Archive News Jul 20, 2001

METALLICA guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield has entered an undisclosed rehabilitation facility for “alcoholism and other addictions”, according to a message posted by the band on their official web site yesterday. Here is the group's statement in its entirety:

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“To Our Friends:

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“We would like you all to know that James Hetfield has entered a rehabilitation facility to undergo treatment for alcoholism and other addictions.

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“James has entered an undisclosed facility, and he will continue to receive treatment until further notice. Until then, we have postponed all current activities, including recording sessions for our new album, as well as the July 29th launch party for metallica.com.

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“We have always thought of you all as family, and wanted you to know before this information gets out through other sources. James is working hard toward recovery, and needless to say he has our full support. We trust that you will appreciate the sensitive nature of this matter, and respect our wishes to give James the time and privacy he needs to deal with his problems.

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“Until then, thank you in advance for keeping James in your thoughts and prayers, and we look forward to continuing to share music with you in the future.”

The dates for the Doomsday In The USA tour, which will feature POWERMAN 5000, SALIVA and MACHINE HEAD, plus STEREOMUD (from September 6th through September 21st) and HALFCOCKED (September 24th through October 6th) in the opening slot, have been announced. They are as follows:

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Sept. 06 - Kansas City, MO @ Uptown Theatre

Sept. 07 - Des Moines, IA @ Val Air Ballroom

Sept. 10 - Indianapolis, IN @ Egyptian Room/Murat Center

Sept. 11 - Milwaukee, WI @ Eagle's Auditorium

Sept. 12 - Chicago, IL @ Riviera Theatre

Sept. 14 - Detroit, MI @ Harpo's

Sept. 15 - Cleveland, OH @ Nautica

Sept. 18 - NYC @ Hammerstein Ballroom

Sept. 20 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory

Sept. 21 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium

Sept. 24 - Montreal, Quebec @ Metropolis

Sept. 25 - Toronto, Ontario @ The Warehouse

Sept. 26 - Grand Rapids, MI @ The Orbit Room

Sept. 28 - Atlanta, GA @ Tabernacle

Sept. 29 - Tampa, FL @ USF Special Events Center

Sept. 30 - Sunrise, FL @ Sunrise Musical Theatre

Oct. 01 - Orlando, FL @ Hard Rock Live

Oct. 03 - Houston, TX @ Aerial Theatre

Oct. 04 - Dallas, TX @ Bronco Bowl

Oct. 05 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Bricktown Events Center

Oct. 07 - St. Louis, MO @ The Pageant

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Although STEREOMUD are said to have agreed to perform in the opening slot for the first 10 dates of the above-mentioned tour (Sept. 6th – Sept. 21),unconfirmed reports suggest that they may skip the trek altogether and embark on a jaunt with SEVENDUST instead. However, I repeat that these are unofficial reports that should not be taken seriously unless an official announcement is made in the next few days confirming the matter.

The four dates for the SLAYER/MACHINE HEAD/STATIC-X Australian mini-tour have been announced. The schedule is as follows:

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Aug. 29 - Sydney, AUS @ Hordern Pavillion

Aug. 30 - Brisbane, AUS @ Festival Hall

Sept. 01 - Melbourne, AUS @ Festival Hall

Sept. 02 - Adelaide, AUS @ Entertainment Centre

COAL CHAMBER's Dez Fafara has further commented on the group's upcoming Dark Days opus in a Q&ampA session posted on the web site of their record company, Roadrunner Records. According to the vocalist, the quartet's forthcoming third full-length effort will be “way more aggressive, way more emotional, and about 10 times heavier than the first one. For me, this record is an all out assault. Every song feels live. What I mean by that is we can play every one of these live and they would work.

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“What we did with the second album [1999's Chamber Music] was try to jump out of our genre, which maybe we did too much...but it's always good to stretch your wings. This album, we went much more for heavy hook than overall melody.

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“This album is out of control. I think it's going to be a defining moment in our genre. We're stepping outside of ourselves once again. I think [the fans will] receive this album with open arms as being straight forward heavy and hooky.

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“I'm approaching this piece of work from a very raw standpoint. The lyrics will reflect at times very cagey, powerful emotion. The majority of the lyrics are inspired by things gone through by the band, and the turbulent times in my personal life over the past two years.”

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Tentatively scheduled for release in October through Roadrunner Records, Dark Days may include appearances by several guest musicians, including MOTOGRATER motograter-ist Bruce and DRAGPIPE's Jay Diablo, among others. Incidentally, MOTOGRATER recently inked a deal with Fafara's Sever label imprint through Beyond/BMG Records, with the group's debut release expected to surface in the coming months.

SEPULTURA's classic 1996 release Roots has been certified gold in the UK (for sales of over 100,000 copies),with the group's 1991 effort Arise now officially having gone silver (for sales of over 60,000 copies) in the same country.

FLOTSAM &amp JETSAM have officially replaced LAAZ ROCKIT on the bill of the forthcoming Thrash Of The Titans benefit concert for TESTAMENT vocalist Chuck Billy, who was recently diagnosed with cancer. According to the event organizers, LAAZ ROCKIT were forced to pull out of the show due to “internal personal band problems along with other minor set backs”, which would have prevented the group from delivering “the kind of a performance that their fans deserve”. As previously reported, Thrash Of The Titans will be taking place on Saturday, August 11th at San Francisco's Maritime Hall, and it will feature performances by EXODUS, VIO-LENCE, LEGACY (pre-TESTAMENT), FORBIDDEN EVIL (pre-FORBIDDEN),HEATHEN, SADUS, FLOTSAM &amp JETSAM, ANTHRAX, DEATH ANGEL, S.O.D. and others.

BATHORY's long-awaited Destroyer Of Worlds CD has once again had its release date pushed back, this time to October 8th. The release date of Katalog, the “mysterious” collection of “tracks from Destroyer…/favourite tracks' still stands at August 27th. Both CDs are scheduled to be issued through Black Mark Records.

In a recent interview with Germany's Rock Hard magazine JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glen Tipton revealed his plans to begin work on a brand new solo album—the follow-up to 1997's abysmal Baptizm Of Fire—immediately following the completion of the tour activities for PRIEST's current Demolition opus.

CLAWFINGER's 'Out To Get Me' single—the group's first off its forthcoming A Whole Lot Of Nothing CD (due July 23rd)—has hit position #75 on the German single charts in its third week of release.

Long-running metal-core crew D.R.I. have announced the dates for their upcoming US tour. They are as follows:

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Aug. 03 - Portland, OR @ The Satyricon

Aug. 04 - Seattle, WA @ Graceland

Aug. 06 - Denver, CO @ Bluebird Theatre

Aug. 07 - Tulsa, OK @ The Other Side

Aug. 08 - Lawrence, KS @ The Bottleneck

Aug. 09 - St, Paul, MN @ The Lab @ 4th St.

Aug. 10 - Milwaukee, WI @ Milw. Auditorium

Aug. 11 - Lansing, IL @ J.J. Kelley's

Aug. 12 - Aurora, IL @ Riley's

Aug. 13 - Detroit, MI @ St. Andrews Hall

Aug. 14 - Cleveland, OH @ Blind Lemon

Aug. 15 - Syracuse, NY @ Planet 505

Aug. 16 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx

Aug. 17 - New York, NY @ Wetlands

Aug. 18 - Carrboro, NC @ Cat's Cradle

Aug. 19 - Atlanta, GA @ The Masquerade

Aug. 20 - Orlando, FL @ Sapphire Supper

Aug. 21 - W.Palm Beach, FL @ Respectable St.

Aug. 22 - Tampa, FL @ Brass Mug

Aug. 23 - New Orleans, LA @ Dixie Tavern

Aug. 24 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's

Aug. 25 - Corpus, TX @ Zero's

Aug. 26 - Dallas, TX @ Canyon Club

Aug. 27 - Albuquerque, NM @ Launch Pad

Aug. 28 - Tempe, AZ @ Boston's Night Club

Aug. 29 - W.Hollywood, CA @ The Whiskey

Aug. 30 - San Diego, CA @ Canes

Aug. 31 - Santa Ana, CA @ The Galaxy

Sept. 01 - San Jose, CA @ Cactus Club

NAPALM DEATH have announced the details of their upcoming UK trek. The dates are as follows:

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Nov. 20 – Newcastle, UK @ University

Nov. 21 – Aberdeen, UK @ Lava

Nov. 22 – Dundee, UK @ On Air East

Nov. 23 – Manchester, UK @ University

Nov. 24 – Wolverhampton, UK @ Wulfren Hall

Nov. 26 – London, UK @ Astoria

Nov. 27 – Southampton, UK @ Nexxus

Nov. 28 – Cambridge, UK @ Junction

Nov. 29 – Newport, UK @ TJ's

Greece's ROTTING CHRIST are due to enter Sierra Studios in their home country during October to begin work on a new studio album, the material for which was recently completed during extensive pre-production sessions. The as-yet-untitled effort is due to be issued through Century Media Records in early 2002.

Due to ongoing airline strikes in Hong Kong and China, YNGWIE MALMSTEEN's previously scheduled Concerto shows in Hong Kong have been postponed until later in the year. It is hoped that several Chinese dates will also be confirmed for that same time by then.

Australia's SEGRESSION have replaced drummer Red with 21-year-old Keith Owen. According to an official statement from the band, “Keith has been hard at it in rehearsals for the last week and he has surpassed anything we expected. He's been a follower of SEGRESSION since the beginning and knew how to play all of the songs before he even joined the band. We know that he is going to be a great replacement and he looks forward to pounding those drum skins on the next Australian tour!!!!”

SHELTER have cancelled their appearance at the Oberhoussen Festival. No reason was given for the cancellation.

Australia's CRYOGENIC will take time out from writing and rehearsals for their forthcoming album to play a couple of all-ages shows—in Goulburn on Saturday, August 4th at the Goulburn Soldiers Club and on Friday, August 17th at the Kiama Youth Centre in Kiama. Meanwhile, the release date of CRYOGENIC's upcoming studio album has been pushed back to early 2002. No title or producer has yet been chosen for the effort, and the band's representatives are currently in the process of securing Australian and overseas record deals.

TRIBE OF JUDAH, featuring former VAN HALEN/EXTREME vocalist Gary Cherone, Steve Ferlazzo on synths/programming, Leo Mellache on guitar, Tim Bissonette on guitar, Pat Badger (ex-EXTREME) on bass, and Mike Mangini (ex-EXTREME/ANNIHILATOR) on drums, will be playing a free show this coming Thursday, July 26th, at the Hatch Shell in Boston. The event is being sponsored by WFNX, and the concert will begin at around 5 PM.

The AOL chat with MR. BIG bassist Billy Sheehan has been rescheduled to Sunday, July 29th at 8 PM EDT (you can sign on at 7:45 PM). Keyword: Rock Chat

French death metallers Frenchmen GURKKHAS are currently in the studio completing work on their second opus, A Life of Suffering. Release is planned for October 8th through Morbid Records. Look for GURKKHAS to hit the road in November with MALEVOLENT CREATION and HYPNOS.

Chicago's “old-school” death metallers DISINTER are hard at work on their third album, entitled Demonic Portraiture. It is expected to emerge on October 8th through Morbid Records.

Illinois “porn/gore sickos” LIVIDITY have signed a two-album deal with Morbid Records. The group's fourth CD is tentatively due in early 2002.

Spain's “gore grind” legends HAEMORRHAGE will begin work on their fourth full-length album, entitled Morgue Sweet Home, in October.

Former TWISTED SISTER vocalist Dee Snider's previously announced shows in Florida in August are likely to be postponed until September. More information as it becomes available.

VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen told MTV News that his band has finished writing two or three albums' worth of new material but that no new developments have taken place on the subject of a reunion with vocalist David Lee Roth. 'I have no idea — I swear I really don't know,' the guitarist said of the prospect of reuniting with its original singer. 'I don't know what goes on in other people's realities, and I don't try to figure it out. He knows where I live. ... It's outta my hands.'

Here is a list of all the upcoming dates being done by the new “fun” project featuring former RAINBOW/MSG vocalist Graham Bonnet and former OZZY/RAINBOW keyboardist Don Airey:

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July 22 – S. Wales @ GWYL YSTALYFERA (w/ULI ROTH)

July 26 - Stourbridge @ Rock Cafe 2000

July 27 - Portsmouth @ Portsmouth Guildhall

The UK's JANUS STARK, featuring THE PRODIGY guitarist Gizz, will be performing at the Wakefields Music Collective Clarence Park Festival in Wakefield, UK on July 27th. The entry to the festival is free.

For Immediate Release:

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MANOWAR STORMS THE DVD ARENA

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MANOWAR, who throughout its awe-inspiring existence has taken advantage of available technology to create state-of-the-art recordings and videos for its fans, has stormed the DVD arena with not one, but two ambitious projects.

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Besides preparing to reissue its now-classic long-form video debut, Hell On Earth Part I, on DVD with new additional footage, the band is currently locked away in its famed studio, Haus Wanfried, with renowned film and music video director Neil Johnson putting the finishing touches on Hell On Earth Part II.

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'During my career, I've made nearly 400 music videos and directed two feature films but they pale in comparison to Hell on Earth Part II,' beams the director. 'While working on this DVD, the members of MANOWAR and I continually asked, `What do the fans want to see?' We sifted through more than 200 hours of footage and extracted the best.'

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As with Hell On Earth Part I, Part II contains exclusive behind-the-scenes footage. In addition, Part II contains complete live band performances of such MANOWAR classics as:

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01. Blood Of The Kings

02. Bridge Of Death

03. Guyana (Cult Of The Damned)

04. Hatred

05. March For Revenge (By The Soldiers Of Death)

06. The Gods Made Heavy Metal

07. Master of the Wind

08. Dark Avenger

09. Battle Hymns

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The DVD menu is loaded with such bonus material as:

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A complete live performance of “Thor The Power Head”

A documentary of the French recording of “Courage”

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The band has also assembled a host of bonus material for the DVD edition of Hell On Earth Part I, including:

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A complete live performance of Kings of Metal.

A complete rehearsal performance of Kings…

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'Together, Hell On Earth Parts I and II is an epic motion picture,' says noted music journalist and MANOWAR historian Vinny Cecolini. 'Unlike hastily assembled video compilations and sterile long-form concert videos, Hell on Earth: Parts I and II are part documentary, part historical overview, part concert film, and 100% MANOWAR.

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'Mixed in 5.1 Surround Sound, these monumental DVDs are the next best thing to the band performing live in your living room, blasting the plaster from your ceiling and blowing out all of the windows in your home. They are everything a fan of true metal could have wished for. They are certain to satisfy even the most rabid, insatiable MANOWAR fan.'

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The release date of both Hell On Earth: Parts I and II will soon be announced by The Kingdom Of Steel (www.manowar.com). We will also give fans the exclusive opportunity to pre-order these inevitable classics and receive them before they hit record and video store shelves later this year.

MOTLEY CRUE frontman Vince Neil announced from the stage at his solo group's live performance in Beloit, Wisconsin at the Beloit Fest that MOTLEY CRUE 'has not broken up and we will be back in the winter and this solo stuff I am doing is just how I spend my summer vacation'

HOUWITSER will enter Excess Studios on July 28th to begin recording Rage Inside The Womb, a 10-song affair that will be issued through Osmose Productions during October. The group's first album with new vocalist Stan Blonk, Rage Inside The Womb will contain the following cuts, among others:

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01. Exposed With Poison

02. Vengeance Needs Blood

03. A Bite Of A Diseased Rat

04. Unleash The Fury

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In the meantime, a new green-vinyl 7' will be released through Displeased Records shortly containing HOUWITSER's previously-unreleased cover version of POSSESSED's “March To Die” (which was intended for a never-released POSSESSED tribute album) backed with a demo version of ''Shredded to Pieces''.

BYFIST is the name of a Texas-based act whose brand new Adrenalin EP was produced by ex-METAL CHURCH vocalist David Wayne and engineered by Joe Floyd of WARRIOR at Silver Cloud Studios in Burbank, California. BYFIST is currently negotiating with a stateside label and talks are in progress with Germany's Iron Fist Records for the latter label to release the group's You Should Have Known EP in the European territory. In other news, BYFIST has just been confirmed to perform at the Ultrasound 2001 in Burbank, California alongside such artists as WESTWORLD, FLOTSAM JETSAM, ROB ROCK, STEEL PROPHET and others. This event will take place September 7-9 at the Hilton Burbank Airport &amp Convention Center (aka The Burbank Hilton) in Burbank, CA.

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