Archive News Mar 07, 2001 - update 2

PANTERA will reportedly be mounting a festival-sized summer tour that is also rumored to include SLAYER, STATIC-X, ROB HALFORD, C.O.C. and MORBID ANGEL, with other major acts to be announced when the complete bill is unveiled in early April.

THE TIME BOMBS is the name of the new band of Johnny Jetson and Stevie Deluxe, the former guitarist and drummer of WARRIOR SOUL frontman Kory Clarke's ill-fated SPACE AGE PLAYBOYS project. THE TIME BOMBS, whose line-up also includes bassist Puppy Rogers, have signed a deal with Swedish label Feedback Boogie Records.

The Hollywood Reporter recently reported that the former BLACK SABBATH frontman Ozzy Osbourne has inked a deal with the web portal TheThreshold.com to administer his online properties, and there are even plans to develop a sitcom built around the star's life.

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'We think Ozzy is an enduring entertainment brand, and this company specializes in entertainment brands,' Larry Kasanoff, chairman and CEO of Threshold Entertainment and TheThreshold.com, told The Hollywood Reporter.

'One of these brands is rare in history, like Malcolm Forbes or Hugh Hefner. Ozzy is a guy like that.'

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The idea is to have the website focus on Ozzy's real life, and TheThreshold.com hopes that will yield a television series—provisionally dubbed Ozzy And Harriet, in honour of Ozzie Nelson's pioneering family sitcom.

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'Just look at Ozzy's life,' Kasanoff told The Hollywood Reporter. 'He's a wild, crazy, mega-successful rock star who lives in Beverly Hills with his smart, attractive wife and three normal children next door to Pat Boone. His personal lifestyle is so engaging and enduring—and as funny as hell. The dichotomy is hysterical.'

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Sharon Osbourne, the singer's wife and manager, told The Hollywood Reporter: 'After looking at several companies to take over Ozzy's online properties, Threshold's creative and business ingenuity and passion for their craft were what we were taken by. They have the talent, perspective and foresight that will establish Ozzy in a new light in the ever-changing world of online entertainment.'

The Sweden Rock Festival line-up continues to grow. Confirmed artists thus far are:

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GLENN HUGHES

SOUTHERN ROCK ALLSTARS

NOCTURNAL RITES

MUSTASCH

LOTUS

PRETTY MAIDS

MOXY

GRAVE DIGGER

MANNY CHARLTON BAND

HENSLEY/LAWTON BAND

HOUSE OF SHAKIRA

SYMPHONY X

ROSE TATTOO

NITZINGER

METALIUM

HAMMERFALL

THE FLOWERKINGS

FREAK KITCHEN

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For more info, go to: www.swedenrock.com

MESHUGGAH's long-awaited CD collection of rare tracks and other assorted goodies is now scheduled for release by Nuclear Blast Records in June.

A new project is being formed featuring OPETH guitarist Mikael Akerfeldt and some of his friends and musical peers, namely guitarist Reine Fiske (LANDBERK, MORTE MACABRE) and keyboardist Per Wiberg (SPIRITUAL BEGGARS, etc.). Music For Nations Records have already shown interest in the project and an album is being planned for recording sometime during 2001. The music is said to be very mellow, beautiful yet swathed in darkness, with loads of lush mellotrons and organs, soaring guitars and heartfelt harmony vocals courtesy of Mike and Per. The project is still looking for a drummer and a bass player

ROB HALFORD guitarist Metal Mike Chlasciak will be releasing his 3rd solo album The Spilling on March 28th, 2001 thru Beyond Flat Nine Records. This album contains 11 tracks of pure guitar-gone-crazy madness, including new tracks, extremely rare demos, and Mike re-inventing and twisting selections from his previous catalogue.

Asked about this, Mike commented 'I'm very excited about this album, as I believe it is something really special. It has so much guitar on it, it could drive you insane, yet the compositions are well defined and.... of course, very heavy! It offers a lot of different things from rare tracks to brand new guitar solos, etc. Most importantly, it's 100% real metal!!!' Song titles include: 'Nuns Against Filth', 'Final Death Of Alexander IV', 'Fast Fingers And Lots Of Whammy Bar', and 'I Can't Play 55'.

Ex-FAR and current ONELINEDRAWING vocalist Jonah Matranga has joined forces with Norm Arenas, Scott Winegard (both from TEXAS IS THE REASON),and Charlie Walker (SPLIT LIP) to form a brand new band called NEW END ORIGINAL. The band, which should have no effect on the status of ONELINEDRAWING, played their first show on March 4th in San Francisco, CA at the Bottom Of The Hill.

EX-UFO guitarist Paul Chapman will reportedly be contributing to an upcoming NAZARETH tribute album.

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