Detritus
Issue #272
Week of May 31, 2004
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/detritus/

To subscribe to the e-mail version do one of the following:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/detritus/
detritus-subscribe@yahoogroups.com (send a blank e-mail here)

To unsubscribe from the e-mail version:
detritus-unsubscribe@yahoogroups.com (send a blank e-mail here)

*
*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Tim Wadzinski, Editor
tsw512@...

Steve Shumake
vongoober@...
http://listen.to/vongoober-radio/

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-There have been reports on the 'net that guitarist Derek Frigo (Enuff
Z'Nuff, Le Mans) died last Friday in Beverly Hills, California, at the
age of 36. The reports we've seen list some strange circumstances; if
anyone has any updated information please send it in. In any case, we
here at Detritus send out our condolences to Frigo's friends and
family.

-Been watching VH1's "Most Metal Moments" this week? It's been pretty
good so far (40 down, 60 to go!) but the thing that pleases me most is
the prominent use of Eric Carr footage in the credits and commercial
break segues.

-I want to send out congratulations to on again/off again Detritus
writer Paul Luri -- he and his wife had their second child this past
weekend. And double congrats on the new singing gig as well!!

-It's a review bonanza this week! Eight -- count 'em, EIGHT! -- album
reviews lurk below. Dig in. :)

-In my current playlist: Variuos - HEY! THAT'S WHAT I CALL SLUDGE - 1
(this is Metal-Sludge.com's first compilation disc; the bits from the
"Metal Sludge All-Stars" are hilarious; Tuff's Warrant spoof starts
out promising but then kinda dies a flat, boring death; and then the
rest of the tracks from Kevin DuBrow & Little Women, FireHouse, Funny
Money, Billy Morris Band, Jizzy Pearl, Lit, The Wildhearts, and a host
of others run the gamut from average to great -- overall, a damn fun
listen!), W.A.S.P. - THE NEON GOD: PART 1 - THE RISE (yawn..and
there's gonna be a PART 2???). - Tim

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
*
-Jesse Damon Inks New Deal With Z!

Jesse Damon Singer/guitarist of the AOR hard rock band Silent Rage, is
set for the release of his second solo album, due out September 13th!

Followers of the hard rock metal music scene who share the same
enthusiasm for bands like Burning Rain, War & Peace, Black 'N Blue and
Silent Rage, are no strangers to Jesse Damon's commitment to this
genre, and on his forthcoming release he's showing us that he's still
as rebellious as ever!

His new CD will feature and array of melodic hard rock, and will
include a new recorded version of the Gene Simmons written song
"You're My Reason For Livin'," from the Sex Money KISS Audio CD. The
new album has been produced by Jesse Damon, and the French
Brothers....

Jesse made the following comment re: his new deal that will keep him
with Z Records for yet another album:

"It feels great to be in the company of so many talented bands and
artists on this label, and with Z's latest signings and releases, it's
very exciting to me to be launching a new CD!

"Can't wait for Z Rock Liverpool!

"See ya there,

"Jesse Damon"

http://www.jessedamon.com/
http://www.zrecords.net/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
*
-Falconer Searth For New Members After Internal Hostility

Once again Falconer is up for a line-up change. Second guitarist
Anders Johansson and bass player Peder Johansson are out.

"A big discussion took place after the gig in Motala (Swe) as we
started to talk about the future of Falconer. Two camps quickly formed
about the issue. The talk started to get more and more aggressive
until it took an ugly turn as Peder started to let his hands do the
talking, but luckily Kristoffer [Göbel, vocals] stepped in and stopped
it from getting really bad. Although our intoxicated state of mind
probably made the argument worse, it has left deep scars. After this
incident the contacts has been very chilly with especially Peder but
also Anders.

"Karsten [Larsson, drums], Kristoffer and I [Stefan Weinerhall,
guitar/bass] believe that the tension will undermine the future
atmosphere of the band if they were to stay. It's better to go our
separate ways and let them follow their ideas with their other band
Guineapigs. We don't think nor hope that Peder and Anders have a
different opinion about the decision we have taken.

"Sincerely!

"Stefan, Kristoffer and Karsten."

If you are interested in the job, please contact the band through
their website http://www.falconermusic.com/ .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
*
-Relapse Records To Release CD Companion Compilation To 'Choosing
Death: The Improbable History Of Death Metal & Grindcore' Book

PHILADELPHIA -- Relapse Records will release a companion CD
compilation to coincide with the release of metal journalist Albert
Mudrian's book "Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death Metal
& Grindcore" this fall.

Titled "Choosing Death: The Original Soundtrack," the 20-track CD will
aurally illustrate Mudrian's tome with tracks from the biggest and
most influential artists of the death metal and grindcore genres,
including several tracks exclusive to the compilation. Among the
highlights slated to appear on the "Choosing Death" CD are never-
before-heard songs from Nihilist (pre-Entombed), Suffocation and Pig
Destroyer, as well as classic tracks from Morbid Angel, Carcass,
Cannibal Corpse and many more. "Choosing Death: The Original
Soundtrack" is slated for a September 28th, 2004 release date via
Relapse.

More information on "Choosing Death: The Improbable History of Death
Metal & Grindcore" can be found at the publication's official all-new
web portal: www.CHOOSINGDEATH.com.

"The definitive history of metal's most extreme scene." - Revolver

"Choosing Death is a revelation, no matter how much you think you
know." - Terrorizer

"Mudrian has put together something special here. This is a must-read
for anyone who wants a comprehensive 'who-did-what-when' book. Thumbs
up." - Philip Anselmo (Superjoint Ritual, Pantera)

http://www.relapse.com/
http://www.choosingdeath.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
*
-SupaRed Chapter Closed

[Note: This statement from vocalist Michael Kiske was printed in the
SupaRed Newsletter on May 27. The site http://www.SupaRed.de/ will
remain active. - Tim]

I officially like to announce my departure from the Hard-Rock Music-
Scene now. I simply don't fit. Especially on the last record I did
experiment around again with Hard-Rock sounds, trying to keep things
interesting for me, but it doesn't lead me to anything. I guess
subconsciously I was working with these sounds again trying to get
more in peace with my past somehow, but it simply isn't me anymore.
The extremely bad record sales of the SupaRed debut was the final bit
and answer I needed for this decision. My interpretation of this sort
of music doesn't get accepted. So I don't want to waste my and other
people's time anymore. Big thanx to everybody who supported this band-
project and me! I am sorry if you are disappointed now that I have to
finally close this chapter for good, but I am not the person who goes
on forever with something that is not meant to be. A big Fuck-Off goes
out to everybody who only burned or downloaded SupaRed instead of
buying the CD. You may say you love music, but all you do is
destroying the financial existents of bands and musicians. People like
you make sure that all free Music that is not just a fake set-up by
the industry will die out completely. The same Fuck-Off goes out to
all smart-ass critics who can only treat music as a stinking product
to please the market. Instead of trying to understand a musicians work
or the mission of art in general, you think you can dictate musicians
what they have to do, misusing your power over the public opinion. As
long as artists fight against your stupid kind, there's hope. If your
type wins, there's no future for the real thing. People like you don't
deserve any real music!

For a number of years now there has been a strong conflict in my
chest. A completely different conflict than most people would guess.
Every part of me says: no more! I made myself physically ill making
this last record. That says it all. And as everyone can see, it leads
to nothing worth it. All I want to say is: Hardrock isn't my music
anymore. I can't cope with it's mentality, ideals or musical language.
I have found much better artistic arguments, and certainly much higher
morals than what the Metal scene has to offer. And you won't hear
anything Metal-like anymore coming from my address for the rest of my
life. I will also lead no more useless discussions anymore with people
around the world about things they simply don't have a sense for. It's
a waste of energy and time. People don't necessarily become wise when
they get old: an asshole will only become an old asshole. In the same
way young people don't necessarily are alive, just because they are
young. Many people are spiritually dead already as teenagers. And
brutalizing music, that makes us dumb, numb and morally def does its
part. If you don't agree with me, and don't like my talk. Fine! To
each its own. It's absolutely right for me. I say it again: I simply
don't fit into the Metal-Scene. I am not what the scene wants, and I
don't want the wimpy artistic truth this scene has to offer. I didn't
even really fit into Helloween as a person. I was always a stranger in
that band, because I wasn't at all like them. I liked Metal in the
eighties, and still like some records, but I was never really the
typical Metal-Head. Even in my hardest Metal days I was always just as
much listening to U2, Elvis, Beatles, Eurythmics, Kate Bush, Pat
Benatar, classical music and so on. What a heresy, right? But I am
happy that I never isolated myself in Metal. I was always open to
anything good in music. And believe it or not: I am totally convinced
that's the reason for my success as a singer in Metal. My approach was
different! Metal is certainly not any law for me. My love for God,
Christ, free Art and Humanity is. We've got to do what we believe in.
If you don't follow your convictions, you're dead. A person that
doesn't follow his believes, or doesn't even have any ideals or morals
is just a pitiful hollow existents in my eyes, no matter how smart or
modern that person might see itself. I wouldn't trust someone that has
no believes for a minute. There's nothing holy for him or her.

As Carlos Santana said in an Interview:
All that matters is what we do in our life's with our energy, light
and love.

That's all.
Peace!

Michael Kiske

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
*
-Eric Clapton Announces Updated Talent Lineup

DALLAS, TX -- (MARKET WIRE) -- 05/27/2004 -- Eric Clapton today
announced an updated event schedule for the spectacular three-day
Crossroads Guitar Festival, an SBC Presentation, June 4-6, 2004, at
Fair Park and Cotton Bowl Stadium. The event will include continual
concerts and once-in-a-lifetime guitar clinics by the world's leading
artists.

The weekend will feature the Guitar Center Village including a display
of guitars donated from Eric Clapton & Friends' personal collections
for the forthcoming June 24 Christie's auction with proceeds
benefiting the Crossroads Centre, the Hard Rock Café's "50 years of
American Rock and Roll" display, interactive booths from leading
guitar manufacturers, and the "buy-sell-trade" Vintage Showcase. The
weekend includes concerts and clinics -- schedule below:

CROSSROADS GUITAR FESTIVAL CONCERTS AND CLINICS, AN SBC PRESENTATION
TALENT LINE-UP

Friday, June 4, the Guitar Center Village, located on the grounds of
Fair Park, will open to the public at 4:00pm. Guitar clinics and
concert performances follow:

4:00pm - Fairgrounds Open to the Public Including Clinics and Live
Performances
4:30pm - 5:30pm - Paul Reed Smith clinic at the Sirius Stage
5:45pm - 6:45pm - Chris Poland's OHM clinic at the Sirius Stage
7:00pm - 8:00pm - Acoustic clinic with Doyle Dykes, Pete Huttlinger,
Laurence Juber and guests at the Ernie Ball stage
8:00pm - 9:00pm - Blues clinic with Honey Boy Edwards, Robert Jr.
Lockwood (Robert Johnson's son) and Duke Robillard at the Sirius Stage

Saturday, June 5, the Guitar Center Village will open to the public at
10:00am. The day's events include guitar clinics and live performances
on the fairgrounds:

10:00am - FAIRGROUNDS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
10:00am - 11:00am - Jay Gordan at the Ernie Ball Stage
11:00am - 12:00pm - Tommy Shaw, James Young and guests at the Guitar
Center Village Main Stage
11:30am - 12:30pm - Slide Guitar Clinic with Luther Tatum at the Ernie
Ball Stage
12:00pm - 1:30pm - Shredders clinic with Nuno Bettencourt, George
Lynch and Tony Franklin at the Guitar Center Village Main Stage
1:30pm - 2:00pm - Del Castillo at the Guitar Center Village Main Stage
1:30pm - 2:00pm - Nishat Khan at the Ernie Ball Stage
2:00pm - 3:00pm - Memento at the Sirius Stage
2:30pm - 4:00pm - Guitarmageddon at the Guitar Center Village Main
Stage
3:00pm - 4:30pm - Guitar Pull with Buck Page, Norm Stephens, Sonny
Curtis and Ramblin' Jack Elliot at the Ernie Ball Stage
4:00pm - 4:30pm - Jonny Lang at the Guitar Center Village Main Stage
4:30pm - 5:30pm - Fender presents Roscoe Beck, Greg Koch, and John
Calarco featuring Mike Cross at the Guitar Center Village Main Stage
5:30pm - 6:30pm - Jeff "Skunk" Baxter clinic at the Sirius Stage
5:30pm - 6:00pm - Eric Johnson at the Guitar Center Village Main Stage
6:00pm - 6:30pm - Vishwa Mohan Bhatt at the Guitar Center Village Main
Stage
6:30pm - 7:00pm - Dan Tyminski at the Guitar Center Village Main Stage
7:00pm - 7:30pm - Doyle Bramhall II at the Guitar Center Village Main
Stage
7:30pm - 8:00pm - J.J. Cale at the Guitar Center Village Main Stage
8:00pm - 8:30pm - John Mayer at the Guitar Center Village Main Stage
8:30pm - 9:00pm - Robert Randolph at the Guitar Center Village Main
Stage
9:00pm - 10:30pm - All Star Blues Jam hosted by Eric Clapton with
Buddy Guy, Robert Cray, Robert Randolph and Jimmie Vaughan at the
Guitar Center Village Main Stage

Sunday, June 6, the Guitar Center Village will open to the public at
10:00am and remain open through the remainder of the day, followed
that afternoon by the spectacular culmination of the festival with an
11-hour concert at the Cotton Bowl:

10:00am - FAIRGROUNDS OPEN TO THE PUBLIC
11:00am - 12:00pm - Johnny A at the Ernie Ball Stage
12:30pm - 2:00pm - Pickers' Corner with Marty Stuart, James Burton,
Doyle Dykes and guests at the Sirius stage
2:30pm - 3:30pm - Fender Presents Roscoe Beck, Greg Koch and John
Calarco Clinic at the Sirius Stage
3:30pm - 4:30pm - Marc Seal Clinic at the Ernie Ball Stage
5:00pm - 6:00pm - Gman Clinic at the Ernie Ball Stage

11:50am - COTTON BOWL CONCERT BEGINS
11:50am - Neal Schon
12:10pm - Steve Vai and his band
12:30pm - Sonny Landreth
1:00pm - Larry Carlton and his Band
1:30pm - Pat Metheny Trio
2:00pm - John McLaughlin
2:30pm - Robert Cray Band
3:00pm - Jimmie Vaughan
3:20pm - Hubert Sumlin with guest vocalist David Johansen
3:40pm - Booker T and the MGs
3:50pm - Bo Diddley
4:00pm - David Hidalgo
4:30pm - Joe Walsh
5:00pm - Vince Gill with Jerry Douglas
5:30pm - James Taylor and his band
6:00pm - Buddy Guy with Tilt-a-Whirl
6:30pm - B.B. King with Tilt-a-Whirl
7:00pm - Carlos Santana
8:00pm - Eric Clapton
9:20pm - Jeff Beck with Eric Clapton
9:45pm - ZZ Top
10:30pm - Finale with ZZ Top, Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton

NOTE: This performance schedule is subject to change. For more
information, please visit http://www.crossroadsguitarfestival.com/ .

Tickets to each day of the Crossroads Guitar Festival are available
through Ticketmaster at http://www.ticketmaster.com/ . Tickets are $15
for Friday, $45 for Saturday and $60 for Sunday. Price includes
admission to the Guitar Center Village and all live performances.

The Crossroads Guitar Festival is the first event of its kind to
create a unique bridge between fans and musicians through leading
guitar manufacturer exhibits and guitar clinics. Attendees will be
offered once-in-a-lifetime opportunities to be in an intimate setting
with artists giving fans the ultimate look into their craft. This one-
time event, created for music enthusiasts around the globe, will raise
money for Crossroads Centre Antigua, the treatment and education
center founded in 1997 by Eric Clapton.

Sirius is the official satellite radio partner of the Crossroads
Guitar Festival and will host one of the stages in the village.

http://www.SiriusRadio.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
*
-Mad Margritt Song On The New "Hollywood Hairspray" CD!!

Mad Margritt will be featured on a brand new compilation CD called
Hollywood Hairspray - Volume 3!!

The CD will be released worldwide this summer on Perris Records and
will feature several well known bands including '80s glam sensation
Tiger Tailz!! The Mad Margritt song that will appear on the CD is
entitled "Straight Through The Heart." It was written by vocalist
Eddie Smith and was recorded a few months ago at APC Studios in
Atlanta, Georgia with engineer Bruce Bennett. The release date for the
CD will be announced soon. Be sure to check out the Perris Records
website for more details: http://www.perrisrecords.com/ .

"The Official Mad Margritt Website" will soon be getting a facelift.
It will feature several new live photographs, a band promo shot (with
new bassist Brad White), and a page for MP3s. Be sure to keep checking
the site for updates!!
http://www.madmargritt.com/

Upcoming Shows

Friday & Saturday, May 28-29
GIPSONS
Douglasville, Georgia

Friday & Saturday, June 4-5
THE OFFICE
Norcross, Georgia

Places Mad Margritt Recommends you visit!!

http://groups.msn.com/MadMargrittLikeHairMetalComeinandPlay/whoweare.msnw

http://www.madmargritt-gothair.rockparty.at

http://www.madmargritt.com/

http://www.perrisrecords.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
*
-Now & Then / Frontiers News

NTS
===
From now on the UK distribution and marketing of French label NTS will
be handled by Now And Then. The first two titles to be released are -

PYRAMAZE - "Melancholy Beast"
Incredible new melodic metal act featuring musicians from Denmark with
American singer Lance King (ex Balance Of Power).

"A range of dynamic influences...drawn from acts as diverse and far
reaching as Royal Hunt, Kamelot, Stratovarius, Judas Priest and
Queensryche. A blistering debut from a band with the potential to go
all the way. Frighteningly good!" - Dave Cockett, Destiny Catalogue

"The production is huge, Lance's vocals are perfect and the songs are
very impressive. People into BALANCE OF POWER, KAMELOT, 80's era
QUEENSRCYHE, etc will absolutely love the debut of PYRAMAZE." -
Strutter Magazine

"What a debut album 'Melancholy Beast' is! King's voice - a mixture of
Geoff Tate and James LaBrie - and enough complexity to make
progressive metal freaks drool over this - a high dose of melody and
power to satisfy even the most exigent power metal fan and an
audiophile-safe glass clear sound." - 5/6 ROCK REPORT Magazine

PATRICK RONDAT - "An Ephemeral World"
Patrick Rondat returns with 10 new songs and a special interpretation
of a Bach Partitia for Violin Solo. Another vibrant and powerful
album. Refreshingly different, demonstrating once again why he is
highly respected as the guitar hero of France. This multi talented
guitarist has also accompanied Jean Michel Jarre on stage and in
studio and worked as a member of the Dutch band Elegy for the last 4
years. In 1998 Patrick played the 14 French dates of the G3 Tour with
Joe Satriani, such is his reputation amongst other players. The album
just received a 9/10 review on the highly respected Rock United
website.

Over the next few months there will be releases by Adagio, Superior,
Manigance, Ark Storm and Angra, to name a few.

HALF THE WORLD
==============
"Imagine a bowl full of razor blades with sweet candy syrup poured
over them". That's how one journalist has described this stunning new
band from the U.S. who are taking the underground scene by storm. Half
The World have also been described as Evanescence without the Celine
Dion moments.

The band's debut album, "Bigger Than You", is currently being played
on well over 100 U.S. college radio stations and the band has opened
for the likes of Third Eye Blind as well as playing as many of their
own shows as possible.

Based in Boise, Idaho, they play modern rock with sharp riffs and in
Dutch born beauty Mary Magill they have a stunning frontwoman with a
voice like an angel.

Now And Then Records is delighted to be able to announce the European
release of this top class album in late June. Song samples will be
placed on the website soon but for the moment we'll leave the last
word to the review in Fireworks Magazine -

"A more aggressive, less polished Evanescence" says Mike Newdeck,
"with cutting, down tuned guitar riffs big enough to fell a Canadian
Redwood and a solid production-a requisite for this genre of music -
'Bigger than You' is ample evidence that Half the World, given the
right backing and associated airplay, can compete creditably with
their more famous counterparts."

X-FEST
======
Punchline Promotions is delighted to be able to announce details of
their first ever live event within the South Wales area.

X-Fest is the first ever classic melodic rock festival dedicated to
promote stella bands in South Wales, who normally don't get the chance
to play in front of a Welsh crowd.

The one day show will take place at Swansea's Railmen's Club and will
feature four bands. Now and Then signings LOST WEEKEND are the first
to confirm their appearance and will close the evening of high quality
music. The other three bands will be announced within the next few
weeks and tickets will be on sale soon after.

Festival details:
Venue: The Railmens Club, (bottom of) Wind Street, Swansea. OVER 18s
ONLY...
Date & Time: Saturday 4th September 2004. 6pm to 12pm
Line-up: Lost Weekend + guests (four bands in total)
Ticket Prices: £10 adv. £12 door - on sale from early/mid-June.
Details to follow...
Drinks Prices: You can recoup the ticket price as all the drinks at
the venue are extremely cheap. Pint of lager £1.35, etc

For more information keep checking out the site or email us at
webdesign@... with the subject line "X-Fest".
Watch out for a mini site dedicated to X-Fest at
http://www.punchlinepromotions.co.uk/ .

NEXX
====
The highly rated Spanish band has started the recordings of the demos
for their second album. Some of the potential songs for the album have
already been showcased live, including "Praying for a life", "Hey Dad
(I'm not used to)" or "Again", and it seems, from the excellent public
reaction, that the band is going in the right direction.

The next NEXX show will be in BARCELONA, Saturday June 5th, with
Hardreams and Blowzy, in Mephisto venue at 20:30 h. Tickets in advance
at 8 euros (10 euros at the door of the venue).

http://www.webnex.com/

For updates / further info check out the Now & Then website at
http://www.nowandthen.co.uk/ , email us at info@... or
ring us on 01942 513298.

Or join the email news list for latest updates.

Send a blank email to:
NowAndThen-Frontiers-subscribe@yahoogroups.com

Or go to the Yahoo Groups page to subscribe:
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/NowAndThen-Frontiers/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
*
-Crash Music Signs Flotsam & Jetsam

PHOENIX, ARIZONA -- Crash Music, Inc. announces that they have signed
thrash metal act Flotsam & Jetsam to a two-album deal.

Flotsam & Jetsam was formed in Phoenix, Arizona in 1984 by bassist
Jason Newsted, who eventually left the band to join Metallica. Flotsam
debuted with tracks on the Speed Metal Hell II and Metal Massacre IV
compilations, which led to a recording contract with Metal Blade
Records. The band later did albums for Elektra and MCA Records. Crash
Music's Mark Nawara comments, "We are very excited to be working with
such a legendary band as Flotsam & Jetsam. They will be getting back
to their roots with this new album and it should prove to be one of
the best Flotsam albums in sometime."

The band which consists of Eric A.K. (vocals), Craig Nielsen (drums),
Jason Ward (Bass), Mark Simpson (Guitar) and Ed Carlson (Guitar) will
hit the studio later this month to begin the recording process. Crash
Music hopes to release the new album this Fall or early 2005.

Crash Music is distributed in the U.S. by Caroline Distribution and
has offices in France that handle the European territories through
Crash Music Europe.

http://www.crashmusicinc.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
*
-New Photos At Sum41.com Plus Field Diaries From The Congo

Hello Goons!

The band was recently in New York City to rehearse and we snuck in to
the studio to take some photos. They never knew what hit them. Check
out the photos section of sum41.com to see the latest polaroids.

Sum 41 is featured in the current AP Warped Tour issue in the "In The
Studio" section. Besides the studio info you can enter the AP Magazine
contest where you can win an iPod Mini, a Pac Sun shopping spree or
music from bands playing the Warped Tour.

If you haven't checked out the tour page lately then you would have
missed new tour dates added like the band's two Zumiez Couch Tour
events (June 9th in Mesa, AZ and June 22nd in Portland, OR). All info
on these shows is in the news page too so make sure to get the info
and go see the band play live.

And for those fans who like to keep tabs on the band's whereabouts as
if they tagged them with a GPS, here is your latest update: The band
is currently in the Congo for the filming of the War Child Documentary
we told you about in the last newsletter. The documentary is titled
"From The Front Lines" and you can read their daily diaries from The
Congo starting today at http://www.warchild.ca/ .

http://www.sum41.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
*
-The Return Of MFTT!!!!!

After 4 years and 7 days (or something like that)..... NJ's #1
Progressive-Rock/ Metal act MONEY FOR THE TOLL returns!

http://www.soundclick.com/moneyforthetoll

Our return with the new lineup begins in August.....

Friday - August 27th - 10:00 p.m. sharp!
MONEY FOR THE TOLL
The Wreck Room
551 Main Ave.
Wallington, NJ
http://www.wreckroomnj.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
*
-Hell Bent For Weather

Pär Holmgren and Pererik Åberg, the two most famous meteorologists on
Swedish national TV (SVT), have put together a band that will perform
at this year's Sweden Rock Festival. The band, dubbed Spridda Skurars
("Scattered Showers" in Swedish), will perform well-known hard rock
classics with re-written lyrics in Swedish based around the weather
and the greenhouse-effect theme. The media interest is huge and in
addition to performing at the festival on Saturday, June 12, the band
will hold a press conference on Friday, June 11 (with former
"Headbanger's Ball" Europe host Vanessa Warwick). The show will be
recorded by Swedish national radio and filmed for a DVD. The stage
show will include a lot of "crazy" surprises, including smoking
guitars, snow machines and film sequences on wide-screen backdrops.

Backing Holmgren and Åberg on stage will be well-known names from the
Swedish rock and metal scene: Lars Chriss (Lion's Share) on guitar,
Thomas Broman (Hughes Turner Project, Electric Boys, John Norum) on
drums, Sampo Axelsson (Glenn Hughes, Crawley) on bass/guitar, Dr. Rock
(106.7 RockKlassiker, Hiroshima) on drums and Janne Hellman (Highway
Stars) on keyboards/vocals, plus a "very special secret guest." A
warm-up show took place on Sunday (May 30) at Fredmans in Uppsala,
Sweden.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
-IcebergRadio.com's Metal Radio Adds

The following albums were added this week to IcebergRadio.com's Metal
Stations: BWBK.com, '80s Hair Bands, BlackDeath, ProgPower, Hair
Transplant, Doom & Distortion, '80s Aggression, Roots Of Metal.

1349 - Beyond The Apocalypse (Candlelight): BWBK.com, Doom &
Distortion
AYREON - The Human Equation (InsideOut): BWBK.com, ProgPower
BLACK NASA - Deuce (Meteorcity): BWBK.com, Doom & Distortion
CORRUPTION - Orgasmusica (Metal Mind): BWBK.com, Doom & Distortion
KEVIN DUBROW - In For The Kill (Shrapnel): BWBK.com, Hair Transplant
ECLIPSE - Second To None (Frontiers): Hair Transplant
FEAR FACTORY - Archetype (Liquid 8): BWBK.com
IRON SAVIOR - Battering Ram (Noise): BWBK.com, ProgPower
MALEVOLENT CREATION - Warkult (Nuclear Blast): BWBK.com, BlackDeath
RAGNAROK - Backdoor Miracle (Regain): BWBK.com, BlackDeath
SCORPIONS - Unbreakable (BMG): Hair Transplant
SUFFOCATION - Souls To Deny (Relapse): BWBK.com, BlackDeath
TOC - Loss Angeles (InsideOut): BWBK.com, ProgPower
UNEARTH - The Oncoming Storm Sampler (Metal Blade): BWBK.com
VARIOUS ARTISTS - Evil Lives - A True Metal Tribute To BLACK SABBATH
(Cleopatra): BWBK.com
WOLF - Evil Star (MNW/Prosthetic): BWBK.com, ProgPower

Brave Pick Of The Week ...
W.A.S.P. - The Neon God: Part 1 - The Rise (Sanctuary)

BWBK.com is BW&BK Magazine's noisy audio brother and can be found at
www.BWBK.com and via the Metal News section at www.HardRadio.com!

For more info about BWBK.com contact metaltim@icebergmedia or
metaltim@...

BWBK.com is the noisy audio brother to BW&BK Magazine!

www.BWBK.com - 24/7 Audio Assault!

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-Cosmo's Moon: Exciting Announcement!!!

We are excited to announce that Mark and Matt, along with being
members of Cosmo's Moon, are now also members of The Rob Dova
Band!.......

Mark will be handling lead guitar duty and Matt will be behind the
drum kit!.......

This is not going to affect the work we do in Cosmo's Moon, as we will
be recording our first full-length CD this summer as well as playing a
ton of dates!......

Mark and Matt have also started working with Rob in the studio and the
music so far has been amazing!......

We'll be doing alot of shows with Rob's band, as well as a bunch of
CM-only shows......

Click here to see where Mark and Matt will be appearing:

http://www.sonicbids.com/epk/epk_body.asp?epk_id=8227&name=calendar&skin_id=5

Check out Rob's website at http://www.robdova.com/ .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
*
-Chicago Hard Rock Band Drop Races Around Country

CHICAGO -- Chicago hard rockers Drop have teamed up with NHRA
Championship Drag Racing and will perform live at several of the
organization's summer events.

Drop's first NHRA performance will be July 4 at the Texas Motor
Speedway in Dallas.

"We're looking forward to these shows because there are a load of
people there who are ready to have a kick ass time," said Drop
vocalist Russ Stevens. "It's a rush to perform in front of such a huge
amped up crowd."

Added guitarist Patrick Davey: "This is a great opportunity for us to
really get our music out there and increase our fan base. When we play
in front of a big crowd we get all revved up, and we really slam them
with everything we have. The more rowdy and crazy the crowd gets, the
more fun we have up on stage."

Drop focuses heavily on its live shows, which exude musical passion
and energy. "Our live show is powered with lots of raw real energy,
high octane stage presence, and songs that you can't get out of your
head," said drummer Jamie Little. "If you like our new CD, then you'll
really dig our live show."

Drop's latest album, "Suckerpunch," was released May 4 on Dark Star
Records/Direct Impact. Musically Drop is nestled snuggly between
classic Black Sabbath heaviness and the sound of modern heavyweights
like Drowning Pool and Godsmack.

Drop's NHRA shows, as well as other headline performances, are as
follow:

06/03/04 Thu. House of Tune, Poplar Grove, IL
06/11/04 Fri. Elixer, Rockford, IL, 104.9FM the X radio station
06/12/04 Sat. The Brat Stop, Kenosha, WI - 95.1 Will Rock Show
06/19/04 Sat. Chicago Loop, Streamwood, IL
07/04/04 Sun. Texas Motor Speedway, NHRA Event, Dallas TX
07/17/04 Sat. Lenny the Legends, McHenry, IL
07/23/04 Fri. English Town Racetrack, NHRA Event, Englishtown, NJ
07/24/04 Sat. English Town Racetrack, NHRA Event, Englishtown, NJ
07/31/04 Sat. Shark City, Bloomingdale, IL

http://www.drop-music.com/
http://www.darkstarrecords.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
*
-"Rockin' The Hills" Rolls Again In Bottineau, ND

4 Days Of Non-Stop Rock N' Roll July 1st Through 4th

HOLLYWOOD (June 1, 2004) -- Defining the summer for many rock fans,
"Rockin' the Hills" is returning for an incredible seventh year. The
earsplitting extravaganza has earned a hallowed position as the
premier Midwest event of the summer. With a relentless commitment to
the music and a consistency of quality that its core fans demand as
their rock n' roll birthright, "Rockin' the Hills" brings to you the
biggest and brightest Rockstars.

Back in 1997, Freddy from Bottineau, ND had a dream. He started a
small party, with classic and regional rock acts. It has now grown
into a four day event of fun, camping, and most of all - ROCK music of
ALL kinds, both classic and today's artists.

This year's mainstage packs 4-days of non-stop rock:

DAY 1
L.A. Guns
Warrant
Great White
Dokken
Jackyl

DAY 2
Greg Rolie
Foghat
Tesla
Styx
Live

DAY 3
Thornley
Puddle of Mudd
3 Doors Down
Nickelback

DAY 4
Corey Stevens
FireHouse
Peter Frampton
Lynyrd Skynyrd

For more information on the concert, camping accommodations or general
info go to http://www.rockinthehills.com/ . Tickets are available at
Ticketmaster.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
*
-Prong Gear & Merch Stolen In Dallas Texas

HOLLYWOOD (June 1, 2004) -- The band Prong was scheduled to play at
Trees in Deep Ellum/Dallas. After being directed to a secure parking
lot, the prior to the show, Prong members retired to their rooms until
load-in. Upon returning to the trailer they found it was broken into.

From Tommy Victor:

"On the morning of May 27 we arrived at a Holiday Inn in downtown
Dallas Texas for our gig that night at Trees in Deep Ellum. The
parking situation was weird for our van and trailer, but we were
instructed by the security guard at the hotel to check out the lot
across the street. We were advised that it was safe. Our road manager,
checked it out, talked to a lot attendant who showed him a spot that
was supposedly under surveillance.

"When we woke after a few hours of sleep, after driving all night, we
found the trailer broken into. All 6 of our guitars, a white Gibson SG
with a 666 sticker on it, 3 black Schecter C-1 Ex baritone guitars, 2
Schecter S-1's (a black and a red) 2 Warwick basses (a natural finish
and a black one), a kick drum with a Scorpio Rising cover art front
skin, in case, a floor tom, a rack including an Alesis Adat machine
with 4 Whirlwind direct boxes, 250 assorted Prong T-Shirts, and a box
of 200 Scorpio Rising CD's, were stolen."

If you have any information or have seen these guitars and gear,
please contact Nancy B. Sayle @ 818.848.6093 or oui-rock@....

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
*
-Doug Aldrich Release Set For July

A special Doug Aldrich album entitled "Change Of Season" will be
released on July 19th. The release celebrates the work embedded on
three albums which have featured Doug on Z Records.

"Change of Season" features 13 tracks and a special biography, the
full track listing is....

01: Fireball
02: Smooth Locomotion
03: Judgement Day
04: Face Down
05: Making My Heart Beat
06: Stone Cold Crazy
07: Cherry Grove
08: Superfly Sumo
09: Cherie Don't Break My Heart
10: Love Emotion
11: Tokyo Rising
12: Metal Superman
13: Millwall Brick

http://www.zrecords.net/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
*
-Autographed Flower Kings Poster Giveaway!

Delicious Agony Progressive Rock Radio is proud to give away a special
autographed poster from progressive rock giants, The Flower Kings. The
poster is from the Unfold The Future Tour and autographed by all 7
members of the current touring band.

To enter send an email to DCass21@... with your mailing
address and the correct answer to the following question..

1) Including "The Flower King" album, which band member, besides Roine
Stolt, has appeared on every Flower Kings studio album. Please only
one entrant per individual. The deadline for entrees is June 9th at 10
PM EST. The winner will be announced on June 10th at 10 PM EST during
the "Garden of Dreams" show. Don't miss out on the chance to win this
item from the masters of modern progressive rock.

Listen to the show next Thursday night to see if you won!
http://www.deliciousagony.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #19 ***
*
-New Nightmare Records (2004) Release Schedule

Get them at the Nightmare Store - the best place to buy Metal!
http://www.nightmare-records.com/

ASCENSION THEORY - REGENERATION / Release date - May 31
Excellent new Melodic hard Prog album from the Leon Ozug (guitars &
vocals) and Tim Becker (keys) both of Aztec Jade, special guest vocals
on trk's I and V by Jodi St. John. This album is a very nice piece,
Fans of Savatage, Threshold & Queensryche will enjoy this one!

Reviews and samples at http://www.ascensiontheory.com/ .

FORCE OF HABIT - MADNESS BY DESIGN / Release date - May 31
Slammin New Release!! Force of Habit -- born in the bowels of the deep
South, brewing their own unique brand of Metal with a pinch of Melody,
a dash of thrash, and a healthy dose of Big Cahoonahs! Throaty
melodies abound, grooves with some Sabbath type vibes here and there,
but the vocals overshadow that feel as soon as they come rippin in,
this singer gargles with gravel, but sings as he screams,"Santana on
Steroids"! Dean "The Machine" Willis has a METAL voice. Great Metal
with Nuclear Power!

Reviews and samples at http://www.forceofhabit.us/ .

PHIL VINCENT - SECRETS / Release date - May 31
Phil is back with a vengeance, this is without a doubt his heaviest
album to date, but of course Phil's pure melodic voice shines bright
again here as well, Great AOR/HR and even a bit of Metal at times on
this...Phil has outdone himself, this album rocks!!

Reviews and Samples at http://www.philvincent.com/ .

PYRAMAZE - MELANCHOLY BEAST / Release date - May 31
EPIC MELODIC PROG-POWER METAL with a range of influences from Iced
Earth, Kamelot, Stratovarius, Iron Maiden, Queensryche, Judas Priest
and many more. Featuring: Lance King - Vocals, Michael Kammeyer -
Guitar, Morten Gade Sorensen - Drums (Wuthering Heights), Jonah
Weingarten - Keys, and Neils Kvist - Bass. Being released on EMI-
TOSHIBA - JAPAN, NTS - Europe, Canada, and on Nightmare - USA. Already
the web is full of over the top reviews for this Danish / American
album debut! Early Review Rankings: BURRN MAGAZINE - Japan 88/100,
POWERPLAY Magazine - UK 10/10, DESTINY MAG - UK 10/10, HARD ROCK mag -
France 8/10, HEAVY METAL - DENMARK 9/10, LORDS OF METAL - Netherlands
84/100, POWERMETAL.DK - Denmark webzine 92/100, SCREAM MAGAZINE - 4 of
6, ROCK REPORT - 5 of 6 stars, BLEEDING FOR METAL 9.5 of 10 points,
THE STREETS WEBZINE - 8.5 of 10 points, STRUTTER ZINE 8.5 of 10
points.

Reviews and mp3 samples available at http://www.pyramaze.com/ .

MOONLIGHT AGONY - ECHOES OF A NIGHTMARE / Release date - August 1
Debut release for this AMAZING young Melodic Power Metal band.
Fantasticly crafted songs from these 18-20 year olds sounding like 20
year Veterans of Metal. Astonishingly good Debut, Mature Voice and
vocal melodies and lyrics, Massive guitar attack Mega solid rhythm
section. it's all here, this band has a bright Future ahead of them!

Samples at http://www.moonlightagony.com/ .

STEEL PROPHET - BEWARE / Release Date - September 1
This is the band's 9th full length release since its conception, and
comes in a full 2 years after their last release "UNSEEN" in 2002!
This not counting their original self financed 6 song EP from 1990
later bootlegged by Reborn Classics. Featuring a new singer Nadir
D'Priest (formerly of London & D'Priest) and Guitarist Pete Skermetta
and Drummer Kevin Cafferty who was last heard on the MESSIAH album.
This album is nothing short of Fantastic, and everything a long term
Steel Prophet Fan would expect and more. It's progressive, Heavy and
Amazing, vocals fit perfectly with the long standing sound. Prog-Power
Fans will love this Release.

Reviews and samples at http://www.steelprophet.com/ .

For these and other excellent metal CDs, come to the Nightmare Web
store!!

Nightmare Records USA
7751 Greenwood Drive
St. Paul, MN 55112
Tel 763-784-9654
Fax 763-784-7914
http://www.nightmare-records.com/
email: sales@...

*
*** FLAMES FROM THE LAKE ***
*
by Sean P. Gahgan (lof@...)

-Hope everyone had a fine Metal Memorial Day here in the States and
for those of you outside the US, I hope your weekend was great as
well. Not much of a column this week as I prepare to take off for a
weekend of Heavy Metal splendor at the Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles
6-Pack Weekend II. The lineup for day 2 is a Metal Head's wet dream:
Ion Vein, Dreams Of Damnation, Brainstorm, Flotsam And Jetsam, Shok
Paris, Dismember, Primal Fear, Metal Church... Now that's a lot of
Metal! Hope to see some of you there -- I'll be one of the long haired
freaky people with my Evergrey shirt on. ;-)

-Quote of the Week: "War will exist until that distant day when the
conscientious objector enjoys the same reputation and prestige that
the warrior does today" -- John F. Kennedy

-Song of the Week: "Slave To The Feeling" by Shortino/Northrup

-Playing in the Lake of Fire this week: BLACK SUN by Primal Fear, THE
DARK DISCOVERY by Black Sabbath, LIFE by Thin Lizzy, and YESTERDAY &
TODAY LIVE by Y&T.

*
*** REALM OF SHRED ***
*
by Neal Woodall (MysticX10@...)

-John Norum has completed his new solo album, and it should be
available soon; should be very interesting to hear his playing on the
new Europe release as well...

-Jordan Rudess will release his new CD RHYTHM OF TIME on August 31;
this one promises to be a scorcher with performances by Joe Satriani,
Steve Morse, Vinnie Moore, Dave Larue and Rod Morgenstein. In related
news, Dream Theater will tour with Yes this summer. Currently there is
only one New York date scheduled but the Web site indicates more shows
will be added -- talk about a progressive rock fan's "dream" come true
bill!

-_Guitar World's_ July issue features an interview with Yngwie, where
he is supposed to reveal his all-time favorite recordings. Remember
the magazine _Guitar For The Practicing Musician_? They morphed into
what is now _Guitar One_ but back in the day they used to have a
column entitled "In The Listening Room" where guest guitar greats
would discuss selected cuts from fellow musicians. I always thought
that was one of the best segments of each issue, it was always
interesting to read their viewpoints on past influences as well as
their take on contemporary music; hopefully the Yngwie article will
bring a little of that back...

-I've been noticing a lack of information on several players who
should have better representation on the 'net -- I see Joey Tafolla,
Greg Howe and Blues Saraceno are promising refreshed sites in the near
future, but there are some who are still "missing in action." If you
have any info on the following players, please e-mail me:

Derek Taylor
Dave Sharman
Kendall Bechtel
Billy White
Bruce Bouillet
Russ Parrish

Wolf Hoffmann is a player who is a prime candidate for the "where are
they now" file; apparently he is now a professional photographer and
is living in Tennesee. Last I read, he has retired from making music
and has no plans to work on anything in the near future. Shame...

-Alternating on the playlist this week: Greg Howe: ASCEND, U.D.O.:
HOLY, TOC: LOSS ANGELES, Labyrinth: LABYRINTH, Iron Maiden: DANCE OF
DEATH. Vintage pick: Thin Lizzy: LIVE AND DANGEROUS.

-Have a great week!

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
JACK BLADES (B) King Records, 2004
12 tracks, RT: 50:06
[ http://www.kingrecords.co.jp/ ]
Night Ranger bassist/vocalist Jack Blades has finally released a long
overdue solo album and one would think it would be a total Night
Ranger-ish outing. Well, to spice things up Jack saw to it to have
plenty of special guests and co-writers, including his son Colin (I
guess Roller, Wiper and Razor were busy!! LOL!), Tommy Shaw, Neal
Schon, Warren DeMartini, Kelly Keagy, Brad Gillis, and Michael
Cartellone just to name a few -- some from Jack's past bands and some
new friends also. There's even a tune with the current/classic (yes,
they're still together) Night Ranger lineup, minus Allan Fitzgerald.
Jack opens things up on this self-produced album with a straight-out
rocker called "Sea Of Emotions" which features Schon (who co-wrote the
tune) on guitar and Keagy (Night Ranger) on drums and backing vocals.
The tempo starts out pretty rockin' with this tune, and it's one of
the highlights of the album. I can't tell you how good is to hear Jack
and Kelly singing together again! Kelly also can be heard on a tune
called "To Touch The Sky." There are some other highs on the album
like "Shine On," which was co-written by ex-Damn Yankee band mates of
Jack's, Shaw (who has a few appearances throughout the album) and
Cartellone (who also later on played with Accept). "Shine On" has kind
of a strange verse but a kick-ass chorus. "On Top Of The World" has
the heaviest guitar riff on the album! Very Zepplin-esque. "We Are The
Ones" features Colin on backing vocals, but there are parts were Colin
is singing on his own and he sounds damn good -- must be in the
genes!!!! The only downside to the CD is at times it gets kind of
trippy and a little too Beatle-ish for my liking. On the other hand,
there are some awesome, heavy riffs and Demartini and Schon both
contribute good, solid guitar work. The tune "Who You Want To Be"
gives you a glimpse of what Night Ranger would sound like if they ever
decide to record again (they are still a touring band). Again, there
are signs of Jack showing his Beatles influence here, but there's also
a ripping heavy riff that comes and goes during the bridge and chorus
sections. Good stuff!! Overall this album is good, not great, and like
I said in the opening, I felt this album was long overdue. Jack's a
talented guy and it's a sin he has been holding out doing his own
thing for so long. Hopefully this is just the beginning and we'll see
more solo work from him. - John Erigo (Erigo1@...)

STEVE BLAZE - RANDOM ACTS OF BLINDNESS (B-/C+) indie, 2004
14 tracks, RT: 57:40
[ http://www.steveblaze.com/ ]
[ http://www.lillianaxe.com/ ]
[ http://www.nleweb.com/ ]
[ http://www.nlesecretsociety.com/ ]
Here's a tough one to review, and I've been putting it off for a
while. Mr. Blaze is, of course, the well-known virtuoso guitarist
behind Lillian Axe and Near Life Experience -- and he's also now
playing in Angel -- and I've been a fan of his for a good 15 years.
Although I didn't always appreciate changes within Lillian's sound as
they were happening, in hindsight it's pretty easy to see the band was
constantly evolving around Blaze's vision. The music started as
sophisticated pop/hair metal and gradually turned darker, more somber
and serious. Then came NLE, an even darker band which I never really
"got," but again it's at least following a logical progression from
Lillian left off. And now we have RANDOM ACTS OF BLINDNESS, Blaze's
first solo album. Casual fans might wonder why this is necessary,
since he's pretty much been calling the shots in his bands for so
long. While much of the material here seemingly could've easily just
been divvied up between future Lillian and NLE albums -- indeed you
can almost hear Lillian vocalist Ron Taylor singing some of these
melodies -- for the most part it's quite intimate and I'm guessing
Blaze just wanted to present it outside of a band setting. Many songs
simply feature Blaze's voice and guitar, both acoustic and electric,
but there are some "full band" tunes with drums and bass as well.
Track list: "Dance Of The Dead," "5," "One Sad Sunday," "Bridge Of
Azaleas," "Act Of Contrition," "Oddfellow's Rest," "Thought Patterns,"
"Until Then," "Fleeting Sympathy," "The Guardian Song," "Winter In New
England," "The Silver Lining," "Floating On A Celestial Memory,"
"Release." Everything Blaze is known for is on display here: delicate
song frameworks, signature varied guitar tones (bright, clean, and
murky), quirky instrumental sections, neoclassical majesty, and flash
(in the searing little guitar solo "Thought Patterns"). So if the disc
has everything a Blaze fan could ask for, why've I procrastinated this
long with a review? Because I kept hoping repeat listens would
eventually cause a breakthrough, but it just hasn't happened... I like
to listen to albums from start to finish and it's just tough to do
that with RANDOM ACTS OF BLINDNESS. Some of the individual tracks are
great as stand-alones but as a whole I keep waiting for that *one*
song (or songs) to emerge as the album's absolute highlight/focal
point/centerpiece... Blaze's lyrics are still heady and deep and
easily taken as the poetry they are, but musically I find the album's
pace just too slow. Like I said, hard to review. Highlights: the
Spanish vibes in "Dance Of The Dead" and "Bridge Of Azaleas," the
lighter/airier vibe of "The Silver Lining," and the varied "5." It
isn't very immediate but RANDOM ACTS OF BLINDNESS could prove to be a
grower in time. - Tim

JESSE DAMON - THE HAND THAT ROCKS (B-/C+) On Fire Records, 2003
11 tracks, RT: 44:25
[ http://www.jessedamon.com/ ]
[ dearsanity@... ]
[ http://www.mkcdstore.com/ ]
Silent Rage main man/vocalist/guitarist Jesse Damon has here a decent
little slab of catchy AOR that should definitely please fans of the
genre, and his past work. Fellow hard rock wars veteran Paul Sabu
(Only Child, Sabu) co-produced the album, as well as co-wrote,
arranged, and played on virtually all of the songs. (The disc is
billed as a Damon solo album but it comes off more like a Damon/Sabu
partnership!) It's very much an '80s-era hard rock album -- right down
to track #3 ("Love Isn't Love") being a power ballad, with two other
ballads ("She'd Be Mine," "Heart Of Love") following later -- with
smooth vocals, production tricks, tasteful guitar work, and, most
importantly, well-written songs. "Everybody Needs Somebody," a track
co-written by Damon and Gene Simmons, is probably the heaviest tune
here, but that's not really saying much as this is very definitely
*not* a "metal" album. THE HAND THAT ROCKS is just good, clean, slick,
well-done hard rock. The European version on Z Records has a bonus
track called "Something To Believe In," and Damon's follow-up release
is due this September on Z as well. (And it will feature Damon's
version of the Simmons track "You're My Reason For Living" -- gotta
keep those Kiss collectors buying!) - Tim

DEBASE - UNLEASHED (B) Noise/Sanctuary, 2004
11 tracks, RT: 48:21
[ http://www.debase.as/ ]
[ http://www.noiserecords.com/ ]
At first glance, Debase's UNLEASHED disc had my internal "crap alarm"
ringing off the hook. The band's name was totally unknown to me and
their bio threw around terms like "neo-metal" and compared them to
Rammstein (YIKES!), Queensryche, Metallica and Machine Head...all of
which made them seem like a rather confused bunch if they were really
mixing all those disparate styles into the same soup! The band's photo
was even more schizophrenic -- one guy looks like a hippie, another
like Dimebag Darrell's twin brother, and a third looks like a roadie
for Korn, sportin' a stocking cap and wallet chain. Of course, they
say you should never judge a book (or a CD) by its cover, but I still
placed these Swedes into the player with my guard up. When the first
track, "Holy Caravan," bounced around the room, however, I suddenly
found my head bobbing along, my hands involuntarily curling into devil
horns, and heard myself saying "DAMN, these guys are HEAVY!" I don't
know where the Rammstein or Queensryche comparisons came from, because
I don't hear much of either in Debase's sound. I do detect a lot of
their late, lamented (at least by me) countrymen Lefay (they're not as
fast as Lefay were and are a little less polished, but both bands have
that same tight, doomy, heavy-as-a-really-heavy-thing musical backbone
going), as well as some Trouble and Overkill influence (not the all-
out thrashing Overkill, but rather their slow, brooding stuff, i.e.
"Skullkrusher" or "Horrorscope.") Michael Hansson's moody vocal croon,
akin to a cross between Glenn Danzig's banshee wail and Lee Dorrian's
(Cathedral) tombstone croak, took a few listens to get used to, but
Debase's mid-paced, thudding musical attack hooked me from the first
listen. The rhythm section of Micko Twedberg (bass) and Johan
Hellgesson (drums) are rock solid on the bottom end and guitarists
Jonas Karlgren and Sigge Riesbeck (damn, these Swedish names are
playing hell with my spell check!) definitely have their instruments
set on "punish." Most of these 11 tracks are short, to-the-point
bludgeonings (the only one that overstays its welcome is the 6:50
"Symphony For The Unholy"), with "Elected," "Schizofrenia" (sic),
"Inordinate Desire," and the title track doing the most damage to my
stereo speakers. If you're starting to think that the current Swedish
scene is content to merely crank out endless clones of In Flames (the
country's most famous recent export), give UNLEASHED a try; it could
turn out to be an eye-opening surprise. - Keith Abt
(keithabt@...)

DRAGONFORCE - SONIC FIRESTORM (C) Noise/Sanctuary, 2004
8 tracks, RT: 56:34
[ http://www.dragonforce.com/ ]
[ http://www.noiserecords.com/ ]
It's been a while since a new "true metal" contender surfaced from the
United Kingdom, hasn't it? The sextet known as DragonForce suddenly
became the new sweethearts of the power/prog metal scene a few years
back, when their self-released demo CD (unheard by me) garnered
universally orgasmic 'net and 'zine reviews and touched off a record
label bidding war that was eventually won by our friends at Noise.
They've already had chart success in Asia and have support slots with
Halford and Virgin Steele under their belts, so you'd expect that
their second full-length album, SONIC FIRESTORM, would be a totally
amazing, genre-defining piece of work, wouldn't you? Well, call me a
jaded prick if you will, but I'd have to respond with a resounding
"Naaahhh." First, the good news: DragonForce do have some serious
chops; these guys can play like muthafuggas, and vocalist ZP Theart
(?) has a decent voice (not too girly) that's easy on the ears. The
bad news is that you've heard just about every note on this album
already, on CDs by Helloween, Gamma Ray, Rhapsody, Sonata Arctica,
Blind Guardian, etc., etc. I estimate that DragonForce owe at least
half of whatever money they make from the sales of this album to Kai
Hansen and Michael Weikath, because they've masterfully cribbed the
"melodic speed metal guitar" sound that those Pumpkinheads pioneered
years ago. The lightning-fast interplay between guitarists Sam Totman
and Herman Li and keyboardist Vadim Pruzhanov, along with the all-men-
play-on-ten double bass drumming of David Mackintosh, sounds great at
first, but after a while their constant wall of sound approach starts
to feel like a Stratovarius album being played at 78-speed. The
opening track "My Spirit Will Go On" gets things off to a fairly
impressive start, making the listener think "Cool, this is gonna
ROCK," but by the album's halfway point you're likely to be thinking
"didn't I hear this song already?" To make matters worse, DragonForce
feels the need to write "epic" songs, and I don't think they have the
ammunition to pull that off just yet. Only two tracks clock in under
the six-minute mark, and the worst offender, "Soldiers Of The
Wasteland," drags on for an excruciating 9:46, several minutes of
which are endless "widdly-widdly-widdly" guitar soloing. Unless you're
Iron Maiden (and maybe not even THEN), there is really NO need to make
songs this long. That said, I'm sure this album will still sell like
hotcakes in the traditional metal-crazed regions like Italy, Japan,
Brazil, and Germany, but I truthfully think these guys have come to
the power metal party a little too late. To use a food analogy (I've
been watching the Food Network as I write my reviews tonight; bear
with me), if Helloween or Gamma Ray were fresh-baked, hand-rolled
gourmet prosciutto bread, DragonForce would be generic, Stop & Shop
store brand white sandwich loaf. Palatable, perhaps, but ultimately
not very satisfying. - Keith Abt (keithabt@...)

TAROT - SUFFER OUR PLEASURES (A+) Metal Blade Records, 2004
10 tracks, RT: 48:00
[ http://www.wingsofdarkness.net/ ]
[ http://www.metalbladerecords.com/ ]
This originally came out last year and was my #1 album of 2003 in
_Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles_, and it finally got a domestic US
release via Metal Blade back in March. This album rules and the band
knows it since, well, the opening track boldy proclaims "I Rule."
Vocalist/bassist Marco Hietala, his guitarist brother Zachary,
keyboardist Janne Tolsa, and drummer Pecu Cinnari all need to be
commended for keeping the band together despite other interests these
days. Marco was in Sinergy for a while and his main gig these days is
Nightwish, and Tolsa is also in Virtuocity, but if future Tarot albums
are this good the three- to five-year waiting periods between 'em can
be excused. It's hard to describe Tarot's sound easily, but for
starters let's say this: imagine what Savatage would sound like if it
had 1) remained dark, 2) kept grizzled Jon Oliva singing the whole
time, 3) stayed with keyboards instead of piano, and 4) not become so
enamored with the Epic Rock Opera concept. Take all of this as a
starting point, then mix in some Dio-era Black Sabbath doom for
flavor, and we (maybe?) have Tarot. Rockers like "I Rule," "Pyre Of
Gods," "Follow The Blind," "Undead Son," and "From The Shadows" are
instant, fist-pumping classics, and the twisting 'n' turning darker,
slower songs like "Rider Of The Last Day" and "Of Time And Dust" are
moody gems. Then there's "From The Void," with its triumphant and
commercial vibes, the demented "Contortions," and closer "Painless,"
an acoustic tune with a wicked groove. So many praises to heap, so
little time. Do yourself a favor and seek out Tarot's back catalog,
including the probably-impossible-to-find "Undead Son" single, with
the B-side Genesis cover "Mama." Killer stuff. - Tim

TOC - LOSS ANGELES (B) InsideOut Music America, 2004
11 tracks, RT: 50:15
[ http://www.tocrocks.com/ ]
[ http://www.insideoutmusic.com/ ]
[ info@... ]
Finnish band TOC (formerly Throne Of Chaos) return with their third
album LOSS ANGELES, and boy is this thing hard to categorize!
Contained within this disc are songs channeling everything from early
'90s Queensryche and Dream Theater ("Mary Lou Is Dead," "Gothamburg"),
'80s power-pop with flavors of Billy Idol and U2 ("Wait"), to Faith No
More ("Blue Lady") and even Exodus ("Break-A-Neck"). TOC are fine
musicians but seem to eschew flashy instrumental passages in favor of
strong songwriting, examples of which can be found all throughout the
disc. For TOC, the name of the game is variety, as you never know
quite what to expect next. Production is good with intriguing lyrical
content and an energetic delivery, although some of the death metal
vocals sound a little out-of-place to me. Two covers are also
included, Deep Purple's "Smoke On The Water," which is played in a
thrash style (!?) and a really good version of Judas Priest's "Night
Crawler." Obviously TOC enjoy defying labels and expectations, and for
the most part their approach works. If you like hard rock and metal
with diversity you would do well to check out this CD; a bit unfocused
and derivative in places but for the most part a very enjoyable and
entertaining listen from an interesting band. I look forward to
hearing more from these guys in the future... - Neal Woodall
(MysticX10@...)

UFO - YOU ARE HERE (C+) SPV, 2004
12 tracks, RT: 53:00
[ http://www.ufo-music.info/ ]
For those of us rockers who grew up in the '70s (insert your "man, how
old is this guy?" comment here!), there are a few bands that got lost
in time, that kind of never got their "just due" over the years. For
me, and many others, UFO is at the top of that list. Their live album
STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT is still one of the best you'll ever hear. Over
the years there have been many lineup changes, and a lot of good and
bad times. After reuniting in 1999 the same pattern has followed. The
constant in-band fighting (not just verbal!) has never stopped, and
guitar hero Michael Schenker has once again left UFO. The difference
this time is, he let his old partners Phil Mogg (vocals) and Pete Way
(bass) have the band's name. (Schenker over the years gained partial
control of the name, which led to Phil and Pete releasing two albums
under the moniker Mogg/Way.) So, Pete and Phil are carrying on with
new members. Now, in 2004, UFO is back with a new CD called YOU ARE
HERE and have re-enlisted old band member Paul Raymond
(keyboards/guitar/backing vocals) along with some new blood: Vinnie
Moore (guitar) and Jason Bonham (drums). I was quite honestly very
excited by the prospect of this lineup. I am sad to report that this
album is a minor letdown. I have kinda been disappointed with how Mogg
has been in recent years. Don't get me wrong, his voice is as strong
as ever -- he always had a very smooth voice -- but the songwriting is
killing me. This album is saved by new member Moore, whose guitar
parts are great -- nice tones and very cool riffs with a Schenker-ish
vibe to them! He doesn't "try" to be like Mike, but he does a good job
of paying respect to the older UFO fan by playing riffs in that vein.
But, back to the songwriting... It started with the UFO CD SHARKS and
continued with Phil's side project $ign Of 4. It just sounds like he's
writing one long song, like the proverbial well of ideas has dried up.
In my opinion, it might be time to either let Pete write more lyrics,
or just collaborate with some outside writers. Again, the music is
fine, and so is the singing, it's just the vocal melodies that start
getting "samey" as the album rolls on. There are some shining moments.
The opening track "When Daylight Goes To Town" has a great guitar riff
and different sounding back-up vocals for UFO. I kinda like it! I also
like "Baby Blue" which has some nice acoustic guitar work in the intro
-- the ballady "Slipping Away" has the same kind of feel. Now that
Jason is in the band, I guess it was inevitable there'd be a Zep-like
moment on the album and "Slipping Away" has it. But songs like
"Swallow," "Jello Man," and "Give It Up" are just killed by boring,
weak choruses. This is f**king UFO man! We're talking "Rock Bottom"
and "Lights Out" as their legacy! OK, OK, I hear ya. It is kind of
unfair to compare this band to their past but it is just that that
classic material is SO classic! My friend Ed said it best: We were
awaiting L.A. Guns to take the stage at a show and they were blasting
the last few songs from STRANGERS IN THE NIGHT over the PA. Ed turned
to me and said, "Are they out of their minds? NOBODY should follow
after this album is being played!" You were so right buddy, so right!
So, while this album shouldn't convert anyone who wasn't a fan before,
it's not like it is so terrible that old fans will feel totally ripped
off. Let down, maybe, but not so turned off they will stop listening.
I think the new players did their jobs well and it will be great to
see the band live. Maybe the next album (if there is one) will be more
of what we'd all expect from UFO. - John Erigo (Erigo1@...)

*
*** OUT ***
*

=====
Detritus Rock/Metal e-zine
"Rock Hard With A Purpose"
http://groups.yahoo.com/group/detritus/




__________________________________
Do you Yahoo!?
Friends. Fun. Try the all-new Yahoo! Messenger.
http://messenger.yahoo.com/