SCALPLOCK Battle Censorship, Announce Release Date

U.K. grind merchants SCALPLOCK will finally release their third album, "Spread The Germs Over The Human Worms", on Feb. 3. 2003. The new release date comes after no less then eight pressing plants refused to handle the album due to the political content of the lyrics and artwork. Since then, the band's label, Cacophonous Records, have been investigating a number of ways to pursue the attendant issues. In an official press release they stated: "We feel that censorship in music is wrong and needs to be addressed at the highest level. We understand that there will inevitably be heightened sensitivity post-9/11 to the lyrics and imagery of an album which is critical of American foreign policy, but see the veto of a creative product by the manufacturing end of the industry as an unwelcome development. However, due to the relatively small status of SCALPLOCK, the issue has not been taken up in the press as readily as we would have hoped. This is an important issue that MUST be addressed. Cacophonous will be setting up an official forum for the debate of censorship in music with the aim of attracting the participation of all aspects of the music industry. The web site www.stopcensorshipinmusic.org will go online shortly. This has already become a hot topic across a number of message boards and online forums including www.axisofjustice.org, the alliance created between Tom Morello and Serj Tankian. We are also in the process of enlisting some high-profile people in the music industry, including the above-mentioned Serj and Tom, Steve Lamacq and John Peel. NAPALM DEATH have already pledged their unconditional support to the campaign."