Archive News Apr 15, 2001

SLAYER appear to have dropped Soundtracks Of The Apocalypse as the working title for their upcoming studio release, which is due out July 3rd through American / Columbia Records. SLAYER are presently mixing the album at a Vancouver studio and plan on having it ready to be mastered by April 20th. In other SLAYER news, the group will most likely be recording a theme song for a member of the WWF, to be included on a WWF compilation available later this year through Sony Records.

QUEENSRYCHE vocalist Geoff Tate will reportedly be performing his first-ever live show with his 'solo project' on Friday, June 1st at The Catwalk in Seattle. No further information is available at this time, but according to a posting on the official QUEENSRYCHE web site from the singer himself, Tate has 'something special planned' for the gig in question.

Former ALICE IN CHAINS bassist Mike Starr has written his own version of the 'inside' story behind one of the most celebrated — and self-destructive — of the Seattle 'grunge' bands. The book is called Unchained — The Story Of Mike Starr And His Rise And Fall In ALICE IN CHAINS, and it was published by Xanadu Books. Currently only available on the Internet via www.unchainedbook.com, Unchained... is said to be 'the compelling story of Mike Starr's roller-coaster ride that packed more thrills and experiences into a few years than most people could have in 10 lifetimes. Find out: how ALICE IN CHAINS was first discovered, why 3,000 girlfriends weren't enough for Mike Starr, who punched out Kurt Cobain in Brazil, why heroin kills you when you overdose, why you'd rather be dead than quit, and what happened when ALICE IN CHAINS' lead singer, Layne Staley, insulted the Ku Klux Klan on stage in the heart of Louisiana. (Hint: it wasn't pretty.)'

DEICIDE have added further dates to their upcoming US trek. Here is how the tour is shaping up right now:

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May 02 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgeralds

May 03 - Austin, TX @ Backdoor

May 04 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit

May 05 - Dallas, TX @ Canyon Club

May 06 - El Paso, TX @ E-9

May 09 - West Hollywood, CA @ Troubadour

May 10 - San Fransisco, CA @ Maritime Hall

May 12 - Portland, OR Pine Street @ Theater

May 13 - Seattle, WA @ Graceland

May 15 - St. Paul, MN @ The Lab

May 16 - Aurora, IL @ Riley's

May 17 - Aurora, IL @ Riley's

May 18 - Cleveland, OH @ Blind Melon

May 19 - Detroit, MI @ Harpos

May 21 - Cincinnati, OH @ Top Cats

May 24 - South Amboy, NJ @ Club Krome

May 25 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx Nightclub

May 26 - Brooklyn, NY @ L'Amour

According to a posting on vocalist Jeff Scott Soto's official web site, it appears that the remainder of YNGWIE MALMSTEEN's U.S. tour is being canceled, and that Jeff will, unfortunately, not get to do any US gigs with YNGWIE at this time. Apparently, there may still be a chance that Jeff will hook up with MALMSTEEN for a European or Asian tour, but nothing has been confirmed as of yet. This follows a particularly bad week for the guitarist, which saw singer Jorn Lande and drummer John Macaluso walk out of the band prior to the group's scheduled performance in Cleveland, Ohio on Sunday, April 8th.

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Meanwhile, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN's management company representative, Mike Spitzer, has responded to the Internet reports that painted a less-than-flattering picture about the Swedish guitarist's role in the events that led to vocalist Lande and Macaluso leaving the band mid-tour in Cleveland. The following is Spitzer's official response to the account that was first reported via melodicrock.com:

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'The band was being paid a flat salary on a weekly basis. Some members requested bank wire transfers to their personal banks, which meant, of course, they had little cash on hand. In the case of a few people (especially foreign members),there were delays in wire transfers and confirmations between the banks, so although the weekly pay may have been running several days late most of the time, everybody was in fact getting paid regularly.

Does anyone who read this report honestly think the remainder of the band is out there working for free?

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'Nonsense... of course not.

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'The very premise of this report is flawed.

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'With the firing of the tour manager, things did indeed get a bit disorganized on the road in terms of some hotel reservations, daily planning and such.

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'In these instances, group co-operation to solve the immediate problem would have been preferred over emotional fits of anger over relatively minor incidents like a hotel room not being ready (i.e.. pay cash and go to a different hotel... Settle up in the morning.. Easy!).

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'The story reported on MelodicRock suffers from creative embellishment and an attempt at stirring drama to incite readers.

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'In the end, this falls back to the old adage...... 'There are 2 sides to every story and the reality is always somewhere in the middle'.

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'The cold hard facts are this was a marriage not meant to work and the two (2) members of ARK are now back doing their own thing.

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'No hard feelings on this end.

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'Meanwhile, the last two days have been spent speaking with Jeff Scott Soto, Mark Boals, Barrymore Barlowe, Doogie White, Ray Luzier and a number of other musicians .. ALL of which have an interest in joining back up on this tour.

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'If it were not for the tight tour budgets bands face today, I would suggest we bring BOTH Jeff Soto and Mark Boals on the road to share singing duties on different songs, but alas, that would be too costly.

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'After all, over the years when you look at Goran Edman, Joe Lynn Turner, Mats Leven, Mike Vescera, etc... It is always Jeff and/or Mark who people want to see fronting RISING FORCE and it is these guys who always maintain their long tie to Yngwie.

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'Time to move on and set up the touring band we should have had in the first place.

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'Mike Spitzer Mgmt. —YNGWIE MALMSTEEN'

According to guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, MEGADETH is currently arranging a three-show tour of Australia (in Sydney, Melbourne, and Brisbane),with the possibility of one gig in New Zealand and several dates in Hong Kong and Indonesia. The band are still trying to add more shows to their upcoming European itinerary, but 'if we don't make it this time we will definitely be back soon, as the tour will run through 2002,' Mustaine stated. MEGADETH's The World Needs A Hero is scheduled for a May 15th US release, with the album set to come out in Europe on May 14th and Japan on May 12th.

Finland's NIGHTWISH have firmed up the track listing for their forthcoming mini-album, entitled Over The Hills And Far Away:

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01. Over The Hills And Far Away (GARY MOORE cover)

02. Tenth Man Down (new)

03. Away (new)

04. Astral Romance (remake)

REVEREND, the resurrected Seattle band featuring METAL CHURCH vocalist David Wayne, have made their brand new EP, A Gathering of Demons, available to order through the group's official web site (www.reverend.cx). A four-tracker, the EP contains the following cuts:

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01. Massacre the Innocent

02. Down

03. Stealing my Mind

04. Legion

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Copies can be obtained by sending a check, money order, or well-hidden cash (US funds) in the amount of:

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U.S. — $5.99 + $2.00 S&ampH

Canada — $5.99 + $3.00 S&ampH

Rest of World — $5.99 + $4.00 S&ampH

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Payable to:

Neck Damage Records

P.O. Box 84556

Seattle, WA 98124

USA

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In other REVEREND news, David Wayne and drummer Todd Stotz will be participating in a live webcast on April 17th at 7:00pm Pacific Time at LVRocks.com with Crusher from Mosh It magazine.

Finland's IMPALED NAZARENE have canceled their scheduled appearance at Cortina Metal Festival in Sweden on May 26th 'due to the insane nature of the event / contract. The festival is alcohol-free (including bands / backstage!!),and that alone means it's impossible to be in there for the band + the advance ticket sales are not looking too promising either...so forget, we ain't no STRYPER, damnit!!'

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In other IMPALED NAZARENE news, the band have replaced bassist Jani Lehtosaari and guitarist Alexi Laiho (i.e. CHILDREN OF BODOM, SINERGY) with Mikael Arnkil and Teemu Raimoranta, respectively. The band have also re-signed with Osmose Productions for two more albums, and currently busy rehearsing and writing material for their seventh studio album, tentatively titled Absence Of War Does Not Mean Peace. Working song titles include the following:

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01. Absence Of War Does Not Mean Peace

02. The Madness Behind

03. Never Forgive

04. The Lost Art Of Goat Sacrificing

05. Nyrkillä Tapettava Huora

06. Prequel To Bleeding (Angels III)

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If everything goes according to plan, IMPALED NAZARENE will enter Astia Studio in late July to record the new album, and it will be mixed a short time later at FinnvoxStudio by Mikko Karmila (STRATOVARIUS, NIGHTWISH, CHILDREN OF BODOM). An early October release is expected.

The reunited RACER X, featuring JUDAS PRIEST drummer Scott Travis and ex-MR. BIG guitarist Paul Gilbert, will be playing West Hollywood, California's Whisky A Go Go on May 25th in what is being billed as 'possibly the only time the band will perform in the US' in support of its recently-released (in Japan only!) Superheroes CD.

LOVED AND HATED is the name of a new New York Hardcore band featuring AGNOSTIC FRONT drummer Jimmy Colletti on lead vocals, AGNOSTIC FRONT bassist Rob Kabula, MINOR DISTURBANCE drummer Mike Reese, and SON OF SKAM guitarist Larry Nieroda (aka 'Larry the Hunter'). The group's Camouflage EP can be ordered via their official web site: lovedandhated.com

Yet another MEDICATION show has been booked, this time in West Hollywood, California on May 18th. The revised list of confirmed gigs is as follows:

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May 04 - Tarzana, CA @ Paladino's

May 18 - West Hollywood, CA @ Whiskey A Go Go

May 26 - Sacramento, CA @ Colonial Theatre

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MEDICATION feature in their ranks former MACHINE HEAD / SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader, ex-UGLY KID JOE / LIFE OF AGONY vocalist Whitfield Crane and former SOULFLY drummer Roy Mayorga.

STEREOMUD's debut CD for Loud / Sony Records, Perfect Self, has had its release date pushed back to May 22nd. STEREOMUD include in their line-up former members of LIFE OF AGONY and STUCK MOJO.

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