Archive News Sep 27, 2001

As a result of Capitol Records' recent buy-out of the Priority label, BLACK SABBATH's highly-anticipated album of live recordings from 1975, previously known as Live In 75, has been indefinitely put on hold, while the Priority-distributed Divine Recordings (Sharon Osbourne's record company and the projected label for the above-mentioned release) are presently attempting to figure out if they still have a distribution deal or if they are free to go elsewhere. At the moment, it appears that the CD will be issued through Divine sometime during the first quarter of 2002, although a possibility exists that legal issues may put the release off even further. While the final track listing has yet to be set, the as-yet-untitled album (the original title has now apparently been scrapped),will reportedly contain all of the previously-released Live at Last album, parts of the widely-available Paris 1970 bootleg, a February 1975 Baltimore, MD unofficial live release, and some of the tracks from the old Beat Club appearances.

After considering several other options, including a possible collaboration with Scrap 60 Productions (the people behind the recent DRY KILL LOGIC and ILL NINO productions),San Francisco Bay Area's SKINLAB have opted to once again utilize the services of producer Andy Sneap (i.e. MACHINE HEAD, NEVERMORE, STUCK MOJO) to mix the group's latest CD, entitled tHE reVOLTING ROOM: dISTURBING tHE aRT oF eXPRESSION. Originally produced and mixed by Steve Evetts, the upcoming CD will be re-mixed at Sneap's Backstage facility in the UK and will be issued through Century Media Records on February 5th, 2002.

Contrary to a misleading statement posted on the official web site of French black metallers AD INFERNA, Norway's ANCIENT have NOT in fact cancelled their headlining European tour in November/December, but have instead cut AD INFERNA and WINDIR from the bill for “administrative reasons”, according to a statement sent to us by ANCIENT's representatives, Alpha-Omega Management. STORMLORD and THYRANE are scheduled to join ANCIENT for this three-band touring package, the exact itinerary for which is currently being finalized and will be announced shortly.

San Francisco Bay Area's DRAGONLORD, featuring members of TESTAMENT, will be the special guests Billy Steel's Metal Zone in San Francisco this Friday the 28th on 107.7 The Bone at 9 PM (PST). You can listen live to the interview at www.1077thebone.com.

LAVABONE is the name of a brand new San Francisco Bay Area band featuring former PRIMER 55 drummer Kevin Jackson, ex-PRIMER 55 bassist Junior, and three members from the local Bay Area thrash scene. Boasting a sound that is being described as “hard-hitting new rock”, LAVABONE are currently playing out locally while shopping around for a record deal. For more info and MP3 files, check out the group's web site at www.lavabone.com.

DREAM THEATER have completed mixing their brand new CD, entitled Six Degrees Of Inner Turbulence, with producer Kevin Shirley and are due to master it this week in New York City for a January 2002 release through Elektra Records. According to the latest posting by drummer Mike Portnoy, the new album will be a two-CD set consisting of the following six songs:

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CD 01:

01. The Glass Prison

02. Blind Faith

03. Misunderstood

04. The Great Debate

05. Disappear

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CD 02:

01. Six Degrees of Inner Turbulence (40-minute title track)

Former CRIMSON GLORY frontman Midnight has opted to push back the release of his forthcoming solo release, entitled Songs From The Attic, to Halloween, so as to allow him to add several other “bonus” cuts to the finished product, including 'America The Beautiful', 'Star Spangled Banner', 'Amazing Grace' (featuring “bagpipes in the background”) and an as-yet-untitled song that Midnight and guitarist Rand Burkey (ex-ATHEIST) have written about the recent World Trade Center tragedy. According to Midnight, “this will be [a full-length] album rather than an EP, but your price wont change—these extra trax will be supporting our great nation and they will be definitely worth waiting for.”

Colorado metallers JAG PANZER have made available for download their version of GORDON LIGHTFOOT's 'Wreck of the Edmund Fitzgerald' via the group's official web site at this location. In a recent interview conducted by Metal-Rules.com, JAG PANZER frontman Harry 'The Tyrant' Conklin commented on the idea behind covering the song by saying that '[guitarist] Mark [Briody] liked the melody and we just came back from Wisconsin. Just seeing that huge lake flying over it and he was just like, 'Oh man this is awesome, I think we oughta do that song from GORDON LIGHTFOOT'. I was like 'You know, that has a cool beat and that could make a really great Metal song'. Like what METALLICA did with 'Turn The Page'. They took that song and I never really used to like it much but they turned it into a metal riff and I think it turned out really good. So that's how it got started just flying over the Great Lakes and saying this is a really big thing and that GORDON LIGHTFOOT song was really popular. And I think we can put a nice John Bonham-type drums to it that are really open and really huge guitars on it and put a big production to it and it might take people by surprise.'

NAPALM DEATH bassist Shane Embury has offered his own comment on the group's decision to pull out of the Metallenium tour (now featuring SIX FEET UNDER, CANDIRIA, LAMB OF GOD, GOD FORBID and DARKEST HOUR) and vocalist Mark “Barney” Greenway's recent statement on the political situation in American and events that led to the recent World Trade Center tragedy. Here are Embury's remarks in their entirety: “I would just like to say that I am sorry we couldn't make the US tour. Us and DIMMU BORGIR were kind of in the same boat as we were sharing the bus and just one cancelled gig would have been a right f.cker. I was all geared for coming over, as were the rest of the guys, but at the end of the day, it wasn't just down to us. The flights were booked and everything. As to the other stuff that as been flying around [the Internet], this is Barney's opinion. I want to speak on the rest of the band's behalf that they/we do not in reflection feel this way - for us the music is important, and I am not going to get carried away on the subject here, so that is that.. I just hope that there are some kids out there who want to see us when we hopefully come over with DIMMU in January. Take care, Shane.”

Sweden's NYPON have changed their name to THE UNBORN and will soon enter KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy LaRocque's Los Angered Studios to record a four-song CD. In other news, the band played a gig in a Gothenburg, Sweden club called Belsepub on August 17th with guest drummer and former KING DIAMOND skinsman Snowy Shaw. Ex-CANDLEMASS frontman Messiah Marcolin also made an apeparance with the group on a couple of tracks.

Australian rockers ROSE TATTOO just came out of the studio where they spent three days laying down tracks for an upcoming studio album. According to guitarist Pete Wells, 20 tracks have been composed for the as-yet-untitled CD, and vocalist Angry Anderson is presently working on the lyrics for them. An early 2002 release is expected.

Former RATT singer Stephen Pearcy's Top Fuel Records will be putting together a RATT tribute record early next year that the label claims will feature “bands and members … in the line of the new breed of music--not many 80's musicians. We want the new and aggressive sound from people that grew up on RATT music. I think people will be surprised at who wants to be a part of this project.”

The projected US tour that was set to feature V.O.D. (VISION OF DISORDER) and SEVENDUST will no longer happen due to SEVENDUST's decision to pursue a touring opportunity with FUEL instead.

Brazilian power/speed metal outfit THOTEN have inked a deal with Italy's Scarlet Records and will issue their debut album, entitled Beyond The Tomorrow, in January 2002. Produced by ANGRA guitarist Kiko Loureiro (who plays guest lead on several of cuts) and mastered at Germany's Hollywood Blazers – House of Music (i.e. PRIMAL FEAR, HELLOWEEN),Beyond The Tomorrow showcases the talents of vocalist Renato Tribuzi, who was reportedly on the short list of singers set to replace Andre Matos in ANGRA.

FLOTSAM AND JETSAM have cancelled their European tour “due to the current political circumstances worldwide”.

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, have liend up a number of dates during November/December. They are as follows:

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Nov. 02 - Pomona, CA @ Glass House

Nov. 03 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy

Nov. 04 - Los Angeles, CA @ The Roxy

Nov. 05 - San Diego, CA @ Brick x Brick

Nov. 06 - Phoenix, AZ @ Cajun House

Nov. 09 - Austin, TX @ La Zona Rosa

Nov. 12 - New Orleans, LA @ Shim Sham Club

Nov. 13 - Tallahassee, FL @ Cow Haus

Nov. 16 - Washington, DC @ Black Cat

Nov. 17 - Philadelphia, PA @ Trocadero

Nov. 20 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Nov. 21 - New York, NY @ Bowery Ballroom

Dec. 01 - Seattle, WA @ Graceland

A message from SAVATAGE: “Dear SavaFriends and Fans, in lieu [I think they mean “light”-ed.] of the recent tragic events that have gripped, the world we have decided to postpone our upcoming European Tour. We feel it is in the best interest for everybody's safety. Our hearts go out to the victims of this senseless disaster and we pray that all in the Legion stay safe. SAVATAGE apologizes for any inconvenience that has been caused due to this, but feel it is the right and necessary move.” Guitarist Chris Caffery commented: “I am very sorry to our European fans who were planning on seeing us next month. Believe me, there is no one more upset than myself over this. Everyone's safety is a priority to us at this time. Although no one can say for sure what is going to happen, we would like to be more safe than sorry. If someone would have asked em a month ago if I thought our tour would be cancelled because the Trade Centers would fall and the Pentagon would be attacked by our own airplanes...well I may have thought they sniffed way too much glue in grade school. However, this did happen. I was on a plane from JFK to San Francisco exactly a week before the attacks...so, if someone asks me now if I felt it was safe for the fans and the band to travel and see us tour...well...that is a totally logical question which none of us have answers for.”

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In related news, VICIOUS RUMORS, one of the projected opening acts on the aforementioned tour with SAVATAGE, have decided to use this new-found “down” time to begin work on the group's next album, which they hope to start recording by December. As yet untitled, the upcoming album will be the group's first for an as-yet-undisclosed new label.

Here is the full track listing for HARDCORE SUPERSTAR's upcoming Thank You (For Letting Us Be Ourselves) CD:

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01. That's My Life

02. Not Dancing. Wanna Know Why?

03. Shame

04. Just Another Score

05. Summer Season Gone

06. Wimpy Sister

07. Do Me The Favour

08. Significant Other

09. Dear Old Fame

10. Smoke 'Em

11. Riding With The King

12. They Are Not Even A New Bang Tango

13. Mother's Love

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