Archive News Jun 15, 2001

A huge 'thumbs down' goes out to PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul, who had the audacity—during a USA Today online chat that took place yesterday—to dismiss as 'fake' the controversial Phil Anselmo interview that was originally posted on the KNAC.com site last week, only to be taken down a couple of days later after the singer's comments were allegedly deemed too inflammatory by members of the group's organization (as reported here yesterday). By claiming that the interview never took place, the drummer implied, in no uncertain terms, that the author of the article—the respected Australian journalist and former Metal Hammer/Kerrang! editor Robyn Doreian (who had interviewed PANTERA several times in the past)—manufactured the quotes attributed to Anselmo and risked her reputation as well as a potential lawsuit by submitting a 'made up' interview that never happened. However, we trust that the intelligence level of the average PANTERA fan reading this will be far too great for them to fall for such a feeble attempt at discarding the truth, especially when you consider that no official explanation was given for the removal of the aforementioned article from the KNAC.com site and no official denial was ever issued by Anselmo himself (surely a 'fake' interview that contained such inflammatory material would have warranted a firm denial, don't you think?!). Moreover, it should be clearly noted that the interview in question was recorded, and if any genuine doubts existed in the PANTERA camp about its authenticity, they would be quickly quashed by one listen to the recorded evidence, which speaks for itself.

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For the record, we wish to point out that we like PANTERA and have a world of respect for the band for their unwavering commitment to playing uncompromising, unadulterated metal that has consistently flown in the face of musical trends. However, we are less than impressed with the way this issue has been handled by the group itself and its representatives, and in the interest of journalistic integrity, we feel it only appropriate for us to take a stand for a fellow reporter who has been unjustly accused of compromising hers.

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Now, let's move on…

SPYS4DARWIN, the new project consisting of the ALICE IN CHAINS rhythm section of Sean Kinney (drums) and Mike Inez (bass),ex-SPONGE vocalist Vin Dombroski, and ex-QUEENSRYCHE guitarist Chris DeGarmo, will make its debut concert appearance at Seattle station KNDD 107.7 The End's Endfest 10, which will be held on August 4th at Kitsap County Fairgrounds. Other artists scheduled to perform include THE OFFSPRING, CRYSTAL METHOD, MIKE D. &amp MIXMASTER MIKE, STABBING WESTWARD, LIT, SUM 41, AMERICAN HI-FI, THE LIVING END, OURS, IDLEWILD and others. Tickets for Endfest 10 go on sale Friday, June 22nd at 3:00 PM at all Ticketmaster outlets, Ticketmaster.com or charge-by-phone at (206) 628-0888 and are $45. This will be the first of a limited number of shows that SPYS4DARWIN will do this summer, prior to beginning work on the full-length follow-up to the group's recently issued Microfish EP.

Former KILGORE and current METHODS OF MAYHEM bassist Marty O'Brien will be filling in for injured STATIC-X bassist Tony Campos during the initial dates of the Extreme Steel tour (also featuring PANTERA, SLAYER, MORBID ANGEL and SKRAPE),which begins on June 20th in New Haven, CT. Campos suffered a broken collarbone in a motorcycle accident on Monday evening and will be unable to join his bandmates for the first couple of weeks the tour (and possibly longer). According to band frontman Wayne Static, 'we're extremely psyched about this tour, and can't wait to get out there. We hope Tony can re-join us soon.' For more information on Marty O'Brien, go to his web site at: http://www.marty-obrien.com

According to an article published via HitsDailyDouble.com, SLIPKNOT's record label, Roadrunner Records, is actively seeking to enter a joint-venture agreement with a major label for the release of the group's new album, Iowa, which is tentatively scheduled to be issued on August 7th. The article states that as a result of Roadrunner distributor/partner Edel Music's recent financial troubles, and Roadrunner's substantial debt to the company based on a loan that the German music company provided them with recently, a possible sale of Roadrunner itself by RR head Cees Wessels could take place. Wessels is said to be talking to 'every label in the business' about a possible arrangement, and the label head's biggest bargaining chip is undoubtedly the masked nine-piece outfit's future recorded output, which will likely include a multi-platinum certification for the group's aforementioned Iowa opus and a possible #1 debut on the Billboard Top 200 Pop Album chart. SLIPKNOT's manager Steve Richards, who also handles MUDVAYNE and 40 BELOW SUMMER, among others, is also said to be looking for a change as expectations for SLIPKNOT's new album are running extremely high-especially in light of the impressive retail performances of other heavy rock acts like TOOL and STAIND during the past month.

After weeks of rumors and speculation, New York's BOILER ROOM have finally issued an official statement regarding their recent break-up. The statement, published via the band's official web site, reads as follows: 'It is with great sadness that I report that the band BOILER ROOM has been released from their contract with Tommy Boy Records. Subsequently, the band has decided to move on, and all members are now pursuing separate projects.'

BLACK SABBATH frontman OZZY OSBOURNE has reportedly recorded new versions of 'No More Tears', 'Crazy Train', 'See You on the Other Side', and the BLACK SABBATH staples 'War Pigs' and 'Paranoid' for the soundtrack of Black Skies, a video game based on his vision. The PlayStation 2 and PC games are due to emerge sometime this Fall.

MOTLEY CRUE bassist Nikki Sixx recently commented on the band's future plans in a Launch.com interview by stating the following: 'I think it's going to take these two years to totally get away from everything and everybody and just leave us alone for a while. Let us figure out what we want to do, musically. I think it's going to take a serious, serious recharging of the batteries because we have been completely sucked dry by our own demise. But right now I have no intention of doing anything MOTLEY CRUE-related musically at all. In a couple of years the songs will come, the energy will come, the band will come back together, and it's going to be something very spectacular.'

South Carolina-based death metallers NILE have temporarily enlisted DARK MOON four-stringer Jon Vesano to replace the recently-departed bassist/vocalist Chief Spires, who left the band in March due to 'creative differences'. The revamped line-up will make its live debut during the group's upcoming US support slot with England's CRADLE OF FILTH, which is scheduled to begin on July 8th in Seattle, Washington. It is unclear if Vesano will participate in the recording of the band's upcoming full-length album, which is tentatively due sometime next year.

Further to the WORLD WAR III news item that we ran here yesterday, it has come to our attention that the bassist 'Geezer' that we reported as being part of the group's new line-up is none other than LIFE AFTER DEATH/ROB ROCK/FOREVER four-stringer Ray 'Geezer' Burke. Moreover, according to informed sources, the new WWIII music 'doesn't sound much like Hollywood Records-era WWIII', contrary to our report, but will reportedly be 'a lot heavier'.

Québec extreme metal act DECAYED REMAINS is currently working on its third album, to be released in late 2001/early 2002. The band will also see its debut album, 1997's Moonlight, re-released through GWN (Great White North) Records, complete with one bonus track and new artwork/pictures. The re-release will be available this summer.

Germany's ANGEL DUST are the latest act to be confirmed for the upcoming ProgPower USA 2.0 Festival, which will be held Nov. 9-10 at Earthlink Live (formerly known as Center Stage) in Atlanta, Georgia. Other confirmed performers include NIGHTINGALE (featuring Dan Swano),SYMPHONY X, KAMELOT, ARK, EVERGREY, BALANCE OF POWER, SPIRAL ARCHITECT, and SUPERIOR.

Austrian black metal outfit ABIGOR are due to begin work shortly on the material for their upcoming studio album, provisionally entitled Warmachine 2002, which is tentatively scheduled to be released through Napalm Records in late 2002. Said to be 'ABIGOR's most aggressive and even most technical record yet - based on blasphemy, sin, and offensive content', Warmachine 2002 will include the following tracks, among others:

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01. Heaven Unveiled

02. For Diabolical Reasons...

03. Injection Satan

04. Holocaust Industries

05. Digital Blasphemy

Vocalist Tom S. Englund and guitarist Henrik Danhage from Swedish progressive power metallers EVERGREY have reporrtedly been offered their own signature models from Caparison Guitars Japan. The first prototypes are due to arrive in August.

Sweden's EVENTIDE have parted ways with bassist Nicklas 'HC' and moved guitarist Niclas Linde over to the bassist slot, in the process opening up a guitarist position, which has now been filled by Jonas Sjölin.

Not much happening on the PEARL JAM front, but the various bandmembers have certainly been keeping busy with other projects… According to the Five Horizons web site (fivehorizons.com),guitarist Stone Gossard has just wrapped the new BRAD album (his soul-tinged side group with acclaimed Seattle-based vocalist Shawn Smith),which may see a 2002 release through an as-yet-unspecified label. Gossard has also been working with singer-songwriter Pete Droge on a project dubbed BAY LEAF. PEARL JAM's other guitarist, Mike McCready, has been reportedly working with HEART's Nancy Wilson on music for her husband Cameron Crowe's next film, Vanilla Sky. Five Horizons also reports that McCready has spent some time working with Ozzy Osbourne on the material for the BLACK SABBATH singer's forthcoming studio album, which is tentatively due in October. Drummer Matt Cameron's 'trippy garage' act WELLWATER CONSPIRACY have just issued their third LP, The Scroll And Its Combinations, which features lead vocals from PEARL JAM frontman Eddie Vedder on the track 'Felicity's Surprise' (where he is listed under the name Rock of Wes C. Addle). Finally, bassist Jeff Ament is rumored to be recording with Doug Pinnick of KING'S X for an undisclosed project. PEARL JAM is not expected to be touring again until at least 2003, according to Five Horizons, but they are confirmed to play at this year's Bridge School Benefit, which should take place sometime in October.

Former DEEP PURPLE/BLACK SABBATH singer GLENN HUGHES is going to be playing in New York City next Friday (June 21st) with the Voices of Classic Rock for an early morning radio show that will be broadcast on WPLJ FM between 6 and 10 AM. Due to be held at the WWF restaurant, the show will feature Glenn playing bass and doing backing vocals, with singers John Cafferty, Jimmy Jamison (SURVIVOR),Bobby Kimball (TOTO) and Larry Hoppen (ORLEANS) handling the bulk of the lead vocal duties. However, Glenn may get to do some PURPLE material, although this is still to be decided.

FIREBIRD, featuring former CARCASS guitarist Bill Steer, is tentatively due to issue its second album, Deluxe, in August.

YNGWIE MALMSTEEN vocalist Mark Boals has unveiled the details of his brand new project RING OF FIRE and the group's upcoming album, The Oracle, which is scheduled for a July 25th Japanese release through Marquee Inc. According to Boals' official web site, the album will mark 'the birth of new legend of neo-classic and progressive rock', and will include the following tracks:

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01. Prelude For The Oracle

02. Circle Of Time

03. Shadow In The Dark

04. Vengeance For Blood

05. Samurai

06. City Of The Dead

07. Dreams Of Empire

08. The Oracle

09. Interlude

10. Land Of Illusion

11. Take Me Home

12. Face The Fire

13. (Secret Bonus For Japan)

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The line-up of musicians performing on the album is as follows:

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Mark Boals - Vocals

Vitalij Kuprij - Keyboards

George Bellas - Guitars

Philip Bynoe - Bass

Virgil Donati - Drums

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Produced by Mark Boals and Vitalij Kuprij

Engineered by Neil Citron and Erik Norlander

Recorded at The Mothership, Think Tank Media, and The Greeen Room Studios

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All lyrics and vocal melodies written by Mark Boals

All musical arrangements written by Vitalij Kuprij

RETURN TO THE SABBAT, featuring former SKYCLAD vocalist Martin Walkyier, will be the opening act for PRIMAL FEAR on the German band's forthcoming Greek tour.

New LIZZY BORDEN headlining shows confirmed (more dates to come soon):

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July 12 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues

July 13 - San Francisco, CA @ Maritime Hall

July 14 - Santa Cruz, CA @ Palookaville

Finland's THE BLACK LEAGUE, featuring former SENTENCED frontman Taneli Jarva, have begun recording their as-yet-untitled second album at Tico-Tico Studios in Kemi, Finland. Drums tracks have been completed already and next week the rest of the band will start working on their parts in a Oulu, Finland recording studio. The album is expected to emerge in late 2001.

ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer commenting to Germany's Invader e-zine (www.invader.de) on the band's short-lived collaboration with TESTAMENT/DEATH bassist Steve DiGiorgio: 'Jim Morris [of Morrisound Studios] suggested him to me, so that's how we got the contact with each other. Basically, I hired Steve under the conditions that he was going to go on the road with us. I didn't need any studio musician, that's stupid and that's kind of counterproductive for me to hire somebody just to be on a record. It was a commitment that was made from him and apparently, he had ulterior motives all along. I don't know, because the entire thing is one big lie. The whole thing. A few weeks after we had done the record, we flew out to South Dakota to do a photo session and everything seemed fine. But when that was over, it was time to start setting up the tour. My manager and I were trying to get in touch with him and we had no return phone calls from he for like five weeks. So I knew something was going on, I knew something was wrong but I had no idea why or what. And then we got a fax from his so-called manager, saying that 'Steve DiGiorgio regrettably cannot do the tours because of previous recording commitments', blah, blah, blah, 'and he's very sorry, he's really saddened by this because he loves hanging out with Jon and the guys', etc. - the whole f***ing thing's a lie! All of it because if there was 'previous recording commitments', I should have been made aware of it. Steve knew that if I was not going to hire him, I was going to play the bass parts myself and then just find somebody to go on tour with us. That was the backup. That was the original plan until the idea of him coming in became another option. He let us all down. Jim is not happy, in fact in some ways he feels responsible, and I said: 'Hey Jim, come on, Steve is responsible for his actions', just because he suggested him — I won't hold that against Jim. We're like brothers, he just feels really bad, he's really disappointed just like we all are. The point is - you lie to me once, it's over. There's no chance. I have no desire to ever work with him again. He'll never ever be a part of this band or this organization again. I do not tolerate liars.'

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