Archive News Jul 18, 2001

Several unconfirmed dates for the upcoming Doomsday In The USA tour—featuring POWERMAN 5000 and SALIVA, plus a rotating opening slot that will include MACHINE HEAD, STEREOMUD and HALFCOCKED—have been leaked. The unconfirmed dates are as follows:

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Sept. 10 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room

Sept. 11 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave

Sept. 14 - Detroit, MI @ Harpos

Sept. 20 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory

Sept. 21 - Worcester, MA @ Palladium

Sept. 28 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle

Sept. 29 - St. Petersburg, FL @ TBA

Oct. 01 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live

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Doomsday In The USA is tentatively expected to begin on September 6th. The full itinerary will be announced shortly.

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In other MACHINE HEAD-related news, the band will make a brief stop in Australia in late August (following the group's appearances in Korea and Japan) to take the middle slot at a four-date mini-tour headlined by SLAYER and also featuring STATIC-X prior to returning to the States to begin the aforementioned Doomsday… trek. The Australian dates in question will take place between August 28th and September 2nd. More details as they become available.

AMEN have rejected as “false” the rumors that the band have parted ways with bassist Tumor (ex-SNOT),and are claiming to be in the rehearsal studio—with Tumor in tow—working on the material for the group's forthcoming third full-length album, which is tentatively scheduled to be recorded in September with producer Ross Robinson.

ANTHRAX have announced the first three headlining shows that will take place immediately prior to and in between the band's scheduled dates as the support act for JUDAS PRIEST in September. The confirmed headlining gigs so far are as follows:

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Sept. 06 - Allentown, PA @ Crocodile Rock

Sept. 08 - Old Bridge, NJ @ Birch Hill

Sept. 15 - San Francisco, CA @ Warfield

According to TESTAMENT/SADUS bassist Steve DiGiorgio, the recording process for TESTAMENT's upcoming collection of re-workings of early original compositions, entitled First Strike Is Deadly, will begin during the two-week period between July 27th and August 13th, and it include the recording line-up of DiGiorgio (bass),Chuck Billy (vocals),Eric Peterson (guitars),Alex Skolnick (guitars),and John Tempesta (ROB ZOMBIE drums). Thirteen songs will reportedly be tracked during the sessions, including six songs off 1997's Legacy and six songs off 1998's New Order. The full track listing for the effort is as follows:

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01. Over The Wall

02. Into The Pit

03. The Haunting

04. Reign Of Terror

05. Burnt Offerings

06. First Strike Is Deadly

07.&nbspAlone In The Dark

08. C.O.T.L.O.D.

09. Disciples Of The Watch

10. Eerie Inhabitants

11. New Order

12. The Preacher

13. Trial By Fire

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First Strike Is Deadly will be co-produced/engineered by Doug Hall, who has worked with IRON MAIDEN as the band's live sound engineer and who had previously collaborated with TESTAMENT on their 1997 Demonic CD. An October release is expected.

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In other DiGiorgio news, the bassist will be performing two sets during the upcoming Thrash Of The Titans benefit concert for TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. Due to take place at San Francisco's Maritime Hall on Saturday, August 11th, the concert will see DiGiorgio taking the stage with SADUS and LEGACY (pre-TESTAMENT),with SADUS going on early (in the first- or second-act slot) and LEGACY featuring a rotating line-up that will include mainstays Eric Peterson (guitars) and Zetro Souza (ex-EXODUS vocals) alongside Alex Skolnick (ex-TESTAMENT guitars),Derek Ramirez (ex-TESTAMENT bass),Jon Allen (SADUS, TESTAMENT drums),John Tempesta (ROB ZOMBIE, ex-EXODUS, ex-TESTAMENT drums),Paul Bostaph (SLAYER, ex-FORBIDDEN drums),Louie Clemente (GALLERY OF SUICIDE, ex-TESTAMENT drums),DiGiorgio and possibly Greg Christian (ex-TESTAMENT bass). LEGACY will reportedly perform a host of songs based around TESTAMENT's Legacy album, which was written while the group was still called LEGACY and when it featured Zetro Sousa on vocals (Sousa eventually quit to join EXODUS shortly before Legacy was recorded).

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And lastly, DiGiorgio has confirmed the rumors of an impending project involving himself, TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy and SADUS guitarist Darren Travis. According to Steve, the as-yet-unnamed band began its life as a Billy solo project late last year, but quickly evolved into more of a “group” entity once the three had started coming together to compose material. As a result, work on a new SADUS album has been put on hold again while DiGiorgio and Travis “are enjoying a refreshing outlet to work on some ideas we had brewing”. Described as “a good mix of aggression, speed, heaviness, and new catchy parts — typical to all good metal offerings”, the new project hope to squeeze in the recording of its debut album between the aforementioned re-recordings of old TESTAMENT songs and the recordings sessions for the upcoming “proper” TESTAMENT album, which is not due to be released until sometime next year.

CRADLE OF FILTH's US record label, Spitfire Records, have issued a statement clarifying the reasons for the non-inclusion of the video portion on the American release of the group's Bitter Suites To Succubi CD. According to the label, “the master recording of the album, as received by Spitfire, was not enhanced. There were already delays in receiving the recording and in order for the album to be released on schedule, it needed to go into production immediately upon arrival.

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“With the band's first extensive tour of North America beginning just days after the street date for Bitter Suites To Succubi, further delaying the release would have resulted in CRADLE OF FILTH performing songs that were unavailable to fans. This would have simply been unfair to the band, the audience and all parties involved.

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“As stated in all promotional materials up until receipt of the master recording, our intent was certainly to have an enhanced portion on this recording and we are very disappointed that this was not the case.

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“We are currently seeking clearance to make the video available on the Spitfire Records website. The down loaded file can then reside permanently on a user's hard drive or be placed onto alternate media. For immediate viewing, the video for 'Born In A Burial Gown' can be seen online at AntiMTV (www.antimtv.com).”

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In other CRADLE OF FILTH news, the will be signing autographs at the Sam Goody's record store located at 8th Street and 6th Avenue in New York City on Thursday, July 19th at 6 PM, just a short time before they take the stage at the Hammerstein Ballroom. Due to time constraints, all fans attending are being asked to only bring one item per person to be signed.

DEFTONES frontman Chino Moreno was reportedly taken to an emergency room in his hometown of Sacramento, California on Sunday, July 15th due to a severe sore throat, thereby forcing the group was forced to cancel its sold-out Sacramento show, which was scheduled to take place the same night. Moreno's throat problems also prevented the singer from taking part in his the syndicated rock radio show Rockline, where he was scheduled to appear on Monday, July 16th. Drummer Abe Cunningham made the appearance instead, along with GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna.

Former JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Rob Halford and his band HALFORD are scheduled to appear on the nationally syndicated radio program Rockline this coming Monday, July 23rd.

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The show goes live at 8:30 PM PST/11:30 PM ET every Monday and can be heard on 130 stations across the country and is simulcast on the net by:

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www.q98.com (Fargo, ND)

www.dve.com (Pittsburgh, PA)

www.dc101.com (Washington, DC)

www.whjy.com (Providence, RI)

www.949zeta.com (Miami, FL)

www.wgir.com (Manchester, NH

www.wour.cc (Utica, NY)

www.tk101.com (Pensacola, FL)

www.wapl.com (Green Bay, WI)

www.q106fm.com (Lansing, Michigan)

www.xl102.cc (Richmond, Virginia)

www.wklc.com (Charleston, West Virginia)

www.kbus.com (Paris, TX)

www.kcgq.com (Cape Girardeau, Missouri)

www.wroq.com (Greenville, SC)

www.z104rocks.com (Wausau, WI)

www.klbjfm.com (Austin, TX)

www.katt.com (KATT - Oklahoma City)

www.klfx.com (KLFX - Killeen, TX)

www.lazer1033.com (KAZR - Des Moines, IA)

www.wrif.com (WRIF - Detroit)

www.wzzo.com (WZZO - Allentown, PA)

www.wblm.com ( WBLM - Portland, ME)

www.kzze.com (KZZE - Medford, OR)

www.wklq.com (WKLQ - Grand Rapids, MI)

www.rock104.com (WRUF - Gainesville, FL)

www.klaq.com (KLAQ - El Paso, TX)

www.krzr.com (KRZR - Fresno, CA)

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HALFORD are currently in the early stages of pre-production for their forthcoming studio album which is scheduled to be recorded at a Los Angeles studio in the fall with producer Roy Z. The disc is tentatively scheduled for a spring 2002 release.

According to Digital Metal, Baphomet and Housecore Records, headed by partners Killjoy (NECROPHAGIA, THE RAVENOUS, etc.) and Philip Anselmo (PANTERA, SUPERJOINT RITUAL, etc.) respectively, have announced a strategic marketing and distribution agreement with Relapse Records.

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Co-founder Killjoy said the following regarding the partnership: 'Philip and I are extremely proud to announce that we have decided to work with Relapse Records in conjunction with our label. We considered many different avenues and outlets for our record label but after repeated conferences and a face-to-face meeting with Relapse president Matt Jacobson it was very apparent that Relapse was the clear choice. Relapse has a great grasp of the business, proper distribution, a hard-working, knowledgeable staff and above all a burning dedication to our scene. We intend to work in conjunction with Relapse for a long time to bring you some truly noteworthy releases.'

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Killjoy's label partner Philip Anselmo continued with equal enthusiasm: 'What you're going to get here with Baphomet/Housecore, it's going to be different. It's going to be a fresh approach. It's going to be a lot of homemade sh.t, not all major label-produced monstrosities. I just got permission from Elektra to independently put out all the bands that I've ever f.cking done. Each band that I'm involved in outside of PANTERA is a way for me to express and develop different outlets that are very much a part of me. With PANTERA it's only one side of me. I love to write and create music, and the side bands are very different from PANTERA. They also show the flexibility in me as a musician PANTERA's very important in my life, but there's many other things that keep this boy here content.'

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According to a Relapse Records press release, the first Baphomet and Housecore titles will include the debuts from SOUTHERN ISOLATION, GORELORD, SUPERJOINT RITUAL and the sophomore release from THE RAVENOUS. Look for SOUTHERN ISOLATION and GORELORD to appear sometime in October/November and SUPERJOINT RITUAL's (featuring Anselmo and members of CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, CROWBAR, DEAD HORSE and EYEHATEGOD) as-yet-untitled full-length in early 2002.

Currently enjoying a brief break from recording sessions for its third full-length album, COAL CHAMBER will be re-entering Rumbo Recorders Studios in Canoga Park, California on August 4th for an additional three weeks of vocals and guitar overdubs, after which the CD—tentatively titled Dark Days—will be ready to be mixed. As previously reported, Dark Days is tentatively scheduled to be released in October through Roadrunner Records.

Sweden's ARCH ENEMY will make its official live debut with new vocalist Angela Gossow at this years Wacken Festival in Germany, where they 're scheduled to appear on the “Wet Stage” on Saturday, August 4th at 6:45 PM for a scheduled 45-minute performance. For more info on the festival, go to: www.wacken-open-air.de

Finland's THE BLACK LEAGUE, featuring former SENTENCED frontman Taneli Jarva, are presently at the Sound Mix Studio in Oulu, Finland recording their second full-length album. As-yet-untitled, the effort will include the following song titles, among others:

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01. Empiria

02. Voice Of God

03.&nbspDay One

04. Blueskymagic

05.&nbspTedium Vitae

06.&nbspTo Suffer And To Smile

ZIMMER'S HOLE, featuring guitarist Jed Simon and bassist Byron Stroud of STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, have pushed back the release of their upcoming Legion Of Flames CD (originally scheduled for release on July 25th) due to unspecified “printer problems”.

VIRGIN STEELE have issued the following statement in response to a recently published interview with former guitarist Jack Starr where the axeman reportedly accused VS frontman David DeFeis of having made disparaging remarks about some of their musical peers:

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“In light of the recent interview in which Jack Starr alleges that David DeFeis made comments regarding any other bands or their members therewith, please be advised that they are all fabrications &amp untruths. VIRGIN STEELE has nothing but respect for HAMMERFALL, MANOWAR and any &amp all bands who are committed to their art, performance &amp musicianship.”

CLUTCH will be performing two songs and will be partaking in a live, on-air interview on the The Daily Beat show on Metro Channel 70 on July 31st at 5:00 PM. Reruns of the show will air at 6:00 PM and 7:00 PM.

PITCHSHIFTER have posted yet another update on the progress of the band's songwriting sessions for their forthcoming studio album, which is tentatively scheduled to appear through an as-yet-undetermined label in early 2002. Here is the group's posting in its entirety:

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“As you know, [guitarist] Jim [Davies] and [vocalist] JS [Clayden] are in the process of writing the band's new LP. This week sees the completion of yet more tracks. Including the tune with Benji Rockstarfari from SKINDRED, there are now 16 tunes in total. In addition to this the boys have written a couple of sample based 30 second interludes between tracks.

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“A quote from the boys: 'Well, we pretty much have enough tunes for the LP now. Writing has been going really well and we are very pleased with the results. The interludes are just a bit of fun and interest. Something to add to the mood of the LP. So far they are called 'Interlude Lite' and 'Interlude Dark'. One is quite hip hop based and features a short section of lyrics from a song you might know... and the other is dark and brooding. Something to break up the tunes and make the record a little special. Not everything has to be a tune, some ideas should be just short snippets. The rest of the tunes are sounding great and we can't wait to record this thing for you all. Peace!'

Upcoming HADES live dates in support of the group's recently issued DamNation CD, available through Metal Blade Records:

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July 21 - Hard Rock Cafe – NYC, NY

July 28 - Riley's Rock House - Aurora, IL

Oct. 05 - Wreck Room - Wallington NJ

Following the completion of the group's recent recording sessions with producer Sylvia Massy at Trans Continental Studios in Orlando, Alabama's VIRGOS (formerly VIRGOS MERLOT) are preparing to re-track two more songs with producer Michael Beinhorn for their as-yet-untitled second album, which is due in early 2002.

Sweden's MELDRUM, who feature in their ranks former PHANTOM BLUE guitarist Michelle Meldrum, will play at Pub Anchor in Stockholm on August 10th and 11th.

Here is how the metal/hard rock genre fared in the German Media Control Pop Album charts for the week ending July 16th:

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04. BLINK 182 - Take Off Your Pants And Jacket

05. LINKIN PARK - Hybrid Theory

09. BLACKMORE´S NIGHT - Fires At Midnight

10. BON JOVI - One Wild Night - Live

20. LIMP BIZKIT - Chocolate Starfish...

23. RAMMSTEIN - Mutter

28. ICED EARTH - Horror Show

33. MUSE - Origin Of Symmetry

34. CRAZY TOWN - The Gift Of Game

36. AC/DC - Stiff Upper Lip

40. WHEATUS - Wheatus

43. WEEZER - Weezer

44. BÖHSE ONKELZ - Wir schrieben Geschichte

59. INCUBUS - Make Yourself

65. JETHRO TULL - The Very Best Of

71. TOOL - Lateralus

80. APOCALYPTICA - Cult

87. GODSMACK - Awake

95. BÖHSE ONKELZ - Gestern War Heute Noch Morgen

97. NIGHTWISH - Over The Hills And Far Away

99. THE CULT - Beyond Good And Evil

THE KOVENANT's upcoming studio album, tentatively titled S.E.T.I. (The Search For Extraterestial Intelligence), will contain the following working titles, among others:

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01. Planet of the Apes

02. Hollow Earth

03. GenTech Ranch

04. The Perfect End

05.&nbspCamp Narssiscius

06. Strange Days (THE DOORS cover)

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