Archive News Oct 23, 2001

In light of the numerous tour cancellations that have been announced in the recent weeks, MACHINE HEAD have issued a statement assuring their European fans that they will, in fact, be going ahead with their scheduled European headlined tour as planned. The statement—the Robert Flynn-handwritten version of which can be viewed at this location—reads as follows: “To all Machine Head-z, the events of Sept. 11th have affected everyone directly or indirectly. We would like to re-affirm to you, the fans, that MACHINE HEAD “will” be playing on all dates advertised. There's no place we'd rather be than with our fans at a time like this. Music carries all of us thur good and bad times. We won't let the cowardly acts of terrorists change our way of life, or stop us from doing what we do best… Rocking your asses off!!! MACHINE HEAD”

In the continuing saga that is MEGADETH versus their Argentine “fans” over the now-cancelled recording of the group's upcoming live album in Buenos Aires, bassist Dave Ellefson has posted the following message on the band's official message board at www.megadeth.com:

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“We have recently come under heavy criticism by a few of the people on our Spanish boards for canceling our upcoming concert in Argentina. We knew this would happen and understandably so. In all fairness I must say that if my favorite band cancelled a live recording in my hometown I would be bummed out, too.

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“There are many cities in the world that have been considered for the recording but Buenos Aires was hands down our first choice. In fact, we blew off the record company's initial request to record in London's Astoria last July because Argentina was the country of choice for us. There was even talk of recording in Japan shortly thereafter because of their loyalty to MEGADETH, and of course, the technology advancement would be ideal. That, too, was held at bay so we could record in Buenos Aires.

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“We just did an amazing feat by taking this band and entourage around the entire planet so we could all rock out and have a great time. The scheduling, responsibilities, health overload and financial undertakings are completely out of this world and I don't' expect sympathy because hey, this is what we do. We survived an earthquake in Japan a typhoon in Taiwan and the last thing we expected to encounter was a war.

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“I was at Ground Zero in NYC the other day, and believe me, this sh.t is real. To feel the terror and fear that is running rampant in our world today is no joke. Trust me, it was basically a TV event until I witnessed it with my own two eyes.

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“This brings me to my main point. The whole mission right now is to record and release a live record. End of story! You've been asking for it for years and every attempt we've made to fulfill this wish has been interrupted by unforeseen events i.e. changing band members as well as previous record companies and management not wanting to comply with our requests. Finally, we have a chance to make this happen for all of us.

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“Sanctuary Records has made it possible for us to record this album and release it in the spring of 2002. If it doesn't get released at that time it may never get released due to the scheduling of the next MEGADETH studio album. The live album was not part of our initial agreement with Sanctuary, but they've seen the love that you all have for us and they whole-heartedly agree that it is the right thing to do at this point. That is why at all costs this album must be recorded now or we risk it never coming out. If it was logistically possible we would have already recorded and filmed a show by now just to have one in the can in case the world goes to hell in a hand basket before we reach Phoenix in November, the new location scheduled to complete the recording. Those of you who have seen us can confirm that we are performing the best we ever have and capturing it now is essential for all of us.

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“This was a hell of a decision to have to make and one that I wished we didn't have to encounter. I hope you can respect that in light of all of this we must move ahead with the live recording so that all fans of MEGADETH around the world can enjoy the live show. We look forward to seeing you soon and keep the faith! David Ellefson”

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MEGADETH drummer Jimmy DeGrasso also added his two cents to the discussion by posting the following comment on the same message board:

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“As you all know, we were supposed to go to Argentina to record our live DVD. Due to circumstances beyond our control (WAR) we are unable to go. I thought for sure that nobody would be surprised by this considering the circumstances (A WAR).

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“It has come to my attention that there are a few people on our Spanish boards flaming Dave [Mustaine] for letting them down. Nobody wants to go back to Argentina more than me but there is a war on people. So if those people want to blame somebody... Blame me. Our crew. They are reluctant to go. Our families. They don't want us to go either. Let's keep things in perspective here. There are people's lives at stake here. I know there are only a few angry people, and to them I say, 'Get a clue.' To those who are disappointed, let me apologize deeply, but these things are out of our hands.

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“The bottom line is we are going to get this live DVD completed as soon as possible. We are going to record and film in mid-November so keep your fingers crossed. On another note. I am supposed to go to China after this tour and do drum clinics. Exciting, right? Wrong. Cancelled. I'm not going right now. It's not a good time right now.

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“This band. Dave, David, Al and myself have gone to great lengths and expense to reach fans around the world that might not have gotten a chance to see or meet us other wise. We will continue to do so in future so bear with us in these difficult times. Jimmy”

Adding to the confusion surrounding the exact title for COAL CHAMBER's next studio effort, guitarist Meegs stated in an interview that was conducted last night that Salvation will definitely NOT be the name of the next record, despite comments to the contrary from frontman Dez Fafara. In the same interview. Meegs indicated that Dark Days is still a possibility as an album title, although other options are apparently being considered as well.

Here is how the metal/hard rock genre has fared in the German Media Control (Top 100) charts for the week ending October 22nd:

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06. LINKIN PARK - Hybrid Theory

10. GARBAGE - Beautifulgarbage

15. H.I.M. - Deep Shadows And Brilliant...

20. ALIEN ANT FARM - ANThology

29. SUM 41 - All Killer No Filler

33. STAIND - Break The Cycle

34. NICKELBACK - Silver Side Up

51. RAMMSTEIN - Mutter

53. SYSTEM OF A DOWN - Toxicity

54. ALICE COOPER - Dragontown

58. LACRIMOSA - Fassade

59. BLINK-182 - Take Off Your Pants And Jacket

61. MACHINE HEAD - Supercharger

64. SLIPKNOT - Iowa

71. LIVE - V

74. THERION - Secret Of The Runes

89. J.B.O. - Live Sex

93. SLAYER - God Hates Us All

95. IN EXTREMO - Sünder ohne Zügel

97. DAVE MATTHEWS BAND - Everyday

Finland's own TOTAL DEVASTATION have made available for download their version of ENTOMBED's “Hollowman” at this location.

EMPEROR and BORKNAGAR will hold a joint release party at Betong in Oslo, Norway on November 2nd for their Prometheus: The Discipline of Fire &amp Demise and Empiricism opuses, respectively. There will be signing sessions, giveaways, and EMPEROR's new video for the track 'Empty' will be shown on a big screen. Performing live at this special event will be BLOODTHORN and GODSIZE.

LIZZY BORDEN will be broadcasting “his particular brand of madness and mayhem to the masses” when he takes over KNAC for Halloween. LIZZY will have lots of LIZZY-brand trivia which, if answered correctly, will win listeners cool LIZZY stuff including posters, CDs and even a 'LIZZYBORDEN Axe' giveaway (an autographed ESP custom bass guitar). LIZZY BORDEN broadcasts live via www.knac.com on Halloween 3-7 PM PST.

Long-running Florida death metallers MONSTROSITY will be entering the studio shortly to record their next album, which is tentatively scheduled to be released in February. In the meantime, they will squeeze in additional shows in the US in November and six shows in Mexico beginning Nov 30th. Special features in upcoming issues of Metal Maniacs and Pit Magazine are also in the works.

Swedish sleaze-rockers HARDCORE SUPERSTAR will be promoting their recently-released Thank You For Letting Us Be Ourselves CD by performing at the following venues this week:

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Oct. 25 @ Harrys &amp Co, Uppsala, SWE

Oct. 26 @ The Tivoli, Helsingborg, SWE

Oct. 27 @ Metropol, Hultsfred, SWE

According to mainman Lips, ANVIL have completed writing eight new songs for their next studio effort, which is tentatively scheduled to be recorded early next year for a mid-2002 release.

German axe hero AXEL RUDI PELL has made his own guitar pick collection available for purchase via the web. For more information, go to this location.

Bassist extraordinaire Billy Sheehan and monster axeman Steve Vai, aka 'The Power Twins', will start the next leg of the G-3 tour on November 15th in Hong Kong and wind up the year with shows all across Europe. The dates are as follows:

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Nov. 15 - Hong Kong @ TBA

Nov. 16 - Hong Kong @ TBA)

Nov. 20 - Modena, ITA @ Vox

Nov. 21 - Milan, ITA @ Alcatraz

Nov. 23 - Madrid, SPA @ La Rivera

Nov. 24 - Pamplona, SPA @ Sala Gares

Nov. 25 - Barcelona, SPA @ Razzmatazz

Nov. 26 - TBA

Nov. 27 - Marseille, FRA @ Le Moulin

Nov. 28 - Stuttgart, GER @ Longhorn

Nov. 29 - Bochum, GER @ Zeche

Nov. 30 - Paris, FRA @ Elysee Montmartre

Dec. 02 - Amsterdam, NETH @ Heineken Music Hall

Dec. 03 - Brussels, BEL @ Ancienne Belgique

Dec. 04 - Manchester, UK @ Apollo

Dec. 05 - Wolverhampton, UK @ Civic

Dec. 06 - London, UK @ Astoria

Dec. 07 - London, UK @ Astoria

Dec. 09 - Dublin, IRE @ Vicar Street

Dec. 10 - Dublin, IRE @ Vicar Street

Dec. 12 - Hamburg, GER @ Fabrik

Dec. 13 - Cologne, GER @ Live Music Hall

Dec. 14 - Munich, GER @ Babylon

Dec. 15 - Vienna, AUS @ Bank Halle

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In other news, Steve Vai has issued the following statement regarding the recent cancellation of G3's planned appearances in Mexico:

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“We are very sorry to have to announce that the upcoming G3 concerts in Mexico City and Monterrey are to be postponed once again.

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“Due to the uncertainties caused by the terrorist attacks on New York City and Washington, DC, and the recent threat made to Americans worldwide, we feel that it would be unsafe to travel during this time of declared war on America and its citizens.

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“While we are very unhappy to have to disappoint our fans in Mexico, we cannot request that our fellow musicians and crew place themselves in any jeopardy, nor can we expect their families to be favorable about them doing so.

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“We do however, promise that we will bring G3 to Mexico very soon, as soon as we feel the situation is safe for all parties involved.

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“We thank you all for your understanding, patience and consideration in this time of world unrest.”

The reunited Y&ampT, featuring Dave Meniketti, Phil Kennemore, Leonard Haze and Stef Burns, will perform the following gigs during November:

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Nov. 8th - The State Theater - Modesto, CA

Nov. 9th - The Roadhouse - Sacramento, CA

Nov. 10th - The Mystic Theater - Petaluma, CA

Nov. 14th - The Icon - Palo Alto, CA

Nov. 15th - The Icon - Palo Alto, CA

Nov. 16th - The Mystic Theater - Petaluma, CA

Nov. 17th - The Bonnema Brewing Co - Atascadero, CA

GAMMA RAY have been confirmed for next year's Bang Your Head Festival, which is scheduled to take place on June 28-29 in Balingen, Germany.

Further to the item we posted here yesterday on Chicago doomsters NOVEMBERS DOOM, it now appears that the band and producer Neil Kernon have decided to scrap the original plan of recording the group's upcoming CD, entitled To Welcome the Fade, at Studio One in Racine, Wisconsin and are presently laying down all their new tracks at Sheffield Studios in Hammond, Indiana where Mr. Kernon felt that he could “capture a more powerful, massive sound that would fit the band's new material”, according to a Dark Symphonies Records representative. Final mixing will most likely take place at Sonic Ranch/Village Productions in Tornillo Texas, and it will be mastered in HDCD at Oceanview Digital Mastering in Los Angeles, California.

Sweden's TERRA FIRMA, featuring UNLEASHED guitarist Freddie Eugene, will be embarking on a European tour during November. The dates are as follows:

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Nov. 27 - Logo - Hamburg, GER

Nov. 28 - TBA - GER

Nov. 29 - TBA - NETH

Nov. 30 - Jungversprung - Arnstadt, GER

Dec. 01 - Musicodrome - Hasselt, Belgium

Dec. 02 - 013 - Tilburg, Holland

Dec. 03 - Rohre - Stutgart, Germany

Dec. 04 - Austrachiq - Nancy, France

Dec. 05 - Stahlwerk - Dusseldorf, Germany

Dec. 06 - Scheune - Dresden, Germany

Dec. 07 - Loppen - Kobenhavn, Denmark

Swedish pop-punkers MILLENCOLIN have cancelled their planned New Year's Eve show in Australia due to “personal” reasons. According to an official statement from the band, “we were all really looking forward to this show plus the two weeks of vacation we had planned in Australia after the show. But some stuff has happened which makes it impossible for us to come down. Big apologies to our fans, the promoter and the festival! Sorry. We'll be back in Australia for a tour of our own as soon as the [new] album is out!”

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

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SWEDEN'S EVERGREY TO HEADLINE ATLANTA'S PROGPOWER 2.0 FESTIVAL ON NOVEMBER 10TH SUPPORTING INSIDEOUT MUSIC AMERICA DEBUT IN SEARCH OF TRUTH

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To promote their first-ever North American release In Search Of Truth through InsideOut Music America, Sweden's EVERGREY will be making a special trip to the US to headline the ProgPower 2.0 Festivial! The event will occur on November 9th &amp 10th at Earthlink Live in Atlanta, GA and will also feature special appearances by KAMELOT, ANGEL DUST, NIGHTINGALE, ARK, and fellow InsideOut Music artists VANDEN PLAS and SYMPHONY X. ProgPower 2.0 is unique in that it presents a live outlet for a group of bands that do not normally have the opportunity to perform in America!

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Extremely popular in their native Sweden and throughout Europe, EVERGREY have now set their sights on our shore by delivering their darkest and most powerful CD to date. Master musicians all, EVERGREY combine an enormous and potent sound with pure emotional torment. Dark, gloomy passages dissolve and give way to glorious rapture and vice-versa. Driven by the extremely emotive voice of band leader Tom S. Englund, EVERGREY weave a musical and lyrical shroud that perfectly envelops the dark side of the human soul.

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In Search Of Truth, EVERGREY's third album (but first domestic release),was produced by KING DIAMOND guitar wizard Andy LaRocque, who also lends uncredited talents with a slide guitar passage on the track 'Different Worlds'!

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To further promote the album, the band has recently shot a full production video for the first single, 'The Master Plan', which visually accentuates the bleak, yet soulful essence of the album. EVERGREY's previous US appearances included spotlight positions at the first ProgPower Festival (in Chicago) and Baltimore's fourth Powermad Festival.

Former DEEP PURPLE/BLACK SABBATH vocalist Glenn Hughes' version of 'America The Beautiful', recorded in late 1999 for use on the WWF Smackdown show on the UPN television network, is available for download via this location.

Veteran Dutch death metal act THANATOS have set aside the next couple of months to fully concentrate on writing new songs for the next album and will resume their live work in January. So far, the group has completed four new songs for the as-yet-untitled new CD, and they hope to have at least seven songs finished by the end of the year. Tentative plans exist to record three or four new songs in a local studio in December, audio samples of which will be made available via the band's official web site.

Brazil's EMINENCE, featuring former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo Guedz on bass, have made an appearance on a new Brazilian compilation CD with the previously unreleased song 'Sick'.

French thrashers NO RETURN have completed 11 new songs for the as-yet-untitled follow-up to Self Mutilation, which is scheduled to be recorded at Belgium's CCR Studio and mixed at Funmasters Studio. NO RETURN's sixth album will contain the following cuts, among others:

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01. Biomechanoid

02. Machinery

03. Disease

04. Disillusioned By Human Err

05. Synthetic

COMPANY OF SNAKES, featuring former WHITESNAKE guitarists Micky Moody and Bernie Marsden, will be touring Germany with MOLLY HATCHET and HUMBLE PIE under the Christmas In Rock banner. The tour dates are as follows:

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Oct. 18 – Cardiff, UK @ The Point

Oct. 19 - Chiddingfold, UK @ Blues Club

Oct. 20 - Dudley, UK @ JBs

Oct. 24 - Sheffield, UK @ Boardwalk

Oct. 25 - Derby, UK @ The Flowerpot

Oct. 27 - Carlisle, UK @ Jacksons

Oct. 28 - Billingham, UK @ Forum

Nov. 03 - Ipswich, UK @ Corn Exchange

Nov. 04 - Buxton, UK @ Opera House

Dec. 14 – Pratteln, SWI @ TBA

Dec. 15 – München, GER @ Colosseum

Dec. 16 - Stuttgart, GER @ Longhorn

Dec. 17 - Nürnberg, GER @ Hirsch

Dec. 18 - Berlin, GER @ Columbiahalle

Dec. 19 - Hamburg, GER @ Markthalle

Dec. 20 - Hannover, GER @ Capitol

Dec. 21 - Köln, GER @ Live Music Hall

Dec. 22 - Neu Isenburg, GER @ Hugenottenhalle

STONE TEMPLE PILOTS will be the special guests on the Howard Stern Show on October 26th.

ABLAZE MY SORROW have once again parted ways with vocalist Martin Qvist and have replaced him with ex-DEIFICATION singer Kristian Lönnsjö. The group's brand new release, Anger, Hate and Fury, is currently being recorded and is scheduled for an early 2002 release. Among the tracks that are set to appear on the CD are the following:

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01. Erase/Relieved

02. Ad Libitum

03. Slit Wide Open

04. Suicidal

Former YNGWIE MALMSTEEN and current TALISMAN/HUMANIMAL singer Jeff Scott Soto has signed a solo deal with Z Records and will be releasing his new solo album during the summer of 2002. Although not much information is available about the musical direction of the upcoming CD, Jeff had apparently wanted to record an album that reflected his personal taste (described as JOURNEY with some aspects of EYES) and has recently started work on the recording process.

Veteran Canadian rockers HELIX will shortly be issuing a CD under the self-explanatory title of Live! in Buffalo, N.Y. 1983. The CD contains the following live tracks:

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01. No Rest for the Wicked

02. 6 Strings 9 Lives

03. Let's all do it Tonite

04. Never Wanna Lose

05. You Everybody Pays the Price

06. You Keep me Rocking

07. White Lace &amp Black Leather

08. Check out the Love

09. Hot on the Heels of Love

10. Heavy Metal Love

11. Dirty Dog

12. No High like Rock n' Roll

13. My Kind of Rock

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