Archive News Mar 26, 2001

COAL CHAMBER are reportedly still seeking a producer to collaborate with on their forthcoming third full-length effort after having failed to come to an agreement with some of their top choices for the job, a list that included Ulrich Wild (i.e. STATIC-X, TAPROOT) and Jason Bieler (SW1TCHED, NONPOINT),among others. The as-yet-untitled CD is due out later in the year. Known working song titles include: 'Three Steps', 'Drove' and 'Beckon'.

The legendary Swedish black metal pioneers BATHORY have once again pushed back the release date for their long-awaited new CD, tentatively titled Destroyer Of Worlds, to June 30th. &nbspRegarding the album's direction, mainman Quorthon recently commented, “It's really a challenge not to repeat yourself. On the other hand, the BATHORY fans would probably want just [a continuation of what I did before]. An album that follows the line of what BATHORY has done in the past. The problem is that the BATHORY fan base [cannot agree on what they want to hear from the band]. On one hand, you have the dark occult and semi-satanic [fans], and on the other, you have the sword wielding epic and semi-Viking ones. You will have a great problem satisfying both camps with one album. What we have decided to do is to write material that would a little bit of both delivering power and brutality, epic and doom, big drums and thrashing guitars etc. In time we'll see if we have been successful in doing just that. [But] the new album won't be a anything like [1996's] Blood On Ice (the last proper BATHORY studio album) at all. At least it won't be a concept album. Some of the lyrics on the new album could be taken for epic stuff, some could be regarded as occult while others are up to date sort of. I have a track written about aerial combat, another one is about a cult, a third is about religion etc.”

THE PROJECT HATE MCMXCIX, the side project of ENTOMBED bassist Jorgen Sandstrom, have finished recording their next album When We Are Done...Your Flesh Will Be Ours. According to the official ENTOMBED web site, the record's musical direction is “following along the lines of the last album, but with definite progression and added depth”. A new website, www.theprojecthate.com, will be opening in the next couple of days, from which a full song called 'Can't Wait' will be available for download.

Further to the news item that was posted here about the whereabouts of former TESTAMENT / DEATH / OBITUARY guitarist James Murphy, it now appears that he is in fact still attempting to enlist former AT THE GATES and current THE CROWN vocalist Tomas Lindberg to sing on the upcoming CD from the reformed DISINCARNATE, while former DISINCARNATE vocalist Bryan Cegon will reportedly only be contributing backing vocals during the album's recording. Murphy has recently relocated to Florida after a lengthy stint in the California, where he tried his hand at production work, having worked on an early SKINLAB demo and several Shrapnel Records projects.

SLASH'S SNAKEPIT have been forced to cancel performances on the second leg of AC/DC's Stiff Upper Lip tour due to illness of the band's legendary namesake. Slash has been diagnosed with pneumonia and has been ordered by his doctor to rest. The band was originally scheduled to perform on the tour through April 29th. Slash is expected to make a full recovery and plans to resume touring with his band in the near future.

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Slash deeply regrets having to cancel these highly anticipated tour dates and sincerely appreciates the ongoing support received from his fans:

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'I apologize to the fans and to AC/DC, but I don't want to get up there and do a half-assed show,'&nbsp Slash said in a statement,&nbsp 'I hate to let people down, but it wouldn't be right to give them a performance that's anything less than our best.'

GLASSJAW recently addressed the rumors surrounding the cancellation of their Bowery Ballroom show in New York City, which was to take place on April 17th.&nbsp According to a message on the band's official web site, “We definitely did not cancel that date by choice. It pretty much came down to some of the higher powers that make the decisions deciding that we just played too many times recently in the area. We apologize a million times for all the confusion. Believe me, I bet we are even more upset than anyone else about this whole thing. There is still a huge skatefest on April 14th at The Asbury Park Convention Center in Asbury Park, NJ that we ARE definitely playing (w/ A NEW FOUND GLORY, MOVIELIFE, MIDTOWN, etc.). It is actually really only about a half hour from NYC and its going to be insanity. So if anyone from the NY area does want to see us, that is a pretty decent option! Sorry about everything again! *glassjaw”

JANE'S ADDICTION are apparently in talks to continue their 'relapse' reunion beyond a headlining appearance at the Coachella festival and a warm-up show for that event on April 26th in Santa Barbara. JANE'S ADDICTION's gig at the Santa Barbara Bowl will be the band's first performance since December 8, 1997, when the group (minus original bassist Eric Avery, and with RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS bassist Flea) played the final show of what Farrell dubbed a 'relapse tour.' The two April shows will feature the relapse lineup—Farrell, guitarist Dave Navarro, drummer Stephen Perkins and Flea. Opening at the Santa Barbara show will be RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS guitarist John Frusciante. However, it is still unclear who will play bass a full tour becomes a reality, as Flea has made it clear that he would be too busy writing new music with the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS to take part.

A KING DIAMOND concert originally set to take place in Zaandam, The Netherlands on March 23rd was cancelled due to King's throat infection and has now been rescheduled for April 20th. King's condition had apparently improved enough so that he was able to perform at the next night's show in Tilburg and continue with the remainder of the group's ongoing European tour.

San Francisco Bay Area's UNJUST, featuring former HEATHEN / PIRANHA / LAUGHING DEAD bassist Eric Wong, will be releasing their long-completed second CD, Makeshift Grey, in Europe through Mascot Records during May. The band are still hoping to land a major label deal in the US (where there has reportedly been plenty of such interest) for the album's domestic release, but in the event that nothing comes through on that front, Mascot Records will be issuing the CD Stateside in early August.

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Here is the full track listing for Makeshift Grey:

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01. Come Feel Me

02. Nylon

03. Stick

04. Stay Awake

05. Makeshift Grey

06. Cherub's Fall

07. Loud

08. When This Ends

09. (untitled intro)

10. Shift

11. The Sik N You

Leviathan Records has announced a licensing deal with Limb Music covering the territories of Europe and North America for the new REIGN OF TERROR CD entitled Sacred Ground. REIGN OF TERROR includes guitarist Joe Stump, vocalist Mike Vescera (ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN / LOUDNESS),bassist Jay Rigney and drummer Matt Scurfield. The US and European release date is set for early April.

California hard rockers TAKARA, who once featured in their ranks TALISMAN / ex-YNGWIE vocalist Jeff Scott Soto, are reportedly still hard at work on their fourth studio album, the first to include new vocalist Michael James. According to James, “about all I can tell you at this point is that we're almost done with the vocals. I'm afraid it's my fault that this record is taking so long. You see, I live in Portland, Oregon which puts me just under 1.000 miles away from the studio! However, I'm totally happy with the six of nine we've finished to this point. The song titles so far (and this could possibly change) are: 'Miles Away', 'Tell Me', 'Believe', 'L.I.E.S', 'Simple Man', and 'Shadows In The Night'. Both, [guitarist] Neil [Grusky] and I are writing lyrics for the album, and David Anthony, our producer and engineer, has also been throwing his two cents in. Actually, he's probably up to about $1.50 by now...'

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