Old News / Tours - May 2004


Old News / Tours - May 2004 - Back
May 31st, 2004	MORTUARY I.O.D. will be performing on Wâldrock this year! This is in Burgum, The Netherlands, on June 19th. Also in the line-up: Exodus, Testament, Finntroll, Within Temptation, Transport League, Cannibal Corpse, Monster Magnet, Slapshot, Hate Breed, Fear Factory, My Dying Bride, Death Angel, Twisted Sister and Cradle Of Filth. www.waldrock.nl Bassist Rudy Sarzo (Quiet Riot, Whitesnake, Ozzy Osbourne) has been added to the lineup of DIO. Metal Update Steve Smyth (Testament) has been added as permanent second guitarist in NEVERMORE - according to the band's official statement: "He was the missing link in our dysfunctional brotherhood!" Metal Update "Metal Mike" Chlasciak (Halford) will be handling lead guitar duties for the European festivals scheduled this summer for TESTAMENT. Metal Update Drummer Jon Dette (Slayer, Testament) and bassist Greg Christian (Testament) have officially joined HAVOCHATE. Metal Update Mark Zonder will be leaving FATES WARNING after recording drums for the next album, tentatively titled "FWX". Metal Update SINISTER has officially split up - Rachel, Ron and Aad will continue their musical career with their new band Infinited Hate. Metal Update Frost (1349, Satyricon) will replace GORGOROTH drummer Kvitrafn who has decided to leave the band for personal reasons - meanwhile, Gaahl is standing trial for allegedly performing satanic rituals and torture on a victim - he could be sentenced for up to 9 years in prison. Metal Update W.A.S.P. drummer Stet Howland has returned to the fold for upcoming tour dates. Metal Update KITTIE has drafted Lisa Marx (To See You Broken) as permanent second guitarist. Metal Update SKINLAB has parted ways with drummer Paul Hopkins and guitarist Scott Sergeant. Metal Update BAL-SAGOTH drummer Dave Mackintosh has left to concentrate full time on his other musical projects - Wacken 2004 will be Dave's final performance with the band - the recruitment process for a new sticksman will begin shortly Bassist Ted Lundin has replaced Janne "Goat" Tillman in ISENGARD. Metal Update Cesar Vallejo (rhythm & bass guitar) has left OBLITERATION to focus on other occupations. Metal Update COLD BLOOD INDUSTRIES has decided to stop signing and releasing bands and focus on atmospheric and gothic metal sub label Ebony Tears - mailorder will continue through the Cold Blood Industries website. Metal Update VINNY APPICE, the drummer, has enlisted guitarist and former Dio bandmate Tracy G to collaborate with him on his new project. Metal Update A former Moonlite BunnyRanch prostitute has filed a lawsuit against Vince Neil, MOTLEY CRUE, seeking unspecified damages of at least $20,000 for lost wages and other costs stemming from a 2003 incident in which Neil allegedly assaulted her when she and another prostitute refused to have sex with him until he paid $4,000 for each woman - Neil pleaded no contest earlier this month to misdemeanor battery in the incident. Metal Update Varg Vikernes, BURZUM, has had an additional 14 months added to his sentence as a result of charges for car theft and possession of a weapon while he was out of jail on furlough last year. Metal Update Former SOILENT GREEN bassist Scott Williams was shot and killed by his roommate who then turned the gun on himself. Metal Update SHADOWS FALL enrich With Full Force and Pressure Festival! Great news from the SHADOWS FALL camp: While and after completing their upcoming European tour with Chimaira, Killswitch Engage and labelmates GOD FORBID they will attend Pressure Festival (Gelsenkirchen, Germanny, June 25th-27th) and With Full Force Festival (nearby Leipzig, Germany, July 2nd-4th). The band is currently working on the follow-up album to “The Act Of Balance” and already finished the two songs “The Power Of I” and “Enlightened By The Cold“. Brian Fair (vocals) further describes the new material: “We are all incredibly stoked on the new songs. This record covers so much ground without stepping outside of the sound we have always crafted. Some tunes are full on brutality, some are all out thrash fests and some have such a Rock’n'Roll vibe that they would make Guns N' Roses proud. This record is definitely not ‘The Art Of Balance’ part two!”. While working on their new album, SHADOWS FALL are about to finish the first video-DVD in the band’s history, named „The Art Of Touring: Drunk And Shitty In Every City“, which can be expected to be in stores end of the year. Every fan – and those about to be – click on their German fansite: http://www.shadowsfall.de http://www.withfullforce.de http://www.pressurefestival.com http://www.shadowsfall.com FEAR FACTORY Ignites America with Billboard Top 40 Debut! Archetype Premieres at #30 on First Week Charts Band Continues Rampaging Trek Across Nation on Jagermeister Tour with Slipknot Like a gale force, Los Angeles’s FEAR FACTORY has returned and made an indelible score in the minds and hearts of America. After a near disintegration last year, FEAR FACTORY regrouped, and entered 2004 strengthened and reinvigorated. This new hunger led the band to create one of its most remarkable efforts of their careers, the Liquid 8 Records debut Archetype, which has just debuted on the Billboard Top 200 Sales Chart at #30. Selling in excess of 31,000 units in its first week, FEAR FACTORY has been bringing its message of resilience throughout the spring on the Jagermeister Tour with Slipknot and Chimaira. Drummer and founding member Raymond Herrera is energized by the news of the progress: "This is a very exciting time for us; we have our fans to thank for their support and Liquid 8 Records to thank for their hard work and trust." Through a multi-pronged promotional effort, the band has achieved widespread awareness, which amplifies daily. The initial press run of Archetype includes one limited edition bonus DVD with every CD, and comes in two variations: one containing Australian Tour w/ Korn, 2004, a live concert, and the other offering Fear Factory Documentary: The Making Of Archetype. In addition to this, random Archetype CDs contain a special promotional ticket with a 9-digit bonus code, which directs fans to www.liquid8records.com to access exclusive bonus content online, and to register their code to see if they won a ‘Golden Ticket’. The ‘Golden Ticket’ winner will receive a trip for two anywhere in the continental US to see Fear Factory perform live and to meet the band. Thus far, ticket submissions have been overwhelming. A remix version of the song “Archetype” is featured not only in the Sony PlayStation game NFL Gameday 2004, but also on the Galerians: Rion CD soundtrack & DVD movie (a computer-animated film based on the popular Sony PlayStation videogame, which was release April 6th through Image Entertainment), as well as the soundtrack for the fourth film in the Mischief street-racing film series Mischief Invasion. Drummer Raymond Herrera and guitarist Christian Olde-Wolbers composed four additional songs that are featured on the soundtrack as well. Archetype’s debut video “Cyberwaste” is currently #4 on CVC Rock/Alternative Chart for the month of May, and is in recurrent rotation on Fuse TV’s Uranium and MTV2’s Headbangers Ball programs. FEAR FACTORY recently co-hosted an episode of Headbangers Ball, which aired on April 24th and April 27th. They will be spotlighted on Fuse’s Uranium in June. The band also filmed a superb episode of the videogame-playing-centric Players program, which will premiere on G4 Television on Monday, May 3rd at 10:30pm EST/7:30pm PST. FEAR FACTORY’s radio success has been nothing short of phenomenal, with the new single “Archetype” already added to WJXQ (Lansing), WBYR (Ft Wayne), KSRX (San Antonio), KRPX (Corpus Cristi), WKOZ (Saginaw), WRIF (Detroit) and many others. The previous single “Cyberwaste” currently yields the #1 spot on CMJ Crucial Spins, #2 on CMJ Loud, #2 at FMQB and #4 at R&R Specialty. Press has also become enthralled with the technical/organic fury of Archetype. Computer Games Magazine: Now Playing says, "Fear Factory is at its productive best." FHM Magazine attests that the return is "Heavier than ever!" Metal Edge Magazine cites it as "One of the most important albums of the year." And Revolver Magazine calls it "Raw and ripping." Archetype’s debut success echoes throughout Europe as well. In Germany the album entered at #27, in Holland #52, in France #50, in the UK #41, and in Australia the record achieved #18 on the sales chart. Michael Catain, CEO of Liquid 8 Records & Entertainment enthuses on the motivation of the FEAR FACTORY project: “I knew after meeting these guys that they had the ability to put together a fantastic record. They delivered what I believe is their finest endeavor ever. The record has given me the ability to introduce the band to a realm of radio exposure where they previously were not granted the opportunity. I believe in this band so much that we are looking at the possibility of giving them a label deal to bring in other acts to enhance the freshness and diversity that has made Liquid 8 what it is today.” Following the conclusion of the Jagermeister Tour, FEAR FACTORY is headed to Europe to light up the major festival circuit and then return to America for a complete tour beginning in July. www.fearfactory.com ETERNAL FLIGHT work with Geoffrey Gillespie for the cover-art! Our recent signing, French progressive power metallers ETERNAL FLIGHT are actually recording the songs that will be part of their debut album (cruz7). The band has almost completed their work in the studio, with a special guest on drums: Arnaud Corbaty of Alkemyst (courtesy of Nuclear Blast GMBH) played on 4 out of 10 tracks. But the real big news regards the cover-art for which ETERNAL FLIGHT have had the pleasure to work with Geoffrey Gillespie, the Irish gentleman responsible (in an almost exclusive way) of Doro/Warlock artworks! Their album, by the not yet confirmed title of “Positive Rage” shall see the light in mid October 2004, will be mastered at New Sin Studio by Luigi Stefanini. THE BLANK THEORY will begin recording their second record on Monday, May 10 at NRG Studios in Los Angeles with producers Ben Moody (Evanescence) and Jay Baumgardner (Godsmack, Hoobastank). TBT will be recording 3 songs initially, then returning to the studio in late May or June to complete the record. They plan to release two of the new songs on a limited-edition CD sampler in early June. N E W L I N E A word from the band: We've been getting a lot of questions over the last few months about what's going on with our label situation. The staff at New Line Records are amazing people and great friends of ours. Unfortunately for us, 'Beyond the Calm' was the first rock record they put out. As our record was coming out they were still working out the kinks of being a new label. It became too agonizing for us to be on tour all year long and never find our record in any record stores across the country. We also shared two completely different philosophies when it came to touring and promotions. Those differences are what ultimately led to our request to be released from our contract. Based on our relationship with them, they were very supportive and helpful with the whole transition. So for every person who ever told us "I went to three different record stores and couldnt find your CD" (and there are ALOT of you out there), we're going to make sure you can find the next one. So which label is going to be putting out the next record? Well, we've been talking seriously with several labels. We're going to Los Angeles to record the first 3 songs of the record with Ben Moody and Jay Baumgardner next week. At the end of the week, there is a listening party for all the record labels. From there we'll decide who seems to be the right fit for us. We'll be sharing more info and some new songs with all of you soon. Much love. -TBT http://www.blanktheory.com

May 18th, 2004	The final mix for the new DREAM OR NIGHTMARE CD (which will be titled "Light Burning Bright till the Dawn") is close to completion. Jim Arnold (who's producing the CD) is currently going over the fine details of the mix and all the sounds. It's a time consuming process because we want to be sure that all of our friends/fans who purchase the disc as well as our contacts who review the material get the very best that we can produce. I'll be in touch as soon as the final mix is finished and sent off to be mastered. The artwork for the CD is coming out excellent. Barring any unforeseen problems with the printing process, the packaging is going to be very cool as all the computer graphics look great!!!!! KITTIE ANNOUNCES NEW SECOND GUITARIST LONDON, Ontario – Kittie has recruited guitarist Lisa Marx, formerly of the Seattle hardcore band To See You Broken, to join the band permanently as a second guitarist. “Lisa brings a wide-eyed excitement that really shows this is all she has ever wanted to do,” said vocalist/guitarist Morgan Lander. “She has been playing piano and guitar for years, and has tons of touring experience. She’s the kind of person who isn’t going to back down or quit.” Kittie began the huge undertaking of finding a guitar player while working on their latest album, “Until the End.” Marx, who the girls had met at a Seattle-area Kittie show, immediately came to mind. She was invited, along with a handful of other male and female prospects, to the recording studio and the band’s hometown to jam. “We were looking for someone really solid and with something to offer, someone who could hear something and play it right off the bat,” said bassist Jennifer Arroyo. “I knew she was the one because she was very down to earth, friendly, and was a really solid player.” “We are all on the same page when it comes to everything, and that really drew me to her,” Lander said. “Not to mention her guitar playing and her ability to learn things very quickly. She pretty much learned half the album in a few hours!” Kittie has been rehearsing with Marx in preparation for a tour in support of “Until the End.” “So far, being in the band is so amazing,” Marx said. “I'm really excited I've been given this opportunity, and can't wait to rock the world!” Marx replaces Jeff Phillips, the band’s former guitar tech turned tour guitarist, who is concentrating on his own band, Thine Eyes Bleed. “Jeff helped us out at a time when we had no one else to turn to,” Lander said. “Over the years, Jeff has become like a brother to all of us, and we have all grown up together both musically and personally. We wish him all the best of luck with his new endeavors, as he is a great person and an amazing and talented guitar player.” “Until the End” is scheduled for a summer release on Artemis Records. www.kittierocks.com News from Galy Records We are proud to announce that we have signed the cult band ANHKREHG. These combatants of War Metal will disembark at the Galy Records military base in August with their new weapon of mass destruction entitled Against You All¼ The album was produced by general Jean-Fancois Dagenais at the Wild Studio military college (located in St-Zenon, Quebec, Canada). Against You All¼ contains an arsenal of 10 bombs that will explode as soon as you press PLAY on your CD player. Anhkrehg has been active on the war fields for already 10 years. The band has gone through though times along its way (controversy, jail time and soldiers lost in combat) and was a victim of war crimes (rumors and false allegations). Now armed with a new arsenal and strategic plan, Khayr (vocals, bass and chemical weapons), Blacknight (guitar and biological weapons) and Infurya (drums and nuclear weapons) are determined to no longer fall in combat. The Anhkrehg squadron goes to war this time against its own country, Canada¼ The attack will start on August 2nd. Prepare yourself for merciless musical terrorism. Web: http://www.anhkrehg.com THINE EYES BLEED BEGIN RECORDING DEBUT ALBUM LONDON, Ontario – Thine Eyes Bleed, the new metal band featuring former Kittie tour guitarist Jeff Phillips, is in the process of recording its debut album at Metalworks Studios in Ontario, Canada. The group - which also features vocalist Justin Wolfe and bassist Luke Husband of the band Acacia, and guitarist Dave Newell and drummer Darryl Stephens – began as a side project but eventually took on a life so large that Phillips decided to concentrate solely on Thine Eyes Bleed. The aim of Thine Eyes Bleed is simple: to create the most brutal, heavy, and aggressive metal band possible. “We are a band that bridges different styles of metal, ranging from fast blistering thrash to low driving dirges, creating on overall catchy and melodic sound,” said Wolfe. The yet-untitled album will be released by independent label Kiss of Infamy Records this summer. “We couldn't be happier with the way things have come together,” Wolfe said. “It will give us the freedom to do what we want and keep our options open, and we will be able to tour on our debut.” Thine Eyes Bleed will work on a video immediately after recording, and then hit the road for its first tour. The band will sharpen its live chops with a couple of update New York performances opening for Superjoint Ritual in the coming weeks. http://www.thineeyesbleed.com/ BAND SUES MILWAUKEE METALFEST XVIII PROMOTER MILWAUKEE, WI - The promoter for Milwaukee Metalfest XVIII, John C. Koshick, doing business as, Jack Koshick Presents, was served court papers from the band Hell On Earth on Monday, April 19. Hell On Earth hired a processor to hunt him down and serve him, 1300 miles away, as Koshick had avoided being served earlier in Florida by Pinellas County Deputies. Hell On Earth sued Koshick in response to the promoter breaching the band's contract. A representative for the band said, "Hell On Earth will have their day in court and Jack Koshick will be made an example of." Koshick's deplorable business tactics are documented in the JACK KOSHICK METALFEST HALL OF SHAME, located in the NEWS page of www.hellonearth.net. A STATEMENT FROM “GREAT WHITE” ON THE NEW RELEASE FROM DEADLINE / CLEOPATRA RECORDS Hollywood, CA (April 27, 2004) – Today we were horrified to discover that once again another record company has attempted to profit on the horrible tragedy of February 20th , 2003. Deadline / Cleopatra Records have planned to release a double record called Double Dose on May 11th with a burning shark on the cover. This is a reprehensible and deplorable act for the sole purpose of financial gain. Great White is disgusted by the cover, and certainly did not approve it or the album's release. This practice of repackaging for profit will not be tolerated. The disgusting and vile album cover is a disgrace. We are demanding the immediate cancellation of this release and are taking all legal avenues available to stop it. We are contacting Navarre distribution as well as Deadline Records today. -Great White HIRAX'S LIGHTNING FAST RECORDING SESSION YIELDS "THE NEW AGE OF TERROR" LOS ANGELES - Thrash metal veterans HIRAX recorded and mixed their latest studio album, "The New Age of Terror," in an incredible nine days of marathon sessions. The record will be released May 18 on Black Devil Records and Deep Six Records on CD and limited edition picture disc formats. Upon hearing the raw tracks, which were recorded at another studio, producer Michael Rozon (Melvins, Adrenaline OD) and the band decided the quality wasn’t up to HIRAX’s standards. Rozon offered to re-record all of the tracks at his studio, Speed Semen Clove Factory, in North Hollywood, Calif. HIRAX decided to accept Rozon’s offer and entered his studio to record the 11 songs over again, even though it meant pushing back their original release date of late February. "We only had four days to record and mixing and mastering was another five days," vocalist Katon W. De Pena said. “We just didn’t have the luxury of spending a month or two in the studio. We were recording 12 hours a day. The record needs to be available to the fans in time for our upcoming tour." "The band was very admirable in having the guts to listen to me when I heard the basic tracks and suggested that we re-cut the entire album," producer Rozon said. "A lot of people don’t have the will to go back and redo the whole thing again, but HIRAX did." Although the recording session was extremely fast, HIRAX did not stray from the strict standards and ultra-tight musicianship they are known for. "We practiced for two weeks and then went straight into the studio," said De Pena. "HIRAX also did a lot of pre-production to make things run smoother. Michael (Rozon) knew how to get the best out of us. He made us work 100 percent on every song." "I made sure they nailed everything so that the production would be tight and powerful," said Rozon. "Definitely one of the fastest records I’ve ever done, but we were all on the same page from the get go. There weren't any conflicts about what we were going to do." "The New Age of Terror" was recorded the old school way on two-inch tape using 24-track studio analog. "We would never do anything on record that we couldn’t reproduce live," De Pena said. "What you hear is what you get. We believe in playing heavy metal/thrash metal with roots." The band’s session with Rozon has resulted in their most powerful recording to date. HIRAX is a machine when it comes to creating music - Katon W. De Pena's vocal dynamics, guitarists Glenn Rogers and Dave Watson's razor-sharp riffing and out-of-control solos, Jorge Iacobellis' powerful machine gun drum attac,k and Angelo Espino's thundering bass, grasping the rhythm tightly. "The New Age of Terror" is an exciting amalgamation of the thrash style on HIRAX’s mid-‘80s Metal Blade releases "Raging Violence" and "Hate, Fear and Power" combined with a powerful, technical edge. The title track, “The New Age of Terror,” was written with two themes in mind. "There was a music journalist who described our sound as being ‘The New Age of Terror,’” De Pena said. "All of the wars that are going on in this world over oil and religion inspired the lyrics as well. As soon as I heard the main riff that Glenn came up with, I had the idea for the song." HIRAX will begin a tour for "The New Age of Terror" in late April with festival appearances in California, Illinois, Sweden, and two festivals in Germany. The band will also play Italy, Belgium, and Holland this summer. U.S. and Japanese tours are in the works. "The New Age of Terror" track listing: 1. Kill Switch 2. Hostile Territory 3. The New Age of Terror 4. Swords of Steel 5. Into the Ruins 6. Massacre of the Innocent 7. Hell on Earth 8. Suffer 9. El Dia de los Muertos (The Day of the Dead) 10. El Diablo Negro 11. Unleash the Dogs of War (Open the Gates) Tour dates are as follow: 06/12/04 Sat. Sweden Rock Festival, Solvesborg, Sweden 06/19/04 Sat. John McLaren Park Amphitheatre, San Francisco, CA (Tidal Wave 666 Festival) 07/10/04 Sat. Headbangers Open Air Festival, Germany 07/24/04 Sat. Metal Bash Open Air Festival, Germany www.hirax.org JOE SATRIANI SETS SUMMER TOUR WITH DEEP PURPLE G3 Live DVD Goes Gold Is There Love In Space? In Stores Now (Venice, CA) - Fresh off the heels of his latest release, Is There Love In Space?, guitar legend, Joe Satriani announces his Summer tour plans. Joining Deep Purple and Thin Lizzy, Satriani will perform his rockin' live show across the U.S. starting August 13 in Gilford, NH and ending September 10 in Seattle, WA. Before setting out on his nationwide trek, Satriani will join fellow G3 veteran, Steve Vai, for a European G3 jaunt, adding Robert Fripp to round out the trio. Satriani's 11th solo album, Is There Love In Space?, was released on April 13, 2004 and features the performer's core trio of Matt Bissonette on bass and Jeff Campitelli behind the drums. The 11 diverse cuts on the album range from the pulsating, brash opener GNAAHH, to the drop-tuned menace of Hands in the Air to the poignant ballad Just Look Up. Yet all of the tracks are unified by Satriani's love of old-school hard rock. On the day of release for Is There Love in Space?, Satriani set out on a U.S. promotional tour making special in-store appearances including, for the first time ever, a live performance at each stop. Each appearance drew from 500-1000 fans who were not only able to get an up-close-and-personal look at the virtuoso perform live, but were also able to meet him afterwards to get an autograph. Receiving rave reviews from the press for his new album, Satriani was also the subject of an in-depth look at his long career by his hometown paper, The San Francisco Chronicle. ...Is There Love In Space?, catches Satriani in rip-snorting improvisational rides, laying searing, stinging leads over thick, grinding rhythm parts. --Joel Selvin, SF Chronicle, April 13, 2004 You'll be singing along to Satch's old-school hard rock even when there are no words. --Josh Bell, Las Vegas Weekly, April 8, 2004 With a staggering 13 Grammy nominations, 11 solo albums to his credit and over 10 million copies of his albums sold worldwide, Joe Satriani has achieved huge success in his nearly 20 year career. In addition, this past year has seen a number of releases from the always-prolific guitarist. Is There Love In Space? debuted at #80 on the Billboard Top 200 chart with over 12,000 in sales the first week. The live album and DVD from last years successful G3 TOUR was released on February 24th with the DVD hitting #5 on the Billboard sales chart and has since been certified Gold. In addition, Sony/Legacy released the 2 CD greatest hits album called "The Electric Joe Satriani - An Anthology" late last year. DATE - VENUE - CITY Fri 8/13 - Meadowbrook Farms - Gilford, NH Sat 8/14 - FleetBoston Pavilion - Boston, MA Sun 8/15 - Jones Beach Amphitheatre - Wantagh, NY Tue 8/17 - Saratoga Performing Arts Center - Saratoga Springs, NY Wed 8/18 - PNC Bank Arts Center - Holmdel, NJ Fri 8/20 - Erie County Fairgrounds - Hamburg, NY Sat 8/21 - Molson Amphitheatre - Toronto, ONT Mon 8/23 - Marcus Amphitheatre - Milwaukee, WI Wed 8/25 - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - Kansas City, MO Fri 8/27 - Verizon Amphitheatre - San Antonio, TX Sat 8/28 - Cynthia Woods Pavilion - Houston, TX Sun 8/29 - Smirnoff Music Centre - Dallas, TX Tue 8/31 - Universal Lending Pavilion - Denver, CO Thurs 9/2 - Reno Hilton Pavilion - Reno, NV Sat 9/4 - Greek Theater - Los Angeles, CA Sun 9/5 - Sleep Train Amphitheatre - Marysville, CA Mon 9/6 - Chronicle Pavilion - Concord, CA Thurs 9/9 - The Amphitheater at Clark County - Ridgefield, WA Fri 9/10 - White River Amphitheatre - Seattle, WA

May 12th, 2004	THE VISION BLEAK Horror with an exclusive line-up "A Symphony Of Horror performed by THE VISION BLEAK and the Shadow Philharmonics feat. Letzte Instanz" - this is the title of an exclusive performance THE VISION BLEAK are going to stage on July 4, 2004. On this occasion, the Captains of the Death-ship will be accompanied by the Shadow Philharmonics-a string ensemble and classical singers, among them Thomas Helm (EMPYRIUM)-as well as by members of the band Letzte Instanz. This performance will be part of this year's With Full Force Open Air festival. THE VISION BLEAK will play the festival's last gig after highlights such as Slipknot, Dimmu Borgir, Monster Magnet, and Tiamat. Sven Borges, promoter of the With Full Force festival, is very impressed by THE VISION BLEAK: "Damn, they are genius. So individual and different, yet hard and gloomy-something new for sure! At With Full Force, their Symphony of Horror will definitely be at the right place!" www.the-vision-bleak.de New ELEND album in autumn ELEND are currently finishing the production of their forthcoming album "Sunwar the Dead", scheduled for release through Prophecy Productions in September 2004. The album will be the second part of a 5-album cycle. In contrast to the transitional work "Winds Devouring Men" (the prologue to this cycle released in 2003), the pieces of music featured on "Sunwar the Dead" are the fastest and most violent ones ever written by the composers. For the first time Elend have recorded with a complete classical ensemble featuring strings, brass, woodwinds, orchestral percussion and female choir. OF THE WAND AND THE MOON-Algiz/Hagalaz box-set soon to be released The production of OF THE WAND AND THE MOON's "Algiz/Hagalaz" box-set is in its finishing stage. Apart from the vinyl re-release of their first three records, this box-set contains two additional new CDs by this outstanding Danish group. Vinyl: "Nighttime Nightrhymes"-for the first time on vinyl; ":Emptiness:Emptiness:Emptiness:"-for the first time on vinyl; "Lucifer"-for the first time on vinyl. All these records will be pressed on heavy-weight vinyl exclusively for this collection. CDs: "Algiz", containing rare and unreleased tracks from 1998 to 2003; "Hagalaz" live CD, featuring recordings from the band's 2002 concerts in Vienna (Hau Ruck! Festival) and Magnifiosi, The Netherlands. Both CDs will be presented in a gorgeous Digipak and are exclusively available in this box-set only. The three vinyl albums and the two CDs will come in a specially manufactured box. SECRETS OF THE MOON - new album will be released at 26th April "Unique, occult and intensive - SECRETS OF THE MOON have created their own world - technical unable to follow for most other bands in their genre, conceptual superior and inimitable. "Carved In Stigmata Wounds" represents a standing climax in the band´s evolution."Carved In Stigmata Wounds" will be released at 26th April as normal Jewel Case CD; as Luxuary edition double CD and as heavy vinyl double album. www.sotm.de 'PRONG' ON HEADLINING U.S.A. TOUR DOG FASHION DISCO, BEYOND THE EMBRACE & ALL THAT REMAINS HOLLYWOOD (April 19, 2004) - Prong is heading out on their US tour in support of their new release "Scorpio Rising" on Locomotive Music Germany. "The new music is similar to Rude Awakening, but maybe even a little more simplistic," says Victor. "This time I started with lyrics, and developed from there, from what I've got going on personally, dealing with this planet Earth. All the songs are about something different, but they’re all about the same thing— Innocence gone. The songs on 'Scorpio Rising' are more like a sequel to Rude Awakening–That was about the craziness of the world, and this is more about how I’m dealing with it…" The current incarnation of Prong includes singer/guitarist/founder Tommy Victor, drummer Dan Laudo and the band also is accompanied by guitarist Monte Pittman, a longtime friend of Victor and an alumnus of Madonna’s recent Drowned World Tour. Prong will be acommpanied on this tour by 'Dog Fashion Disco,' 'Beyond The Embrace' and 'All That Remains.' PRONG TOUR DATES: 04.29.04 Sacramento, CA The Roadhouse 04.30.04 Concord, CA Bourbon Street 05.01.04 Tacoma, WA Hell's Kitchen 05.02.04 Portland, OR Sabala's 05.04.04 Colorado Springs, CO 32 Bleu 05.05.04 Denver, CO Bluebird Theater 05.06.04 Omaha, NE Ranch Bowl 05.07.04 Saint Louis, MO Creepy Crawl 05.08.04 Chicago Heights, IL Oasis One Sixty 05.09.04 Mt. Clemens, MI Hayloft Liquor Stand 05.11.04 Youngstown, OH The Dome 05.12.04 Buffalo, NY Palmeri Day & Night Club 05.13.04 Baltimore, MD Thunderdome 05.14.04 Binghamton, NY New Cheers Pub 05.15.04 Attleboro, MA Jarrod's 05.16.04 Farmingdale, NY Downtown 05.18.04 Jacksonville, NC Planet Rock 05.19.04 TBA 05.20.04 TBA 05.21.04 Columbus, OH Al Rosa Villa 05.22.04 Indianapolis, IN Ultra Violet Arena 05.23.04 Memphis, TN New Daisy Theatre 05.25.04 Houston, TX Meridian 05.26.04 San Antonio, TX Sin 13 05.27.04 Dallas, TX Trees 05.28.04 Wichita, KS The Game 05.30.04 TBA 05.31.04 Boise, ID JD and Friends 06.01.04 Spokane, WA Gatsby's 06.02.04 Seattle, WA Graceland 06.03.04 Eugene, OR WOW Hall 06.04.04 San Francisco, CA The Pound 06.05.04 Los Angeles, CA TBA 'PRONG' RELEASES NEW ALBUM SCORPIO RISING ON LOCOMOTIVE MUSIC GERMANY HOLLYWOOD (April 21, 2004) - Be aware of SCORPIO RISING - the ultimate Prong sound of the new century. This is the definite soundtrack for the year 2004. High quality, totall honesty and absolutely Prong. The current incarnation of Prong includes singer/guitarist/founder Tommy Victor, drummer Dan Laudo and the band also is accompanied by guitarist Monte Pittman, a longtime friend of Victor and an alumnus of Madonna’s recent Drowned World Tour. Prong’s lineup has been very fluid over the years, with Victor being the only constant. He says he initially considered touring under a different moniker. “For a while, I thought, ‘I won’t use this name; Prong is a dead entity,’” he says. “But really it isn’t, because a good 95% of the material has been mine throughout the years, so I figured, ‘Might as well just keep it going.’ There’s people out there that want to hear it, and I owe it to them.” "The new music is similar to Rude Awakening, but maybe even a little more simplistic," says Victor. "This time I started with lyrics, and developed from there, from what I've got going on personally, dealing with this planet Earth. All the songs are about something different, but they’re all about the same thing— Innocence gone. On Rude Awakening, everyone was insane, and I was in that frame of mind. These songs are more like a sequel to Rude Awakening–That was about the craziness of the world, and this is more about how I’m dealing with it…" From the nuclear bomb that graced the cover, to the lyrics that permeated the album, there was a lot of fear on Rude Awakening. The difference now, is that Victor has learned to cope with that fear, and has realized he has no control over it. "Everything fell apart, and that happens with everybody—Someway, somehow, you have to endure and put it all back together again, and that’s what I had to do." DOWNSET NEW RELEASE 'UNIVERSAL' HITS TOP POSITIONS FOR RADIO AIRPLAY 'UNIVERSAL' SCHEDULED TO RELEASE MAY 10TH ON HAWINO RECORDS HOLLYWOOD (April 21st, 2004) - downset. is geared and primed with vigor to return to the top of the amalgamated world they created over a decade ago, and bring it to all. The band just completed 11 blistering new songs, and has been performing sporadically for the long awaited 4th album, "Universal", slated to be released May 10th on Seattle-based Hawino Records. Their reemergence marks the strength and integrity that has been held high in the eyes and ears of fans and believers. Multi-platinum band P.O.D. holds downset. in the highest regards of their chosen music genre. “downset. is original style which demands total respect,” states WUV, drummer of P.O.D. And while their previous efforts have sold close to 300,000 copies worldwide, "Universal" is set to follow suit. Tracks like "Forever", "All Crews", "Black Glock", and "Jumpin' Off", showcase the uncompromising anger and gritty reality that downset. fans have learned to expect. downset. is one of the pioneers of hardcore, punk & hip hop. They are true originals,” exclaims Sonny, singer of P.O.D. The full-length debut album from Norway’s 1349 is one of Candlelight’s formidable highlights for 2003. The album, Liberation, received top honors from the world’s most critical metal/rock publications - including for the US feature coverage in Metal Maniacs, Brave Words Bloody Knuckles, Unrestrained, Anvil (formerly Sounds of Death), Pit and countless others. “Liberation skillfully blends old school black metal with a modern, full-frontal assault of musical hysteria,” said Anvil (formerly Sounds of Death). “A band ripe with promise, thanks to multiple shotgun blasts of chilly, misanthropic atmosphere and old-school black metal teeth-gnashing,” adds All Music Guide. Now in the early months of 2004, 1349 return for another attack - this time the jugular is the prime target. Beyond the Apocalypse once again presents the band’s already respected blackened metal that recalls the true glory of the scene’s early sounds. Fans of Mayhem, Immortal, Gorgoroth and Darkthrone take notice - this is quality and modern black metal for the continuing dark times. Dating to 1997, the band - named for the year the plague hit Norway in the 14th Century - found immediate cult status with the recording and later release of their self-titled mini-album in 2001. Featuring then session drummer Frost (Satyricon), word-of-mouth spread like wildfire regarding the band’s cold and aggressive musical offering. Frost, so impressed with the music and sound of the band, would later ask to become a permanent member. Vocalist Ravn, guitarists Tjalve and Archaon, and bassist Seidemann agreed and 1349 would become complete. Signing to Candlelight in late 2001, the band spent much of 2002 working on Liberation. After release, the band performed numerous dates in support of Gorgoroth and Cadaver (Inc) and performed at profile festivals, including Norway’s Inferno Fest. INSISION complete new album Relentless Death machine INSISION have completed work on their new album 'Revealed and Worshipped' with producer Mieszko Talarczyk (Nasum) at the now notorious Soundlab Studios. Although conceptually based, the album is not some prog-rock epic! Instead the barbaric approach which has served Insision so well in the past is more finely tuned than ever.........cuts set for inclusion when the record is released in July are 'The Foul Smell Of Humans', 'Grotesque Plague Mass' and 'The Ideas Of Revolution'. Following in the steps of like-minded sound torturers Immolation, Cannibal Corpse and Incantation, the new Insision record is 100% pure Death Metal. THE CHASM in the studio New Wicked World signees The Chasm have begun the process of turning their new album into reality at Soto Sound Studios in Illinois....... early indications are that the album will still feature the same epic qualities and references to ancient worlds that have become the bands trademark within the underground. Work continues on the current album. ANATA tour dates Fans in Anata's native Sweden can check out the band live with Malevolent Creation and Dying Fetus in June: 13 GOTHENBURG @ MUSIK HUS 15 UPPSALA @ UNGDOMENS 16 LINKOPING @ SKYLTEN 17 HELSINGBORG @ PIREN http://www.anata.se/ PROGPOWER USA V PRE-PARTY ANNOUNCED ATLANTA – The Eleven50 in Atlanta will host a ProgPower USA V pre-party on Thursday, September 16. The show will feature the North American debut from the Netherlands’ Sun Caged, Outworld (featuring guitar virtuoso Rusty Cooley), and local Atlanta band Halcyon's Way. Further details on the pre-party are available at www.progpowerusa.com. ProgPower USA V will take place the following two days – Friday, September 17 and Saturday, September 18 - at Earthlink Live. The show will be headlined by current and former members of Savatage, uniting for one night only, along with Edguy, Kamelot, Pain of Salvation, Wuthering Heights, Dreamscape, Adagio, Brainstorm, Tad Morose, and Into Eternity. Tickets will go on sale May 1 via all Ticketmaster outlets. Only 900 tickets will be made available to the public once again. Gold Badges (special patron tickets) are already sold-out. Tickets for the 1,500-seat venue have sold out within two weeks for the past two shows. Sabian, Pacific Drums, Evan Drumheads, Planet Waves, Shure Microphones, and D'Addario are sponsoring ProgPower USA V. “The ProgPower fest is the perfect opportunity to showcase an emerging brand like Pacific Drums and Percussion,” said Scott Donnell, Pacific Drums’ Director of Marketing. “Progressive rock/metal players are very serious when it comes to their music and their instrument, and we've really valued the feedback we've received from some of prog metal's finest drummers.” "ProgPower continually brings some of the top prog bands to one of the best festivals around," said Mike Robinson, J. D'Addario's Evans brand manager. "We have been sponsoring ProgPower now for three years and the festival, exposure, and bands keep getting better and better!" www.progpowerusa.com OPENING FOR A NEW MEMBER OF KKC Kitchen::Knife::Conspiracy is looking for a talented guitar player to add to their lineup. This is NOT a replacement, just an additional member to add to the live sound and to give us more possibilities for upcoming songwriting endeavors. Must meet the following qualifications: 1. Must be able to play metal (thrash, hardcore, death metal) 2. Must be dedicated and willing to work 3. Must be between the ages of 21-30 years old 4. Must have GOOD equipment 5. Past band experience, though not a necessity, is a PLUS! If interested, just email KKConspire@aol.com with "2nd guitarist" as a subject header. Thank you. Metal Maniacs MONSTROSITY NEWS As one of the pioneer Florida death metal bands, Monstrosity has a three page spread and interview in the current issue of Metal Maniacs in the U.S. After headling the annual "Rock Al Parque" festival sponsored by the government in Bogota, Columbia, SA in October with 80,000 in attendance, Monstrosity heads to Europe for three weeks. Metal Blade Europe has just released their album Rise To Power and European fans are anxious to see these mighty metallers again Encore Records, Brazil has recently licensed Monstrosity's new album and the release date is May 1. LEGACY Magazine presents MONSTROSITY (USA) & DARK DISCIPLE (USA) Tour 2004 01.05.04 D-Zwickau, BPM Club 02.05.04 D-Berlin, Halford 03.05.04 D-Hamburg, Markthalle 04.05.04 D-Frankfurt, Nachtleben 05.05.04 D-MÃ1⁄4nchen, Garage 06.05.04 B-Gent, The Frontline 07.05.04 NL-Katwijk, Scum 08.05.04 NL-Arnhem, Goudvishal 09.05.04 D-Stuttgart, RÃhre 10.05.04 D-MÃnster bei Darmstadt, Live Arena 11.05.04 D-Essen, Zeche Carl 12.05.04 D-Heidelberg, Schwimmbad Musikclub 13.05.04 A-Innsbruck, Hafen 14.05.04 I-Bergamo, Motion 15.05.04 F-Marseille, CC Mirabeau 16.05.04 F-Nancy, Azimut 854 17.05.04 F-Paris, La Locomotive 19.05.04 SLO-Ljubljana, Metalkova 20.05.04 SK-Bratislava, Galaria Duna 21.05.04 A-Graz, Orpheum 22.05.04 CZ-Ceske Budejovice, Mo-Do Club Metal Maniacs SHADOWS FALL NEWS The dynamic thrash metal quintet SHADOWS FALL will embark on a national U.S. headlining tour this summer in preparation for their highly anticipated fourth full-length release. The trek, dubbed the Strhess Tour, will also feature As I Lay Dying, Himsa and Remembering Never. Be sure to check out the tour's official website, www.strhesstour.com, for all dates and current news. SHADOWS FALL just entered Planet Z Studios (Hatebreed) to track the follow up to 2002's highly acclaimed The Art of Balance. The group's first ever DVD, The Art Of Touring: Drunk And Shitty In Every City, compiled by Zach Merck (director of the "Destroyer Of Sense" and "Idiot Box" videos), is now complete. Look for the DVD to hit stores this summer and for the new album in the early fall. Brian Fair (vocals) further describes the group's new material and excitement over the upcoming tour, "What's happenin' everyone? Lots going down in the SHADOWS FALL camp these days. Last weekend we had our first shows in over four months, which for us felt like an eternity. Every show was incredible and it felt amazing to be back onstage with the boys, back where we belong. Thanks to all who came out to show their support. We busted out two new tunes, 'The Power Of I' and 'Enlightened By The Cold,' along with the title track from The Art Of Balance for the first time ever. Gotta love the power ballads baby. After we got home from the weekend, we loaded our gear into Planet Z to begin tracking the new album. Jason (drums) was first up and he once again blew all of our minds by nailing multiple takes of seven songs in one day. The man is a machine. His performance this weekend will hopefully set the pace for the entire recording process so we can get it out to the public ASAP. We are all incredibly stoked on the new songs. This record covers so much ground without stepping outside of the sound we have always crafted. Some tunes are full on brutality, some are all out thrash fests and some have such a rock n' roll vibe that they would make Guns N' Roses proud. All of this combines to what we believe is our best work to date. This record is definitely not The Art Of Balance part two. We have always prided ourselves on continual evolution and try to push our sound into new worlds. There is no reason to repeat ourselves or go backwards. This band is all about moving forward and throwing a few surprises at the listeners to keep it fun and exciting. We are also currently in the editing stages of our first ever DVD, the soon to be infamous The Art Of Touring: Drunk And Shitty In Every City. Our good friend Zach Merck is helping us sift through hundreds of hours of video tape to get the most ridiculous and obnoxious footage we can find from the last few years on the road. Expect many guest appearances from our drunken asshole friends and lots of random mayhem. We want to give the fans a quick peek into the world of idiocy that is SHADOWS FALL on tour. We will also be including lots of live footage, all the videos from The Art Of Balance and a few rare treats for all of the kiddies out there. After we wrap up the recording of the new record, we will be hoping on a plane and heading to Europe with our good friends in Killswitch Engage, Chimaira and God Forbid as part of the New Wave Of American Metal Tour. To say we are excited by this bill is quite the understatement. Once we return from Europe, we will be heading right back on the road for our first headlining tour since last December. Our good friends from Strhess Clothing, the new clothing line from renowned artist Derek Hess, have jumped on board to endorse the tour making it the Strhess Tour. We will be joined on the road by As I Lay Dying, Himsa and Remembering Never and will be hitting a lot of markets that we have either never been to or have not been to in a long time. That is the whole point of this run - to spread the metal to those cities and states that get left off of most tours. So come on out and party down." www.centurymedia.com Metal Maniacs Season of Mist sign Tsjuder and Esoteric - Having released two albums through Drakkar Productions, TSJUDER now sign to Season of Mist. The Norwegian Black Metal band will record their third album in July 2004. This album will be entitled Desert Northern Hell and be released this fall. www.tsjuder.com Metal Maniacs After months of negotiation with several labels, ESOTERIC have signed to Season of Mist. The fourth album Subconscious Dissolution into the Continuum is scheduled for worldwide release on June 28th 2004, except in the USA and Canada where the album sees light on July 27th. www.bereft.co.uk HIGH TIMES RECORDS RELEASES, HIGH VOLUME: THE STONER ROCK COLLECTION, FEATURING THE GENRE'S PREMIERE ARTISTS INCLUDING NEBULA, CORRIOSION OF CONFORMITY, CLUTCH, WINO (THE HIDDEN HAND), HIGH ON FIRE AND UNIDA New York, NY - High Times Records announces the release of the label's first foray into the stoner rock genre. High Volume: The Stoner Rock Collection will hit streets on June 8, 2004. The label is distributed by Caroline in the U.S. Radio promotion is being handled by Heavy Hitter Inc. (www.heavyhitterinc.com) and an indie street marketing team will be engaged to help promote the release. High Volume: The Stoner Rock Collection features artists that have defined the term "stoner rock" including Nebula, Unida (featuring John Garcia of Kyuss), The Formula (featuring Ed Mundell of Monster Magnet) and High on Fire (featuring members of Sleep). High Times supports the use of marijuana as an inspirational tool for artists. And many of the artists on the compilation extol the benefits of its use. Wino (St. Vitus, The Obsessed, Spirit Caravan and most recently on Dave Grohl's PROBOT album) from The Hidden Hand explains that "there definitely is a 'creative enhancement' aspect to smoking pot. It changes your mood, your state of mind....you could be feeling bla and then you burn one and the first thing you feel like doing is grabbing your guitar!" Bobby Black, who holds a position at both High Times magazine and the record label, began approaching bands to become a part of this compilation in 2002. "When I first put out the word that High Times Records wanted to do a stoner rock compilation the response was overwhelming." Black explains. "I was flooded with calls from bands all over the world who wanted to be involved. I think this lineup not only showcases the top talent in the genre, but also the full spectrum of styles associated with this scene. Fom the doomiest to the spaciest, from the rawest to the trippiest-it's all here." High Times Records is based in New York, NY. Visit the label and the bands online at www.hightimesrecords.net/highvolume

May 11th, 2004	METAL MANIACS PRESENTS: KATAKLYSM with MISERY INDEX, CANNAE, THROUGH THE DISCIPLINE May 1 - Worcester, MA - Palladium - NE Metal and Hardcore Fest May 2 - Cleveland, OH - Agora May 3 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave May 5 - St. Paul, MN - The Lab May 6 - Fargo, ND - Playmaker's Player's Room (new venue) May 8 - Salt Lake City, UT - Lo-Fi Cafe May 9 - Boise, ID - J.D. & Friends (w/ Pissing Razors, Disgorge) May 10 - Seattle, WA - Graceland May 11 - Portland, OR - Conans May 12 - San Francisco, CA - The Pound (w/ Animosity) May 13 - Corona, CA - Showcase Theatre May 15 - San Diego, CA - Epicentre (w/ Disgorge) May 16 - Phoenix, AZ - Mason Jar (w/ 25 ta Life, Bound for Blood, Northside Kings) May 18 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Conservatory May 19 - San Antonio, TX - Sin-13 May 20 - Metairie, LA - Zeppelin's May 21 - Tampa, FL - Brass Mug May 23 - Nashville, TN - The Muse May 24 - Chicago, IL - Bottom Lounge (rescheduled from May 4) May 26 - Baltimore, MD - Ottobar May 27 - New York, NY - Downtime - w/ Exhumed, Uphill Battle, Profanity (no Cannae, TTD) May 28 - Syracuse, NY - Planet 505 May 30 - Baltimore, MD - Thunderdome - Maryland Death Fest June 16 - Reykjavik, Iceland - Grandrokk June 17 - Reykjavik, Iceland - (w/ Shai Hulud) June 18 - Rotterdam, Netherlands - Baroeg June 20 - Tilburg, Netherlands - 013 June 27 - Le Mans, France - Furyfest July 1 - Wermelskirchen, Germany - AJZ Bahndamm July 2 - Zofingen, Switzerland - Ox Aug. 6 - Wacken, Germany - Wacken Fest Aug. 12- 14 - Bad Berka, Germany - Party.San Fest Metal Maniacs THE BERAVED have changed their name to ALTERED AEON. Their album Dispiritism which is recorded and mixed will be released this coming June. The full tracklisting is "Dispirited Chambers," "Oath to Endure," "Patriots of Sin (aeturnum essentia)," "Behind the Lodge Door," "Carpe Noctem," "Desensitizer," "Dreamscape Domain," "Light Creates Shadows," "Transcendence Duology," "The Resonance of Form in Transition" plus two bonus tracks for licenses! Metal Maniacs THE DUSKFALL's guitar player Joachim has decided to leave the band. A session replacement fixed already for the upcoming gigs: Lars Lofven from DEFLESHED. Do not miss the gigs of this great band! Watch this space for more. Metal Maniacs Greek MetalCore veterans OLETHRIO RIGMA are almost done with the recordings of their new album (out in June). The album is called Terror Of Power and the full tracklisting is (freely translated from Greek): "Murdere," "Fire," "The Lie," "Betrayal," "Iraq Time Zero," "The Fans," "Cut Off From The World," "Terror Of Power" and "Shitworld." Metal Maniacs When you read this SATARIEL are currently busy recording their upcoming album Hydra in Dug-out Studios with producer Daniel Bergstrand (known for his work with In Flames, The Duskfall etc.). The band promises an amazing album. Metal Maniacs OPPOSITE SIDES, a project made up of three HORTUS ANIMAE members (MARTYR LUCIFER, S.B. HYPNOS and AMON) together with ex-member Arke and Stefano Franchini from the death metal band ENTITY, have finished the recording and mixing of the The Eclipse Of Existence EP. Technical death/black metal in the vein of Pestilence, Death, Atheist, Cynic and Arch Enemy, but more straight and with a more modern view for extreme metal. www.oppositesides.com Metal Maniacs HORTUS ANIMAE's drummer GROM has recorded the drums for AMON 418's one man band called HATE PROFILE. This work of particular and grim black metal will be completed in the coming months with AMON taking care of all the other instruments. Metal Maniacs 2000 DECIBEL FEST The festival that supports Swedish Metal We can now present the last band for this year's 2000 Decibel-festival, which will be held May 21st and 22nd in Bengtsfors, Sweden (North of Gothenburg). Dark Tranquillity will have the honour to end our fifth anniversary festival. We feel that this year's lineup is the strongest in the history of 2000 Decibel. The following bands are confirmed: Cans (who makes their live premier in Bengtsfors!), The Haunted, Hypocrisy, Dark Tranquillity, Pain Of Salvation, Vintersorg, Ablaze My Sorrow, Amaran, Arise, Astral Doors, Beseech, Beyond, Count Raven, Draconian, Electric Earth, God Among Insects, Gorefight, Grand Magus, Ironware, Lefay, Merciless, Morifade, Naglfar, Notre Dame, Persuader, Repulse, Shattered, Shiftlight, Silent Scythe, Sovereign, Syconaut, Tad Morose, The Generals, Trendkill and Wolf. 2000 Decibel is the only festival that is totally dedicated to Swedish Metal. The previous festivals have gained a lot of attention from all over the world, with visitors from as far away as New Zeeland, Canada, USA and Mexico. The Swedish Metal scene has never been better or more interesting so it is definitely a winning formula. This year we expect more foreign visitors than ever before! For more information visit our homepage: www.mfdecibel.com Metal Maniacs SUFFOCATION COMPLETE WORK ON NEW VIDEO Relapse Records recording artists SUFFOCATION have completed work on the first music video from their forthcoming new album, Souls to Deny. The video, for the song "Surgery of Impalement", was filmed at Philadelphia's Eastern State Penitentiary and features the band (vocalist Frank Mullen, drummer Mike Smith, guitarists Terrance Hobbs and Guy Marchais and bassist Derek Boyer) performing live in various locations in and around the prison's locale. Still images from the video, which is expected to make its world premier in the immediate future, can be viewed at this location: http://www.relapse.com/preview/suffocationvideo.jpg. Eastern State Penitentiary, which no longer houses inmates and is now a historical site, was built in 1829. Eastern State is known previously for having held notorious gangster Al Capone, and was featured in the 1995 motion picture Twelve Monkeys. SUFFOCATION's Souls to Deny will be released on April 27th in North America and on May 17th in Europe via Relapse. The band will kick off its first tour in support of Souls to Deny on April 13th at the House of Blues in Lake Buena Vista, FL www.SUFFOCATION.us Metal Maniacs After a 6 week delay due to a mastering problem, sessions for the 9th full length studio album from Florida's Death Metal Merchants MALEVOLENT CREATION is complete!! Stated to be the band's most diverse and punishing record to date,WARKULT is safely in the hands of our record label Nuclear Blast Records and the wheels are in motion.WARKULT was recorded at Liquid Ghost Recording Studio in Boca Raton,FL by Phil Plaskon and produced and mixed at Studio Wild outside of Montral Canada by producer Jean Francois Degenais and mastered by(After a 5 1/2 week wait!! damn it !!!)Bernard Belley in Montreal,Canada.WARKULT marks the return of long time drummer Dave Culross back in the line up,and a June 28th release date has been set for Europe.WARKULT will be released in the US and other territories about a month later. WARKULT Tracklisting is as follows: 1) Dead March 2) Preemtive Strike 3) Supremacy Through Annihilation 4) Murder Reigns 5) Captured 6) Merciless 7) Section 8 8) On Grounds Of Battle 9) Tyrannic Oppression 10) Ravaged By Conflict 11) Shock And Awe 12) Jack The Ripper * (bonus track) Cover song from Australian cult thrash godz Hobbs Angel Of Death. MALEVOLENT CREATION CONFIRMED LIVE APPEARANCES ARE : May 30, Rock Hard Festival, Germany w/Machine Head,Exodus,Metal Church,etc.. June 19, Skeleton Bash, Austria w/ Testament,Atrocity,Fleshcrawl and many more. JUNE 26, Fury Fest,France w/Deicide,Morbid Angel,Meshuggah,Fear Factory,etc.. June 27,Graspop Metel Meeting, Belgium w/Judas Priest,Slipknot,Motorhead,etc.. July 2, With Full Force, Germany w/ Dimmu Borgir,Slipknot,Six Feet Under,etc.. July 4, Rock the Nations, Turkey w/ Destruction,Hatebreed,Marduk and many more, August 27, Up From The Ground, Germany w/ Kataklysm,Dew Scented,Disbelief,etc.

May 8th, 2004	MORBID ANGEL: Main Stage at Roskilde Festival Morbid Angel is confirmed to play the main stage at this year's massive Roskilde Festival in Denmark. Morbid Angel will appear on the main stage on Saturday July 3rd, 2004 at 5:00 pm to play an unprecedented 90-minute set. Other artists scheduled to perform this amazingly diverse festival include David Bowie, Korn, Morrissey, NERD, and Pixies. Says Morbid Angel bassist/vocalist Steve Tucker: "We are extremely excited to play for all the fans at this great festival." www.roskilde-festival.dk CARCASS: 'Choice Cuts' Finally Sees the Light of Day Earache Records, in cooperation with Carcass, is proud to announce the release of the long delayed Carcass compilation, 'Choice Cuts'. Originally intended for release in 1999, this 'Best-Of' compilation was shelved indefinitely by the label following the news of drummer Ken Owen's critical illness. Some promo copies of the original 'Choice Cuts' were manufactured but were immediately withdrawn from circulation, out of respect to Ken, and in compliance with the band's wishes. In the intervening years, fans of the band have repeatedly asked when the release would see the light of day, but with Ken still very ill it was deemed inappropriate to issue the collection. Still the questions and requests concerning the release continued... After running a retrospective interview last year on Earache.com with vocalist/bassist Jeff Walker and a much improved Ken Owen, Earache approached the band with the idea of finally, officially, releasing 'Choice Cuts'. As a result, 'Choice Cuts' will now be issued in its entirety under the the co-ordination of Ken Owen, who has slightly amended the original tracklisting and will undertake a full interview for the release. Tracklisting: Genital Grinder Maggot Colony Exhume to Consume Swarming Vulgar Mass of Infected Virulency Tools of The Trade Corporal Jigsore Quandary Incarnated Solvent Abuse Buried Dreams No Love Lost Heartwork Keep on Rotting in The Free World Rk the Vote This Is Your Life Crepitating Bowel Erosion Slash Dementia* Cadaveric Incubator of Endoparasites* Reek of Putrefaction* Empathological Necrotism Foeticide Fermenting Innards Exhume to Consume * BBC Radio One Peel Session 02.01.89 ** BBC Radio One Peel Session 16.12.90 DEEPER GROUND OF METAL FESTIVAL PART II May 29, 2004 PLANET MUSIC VIENNA BENEDICTION (UK) INCANTATION (USA) HOLY MOSES (D) ILLDISPOSED (DK) DARKSIDE (A) SIRENIA (N) GODDAMNED X (A) and more Contact and info under www.deeper-ground.tt.at WELKIN looking for label Welkin is currently on the lookout for a label that wants to work with them on their upcoming releases. Last January they recorded two brandnew promotracks that they would like to release on a splitalbum worldwide. Other than that they are working on loads of new material and hope to hit the studio next year to record their second full lenght!!!! Labels can contact them for a promo by mailing to info@welkin.be Samples can be found on our webcage http://www.welkin.be KITTIE REVEALS SONG DETAILS FOR “UNTIL THE END” LONDON, Ontario – Kittie has unveiled the tracklisting for its upcoming album, “Until the End,” which was recorded during the month of March in Massachusetts’ Longview Farm Studios. Songs titles are: “Career Suicide” “Burning Bridges” “Look So Pretty” “Pussy Sugar” “Until the End” “Red Flag” “In Dreams” “Daughters Down” “Loveless” “Into the Darkness” “The heaviest song on this album is hands down ‘Burning Bridges,’” said frontwoman Morgan Lander. “It combines a huge melodic chorus with a balls-out riffing. It is the perfect combination!” Morgan’s sister, drummer Mercedes Lander, agrees with Morgan’s assessment, adding that “Daughters Down” is equally heavy. “Both songs have amazing heavy-ass guitar and bass riffs that tear your ass apart,” she said. “The drumming is heavy with lots of pounding double kick and really awesome breakdowns.” Bassist Jennifer Arroyo also selects “Burning Bridges” as one of the album’s heaviest songs, also noting that “Looks So Pretty” is “tough as nails. And I love, love, love ‘Pussy Sugar.’ That song has a ton of dynamics and we just bring the house down in the end. It makes me want to run free in the streets with a mallet!” Six of the tracks were written prior to last summer’s US tour, allowing the band to try them out live as they trekked across the country. “I have always believed that if you tour on a song before you record it, it always turns out better in the studio,” said Mercedes Lander. “Playing the song live helps it mature and makes you that much more comfortable with the song.” Added Arroyo: “I love playing new material on the road because you get to watch it grow, then when you head into the studio, you just nail it. It’s done nothing but help the recording process.” The remaining songs, which the ladies all agree are inspired by every life, were written after the group returned from a June 2003 Mexican tour. “Lyrically, I write about mainly personal experiences,” said Morgan Lander. “Situations, relationships, human nature, and our emotional and physical struggle just to get by and be heard. Musically, I think what keeps us going is knowing that there are the people out there who really love and appreciate what we are doing. That gives us a desire to continue on, no matter what the obstacle.” Artemis Records will release “Until the End” this summer. www.kittierocks.com RAVAGE UPDATE - STUDIO FLOOD! Greetings all, We've been through some hell in the last month which has delayed the recording a bit...in addition to the usual unforseen trials that plague a recording attempt, we were shocked to learn that the studio we were working out of FLOODED!... but luckily no equipment was damaged and none of the recording was lost... apparently anyway... the fingers are still crossed... but we have quite a bit done and we hope to finish the tracking in the next couple of weeks so we can get down to the fun stuff (putting this damned thing together!). The tracks sound really good so far... Phil gave the best drumming performance we've yet had on a recording, and I think he added a lot to the songs, including his trademark filth ha ha... the guitars are more powerful than they were on the last recording and the bass sound we've got is quite crushing... in the end it should be a far superior recording to "Curse Of Heaven" and I think we've chosen songs that everyone will enjoy thrashin' to. The artwork is comming along as well and we should have that in a couple of weeks to go along with a new website which will be chock full of awful awful goodies, so till the next update... RAVAGE IN PEACE!!! Long time ACHERON guitarist Michael Estes has be let go from the band. The departure was due to a location problem. Estes, an Orlando, Florida, resident, lived 1000 miles away from the band's headquarters in Columbus, Ohio. ACHERON felt the distance was keeping the band back from going forward. The band wishes Michael the best of luck with his present and future endeavors. A new guitarist, by the name of Stacey Connolly, has been welcomed into the ACHERON fold. Connolly, who also plays in the band LIFE IS LOST, has been working with ACHERON for the last several months. On April 6th, 2004, he was officially made a member of the band. The band is also looking to add a second guitarist to the line-up. Those who are interested and share the same ACHERON style of lead playing can contact Vincent Crowley at Vincent@Acheron666.com . On Friday July 9th, 2004, ACHERON will be headlining Berlin Germany's UNDER THE BLACK SUN festival. More information about the show can be found at the TRIPLE SIX CONCERTS at http://home.snafu.de/tsatthoggua/tsc/index.htm . Another ACHERON release this year? Indeed! BLACK LOTUS RECORDS will be releasing a ACHERON history double CD entitled "DECADE INFERNUS 1988-1998". It will feature 34 Songs ranging from the albums "RITES OF THE BLACK MASS" until "THOSE WHO HAVE RISEN". A must for all old and new fans. And there will be 100% ACHERON music, no intros! The tentative release date is the Summer of 2004. Artist Timo Wuerz has been recruited to do more extreme artwork for this album's cover and inlay. ACHERON has been working on music for their next album, which will be called "Sanctum Regnum". The band is taking it slow and enjoying the song writing process. The theme will be a very apocalyptic concept. Some songs titles that are being worked on are The Apocalypse, Godless (We are Gods), Satan's New Age, I Am Heathen, Millennium's End, Anno Lucifuge, Rise of Rebellion and Might is Right. www.acheron666.com Bassist Derek Boyer (Decrepit Birth) has been added to the SUFFOCATION lineup. Metal Update Risha Eryavec, who was part of DECREPIT BIRTH in the mid to late 90's, has taken over bass duties - Mike Turner will be adding his skills as second guitar player. Metal Update UNEARTHED features former Iced Earth members Gene Adam (v), Dave Abell (b) and Mark Prator (d), along with Bill Owen (g) of Iced Earth forerunner Purgatory. Metal Update MISERY INDEX's former drummer Kevin Talley will sit behind the kit for all of the band's upcoming touring activities - however, Misery Index is still looking for a drummer to fulfill future obligations. Metal Update Stacey Connolly (Life Is Lost) has been made a permanent member of ACHERON. Metal Update A LIFE ONCE LOST bassist Nick Frasca has decided to leave the band to focus on other personal achievements - his replacement is Amir Ali Mohammed Azir Ashraf (The June Spirit). Metal Update Alex Hernández (Immolation) has joined REQUIEM AETERNAM to lay down the drum tracks for the upcoming album. Metal Update Due to personal reasons and an unwillingness to commit fully to OBLITERATION, Jose has left the band. Metal Update LION'S SHARE guitarist Bruce Kulick (KISS, Grand Funk Railroad) recently recorded a guest appearance for the new album. Metal Update IN FLAMES "Soundtrack To Your Escape" scanned 10,660 copies in the first week securing the highest 1st week SoundScan number in the Century Family / Nuclear Blast America history - the album landed at #145 on the Billboard Top 200 Album Chart. Metal Update

May 6th, 2004	BREAKPOINT inked a deal with Anvil Corp Records for the release of their newt album . The new album is called "Strange Fruit" and was recorded at P'n'F Studios with Fred Rochette (Fifty One's, Malédiction...). "Strange Fruit" will be more melodic and catchy than the first one "None to Sell" and everything sounds great. More news about BREAKPOINT: http://www.breakpointmusic.net ARMAGEDDA's new album Ond Spiritism will be finally out during April on CD and in May as limited gatefold LP. The whole album was recorded in the breakthrough of November and December in Necromorbus Studio. Here comes comment of the band with regards to the new album and the band itself: Occult audial essence would be a sentence to use when describing the tunes of Armagedda. For those who probably care less about feeling we already have a known term - Black Metal. Armagedda will release their third album this spring and this creation will take you back to the elder days when superstition ruled our world. Were also working at the moment on the once announced re-issue of Armageddas debut album The Final War Approaching as CD, LP and PIC LP. During May the album will be remastered at Necromorbus Studio the packaging is being completed at the moment by Eric Syre, who has done lay out for the last Darkthrones album. During next 2 weeks Only true Believers will be re-released as a limited to 1.000 copies digi pack CD. NO SALVATION, the new mini album of In Aeternum will be sent to pressing right after the coming weekend and will be released in a limited edition of 1.000 Copies as a digi pack CD. The old schooled Death Fucking Metal heads entered Abyss studio at the end of December where they recorded 4 new tracks. Some of the titles are: Beasts of the Pentagram, No Salvation, Poison the Holy. The band is leaving for European tour with Deicide in June and around October In Aeternum will re-enter Abyss studio to record their new album for Agonia Records. It took over two weeks for THUNDERBOLT to record their brand new masterpiece entitled Inhuman Murder Ritual. The album was recorded in Hendrix Studio (Behemoth, Azarath...). The CD version is expected to be out at the end of April and limited vinyl version later in May. The horde is leaving for European tour side by side with Urgehal and Dawn of Azazel in June. MORDANT is currently finnishing recordings of their debut album at Et Loi Pan studio in Sweden. Everything - concerningpackaging of the new album - should be completed during May and the album is planned to be unleashed upon the masses at the end of May. At the same time were working on the vinyl version of Mordants mini album, titled suicide slaughter which comes with a bionus track and completelly new packaging. THORNSPAWN's 7 "EP with Necrovore and Beherit, titled Horns of the Cult is sent to pressing. At the same time the band is currently working on their brand new album titled Sanctified by the Satans Blood that will be recorded during September. The album will have 3 different cover artworks. Both vinyl cover are designed by Ereshgikal and the CD cover is exclusivelly designed by Mr Moyen. Joe Dan de la Fuente has replaced SEVERANCE guitarist Lupe Duque - the band is currently in the studio recording a new album. Metal Update DEICIDE has dropped off the planned tour with Superjoint Ritual because aspects of the deal were not to the band's satisfaction. Metal Update PAUL CROOK the former Anthrax and Sebastian Bach guitarist has been drafted by Queen members Brian May and Roger Taylor as the (Seat 1) guitar player for their rock musical "We Will Rock You". Metal Update CHUCK SCHULDINER's mother, Jane Schuldiner, has recanted on her vow to release the unfinished Control Denied tracks for free download in response to the Karmaggedon Media release of the material on the album "Zero Tolerance" - in her words: "His last masterpiece deserves more than to be released as unfinished bits of rehearsal room recordings on CD, or to be grabbed for free on the internet. It deserves to be finished by the rest of the band and to be released on a full-length album, titled: "When Machine And Man Collide". Metal Update