Thursday, January 21, 2010

[HeavyMetalHeaven] Ozzy Osbourne, Tygers of Pan Tang, Anvil, Hanoi Rocks, Motley Crue and tons more hard rock and heavy metal news

Ozzy Osbourne will guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" with host Bob Coburn on Wednesday, February 3 at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET. Fans are encouraged to speak with Ozzy by calling 1-800-344-ROCK (7625). The program will be rebroadcast on Monday, February 8.

For more information, visit RocklineRadio.com.

Ozzy's long-awaited memoir, "I Am Ozzy", which was originally slated to arrive almost two years ago but was delayed twice, will be released in the U.S. on January 24 via Sphere Publishers (the book was published in the U.K. on October 1).

"I Am Ozzy" chronicles the star's humble beginnings in the U.K. to his current position as international music and TV celebrity.

In a statement, he revealed what fans can expect from the bio, explaining: "They've said some crazy things about me over the years. I mean, okay: 'He bit the head off a bat.' Yes. 'He bit the head off a dove.' Yes. But then you hear things like, 'Ozzy went to the show last night, but he wouldn't perform until he'd killed fifteen puppies…' Now me, kill fifteen puppies? I love puppies. I've got eighteen of the fucking things at home. I've killed a few cows in my time, mind you. And the chickens. I shot the chickens in my house that night.

"It haunts me, all this crazy stuff. Every day of my life has been an event. I took lethal combinations of booze and drugs for thirty fucking years. I survived a direct hit by a plane, suicidal overdoses, STDs. I've been accused of attempted murder. Then I almost died while riding over a bump on a quad bike at fucking two miles per hour.

"People ask me how come I'm still alive, and I don't know what to say. When I was growing up, if you'd have put me up against a wall with the other kids from my street and asked me which one of us was gonna make it to the age of 60, which one of us would end up with five kids and four grandkids and houses in Buckinghamshire and Beverly Hills, I wouldn't have put money on me, no fucking way. But here I am: ready to tell my story, in my own words, for the first time.

"A lot of it ain't gonna be pretty. I've done some bad things in my time. I've always been drawn to the dark side, me. But I ain't the devil. I'm just John Osbourne: a working class kid from Aston, who quit his job in the factory and went looking for a good time."

Ozzy's wife and manager, Sharon Osbourne, published her own best-selling memoir in 2005, called "Extreme: My Autobiography". A second volume was rushed out in 2008 after Ozzy's book was delayed.

Ozzy has chosen "Soul Sucka" as the title of his next album. The disc, Ozzy's first since 2007's "Black Rain", is tentatively slated to come out in June and will feature songs such as "Let It Die", "Diggin' Me Down" and the title track. The record will be the first to feature Ozzy's new guitarist, Greek native Gus G., who replaced longtime axeman Zakk Wylde in Ozzy's band last year.

"Black Rain" was Ozzy's first all-new solo effort in six years and debuted on the Billboard album chart at No. 3.

2010 will see NWOBHM (New Wave Of British Heavy Metal ) legends TYGERS OF PAN TANG celebrate the 30th anniversary of the "Wildcat" album, the band's first and most iconic recording. The LP was released during the heyday of the NWOBHM movement and captures the real spirit of the music scene in the U.K. in 1980. The band at the time was a young four-piece, and after charting in the U.K. Top 40 albums at No. 15, this album proved to be the springboard for three more full-length releases in two years with various lineups until the band decided to disband in 1983.

Robb Weir, who originally formed the band in 1978, has resurrected the TYGERS with a new lineup, culminating in the release of the album "Animal Instinct" in 2008 to worldwide critical acclaim. As "Wildcat" is very close to Robb's heart, the band has decided to pick his top five tracks and re-record these to celebrate and remind the fans of the quality of the album which may have been long forgotten.

The songs will be re-arranged to utilize modern technology and recorded by the 2010 lineup:

Rob Weir - Guitar
Dean Robertson - Guitar
Brian West - Bass
Craig Ellis - Drums
Jacopo Meille - Vocals

The song to be included are:

* Euthanasia
* Slaves to Freedom
* Suzy Smiled
* Don't Touch Me There
* Wildcat

The five-track EP will be recorded late January and be available for pre-sale exclusively from the TYGERS web site/shop in February.

The band expects to dispatch the EP to buyers in early March 2010

This will be a limited-edition release of 1000 copies, with new artwork. It will only be available from the web site and TYGERS live shows. The band will also be looking at some commemorative shirts which will also be sold via the web site from March onwards.

According to BigPondNews.com, veteran Canadian heavy metal group ANVIL, the subject of a recent movie, "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", was the editorial team's pick, winning the Rolling Stone Award, at Australia's first annual Rolling Stone Awards. The event was held last night at the Oxford Art Factory in Sydney.

In other news, ANVIL will take part in a signing session at Vintage Vinyl in St. Louis, Missouri on Thursday, January 28 at 6:00 p.m.

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" has been named one of 2009's best documentaries by a slew of film critics associations across the continent, including critics in Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, and Las Vegas, as well as the International Documentary Association, the Online Film Critics Society, and the National Society of Film Critics. It also made the year-end Top 10 lists in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, and Village Voice.

ANVIL's "The Anvil Experience" North American tour kicked off on January 7 in Cleveland, Ohio. "The Anvil Experience" concerts were going to open with a screening of the "Anvil! The Story of Anvil" documentary followed by the band playing a live set. However, according to ANVIL's guitarist/vocalist Steve "Lips" Kudlow, "We've been so fortunate with the success of the film and then the DVD, so many people have already seen it, so we've decided that this tour is going to be all about the music, we're just going to play our set, and just ROCK with the fans. 'The Anvil Experience' will be an evening of pure, unadulterated rock'n'roll." Local bands will open the shows.

The 27-date concert tour — the band's first major tour in more than a decade — is in support of "Anvil! The Story of Anvil", as well as the band's latest album, "This Is Thirteen", which one rock critic called ANVIL's "best record in over two decades."

R-Beat, an innovative Finnish event production company, has acquired the largest known collection of recordings (MC, LP, CD ) of HANOI ROCKS, the first Finnish musical export to achieve international fame. This treasure, collected over almost thirty years by a dedicated private collector, consists of close to 350 items and covers both active periods of the group from 1980 to 1985 and from 2002 to 2009.

The collection includes a comprehensive set of official releases from different countries in all imaginable formats, including promo and special releases and misprints, as well as illegal bootleg versions that were particularly popular in the Eastern Bloc, from Soviet flexi-discs to Polish musical postcards. It also includes a set of record company's complimentary copies to the artist from the estate of the late drummer, Razzle, with a certificate of authenticity. The collection also includes extremely rare long-box versions of releases made under the Uzi Suicide record label, created by the original members of GUNS N' ROSES. GUNS N' ROSES regard HANOI ROCKS as one of their influences and wanted to promote the group in the USA by publishing their back catalogue.

"The scope of the collection takes your breath away and shows how much interest and passion HANOI ROCKS has evoked all over the world", says Kari Rantala, Managing Director at R-Beat. "The collector has been very dedicated; you can say that this is almost his life work."

The new owner plans to expand the collection, named Hanoi Heritage, and develop it so it can be exhibited in galleries, hotels and other suitable venues in Finland and abroad in the future. A web site for the project will be launched at www.hanoiheritage.fi.

Mike Devlin of the Canwest News Service recently conducted an interview with MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below:

On MÖTLEY CRÜE's stories of debauchery, excess and ego:

Mars: "I did my fair share of drinking and drugging, but, to me, it was, and still is, always about the music. You can take everything away from me and I'll play in sweats and a T-shirt with no shoes on stage. As long as I have my music, it's all I really, honestly care about. Playing the best that I can, writing the best that I can, good, bad or indifferent, it's my passion. That's the most important thing to me on the planet."

On living with ankylosing spondylitis, a form of arthritis that causes severe joint pain:

Mars: "Some days are good, some days are worse than others. But, on an average, it's pretty steady. You become accustomed to it after a while. I deal with it. I don't care, as long as I can play."

On the success of MÖTLEY CRÜE's latest album, "Saints Of Los Angeles":

Mars: "I have to put it all on the fans. They are very loyal to us. Our fans are hardcore. They came to our gigs when they were (teenagers). Now they've had their families and it's back around again. They're bringing their kids to the concerts, but they haven't lost that respect. They are fans of MÖTLEY and our music. And now they want to share it with the next generation."

Californian thrashers SLAYER have announced the rescheduled dates for their U.K. headlining tour, with Sweden's THE HAUNTED as support. The trek will kick off on May 26 at the 02 Academy in Leeds, with the band playing seven headline shows, ending with two in London. All tickets for the original shows are valid.

SLAYER's original tour dates had to be postponed due to bassist/vocalist Tom Araya's ongoing treatment for what was diagnosed as a cervical radiculopathy, an occupational hazard for the rocker who is known for aggressively swinging his long mane of hair while performing. Originally, Araya opted for a series of minimally-invasive procedures, and while they resulted in some improvement, they didn't entirely remedy the severe pain, numbness or muscle spasms that Araya continued to experience. Consequently, Araya made the difficult decision to undergo a surgical procedure, called an anterior cervical discectomy with fusion, a relatively routine practice with an excellent recovery rate.

"I think that his just making the decision to have the surgery has helped improve the way he feels," said longtime SLAYER manager Rick Sales. "While no one wants to go under the knife, his doctors are very confident about this procedure taking care of the problem once and for all."

The new U.K. dates are as follows:

May 26 - Leeds, UK @ O2 Academy
May 27 - Glasgow, UK @ Barrowland
May 29 - Birmingham, UK @ O2 Academy
May 30 - Manchester, UK @ O2 Academy
May 31 - Nottingham, UK @ Rock City
Jun. 02 - London, UK @ HMV Forum
Jun. 03 - London, UK @ HMV Forum

Marko Syrjala of Metal-Rules.com recently conducted an interview with drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (ALICE COOPER , F5, MEGADETH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, Y&T). A couple of excerpts from the chat follow below.

Metal-Rules.com: Your first album with MEGADETH was "Risk". In a way, it's a strange album that some fans hated but some others loved. How do you like that album by yourself?

Jimmy: Yeah, it's weird record. It's a good record, but it was a different record. Yeah, you pretty much nailed it. You know, some fans hated it, some fans liked it. The people who liked it in America, I found, were people who didn't like MEGADETH before since that was almost a pop-rock record. Some of the songs... they liked this whole sort of a melodic thing. They were people who would have never heard MEGADETH before or people who would have never bought any earlier MEGADETH albums would have bought this record. They bought the "Risk" record. But then again, some of the old fans who wanted to hear "Holy Wars" on every record, they didn't like it. So, you know, you can't please everybody. But it was something different. When I joined the band, they wanted to try something completely different. That was their idea, but I personally wanted to do a heavy record. That was kind of reason why I wanted to join the band, but I wasn't the one who's going to
tell those three guys... You know, it was really their band at that point. They wanted to try out different record and who am I to say anything different, you know what I mean?

Metal-Rules.com: What do you think about some old-school fans who still keep on saying that it was partly your "fault" that band decided to change its direction so radically at that point?

Jimmy: No. Believe me, really, it wasn't me, it definitely was not me. It was couple of guys in the band. It wasn't one person, it was management, it was everybody, but not me. I wanted to do, like, a full-on metal/thrash record and everybody knew it. I would say that still there are a couple of heavy songs on the record but they are just kind of slower. It's also a dark record, it's just not like all that fast, speed-metal kind of stuff but if you listen to it, some songs are actually quite heavy.

Metal-Rules.com: Marty Friedman decided to leave after that album. In your opinion, how important member Marty was for megadeth at that point?

Jimmy: Well, you know, Marty's lead sound was real signature to the band, without a doubt. Marty is incredible guitar player and I would have rather he had not left. I didn't want him to leave and I told him I didn't want him to leave. But he came to a point where he needed to change what he was doing and I have nothing but respect for him for that. A band is like a marriage, you know? Sometimes it just doesn't stay together forever and some people have to be changed or they just leave or, issues within the band, something like that. It's just the way it is. Marty is great and I did a tour with him couple of years ago. As a matter of fact, I traded some e-mails with him because we are trying to get together and record some stuff together. He wanted to meet me in L.A. in the end of last October we were going to record in L.A but then he couldn't get over from Japan and I had to leave again to come over to Europe so at some point, maybe in during next
couple of months, we are going to do something. I don't know exactly when but I'm looking forward to seeing him. I've always liked him. He is a really good guy.

Metal-Rules.com: When Marty was gone Al Pitrelli (SAVATAGE, ALICE COOPER) stepped in. That actually happened in the middle of "Risk" tour. You then recorded next MEGADETH album "The World Needs A Hero". That album was a kind of back to the roots album, do you agree with that?

Jimmy: When we did "Risk", we did our pop record so OK, "Let's go back and do a harder record." We just literally went to the studio and wrote that record in couple of weeks and here again when Al comes in the band and he did a great job. He was really helpful and he had lot of guitar parts and stuff and he's was influential. Al, again, is a great guitar player. He is just a different player than Marty. He comes from more bluesy background than Marty. Marty can play almost everything but he has got a different approach. It's really hard to explain where he comes from because I'm not sure myself. Definitely, Al is a different player but he did a great job. He came in literally in like three, four days and learned the entire live show and came in and started touring. We really threw lot at him fast. He was a great addition and I think he was probably the only guy who could have pulled that off in that amount of time because we were in the middle of the
tour. We didn't even take a break. He just came out and learned all these songs. I remember he was up all night in the bus, in the back, and just practiced. He didn't sleep for few days because he was just practicing all the time. [laughs]

Chris Cornell (SOUNDGARDEN, AUDIOSLAVE) will play a solo acoustic show on January 29 at The Troubadour in Hollywood, California. It will be the second performance in his "Songbook" series. Fans can expect a selection of music that spans Cornell's entire catalog as well as a few surprises. Tickets on sale on January 22 at 1:00 p.m. PST

According to The Pulse of Radio, the music world was rocked on New Year's Day (January 1) by the news — posted at Cornell's web site and Twitter page, plus a new site called Soundgarden World — that grunge gods SOUNDGARDEN would reportedly reunite in 2010 after a 12-year absence. But a closer look at what was posted actually says nothing of the kind, throwing doubt on what — if anything — the band really has in store.

The post reads, "The 12-year break is over and school is back in session. Sign up now. Knights of the Soundtable ride again!" But Knights of the Soundtable was the name of SOUNDGARDEN's fan club, and the message does not say explicitly that SOUNDGARDEN itself is returning — although it is worded vaguely enough to hint at a possible reunion.

Rumors of a SOUNDGARDEN reunion have picked up steam in the last year, possibly because the band members are known to have gotten together to talk and three of them — all but Cornell — jammed together last March at a Seattle club.

The talks, however, were reportedly only about the possibility of releasing a long-awaited collection of rarities, along with reissuing the band's catalog and selling some new merchandise.

Billboard.com, after the New Year's Day announcement was posted, reported that the band was in negotiations with several festivals, but that has yet to be officially confirmed or denied.

There's also the question of ex-SOUNDGARDEN drummer Matt Cameron, who now plays in PEARL JAM and has several live commitments with that band lined up this spring and summer.

Cornell told The Pulse of Radio in 2007 that SOUNDGARDEN as a live act had its ups and downs. "SOUNDGARDEN was sometimes like the best rock band you'll ever see, and sometimes we were not that," he said. "Sometimes we were — we were very unpredictable and part of the unpredictableness was sometimes, we just really didn't come together. We were volatile that way."


DOWN frontman Philip Anselmo has confirmed to U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine that the group is currently working on a new album for a summer release. In addition, he has been working with "a shitload of bands" for his Housecore record label, including RED RIVER REVIVAL, EVIL ARMY, haarp (all lower case) and WARBEAST.

"I've been in the studio with this dirty rock band, kinda very much like AC/DC-influenced rock band called RED RIVER REVIVAL," he said. "I just got out of the studio with the mighty haarp — that's all in lower-case letters. They are fucking brutal and slow. They're more different than anything else out there; so fucking different — these fuckers are outrageous. They're from New Orleans, and they're probably the best local band for a long time... since the '90s. We've got EVIL ARMY, haarp and WARBEAST from Texas — that's Bruce from RIGOR MORTIS's band. He's the singer from RIGOR MORTIS. It's fucking brutal. It's true thrash. So well-executed, double-guitar brutality. I'm going to mix the new ARSON ANTHEM next week, which is fucking outrageous as well. It's never-ending, man."

On March 16, 2009, Anselmo spoke passionately and candidly about his music career and his history with — and the dangers of — drugs, particularly heroin, during an appearance at the Loyola University in New Orleans, Louisiana. When asked whether he was sober, he explained that "sober" is a "harsh" word.

"A sober person is absolutely clean of anything that is considered legally wrong or illegal," Anselmo clarified to Metal Hammer. "I smoke pot, man. Matter of fact, since my back surgery I have severe nerve damage down my left leg, and I find that marijuana actually helps that very much. I'm not saying it's completely medicinal, but it doesn't hurt that it fucking helps! I might have a few beers too, mostly on Sundays during games or if there's a big fight, but I will remind you... after three beers, if I don't take some asprin in the morning I'm going to wake up with the worst fucking hangover. So that's my half sober."

Words and photographs by Aaron Small

After issuing three studio albums, one EP and a live CD/DVD under the WEDNESDAY 13 moniker, Wednesday 13 veered left this past October when he re-branded his band GUNFIRE 76 and released Casualties & Tragedies. Three months later and the fan reaction is, "confusion. It's confusing to the fans because it's a thing where I'm not on a label now. So to get the word out that I'm doing a different band… I didn't want to be the kind of guy that did… let's take KISS for example. When KISS did the disco era, everybody was like, 'oh God, I'm done with it.' Then KISS took their makeup off and changed their sound. People like this era of KISS or this era of MÖTLEY CRÜE or this era of DAVID BOWIE. Because it was a different sound, I thought if I put it under the Wednesday 13 name, it would confuse people. But I think doing it under Gunfire 76 made it really confusing. I don't know. The reaction's been great. People dig the songs. I'm
having a blast with the band and being away from playing guitar 'cause I'm running around on stage being an idiot. It's hard to say 'cause I've been doing this for years, but I always had a confidence problem being the front guy without a guitar; and I finally got over that in the past two months. So now I feel great about it. I'm really into it. I don't have to play guitar. All I have to do is go onstage and hopefully remember the words."

Although Wednesday has put out four albums on his own label now, he is still open to the option of signing with another label. "Yes, if it was done correctly. It's such a different world now. I did it in the beginning. I was on Roadrunner for two releases: I had problems, I had great things and I had bad things. What it comes down to is – labels are great if you're a priority. If you're not a priority, you just become a servant to them. It's not even about money anymore. You become a puppet. When I knew I wasn't going to be a priority on a label, I was the backburner guy. So why not do it myself? Promote it myself, control all my stuff and keep the rights to my stuff. And I made more money than doing it with a major label. But if I did get offered a great deal, I would be an idiot to turn it down. But if you're not a priority on a label… there's a million bands on my iPod that I love that were never a priority on a label; but I've
got their records."


It's those records that that serve as inspiration to Wednesday. For example, the saxophone on 'Back To The Gutter' showcases a HANOI ROCKS influence. "That was the exact idea. We had just got off tour with Hanoi Rocks in Japan. It wasn't a part I had planned out in that song. We were in the studio, me and Ramon (Surman) our guitarist, didn't have the solos figured out yet. We were making them up and I'm talking in his ear, do this. No, that doesn't sound good. When it got to that part, I guess because I'd heard Hanoi every night, I thought it would be really cool to put saxophone on. I'd never used saxophone on a song. It's more punk rock to use a saxophone than do a guitar solo. It could be hated. I sent it to my manager and he hated it; but he didn't want me to change it. I can see where some people would take it as a Kenny G kind of thing… but I don't hear that. I hear Michael Monroe."

Lyrically, 'Back To The Gutter' contains a movie reference. That's nothing new for W13 as he's sung about numerous horror flicks in the past including Friday The 13th and Halloween. However, the line, "Just click my heels, take me back home," is a direct homage to Dorothy and her ruby red slippers in The Wizard Of Oz. "What that song was about, not to get too in-depth in my life, but for the past couple of years I've been through ups and downs: I had money, I've been broke, I had money again, I was broke again. About a year ago I made a bunch of changes and it was like, here I go, back to the gutter. That song's about all the bullshit in everyday life; I kind of like it in the gutter."

Given the immense influence movies have on W13, the question beckons, how large is the home library? "Not what you might think really. I became the horror guy. I've got horror tattoos. Everybody thinks I have this huge – I have a lot of stuff; don't get me wrong. But a lot of the stuff's in my head now. You'll find me watching comedies more than you will old horror movies. I go through phases where I'll watch old stuff, given the time of year. There's certain things I watch on a regular basis and always see. But I don't have that big of a collection. I used to have a ton of shit on VHS. When I moved, I had so much stuff. Everything had three movies on one tape. It was all fucked up and I threw a lot of it away. Most of my library was videotaped stuff. I used to bootleg everything as a kid. I'd skip school, rent videos, hook two VCRs up and tape everything."

Another lyrical theme that appears in both 'Kill The Hero' and 'Los Angel-Less' is Wednesday's apparently dismal view of Hollywood. "I don't know if it's necessarily Hollywood. I've got a lot of friends there. I lived there for a month at the beginning of last year (2009). You meet so many people. There's great people and there's the fucking scum bags that lurk in the shadows. Basically, Los Angeles is the dream. You've got artists or someone like me – just a kid who grew up idolizing KISS. I wanted to be in a rock band. Then when you finally get your foot in the door, you meet all the snakes. You're shaking hands and these guys are your buddies. I can't tell you how many people I've met that I thought would kill for me who I haven't talked to in five years. It's just a hollow place. Bands have talked about that for years. Yesterday a (FASTER) PUSSYCAT song came on my iPod, 'City Has No Heart'. Taime (Downe) was
bitching about LA in '87 and here I am 20 years later bitching about LA – and he lives there. He's always lived there. I lived there for a month and couldn't fuckin' take it."

Currently on the road in support of Casualties & Tragedies, Wednesday admits that the band "always film stuff with our own personal cameras. I want to do a DVD later on that's more old school, like the SKID ROW and PANTERA videos where it's more back stage as opposed to being this three-dimensional concert with Surround Sound. That stuff's cool, but I'd rather see the bootleg stuff, the fun stuff. We've got a ton of footage from the last tour we did. We're the goofiest bunch of people; it's complete comedy. It could ruin our reputation, who knows?"

After this US leg wraps, Australia is next in February for three shows, but as Wednesday 13, not Gunfire 76. "It was a thing where it was me being a nice guy. I've been trying since 2005 to go back to Australia. But once I got dropped from Roadrunner, the Fang Bang record didn't come out there until a year later. Everything was fucked up and all these kids wanted to know why I was dissing Australia? I love Australia and I want to come back, but no one's offering. It's not cheap to go over there. I'm funding all this. So this guy finally came out of the blue and offered us a deal, but he wanted Wednesday 13, cause the Gunfire album's not out there. These kids hadn't seen a Wednesday show for four years, I had to go back and do it. Even though it's kind of weird cause I'm in this (Gunfire 76) mindset, it's really not that different. If people want to see the old Transylvania Wednesday, they're not going to see that on this
Australian tour. They'll still get a good show, a fun show. They'll hear all the songs. It's going to be weird playing guitar again – and I've got a week to figure it out. But I've been doing it for years so it should come back pretty easily."

As far as the remainder of 2010 goes, "there's a couple things… it's kind of the worst time to ask what my plans are because I have to make decisions this week on what I'm doing. There's still the possibility of doing a new MURDERDOLLS album. I'm kind of waiting to find out what's going on with that. If that doesn't happen, I'll be touring again in April, probably teaming up with somebody else. I'm trying to get in front of a different audience 'cause you can't keep selling to yourself. It's so easy to go out in front of your own audience and win 'em over. But when you've got to go out and fight for it, that's what I love about opening for other bands. When we played with ALICE COOPER, it was the greatest. It was all these older people who had no idea who we are. They're ready to hate us and by the end of the show, I've won them over, every single time. It's an achievement. Here, I come out and the fans are singing
every word; it'll make a band lazy. So it keeps me on my toes and excited."

Examining the Murderdolls scenario a little further, Wednesday reveals, "Honestly, it's been a dead subject since the band went on hiatus, pretty much in 2003. Some of the members have played in Wednesday 13, but Joey (Jordison)'s been doing SLIPKNOT. Just over the past few months he's been asking, 'cause Slipknot is off the road and they're not doing anything for a while. We've been discussing it. We're just trying to figure out the right time to do it. I'd love to do it. It'd be cool. It would further confuse my fans as to what the hell I'm doing, but I want to stay fucking busy. This is what I do. I don't like being at home, sitting around doing nothing. I like to stay on tour and keep working. When I'm not doing this, I don't know what to do."

Catch Gunfire 76 with SEX SLAVES at the following shows:

January
20 - Diesel - Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
21 - V Club - Huntington, West Virginia
22 - Casbah @ Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, North Carolina
23 - Masquerade – Atlanta, Georgia
24 - Big Daddy's – Tallahassee, Florida
27 - Back Booth - Orlando, Florida

Former ALICE COOPER guitarist Ryan Roxie has joined forces with four prominent Swedish artists and personalities to form CASABLANCA.

The other members of CASABLANCA all come from other successful Swedish bands such as SAHARA HOTNIGHTS, MELODY CLUB, and SPACE-AGE BABY JANE.

CASABLANCA's first single, "Downtown", has just been released and is currently positioned in the Scandinavian Top 5 iTunes Download Chart.

The band's debut album, produced by Chris Laney, will be released later in the year.

CASABLANCA is:

Anders Ljung - Vocals
Ryan Roxie - Guitar
Erik Stenemo - Guitar
Mats Rubarth - Bass
Josephine Forsman - Drums

The "Downtown" video can be viewed below.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/casablanca.

DROWNING POOL will support SEVENDUST on the following dates:

Feb. 18 - Baton Rouge, LA - Varsity Theatre
Feb. 19 - Mobile, AL - Soul Kitchen
Feb. 20 - New Orleans, LA - House of Blues
Feb. 21 - Little Rock, AR - The Village
Feb. 23 - Maplewood, MN - The Rock
Feb. 24 - Indianapolis, IN - 8 Seconds Saloon
Feb. 26 - Kansas City, MO - Midland Theatre
Feb. 27 - Wichita, KS - Cotillion
Feb. 28 - Englewood, CO - Gothic Theatre
Mar. 07 - Seattle, WA - Showbox

Tickets go on sale this weekend, with Kansas City, Missouri going on sale January 29.

DROWNING POOL's new video, "Feel Like I Do", can be viewed below. The song is the first single from the group's new, self-titled album, which is due in April via Eleven Seven Music .

Commented DROWNING POOL: "After months of lockdown in the recording studio in New Jersey, we are proud to emerge with our most solid and dynamic album yet. All you DROWNING POOL fans will dig the new tunes so crank it up and rock out with us!"

Former/current members of BLIND GUARDIAN, RHAPSODY OF FIRE and REBELLION have joined forces in a brand new Germany-based project called BRUTAL GODZ.

According to a press release, BRUTAL GODZ' "musical concept is based on energy, cruelty in its purest form without any boundaries."

BRUTAL GODZ members:

Uwe Lulis (REBELLION) - Guitar
Alex Holzwarth (RHAPSODY OF FIRE) - Drums
Oliver Holzwarth (BLIND GUARDIAN) - Bass

BRUTAL GODZ is currently seeking a vocalist to complete the group's lineup. According to the band, "fluent English is a must, country of origin/place of residence does not matter. Of utmost importance is a variable voice able to shout, sing and intonate with a strong feel for rhythm patterns. A dominant stage performance is a must."

Interested parties should send a short bio, photo and sound samples to brutalgodz@web.de.

A "bunch" of songs have already been written and "the band is ready to hit the stage," according to a press release.

Bassist/vocalist Marcel "Schmier" Schirmer of German thrash metal veterans DESTRUCTION will be on hand to sign copies of the band's new DVD , "A Savage Symphony - The History Of Annihilation", at a release party on January 23 at Access Metal Pub in Berlin, Germany. Seven additional release parties (not attended by Schmier) will be held throughout Germany and Switzerland between January 28 and February 5. More information can be found on the poster below.

"A Savage Symphony - The History Of Annihilation" will be released on January 29. The disc was produced by Berlin, Germany's Roax Films and will include footage of the group 25th-anniversary concert at the 2007 edition of the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany (featuring many special guests, including former bandmembers), a band documentary and tons of bonus live material.

"A Savage Symphony - The History Of Annihilation" DVD track listing:

Live At Wacken Open Air - 2007:

01. Intro
02. The Butcher Strikes Back
03. Curse The Gods
04. Nailed To The Cross
04. Mad Butcher
06. Alliance Of Hellhoundz
07. Soul Collector
08. Deathtrap / Unconscious Ruins / Life Without Sense
09. The Antichrist
10. Reject Emotions
11. Thrash Till Death
12. Total Desaster
13. Eternal Ban
14. Bestial Invasion

Chapter II:

* The History Of Annihilation

Bonus Stuff:

* Video Clips
* Nailed To The Road
* Fans Till Death

"A Savage Symphony - The History Of Annihilation" Bonus CD

01. The Butcher Strikes Back
02. Curse The Gods
03. Nailed To The Cross
04. Mad Butcher
05. The Alliance Of Hellhoundz
06. D.E.V.O.L.U.T.I.O.N.
07. Urge The Greed Of Gain
08. Metal Discharge
09. The Damned
10. Cracked Brain
11. Soul Collector
12. The 7 Deadly Sins
13. Antichrist
14. Reject Emotions
15. Thrash Till Death (3 Drumkits Wacken Inferno)
16. Total Desaster
17. Bestial Invasion

"The Curse Of The Antichrist - Live In Agony", the most recent double live album from DESTRUCTION, was released in North America on October 13, 2009 and in Europe on September 25, 2009 via AFM Records.


Boston metal stalwarts MELIAH RAGE have announced a special Boston-area show to mark the release of their new album, Masquerade. On Saturday, February 20th, the band will headline a show at Whiplash, 63 Wyman Street, in Stoughton, Ma. along with fellow New England area metallers STEEL ASSASSIN and RAVAGE. Also appearing will be MOB HIT, featuring ex-WARGASM drummer Barry Spillberg. Doors will open at 8pm. The show is presented by Rawkstars Inc., and a portion of the proceeds will go to support free instruments, lessons and music programs for local kids.

Meliah Rage has much to celebrate. Now in their 23rd year, and after having recently reunited with original singer Mike Munro, Meliah Rage have just released what many are calling their finest album in Masquerade, which is currently available exclusively via www.metrocityrecords.com.

Following hot on the heels of their triumphant 2007 comeback album War Of The Eight Saints, power metal legends Steel Assassin have released a new CD consisting of new recordings of the '80's classics that made the band local living legends.

Recently signed with heavyweight indie Metal Blade Records, Ravage have just released The End Of Tomorrow, and will wrap up a hectic year of touring and recording with this special one-off triple bill CD release show.

Mob Hit features musicians that have come from several successful bands (Wargasm, Diecast, Every Second, Kranksquad, Indesit), and promise to add an 'old school hardcore' vibe to the festivities.

For more information, visit www.rawkstars.org.

San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans EXODUS will release their ninth studio album, "Exhibit B: The Human Condition", in Europe on April 23 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap (MEGADETH, ARCH ENEMY, KREATOR).

A brand new song, entitled "Good Riddance", which will appear on the forthcoming CD is available for streaming in the clip below (as premiered during an EXODUS live web stream on December 19, 2009).

In a 2009 interview with the German edition of Metal Hammer magazine, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt stated about the band's forthcoming CD, "It's gonna be sick. We have four [songs] recorded [and left over] from the last session [for 2007's 'The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A'], and I've got, like, nine [other tracks] I'm working on, and Lee [Altus, guitar] has a bunch of stuff. But this next album is gonna blow people's minds."

Regarding the upcoming CD's musical direction, Holt said, "There's a couple of twists on this. I try not to repeat every album. I mean, we did 'Tempo Of The Damned' [2004], [which was] a little more old-school, and we did 'Shovel Headed Kill Machine' [2005], which was really brutal and fast, and then 'The Atrocity Exhibition... Exhibit A', [which] was, like, longer and more epic songs. So this album's gonna have some different stuff to it. Maybe a little more dual-guitar stuff, 'cause I've been playing with Lee for quite awhile now — a little more dual-guitar harmony shred stuff. "

"Shovel Headed Tour Machine: Live At Wacken & Other Assorted Atrocities", EXODUS' new DVD (2 DVDs + bonus audio CD) was released in North America on January 12.

EXODUS is currently on the road with ARCH ENEMY, ARSIS, and MUTINY WITHIN as part of the Tyrants Of Evil tour.

Massacre Records has set a March 26 European release date for "At The Graves", the long-awaited three-disc DVD set from KING DIAMOND. "This has taken so much longer than expected because of so many technical issues that I won't bore you to death, but we recently acquired a brand new noise-reduction program that we're using to enhance all the footage, and it's amazing how much better everything is beginning to look compared to the original tapes," the band's singer and namesake wrote in an October 2009 online posting.

On October 13, 2009, Metal Blade Records re-released KING DIAMOND's "The Spider's Lullabye" and "The Graveyard" albums. Both LPs were remastered by KING DIAMOND guitarist Andy La Rocque and each title includes bonus material that purchasers are able to obtain digitally. Both "The Spider's Lullabye" and "The Graveyard" include live "bootleg" versions (with video footage) of the following songs: "The Spider's Lullabye" from the album of the same name, and "Trick Or Treat " and "Up From The Grave" from "The Graveyard".

AMON AMARTH, SUBWAY TO SALLY and U.D.O. have been confirmed for this year's edition of the Rock am Härtsfeldsee festival, set to take place June 25-26, 2010 in Dischingen Lkr. Heidenheim, Germany.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

AMON AMARTH
BURY ME DEEP
EMIL BULLS
JBO
POWERWOLF
SUBWAY TO SALLY
U.D.O.
UNDERTOW

For more information, visit www.rockamhaertsfeldsee.de.

AMON AMARTH, SUBWAY TO SALLY and U.D.O. have been confirmed for this year's edition of the Rock am Härtsfeldsee festival, set to take place June 25-26, 2010 in Dischingen Lkr. Heidenheim, Germany.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

AMON AMARTH
BURY ME DEEP
EMIL BULLS
JBO
POWERWOLF
SUBWAY TO SALLY
U.D.O.
UNDERTOW

For more information, visit www.rockamhaertsfeldsee.de.

Scottish folk/power metal band ALESTORM has been confirmed for the Rockstad: Falun festival, set to take place May 28-29, 2010 at Ingarvet in Falun, Sweden. A total of 21 bands will perform at the two-day event, which is organized by the members of SABATON.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

ALESTORM
CRUCIFIED BARBARA
ETERNAL
GAMMA RAY
GRAILKNIGHTS
LESS THAN 4
MIMIKRY
PRETTY MAIDS
PREY
SABATON
SCAR SYMMETRY

For more information, visit www.rockstadfalun.se.

Swedish metal act STEELWING (formerly SCAVENGER) will release its debut album, "Lord Of The Wasteland", in Europe on April 30, 2010 via Nuclear Blast Records. The CD was recorded at Deep Blue Studios with producer Nicko DiMarino.

Commented the band: "It's mixed, mastered and DONE and it's gonna blow your minds!"

STEELWING will support German power metallers BLIND GUARDIAN on their fall 2010 European tour .

"We're very excited about touring with a well-known and respected act like BLIND GUARDIAN," STEELWING said in a statement. "We see this as great opportunity to gain experience and show Europe who we are! We promise that we'll kick 100% ass every night, you can count on that!"

STEELWING was awarded a record deal with Boomer Entertainment and Nuclear Blast as part of a contest launched by the Austrian management and booking company Rock The Nation. This unique competition was presented and promoted by all leading European metal magazines, including the German, Italian, Spanish and Greek editions of Metal Hammer; Terrorizer (U.K.); Metallian (France); Scream (Norway); Rock Tribune (Belgium); Spark (Czech Republic); and the Dutch webzine LordsOfMetal.nl.

For more information, visit the band's MySpace page

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/steelwingbandnew.jpg

http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/reviewpics/steelwingcd.jpg

Irish thrashers GAMA BOMB decided to break the mold in 2009 when they released their brand new album, "Tales From The Grave In Space", online as a free download . Following many requests from fans for a physical release, "Tales From The Grave In Space" will be available on CD and vinyl from January 28.

"Tales From The Grave In Space" will be released on limited-edition vinyl in black (only 700 made) and ultra-limited edition green (only 300 made), as well as on CD. The limited edition CD version of the album also comes with an exclusive bonus EP, titled "Half Cut", which includes five brand new, extra tracks.

GAMA BOMB frontman Philly Byrne comments: "When we released 'Tales From The Grave In Space' as a free download last year, one of the most common responses from our fans was, 'When can I get this album on CD?' Which was both surprising and reassuring.

"We're giving our fans what we'd ideally like from a band we love; banging thrash you can either listen to for free or own as a high-quality physical package if you prefer something for your shelf.

"We worked hard, very hard, on the tracks which make up 'Half Cut'. When we spent days recording 'Tales...' in the studio, we were working on 'Half Cut' in the kitchen of our cottage at night. We recorded on weekends and at home long after recording had finished. These are the freshest songs we've written, but they're quite different from the songs on 'Tales...' — they're a bit meaner, a bit more evil.

"We're lucky we had the talent of Rory McGuigan to design the album sleeve. He's made something that looks better to us than any thrash album ever made. This is exactly the kind of CD we were always meant to have, and we hope our fans agree.

"People asked us, 'Where's the CD?' and we're happy we can finally say 'Here it is, go crazy'."

For more information, head to www.myspace.com/gamabomb.

German power metal band SINBREED (formerly NEOSHINE), which features in its ranks guitarist Flo Laurin, BLIND GUARDIAN drummer Frederik Ehmke and SEVENTH AVENUE vocalist Herbie Langhans, will release its debut album, "When Worlds Collide", in North America on April 6 via Nightmare Records. The CD , which will be made available in Europe on March 26 through Ulterium Records, was produced by Flo Laurin, mixed and mastered by Markus Teske (VANDEN PLAS, SYMPHONY X), and it includes guest appearances by Joost van den Broek (AFTER FOREVER) and Morten Sandager (MERCENARY) on keyboards, and Thomas Rettke (REDKEY, ex-HEAVEN'S GATE) on vocals. The artwork was created by Felipe Machado Franco (ICED EARTH, AYREON).

SINBREED's brand of power metal is described as a "blistering combination of speed, melodic and aggressive arrangements combined with high and soaring vocals."

"When Worlds Collide" track listing:

01. Newborn Tomorrow
02. Book Of Life
03. When Worlds Collide
04. Dust To Dust
05. Infinity's Call
06. Through The Dark
07. Enemy Lines
08. Room 101
09. Arise
10. Salvation

SINBREED is:

Herbie Langhans (SEVENTH AVENUE) - Vocals
Frederik Ehmke (BLIND GUARDIAN) - Drums
Alexander Schulz - Bass
Flo Laurin - Guitar, Keyboards

For more information, visit www.sinbreed.com.

Street Symphonies Records has begun to work on "Reborn In Sleaze: A Tribute To Dave Lepard". Ten of sleaze rock's hottest bands will contribute to a special re-recording of CRASHDIET's "Rest In Sleaze" LP to pay tribute to singer David Hellman (a.k.a. Dave Lepard), who committed suicide in January 2006 at the age of 25. The album will feature exclusive recordings by PEEP SHOW, JOHNNY BURNING, SEX SLAVES and KILLER KLOWN. More bands will be announced soon. The tribute album will be released sometime in 2010.

Street Symphonies Records is the only Italian record label dedicated exclusively to glam/sleaze/hard rock.

For more information, visit www.streetsymphonies.com.

CRASHDIET has set "Generation Wild" as the title of its third album, due late March via Gain Records. The 10-song CD was helmed by RamPac, the production and songwriting team formed by Johan Ramström and Patrik Magnusson, in Gröndal, Sweden and was mixed by Tobias Lindell. The title track will hit Swedish radio stations later this month. Other songtitles set to appear on the album include "Native Nature", "Chemical", "Rebel" and "Down With The Dust".

CRASHDIET last year announced the addition of Simon "Simme" Cruz from the Stockholm act JAILBAIT as the group's new lead singer.

The band parted ways with its last vocalist, the Finland-based H. Olliver Twisted, in July 2008.

Twenty-five years after the release of their sensational debut album, "Scratch and Bite", and eighteen years since their last self-titled studio album saw the light of day, Swedish melodic rock legends TREAT will return with a brand new CD, "Coup De Grace".

Due on March 19 in Europe and April 6 in the U.S. via Frontiers Records, "Coup de Grace" is the album that every melodic rock fan hoped for but never dared to dream of: a classic rock masterpiece with thunderous guitars, powerful yet seductive melodies and hook-laden songs, all wrapped up in a production that combines the best of "now" and "then."

"It's been twenty-five years in the making," says guitarist and main songwriter Anders Wikström. "Since day one I knew we had this album in us. The ideas were there. The vision. But it took us this long to find the right tools to make it all come true. It took five albums, millions of miles on the road, a thirteen-year-long break and a whole new perspective on life to get it right. In hindsight, it now seems that everything we've done since we formed the band has been pointing in one direction. Of course, we didn't know it back then, but this is what we aimed for all along."

According to a press release, "Coup de Grace" is a collection of songs that is so much more than just kick-ass, sing-along rock'n'roll songs. They are more a sort of mini-autobiographies from five grown men reflecting on life.

"This album is a statement of who we are today," explains Wikström. "We're older… yeah, perhaps even wiser. We look at our lives and the world around us in a different way. I wanted to reflect that in our lyrics . I mean, we're all fathers and we raise our kids in a world that's in a turmoil. There's a lot of pressures, fears and tough expectations."

"We got back together in 2006 because we all missed playing together. We released a compilation album and did a tour, but we weren't sure what to do next. In 2008 we all felt that we had an album to do," continues Wikström. "I started demoing songs and in May 2009 we were ready to hit the studio."

Produced and recorded in Stockholm, Sweden by Anders Wikström, partly together with keyboard player Patrick Appelgren, "Coup de Grace" is an album that's going to stand out in a musical climate where mediocrity and superficiality are an asset but where talent, musicianship and dedication is not required to make the charts.

"Coup de Grace" track listing:

01. Prelude - Coup de Grace
02. The War Is Over
03. All In
04. Paper Tiger
05. Roar
06. A Life To Die For
07. Tangled Up
08. Skies of Mongolia
09. Heaven Can Wait
10. I'm Not Runnin'
11. No Way Without You
12. We Own The Night
13. All For Love
14. Breathless

TREAT is:

Anders Wikström (guitars and backing vocals)
Robert Ernlund (lead vocals)
Jamie Borger (drums)
Nalle Påhlsson (bass and backing vocals)
Patrick Appelgren (keyboards/guitar and backing vocals)

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/thebandtreat.

Swedish hard rockers VIOLENT DIVINE have inked a deal with Swedmetal Records. The band's third album, "Release The Hounds", is scheduled for release in early 2010. Frontman Mike Divine says: We are very happy to ink this deal with Swedmetal Records. These guys are dedicated, hard working and passionate about rock and roll and together we will bring VIOLENT DIVINE to even more rock fans throughout the world.

VIOLENT DIVINE's "Blackheart" video can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's sophomore album, "In Harm's Way", which was released on January 31, 2009 via Misty Recordings. The CD was mixed and produced by Pontus Norgren, guitarist of Swedish metal act HAMMERFALL. It was a natural choice to work together with a highly acclaimed sound engineer and musician like Pontus Norgren, with his extensive experience both live and studio with bands like EUROPE and YNGWIE MALMSTEEN. VIOLENT DIVINE and Pontus Norgren share a lot of musical influences like OZZY OSBOURNE, MÖTLEY CRÜE and ACCEPT, to name just a few.

According to a press release, "In Harm's Way" is "a massive hard rock album, mixing heavy metal , glam and classic hard rock, featuring 12 strong tracks in the true spirit of VIOLENT DIVINE."

Formed in late 2005, VIOLENT DIVINE received critical praise for its 2006 debut album which spawned three singles: "Rush You", "Let's Go" and "Levitate".

Swedish folk metal band YGGDRASIL has parted ways with German record label Det Germanske Folket. The group is putting the finishing touches on the songwriting process for a new studio album, which it expects to begin recording later in the year.

YGGDRASIL's latest album, "Vedergällning", came out in early 2009. The CD was recorded at Endarker Studios in Norrköping, Sweden with producer Magnus Devo Andersson (MARDUK bassist).

YGGDRASIL's debut album, "Kvällningsvindar över Nordrönt Land", was recorded in 2005 but didn't see the light of day until the end of 2007 via Det Germanske Folket.

For more information, visit www.yggdrasil-sweden.com.

MAYHEM, ORPHANED LAND, ROTTING CHRIST and BLACK BLEEDING are the first confirmed bands for the sixth edition of the Metal Mean festival, set to take place August 21 in Méan, Belgium. On Friday, August 20, an AC/DC tribute band called HIGH VOLTAGE will also perform.

For more information, visit www.metalmean.be.

OBITUARY has been confirmed for this year's installment of the Metalcamp festival, set to take place July 5-11, 2010 in Tolmin, Slovenia.

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

ABSTINENZ
ACELDAMA
ASHES YOU LEAVE
BEHEMOTH
CANNIBAL CORPSE
DECAPITATED
DEMONICAL
DORNENREICH
ENOCHIAN THEORY
ENSIFERUM
EPICA
EQUILIBRIUM
EX DEO
HEIDEVOLK
IMMORTAL
INSISION
INSOMNIUM
KALMAH
KORPIKLAANI
LEAVES' EYES
LITHIUM
METSATÖLL
OBITUARY
OMEGA LITHIUM
OVERKILL
ROTTING CHRIST
SABATON
SONATA ARCTICA
SUICIDAL ANGELS
THE DEVIL'S BLOOD
THE EXPLOITED
TRAIL OF TEARS

For more information, visit www.metalcamp.com.

SYSTEM DIVIDE, the extreme modern metal act featuring Sven De Caluwé (ABORTED) and Miri Milman (ex-DISTORTED) on vocals, Cole Martinez (ex-YEARS OF FIRE, ANTENORA) and Joseph Spiller (ex-THE BINARY CODE) on guitars, Andrew Lenthe (ANTENORA) on bass, and Mike Heller (MALIGNANCY) on drums, has finished its full-length debut, "The Conscious Sedation", at Conquistador studios in Cleveland, Ohio. The CD will be mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen (ABORTED, MERCENARY, RAUNCHY, HATESPHERE, VOLBEAT) at Hansen studios in Ribe, Denmark for a tentative June release via Metal Blade Records.

Commented the band: "Expect the album to have 11-12 tunes of heavy extreme metal madness with blazing guitar leads, crazy kick patterns, blasts, grooves and melodies along with our own brand of extreme and clean vocals."

SYSTEM DIVIDE has already completed a video for the song "The Apex Doctrine" off the band's current EP, which will also be on the band's full-length debut. Check out a trailer for the new video below and be sure to head over to SYSTEM DIVIDE's MySpace page to listen to the tracks "The Apex Doctrine" and "(n)Ether". Stay tuned for more information including when and where the video for "The Apex Doctrine" will premiere, track listing and release date of the band's debut full-length album, "The Conscious Sedation", and tour dates.

SYSTEM DIVIDE's "The Collapse" EP was produced and engineered by guitarist Cole Martinez and was mixed and mastered by Jacob Hansen.

"The Apex Doctrine" video was filmed in New York with director Kevin Custer (HATEBREED , TESTAMENT, DYING FETUS, SUFFOCATION).

According to a press release, SYSTEM DIVIDE "unites a myriad of sounds, going from STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, SOILWORK, LACUNA COIL, DIMMU BORGIR , CHIMAIRA to even MORBID ANGEL. Prepare for the unexpected!"

Founded in summer 2008, SYSTEM DIVIDE set out to revolutionize the conventions of the over-saturated melodic death metal genre, proving that extreme metal can have more depth than blast beats, while female vocals do not have to conform to the precepts of the "goth" genre. In mixing many styles , "The Collapse" breaks all the rules of extreme metal and is a landmark release for the young band.

As opposed to interjecting simple, predictable clean choruses into contrived song structures, SYSTEM DIVIDE unites serene female vocals and extreme vocals driven by lyrical themes that confront and seek to break everyday themes of disillusionment, societal materialism, and individual apathy. Musically, the band delivers myriad styles of riffing and grooves, while augmenting the entrancing soundscapes with hard-hitting drums and intricate bass lines. These elements together define the unique, spell binding, hypnotic sound of SYSTEM DIVIDE.

In order to achieve this complex calculus of sounds on "The Collapse", Cole Martinez handled tracking duties at Conquistador. Artwork for "The Collapse" was completed by Colin Marks (STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, ABORTED, NEVERMORE).

Dutch/Norwegian rockers THE GATHERING have scheduled the following dates in Holland in March:

March 06 - De Kelder - Amersfoort, NETH
March 07 - Patronaat - Haarlem, NETH
March 12 - Doornroosje - Nijmegen, NETH
March 13 - Bolwerk - SneekCheers, NETH

THE GATHERING's "No Bird Call" video can be viewed below. The song comes off the band's latest album, "The West Pole", which was released in North America on June 2, 2009 via Season of Mist. The CD was issued in most of Europe on May 4, 2009 via the group's own label, Psychonaut Records.

"The West Pole" marks the recording debut of new THE GATHERING singer Silje Wergeland, who was previously in the Norwegian band OCTAVIA SPERATI. It also includes two very talented guest vocalists, Anne van den Hoogen and Marcela Bovio (STREAM OF PASSION), along with other guest musicians.

Singer Anneke van Giersbergen announced her departure from THE GATHERING in 2007. She has since launched a project called AGUA DE ANNIQUE, which has released three albums so far: "Air" (2007), "Pure Air" (2009) and "In Your Room" (2009).

Swedish extreme metallers HYPOCRISY will finally make their long-awaited return to North America in May. Support on the trek will come from HATE, BLACKGUARD and SWASHBUCKLE.

The dates are as follows:

May 11 - Tucson, AZ @ The Rock
May 12 - Mesa, AZ @ UB's
May 13 - West Hollywood, CA @ House of Blues
May 14 - Santa Ana, CA @ Galaxy Theatre
May 15 - Ramona, CA @ Ramona Mainstage
May 16 - San Francisco, CA @ DNA Lounge
May 17 - Portland, OR @ Peter's Room
May 18 - Vancouver, BC @ Rickshaw Theater
May 19 - Seattle, WA @ El Corazon
May 22 - Chicago, IL @ Reggie's
May 23 - St Paul, MN @ Station 4
May 24 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
May 25 - Louisville, KY @ Uncle Pleasants
May 26 - Detroit, MI @ Blondie's
May 27 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody's
May 28 - Worcester, MA @ Palladium
May 29 - Toronto, ON @ Wreck Room
May 30 - Montreal, QC @ Les Foufounes Électriques
May 31 - Quebec City, QC @ Imperial
Jun. 01 - Farmingdale, NY @ Crazy Donkey

Tickets go on sale today exclusively at EnterTheVault.com until February 13, at which point they will be made available through all normal ticketing systems.

HYPOCRISY's February 27 concert at the Blue Box club in Sofia, Bulgaria will be filmed for a forthcoming DVD.

After four years, HYPOCRISY will finally be back on the road in Europe in January as part of the "Long Time, No Death… Europe 2010" tour with SURVIVORS ZERO and HATESPHERE.

"A Taste Of Extreme Divinity", the new album from HYPOCRISY, sold 1,400 copies in the United States in its first week of release. The CD landed at position No. 23 on the Top New Artist Albums (Heatseekers) chart, which lists the best-selling albums by new and developing artists, defined as those who have never appeared in the Top 100 of The Billboard 200.

Italian progressive death metallers SADIST have entered Nadir Music studios in Genova to record their new album, "Season In Silence", for a March 19 release. According to a press release, the new CD promises to be the band's "most technical and extreme" effort to date.

SADIST's "One Thousand Memories" video can be viewed below. The song comes off the group's self-titled comeback album, which was released in 2007 via Beyond Productions.

Formed in 1991, SADIST split up in 2000 after releasing the "Lego" album and later reunited in 2005. Their compositions are said to involve "a heavy usage of guitar solos and keyboard solos, with progressive, jazz and some Eastern influences. Although SADIST are a death metal outfit, the album 'Lego' is a nu metal album with a thrash metal background."

"Sadist" featured a guest appearance by GOBLIN keyboardist Claudio Simonetti, who contributed a special version of the instrumental track "Sadist", which previously appeared on SADIST's 1993 debut album, "Above the Light".

Minnesota dark metal act COLD COLOURS has inked a deal with Greek label Sleaszy Rider Records. The band will enter the studio in the spring to begin recording its third full-length album for a late 2010 release.

Hailing from Minneapolis, COLD COLOURS was formed under the name of WOLFTHORN in 1995 with sole member Brian J. Huebner. After releasing a few demos, WOLFTHORN changed its name to COLD COLOURS in 1999 while recording the debut full-length CD , "Somnium XIII". A second album, entitled "The Burden of Hope", followed in 2005. Both CDs were released through the now-defunct Root Of All Evil Records.

While a show was played at the 1999 Milwaukee Metalfest, COLD COLOURS didn't become an actual working live band until 2001. The group has since performed all over the U.S. and has headlining all the major venues in the Minneapolis area.

After many personnel changes, COLD COLOURS solidified its lineup in 2009 with Brian J. Huebner on vocals and guitar , Ryan Felgen on guitar, Sam Van Moer (GRACEPOINT) on bass, Jamie Strobach (ex-SEVENTH CALLING) on drums and Dave Hart on guitar.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/coldcolours.

MAN MUST DIE has replaced NOX on the billing of this year's edition of the Neurotic Deathfest, set to take place April 30 - May 1, 2010 at 013 in Tilburg, Holland.

The following bands are scheduled to appear at the event:

ABORTED
ABYSMAL TORMENT
ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY
ANTIGAMA
AS YOU DROWN
BEHEADED
BENEATH THE MASSACRE
BENEDICTION
BENIGHTED
BOLT THROWER
BURNING SKIES
CARCASS
CEREBRAL BORE
DAWN OF AZAZEL
DEFEATED SANITY
DEW-SCENTED
DR DOOM
DYING FETUS
ENEMY REIGN
GOROD
HOUR OF PENANCE
HUMAN MINCER
IMMOLATION
INSIDIOUS DECREPANCY
INSISION
KICKBACK
LOCK UP
MALIGNANCY
MAN MUST DIE
NAPALM DEATH
ORIGIN
PESTILENCE
PUTRID PILE
REVOCATION
RISE AND FALL
ROTTEN SOUND
ROTTING CHRIST
SEPTYCAL GORGE
SIX FEET UNDER
THE END OF ALL REASON
THE RED CHORD
THOSE WHO LIE BENEATH
VIRAL LOAD

For more information, visit www.neuroticdeathfest.com.


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For MetalHeads Who Want To Have there say!
Long Live The Power Of METAL!!!
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