Archive News Apr 26, 2001

ANTHRAX have signed a US record deal with Beyond/BMG Records. According to guitarist Scott Ian, 'the deal's done. Amazing. It only took, like, 15 months. Now we just have to hope they don't go out of business like Ignition [Records did]. We're going to get to work, finally, after [drummer] Charlie [Benante] gets back from his honeymoon. If miracles exist, we could have a new record for Halloween. We do have a jump on things as far as writing is concerned. We've got two things together from last year that are killer. I'm sure we'll do some rearranging once we get going. We also plan on using some of the stuff we came up with for [the] Ghosts Of Mars [movie soundtrack]. Damn if we didn't write some heavy sh.t. The cool thing is that some of the parts go by quickly so that it won't be like we're ripping ourselves off. The sh.t is brutal.'

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As previously reported, ANTHRAX are now signed to Nuclear Blast Records for the European territory.

MOTORHEAD drummer Mikkey Dee and guitarist Phil Campbell are said to have recently demoed the music for eight new MOTORHEAD songs with producer Bob Kulick, who is also tentatively slated to turn the knobs for the group's upcoming effort. The as-yet-untitled album is not expected to be released before early 2002.

Germany's DESTRUCTION, KREATOR and SODOM are planning a package tour that will see the three thrash titans sharing the stage for the first time since the scene's formative days in the mid '80s. Sweden's THE HAUNTED are also being mentioned as possible openers on a bill that will likely be limited to a dozen or so concerts in Germany and the surrounding countries.

Denmark's reunited ARTILLERY are reportedly planning to issue a CD before the end of the year containing several brand new studio tracks and a handful of live recordings of the group's classic material. The as-yet-untitled release will be issued through Diehard Records.

WASHOE is the name of the new band formed by ENTOMBED guitarist Uffe Cederlund and three former members of MISERY LOVES CO. — vocalist Patrik Wirén, bassist Patrik Thorngren and drummer Olle Dahlstedt. The band recently cut a five-song demo featuring a musical direction that is being described as a mixture of DINOSAUR JR, PEARL JAM and FOO FIGHTERS.

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In related news, ENTOMBED bassist Jörgen Sandström, ENTOMBED drummer Peter Stjärnvind and PROJECT HATE MCMXCIX guitarist Kenth Philipson have joined forces in an as-yet-unnamed doom metal group that sees Jörgen handling the guitar duties and unknown Swede Robban Holm taking care of all lead vocals. Legendary CANDLEMASS leader Leif Edling has also been invited to contribute bass lines to the music, but he has not yet accepted the offer. The group's music is reportedly in the vein of early CANDLEMASS and TROUBLE.

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Finally, Stjärnvind is expected to record a new studio album with Swedish thrash pioneers MERCILESS, marking the group's first release since 1994's Unbound. As with the group's other offerings, it will consist of 'old-school thrash like SADUS and KREATOR.'

Sweden's CLAWFINGER have finally re-emerged from their lengthy hiatus and have announced their departure from MVG Records, who released the group's three full-length CDs to date. According to vocalist Zak Tell, 'for the last year, [MVG Records] have failed to release our [long-completed new] album for a number of different [business] reasons, and we've finally realized that they don't know what they're doing and that they are seriously damaging our career! We are now leaving them for a new record company that will hopefully be able to do their job in a more professional way and make sure that our new CD is released as soon as possible.'

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Before inking a new deal for the release of the group's much-anticipated fourth album, CLAWFINGER will be embarking on the road with RAMMSTEIN throughout Germany, Switzerland and Austria. Here is where you can catch them:

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May 13 - Nürnberg, GER @ Arena

May 14 - Bielefeld, GER @ Seidenstickerhalle

May 15 - Hamburg, GER @ Sporthalle

May 16 - Hamburg, GER @ Sporthalle

May 18 - Berlin, GER @ Velodrom

May 19 - Berlin, GER @ Velodrom

May 21 - München, GER @ Olympiahalle

May 22 - Wien, AUS @ Stadthalle

May 24 - Zürich, SWIT @ Hallenstadion

May 26 - Riesa, GER @ Sachsenarena

May 27 - Erfurt, GER @ Messehalle

May 28 - Stuttgart, GER @ Schleyerhalle

May 29 - Frankfurt, GER @ Festhalle

May 31 - Dortmund, GER @ Westfalenhalle

June 01 - Hannover, GER @ Preussag Arena

In the wake of the Dynamo Open Air Festival cancellation, the following bands will now be playing in Maaspoort-Den Bosch, Holland on the 25th of May:

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SLIPKNOT

(HED)PE

STATIC-X

DISTURBED

MUDVAYNE

AMEN

SEPULTURA have added three more dates to their previously announced European tour. The shows in question are as follows:

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May 26 - Aarhus, DEN @ Train

May 27 - Copenhagen, DEN @ Amager Bio

May 28 - Stockholm, SWE @ Munchenbryggeriet

The reunited Swedish death metal legends UNLEASHED have added a couple more shows to their June itinerary. The band will now be performing at the following venues:

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June 08 - Wiesen, Austria @ Mind Over Matter Festival

June 22 - Tilburg, Holland @ 013 (w/SHADOWBREED)

June 23 - Dessel, Belgium @ Graspop Festival

June 24 - Leipzig, Germany @ With Full Force Festival

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UNLEASHED are currently working on a new album for an early 2002 release.

German power metallers EDGUY have finished tracking their upcoming studio effort, entitled Mandrake, which is due for a September 24th release. Among the tracks that are scheduled to appear on the album are the following:

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01. Tears of A Mandrake

02. Nailed to the Wheel

03. Heaven

04. Wash Away the Poison

05. Jerusalem

06. All the Clowns

07. Fallen Angels

08. Devil and the Savant

09. Golden Dawn

10. Pharoah

11. Wings of A Dream*

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*a re-recording of the Kingdom of Madness song to be issued as a possible bonus track

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EDGUY vocalist Tobias Sammet recently commented on the album's musical direction by stating the following:

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'It's really hard to say in which way you have progressed. I really can't say. It's like when people personally progress in their minds with their years. It's really hard to say in which way you have progressed in the last year what special way you have progressed in the last year. Sometimes you know you have progressed, but you don't know in what you have progressed. We have progressed in many ways, it's just hard to name it. It's not like it's something totally different. It's just 10 new songs, and you can hear that the band is 2 years older now. Its not like you listen to it and say, 'What is that? That sounds pretty strange that is not EDGUY. Wow, what have they done now?' We have just added some new elements on this song or that song. For example, there will be an over-10-minute epic on the album as well ('Pharoah'),which has a very, very powerful dark mood. It sounds very, very dangerous and powerful. Its very, very dark. It's powerful, and it sounds a little bit evil. Also, it's not black metal, of course. It's not that heavy - it's no doom metal and gothic metal and stuff like that. It's typical EDGUY, but it's got some new elements to it!

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'We have got one ballad that is more into this dark-mooded thing,' Sammet continued. 'But still, everything is EDGUY. Then we have a couple of songs where it's really 130 percent of us. Some fast songs, some funny things. We have one song that has some Celtic elements ('Jerusalem'),influences. I think, what I can say that I know for sure, it is a typical EDGUY record. In every way you can hear from the very first listening that it's EDGUY, but we have some surprises. It's not a kind of big experiment that make people say later on, 'What did they do now?' I think, for me as a fan, and like I always said, I am our hardest critic and our biggest fan. Both in one person, 'cause only if you are a fan of that kind of music can you say what you like, how you want to hear it, and what you don't like...just as a fan you can do that. And me as a fan, I like it [the new album] very, very much, and I know how disappointed, for example, when I was listening to some bands that were known for something different that what they do today. I now how disappointed I was. I would've known as a fan from the very beginning even before those bands released those 'special' albums [that it was the] wrong decision [for them to change their direction in this way].'

JUDAS PRIEST's upcoming DVD of the Making Of The Classic Albums TV programme on British Steel will be available in the UK and Europe on May 28th and in the US in the fall.

The UK's KILL II THIS will be playing the Durboy, Belgium indoor metal and hardcore festival on Saturday 12th May. The full line-up for the festival is as follows:

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PLAYMO

KICKBACK

KILL II THIS

LENGTH OF TIME

ENHANCER

EARTHTONE9

LINEA77

STAMPING GROUND

RED LINE

BORN FROM PAIN

D.O.D.

LIAR

CRAWLSPACE

N.C.I.D.

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KILL II THIS will also be playing two festivals in one day on Saturday, June 23rd. They open this year's Graspop Festival at the Boeretang festival ground in Dessel, Belgium at 10:45 in the morning, and they follow it up with a headlining appearance at the Fiesta Du Rock outdoor festival in Flemalle, Belgium, playing at approximately 10:30 PM that same day.

Former HANOI ROCKS frontman MICHAEL MONROE has postponed his previously scheduled gig in Järvenpää on April 26th to an as-yet-unspecified date.

Former PERSUADER guitarist Pekka Kiviaho and MORIFADE guitarist Jesper Johansson have joined forces in a new project, according to metal-rules.com. 'The songwriting process has just been started, so [it's hard to say what the direction [wil be],' Pekka stated. 'One thing is for sure - it will be metal all the way. The sound will probably be a blend of MORIFADE and PERSUADER, mixed with some heavier stuff. The singer spot needs still to be filled first, [and] then we will know for sure what way to go.'

ANATHEMA's forthcoming full-length effort will be entitled A Fine Day to Exit, according to an official press release. The album was produced by Nick Griffiths and Pete Brown and both Windings and Chapel Studios in the United Kingdom between the months of February and April.

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'Musically this is a bit different for us, as you probably would expect,' ANATHEMA guitarist Danny Cavanagh stated. 'We have pushed the boundaries a bit further again, and the use of space within the songs has been more evident this time round. It's still heavy!'

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'These last nine months have been tough for the band and this album reflects much more of our personalities, so the outcome is very raw,' commented bassist Dave Pybus. 'I guess we are growing up.'

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'There's lots of guitars on there which suits me and the vocal harmonies sound great,' Cavanagh continued. 'We've been getting into sampling stuff from God TV and the radio and fitting it all in between the tracks, so there's more than just music to listen to with this new record. Now we look back, [and] we feel Judgement misses elements like these.'

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A Fine Day to Exit will contain the following 11 tracks:

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01. Intro (untitled)

02. Release

03. Looking Outside Inside

04. Pressure

05. Underworld

06. Breaking Down The Barriers

07. A Fleeting Glimpse

08. Panic

09. Leave No Trace

10. A Fine Day To Exit

11. Temporary Peace

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A Fine Day to Exit will be released later this year through Music For Nations Records in Europe and Koch Records in North America.

THERAPY? will play the Dour Festival in Belgium on Saturday July 7th.

Swedish thrashers DARKANE have been added to the line-up of bands performing at the Decibel Festival in Bengtsfors, Sweden on May 19th.

Hippo/Universal Records is releasing a compliation Y&ampT CD, entitled Y&ampT — Ultimate Collection, on June 26th. The full track listing for the effort is as follows:

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01. Dirty Girl

02. Hurricane

03. Rescue Me

04. I Believe In You

05. Black Tiger

06. Open Fire

07. Forever

08. Meanstreak

09. Midnight In Tokyo

10. Don't Stop Running

11. Summertime Girls

12. 25 Hours A Day

13. Contagious

14. Don't Be Afraid Of The Dark

15. Beautiful Dreamer

16. I'm Lost

17. God Only Knows

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According to guitarist Dave Meniketti, material from the group's first two albums, Yesterday &amp Today and Struck Down, could not be used due to 'legal reasons'.

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci will be joining Steve Vai and Joe Satriani on the G3 US tour this summer. DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy will join John on drums and Dave LaRue of the DIXIE DREGS will play bass.

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The dates for the G3 tour are as follows:

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June 23 - Reno, NV @ Reno Hilton Pavilion

June 24 - Las Vegas, NV @ House Of Blues

June 26 - Phoenix, AZ @ Celebrity Theatre

June 27 - Anaheim, CA @ The Sun Theatre

June 29 - Los Angeles, CA @ Wiltern Theatre

June 30 - San Francisco, CA @ The Warfield

July 01 - Kelseyville, CA @ New Classic Concert Showroom

July 03 - Denver, CO @ Fillmore Auditorium

July 04 - Sante Fe, NM @ Paolo Soleri Amphitheatre

July 05 - Fort Worth, TX @ Bass Performance Hall

July 06 - Houston, TX @ Aerial Theatre

July 07 - Austin, TX @ Austin Music Hall

July 09 - Detroit, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre

July 10 Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre

Swedish death metallers NECROPHOBIC have parted ways with Black Mark Production. In other news, the band will perform at the Under The Black SunFestival, which will take place in Germendorf (near Berlin),Germany on July 6-7.

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