Archive News Apr 18, 2001 - update 1

The reformed Swedish death metal legends UNLEASHED will play the With Full Force Festival at Airport Roitzschjora (near Leipzig, Germany) on June 24th. Also confirmed to perform at the festival (which takes place over a three-day period between the 22nd and 24th of June) are JUDAS PRIEST, SOULFLY, CRADLE OF FILTH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, MOTORHEAD and SICK OF IT ALL, among many others.

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In other UNLEASHED news, mainman/vocalist/bassist Johnny Hedlund recently talked to Poland's Masterful Magazine about the group's reformation and upcoming plans. Here are a few select quotes from that interview:

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On reasons for returning to the scene:

'We kind of took a break from it all. The scene was really not that strong for awhile, and we needed a break. It's our first [break], actually, since the start in 1989. I think we've gotten some new inspiration now and hopefully you will hear this on the new recording.'

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'We didn't really split up. The band took a break. I think we all need one once in awhile in order to get some perspective on what you do.'

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On what he's been doing during the 'off' period:

'Personally I have been studying for a financial manager's degree in corporate economics. And of course working with the new UNLEASHED record.'

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On the musical direction of the upcoming studio album:

'It will be somewhat harder, a little more angry than usual. The songs are in the same vein as before, so no one will be disappointed. However, there will be a change in sounds. New guitar sound, a heavier and distorted bass sound, and also my vocals will be more raging than before. Still the same mix of slow, fast and mid-paced songs as always.'

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UNLEASHED are tentatively scheduled to enter the studio before the summer to record their comeback CD, due for release before the end of the year. Although unconfirmed, it is likely that the forthcoming opus will appear through the group's longtime label Century Media Records.

ENTOMBED drummer Peter Stjärnvind recently explained to Metal-Is the circumstances behind the group's involvement with a ballet ensemble for a number of performances at the Royal Opera House in Stockholm early next year. According to Stjärnvind, 'The artists BogdanSzyber and Carina Reich contacted us through our web site. At first, we didn't understand a thing. You know, art people have a certain way of expressing themselves and when you hear them talk over the phone, it's like gibberish. The first meeting we had with them was like being on Candid Camera and somehow I still expect someone to show up and say, 'Surprise! You're on Candid Camera!' '

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Titled Unreal Estate, the opera will be performed over eight to ten nights in March 2002, and it will consist of three acts the first two have pre-recorded music and the last one features ENTOMBED playing live in the orchestra pit.

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'The idea is that we will compose a 40-45 minute long piece of music,' stated the drummer. 'Of course, there will be silent, subdued and weird parts, and a lot of dynamics are at work. We got tickets to go see a ballet performance a month ago and it was quite a peculiar experience. They spoke three sentences in half an hour, which to me didn't sound like they have anything do to with the play in general, but it was supposed to make sense.

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'I don't know, it kind of made me scratch my head. It also got me thinking about the difficulties in performing the more subdued parts, since it's quite hard to avoid loudness when you're playing the drums. But hey, it's a challenge. It's a one-off thing, and how often do you get a chance to play at The Royal Opera House? It's such a crazy thing you have to do it. Also, it'll be fun to play metal wearing an old BATHORY t-shirt in that place!'

Florida's KAMELOT (featuring Norwegian singer Roy Khanex-CONCEPTION) will be making two rare US live appearances during June. The dates are as follows:

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June 02 - Seminole, FL @ Boomerz

June 16 - Clearwater, FL @ Club Moore

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The Clearwater show will include a support set by SECTOR 9, featuring former CRIMSON GLORY vocalist Wade Black, CRIMSON GLORY guitarist Ben Jackson and touring drummer Jesse Martillio.

FATES WARNING fans attending the group's April 26th show in Hartford, Connecticut are in for a special treat as former bassist Joe DiBiase and guitarist Frank Aresti are scheduled to join the band on stage for a couple of songs.

Former CANDLEMASS / MEMENTO MORI vocalist Messiah Marcolin will reportedly be guesting on the track 'The Holy Trinity / Menage A Trois' on the upcoming album from Sweden's SATARIEL, tentatively titled Phobos &amp Deimos. The CD, which is currently being recorded at Uppsala's Dug-Out Studios with producer Daniel Bergstrand (i.e. STUCK MOJO, MESHUGGAH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD),will also include an appearance by HYPNOSIA frontman Lenny.

Brazil's KRISIUN are presently in the studio adding the finishing touches to their brand new studio effort, tentatively entitled Ageless Venomous. Scheduled for release in June, the new album was self-produced and it reportedly features the standard KRISUN elements: lots of 'velocity and brutality' combined with a 'pure and clear production'. KRISIUN will be performing at several European festivals this summer and will play headline dates in France, Belgium, Germany and Holland in between the festival shows.

Germany's RAGE have been forced to cancel the first three shows of their Welcome To The Other Side European tour as a result of vocalist Peavy Wagner coming down with a throat problem that has affected his vocal cords, thereby preventing him from singing until further notice by doctor's orders. It is not yet clear if the whole tour—which was to begin today in Ludwigsburg, Germany—will be postponed until a later date or if the group will play a part of it, with the remainder to be scheduled for a later time.

New York's LOVED AND HATED, 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, will be the opening act at MADBALL's last show 'ever' at CBGBs in New York City on April 29th.

Heavy metal journalist Martin Popoff (The Collector's Guide To Heavy Metal, HardRadio, Brave Words &amp Bloody Knuckles, bravewords.com, Lollipop, Guitar World, Riff Kills Man!, Goldmine Heavy Metal Records Price Guide, CMJ Monthly, Metal 50 book, hmv.com) would like a list of your Top 25 Heavy Metal Songs Of All Time. Please RANK them and include the name of the band (if it seems too hard, feel free to go with 10!). Please email [email protected] with your responses. Results will be tabulated and published.

Florida's NEUROTICA, featuring ex-ATHEIST guitarist/vocalist Kelly Shaefer, are said to be 'gearing up for a HUGE announcement in the next two weeks', presumably having to do with the signing of a new record deal with WWF's new rock'n'roll record company Smackdown Records. More information as it becomes available.

Sweden's TRANSPORT LEAGUE have recorded a pre-production CD of six new songs for the group's upcoming full-length album, tentatively titled Multiple Organ Harvest, which is scheduled to be tracked during August/September. Among the songs that are set to appear on the CD are:

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01. Fold `n Disgusted

02. Safe (Houdini)

03. Cop-Out

04. Disconnect Massconnect

05. Lobotomico

06. Slack, Wrist

07. Smack

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In other TRANSPORT LEAGUE news, the band have parted ways with bassist Ken Sandin and are currently seeking a replacement.

Former MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland will release his solo album Chasing the Sun through Holland's Mascot Records in June. This album has been out in the USA for some time, but the Mascot version will contain three bonus tracks not found on the American version.

Vancouver's JUST CAUSE, featuring drummer Gene Hoglan (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, ex-DEATH / DARK ANGEL) and guitarist Patrick Beaudoin (PUNCHDRUNK),will be performing live at the Starfish Room in Vancouver tonight, April 18th, in what is being billed as the 'release party' for the group's debut Devin Townsend-produced CD.

In an interview with Wall Of Sound, STATIC-X guitarist/vocalist Wayne Static and bassist Tony Campos recently offered a more detailed account of the group's split with longtime guitarist Koichi Fukuda shortly before the recording of the group's upcoming sophomore effort, Machine. According to the duo, the rest of the band became concerned after Fukuda failed to show up at the initial rehearsals for the album. 'We called his house, left messages for weeks, and no one knew where he was,' Wayne Static recalled. 'We thought he was dead. I was ready to call the cops.'

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Eventually, Campos got hold of Fukuda: 'We went over to his house and said, 'Hey, what the hell are you doing blowing us off?' He was like, 'Well, I don't want to do it anymore. I feel like I have nothing to add to the new material and I have no passion for it and I don't even know what I want to do with my life.''

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'This whole thing of touring and making records and playing shows is never really what I expected it to be either,' Static added. 'Know what I mean? There's a lot more to it that you never understand unless you're in it. So, I can understand his point of view.'

San Francisco's TECHNOCRACY, featuring ex-VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel, have finished mixing their as-yet-untitled debut album, which is tentatively scheduled to be released through the group's own Might Spec label later in the year.

BAD RELIGION will be touring Europe during June and July. Here are the confirmed dates so far:

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June 16 - Bremen, GER @ Aladin

June 17 - Kiel, GER @ Kieler Woche

June 19 - Stuttgart, GER @ Longhorn

June 20 - Munchen, GER @ Babylon

June 22 - Leipzig. GER @ With Full Force Festival

June 23 - Bonn, GER @ TBA

June 23 - BEL @ Graspop Festival

June 25 - Madrid, SPA @ La Riviera

June 26 - Pamplona, SPA @ Pavellon de la casill

June 27 - Barcelona, SPA @ Zeleste

June 29 - St. Gallen, SWI @ St. Gallen Festival

June 30 - Milan, IT @ Idroscalo

July 01 - Freiburg, GER @ Zeltfest

Former KISS and current UNION guitarist Bruce Kulick will be appearing on MFN Rocks this Thursday, April 19th, at 8 PM Pacific Time on the MFNrocks.com web site. Bruce will be playing cuts from and chatting about his new solo CD, Audio Dog.

Just to clear up any potential confusion that may have arisen as a result of our previous reports on this topic, CRADLE OF FILTH's brand new EP, Bitter Suites To Succubi, is scheduled to be released in Europe on June 18th and in the US on June 19th.

The principal photography for the upcoming VH-1DEF LEPPARD biopic, entitled Hysteria: The Def Leppard Movie, started on April 11 at a hospital in Montreal, Canada, with the shooting of a scene in which the band discusses Rick Allen's status after his car accident.

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Meanwhile, DEF LEPPARD's official web site has revealed the names of the actors that are playing the band members in the film. They are as follows:

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Orlando Seale - Joe Elliott

Adam Macdonald - Rick Savage

Karl Geary - Steve Clark

Tat Whalley - Rick Allen

Esteban Powell - Phil Collen

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Other characters that will be appearing, are Peter Mensch (manager),Mutt Lange (producer),Pete Willis, Tony Kenning, Lorelei Shellist (Steve's girlfriend),Miriam Barendsen (Rick's girlfriend at the time of the accident),and others. Shooting will continue through May 13th, and the real DEF LEPPARD will be appearing in the movie as well, although this will be old footage from VH-1's Behind The Music and Storytellers specials.

Former DREAM THEATER keyboardist Derek Sherinian will be participating in two online chats in the coming days. The dates are as follows:

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April 23 - 6 PM EST- AOL LIVE CHAT (with Simon Phillips)

April 24 - 7 PM EST - USA TODAY

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