written and monstrous anthems captured to date.

DISMAL HOLLOW will be available worldwide on January 31, 2012 — a split release between King Giant’s band-operated imprint Graveyard Hill Records and The Path Less Traveled Records, part of the MRI Group, with distribution by RED, Code 7 and Plastichead — and will be available in CD, LP and digital download formats. Check out the cover art for the album and more at http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/?p=3808 .

DISMAL HOLLOW Track Listing:

1. Appomattox
2. Tale Of Mathias
3. A Steward’s Prayer
4. Pistols And Penance
5. 6 O’Clock Swill
6. The Fog
7. Road To Eleusis
8. O’ Drifter

A video for the album’s opening track, “Appomattox,” will debut in December 2011, along with more tunes from Dismal Hollow, as well as new live dates and much more for King Giant throughout 2012.

http://www.kinggiant.com/
http://www.facebook.com/kinggiantband
http://www.myspace.com/kinggiant
http://www.kinggiant.bandcamp.com

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-Burning Love Sign To Southern Lord Recordings; New Album In Final Stages

Southern Lord Recordings proudly announce the signing of Ontario-based Burning Love, as the label prepared for the release of the unit’s anticipated upcoming sophomore full-length in early 2012.

Following their previous full-length, in addition to a multitude of EPs and split releases and more since their 2008 inception, the title of the forthcoming Burning Love album has been confirmed as ROTTEN THING TO SAY, and was recently recorded by Converge guitarist Kurt Ballou at his infamous Salem, Massachusetts-based Godcity Studio. Set to be mastered by Alan Douches at West West Side in the coming weeks as the album art is completed and final release details are confirmed, ROTTEN THING TO SAY will see release in late March or early April of 2012, with final details to be confirmed by the beginning of the year.

To the uninitiated, Burning Love is a group from Toronto with a chip on their shoulder and electric blood in their veins; their output a desperate, venomous and informed rock n’ roll fury that sways and swaggers somewhere between hardcore punk and the darker side of blues gone wrong. After the sudden demise of the now legendary Cursed, enigmatic front man Chris Colohan picked right back up where he the band last left us, but this time collaborating with the members of Our Father, comes back to the table with a band that had a decidedly different musical approach and direction. While Cursed was intent on quickly ripping your face off, Burning Love takes that similar approach to new levels, luring you in with infectious hooks and full throttle blues before going in for the kill. Merging the darkness of Poison Idea, the melodic aspects of Queens Of The Stone Age and the inspired high energy of the MC5, the attack of Burning Love begins to come into focus.

BURNING LOVE:
Chris Colohan – vocals
Alex Goodall – bass
Easton Lannaman – drums
Pat Marshall – guitar
Andrus Meret – guitar

Stay tuned for more info on Burning Love to be announced over the coming weeks and all through 2012 as this raging act’s new album nears release and the band takes to the road in support of the beast.

http://burninglove416.blogspot.com
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Burning-Love/112400578781827
http://www.southernlord.com/
http://blog.southernlord.com
http://twitter.com/twatterlord

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-Gods And Queens: Philadelphia Trio Involved In Serious Van Accident In Czech Republic

Philadelphia-based Gods And Queens were involved in a serious accident while on their current self-booked European tour this weekend in the Czech Republic. Several of the members and their traveling friends received very serious injuries in the brutal accident, which destroyed their van, equipment and personal gear.

The band are now struggling to cover their bills and are reaching out for the public’s help. Please go drop a meager $1.99 on their latest untitled full-length album via the band’s Bandcamp page at http://www.godsandqueens.bandcamp.com/ to help these hard-working bros cover their hospital and travel expenses to bring them home.

The full initial statement released by Gods And Queens front man Jamie Getz is below:

—

I’m going to try and make this as short as I can. After all these years of touring in unsafe vans, and doing stupid things, I guess I was overdue for this… We had a serious van accident in route from our show in Graz, Austria to Dresden, Germany, somewhere along the highway in the Czech.

I was asleep in the back of the van, so I’m unsure of what exactly happened. All I know is I felt the van skidding out and we started to slide and roll over. Not sure exactly how many times the van flipped but it was more than enough. I started screaming for everyone to tell me they were OK. Gertjan check, Ben check, Sara check, and I didn’t hear Jeff.

Ben pulled me out through the windshield and I took off running, screaming for help with blood pouring down my face. I honestly though Jeff was dead. A car stopped and a slew of women started screaming at me and I was screaming at them. We were in the middle of nowhere and as I was running two things came to mind, I think Jeff is dead, and I hope I don’t get shot like Artimus Pyle. A woman pulled me into her house and her husband and son ran to the van crash site. I found Gertjan, and he said everyone is OK. The family started talking to me via Google Translation telling me everyone is safe and that an ambulance is on the way.

The ambulance comes takes us to a hospital, we get taken care of… sort of. The police arrive on the scene and inform us that we aren’t leaving until the medical bills are paid in full. They were so kind enough to escort Sara and myself to an ATM machine to pay the entire lump of the bills in full on the spot. Even after we signed some strange papers saying we have 30 day with proof of citizenship, etc. What the f*ck ever right? We asked where Gertjan was, and their response was… prison. 300 phone calls and around €3,000 later we are out of the damned Czech and safe in Germany.

Long short, we are all somewhat OK. Jeff broke his collar bone, Ben got his hand jacked up, I am pretty alright, Gertjan is OK, as well as Sara. The van is destroyed. Booking these tours ourselves really made me realize that we are 100% on our own. We had no one to call, no one to “rescue” us. I made three phone calls and the entire German punk scene came to our rescue. God damn thank you. Our new friends from Dresden, Germany came to get us at the drop of a hat, no questions asked. Thank you.

So here it is, we are three grown adult males in our 30s who play in a punk band. We are all stage hands at R5 Productions in Philly. That’s what we do to enable us to be here in Europe doing this. Never in our lives have we needed help like we do now. If you want to help us, please go to http://www.godsandqueens.bandcamp.com and purchase a record for $1.99. If you ever laughed at one of my awful jokes, or spend hours talking with us after a show, and you would like to help, please do. I always thought our band would have too much pride to ask for help, but I am pretty sure we all agree that this time we need it. If you would like to help in any form please do jamiegetz(at)gmail.com is the PayPal address if you are inclined to do so. We will also accept first class upgrades on US Air, Delta or Virgin.

Thanks.
Jamie/Gods & Queens

http://www.godsandqueens.bandcamp.com
http://www.godsandqueens.wordpress.com
http://www.facebook.com/godsandqueens
http://www.twitter.com/godsandqueens

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*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
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-Check out About Heavy Metal’s “Heavy Metal Gift Guide” — featuring CD reviews and “a list of CD box sets, DVDs, collectibles and more” — at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/EQeU .

-Canadian melodic metal band All Else Fails has its video for “Rebirth” online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BGov6ji_72s . The track is the latest single from THE ORACLE: WHAT WAS, IS, AND COULD HAVE BEEN, which is streaming in full at http://thenewreview.net/all-access/album-stream-all-else-fails-the-oracle-what-was-is-and-could-have-been . See http://www.allelsefails.ca/ for more.

-Check out a new interview with Anthrax bassist Frankie Bello at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/EMM3 .

-Warren Appleby’s Christmas/Winter album SNOWBOUND is on sale until December 31 for only $5.00 at CD Baby, with individual tracks going for 79 cents each. See http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/warrenappleby5 for more.

-The Arctic Festival 2012 – Scotland is slated for April 21-22 at The Classic Grand in Glasgow. Lineup: 4/21 – Diementia, Bury All Rivals, Black Acid Souls, Seethe, Huron, 15 Times Dead, Mordax, Kyrbgrinder, Furyon. 4/22 – Komatoze, Let’s Play God, Bacchus Baracus, Shadows Lie Within, Cypher16, Spyritus, Achren, Arthemis. Check out the Facebook event at http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=276783405688398 , and see http://www.classicgrand.com/ for more on the venue.

-Check out About Heavy Metal’s “Retro Recommendation” feature on Autograph’s SIGN IN PLEASE at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/EMM6 .

-Autumn’s new video for “The Scarecrow” is available at the German Metal Hammer website, at http://www.metal-hammer.de/video-audio/premieren/article123569/autumn-premiere-des-videos-zu-the-scarecrow-aus-cold-comfort.html . The track comes from COLD COMFORT, which is out now. See http://www.autumn-band.com/ , http://www.myspace.com/autumnband , and http://www.facebook.com/AutumnBand for more.

-Axemaster’s Joe Sims was recently interviewed by Mike “The Big Cheese” of “The Heavy Metal Mayhem” Internet radio show, and a podcast of the appearance can be downloaded at http://theheavymetalmayhemradioshow.com/ . In other news, Axemaster’s deal with the upcoming film “Metal Maniac” has been expanded to not only include the band’s music, but also a role for Sims. See http://www.facebook.com/axemasterofficial , http://www.reverbnation.com/axemasterofficial , and http://www.myspace.com/thebandaxemaster for more.

-There are new Sebastian Bach interviews online as follows:

Eternal Terror
http://fb.me/1gsgdquWk

Guitar World “Tune Ups” Feature
http://fb.me/18IpxLTcc

VH1 Classic Rock Nights
http://t.co/5a1nWD1P

Go Lackawanna
http://t.co/avo19ajh

See http://www.sebastianbach.com/ for more.

-Clips from Beyond The Bridge’s debut rock opera THE OLD MAN AND THE SPIRIT are available as follows:

“The Call”
http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/beyond_the_bridge_-_01_-_the_call.mp3

“The Apparition”
http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/beyond_the_bridge_-_02_-_the_apparition.mp3

“Doorway To Salvation”
http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/beyond_the_bridge_-_07_-_doorway_to_salvation.mp3

-Check out a sneak peek (audio only) of Blatant Disarray’s cover of Megadeth’s “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” at http://t.co/C8F53UHV .

-There’s a new interview with Blotted Science’s Ron Jarzombek at http://www.metalinjection.net/interviews/ron-jarzombek-the-metal-injection-interview . See http://www.ronjarzombek.com/BlottedScience.html and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blotted-Science/78922582770 for more.

-The latest Eric Carr “Through The Years” videos are available as follows:

Pt. 1 – Bill Aucoin & John Humphrey (Seether)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YNmDh5F65Y

Pt. 2 – Bruce Kulick & Lydia Criss
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZqhmH-asA0

Pt. 3 – A.J. Pero, Mark Slaughter & Carmine Appice
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EvWymD6Cdno

Pt. 4 – Carrie Stevens & Eddie Trunk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MD5bPrnt7c

The UNFINISHED BUSINESS CD was featured on VH1 Classic’s “That Metal Show” last week, with host Eddie Trunk and guest Slash both talking about Carr and the release. The CD is currently part of a “holiday bundle” available through EricCarr.com and TributeAlbums.com where you can get three CDs for $29.99 plus shipping & handling; the others are the tribute albums KISS: COVER TO COVER (featuring songs Kiss has covered in its career) and PROPHECY – A TRIBUTE TO ERIC CARR by Ralph E. Carle. See http://tributealbums.com/ericcarr.htm for more details on all three CDs, and see EricCarr.com for more on UNFINISHED BUSINESS.

-Attention Deficit Delirium has a “Digital Playlist” feature from Chickenfoot’s Michael Anthony at http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/11/28/digital-playlist-michael-anthony/ .

-Epica’s new album is due out March 9, 2012 on Nuclear Blast Records. The band’s upcoming European tour is scheduled as follows:

3/15 – Zeche, Bochum, Germany
3/16 – 013, Tilburg, The Netherlands
3/29 – Substage, Karlsruhe, Germany
3/30 – Juzz Live Club, Andernach, Germany
3/31 – Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany
4/13 – Transbordeur, Lyon, France
4/14 – Les Docks, Lausanne, Switzerland
4/16 – Orion, Rome, Italy
4/17 – Alcatraz, Milano, Italy
4/19 – Razzmatazz I, Barcelona, Spain
4/20 – La Riviera, Madrid, Spain
4/21 – Incrivel Almadense, Lisbon, Portugal
4/22 – Hard Club, Porto, Portugal
4/24 – Bikini, Toulouse, France
4/25 – Theatre Barbev, Bordeaux, France
4/27 – Z7, Pratteln, Switzerland
4/28 – Stadthalle, Langen, Germany
4/29 – Baraclan, Paris, France

See http://www.epica.nl/ for more.

-Famous Underground is set to gig at The Green Bottle in Oshawa, Ontario, on December 3 with Tiger Star. See http://www.famousunderground.tv/ for more.

-Ace Frehley fractured his left wrist in an accident at his home, and has had to cancel his upcoming UK tour dates. He plans to reschedule them, and has already announced he will headline the Hard Rock Hell 2012 festival next December. See http://www.acefrehley.com/ for more.

-Rob Halford’s “Metal God Records Holiday Sale” is going on now, where ever order includes a free WINTER SONGS five-song radio promo CD while supplies last. Featured items include a Halford’s LIVE AT SAITAMA SUPER ARENA Blu-ray/DVD/CD bundle for $34.99, Fight’s INTO THE PIT box set for $10, other CDs for low prices, and other bundles featuring hats, picks, shirts, CDs, DVDs, and more. A list of $5 T-shirts is available at https://www.metalgodshop.com/c-40-5-shirts-sale.aspx . See http://www.metalgodshop.com/ for more. There is also a “Metal God Apparel Holiday Sale” where you can get 40% off your order with coupon code HOLIDAY. See http://www.metalgodapparel.com/ for more.

-Check out footage of Havok live in Brooklyn at http://lnk.ms/W0h3r , an new photos at http://lnk.ms/W3xYm .

-Kamelot’s new video for “Necropolis,” from POETRY FOR THE POISONED, is online at http://youtu.be/r8pd99KBLjs . In other video news, check out these clips:

Filmed video of Kamelot with Fabio Lione from the SOLD OUT Sentrum Scene in Oslo, Norway:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EGXWyysNu7U&feature=player_embedded

Kamelot On the Road Series:
http://www.youtube.com/user/kamelotofficial#grid/user/FA46272ADB4A1024

“Ghost Opera” cover:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ne5MiuEeKTQ

The cover of “Ghost Opera” is a Senior Recital by Ittiporn Supreechakorn and Phubet Pensook, featuring the Mahidol University Rock Orchestra and Libera Canto Symphonic Choir, at the Music Auditorium, College Of Music, Mahidol University Thailand. See http://www.kamelot.com/ for more.

-There’s a new Lance King interview online at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/EQeV .

-The four-issue Kiss/Archie comic book series “Archie Meets Kiss” debuts today, November 30, with “Archie” issue #627. To celebrate, tonight at 7 p.m. Paul Stanley and Gene Simmons — along with the “Archie Meets Kiss” creative team of artist Dan Parent and writer Alex Segura — will sign copies of the comic at Golden Apple Comics in Los Angeles. The remaining issues are due out as follows: #628 on December 28, #629 on January 25, and #630 on February 22. [Thanks for that, Patrick! - Tim] See http://www.archiecomics.com/ and http://www.kissonline.com/ for more.

-Bruce Kulick has a new “10 Questions With…” video for SIT Strings at http://www.youtube.com/user/kulicknet .

-Lizzy Borden’s “Death Takes A Holiday” European tour 2011 is in progress as follows:

11/30 – Rocktogon, Budapest, Hungary
12/1 – Camden Underworld, London, UK
12/2 – Hard Rock Hell Festival, Prestatyn, Wales, UK
12/5 – DOM, Helsinki, Finland
12/8 – Seven Sins, Athens, Greece
12/9 – Rockland, Sala, Sweden
12/10 – Backstage, Trollhattan, Sweden
12/11 – Pumpehuset, Copenhagen, Denmark

See http://www.lizzyborden.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/lizzybordenband for more.

-Check out some clips from Mollo / Martin’s THE THIRD CAGE as follows:

“Oh My Soul”
http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/dario_mollo-tony_martin_-_03_-_oh_my_soul_.mp3

“One Of The Few”
http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/dario_mollo-tony_martin_-_04_-_one_of_the_few__.mp3

“Wardance”
http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/dario_mollo-tony_martin_-_07_-_wardance__.mp3

See http://www.dariomollo.com/ and http://www.frontiers.it/ for more.

-Saxon is on the road in Europe with Anvil and Crimes Of Passion supporting, and starting December 13 HammerFall will be support at shows in the UK. The dates:

11/30 – Trädgårn, Gothenburg, Sweden
12/2 – Munchenbryggeriet, Stockholm, Sweden
12/4 – Nosturi, Helsinki, Finland
12/7 – Club Studio, Krakow, Poland
12/8 – Stodola, Warsaw, Poland
12/10 – Knock Out Festival, Karlsruhe, Germany
12/11 – Zeche, Bochum, Germany
12/13 – O2 Academy, Oxford, UK
12/14 – O2 Academy, Leicester, UK
12/16 – Picturehouse, Edinburgh, UK
12/17 – Mandela Hall, Belfast, Northern Ireland
12/18 – O2 Academy, Sheffield, UK
12/20 – Koko, London, UK

Check out a recent Attention Deficit Delirium podcast interview with Biff Byford at http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/11/18/a-d-d-podcast-9-saxon-frontman-biff-byford/ . See http://www.saxon747.com/ for more.

-Scythia will open for Korpiklaani and Arkona on December 3 at Rickshaw Theatre in Vancouver, BC. The band’s guitarist Dave Khan commented: “Scythia is both stoked and honored to play with folk metal’s heavyweights such as Korpiklaani and Arkona. This night will be a fusion of European and North American interpretations of this genre and it will provide a very enticing reason to come out and rock hard.” Scythia’s …OF EXILE is out now and doing well, having hit #1 on the Top 20 Canadian Loud Charts for October. Grab free downloads of the tracks “For The King” and “Voice Of The Sword” at http://scythia.bandcamp.com/track/for-the-king-free-download and http://scythia.bandcamp.com/track/voice-of-the-sword-free-download , respectively, and check out an album teaser video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8yKgWHAv4E8 . See http://www.ScythiaFolkMetal.com/ for more.

-Sonata Arctica’s LIVE IN FINLAND hit #1 on the official Finnish DVD charts. See http://www.sonataarctica.info/ for more.

-Jack Starr’s Burning Starr — featuring singer Todd Michael Hall, guitarist Starr, bassist Ned Meloni, and drummer Kenny “Rhino” Earl — has LAND OF THE DEAD out now on Limb Music. Hype: “In the world of heavy metal, flashy guitar players are a dime a dozen, but you’d be hard pressed to find many that can compare with the over-the-top fret-scorching licks of heavy metal six-string hero Jack Starr. With a career in metal that now spans 30 years and counting, Jack has amassed an endless amount of writing, recording, and touring with such acts as Virgin Steele where he was a founding member, Jack Starr’s Burning Starr, Strider, Phantom Lord and Jack Starr’s Guardians Of The Flame among others. He has worked with some of metal’s most respected vocalists including David DeFeis, the late great Rhett Forrester, Mike Tirelli, and Shmoulik Avigal.” The album features guest performances from singer Marta Gabriel (Crystal Viper) and guitarists Ross The Boss (Manowar) and David Shankle (Manowar, DSG), and has this track list: “Land Of The Dead,” “Sands Of Time,” “Twilight Of The Gods,” “Stranger In Paradise,” “Here We Are,” “Warning Fire,” “Daughter Of Darkness,” “When Blood And Steel Collide,” “On The Wings Of The Night,” “Never Again,” “Until The End.” Check out clips of three songs at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=35321 . See http://www.BurningStarr.com/ , http://www.myspace.com/JackStarrsBurningStarr , and http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jack-Starrs-Burning-Starr for more.

-TrashCan Symphony will take part in an all-ages December 17 charity show at Durty Nellies to benefit Chiros Care Free clinic, which “provides free chiropractic care for the homeless in Chicago, and bring their care and donations to other less fortunate areas of the world.” TCS will play from 5 – 8 p.m., and 7th Heaven is also on the bill. Kids 15 and under get in free; for others a $35 entry fee includes admission, a raffle ticket, and a wristband for unlimited drinks from 5 – 8 p.m. (including beer, wine, and well liquors.), and a $10 entry fee includes admission and a raffle ticket. There will also be a silent auction. See http://www.chiroscare.org/ for more on the Chiros Care Free clinic, and http://www.trashcansymphony.com/ for more on the band.

-Luca Turilli’s Rhapsody has a video trailer for its first album at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h8n8Bz2Ba34 . See http://www.ltrhapsody.com/ for more.

-U.D.O.’s 2008 live album MASTERCUTOR ALIVE will be released December 9 on double vinyl through Golden Core (Cargo Records). Check out a German-language profile of main man Udo Dirkschneider at Spiegel online, at http://www.spiegel.de/kultur/musik/0,1518,799594,00.html . See http://www.udo-online.de/ for more.

-UFO’s five-CD box set THE CHRYSALIS YEARS (1973-1979) is out now on Capitol/EMI. The set includes liner notes “based on a recent interview” with singer Phil Mogg, the five studio albums from that era, live opus STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT, and rarities including the 1973 German single “Give Her The Gun,” the 1979 single version of “Doctor Doctor,” the B-side “On With The Action” (live), BBC Radio sessions, and “a previously unreleased 45-minute concert recording from UFO’s first US tour,” from a 1974 show at the Electric Ballroom in Atlanta. Track list: CD 1 – “Give Her The Gun” (single A-side), “Sweet Little Thing” (single B-side), PHENOMENON (1974): “Oh My,” “Crystal Light,” “Doctor Doctor,” “Space Child,” “Rock Bottom,” “Too Young To Know,” “Time On My Hands,” “Built For Comfort,” “Lipstick Traces,” “Queen Of The Deep,” “Doctor Doctor” (Single Edit) (bonus track), Bob Harris BBC session from 10/28/74: “Rock Bottom,” “Time On My Hands,” “Give Her The Gun.” CD 2 – Live At Electric Ballroom, Atlanta, GA 11/5/74: “Oh My,” “Doctor Doctor,” “Built For Comfort,” “Give Her The Gun,” “Cold Turkey,” “Space Child,” “Rock Bottom,” “Prince Kujuku,” FORCE IT (1975) (side A): “Let It Roll,” “Shoot Shoot,” “High Flyer,” “Love Lost Love,” “Out In The Street.” CD 3 – FORCE IT (side B): “Mother Mary,” “Too Much Of Nothing,” “Dance Your Life Away,” “This Kid’s” (including “Between The Walls”), NO HEAVY PETTING (1976): “Natural Thing,” “I’m A Loser,” “Can You Roll Her,” “Belladonna,” “Reasons Love,” “Highway Lady,” “On With The Action,” “A Fool In Love,” “Martian Landscape,” LIGHTS OUT (1977) (side A): “Too Hot To Handle,” “Just Another Suicide,” “Try Me,” “Lights Out.” CD 4 – LIGHTS OUT (side B): “Gettin’ Ready,” “Alone Again Or,” “Electric Phase,” “Love To Love,” “Try Me” (Single Remix) (bonus track), John Peel BBC session from 6/27/77: “Too Hot To Handle,” “Lights Out,” “Try Me,” OBSESSION (1978): “Only You Can Rock Me,” “Pack It Up (And Go),” “Arbory Hill,” “Ain’t No Baby,” “Lookin’ Out For No. 1,” “Hot ‘N’ Ready,” “Cherry,” “You Don’t Fool Me,” “Lookin’ Out For No. 1″ (Reprise), “One More For The Rodeo,” “Born To Lose,” “Only You Can Rock Me” (Single Version) (bonus track). CD 5 – STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT (1979): “Natural Thing,” “Out In The Street,” “Only You Can Rock Me,” “Doctor Doctor,” “Mother Mary,” “This Kid’s,” “Love To Love,” “Lights Out,” “Rock Bottom,” “Too Hot To Handle,” “I’m A Loser,” “Let It Roll,” “Shoot Shoot,” “Doctor Doctor” (Live Single Edit) (bonus track), “On With The Action” (Live Single B-Side) (bonus track).

-Check out a new Metal Assault audio interview with Unearth at http://lnk.ms/W41cS .

-BraveWords.com reported Virgin Steele is readying for the 70,000 Tons Of Metal Cruise in January, some US shows “within the next few months,” and the band’s upcoming 30th anniversary concerts. The band’s 1988 album AGE OF CONSENT has been reissued by SPV/Steamhammer as a two-CD digi-pak with bonus tracks (five of which are previously unreleased) and a “massive booklet with new liner notes and unseen photos.” The release is also out on double gatefold blue vinyl, with printed inner sleeves. CD track list: CD 1 – “The Burning Of Rome (Cry For Pompeii),” “Let It Roar,” “Prelude To Evening,” “Lion In Winter,” “Stranger At The Gate,” “Perfect Mansions (Mountains Of The Sun),” “Coils Of The Serpent,” “Serpent’s Kiss,” “On The Wings Of The Night,” “Seventeen,” “Tragedy,” “Stay On Top,” “Chains Of Fire,” “Desert Plains” (Judas Priest cover), “Cry Forever,” “We Are Eternal.” CD 2 (bonus tracks) – “Screaming For Vengeance” (Judas Priest cover), “The Curse,” “Breach Of Lease” (previously unreleased), “Another Nail In The Cross” (previously unreleased), “A Changling Dawn” (Noble Savage acoustic version) (previously unreleased), “Under The Graveyard Moon” (previously unreleased), “Down By The River” (previously unreleased). Vinyl track list: LP 1 – “The Burning Of Rome (Cry For Pompeii),” “Let It Roar,” “Prelude To Evening,” “Lion In Winter,” “On The Wings Of The Night,” “Seventeen,” “Tragedy,” “Chains Of Fire,” “Cry Forever,” “We Are Eternal.” LP 2 – “Perfect Mansions (Mountains Of The Sun),” “Coils Of The Serpent,” “Serpent’s Kiss,” “The Curse” (bonus track), “Screaming For Vengeance” (Judas Priest cover) (bonus track), “Another Nail In The Cross” (bonus track) (previously unreleased), “Under The Graveyard Moon” (bonus track) (previously unreleased).

-The 2012 Wacken Open Air has added Volbeat and Danko Jones to the lineup. Jones’ performance will be spoken word; of this he stated: “It’s been seven years since I’ve stepped onstage to do Spoken Word. In that time I’ve wondered what there was worth speaking about. I’m stepping on the Wacken stage to talk about my one burning passion that has consumed me for my entire life. Come and listen to my confession.” Check out a Danko Jones podcast for free on iTunes at http://itunes.apple.com/se/podcast/the-official-danko-jones-podcast/id438095650 , and read more at http://www.wacken.com/en/woa2012/main-bands/billing-20120/danko-spoken-word12/ . See http://www.wacken.com/ for more.

-The ZZ TOP – A TRIBUTE FROM FRIENDS compilation is out now via Show Dog/Universal. Track list: The M.O.B. (Steven Tyler, Mick Fleetwood, Jon McVie, Jonny Lang) – “Sharp Dressed Man,” Filter – “Gimme All Your Lovin’,” Grace Potter & The Nocturnals – “Tush,” Nickelback – “Legs,” Wolfmother – “Cheap Sunglasses,” Duff McKagan’s Loaded – “Got Me Under Pressure,” Coheed And Cambria – “Beer Drinkers And Hell Raisers,” Mastodon – “Just Got Paid,” Wyclef Jean – “Rough Boy,” Daughtry – “Waitin’ For The Bus/Jesus Just Left Chicago,” Jamey Johnson – “La Grange.”

Thanks to Axel Wiesenauer, Chad Bowar, Dan Marsicano, Thomas Jensen, Bryan Reesman, Alexander Ford, Jon Asher, Kimmie Sharon, Metaltix, Music Buy Mail, Matt Rudzinski, Grigoris Chronis, and Axe for help gathering some of this information.

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*** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE ***
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by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-I finished Ace Frehley’s “No Regrets” last week, and as expected, it was a breezy read focusing mainly on his early years and his time in Kiss. I certainly recommend it to any Ace or Kiss fan, but there were a few areas I wish Frehley would’ve explored more deeply. The book makes very clear his relationship with Gene Simmons — there are plenty of salvos fired in the direction of The Demon — but doesn’t really get into much with Paul Stanley, Eric Carr, or, most surprisingly, Peter Criss. I guess I expected more “Ace & Peter Partying Gone Haywire” and “Ace & Peter Vs. The Evil Gene & Paul” war stories… I was surprised to read some of the Gene stories, and about Frehley’s fisticuffs with Tommy Thayer — as a huge Kiss fan I was shocked to realize I hadn’t heard about these already — and the tales of his “roadie” experiences at a young age are quite fascinating. I was disappointed with his 2009 solo album ANOMALY, but here’s hoping this book and Frehley’s newfound sobriety will lead to a more consistent, positive period of creativity and new albums.

-You know, that Battle Beast press release had me reaching for the dictionary. Did you catch this quote from Nuclear Blast A&R man Andy Siry: “Young, dynamic but still deeply rooted in traditional heavy metal — Battle Beast breathe new life into the scene and rekindle the sound of the ’80s with a fulgent livery.” “Fulgent Livery?” Sounds like a band name from the New England Metal And Hardcore Festival, doesn’t it? So yeah, I had to look it up. Turns out “fulgent” is an adjective meaning “shining brightly; dazzling; resplendent,” and in this context “livery” means “[a] uniform worn by male servants.” There you go — who said metal was for dummies? Now go show off your new vocabulary words.

-You know, I was pretty much on board with Pilgrim until I read those band member names… The Wizard, Count Elric The Soothsayer, and Krolg, The Slayer Of Man? Sheesh. Let’s get them and Lost Horizon — remember Ethereal Magnanimus on vocals, Transcendental Protagonist on guitar, Cosmic Antagonist on bass, and Preternatural Transmogrifyer on drums? — in a room to hash this out. Maybe have Gwar’s Oderus Urungus referee.

-So my kid’s been playing the Wii game “Animal Crossing: City Folk” and the other day one of the in-game characters asked “What’s your favorite kind of music?” As I recall the choices were country, pop, metal, hip-hop, and rock. My kid’s answer? Hip-hop. I have failed as a father.

-That UFO package looks awesome but I gotta say, I don’t think I’ve ever seen a box set where an album’s content was split onto multiple CDs like that. I understand wanting to preserve the chronological order of the material, but it just seems kinda weird…

-Accept’s new record is titled STALINGRAD. Hmm… Concept album?

-In my current playlist: Michael Schenker – TEMPLE OF ROCK (in-akustik), Megadeth – TH1RT3EN (Roadrunner Records), Boguslaw Balcerak’s Crylord – BLOOD OF THE PROPHETS (Lion Music), Wizard – …OF WARIWULFS AND BLUOTVARWES (Massacre Records), Candlelight Red – THE WRECKAGE (Imagen Records), Self Portrait – BETWEEN THE LINES (Pretty Plastic Records), Van Canto – BREAK THE SILENCE (Napalm Records).

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*** REVIEWS ***
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MICHAEL SCHENKER – TEMPLE OF ROCK (B+) in-akustik, 2011
14 tracks, RT: 58:01
[ http://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com/ ]
[ http://www.in-akustik.de/ ]
[ music@in-akustik.de ]
Guitar god Michael Schenker is back to doing solo albums, and yes, this thing actually begins with a 72-second intro featuring William “James T. Kirk” Shatner intoning over orchestral music… and it’s actually pretty cool! The music then launches with the driving “How Long,” and we’re off and running. Most of the tracks are sung by golden-throated Michael Voss (Mad Max, Casanova, Silver, etc.) and six feature the killer all-star lineup of Voss and Schenker plus a rhythm section consisting of the guitarist’s former cohorts Pete Way on bass and Herman Rarebell on drums. (Maybe the next release will be Michael Schenker Group with these guys?) Other guests include Schenker’s Scorpion brother Rudolf popping up on two songs to contribute “additional rhythm guitar,” and such notables and/or former Schenker collaborators as Robin McAuley, Paul Raymond, Carmine Appice, Don Airey, Doogie White, Neil Murray, Simon Phillips, Chris Glenn, Wayne Findlay, Brian Tichy, Chris Slade, and Elliott “Dean” Rubinson. The album is chock full of melodic rockers with nary a ballad in sight, save for the slow burn of “With You;” most are pleasantly mid-tempo with the exceptions of the heavier/faster “Storming In” (once you get past the extended intro), “The End Of An Era,” and the solo section of “Speed.” “Scene Of Crime” has a wickedly spooky vibe, and “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” (with White singing) has some satisfying stomp and heft. TEMPLE OF ROCK closes with an extended version of “How Long,” subtitled “3 Generations Guitar Battle Version” and featuring additional solos from Mountain’s Leslie West and Arch Enemy’s Michael Amott. Highlights include the aforementioned, cookin’ “The End Of An Era,” the swirling, catchy single “Miss Claustrophobia,” the chugga-chugga, McAuley-sung “Lover’s Sinfony,” the silly party rocker “Saturday Night” (featuring Rarebell on cowbell!), and the building “Hanging On.” I totally dig the way Schenker has reached back into his past to re-team with friends and former band mates, and the way he leans on Voss for most of the vocals, so despite TEMPLE OF ROCK maybe lacking those one or two absolutely killer tracks, it’s a worthy inclusion in his storied legacy.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

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*** OUT ***
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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net
http://www.lakeoffire.net/
http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com
http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
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-I took my kid to the local library on Saturday for “National Gaming Day,” where they had free open board games for a couple hours. There was NOBODY there besides us and the librarians. I guess everyone must have been hung over and sleeping in after National Metal Day the day before… – Tim

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-Black Sabbath Reunites To Record First New Studio Album In 33 Years And Launch Massive World Tour In 2012

Ozzy Osbourne, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler And Bill Ward Unveil Plans On 11/11/11 At A Los Angeles Press Conference At The Whisky A Go-Go, Where The Band Performed Their First Los Angeles Date Exactly 41 Years Ago

After much speculation, the original four members of Black Sabbath — Ozzy Osbourne (vocals), Tony Iommi (guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Bill Ward (drums) — have reunited to record their first new studio album in 33 years with producer Rick Rubin (seven-time Grammy winner, two of those as Producer of the Year) and to embark on a massive world tour in 2012.

Osbourne, Iommi, Butler and Ward as well as Rubin all gathered today on 11/11/11 to announce the news at a Los Angeles press conference at the legendary club, the Whisky A Go-Go, the site of the groundbreaking and influential band’s first L.A. concert exactly 41 years ago (Nov 11, 1970). The event was hosted by the revered musical and spoken word artist Henry Rollins who has said that “Any band worth their weight in napalm wishes they had written ‘War Pigs.’”

Selling over 70 million albums together, the Grammy-winning, Rock and Roll Hall of Fame inductees have signed a new record deal worldwide with Vertigo and Vertigo/ Universal Republic in the US, the band’s original label. Black Sabbath is now in the studio recording the as-yet-untitled new album for release in the fall of 2012 (exact date TBA). It will mark their ninth studio album together and their first since 1978′s NEVER SAY DIE!

Next summer, Black Sabbath will headline the mammoth multi-day UK Download Festival in the UK on June 10. The new album will then be supported with a worldwide headline arena tour (dates TBA).

Black Sabbath also announced today the launch of http://www.blacksabbath.com/ , the first-ever official Black Sabbath website for all authorized Black Sabbath news. In addition, the band’s online presence will also be supported by social media via Facebook and Twitter — again, marking the band’s first-ever foray into the social media world.

Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut album in 1970. “Black Sabbath is credited with creating heavy metal,” according to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. “The success of their first two albums — BLACK SABBATH and PARANOID — marked a paradigm shift in the world of rock. Not until Black Sabbath upended the music scene did the term ‘heavy metal’ enter the popular vocabulary to describe the denser, more thunderous offshoot of rock over which they presided.” The Rock and Roll Hall of Fame also noted, “…they remain one of the most misunderstood bands in rock history,” adding: “The band’s musicality was generally overlooked, but they possessed an inventiveness and fluency that, in hindsight, makes them seem as much of a progressive-rock band as a heavy-metal one.”

In 1998, Black Sabbath released REUNION from their 1997 concerts in Birmingham, England, a two-CD live set that featured two new studio songs. The band has also sporadically reunited for shows in 1999, 2002 and 2004; in 2005, the four performed concerts together when they toured Europe and then headlined the 10th anniversary of Osbourne’s namesake festival OZZfest. Also in 2005, they were inducted into the UK Music Hall of Fame by Brian May of Queen. This was followed by their induction in 2006 into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, an honor bestowed on them by Metallica’s James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich.

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-Queen: DAYS OF OUR LIVES — The Definitive Documentary On The World’s Greatest Rock Band Is Coming To DVD And Blu-Ray

To Be Released by Eagle Rock Entertainment Through Eagle Vision

“This fantastic and moving two-parter tells the story of the finest live band in the history of rock. There’s archive footage of past performances, interviews with the members and, best of all, plenty of insider anecdotes; the choicest being Elton John’s reaction to Bohemian Rhapsody: ‘Are you off your head? You’ll never get that played.’” – The Guardian/UK

In 1971, four college students got together to form a rock band.

Since then, that certain band called Queen have released 26 albums and sold over 300 million records worldwide. The popularity of Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor and John Deacon is stronger than ever 40 years on. On November 6, 2011, in front of an estimated TV audience of 1.2 billion they were honored with the Global Icon Award at the 2011 MTV EMA.

But for Queen the journey was no bed of roses. No pleasure cruise. Queen had their share of kicks in the face, but they came through — and this is how they did it.

Set against a backdrop of brilliant music and stunning live performances from every corner of the globe, Queen: DAYS OF OUR LIVES — available in both Blu-Ray and standard DVD formats, brings Queen’s 40th Anniversary year to a close in suitably regal style.

DAYS OF OUR LIVES began as a two-part documentary produced by long-term Queen collaborators and life long fans Rhys Thomas (the comedian who famously broke the Mastermind all-time record points score with a specialist subject of Queen) and Simon Lupton, and directed by the renowned director Matt Casey. After 10 years of making Queen DVDs, Lupton and Thomas were asked by the band to produce the definitive 40th Anniversary documentary and after almost a year of painstaking research and editing, this was the result.

Split over two episodes, Part One covering 1970 – 1980, Part Two 1980 – present day, the documentary is a genuine rollercoaster of rock and roll history.

In this film, for the first time, it is the band that tells their story. Featuring brand new interviews with Brian May and Roger Taylor and unseen archive footage — including their recently unearthed first ever TV performance — it is a compelling story told with intelligence, wit, plenty of humor and painful honesty.

Rhys Thomas comments, “We set out to make the definitive Queen documentary. It’s a funny, honest, inspiring and ultimately tragic account of ‘a certain band called Queen,’ as told by the band themselves. We tell the story of four students who met in West London, slogged hard and conquered the world, ultimately changing rock music forever.”

When originally broadcast in the UK on BBC 2 across two nights in May of this year, Queen: DAYS OF OUR LIVES was the highest rated TV show on in its slot, beating every other channel and peaking with three million viewers. It has been widely regarded as one of the finest rock documentaries made and the critical reaction was outstanding. “Funny that,” says Thomas, “considering Queen were always denounced by the press!”

“The Boys did a fantastic Job on this documentary … with little interference from us! I think this one will set the bench mark for years to come,” said Brian May.

Thomas explains the transfer of the original BBC documentary to DVD release: “When originally making the series it wasn’t easy condensing 40 years of Queen down to just two hours. In fact, there was so much more to be said and so much more to be seen. Thanks to Blu-Ray and DVD, so much more of that story can now be told… As the two documentaries worked so well, we resisted the idea of making an epic three-hour ‘Extended Cut.’ They are always boring, and as Freddie said to his manager Jim Beach in his last days: ‘Do anything you want with my music dear, but never make me boring!’

“So rather than simply dump a load of ‘deleted scenes’ onto the DVD and Blu-Ray, Simon and I decided to edit them all with as much love, time and care as we put into the main documentary. What we have as a result is a great companion to the main story and some real gems, most notably covering the formation of the band and the making of the last three albums which was only touched upon in the televised version. For instance, we learn from Brian how John Deacon made a cut in ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’ for the record company and Freddie’s reaction; the revelation that Freddie was not sober during the making of ‘Spread Your Wings’/'We Will Rock You’ in Roger’s back garden, and a hilarious sequence about Queen and their love of Scrabble.

“As well as the new sequences, there are seven new videos. Excerpts were featured in the main documentary, but we have completed them, and here on DVD and Blu-Ray they appear in full.”

The Blu-Ray format allows for additional bonus material and therefore differs in content to the Standard DVD release. Please check credits for each release.

Queen: DAYS OF OUR LIVES Blu-Ray & Standard DVD content descriptions:

Documentary Part 1 – 59 mins.
Documentary Part 2 – 59 mins.

Additional Videos – Blu-Ray and Standard DVD (24 mins.):

“Seven Seas Of Rhye” 2011
A compilation of all four “Top Of The Pops” and “Rainbow Live” performances from 1974 – all unseen

“Killer Queen” 2011
A compilation of two “Top Of The Pops” performances, one the familiar 1974 Christmas Special, the other — discovered in the late British comedian Dick Emery’s private collection, hasn’t been seen since 1974, the original master tape wiped from the BBC archives.

“Somebody To Love” 2011
This is a new edit of the video using the four takes shot on the day, most of which has never before been seen.

“We Are The Champions” 2011
In 1977, cameras filmed Queen recording a new version of the song for the promo video. This video shows the band performing and mixing this unreleased version in two live takes. An instrumental version of this closed Part One of DAYS OF OUR LIVES. Here for the first time the video can be seen in its entirety.

“Crazy Little Thing Called Love” 2011
A new edit of the video compiled from the rushes including outtakes and unseen angles.

“Under Pressure” 2011
A new video intercutting Queen’s first live performance of the song in Montreal 81 and Queen + David Bowie at the Freddie Mercury Tribute.

“Radio Ga Ga” 2011
This new video includes unseen color footage from the 1984 “Radio Ga Ga” video shoot plus rushes and outtakes.

Bonus Sequences – Blu-Ray (59 mins.) / Standard DVD (21 mins. only):

Queen: The Beginning
A detailed look at how Queen formed in 1971. Covering Smile, finding John Deacon, and the early struggles of the band.

Queen On Tour 1974-1975
Featuring Queen at the Rainbow and unseen footage of the band touring Japan for the first time. Includes excerpts of “Now I’m Here,” “Killer Queen” and “In The Lap Of The Gods” live.

Bohemian Rhapsody
Brian reveals how John Deacon made a cut in “Bohemian Rhapsody” for the record company, only to be dismissed by Freddie: “Either it’s released in its entirety or not at all!”

Working Together
The Band discuss their working relationship, including unheard archive of Queen having a “creative discussion!”

Leaving John Reid
An in-depth account of how the band left manager John Reid and set up Queen Productions — plus the revelation that Freddie was not sober during the making of “Spread Your Wings”/”We Will Rock You” in Roger’s back garden.

Don’t Stop Me Now
Brian and Roger discuss “Don’t Stop Me Now” and the “Guitar Version” discarded by Freddie.

Flash Gordon
A short sequence on the making of Queen’s first film soundtrack, “Flash Gordon,” plus an alternate promo video.

Making Videos
The band discuss the video making process, featuring lots of unseen outtakes.

Scrabble Wars
A hilarious sequence about Queen and their love of Scrabble. You will just have to watch!

From Magic To The Miracle
In the three years between A KIND OF MAGIC and THE MIRACLE, the members of Queen went through some life changing experiences in their working and personal lives. This chapter sheds light on what went on behind closed doors.

Going Slightly Mad: The Making Of Innuendo
In 1991 Queen hit the charts with a No. 1 album and single, INNUENDO. Creatively the band were reinvigorated, their material better than ever, but beneath the surface, they all had to face the fact that Freddie was seriously ill and time was running out.

Made In Heaven
Roger and Brian talk about the making of the last Queen album, MADE IN HEAVEN, working with Freddie in his final weeks, as well and working with the material he had recorded after he had passed away and the emotional distress it caused.

Return To Imperial
Brian returns to Imperial College and shows us around the college where he and Roger first met, formed Smile and ultimately Queen.

Bonus Interviews – Blu-Ray (19 mins). Not included on Standard DVD:

The Bonus Interview section contains various interesting, funny and insightful footage that didn’t fit into any particular sequence but was too great to leave on the cutting room floor.

Blu-Ray:
Documentary Part 1 – 59 mins.
Documentary Part 2 – 59 mins.
Additional Videos – 24 mins.
o “Seven Seas Of Rhye” 2011
o “Killer Queen” 2011
o “Somebody To Love” 2011
o “We Are The Champions” 2011
o “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” 2011
o “Under Pressure” 2011
o “Radio Ga Ga” 2011
Bonus Sequences – 59 mins.
o Queen: The Beginning
o Queen On Tour 1974-1975
o Bohemian Rhapsody
o Working Together
o Leaving John Reid
o Don’t Stop Me Now
o Flash Gordon
o Making Videos
o Scrabble Wars
o From Magic To The Miracle
o Going Slightly Mad: The Making Of Innuendo
o Made In Heaven
o Return To Imperial
Bonus Interviews – 19 mins.

DVD:
Documentary Part 1 – 59 mins.
Documentary Part 2 – 59 mins.
Additional Videos – 24 mins.
o “Seven Seas Of Rhye” 2011
o “Killer Queen” 2011
o “Somebody To Love” 2011
o “We Are The Champions” 2011
o “Crazy Little Thing Called Love” 2011
o “Under Pressure” 2011
o “Radio Ga Ga” 2011
Bonus Sequences – 21 mins.
o From Magic To The Miracle
o Made In Heaven
o Going Slightly Mad: The Making Of Innuendo

Official website:
http://www.queenonline.com/

“This evocative chronological profile is strong on anecdote, performance and unseen footage, with astute and amusing contributions from John Deacon, Brian May and Roger Taylor — the surviving champions of the world.” – Sunday Times

“A rich colourful history celebrated here in this essential documentary.” – The Times Weekend

“This film celebrates (Queen’s) career, picking apart their grandiose approach to making music which singled them out as a satin-robed breath of air at a time of denim-clad rock.” – Mail On Sunday

Product Details:
STANDARD DVD: DVD
Format: DVD-9
Standard: NTSC
Region Code: Playable in all Regions
Audio: Dolby Digital Stereo (documentaries) LPCM (Videos)
Selection #: EV304009
Catalogue #:801213040094
MSRP: 14.98
Duration: 164 minutes

BLU-RAY: Blu-Ray
Format: Blu-Ray 50
Standard: (NTSC)
Region Code: Playable in all Regions
Audio: LPCM
Selection #: EVB334079
Catalogue #:801213340798
MSRP: $19.98
Duration: 221 minutes

Eagle Rock Entertainment is the largest producer and distributor of music programming for DVD, Blu-ray, TV, Audio and Digital Media in the world. Eagle works directly alongside talent to produce top quality, High Definition and 3D programs, both concerts and documentaries, including The Rolling Stones, Pink Floyd, The Who, Queen, The Doors, Jeff Beck, U2, Peter Gabriel, Paul McCartney and Ozzy Osbourne. Eagle is a Grammy Award winning company and has received over 30 multi-platinum, over 50 platinum and over 90 gold discs, worldwide. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices in London, New York, Toronto, Paris and Hamburg.

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-GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE DVD Set For November 15 Release Via Eagle Rock Entertainment

NEW YORK, NY — Eagle Rock Entertainment are proud to announce the November 15 release of GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE on DVD and Blu-ray.

Shot over the course of three years, GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE is an unrivalled look into the mind of legendary rock icon Ozzy Osbourne. GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE tells the life story of Ozzy, as seen through the eyes of his youngest child, Jack Osbourne, who worked alongside directors Mike Fleiss and Mike Piscitelli. During the documentary, Ozzy recounts his troubled youth, his early career with Black Sabbath and the impact of fame and addictions on his first marriage. Viewers will also witness the second chapter of his life as a family man with Sharon, during which his addictions grew to a frightening level, as well as hear Ozzy and his children explain his attempts at staying clean, ultimately resulting in more than five years of sobriety. Music fans will also see live performances from around the world, including rare behind the scenes clips of Ozzy on and off stage, in his dressing rooms pre-show, to his nights in a series of hotel rooms. Throughout GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE, audiences are given an inside look into the life of a rock star, from the good times to the bad.

The DVD and Blu-Ray of GOD BLESS OZZY OSBOURNE also features additional previously unseen footage not seen in the theatrical release including new interviews, classic archive footage of Black Sabbath and Ozzy Osbourne, along with a Q&A with Ozzy and Jack Osbourne and behind the scenes footage from the Tribeca Film Festival.

The New York Times (4-15-11) has described it as a movie that “unblinkingly chronicles the chaotic life and times of rock’s most notorious cut-up, from his miserable working-class childhood… to his latter-day sobriety.”

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-Eagle Rock Entertainment To Release Slash Featuring Myles Kennedy – MADE IN STOKE 24/7/11 On CD & Special Edition CD/DVD Set

Hit Stores In The US On November 15, 2011

NEW YORK, NY — Eagle Rock Entertainment is proud to announce the US release of Slash’s first ever live solo album MADE IN STOKE 24/7/11. The double-disc CD, and a special-edition 2CD+DVD package (featuring five bonus tracks and an exclusive interview with Slash) hits stores November 15.

The iconic, Grammy-winning rock guitarist and songwriter Slash has perfected the science of the six-string for over 20 years as an integral component of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver and as a hugely successful solo artist. On July 24, 2011, he made a very special visit to Stoke on Trent, England, where he was raised, at the end of the 2010-2011 tour in support of his globally chart topping and critically acclaimed self-titled solo debut.

Captured at Victoria Hall as part of an intensive world tour, this 21-song set is a celebration of a legendary career. Joined by Myles Kennedy of Alter Bridge on vocals, Slash ripped through cuts culled from his GN’R days, Velvet Revolver, Slash’s Snakepit, and his solo album, (including the single “By The Sword”). His band lineup included bassist Todd Kerns, drummer Brent Fitz and guitarist Bobby Schneck.

With favorites like “Back From Cali,” “Slither,” “Sweet Child O’ Mine,” and many more reverberating the crowd-filled rafters, this proved to be one rockin’ homecoming.

Eagle Rock Entertainment is an international media production and distribution company operating across audiovisual entertainment programming. Eagle Rock Entertainment works directly alongside talent to produce the highest quality programming output covering film, general entertainment and musical performance. Eagle Rock Entertainment has offices based in London, New York, Los Angeles, Toronto, Hamburg, & Paris.

The track listing for both the CD and the Special Edition DVD is
1. Been There Lately
2. Night Train
3. Ghost
4. Mean Bone
5. Back From Cali
6. Rocket Queen
7. Civil War
8. Nothing To Say
9. Starlight
10. Promise
11. Doctor Alibi
12. Speed Parade
13. Watch This
14. Beggars & Hangers On
15. Patience
16. Godfather Solo
17. Sweet Child O’ Mine
18. Slither
19. By The Sword
20. Mr. Brownstone
21. Paradise City

Bonus DVD:
1. Ghost
2. Back From Cali
3. Beggars & Hangers On
4. Been There Lately
5. Starlight
Interview with Slash

About Slash:
Slash is widely considered one of the greatest rock guitar players of all time. He has received countless accolades and awards including a 2007 induction into Hollywood’s RockWalk (located in front of Guitar Center in Hollywood) alongside his idols Jimmy Page and Jimi Hendrix. An original member of iconic rock band Guns N’ Roses, the Grammy-winning Slash helped the band create signature sounds like the guitar riff of #1 hit “Sweet Child O’ Mine” and “Welcome To The Jungle.” The band dominated the 1980s and ’90s music scene selling more than 100 million albums worldwide and ushered in a decade of hard charging rock music. After leaving the band, Slash went on to critical acclaim in his personal project Slash’s Snakepit, and global success with super-group Velvet Revolver. He has been widely sought after by the biggest musicians of all time, performing with everyone from Michael Jackson to Stevie Wonder to Ray Charles. Slash recently landed on the top of the charts with his first true solo album, SLASH. In addition, Slash was just honored by the Hollywood Chamber of Commerce who named him as an official selection for 2011 to receive a star on Hollywood’s iconic Walk of Fame. In February 2011, he performed at the Super Bowl XLV halftime show, seen by more than 106 million people, becoming the most-watched program in US television history (Nielsen Co.). Slash is currently in the studio working on his second solo album due for release in 2012.

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-TWISTED SISTER FROM THE BARS TO THE STARS: THREE DECADES LIVE Out Now

[Note: This is from http://www.jambase.com/Articles/53319/Twisted-Sister-5-DVD-Box-Set . - Tim]

Twisted Sister will celebrate Christmas early this year with the release of TWISTED SISTER FROM THE BARS TO THE STARS: THREE DECADES LIVE, a 5-DVD boxed set, on November 8. The lavish package comes complete with curios such as a Twisted Sister Christmas ornament, an official “New York Steel” backstage pass, a classic two and a half-inch Twisted Sister pin and a reproduction of the first-ever SMF Fan Club letter.

Over eight hours long, FROM THE BARS TO THE STARS has to be considered the ultimate Twisted Sister boxed set. One of the five DVDs, TWISTED XMAS: LIVE IN LAS VEGAS, is a total exclusive, having never before been released in any format. This 2009 concert showcases the band performing such beloved holiday fare as “White Christmas” and “Come All Ye Faithful” next to “Burn In Hell” and “Deck The Halls” as only Twisted Sister can. In fact, Jay Jay French, Dee Snider, Mark Mendoza, A.J. Pero, and Eddie Ojeda, have made this holiday merriment a metal tradition for the past few years.

LIVE AT READING was filmed in 1982 at England’s biggest rock festival. A bonus 2011 band interview is included.

DOUBLE LIVE juxtaposes an early Long Island, New York show (North Stage ’82), filmed just prior to the band breaking internationally, and NY Steel ’01, the New York City 9/11 benefit they headlined.

LIVE AT WACKEN documents the band’s 2003 Wacken Open Air Festival reunion appearance in Germany. Complete with behind-the-scenes backstage footage and band interviews about their 1980s rise to world domination, break-up and reunion, it also contains their entire set on the big stage at this most prestigious of European Heavy Metal festivals.

Any SMF would agree — This is one boxed set no Twisted Sister fan can do without.

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-Germany’s Heavy Metal Finest Primal Fear To Release Their Anticipated Ninth Studio Album UNBREAKABLE

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the release of Primal Fear new studio album entitled UNBREAKABLE on January 20th 2012 in Europe and January 24th in North America.

After a sensational tour through South America in spring 2011, more dates in Europe plus an outstanding appearance on the 2011 edition of the Wacken Open Air, the band was fired up to enter the recording studio to start tracking their ninth studio album. The target was crystal clear — producer & bassist Mat Sinner: “After touring for two years without breaks, the guys realized the fan favorites very well and we wrote an untamed, powerful and crushing album together.”

UNBREAKABLE combines the skills of the strongest Primal Fear lineup ever, with a well-balanced “back to the roots” vibe and an ambitious learning process during their longest tour so far. Classic and ultra-fresh Primal Fear riff-rockers like “Strike,” “Give Em Hell” or the high speed track “And There Was Silence” will hit the bulls-eye, like the rhythm paced metal anthem, first single and new video clip “Bad Guys Wear Black.” Less experiments, more rock! But there will be a nine-minute epic journey with a lot prog approach named “Where Angels Die,” a classic wonderful ballad “Born Again” and the melodic power bomb “Metal Nation.” Singer Ralf Scheepers adds: “the plan was to record an album for the fans with rough metal riffs, screaming vocals and good melodies … and finally it became a monster — a tough ‘bang-your-head’ metal album called UNBREAKABLE.”

Magnus Karlsson and Alex Beyrodt are worldwide respected guitarists — together they are unbeatable! Ralf Scheepers’ vocal performance shines bright on a new level on all new songs. And what can go wrong if you’re backed by one of the best rhythm sections in metal with Randy Black and Mat Sinner? Plus backing vocals by the “Fantastic Four:” Ralf Scheepers, Mat Sinner, Erik Martensson and Oliver Hartmann. You can hear the result on Primal Fear’s new statement called UNBREAKABLE!

UNBREAKABLE was produced by Mat Sinner, engineered and mixed by Achim Koehler & the House Of Music studios and some more studios in Germany & Sweden between summer and autumn 2011 and will include the following tracks: Unbreakable (Part 1); Strike; Give ‘Em Hell; Bad Guys Wear Black; And There Was Silence; Metal Nation; Where Angels Die; Unbreakable (Part 2); Marching Again; Born Again; Blaze Of Glory; Conviction; Night Of The Jumps (Bonus Track)*; Bad Guys Wear Black (Video)*

* Only available in the first pressing in digi-pak

UNBREAKABLE will be anticipated by the digital only release of the single “Bad Guys Wear Black” which will be available for download and streaming on December 5th 2011. The single will also include “Metal Nation” in an exclusive single mix.

Don’t miss the German Metal Commando when they’re coming to your town!

Primal Fear
Ralf Scheepers – Vocals
Alex Beyrodt – Guitars
Magnus Karlsson – Guitar, Keyboards
Randy Black – Guitars
Mat Sinner – Bass & Vocals

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-Y&T / Meniketti Update

“The Evolution Of Metal”

Fans in America, on 11/11/11, VH1 Classic premiered “Metal Evolution.” If you missed the first episode, check your local listings for reruns. Meanwhile, set your DVRs and keep your eyes peeled for Y&T in this series. Two years ago, Dave did an extensive interview for this, so we’ll see what made the cut. To join in the discussion and see the trailer, go to the Y&T forum at http://www.meniketti.com/vforum/ . Fans around the globe may be able to catch it on one of their local music channels. We’re guessing that at some point it might be released on DVD.

Mystic Weekend

This year’s magical Mystic Theatre weekend is Friday & Saturday, November 18 & 19. Saturday night is SOLD OUT, but as of the writing of this email, there are still some tickets available for Friday night. If you don’t have yours yet, go to the TOUR DATES page of the web site and click the Mystic Theatre link for Friday. http://www.meniketti.com/tourdates.html

Chocolates That Melt Your Face

Now that the cooler weather is here, we’ve put the FACEMELTER chocolate bars back online. You can choose from milk chocolate or dark chocolate with sea salt. These popular chocolate bars are available at Y&T shows in the US and now online, once again. See them in our store: http://store.meniketti.com/

Finally ~ Y&T Long Sleeve Shirts!

You asked for it, you got it! We have new long sleeve Y&T shirts. Check out the web site store for this new shirt.

We also have a new Y&T sticker design available in the online store and at shows.

Fans around the world are calling Y&T’s 2011 tour shirt one of their favorite shirt designs. We still have some in-stock, as well as a few EARTHSHAKER anniversary shirts. But once these designs are gone, they’re gone, so be sure to get yours now. Visit our web site store: http://store.meniketti.com/

All of these items are available exclusively on the Y&T web site. Note: All shirt designs will not be available at all shows.

Cruisin’ With Y&T

Last we checked, there were still some cabins available on the Monsters Of Rock Cruise. Get your special discounts & deals by using the Y&T promo code: YTMOR. Join Y&T with Cinderella, Tesla, Night Ranger, UFO, Kix, Stryper, Lynch Mob, FireHouse, Helix, Black ‘N Blue, Bang Tango, Faster Pussycat, Keel, XYZ, Rhino Bucket, John Corabi, Eric Martin, and more, as we all rock and cruise to the Bahamas & Key West on February 25-28, 2012.

Y&T Shows

Details for each of the shows below are on the TOUR DATES page of the web site. http://www.meniketti.com/tourdates.html

November 18 ~ Petaluma, CA – Mystic Theatre
November 19 ~ Petaluma, CA – Mystic Theatre – SOLD OUT
December 10 ~ Brooks, CA – Cache Creek Resort

2012
February 25-28 ~ Monsters Of Rock Cruise
Book with the special Y&T promo code to get deals & discounts: YTMOR

February 29 ~ Baltimore, MD – Baltimore Soundstage
March 1 ~ Sellersville, PA – Sellersville Theater
March 2 ~ New York, NY – BB King Blues Club
March 3 ~ Poughkeepsie, NY – The Chance Theater
March 4 ~ W Greenwich, RI – The Rock House
March 7 ~ Pittsburgh, PA – Diesel
March 9 ~ Westland, MI – Token Lounge
March 10 ~ Bolingbrook, IL – Tailgaters

*Schedule subject to change. Be sure to verify with each venue.*
Check the web site TOUR DATES page for the most up-to-date concert information.

Thanks for your support!

The official Y&T and Dave Meniketti web site.
http://www.YandTRocks.com/
http://www.Meniketti.com/
http://www.facebook.com/YandTRocks
http://www.myspace.com/YandTRocks
http://www.twitter.com/YandTRocks

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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-Lance King Offers Free Song Download At Debut Of His Official Artist Website

Lance King is world renowned in the underground as a melodic metal vocalist, singing on over 25 worldwide releases over the last 21 years. This fact is impressive in itself, but what is truly special about Lance is his ability to morph his voice to fit any mood and intensity of a song, he’s proved this over the years by adding a very “special something” to every album he has been a part of.

Today Lance King is proud to unveil his brand new website. The web page is http://www.lancekingvox.com/ . In conjunction with launch of his new site, Lance is offering a free MP3 download of his song “Awakening,” which comes from his new album A MOMENT IN CHIROS which is available now on Nightmare Records through Sony / Red in North America.

Metal Insider recently sat down with Lance King for an exclusive talk about his new album, as well as being the president and head of Nightmare Records. Lance spoke at length about A MOMENT IN CHIROS and the responsibilities that come with being an artist and a label head at the same time. Check out the interview here:

http://www.metalinsider.net/interviews/singernightmare-records-founder-lance-king-discusses-new-solo-album-and-effects-of-technology-plus-we%E2%80%99re-streaming-the-song-%E2%80%9C222-awakening%E2%80%9D

A MOMENT IN CHIROS is available to order here:

http://nightmarerecords.com/NMR/online-store/pgxso-product-details/prx-866/ctx-1

Stream the ENTIRE ALBUM NOW at AOL Music Listening Party here:

http://music.aol.com/new-releases-full-cds#/25

On the last day of June, 2011 Lance decided to invite some of his musical friends to co-write songs with him as he ventured into his first solo album. An act of faith only knowing their work, never working with them before in creating music. In just two months, those involved had created an epic masterpiece, quite a feat indeed based on the quality of this release.

In under three months, A MOMENT IN CHIROS was mixed and mastered and off to the presses, perhaps the fasted created music in history? This album was meant to be out by 11/11/11 and is destined to stand the test of time.

For those fans not in North America the worldwide release is now scheduled for November 25th. It will be available from the following distro’s: Bertus (BeNeLux), FioMusica (Portugal), Firebox (Finland), Hammermusic (Hungary), Indie (Norway), Insanity Records (Poland), Mad Lion (Poland), Masterpiece/Andromeda (Italy), NonStopMusic (Switzerland), PHD UK (UK), Record Heaven (Sweden), Rockextremum (Slovakia & CZ), Rock Off (Estonia), Sound Pollution (Sweden), Soundforge (Greece), Twilight – Vertrieb (Germany), Lethal Conflict (Czech Republic), Underclass (France), Wizard (Bulgaria)

Lance has chosen “Human Trafficking” (sex slavery), one of the fastest growing criminal activities worldwide as the charitable cause he would like to champion, profits from this album will go to efforts to abolish this slave trade worldwide through an organization called “NOT FOR SALE”!

http://www.notforsalecampaign.org/about/slavery/

Boasting great creativity and performances by these fine musicians: Jacob Hansen (Beyond Twilight, Invocator & Anubis Gate), Kim Olesen (Anubis Gate), Michael Harris (Darkology, Thought Chamber), Tore St Moren (Jorn), Fred Colombo (Spheric Universe Experience), Markus Sigfridsson (Darkwater / Harmony), Kevin Codfert (Adagio), Michael Hansen & Shane Dhiman (Phonomik), Morten Gade Sørensen (Pyramaze, Wuthering Heights), Elyes Bouchoucha, Malek Ben Arbia, Anis Jouini (Myrath) & Mistheria (Bruce Dickinson and MANY others).

Produced by: Kim Olesen (Anubis Gate) & Jacob Hansen, (Volbeat, Heathen, TYR, Amaranthe, Communic, Mercenary, Onslaught, Rob Rock, Blotted Science, Raunchy, Pretty Maids, Cryoshell)

Track List:
111. A Sense Of Urgency
222. Awakening
333. Manifest Destiny
444. A Given Choice
555. A Moment In Chiros
666. Dance Of Power
777. Kibou
888. Infinity Divine
999. Joy Everlasting
10:10 Sacred Systems
11:11 Transformation

Lance’s Links!
http://tinyurl.com/LanceKingVox (Facebook)
https://www.twitter.com/lancekingvox
https://www.myspace.com/lancekingvox
https://www.NightmareRecords.com/
https://www.youtube.com/megaloud

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
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-Nightwish: “Storytime” Single Out Now, “Making Of” Trailer Online, Announce Exclusive IMAGINAERUM Online Game!

“Storytime,” the brand new single by Finnish symphonic dark metal masters, Nightwish, has just been released.

Order your copy now through the Nuclear Blast mailorder: http://bit.ly/sqLBic or get the digital version via iTunes: http://bit.ly/rRykZ2 .

The official video clip for “Storytime” can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5g8ykQLYnX0

Furthermore the band just released a making of “Storytime” trailer — check it out at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yww85NDvPQ8

To complete a day of good news, the first episode of an exclusive online game for IMAGINAERUM will be launched on November 18 — WATCH OUT!!!

The entire album, IMAGINAERUM, which will be released December 2, 2011, can also be pre-ordered at the Nuclear Blast Mailorder. The album will be available as several exclusive editions: http://bit.ly/suOkUR

Nightwish also announced the first leg of their extensive IMAGINAERUM world tour 2012-2013:

10.04.12 SE-Gothenburg, Lisebergshallen
11.04.12 DK-Copenhagen, Falconer Theater
13.04.12 NL-Amsterdam, Heineken Music Hall
14.04.12 DE-Düsseldorf, ISS Dome
16.04.12 BE-Brussels, Forest National
17.04.12 FR-Paris, Bercy
18.04.12 FR-Nantes, Zenith
20.04.12 FR-Lyon, Halle Tony Garnier
21.04.12 LU-Luxembourg, Rockhal
23.04.12 DE-Frankfurt, Jahrhunderthalle
24.04.12 CH-Zurich, Hallenstadion
25.04.12 IT-Milano, Forum
27.04.12 AT-Vienna, Gasometer
29.04.12 HU-Budapest, Budapest Arena
30.04.12 CZ-Prague, Tesla (T-Mobile Arena)
01.05.12 DE-Leipzig, Arena
03.05.12 DE-Hamburg, O2 World
05.05.12 DE-Nuremberg, Arena
06.05.12 DE-Stuttgart, Schleyerhalle
08.05.12 SL-Ljubljana, Križanke

http://www.nightwish.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
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-James Murphy Has Brain Tumor Relapse; Donations Welcome

James Murphy, former guitarist of both Death and Testament, as well as founding member of the death metal band Disincarnate, has had a relapse of the brain tumor that sidelined him back in 2001. Murphy stated that the tumor had returned but that it was non-malignant and being treated pharmacologically. Unfortunately, those medications have serious side effects that have left him unable to work. The option for different medications is available, but at a cost of over $1,000 a month and he needs a minimum of six months of medication for treatment to be effective. With his medical expenses extremely high and James not being able to work due to the side effects of the current medications, the metal community is being asked to come together and help one of their brothers and donate to help him beat this once and for all.

Click HERE to Donate
https://www.paypal.com/cgi-bin/webscr?cmd=_s-xclick&hosted_button_id=K5US6GPL4MNNA%20http://www.facebook.com/jamesmurphyproducer

http://safehouseproduction.bandcamp.com

In August 2001, Murphy was discovered to have a massive tumor growth near the base of his brain (on the pituitary gland) and was quickly scheduled for an urgent life-saving operation. James underwent surgery on September 17, 2001, involving a Maxillary Swing procedure that made entry through the left side of the face. An incision was made underneath the left eye, along the side of the nose, and finally through the middle of the upper lip. The facial tissue was then pulled back and the cheekbone removed. They then cut through James’ sinus and made entry below the orbit of the eye to remove a portion of the growth. More was removed through an incision made in the soft pallet inside the mouth. About 70% of the tumor was removed, the remainder being too close to vital structures to risk further damage. The sinus was then packed with fat tissue taken from the lower abdomen via an incision below the navel and reattached. The cheekbone was set back in place and held with two small titanium plates. The facial tissue was then sutured closed along with the soft pallet. His mouth was fitted with prosthesis to protect the pallet tissue while it healed. The remaining 30% of the tumor was treated with a medication called Parlodel (Bromocriptine) to shrink it called which James was told he would have to take for the rest of his life. This treatment was more or less successful for nine years. A spike in the hormone indicator for the tumor, as discovered by a blood test that was followed up by an MRI to confirm, showed that the tumor was again active, and had grown a bit. Luckily not enough to require surgery, but radiation treatment was still on the table. The decision was made to defer the radiation treatment for six months, during which time the tumor would be attacked pharmacologically, increasing the dose of the drug used to hinder its growth to a level which leaves James wiped out, overly fatigued, nauseous, and unable to work to earn his living at full capacity. A better drug, one that has less side-effects, and would require a much smaller dosage is available, but considerable vastly more expensive.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
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-Metal Blade To Reissue Flotsam And Jetsam’s Classic Album DOOMSDAY FOR THE DECEIVER As 25th Anniversary Vinyl Edition In January!

All Flotzillas and Hammerheads out there will be happy to hear that Metal Blade will reissue the Flotsam And Jetsam classic DOOMSDAY FOR THE DECEIVER on vinyl as a two-Gatefold-LP!

The 25th anniversary vinyl edition of this classic album — to be released January 13th/16h, 2012 — will feature a bunch of bonus tracks! Here is the track listing:

Side A:
(re-mixed and re-mastered versions 2006)
1. Hammerhead 06:13
2. Iron Tears 03:50
3. Desecrator 03:48
4. Fade To Black 02:04
5. Doomsday For The Deceiver 09:08
total 25:03 min.

Side B:
(re-mixed and re-mastered versions 2006)
6. Metalshock 08:16
7. She Took An Axe 05:16
8. Der Fuhrer 05:44
9. Flotzilla (instrumental) 06:09
total 25:25 min.

Side C:
10. U.L.S.W. (rem. version 2006) 04:19
11. Iron Tears (Iron Tears demo) 04:06
12. I Live You Die (Iron Tears demo) 06:07
13. Hammerhead (Metal Shock 1985) 06:34
14. The Evil Sheik (Metal Shock 1985) 05:27
total 26:33 min.

Side D:
15. I Live You Die (Metal Shock 1985) 06:26
16. The Beast Within (Metal Shock 1985) 04:09
17. Children Of The Night (live ’85 – unreleased) 04:15
18. The Executioner (live ’85 – unreleased) 05:42
19. Those Who Defy (live 85 – unreleased) 03:43
20. On The Attack (live 85 – unreleased) 03:38
total 27:53 min.

http://www.flotsam-and-jetsam.com/
http://www.facebook.com/flotsamandjetsam.official
http://www.myspace.com/fandj

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*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
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-Hail! Announces Russian Tour Dates

Hail! — the super-group featuring a rotating list of musicians, including current and former members of Sepultura, Judas Priest, Testament and Megadeth — will play nine shows in Russia in December. The dates are as follows:

Dec. 02 – Megapolis, Irkutsk
Dec. 04 – Che Guevara, Krasnojarsk
Dec. 05 – Moscow, Kemerovo
Dec. 06 – Che Guevara, Barnaul
Dec. 07 – Rock City, Novosibirsk
Dec. 09 – Tele Club, Ekaterinburg
Dec. 10 – DKZhD, Magnitogorsk
Dec. 11 – Xleb, Moscow
Dec. 12 – Planetaryi, Ryazan

Hail!’s lineup for this tour will include drummer Paul Bostaph (Slayer, Testament, Exodus, Forbidden), vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens (Yngwie Malmsteen, Judas Priest, Iced Earth, Beyond Fear), bassist James Lomenzo (Megadeth, Black Label Society, White Lion) and newest member, guitarist Glen Drover (Megadeth, King Diamond, Testament).

“After seeing how crazy the Russian fans were when we played here in June 2010, we’re certainly excited to come back,” said Lomenzo.

“Consistent with the Hail! philosophy of constantly expanding into new territories, we are playing in six new cities this year (plus returning to Moscow, Ekaterinburg and Novosibirsk).

“Touring with Hail! is a lesson in world geography!”

Added Bostaph, “James and Glen had their Megadeth reunion a few weeks ago in Turkey and it’s been awhile since I played with Glen, so I’m looking forward to our Testament reunion. We’re going to have a great time, so dress warm, grab a bottle of vodka and come join for a night of mayhem!”

In other Hail! news, dates have been confirmed in February for the band’s first shows in Brazil. Additionally, they are evaluating possibilities for March 2012 and interested promoters are invited to contact band management at kingabba@aol.com.

http://www.myspace.com/hailtheworld
http://www.hailtheworld.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
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-Strangeways – AGE OF REASON

Label: Dangerous Dog Records
Style: Melodic Rock
Release: December 12, 2011

Specials: “I think this is the album our fans have been waiting for” – Terry Brock

MUNICH — December 12th 2011 sees the release of Strangeways’ eighth studio album AGE OF REASON. Formed in the early ’80s, Strangeways have been around the block a time or two. Crooked managers, departing singers and a somewhat hostile business have conspired to keep them one of the UK’s best kept secrets.

Even so, eight studio albums, one greatest hits and one live album later and they have received much acclaim from fans and the rock press and as if to prove the point, they are still around. Having been support act with the likes of Bryan Adams, The Kinks, Meat Loaf, Europe, Glenn Hughes, The Hellecasters, Gino Washington and many more, Strangeways have performed successfully to a varied audience. Reunited last year with American singer Terry Brock and now with the return of bassist David Stewart, AGE OF REASON is promising to be a classic Strangeways affair.

Always shrugging off any attempt to pigeon hole them, with influences as varied as Prince, Chilli Peppers, The Tubes, Miles Davis, Hank Williams, Journey, Thin Lizzy, John Prine, Steve Earl, Frank Zappa, etc., Strangeways have pushed their musical boundaries to mixed reviews but always remained true to themselves and their roots in rock music.

After a brief flirtation with the business for their comeback album PERFECT WORLD Strangeways have again decided to release AGE OF REASON on their own Dangerous Dog Records label and are looking forward to promoting it live in early 2012.

What’s been said about AGE OF REASON so far:

“I think this is the album our fans have been waiting for” – Terry Brock

“OMG!” – Steve Price” – Arfm

“Yeehaw” – Kieran Dargan – Firefest

Track list:
1. The Sentinel
2. Run
3. Playin’ It Over
4. As We Fall
5. Call
6. End Of The Day
7. Alive Again
8. Silver Moon
9. Frozen
10. Long Road

Label:
Dangerous Dog Records
17 Heathmans Road
London SW6 4TJ

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*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
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-Candice Night Of Blackmore’s Night Releases Debut Solo Album, REFLECTIONS

NEW YORK, NY — Candice Night, singer/songwriter/multi-instrumentalist, has stepped outside of Blackmore’s Night, the group she’s fronted for 15 years with Ritchie Blackmore, to release REFLECTIONS (Minstrel Hall Music).

This debut solo album, composed and arranged by Night, shows an artist secure in her vision, executing flawlessly a myriad of styles from powerful pop-rock balladry and irresistible whimsy, to rock ‘n’ roll, symphonic post-folk and even a modernistic take on girl-group soulfulness (“Gone Gone Gone”). Between the constantly shifting soundscapes of haunting melodies and thought-provoking lyrics and the lush evocative musical bed upon which they lie, REFLECTIONS is revelatory. Night’s melodic inventions on this album are pristine, rooted in centuries-old folk strains that she has absorbed in a lifetime of listening and learning.

“Now And Then,” for instance, has the kind of vocal that stays with the listener long after the song ends. In a voice quivering… vulnerable… sensual, Night nails this tale that was originally intended for Blackmore’s Night. On “Dangerous Smile,” the guitars bespeak a rock ‘n’ roll sensibility that has been ingrained within her yet now can take center-stage. The pumped-up percussion adds volumes… as does Candice’s lyric and attitude.

And we thought we knew Candice Night!

From the preternaturally pretty “Robin Red Breast,” which continues her career-long fascination with nature, to the Symphonic-Folk (do we have a new genre here?) of “For You,” Candice Night has delivered a career statement of startling proportions. The satisfyingly full production of single “Call It Love” earned her the #7 spot on the FMQB/AC Mainstream chart, nestled between Lady Gaga and Coldplay. She recently released a video for the totally haunting impossible-to-forget “Black Roses.”

Candice Night — international role model, a life-long advocate for numerous charitable causes, animal activist, superstar princess on the Renaissance Faire circuit, recent mom, and the ultimate Classic Rock muse in a career that has been impossible to define — adds yet another chapter to her long saga of female empowerment on REFLECTIONS.

Click here to view the “Black Roses” video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EN5XORoWCMU

For more information on Candice, please visit http://www.Candice-Night.com/ , or http://www.facebook.com/jodilyn10211/candicenightreflections .

Track Listing:
1. Wind Is Calling (Hush The Wind)
2. Gone Gone Gone
3. Black Roses
4. Now and Then (2011)
5. Dangerous Smile
6. For You
7. Call It Love
8. Robin Red Breast
9. Alone With Fate
10. In Time

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*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
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-RAM Launch Landing Page For Upcoming New Album DEATH And Post First New Song “Defiant”! Reveal Album Cover And Track Listing!

DEATH To Be Released January 27/30 On CD And LP!

Swedish Heavy Metal tyrants RAM make a return with their fourth album DEATH, to be released January, 27th/30th, 2012 via Metal Blade Records in Europe!

Surf over to the landing page at http://www.metalblade.com/ram where you will find the pre-order options and the new song “Defiant!” DEATH will be available on CD and on vinyl! A shirt bundle is also available there!

Comments RAM singer Oscar Carlquist: “DEATH is some sort of a rebirth for us, since it is the first album to feature our new bass player Tobbe Petterson and our first on Metal Blade Records. This album is filled with a dark, sinister energy that comes from beyond music and heavy metal. We are very excited about this album because it’s truly RAM caught in its raw essence, we recorded it live in the studio to try to offer our soul upon this altar of sonic steel. Beware we have brought DEATH upon the world!”

Track listing DEATH:
1. Death
2. Comes From The Mouth Beyond
3. I Am The End
4. Release Me
5. Defiant
6. Frozen
7. Under The Scythe
8. Hypnos
9. Flame Of The Tyrants
10. 1 7 7 1

RAM was created back in ’99 and released their first EP SUDDEN IMPACT in 2003. After playing numerous festivals and a support tour for Sebastian Bach they released their first long player FORCED ENTRY in late 2005 which brought the entire old school Heavy Metal community to its knees. RAM hit the road with Dark Tranquillity, did some Scandinavian shows with Gamma Ray and played gigs and festivals all over Europe.

In 2008 the band returned to the studio with producer Johan Reivén to record the album LIGHTBRINGER which was released in 2009 via AFM Records. This time they really took the time to explore the true heavy metal sound. The recording of the album took 10 months of nothing but strife for pure Heavy Metal perfection. RAM also headed out on a headline European tour to promote the album.

In 2011 RAM went back into the studio to record their third album DEATH. This time they worked with producers Per Stålberg and Olle Björk to create their best album to date by far. Live shows as support for Swedish extreme black metal band Watain followed as well as destroying some festivals.

The world trembles in fear before the release of the metal behemoth that is DEATH. RAM are back! Necks will be broken!

RAM is:
Oscar Carlquist – Vocals
Morgan Pettersson – Drums
Harry Granroth – Guitar
Daniel Johansson – Guitar
Tobias Peterson – Bass

http://www.facebook.com/pages/RAM/128575340510564
http://www.myspace.com/rammetal
http://www.metalblade.com/ram

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*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
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-Napalm Records News

Huntress Signs To Napalm

The Californian band revolving around lead singer Jill Janus has joined the Napalm family! The US metal outfit will release their debut in spring / summer of 2012.

“Huntress is honored to be part of the Napalm family. We share the same vision. We’re thrilled to have this opportunity and look forward to recording an epic debut album!”

http://www.facebook.com/HuntressKills
http://www.myspace.com/huntresskills
http://huntresskills.com/

Xandria: Release Dates & Studio Diary

Xandria has issued the first major update with regard to their upcoming album. The band is happy to announce the release dates of their still-untitled new long-player. Fans may view the dates below! Furthermore, Xandria is sharing a “Making-of” documentary with their fans. The first part — drum recordings — is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GmSewWYHUVE ! More installments, as well as updates, will follow soon!

GER / AUT / SUI / BENELUX / ITA: 24 February 2012
ESP / FIN / SWE: 22 February 2012
Rest of Europe: 27 February 2012
USA / Canada: 6 March 2012

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Xandria/22990570888?ref=ts
http://www.myspace.com/xandria
http://xandria.de/

Napalm Records
http://www.napalmrecords.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
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-Prototype Announces New Album Title And Track Listing

Los Angeles based progressive/aggressive metal band Prototype will release their third full-length album CATALYST in early 2012 via Nightmare Records. Nearly two years in the making, CATALYST is a science fiction-themed concept album featuring 12 tracks and over 60 minutes of all new music. The effort was produced by Prototype and is currently being mixed by Neil Kernon. CATALYST will be mastered by Alan Douches and artwork will once again be created by Travis Smith. The official release date for the album will be announced soon.

Prototype’s last album CONTINUUM was released in 2006 and featured the song “The Way It Ends,” which appeared in the best-selling music video game of all time “Guitar Hero III: Legends Of Rock.”

Prototype – CATALYST track listing:

1. Inceptum
2. Catalyst
3. Cynic Dreams
4. The Chosen Ones
5. Illumination
6. My Own Deception
7. Into Oblivion
8. Impetus
9. Gravity Well
10. The Ageless Heart Of Memory
11. Exiled
12. Communion

Prototype is:

Vince Levalois – vocals/guitar
Kragen Lum – guitar
Kirk Scherer – bass
Pat Magrath – drums

http://www.prototypeonline.com/ (Official Band site)
http://www.facebook.com/protoadmin (Official Band Facebook)
http://www.myspace.com/prototypeonline (Official Band MySpace)
http://www.reverbnation.com/prototypeonline (Official Band promo)
http://www.twitter.com/prototypeonline (Official Band Tweets)

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*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
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-Aliases Preview Live Video Ahead Of First UK Tour With Textures/The Ocean

Manchester based Aliases have released live video footage filmed at their recent Euroblast Festival appearance, as they get ready to take their unique brand of progressive tech metal on the road for their first full UK tour in little over a weeks time — with Textures and The Ocean (sponsored by Terrorizer Magazine).

View the fan filmed footage on the bands YouTube account here: http://youtu.be/jCXBImSJc1I

Comments guitarist Pin: “After recently tearing it up at Euroblast in Germany, we are well and truly ready and in the mood for the Textures and The Ocean tour. Having known the Textures boys for several years now and talking about, but never managing to hook up a tour, the time has finally come and we are definitely going to make the most of it. If you’ve bought our EP SAFER THAN REALITY, then get out to support us at a show near you, we want a huge Aliases turnout and we’ll see you at the front, for plenty of partying!!”

UK Tour Dates:

24-11-2011 JOINERS, SOUTHAMPTON
25-11-2011 GARAGE, LONDON
26-11-2011 RESCUE ROOMS, NOTTINGHAM
27-11-2011 ACADEMY 3, MANCHESTER
28-11-2011 CATHOUSE, GLASGOW
29-11-2011 02 ACADEMY 2, NEWCASTLE
01-12-2011 02 ACADEMY 2, BIRMINGHAM
02-12-2011 THE HAUNT, BRIGHTON

For tour info and where to buy tickets, visit Aliases’ tour page:

https://www.facebook.com/aliasesband?sk=app_123966167614127

Check out Aliases’ official video “What’s Left For Us?” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMF41D8h1kE and visit them on Facebook at http://www.facebook.com/aliasesband .

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*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
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-Ultimate-Guitar is hosting the premiere of Arch/Matheos’ new video for “Midnight Serenade” at http://www.ultimate-guitar.com/ . It’s the first video from the band’s debut, SYMPATHETIC RESONANCE, and was directed by David Brodsky of MyGoodEye (The Devin Townsend Project, Amon Amarth, Kylesa, Helmet, etc.) See http://www.archmatheos.com/ , http://www.facebook.com/archmatheos , and http://twitter.com/archmatheos for more.

-There’s a new interview with Arrayan Path front man Nicholas Leptos at http://www.metal-temple.com/site/catalogues/entry/musicians/arrayan-path.htm , wherein Leptos reveals the band is already working on STIGMATA, the follow-up to the current release IRA IMPERIUM.

-Sebastian Bach will hook up with Guns N’ Roses on the following dates:

11/19 – Comcast Theatre, Hartford, CT
11/20 – Mohegan Sun Arena, Wilkes-Barre, PA
11/23 – Times Union Center, Albany, NY

Check out these new Bach features online:

Sebastian Bach Picks His Top Five Fashion No-No’s
http://www.revolvermag.com/news/sebastian-bach-picks-his-top-five-fashion-no-nos.html

Martyr Magazine interview
http://www.martyrmagazine.ca/2011/11/a-drunk-dial-with-a-sober-sebastian-bach/

See http://www.sebastianbach.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/sebastianbach for more.

-Banshee has reformed with original members Terry Dunn (guitar) and Chuck Hopkins (bass), with George Call (ASKA) on vocals. No word yet on the drummer. See http://www.bansheerocks.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/BansheeRocks for more.

-Check out http://www.black-sabbath.com/ for links to the Black Sabbath reunion’s “Official Announcement Video” and a 45-minute livestream video where Tony Iommi answered questions online.

-Cheap Trick plans to “curate” Cheap Trick Chicago, “a museum and music venue” on Record Row in Chicago. According to an article in the Chicago Sun-Times last week, the band’s manager David Frey stated it will be “a one-of-a-kind eatery, unique musical instrument museum, radio station, and performance space as well as rooftop and outdoor and event space in the future Music Row in Chicago.” The address is 2245 S. Michigan Avenue. The museum could exhibit the extensive instrument collections of guitarist Rick Nielsen and drummer Bun E. Carlos, and Cheaptrickradio.com may launch as part of the venture. Read the full article at http://www.suntimes.com/entertainment/music/8717979-421/cheap-trick-plans-museum-concert-venue-on-record-row.html .

-Track list for D-A-D’s newie, DIC.NII.LAN.DAFT.ERD.ARK (3R): “I Can’t Explain,” “I Want What She’s Got,” “The Last Time In Neverland,” “New Age Moving In,” “The End,” “Wild Things In The Woods,” “Breaking Them Heart By Heart,” “Fast On Wheels,” “My Lips Are Sealed,” “The Place Of The Heart,” “I Won’t Find Out,” “We All Fall Down.” Hype: “This is album number eleven, but D-A-D sounds like four boys who have just discovered rock’n'roll. They are indeed reached right into the rock core, and therefore the album also named after the band itself. It betrays the band now. The album represents a reunion with producer Nick Foss, who has previously been behind D-A-D masterpieces as NO FUEL LEFT FOR THE PILGRIMS and EVERYTHING GLOWS.” Check out a new interview with front man Jesper Binzer at http://www.metal.de/rock/interview/d-a-d/48069-interview-with-jesper-binzer-on-dic-nii-lan-daft-erd-ark-english/ .

-In Ronnie James Dio news, Niji Entertainment Group announced it will reissue Elf’s self-titled debut December 13 as a “Deluxe Vinyl Collectible Picture Disc,” in a limited edition, numbered run of 2,500 copies. The discs will primarily be available in the US through independent record stores, and via Dio’s webstore to international buyers. The Elves’ AND BEFORE ELF… THERE WERE ELVES is out now, featuring unreleased tracks recorded in 1971; the disc comes with special “3D/Lenticular cover” artwork. Check out a 30-second ad at http://vimeo.com/30398755 . See http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/nijientertainmentgroup for more.

-Fastway’s EAT DOG EAT is out now on SPV. Track list: “Deliver Me,” “Fade Out,” “Leave The Light On,” “Loving Fool,” “Dead And Gone,” “Sick As A Dog,” “Freedom Song,” “Do You Believe,” “Love I Need,” “On And On.” EAT DOG EAT features singer Toby Jepson (Little Angels, Gun, Dio Disciples) alongside main man “Fast” Eddie Clarke. Check out clips of three songs at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=35280 , and see http://www.fasteddieclarke.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/fastwaymusic for more.

-Fate’s sixth studio album GHOSTS FROM THE PAST is out now through AOR Heaven in Europe and Rubicon Records in Japan. The band’s current and revamped lineup consists of singer Dagfinn Joensen, guitarist Torben Enevoldsen, bassist Peter Steincke, keyboardist Mikkel Henderson, and drummer Jens Berglid. GHOSTS FROM THE PAST was mixed by Jacob Hansen (Pretty Maids, Volbeat). Track list: “Children Of The Night,” “Miracle,” “Seeds Of Terror,” “Fear Of The Stranger,” “At The End Of The Day,” “All That I Want,” “Follow Your Heart,” “Daddy’s Girl,” “Moving On,” “Murder,” “The Last Time,” “I Believe In Rock N Roll,” “The Other Side.” Check out clips of three songs at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=35328 . See http://www.fatetheband.com/ for more.

-Ace Frehley’s autobiography “No Regrets” debuted at #10 on the New York Times Best Sellers List in the “Hardcover Non-Fiction” category. Check out a review of Frehley’s November 9 show at Chicago’s House Of Blues at http://fb.me/AccE34dc .

-Furyon’s new video for “Don’t Follow” is online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kPoA-ee3O9Y , and is featured “on the Metal Hammer UK covermount [in] this month’s issue!” Hype: “The UK’s best new metal band! Imagine the darkness of Alice In Chains, uplifting anthems of Alter Bridge and classic swagger of Iron Whitesnake in the mix and you have a helping of Furyon’s sonic feast.” See http://www.furyon.net/ and http://www.rockngrowl.com/ for more.

-There’s new “drum cam” footage of Havok’s Pete Webber, courtesy of SickDrummer, at http://lnk.ms/XCd3F .

-Iron Mask’s BLACK AS DEATH will be released as a limited edition double vinyl set with gatefold sleeve, with an exclusive bonus track. The total running time will be 75 minutes. BLACK AS DEATH is due December 16 on AFM Records.

-Judas Priest at Attention Deficit Delirium… Check out a “Digital Playlist” feature on Rob Halford, and a brief chat with Glenn Tipton — where he talks about possibly scoring films and doing another solo album — at these links:

http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/11/16/digital-playlist-rob-halford/
http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/11/15/glenn-tipton-film-composer/

-Killing Machine’s new song, “Hellraiser,” is streaming now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rAPVwWj-GQM . The band’s new album FREE NATION is due out next year. The band’s current lineup is guitarist Peter Scheithauer (Belladona, Temple Of Brutality), bassist Jari Kainulainen (Devils Train, Symfonia, Stratovarius, Evergrey), and drummer Jon Dette (Slayer, Testament). Former singer Csaba Zvekan left the band earlier this year to form Raven Lord. See http://www.killing-machine.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/killingmachinemusic for more.

-Kiss’ Gene Simmons is auctioning a personal meeting, an Axe bass, airfare, and a hotel stay in Los Angeles as part of a Memorial Auction to benefit the Dan Wheldon Memorial Trust, which was set up after the Indy Car driver died recently. See http://r.ebay.com/AKfU6f and http://www.DanWheldonMemorial.com/ for more.

-The “Message” section of Bruce Kulick’s website, http://www.kulick.net/ , has nice write-ups on his recent trip to Brazil, where Andreas Kisser (Sepultura) sat in on a performance of Kiss’ “Love Gun,” and his appearances at a pair of Rock ‘n’ Roll Fantasy Camps, where he worked with Lita Ford and Vince Neil (in New York City) and with Paul Stanley (in Hollywood). There’s also a new interview with Kulick at http://www.legendaryrockinterviews.com/ . See https://www.facebook.com/officialbrucekulick for more.

-Lord Volture’s NEVER CRY WOLF is out now and can be ordered at http://www.lordvolture.com/merch . Hype: “A delicacy for the steel-hearted with upbeat thrash tracks, grandiloquent epics as well as catchy rockers that will definitely get some heads bangin’.” The album features a guest appearance from Cage singer Sean Peck and the CD comes in a “deluxe digi-pak and 16-page booklet with superb artwork.” Track list: “Never Cry Wolf,” “Taiga,” “Wendigo,” “Celestial Bodies Fall,” “Korgon’s Descent,” “Minutes To Madness,” “Necro Nation,” “I Am King,” “Into The Lair Of A Lion,” “Brother,” “The Wolf At Tour Door.” See http://www.lordvolture.com/ and http://www.rockngrowl.com/lord-volture for more.

-Lords Of The Trident’s new video for “Face Of The Enemy” is online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y8yKa_7FxlI .

-Magnum’s EVOLUTION is out now on SPV, featuring new material and re-recordings/re-mixes of older material. Track list: “That Holy Touch” (from BREATH OF LIFE), “Just Like January” (from BREATH OF LIFE), “Brand New Morning” (from BRAND NEW MORNING), “Immigrant Son” (from BRAND NEW MORNING), “When We Were Younger” (from PRINCESS ALICE & THE BROKEN ARROW), “Out Of The Shadows” (from PRINCESS ALICE & THE BROKEN ARROW), “All My Bridges” (from INTO THE VALLEY OF THE MOONKING), “Blood On Your Barbed Wire Thorns” (from INTO THE VALLEY OF THE MOONKING), “The Visitation” (from THE VISITATION), “Wild Angels” (from THE VISITATION), “The Fall” (new), “Do You Know Who You Are?” (new). Hype: “The lineup of guitarist/songwriter/producer Tony Clarkin, vocalist Bob Catley, keyboard player Mark Stanway, bassist Al Barrow and drummer Harry James, have excelled themselves on EVOLUTION, one of the strongest and most unusual best of albums in their illustrious (near-40-year) history to date.” The band has the following live dates scheduled:

11/30 – The Robin 2, Bilston, UK
12/1 – Junction, Cambridge, UK
12/2 – Hard Rock Hell V, Prestatyn, UK
5/25 – 5/27 – Rock Hard Festival, Gelsenkirchen, Germany

See http://www.magnumonline.co.uk/ for more.

-Mob Rules will play a special Christmas show with Love.Might.Kill and support act Blacksite on December 26 at Janhalle in Nordenham, Germany. Hype from the band: “It’s going to be a great rocking XMAS-party! But the best of all: For all of you who got some money from Santa and don’t know where to spend it, we will have a buy-out with all our old merch-stuff for really special prices!!! Better don’t miss it!”

-There’s a Glide Magazine interview with Night Ranger guitarist Joel Hoekstra at http://www.glidemagazine.com/articles/57826/joel-hoekstra.html .

-Oz’s new album BURNING LEATHER (due November 18 on AFM Records) is streaming in full at http://www.inferno.fi/inferno-tarjoaa-kuuntele-uusi-oz-levy-6279/ .

-Kelly Padrick’s new video for “Piercing” is online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VWMDXt1V31Y .

-Portrait from Sweden — featuring singer Per Karlsson, guitarists Richard Lagergren and Christian Lindell, bassist Joel Pälvärinne, and drummer Anders Persson — will be direct support on Evile’s upcoming 2012 European tour, which is also set to feature Dr. Living Dead. The dates:

1/10 – Modra Vopice, Prague, Czech Republic *
1/11 – Club 202, Budapest, Hungary *
1/12 – Mega Club, Katowice, Poland *
1/13 – Progresja, Warsaw, Poland
1/14 – Estrada, Bydgoszcz, Poland
1/15 – Alte Zuckerfabrik, Rostock, Germany
1/17 – Backstage, München, Germany
1/18 – Bitte Club, Milan, Italy
1/19 – Rock It, Aalen, Germany
1/20 – Jugendhaus, Wangen, Germany
1/21 – Kiff, Aarau, Switzerland
1/22 – Werkstatt, Köln, Germany
1/24 – La Scene Bastille, Paris, France
1/25 – Café Central, Weinheim, Germany
1/26 – 013, Tilburg, The Netherlands
1/27 – Atak, Enschede, The Netherlands
1/28 – Midwinter Meltdown, Randers, Denmark
1/29 – Hafenklang, Hamburg, Germany
1/31 – Bastard Club, Osnabrück, Germany
2/1 – Garage, Saarbrücken, Germany
2/2 – Schweinebarmann, Braunschweig, Germany
2/3 – Biebob, Vosselaar, Belgium
2/4 – Live Club, Bamberg, Germany
2/5 – Vortex, Siegen, Germany

* no Dr. Living Dead

-Check out a 90-second sample of Primal Fear’s new single “Bad Guys Wear Black” at http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/primal_fear_-_04_-_bad_guys_wear_black.mp3 .

-Rage’s studio update #2 is now online at http://www.rage-on.de/ .

-Paul Sabu has drummer Frankie Banali in the studio this week, working on Sabu’s upcoming album for Z Records.

-Sandstone’s CULTURAL DISSONANCE is out now on Limb Music. Hype: “Already enjoying a healthy underground reputation in their native Ireland, Sandstone’s mix of tight Power Metal, spiced with a decent dash of melodious Progressive is riveting and reminds one of a mix Fates Warning, Iron Maiden, Queensryche and Guns N’ Roses. On their latest album, CULTURAL DISSONANCE, Sandstone dare and manage the almost impossible, creating a versatile, exciting, and unique style.” Track list: “Reckless Thought,” “Little Forgeries,” “Fading,” “Leaning On An Arrow,” “Carefree Moment,” “Silent Suicide,” “Black Skies,” “No More,” “Sleep,” “Trick Of Mind.” Check out clips of three songs at http://musicbuymail.eu/?i=35164 , and see http://www.sandstonerocks.com/ for more.

-Stormzone — featuring singer John “Harv” Harbinson, guitarists Keith “K2″ Harris and Steve Moore, bassist Graham McNulty, and drummer Davy Bates (Sweet Savage) — has its third album ZERO TO RAGE out now via SPV. It was produced and engineered by Moore and features these tracks: “Where We Belong,” “Zero To Rage,” “Jester’s Laughter,” “This Is Our Victory,” “Fear Hotel,” “Beyond The Grave” (or possibly “Hail The Brave”), “Uprising,” “Last Man Fighting,” “Empire Of Fear,” “Monsters,” “Voice Inside My Head,” “Cuchulainn’s Story.” The band has the full support of legendary UK DJ Neal Kay, who offers this hype: “A righteous storm force of an album from Belfast’s men of steel Stormzone. Linking their classic roots & Celtic heritage with the present, the old to the new, this is THE CD & THE BAND that I have been awaiting for 30 plus years!!!” See http://www.myspace.com/stormzoneuk and http://www.reverbnation.com/stormzone for more.

-There’s a new interview with Strange Karma guitarist Paul Strange at http://fb.me/MOzRnlvR .

-Chicago-area cover band TrashCan Symphony has a big show — something like 300 songs over 20 hours — planned for this Saturday, November 19, at the Brink Street Restaurant in Crystal Lake, IL. (Just kidding there, but they will indeed play for several hours.) Check out http://www.trashcansymphony.com/ , http://twitter.com/TCSymphony , and http://www.facebook.com/pages/TrashCan-Symphony/212930548717143 for more.

-U.D.O. announced the show being recorded November 16 in Sofia, Bulgaria, will be released on CD, DVD, and Blu-ray next year.

Thanks to Joe Siegler, Axel Wiesenauer, Earsplit PR, Music Buy Mail, John Parks, Jim Ryan, Kiriakos Athanasiadis, Leslie Michele Derrough, Pitch Black Records, Bryan Reesman, Nicky Baldrian, and Dave Hoekstra for help gathering some of this information.

*
*** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-I went to Ace Frehley’s book signing for “No Regrets” last Thursday in Chicago. There were about 150 or 160 people in line, and all things considered it went pretty well. It was one of those typical “keep ‘em moving” deals where he only signed the book and you basically had no time to really interact with him — although a few people did jump in for real quick photos. It was still cool, though, because I talked to him for a brief second, and now I only need Peter Criss to complete my quest to meet all four original members of Kiss.

-Despite not being a total surprise, that is pretty cool news about Black Sabbath reuniting. Here’s hoping the album lives up to all the hype! Same goes for you, too, Van Halen!!! (And hey — didn’t Van Halen open for Sabbath on the tour for NEVER SAY DIE!, which was Ozzy’s last album with the band? Maybe they can do it again. hahaha) 2012 ought to be pretty interesting, what with new albums from these guys, Kiss, and possibly Judas Priest. What decade is this again?

-That Joel Hoekstra, he’s a busy guy. Besides Night Ranger he’s touring with Trans-Siberian Orchestra and he appears in the musical “Rock Of Ages.” And I also learned from that interview mentioned above that he’s from the Chicago area, and he looked up to members of the local band scene back in the ’80s. I do have to admit — the local scene around here was pretty cool back then…

-I’m not sure if I knew Heathen guitarist Kragen Lum was also a part of Prototype. That’s such a cool rock name: Kragen Lum. I wonder if he runs onstage to the a loud intro: “Unleash the Kragen!”

-Who here is surprised Sebastian Bach managed to hook up with Axl Rose to open a few dates for Guns N’ Roses? Yep, nobody.

-Wow does that new Queen DVD/Blu-ray set look awesome and comprehensive…

-Banshee with George Call on vocals! That better be killer!!

-In my current playlist: The Elves – AND BEFORE ELF… THERE WERE ELVES (Niji Entertainment Group), Cage – SUPREMACY OF STEEL (Heavy Metal Media / Music Buy Mail), ReinXeed – 1912 (Liljegren Records/Doolittle Group), Consortium Project – I – CRIMINALS & KINGS (REMASTER) (Lion Music), Talon – III (Escape Music).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
THE ELVES – AND BEFORE ELF… THERE WERE ELVES (B/B-) Niji Entertainment Group, 2011
12 tracks, RT: 52:34
[ http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/ ]
[ http://www.facebook.com/nijientertainmentgroup ]
The late ’60s/early ’70s era of Ronnie James Dio’s career saw his band morph from The Electric Elves to The Elves to Elf, which then actually released albums. The promo I received had no booklet or list of band members, so I went on a ‘net hunting expedition. Since these songs, which include covers, are from 1971 I presume we have here Mr. Dio on bass and vocals, Dio’s cousin David “Rock” Feinstein (later of The Rods) on guitar, Doug Thaler on piano, and Gary Driscoll on drums. (But outside of Dio and Rock I could be wrong…) This previously-unreleased material is all live, both in the studio and in concert, and Wikipedia indicates some or all of it comes from an old bootleg. Onward… The first four songs — “You Shook Me,” “Stay With Me,” “Four Day Creep,” “Buckingham Blues” — are bluesy rockers with lots of piano, and the latter pair shows off Dio’s grittier voice that would become so popular in the future. The middle five songs showcase the band’s less hard-edged sides, again with ample piano work, acoustic guitars, and smoother vocals. I was struck by how much Dio sounds like Freddie Mercury in “Wakeup Sunshine” and particularly “Driftin’,” and by the simple elegance of “Smile For Me Lady.” “You Felt The Same Way” and “Simple Man” then feature plenty of piano under the vocals. I believe the closing trio is in-concert material, with all of ‘em — “Drown Me In The River,” “Cold Ramona,” and a medley of Chuck Berry’s “Little Queenie” and “Johnny B. Goode” — relatively raw and honky-tonked. So is the average Dio fan going to bust this one out for regular listens? Truthfully, probably not. But the 40-year-old material on this release sounds surprisingly good, as it’s been re-mastered by Dio’s longtime engineer Wyn Davis, and makes for a nice addition to any diehard’s collection. Hopefully there are some killer liner notes in the retail version, to make it even more worthwhile.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

FREE REIGN – HEAVIER THAN METAL (B+) DC Rightside Music, 2011
8 tracks, RT: 28:31
[ http://www.freereignmusic.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/freereign ]
[ http://www.youtube.com/freereignband ]
[ http://www.facebook.com/freereign ]
Can the NFL rock? Does it? The answer doesn’t lie whether or not you like football. If the judgment is made solely on the basis of the recently formed band called Free Reign, the answer is yes. Those familiar with the NFL may recognize the names Marc Colombo and Cory Procter as Miami Dolphins players, and Leonard Davis from the Detroit Lions. These are fact, but more importantly to the band Free Reign, Colombo handles vocals and guitar duties, Davis is on bass, and Procter is in charge of skins — no reference at all to the team from Washington. The band is completed by Justin Chapman on lead guitar, who holds no professional football position. Gimmick? You might think so, until you take the time to listen to HEAVIER THAN METAL, and I’ll bet you’ll be as surprised as I was. In fact, I was surprised on two counts: one, that they had decent ability, and two, that this was some of the heaviest music I listen to, and I really enjoyed it. (I even asked one of my biggest skeptics to listen with me, and even she was impressed.) Forgive my somewhat limited exposure to the genre as I try to give you some kind of category to make your own decisions; I’d sat there are elements of power metal, metalcore, traditional, and even nu metal (is that how they really classify a band like Disturbed?) in many of these cuts. It should be noted that HEAVIER THAN METAL is not their first release — that would be the EP titled TRAGEDY, released in 2010 — and it’s produced by their own label, DC Rightside Music. In their bio Colombo says of the decision to form a label, “A great chunk of the year is spent playing on our respective teams, so we felt it best to take matters into our own hands in order to expedite the process.” Will that hurt their momentum in the unpredictable world of music nowadays? Only time will tell, as the band admits that most of their time is spent on the playing field as opposed to studios or on the road touring. However, all that may just make the wait between releases and tour dates worth the while. “All In Vain” is the perfect opener to prepare the listener to have their face melted — and any skepticism whether or not NFL’ers can lay down the gauntlet will be erased. “Last Goodbye II” is the mellowest of all the songs, but doesn’t loose strength in vocals or the power of the supporting bass line. “Rise Up” seems pretty predictable, but is worth a listen, and gets my vote as Most Likely to Breakthrough to Mainstream Radio. Not everything is a winner here, either. “In Your Head” and “Ruins” are the weaker tracks, with “Bleed From Me” and “Tragedy” following closely — though the mid-section of “Tragedy” showcases some excellent guitar work. The clearest winner here for best song is “One Step Away.” There’s an element of classic format and sound. It’s powerful standing on its own, and yet can also withstand acoustic treatment without eliminating any of the impact (see video of the acoustic version at http://www.reverbnation.com/freereignmusic ). I’d be willing to see Free Reign live, and I definitely recommend this release.
- Jan W. (jw4jzon@hotmail.com)

*
*** OUT ***
*

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*
*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net
http://www.lakeoffire.net/
http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com
http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-Happy National Metal Day everyone! Horns up, leather ‘n’ studs for all, get a tattoo, hail and kill, dip it all in chromium-plated boiling metal and so forth. Here’s my interview with Strange Karma guitarist Paul Strange plus a couple of time-sensitive goodies. – Tim

*
*** PRESS RELEASE ***
*
-Tribunal Records: “National Metal Day” Sale – One Day Only!

National Metal Day Sale – 11% Off

National Metal Day is being celebrated on 11-11-11 and to help with the festivities we are offering 11% OFF our entire estore (Tribunal, Divebomb and distribution titles included). Use METAL11 as the coupon code beginning at 12:01 a.m. EST on 11-11-11 and receive 11% your entire order!

CHECK OUT YOUR CHOICES NOW!!
http://tribunalrecords.bigcartel.com/

DISCOUNT ONLY GOOD FOR 24 HOURS!

http://www.tribunalrecords.net/
http://www.facebook.com/tribunalrecords
http://myspace.com/tribunalrecords
http://twitter.com/tribunalrecords

*
*** SPECIAL REPORT ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-Interview w/ Paul Strange (Strange Karma)
November 8, 2011

Australian rockers Strange Karma have been around for a few years, with a different name and different lineups; they spent some time in the UK getting established, and even toured the US a few years back. Things have now coalesced nicely with a solid lineup — bassist Doe Prijono and drummer Jason McDonald joined the Brothers Strange, Martin (vocals, guitar, piano) and Paul (guitar) — and the band’s debut album VOLUME 1 was released earlier this year on FnA Records (home of some vintage ’80s rock acts like Tora Tora, Dirty Looks, and Rumbledog). The band is touring the US throughout November, with bigger plans on the horizon. I spoke to guitarist Paul Strange about the album, the tour, the live show, and what’s coming up next.

DETRITUS: The band is on the bus right now? Where are you headed?

PAUL STRANGE: Chicago.

D: You’ve done two shows on this tour so far?

PS: That’s correct, yeah.

D: I saw on your website a couple new ones have been added, in Philadelphia and Dallas.

PS: That’s right, yeah.

D: Are there any more new ones coming up, or is it all set now?

PS: There could be. There could be a couple more coming up. I mean, we’re trying to make the most of our time here, so if we can add, you know, one or two more that’d be great.

D: Originally it looked like you’d be in America for the entire month of November but with only six or seven shows scheduled. I was wondering what the band would do with all that potential down time?

PS: Yeah, well, [publicist] Chip [Ruggieri]‘s keeping us busy. (laughs)

D: You last toured the US a few years ago?

PS: That’s correct, yeah.

D: What was the motivation for coming here? You also spent some time in England?

PS: Yeah that was before [the US tour].

D: Maybe I’m wrong but based on what I read it seemed like you were just really trying to get out of Australia. Is that true?

PS: (laughs) Yeah, I mean, it is. The grass-roots scene in Australia doesn’t really exist. There’s not much work for, you know, a new band. And especially with us, we do our own thing and over there doing your own thing doesn’t work as well as it does over here.

D: When you come out of Australia, as a new hard rock band, are you automatically pegged? Do people automatically assume that you’re either going to sound like AC/DC, or that you’re going to play AC/DC cover songs? Is there a stigma like that?

PS: No, I haven’t come across it that much, to be honest. A few people said, you know, that coming out of Australia they expect a quality band. So that works. (laughs)

D: This current round of dates includes two shows at the Whisky in Hollywood, and you’ve played there in the past. What’s the connection with that particular spot?

PS: Well when we were here a few years ago we played there three or four times, and each time we played the crowds got bigger. So we’ve got a pretty good rapport with the place. When we told them that we were coming back to America they basically said that they’d love to have us.

D: Are you headlining these dates in November?

PS: Not all of them. In Detroit we’re playing with Art Of Dying, in Chicago we’re playing with Hanzel Und Gretyl. So we’re joining a couple of people.

D: Okay, well then when you do headline how long of a set do you play? VOLUME 1 runs about 41 minutes. Do you have a lot more unreleased material that you can play? Or do you do other things?

PS: Yes we do. It’s a combination of songs from the album and other songs that we have that will possibly go on future albums.

D: Do you ever play covers or do you stick to all originals?

PS: We stick to all originals.

D: Does that go over well? You sometimes hear about new bands throwing in a cover to help win over the crowd. You don’t have to worry about that?

PS: No, we don’t really worry about that too much. We just, you know, we’ve got a lot of songs in our bag of stuff and we just kind of pull out the ones that work, and the ones that will grab the crowd’s attention. But we just use our own material.

D: The album has a lot of variety. There’s the straight-up rock stuff, the kind of more epic stuff, there are some ballads… How do you choose a set list when you’re on a tour like this, where you’re basically introducing the band to the crowd? Do you play just the more rockin’ stuff, or do try you play songs that show a complete picture of what you’re all about?

PS: It depends. It depends on the night and it depends how much time we have. If we’re headlining we get a good bit of time; we’re doing an hour and 10 or an hour and 20 minutes and we’ll showcase everything that we’re about.

D: For this tour, was there ever a thought to hook on with a bigger band and support them? Or was the plan always to have the tour progress as it has?

PS: Yeah, it’s in the works. We’re hoping to come back out next year for a longer time, and probably hook up with a bigger band to get some exposure that way.

D: As far as some of the songs go… “America,” the opening track on the album — it’s such a good song. It’s fun and cool, and it’s got a lot of energy to it. It seems like one of those songs that a musician would describe as, “It just wrote itself.”

PS: It’s exactly one of those. It was a time when we were coming out here to do a few shows, and the band was kind of buzzed about the whole thing. It came together very quickly, literally just before we jumped on a plane to come to America. Once we were here we decided to knock it out and play it a bit, and people started to really enjoy it. So we added it to the album.

D: Then you have some more complex stuff, like “Down And Out” that has a couple of different guitar parts, and “Time,” “Young And Free,” and “Indian Sun” are a little more epic with piano and strings. How do you pull all of that off live? Are you the only one that plays guitar live?

PS: I play guitar and Marty plays guitar as well, and he moves over to the piano. As far as the string arrangements, it kind of sounds big enough as it is, without the string arrangements. It just works really well. The string arrangements are just to accompany the songs on the album. But it works really well live the way it is.

D: With regards to your guitar playing, there are some cool solos peppered throughout the album, and you have a bunch of memorable riffs. What do you prefer composing, songs, riffs, or solos? What’s more fun?

PS: Definitely the riffs, and then the songs. That’s I guess the most important element, and then the solo’s the flavor on top.

D: I just saw an interview with Tony Iommi from Black Sabbath where he talked about the library of riffs he’s accumulated over the years. How does it happen for you? When it’s time for you to write, do you get in a mindset where you say, “It is time to write riffs now?”

PS: It just happens really naturally, to be honest. There’s no set sit-down time, and, you know, “Okay, let’s write a song.” That way doesn’t really work for us. (laughs) It just kind of happens as it happens, and it happens quite naturally. I don’t have a set time for it — if I do it never really works out.

D: What’s your method for recording solos? Do you come up with them spontaneously or do you try to work them out ahead of time?

PS: It all depends. Most of these songs that we recorded, we’ve been playing live before. Pretty much all of them, actually. So everything’s kind of sorted out ahead of time. It’s a combination of both I’d say.

D: I see in your press materials there are mentions of Led Zeppelin, and a few of Queen due to the piano and string arrangements. But I have to admit, when I first popped in the CD and heard “America,” the first thing I thought of was The Darkness.

PS: (surprised) Oh really?

D: Yeah, because of Marty’s kind of crazy singing style. I was like, “Who ARE these guys?” He seems like he could become unglued at any time. (laughs) Your reaction there already answered my question, but has anyone ever likened you to The Darkness?

PS: No, no, to be honest. It’s funny you should say that because we were in the UK with the previous [lineup] when The Darkness came out, so we saw the whole thing happen. We saw them blow up. I saw them play in one of these little universities in the UK, and then six months later they were, you know, winning the Brit Award. But we’ve kind of been doing the same thing for a while, so we haven’t really been listening to them. I wouldn’t say that they’re an influence on us.

D: Oh no, no I just meant I initially thought there was a similarity there, with the energy. I don’t really like those guys — I find the vocals annoying.

PS: (laughs)

D: As your album unfolded I heard all the different textures and vibes, and it’s certainly a different animal.

PS: Yeah.

D: I wish I could see your show at Reggie’s in Chicago because I want to see what it’s like live. What are you guys like on stage? Is it a crazy, unhinged performance, or are you guys meticulous about the presentation?

PS: Look, we pride ourselves on our live shows, so I would say our live shows are very powerful and there’s a lot of passion behind them. So, I would say our live show is one or two notches above the album.

D: Your back story leaves the impression that it was quite an ordeal to get this album out. Do you anticipate continuing your relationship with FnA Records for the next one? Is there a plan yet?

PS: At this stage we don’t have a plan for the next one. We’ve got it ready to go, and we just want to make the right moves that are going to help the band move forward. So at this stage we’re not exactly sure what’s happening. Like, we’re coming out here and we’re exposing ourselves to a few more people, and we’re planning a tour for next year at this stage. We’ll see how those two things go and then make the next move from there.

D: Are you going to be able to get on some European festivals next summer?

PS: We’ll definitely be working on that for sure.

D: With the number of off days on the current tour, do you have time to roll into a city and then get out and see the sights? Or is it all business all the time?

PS: I mean, it’s business all the time but we’ll be in Chicago a few days before the show, and I think we’ll also be in New York maybe a day or two before the show. After that it gets a bit tighter — in Detroit I think we’ll just kind be in and out, and then we’ve got a couple long drives after that.

D: Do you look forward to downtime? You hear about bands on the road, and it’s always travel, spend time at the venue, do the show, travel…

PS: Sure.

D: It seems like for bands, you can never catch your breath. But this tour seems paced a bit better. Do you look forward to having days off like that?

PS: Absolutely. Absolutely. We’re looking forward to seeing some of these cities we haven’t been to. We haven’t been to Chicago before, we haven’t been to Detroit, we haven’t been to New York — actually, Marty’s been to New York before but it’s the first time for me. So yeah, absolutely, I’m definitely interested in, you know, checking the place out. Because no doubt the next time we’ll be here it will probably be a lot more full-on and a lot busier than what it is now.

D: Is there anything you’d say to someone who might be on the fence, deciding whether or not to see the band live?

PS: If someone’s on the fence I’d like to say, you know, “Come to the show and take a chance on us.”

-Strange Karma’s remaining shows on the current US tour are as follows:

11/12 – Reggie’s Rock Club, Chicago, IL – w/ Hanzel Und Gretyl
11/16 – Sullivan Hall, New York City, NY
11/17 – The Legendary Dobbs, Philadelphia, PA
11/19 – Harpo’s, Detroit, MI – w/ Art Of Dying
11/25 – The Prophet Bar, Dallas, TX
11/30 – Whisky A Go Go, Hollywood, CA

Check out our Mini-Issue #600.5 from July 15 ( posted at http://launch.groups.yahoo.com/group/Detritus/message/973 ) for a review of VOLUME 1 and an interview with Paul’s brother Martin, and take a look at Strange Karma’s videos for “America” and “Down And Out” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyoKHTnN2z8 and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BkiW3IpdKWw , respectively.

Relevant links:

FnA Records
http://www.fnarecords.net/
http://www.facebook.com/fnarecords
http://twitter.com/RocknFnARecords
http://www.myspace.com/fnarecordlabel

Strange Karma
http://www.strangekarma.net/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Strange-Karma/157783670932214
http://www.myspace.com/strangekarma
http://twitter.com/strange_karma_
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/strangekarma
http://www.reverbnation.com/strangekarma

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*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
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-AFM Records is posting one new Iron Savior song per day for streaming at their Facebook page, http://www.facebook.com/afmrecords/ . The old one comes down when a new one goes up, so you have to check back every day to hear all the songs from THE LANDING, which is due out November 18, in CD and limited edition digi-pak (with two bonus tracks) versions.

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*** OUT ***
*

To subscribe to the e-mail version do one of the following:
Visit http://groups.yahoo.com/group/Detritus/
Send a blank e-mail to: Detritus-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

To unsubscribe from the e-mail version:
Send a blank e-mail to: Detritus-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com

To contact us:
Detritus-owner@yahoogroups.com

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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net
http://www.lakeoffire.net/
http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com
http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
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-Stay tuned for Friday, as I’m hoping to get done a mini-issue with an interview I just did with Strange Karma guitarist Paul Strange. – Tim

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Autographed Eric Carr CD: UNFINISHED BUSINESS

Only 60 Signed CDs Available!

Each Is Numbered!

See Below For Artists Who Have Exclusively Signed Each CD!

Treat yourself to one of only 60 signed, collectable Limited Edition Eric Carr UNFINISHED BUSINESS CDs.

60 CDs were autographed by some of the talented artists who performed!

CDs are signed by:

1. Bruce Kulick (Kiss, Grand Funk Railroad; “Just Can’t Wait,” “No One Messin’ With You”)
2. John Humphrey (Seether; “Eyes Of Love”)
3. Marcia Juell (“Shandi”)
4. numbered and signed by: executive producer and Eric’s sister, Loretta Caravello

(Eric’s sister will personalize to you on request)

Don’t miss out — only 60 available!!

Order only at EricCarr.com.

WHILE THEY LAST!!!

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Kip Winger Launches Kickstarter Campaign To Record New Orchestral Work CONVERSATIONS WITH NIJINSKY

Funds Raised Will Pay A 60-Student Orchestra At Oberlin Conservatory In Ohio

Pledging Begins: Thursday, November 3, 10 a.m. EST

NASHVILLE, TN — Kip Winger has kicked off a 45-day on-line fundraising drive to record an orchestral piece intended for ballet using Kickstarter, the crowdfunding platform website.

The $33,000 donation goal will be used to pay the Conservatory orchestra, conductor, and engineer to rehearse and record CONVERSATIONS WITH NIJINSKY, Winger’s follow-up to his composition “Ghosts” for Christopher Wheeldon at the San Francisco Ballet. Taking place over a two-day period in January 2012, the rehearsals and recording will also be shot for a future documentary film.

The work was inspired by the life and diary of famed Russian ballet dancer and choreographer Vaslav Nijinsky. Winger says: “I conceived the piece as the accompaniment to the unseen dances of Nijinsky, whose career was cut short by schizophrenia.”

Scott Yoo, one of the most buzzed about figures working in classical music today, will conduct the student orchestra. “I’m extremely excited to work with Scott Yoo, he is one of the best musicians in the world,” said Winger.

Rewards for supporters include thanks on the project’s website, Co-producer credit and the opportunity to visit Oberlin, meet the principals, and sit in on rehearsals and recording.

The Oberlin Conservatory of Music, located on the campus of Oberlin College in Oberlin, Ohio, was founded in 1865 and is the oldest continuously operating conservatory in the United States. The Conservatory is the only professional music school to be honored by President Obama with the National Medal of Arts, the highest award given by the United States.

See the campaign page and video here:
http://www.kickstarter.com/projects/2055747091/c-f-kip-winger-to-record-new-ballet-at-oberlin-col

Musician/composer C.F. Kip Winger discovered his passion for music at the age of six. The multi-platinum recording artist may be known best for his success with Winger and his early days as a bass player with Alice Cooper. However the range and scope of his musical journey can be more fully experienced in his solo albums, THIS CONVERSATION SEEMS LIKE A DREAM, SONGS FROM THE OCEAN FLOOR, FROM THE MOON TO THE SUN and his most recent composition “Ghosts,” for string orchestra, piano and harp. Tucson Symphony Premiered the piece in 2010 followed by two successful seasons of “Ghosts” the ballet choreographed by Christopher Wheeldon for the San Francisco Ballet, earning Mr. Winger a nomination for the Isadora Duncan Dance Award for Outstanding Achievement in Music.

Scott Yoo began his musical studies at the age of three and performed the “Mendelssohn Concerto” with the Boston Symphony at age twelve. After winning first prize in the 1988 Josef Gingold International Violin Competition, he won the Young Concert Artists International Auditions and the Avery Fisher Career Grant. He is the founder of the Metamorphosen Chamber Orchestra and Music Director of Festival Mozaic in California. He has conducted the Colorado, Dallas, Indianapolis, San Francisco and Utah Symphonies, and recently led the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra at Carnegie Hall. Mr. Yoo received his B.A. from Harvard.

For more information please contact mail@kipwinger.com.

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-Magic Circle Music Update

Win Two Concert Tickets* For Manowar In New Jersey (USA) On 19.11.2011

(*Including flights and accommodation)

Forces Of Metal Festival offers their fans a taste of next year’s headliner Manowar. All those of you who buy their festival ticket for Forces Of Metal 2012 before November 15th will have a chance to win two concert tickets to the Manowar BATTLE HYMNS 2011 Tour in New Jersey (USA) on November 19th 2011 — flight tickets and hotel accommodation included!

Globe Business Travel, official supplier of the Forces Of Metal Festival, will sponsor the flight tickets and hotel accommodation for two persons.

The two-day festival Forces Of Metal that will be held on June 8th and 9th 2012 at the E3 Beach in Eersel (Netherlands) will feature a total lineup of 40 rock and metal bands from all over the world and will be headlined by the Kings Of Metal, Manowar.

Get your tickets now for the new two-day rock and metal festival event known as Forces Of Metal Festival and with luck you will witness the power of Manowar not only at Forces Of Metal 2012, but also in Sayreville, NJ this month!

Dutch Talent:
Forces Of Metal supports local talent! To give Dutch rock and metal bands a chance, Forces Of Metal 2012 will feature a Dutch Talent Stage where future talents can present their skills in front of many rock and metal experts: the crowd of Forces Of Metal Festival.

For more information about Forces Of Metal Festival, tickets, the sweepstake and the Dutch Talent Stage, visit http://www.forcesofmetal.com/ .

The Kingdom Of Steel Has A New Look!

The Kingdom Of Steel, your Ultimate Metal Store, has re-opened with a brand new look and many new features.

Check it out and explore our wide range of Manowar, HolyHell and other metal merchandise, from highest quality T-shirts and hoodies, to a great selection of accessories and a wide range of exclusive Giclee prints.

Please note that for your first log in into the new store, previous login details from the old storefront will not be valid. When you log in for the first time please register as a new customer. This will allow you to place orders, ensure we have your correct contact information and guarantee that you can get all product and special promotion information instantly.

Please note that digital media (MP3 and video downloads) for artists featured in The Kingdom Of Steel will be available on Metal On Demand. To purchase digital media, please follow the link from The Kingdom Of Steel or go to http://www.metalondemand.com/ . Login details from the previous Kingdom Of Steel store will remain valid for http://www.metalondemand.com/ .

Stay tuned to our newsletters and online announcements for more information on brand new merchandise and upcoming events and special offers.

Enjoy your new shopping experience at The Kingdom Of Steel.

The Kingdom Of Steel
http://www.thekingdomofsteel.com/

Manowar
http://www.manowar.com/
http://www.facebook.com/manowar

Magic Circle Music
http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Nightwish: New IMAGINAERUM Trailer Online, Announce Fan Chat & Video Clip!

Nightwish, Finnish masters of symphonic dark metal, just released another trailer for the band’s highly anticipated new masterpiece IMAGINAERUM which is going to be released December 2, 2011.

The trailer is mainly about the pre-listening session which was held at the Nuclear Blast headquarters in Germany in early September and also features various statements from international media.

Check out the trailer at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T6btD06LlLE

For all of you who want a direct statement from the band, bass player Marco Hietala will take part in an exclusive online fan chat on November 11, 2011. Everyone owning a Facebook or Twitter account may login at http://www.nuclearblast.de/streamingroom to ask Marko your personal questions about Nightwish and IMAGINAERUM.

The chat will take place from 7 p.m. – 8 p.m. CET.

Furthermore, the band announced the official premiere of the video clip for the first single off IMAGINAERUM, “Storytime:” Wednesday, November 9! Keep your eyes open!

http://www.nightwish.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Z Records News

Z Records Finally Go Digital!!!

It’s taken a fair bit of time but we can confirm that Z Records product will be gradually made available via all reputable download sites from December 1st. First off the mark though will be ROCK THE NATIONS 2011, a download-only compilation featuring Paul Sabu, Prophet, Arabia, Legion, Shy and many more all for the price of a pint. Get your ears around that!!!!

Prophet Classic Out In Two Weeks’ Time

Following hot on the heels of the recently released RECYCLED, CYCLE OF THE MOON has been re-mastered and re-packaged with a bonus track for good measure. This album is a must-have piece of work for any melodic rock fan. Release date November 21st or yours at http://www.zrecords.net/ .

Legion Complete Work On Third Studio Album

Legion have completed work on their third album NEMESIS which will be release via Z Records during February 2012.

http://www.zrecords.net/

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-Jammit® Announces This Month’s Featured Tracks: Guitar Virtuoso Steve Vai And Progressive Rock Masterminds Rush

HOLLYWOOD, CA — This month’s featured tracks come from guitar virtuoso, Steve Vai and legendary progressive masterminds, Rush with their epic 2112 masterpiece in its entirety.

Jammit is the first music software solution that eliminates the annoying “stop, play, rewind” method of learning your favorite songs. Jammit® is more than just a cool app that separates the instruments that you want to hear from within the mix of your favorite songs, it’s also the source of the most accurate transcriptions in the world. Jammit® unlocks the secrets that are hidden in the mix so you can learn to play exactly what was recorded with unique offerings for guitar, bass, drums, keyboard and vocals.

Jammit’s patented variable timing technology provides easy, snap-to-grid looping for repeating and perfecting difficult sections. Meticulous note-for-note transcriptions in standard notation and tablature are derived from the isolated tracks providing a level of accuracy previously unavailable anywhere. The amazing variable speed feature allows users to slow down any part of a song without affecting the pitch, making the most complex musical performances easier to master. Here is how it works: http://youtu.be/vAAk9csXfEI

Jammit® offers a diverse selection of the greatest artists including Soundgarden, Foo Fighters, Three Days Grace, Slayer, Rob Zombie, Nickelback, AFI, Yes, Motley Crue, Pantera, and many more. Visit http://jammit.com/ for a complete listing of current and upcoming artists. Jammit® is a must-have for every level of musician and singer from beginner to the accomplished professional.

Jammit® releases new tracks daily on Twitter and Facebook, follow us and find out what’s coming out tomorrow!

Jammit® is currently available for the iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad with Android and desktop versions coming soon.

Created by renowned music producer Scott Humphrey (Motley Crue, Rob Zombie, Ozzy Osbourne).

About Scott Humphrey

Scott Humphrey is a world-renowned multi-platinum producer, composer and digital recording pioneer. In the early 1990s Humphrey’s technical contributions to the Pro Tools audio software helped to shape the digital audio standard by which most of today’s recordings follow. Highly acclaimed recording artists such as Metallica, Motley Crue and Bon Jovi have all prospered as a direct result of Humphrey’s digital audio artistry. He has also been a long time producer/collaborator with Rob Zombie and is the founder of The Chop Shop recording studios in Hollywood, California.

“If I had this when I was learning to play guitar, it would have saved me years of frustration.” – John 5 (Rob Zombie/Marilyn Manson)

“Absolutely amazing.” – Al Schmitt (17x Grammy-winning engineer and 2x Latin Grammy winner – Ray Charles/Steely Dan)

“For years, musicians have been interpreting music incorrectly because up until now you couldn’t hear the isolated the tracks. Jammit solves the problem.” – Steve Lukather (Toto/G3)

For more information on Jammit® go to http://www.jammit.com/ .

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-Rock Stars, TV Celebrities & Actors Hit The Green Carpet In Support Of Animal Sanctuary

Jack Osbourne, Dan Haggerty (“Grizzly Adams”), Fernanda Roche (“Housewives Of The OC”), Kynt & Vyxsin (“The Amazing Race”), Tyler Mane (“Halloween” 1 & 2), Derek Mears (“Friday The 13th,” “Predator”), Steve Stevens (Billy Idol), Josie Stevens (“Married To Rock”), Wendy Dio, George Lynch, Blasko (Ozzy Osbourne), Justin Tinucci (“iCarly”), Mariah Bonner (“Social Network”), Paul Dini (Icon Of Com-Con/”Batman”), Gretchen Bonaduce, John 5 (Rob Zombie), Harrison Forbes (Celebrity Pet Trainer) — The List Goes On!!!

KLOS And The Avalon Hollywood Presents:

2nd Annual Humanity Thru Music
A Benefit For Fur & Feather Animal Sanctuary, A 501(c)3

Sunday, November 13th @ The Avalon Hollywood
Will-Call 4:30 – Doors At 5:00 p.m.

HOLLYWOOD, CA — This Sunday will be a star-studded event, all in the name of the animals. Come join the stars for the Second Annual Humanity Thru Music fundraiser in benefit of the Fur & Feather Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit organization dedicated to the safety and welfare of animals. KLOS and the Avalon Hollywood is hosting this year’s Humanity Thru Music Green Carpet and “PAWsta” dinner, which promises to be even more sensational than last year’s event.

This is the Second Annual “Humanity Thru Music” and our concert lineup is a howling good time with celebrity Gretchen Bonaduce and her ’80s band Ankhensenamen opening for Multi-platinum recording artist Richie Kotzen (Mr. Big/Poison). The night will be hosted by celebrity pet trainer and radio host Harrison Forbes from radio show “Pet Talk.”

The night starts with a Pawsta dinner buffet, cash bars, HUGE silent auction and raffles all in benefit of Fur & Feather Animal Sanctuary, a 501(c)3 dedicated to much needed animal welfare in California. Tickets are $35 for General and $50 for VIP. To buy tickets and for more information on the ticket levels go to http://www.wantickets.com/ , http://www.ticketfly.com/ , or call 818.398.0340.

Humanity Thru Music is a fundraising celebration for the safety & welfare of animals as well as the environment. Our goal is to build the first fully solar/wind powered no-kill sanctuary in California where high-kill shelters still exist and animal cruelty runs. We are currently fundraising to buy land and build homes where animals can live in healthy surroundings until they are adopted. This environment will protect and allow all animals to live to see their full potential. Humanity Thru Music encourages people to participate in the fight for a No-Kill Nation and Solar World. We want our guests to walk away having been empowered to make a difference in the world.

For more info on F&FAS go to http://www.furfeather.org/ and for info on the event for to http://www.955klos.com/ or http://www.avalonhollywood.com/ .

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-Forbidden Announce New Drummer

Craig Locicero, Russ Anderson, Matt Camacho, and Steve Smyth of the Bay Area thrash band Forbidden are proud to make the following announcement:

“After a couple of grueling months of sifting through video auditions, we’ve finally got our man. Let it be known that on Halloween 2011, Sasha Horn from Chicago is Forbidden’s new drummer!

“There were so many great players throwing themselves out there and we were always encouraged by the prospects. We had nine different drummers out of the dozens of submissions make the trek to Oakland to give it their best shot. Those drummers included Eli Lucas (Petaluma, CA), Duane Timlin (Houston, TX), Jimmy Schultz (Los Angeles), Pat Magrath (Los Angeles), Gee Anzalone (Italy), Todd Hansen (Australia), Henry Moreno (Florida), and Burton Ortega (San Francisco). We can’t say enough about these guys and how much heart and guts it took to take the chance for the gig. Much love and respect to them! At the very least, we have some new friends and we know where some great new talent is.

“All of these guys kicked ass or they would have never made it through the door, but at the end of the day, it was a two-horse race between Eli Lucas and Sasha. We can say with certainty that if Sasha didn’t slay the way he did, Eli would have gotten the gig. Both are incredible drummers with HUGE upsides. Eli will go far in this business!

“Sasha, however, lifted us to another level. When he started playing ‘Infinite,’ everyone in the band immediately looked at each other and our eyes got bigger. It was something that Russ and I have not felt since Paul Bostaph first played with us back in 1986, when we were kids. Simply put, great chemistry! A sense of invincibility was in the room. Then we played ‘Forsaken At The Gates’ and it was over. No need to keep playing — we were stunned. In fact, some of our hands were shaking! That’s saying something. It was like gasoline thrown on an inferno!

“Now that we have our band back intact, we can start writing the next Forbidden record with the confidence that we have something special once again. Like Bostaph, Jacobs, Hernandez and Hoglan, Sasha Horn will earn his praise and respect from our fans. He’s Forbidden’s next great drummer and we are very proud to tell the world! We are truly inspired to out-do ourselves.”

New Forbidden drummer Sasha Horn (ex-November’s Doom, Ava Inferi) comments:

“This was an amazing opportunity from the get-go, to be able to throw my name in on auditions for a band that I’ve been an avid fan of since I was 12 years old. How does it feel to now get the chance to slay alongside them? Otherworldly. Truly out of this world. To just be considered along with the other amazing drummers from across the globe was a humbling experience in itself. And it’s because Forbidden is a band that wants to constantly take leaps and bounds up to that next level that I know this is the perfect union. When we got into that room and played together for the first time, the chemistry just went right off of the charts. That’s a good feeling to start off with.”

View a demo video of Sasha Horn on YouTube at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2985zpdDDC0 and listen to a sample of his recording abilities at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2h1zDGBh4kU .

http://www.silencesoloud.com/FORBIDDEN.html

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-Radiant Records / Neal Morse: Holiday Giveaway!

With the Holiday season just around the corner, Neal Morse has decided to write and record a Holiday album like no other! With his natural progressive instinct and unbelievable musicianship, this album is guaranteed to be anything but ordinary.

With a progressive twist to some of our favorite Christmas songs, this album spans from smooth to shred, with a Neal Morse touch in EVERY recording.

Wait ’til you hear what Neal does with songs like “The Little Drummer Boy,” “Carol Of The Bells” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing!” Also featured is the amazing Paul Bielatowicz tearing it up on “Shreddy Christmas.”

This may be the first REAL prog Christmas album ever made!!!

KEEP READING!!! IT GETS EVEN BETTER!!!

But wait… This new Holiday album, A PROGGY CHRISTMAS, is ONLY available this Holiday Season to Inner Circle members. If you are already an Inner Circle member, this will be your November disc. If you are not an Inner Circle member, then sign up by November 21st and this album can be yours too…

But wait… there’s more!!

With the Holiday Season being the season of giving, we have decided to GIVE AWAY a Fender acoustic guitar that is signed by Neal Morse himself. This guitar will ONLY be given away to an Inner Circle member, new or old. All you have to do is sign up as an Inner Circle member, if you have not already, and if you are a current Inner Circle member, all you need to do is wait for it to arrive in your mailbox…

A GOLDEN TICKET will be placed inside one of these new A PROGGY CHRISTMAS CDs and the Inner Circle member that gets that disc, wins the guitar!!! It’s just that simple!

Know someone who would love a guitar autographed by Neal Morse?

What better way to say Happy Holidays than with a gift like this…

So what are you waiting for?

If you have not already signed up for the Inner Circle, hurry!!! November 21st is the deadline to get your name in the hat for this AMAZING giveaway and someone has to win, and it could be you…

Click here — INNER CIRCLE SIGN UP — to join and enter to win!!!
http://radiantrecords.com/category/191724-inner-circle.aspx

Radiant Records
http://www.radiantrecords.com/

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-Napalm Records News

Nemesea: New Video

Nemesea present their fans with a brand new video. The clip to the catchy “Afterlife” is available at http://www.youtube.com/napalmrecords . THE QUIET RESISTANCE will be released on 18 November!

http://www.facebook.com/nemeseaofficial
http://www.myspace.com/nemeseaband
http://www.nemesea.com/

9MM: Rock The Charts

Rock Rotten and his crew rock the German longplay charts. Their latest studio effort DEM TEUFEL EIN GEBET made it to position 40! The latest 9MM clips are available at http://www.youtube.com/napalmrecords .

http://de-de.facebook.com/9mmAssiRock
http://myspace.com/rockrotten9mm
http://www.9mm-rock.com/

Grave Digger: New Single

The new single feat. Anita Hegerland is available now! The metal version of the Roy Black classic “Schön Ist Es Auf Der Welt Zu Sein” can be found at Amazone or iTunes!

http://www.facebook.com/gravediggerofficial
http://www.myspace.com/gravediggerclan
http://www.grave-digger-clan.com/

Lacrimas Profundere: New Clip & Single

The exclusive iTunes single “Lips” will be released on 11 November! The single includes the title track, two unreleased songs and the clip to “Lips.” The video may also be watched at http://www.youtube.com/napalmrecords !

http://www.myspace.com/lacrimasprofundere
http://www.lacrimas.com/

Napalm Records
http://www.napalmrecords.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
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-Axemaster’s Music & Video To Be Featured In Movie

Axemaster is proud to announce that music from their BLESSING IN THE SKIES album as well as their video for the song “Slave To The Blade” are scheduled to be featured in the upcoming horror movie titled “Metal Maniac.” Producer of the film Susan Kapostasy said “‘Metal Maniac’ is my tribute to all things horror and heavy metal, which is why I’m so excited to include Axemaster in the soundtrack.”

“Metal Maniac” is currently in filming and no official release date has been set. Other bands that will be featured on the soundtrack include Manilla Road, Nasty Savage, Deceased, Oz, Hobbs’ Angel Of Death, Black Death, Borrowed Time, and more.

http://www.facebook.com/axemasterofficial
http://www.reverbnation.com/axemasterofficial
http://www.myspace.com/thebandaxemaster

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*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
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-Circles Partner With Metal Hammer To Unleash Debut Video “Eye Embedded”

Australian progressive Metallers Circles have partnered with Metal Hammer magazine to exclusively debut their new video for “Eye Embedded” today on their website — click here to view:

http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/news/video-exclusive-circles-eye-embedded/

The track comes from the band’s forthcoming single “Eye Embedded” taken from their debut EP THE COMPASS which is released via Basick Records on November 14th and comes with a re-mix edition, two B-sides and an instrumental arrangement.

The band have also put together exclusive footage that not only chronicles the making of the video for the track but gives fans a taster of the video to come. View behind the scenes here:
http://youtu.be/HIL9GCmOkOA

Filmed at Decent Exposure Studios in Melbourne, Australia, drummer and video director Dave Hunter describes their experience: “Shooting our first official video was something we’ve always looked forward to doing. We handled all the post production and VFX in-house and knew how we were going to tackle the animated shots from the beginning. We wanted to keep the theme consistent throughout the video and have that visual link with the cover art of THE COMPASS. The most time-consuming part was reviewing hours of footage to get the takes we wanted. When a song goes for roughly four minutes and you have this much footage, you can imagine what it’s like to sift through it all. Overall it was a great experience. So far, the response has been quite overwhelming and hopefully we can push it further with this video.”

Since their critically acclaimed debut EP was released in May this year via Basick Records, Circles have been hard at work building their profile worldwide — their studio jam video for “Clouds Are Gathering” reached the No. 1 spot on Scuzz TV, reached No. 2 on the Australian Metal iTunes chart, swept the review boards worldwide with praise for THE COMPASS and all whilst continuing to play countless gigs in their native homeland and begin work on their follow-up record!

“This might be the best new band you’ll hear all year. Truly epic.” – Metal Hammer
“Beyond world class.” – Blunt Magazine
“Circles are here to make a point.” – Rock Sound Magazine
“Melodies so catchy they are probably illegal in some countries.” – Terrorizer Magazine

Track listing for “Eye Embedded” single:

1. Eye Embedded
2. Eye Embedded (Big-F remix)
3. Silence (Prelude demo)
4. Beautiful Fascination (Prelude demo)
5. The Design (Instrumental)

The single “Eye Embedded” from Circles will be released by Basick Records on November 14th, available online via iTunes and all good online digital retailers.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
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-Martyr Launch Third Single “D.I.” Of Upcoming New Album CIRCLE OF 8 Exclusively Through Their Website! CIRCLE OF 8 Available Worldwide Now!

Dutch heavy metallers Martyr have launched the third single “D.I.” of their new album CIRCLE OF 8! Please surf over to http://www.martyronline.nl/ to check it out!

Make also sure to surf over to the landing page at http://www.metalblade.com/martyr to listen to the title track CIRCLE OF 8 and to check out the pre-order options!

Martyr is a pure Heavy Metal force from the Netherlands. During the five years that Martyr was alive and kicking (1982-1987), the band released two albums that are considered cult in the Metal scene of today! FOR THE UNIVERSE (1985) and DARKNESS AT TIME’S EDGE (1986) are classic Metal, a delight for those who love strong melodies, speedy riffs and a high level of technicality.

In those years, Martyr appeared on compilation albums from Roadrunner and Metal Blade, was voted Holland’s best new metal band in Aardschok magazine, has toured with several international acts and appeared on Sky Channel’s Monsters Of Rock.

Martyr disbanded in 1987, but reunited in 2001 to play the Heavy Metal Maniacs festival. Four years later, the band revived almost the complete 1982 lineup to play the Headbangers Open Air and Keep It True festival. The flame has been burning again and the band continued to play live ever since. December 2008 Martyr supported US Shock Rockers Lizzy Borden on their European tour. But also in 2009 and 2010 Martyr hit the European stages supporting great acts like Flotsam And Jetsam, Vicious Rumors, Jaguar, Evergrey, etc.

In 2009 the first new Martyr record in almost 25 years has been released. That’s when the new EP FEAR was coupled with a re-release of the classic FOR THE UNIVERSE album as a double digi-pak entitled FEAR THE UNIVERSE on Rusty Cage Records (RCR0017).

In 2010 and 2011 Martyr re-entered the studio between the live shows, by working on the successor for FEAR. A complete new album called CIRCLE OF 8, which will be released by Metal Blade Records in November 2011 worldwide, will be a significant impulse in Martyr’s revival. And by signing with Metal Blade again, the clan is back home!

CIRCLE OF 8 contains 11 new tracks and one oldie and fans favorite, “Speed Of Samurai,” which has been re-recorded.

Track listing CIRCLE OF 8:

1. D.I.
2. Afterlife
3. Art Of Deception
4. Circle Of 8
5. All Warriors Bleed
6. The Uninvited
7. Insensible Scream
8. Scene Of Hell
9. Fake
10. Justified Killing
11. Locked
12. Speed Of Samurai

CIRCLE OF 8 is out now Worldwide!

Martyr is:
Rick Bouwman – Guitars
Wilfried Broekman – Drums
Rop van Haren – Vocals
Marcel Heesakkers – Guitars
Toine van der Linden – Bass

http://www.metalblade.com/martyr
http://www.martyronline.nl/
http://www.facebook.com/MARTYRONLINE

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*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
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-UK’s Furyon Launched New Website!

[This is edited together from two different press releases - Tim]

UK’s best new metal band Furyon, feat. vocalist Matt Mitchell, guitarist Chris Green, guitarist Pat Heath, bass guitarist Alex “Nickel” Bowen and drummer Lee Farmery, launched a brand new website and completely redesigned with the help of Rock N Growl and Anestis Goudas.

Check out the band’s new website at http://www.furyon.net/ .

Furyon recently signed a management deal with Germany’s Rock N Growl with the insight of taking their music to the masses. See you out there!

Rock N Growl & Furyon are currently shopping the album GRAVITAS, produced by Rick Beato (Shinedown, Fozzy), to securing a record deal very soon.

The songs appear on the GRAVITAS album are the following:

1. Disappear Again
2. Stand Like Stone
3. Souvenirs
4. Don’t Follow
5. New Way Of Living
6. Voodoo Me
7. Fear Alone
8. Wasted On You
9. Our Peace Someday
10. Desert Suicide

Buy it directly from the band:
http://furyon.bigcartel.com

Furyon “Disappear Again” video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=u8biW3IBqx8

This is a 10-track monster of a record. Featuring special artwork by Brighton illustrator Traumatron, and featuring a special motion Comic based on the Furyon Knight character.

Press:
Allan Price (European Music Manager Monster Energy)
“There are few bands that while watching them really make you want to give up what you’re doing and become a rock star. Furyon are on of those bands.”

Chris Ingham (Group Publisher Classic Rock, Metal Hammer)
“I’ve seen hundreds of unsigned & unknown band in my career. Only a handful of them made me stand up and take any notice. Only one of them made me do that from the very first listen and that one band was Furyon.”

Alex Baker (Kerrang! Radio)
“Do you like massive hooks? Do you like world-class guitar playing? Do you like music you can bang your head to, stamp your foot to, drive to and f*** to? Yes? Then, even if you’ve no yet heard them, Furyon are already one of your favorite bands.”

Check:
http://www.furyon.net/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Furyon/114816935285870
http://www.myspace.com/furyon
http://www.twitter.com/furyonband
http://www.reverbnation.com/furyon
http://www.rockngrowl.com/furyon
http://www.anestisgoudas.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
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-Barn Burner Partner With Guitar World Magazine To Premiere “Scum Of The Earth” Video!

Barn Burner has had a busy 2011, having completed a European headlining tour, west coast and east coast US tours and most recently, they performed at the Metal Sucks/Metal Injection/1000 Knives CMJ showcase. During their US tour with Ramming Speed back in August, Barn Burner took a day off to shoot a video for the title track from their latest album. The video, directed by Angela Boatwright, embodies Barn Burner entirely and is full of partying, skateboarding, PBR and live footage! The fine folks over at Guitar World are exclusively premiering Scum of the Earth today, November 7th, 2011 on GuitarWorld.com.

Barn Burner vocalist/guitarist Kevin Keegan adds: “The video reflects two days of us getting to do the funnest and most ridiculous sh*t. Angela managed to create an atmosphere that was insanely professional while making it feel like being on way too much acid. I actually think she spiked our drinks with some mind altering substance because I don’t remember doing any of this.”

Watch the video for “Scum Of The Earth” now over on GuitarWorld.com:

censored version
http://www.guitarworld.com/exclusive-barn-burner-premiere-scum-earth-music-video?page=

NSFW version
http://www.guitarworld.com/exclusive-barn-burner-premiere-scum-earth-music-video-nsfw-0

BANGERS II: SCUM OF THE EARTH track listing:
1. Scum Of The Earth
2. Dark Side Of The Barn
3. Gate Creeper
4. Keg Stand And Deliver
5. The Earth’s Crust
6. Quest For The Cube
7. Brother Fear
8. Skid Marks The Spot
9. Crushing Defeat
10. Ghost Jam

“This music is all about the swagger, and the foursome carries themselves like the 1976-77 Habs: they will own you, plain and simple, no matter how hung over they are from the night before.” Decibel Magazine

“cotton-wool quality, Orange-amped, wall of sound, riff-loaded music.” TheNewReview.com

“huge groovy riffs that would make Phil Lynott proud.” Craveonline.com

http://www.metalblade.com/barnburner
http://www.facebook.com/theinfamousbarnburner
http://www.youtube.com/bernardburner
http://twitter.com/barnburnermtl

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*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
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-Autumn Debuts Third Single “Retrospect” On Yell Magazine! COLD COMFORT Available Worldwide Now!

Beginning today, YellMagazine.com will be home to the premiere of “Retrospect” from Autumn’s new album, COLD COMFORT. “Retrospect” is a prime example of the heaps of melody and groove on COLD COMFORT. Terrorizer Magazine describes the sound as “Haunting, lush gothic metal the Netherlands that drips with melody.” This is one that fans of Katatonia, The Gathering, etc. will not want to miss!

Make also sure to check out the title track and first single “Cold Comfort” and the pre-order options at http://www.metalblade.com/autumn .

COLD COMFORT is the band’s fifth full-length effort and their third for Metal Blade Records. It offers a collection of striking songs blended into a diverse and yet surprisingly compact album, one that Autumn considers to be their most personal and meaningful to date.

While Autumn’s roots remain firmly planted in heavy rock/guitar-oriented soil, their branches are stretching out to more progressive musical genres and alternative approaches to the sound of individual songs. Guitarist Jens van der Valk elaborates: “In terms of sound we realized there were still leaps to be taken out of our comfort zone and into unthought-of possibilities. As a first step in the right direction, our main focus was on a more open, transparent sound, one through which the often multi-layered nature of our songs would be optimally channeled.”

Autumn needed not look far for a man to put at the helm with the right pioneering philosophy for the band to begin taking leaps: Erik-Jan Dodd, Autumn’s live sound engineer since the MY NEW TIME era, envisioned a more vintage approach for COLD COMFORT. An experiment the band was all too eager to embrace, explains guitarist Mats van der Valk. “If there’s anyone who knows what we’re all about and more importantly: what we could potentially be all about, it’s E-J.”

COLD COMFORT track listing:
1. The Scarecrow
2. Cold Comfort
3. Black Stars In A Blue Sky
4. Retrospect
5. Alloy
6. End Of Sorrow
7. Naeon
8. Truth Be Told (Exhale)
9. The Venamoured

COLD COMFORT is out now in Europe and available as a limited first edition digi-pak CD including two exclusive bonus tracks!

Autumn is:
Marjan Welman – vocals
Jerome Vrielink- bass
Jan Munnik – keyboards
Jan Grijpstra – drums
Mats van der Valk – guitar, grunts and backing vocals
Jens van der Valk – guitar and backing vocals

http://www.autumn-band.com/
http://www.myspace.com/autumnband
http://www.facebook.com/AutumnBand

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*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
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-Black Skies To Play Record Release Show Tonight

In conjunction with the unleashing of their self-released ON THE WINGS OF TIME full-length, North Carolina bottom-heavy power trio, Black Skies, will play a special record release show tonight, November 9, 2011 at King’s in Raleigh, North Carolina. The show will serve as a warm-up for their upcoming tour set to kick off November 14 in Asheville. More info available at http://kingsbarcade.com/ .

ON THE WINGS OF TIME is currently available at Black Skies shows on digital download cards included with the purchase of a limited edition, silk-screened poster. A CD version with alternate cover art will also be available at shows throughout the tour. The album will available in downloadable format through various online outlets. You can also check out ON THE WINGS OF TIME in its entirety at the band’s official BandCamp page.

Check out some life footage of the band at http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/?p=3731 .

Black Skies – Fall Tour 2011:
11/09/2011 Kings – Raleigh, NC (special CD release show)
11/14/2011 The Get Down – Asheville, NC*
11/15/2011 Caledonia Lounge – Athens, GA*
11/16/2011 The Pilot Light – Knoxville, TN*
11/17/2011 Crayola House – Harrisonburg, VA*
11/18/2011 31st St Pub – Pittsburgh, PA*
11/19/2011 The Comet – Cincinnati, OH*
11/20/2011 Empty Bottle – Chicago, IL
11/21/2011 Now That’s Class – Cleveland, OH
11/22/2011 Carabar – Columbus, OH
11/23/2011 Sneaky Dee’s – Toronto, ON
11/24/2011 Casa Del Popolo – Montreal QC**
11/25/2011 The Arm Factory – Portland, ME**
11/26/2011 Flywheel Arts Collective – Easthampton, MA**
11/27/2011 St. Vitus – Brooklyn, NY**
11/28/2011 JRs – Philly, PA**
11/29/2011 Cellar Door – Annandale, VA
* w/ MAKE ( http://www.thebandmake.bandcamp.com )
** w/ Vaz ( http://www.vazmusic.bandcamp.com )

http://www.blackskies.us/
http://www.facebook.com/blackskiesnc
http://www.myspace.com/losblackskies
http://www.blackskies.bandcamp.com/

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*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
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-AFM Records’ 15th anniversary compilation, 15 YEARS – METAL ADDICTION, is now available as a digital product via iTunes. The tracks: U.D.O. – “24/7,” Avantasia – “Avantasia” (radio edit), Dragonland – “The Black Mare” (edit), Iron Mask – “Broken Hero,” Masterplan – “Soulburn,” Brainstorm – “Temple Of Stone,” Morton – “Brotherhood Of Light,” Iron Savior – “Heavy Metal Never Dies,” Circle II Circle – “Watching In Silence,” Crystal Viper – “Night Of The Sin,” Oz – “Dominator,” At Vance – “The Evil In You,” Jon Oliva’s Pain – “The Evil Beside You,” Sinner – “Back On Trail,” Mob Rules – “Astral Hand” (radio edit), Bloodbound – “Drop The Bomb,” Squealer – “My Last Goodbye,” Ross The Boss – “Blood Of Knives,” Nightmare – “Legions Of The Rising Sun,” Silent Force – “Running Through The Fire,” Crystal Ball – “It’s Not Love,” Steel Attack – “Guardians,” Doro – “Celebrate” (feat. Biff Byford), Voodoo Circle – “No Solution Blues,” Edguy – “Vain Glory Opera,” Eden’s Curse – “Trinity,” The New Black – “Batteries & Rust,” A Life Divided – “Heart On Fire,” Dark Age – “Devote Yourself To Nothing,” Epysode – “Obsessions,” Stahlmann – “Stahlwittchen,” Lyriel – “The Regret,” Danzig – “On A Wicked Night,” Orden Ogan – “Farewell,” Elvenking – “The Divided Heart,” Triosphere – “Human Condition,” Magica – “Hold On Tight,” Theatre Of Tragedy – “Storm,” Eisbrecher – “Böse Mädchen,” Big Ball – “Double Demon,” Axxis – “Talisman,” Nostradameus – “Randall Flagg,” Beautiful Sin – “I’m Real,” Manimal – “The Life We Lived,” Onslaught – “Godhead,” Solution .45 – “Bladed Vaults,” Fear Factory – “Powershifter,” Ektomorf – “Redemption,” Tankard – “Rectifier,” Black Messiah – “The Vanir Tribe,” SuidAkrA – “Dowth 2059,” Debauchery – “Zombie Blitzkrieg,” Byfrost – “Buried Alive,” Korzus – “Raise Your Soul,” Lake Of Tears – “Midnight Madness,” Rev 16:8 – “Ashlands,” Destruction – “Soul Collector,” Paradox – “Collision Course,” Ill Nino – “God Is Only For The Dead,” Betzefer – “Bestseller,” Athorn – “Angel Of The Fall,” Buried In Black – “The Bait,” Helstar – “Pain Will Be Thy Name,” Headhunter – “Parasite Of Society,” Perzonal War – “For The Last Time,” SOiL – “Like It Is.” See http://www.afm-records.de/ for more.

-Andromeda’s new video for “Preemptive Strike” is online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uiSaakTpZ-o .

-Animetal-USA features singer Mike Vescera (Obsession, Loudness, Yngwie Malmsteen), guitarist Chris Impellitteri (Impellitteri), bassist Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Dio, Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne), and drummer Scott Travis (Judas Priest, Racer X, Fight) dressed up in Kiss-like theatrical outfits and makeup, and playing covers of “Japanese anime theme songs.” The band’s self-titled debut is out now in Japan through Sony, and was produced by Greg Reely with all songs arranged by Marty Friedman (Megadeth, Cacophony). Track list (courtesy of http://www.cdjapan.co.jp ): “Uchuu Senkan Yamato,” “Gatchaman No Uta,” “Mazinger Medley,” “Makafushigi Adventure!,” “Thesis Of A Cruel Angel,” “Ai Wo Torimodose!!,” “Ganbare Dokaben,” “Pegasus Fantasy,” “Ike Tigermask,” “Kinnikuman Go Fight!,” “Yukeyuke Hyuuma.” Check out the video for “Uchuu Senkan Yamato” at http://vimeo.com/29984586 , and another promo clip at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC_ogjcHZ-E . Hype from the band’s site says Animetal-USA is “a spin on the original Animetal band launched in Japan by Anthem vocalist Eizo Sakamoto that was launched in 1996 and called it quits in 2006,” and that it “combines famous classic anime music with some original metal riffs, solos, vocals, bass and drums, as well as some very cool surprises. In fact, you will definitely hear a few familiar legendary metal riffs from some of your favorite legendary metal bands that gave their blessing, mixed with some new originals. Although this music is based on Anime, it has lots of original screaming vocals, shredding guitar solos, and a mean bad ass rhythm section.” See http://www.animetalusa.com/ for more.

-There’s a new interview with Anthrax guitarist Scott Ian at http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/countygrind/2011/11/qa_anthraxs_scott_ian_on_worsh.php .

-There’s a new Anubis Gate interview at http://www.lordsofmetal.nl/showinterview.php?id=4058&lang=nl .

-Arrayan Path had an album release party for IRA IMPERIUM on November 4. Check out photos, as well as details on how attendees can win a copy of the new album, at http://www.facebook.com/pitchblackrecords .

-There’s a new Sebastian Bach interview with Thirsty at http://www.staythirstymedia.com/201111-063/html/201111-sebastian-bach.html .

-The original members of BulletBoys — singer Marq Torien, guitarist Mick Sweda, bassist Lonnie Vencent, and drummer Jimmy D’Anda — will stage a one-night-only reunion dubbed the “When Pigs Fly Reunion” to film a live DVD at Club Vodka at the Key Club in Hollywood, CA on December 30. See http://www.artists-worldwide.com/ for ticket info, http://www.clubvodka.com/ and http://www.keyclub.com/ for more on the venue, and http://www.bulletboysofficial.com/ for more on the band.

-There’s a new UWeekly interview with Charred Walls Of The Damned singer Tim “Ripper” Owens at http://uweekly.com/article/a-ripper-of-all-trades-3442/ . See http://www.metalblade.com/cwotd/ for more.

-Chickenfoot performed “Big Foot” and “Three And A Half Letters” on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!” on November 3; check out video at http://www.guitarworld.com/video-chickenfoot-perform-jimmy-kimmel-live?page= . There’s a new Aquarian Weekly interview at http://www.theaquarian.com/2011/11/02/interview-with-chickenfoot-finding-their-feet/ , and a blog piece on the band’s reaction to the Occupy Wall Street movement at http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/11/06/chickenfoot-members-talk-occupy-wall-street/ .

-Classic ’80s metallers Damien Thorne has END OF THE GAME out now on CD, released independently by the band, and on vinyl, released by Killer Metal Records. Killer Metal is releasing limited runs of clear vinyl (250 copies; each comes with a patch) and black vinyl (500 copies); see http://www.killermetalrecords.de/ for more.

-The Devil’s Blood has “an art teaser clip” for the song “Within The Charnel House Of Love” and a stream of “She” at http://www.metalblade.com/thedevilsblood/ . See http://www.thedevilsblood.com/ and http://www.facebook.com/thedevilsblood for more.

-Dragonland’s UNDER THE GREY BANNER is due out November 18 on AFM Records. Check out some “symphonic power metal awesomeness” in the song “Black Mare” (edit) at http://www.soundcloud.com/afm-records/dragonland-black-mare-edit .

-Ace Frehley’s autobiography “No Regrets” is out now. Frehley has the following book signings scheduled to coincide with his current tour:

11/10 – Books A Million, Chicago, IL – noon
11/15 – Changing Hands, Tempe, AZ – 4 p.m.
11/20 – Book Soup, Los Angeles, CA – 4 p.m.

See http://www.acefrehley.com/ for more.

-Frontiers Records has a huge “Christmas Season Sale” sale going on through December 22. Some of the titles available are Dokken’s LIGHTNING STRIKES AGAIN (with bonus track), Hurricane’s LIQUIFURY (special edition), Warrant’s ROCKAHOLIC, Benedictum’s DOMINION, Black ‘N Blue’s HELL YEAH!, Extreme’s TAKE US ALIVE, and Hardline’s LEAVING THE END OPEN, plus several each from Pink Cream 69, Jeff Scott Soto, Nelson, Journey, Primal Fear, Jorn, Keel, Winger, Tesla, Great White, Triumph, Mr. Big, Royal Hunt, The Poodles, Whitesnake, and Asia. See http://www.frontiers.it/download/specialoffXMAS.html for complete details.

-Gwar guitarist Cory Smoot — aka Flattus Maximus — was found dead by his band mates on November 3. Gwar was on tour and about to cross into Canada. Smoot had been in the band since 2002 and was only 34. There’s a lengthy statement from front man Dave Brockie — aka Oderus Urungus — at http://www.gwar.net/ .

-Check out live video of the Iron Maidens performing with Steel Panther in Las Vegas at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i4ZtGcqEITY . The band’s webstore has new items including T-shirts, baseball caps, beanies, ladies’ spaghetti strap T’s, and “hot pants panties” at http://www.theironmaidens.com/store/store.html . Upcoming live dates:

11/11 – “VH1′s National Metal Day – British Invasion” show @ Paladino’s, Tarzana, CA – w/ Just Like Priest
11/12 – El Cajon Grand, El Cajon, CA
11/25 – The Slidebar Rock & Roll Cafe, Fullerton, CA
12/1 – House Of Rock Live, El Paso, TX
12/2 – Backstage Live, San Antonio, TX – all ages
12/3 – Smokin Aces, Mission, TX
12/4 – The Meridian, Houston, TX – all ages
12/10 – The Ruby Room, San Diego, CA

See http://www.theironmaidens.com/ , http://www.facebook.com/TheIronMaidensOfficial , and http://www.myspace.com/theironmaidens for more.

-Iron Savior’s THE LANDING is due out November 18 on AFM Records. Check out a studio video of the new song “The Savior” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVHfXvg0Cjo . AFM’s Facebook page will have a “Savior surprise” sometime this month; see http://www.facebook.com/afmrecords/ for more.

-John 5′s new single “Noche Acosador,” the third single from the upcoming GOD TOLD ME TO, is available digitally “on all download sites like iTunes, and Amazon.” The album will include a DVD and its release date will be announced soon. See http://www.john-5.com/ for more.

-Check out video of a class of 11- to 17-year-old kids from Aaron O’Keefe’s Ohio-based music school covering Judas Priest’s “Painkiller,” and the story behind the track, at http://www.guitarworld.com/video-class-11-17-year-olds-cover-judas-priests-painkiller .

-Lance King’s A MOMENT IN CHIROS is streaming in full at http://music.aol.ca/new-releases-full-cds#/25 . Check out a fan-made album promo at http://youtu.be/txMU0vwv-1M?a . See http://tinyurl.com/LanceKingVox (Facebook), https://www.twitter.com/lancekingvox , https://www.myspace.com/lancekingvox , and https://www.NightmareRecords.com for more.

-Kiss’ official store now has Kiss Kruise merchandise; check it out at http://www.store2.livenation.com/cgi-bin/WebObjects/Store.woa/wo/0.21.1.HeaderDEA.7 . In other news, Gene Simmons is up for “Favorite TV Celebreality Star” at the 2012 People’s Choice Awards; cast your vote now at http://www.peopleschoice.com/pca/vote/?et_cid=33478943 . Simmons also recently tweeted that he’s starting a Music Festival business, is part of a new real estate venture, and is developing a signature amplifier line. See http://www.genesimmons.com/ for more.

-The Last Vegas has a new three-song EP entitled OTHER SIDE available for free download at http://www.thelastvegas.com/ . Check out a teaser trailer at http://www.ten30eleven.com/ . Track list: “Other Side,” “Evil Eyes,” “It Ain’t Easy.” Check out the video for the title track at http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/11/02/the-last-vegas-the-other-side-video/ . Hype on the video: “Legendary cult actress and ‘Scream Queen,’ Sybil Danning (‘Howling II,’ ‘Halloween,’ ‘Werewolf Women Of The SS’) stars in and produces this classic piece of Americana trash rock cinema.” The EP and “a full album’s worth of material” were recorded and produced by Johnny K (Megadeth, Disturbed, 3 Doors Down, Staind, Airbourne) at Groovemaster Studios in Chicago, IL. The new album should be out in 2012. In other news, check out the band’s site for video of themselves performing “I Wanna Be Where The Boys Are” as The Runaways at the Chicago venue Double Door’s annual Halloween Show.

-There’s a great and funny Manowar piece by Metal Hammer’s Dom Lawson, entitled “Ten More Reasons To Love Manowar,” at http://www.metalhammer.co.uk/top-posts/ten-reasons-to-love-manowar/ . And check out fan reaction to the band’s current UK/Ireland tour in the news section of Manowar.com.

-Megadeth’s TH1RT3EN debuted in the US with 42,000 copies sold, good for #11 on the Billboard 200 charts.

-Attention Deficit Delirium has a “Digital Playlist” feature by Tom Morello, at http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/11/03/digital-playlist-tom-morello/ .

-Rage’s Peavy Wagner has a new studio report and pictures at http://www.rage-on.de/ . The band’s next album is tentatively titled 21.

-Video from Rush’s TIME MACHINE 2011: LIVE IN CLEVELAND is airing on Palladia; repeats are scheduled for November 10, November 20, and December 2.

-Sum 41′s LIVE AT THE HOUSE OF BLUES: CLEVELAND 9.15.07 is available now through iTunes. Track list: “Underclass Hero,” “The Hell Song,” “Motivation,” “We’re All To Blame,” “Walking Disaster,” “Machine Gun,” “King Of Contradiction,” “In Too Deep,” “Over My Head (Better Off Dead),” “Makes No Difference,” “Pieces,” “March Of The Dogs,” “Still Waiting,” “My Direction,” “Fat Lip,” “Pain For Pleasure.”

-The Sweden Rock Festival added Hell, Bonafide, and Symphony X to its 2012 lineup, bring the roster to Motley Crue, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Blue Oyster Cult, Dimmu Borgir, Symphony X, Edguy, Gamma Ray, Danko Jones, Pentagram, Bonafide, and Hell. See http://www.swedenrock.com/ for more.

-There’s an album teaser for Theocracy’s AS THE WORLD BLEEDS at http://youtu.be/lRqVm0eLt68?a .

-According to an ABC News Radio report, there are strong indications Van Halen will appear on the “Grammy Nominations Concert Live!!! — Countdown To Music’s Biggest Night” special (to air November 30 on CBS) and at next year’s Grammy Awards. Check out the full report at http://abcnewsradioonline.com/music-news/2011/11/7/van-halen-to-appear-on-grammy-nominations-special-and-at-gra.html .

-Italian hard rockers Voodoo Highway have made the single “Running Around,” from the band’s debut album BROKEN UNCLE’S INN, available for free download at http://www.reverbnation.com/voodoohighwayitaly , in the page’s music player. Check out the track’s video at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGLP7VsA8Tc . See http;//www.facebook.com/pages/VOODOO-HIGHWAY/107889722591097 , http://www.youtube.com/TheVoodooHighway , and http://www.myspace.com/voodoohighway for more.

-There’s a brief new interview with Warrant guitarist Erik Turner, where he discusses a possible upcoming band autobiography and the late Jani Lane, at http://www.swrnn.com/2011/11/03/warrant%e2%80%99s-erik-turner-talks-white-leather-new-music-an-autobiography-and-jani-lane/ . Check out a photo gallery from the band’s November 4 show with Skid Row at the Pechanga Resort & Casino in Temecula, CA at http://www.swrnn.com/2011/11/05/photo-gallery-warrant-and-skid-row-rock-pechanga/?pid=1782 .

Thanks to Rachael Recker, Steve Patrick, Jens Häfner, Axel Wiesenauer, Jim Hall, Bryan Reesman, Liz Ciavarella-Brenner, Pitch Black Records, Nancy B. Sayle, Carlos Ramirez, Nightmare Records, Sarah L. Myers, and Bill “Baluchitherium” Kotowski for help gathering some of this information.

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*** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-My friend Bill showed me an email offering the “Sweet Deal O’ Mine” package for Guns N’ Roses’ November 15 show at the Allstate Arena in Rosemont, IL. For $135 you get four reserved seats, four sodas and four hot dogs, with all fees and service charges included. Then my wife saw something last night about $20 tickets being available for the show. Which prompted us to wonder what songs the band will be playing that night… “Welcome To The Half-Filled Venue,” “Used To Sell Out,” “Mr. No-Show,” and “November Pain” maybe?

-Doesn’t that Animetal-USA business seem, well, odd? I mean, a few of the clips I heard certainly rock and all, but it’s just WEIRD seeing Mike Vescera, Chris Impellitteri, Rudy Sarzo, and Scott Travis in makeup and superhero outfits. And it’s not like those dudes are just some faceless guys who need a paycheck — these are legendary, respected, and accomplished metal heads we’re talking about here! I hope they’re having fun with it.

-I thought it was unusual for Forbidden to name all the finalists for their drummer auditions. I’m just used to bands keeping that sort of thing private, but on the other hand the band members were pretty gracious and open with their praise for all the guys. Kinda cool, I suppose.

-Kudos to those who managed to read through the full track listing of that AFM Records 15th anniversary compilation…

-Seriously, read that Manowar thing at Metal Hammer. It’s good.

-BulletBoys reunion! Okay, is that *every* ’80s band now?

-In my current playlist: Lance King – A MOMENT IN CHIROS (Nightmare Records), Consortium Project – V – SPECIES (Lion Music), Doro – 25 YEARS IN ROCK (Nuclear Blast), Strange Karma – VOLUME 1 (FnA Records), All Else Fails – THE ORACLE: WHAT WAS, IS, AND COULD HAVE BEEN (Suicidal Bride Records).

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*** REVIEWS ***
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ZEBRAHEAD – GET NICE! (A-/B+) Niji Entertainment Group, 2011
14 tracks, RT: 49:21
[ http://www.zebrahead.com/ ]
[ http://www.facebook.com/nijientertainmentgroup ]
I shied away from this when I saw Ali Tabatabaee credited as “vocalist/rapper,” but thankfully Steve urged me to give zebrahead (yep, lowercase “z”) a chance. These guys are awesome! GET NICE! is a fun and cool album, a mix of driving pop/punk along the lines of Sum 41 or The Offspring but with distinct metallic undertones, ripping guitar from Matty Lewis (who also sings) and Greg Bergdorf, and absolutely killer bass lines from Ben Osmundson. The rapping is never up-front enough to bring GET NICE! into nu-metal territory, but instead serves to kick a few songs in the ass with the clever wordplay/lyrics. Every song has a highlight of some sort… “Blackout” and “Nothing To Lose” start off by blazing along with hyper-catchy choruses; the former has gang vocals and the latter has more of a summer vibe. “She Don’t Wanna Rock” is hilarious, telling the tale of an ’80s metal couple falling in and out love while musically goofing on Twisted Sister’s “I Wanna Rock” and name-checking a few hair metal bands. “Ricky Bobby” is borderline thrash with shouted vocals and a harmony guitar solo, and somehow meshes in a sing-along chorus. The energetic title track has tons of guitar and an “oh-oh oh-oh-oh-oh” part that recalls Toby Rand’s long-lost “Throw It Away” from “Rock Star: Supernova” (remember that?!), and “The Joke’s On You” keeps the up-tempo rocker parade going with cool riffs and varied vocal styles. “Nudist Priest” expertly mixes the band’s signature pop/punk with a little bit o’ ska, and features yet another instantly-memorable chorus (too bad the F-bombs will keep this off the radio!) and more “whoa-oh” Toby Rand-isms. (Yes, it’s silly but that stuff rules!) “Galileo Was Wrong” pounds away, lyrically dressing down someone’s raging ego and — do you sense a pattern here? — sporting a great chorus. “Truck Stops And Tail Lights” has kind of a pop/punk or surf version of a Running Wild riff (seriously) and more Rand-isms. (I should probably now call these vocal parts zebrahead-isms.) “I’m Definitely Not Gonna Miss You” is THE uber-catchiest, bounciest, happy-go-luckiest breakup song ever, and “Too Bored To Bleed” is a fairly straight-up rocker with a primo performance by the rhythm section of Osmundson and drummer Ed Udhus. “Kiss Your Ass Goodbye” is another good breakup song that’s a bit more laidback, and “This Is Gonna Hurt You Way More Than It’s Gonna Hurt Me” completes the late-album trifecta of awesome breakup songs — where were these guys when I was having girl trouble in college? — with Beach Boys vocal melodies (no joke) and crazy-fast guitar. Finally, closer “Demon Days” winds things up with yet another up-tempo, riveting melody-fest. I’d love to see how these guys keep the energy up during a live show… I’m kind of wondering how zebrahead got signed to Dio’s label Niji Entertainment Group, but whatever the circumstances were, GREAT!!! Dig it — this is some clever, fun, rockin’ stuff.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

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*** OUT ***
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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net
http://www.lakeoffire.net/
http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com
http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-Happpy Friday and Happy November! Check out my interview with Edge Of Paradise’s Margarita Monet. – Tim

*
*** SPECIAL REPORT ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-Interview w/ Margarita Monet (Edge Of Paradise)
October 27, 2011

Los Angeles-based Edge Of Paradise is a new — *really* new, as in just having formed this year — industrial-tinged metal band with a debut album out on Shred Rock Records, entitled MASK. Several of the nine songs date back to guitarist Dave Bates’ previous project, Bleed, that featured singer Robin McAuley (MSG, Survivor) and expert guest musicians Tony Franklin (Blue Murder, The Firm) and Gregg Bissonette (David Lee Roth, Don Henley), but they now have been given a fresh spin by Edge Of Paradise’s beguiling, European-born multi-talented front lady Margarita Monet. Bates and Monet have now added a permanent rhythm section in bassist Steven Cook and drummer Kevin Katich, and are looking onward and upward. I recently spoke to Ms. Monet about her background, the band, and the album.

DETRITUS: It seems like the band came together relatively quickly, this year. Is that right?

MARGARITA MONET: Yeah, we’re very new. Uh-huh.

D: According to your bio, you came to this country from Europe, you’ve got a very diverse musical background, experience in theater, classical piano, and many other things. How did you end up in Hollywood in a heavy metal band?

MM: (laughs) I ask myself that every day. I went to NYU for acting and I was also taking piano, classical piano, and performing classical music. But I was in a cover band in New York, so I kind of started to get into that, you know, whole feel of a band because it’s very different from a solo performance. I moved out to L.A. to pursue acting and I ran into this producer who persuaded me to record a song, and it was more like a pop/rock or pop song, and I totally hated it because I’m not a big fan of pop at all. But we needed somebody to play guitar on my song so I met Dave at a music store — they had some recital there — so we asked him to play on the song. Then Dave was looking for a singer and he showed me his music, and I really liked it. Two weeks later we were like, “Okay, we have to be in a band together.” So we called it Edge Of Paradise and we just started recording, and we played a few gigs in there.

So it’s like, I don’t know, everything just fell into the right place. Music was always a part of my life but when I was trying to pursue acting here, you get parts here and there, but there’s so much waiting involved. Over time you get so tired of it, and I missed music. Now I get to do music every day, and get to create something and move further and further because of you, not because of somebody else. I really love what I’m doing. Acting, I mean, it’s kind of like it’s all related in some way because you still have to put on a show and you’re on stage, and it’s all entertainment, you know? Everything is in the right place now.

D: It’s great to hear that! I recently interviewed a guy from a different band whose story is a little similar to yours, in that he was involved with music, got into acting, went to L.A. to pursue the acting, and then got back into music. [That's Jammer from Brute Forcz. - Tim.] I wonder how many people like that share your journey?

MM: (laughs) Probably a lot!

D: I reviewed the Bleed EP and I’d lost track — it came out in 2004 and I didn’t realize that much time had gone by. Before this interview I went back and took a listen. It seems like all the songs from that EP are now on MASK. How much, if any, re-working or re-recording of those songs was done, besides your vocals being added?

MM: All of them were re-mixed. We left the rhythm section because it’s Gregg Bissonette and Tony Franklin — that’s a solid rhythm section! But Dave re-worked the guitars, and we put keyboards on all the songs. They’re not very noticeable because the keyboards are kind of like that Rob Zombie feel, it’s very bass-y — it’s basically just about the guitars. On “We Breathe” you can notice it more because it’s more of a symphonic sound on the keyboards. We left some of Robin’s background vocals. When we were mixing the songs we were trying to figure out what sounds we wanted to create, so it would become an Edge Of Paradise type sound. We were playing with a lot of different ways. We figured out to put keyboards on way later because it’s unusual to have these sorts of keyboards in a metal song. But it kind of really thickened out the songs and we got the sound we were aiming for. You know, this whole album was to introduce us as a band, and it’s kind of like a steppingstone for us because every great band has to have something to show for. That’s why we kind of rushed into this; we wanted to get this album out so we can move further. We’re constantly writing more music and we can’t wait to put that out. All the songs from the Bleed EP are on MASK.

D: Towards the end of MASK there are three instrumentals, a couple of which I thought were vastly different in style than the rest of the songs. Of course “Shredenstein,” the “Frankenstein” cover, is a classic guitar showcase, and “Fire” is a very cool blazing guitar song. But then “I Come In Peace” fits more closely with the album; it has a more modern feel, and almost seems like it could’ve been written for a movie’s closing credits sequence. Do you expect to have that kind of variety on your next albums, or would there be a more focused vibe?

MM: No, we will definitely have a more focused vibe. One of the reasons we put those three songs on MASK is because we did kind of run out of time, and we wanted to solidify this band to put us on the map, but also these songs are Dave’s writing and we wanted to have this album appeal to guitar players. The song “I Come In Peace” was written a long time ago. He did have the whole idea of an action movie soundtrack. A lot of his students who are guitar players love that kind of stuff. We wanted to include the instrumentals to appeal to the people who study guitar, or who want to be guitar players, so we have that kind of exposure as well. But the next CD is definitely going to be mostly vocal songs and we are gonna take it in the direction of the style that we established with the six vocal songs on MASK. (laughs) So it’s definitely going to be more focused.

D: What was it like working on “Walk The Line?” To me, that one stands out from the rest of the album because of it’s big, fat old Black Sabbath groove. I haven’t heard too many female singers tackle material like that.

MM: That’s personally one of my favorite songs to sing. I love the groove of it. It was actually the first one we recorded and we were still wondering what to do with the song. That one is, like, there’s not much you have to do to that song because it already has that really heavy groove. It fits so well with the lyrics, and what the song is about, and the play on words. (laughs) It’s definitely a really fun song. But what was it like? It’s very easy to really get into the feel of that song when we recorded it because of the whole groove. It’s like once you walked in you just let go. It’s like you just turn on a car and just drive, you know? That song doesn’t stop, and that solo just keeps moving in a very groove-y way. (laughs) We’re actually going to release another single at the beginning of the year. The groove is kind of like “Walk The Line” but it’s a step up, it’s way more crazy in a way. (laughs)

D: What song is that, “Mystified?”

MM: No, no, no, we haven’t released it yet. It’s gonna be called “Skin Me.” We haven’t really talked much about it but I’m really excited I spilled the beans. (laughs)

D: I’m looking at the CD booklet, which I see you did the artwork on…

MM: Yes.

D: How come only the title track has its lyrics printed? Are you making a statement with that song? Why was it chosen to be the title track, and why did you include its lyrics?

MM: The reason it was chosen to be the title track is because of the story behind it, and why it was written in the first place. The writers on it were Ryan Jones and Dave, before I came into the picture. The song is about a drummer that they had in a previous band, who had a really tragic ending. He took his own life and his 13-year-old daughter found him. When that happened it was very striking because you could never tell. I mean, he was always happy and he was always giving everybody else advice, so nobody could even see it coming. I know that was the inspiration for Dave because he knew this guy for a very long time; I mean they were in a band together. And from Ryan’s standpoint he also wrote the song during that period of time, but also put into it what was going on inside his mind. When I got the song we changed some of the lyrics because when I read it, it was so obvious to me that it’s about that mask — you know, the mask that people wear. I mean *every* day, especially in L.A. You go everywhere and people act a certain way that they don’t really feel, you know? And it’s really hard to get anybody to open up. Nobody really opens themselves up to you, so you can’t really tell what’s behind it, the mask. The song was called “To Believe” at first, but some of the lyrics in the second verse go “Seems that every time I wake / I’m always wearing this miserable face” — that’s what it was at first, and then I was like, “Whoa, that’s a mask,” so we changed it to “miserable mask.” The whole song just became about the mask that people wear. We wanted to make it the title track because it really related to us, because of where we live, in L.A., and it’s just the environment. We were like, “That’s the title track!” At first we were gonna call the whole album BACK TO THE GROUND, from the lyrics of “Falling Down,” and then when we started working on “Mask” we switched direction because it just really made sense to us.

D: Your various websites mention a non-album track called “Mystified.” I believe one of the sites said it was “your” song, which I took to mean that you’ve had it for a while, even before you met Dave. Will that ever surface on an Edge Of Paradise album?

MM: That song was actually the one I wrote with that producer, and where I met Dave when we needed a guitar player. It was actually a really interesting process because I had this vision for it to be a rock song with heavy guitars. And the first time the producer mixed it he completely buried the guitars — you could not hear a thing! (laughs) It was a long process of getting the song to be kind of what I wanted it to be like, but it didn’t really work out so we left that song behind. You know, maybe in the future we’ll re-write the whole thing because the way that the song is now, it does not fit the band at all. Now I tend to sing a little bit differently. It was the song [where] I just started to get into the whole thing, and now that I listen to it I would do it differently, I would change the lyrics, just you know, change it around. Maybe in the future we’ll come back to it and re-write it because I really like the piano at the beginning — it’s my favorite part. (laughs)

D: When you play live, do you play a longer set? MASK is about 30 minutes long. I’m just wondering if you have more original material, or if you maybe fill out the set with some covers? What’s the live show like?

MM: We do play a couple more original songs that aren’t on this album, but will be on the next one. We do throw in cover songs. We do a lot of songs by Ronnie James Dio — from Dio and also from Black Sabbath. He’s my biggest influence and we all love his songs, so we throw in as much Dio as possible. (laughs) We also do some Guns N’ Roses — we do “Welcome To The Jungle” — and we do some Iron Maiden. It depends on the gig. We have a large library of covers that we do but we pick and choose the set for a particular gig. We actually have a show tomorrow where we’ll play a 90-minute set, with covers and all our originals.

D: How did Kevin and Steven come to join the band?

MM: Dave and I wanted to do some shows so we started to look for a drummer and a bass player. We met Kevin and tried him out, and he was really good so we asked if he knew any bass players. He happened to know Steven because, you know, usually the rhythm section knows each other. So it worked out for the better because they’re solid players together. That’s how we met, and it can be challenging to fill the shoes of Gregg Bissonette and Tony Franklin but they’re doing well. (laughs)

D: You are all pretty young, right? I got the impression you’re all in your early 20s for the most part.

MM: I am, and the drummer and the bass player are as well. Dave is a little bit older.

D: Then I have to believe you’re all in tune with social media. I see you have a whole host of websites. What I’m wondering is this: do you think it’s worth it for a band to have to maintain all those sites at this point in the game? Or has it become a hassle? I see many bands that have a main .com site, a ReverbNation page, Facebook, maybe even MySpace still or whatever, and it all seems like a lot of the same content is on every site. Do you ever get to the point where you say, “I just want to go out and play my stuff,” without having to worry about tweeting your whereabouts 24/7?

MM: Every day. I hate social media now. (laughs) I never tweet — I don’t know how Twitter works. (laughs) I mean, at first we just wanted to really get this band out there, so it would be all over the Internet, to introduce ourselves. At first it’s really important so people know who you are, so musicians out here know who you are. Clubs, too, you know — the first thing they do is go and see how many fans you have. So at first we were like, “Yeah, that’s really important!” I had to learn how to deal with all those different pages, and it was such a headache. (laughs) Now at this point, the band is really growing on its own, and we have really to focus on playing as much as we can. We have to push the music and see how it grows, and release more material. We’re so lucky to have Chip [Ruggieri of Chipster PR & Consulting, Inc.] and Munsey [Ricci of Skateboard Marketing] on board because I mean, I don’t even know how a band these days can make it out there without some sort of backing. So now I’m kind of stepping back a little from all these pages, so I’m taking a breath from it all. (laughs) I definitely think it is important because everybody else has it, but it’s so easy to get lost these days. The Internet is a blessing and a curse. It’s awesome because you can reach so many people out there in the world — we’ve talked to people all the way from Australia, Europe; they want to buy the CD so it’s really exciting that you can reach people that are so far away. But at the same time the Internet is so saturated with different bands. I don’t know, it’s like anybody can put anything up there. It’s hard to break through.

D: One last question. I assume “Monet” is your stage name — why did you choose that?

MM: First off I changed my name because nobody could say my real last name, Martirosyan. (laughs) When I was working with that other producer he encouraged me to change my name. My mom was like, “That’s cool, Monet.” I loved the painter. I don’t know, I don’t even remember how I came up with it. All of a sudden I was Monet, and from the time I was working with the producer he put that name out [there]. I already had a bunch of web pages with that name so I just kept it.

D: Thank you very much for taking the time to speak to me. Good luck with the show tomorrow and the album, and hopefully we’ll hear more from you in the near future.

MM: Thank you! Thank you so much. It was a pleasure.

-Thanks to Chipster PR for arranging this interview.

Relevant links:

Edge Of Paradise
http://www.edgeofparadiseband.com/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/The-Edge-Of-Paradise/175809195764541
http://www.loudtrax.com/Artist/EdgeOfParadise
http://www.reverbnation.com/edgeofparadiseband

Shred Rock Records
http://www.shredrockrecords.com/

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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net
http://www.lakeoffire.net/
http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com
http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-Has everyone come down from their Halloween candy sugar high? – Tim

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
*
-Megadeth Announces Gigantour 2012!

[Note: This is from http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/ . - Tim]

Gigantour — the critically acclaimed package festival founded in 2005 by esteemed metal titans Megadeth — will make its highly anticipated return for the first time since 2008. The multi-artist bill — with metal heavyweights Motorhead, Volbeat and Lacuna Coil all personally picked by Megadeth frontman Dave Mustaine — will kick off January 26 in Camden, NJ. Before wrapping February 28 in Denver, CO, the tour will make stops all across the US and Canada including a January 28 show in New York and February 24 in Los Angeles. Tickets are on sale beginning November 4. For more information visit: gigantour.com. Megadeth has also teamed up with VIPNation.com to provide fans with Ultimate VIP packages, including premium tickets, meet and greets, exclusive gifts and more. Go to megadeth.com for all the details.

Gigantour is a chance to, as Mustaine says, tour with like-minded artists “that play heavy music in a high-energy environment,” with a fan-friendly ticket price. He founded the tour in 2005 and invited such artists as Anthrax, Dream Theater, Fear Factory, Lamb Of God, Opeth, Static-X and In Flames to join Megadeth.

Lemmy, frontman of the legendary Motorhead, looks forward to performing at this year’s Gigantour amongst all the other talented musicians. “We’ve done festivals in Europe with Lacuna Coil and they’re workaholics as well! Volbeat are great too; the whole bill is pretty diverse and I advise everyone who likes being deaf, and/or can lip-read already, to come out and see what the stuff that doesn’t get any MTV Video Awards sounds like! Gigantour is just that!” He goes on to say, “Megadeth are one of the greatest bands to tread a stage anywhere and me and Dave have been promising each other we’d tour together ever since we met! Volbeat and Lacuna Coil are interesting choices and I think it’s gonna be incredible trying to understand each other backstage! Come and see what eclectic means! (look THAT up in your Funk & Wagnall’s)! See you!”

Volbeat vocalist and guitarist Michael Poulsen said the band couldn’t refuse Mustaine’s offer to join the tour. “This is something you don’t think twice about; it’s a must and a blessing. They [Megadeth and Motorhead] are two of the world’s biggest/best and most important bands in heavy rock history. Since the beginning, Megadeth and Motorhead have been a huge inspiration of my/our musical careers. To have the opportunity to go on the road and share the stage with these two legendary rock bands, is another dream come true in the Volbeat adventure. We are very thankful and cannot wait to play in front of these two legendary bands’ audience for some intense minutes of Volbeat rock!”

Lacuna Coil is eager to return for their second Gigantour; they first performed as part of the 2007 tour. “When we were invited to join Gigantour once again, we were really happy as it seems like the perfect way to start the DARK ADRENALINE album cycle in the US,” says co-vocalist Andrea Ferro. “Our new album will be released during the tour and it’s gonna be great. We will be playing alongside metal legends like Megadeth and Motorhead and it’s gonna be awesome. It’s a great touring package with two classic bands and two younger bands who each have a unique sound like Lacuna Coil and Volbeat. Can’t wait!”

Co-vocalist Cristina Scabbia agrees. “WOW! Gigantour! I am super excited!! I mean are you kidding me? A tour with Megadeth, Motorhead, Volbeat and us? This is going to be so crushing that I think the walls are gonna fall down in some of the venues!! Are you guys ready? I definitely am!”

Here are the tour dates:

Jan. 26 – Camden, NJ – Susquehanna Bank Center
Jan. 27 – Uncasville, CT – Mohegan Sun Arena
Jan. 28 – New York, NY – Theater at Madison Square Garden
Jan. 29 – Lowell, MA – Tsongas Arena
Feb. 01 – Glens Falls, NY – Glens Falls Civic Center
Feb. 02 – Quebec City, QC – Colisee Pepsi Arena
Feb. 03 – Montreal, QC – Bell Centre
Feb. 05 – Kingston, ON – K-Rock Centre
Feb. 07 – Oshawa, ON – General Motors Centre
Feb. 08 – Hamilton, ON – Copps Coliseum
Feb. 09 – Auburn Hills, MI – Palace of Auburn Hills
Feb. 10 – Chicago, IL – Aragon Ballroom
Feb. 12 – Milwaukee, WI – Eagles Ballroom
Feb. 14 – St. Paul, MN – Myth
Feb. 16 – Saskatoon, SK – Prairieland
Feb. 17 – Edmonton, AB – Shaw Conference Centre
Feb. 18 – Calgary, AB – Big 4 Building
Feb. 20 – Abbotsford, BC – Abbotsford Ent & Sports Centre
Feb. 21 – Kent, WA – Showare Center
Feb. 23 – San Jose, CA – Events Center
Feb. 24 – Universal City, CA – Gibson Amphitheatre
Feb. 25 – Phoenix, AZ – Comerica Theatre
Feb. 26 – Albuquerque, NM – Tingley Coliseum
Feb. 28 – Denver, CO – The Fillmore Auditorium

http://www.gigantour.com/
http://www.megadeth.com/

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-Royal Hunt To Release New Single

Frontiers Records is pleased to announce the worldwide release on November 14th of “Hard Rain’s Coming,” the first single taken from the forthcoming — 11th — Royal Hunt studio album SHOW ME HOW TO LIVE.

The single will only be available digitally. It will also include an unreleased live version of “Martial Arts” recorded at the ProgPower Festival 2009 in the USA.

The first sample from the new Royal Hunt can be listened to following this link:
http://www.frontiers.it/m/uploads/audios/royal_hunt_-_hard_rain_s_coming_sample.mp3

Royal Hunt’s new album presents the return of American singer DC Cooper in the lineup to continue the magic of Royal Hunt and goes back to the classic sound which put the band on the map in the first place, all the way back in 1991.

Founded in Denmark in 1989 by keyboardist Andre Andersen, Royal Hunt has gone through numerous personal changes since their inception. Though certainly the two albums that they have released with American singer DC Cooper; have stood the test of time: MOVING TARGET in 1995 and the subsequent concept album PARADOX in 1997. In the beginning of 2011, Andre and DC got in touch once more to see if they could cooperate again, which resulted in a small reunion tour. It was a great success and consequently led to the mutual decision of DC rejoining the band.

The new album SHOW ME HOW TO LIVE brings back Royal Hunt at force 10 with an highly melodic sound and rich, lush arrangements and stellar production. With the amazing new lineup, the fans as well as the critics, are about to get a fresh taste of the powerful and rejuvenated Royal Hunt!

http://www.frontiers.it/

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-Steelheart 19 Years After Halloween Stage Accident

Oct 31, 1992 Halloween night; exactly 19 years ago tonight in Denver Colorado a horrible tragedy took down one of Rock’s premiere bands during a live concert. Steelheart led by Miljenko “Mili” Matijevic arguably one of the best male rock vocalist to ever grace the stage miraculously survived the tragedy, however the band Steelheart as we all knew it died that night.

After successful tours of Asia and Europe Steelheart flew home to tour the US in support of the band Great White. On the last leg of the tour they were invited to perform one last show as the opening act for the band Slaughter. Steelheart was performing “Dancing In The Fire” from the TANGLED IN REINS album when the accident occurred. Matijevic decided to climb a lighting truss which was for some reason improperly secured so as Matijevic climbed the rig it broke free. Matijevic tried to dodge the 1,000 pound piece of equipment to no avail; it hit him in the back of the head, driving him face first into the stage. The outcome of the accident was a broken nose, cheekbone, jaw, twisted spine, and severe memory loss. Matijevic miraculously found the strength to walk off the stage and was immediately taken to the hospital. It was to be the last time the original lineup of Steelheart would ever perform together.

Matijevic had a long, pain stricken, difficult road to recovery as the accident did far more damage than anyone could have known at the time of the accident which left Matijevic to fight this battle alone for a long time. Over the span of four years Matijevic fought the good fight and while he lost everything he never gave up and in his words… “…I had lost my family, my home, and my money, but I had found myself.”

Today Oct, 31, 2011 Miljenko “Mili” Matijevic is alive and well with a voice that still places him in the category of “One Of The Best Male Vocalist Of All Time”… and he is pumping out some outstanding work so stay tuned because Mili is just warming up!

To mark this day Steelheart has unveiled a new website filled with music, videos, reviews, news, blogs, photos, podcasts and so much more. Steelheart just wrapped up a very successful tour over the summer with rave reviews. A new album is expected to be released in 2012 with all new music and a world tour to support it.

Steelheart promises to please their long time die-hard fans as well as gain the interest of many new fans!

Stop by and check out our new website… if it’s Steelheart you will find it on this site! Hope to see you at a future concert!

http://www.steelheart.com/

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-Grave Digger Have Renewed Their Contract With Napalm Records

“After releasing two very successful CDs and our THE CLANS ARE STILL MARCHING DVD, we are happy to share the good news with our fans: YES, we will continue! Over the past three years, a business cooperation turned into a friendship which can hardly be found in today’s music industry. Napalm is a small and hard-working team that is as effective and productive as a company of 70 people. Always reachable and competent, they work with their artists individually. These are the strengths of Napalm, and that is why we have signed a deal for three more records under the Napalm banner. Long live rock ‘n’ roll — long live Napalm and Grave Digger.”

Max Riedler (Managing Director Napalm Records): “Chris Boltendahl and the members of Grave Digger are an exception in the music business. They are always professional, reliable and furthermore, they find words of appreciation for Napalm. That’s when the hard work turns into joy! We motivate each other and face new challenges as a team. Thanks for your trust, we look forward to the new songs!”

http://www.grave-digger-clan.com/
http://www.facebook.com/gravediggerofficial
http://www.myspace.com/gravediggerclan

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-Magic Circle Music Update

Get Ready For The BATTLE HYMNS 2011 UK/Ireland Tour

The band and the fans are ready to kick off the BATTLE HYMNS 2011 UK/Ireland Tour with the first show in Glasgow, Scotland on November 1st.

Supported by the Destroyers Of All Systems — D.A.S. Audio — and their ground-shaking Aero 50 P.A. series (especially imported from the Spanish factory!) Manowar are once again ready to blow you away with your favorite hymns and ultimate killer sound.

Brand New Manowar Merchandise Available On UK/Ireland Tour

Christmas comes early for those who attend the upcoming UK/Ireland Tour! The Kingdom Of Steel will introduce a series of brand new merchandise items that will be available on the upcoming tour. The new range includes spectacular HAIL TO ENGLAND T-Shirts, zip hoodies and patches, a KINGS OF METAL Girlie T-Shirt, messenger bags with the classical SIGN OF THE HAMMER logo, and much more.

Due to the demand of the faithful a limited quantity of Manowar “Warrior’s Shield” condoms, and a brand new patch with the life motto for every true Manowarrior “Born to rock, drink and f*ck!” are waiting for you.

Please note that on this tour only cash payment will be possible at the merchandise booth — no credit cards. Thank you for your understanding.

HolyHell Release Most Popular Live Tracks

Four of HolyHell’s most demanded live performances are now available as MP3 download, exclusively at The Kingdom Of Steel. At $0.99 each or as a LIVE COVERS COLLECTION at only $3 for four songs, following classics are now available:

“Holy Diver” – Live at Norway Rock Festival 2009
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/product/1202/HolyHell-MP3-Audio-Holy-Diver—Live

“Dream On” – Live at Magic Circle Festival 2008
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/product/1204/HolyHell-MP3-Audio-Dream-On—Live

“Rising Force” – Live at Magic Circle Festival 2007
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/product/1203/HolyHell-MP3-Audio-Rising-Force—Live

“Phantom Of The Opera” – Live at Magic Circle Festival 2007
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/product/1205/HolyHell-MP3-Audio-Phantom-Of-The-Opera—Live

LIVE COVERS COLLECTION (“Holy Diver” / “Dream On” / “Rising Force” / “Phantom Of The Opera”)
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/product/1206/HolyHell-MP3-Audio—Live-Covers-Collection

Manowar
http://www.manowar.com/
http://www.facebook.com/manowar

HolyHell
http://www.holyhell.com/
http://www.facebook.com/holyhell

Magic Circle Music
http://www.magiccirclemusic.com/

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-Richie Kotzen — Charity Concert — Last USA Show Of The Year

KLOS And The Avalon Hollywood Presents:
2nd Annual Humanity Thru Music
Concert And PAWsta Dinner
A Benefit For Fur & Feather Animal Sanctuary, A 501(c)3

Sunday, November 13th @ The Avalon Hollywood

Multi Platinum Singer/Song Writer Richie Kotzen To Headline The Concert
TV Star Gretchen Bonaduce To Open With Her ’80s Band Ankhensenamen
Hosted By Pet Celebrity Trainer Harrison Forbes

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Come join us for the Second Annual Humanity Thru Music fundraiser in benefit of the Fur & Feather Animal Sanctuary, a non-profit organization dedicated to the safety and welfare of animals. KLOS and the Avalon Hollywood is hosting this year’s Humanity Thru Music Green Carpet and “PAWsta” dinner, which promises to be even more sensational than last year’s event.

This year’s event is bigger and better with more celebrities and more excitement! Strut down our Celebrity Green Carpet, and wag your tail while you rock-out at Hollywood’s most historic landmark, the Avalon Hollywood, on November, 13th.

This is the Second Annual “Humanity Thru Music” and our concert lineup is a howling good time with celebrity Gretchen Bonaduce and her ’80s band Ankhensenamen opening for Multi-platinum recording artist Richie Kotzen (Mr. Big/Poison). The night will be hosted by celebrity pet trainer and radio host Harrison Forbes from radio show “Pet Talk.”

The first 100 tickets sold get a raffle ticket for a chance to win a HUGE Def Leppard package. The package includes: Signed guitar by the whole band, signed 11×17 portrait of Def Leppard by their private photographer Ash Newell, and a signed bass drum head by the whole band!!

The night starts with a Pawsta dinner buffet, cash bars, HUGE silent auction and raffles all in benefit of Fur & Feather Animal Sanctuary, a 501(c)3 dedicated to much needed animal welfare in California. Tickets are $35 for General and $50 for VIP. To buy tickets and for more information on the ticket levels go to http://www.wantickets.com/ , http://www.ticketfly.com/ or call 818.398.0340.

Humanity Thru Music is a fundraising celebration for the safety & welfare of animals as well as the environment. Our Goal is to build the first fully solar/wind powered no-kill sanctuary in California where high-kill shelters still exist and animal cruelty runs. We are currently fundraising to buy land and build homes where animals can live in healthy surroundings until they are adopted. This environment will protect and allow all animals to live to see their full potential. Humanity Thru Music encourages people to participate in the fight for a No-Kill Nation and Solar World. We want our guests to walk away having been empowered to make a difference in the world.

For more info on F&FAS go to http://www.furfeather.org/ and for info on the event for to http://www.955klos.com/ or http://www.avalonhollywood.com/ .

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-Z Records News

Tony Mills Answers Z Rock 2010 Call!

Z Rock 2012 welcomes Tony Mills (Shy, TNT) to the proceedings on May 5th, 2012. Z Rock 2012 will be Tony’s fourth Z Fest after his previous appearances in England and Germany with Shy and then most recently in 2006 with TNT. Tony Mills will be performing the essential Shy classics plus tracks selected from his extensive back catalogue. Tickets are now on sale at http://www.zrecords.net/ .

Shy Classic Gets Reissue

UNFINISHED BUSINESS has been praised by the press and fans the world over as UK AOR legends Shy’s finest hour. Shy’s 2002 opus UNFINISHED BUSINESS will now be reissued by Z Records fully re-mastered, repackaged and with two bonus tracks. The album will be released on December 12th.

Arabia Set To Make 2012 Their Year

Arabia are now writing new material for their follow-up to this year’s critically acclaimed WELCOME TO THE FREAKSHOW. Arabia’s charismatic frontman John Blaze stated “our new album will be a return to the 1001 NIGHTS sound, it just feels so right with the new lineup and things are flowing well so expect a new album late summer 2012.” Arabia are of course scheduled to return to Europe for the UK’s Z Rock 2012 festival on May 5th.

Z Release Schedule Nov. 2011 – Jan. 2012

Nov 21st Prophet – CYCLE OF THE MOON +1 (re-mastered)
Dec 12th SHY – UNFINISHED BUSINESS +2 (re-mastered)
Jan 21st Prophet – PROPHET (re-mastered)

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-Threshold Announce Album Pre-Release Shows

British progressive metallers Threshold will perform a handful of pre-release shows in April 2012 to promote their forthcoming album. The band will play a set featuring songs from the new album which is due for release through Nuclear Blast Records in 2012.

The following dates have been announced:
07/04/2012 House of Progression, Kingston, England
11/04/2012 Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
12/04/2012 Hedon, Zwolle, Netherlands
13/04/2012 Rock Ittervoort, Ittervoort, Netherlands
14/04/2012 Zeche, Bochum, Germany

Threshold are currently at Thin Ice Studios (DragonForce, Pendragon) in Surrey, England recording their ninth studio album. The new album sees the return of original Threshold vocalist Damian Wilson (Headspace, Star One) who rejoined the band in 2007 following the departure of Andrew “Mac” McDermott who sadly passed away on 3 August.

Threshold’s previous studio album DEAD RECKONING was released in 2007 and featured guest vocals by Dan Swano (Nightingale, Bloodbath). The album entered the charts at position 64 in Germany, 95 in The Netherlands and 37 in the UK rock chart.

http://www.thresh.net/

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-Nils Lofgren To Release OLD SCHOOL On Tuesday, November 1st

First Full Studio Album In Five Years Features Such Music Icons As Lou Gramm, Sam Moore And Paul Rodgers

Listen to “Ain’t Too Many Of Us Left”
http://www.nilslofgren.com/OldSchool_AintTooMany.html

It’s been five years since the release of Nils Lofgren’s last studio album featuring his own songs and, with his forthcoming release titled OLD SCHOOL, he’s got something to say.

An effort that’s been in the works since the culmination of Springsteen’s Working On A Dream Tour in November of 2009, Lofgren’s OLD SCHOOL covers a variety of topics including desperation, self-doubt, true love, departed friends, holding on to your dreams and the world gone mad… along with a tribute to the late, great Ray Charles.

“These songs reflect characters with some radical feelings and beliefs,” states the singer, songwriter and multi-instrumentalist Lofgren. “They’re definitely thought-provoking.”

The CD — due out on Tuesday, November 1st — will be his eighth studio release on Vision Music, the label also responsible for 2008′s THE LONER – NILS SINGS NEIL (an homage to Neil Young, whom Nils started his career with over four decades ago) and 2006′s SACRED WEAPON.

“OLD SCHOOL has many different types of songs and feels… some rough, bluesy tracks to haunting acoustic songs,” continues Lofgren. “There’s some interesting and controversial characters in these songs and I look forward to everyone’s reaction.”

The album starts off with the controversial title track, “Old School,” which features former Foreigner lead singer Lou Gramm.

“our spineless Congress should all be fired
get some women and men
with balls and sense hired
child rape and murder
one strike and you’re down and out
with our kid’s lives at stake what’s to figure out
oh no ain’t no old school anymore…”

It’s not for the timid.

OLD SCHOOL features a total of a dozen songs (see below for track listing), all produced by Nils with the exception of the song, “Why Me,” which was produced, recorded and mixed by Brian Christian (Alice Cooper/Kiss/The Babys fame).

The song, “Amy Joan Blues” features legendary vocalist Paul Rodgers while the cut “Ain’t Too Many Of Us Left” features Rock Hall Of Fame inductee Sam Moore from the popular ’60s duo Sam & Dave.

Sam Moore comments about the collaboration, “It hit me when I was in the studio with Nils that we’ve lost so many of our friends, peers and colleagues in the past few years… The Big Man, Billy Preston, Wilson Pickett, George Harrison, Solomon Burke, Johnny Cash, Isaac Hayes. It hit me how true it is that there ‘ain’t too many of us left.’ I was flattered and honored that Nils asked me to join him to pay a little honor and remind everyone in some way to remember our dear but departed friends and loved ones.”

“Ain’t Too Many Of Us Left” has been made available as a free download at http://www.nilslofgren.com/ for fans to enjoy and the entire CD can be pre-ordered on the site as well.

Also appearing on OLD SCHOOL is the song, “Irish Angel” (written by the great Bruce McCabe) that Nils has been singing for years at his acoustic shows along with a ballad Nils wrote with an old friend and great DC-area artist, Root Boy Slim, called, “Let Her Get Away.”

“I’ve always wanted to share that particular song but never got it together until now,” says Nils. “Sadly, Root Boy’s not with us any longer, but I know there are fans out there that will appreciate this touching, haunted country-type ballad of ours.”

Speaking of old friends near and dear… Old School is dedicated to Nils’ dear friend and band mate, Clarence “Big Man” Clemons.

As an integral member of the Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band since 1984, Nils has remained consistently busy as part of the group, and as a solo artist.

In addition to songwriting and performing, Nils also devotes substantial time to his online guitar school ( http://www.nilslofgren.com/Lessons07.html ), which has garnered tremendous response from guitar players all over the world. Beginner lessons are offered in English, Spanish and Italian…

In early September, Nils released “When You Are Loved” (via free download on his site), a 9-11 song that honors heroes, victims and families.

Beginning today, Nils hits the road for a few dates (see full itinerary below) to talk up the album and have some fun.

He’ll travel from town-to-town, playing his favorite songs in intimate venues, talking to friends and fans… something he’s enjoyed for 43 years now.

Call it “Old School.”

Item Info:
http://www.seeofsound.com/p.php?s=VI21016

Hi Res Cover Art:
http://mvdb2b.com/i/300dpi/VI21016.jpg

Track Listing:
1. Old School
2. 60 Is The New 18
3. Miss You Ray
4. Love Stumbles On
5. Amy Joan Blues
6. Irish Angel
7. Ain’t Too Many Of Us Left
8. When You Were Mine
9. Just Because You Love Me
10. Dream Big
11. Let Her Get Away
12. Why Me

http://www.nilslofgren.com/

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-Beloved Metal Guitar Tech & Tour Manager Needs Help!

Dane Wolf, known to many throughout the metal community as a skilled guitar tech, tour manager, and overall kind & hardworking human being, was badly beaten in Denver, Colorado last week while on the Death Angel/Testament/Anthrax tour. As a result, he had to drop off the tour and was recently released from the hospital in Denver. Dane’s mother, Jenna Wolf, issued the following statement on Dane Wolf’s Give Forward fundraising page. http://www.giveforward.com/danewolf :

“Please help in whatever way you can by assisting with his medical bills and upcoming travel expenses to and from Colorado when things go to court. There will be additional medical costs in the future as well, as he continues to recover and requires follow-up care. The goal has now been raised due to the amazing response of Dane’s friends and family. Thank you so much for your continued support, and for sharing the link, and his story!”

The goal is to raise $7,500.00 to pay Dane’s medical & travel expenses. Thus far, $3,760 (50%) has been raised. YOU can help a metalhead who worked a metal tour you attended by visiting http://www.giveforward.com/danewolf and donate what you can. Every dollar helps!

Monday’s online update from Dane Wolf:

“The doctor’s appt. went well today, and I have been deemed travel ready and will be finishing my recovery with my Mother who has been worried sick, and kitty cat in Saint Louis! I leave on my first flight in a few hours.

“My brain IS there, and looks alright stitches come out in another week, chicks dig scars, right? I am trying a different pain medication to see if it can reduce side effects, as I am still battling major headaches as my fractures heal and the swelling subsides. I will be meeting with a specialist in Saint Louis to determine if I will require surgery to repair my orbital socket, fingers crossed.

“None of these options would have been available without your help, I am so grateful to spend the rest of my recovery with Mom, because we all know that no one takes care of you like mom does.

“The many positive actions this week so far outweigh the negative in my mind, that I can’t help but look forward to getting healed and paying it back to others. I will be back in The Bay with all you crazy f*ckers when I’m fully Dane again, and back out on the road with my brothers and sisters when duty calls. Thanks to my Uncle Brad, cousin Brandon, doctors, nurses, police, and friends in Denver for watching over me I will welcome seeing my Saint Louis friends as soon as my body tells me I’m ready to do so, as I will be strictly following doctor’s orders to give it the full opportunity to rest and recover as I have been.

“Thank you all, so much, once again.

“Much Love
“Dane”

Visit the Dane Wolf Facebook Group at http://www.facebook.com/groups/257168300996038/ and post some get-well messages. Every positive word helps!

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-Corrosion Of Conformity Signs To Candlelight Records; Album Planned For Early 2012 Release

Candlelight Records today proudly announces the worldwide signing of Corrosion Of Conformity. Since early this year, the band — featuring the esteemed ANIMOSITY lineup of vocalist/bassist Mike Dean, guitarist Woody Weatherman, and drummer/vocalist Reed Mullin — has been working with long-time producer John Custer. Now nearly complete, their still untitled eighth studio album is planned for release early in the New Year.

Gathering last summer to jam as a trio for the first time in over a decade, the treasured threesome quickly rekindled the magic that originally united and ultimately bound the musicians on a journey that today continues to impress both fans and critics. It is the efforts of this lineup that Decibel Magazine recently called “a crucial stylistic lynchpin in the bridge between metal and punk. Corrosion Of Conformity irrevocably reshaped crossover’s sonic possibilities.” AllMusic.com notes, “C.O.C. weren’t following any trends. They just incorporated all the things they liked about thrash, punk and ’70s metal originators Black Sabbath into their constantly evolving sound. It secured them artistic and commercial credibility.”

Candlelight’s Steve Beatty says of the signing, “ANIMOSITY is one of my favorite records ever. To have C.O.C. on Candlelight with that lineup is simply mouth-watering. I saw the band in London recently and they did not disappoint. This hungry child can’t wait for the record.” Candlelight’s Edward Christie adds, “we are extremely excited to welcome the band to the label and are looking forward to an amazing album. We are all huge fans and this is truly a memorable day for all of us.”

The band shares the excitement the immediate future holds. Woody Weatherman comments, “writing and recording this new record as a three-piece has been a blast. Having Reed back in the fold with Mike and I brings it around full circle. I’m really looking forward to all that lies ahead this upcoming year.”

Reed Mullen adds, “Mike, Woody and I essentially learned how to play music together and cultivated our own style, sound, and unspoken language. Re-bonding with them musically has been the greatest thing that’s ever happened to me.”

In addition to intense work on the album, Corrosion Of Conformity has kept busy in 2011 touring throughout the US and abroad. One of the main attractions at this year’s Maryland Death Festival, the band mesmerized a salivating capacity audience. Sean Palmerston, editor for Canada’s online magazine Hellbound, said, “I lapped this set up. It was like the tastiest comfort food after a hard day’s work. I haven’t listened to those classic C.O.C. albums in a long, long time. It put a smile on my face.”

Mike Dean says of the new songs, “we have been overdubbing vocals and guitars in between our live dates for the better part of a year. Now it’s time to mix. The process we started back in April is finally coming to fruition. The results should reflect all eras of the band’s existence filtered through our current reality. This is a beast we can’t wait to set free.”

Formed in Raleigh, North Carolina in 1982, Corrosion Of Conformity quickly transformed heavy music. Politically charged and socially aware, the band has influenced countless others and today remains humble about their accomplishments. With over 1.1 million albums sold in the United States alone, the new album will be their first since 2005′s IN THE ARMS OF GOD. On release, Billboard Magazine called the album a “riff-fueled set that ranks with (the band’s) best work.”

The band’s final performances for 2011 will be alongside Clutch December 27 through 31. Tickets are on sale now via Ticketmaster and venue box offices.

12/27/2011 House of Blues – Boston MA
12/28/2011 State Theater – Portland ME
12/29/2011 Westcott Theater – Syracuse NY
12/30/2011 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville NJ
12/31/2011 Trocadero Theater – Philadelphia PA

http://www.coc.com/
http://www.facebook.com/corrosionofconformity
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/

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-Pegazus’ New Webstore Up And Running!

Pegazus has just launched their brand new webstore filled with new items, including the debut album and other hard-to-find items. We also have added the official 2011 IN METAL WE TRUST Tour shirt! Go to http://www.pegazusofficial.com/ (Store) and have a look!

The band has just kicked their European tour off with a gig in Holland. the response was awesome and it felt great to be back on European ground. Make sure you get to see one of the shows!!

Remaining IN METAL WE TRUST Tour dates:

Nov 3, 2011 – Livestage – Innsbrück, Austria (w/ Fireforce)
Nov 4, 2011 – Rock City – Uster, Switzerland (w/ Fireforce)
Nov 5, 2011 – Steel Fest – Estragon – Bologna, Italy
Nov 9, 2011 – Exit-Us – Prague, Czech Rep (w/ Roxor)
Nov 11, 2011 – JUZ, Jugend- und Programmzentrum – Kaiserslautern, Germany (w/ Ivory Night)
Nov 12, 2011 – Orto Bar – Ljubljana, Slovenia (w/ Use Less)
Nov 17, 2011 – Garage De Luxe – Munich, Germany (w/ Ivory Night)
Nov 18, 2011 – Hapa Haole – Witten, Germany (w/ Ivory Night)
Nov 19, 2011 – Downstairs – Worblaufen-Bern, Switzerland (w/ Ivory Night)

Touring Lineup:
Justin Fleming – Vocals
Johnny Stoj – Guitars
Rob Thompson – Bass (Former Pegazus vocalist 2000-2008)
Robbie Stoj – Drums (Former Pegazus drummer 1993-2003)

For all info:
http://www.pegazusofficial.com/
http://www.myspace.com/pegazusmusic
http://www.twitter.com/pegazusmusic
http://www.facebook.com/pages/PEGAZUS/56974008938
http://www.youtube.com/user/pegazusmusic
http://www.ivorynight.de/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
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-Nuclear Blast And Wacken Open Air To Cooperate With “Metal Battle”

The “Metal Battle” which was started in 2004 by the founders of the world’s biggest heavy metal festival — the Wacken:Open:Air — as a newcomer contest to support up-and-coming bands from all over the world will go into its ninth round in 2012 — with Nuclear Blast Records and Wacken Open Air joining in!

What initially started out as a small contest with six German bands and five bands from other countries grew and grew over the years, so that there was a total of 29 international newcomer bands performing during the festival in 2011 and striving for the first place after having won the preliminary decisions in their respective countries. In the past, the first prize was a record deal with Wacken Records. For 2012, Nuclear Blast and Wacken Open Air have announced their participation, meaning that the winning band of “Metal Battle” 2012 will win no less than a record deal with Nuclear Blast — the biggest independent heavy metal label worldwide!

A&R manager Andy Siry states: “We’re looking forward to this cooperation with the W:O:A ‘Metal Battle’ and Wacken Open Air. Supporting young talents means paving the way for a diverse and prosperous international heavy metal scene in the future. Plus it’s always great to see how many musical rough diamonds are out there, who deserve much more attention than they currently receive.”

All is set for the next exciting newcomer hunt! More information to follow in good time.

http://www.nuclearblast.de/
http://www.ics-int.de/
http://www.metal-battle.com/
http://www.wacken.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
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-Strange Karma Set To Rock The US In November

“Australian rock” is a genre that music fans hold in high regard, as some of the greatest rock bands of all time (AC/DC, Rose Tattoo, The Saints, Radio Birdman, etc.) hailed from the land down under. And the latest hard rocking Australian band that is turning heads is Strange Karma.

Comprised of brothers Martin Strange (singer) and Paul Strange (guitar), as well as Doe Prijono (bass), and Jason McDonald (drums), Strange Karma has just issued their kick ass debut, VOLUME 1 (via FNA Records — http://www.fnarecords.net/ ). And soon, US fans will get a chance to catch this fast-rising act.

On Wednesday, November 2nd, Strange Karma will be playing the legendary Whisky A Go Go in Hollywood, CA, and on Saturday, November 5th, will be playing the Rock n’ Roll Cantina in Las Vegas, NV. Then, on Wednesday, November 30th, the quartet will perform another show at the Whiskey A Go Go.

Unlike many other up-and-coming bands, Strange Karma is already a road-tested unit, having performed extensively in their home country, as well as embarking on tours of both England and the US. Additionally, the group has collected an impressive amount of accolades and accomplishments, including amassing nearly 100,000 friends on MySpace, which has led to over 200,000 plays of their songs via their MySpace site. Also, Strange Karma has received coverage on such respected hard rock/heavy metal sites as Sleaze Roxx and Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles.

The band has also filmed a video for the lead-off single from VOLUME 1, titled “America,” which can be viewed here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HyoKHTnN2z8&feature=channel_video_title

Also, VOLUME 1 can be purchased via these links:

http://www.amazon.com/Vol-1-Strange-Karma-Strange/dp/B004OMFJK6/
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/strangekarma

Hollywood and Las Vegas area rockers and beyond, get ready to welcome the next wave of loud n’ proud Australian rock n’ roll this November!

Upcoming Strange Karma US Tour Dates:

Wednesday, November 2nd: Whisky A Go Go, Hollywood
Saturday, November 5th: Rock n’ Roll Cantina, Las Vegas
Saturday, November 12th: Reggie’s Rock Club, Chicago
Wednesday, November 16th: Sullivan Hall, New York City – 10:30 p.m. set time
Saturday, November 19th: Harpo’s, Detroit – w/ Art Of Dying
Wednesday, November 30th: Whisky A Go Go, Hollywood

For more information, visit the following sites:

http://www.strangekarma.net/
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Strange-Karma/157783670932214
http://www.myspace.com/strangekarma

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*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
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-”Lost” Self Portrait EP Released

Available now via iTunes, Amazon and other digital outlets

CATALOG #: PPR004
RELEASE DATE: 11/1/11
FORMAT: Digital EP (8 Tracks)
RECORDED: 2004
RIYL: Taking Back Sunday, Jimmy Eat World, Anberlin and Fall Out Boy

In 2004, Self Portrait was an upstart North Carolina band making the rounds with aspirations of making some serious waves in the alternative rock community. Somewhere along the line the band, which featured members of Bloodjinn and a now-current member of Colossus, imploded and nothing became of the original sessions recorded at The Basement Studios. These recordings which were released in limited format to those close to the band, but never officially, are now finally available to all.

Jamie King has re-mixed the original four tracks and we have also included the original mixes (which would basically be considered Self Portrait’s demo). These are songs we have long cherished and decided it was time for them to be released so that the original Self Portrait fans can enjoy the music and memories they shared together. These songs are as relevant now as they ever were with bands like Jimmy Eat World and Taking Back Sunday still topping the charts.

Preview Track – “The Last Time” streaming here:
http://soundcloud.com/pretty-plastic-records

Pretty Plastic Records
a digital division of Tribunal Records, Inc

http://www.facebook.com/PrettyPlasticRecords
http://www.tribunalrecords.net/
http://www.facebook.com/tribunalrecords
http://myspace.com/tribunalrecords
http://twitter.com/tribunalrecords

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*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
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-Cirith Ungol Launch Landing Page for The Release Of Their SERVANTS OF CHAOS Double CD+DVD Digi-pak/3-Gatefold LP!

Ventura, CA’s Cirith Ungol, one of the most underrated bands from the early ’80s metal scene, released four albums between 1980 and 1991. Cirith Ungol’s catalogue is being celebrated through the release of a collection of rare and live tracks on the 2 CD/1 DVD double digi-pak album, SERVANTS OF CHAOS. SERVANTS was originally released exclusively in Europe back in 2001 and a DVD has been added to augment the already stellar collection of music. The DVD contains an entire, rarely seen live show, shot on November 9th, 1984 at the storied, and now defunct, Wolf And Rissmiller’s Country Club in Reseda, CA. The CD/DVD digi-pak and triple vinyl will be available on November 18th/21st, 2011.

The name Cirith Ungol is pronounced “kirith ungol” and is an Elvish phrase meaning “pass of the spider,” which is something that “Lord Of The Rings” fans will surely recognize. The name is, of course, indicative of the band’s fantasy-oriented lyrics, themes and beautiful album artwork.

This live DVD is the first live relic ever to be released by Cirith Ungol!

Comments Robert Garven jr.: “This amateur video was never meant to be released. The audio was taken off the mixing console. As we were an opening act, we had little or no sound check, room on stage, and restricted access to the lighting and sound. Even though, this rare and primitive video is one of the few ever taken of the band!”

Check out the live clip of “I’m Alive” taken off the bonus DVD and make sure to have a look at the pre-order options at http://www.metalblade.com/cirithungol .

CD 1
1. Hype Performance
2. Last Laugh
3. Frost And Fire
4. Eyes
5. Better Off Dead
6. 100 MPH
7. I’m Alive
8. Bite Of The Worm
9. The Twitch
10. Maybe That’s Why
11. Ill Met In Lankhmar
12. Return To Lankhmar
13. Darkness Weaves
14. Witchdance
15. Feeding The Ants
16. Obsidian

CD 2
1. Death Of The Sun
2. Fire
3. Fallen Idols
4. Chaos Rising
5. Fallen Idols
6. Paradise Lost
7. Join The Legion
8. Before The Lash
9. Atom Smasher
10. Master Of The Pit
11. King Of The Dead
12. Last Laugh
13. Cirith Ungol
14. Secret Agent Man
15. Ferrari 308QV

DVD
Live at Wolf And Rissmiller’s Country Club
November 9, 1984
1. I’m Alive
2. The Black Machine
3. Master Of The Pit
4. King Of The Dead!
5. Death Of The Sun
6. Finger Of Scorn
7. Frost And Fire
8. Cirith Ungol

SERVANTS OF CHAOS available on November 18th/21st as a 2-CD/1-DVD double digi-pak package and on triple gatefold-LP!

http://www.metalblade.com/cirithungol

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*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
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-Candlelight Red Confirmed For A String Of Dates With Sevendust As Debut Single “Closer” Continues To Climb Radio Charts

With Candlelight Red’s debut recording for the Imagen label, THE WRECKAGE, recently released digitally (September 27th), it has just been confirmed that the group will be supporting metal veterans Sevendust on a string of dates from November 22nd through December 10th. Additionally, Candlelight Red will be headlining their own show on October 29th, before playing a one-off show with Puddle Of Mudd on November 16th and as part of 2 Broke To Rock with Texas Hippie Coalition on November 19th.

“I would call Candlelight Red’s music heavy, melodic and emotion-driven rock,” guitarist Jeremy Edge recently told the America Online Noisecreep website. “There are a lot of big hooks, but we’re always aggressive.” Joining Edge in the band is vocalist Ryan Hoke, bassist Jamie Morral, and drummer Josh Hetrick.

The Williamsport, PA-based group has had plenty of road experience this year promoting THE WRECKAGE, sharing the concert stage with established and well-known hard rock acts, as Candlelight Red has opened for Kiss, 10 Years, Saving Abel, Egypt Central, and Rev Theory.

The quartet has had the good fortune to work with Grammy-nominated producer David Ivory (whose credits include Halestorm and the Roots, among others) on THE WRECKAGE, which has resulted in the album’s debut single, “Closer,” flirting with the top 40 active rock radio. Candlelight Red has also received airplay on Octane, Music Choice, and Hard Drive.

And strong reviews have only added to the group’s progress, including the Centredaily site, which raved “If you enjoy your rock ‘n’ roll hard, heavy and hummable but aren’t a big fan of Monster Energy drinks or jean shorts, you’ll appreciate Candlelight Red’s welcome twists to the somewhat erroneously named ‘alternative metal’ genre.” Also, the Heyreverb site paid Candlelight Red a compliment about their live show in a review of a recent show they played alongside 10 Years and Novus Folium — “10 Years was paired with bands that matched their sound and style. They weren’t too heavy, too trendy or too pop-punk — every act on the bill was a polished rock band and the progression of music was on point.”

And soon, rock fans will be able to experience what the buzz is all about on a concert stage near you, when Candlelight Red hits the road with Sevendust!

Upcoming Candlelight Red tour dates:

Additional confirmed dates forthcoming with Sevendust.

Wednesday, November 16th – Fort Wayne, IN – Pierre’s. – w/ Puddle Of Mudd
Saturday, November 19th – Spokane WA – Knitting Factory. – KHTQ FM – 2 Broke To Rock w/ Texas Hippie Coalition.
Tuesday, November 22nd – Pensacola, FL – Vinyl Music Hall. – w/ Sevendust
Tuesday, November 29th – Dayton, OH – McGuffy’s House Of Rock. – w/ Sevendust
Wednesday, November 30th – Traverse City, MI – Ground Zero. – w/ Sevendust
Friday, December 2nd – Detroit, MI – Harpos. – w/ Sevendust
Saturday, December 3rd – Flint, MI – Machine Shop. – w/ Sevendust
Sunday, December 4th – Joliet, IL – Mojoe’s. – w/ Sevendust
Wednesday, December 7th – Wichita, KS – The Cotillion. – w/ Sevendust
Saturday, December 10th – Milwaukee, WI – Rave. – w/ Sevendust

For more information, visit:

http://www.facebook.com/candlelightred
http://www.imagenrecords.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
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-Abnormal Thought Patterns: Zero Hour Trio Form New Band & Label

A trio of progressive metal enigmas, all core and founding members of heralded technical act Zero Hour have formed a brand new outfit, Abnormal Thought Patterns, and are about to unleash their recently-recorded debut EP.

Formed by Northern California-based brothers Jasun and Troy Tipton (both also of Cynthesis) and Mike Guy (Zero Hour), the instrumental act is arguably the most mind-melting display of technical proficiency from this closely-knit trio to date. Having performed together for over eight years in a variety of well-known progressive metal acts, Abnormal Thought Patterns fuse angular riffs, intricate time signatures and intense solos, generally at a very high velocity, constantly creating highly intense and invigorating song structures. In order to complete the live sound, the trio recruited longtime friend and talented guitarist Richard Sharman; a student of Jasun’s for many years and a great addition to the group.

Together these four gifted musicians have created a blazing self-titled debut EP, which will see release on November 29th via the band’s own, newly-formed CynNormal Lab Recordings. The four-part epic “Velocity And Acceleration” and bass-only track “Ulnar Nerve Damage” were mixed by talented producer/engineer Dino Alden (Marty Friedman, Zero Hour), but due to Dino’s carpal surgeries the band reached out to Matt LaPlant (Sikth, Nonpoint) to mix the tracks “The Machine Within” and “Electric Sun.” The EP was mastered by Alan Douches (Between The Buried And Me, The Dillinger Escape Plan) and the cover artwork commissioned to Erick “Wurm” Pollard.

Check out an early teaser for the record, comprised of several clips taken from throughout the ABNORMAL THOUGHT PATTERNS EP, at this location:

http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/?p=3692

ABNORMAL THOUGHT PATTERNS EP Track Listing:

1. The Machine Within
2. Velocity And Acceleration Movement 1
3. Velocity And Acceleration Movement 2
4. Velocity And Acceleration Movement 3
5. Velocity And Acceleration Movement 4
6. Ulnar Nerve Damage
7. Electric Sun

Abnormal Thought Patterns lineup:

Jasun Tipon – Guitars & Keys
Troy Tipton – Bass
Mike Guy – Drums
Richard Sharman – Live Guitars

Stay tuned for more updates on the band through the new year.

Abnormal Thought Patterns Facebook
https://www.facebook.com/#%21/pages/Abnormal-Thought-Patterns/160108597365964

CynNormal Lab Recordings Facebook
http://www.facebook.com/pages/CynNormal-Lab-Recordings/177487832338036

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*** PRESS RELEASE #19 ***
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-Voodoo Highway – BROKEN UNCLE’S INN New CD Edition!

Due to the fast sold out of the first edition of Voodoo Highway’s debut album BROKEN UNCLE’S INN, the hard rock band is actually going to print a second edition of the album with some bonus contents.

The new edition will be available from November 2011 and it will contains new graphics and some extra live bonus tracks.

BROKEN UNCLE’S INN is physically available on:

Voodoo Highway’s online shop:
http://www.voodooitaly.altervista.org/shop/shop.html

Rock n’ Growl Distro, AOR Heaven, MyGraveyard Productions, NEH Records, Wishing Well Entertainment, MusicBuyMail, etc.

BROKEN UNCLE’S INN is digitally available on:

iTunes, Amazon, Virgin, Meteli.net, Jamster, Napster, Musciload, etc.

“Running Around” video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HGLP7VsA8Tc

http://www.facebook.com/pages/VOODOO-HIGHWAY/107889722591097
http://www.youtube.com/TheVoodooHighway
http://www.myspace.com/voodoohighway

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*** PRESS RELEASE #20 ***
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-Blotted Science Update

[This combines two press releases. - Tim]

Basick Records Welcomes Blotted Science To The Family!

Basick Records is more than a little bit excited to announce that the legendary Blotted Science have joined their ever growing family of forward thinking and progressive metal acts!

Featuring the talents of guitarist/mastermind Ron Jarzombek (WatchTower, Terrestrial Exiled, Spastic Ink), bassist Alex Webster (Cannibal Corpse, Hate Eternal), and new arrival, drummer Hannes Grossmann (Obscura, Terrestrial Exiled), Blotted Science produce some of the most extreme technical music known to man.

Ron Jarzombek, guitarist and evil genius behind Blotted Science commented:
“I’m really excited to be partnering with Barley and the Basick Records crew on the new Blotted Science record, THE ANIMATION OF ENTOMOLOGY. They are a young, exciting company on the cutting edge, whose roster is very much compatible with what Blotted Science is all about, so I feel like this will be a great home for us. Feeding THE ANIMATION OF ENTOMOLOGY into their distribution channels should noticeably improve our retail visibility and availability compared to THE MACHINATIONS OF DEMENTIA. I’m looking forward to working with Basick and maximizing our potential to the fullest in Europe!”

Basick label owner Barley, also comments:
“Having been a huge admirer of Ron’s output for a number of years, it gives me great pleasure to welcome Blotted Science to the family! I can’t wait to get this record out to all our dedicated fans in Europe!”

Set for release via Basick on November 28th 2011, Blotted Science’s EP THE ANIMATION OF ENTOMOLOGY (the follow-up to the band’s highly acclaimed 2007 THE MACHINATIONS OF DEMENTIA) will once again raise the bar for extreme, instrumental progressive metal.

Blotted Science Release Creepy New Video: “Vermicular Asphyxiation”

Acclaimed progressive extreme metal all-stars Blotted Science have posted the horror infused “Vermicular Asphyxiation” visual companion piece http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NRYpsCsjnXk , the second in a series of four videos in conjunction with the forthcoming THE ANIMATION OF ENTOMOLOGY EP which will be released throughout Europe on November 28th by Basick Records.

Commented Ron Jarzombek: “OK, all you ghouls and goblins out there — here is our little contribution to the Halloween festivities. No giant spiders and nasty worms battling heroic humans in a primordial pit of death this time around, just a clandestine home invasion of the slitherin’ kind. If you decide to stay in from the trick or treating tonight, be sure to lock your windows and shut your mouth. You never know what may be trying to get in.”

The follow-up to the band’s highly acclaimed 2007 THE MACHINATIONS OF DEMENTIA full-length album was produced and mixed by Ron Jarzombek and recorded in San Antonio, Texas; Tampa, Florida; and V. Santura’s (Obscura, Triptykon) Woodshed Studios in Landshut, Germany where the drums were cut. Mastering duties were once again handled by Jacob Hansen (Volbeat, Destruction) at Hansen Studios in Ribe, Denmark.

THE ANIMATION OF ENTOMOLOGY will get a European release through UK-based Basick Records on November 28.

Pre-order a copy of THE ANIMATION OF ENTOMOLOGY from Basick Records store today.

Blotted Science online:
http://www.ronjarzombek.com/BlottedScience.html
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blotted-Science/78922582770
http://store.basickrecords.com/product/blotted-science-the-animation-of-entomology-cd

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*** PRESS RELEASE #21 ***
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-Loincloth Sign With Southern Lord; Two Tracks From Forthcoming Full-Length Posted

Riff-mangling instrumental/progressive act Loincloth have inked a deal with Southern Lord Recordings for the release of their debut full-length, aptly dubbed IRON BALLS OF STEEL on January 17th, 2012. Brooklyn Vegan are helping us spread the word like the plague this week by streaming two tracks from IRON BALLS OF STEEL.

Tune in and crank “Underwear Bomb” and “Sactopus” up, right here:

http://www.brooklynvegan.com/archives/2011/11/loincloth_have.html

Formed following the demise of Raleigh, North Carolina-based death/doom act Confessor at the turn of the century, drummer Steve Shelton and guitarist Cary Rowells were recruited by Richmond, Virginia-area guitarists Tannon Penland (Kenmores, Koszonom) and Pen Rollings (Breadwinner, Honor Role, Butterglove). The Loincloth lineup was now fully realized, and the madness began to unfold.

The idea behind the formation of Loincloth was to create a band that focused only on the things that made the members’ favorite form of music inspiring and powerful, steering clear of cliché formulas, and choosing instead to carve its name out sheer force of will. Punishing riffs and a mean rhythm section were all they were interested in; no acoustic parts, no pointless leads, no repetition and no vocals! To them, metal was getting punched in the face by sinister riffs while a tight rhythm section kicked them with counter-beats to the gut!

Loincloth released their first four-song demo in 2003, which was met with immediate interest from Southern Lord Recordings. The ‘Lord used two of the tracks from the demo, and with another track added, released the tracks as part of the 7″ Of Doom series. Another track from the demo was included on a Swami Records SWAMI SOUND SYSTEM VOL 1 compilation that year as well.

With the current band lineup now a simplified power trio comprised of Penland, Shelton and Rowells, the first output from Loincloth since 2003 will hit the streets in January, in the form of their first full-length, IRON BALLS OF STEEL. Representing years of sifting through ideas, constantly crafting and reshaping riffs into no-nonsense metal brutality, the album serves as an offering to all who feel that metal allows for more freedom of expression than other forms of music. Metal accepts extremes. In fact, metal is nothing without extremes! To create pure metal you have to push yourself, and Loincloth meant to do just that. IRON BALLS OF STEEL is about metal’s promise to kick your ass, and Loincloth is keeping that promise!

Stay tuned for further updates on Loincloth and the final, confirmed release info for IRON BALLS OF STEEL in the weeks ahead.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Loincloth/266521466700945
http://www.myspace.com/f*ckfalsemetal
http://www.southernlord.com/
http://blog.southernlord.com
http://twitter.com/twatterlord

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*** PRESS RELEASE #22 ***
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-Mastery — Featuring Billy Milano — Set To Unleash New Record

This past June, Toronto metal troupe Mastery entered Studio 57 at Music Lab in Austin, Texas with producer Tim Gerron and recorded their as-yet-untitled full-length. The album was mixed by Tim Gerron and Dan Korneff at House Of Loud Studios in Elmwood Park, New Jersey last month. Mastery fuses the blazing aggression of hardcore thrash with the technical prowess of progressive metal, leaving fans with a balls-out assault that relives the majesty of old school metal with a sense of originality.

Mastery was founded by guitarist Markus Armellini in Toronto. With no luck finding a vocalist that could complement the intensity and aggression of the music, the band’s debut, LETHAL LEGACY, was unleashed as an instrumental in North America in 2006 and in Europe one year later. Following the release, Mastery toured the States extensively. It was at a show in Austin where the band met legendary vocalist Billy Milano of M.O.D./S.O.D. Combined with Armellini, drummer Mike Harshaw, bassist Tim “Tank” Casterline, and lead guitarist Kelly Fitzsimmons, Matery is finally ready to scorch the ears of unsuspecting metallers globally.

http://www.facebook.com/pages/Mastery/160638577320942
http://www.reverbnation.com/masterymetal

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*** PRESS RELEASE #23 ***
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-Bolt Thrower Vinyl Reissues Available Now!

On the 21st/24th of October, Metal Blade Records Europe finally reissued the three Bolt Thrower albums MERCENARY, HONOUR VALOUR PRIDE and THOSE ONCE LOYAL on vinyl. All three albums are out now as gatefold LPs in colored vinyl!

Make sure to purchase your copies ASAP since orders are going fast!

Bold Thrower comments on their 25th Anniversary: “Anniversaries are kind of easy to achieve. For a band, just don’t split up and you’ll reach one, whether it’s 10, 20 or 35 years. And this year we’ve reached ’25 years of not splitting up’!

“We managed to stop others from making a big fuss about it, and didn’t give in to the numerous offers and suggestions on how we should cash in on it! But it has made us appreciate the opportunities we’ve been given since 1986, and that we’ve been able to do everything we wanted to do without compromising in any way. We’ve been lucky enough to have played a lot of killer shows with great bands and met a lot of very cool people over the years, and we think that’s the stuff that deserves some kind of celebration.

“So, we want to organize a Bolty Birthday Bash, where we can reunite with some of these bands and invite you, the people who have supported us over the last 25 years. We were hoping to have everything worked out by now, but it turns out organizing a free show comes with its own unique problems, but we’ll get there in the end! Well, that’s all we can say for now, there will be more news to come soon, so keep checking back.”

http://www.boltthrower.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #24 ***
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-Free Download: CANUCK METAL VOL. 1 Presented By Loudtrax.com & Heavy Metal Music Association Of Canada (H.M.M.A.C.)

The Heavy Metal Music Association Of Canada (H.M.M.A.C.) and LoudTrax.com have teamed up to present Volume 1 of CANUCK METAL, a free download compilation part of series to showcase Canada’s up and coming head banging talent.

CANUCK METAL – VOLUME 1 features the following bands and tracks:

3 Mile Scream – “Everything Slips Away”
22Hertz – “Detonate”
All Else Fails – “This World In Flames”
Avery’s Descent – “Rock ‘n’ Roll Bitch”
Bolero – “Pints Held High”
Dissension – “Set To Kill”
Endast – “Black Cloud”
Fallstaf – “The Cost”
Fatality – “Thrash F*ck Eat Sleep”
Kill Matilda – “Geisha With A Switch Blade”
Ninjaspy – “Skaingkh (The Skank)”
Scythia – “For The King”
Slaves On Dope – “No One To Blame”
Tantrumn – “Coward”
Titans Eve – “Becoming The Demon”

To download the free compilation please visit Loudtrax.com at the following link here and type in promo code: HMMAC

http://www.loudtrax.com/hmmac

About HMMAC: HMMAC is dedicated to supporting established and upcoming talent in the Heavy Metal genre and its subgenres and promoting the overall practice of music. The Association will also help with promotional tour support, informing its members of grant support and new and upcoming information concerning the ever evolving music industry of today. We will be representing our Association through Trade Shows, Conferences and Seminars, and our own events.

HMMAC Newsletter – Signup – http://hmmac.fanbridge.com/

For more info on HMMAC please email – HMMACanada(@)gmail.com

http://www.facebook.com/HMMACANADA
http://www.youtube.com/HMMACANADA
http://twitter.com/#!/HMMACANADA
http://www.myspace.com/hmmac
http://www.loudtrax.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #25 ***
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-All Too Human Releases Single “Thorn In My Side”

I am pleased to announce the release of “Thorn In My Side” by All Too Human. The track is the first single taken from their upcoming third release, JUGGERNAUT, produced by All Too Human, mixed by Chris Lucci, and mastered by Chris Lucci and Grammy-nominated producer, Eric Zimmermann (Fates Warning, Limp Bizkit, Deftones, Buckcherry, Suicidal Tendencies, Images Of Eden, etc.) which will have a tentative release date of the first quarter of 2012. JUGGERNAUT is the long-awaited follow-up to 2002′s ENTROPY, featuring special guest keyboardist, Derek Sherinian (ex- Dream Theater).

All Too Human
CD Single: “Thorn In My Side”
Website: http://www.alltoohuman.net/
Official Release Date: October 4, 2011

RIYL: Iron Maiden, Sevendust, Alice In Chains, Tool, Nevermore, Soilwork, Symphony X

Musical Description/Biography
All Too Human is a progressive metal band from the United States which is influenced by many diverse artists and musical genres. They have released two self-produced and self-financed CDs: FOREVER AND A DAY (1998) and ENTROPY (2002). Both CDs were recorded in Texas and released by R/R Records. A European version of ENTROPY (which includes bonus tracks) was released in 2004 by Steelheart Records from Italy.

The band has just finished their third studio CD entitled, JUGGERNAUT which will be released in the first quarter of 2012. Their first single (“Thorn In My Side”) from the CD has been released via the band’s website, CD Baby, and iTunes. The band is presently continuing efforts to land deals with labels for release and distribution in the US, Europe, Scandinavia, Japan, South America, and other markets. The new material is heavier with an emphasis on shorter and more melodic song structure. The band is hoping to gain exposure for their released work and find interest in their projects from labels, rock magazines, webzines, and fans from all around the world.

As soon as the band can procure a deal for JUGGERNAUT, they will begin working on a future release and finalize plans to play live shows wherever possible. Amongst other shows, All Too Human performed at ProgPower Europe in 2004 and hopes to be invited back to the festival soon. The band is very interested in performing in the States, Europe, South America, Japan, and in any other interested markets.

Cheers!

All Too Human
Progressive/ Power Metal from TX-USA
http://www.alltoohuman.net/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #26 ***
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-Renowned Russian Pagan/Folk Metallers Arkona To Tour North America For The First Time!!!

Today, Napalm Records confirms that Arkona will be touring North America for the first time, first as headliners and then as direct support to Nuclear Blast recording artists Korpiklaani. Supporting their brand-new (and critically acclaimed) Napalm album SLOVO, the renowned Russian pagan/folk metallers will begin a string of headlining Canadian dates on November 11th and then join up with Korpiklaani on the 25th, as they enter the United States, and then finally conclude back in Canada on December 18th. Here are the CONFIRMED dates/venues thus far:

November 11 – Montreal, QC @ Théatre Plaza*
November 12 – Toronto, ON @ WreckRoom*
November 13 – London, ON @ Music Hall*
November 14 – Ottawa, ON @ Maverick*
November 16 – Quebec City, QC @ Bar l’agité*
NOvember 17 – Sherbrooke, QC @ Bar le Magog*
November 18 – Drummonville, QC @ Salle Gaston Mandeville*
November 19 – Saint-Hyacinthe, QC @ Bar le Thrash*
November 25 – New York, NY @ Gramercy Theater
November 26 – Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
November 27 – Chicago, IL @ Reggie’s Rock Club
November 29 – Winnipeg, MB @ Park Theater
November 30 – Regina, SK @ The Exchange
December 01 – Edmonton, AB @ Pawn Shop
December 02 – Calgary, AB @ The Distillery
December 03 – Vancouver, BC @ TBA
December 04 – Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
December 05 – Portland, OR @ Hawthorne Theater
December 06 – Oakland, CA @ The Pound
December 07 – Hollywood, CA @ Key Club
December 08 – Tempe, AZ @ Clubhouse
December 10 – Austin, TX @ Emo’s
December 11 – New Orleans, LA @ The Hangar
December 12 – Orlando, FL @ Firestone Live
December 13 – Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
December 14 – Columbus, OH @ Alrosa Villa
December 15 – Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
December 16 – Reading, PA @ The Reverb
December 17 – Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
December 18 – Quebec City, QC @ Imperial Theater

* = Arkona headlining

In a prepared statement by the band, Arkona had the following to say: “After a long absence due to endless touring worldwide and recording a new album, SLOVO, Arkona tours North America for the first time. Again and again, traveling thousands of miles and visiting dozens and dozens of cities, Arkona brings the ‘Word’ — or ‘Slovo,’ in Russian — to every soul which respects the legacy of their ancestors and those still-sleeping hearts which are still alive with the will of our fathers. After more than 300 concerts, two years of hard work went into our new creation SLOVO, which has received positive reviews worldwide, thus giving the group the ability to rise one more step up. Moreover, this tour will be celebrating the 10th anniversary of the group, which means that in addition to the presentation of new songs from the album SLOVO, you will get to hear classic songs from all Arkona albums. By tradition, Arkona invites all brothers and sisters to a grand celebration!”

For more info, please consult http://www.arkona-russia.com/ and http://www.napalmrecords.com/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #27 ***
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-Orange Goblin Announce New Album Release Dates And Full UK & Ireland Tour

Orange Goblin will release their brand new studio album, A EULOGY FOR THE DAMNED, on Monday February 13, 2012 in the UK/rest of world and February 14, 2012 in the US. This date is the same day as Black Sabbath released their self-titled debut album in 1970!

A EULOGY FOR THE DAMNED is the band’s seventh studio album but first for new label home, Candlelight Records. The ten-track offering was recorded at The Animal Farm studio in South London, UK, produced and engineered by Jamie Dodd and mastered by two-time Grammy-nominated Pink Floyd engineer Andy Jackson at Tube Mastering. A EULOGY FOR THE DAMNED will be released on CD and limited edition colored vinyl in gatefold sleeve. Check out the cover art at http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/?p=3644 .

A EULOGY FOR THE DAMNED Track Listing:

1. Red Tide Rising
2. Stand For Something
3. Acid Trial
4. The Filthy & The Few
5. Save Me From Myself
6. The Fog
7. Return To Mars
8. Death Of Aquarius
9. The Bishops Wolf
10. A Eulogy For The Damned

To celebrate the release of the new album, Orange Goblin will hit the road in April 2012 for the A Eulogy For The Damned UK & Ireland Tour. Dates for this are as follows:

4/7/2012 Desertfest @ The Underworld – London
4/8/2012 The Fleece – Bristol
4/9/2012 The Old Bell – Derby
4/10/2012 Classic Grand – Glasgow
4/11/2012 Sound Control – Manchester
4/12/2012 The Garage – Swansea
4/13/2012 The White Rabbit – Plymouth
4/14/2012 o2 Academy – Oxford
4/20/2012 The Pint – Dublin
4/21/2012 Spring & Airbrake – Belfast

Orange Goblin will also be appearing live at the following locations later this year (with more festivals to be announced soon):

11/13/2011 Candlefest – Moho Live, Manchester
12/03/2011 Hard Rock Hell V – Prestatyn, North Wales
12/17/2011 The Underworld – Camden, London
01/14/2012 Club Zeljeznicar – Zagreb, Croatia
06/15-17/2012 Hellfest – Clisson, France (Exact date TBA)
08/11/2012 Bloodstock Open Air Fest – Derbyshire

http://www.orange-goblin.com/
http://www.facebook.com/orangegoblinofficial
http://www.myspace.com/theorangegoblin
http://www.youtube.com/orangegoblinofficial
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/
http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #28 ***
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-Led Zeppelin 2 Head West; New Live Footage Available

Led Zeppelin 2 — the ultimate Zeppelin tribute band — will head to the west coast next week where the band will continue to floor audiences with their flawless Led Zeppelin reenactment.

Far more than a typical cover band, Bruce Lamont — most widely recognized for his saxophone and vocal work fronting Chicago-based Yakuza — and his cohorts allow fans to experience Led Zeppelin as Zeppelin would have played in front of an audience. LZ2 sold-out venues across the US in 2010 and the early part of 2011 and continue to draw rave reviews for a “spot-on” Zeppelin performance, playing deep cuts and classic tracks from the entire catalog, and occasionally entire Led Zeppelin performances from specific shows and sets from the band’s storied history.

Superskum.com recently conducted an interview with Lamont during their stop in Engelwood, Colorado earlier this month. Check out the interview, as well as some killer live footage, here:

http://www.earsplitcompound.com/site/?p=3660

Led Zeppelin 2 Fall 2011 Tour Dates:
11/03/2011 Yost Theater – Santa Ana, CA
11/04/2011 Belly Up – Solana Beach, CA
11/05/2011 The Key Club – West Hollywood, CA
11/08/2011 House Of Blues – Las Vegas, NV
11/09/2011 The Foundry – Phoenix, AZ
11/11/2011 Harlow’s – Sacramento, CA
11/12/2011 Slim’s San Francisco, CA

…

“Their whole performance was just spot on all night long, including double neck guitar, playing guitar with a violin bow and the occasional breaks to pour down some Whiskey to oil that throat.” — Superskum

“…the best Zep band going anywhere.” — Time Out New York

“There are a lot of Zep tributes out there, but this one’s our favorite, not least because its members fully immerse themselves in the musicianship and style of the four classic-rock heavyweights. That Yakuza howler Bruce Lamont does a mean Robert Plant is icing on the cake.” — Time Out Chicago

“…these imitators get the Led out in a way your battered copy of PHYSICAL GRAFFITI never will, right down to the unearthly tones of guitarist Paul Kamp’s bowed Les Paul solos. Sure, purists are still holding out for the real deal’s tour, but even if that happens, it’s doubtful that Robert Plant can wail the opening lines of ‘Black Dog’ as well as his Led Zeppelin 2 counterpart, Bruce Lamont,” — The Onion

“The band is on its way out of the minor leagues, and is now playing bigger venues for a generation of fans too young to have ever experienced the genuine article.” — The New Yorker

“…these guys sound f*cking exactly like Led Zeppelin!” — Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett

“…the closest thing to seeing the real Led Zeppelin.” — Dallas Observer

“…such authentic raw flair, the entire crowd bought it, no questions lingering… It was nasty… hard to believe how balls-out fantastic they are.” — Atlanta’s Backstage Beat

“Bruce Lamont and Paul Kamp (of Yakuza and Busker Soundcheck fame, respectively) and the killer rhythm section of Ian Lee and Chris Klein bill themselves as Led Zeppelin 2, and they do as good a Zep as Zep ever did back in the day.” — The Chicago Sun Times

http://www.ledzeppelin2.com/

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*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
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-Check out a “Retro Recommendation” feature on AC/DC’s POWERAGE at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/E9ZU .

-All Else Fails’ latest single from THE ORACLE: WHAT WAS, IS, AND COULD HAVE BEEN, “Rebirth,” is streaming at http://soundcloud.com/sin_agency/09-rebirth-by-all-else-fails and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KnXP06ThUXc , and the whole album is streaming at http://thenewreview.net/all-access/album-stream-all-else-fails-the-oracle-what-was-is-and-could-have-been . A free download of the track “This World In Flames” is available at http://allelsefails.bandcamp.com/track/the-world-in-flames-free-download . The fourth episode of season five of the band’s “Studio Spaces” webisode series is now online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JXMu60nhsdM . Finally, the band will co-headline this year’s first annual Blankfest Calgary clothing fundraiser for the homeless on November 5; see http://ashermediarelations.com/2011/10/11/1st-annual-blankfest-calgary-november-5-its-about-the-homeless-nothing-more-nothing-less/ for more. Check out http://www.allelsefails.ca/ for more on All Else Fails.

-Armored Saint’s 1985 release DELIRIOUS NOMAD was just re-mastered and reissued by Rock Candy Records, complete with two bonus tracks and an expanded booklet with never-before-seen photos and liner notes by UK journalist Malcolm Dome. For more info on the bonus tracks — “The Laugh” (1983 demo) and “You’re Never Alone” (original version rough mix) — see http://www.facebook.com/thearmoredsaint .

-Awake recently performed “Closing The Doors” live on Cambridge, UK’s Affinity Radio’s “The Saturday Breakfast Show.” The song is from the current release FOREVER MORE, and the live version is available at http://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=2384403362334 . See http://www.lionmusic.com/cd/forevermore.htm for more on the album.

-Lars Eric Mattsson is almost done with the Book Of Reflections project’s third album, which should be out next spring. Mattsson’s hype says the material will be “a neo-classical speed metal attack!”

-Contrive’s final shows for 2011 are as follows:

11/4 – The Barwon Club, Geelong, Australia – w/ Hatchet Dawn, The Mercy Kills, & Zelorage
11/12 – The Palace Theatre / House Of Rock, Australia

The band members will soon begin work on the follow-up to 2010′s THE INTERNAL DIALOGUE. Bassist Tim Stahlmann said this about the upcoming album: “Where are we headed on this next album? Good question, we’re definitely going to forge ahead on our own path and avoid repeating previous works. We’ll just play what we like to hear plain & simple, its worked for us thus far!” See http://www.facebook.com/contriveaus , http://www.myspace.com/contriveaustralia , http://www.reverbnation.com/contrive , and http://www.youtube.com/ContriveAustralia for more.

-Check out a Halloween message from Crystal Viper’s Marta Gabriel at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O36F5BtBH5U . See http://www.crystalviper.com/ for more.

-Track list for D-A-D’s newie, DIC.NII.LAN.DAFT.ERD.ARK: “I Can’t Explain,” “I Want What She’s Got,” “The Last Time In Neverland,” “New Age Moving In,” “The End,” “Wild Things In The Woods,” “Breaking Them Heart By Heart,” “Fast On Wheels,” “My Lips Are Sealed,” “The Place Of The Heart,” “I Won’t Find Out.” The band’s upcoming 2012 tour dates:

2/5 – Batschkapp, Frankfurt, Germany
2/6 – Hirsch, Nürnberg, Germany
2/7 – Röhre, Stuttgart, Germany
2/8 – Postbahnhof, Berlin, Germany
2/9 – Lagerhalle, Osnabrück, Germany
2/10 – Musikzentrum, Hannover, Germany
2/11 – Zeche, Bochum, Germany
2/12 – Underground, Köln, Germany
2/16 – Backstage, München, Germany
2/17 – Stattbahnhof, Schweinfurt, Germany
2/18 – Masters Of Rock Cafe, Zlin, Czech Republic
2/20 – Club 202, Budapest, Hungary
2/24 – Rock ‘n’ Roll Arena, Novara, Italy
2/25 – Rock Planet, Ravenna, Ravenna Italy
2/26 – Galery, Pratteln, Switzerland
2/27 – Garage, Saarbrücken, Germany
2/29 – Underworld, London, UK
3/1 – Le Temple L’Empreinte, Savigny, France
3/2 – Rock Tempel, Kerkrade, The Netherlands
3/3 – Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany

Tickets for the shows are available at http://www.metaltix.com/item_list.php?item_cat=3965 . See http://www.d-a-d.dk/ for more.

-Check out the song “She” from “Dutch occult rockers” The Devil’s Blood at http://soundcloud.com/metalbladerecords/the-devils-blood-she/s-ZLMXE . The track is from the upcoming Metal Blade release THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE. And there’s a FaceCulture video interview with guitarist SL at http://www.roadburn.com/2011/11/the-devils-blood-video-interview-with-sl-subtitles/ . About the interview: “This mini-documentary about SL was shot at his home in Eindhoven and Speedfest, which was held in the same city. Lemouchi talks about taking control over his own life, struggling with drugs, alcohol and depression, writing music and painting, ratio versus instinct, blood sacrifices and death amongst others.”

-In Dio-related news, Wendy Dio plans to reissue Hear ‘N Aid’s “Stars” single and video on CD and DVD, and the video will include outtakes. The Hear ‘N Aid project was conceived by then-Dio guitarist Vivian Campbell and bassist Jimmy Bain, and Ronnie James Dio spearheaded the effort to get a huge team of all-stars — including members of Iron Maiden, Judas Priest, Queensryche, Motley Crue, Dokken, Yngwie Malmsteen, Ted Nugent, Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, W.A.S.P., Y&T, Night Ranger, Rough Cutt, Blue Oyster Cult, and Spinal Tap — to record the track as a way to “raise money for famine relief efforts in Africa and around the world.” Check out a report and the “Stars” video at http://loudwire.com/wendy-dio-reissue-hear-n-aid-stars/ . In Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund news, the first Awards Gala was held November 1 at the Playboy Mansion in Holmby Hills, CA. Other upcoming events include a January 31 bowling benefit and a huge guitar auction in April “featuring over 100 donated guitars.” There will also be a two-disc Ronnie James Dio tribute album, reportedly set to include contributions from Rob Halford, Glenn Hughes, Dave Grohl (on “The Mob Rules”), Asia’s John Payne, Killswitch Engage, and others. See http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/ , http://diocancerfund.org/ , and http://www.facebook.com/nijientertainmentgroup for more.

-Divine Ascension’s AS THE TRUTH APPEARS is out on Nightmare Records. Check out an interview with guitarist Robb Inglis and drummer Luke Wenczel at http://www.powerofmetal.dk/interviews11/divine_ascension_interview.htm . See http://www.divine-ascension.com/ for more.

-Ace Frehley performed at Mulcahy’s in New York on October 30. Check out video of the first 30 minutes of the set at http://heavyrocktheplaylist.blogspot.com .

-There’s a cool, short Sammy Hagar interview at Attention Deficit Delirium, where he boldly declares he’d like to manage a “classic Guns N’ Roses” reunion. (Who wouldn’t???) Check it out at http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/10/26/sammy-hagar-ill-manage-a-classic-gnr-reunion/ .

-Rob Halford still has the “$10 Off Metal God Apparel With 2nd Shirt Purchased” sale at MetalGodApparel.com. But two shirts and use the coupon code SUPERARENA to get the discount.

-Iron Mask’s new song “Broken Hero,” featuring Mark Boals on vocals and taken from the upcoming BLACK AS DEATH, is streaming at http://soundcloud.com/afm-records/iron-mask-broken-hero-2011 . BLACK AS DEATH is due out December 16 on AFM Records.

-Kill The Pain is a new duo featuring Matt on drums and Moti on guitar and bass. Hype: “hard hitting raw true music, a collaborative duo from Europe, Los Angeles inspired.” Check them out at http://www.myspace.com/killthepainband and http://www.myspace.com/killthepainmusic .

-Lance King’s A MOMENT IN CHIROS will be released November 8 on Nightmare Records. Check out “Manifest Destiny” at Noisecreep, at http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/10/27/lance-king-manifest-destiny-song/ , and a Metal Insider interview with King featuring “Awakening,” at http://wp.me/pvE8X-7bH . See http://tinyurl.com/LanceKingVox (Facebook), https://www.twitter.com/lancekingvox , https://www.myspace.com/lancekingvox , and https://www.NightmareRecords.com/ for more.

-In Kiss news, Paul Stanley underwent successful vocal cord surgery on October 25. He is expected to make a “swift and complete” recovery. See PaulStanley.com for all the details. Gene Simmons will host the Classic Rock Awards in London on November 9, where Jeff Beck will receive the Legend Award. See GeneSimmons.com for more. In band news, check out http://blogs.suntimes.com/hoekstra/ for Chicago Sun-Times’ journalist David Hoekstra’s report on the Kiss Kruise and follow-up interview with manager Doc McGhee. The Kiss/Archie comics start coming out November 30, with two covers — a standard Archie art version and a variant version — for each. See http://www.kissonline.com/ for more.

-Check out a medley of Adam Lambert’s songs from the PARAMOUNT SESSIONS release at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sG5KmViu6I8 . See http://www.youtube.com/paramountsessions , http://www.facebook.com/paramountsessions , and http://soundcloud.com/paramountsessions for more.

-The Dutch metal band Lord Volture has posted its first video podcast, entitled “NEVER CRY WOLF Album Recordings,” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ejWraLa3ql8 . The piece “covers the recording process of the forthcoming NEVER CRY WOLF album. The album was recorded in Excess Studio and Final Focus Studio with producers Yuma van Eekelen (drummer for Pestilence) and Bart Hennephof (guitarist for Textures).” NEVER CRY WOLF will be released November 11 and can be pre-ordered now at http://www.lordvolture.com/merch . See http://www.lordvolture.com/ , http://www.facebook.com/lordvolture , http://www.myspace.com/lordvolture , and http://www.rockngrowl.com/ for more.

-Check out a new Manowar video about their new sound system at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hALjzPnH9H8 .

-Megadeth’s TH1RT3EN is out this week. The band performed live — in costume — Halloween night on “Jimmy Kimmel Live!,” doing “Public Enemy No. 1″ and “Symphony Of Destruction.” Check it out at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Video-Megadeth-On-Jimmy-Kimmel-Live-23665.aspx . Roadrunner Records’ final exclusive band interview, with Dave Mustaine, is online now at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/EXCLUSIVE-Interview–Megadeths-Dave-Mustaine-23662.aspx , and there’s a cool “Megadeth’s Greatest Deep Album Cuts” feature at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/EXCLUSIVE-Megadeths-Greatest-Deep-Album-Cuts-23628.aspx . See http://www.megadeth.com/ for more.

-METAL WARRIORS is the name of an upcoming compilation featuring indie metal bands, to be distributed through Def Jam in January. The roster: Edge Of Paradise, Burning Black, Seks, Curtis, Fetal Zombie, Black Pope, Panic Room, Johnny Cakes And The Four Horsemen Of The Apocalypso, Revel 9, Death Bed Confession, Lisa Smith’s Powerhouse, and In His Blood. See the Shred Rock Records site for more: http://www.shredrockrecords.com/ .

-Morton’s COME READ THE WORDS FORBIDDEN is available from the AFM shop for only 9,99€ (plus shipping). See http://shop.afm-records.de/ for more.

-Nightmare Records has a 15% off sale until November 7. Use coupon code HAUNTED at http://www.NightmareRecords.com/ to get the discount.

-Check out a couple new Nightwish teaser videos at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AdnYd2f3JSQ and http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABoeKGWtEBY . The new album IMAGINAERUM is due December 2, and will be preceded by the single “Storytime” on November 11. See http://www.nightwish.com/ and http://www.nuclearblast.de/nightwish for more.

-Oz’s new song “Seasons In The Darkness” is streaming at http://soundcloud.com/afm-records/oz-seasons-in-the-darkness . It is taken from BURNING LEATHER, due November 18 on AFM Records.

-PUSHBoXX — or maybe PushBoxx, or maybe Pushboxx (get a proofreader!) — is a “Nationally Sponsored Jagermeister Band” from Danielson, CT, featuring “a compilation of fiery guitar hooks powered by energetic vocals, palpitating bass lines and stout drum beats.” The lineup consists of Kimber Ley on vocals, Steve Beaudeon on lead guitar, David Conaway on rhythm guitar, Colin Cantalupo on bass, Lenny Peruti on keyboards, and Mike “Spud” Haniffy on drums. Check out the tracks “Imortal,” “Falling Up,” “Forsaken,” “Little Bit,” and “Don’t Want To Say Goodbye” at http://www.reverbnation.com/pushboxx , and see http://www.pushboxx.com/ for more.

-As a special 25th anniversary Halloween treat, Queensryche performed 1986′s RAGE FOR ORDER in its entirety at an October 31 show at the Highline Ballroom in New York City. See http://www.queensryche.com/ for more.

-Rush’s TIME MACHINE 2011: LIVE IN CLEVELAND (two-CD and DVD) is due out next week. Check out the live version of “Tom Sawyer” — plus the “absurd short film that accompanied it during the band’s concerts” — at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Video-Rush-Performs-Tom-Sawyer-Live-23638.aspx . The set can be pre-ordered at iTunes now.

-The Scorpions will release COMEBLACK, featuring seven re-recorded classic songs plus six new cover versions, on November 4. It will be available in CD and double vinyl formats. Track list: “Rhythm Of Love,” “No One Like You,” “The Zoo,” “Rock You Like A Hurricane,” “Blackout,” “Wind Of Change,” “Still Loving You,” “Tainted Love” (Gloria Jones), “Children Of The Revolution” (T. Rex), “Across The Universe” (The Beatles), “Tin Soldier” (Small Faces), “All Day And All Of The Night” (The Kinks), “Ruby Tuesday” (The Rolling Stones). Check out a sample of the new “Still Loving You,” re-titled “Still Loving You – Je T’Aime Encore” and featuring guest vocals by French “Pop Idol” winner Amandiner Bourgeois, at http://www.chartsinfrance.net/Scorpions/news-75961.html . According to the Heavy Rock – The Playlist blog, this track “is expected to appear” on the French version of COMEBLACK. The band also recently released a new live two-CD set and 3D Blu-ray entitled GET YOUR STING & BLACKOUT, which according to Classic Rock was recorded in Saabrucken, Germany this past April 15. Track list: “Sting In The Tail,” “Make It Real,” “Bad Boys Running Wild,” “The Zoo,” “Coast To Coast,” “Loving You Sunday Morning,” “The Best Is Yet To Come,” “Send Me An Angel,” “Holiday,” “Raised On Rock,” “Tease Me Please Me,” “Dynamite,” “Kottak Attack,” “Blackout,” “Six String Sting,” “Big City Nights,” “Still Loving You,” “Wind Of Change,” “Rock You Like A Hurricane,” “When The Smoke Is Going Down.” See http://www.the-scorpions.com/ for more.

-Check out an album trailer for Stahlmann’s upcoming QUECKSILBER, due January 20 on AFM Records, at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3laXPTMVUJk .

-The 2012 Sweden Rock Festival has added Lynyrd Skynyrd to the lineup, which also includes Motley Crue, Blue Oyster Cult, Dimmu Borgir, Gamma Ray, Edguy, Pentagram, and Danko Jones. See http://www.swedenrock.com/ for more.

-Tribunal Records will celebrate its 100th release later this month with a compilation called TRIBUNAL RECORDS 100: COVER TO COVER. Hype: The album will feature 19 cover songs performed by current and former acts on Tribunal Records’ roster. The eclectic range of artists covered on the compilation includes everyone from Megadeth and Coroner to Coldplay and Seal.” Songs set for inclusion are The Feds – “Barracuda” (Heart), Blatant Disarray – “Holy Wars… The Punishment Due” (Megadeth), Aria – “Clocks” (Coldplay), Vanisher – “Of Wolf And Man” (Metallica), Age Of Ruin – “Buried Dreams” (Carcass), A Secret Death – “Welcome To The Machine” (Pink Floyd), Killwhitneydead – “Sacrifice” (Inside Out), Slowmotion Apocalypse – “The Razor’s Edge” (AC/DC), Line Of Fire – “I Will Remember” (Queensryche), Jonin – “Caffeine” (Faith No More), He Is Legend – “Wounded” (Third Eye Blind), Sargant Fury – “Maniac” (Michael Sembello), Century – “A Kiss From A Rose” (Seal), Canvas Solaris – “Arc Lite” (Coroner), Enemy Is Us – “Stockholm Syndrome” (Muse), Swift – “Unbelievable” (EMF), Vanisher – “Superbeast” (Rob Zombie). A pair of bonus tracks will be Slowmotion Apocalypse – “Be Quick Or Be Dead” (Iron Maiden) and Killwhitneydead/Jonin – “Vote With A Bullet” (Corrosion of Conformity). Check out Vanisher’s “Of Wolf And Man” video at http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/10/28/vanisher-unveil-their-cover-of-metallicas-of-wolf-and-man/ . See http://www.tribunalrecords.net/ for more.

-According to a Lion Music update: “UK traditional metal outfit Vendetta have just delivered the masters for their third album. We are happy to report that the new album is another slice of metal awesomeness. Artwork is being finished up as this goes to press and we should have more preliminary info for you shortly. Expected release is first quarter of 2012.”

-Venturia, the French metal band, is mixing its third album with Kevin Codfert (Adagio). Check out photos “from the album’s creation process” at http://www.facebook.com/Venturia .

-VH1 Classic’s “Metal Evolution” is an 11-episode series “based on the ground-breaking ‘Heavy Metal Family Tree.’ This 26 sub-genre genealogical chart reveals the vast complex progeny of heavy metal — from Early Metal and Shock Rock to Thrash, from Progressive Metal to Grunge and Nu Metal. Using the Chart as his road map, host/producer and metalhead turned anthropologist Sam Dunn, crisscrossed the globe exploring the vast history of heavy metal across its 40+ year history and beyond. From bars and back alleys to the biggest open air festivals, Sam will visit the pioneers of British and American hard rock who laid metal’s sonic foundation, as well as the current leaders of contemporary metal. Whether you love metal, documentaries or just great stories, Metal Evolution is the ultimate examination into the history of Heavy Metal music. Drawing on the expertise of a whole team of musicians, journalists, academics, and producers, Sam will explore the questions heavy metal fans have always wanted to ask. A highlight of the series will be Sam’s in-depth discussions with many of heavy metal’s most important and influential personalities. From Alice Cooper to Slash, Lemmy to Rob Zombie and members of Metallica, Iron Maiden, Black Sabbath, Deep Purple, Slayer, Van Halen, Def Leppard, The Stooges, ZZ Top, Motley Crue, Poison, Rage Against The Machine, Alice In Chains, Korn, and many more, Sam will investigate the history, myths and intricacies of Metal.” It will premiere on National Metal Day, November 11. Check out the trailer at http://vimeo.com/30796602 .

-The cover of Whitesnake’s “Is This Love,” by Stacey Jackson, will be available for purchase and download on November 15. Check out the video on AOL Music at http://music.aol.com/video/is-this-love/stacey-jackson/bc:1247461623001 . See http://www.staceyjackson.com/ for more.

Thanks to Lion Music, Andy Craven, Bryan Reesman, Axel Wiesenauer, HeadbangerNYC.com, Dan Marsicano, Andrew Haug, Jon Asher, Zach Shaw, Jeff Treppel, Jessica Berek, and Mary Ouellette for help gathering some of this information.

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*** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE ***
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by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-Here’s a great quote from the Mustaine interview at RoadrunnerRecords.com, about what it takes now to sell records: “And now it’s like, you have to have songs, and videos, and give away T-shirts, and you can win dinner at my house, and it’s like, when did we try so hard? When did music get so crappy that you had to give somebody a back rub with it?” Along those lines I went to an FYE store by my office the other day to pick up TH1RT3EN, and saw a sign promising a “free Megadeth lithograph” with purchase, while supplies last. I was happy to see the album had sold out. Good for Megadeth. And in related news, I was at my local library’s used book sale recently and saw, amid the opera and piano and classical music books, a copy of Mustaine’s autobiography.

-That Cirith Ungol SERVANTS OF CHAOS thing intrigues me. I remember seeing the band name in the old Circus and Hit Parader magazine ads back in the mid-’80s, and not knowing the Tolkien connection, I figured it was some satanic thing I wanted to stay away from. Years later I learned that wasn’t the case, but by that time their stuff was impossible to find. I hope I can find SERVANTS OF CHAOS somewhere.

-I’m not 100% clear on that Hear ‘N Aid reissue mentioned above. I’m fairly certain it will only be the “Stars” single, and not the entire album which featured the single plus live tracks from Accept, Dio, Kiss, Motorhead, and Rush, and a studio track from Y&T. There are probably way, way too many record company hurdles in the way of getting the full album reissued.

-So Lynyrd Skynyrd and Dimmu Borgir will both be at the Sweden Rock Festival next year. Can you imagine them crossing paths back by the catering table? “Uh, nice makeup, y’all…”

-What does math metal guitarist Ron Jarzombek have with stains? Some of his bands are Spastic Ink and Blotted Science. What’s up with that?

-Wow was that Loincloth press release funny… Childish, yes, but funny. “Underwear Bomb” and “Sactopus,” har har har…

-I really, REALLY wish I could’ve see that Queenryche RAGE FOR ORDER show. Man…

-In my current playlist: Sinner – ONE BULLET LEFT (AFM Records), Mastercastle – DANGEROUS DIAMONDS (Lion Music), Shy – s/t (Escape Music), Andromeda – MANIFEST TYRANNY (Inner Wound Recordings), Voivod – WARRIORS OF ICE (Sonic Unyon Metal).

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*** OUT ***
*

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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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Patrick Brower, Editor
pwbrower@gmail.com

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
spgahgan@comcast.net
http://www.lakeoffire.net/
http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@neb.rr.com
http://www.last.fm/user/VonGoober

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
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-Everyone getting their Halloween playlists together? – Tim

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Accept Announces First Dates For Spring 2012 Tour!

Accept were surely the biggest international surprise of the last 24 months in the hard rock and metal business. After a lengthy absence, the band returned to the heavy metal oligarchy with the stellar and highly acclaimed BLOOD OF THE NATIONS album, a collection of new Accept classics that has gripped the media, concert promoters and fans all over the world by their proverbial balls. BLOOD OF THE NATIONS charted worldwide, including peaking at #4 in Germany and #11 in Europe. Accept received press coverage from most international mass media outlets like CNN, BBC and of course all major metal publications. BLOOD OF THE NATIONS won many awards as it was ranked “Album of the Year” more than 50 times, making it the most successful recording by the band in its already celebrated history.

Accept also spent the last two years touring worldwide, appearing on stages in front of a million metal fans around the globe with more than 180 heart stopping shows in Europe, the US, Central & South America and Asia.

Accept are now ready to announce their return to the stage, starting in Paris in April 2012. Fans can look forward to more of the elaborate, commanding and polished live excitement — no pain, no gain, no mercy… that is Accept’s motto! As always, the battles will be won on stage with Accept’s ultimate live performances and a sweaty, enthused audience by their side. They take no prisoners!

The confirmed tour dates for April 2012, presented by Rock Hard, iMusic1, Blast, Piranha, Musix & Noizeletter:

06.04.2012 (F) Paris, Bataclan
07.04.2012 (BE) Mons PPM Fest
08.04.2012 (NL) tbc, Festival
10.04.2012 (GER) Kempten, Big Box
11.04.2012 (GER) Stuttgart, Filharmonie
13.04.2012 (GER) Straubing, Messehalle
14.04.2012 (GER) Geiselwind, Event Center
15.04.2012 (CH) Pratteln, Z7
17.04.2012 (GER) Oberhausen, Turbinenhalle
18.04.2012 (GER) Hamburg, Große Freiheit
19.04.2012 (GER) Berlin, Huxleys
21.04.2012 (CZ)Zlin, Euronics
22.04.2012 (PL) Warschau, Stodola

http://www.acceptworldwide.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Riot Returns With Late ’80s Lineup On “Sins Of The Father” — Song Premiere

Although that late ’70s New York City music scene is recognized more for its punk and new wave artists, that doesn’t take anything away from Riot’s importance on the heavy metal movement. Their trifecta of ROCK CITY (1977), NARITA (1979), and FIRE DOWN UNDER (1981), helped influence a legion of hard rock musicians throughout the ’80s and beyond.

Lead by founding guitarist Mark Reale, Riot has continued to write and record their anthemic brand of metal throughout the next few decades, no matter what the trends of the day might be. Next month the group will release IMMORTAL SOUL, their 14th studio album.

Noisecreep has teamed up with Riot to bring you the world premiere of “Sins Of The Father,” a scorching track off of IMMORTAL SOUL.

http://www.noisecreep.com/2011/10/20/riot-sins-of-the-father-song/

For IMMORTAL SOUL, Riot has reunited the classic THUNDERSTEEL (1988) and THE PRIVILEGE OF POWER (1990) lineup of vocalist Tony Moore, bassist Don Van Stavern, drummer Bobby Jarzombek and Reale, along with guitarist Mike Flyntz who played in the live band at that time.

IMMORTAL SOUL will be out on Nov. 22nd via SPV/Steamhammer.

http://www.riotrockcity.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Sweden Rock Festival 2012: Tickets Available, First Bands Announced

Today, the 3- and 4-day tickets for Sweden Rock Festival 2012 are made available. We are also happy to announce the first seven confirmed bands for next summer: Motley Crue, Blue Oyster Cult, Dimmu Borgir, Edguy, Gamma Ray, Danko Jones and Pentagram.

Tickets

Sweden Rock Festival, located in Sölvesborg, Blekinge in southern Sweden, is the biggest rock festival of the Nordic countries and has been sold out every time the last few years, which means 33,000 visitors. Today at 9 a.m. CET the 3-day tickets (for the main festival days) and 4-day tickets (including the Wednesday opening) are made available through http://www.swedenrock.com/ .

The first 5,000 ticket buyers will receive a Sweden Rock T-shirt which will not be available anywhere else. The design has been made by British artist Sleba, known for his work with Led Zeppelin and “Star Wars,” among others. Also, we will be running competitions each week until New Year’s where everyone who has bought a ticket has the chance to win electric guitars signed by bands and artists such as Judas Priest, Whitesnake, Zakk Wylde, Saxon and The Cult.

Bands

Around 70 bands will perform on our five stages next summer. Seven of them have been confirmed. First up is an act that year after year continues to be one of the most wanted by our visitors, namely Motley Crue who made a big impression with their SRF 2005 headlining show. Seven years later, it is time for Vince Neil, Nikki Sixx, Tommy Lee and Mick Mars to deliver another powerful show filled with classic songs.

Among our first batch of bands we also find legendary ’70s rockers Blue Oyster Cult, and the world’s biggest black metal band at the moment, Norwegian Dimmu Borgir. Two of the power metal genres greatest, Kai Hansen’s Gamma Ray and Tobias Sammet’s Edguy, are also coming to Sölvesborg, as well as Canadian rock ‘n’ roll trio Danko Jones. Last but not least, we are proud to present the Sweden Rock Festival debut of American cult doom band Pentragram.

Another 60+ bands are waiting to be confirmed, so keep watching our website for further announcements.

More detailed info about the bands can be found at http://www.swedenrock.com/ . There, you can also find info about ticket prices, the festival’s history and more.

Welcome to Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, 6-7-8-9 June 2012!

Sweden Rock Festival
Nygatan 27
294 34 Sölvesborg
Sweden
info@swedenrock.com
http://www.swedenrock.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Armored Saint’s DELIRIOUS NOMAD Reissued By Rock Candy Records

[Note: This is from the Rock Candy Records website. - Tim]

When the history of Heavy Metal is finally written, Armored Saint will be remembered as a band that should have joined the elite platinum club, rubbing shoulders with the likes of Metallica, Anthrax, Megadeth and Slayer. Tipped by those who know such things, they displayed both the promise and the talent to springboard them to worldwide success yet, for a number of frustrating reasons, it was not to be.

MARCH OF THE SAINT, the band’s debut album, was a competent introduction for sure, but was hampered by an arguably incompatible production, and a label not fully versed in the fine art of marketing metal to the masses. Taking matters into their own hands for DELIRIOUS NOMAD, they enlisted the help of seasoned producer Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth) and set to work creating the album that they should have recorded all along. Taped in Los Angeles, the sessions progressed well but not without a degree of angst, particularly when guitarist Phil Sandoval was asked to step aside, reducing the band’s compliment to a quartet.

For all that, DELIRIOUS NOMAD remains, for most people, the band’s high point, in a career that has lasted on and off for the best part of 30 years. Max Norman’s production is crisp yet crushing, whilst the band’s attack and energy level is through the roof. That the songs are truly impressive is indeed the icing on the cake.

24-bit re-mastering from original source tapes, 3,500 word essay about the making of the album, two bonus tracks, new interview with the band and additional photos spread out over a 16-page full-color booklet.

Track Listing:
1. Long Before I Die
2. Nervous Man
3. Over The Edge
4. The Laugh
5. Conqueror
6. For The Sake Of Heaviness
7. Aftermath
8. In The Hole
9. You’re Never Alone
10. Released
Bonus Tracks:
11. The Laugh (demo)
12. You’re Never Alone (rough mix)

Armored Saint
http://www.armoredsaint.com/

Rock Candy Records
http://www.rockcandyrecords.co.uk/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-World’s Greatest Prog Rock Band & Grammy Award Winners Yes To Release New Live 2CD/DVD Package On Frontiers

Frontiers Records proudly announces the latest live release from the most influential and ground-breaking progressive rock ‘n’ roll band in history, Yes. New album IN THE PRESENT – LIVE FROM LYON will be available on 2CD/DVD package from November 29th in North America and December 2nd in Europe.

Recorded in Lyon, France, on December 1st 2009, IN THE PRESENT – LIVE FROM LYON is an outstanding collection of hidden gems and unforgettable classics, with new singer Benoit David breathing new life into each of the evergreen tracks. The package comes with a 55-minute DVD containing excerpts from the live performance, candid interviews and behind the scenes footage. The cover art features an original design by Roger Dean, author of most Yes album covers including classics FRAGILE, CLOSE TO THE EGDE and DRAMA.

Yes’ powerful compositions influenced a generation of musicians. They have a hugely successful and indelible catalogue of masterpieces; songs like “Roundabout,” a seminal hit which consistently appears on “the best songs of all-time” lists, and the group’s #1 hit “Owner Of A Lonely Heart,” taken from the Yes album 90125, saw Yes top the UK and US album charts simultaneously.

Yes are the pioneers for the use of synthesizers and sound effects in modern music and produced a multitude of timeless, symphonic-rock masterworks; they continued to push the cutting edge of art-rock music to their limits, selling over 30 million albums and reaching platinum status multiple times worldwide. Yes’ latest studio album FLY FROM HERE — the first in 10 years — hit the Top 10 on the Rock Charts and was declared as their “best work since the ’70s” (Paste Magazine).

IN THE PRESENT – LIVE FROM LYON will be released in a gloss digi-pak edition. The final track listing includes:

CD 1: Siberian Khatru; I’ve Seen All Good People; Tempus Fugit; Onward; Astral Traveller; And You And I; Corkscrew (Acoustic Solo)

CD 2: Owner Of A Lonely Heart; Southside Of The Sky; Machine Messiah; Heart Of The Sunrise; Roundabout; Starship Trooper

DVD: Interviews, Excerpts from the Live Show, “Roundabout,” “Machine Messiah” (running time approx. 55 mins.)

A limited edition gatefold sleeve three-LP vinyl release (only including the audio portion of the album) will be exclusively available in the European markets.

A trailer of the DVD can be enjoyed following this link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=M1CVUbp562c

IN THE PRESENT – LIVE FROM LYON lineup features:

Benoit David: vocals
Steve Howe: guitar
Chris Squire: bass
Alan White: drums
Oliver Wakeman: keyboards

Catch Yes on tour in Europe – Fall 2011
11/03 Lisbon, Portugal Coliseum
11/04 Madrid, Spain La Riviera
11/05 Barcelona, Spain St. Jordi Club
11/08 Cambridge, UK Corn Exchange
11/09 Sheffield, UK City Hall
11/11 Birmingham, UK Symphony Hall
11/12 Glasgow, Scotland Clyde Auditorium
11/13 Manchester, UK Apollo
11/15 Brighton, UK Dome
11/16 Bristol, UK Colston Hall
11/17 London, UK Hammersmith Apollo
11/19 Paris, France Olympia
11/20 Brussels, Belgium Ancienne Belgique
11/21 Nijmegen, Holland Vereeniging
11/23 Zurich, Switzerland Volkshaus
11/24 Milan, Italy Teatro Smeraldo
11/25 Trieste, Italy Palazzetto di Chiarbola
11/27 Vienna, Austria Koncerthaus
11/29 Dresden, Germany Kulturpalast
11/30 Stuttgart, Germany KKL Hegensaal
12/02 Nuremberg, Germany Meistersinger Hall
12/03 Munich, Germany Tonhalle
12/04 Bielefield, Germany Ringlokschuppen
12/06 Copenhagen, Denmark Amager Bio
12/07 Oslo, Norway Sentrum Scene
12/09 Stockholm, Sweden Solnahallen
12/11 Helsinki, Finland Circus
12/12 Tallinn, Estonia Nokia Kontserdimaja
12/15 Moscow, Russia Crocus City Hall

http://www.frontiers.it/

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-Z Records News

Pre-Orders Now Being Taken For Prophet’s RECYCLED

Prophet’s third album will be re-released on October 31st fully re-mastered and with amazing new artwork. The album can be pre-ordered at the Z Online Store at http://www.zrecords.net/ .

Z Rock 2012 Welcome RockForces.com To Our Extended Family

Z Rock 2012 are proud to announce their supporters for the forthcoming show.

Once again our good friends at Marshall are with us for the fifth year as are our good friends at Fireworks Magazine, Mayfair Mallzine, Rockreport.be, Phoenix Radio and Rockunited.

We’d like to welcome our latest backer http://www.rockforces.com/ . Rock Forces’ website was launched recently by some highly respected journalists and is a whole new experience — check it out!

Tickets sales are moving well with less than 40% of the allocated tickets at discounted rate left available. Don’t forget they are £38 instead of £45 and on a first-come first-served basis at http://www.zrecords.net/ .

http://www.zrecords.net/
http://www.z-records.com/
http://www.facebook.com/ZRECORDS.OFFICIAL

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-Death Angel To Play At Metalfest 2012!

Long-established thrashers Death Angel just confirmed their participation in Metalfest 2012!

Having been one of the youngest bands ever to storm the metal genre, Death Angel have become one of the flagships of the thriving Bay Area thrash metal scene in the early 1980s. An era when one could even see Metallica’s Cliff Burton in front of the stage of Ruthie’s Inn, banging his head to Death Angel’s inventive style, and speedy, complex arrangements.

Now you’ll get the once-in-a-lifetime chance to experience a true uniqueness in metal history, for Death Angel will raise hell at Metalfest 2012 by performing an exclusive song selection of their ’87 classic THE ULTRA VIOLENCE!

THE ULTRA VIOLENCE track list:

1. Thrashers
2. Evil Priest
3. Voracious Souls
4. Kill As One
5. The Ultra-Violence
6. Mistress Of Pain
7. Final Death
8. I.P.F.S

Of course there are some more members of the Nuclear Blast family who are going to play at Metalfest 2012. You can look forward to:

Blind Guardia*
Kreator – exclusive festival shows 2012!
Hypocrisy – exclusive festival shows 2012!
Death Angel – THE ULTRA VIOLENCE Set!
Vader

and many others!

*Blind Guardian will not play at Metalfest Dessau!

Metalfest 2012 dates:
31.05.-02.06.2012 Mining, Metalfest Austria
31.05.-02.06.2012 Dessau, Metalfest Germany/East
01.06.-03.06.2012 Jaworzno, Metalfest Poland
02.06.-05.06.2012 Zadar, Metalfest Croatia
05.06.-07.06.2012 Milan, Metalfest Italy
07.06.-09.06.2012 Loreley, Metalfest Germany/West
07.06.-10.06.2012 Pratteln, Metalfest Switzerland
08.06.-10.06.2012 Plzen, Metalfest Czech Republic

Further information and tickets:
http://www.hardticket.eu/

Death Angel
http://deathangel.us/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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-Ulterium Records To Release Theocracy’s AS THE WORLD BLEEDS On November 25

Specials:
o The long-awaited third album from the US melodic power metal band Theocracy
o Mastered by Mika Jussila [Stratovarius, Nightwish, Children Of Bodom]
o Artwork by Felipe Machado Franco [Blind Guardian, Rhapsody Of Fire, Iced Earth]

Track list:
1. I AM
2. The Master Storyteller
3. Nailed
4. Hide In The Fairytale
5. The Gift Of Music
6. 30 Pieces Of Silver
7. Drown
8. Altar To The Unknown God
9. Light Of The World
10. As The World Bleeds

Bio:
Theocracy is a metal band from Athens, Ga., whose melodic style has more in common with their European contemporaries than with most of their US counterparts. Characterized by huge choruses, epic arrangements and progressive elements, Theocracy’s music is both immediate and deep, managing to be instantly catchy and memorable, yet revealing new levels of intricacy and depth with each subsequent listen.

The self-titled debut album from Theocracy was released at the end of 2003 on Metal Ages Records, to fantastic reviews and worldwide acclaim within the metal community. After the release the band started playing shows (including the prestigious ProgPower USA) and working on new material. After years of hard work, Theocracy signed with Ulterium Records and released their second album MIRROR OF SOULS.

MIRROR OF SOULS was definitely a huge breakthrough for Theocracy and it received fantastic reviews from press around the world, and it was released in Europe, North America and Japan. The European live debut took place at the Elements of Rock festival in Switzerland 2009 in front of 500 crazy fans.

Besides playing shows in the US opening up for bands like Sonata Arctica, Blind Guardian and Circle to Circle, Theocracy also did their first European headliner tour during fall 2009.

Theocracy now present their third magnum opus entitled AS THE WORLD BLEEDS. The album is mastered by Mika Jussila [Nightwish, Stratovarius, Children Of Bodom] and features artwork by Felipe Machado Franco [Blind Guardian, Rhapsody Of Fire, Iced Earth].

AS THE WORLD BLEEDS is definitely the strongest album from Theocracy so far, and will be loved by fans and critics in the scene. The band is going to Europe once again this fall for another headliner tour, and the future of Theocracy is exciting for sure!

Lineup:
Matt Smith: Vocals
Val Allen Wood: Lead Guitar
Jonathan Hinds: Guitar
Jared Oldham: Bass
Shawn Benson: Drums

Discography:
2011: AS THE WORLD BLEEDS [Ulterium Records]
2008: MIRROR OF SOULS [Ulterium Records]
2003: THEOCRACY [Metal Ages]

http://www.theocracymusic.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
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-Andromeda’s MANIFEST TYRANNY Due Out November 25 On Inner Wound Recordings

Specials: New masterpiece from the Swedish progressive metal masters Andromeda.

Track list:
1. Preemptive Strike
2. Lies ‘R’ Us
3. Stay Unaware
4. Survival Of The Richest
5. False Flag
6. Chosen By God
7. Asylum
8. Play Dead
9. Go Back To Sleep
10. Antidote

Artwork by: Markus Sigfridsson [Darkwater, Harmony]

Bio:
The origins of the Swedish quintet Andromeda can be traced back to 1999. Nowadays Sweden’s Andromeda with several albums and tours under their belt is definitely one of the most successful progressive metal bands in Scandinavia and Europe. Albums like EXTENSION OF THE WISH, II=I and CHIMERA are considered classics in the scene, and the DVD PLAYING OFF THE BOARD shows how talented this Swedish guys really are. This is something Andromeda also have proved over the years with appearances at festivals like ProgPower USA and Europe, Bloodstock UK and shows together with Evergrey among others. With amazing media support and great accolades from fans all around the World, Andromeda now found time to write their sixth and most mature effort ever; MANIFEST TYRANNY which we hereby present to you.

This fall Andromeda have performed at festivals like Generation Prog Festival, Denmark Rock Festival and Slottsskogen Goes Progressive, and when the new album hits the shelves many more shows will be announced. Already confirmed for 2012 are the Fused Festival in UK and the PPM Fest in Belgium.

Stronger than ever Andromeda is here to show you something you have not heard before. Dark, brutal, energetic and intelligent.

Open your ears and you too will transcend into the multifaceted galaxy of Andromeda!

Andromeda lineup:
Johan Reinholdz – Guitar
David Fremberg – Vocals
Thomas Lejon – Drums
Martin Hedin – Keyboards
Linus “Mr. Gul” Abrahamson – Bass

Discography:
EXTENSION OF THE WISH [Century Media 2001]
II=I [Century Media 2003]
EXTENSION OF THE WISH – FINAL EXTENSION [Century Media 2004]
CHIMERA [Massacre Records 2006]
PLAYING OFF THE BOARD [DVD/CD - Metal Mind 2007]
THE IMMUNITY ZONE [Nightmare Records 2008]
MANIFEST TYRANNY [Inner Wound Recordings 2011]

http://www.andromedaonline.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
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-Swedish Melodic Metal Band Oriz Returns With II November 13 On Doolittle Group/Liljegren Records

Selling Points:
Oriz – Classic new melodic metal in the finest way from Sweden. If you like bands such as Rainbow, Deep Purple, Whitesnake but also newer bands such as Jorn, Gotthard & Edguy.

The mastering process was done by Micke Lind known for his great work with Dio, Talisman, Lion’s Share, Golden Resurrection & DivineFire.

Lineup:
Alexander Oriz – Lead Guitar
David Mauritzon – Guitar
Mattias Eriksson – Vocals
Emil Eriksson – Drums
Christopher Davidsson – Bass

Track List:
1. Forever Free
2. Desert Rider
3. Put Out The Flame
4. This Feeling
5. Captured
6. Your Lies
7. Broken
8. The Cage
9. Glimpse Of Light And Denial
10. Living

Overview:
Oriz is a new melodic metal band from Sweden formed in late 2009 by the music producer/multi-musician Alexander Oriz from Huskvarna, Sweden.

All members of Oriz are very talented musicians who have a lot of musical experiences in different metal bands. Some of the members of Oriz have been touring abroad and also been support act for larger bands such as (Paul Di’Anno Ex-Iron Maiden) and (White Lion). Most of the members also have degrees in the music business.

The music Oriz delivers is influenced by melodic classic hard rock/heavy metal from the ’70s-’80s, especially bands like Rainbow, Deep Purple, and Whitesnake, but also newer bands such as Jorn, Gotthard, Edguy, and more.

Oriz signed a deal for the their self-titled album with the small label Blue Topaz Records in 2010 but due to poor distribution channels they wanted find a new label for their second studio album.

Oriz started looking for a new label to release their second album and in January 2011 A&R Christian Liljegren at Doolittle Group in Sweden showed interest for Oriz. Christian is also known for his good work as vocalist/composer with Narnia, DivineFire, Audiovision, and his latest band Golden Resurrection.

Christian heard the potential in Oriz and before the summer the deal was signed with Doolittle Group and Oriz started recording the album. The mastering process was done by Micke Lind at Masterplant known for his great work with Dio, Talisman, Lion’s Share, Golden Resurrection, DivineFire, and more.

All great graphic design is done by Markus Sigfridsson at Tenement Design in Sweden, also a guitarist in 7Days, Harmony, and Darkwater. He has done great covers and artwork for DivineFire, Audiovision, Golden Resurrection, Swedish Hitz Goes Metal, ReinXeed, Grimmark, and many more.

The new Oriz album, simply titled II, delivers a melodic metal production with a clear and soaring sound that Swedish bands are known for. The Oriz story continues…

Discography:
ORIZ – Blue Topaz BTR 61
II – Doolittle LRCD009

http://www.facebook/swedishhitzgoesmetal
http://www.doolittle.se/
http://www.myspace.com/orizrocks

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*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
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-Rob Mancini To Release New Album ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS!

The new album ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS could best be described as a reflective but modern influenced crossover between the roots of late ’80s and early ’90s melodic rock. Think Bon Jovi with a Nickelback kick, infused with his own signature, a powerfully stomping rhythm guitar section, addictive keyboards and catchy melody lines sung by lead vocalist, guitarist and “Rock Doc” Rob Mancini.

Track listing:
1. Carnival Of Fools
2. Rock N Roll Circus
3. Edge Of A Broken Heart
4. Every Time You Cry
5. Running Up That Hill
6. Lay Down The Law
7. Weak As I Am
8. Stranger In Paradise
9. Too Late To Die
10. The Reaper
11. United We Stand
12. Time Stops For No One But You
13. Edge Of A Broken Heart (Radio Edit)

The album was recorded at Rob’s GMG Studio One in Ireland, featuring 13 tracks including a cover version of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill” and was mastered by Harry Hess at Vespa Music Group Canada. Tour dates are in planning for 2012.

After almost a decade of recording abstinence, touring the Irish Club scene, Ireland’s German-Italian born rock musician and producer, Rob Mancini is back on track with the smash hit, “Edge Of A Broken Heart” and the powerful ballad “Every Time You Cry” from his new album ROCK N ROLL CIRCUS.

Promo trailer “Edge Of A Broken Heart”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nhJOLAgAOKg

Promo trailer “Every Time You Cry”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ASb1P9XpYWs

Rob played extensively on the international rock circuit in the mid ’90s with Hotwire and Crush, recording several albums and sharing the stage with artists such as Victory, Thunderhead, Dare, etc. before moving to Ireland in 2001 to work as studio and session musician.

For more information, updates and sound samples of the new album please check the following:

http://www.robmancinirock.com/
http://www.reverbnation.com/robmancinirock
http://www.facebook.com/robmancinirock
http://www.twitter.com/robmancinirock
http://www.myspace.com/robmancinirock
http://www.rockngrowl/rob-mancini

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*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
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-Daylight Dies’ IDLE (SPECIAL EDITION) On Divebomb Digital

We originally signed Daylight Dies in 2000 and immediately caused quite a stir within Tribunal Records’ fledging and predominantly metalcore fan base. Daylight Dies were the first true metal band on our roster and we couldn’t have been happier to welcome them aboard all those years ago. Now 11 years later, Daylight Dies has achieved worldwide success and released numerous critically acclaimed albums via Relapse Records and Candlelight Records. They have toured with Katatonia, Moonspell, Lacuna Coil and were main support for Emperor during two capacity crowd reunion shows in New York City. They have come a long way since the initial release of IDLE in 2000 and we couldn’t be more proud of them.

IDLE has been out of print for nearly 10 years and unavailable digitally. So we here at Divebomb are excited to present a newly re-mastered digital special edition of the EP with special bonus track available via all our normal digital re-sellers.

Track List:
1. Unending Waves (6:47)
2. Piano Interlude One (0:41)
3. Forfeiture Of Life (6:44)
4. Piano Interlude Two (1:07)
5. Stronger Days (8:09)
6. In The Silence (Original Version) (6:22)

“Unending Waves” on SoundCloud:
http://soundcloud.com/divebombrecords/daylight-dies-unending-waves

iTunes:
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/idle-special-edition-ep/id473779901

Amazon:
http://www.amazon.com/Idle-Special-Edition/dp/B005W55CW4/

http://www.divebombrecords.com/
http://www.facebook.com/divebombrecords
http://www.myspace.com/divebombrecords
http://twitter.com/tribunalrecords

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-Napalm Records News

The Sorrow: Signs To Napalm

The Austrian metalcore band The Sorrow has joined the Napalm ranks and is currently working on their fourth album, which will be released in early 2012! The Sorrow has played more than 300 shows and festival gigs (including Wacken, With Full Force, Summerbreeze, Masters Of Rock, Gods Of Metal, FME, etc.) in the past four years, making them one of the most active internationally-renowned German live acts around.

Andy Mäser: “We are thrilled about the cooperation with the entire Napalm team and are happy to have found a new ‘partner in crime’ after numerous successful years in the business.”

http://www.thesorrow.net/
http://www.facebook.com/thesorrowofficial
http://www.myspace.com/thesorrowmetal

Win With Napalm Records: Name Our Mascot!

Name our mascot and win with Napalm Records! The sky is the limit, so let your imagination fly. Just make sure the name is as badass as our Napalm eagle! Look for details on Facebook!

http://www.napalmrecords.com/
http://www.facebook.com/napalmrecords

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*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
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-Juke Kartel Helps Fight Breast Cancer

“Brightest Star” Official Campaign Song For The Susan G. Komen Foundation

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Charting rock band Juke Kartel fights back on breast cancer. “Brightest Star” is currently this year’s official campaign song for the Susan G. Komen Foundation For The Cure. When you download this song from iTunes, you will be helping fund the cure for breast cancer, as well as provide specific communities of women the resources they need for early detection. Every download makes a difference! Watch the video here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SJmSTPZM7kI

“This song was created from a vision I had five months ago when our drummer Jay turned up to sound check, at the Hotel Cafe in L.A., in tears,” explains Toby Rand, singer of Juke Kartel. “He explained that his mum (Fransie) had been diagnosed with Breast Cancer and it was spreading. The news really shook us and the night’s performance was memorable as Jay played through the tears. It got me thinking… music helped Jay to nurture his pain and sorrow and he used it to move an entire room full of people. So, I thought a song about Fransie and her battle would be a great way to redirect the energy and focus on recovery.”

Please watch the video and download now! For more information on Juke Kartel or Susan G. Komen visit http://www.jukekartel.com/ or http://www.komen.org/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
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-Evile – FIVE SERPENT’S TEETH Limited Edition Out Now In North America!

Greetings rockers and metalheads!

FIVE SERPENT’S TEETH, the incredible new album from British thrashers Evile, is out now North America!

FIVE SERPENT’S TEETH is Evile’s third full-length release and is already receiving rave reviews around the world. The album is available now in stores, and is also available online from FYE with an exclusive free band photo signed by the members of Evile themselves!

Grab FIVE SERPENT’S TEETH with this highly collectible item now at http://bit.ly/evile-fye .

*** Hurry, this killer freebie is only available while stocks last!!!

See an image of the exclusive signed band photo at http://earacherecords.com/myspace/evile_fst_fye.jpg .

FIVE SERPENT’S TEETH is also available from the Earache Webstore on CD and limited edition colored vinyl, as well as in special “Serpent Cult” fan packs with a range of exclusive extra merchandise, at http://j.mp/9aOHhw .

The album is also available now on iTunes at http://bit.ly/p51Wmo .

And don’t forget to check out Evile’s new music video for the track “Cult!” Watch the video now at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s0P2Gr5Ucfk .

Enjoy rocking out to FIVE SERPENT’S TEETH!

Earache Records
http://earacherecords.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
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-All Else Fails Comment On Performing At Blank-Fest Calgary For The Homeless

Lead vocalist and guitarist Barrett Klesko of St. Albert, AB based melodic metallers All Else Fails commented on the band performing as one of the headliners at this year’s first annual Blank-Fest Calgary, which raises awareness and winter clothing Calgary’s homeless and shelter The Mustard Seed.

“We’re truly honored to be asked by the organizers to perform at Calgary’s first ever Blank-Fest. It’s truly a great cause especially how we all know how cold Calgary can get in the winter months and just living in Canada in general can be a complete freeze over, and for those living on the streets to keep them warm is the least we can do to help.”

Blank-Fest Calgary is about the homeless, nothing more and nothing less that is the simple message it presents in its first annual clothing fundraiser for Calgary’s homeless shelter The Mustard Seed. The charity event will take place on November 5th at the Blind Beggar Pub and is spearheaded by Leanne Harrison who runs the national tour booking agency, The SIN Agency, and has brought together the local music scene for the great cause to help those who live on Calgary’s streets during the below zero winter months and are exposed to dangers such as frostbite.

Details on Blank-Fest Calgary can be found at the following links:

Blank-Fest Calgary
http://www.facebook.com/BlankFest.Calgary

Facebook Event (please share)
http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=266382430068375

The Mustard Seed
http://www.theseed.ca/

Blind Beggar Pub
http://www.blindbeggarpub.com/

For more information, contact event organizer Leanne Harrison at leanne@sinagency.ca or (403) 863-5100.

Event Details:

Tickets or reservations are not required. Simply bring one or more blankets to the event.

Date: Saturday, November 5, 2011

Time: 2 p.m. to 2 a.m.

Venue: Blind Beggar Pub, 5211 Macleod Trail Southwest
Calgary, AB

Cost: Admission to the event is a donation of a blanket or winter clothing, or pay what you can monetary donation. All proceeds collected will be donated to The Mustard Seed.

Band Lineup:

Grime House (Airdrie AB)
Hip Hop/ Metal
http://www.grimehouse.com/

Stella (Vancouver BC)
Alternative/ Metalcore
http://www.reverbnation.com/stellagrooves

All Else Fails (Edmonton AB)
Metalcore
http://www.allelsefails.ca/

Inside It Failed (Vancouver BC)
Alternative Hard Rock
http://www.insideitfailed.com/

Dreams of Reason (Calgary AB)
Alternative Rock
http://www.dreamsofreason.com/

Alkatine (Calgary AB)
Hard Rock
https://www.facebook.com/pages/ALKATINE/128843623746

King Dylan (Calgary AB)
Pop/ Hip Hop
http://kingdylan.com/

Jung People (Calgary AB)
Progressive
http://www.reverbnation.com/jungpeople

Bloom (Calgary AB)
Reggae/ Dub/ Blues
http://www.bloomdub.com/

Septembryo (Calgary AB)
Pop Alternative
http://www.septembryo.com/

Million Dollar Fix (Calgary AB)
Rock
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Million-Dollar-Fix/117569551591419

Same Monkey (Calgary AB)
Alternative
https://www.facebook.com/pages/Same-Monkey/258550814168457

About Blank-Fest:
Documentary I – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_nZr7wZhjc
Documentary II – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DtUy2Oms2Cw
Documentary III – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2QNKJIPP21Y

Blank-Fest is an annual benefit concert, usually held one-to-two weeks before Christmas, which raises blankets for the homeless. It was founded in 1997 in Nyack, NY (a suburb approximately 20 miles outside of New York City) by Kenn Rowell who is the front man for the NYC-based band, The Baghdaddios.

Over the years Blank-Fest has collected over 5,900 total donations for the homeless. With the exception of one year (2001) donations in every year has increased. Much of this growth can be attributed to increased exposure through local radio, the Internet and the press, including featured articles in the New York Daily News and mentions in the New York Post. In addition there have been satellite shows that have been formed in other states, cities and countries. So numerous have donations been in recent years that volunteers have had to split the distribution/delivery of blankets to the less fortunate on multiple nights, starting on Christmas Eve. Often excess donations are distributed to homeless shelters as well.

Efforts to duplicate the successes of the early Nyack shows proved elusive at best until New Jersey-based independent artist activist, Richard Kubicz read about Blank-Fest’s efforts in the Daily News and proposed a “sister show” at a local club in Garwood, NJ. The first Blank-Fest NJ, promoted extensively through Kubicz’s D.I.Y. music website Let’s Rock America was a resounding success, netting 200 blankets which were donated directly to a neighboring homeless shelter in Cranford and garnered notice in the Bergen County press in 2006. Last year’s second annual Jersey show produced similar results. Similarly, Blank-Fest UK was founded in Nottingham, England after a local recording studio owner heard an interview with The Baghdaddios on the British Armed Forces Radio Network, BFBS Radio One during the group’s Summer 2007 tour of England. Upon hearing about both the American and UK efforts Ontario-based photographer Gaynor Fletcher approached Rowell regarding the formation of a Blank-Fest Canada show. Also, debuting in 2007, in Guelph, ON, the inaugural Canadian event featured popular Canadian folk artist James Gordon and was covered extensively by the Canadian media, raising well over 100 blankets.

In addition to these shows former Baghdaddios bassist, John Sidoti joined forces with local Internet radio personality Ron Purtee to develop the first-ever Blank-Fest Wisconsin, also in 2007, in the Milwaukee-area suburb of Racine.

Currently, there are eight Blank-Fest shows serving seven major metropolitan areas in three countries. In addition to those mentioned previously, 2008 has seen the addition of three additional shows: Blank-Fest Florida, which is hosted in Northern Florida (Lake City, near Gainesville, FL) and Blank-Fest VA, which is hosted in Richmond, VA.

In addition, promoters in Bridgeport, CT as well as Ottawa, Canada have begun work for premiere Blank-Fest shows in December 2009. The first Blank-Fest Quebec (which was also the first “post-Holiday Season” Blank-Fest show) which took place on Saturday evening, February 21, 2009, garnered approximately 503 total donations.

Currently plans are in development to expand Blank-Fest even further. There has been talk of shows in Texas, Northeast Pennsylvania, Ohio and Atlanta, GA. Several additional popular artists have been approached regarding future such shows. Quoted in a newspaper interview in 2000, Rowell maintained that “as long as there is the issue of homelessness we will continue to have a Blank-Fest,” further adding that he wishes “we didn’t have to hold these shows” but that, until the situation dramatically improves, everyone involved understands that they really have no other choice.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
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-The Devil’s Blood: Metal Blade Records To Release Band’s New Full-Length To North American Fans This January

Metal Blade Records is pleased to announce its union with The Devil’s Blood, a hard rock band inspired by vintage metal and underground psychedelic rock of the days of yore. Metal Blade will be releasing the band’s upcoming full-length album, THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE, in North America on January 17, 2012. THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE features 11 tracks produced with the help of Pieter Kloos at Void Studios (Eindhoven, The Netherlands).

Says founder and band leader SL: “We are very pleased to be able to announce our partnership with a partner so deeply rooted in tradition and at the same time willing and able to extend their borders to include The Devil’s Blood. This industrious quality makes us feel we have chosen a partner who shall not sit idly by as their seeds are growing, but instead shall water the orchard with love and passion so the fruits may become sweet as damnation’s wine. Our cult is growing, growing fast, and with the addition of Metal Blade to our family we shall endeavor to make the whole world dream the dreams of Death.”

Adds Metal Blade Records head Brian Slagel: “The Devil’s Blood has a sound that is quite unique in today’s scene. Reminiscent of the classic metal and psychedelic rock bands of the ’60s and ’70s, The Devil’s Blood has created a dark and haunting world made up of intriguing music, strong vocals and musicianship, reflective artwork, and a theatrical stage show that is not to be missed. We are extremely excited to be working with The Devil’s Blood and look forward to releasing their upcoming full-length THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE in North America this January.”

SL comments further on the upcoming release: “THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE has become a beautiful and horrible child, a child that is about to be offered up unto the Bull headed God. Within the flames of its creation we have heated our irons for the branding of the world. Within its words and music lies the entrance to the path towards the crossroads, towards the unending singularity and beyond. Our children for Moloch! Hail Satan!”

Check out an art teaser clip for the song “Within The Charnel House Of Love” as well as a stream of “She” at http://www.metalblade.com/thedevilsblood/ .

THE THOUSANDFOLD EPICENTRE Track Listing:

1. Unending Singularity
2. On The Wings Of Gloria
3. Die The Death
4. Within The Charnel House Of Love
5. Cruel Lover
6. She
7. The Thousandfold Epicentre
8. Fire Burning
9. Everlasting Saturnalia
10. The Madness Of Serpents
11. Feverdance

http://www.thedevilsblood.com/
http://www.facebook.com/thedevilsblood
http://www.metalblade.com/thedevilsblood

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*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
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-Untimely Demise: Full Album Streaming At Metal Underground

Band Confirm Ontario & Quebec Shows

The headbangers at Metal Underground are hosting a stream of CITY OF STEEL, the debut full-length from Saskatoon thrash metal trio, Untimely Demise, recently released worldwide via Sonic Unyon Metal. Grab a cold one and crank up the face-melting 32-minute scorcher here:

http://www.metalunderground.com/news/details.cfm?newsid=73031

In support of the release of CITY OF STEEL, Untimely Demise have confirmed a string of tour dates through Ontario and Quebec commencing late this month.

Untimely Demise Canadian Assault:

10/27/2011 This Ain’t Hollywood – Hamilton, ON w/ Fatality
10/29/2011 Bloodbucket Metalfest VIII – Toronto, ON w/ Piledriver, Spewgore
10/30/2011 Hard Luck Bar – Toronto, ON w/ Fatality
11/03/2011 Bar Le Trash – Ste-Hyacinthe, QC
11/04/2011 Scanner Bistro – Quebec City, QC
11/05/2011 Cafe Chaos – Montreal, QC
11/06/2011 Bar Le Magog – Sherbrooke, QC

Stay tuned for plenty more Canadian and American live appearances from the band to be announced throughout 2012.

“CITY OF STEEL is a confident debut, seven tracks of slick physicality and some mighty impressive shredding… Just one album in, and they’re already looking like Saskatchewan’s best metal export since Into Eternity.” – Decibel

“…think Annihilator meets Kreator with a touch of Chuck Schuldiner” – Terrorizer

“This intense strain of blackened thrash shows that Canadians really love their metal and take its exercise seriously.” – Hails & Horns

“Untimely Demise have pulled off the impressive trick of making their complex music sound easy.” – Metal Hammer

“…seven tracks of decently written and decently played old school thrash metal that reminds most of Kreator and Destruction” – Blabbermouth

“… these guys are diehard enthusiasts with impeccable agility.” – Exclaim! Magazine

http://www.myspace.com/untimelydemisemusic
http://twitter.com/#!/UntimelyDemise1
http://www.sonicunyon.com/metal
https://www.facebook.com/SonicUnyonMetal

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*** PRESS RELEASE #19 ***
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-Unearth: New iTunes App Unveiled!

Band To Begin North American Tour Next Month

Massachusetts molten metal troupe Unearth are excited to unveil a new iTunes app! Created by Rebel Monster Inc., the app will keep fans up to date on everything Unearth including news, tour info, bios, new merch and more! Additionally, push notifications from the band will let you know what’s going on before anyone else! Check out the free app at http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/unearth/id455615818?mt=8 .

Commented front man Trevor Phipps: “We wanted to design a free app for our fans that is useful and informative. The one that our friends at Rebel Monster put together gives you breaking news, tour dates, sound clips from all of our albums, full streaming songs in our ‘radio’ icon, photos, webstore access, Twitter and Facebook feeds, YouTube channel, bio info and more! We didn’t want to half ass it and put out a useless app. This one is everything you need from Unearth besides seeing the band live! It’s simple to use and it is FREE, so why not check it out?”

Unearth will kick off their co-headlining trek with Chimaira next month. The band will be touring in support of their fifth full-length, DARKNESS IN THE LIGHT, released this past summer via Metal Blade Records.

Unearth/Chimaira tour
with Skeletonwitch & Molotov Solution:
11/13/2011 The Opera House – Toronto, ON
11/14/2011 Club Soda – Montreal, QC
11/16/2011 Webster Theatre – Hartford, CT
11/17/2011 The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY
11/18/2011 Starland Ballroom – Sayreville, NJ
11/19/2011 Wally’s Pub – Hampton Beach, NH
11/20/2011 JAXX – Springfield, VA
11/21/2011 The Orange Peel – Asheville, NC
11/22/2011 Lincoln Theater – Raleigh, NC
11/23/2011 House Of Blues – Myrtle Beach, SC
11/25/2011 Revolution – Ft. Lauderdale, FL
11/26/2011 State Theatre – St. Petersburg, FL
11/27/2011 Freebird Live – Jacksonville, FL
11/29/2011 Emo’s – Austin, TX
11/30/2011 Diamond Ballroom – Oklahoma City, OK
12/01/2011 Sunshine Theater – Albuquerque, NM*
12/02/2011 Mesa Theater & Club – Grand Junction, CO
12/03/2011 The Black Sheep – Colorado Springs, CO*
12/04/2011 Top Deck – Farmington, NM
12/05/2011 The Marquee Theatre – Tempe, AZ*
12/07/2011 Glass House – Pomona, CA*
12/08/2011 Knitting Factory – Reno, NV
12/09/2011 Knitting Factory – Boise, ID
12/10/2011 Knitting Factory – Spokane, WA*
12/11/2011 The Republik – Calgary, AB
12/12/2011 Starlite – Edmonton, AB
12/14/2011 Pyramid Cabaret – Winnipeg, MB
12/16/2011 Wheelhouse – Cedar Falls, IA
12/17/2011 The Barrymore Theater – Madison, WI
12/18/2011 The Intersection – Grand Rapids, MI
12/19/2011 TBA – Buffalo, NY (No Chimaira)
* Skeletonwitch will not be appearing on these dates

…………………………………..

“DARKNESS IN THE LIGHT is a maelstrom of melodic riffs, screamy shouts and enough noodling to keep ‘Guitar Hero’ nerds happy. But it’s not chasing maidens and slaying dragons; Unearth have enough of the ’90s straight-edge hardcore scene still left in their blood to give the lyrics an impassioned warrior cry against corrupt politics and wavering faith. 4/5″ — Alternative Press Magazine

“…strong, dynamic songwriting… it highlights Unearth’s strengths superbly.” — Decibel Magazine

“…faster and fiercer…” — Revolver Magazine

“…this album takes the best elements from every album released so far and pushes them to their limits… Unearth’s writing at its finest. 9/10″ — Ultimate-Guitar.com

“Unearth have never let their fans down before, and their new album, DARKNESS IN THE LIGHT, is no exception.” — MetalSucks.net

“Tight riffing, varying from technical pedal-style patterns to twin-harmony Maiden/At The Gates worship, plus all the brutally chugging breakdowns, will surely serve to inspire many a karate kick in the pits come tour time.” — Fangoria Magazine

http://unearth.tv
http://www.facebook.com/unearthofficial
http://www.youtube.com/unearthofficial
http://twitter.com/unearthofficial
http://www.myspace.com/unearth

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*** PRESS RELEASE #20 ***
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-Out Now! Trombone Metallers Fallstaf’s BASTARD SONS OF A PURE BREED

Fallstaf, the Montreal, QC based thrash / hardcore band whom have hired a Hitman with a trombone to execute their “Brass Metal” assassinations, are proud to announce that their full-length album, BASTARD SONS OF A PURE BREED is available now.

“You’ve waited long enough you bunch of BASTARD sons, the album is now available so go and get it before the Hitman gets you!” commented bassist Ben Forte.

In celebration of the release the band is offering the album exclusively for the special price of $6.66 on LoudTrax.com this week, which can be found here:

http://www.loudtrax.com/artist-music-albums/58489-Fallstaf

The album features 11 tracks of fury; self-produced by Fallstaf, and mixed and mastered by Kevin Jardine (Slaves On Dope) of Uplift Studios and is the follow up their 2009 EP THE HITMAN PLAYS TROMBONE. Blending aggressive trombone with heavy rock, thrash and hardcore influences, Fallstaf are excited to unleash a new sound to the metal family tree, which was born out of their other more soften music collective North East Bistro.

Track Listing – BASTARD SONS OF A PURE BREED

1. Dark Days
2. The Cost
3. Eulogy
4. Not Welcome
5. Pull The Knife
6. My Demons (acoustic version)
7. 10 Years In Flames
8. The Hounds
9. F*ck The Fence
10. My Demons
11. Violent As Violence Can Be

EPK
http://ashermediarelations.com/epks/fallstaf-bastard-sons-of-a-pure-breed-2011/

Teaser Video
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2l99DZv6wdk

Music Video – “The Cost”
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QBpyygUzRko

Show Dates:
November 5, 2011 – Bar Vieux Beauharnois – Beauharnois, QC w/ Slaves On Dope, Buffalo Theory, Avery’s Descent, Kintra

“Prepare for a full-out thrash-death onslaught, as Montreal’s Fallstaf sets the metal bar high with their rampaging brand of trombone brutality. BASTARD SONS OF A PURE BREED will kick your ass!” – Evie’s Underground – CKCU 93.1FM – Ottawa

“HORN-ED BEASTS! Not Every band can claim to have forged their own genre, but that’s exactly what local quartet Fallstaf (and their trombone) have done. Get your head around ‘brass metal’ when they launch their album BASTARD SONS OF A PURE BREED.” – Montreal Mirror

“Fallstaf describe themselves as ‘brass metal.’ It makes sense since they’re pretty heavy, with a ski-masked trombonist on top, just to f*ck sh*t up… And don’t forget to check out their deliciously creepy video for ‘The Cost.’ Groovy, sonic violence for ugly children.” – Hour (Montreal)

R.I.Y.L. – Mushroomhead, Hatebreed, Sepultra, Five Finger Death Punch, Cavalera Conspiracy, Ihsahn

http://www.facebook.com/pages/FALLSTAF/141126614479
http://www.reverbnation.com/fallstaf
http://twitter.com/#!/fallstafmetal
http://www.youtube.com/fallstafbrassmetal
http://fallstaf.bandcamp.com
http://itunes.apple.com/us/album/bastard-sons-of-a-pure-breed/id472795111

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*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-Check out a “Retro Recommendation” feature on Accept’s self-titled debut at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/E5LY .

-Acid For Blood — featuring singer/guitarist Paul Sabu, guitarist Linkan Andersson, bassist Martin Karlsson (Eucharist), and drummer Frankie Banali (Quiet Riot) — will release its debut album OUT FOR BLOOD next year. Tracks set for inclusion are “Rock The Nation,” “Cracked The Sky,” “Out For Blood,” “Thanks For Nothin’,” “Turn Up The Music,” “Red White And Blues,” “Desolation,” “Kill Shot,” “Rocket UP!,” “The Fear Is Gone.” Check out samples and get more information at http://www.AcidForBloodOnline.com/ .

-Check out a five-minute track-by-track preview of Arrayan Path’s new album IRA IMPERIUM at http://youtu.be/JmFMd2dYL2c .

-The latest Sebastian Bach coverage:

MTV Sweden video interview with Maria Mroxx
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_9jU2UDHLa4

MLB.com’s metal moments of 2011
http://fb.me/14GJy42tV

Salford City Radio interview (UK radio) @ iTunes
http://itun.es/iB57WL

All Access Magazine
http://allaccessmagazine.com/2011/10/20/bach-in-the-saddle/

DarkScene Q&A (in German & English)
http://www.darkscene.at/index.php?m=interview&i=211

GuitarWorld.com
http://www.guitarworld.com/interview-sebastian-bach-answers-readers-questions-discusses-new-album-tours-collaborations-and-more

-Rumors abounded a couple months ago that Ozzy Osbourne rejoined his Black Sabbath band mates — Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and Bill Ward — for “secret rehearsals” to test the waters for a possible reunion/farewell tour. It appears the rumors might be true, according to an Iommi piece at Terrorizer, at http://truecultheavymetal.com/blog1.php/2011/10/21/tony-iommi-on-black-sabbath-reunion-we-ve-had-a-rehearsal-and-to-be-together-again-was-great-it-could-happen . Iommi is also reportedly planning another collaboration with Deep Purple’s Ian Gillan. See http://www.black-sabbath.com/ for more.

-Jon Bon Jovi and his wife, Dorothea, opened a charity restaurant called The Soul Kitchen in Red Bank, NJ, through his Jon Bon Jovi Soul Foundation. It’s a “pay-what-you-can” restaurant that “provides gourmet-quality meals to the hungry while enabling them to volunteer on community projects in return without the stigma of visiting a soup kitchen. Paying customers are encouraged to leave whatever they want in the envelopes on each table, where the menus never list a price.” For the complete story, check out http://news.yahoo.com/jon-bon-jovis-charity-restaurant-opens-nj-172118923.html and http://abclocal.go.com/kgo/story?section=news/entertainment&id=8399770 .

-Chinawhite has a “buy one get one free” sale on their CDs, at http://www.chinawhite.nl/ . Also be sure to check out a new version of one of their songs, featuring John Neessen (90 Day Jane) on vocals, at http://www.chinawhite.nl/docs/Chinawhite%20-%20Falling.mp3 .

-Deathwish, billed as “classic UK thrashers,” will reissue DEMON PREACHER next year on Divebomb Records. Check out a track at http://soundcloud.com/divebombrecords/deathwish-demon-preacher# .

-Doro has the following shows lined up for a “Winter In Rock” tour of Germany:

12/8 – Garage, Saarbrücken, Germany
12/9 – Colos Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
12/10 – Backstage Werk, München, Germany
12/11 – Capitol, Hannover, Germany
12/13 – Kreuz, Fulda, Germany
12/14 – Hirsch, Nürnberg, Germany
12/16 – Rosenhof, Osnabrück, Germany
12/17 – Festhalle, Herxheim, Germany
12/18 – Docks, Hamburg, Germany

Check out a new video interview at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=adUjkEsnBeg , and see http://www.doro.de/ for more.

-Check out a video interview with DragonForce’s Dave Mackintosh and Frederic Leclerq, filmed October 21 prior to the band’s first US show with new singer Marc Hudson, at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Video-Interview-With-DragonForces-Dave-Mackintosh-And-Frdric-Leclerq-23615.aspx .

-Edguy’s Tobias Sammet has a “Digital Playlist” feature at Attention Deficit Delirium, at http://www.bryanreesman.com/blog/2011/10/20/digital-playlist-edguys-tobias-sammet/ .

-ESP — the Eric Singer Project featuring Singer, Bruce Kulick, and John Corabi — has some unplugged European shows scheduled for December:

12/1 – Bar Vague à l’Ame, Veysonnaz, Switzerland
12/3 – Aula Chantemerle, Moutier, Switzerland
12/4 – Rockfabrik, Nürenberg, Germany
12/7 – TBA, Toscany, Italy
12/8 – TBA, Milano, Italy
12/9 – TBA, Oslo, Norway
12/10 – TBA, Wroclaw, Poland

See http://www.eric-singer.com/ and http://www.myspace.com/eric_singer for more.

-Ace Frehley’s “No Regrets: A Rock ‘N’ Roll Memoir” is due out November 1. The guitarist has the following book signings scheduled:

11/3 – Barnes & Noble, New York, NY (555 5th Avenue at 46th Street @ noon)
11/4 – Bookends, Ridgewood, NJ (@ 6:00 p.m.)

See http://www.acefrehley.com/ for more.

-Hardcore Superstar’s THE PARTY AIN’T OVER TIL WE SAY SO is an “extensive best-of album . . . that provides a great overview of almost 15 years of their unique style.” It’s due out October 28 on Nuclear Blast. Track list: “We Don’t Need A Cure” (new song), “We Don’t Celebrate Sundays,” “Moonshine,” “My Good Reputation,” “Wild Boys,” “Someone Special,” “Dreamin’ In A Casket,” “Into Debauchery,” “Here Comes That Sick Bitch,” “Last Call For Alcohol,” “Beg For It,” “Liberation,” “Bastards,” “Medicate Me,” “Standin’ On The Verge,” “Still I’m Glad,” “Have You Been Around,” “Shame,” “Honey Tongue,” “Run To Your Mama.” “We Don’t Need A Cure” is available at iTunes at http://bit.ly/oRYglt , and there’s an album teaser at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=He4MtVoTjT4 . Get a free MP3 of “Cry Your Eyes Out” at http://media.nuclearblast.de/download/mags/Hardcore.Superstar.Cry.Your.Eyes.Out.zip . See http://www.hardcoresuperstar.com/ for more.

-Check out Iron Savior in the studio, performing “The Savior,” at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hVHfXvg0Cjo . THE LANDING is due out November 18 on AFM Records.

-New Judas Priest interviews… Glenn Tipton with BraveWords.com at http://www.bravewords.com/news/171094 , and Rob Halford with the Las Vegas Review-Journal at http://www.lvrj.com/neon/rob-halford-still-pushing-limits-as-lead-singer-of-judas-priest-rocking-stage-this-weekend-132298113.html?ref=113 .

-Kiss is assembling Kiss Fan Mosaics, using tiny fan photos to render images of the band members’ faces and the Kiss logo. 2,500 fans can upload their photos to http://www.fanmosaics.com/kiss . See http://www.kissonline.com/ for more. In related news, the second “Eric Carr Through The Years” video, featuring Lydia Criss and Bruce Kulick, is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZqhmH-asA0 . (The first, with Seether drummer John Humphrey and the late Bill Aucoin, is still available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_YNmDh5F65Y .) The Carr 20th anniversary tribute/solo CD UNFINISHED BUSINESS — featuring rare Carr recordings, live performances, re-mixes, and interviews, plus great artwork and layout — is selling well at EricCarr.com (where orders include a free guitar pick, while supplies last). Check out an UNFINISHED BUSINESS album trailer at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_vJswJyOgQQ .

-Check out a Richie Kotzen interview at http://www.examiner.com/music-industry-in-national/richie-kotzen-on-guitars-technique-and-life-on-the-road .

-There’s a new interview with The Last Vegas singer Chad Cherry at Twisted Rose Magazine, at http://www.twistedrosemag.com/ . Stay tuned to http://www.ten30eleven.com/ — get it? 10/30/11? — for info on the band’s new single and video. See http://www.thelastvegas.com/ for more.

-There’s an interview with Manowar’s Joey DeMaio, about the band’s upcoming UK tour, at http://www.list.co.uk/article/38272-interview-manowar-set-for-2011-uk-tour-in-16-years/ .

-Megadeth’s TH1RT3EN — the first studio album with David Ellefson on bass since 2001′s THE WORLD NEEDS A HERO — is due out October 26 in Japan and November 1 in North America. Track list: “Sudden Death,” “Public Enemy No. 1,” “Whose Life (Is It Anyways?),” “We The People,” “Guns, Drugs & Money,” “Never Dead,” “New World Order,” “Fast Lane,” “Black Swan,” “Wrecker,” “Millennium Of The Blind,” “Deadly Nightshade,” “13.” The iTunes pre-order version includes a bonus live version of “Head Crusher.”) Roadrunner Records is leading up to the release with an exclusive series of weekly band member interviews; Dave Mustaine’s will appear next Monday, October 31, but the others are available as follows:

Chris Broderick
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/EXCLUSIVE-Interview-With-Megadeths-Chris-Broderick-23524.aspx

Shawn Drover
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/EXCLUSIVE–Interview-With-Megadeths-Shawn-Drover-23563.aspx

David Ellefson
http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/EXCLUSIVE-Interview–Megadeths-David-Ellefson-23608.aspx

There’s also a video interview with Ellefson, filmed in Atlanta over the summer, at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/Video-Megadeths-Dave-Ellefson-Interviewed-In-Atlanta-23597.aspx , and a cool “History Of Vic Rattlehead” feature at http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/news/EXCLUSIVE–The-History-Of-Vic-Rattlehead-23558.aspx . The band will tour South America and Latin America starting in November as follows:

11/9 – 11/10 – Estadio Cubierto Malvinas, Buenos Aires, Argentina
11/12 – Maquinaria Festival, Club Hipico, Santiago, Chile
11/14 – SWU Music & Arts Festival, Sao Paulo, Brazil
11/16 – 11/17 – Jose Cuervo Salon, Mexico City, Mexico
11/19 – H&H Metal Fest, Calle 2, Guadalajara, Mexico
11/20 – Banamex Auditorium, Monterrey, Mexico
11/23 – Coliseo El Campin, Bogota, Colombia
11/25 – Estadio Rafael Mendoza Castellon, La Paz, Bolivia
11/27 – Live Ace Arena, Asuncion, Paraguay
12/1 – Rosabal Cordero Stadium, Heredia, Costa Rica

See http://www.megadeth.com/ for more.

-HeadbangerNYC.com reported on a rumor that Metallica “is planning to self-finance a 3D feature film,” with producer Charlotte Huggins (“Journey To The Center Of The Earth,” “Journey 2: The Mysterious Island”).

-Morton’s COME READ THE WORDS FORBIDDEN is streaming at http://soundcloud.com/afm-records/sets/morton-come-read-the-words/ . The track “Brotherhood Of Light” can also be downloaded at that link. The album is out now in Europe on AFM Records.

-Nightwish has a “making of” video for its new album IMAGINAERUM at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ABoeKGWtEBY . The new single “Storytime” is due out November 11, and the album is due out December 2. See http://www.nightwish.com/ for more.

-Poison is being sued by former members of a 1980s Chicago band, Kid Rocker. Billy McCarthy and James Stonich claim “guitarist C.C. DeVille auditioned for Kid Rocker in 1984 before he joined Poison, was shown completed and formatted songs and was lent master-recorded studio tapes,” and allege Poison’s songs “Talk Dirty To Me,” “I Won’t Forget You,” “Fallen Angel,” and “Ride The Wind” were stolen from Kid Rocker tracks “Hit And Run” and “Wham Bam Slammin’ Romance,” among others. Kid Rocker was briefly signed to Atlantic Records in the early 1980s. Check out the full report from The Hollywood Reporter at http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/music/ct-talk-poison-lawsuit-1025-20111025,0,4762161.story .

-Radiant Records has a new clip from Neal Morse’s TESTIMONY 2 LIVE IN LOS ANGELES DVD at http://www.radiantrecords.com/ . New releases available at the site include (Roine Stolt’s) Agents Of Mercy – THE BLACK FOREST, The Flower Kings – TOUR KAPUTT (DVD/2-CD set), 3rd World Electric – KILIMANJARO SWEET BREW, and Karmakanic & Agents Of Mercy – THE POWER OF TWO.

-Rhapsody Of Fire — now consisting of singer Fabio Lione, guitarists Roberto De Micheli and Tom Hess, bassist Oliver Holzwarth, keyboardist Alex Staropoli, and drummer Alex Holzwarth — “has started booking some more concerts for the upcoming world tour which will be announced later this year.” See http://www.rhapsodyoffire.com/ for more.

-The new Riot song “Still Your Man,” from the upcoming IMMORTAL SOUL, is available at http://soundcloud.com/steamhammer-spv/riot-still-your-man .

-Running Wild is back and set to release SHADOWMAKER in April 2012 through Steamhammer/SPV. Main man Rock’n'Rolf Kasparek got the spark to restart the band after working on a few new songs for a “best of” album. (The last studio album was ROGUES EN VOGUE in 2005.) Some of the tracks set for inclusion on SHADOWMAKER are “Piece Of The Action,” “Dracula,” and the title track. See http://www.running-wild.de/ for more.

-Saxon recently played B.B. King’s in New York City; check out a review and a photo gallery at http://www.bravewords.com/features/1001070 and http://www.bravewords.com/galleries/564 , respectively.

-Here’s the breakdown on who performs what on Michael Schenker’s newie TEMPLE OF ROCK (aside from Schenker on guitar): “Intro” – speech by William Shatner; “How Long” – Michael Voss on vocals, Neil Murray on bass, Simon Phillips on drums; “Fallen Angel” – Voss, Pete Way on bass, Herman Rarebell on drums; “Hanging On” – Voss, Way, Rudolf Schenker on additional rhythm guitar, Paul Raymond on keyboards, Rarebell; “The End Of An Era” – Voss, Elliott “Dean” Rubinson on bass, Don Airey on Hammond B3, Carmine Appice on drums; “Miss Claustrophobia” – Voss, Way, Raymond, Rarebell, Michael Schenker on Howler; “With You” – Voss, Rudolf Schenker on additional rhythm guitar, Way, Raymond, Rarebell; “Before The Devil Knows You’re Dead” – Doogie White on vocals, Rubinson, Wayne Findlay on keyboards, Brian Tichy on drums; “Storming In” – Voss, Chris Glenn on bass, Chris Slade on drums; “Scene Of Crime” – Voss, Way, Findlay, Rarebell, Michael Schenker on flute and additional backing vocals; “Saturday Night” – Voss, Way, Rarebell; “Lover’s Sinfony” – Robin McAuley on vocals, Way, Findlay, Rarebell; “Speed” – Voss, Glenn, Slade; “How Long (3 Generations Guitar Battle Version)” – Voss, Murray, Phillips, with Leslie West and Michael Amott joining Michael Schenker on guitar. See http://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com/ for more.

-Sonata Arctica’s new trailer for the LIVE IN FINLAND DVD is available at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F72TOrnTL0w . Get a free MP3 of “Flag In The Ground” (live) at http://www.nuclearblast.de/gratisdownload/index.php?link_kampagne=SonataArctica-FlagInTheGroundlive . The DVD is due out November 11 and can be pre-ordered now at the Nuclear Blast web shop. See http://www.sonataarctica.info/ for more.

-Excellent new Chicago-area cover band TrashCan Symphony’s next gig will be November 19 at the Brink Street Restaurant & Bar in Crystal Lake, IL, with two new songs in the set. See http://www.trashcansymphony.com/ , http://www.facebook.com/pages/TrashCan-Symphony/212930548717143 , and http://twitter.com/TCSymphony for more.

-Last week it was confirmed that Twisted Sister main man Dee Snider will appear on Season 5 of “Celebrity Apprentice,” which will air on NBC early next year. The other cast members are: Teresa Giudice, Victoria Gotti, Aubrey O’Day, Cheryl Tiegs, Dayana Mendoza, Tia Carrere (schwing!), Patricia Velasquez, Debbie Gibson, Lisa Lampanelli, Adam Carolla, Arsenio Hall, Clay Aiken, George Takei, Lou Ferrigno, Marco Andretti, Paul Teutal, and Penn Jillette.

-U.D.O. will record a live DVD at its November 16 show at the Hristo Botev Hall in Sofia, Bulgaria. See http://www.udo-online.de/ for more.

-The limited edition of Vain’s ENOUGH ROPE includes a DVD entitled OFFICIAL BOOTLEGS 1989-1995, a sticker, and an autographed post card. The album is due out October 28.

-Vic’s Drum Shop in Chicago will have a Grand Opening Event this Saturday, October 29, from 11 a.m. until 6 p.m. Hype: “Drummer Vic Salazar brings a dedicated drum and percussion shop to Chicago offering the most comprehensive selection of gear anywhere.” There will be “thousands of dollars in giveaways, artist performances, and complimentary cocktails.” The following drummers are schedule to appear: Terry Bozzio (Frank Zappa, Jeff Beck), Gavin Harrison (Porcupine Tree, King Crimson), Will Calhoun (Living Colour), Mike Portnoy (Adrenaline Mob, Dream Theater), Jimmy Chamberlin (Skysaw, Smashing Pumpkins), Todd Sucherman (Styx), Jimmy DeGrasso (Y&T, Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies), Chad Wackerman (Frank Zappa, Steve Vai, Dweezil Zappa), and more. Upcoming events include a Simon Phillips drum clinic at the Bottom Lounge in Chicago on November 4, and “Thomas Lang’s Intense 3 Day Drumming Boot Camp” at Vic’s in December. See http://www.vicsdrumshop.com/ for more.

-W.A.S.P. has a new album in the works, and to celebrate the band’s “30 Years Of Thunder anniversary tour” — which features an hour of songs from the first four albums, a 25-minute suite of material from THE CRIMSON IDOL complete with “the movie accompaniment,” and a third set of “everything else” including new material — Blackie Lawless is publishing a 15-part diary at http://www.waspnation.com/ . The September and October entries are up now. The diary will “chronicle the real events of the band and give fans all a little better insight to the last thirty years in their history.” See http://www.facebook.com/W.A.S.P.Nation for more.

-The folks behind the Wacken Open Air are asking fans for their votes in the European Festival Awards, in the “Best Major Festival” category. Cast your vote at http://eu.festivalawards.com/vote/ , and you’ll be entered to win free tickets. The W:O:A Full Metal Shop has a special Halloween discount available all day October 31; use voucher code FMSHW11 at http://www.full-metal-shop.de/ to receive 6.66% off all orders above 15€. See http://www.wacken.com/ for more.

-There’s a new interview with Warrant singer Robert Mason at Twisted Rose Magazine, at http://www.twistedrosemag.com/ .

-Whitesnake’s “Is This Love?” has been covered by “dance diva” Stacey Jackson, who is supporting the single “as she plans to tour the US and perform some of the top clubs in New York City, Los Angeles and Vegas.” Hype: “‘Is This Love?’ has quickly caught the listeners of some interesting industry leaders to which advanced Stacey to propel her into promotion off the back of her already UK success. After finishing her video for this cover with famed Director Luke Biggins who is best known for working with over 200 artists such as Ludacris, Styles P, Cassidy, Estelle, Dizzee Rascal, Daniel Beddingfield and Sway, the video was prime for promotion. With such a successful industry leader behind the video it was in quick demand and was leaked early to the chagrin of Jackson and her team, but this story had a happy ending as the excitement for this video caught the eyes of AOL and Female First which found its home and will be the exclusive global launch for the singer’s upcoming single. The video brings the sassiness and fun sexuality that Jackson possesses, ‘I wanted to recreate a time that was full of carefree behavior. One of my most favorite videos that I believe evokes this is the Eric Prydz video “Call On Me” and I wanted mine to share that same sentiment. I hope that my fans love it and I hope to gain more as it was definitely fun making it!’ gushes Jackson.” See http://www.staceyjackson.com/ for more.

Thanks to Bruce Kulick, Mitch Lafon, Bryan Reesman, Matt Rudzinski, Peter Cox, Wayne Parry, Doug Elfman, Alison Richter, Henry Northmore, Pitch Black Records, Chris Thompson, Dan Marsicano, Music Buy Mail, Jeff Treppel, Peter Cox, Jessica Berek, Earsplit PR, Thomas Jensen, the Illinois Entertainer, Nuclear Blast, Jeff “More Cowbell” Adee, and Eric “Aqua Net” Helgeson for help gathering some of this information.

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*** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE ***
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by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-For those of you keeping score at home we now have “Bear Metal” and “Brass Metal,” a.k.a. “Trombone Metal.” WTF, you may be asking? Svölk’s SVÖLK ‘EM ALL (cool title, and umlauts, too!), due out next month on Napalm Records, is billed as “Bear Metal / Stoner Metal” with this hype: “From the city of Oslo, Svölk is shaking things up with their unique brand of bear metal. The genre delivers a riff-heavy mix of stoner rock and metal, as well as a generous dose of Nordic redneck attitude. The 12-track debut is marked by unrestrained and penetrating power in which the guitar takes on the lead role. SVÖLK ‘EM ALL catapults Svölk to the scene’s forefront, where songs like ’52′ or ‘Anchor’ will soon become the talk of the town. Knut Erik Solhaug could be easily mistaken for Glenn Danzig, if Glenn were wearing Norwegian flannel, and his vocals encourage his fellow band members to reach for new heights. SVÖLK ‘EM ALL is a genuine powerhouse of first-class riffs and grooves!” Check ‘em out and get down with your own bad ursine self at http://www.svolk.net/ , http://www.myspace.com/svolk , and http://www.facebook.com/svolk666 . Then there is Fallstaf, whose press release we ran above. So sayeth their press kit: “Hiring a hit man can sometimes to be seen as a means to an end, but not for Montreal, QC metallers Fallstaf. With their aggressive tendencies and energetic approach to lay it all out in the mosh pit, these brawlers realized that hiring a hit man with a trombone is the means to fuel the fire and only the beginning of what has become. Forming their own new genre dubbed ‘Brass Metal,’ out of their other more soften music collective North East Bistro. Fallstaf is the angry brother who has melange the trombone assassinations of the hit man with their brand of aggressive / heavy hitting metal that ranges in influences from heavy rock, thrash and hardcore.” Fallstaf’s debut full-length BASTARD SONS OF A PURE BREED is out this week.

-So did you watch the “Kiss Inc.” segment on “CNN Presents” this past Sunday? According to the show Kiss has sold $500 million — half a BILLION dollars, people! — worth of merchandise through LiveNation in the last 15 years. And they now have over 3,000 different pieces of merchandise. Gene Simmons estimated the band’s brand’s worth as between “one and five [billion dollars].” That roughly equates to one dollar for every time they’ve released “Rock And Roll All Nite.”

In related news, as part of the build-up to Halloween I watched “Kiss Meets The Phantom Of The Park” with my six-year-old the other day. (Although I guess, *technically*, what we watched was the European theatrical release entitled “Attack Of The Phantoms,” since that’s the version included on the KISSOLOGY DVDs.) My kid got a huge kick out of the fight scenes, and Gene’s growling. “Rip And Destroy!”

-I’m not the world’s biggest Jon Bon Jovi fan, but his Soul Kitchen restaurant is an awesome thing. I hope it is wildy successful. Kudos!

-Welcome back, Rock’n'Rolf!

-In my current playlist: Brainstorm – ON THE SPUR OF THE MOMENT (AFM Records), Arrayan Path – IRA IMPERIUM (Pitch Black Records), Lord Volture – NEVER CRY WOLF (Lord Volture Records), Vain – ENOUGH ROPE (Jackie Rainbow Records), Swedish Hitz Goes Metal – s/t (Doolittle Group).

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