Archive News Jul 13, 2001

CRADLE OF FILTH have issued a statement slamming their US label, Spitfire Records, for not releasing an “enhanced” version of the group's current album, Bitter Suites To Succubi, and failing to inform the band of the change in plans. According to the statement, “the USA version of the BSTS CD should also have been enhanced like the Europe version. The manager and the band were under the impression that it was, and in fact it only came to light that it was not with e-mails from [fans writing in]! Spitfire [Records] knew that [the CD] was not going to be enhanced weeks ago so we have no idea why they have not changed their web site [to reflect the changes in plans]. They have now been asked to do so now.

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“Apparently the reason for the non-inclusion by Spitfire is down to a production problem. The band's manager has been now told it would have been impossible to keep the release date (July 3) if they had included the enhanced material. However, no one from the record companies has come to their manager or the band at any point in time to volunteer this information. Regarding magazine advertising, the ads would have been placed before the hold-up, so unfortunately it would not have been possible to change these.

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“Both the manager and the band are very angry that fans have been misled in any way.

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“All we can do is apologize for other people at this point.

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The band's manager is speaking to Spitfire to see whether it is possible to have the “enhanced section added to a later run of CDs.”

Germany's GAMMA RAY have announced the full track listing for their upcoming No World Order opus, which is due to emerge through Metal-Is Records in Europe on Monday, September 10th. The song titles, songwriting credits and running times are as follows:

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01. Induction (Hansen)  0:59

02. Dethrone Tyranny (Zimmermann)  4:14

03. The Heart Of The Unicorn (Hansen)  4:46

04. Heaven Or Hell (Hansen)  4:16

05. New World Order (Hansen)  5:00

06. Damn The Machine (Zimmermann)  5:28

07. Solid (Hansen)  4:24

08. Fire Below (Hansen)  5:34

09. Follow Me (Richter)  4:43

10. Eagle (Hansen)  6:04

11. Lake Of Tears (Richter)  6:51

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The total playing time of the album is 52 minutes 24 seconds. In other GAMMA RAY news, the band have now announced the concert dates for Japan, which are due to take place during November. The details are as follows:

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Nov. 10 - Tokyo, JAP @ On Air East

Nov. 11 - Tokyo, JAP @ On Air East

Nov. 13 – Nagoya, JAP @ Bottomline

Nov. 14 – Osaka, JAP @ Big Cat

Norway's THEATRE OF TRAGEDY is currently hard at work writing and rehearsing new songs for their as-yet-untitled fifth album, which is due to be recorded at Finnvox Studios during September-November with producer Hiili Hiilesmaa (H.I.M., APOCALYPTICA, MOONSPELL, BUSH, 69 EYES, etc.). If everything goes according to plan, a new single will be released in January, with the full album—the group's first with new guitarist Vegard Thorsen—to follow in February.

VIRGIN STEELE will be issuing two new CDs this October. The first will be called The Book of Burning, and it will contain re-recorded versions of classic tracks from Virgin Steele I, Guardians of the Flame and the EP, A Cry in the Night, as well as a collection of other rare, previously unreleased tracks (both new & old) that the band has written over the past ten years. The second CD will be an anthology of classic VIRGIN STEELE material, spanning the years between Noble Savage through the House of Atreus, which will feature many different versions, remixes and outtakes of classics from those works.

BLACK SABBATH frontman Ozzy Osbourne will be honored with a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame next year.

Former BRITNY FOX frontman Dean Davidson's new band, LOVE SAVES THE DAY, will be releasing their debut album on Tuesday, September 11th.  The album, titled Superstar (and not Bachelor's Button, as originally announced),contains 12 original songs and will be released by BodyGuard Records in the USA, Canada, and Europe.  A Japanese release will happen soon after. The first single in the US will be a three-minute tune called “Judith”. Look for the LOVE SAVES THE DAY web site to be launched in August. As previously reported, LOVE SAVES THE DAY features a sound that is "very radio friendly, but [still] rock" (ala THE WALLFLOWERS, GOO GOO DOLLS, SHERYL CROW, and MATCHBOX 20). Superstar was produced by two-time Grammy Award winner John Rollo (the Bodyguard soundtrack, WHITNEY HOUSTON, JOE COCKER, THE KINKS, STEVIE NICKS, ERIC CLAPTON) at London Underground Studios in New York City, NYC.

Virginia's MISURA, whose debut CD was produced by guitarist Logan Mader (formerly of MACHINE HEAD and SOULFLY, now in MEDICATION),have denied rumors of a break-up after a host of recent line-up changes that were caused by “various reasons [that] vary so much that to explain all of them would take too much time and space.” The band are planning on returning to the road in late September early October.

LUX OCCULTA are recording their fourth full-length album, entitled The Mother And The Enemy, at Poland's Studio 333 with producer Bartek Kuzniak (VADER, DECAPITATED, DIES IRAE, etc.).

Portuguese melodic metallers MALEVOLENCE are due to enter the studio in the next few months to record the follow-up to 1999's Martyrialized CD. According to guitarist Karlos Kariano, “six new songs are complete and we are heading towards the final structuring of four additional tracks during the next months. The album will be a bit more longer this time compared to the short annihilating running time of Martyrialized, but do not expect anything away from the 40 minutes running or a bit less since those albums longer then that just demolish us down".

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"This time we are thinking in including a cover version from a band that we like since our childhood and you can wait for something extremely vitiating regarding that matter. We have been thinking a lot about the cover version that we want to put available to all our worldwide fans but we have not decide yet on that matter since there are three of four bands that deserve our extreme tribute to their old fashion metal works of art. It is always a very hard task to choose a song to cover considering that we like a lot of bands out there and to make one is just as hard as picking up your favorite metal hymn of all times".

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"The new album will include a inexorable progression and strong evolution on all the malevolence killing fields. I am sure that we will please way more the fans of extreme music this time as we are creating a f.cking monster in our rehearsals packed with exterminating speed and viral aggression".

NICKELBACK will follow up their upcoming European headlining appearances with a US tour with 3 DOORS DOWN, which is scheduled to start on August 30th and run until September 22nd.

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Aug. 31 - Minnesota State Fair - St Paul MN

Sept. 04 - Cleveland State Univ. Conv. - Cleveland OH

Sept. 08 - DTE Energy Music Center - Clarkson MN

Sept. 11 - York Fair Grandstand - York PA

SOILWORK have hired a new keyboardist by the name of Sven Karlsson to replace the recently departed Carlos Del Olmo. Sven's first gigs with the band took place during SOILWORK's recent trip to Japan, where they performed two shows.

Australia's SEGRESSION have parted ways with drummer Red. The band is currently seeking a replacement.

SLAYER's God Hates Us All CD will now be released through American Recordings via Island/Def Jam on September 11th.

COAL CHAMBER will be finishing up the recordings for their upcoming Dark Days opus in early August at Rumbo Recorders Studio in Canoga Park, California with producer Ross Hogarth. According to vocalist Dez Fafara, "We're working in a very vibey place," referring to the studio where GUNS N' ROSES' Appetite For Destruction, MOTLEY CRUE's Girls, Girls, Girls and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS' Core were recorded. About Hogarth, Fafara said: “I've never worked with a producer like Ross Hogarth...someone who knows exactly what he wants, and gets it every time...and won't accept anything less than 130%.

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"We're making a rock n roll album. We've got 14 songs done — just adding guitar overdubs and vocals right now. Started vocals three days ago [July 8th], and it's moving along at an intense pace. The songs are energetic, the whole album has a live feel. Lyrically, it covers all the emotions that I've gone through in the last two years - which are pain, pain, and pain.

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“I usually come in at 10:30 AM, and after a couple cups of tea, start drinking wine about 11:30. Usually hit the mike around noon, work until 9:00 PM, then [guitarist] Meegs comes in for overdubs until 1:00 AM.

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“I prefer the afternoon hours for vocals because my energy is high, and weed and wine affect me strangely in the afternoon.

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“Look forward to no less than 12 classic COAL CHAMBER tunes. With the help of our label and our new management, we look forward to a fall slaughter of all the crap that you've been fed the past year.

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“Know that the band is working extremely hard on this critical record, and all the rumors about us are true - we're a true rock 'n' roll band. It was good to have the last eight months of downtime to really realize who the f.ck we are and what the f.ck we are - and we'll follow through with that thought on Dark Days.”

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As previously reported, Dark Days is tentatively scheduled to be released through Roadrunner Records in October.

Finland's SUFFOCATION soundalikes DEEPRED will be recording their split CD with DYING FETUS during August. Meanwhile, the vocal duties on the group's upcoming European tour in August-September will be handled by Tommi Havo from the Lappeenranta-based death metal act KHERT-NETER after previous vocalist Dani announced that he will be moving out of country in the near future. In other news, DEEPRED will be embarking on a tour with BRODEQUIN (USA) and SANATORIUM (Slovakia) in October.

Sweden's MORK GRYNING will issue their third album, Maelstrom Chaos, through No Fashion Records later in the year. Recorded at Norway's Grieghallen Studios, the new album will include the following tracks:

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01.  A Perception Of The Ancient

02.  Templars

03.  Ont Blod

04.  The Menace

05.  Maelstrom Chaos

06.  My Friends

07.  Forever Unhallowed Preponderance

08.  The Darkness Within

09.  Bloodspring Mirage

10.  Dödens Skald

11.  Gäst Hos Bergakungen

THE WILDHEARTS' July 21st Out Of Hell show in Japan that was originally booked for Tokyo's NK Hall will now take place four days later, on July 25th, at the AX.

Former DEEP PURPLE/TRAPEZE vocalist Glenn Hughes will  be playing with the Voices of Classic Rock in Canada next week. The dates are as follows:

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July 17 - Windsor Racetrack, Windsor, Ontario

July 18 - Ft. Erie Racetrack. Ontario

July 19 - Ottawa Racetrack, Ontario.

JANUS STARK, featuring PRODIGY guitarist Gizz, will be supporting THE QUIREBOYS on July 18th at the Garage in Highbury & Islington, UK.

Guitarist Michiel Papenhove has left Holland's WITHIN TEMPTATION due to his desire to spend more time focusing on a web-design career. His last show with the group will take place on July 14th at the Vlietpop Festival in Leidschendam. A replacement for Michiel has already been found: former FROZEN SUN guitarist Jelle Bakker.

For Immediate Release:

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NAPSTER AND METALLICA REACH ACCORD

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Redwood City and San Francisco, California, July 12, 2001 — METALLICA and Napster, Inc. today announced the settlement of their legal dispute. The settlement will enable the parties to work together to make Napster a positive vehicle for artists and music enthusiasts alike.

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"METALLICA has taken a courageous stand and a tough and principled approach to the protection of its name and creative output, and that of other artists. They brought to our attention essential artists' rights issues which we've addressed in our new technology. We respect what they've done and regret any harm which this dispute may have caused them," said Hank Barry, interim CEO of Napster. "METALLICA is a band that continues to be ground-breaking and on the cutting edge. In a career that dates to 1981, METALLICA has been in the forefront of creative, technological and marketing initiatives in the music and video world. It's clear that METALLICA's longevity and fan loyalty have been earned by looking forward, not backward."

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"We at Napster strongly believe that Napster, the Internet and file-sharing will play an increasingly important role in how fans discover, share and purchase their music," Barry added. "We understand that METALLICA and, indeed, all artists, must have a voice in this evolution. We are delighted that we now have the opportunity to work with METALLICA to develop a new business model that will be responsive to the artistic right to choose for which METALLICA so vigorously and admirably fought."

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Napster has implemented and will continue to refine filtering technology for identifying and blocking access to files that artists and other rights holders do not want to allow users to share. Pursuant to the terms of the settlement, this technology is to be consistent with the District Court's preliminary injunction and the statutory requirements of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act. This technology, a fixture of the new Napster model being developed, is available to all artists and their labels.

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"I think we've resolved this in a way that works for fans, recording artists and songwriters alike," said Lars Ulrich, co-founder of METALLICA. "Our beef hasn't been with the concept of sharing music everyone knows that we've never objected to our fans trading tapes of our live concert performances. The problem we had with Napster was that they never asked us or other artists if we wanted to participate in their business. We believe that this settlement will create the kind of enhanced protection for artists that we've been seeking from Napster. We await Napster's implementation of a new model which will allow artists to choose how their creative efforts are distributed. It's good that they're going legit."

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"Even when we were at odds with METALLICA, we always understood that they had the best interests of artists in mind," Shawn Fanning, Founder of Napster, pointed out. "METALLICA brought to the forefront an important artists' rights issue. They have taken a lot of flak for that but have persevered because of their belief that what they're doing is essential to the preservation of their art. Despite the litigation, METALLICA's position has been a reflection of their high ideals and their private dealings with Napster have always been gracious."

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Fanning continued, "It's time to end the court fight and shake hands. We look forward to gaining METALLICA's support and respect as we work to develop Napster into a tool that can be responsive both to artists' needs to communicate their art and the desires of music lovers throughout the world. We're pleased that this chapter is behind us."

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METALLICA has agreed to allow the sharing of certain of their material from time to time once an acceptable model is in place that ensures payment to artists and publishers for the use of their works.

VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen said the following in an interview with Maximum Gold magazine about the much-rumored reunion with vocalist David Lee Roth: "Everything looked pretty positive about gettin' together. But before you know it attorneys are involved. These cats had me so beat down and confused, it made the cancer seem like a tiny zit on my ass. Everything seemed to fall apart once these guys got involved. I mean... we used to do it on a handshake. At this point, I don't have a clue what is going on." In related news, Roth will be launching his own radio station, featuring nothing but “Diamond Dave classics, released, unreleased, live, studio, and special treats from Big Daddy Diamond Dave himself”, on Sunday, July 15th via RothRadio.com.

DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci will be making an appearance/taking part in a meet-and-greet session at Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center during the G3 tour stop in Washington DC on Tuesday, July 17th, 2001 at 3:00 PM. Ernie Ball/Music Man Guitars will be co-sponsoring the event, and there will be some of John's new signature model guitars in stock at the time of his visit. The store is located at: Chuck Levin's Washington Music Center, 11151 Veirs Mill Road, Wheaton MD 20902, (301)946-8808.

Philadelphia gothic metallers SEASON OF MOURNING are finishing up their brand new CD, tentatively titled Fall, for a mid-summer release. The following nine tracks are set to appear on the finished CD:

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01.   In Shadows, Forever Fallen

02.   My Obsession

03.   Dying Mind

04.   The Misery Within

05.   In Praise Of the Dark

06.   Fossil Flower

07.   Forbidden

08.   ...Of A Lesser God

09.   Fall

Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millennium, the live documentation of this year's Ozzfest — featuring cuts from BLACK SABBATH, MARILYN MANSON, SLIPKNOT and PAPA ROACH, among others — is due to be issued on August 14th via Epic Records. Recorded in June during the tour's Milwaukee and Indianapolis stops, the 16-track LP is the third album in the Ozzfest-live series, following this year's Second Stage Live and 1997's out-of-print Ozzfest Live!

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Here is the full track listing for Ozzfest 2001: The Second Millennium:

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01. BLACK SABBATH - "The Wizard"

02. MARILYN MANSON - "The Love Song"

03. SLIPKNOT - "New Abortion"

04. PAPA ROACH - "Blood Brothers"

05. LINKIN PARK - "With You"

06. DISTURBED - "Fear"

07. BLACK LABEL SOCIETY - "Superterrorizer"

08. MUDVAYNE - "Death Blooms"

09. DROWNING POOL - "Bodies"

10. UNION UNDERGROUND - "South Texas Death Ride"

11. OTEP - "Filthy"

12. NONPOINT - "What a Day"

13. HATEBREED - "Last Breath"

14. SYSTEMATIC - "Deep Colors Bleed"

15. PURE RUBBISH - "Kiss of Death"

16. AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE - "Reach and Touch"

Australia's PEGAZUS will play a special live show in their hometown of Melbourne for the band's seventh anniversary on Friday, August 3rd at Edwards Tavern in Prahran, Melbourne. During the gig, the band will play a few of their new songs live for the very first time which the band hope to record on video and possibly CD for some sort of special release to the fans later in the year. Meanwhile, the band are hoping to enter the studio in late August / early September to begin recording their new album, which is due for release through Nuclear Blast Records early next year.

DESTRUCTION are offering Real Audio samples of select cuts from their upcoming album, The Antichrist, via the group's official web site. You can also view footage of the group's live performance, as taken from the Nuclear Blast Festival compilation DVD. To check it out, click here.

Former DRAIN STH and current SUPERFIX bassist-turned-guitarist Anna Kjellberg will be participating in an online chat via her new official online fan club on Saturday, July 14th at 6 PM Pacific time. That translates to 7 PM Mountain, 8 PM Central, and 9 PM Eastern. The URL is http://clubs.yahoo.com/clubs/annaksapostles.

According to DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy, six songs have so far been recorded for the new DREAM THEATER studio album, which is scheduled for release in early 2002. As before, most of the lyrics will be written by Portnoy and guitarist John Petrucci, with possible contributions by bassist John Myung and vocalist James LaBrie. As for the musical direction of the new album, Portnoy has reportedly described it loosely as a cross between Awake and LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT.

Former EUROPE frontman Joey Tempest is still hard at work on his third solo album, which the singer has described as being “a little bit closer to the way I was writing for EUROPE—a little bit more edge but still melodic.” No release date has yet been announced for the as-yet-untitled effort.

French brutal thrashers NO RETURN are in the process of writing material for their upcoming studio album, which they are planning on recording at Belgium's Studio CCR between October 22nd and November 5th. Seven compositions have thus far been completed for what will turn out to be a “concept” album based on an as-yet-undisclosed theme.

ONE MINUTE SILENCE have pulled out of their scheduled appearance at Gillingham Festival due to “recording commitments”.

AYREON mastermind Arjen Lucassen (ex-BODINE, VENGEANCE) will perform live only for the second time in several years tomorrow, Saturday, July 14th at the Dutch Bospop Festival, where he will play together with AFTER FOREVER. Astrid van der Veen (AMBEON) will also perform one song with the band.

The reunited cult metal band CULPRIT will warm up for their appearance at Germany's Wacken Open Air Festival by performing a one-off club show at Jimmy Z's in Everett, Washington on Saturday, July 28th.

The UK's AREA 54 have temporarily put on hold the recording of their second full-length album after they were dropped by their label, Dream Catcher Records. The band are currently seeking a new deal.

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