Archive News Jul 10, 2001 - update 1

An ardent and vocal MACHINE HEAD supporter during the group's early years, SLAYER guitarist Kerry King has revealed to Sweden's Close-Up magazine that he has found MACHINE HEAD's latter-day recorded output less than inspiring, particularly as compared to newer acts such as SLIPKNOT and longtime King faves PANTERA. Here is Kerry's statement about MACHINE HEAD in its entirety (taken from the original English-language, word-for-word transcription as provided by the article's author, Martin “I Haven't Washed My Hair In Two Weeks” Carlsson):

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“I like MACHINE HEAD's first record [Burn My Eyes]. What they've become since then is what's turned me off to MACHINE HEAD. When MACHINE HEAD came out, I was like 'F.ck, thank you, a cool f.cking band', and then they go out and be something that, to me, they're not. If [what they're like] today is what they're about, then they f.cking fooled me [with] the first record because it wasn't there [back then].

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“[MACHINE HEAD vocalist] Robb Flynn's got one of the greatest heavy voices I've ever heard, and he's just f.cking wasting his time singing a bunch of sappy tunes.”

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In other MACHINE HEAD-related news, the band have just completed the mixing process for their upcoming Supercharger album with producer Colin Richardson at Tarzana, California's Cam-Am Studios and will be mastering the effort at Sterling Sound in New York City on Thursday, July 12th for a September release through Roadrunner Records. MACHINE HEAD have also revised the track listing for Supercharger, with the song “Ten Fold” having been removed from the final sequence due to frontman Robert Flynn's desire to rewrite the lyrics and re-sing the tune before making it available to the public as a potential future B-side. In order to compensate for the track's exclusion from the album, MACHINE HEAD have decided to incorporate into the album sequence the song “Sick Of You”, which was previously planned as a potential bonus track and a B-side under its working title of “Finger Tap”.

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Here is the revised track listing for Supercharger:

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01. (Intro)

02. Bulldozer

03. White-Knuckle Blackout!

04. Crashing Around You

05. Kick You When You're Down

06. Only The Names (formerly “Egypt”)

07. All In Your Head

08. American High

09. Sick Of You (formerly “Finger Tap”)

10. Blank Generation (formerly “The Drive”

      and “Nuclear Religion”)

11. Trephination

12. Deafening Silence

13. Supercharger

AMEN are rumored to have parted ways with former SNOT bassist Tumor. An official statement on the matter is expected shortly. Meanwhile, AMEN are still scheduled to take part in the UK festival shows at Reading and Leeds during the weekend of August 25-27.

SICK SPEED, featuring former STUCK MOJO guitarist Rich Ward on vocals/guitar, Mike "Happy" Schneider on guitar/vocals, ex-STUCK MOJO bassist Dan Dryden, and ex-STUCK MOJO drummer Bud Fontsere, have broken off negotiations with Century Media Records for the European release of the group's already-recorded demos after the two parties failed to come to an agreement regarding the status of the songs' publishing rights. Here is SICK SPEED's official statement on the matter:

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“Negotiations have broken off after three months of negotiations with Century Media concerning a European distribution deal. The label was unwilling to release the CD without being part owners of the songwriting publishing. From the beginning they were well aware of the fact that we not open to giving away our publishing and yet they tried sneaking language into the contract that would give them part ownership. Once we brought this language to their attention they agreed to remove it, only to replace it with language that would still give them ownership. After an expensive legal bill had been incurred and  multiple attempts to remind them that our publishing is not available, it became obvious that Century  Media remains incapable of running a label that has integrity. Negotiations have however begun with DK Records for a European release and the initial dialogue looks promising. More on this soap opera to come soon.”

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian has spoken out about the Madhouse—Very Best Of ANTHRAX CD that has just been issued via the group's previous label Island Records without the band's consent or involvement. According to Ian, “We had nothing to do with this record. Island owns all those masters and they can re-package them as often as they want. We offered to be a part of it. Even if only for new liner notes. No response. Well, I hope they get the same response in sales, none. I don't care if we make money off it. It's lame. They even put the song 'Time' where 'Got the Time' is listed. Geniuses put that together.”

The organizers of the upcoming Thrash Of The Titans benefit concert for TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, are reportedly in the process of finalizing plans to make the entire show available for viewing via a live web cast through as-yet-undisclosed Internet outlets. As previously reported, Thrash Of The Titans will feature reunion performances from EXODUS, VIO-LENCE, FORBIDDEN EVIL (pre-FORBIDDEN),LEGACY (pre-TESTAMENT) and HEATHEN, among others, and it will be taking place on Saturday, August 11th at the 1,700-capacity Maritime Hall in San Francisco.

The title track to DEICIDE's upcoming new release, In Torment In Hell, is available for download in MP3 form in its entirety via the unofficial DEICIDE site Insineratehymn. To download the track, click here.

Brazil's ANGRA are collaborating with VANDEN PLAS keyboardist Günter Werno during the recording of the former band's as-yet-untitled studio album at House Of Audio Studio in Karlsdorf, Germany. Produced by Dennis Ward, the new album will reportedly contain the bulk of the 17 songs that the band is presently tracking for the effort, a list that includes a couple of as-yet-undisclosed, “surprising” covers. ANGRA's first CD without longtime frontman and founding member Andre Matos (currently in SHAMAN) is due to receive a worldwide release around October 20th.

As first reported here back in mid-April (April 17th, to be exact),BIOHAZARD have officially signed with Sanctuary Records for the US release of the group's Uncivilization opus, which is expected to arrive in the stores on September 11th. BIOHAZARD vocalist/bassist Evan Seinfeld commented on the signing in an official Sanctuary press release: “Of all the offers we were given, Sanctuary was the best choice, as they are very career-minded.  The current trend of music relies solely on radio & video exposure if you do not have that, you're sunk.  Labels are always looking for that flash-in-the-pan new band to exploit and dump at the first slip of sales.  [Sanctuary heads] Merck [Mercuriadis] & Rod [Smallwood] have been managing bands like IRON MAIDEN for nearly 20 years, and they believe in heartfelt music, vivid imagery and overall sincerity of their projects.  Sanctuary is heavy metal-friendly and supports their bands for the long haul.  I cannot be in business with people who control projects out of fear."

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As previously reported, Uncivilization was almost exclusively self-produced at the group's Rat Piss Studio in Brooklyn, New York (except for the track "Last Man Standing”, which was produced by Jive Jones and BIOHAZARD),and it features guest appearances from PANTERA's Phil Anselmo, TYPE O NEGATIVE's Peter Steele, SEPULTURA's Igor Cavalera, Andreas Kisser and Derrick Green, AGNOSTIC FRONT's Roger Miret, CYPRESS HILL's Sen Dog, as well as various members of SLIPKNOT and HATEBREED. The full track listing for the effort is as follows:

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01. Sellout

02. Population Control

03. Wide Awake

04. Getaway

05. Unified (feat. AGNOSTIC FRONT's Roger Miret)

06. Gone

07. Letter Go

08. Last Man Standing (feat. CYPRESS HILL's Sen Dog)

09. H.F.F.K. (feat. PANTERA's Phil Anselmo)

10. Domination

11. Trap (feat. SEPULTURA's Igor Cavalera)

12. Plastic

13. Cross The Line

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BIOHAZARD are expected to embark on the road in mid-August, when they are due to perform dates in the northeastern part of the US and Eastern Canada, after which they will head over to Europe for the Tattoo The Planet trek (which will also include SLAYER, PANTERA and STATIC-X, among others),to be followed by a full North American tour in October/November.

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In other BIOHAZARD-related news, BIOHAZARD guitarist Billy Graziadei and drummer Danny Shuler are due to travel to England shortly to co-produce RAGING SPEEDHORN's as-yet-untitled second album, which is expected at the end of the year. Graziadei and Shuler previously worked with RSH on their single “The Gush”.

Sweden's ARCH ENEMY will be playing at the Metal Fest 2001 in Seoul, Korea on August 23rd alongside such acts as SLAYER, SEPULTURA, MACHINE HEAD, V.O.D. and several Korean groups. This will be ARCH ENEMY's first-ever visit to Korea and it will immediately precede the band's fourth Japanese tour, which will take place at the end of August (29-31). As previously reported here, ARCH ENEMY have yet to announce a European or American release date for their acclaimed Wages Of Sin effort—a delay that is reportedly due to the efforts of the group's representatives, Sanctuary Management, to get the band out of their present deal with Century Media Records or substantially renegotiate the existing agreement with the label. However, the group's American and European fans are reassured that, when the CD does eventually surface in those territories, it will include as-yet-undisclosed bonus material not found on the Japanese release.

QUEENSRYCHE's upcoming live album, which will be recorded during two shows in Seattle on July 27th/28th, is tentatively scheduled to be released through Sanctuary Records on October 8th.

As first reported here last week, Roadrunner Records have officially confirmed a parting-of-the-ways with SEPULTURA after a 13-year collaboration that saw the band shift several million units worldwide and establish itself as one of the most respected metal outfits on the scene today. Although no official reason was given for the split, it is believed that the group's diminished record sales and reduced commercial status had made it difficult for the company to continue promoting the act's recordings on a level consistent with their previous efforts, thus causing the band to demand to be let out of their otherwise lucrative recording agreement with the label (the most recent installment of which was reportedly drafted and signed at the height of SEPULTURA's commercial success, circa 1996's Roots). Nothing has yet been leaked regarding a potential new label home for the band, but it is unlikely that an official announcement regarding such development will arrive before the end of the year, at the earliest.

STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos is back on bass for the remaining dates on the band's Extreme Steel tour (also featuring SLAYER and PANTERA, among others) after his collarbone healed sufficiently following a motorcycle accident in mid-June that saw him being temporarily replaced by METHODS OF MAYHEM bassist Marty O'Brien. According to Marty's official web site, the four-stringer will remain on tour with STATIC-X for another week or so, “just in case something goes wrong with Tony”, before returning home to the Los Angeles area to pursue other projects.

BABYLON WHORES' forthcoming, as-yet-untitled studio album will be mixed at Finland's Finnvox Studios by Hiili Hiilesmaa (who'd previously worked with the group on their King Fear effort) during November. The third BABYLON WHORES album is tentatively due to receive a worldwide release in early 2002.

EIDOLON have parted ways with vocalist Brian Soulard due to “creative differences”. Drummer Shawn Drover explains the situation: "We felt the time was now to move on and find another singer — we have nothing negative or bad to say about Brian he is a good singer — but we need somebody who has different styles in his voice, more [multi-]dimensional, more power — a Ralf Scheepers/Ripper Owens kind of dude, to give you an example. We really believe that the right singer can take EIDOLON to the next level, and we won't rest until we find him! We are searching in Europe, Canada and America - if anybody is serious in contacting us, they may do so at this address: EIDOLON, 2915 Noah Drive, Acworth, GA 30101 USA. Anybody interested in our search, please send demos, pictures, and full bio - serious inquirees only, please. Right now, we have already started writing our next record for Metal Blade [Records], which we will start to record in November of 2001."

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