Archive News Nov 15, 2001

The reunited CANDLEMASS—featuring bassist/mainman Leif Edling, vocalist Messiah Marcolin, guitarist Lars Johansson, guitarist Matts 'Mappe' Bjorkman, and drummer Jan Lindh—have officially been confirmed for next year's installment of the Sweden Rock Festival, which is scheduled to take place on June 7-8, 2002 in Sölvesborg, Sweden. As originally hinted here on September 26th and exclusively reported on October 16th, CANDLEMASS have reformed their most celebrated line-up with a view towards playing several European festivals next year, beginning with Sweden Rock and possibly culminating in a few others, including Germany's Wacken Festival, which is scheduled to take place on August 2-3, 2002. At the moment, there are no plans for the reunited group to record a studio album together, although Edling himself has indicated that a live recording made at the upcoming festival appearances is a distinct possibility. We will have more information on this as soon as it becomes available.

Various Internet sources are reporting that SLIPKNOT's upcoming headlining US run—which was set to feature IN FLAMES and 40 BELOW SUMMER—has been cancelled “due to a serious illness in the family of one of the members of SLIPKNOT”, based on a newsletter mailout that was circulated yesterday. At the moment, we have no way of officially confirming this information, but we will post updates as soon as we receive them. Immediately prior to this latest development, it has been reported that the designated first show of the tour, which was to take place at The Brown County Arena show in Green Bay, Wisconsin on November 20th, had been cancelled, and at the moment, this remains to be the only gig of the tour officially confirmed as being affected by the aforementioned illness. We expect to have more information on this tomorrow.

According to a Koch Records representative, there are no plans at the moment to release ENTOMBED's upcoming Morning Star CD on vinyl, contrary to the item we posted here yesterday. According to the label, “that's not meant to be a reflection on our commitment to ENTOMBED, rather on our inability to sell vinyl”. Can't say we blame them, but we're glad we got that one cleared away. As previously reported, Morning Star is due to receive a US release through Koch on January 22nd.

KISS frontman Paul Stanley and bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons will make an in-store appearance at Tower Records in Hollywood, California on November 20th and another one at Tower Records in New York City (4th and Broadway) on December 5th, where they will don the make-up to sign autographs in conjunction with the release of their upcoming Box Set. The Hollywood in-store will take place between 7 PM and 9 PM, and during the day, four forty-feet-tall blow-up dolls of Stanley, Simmons, Criss and Frehley will stand tall in the Tower parking lot. Immediately following the in-store, the KISS tribute band LARGER THAN LIVE: The Ultimate Tribute to Kiss will play a free show at the Key Club, just down the street.

MOTORHEAD mainman Lemmy, DEF LEPPARD/ex-DIO axeman Vivian Cambell, and former KISS drummer Eric Singer have recorded a version of KISS' 'Shout It Out Loud' for a movie soundtrack due this summer. We will have more information on this as soon as it becomes available.

San Francisco Bay Area metallers SKINLAB have announced the following live appearances during December—the group's last shows of 2001:

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Dec. 09 – San Francisco, CA @ The Bottom Of The Hill (w/DRUNK HORSE, CUTTHROAT9 (feat. former members of UNSANE &amp OLD GRANDAD)

Dec. 14 – San Francisco, CA @ Slim's (w/VIO-LENCE, KAOS)

Dec. 15 – San Jose, CA @ The Cactus Club (W/TECHNOCRACY, DOPESICK, HOSTILITY, 3RD RAIL)

MARILYN MANSON's new girlfriend Dita Von Teese—who has been together with the shock rocker since January, shortly after the break-up of the singer's relationship with actress Rose McGowan—recently appeared on the Howard Stern Show to promote her involvement at the Exotic Erotic Ball, where she reportedly does a burlesque show and “swishes around in a giant martini glass”, or something along those lines. Dita also plugged her official web site, which can be viewed at this location.

Here's an interesting item that was posted at www.blacksabbath.com: “In the 1960s and 1970s, Ozzy Osbourne fronted BLACK SABBATH, the heavy-metal band that forever changed rock and roll. Ozzy's subsequent solo career established milestones in music history. Twenty years after Ozzy's departure, the original BLACK SABBATH reunited claiming their rightful place as the Masters of Metal. Now Ozzy is back and ready to conquer the world once more with a new album and titanic tour with ROB ZOMBIE! Now you can read and see Ozzy's complete story in this all-new 72-card series, authorized by the Ozz himself!

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*The first-ever trading cards featuring the Ozz!

*Biographical text with new and classic photos!

*Discography cards!

*7 cards per pack

*36 packs per box!

*72 cards per set!

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“*SPECIAL OFFER* For a limited time, boxes of OZZY OSBOURNE trading cards are available for $69.95 + $5.00 s/h domestic, $12.00 international. Please check or money order to: Studio Chikara, 244 Fifth Avenue #2464, New York, NY 10001.”

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To see the look of a few of the cards, click here.

LIMP BIZKIT have reportedly been nominated for Favorite Artist in the Alternative Music category of the American Music Awards (AMA), in which they're going up against LINKIN PARK and STAIND. The event is going to be held on January 9th, 2002 at 8 PM ET and it's being (unfortunately) hosted by Sean “P. Diddy” Combs.

According to the latest issue of Kerrang! Magazine, NAPALM DEATH frontman Barney Greenway and WILDHEARTS mainman Ginger have teamed up to record a new song called “The Dying Art Of The Chorus”, which Greenway has described as “SIGUE SIGUE SPUTNIK gone mental”. Says Ginger of the collaboration: “We were thinking how we could get a NAPALM DEATH-style vocal on the track,” he laughs. “Barney's a total geezer. He barked like a fucking angry dog, and it's a wonderful thing to hear.” Commented Barney: “I think there's always been a mutual appreciation thing going on between us.” In other news, Ginger has been confirmed as main support to NAPALM DEATH at their forthcoming London gig at the Astoria on November 26th.

The reunited EXODUS are rumored to be performing at the Covered Wagon in San Francisco on December 8th.

For reasons that are not entirely clear right now, MEDICATION—who feature in their ranks former MACHINE HEAD / SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader, ex-UGLY KID JOE / LIFE OF AGONY vocalist Whitfield Crane, ex-ADAYINTHELIFE guitarist Blunt and SOULFLY drummer Roy Mayorga—cancelled what was to have been the group's debut UK appearance at The Junction in Cambridge last night, November 14th. At the moment, there is no reason to believe that the remainder of the group's UK trek with KULPRIT is going to be affected. We hope to have more information on this shortly.

TIAMAT are due to release their long-awaited new studio opus, entitled Judas Christ, on February 18th through Century Media Records. A single and a video clip will precede the release on January 28th. Judas Christ was produced by acclaimed Danish producer Lars Nissen at Copenhagen's Puk Studios, and is currently being mixed at the Sun facility.

The reformed Bay Area thrashers MERCENARY (fresh off their appearance on November 13th at the Covered Wagon Saloon (Lucifer's Hammer) in SF) have been added to the line-up of performers scheduled to appear at the James Murphy benefit in San Francisco, which is scheduled to take place on November 17th at The Pound. Other acts appearing at the show include DRAGONLORD (featuring TESTAMENT members Eric Peterson (guitars/vocals),Steve DiGiorgio (bass),Steve Smyth (guitars),and Jon Allen (drums)),IMAGIKA and IMPALED. In other news, DRAGONLORD will make a guest radio appearance on 107.7 The Bone (San Francisco)'s Metal Zone, hosted by Billy Steel, on November 16th. You can listen live to the interview at www.1077thebone.com.

German power metallers PRIMAL FEAR have extended their record deal with Nuclear Blast Records for another five albums, including a live album and DVD. The group's forthcoming Black Sun CD, which is scheduled to be recorded in early 2002 at House Of Music Studio in Winterbach, Germany, will be released in Japan via the group's longtime partner JVC/Victor and in France by their new label NTS.

Los Angeles' EARSHOT will issue their debut album, entitled Letting Go, through Reprise Records in early 2002. The band's sound is being described as “both heavy and melodic, yet with lyrical themes ranging from isolation to divine inspiration”.

TOMAHAWK, the 'all star' band featuring former FAITH NO MORE vocalist Mike Patton, ex-HELMET drummer Jon Stainer, former JESUS LIZARD guitarist Duane Denison, and ex-THE COWS/current MELVINS bassist Kevin Rutmanis, are due to perform a New Year's Eve show at Slim's in San Francisco on a bill that will also feature THE MELVINS and LOVAGE.

Here is a list of confirmed artists for next year's installment of the&nbsp Bang Your HeadFestival, which is scheduled to take place on June 28-29, 2002 at at the Messegelände in Balingen, Germany:

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GAMMA RAY

MAGNUM

SYMPHONY X

TITAN FORCE (feat. JAG PANZER frontman Harry Conklin)

RHAPSODY

NEVERMORE

OVERKILL

VANDEN PLAS

JAG PANZER

TANKARD

PARADOX

IRON SAVIOR

RAWHEAD REXX

S.A. ADAMS

RIVAL

Next year's installment of the Wacken Festival, which will take place on August 2-3 in Wacken, Germany, is shaping up as follows:

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BLIND GUARDIAN

RAVEN

PUNGENT STENCH

DIMPLE MINDS

KREATOR

DESTRUCTION

J.B.O

IN EXTREMO

FALCONER

AMON AMARTH

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More acts will be added shortly.

KATAKLYSM vocalist Maurizio Iacono has commented further on the group's cancellation of their US headlining tour and their subsequent decision to pull out of the upcoming MARDUK tour. According to Iacono, “we got tired of the same ol' bullshit that happens here with all these hypocrites running the game now in the States, from the first tour with INCANTATION back in ྛ to the badly handled DESTRUCTION tour last year. They're all in for the fast buck and don't have any honor or respect anymore, so what's the point of wasting blood and sweat here? It's been 10 years and we refuse to be manipulated like puppets, it's just not worth it anymore. We totally feel for our fans that want to see us in the US and our homeland - you will be in our hearts and music forever.' KATAKLYSM will be performing on December 23rd in their hometown of Montreal. Some more December dates will be added in the Quebec area.

Dutch death metallers HOUWITSER have finished the recording, mixing and mastering of their Osmose Records debut and third overall CD, entitled Rage Inside The Womb, which is scheduled to be released on January 14th. The full track listing for the effort is as follows:

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01. Slaughter Confession

02. Nailing The Torso

03. Score Of Corpses

04. Gutted In The Gutter

05. A Bite Of A Diseased Rat

06. Rage Inside The Womb

07. Vengeance Needs Blood

08. Unleash The Fury

09. 37 Stabwounds

10. Exposed To Poison

EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet has posted the following message in regards to the cancellation of the group's recent show in Strasbourg, France after the singer came down with an unspecified illness:

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'Hey folks! This is Tobias mailing you from France while we are on tour right now. I would like to let you know that we all are very sorry about cancelling the show in Strasbourg at the last minute. But I had big problems with my health, I had high fever, bronchial problems, throat problems and I first went to a hospital in Osnabrueck [Germany]. The doctor forbid me to sing, but due to the fact that the local promoter already had the backline and many stage hands there and due to the fact that it would have been a financial disaster for him I decided to go on stage. A wrong decision, because I was almost collapsing on stage and after I left the stage it got even worse. I was taken to a doctor the next day as well, who told me not to sing and talk for some days but I really felt that I would go on stage in Strasbourg somehow, although he already attested the tour manager that this would not work. However, unfortunately, and I am very sorry about that, we finally had to cancel because my whole system was down, I could hardly speak and could hardly walk and was concerned about the whole tour. In Kaufbeuren, it turned a little better, and I decided to hop on stage and try my best. Of course, it could have been announced better, but the whole situation was confusing — for us as well. Imagine for example if we had announced cancelling Kaufbeuren (and it was a last minute decision that we would surely do the show). Whatever you do it will be the wrong thing for some people. So please excuse this, we will try to avoid situations like that in the future IF POSSIBLE. And for those who always complain about everything: We will try to avoid becoming sick -) And for those who do not like our live performance and prefer the album because the singer is running around and missing some tunes and talking too much, the backing vocals are out of tune and there is too much sweat dropping from the walls of the club: Listen to the album and do not go to a live concert. Or go to a techno concert, you might get a playback and everything sounds like on the album. I wanna run around and have some fun, doing a good show and do something visual. In the studio it's boring enough to stand at one place in a dark room, having headphones on and singing the tracks. Alright, at least my health is getting better now and I hope to see a lot of you guys during the forthcoming weeks... All the best friends and stay heavy, Tobias!”

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