Archive News Mar 09, 2001 - update 1

Bassist Tony Franklin recently addressed the persistent rumors of a reunion of the original BLUE MURDER line-up, featuring Franklin, guitarist/vocalist John Sykes and drummer Carmine Appice, by acknowledging that 'things are starting to happen. There's still some ground to cover, but it looks like a reunion will happen. As far as details go, i.e. which territories/venues etc. we shall perform in, I don't know... yet!'

French melodic metallers HEAVENLY have started recording their second album at the Danish JailhouseStudio with producer Tommy Hansen (who handled the production duties on last year's Coming From The Sky debut). The as-yet-untitled CD is scheduled for a late summer release.

More WESTWORLD live dates have been announced. Here is the group's current itinerary:

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March 30 - Slam, Westbury, New York

April 06 - The Birch Hill, Birch Hill, New Jersey

April 14 - L'Amour, Brooklyn, New York

April 28 - (TBA)

May 09 - Arlene Grocery, N.Y.C., New York

Sweden's DEFACED, featuring DARKANE bassist Jorgen Lofberg, guitarist Klas Ideberg, and SOILWORK drummer Henry Ranta, have completed work on Domination Commence, the band's first effort for the Scarlet label. The album is scheduled for a mid-summer release.

RAGE's latest studio offering, Welcome To The Other Side, debuted at number 38 in the German Pop Album charts.

Brazil's KRISIUN has been confirmed for the Dynamo Open Air festival, scheduled to take place between May 24th and May 26th in Lichtenvoord, Holland.

'Alternative-rock' band GARBAGE, a Universal Music act, has invoked the 'seven-year statute' in the California Labor Code in its lawsuit against Universal. The California law limits any personal services contract like a recording agreement to seven years. GARBAGE, featuring singer Shirley Manson and producer Butch Vig, amended its complaint last month to include the issue in its bid to terminate its contract with Universal (Universal is attempting to enforce an agreement between Manson and Radioactive Records, a joint venture with Universal label MCA, from 1994). According to SoundScan data, GARBAGE has sold 3.7 million albums in the U.S. to date.

The Stoner Hands of Doom festival is tentatively scheduled to take place between October 5th and October 7th, 2001 at the Red Blood Club in Dallas, Texas. The bands confirmed for the bill thus far include:&nbsp

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SOLITUDE AETURNUS

OVERSOUL

SUNNSHINE

THROTTLEROD

WITCH MOUNTAIN

SOLACE

DIXIE WITCH

DRAGON GREEN

SLOW HORSE

PLAGUE OF GENTLEMEN (from Belgium)

PALE DIVINE

BURNOUT

RESIDUE

WELL OF SOULS

IRON KIND

GODSMACK is planning to release a DVD/VHS of its recent sold-out hometown concert in Worcester, Mass. The show was filmed with 13 cameras, including three that were positioned over the crowd. 'It's going to be a whole-day event of GODSMACK, from before the show, to the concert itself, to the after-show parties,' says frontman Sully Erna.

San Francisco's MANMADEGOD, the former band of current MACHINE HEAD guitarist Ahrue Luster,have reportedly signed with American Recordings (i.e. SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SLAYER, CHRIS ROCK, etc.) and are preparing to record their debut album, which is tentatively scheduled to be completed by mid-June. Once the record is finished, MANMADEGOD—who feature in their ranks ex-FORBIDDEN guitarist Craig Locicero and drummer Steve Jacobs—will be doing a short west coast tour, to be followed by a longer US trek. If all goes well, the record out by early fall, with more touring lined up for the end of the year. According to an official statement from the group, 'We do plan to change as a band and as songwriters (on future albums). You can expect the unexpected from us as a band. No two albums will be the same. As people, we will continue to learn and evolve, but that will never change who we are. Our basic values will remain grounded and humble. That point is key in our search for greater things.'

HOTWIRE have chosen producer Dave Jerden (ALICE IN CHAINS, JANE'S ADDICTION) to produce their upcoming RCA Records debut, which is as yet untitled and due to be recorded during the summer. The CD is tentatively scheduled to be released in January 2002.

California's OTEP are rumored to be taking part in this year's Ozzfest festival, following their recent signing with Capitol Records. The group's Capitol debut is not expected before the end of the year.

40 BELOW SUMMER are set to enter Cello Studios in Los Angeles, CA on March 19th to begin recording their debut CD for London-Sire Records with producer GGGarth Richardson (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, MUDVAYNE, SPINESHANK, KITTIE). The as-yet-untitled effort is tentatively scheduled to be released during the summer.

Former WHITESNAKE guitarist Bernie Marsden recently spoke out against the criticism that he's cashing in on the WHITESNAKE name by calling his present group COMPANY OF SNAKES and performing material that was released under the WHITESNAKE banner: 'We never used the name [WHITESNAKE]. This is not WHITESNAKE, this is called COMPANY OF SNAKES. It just happened that three original members of WHITESNAKE are in this band. It's not WHITESNAKE. If we wanted to call it WHITESNAKE, we'd call like SON OF WHITESNAKE or WHITESNAKE 2, or WHITESNAKE JR. or SR. WHITESNAKE means to people David Coverdale, and if it means David Coverdale and Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden, well, that's fine! But if I went to see the ERIC CLAPTON BAND, and Gary Moore was playing the guitar, I'd be very unhappy, so I don't want to call the band WHITESNAKE. The three people you see here now are all original WHITESNAKE. So we have more original members of WHITESNAKE than David's [band does]. With COMPANY OF SNAKES we play the songs we wrote, all songs we played. All songs are from Whitesnake, but sometimes we play 'Is This Love', because Neil played the bass on this song, and Don Airey played keyboards. Sometimes we play 'Since You've Been Gone' but not much.'

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