Archive News Dec 04, 2001

METALLICA have posted the following update on the present condition of frontman James Hetfield via their official web site at www.metallica.com:

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“Yes folks, we have word from James, and the news is all good. His recovery has gone exceedingly well, he is back out, about and feeling rather good about life. And as he has since this process started for him, James thoroughly appreciates all the support, messages and patience you've all offered.

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“'My rough road has become smoother reading the show of support from the friends I've met through METALLICA,' he says. 'Thank you. They move me deeply.'

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'And we can say with absolute certainty that (such has become the Metallimantra) your patience will be rewarded.

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''My music and lyrix have always been therapy for me,' James added. 'Without this God-given gift, I don't know where I'd be. And now I TRULY feel the impact and connection it's made with others.'

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“We're sure you join us all in saying 'nice one James and see ya soon buddy.”

GUNS N' ROSES will be playing the Joint at the Hard Rock Café in Las Vegas on December 29th and December 31st (New Years Eve). Tickets go on sale at Ticketmaster Saturday, December 8th at 12:00 noon pacific time. According to frontman Axl Rose, 'We've been cooped up in the studio for so long, that we have to release some energy. Since we had so much fun playing Vegas last year, we've decided to do it again.'

According to guitarist Scott Ian, ANTHRAX have set Taking The Music Back (not Superhero, as we previously reported) as the tentative title of their forthcoming album, which is currently being recorded at Beartracks Studios in Suffern, New York for a March release through Nuclear Blast Records in Europe and Beyond/BMG Records in the US. The axeman has also gone on record as saying that the album contains three or four of their best-written songs, yet is also 'faster and thrashier' than anything they did in the Eighties. Among the known song titles that are set to appear on the effort are the following:

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01. Superhero

02. What Doesn't Die

03. Strap On My Old School

04. Taking The Music Back

05. Nobody Knows Anything

06. Expiration

07. Think About An End

08. Refuse To Be Denied

09. Safe Home

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Taking The Music Back is being produced by Scrap 60 Productions, the New York-based team that includes newest ANTHRAX member, guitarist Rob Caggiano, which was responsible for producing a host of albums for the Roadrunner label (among others),including those from 36 CRAZYFISTS, ILL NINO and DRY KILL LOGIC.

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In other news, you can check out pictures of ANTHRAX taken at last week's New York Steel benefit concert for New York City firefighters (where they appeared alongside TWISTED SISTER, OVERKILL, SEBASTIAN BACH, ACE FREHLEY and others) at this location. VH1's Rock Show will also have a special New York Steel edition this Friday (December 7th),with coverage of the event, including footage of TWISTED SISTER and other aforementioned acts performing live.

LIMP BIZKIT frontman Fred Durst will be on MTV's Total Request Live this Wednesday, December 5th with a “MAJOR announcement” about the LIMP BIZKIT guitar search, according to the band's official web site.

FU MANCHU have acquired drummer Scott Reeder (not to be confused with the ex-KYUSS bassist by the same name) to replace the recently-departed Brant Bjork, who is said to have joined QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE on a full-time basis. According to singer/guitarist Scott Hill, “[Scott Reeder] lives here in Orange County and has been playing in the band SMILE. The songs are sounding great with Scott drumming, we are practicing a lot of songs that we haven't played for a very looong time. He pretty much has all of the new album down, too. We are also going back into the studio in a couple weeks to record some new songs with Scott drumming, and Matt Hyde, who produced California Crossing.” The Japanese version of California Crossing (which is scheduled for a US release on January 29th through Mammoth Records) will include an extra song titled 'Planet Of The Ape Hangers'. The vinyl version of California Crossing will only be available from the group's web site or for sale at live shows. Says Hill: “We are getting ready to start touring in Jan 2002. We will be hitting the entire world on this one..and we are going to be shooting a video for the song 'Squash That Fly' soon. A friend of ours, Ken Pucci, who did a lot of early FU MANCHU videos, put together a video for the song 'Thinkin Out Loud' for the CD-Rom part of the new record. It will be up on [our web] site soon. We hope to see you all soon.'

Contrary to the rumor we posted here yesterday, NOTHINGFACE has NOT been dropped by TVT Records and is, in fact, in the studio working on material for their next TVT release, according to TVT Records A&ampR Representative Michelle Oakes. “TVT knows [that in NOTHINGFACE] they have one of the most talented bands around today,” stated Oakes. “[NOTHINGFACE] will continue to have TVT's support in their quest for world domination.” We apologize to TVT and NOTHINGFACE for any inconvenience our previously-posted (and obviously erroneous) item might have caused.

Sony Music have announced a tentative release date of February 26th for the upcoming as-yet-untitled debut album from the remaining members of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and former SOUNDGARDEN vocalist Chris Cornell. In other news, Sony has also set a tentative date of March 5th for the new KORN album, which is also as-yet-untitled.

According to MEGADETH bassist Dave Ellefson, “I went over to [MEGADETH mainman] Dave [Mustaine]'s house this afternoon and listened to the remixed version of Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good, and let me tell you it is amazing! I don't want to hype it up too much, because I want you all to be excited when you finally hear it but there's a whole new vibe and energy that was always there but hidden away in the old mix somewhere. You can't change the original performances so that aspect remains in tact. However, Gar [Samuelson]'s drumming really comes to light and the vocals and guitar playing can really be heard now, especially the solos. All the money, time and energy was definitely well spent. I talked with [MEGADETH drummer] Jimmy [DeGrasso] tonight and he went down to LA yesterday to check in with [producer/mixer] Bill Kennedy on the mixing of the live album and he listened to KIMB and concurs that it is slammin'. Great job, Dave and Bill, on these remixes! More good stuff to follow.”

JUDAS PRIEST have announced the following Japanese dates that are taking place next week:

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Dec. 10 - Tokyo, JAP @ Nakano Sun Plaza

Dec. 11 - Tokyo, JAP @ Nakano Sun Plaza

Dec. 12 - Osaka, JAP @ Kosei Nenkin Hall

Dec. 14 - Nagoya, JAP @ Diamond Hall

Dec. 15 - Fukuoka, JAP @ Zepp

MACHINE HEAD have officially confirmed that they will be hitting the road on their first US headlining tour in support of Supercharger, starting January 10th in Vancouver, B.C. with DOPE in tow. Exact dates will be available soon.

Due to an overwhelming demand, ARCH ENEMY have added a third Tokyo show to their upcoming Japanese tour. The complete itinerary is as follows:

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Mar. 09 - Osaka, JAP @ On Air Osaka

Mar. 12 - Nagoya, JAP @ Bottom Line

Mar. 13 - Nagano, JAP @ Junk Box

Mar. 15 - Tokyo, JAP @ Akasaka Blitz

Mar. 16 – Tokyo, JAP @ (Kawasaki) Club Citta

Mar. 18 - Tokyo, JAP @ Astro Hall

DOKKEN have set Long Way Home as the new title of their upcoming studio album (having scrapped their previous choice of Ladaze),which is currently being recorded at Total Access Studios in Redondo Beach, California. Mainman Don Dokken has posted the following update on the ongoing recording sessions: “Today we finished the bulk of the tracks. All that's left is a few percussion overdubs, 'That's [drummer] Mick [Brown]'s job'. And a few more background vocals, 'Also Mick's job' he'll be flying in this week for that and photo's for the new LP cover. Then we mix, pack our bags and hit the road. We'll be out constantly except for when I go to Japan for radio and TV promotion in February for about a week. Getting closer. With all that's happened, the new LP title is becoming very true. 'LONG WAY HOME' D D”

L.A. GUNS have acquired a new bassist—former JOE 90/C.C. DEVILLE/NO. 9 four-stringer Adam Hamilton.

A snippet of the track “Life / Birth / Blood / Doom”, taken from the upcoming BLACK LABEL SOCIETY CD entitled 1919 Eternal, can be heard at this location.

BALLISTIC, the new band of former DEUCE / TENSION / WARDOG mainman Tom Gattis (which was previously going under the moniker AFTERBURN),has made their entire three-song demo available for download via the group's official web site at the following locations:

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01. Threshold of Pain

02. Call Me Evil

03. Gone Ballistic

Florida's NEUROTICA, featuring former ATHEIST guitarist/vocalist Kelly Shaefer, are due to release their self-titled third album through Smackdown/Koch Records in early April. The album's first single, 'All My Friends', is set to go for radio adds in late January/early February. According to Shaefer, “we are taking a month off to write some new stuff and spend the holidays with our families before gearing up for a very busy year in 2002.”

Legendary NWOBHM act HOLOCAUST have completed the recording portion for their upcoming CD, entitled Primal, and are due to mix the effort between December 10th and 13th for an early 2002 release.

Germany's VANIZE, featuring Peter Dirkschneider, the 36-year-old younger brother of former ACCEPT/current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider, are working intensively on material for their upcoming fourth CD, which they are due to record at the Roxx Studio with producer Stefan Kaufmann (ex-ACCCEPT drummer) next year. Although most of the songs are “almost ready to record” at this point, the band “would like to write more stuff in order to choose just the best” tracks to appear on the as-yet-untitled CD. A European tour, which is set to include a second guitarist addition to the band's line-up, is currently in the works.

Sweden's DEBASE, fresh off their Scandinavian tour with JUDAS PRIEST, are due to enter the studio this winter to begin work on the material for their upcoming album, which is due to be issued sometime during 2002.

Portugal's MOONSPELL have lined up two gigs in Russia during January. The dates are as follows:

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Jan. 25 - Moskau, RUS @ USH 'Druzhba'

Jan. 26 - St. Petersburg, RUS @ LDM

Sweden's RUNEMAGICK will release the gatefold vinyl version of their upcoming studio CD, entitled Requiem Of The Apocalypse, through Norway's Mester Records in March/April. An extra track not available on the CD version will also be included.

TNT guitarist Ronni LeTekro and his new band MAGICA LANTERNA will perform the following Norwegian shows during December:

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Dec. 07 - Hoff church, Toten, NOR

Dec. 14 - Gjøvik Fjellhaven, Gjøvik, NOR

Dec. 15 - Rock In, Oslo, NOR

Dec. 27 - Centrum Rock Club w/DJ Abstract, Oslo, NOR

Former YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and current ARK drummer John Macaluso will hold a drum clinic at The Studio in New York City on Saturday, December 15th between 3:00 and 5:00 PM. The Studio is located at 251 W. 30th St. New York City on the 3rd floor. For more info, call: (212) 967-6124.

Texas' BYFIST are currently in the studio recording their brad new album, tentatively entitled Fall Of The Nation. The full track listing for the effort is as follows:

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01. Midnight Mass

02. M.I.A.

03. Guaranteed Death

04. River Styx

05. Epitaph

06. Prelude

07. N.D.N

08. You Should Have Known

09. Unconscious Suicide

10. Inspiration

11. Left To Die

12. Meltdown

13. Eternal Damnation

14. Mary Celeste

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A free advance four-song CD can be obtaining by writing to [email protected]. The tracks included on the advance CD are: “Eternal Damnation”, “Meltdown”, “Left to Die”, and “Mary Celeste”.

Finland's BARATHRUM are about to enter the studio to begin recording their upcoming CD, tentatively entitled Venomous. An early 2002 release is expected.

German power metallers EDGUY will hold an in-store signing session on Thursday, December 6th at Skivbutiken in Sundsvall, Sweden at 5 PM and on Friday, December 7th at at Skivhuset in Stockholm, Sweden at 5 PM.

The revamped version of the legendary Dutch metallers HIGHWAY CHILE—featuring original members Ernst van Ee (drums) and Martin Mens (guitar),along with Robert Soeterbroek (vocals AYREON),Attila Szabo (guitar) and Edwin den Haag (bass)—will embark on a tour in early 2002. According to reports, the new group's set list will consist of all the HIGHWAY CHILE classics, such as “Headbangers”, “Bite In Anger”, “Carol”, “Jesse James” and others, as well as of songs from Ernst Van Ee's solo album Dance With An Angel and various covers from JUDAS PRIEST, SAXON and AC/DC.

Germany's RAGE will partake in an autograph-signing session at Motorshow in Essen on Thursday, December 6th (Halle 9 - Stand 57 at Power Tech.).

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