Archive News Jul 30, 2001 - update 2

Leave it to W.A.S.P. and Blackie Lawless to deliver one of the cheesiest press releases we have ever seen. We especially like the way Lawless and his representatives have failed to make mention of the fact that new guitarist Darrell Roberts has spent the last year playing with former L.A. glamsters TUFF, a band that Lawless reportedly deems unworthy of being mentioned in the same breath as his own group. Read on…

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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

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W.A.S.P. have had a storied career. Over the years the myths have turned into legends surrounding the events, performances and musicians that have made this band one of the most famous and infamous in rock history. The faces have changed at times, but the one constant throughout has been the reckless and savage attitude of the band members - personalities that refuse to bow to mainstream. They are rebel spirits that know only one way to perform…VICIOUSLY!!!

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The new lead guitarist for W.A.S.P. fits precisely into in this mold. This 6-string extraordinaire wields a mighty axe and goes by the name of Darrell Roberts, a 31-year-old veteran hailing from Cincinnati, Ohio.

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Lead vocalist Blackie Lawless affirms: 'He was born to be in this band. We looked at a lot of guitar players over the last several months but no-one even came close to him — he's a monster looking for an audience to kill. In all honesty, I wish we would have had him when the band started. When you see him live, you'll understand what I mean.'

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Bassist Mike Duda attests: 'Although there were rumors before Darrell was in the band, we took our time to make sure he was the one we were looking for. No decision was made until we had looked at everybody out there, and that wasn't finished 'til about three weeks ago.'

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Darrell spent the last several years in L.A. performing with his METALLICA tribute band ALCOHOLICA, where he played guitar and sang lead vocals. W.A.S.P. heard about Darrell from some insiders at their record label, Sanctuary Records Group.

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Darrell had previously auditioned for labelmates MEGADETH, but he lost the job to Marty Friedman. W.A.S.P. sees it as 'their loss, but our gain'. W.A.S.P. feels he is one of the most talented performers and musicians the band has had.

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Following a show with his band ALCOHOLICA some time ago, an after-show party got a bit out of hand. A drunken local decided that his girlfriend was paying a little too much attention to Darrell, and when the individual got into Darrell's face (to tell him how much he disapproved) a fight broke out. Darrell was arrested.

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Lawless recalls: 'Apparently, Darrell hit him over the head with a Heineken bottle. After that, there was some other girl who was interested in a specific part of Darrell's anatomy, and while he was in the process of showing it to her, the police arrived. He was arrested for assault and battery, drunk in public and indecent exposure. When I heard that story, I said, 'That's the guy I wanna be in a band with.' He's a sick bastard, so he should fit right in with the rest of us!'

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W.A.S.P. and their new holy terror of a guitarist will be out on tour supporting the band's latest release Unholy Terror at the Wacken Festival in Germany on August 2nd and Switzerland on August 4th. The US tour begins August 22nd with the outrageous new bands MUSHROOMHEAD and DOG FASHION DISCO in support.

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'I strongly advise you to come out and see us with this new guitarist' Blackie says, 'it's been a long time since I was this excited… we've got NEW BLOOD… and we are ready to take yours!'

SAXON are scheduling a full European tour to coincide with the release of The Killing Ground later this year. In other news, the proposed release of Heavy Metal Thunder CD, containing re-recorded versions of old classics, is still awaiting confirmation of the full track listing.

Welsh crew SKINDRED, featuring former members of DUB WAR, will be supporting SONA FARIQ on August 31st during the Kerrang! Week of Rock at the Barfly in London, UK.

AMEN will play a one-off free show at London's Camden Underworld on Tuesday, August 21st. Support will come from VEX RED.

“Pretending”, the first single off H.I.M.'s upcoming Deep Shadows And Brilliant Highlights CD, has dropped down to position #32 on the German single charts. Meanwhile, the single is still holding on to the #1 spot in the group's native Finland as of today, July 30th.

INCANTATION has completed work on the bulk of the tracking for the group's upcoming studio album, the vocals and the mix for which will be done during August for a late 2001 release through Necropolis Records. Meanwhile, INCANTATION is gearing up to embark on a short European tour during early August. The following dates have been confirmed so far:

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Aug. 07 – Wermelskirchen, GER @ AJZ Bahndamm

Aug. 08 - Neumarkt, GER @ Sudhaus

Aug. 09 - Halle., GER @ VL Ludwigstr. 37

Aug. 10 - Bad Berka, near Weimar/Germany @ Party.San Open Air Festival (w/DISMEMBER, IMPALED NAZARENE, CENTINEX, RUNEMAGICK,&nbsp and more)

THRONEAEON's upcoming album Neither of Gods will be released on August 6th in Europe and August 7th in North America through Hammerheart Records.

TRISTANIA have recruited vocalist Kjetil Ingebrigtsen to replace Morten Veland, who left the band earlier this year. According to the group, Kjetil has been hard at work rehearsing with the rest of the band for the last few months and will accompany the band on tour in September. Guitarist Anders H. Hidle reports that Kjetil has improved immensely in the short time he's been with the band and that they are very pleased with his performances. Since the upcoming tour with VINTERSORG will take place just a short time after the release of their upcoming album, World of Glass, which is scheduled to be released through Napalm Records on August 27th, only a handful of tracks from the new album will be featured in the live set, among them “World of Glass”, “Tender Trip on Earth”, and possibly “The Shining Path” and “Selling Out”.

Germany's ANGEL DUST will be performing alongside PRIMAL FEAR, AXXIS and CRYSTAL BALL for the Rockfabrik's 15-Year Anniversary Festival on September 30th in Augsburg, Germany.

BRITNY FOX have reportedly finished writing 33 songs for their upcoming studio album, which, according to singer Tommy Paris, will be “awesome”. The band is presently deciding if they are going to continue to tour in support of their recently-issued live CD or begin recording the new studio album. More information as it becomes available.

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, postponed their previously-announced free show, which was scheduled to take place this past Thursday, July 26th, at the Hatch Shell in Boston due to rain. The new show will take place on Thursday, August 16th.

BUSH will release their fourth album, entitled Solutions, through Atlantic Records in October. Produced by Dave Sardy, who recently worked with MARILYN MANSON on his Holy Wood... opus, the CD will feature the following track listing:

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01. Solutions

02. Headful Of Ghosts

03. The Things We Do

04. Superman

05. Fugitive

06. Hurricane

07. Inflatable

08. Reasons

09. Land Of The Living

10. My Engine Is With You

11. Out Of This World

12. Float

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'It's the best thing we've done,' BUSH mainman Gavin Rossdale told the UK's Kerrang! magazine. 'The guitar sound on it is absolutely amazing. Dave did a great job for us.' A first single from the album, 'The Things We Do', will also be released in October.

COL. PARKER, the Los Angeles-based band consisting of guitarist /vocalist Gilby Clarke (ex-GUNS N' ROSES),drummer Slim Jim Phantom (THE STRAY CATS),bassist Muddy Stardust (L.A. GUNS),and keyboardist Teddy Andreadis (SLASH'S SNAKEPIT),will release their debut album, entitled Rock 'n' Roll Music, in September through Icon Records, the label run by actor Mel Gibson, which, until now, has served as a soundtrack-only imprint. Formerly known as THE STARF.CKERS, COL. PARKER (named after ELVIS PRESLEY's manager) came together as a cover band that played every Thursday at Phantom's Hollywood nightspot The Cat Club. “[Icon Records president] Michael [Lustig] was my friend, and he said, 'I want to capture what you and Gilby are doing,' ' Phantom told Billboard magazine. “The original idea was just to do covers, but it slowly turned into something more.” Described as a mixture of THE ROLLING STONES, THE BEATLES and even a little T-REX, COL. PARKER had previously (under its old moniker) included such notable members as guitarists Tracii Guns (L.A. GUNS) and Yogi Lonich (BUCKCHERRY),as well as bassists Stefan Adika (GLAMNATION) and Johnny Blackout (SLASH'S SNAKEPIT).

Los Angeles Lakers basketball star SHAQUILLE O'NEAL will be issuing his latest solo CD, Shaquille O'Neal Presents His Superfriends Vol. 1, through Twism/Trauma Records on October 9th. Included on the set will be a track entitled “Psycho”, which features a guest appearance by 311's Nick Hexum and KORN's Reginald “Fieldy” Arvizu. According to O'Neal, this particular track “shows the mosh-pit sound of me that people don't really get to see.” Yeah, whatever you say, Shaq…

A brand new PIST.ON track, 'I Don't', taken from the group's recent Saves demo, has been released on this months Rocksound (UK) magazine's cover-mounted CD, along with an in-depth two-page interview.

THE CROWN, featuring former AT THE GATES frontman Tomas Lindberg, will be performing at the Matfestivalen Festival at Valhall in Skövde, Sweden on September 1st.

TYGERS OF PAN TANG's forthcoming comeback album, entitled Mystical, will contain the following track listing:

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01. Detonator

02. Firepower

03. The Greed

04. Raw

05. Mystical

06. Sun Lotion Suicide

07. Keep This Rock Alive

08. Ride 4 Free

09. Jump In Your Shoes

10. Secret Agent

11. Streetfighter

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The band will make their first live appearance at the Z Rock 2001 show on August 26th at Maximes Wigan.

THERAPY? will be releasing their brand new album, entitled Shameless, on September 10th in Japan, on September 17th in the UK and September 24th in the rest of Europe. A single entitled I Am The Money, will be released on September 3rd in the UK and Europe with extra tracks.

A message from former SKYCLAD and current RETURN TO THE SABBAT frontman Martin Walkyier, as posted on his official web site:

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“Greetings my Brothers and Sisters,

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Thanks once again for the endless source of support and encouragement you have all been to me in recent months. Though I have sadly had the time to reply to only very few of your emails, I have read each and every one of them I assure you. We have always been there for each other upon so many occasions in the past, and I dearly hope that this most mutual appreciation will continue long into the future. You are all very special people indeed, and I thank you from the bottom of my heart.

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'As many of you will now be fully aware, several months ago now, a packed concert-hall at the Derby Assembly Rooms witnessed the reawakening of a monstrous entity which had lain restlessly dormant for longer than an entire decade. I have lost count of the number of times I've taken to the stage in the last fifteen years or so yet the true intensity of the magick we encountered as RETURN TO THE SABBAT trod the boards at Bloodstock 01 is a memory which will undoubtedly remain with me forever. The atmosphere was completely electric that auspicious evening of May 28th 2001. So an immense thank you to the fans from around the world who courageously heeded our Call To Arms, and came along to make it a truly special day for us all to remember for may years to come. Horns!

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“My fellow band members and I would like to express our heartfelt gratitude to all the Amust4music team, who have fought concertedly together in order to promote Heavy Metal music here in the U.K. We are proud to have been a part of Bloodstock 01, and are assured that we will be asked back to play at the next of these noble events, which I now know is already in its early planning stages!

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“Tickets are currently on sale at: www.bloodstock.uk.com

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“More recently we were invited to play at the Bang Your Head! festival in the charming town of Balingen in South Germany. Our addition to the bill was a very last-minute affair yet even this could not prevent a host of our most ardent fans hearing about this event, and coming along to offer their extremely loud and loyal support. We went on stage at the WOM Club at around 2.00 AM. The temperature in there was hotter than Satan's codpiece, with sweat literally dripping from the walls and ceiling whilst we performed our show. How the audience had the stamina to demonstrate such rabid enthusiasm at that early hour of the morning was a source of total amazement to myself and my fellow musicians. We thank also the crazy ladies and gentlemen who attended Bang Your Head!, and look forward to seeing you again very soon when we are next granted the honour and privilege of playing in Deutschland.

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“As well as the joy and elation of RETURN TO THE SABBAT's rebirth, Bloodstock 01 will eternally remind me of the sadness and regret I felt whilst on-stage playing my final show with SKYCLAD. I feel so immensely proud of all the concerts and recordings we've done together as a band during the last ten years, and therefore could never bring myself to continue being a part of something which I no longer believed in completely and utterly with all my soul. I had dearly hoped that the memory of my time spent with this band was something that would be treated with the dignity and respect which I felt it rightfully deserved. It now unfortunately appears that this may not entirely be the case. I'm now certain that over the coming months I will be forced to witness things being done under the once-honourable SKYCLAD banner which have nothing whatsoever to do with our original dream all those years ago. I therefore would now like to take this opportunity to officially and completely disassociate myself from any future CD releases or other creative endeavors of my former band. They are each done without my knowledge or consent, and I feel that it is my duty to hereby inform you all of this fact.

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“Those among you who have followed my career will certainly be aware that my lyrics were always far more than mere words They are small segments of my life My thoughts, experiences and emotions which I have endeavoured to share with you all throughout the years. I'm sure that you will appreciate just how much it would grieve me to have to helplessly watch as my verse was used in a disrespectful manner by persons who have absolutely no regard for, or real understanding of its true meaning. Upon all those who would do so I lay the following simple curse: They shall come to know first-hand the poverty, heartache, sorrow and loneliness that I once endured in order to be able to write it in the first place.

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“On a far more cheerful note, we are currently starting to book some further shows for RETURN TO THE SABBAT, beginning in the month of October 2001. In particular we are greatly looking forward to the two concerts in Greece on the 19th and 20th together with our dear friends from the German band PRIMAL FEAR. It has been far too long since I last was in this wonderful country, and I sincerely hope that we will all have the chance to share a few beers together with you guys when we come for our all-too-brief visit in a few months time. There are several interesting plans in the pipeline at the moment, which you will be immediately be made aware of the very moment that they become more concrete. I am presently in the process of penning many new lyrics, and am beginning to feel immensely inspired by what I've managed to get down on paper/computer thus far. Exactly how and when this new material will be used I am as yet unsure. But judging by the ideas I've already had, I can faithfully promise that you'll not be disappointed in the slightest by the end result.

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“Thank you all for sparing the time to read this update of the happenings in my life. Your continuing support is a source of constant inspiration to both myself and my fellow musicians. I eagerly await the day when we shall meet once again on-tour in the very near future.

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“May your guardian-spirits be with you always!

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'Martin Walkyier 28/07/01”

Former MOXY drummer Bill Wade, who played on LEE AARON's first album, has sadly lost his battle with cancer.

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