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June 2003Sunday, June 29, 2003
Veteran German metallers RAGE have set a September 29 European release date through SPV/Steamhammer Records for their new album, "Soundchaser". The follow-up to last year's "Unity" was recorded in April at VPS Studio in Hamm, Germany and was mixed and mastered by producer Charlie Bauerfeind at Mi Sueno studio (owned by Andi Deris of HELLOWEEN fame) in Tenerife, Spain. The complete track listing for "Soundchaser" is as follows: 01. Orgy Of Destruction (Intro) 02. War Of Worlds 03. Great Old Ones 04. Soundchaser 05. Defenders Of The Ancient Life 06. Secrets In A Weird World 07. Flesh And Blood 08. Human Metal 09. See You In Heaven Or Hell Falling From Grace (Parts I & II: see below) 10. Wake The Nightmares (feat. HELLOWEEN's Andi Deris) 11. Death Is On Its Way
Saturday, June 28, 2003
Greetings and welcome to this Summer's newsletter! A special welcome to those of you who are new to our list, and our eternal love and thanks to those of you who have been with us lo these many years. We hope this letter finds you well -- there's quite a bit going on at the moment, so we'll get right to it -- please read on... === BRAND NEW FAITH AND THE MUSE ALBUM -- THE BURNING SEASON: The fourth studio album for Faith and the Muse, The Burning Season is a daring departure for the band, mixing elements of trance, punk, jazz and rock noir which permeate the different facets of this diverse album, providing a unique and eclectic mix of sounds and styles. In theme, The Burning Season finds Faith and the Muse approaching a broad array of topics, touching on personal and social issues in a very direct and confrontational fashion, far removed from the prosaic themes of their previous offerings. A bold new offering by a band with an eye for risk. This long-awaited studio album from F&TM will be available everywhere on Tuesday, July 8th. We are currently taking pre-orders on our site (all pre-orders will include a FREE special limited edition full-color poster, while supplies last) -- to order, please go to: http://www.mercyground.com/merch/home.html === RELEASE PARTIES FOR THE BURNING SEASON: There will be a few release parties for the album around the country. If any of these fall in your area, make sure to attend for the chance to win free copies of the album and/or some free merchandise. Perversion - Los Angeles, CA - 7/3/03 Numbers - Houston, TX - 7/3/03 Exit - Chicago, IL - 7/5/03 Depot - Baltimore, MD - 7/6/03 Manray - Boston, MA - 7/9/03 Purgatorio - Washington DC - 7/9/03 Fun House - New York City, NY - 7/11/03 Elysium - Montreal, QC (CANADA) - 7/11/03 Dungeon - Oshawa - 7/12/03 Club One - Savannah, GA - 7/17/03 Sinister - Milwaukee, WI - 7/28/03 Kult ov Bela - Tallahassee, FL - 7/15/03 === SPECIAL L.A. RELEASE PARTY/ACOUSTIC PERFORMANCE: On Sat. July 12th, Faith and the Muse will host a special release/listening party, along with a full acoustic performance at Acoustic Playhouse (a very cool and unique venue), 7323 Santa Monica Blvd., West Hollywood, CA (ages 18+, 21+ to drink) -- and the cover is only $6.00! The Burning Season will be played in its entirety over the club's sound system, followed by a performance by Faith and the Muse, and then DJ's Full Fathom Five and John Koviak will spin an eclectic mix of music off into the wee-hours... F&TM will be giving away a lot of cool stuff (including copies of the new album!) and will be talking to and signing stuff for anyone and everyone who attends this event, so please be sure and make every effort to come out for this one! For directions and additional venue information, please go to the Acoustic Playhouse website: http://www.acousticplayhouse.com === FAITH AND THE MUSE - THE BURNING SEASON TOUR: European dates for The Burning Season tour are currently being booked -- please check the website for updates and details. The current dates so far are as follows: 19.9. Zurich, Switzerland - X-tra 20.9. Mestre, Italy - Jam Club 21.9. Rome, Italy - Limit Club 26.9. Fläming, Germany - Herbstnächte Festival 27.9. Amsterdam, Netherlands - GothAM 6 Festival 4.10. Athens, Greece - Darkside Festival 10.10. Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie 17.10. Hamm, Germany - Black Elbenfestival 25.10. Vlissingen, Netherlands - Terra Gotha Festival 29.10. Paris, France - La Locomotive 30.10. Whitby, England - Whitby Gothic Weekend Festival .and many more dates to follow -- stay tuned! === SPECIAL SALE ON MERCYGROUND.COM: We are making way for new merchandise, and have put together three special offers for you -- this sale will only last for a few more weeks, so act now and save some money while getting all the F&TM you want! Go to: http://www.mercyground.com/merch/home.html === MERCYGOUND.COM GETS AN OVERHAUL -- NEW DESIGN: We will launch the brand new Mercyground.com website at midnight (PST) on Friday, July 4th -- make sure to come and have a look at our latest and greatest, designed by the one and only Monica Richards herself. http://www.mercyground.com === We only wish to send our information to interested parties. If you feel that you have received this mail in error, or if you wish to be removed from our list, please reply to this message with "Remove" in the subject field, and you will be removed from our list at once. -- THE MERCYGROUND P.O. Box 2286 Hollywood, CA 90078-2286 USA info@mercyground.com http://www.mercyground.com
"Hail friends. This is Diego Voges ,from Hermit Age. I am sending you the download link, at mp3.com, of two unpublished songs. Go to : http://artists.mp3s.com/artists/592/hermit_age.html By the way, I would like to know if it's possible the publication of this link in your zine's download section. Thanx for the attention. No more at the moment,See you... D.V. "
Review by Ed Graham
from Blazefans.com: "I have been asked to take over the running of Blazefans due to Nomad no longer having the time to run the site due to a change in personal circumstances I hope to carry on the good job done by Nomad, to this end, I would welcome any photos, and gig reviews on the current tour for inclusion in the site. At the moment I am gettin used to the site, so i apologise if the site doesnt seem to have changed much recently, but i am working behind the scenes on a major update and fixing broken links Also look out for old files uncovered buried deep within Blazefans archives, which have only just been uncovered and linked to. So watch this space Caroline" Hi to Caroline and cheers to Nomad, hope you have more time for web stuff in the not too distant future. :)
Tuesday, June 24, 2003
Yeah, a fine example of what good new age music is.
Saturday, June 21, 2003
Yep, independant pop rock is still alive and can be innovative and original, not only clones. Check it here
Amazing stuff. Check it here
EINHERJER have signed a deal with Norway's Tabu Recordings and are currently in the studio recording their as-yet-untitled new album, tentatively due in September. Among the tracks set to appear on the follow-up to 2000's "Norwegian Native Art" are "Ware Her Venom", "Dead Knight's Rite", and "The Eternally Damned". The band have most recently released their recordings through their own label Native North Records.
Thursday, June 19, 2003
:) Just got it confirmed - I will interview Queensryche's vocalist Geoff Tate early next week. All interested - send your questions to max@houseofnoizz.com
Taken from the Century Media Newsletter - Lacuna Coil - 6-16-03: Think you're hearing things? Here's proof that you are: Mainstream Boston-area radio station WAAF 107.3 FM has recently added the LACUNA COIL single, "Heaven's A Lie" into their rotation! All LACUNA COIL fans are asked to help support the band by calling WAAF at (617) 931-1223 or e-mailing WAAF's Program Director at: http://www.waaf.com/station/contact_us.shtml [...] Link: "Heaven's A Lie" mp3
Turismo sent in the following news: Two videostreams of the upcoming Live-DVD/CD Hexenkessel are available at http://www.fame-recordings.de/webplayer_schandmaul/flash.htm Check them out!
Wednesday, June 18, 2003
The godfathers of Progressive Metal are back with original line up and once again Penny Dreadful is the first! Do you reckon Queensryche could play the "phoenix trick" and rise from the ashes of their own glory? The album is out on 22 July, but we already got it! Read the review...
Sunday, June 15, 2003
NEVERMORE have their new album ready for release. Only a year prior to the band?s ten-year anniversary, NEVERMORE release their fifth album, Enemies Of Reality, on July 28th. Warrel Dane comments the new record as follows: "being hit over the head with a wet sock of raw sausage" Following is the track listing for NEVERMORES new album "Enemies Of Reality": 1.Enemies Of Reality 2.Ambivalent 3.Never Purify 4.Tomorrow Turned Into Yesterday 5.I, Voyager 6.Create The Infinite 7.Who Decides 8.Noumenon 9.Seed Awakening
ATARAXIA is to release a new digisingle titled "Des paroles Blanches". The release date is June 15 2003. A 10" vinyl limited edition ( 1000 copies) will also available during Summer 2003.
Letzte Instanz have recorded their new album in February/March. No album title, tracks or release date is/are known yet.
The new album "Inferno" was supposed to be released at the 12th of May, but has now been re-scheduled to the 4th of August. The reason is this: Music For Nations, Entombed record label, were previously a label under Zomba Records. And now BMG have bought Zomba Records, and therefor the whole release schedule had to be pushed forward as everyone had to relocate...... or something like that! haha... In the meantime, we will do the shows that were scheduled this summer, and then start touring proåerly for the album in August. We will also shoot a promo video this week for the song "Retaliation". souce: www.entombed.org An mp3 clip of "Retaliation" can be downloaded from here.
The new Dark at Dawn album "Of decay and desire" will be released - as reported before - on 18.08.2003 trough AFM-Records.
Planet Blaze has two parts of a Blaze UK Tour Diary online with a third part comming soon.
German gothic/dark/black metal act Sun of Sadness have released all songs from their second album "Forest" at this location: http://www.sunofsadness.de/releases/mp3_fr.htm
Schandmaul have relaunched their official homepage @ http://www.schandmaul.de . The new site includes four mp3 clips from the band's upcomming live CD/DVD "Hexenkessel".
Nick Cave and the bad seeds are releasing their first DVD 'God is in the house' on the 4th august 2003. It's a french gig in Lyon (8/6/01) and it contains the documentary by John Hilcoat "no more shall we part - the recording sessions" as well as the video clips from "I Sat Sadly By Her Side", "Fifteen Feet Of Pure White Snow", and "Love Letter".
German thrash metal pioneers KREATOR have posted a trailer for their upcoming "Live Kreation - Revisioned Glory" DVD at their official web site. "Live Kreation - Revisioned Glory", due in North America on July 22 through SPV (June 23 in the rest of the world), features 17 live tracks mixed in 5.1 Dolby Digital Surround Sound as well as a complete 55-minute year-by-year video history of KREATOR, including all of the band's video clips & new documentary-style interviews with frontman Mille, additional live footage, behind-the-scenes footage and many other bonus features. Mille comments on this colossal endeavor, "Putting together the material for the DVD was hard work, a little tricky, but in the end a lot of fun! One thing was clear to me from the beginning: no compromise on ANYTHING to make this output the ultimate in quality!! I did not know many music DVDs before I started working on ours, so I checked other bands' releases. I was very disappointed by the fact that some artists just put out shitty hand-camera footage and sell it to their audiences as live videos. Luckily, our record company was aware of that problem, and so we hired two professional camera teams to film our shows in Korea and Brazil. Other than that, I personally started shooting all kinds of behind-the-scenes material on tour. To make it all complete, we put together a history documentary, going way back in time, including all official KREATOR video clips shot so far, plus previously unreleased interview footage, TV appearances and other rare stuff. So now, after almost half a year in several cutting rooms, mixing studios, in my living room looking through old video tapes, I can promise you, you will definitely enjoy this fucker!" The massive DVD track listing includes: Live Performances: Video History Extras: 01. The Patriarch 02. Violent Revolution 03. Reconquering The Throne 04. Extreme Aggression 05. People Of The Lie 06. All Of The Same Blood 07. Phobia 08. Pleasure To Kill 09. Renewal 10. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell 11. Black Sunrise 12. Terrible Certainty 13. Riot Of Violence 14. Terrorzone 15. Betrayer 16. Lost 17. Coma Of Souls Video History Extras: 18. Toxic Trace (video clip) 19. Betrayer (video clip) 20. People Of The Lie (video clip) 21. Renewal (video clip) 22. Lost (video clip) 23. Isolation (video clip) 24. Leave This World Behind (video clip) 25. Endorama (video clip) 26. Chosen Few (video clip) 27. Violent Revolution (video clip) Bonus Videos (live at With Full Force festival) 28. Flag Of Hate 29. Tormentor In addition to the DVD, KREATOR will be unleashing their first-ever live album, "Live Kreation", featuring 24 tracks of the group's inimitable, blue-collared "extreme aggression," recorded around the world and produced by renowned knob-smith Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, ARCH ENEMY, FOZZY, SKINLAB). Says Mille, "Over the years, a lot of our fans kept asking us for a live record. We loved the idea and started working on it in the beginning of our 'World Revolution' tour. Modern technology allowed us to record 22 shows in total, so at the end of the day, we had tons of stuff to choose from. Capturing good performances from shows in Brazil, Korea, France, Germany and Greece, we've spent a long time picking the right atmosphere of each individual track, kept them all raw and direct, to make this first live album in the history of KREATOR a special experience for us and our fans. Andy Sneap did a killer job mixing this 24-track monster, including songs from every album we've recorded." The historic 2-CD, 100+ minute full-contact extravaganza includes the following tracks: CD 1: 01. The Patriarch 02. Violent Revolution 03. Reconquering The Throne 04. Extreme Aggression 05. People Of The Lie 06. All Of The Same Blood 07. Phobia 08. Pleasure To Kill 09. Renewal 10. Servant In Heaven - King In Hell 11. Black Sunrise 12. Terrible Certainty 13. Riot Of Violence CD 2: 01. Lost 02. Coma Of Souls 03. Second Awakening 04. Terrorzone 05. Betrayer 06. Leave This World Behind 07. Under The Guillotine 08. Awakening The Gods 09. Golden Age 10. Flag Of Hate 11. Tormentor KREATOR are planning to commemorate the releases by returning to North America and lay waste to the clubs once again with what will surely be yet another round of memorable performances. Joining KREATOR on "The Art of Noise 2" tour will be NILE, VADER, AMON AMARTH, and GOATWHORE.
Saturday, June 14, 2003
Hypocrisy have begun working on a brand new disc! According to main-man Peter Tägtgren, the new music will be in the vein of Abducted and Hypocrisy, with production similar to that used on Abducted. ?The working title is The Arrival, and I think the little green men are back in my head,? comment Tägtgren.
Recorded all rhythm guitars during the first half of this week. It went better than expected. On Thursday and Friday Anders and I started with the acoustic guitars and the leads, both equally tuned down just for the sheer fun of irritation. The chromatic tuner went warm. Peder came to visit with his 4-stringed axe ready to strike. Why change the concept, the bass was tuned down too. WOO HOO!! Now it was Kristoffers turn to put down the vocals of his first FALCONER album, bearing some tension with him since not everyone was too satisfied with the lineup change. He soon showed us once more time that he did a killer job, the man who can?t be quiet. Not getting otherwise after getting acquainted with his friend in the Grant?s bottle. We continued with vocals and lead guitars during the first half of the week. Andy did some guest solos and after that we brought in the guests in the studio to do some singing backup singing, guitar playing, and keyboard playing. All of them contributing with own ideas of improvement in the music, something that brought even more new life to the songs for the band. The album finally starts to get the final shape just leaving the mix to do the final small adjustments." Expect the new FALCONER album in October 2003!
Friday, June 13, 2003
Check it here
Former ELVENKING singer/composer Damnagoras has teamed up with STORMLORD bassist Francesco Bucci in a brand new "folk metal" project called LEPRECHAUN. The band, who are currently recording demos, play a musical style that is being described as "fast heavy metal [meets] Irish-like tunes and melodies (featuring violins and acoustic guitars)." The lyrics will deal with folkloristic topics (like Irish/British legends, Russian folklore, etc.) and of inner pagan philosophy. Among the tracks set to appear on the band's upcoming demo are the following: 01. Rook Black Crow 02. The Element's Weaving 03. Rusalka 04. The Ultimate Dance A logo and additional artwork will be son designed by J.P. Fournier (EDGUY, AVANTASIA, etc.). The band's official web site, which is currently under construction, can be accessed at www.leprechaun.it. edit stephane : tss... won't comment that new.
A review that has been up for one week and we forgot to advertise here. Review by Uncle Brazzie
Thursday, June 12, 2003
Sweden's THERION are currently at work in Modern Art Studios in Stockholm recording their new album for a late 2003 release through Nuclear Blast Records. Additional recording will take place at studios in Denmark and Czech Republic. Mainman Christofer Johnsson promised that there will be many surprises with the new release. He commented, "Recording is going very well. It is indeed the most ambitious thing we've ever tried to do, and we will be busy with it until the autumn." THERION's last studio CD, "Secret Of The Runes", was released in 2001.
Thursday, June 5, 2003
After playing in SOILWORK for five years, our dear friend and drummer Henry Ranta has decided that he can no longer continue to play in SOILWORK," the band said in an official statement announcing Ranta's departure from the group. "There are no hard feelings between Henry and us in any way, and we will still remain amazing friends, he will always be a true Soilworker. We wish him all the best of luck with his decision and we'resure we'll cross paths again in the future
Heh... I got the new Helloween!!! Read the review.
Wednesday, June 4, 2003
SAXON's upcoming "The Saxon Chronicles" DVD, previously scheduled for a Jan. 27, 2003 release, will finally surface on July 21. The two-DVD set will be released in both PAL and NTSC with region code 0. The complete details for the DVD are as follows: Run Time DVD 1: approx. 110 min Run Time DVD 2: approx. 105 min Content DVD 1: W:O:A Concert 2001 (97 min video) 01. Motorcycle Man 02. Dogs Of War 03. Heavy Metal Thunder 04. Cut Out The Disease 05. Solid Ball Of Rock 06. Metalhead 07. The Eagle Has Landed 08. Conquistador 09. Drum - Solo 10. Crusader 11. Power & The Glory 12. Princess Of The Night 13. Guitar - Solo 14. Wheels Of Steel 15. Strong Arm Of The Law 16. 20.000 Ft. 17. Denim & Leather - Interview with Biff Byford (13-min video) - Moving Main Menu with sound - Title Selection with sound - Sound & Subtitle Selection - Discography Content DVD 2: - SAXON On Tour video (approx. 36 min video: Tour home video from the band + three Tracks from Esbjerg Festival: "747", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel") - SAXON On TV (approx. 16 min video: Interviews, History, TV-Appearances) - SAXON On Video (approx. 35 min video: 8 Video-Clips) 01. Suzie Hold On 02. Power & The Glory 03. Nightmare 04. (Requiem) We Will Remember 05. Rockin' Again 06. Back On The Streets Again 07. Unleash The Beast + Behind The Scenes (approx. 10 min video: with Outtakes from the "Unleash The Beast" clip recording) 08. Killing Ground - SAXON / Photo (approx. 3 min Photo Gallery) - SAXON / Press (approx. 5 min. Press Clipping) - SAXON / Web (Internet-Links with DVDconnector)
Tuesday, June 3, 2003
SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo was set to meet with fellow bandmembers Jeff Hannemann and Kerry King Monday (June 2) to begin putting material together for a new SLAYER album, tentatively due in early 2004, according to www.dave-lombardo.com. Both King and Hannemann are said to have penned new music for the upcoming CD, the group's first since the departure of drummer Paul Bostaph (now in SYSTEMATIC). SLAYER's last album, "God Hates Us All", was released in 2001. As previously reported, SLAYER have been tapped to headline the Fall 2003 edition of the Jagermeister Music Tour, scheduled to kick off in October. More details, including the names of the bands that will make up the rest of the bill, will be announced soon.
Just to let you know I've paid the 32$ for more 6 monthes without ads; But I maintain the community chest up for next time cause I won't handle full costs again alone. So feel free to donate each time you have some useless money in your pockets. Show you're not just a parasite but a true active member of the penny dread fools community.
Monday, June 2, 2003
Due to the unprecedented level of anticipation and the prevalence of sub-standard versions of METALLICA's upcoming CD, "St. Anger", already in circulation, Elektra Records has moved up the release date of the new album, from Tuesday, June 10, to Thursday, June 5. Elektra and METALLICA have taken this extraordinary measure to ensure that counterfeit copies of the band's first studio album in six years do not proliferate in the marketplace. METALLICA unanimously approved the move, guaranteeing that fans get first crack at hearing the acclaimed disk the way the band intended: Loud and unadulterated.
Vocalist Matt Barlow has announced his departure from ICED EARTH in order to pursue a career doing administrative work for the Department of Homeland Security. The following is Barlow's official statement on the matter: "In December of last year, prior to ICED EARTH signing a new record deal, [ICED EARTH mainman] Jon [Schaffer] and I had a sit-down concerning what I felt was best for my future and the future of ICED EARTH. I told him that my heart was no longer into performing music and I intended to stand down from my position in the band in pursuit of what I felt would be a more satisfying career and consequently a more fulfilled life. Jon was very adamant that I should not leave the band, and asked me not to do something that I might live to regret. I was compelled to stay with it, but as it turns out my course had remained altered. "For you to understand my position on this matter, I feel I must explain myself. As for many people, in and outside of the United States, the events of September 11, 2001 had a profound impact. For me personally, it shined a new light on life. It forced me to realize how precious and how short life is. I feel very fortunate to have been a part of something that has affected so many throughout the world, but I believe that what I am striving for will also reflect positively on those I come in contact with. "I am presently going to school in order to obtain my Bachelor's Degree in Criminal Justice Administration. When I have received my degree, I intend to follow with a career in law enforcement administration. "I realize that it may be difficult for some of you to understand the decision that has been made, but please believe that it has been made to preserve the integrity of ICED EARTH. I know that there will be people who bad-mouth the band and me for this and that there will never be a good enough explanation. For those people, I feel pity that they must live through others and I hope that someday they will find themselves in another place. I have been on a great ride with all of you and I have not a single regret. There are great things to come from ICED EARTH and we will all be there to witness them. I wish Jon and the guys well and I thank you in advance for your support and understanding. "Best wishes, "Matt" ICED EARTH mainman Jon Schaffer followed up Matt's statement with this posting to the band's official web site: "Hello All, "As you can see from Matt's post a very difficult decision has been made. "The events of 9-11 have affected us all in very different ways. I think it made most people step back, take a look at their lives and change their priorities. I certainly did and so did most of the people I know. In fact, I would bet that the whole reason I chose the theme of 'The Glorious Burden' for the next CD was probably because my subconscious is dealing with what happened that day. I realize that some of you don't care about what happened, and actually that's your problem, but I know that most of you do. We have never been afraid to show our loyalty and love of country way before 9-11, and anyone who has paid attention knows that. The reason that I'm explaining all of this is so that you know how close ICED EARTH came to being a memory. After the attacks I was also questioning what I had done with my life and if there was some way that I could help people and do something that really mattered instead of this 'illusion' called the music business. When something this real and tragic happens it has a huge effect on guys like Matt and I, who come from families who have served, and who have a fierce dedication to our republic. "The music business is a big lie, plain and simple. It's an illusion that's marketed and sold. It's the big production, photos, videos, promotion and image building and all the other shit that makes you the fans think and feel a certain way about whatever band or style it is that you're into, and you don't even know it, that's the amazing thing. However, what happens behind the scenes in the real world is often very different from the fantasies that the fans create in their own minds about their favorite artists. Fans base these fantasies on the images they are fed. "The point to all of this is that it's pretty hard to stay positive and take it seriously when you figure out what a huge lie it is. After 9-11 I nearly dissolved the band because I thought that what I do with my band is pretty insignificant in the big picture, and it is. However, after months and months of very heavy thought I realized that it doesn't really matter that the music business is a big fucking lie because my songs are not, and my songs are the only reason that I do this. I've said it before, I don't care about the rock star or guitar hero bullshit, this thing called ICED EARTH from the very beginning has been a vehicle for my songs and that's it. If some fans have created another 'reality' about ICED EARTH in their own minds, I can't help them with that, that's the 'illusion' that's getting them. ICED EARTH is and always has been my band and my vehicle to get my songs out, no matter the members that are involved. It's entertaining to see and hear some of things people come up with when they have absolutely no facts. Some people get it and some don't and that's ok because in the end the only person that I need to please is me, and usually if I am pleased then the majority of the fans will be as well. I have no need or desire for ICED EARTH to have fairweather fans. I realize that comments like this make people think I must be a real prick, and maybe they're right, but I know who I am and what I stand for and that scares some people. "I hope that this long and wordy post will help you all make sense of the changes that are taking place. "Matt called me a few weeks before we started pre-production and said that he wanted to quit the band and pursue a career doing administrative work for the Department of Homeland Security. He feels that because he is not a songwriter he'd have a more secure future and would be happier doing some good in the real world rather than living the illusion of something as shallow as a 'rock star.' I asked him to not do something he would live to regret, we have a new label and I've written by far the strongest and most compelling material ever and we basically have a new beginning. In hindsight I should not have pressured him into staying but there was no way I could have predicted what would happen, Matt had already quit in his heart, yet out of loyalty he was willing to give it a shot. The recording of the vocals did not go smoothly. It was obvious to Jim Morris (producer) and me that something was very wrong. However, we pushed forward and Jim felt that we may have to change the way we mixed the vocals but that we'd basically be ok. After tracking was done we proceeded with the mix. I was becoming more and more disturbed with the way things were sounding and by the time we started the mix on the 32-minute 'Gettysburg (1863)' epic I knew I had to make a serious decision. It was not a decision that I ever wanted to make. I always expected Matt and I to jam together until we were grumpy old men. "Here's the not so glorious burden of being the guy who makes tough decisions: I decided to stop production and shelve the album until I find a new singer. Matt's heart was not in it and it showed in his performance. I'm sure that's hard for some of you to believe but it's simply a fact. There are a lot of things you can do with today's technology to make a singer sound better but you can't add feeling with a computer. And we all know from past recordings that Matt has never had a problem delivering feeling, so it was obvious that it was over and he just didn't have it in his heart to really feel the album. 'The Glorious Burden' is without a doubt the best album I have ever written. It is the first time that I've written about such serious and important events. It's also the first time that I've written about something as near and dear to my heart as the history of our country. It probably sounds corny to some of you but I've often used the American Revolution as inspiration to give me the strength to carry on in this constant uphill battle. My love and passion for the study of the Civil War is being translated to music for the first time in the history of the band and that's what makes this album so special. I spent countless hours creating what is most definitely my masterpiece as a songwriter. This is not just another album about dark fantasy/sci-fi/horror material. After 'Horror Show', which is a good record but the personal touch is missing on a lot of it I felt this would be the best way to bring that personal passion back into the music in a new and fresh way. "So it really comes down to the fact that I still feel like I've got something to say as a songwriter, so I'm going to keep going. I would have rather continued the way things were but I can't make someone want to do something, no one can. This has been a very hard decision, and a costly one, but I would rather not release an album at all than to have it haunt me for the rest of my life because I knew it wasn't the way it should be. Also, I will carry on because I can't see flushing nearly 20 years of hard work down the toilet because a member has had a change of heart. I don't think real ICED EARTH fans would want that either. "I have spent some of the best times of my life with Matt. We have been able to experience many things in our travels together and I hope he finds what he seeks for his future, I truly wish him the best for his life. "And so another chapter in the struggle for ICED EARTH and my love of metal begins. I have to say I feel great and completely energized and am very optimistic for our future. A strange thing considering the uncertainty that lies ahead, but if you know me, you know I love a challenge. "'The Glorious Burden' will come out in all its glory when I find the right guy to redo the vocals. If it takes 2 months, 6 months, a year whatever it takes to do it right we will get it out the way it's meant to be. The true and dedicated fans should not be concerned that this is the end it most definitely is not, before you know it the album will be out and it will be the best thing you've heard from ICED EARTH. "I hope most of you will understand the situation that I'm in and will be confident that I will carry on in the same ICED EARTH tradition as I always have: quality, honesty and integrity... "Stay Metal! "Jon Schaffer" (thanks for the new to Bessi Egilsson )
From the Darkwell Newsletter: Dear Friends.... It's time for Darkwell News. This time the news are a bit delicate. As you can read in the statement we had to split from Alexandra. For Darkwell a new chance opens now. Stephanie is exactly what we ever searched for. The composing process enters the final stadium, and we are ready to present you an outstanding new release in the end of this year! Darkwell splits with their former vocalist Alexandra P.! The new Lady behind the Microphone is called Stephanie. Statement of the Band: Because of musical and personal differences the way of Alexandra and Darkwell has to split. We hope to stay still friends in the future. With Stephanie M. we already found her successor. Stephanie excellently catches the spirit of the older Darkwell songs, but also allows us to explore our ways in the future. Stephanie will already be a part of the band at our show at the Wave Gotik Meeting in Leipzig. Dark Greetinx Roland
Sunday, June 1, 2003
IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce Dickinson took the band's headlining performance at the Download festival as an opportunity to announce the long-awaited details of their new album. IRON MAIDEN are currently performing on their "Give Me Ed...Til I'm Dead" Tour, headlining dates throughout Europe and the USA. The new album, entitled "Dance Of Death", is the band's thirteenth studio album and is due for release in September 2003. Work began on the album late in 2002 when IRON MAIDEN reconvened from a break to start putting the album together. They teamed up again with producer Kevin Shirley who co-produced their last album, "Brave New World" with Steve Harris. The album was recorded and mixed at Sarm Studios in West London during the spring. Kevin Shirley has been even more impressed working with IRON MAIDEN this time round. "The band are so in sync with each other ? it's incredible," he said. "There is very little friction in the studio, and the sessions couldn't have been any more fun and productive, and they rock so fucking hard too! It all augers well for the finished product, and whatever period in MAIDEN's history is your favorite, I doubt whether they've all played as together as this before. "In the ZEPPELIN tradition of 'Tight But Loose', this is a band which moves ? pushing the beat, pulling it back, and that's real rock!" Shirley added. "No click tracks, no ProTools computer tightening and manipulation ? what you hear is what they play. I'm just saying it like it is, and MAIDEN are the last and the best of the naturally moving rock bands." Vocalist Bruce Dickinson is equally as pleased with the results on "Dance Of Death". "I think 'Brave New World' was only a stepping stone to what we have managed to achieve on this record for everyone," he said. "Recording this album was almost like being back when 'Number Of The Beast' was recorded in that the speed and the energy that went into the writing and recording was phenomenal. Everything has come together on this album and I think everyone that hears this record will be moved in different ways from the epic sound of songs like 'Paschendale' through to the more heavy tracks like 'Rainmaker' and 'Montsegur'. This album will open a lot of eyes and ears to the world or IRON MAIDEN.' The full track listing for "Dance Of Death" is as follows: 01. Wildest Dreams 02. Rainmaker 03. No More Lies 04. Montsegur 05. Dance Of Death 06. Gates Of Tomorrow 07. New Frontier 08. Paschendale 09. Face in The Sand 10. Age Of Innocence 11. Journeyman The 11 tracks represent the work from all band members including, for the first time, drummer Nicko McBrain on the track "New Frontier". Another first for the band is that the album has also been mixed to 5.1 Surround, which will take those who have 5.1 Home Cinema to a whole new level of hearing the album. Comments Steve Harris, "When I was working with Kevin on the audio for our 'Rock In Rio' DVD, the whole 5.1 mixing process really opened my eyes to what could be achieved. I decided there and then that the new album had to be mixed the same way when it was finished. That's not to say that we wrote any specific songs which can only be heard properly in 5.1, I simply wanted to take the listener right into the middle of the studio so they could close their eyes and imagine themselves there. We've really managed to capture that feeling."
here's some pagan rock music with oriental ethnical melodies.
It is extremely rare to come across a record that renders you helpless with disbelief. Years ago the mighty IN FLAMES accomplished this goal with the groundbreaking The Jester Race album. Almost ten years later, Anders Fridén (vocalist of IN FLAMES) has done it again with a new band called PASSENGER. All of the members of this Swedish quartet come from extreme metal backgrounds, but you would not have guessed that after having taken one listen to their self-titled debut release. This group are purposely trying to take a chance and do something that pushes their musical boundaries to the furthest extent. This album?s foundation is built upon catchy songwriting and heavy guitar grooves. Some choruses could be considered pop/rock to a point, but there is no mistaking that it is definitely a record that stands out from the pack. The aggressive melodies on ?In Reverse? and ?Circus? will quickly be ingrained inside your head, as they are extremely addictive. The track ?In My Head? could easily be a commercial radio hit that would have bands such as Linkin Park and Godsmack begging for pointers. Proving that sometimes less is truly more, PASSENGER?s maiden voyage will leave everyone begging for another ride. The group also just launched their official website that includes up to date news updates and an extensive picture gallery. This is hard rock for the new generation edit stephane : heard the cd. Not bad. It shows the leader of Gardenian is in that band. check a mp3 here : http://mp3.centurymedia.com/Passenger_InReverse_Passenger.mp3
Italy's melodic metal powerhouse LABYRINTH have signed a worldwide multi-album deal with Century Media Records and will release their fourth full-length simply titled, Labyrinth. The band stormed onto the international metal scene in 1994 with the release of the Piece Of Time EP followed by their full-length debut No Limits on Italy?s Underground Symphony label. Both of which featured future Rhapsody vocalist Fabio Lione, a.k.a. Joe Terry. After a short-lived relationship with Lione, the band enlisted the vocal talents of Roberto Tiranti a.k.a. Rob Tyrant, who added a new dimension to their sound. With the line-up solidified, LABYRINTH soon gained international recognition after landing a worldwide deal with Metal Blade Records. The release of the landmark Return To Heaven Denied garnered rousing critical acclaim on virtually every continent. The follow-up Timeless Crime EP and their latest album Sons Of Thunder, continued to build a solid foundation. Appearances on tours with such highly regarded acts as Hammerfall, Primal Fear, Helloween, Iron Savior, Nocturnal Rites and major metal festivals like Gods Of Metal, Dynamo, Wacken, Bang Your Head have made the legend LABYRINTH ripple through the metal kingdom. After signing with Century Media Records in early 2003, a new path is once again being forged for LABYRINTH?s glorious return. Their phenomenal new album features artwork from the renowned Travis Smith (Nevermore, Opeth, Jag Panzer, etc.) and was recorded at Noise Factory Studio in Milan, Italy. Labyrinth offers 10 flawlessly executed tracks of aggressively melodic metal in its purest form. Labyrinth are back stronger than ever? Line Up: Roberto Tiranti - Vocals Andrea Cantarelli - Guitars Cristiano Bertocchi - Bass Andrea De Paoli - Keyboards, Programming Mattia Stancioiu - Drums Tracklist for Labyrinth: 1) The Prophet (4:46) 2) Livin' In A Maze (4:37) 3) This World (4:55) 4) Just Soldier [Stay Down] (5:26) 5) Neverending Rest (4:54) 6) Terzinato (5:49) 7) Slave To The Night (6:06) 8) Synthetic Paradise (5:48) 9) Hand In Hand (4:26) 10) When I Will Fly Far (5:16)
After a coupla years of wrangling between Napalm Death & Earache, peace finally reigns and Napalm & Earache have co-ordinated a "Best of & Rarities" 2 CD set for release on 7 July 2003 in UK/Europe. The title of the comp, selected by Barney is 'Noise For Music1s Sake'. Disc 1 of the set contains the best tracks culled from Napalm's 10 album career with Earache.Disc 2 is made up of very rare tracks, including long lost recordings from the early line-up with Lee Dorrian & Bill Steer. Shane Embury has supplied stunningly rare and never released tracks from early ND gigs at the Mermaid pub in 1986 from the early Bullen/Broadrick/Harrris era. Completely classic stuff!! Liner notes for the set incorporating many unseen pics and exclusive interviews with the band members is being co-ordinated by Shane Embury. see confirmed track listing on the earache site here http://www.earacherecords.org/catalog/mosh266.html
Lovers of medieval music and electro gothic can find Ernst Horn (former qntal and deine lakaien) and Sabine Lutzenberger (former member of the für frühe Musik Augsburg) 's debut cd. Band is called Helium Vola. Album name is the same. Review is here
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