Archive News May 14, 2001

In a recent interview with the UK's Kerrang! magazine, POWERMAN 5000 vocalist Spider talked about the musical and lyrical content of the group's forthcoming studio album, provisionally titled Anyone For Doomsday?, which is tentatively scheduled for a July 17th release through Dreamworks Records. Here are a few select quotes from the article:

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On the projected album title:

'It's a kind of overall theme. We have a song called 'The End of Everything', and then there's a song called 'Bombshell', which is a leading contender for a single. It's sort of like 'When Words Collide' times 100. It's got that same vibe, but bigger and meaner. There's another song called 'Danger Is Go!', which is a reference to the old Thunderbirds show, one song called 'The One And Only', which is autobiographical, of course. And I also have a song called 'The Megatronic', which is a reference to the label I started, but it's not about the label. The new one that we just did in the studio this week is called 'The Meaning Of Life', which is a very sarcastic title. When you're in a band and you're making records — and especially after you've had some success — there's a lot of pressure around you to quote-unquote 'write a song that everyone can relate to.' I mean, I write songs about obscure '50s sci-fi movies and stuff. I don't know what everyone relates to. So it's sort of a sarcastic thing - what is the one thing that everybody wants to know? The meaning of life!'

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On the album's sound:

'[Guitarist] Mike [Tempesta, aka M.33] joined the band as we were writing the last record [Tonight The Stars Revolt!], so his contributions weren't as great [on that album] as they are on this one. You're going to hear a lot more of him on this record. As you would expect from a guitar player, it's a much more guitar-oriented record than the last one. We didn't realize at first how much more aggressive this record has become. It's still real hook-laden, and it's still about the big singalong choruses that the last record was about, but it has a much more aggressive edge to it, which I think he is definitely responsible for. At times, we had to rein him in, you know. 'It's not SLAYER, you know, Mike?' As much as he would love it to be.'

ICED EARTH have issued the following statament via their official web site regarding the group's recent and upcoming activities:

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'ICED EARTH will no longer be working with [bassist] Steve DiGiorgio. He recently backed out of a previous commitment to tour with the band, and thus his association with ICED EARTH will be limited to a 'guest musician' spot on Horror Show. Currently, plans are forming to have James MacDonough return as a touring bassist, with the potential for him to appear on future recordings as well.

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'The European release of Horror Show has been moved back a week to June 25th, matching it up with U.S. release a day later. After the release in late June, ICED EARTH plans to begin a world tour to promote the album in August. Unfortunately the hoped-for record release party in Chicago will not be taking place.

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'Finally, despite reports to the contrary on the Internet, ICED EARTH is not close to signing with any new record label. Although the band's deal with Century Media is coming to an end, and they will likely be talking with many labels in the coming months, no official talks have begun with anyone yet.'

DAEMON, the Danish project featuring KONKHRA mainman Anders Lundemark and STRAPPING YOUNG LAD drummer Gene Hoglan, have completed recording their third full-length album and will have it mixed in early June. However, according to Lundemark, the CD may or may not be issued through Diehard Records (who released the group's first two recordings),pending the label's commitment to supporting the album with a tour. 'I'm sure as hell not interested in releasing this record as a goddamn secret with poor exposure touring wise and what have you!' Anders reasoned.

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In related news, KONKHRA are in the process of writing the material for their forthcoming album, which will likely be released in early 2002 through an as-yet-undetermined label. According to Anders, 'we are very careful to make everything as downright mean and brutal as can be. We are finished with four songs and have three more cooking right now. Deal? Yeah, we have two serious and OK offers, but we are waiting until the record is 100% done and then we'll announce our new label. We ain't rushing this. This time (like every time),we want the record to be the best it can be.'

The HALFORD track 'Locked and Loaded', from the group's Resurrection debut, has been licensed by NHL and is slated to be played on NHL's Cool Cuts show that airs on ESPN, ESPN 2, CBC and CTV Sportnet. First show aired on Wed, April 18th — ESPN. This selection was also heard on numerous NHL hockey games.

The reunited NWOBHM act ANGEL WITCH have completed work on a brand new studio album and are presently shopping for a record deal, according to bassist Richie Wicks. A low-key gig is planned for May 20th at The Cartoon Club in S. London, where ANGEL WITCH will play at least half of the new record for the first time.

In a recent interview with the UK's Metal Hammer magazine, BIOHAZARD discussed some of the lyrical content on their upcoming Uncivilization album, which is tentatively scheduled for a September release through SPV/SteamhammerRecords in Europe and SanctuaryRecords in the US. Here are a few comments about specific tracks that will appear on the CD:

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- 'Gone': 'This is about getting rid of someone you rely on,' stated frontman Evan Seinfeld. 'When there's someone in your life who's not doing you any good, you still hang onto them.'

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- 'H.F.F.K.': 'The initials stand for 'Hate, F.ck, Fight, Kill'. When it comes down to it, this is basically all we want in our 'uncivilized' society. The chant in the beginning is from our last London show,' Evan revealed, 'and was exactly the same pace as [the one] we recorded the song [in].' 'It's based at the very roots of BIOHAZARD. It couldn've been on our very first demo,' guitarist Billy Graziadei added.

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- 'Unified': 'This is our commitment to our people and our friends,' Evan stated. 'It's kind of like 'Down For Life Pt. II'. The background vocals are still missing, but by the time it's released, we'll have packed the room with our friends and got them shouting. Like we usually do.'

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- 'Last Man Standing': 'The track's about overcoming obstacles, your childhood, bad memories,' according to drummer Danny Schuler. 'It's not about if you dodge the bullet or not, it's about when you do, how you pick yourself up is what counts.'

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- 'Trap': 'This is about a young man getting screwed over by the music industry. He needs to work out who's on his side and who's not.'

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- 'Cross The Line': 'It's to do with when you put all your faith and trust in somebody, and then they f.ck with you, right in your face!', according to Evan.

Staten Island's 40 BELOW SUMMER have completed work on their London/Sire/Warner Records debut, entitled Invitation To The Dance. Look for it in the stores in August.

CANNIBAL CORPSE bassist Alex Webster has put a bass guitar up for auction on Ebay. The bass was used on the Monolith of Death tour and video, and if the buyer so desires, Alex will personalize the bass with an autograph. It comes with a hardshell case and is equipped with EMG pickups. Here is the direct link.

The reunion show of Chile's PENTAGRAM has been moved to May 27th, following the hand injury of mainman Anton Reissenegger, which has caused the concert to be pushed back by a week. Meanwhile, Anton's main band, CRIMINAL, will be playing their last show in Chile on the 26th of May, at the Sindicato De Estibadores in Valparaiso. As previously reported, Reissenegger is relocating to Europe for a few years and may resurrect CRIMINAL on the European continent, depending on the level of interest garnered by the upcoming release of the group's Cancer CD.

Contrary to what we posted here a couple of days ago, it now appears that producer Andy Sneap (i.e. NEVERMORE, ARCH ENEMY, KREATOR, STUCK MOJO) will not in fact be producing the upcoming debut from new Roadrunner Records signings, Chicago's FIVE POINTE O.&nbsp

EARTH CRISIS have posted the following official statement regarding their recent decision to disband:

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'Many rumors have been circulating about what has happened to EARTH CRISIS, and for the most part we have kept our distance from this dialogue. We apologize for our silence, but we felt it was necessary to keep quiet until we decided what we definitely wanted to do. It is now time to let you — the people who have been with us throughout our career — know where we are at. We have chosen to dissolve EARTH CRISIS.

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'There are many reasons that we have come to this decision, but it is sufficient to say here that it was our time to leave EARTH CRISIS — a project we have immersed ourselves in for the past ten years. It was quite difficult for us to come to this decision, especially when we were at such a good point in our career. We suppose we have chosen to leave EARTH CRISIS behind at this point so as to preserve it in each of your memories (and ours) as a vital and vibrant force. Slither, we feel, is our best release to date. The singles that we released from it have been spinning regularly on commercial radio, and our video for 'Nemesis' has aired on MTVX and many other programs.

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'Over the course of our work in EARTH CRISIS, we have accomplished so much: from many tours in the U.S., to tours in Europe and Japan, to playing at the Ozzfest, to performing for 120,000 people in Bogota, Columbia. And every person at every show, and every person that experienced our music, was exposed to our messages of human, animal, and earth liberation and our philosophy about veganism and straight edge. And we hope that we have encouraged some of these people to think about at least one issue from at least one song in a new way. Our home video, which will be released some time this summer from High Roller Studios on Victory Records, will speak to much of this history.

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'We owe a lot to all of you who have supported our efforts throughout our career and we hope that you can all come and see us one last time. Our last show in the U.S. will be this summer at Hellfest in Syracuse, NY on the weekend of July 6th, 7th, and 8th.

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'We hope that other bands will continue to forward a positive, peaceful, ethical, and revolutionary way of life as we have tried to do through our music. There is still a war, and we have laid down one weapon so as to pick up another. Each member of EARTH CRISIS is still involved in music, from industrial projects, to hip hop, to straight up rock. So we are all still involved in this community. We wish all of the new bands the best, and again we thank all of you who have supported us from the bottom of our hearts. — EARTH CRISIS'

DC4, featuring ARMORED SAINT guitarist Jeff Duncan, will be entering the studio on June 6th to record a full-length CD, which will be released in Europe through Rising Sun Records. A US deal for the album is still being sought.

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