Archive News Aug 03, 2001

Former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted was interviewed by San Francisco Chronicle for an article that was published in the paper's July 31st edition, the online version of which is available for viewing at this location. Although the story's focus was primarily on the 38-year-old Newsted's brand new ECHOBRAIN project (also featuring guitarist-vocalist Dylan Donkin, 25, and drummer Brian Sagrafena, 24, longtime friends and musical collaborators from Millbrae, California who have been playing together since elementary school),the subject of METALLICA and Newsted's departure from the group were naturally touched upon as well. While shedding no new light on the reasons for his leaving METALLICA, Newsted philosophized that “it wasn't in the cards to have both [ECHOBRAIN and METALLICA] going on at the same time,' and he revealed plans to produce and play bass on three albums with Donkin and Sagrafena, who are both still living with their parents. The bassist is also reportedly hoping to land a distribution deal for his Chophouse Records, perhaps even with Elektra, the label that signed METALLICA, and release a lot of recordings from his home studio, projects he did during his METALLICA days (i.e. IR8, QUARTETO DA PINGA, TREE OF THE SUN, etc.) with&nbsp MELVINS drummer Dale Crover, SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser, MACHINE HEAD frontman Robert Flynn, EXODUS drummer Tom Hunting, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD mainman Devin Townsend, ex-KYUSS bassist Scott Reeder and others. 'Metalheads have heard rumors of these things for some time,' Newsted told the paper. 'I'd like to get them out.'

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In other news, ECHOBRAIN will make its live debut on Sunday, August 19th, at Nadine's Wild Weekend, which is described as “Northern California's only music event devoted exclusively to local music.” No venue was specified for the occasion, but it is expected that the location of the gig will be one of the many San Francisco clubs that will be partaking in the above event over the course of its four-day run.

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Lastly, it has been announced via ECHOBRAIN's official web site that Newsted will host an upcoming episode of VH1's Rock Show, the exact date for which has yet to be finalized. We'll have more information on this as it becomes available.

According to a statement posted on the band's official web site, Canada's VOIVOD and their crew are being sued by former bassist/vocalist Eric Forrest and his parents, who are apparently blaming the group for the near-fatal road accident in Germany in August 1998 that resulted in Forrest being thrown out of the band's van (who were on tour at the time) and suffering broken bones and internal damage. The statement goes on to say that “the plan for VOIVOD's future is being worked on”, with the remaining members of the band (drummer Away and guitarist Piggy) taking a “well-deserved break” until 2002. As previously reported, VOIVOD are heavily rumored to have joined forces with former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted and returning original vocalist Snake in the group's latest incarnation, which is expected to release a studio album next year.

According to Allstar, KORN frontman Jonathan Davis, along with producer Michael Beinhorn and engineer Frank Filipetti, has rented a house in the Vancouver area, where he plans on writing and recording vocals for the group's follow-up release to 1999's quadruple-platinum Issues CD. Having brought their own recording gear with them, the trio will reportedly set up a studio in the house instead of using a local recording facility for the sessions. Meanwhile, the group's other members will, for the most part, continue to work in L.A., with the final product not expected to surface until early next year.

Former TESTAMENT bassist Greg Christian has reportedly agreed to reunite with LEGACY (the pre-TESTAMENT act that featured in its ranks vocalist Steve Sousa, who eventually left the group to join EXODUS) for the group's performance at the Thrash Of The Titans benefit concert for TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Christian will allegedly make an appearance on at least one song with the band (“Over The Wall”),with the possibility that he will stick around for a few more at the August 11th event.

As predicted here a couple of months ago, MACHINE HEAD have officially set “Crashing Around You” as the first single from the band's forthcoming Supercharger CD, which is presently scheduled for release through Roadrunner Records on September 25th. A video for the track is currently in the planning stages, with director Nathan Cox (i.e. DISTURBED, COAL CHAMBER, SYSTEM OF A DOWN) having been enlisted to oversee the project, which could reach the initial lensing stage as early as next weekend.

Sweden's ARCH ENEMY have been forced to cancel their show at the Wacken Festival in Germany this weekend due to “a throat infection” that German vocalist Angela Gossow has reportedly been fighting with the last week, causing her doctor to advise the singer to get another week's worth of rest before damaging her vocal cords any further. As a result, ARCH ENEMY will now make their live debut with the group's new line-up in London on the 16th of August and hope to play a lot more European shows after the summer.

Contrary to previous reports, it now appears that KING DIAMOND's forthcoming Abigail II: The Revenge CD will not surface this October through Metal Blade Records, but will instead likely receive an early 2002 release, according to a Metal Blade representative.

Photos taken at the recent mixing sessions for PROBOT, the metal side project of FOO FIGHTERS mainman and former NIRVANA drummer Dave Grohl, can be viewed at this location.

The following item is taken from today's edition of the New York Post:

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“[Later in the evening at MTV's 20-Year-Anniversary Bash on Wednesday], another showdown threatened to erupt when [METHODS OF MAYHEM mainman and former MOTLEY CRUE drummer] Tommy Lee came face to face with his romantic rival Kid Rock. But instead of clobbering him for stealing Pamela Anderson, Lee thanked Rock for doing him a favor.

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“The bizarre exchange happened backstage, moments before Lee went onstage to play drums with pop punksters SUM 41. Lee was luxuriating in the VIP area with girlfriend [and PRINCE's former squeeze] Mayte and former flames Carmen Electra and Kylie Bax, when Mayte pointed out Kid Rock hanging at the bar with his entourage.

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“Mayte pointed at Kid Rock and whispered to Lee, 'You should go over there and thank him, because now you and I are together.'

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“As Lee was being hustled onstage past Kid Rock, he stared him in the eye and said: 'Hey, dude, I want to thank you [for taking up with Anderson]. If it wasn't for you, I would have never met her,' at which point he picked up Mayte and kissed her on the lips before bounding on stage.

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' 'Kid Rock was speechless,' says a source. 'It was very tense. Everybody stopped talking when they were face to face. Tommy was towering over him and it looked like something was going to happen.' “

According to his latest online posting, MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine is apparently thinking about inviting the an outside observer—with the current leading candidate being the “leader of MegadethAustralia” Paul—to attend the group's next record-writing process (for what will presumably be the band's second album for Sanctuary Records) and report on it via the group's official web site. Elsewhere in the same message, Mustaine offers that, despite the fact that Napster, and the burning of CD-Rs, have badly “hurt” this band, thus causing the sales of the group's latest effort, The World Needs A Hero, to be “not impressive”, Sanctuary Records is “still 100% committed to the band”. Mustaine also addresses the recent rumblings from fans of MEGADETH's early output who took issue with Dave's recent statements that the group were “going back” to their musical roots when the group's most recent CD bears only marginal similarities to the band's first couple of albums. According to Mustaine, “we know that we still have a way to go to be actually AT our roots. So thanks to everyone for pointing out that we are not back to our roots yet, I would never have deduced that on my own. Going and being are two different things. And we are getting even closer with what we are writing now. I am not going to promise anything, but I am personally stoked that we have a dip-sh.t for a President, because I wrote my best stuff during the Reagan and Bush administrations. It seems that the more GW fouls up our country, the better my chances are at writing something along the lines of my political and mean-spirited style that so many people find so lovey-dovey.”

The long-awaited Rock Star movie, starring Mark Wahlberg and Jennifer Aniston, and featuring a storyline loosely based on the life of JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Tim “Ripper” Owens, has had its theatrical release date moved up a week to September 7th. For more information, go to the movie's official web site.

VITAL REMAINS have signed a new deal with Olympic Records. The band is currently finishing up the writing for their next studio effort, which they are planning on recording sometime in the fall with an as-yet-undetermined producer. An early 2002 release date is expected.

SHELTER will be in Poland playing three shows at the country's Woodstock festival and will be headlining the main stage on August 9th, 10th, and 11th. 300,000 people are reportedly expected at the event.

MY DYING BRIDE are currently completing work on their seventh studio album at Academy Studios for an October 22nd release through Peaceville Records.

San Francisco Bay Area's LD/50, featuring former FORBIDDEN/TESTAMENT guitarist Glen Alvelais and GEEZER/DR. BEWKENHEIMER vocalist Clark Brown, are seeking a “metal/thrash bass player”. For more information, go to: www.glenld50.com.

As previously announced, New York glamsters THE TOILET BOYS will be issuing their self-titled debut on September 11th through the group's own Masterplan Entertainment label, to be distributed by Southern. The group will support the release with a US tour, which is scheduled to start in Cleveland on Thursday, September 13th. Here are the full dates for the trek:

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Sept. 13 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH

Sept. 14 - Shelter - Detroit, MI

Sept. 15 - Double Door - Chicago, IL

Sept. 16 - 7th St. Entry - Minneapolis, MN

Sept. 18 - 15th St. Tavern - Denver, CO

Sept. 20 - Satyricon - Portland, OR

Sept. 21 - Breakroom - Seattle, WA

Sept. 22 - Lucky - Victoria, BC

Sept. 23 - Starfish Room - Vancouver, BC

Sept. 26 - The Pound - San Francisco, CA

Sept. 27 - Key Club - Los Angeles, CA

Sept. 28 - Shakedown - Las Vegas, NV

Oct. 01 - Bar of Soap - Dallas, TX

Oct. 02 - Emo's - Austin, TX

Oct. 03 - TBA - Houston, TX

Oct. 04 - Shim Sham Club - New Orleans, LA

Oct. 05 - The End - Nashville, TN

Oct. 06 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA

Denmark's WITHERING SURFACE have signed to the UK-based Copro Records (home of MEDULLA NOCTE and EARTHTONE 9) and will shortly begin work on Walking On Phantom Ice, the follow-up to The Nude Ballet, at Berno Studios (THE HAUNTED, VOMITORY, DERANGED) in Sweden. 11 tracks are expected to be recorded, featuring a sound that the group describes as “heavier, dirtier and more in-your-face” than before, but still “with a huge focus on melody and memorable choruses.” Song titles set to appear on the CD include:

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01. Feed The Wolves

02. The White Path

03. Night Of Shame

04. Joyless Journey

05. Sun-Dive

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Walking On Phantom Ice is scheduled to be released on October 1st in Europe, with release dates in the US, Latin America and Japan to follow shortly thereafter. A Danish tour with death metal band INIQUITY is planned in Autumn of 2001 and dates in the rest of Europe will follow right after.

DIESEL MACHINE, featuring HALFORD guitarist Patrick Lachman, will play a free show at the Musicians' Institute in Hollywood, California on Tuesday, August 7th at 9 PM. The group will also play a headlining show at the Whisky in W. Hollywood on September 10th at 10 PM. It should be noted, however, that DIESEL MACHINE will not appear at this year's Milwaukee Metalfest, despite an erroneous listing at the metalfest.com web site.

CLUTCH has been added to the list of bands performing at the WSOU Riverfront Rampage on August 19th at Riverfront Stadium in Newark, New Jersey, joining the MISFITS, OVERKILL, BIOHAZARD, HATEBREED, V.O.D., PRO-PAIN, REVEILLE, SIX FEET UNDER, ILL NINO, GOD FORBID, SHADOW'S FALL, LAMB OF GOD, PRIMER 55, SKINLAB, CHIMAIRA, and others on the bill. Metal radio station WSOU 89.5's summer festival will also feature Kenny Hickey of TYPE O NEGATIVE and Matt Holt as “celebrity” hosts.

Sweden's DARK TRANQUILLITY will play their first-ever gig in Turkey when they perform in Istanbul on October 6th.

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