Archive News May 19, 2001

COAL CHAMBER have recruited Ross Hogarth to produce their forthcoming third full-length album, which is tentatively titled Dark Days and is scheduled for release on October 8th in Europe and October 9th in the US. Hogarth is a virtual unknown in metal circles, having primarily worked with pop and rock acts in the past, including some of the biggest names in the business. However, he's not a complete stranger to the heavy rock genre, as he recently completed work on the debut album from the Warner Bros. act PETE and was at the helm for a remix of the COLD track 'No One'. His other credits include engineering work on MOTLEY CRUE's Girls, Girls, Girls and Decade Of Decadence, as well as on FASTER PUSSYCAT's Wake Me When It's Over. For a complete list of Hogarth's work, click here. COAL CHAMBER and Hogarth will be entering a California studio before the end of the month to begin work on the upcoming CD, which is tentatively scheduled to be completed by the end of July. Songs set to appear on Dark Days include 'Three Steps', 'Drove', 'Beckon' and a reworked version of the track “Who Is God?”, which was originally co-written and recorded by vocalist Dez Fafara and guitarist Meegs for the English artist OVERSEER (a recording that was produced by MOTLEY CRUE bassist Nikki Sixx).

SLAYER's forthcoming God Hates Us All CD has had its release date pushed back to July 10th.

MACHINE HEAD frontman Robert Flynn flew to Chicago yesterday, May 18th, to complete the vocal tracks for the group's upcoming Supercharger release at producer Johnny K's Groovemaster Studios. As previously reported, Supercharger is tentatively scheduled for release on August 20th in Europe and August 21st in the US, and it is likely to be mixed by producer Mudrock (i.e. GODSMACK, POWERMAN 5000, CHIMAIRA, etc.),pending the results of a recent 'test' mix, which is making its way to Flynn for his approval.

METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett joined Mexican rockers VITAMIN T for an impromptu jam after walking into the Cabo San Lucas, Mexico nightspot Cabo Wabo Cantina on Friday, May 11th while the band was jamming out a cover version of METALLICA's 'Until It Sleeps'. Owned by former VAN HALEN frontman Sammy Hagar, Cabo Wabo Cantina has been a celebrity destination since Hagar became an active owner and host at the hot Cabo San Lucas, Mexico nightspot in 1989.

MEDICATION played a headlining set on Friday, May 18th at West Hollywood's Whisky A Go-Go without bassist Robert Trujillo (OZZY/ex-SUICIDAL TENDENCIES),leading to speculation that the four-stringer has officially left the band to focus on his work with OZZY's upcoming solo project, which is currently in the recording stage. In Trujillo's place, MEDICATION — who feature in their ranks former MACHINE HEAD / SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader and ex-UGLY KID JOE / LIFE OF AGONY vocalist Whitfield Crane — had a 'skinny white guy' named John playing all the bass parts, but it is not entirely clear if he was a temporary replacement or a permanent one. Spotted in the audience during MEDICATION's set were ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian and SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph, among others. Also on the bill for Friday night's performance was MY RUIN, the new band of former TURA SATANA frontwoman Tairrie B.

V.O.D. (VISION OF DISORDER) will be touring with NOTHINGFACE and DOG FASHION DISCO from July 2nd until the 22nd. No dates have yet been announced. In other news, V.O.D. has also been added onto another date with SLAYER and SKRAPE, bringing the total number of shows the group is playing with SLAYER to four. The confirmed SLAYER / SKRAPE / V.O.D. dates are as follows:

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June 14 - Chattanooga, TN @ The Bay

June 15 - Spartanburg, SC @ Ground Zero

June 16 - Winston-Salem, NC @ Ziggy's

June 18 - Baltimore, MD @ Recher Theater

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In August, V.O.D. will head overseas to the Far East to play two Beast Feast shows with SLAYER, SEPULTURA, and MACHINE HEAD on August 24th in Seoul, Korea and August 25th in Tokyo, Japan, on a bill that is also believed to include PANTERA. V.O.D. brand new album, From Bliss To Devastation, is due out through TVT Records on June 26th.

According to an article published in today's New York Daily News, KISS' Ace Frehley had to go so far as to say he was the guitarist of Kiss before security at the NBA Store on Fifth Avenue would let him in to see Thursday's performance by the GO-GO's. Frehley was not on anyone's guest list, but he claimed to be an old pal of the group's lead singer, Belinda Carlisle. When Frehley finally got in, he hung with the girls before they went on and then watched their set with the rest of the audience.

The previously announced 'supergroup' featuring former RAINBOW/BLACK SABBATH drummer Bobby Rondinelli and former WHITESNAKE/BLACK SABBATH bassist Neil Murray will now include ex-BLACK SABBATH singer Tony Martin in the place of Glenn Hughes (DEEP PURPLE/BLACK SABBATH),who has now apparently made himself unavailable to take part in the project.

Former JANE'S ADDICTION frontman Perry Farrell has had the release date of his upcoming solo album, Songs Yet to be Sung, pushed back to July 17th in order to synchronize the album's worldwide release. The title track to the album will now hit radio in late June.

Drummer Nick Barker (DIMMU BORGIR/ex-CRADLE OF FILTH) has posted the following update on the status of LOCK UP, the project he shares with NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury, NAPALM DEATH guitarist Jesse Pintado and THE CROWN/ex-AT THE GATES frontman Tomas Lindberg: 'We recorded a new LOCK UP album with our new vocalist Tomas Lindberg who is now in THE CROWN. We've still got to mix it and hopefully it will be out the end of this year, beginning of next year. And at that time both DIMMU and NAPALM DEATH will be writing material for their next albums, which means we've got time off to tour for LOCK UP, so hopefully next year there will be a US LOCK UP tour.'

Finland's SONATA ARCTICA has had the release date of its upcoming single, Wolf &amp Raven, pushed back to 25th May. The track 'Wolf &amp Raven' comes off the group's sophomore full-length CD, Silence, which is scheduled for release on June 21st in Japan and July 15th in Finland. In other news, SONATA ARCTICA will be heading over to Japan in early September to play four headlining shows in support of the upcoming album. The dates are as follows:

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Sept. 03 - Tokyo, JAP @ On Air East

Sept. 04 - Tokyo, JAP @ On Air East

Sept. 05 - Osaka, JAP @ Big Cat

Sept. 06 - Nagoya, JAP @ Club Quattro

DIMMU BORGIR guitarist Galder has offered the following update on the forthcoming album from OLD MAN'S CHILD, the band that he had founded and put on the backburner while completing the various recording and touring commitments with DIMMU BORGIR over much of the last year: 'I have a contract [with Century Media Records] for three more albums. I just have to find the right musicians. I think Nick Barker will play drums on the next album. The next one is probably in the same style [as last year's Revelation 666 — The Curse Of Damnation CD]. I only have four songs so far but I'm pretty fast when I start working on it. No song titles lyrics I always do last, a month before I go into the studio. They want me to do it as soon as possible when I get home. Of course, that's not possible but perhaps in the autumn. We have two more weeks for DIMMU BORGIR and then there are a lot of festivals and there is another tour in South America and the States again. I'll also perhaps use Jardar on guitars, he was on some of the old albums and perhaps just do the bass myself, I don't know.'

Boston's DECEMBER WOLVES are currently putting the finishing touches to their second album, Blasterpiece Theatre, at their own Last Sound On the Left Studios, and expect to have it released during the summer through Wicked World Records.

New Jersey's ILL NINO, featuring former M.O.D./PRO-PAIN drummer Dave Chavarri, will have their Roadrunner Records debut, Revolution...Revolucion, mastered at Sterling Sound Studios in New York City next week by engineering veteran George Marino (i.e. METALLICA, OZZY, STP, KORN, TYPE O NEGATIVE, MACHINE HEAD, SEPULTURA). Revolution...Revolucion was produced by 311 producer Ron St. Germain and was remixed by Scrap 60 Productions (i.e. PRIMER 55, DRY KILL LOGIC, 36 CRAZYFISTS). It is scheduled for release on July 10th.

Veteran Canadian thrashers EXCITER will play a headlining show at Toronto's Lee's Palace on June 23rd. Here is a complete list of the band's upcoming live dates:

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June 15-16 - Kalamazoo, MI @ Classic Metal Festival

June 23 - Toronto, Ont., CAN @ Lee's Palace

Aug. 03 - Wacken, GER @ Wacken Open Air Festival

Aug. 04 - SWI @ Metal Dayz Festival

Aug. 05 - BEL @ Eurorock Festival

DEF LEPPARD (minus bassist Rick Savage) are currently in Los Angeles to write new songs with Marti Frederiksen, known for his recent work with AEROSMITH. According to guitarist Phil Collen, 'So far, we've written two songs with Marti, and they're really, really great'. Rick has reportedly put down a couple of drum tracks for some demo versions of new songs, and the rest of the band have been writing and recording demo songs as well. Currently, there are some eight songs being worked on, but the band is reluctant to give out any working titles. Vocalist Joe Elliott commented: 'We do have some titles, but they always change. If we would mention them now, and the song would be renamed later, people will ask what happened to that song. For example, people still ask us if we'll ever release 'Spanish Sky'. But we did! It only evolved, and along the way we renamed it to 'Disintegrate'. So for now, we'd better not mention any titles, until they're definitive. And none of the songs are definitive, not yet.' DEF LEPPARD will head over to Dublin in July or August to write some more material and start recording the band's forthcoming CD at Joe's home studio, Joe's Garage.

The UK's VEX RED have completed recording their debut album, tentatively titled Start With a Strong and Persistent Desire, with producer Ross Robinson at a Venice, California recording studio and are now mixing the effort in Vancouver, Canada for a August/September release through I Am/Virgin Records. 14 songs were reportedly laid down and the whole thing was filmed for a possible DVD release with the album. A tour of the UK with CRACKOUT has also been confirmed. The dates are as follows:

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June 20 - Exeter, UK @ Cavern

June 21 - Liverpool, UK @ Lomax

June 22 - Hull, UK @ Adelphi

June 23 - Glasgow, UK @ King Tuts

June 25 - Manchester, UK @ Roadhouse

June 26 - Wolverhampton, UK @ Varsity

June 27 - London, UK @ Water Rats

June 30 - Nottingham, UK @ Rock City

July 01 - Sheffield, UK @ Leadmill

OZZY OSBOURNE/BLACK LABEL SOCIETY guitarist Zakk Wylde will be participating in an online chat on Monday, May 21st at 5 PM EST via USAToday.com.

DMV Music (www.dmvmusic.com) will be releasing a CD in July entitled Lost Demos, which will contain songs by several vocalists (collectively under the guise of the 'V-PROJECT'),including six songs by ex-MSG singer Robin McAuley, plus previously-unreleased tracks by HOUSE OF LORDS vocalist James Christian and DILLINGER frontman Chrisopher Post.

Former Y&ampT guitarist Dave Meniketti will be headlining a free outdoor concert in downtown San Jose on Saturday, June 16th at 3 PM. Other artists performing include JEFFERSON STARSHIP, ERIC MARTIN, ROBERT BERRY and RONNIE MONTROSE. Dave's band will be on stage at 8:30 PM.

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