Detritus
Issue #303
Week of February 7, 2005
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*
*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Patrick Brower, Editor
patrickbrower(at)comcast.net

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
lof(at)earthlink.net

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512(at)yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober(at)vongoober.com
http://www.vongoober.com/

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
Here we are again folks, as the bugs continue to be ironed out. Big
Stratovarius news this week as well as a DVD review from Neil and a CD
review from yours truly, and Tim is back in a big way with his very
own column & three reviews! Also, Sean is just starting to scratch
the surface of his news gathering ability.

This part is a pain. We're having difficulty with our email address
being shown due to some new Yahoo screening, so for the time being
I've just replaced the @ symbol with (at) to try and throw off Yahoo
until we reach a more permanent solution. Sorry about that. I know
it makes it that much harder to email us, but we're worth it! Whooo!
-Patrick

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-GREAT WHITE OUT ON SHORT CANADIAN TOUR

HOLLYWOOD (February 7, 2005) – GREAT WHITE is heading out on on a
Canadian tour. GREAT WHITE will perform all of their hard-rockin' hits
from multi-platinum albums "Once Bitten...," "...Twice Shy," "Hooked"
and many others. Nominated for a Grammy in 1989, GREAT WHITE has sold
over 8 million records worldwide, 2 top 40 hits and 13 top MTV videos.
Their concert performance includes their popular songs `Once
Bitten-Twice Shy,' `The Angel Song' and of course `Rock Me.'

TOUR DATES
8-Mar Calgary Cowboy's Nightclub
9-Mar Edmonton Union Hall
10-Mar Grand Prarie B.J's Nightclub
11-Mar FT. McMurray Cowboy's Nightclub
15-Mar Saskatoon The Roxy
16-Mar Regina The Pump Rhoadhouse
18-Mar Winnepeg The Pyramid Night Club
19-Mar Brandon Tails West

All performances by GREAT WHITE will continue to benefit the Station
Family Fund. Proceeds from their shows go to the fund to create
further awareness and financial assistance to those touched by the
Rhode Island tragedy. Proceeds go directly to The Station Family Fund.
The funds raised will be controlled and administered by The Station
Family Fund. www.stationfamilyfund.org.

GREAT WHITE's line-up consists of original members Jack Russell
(vocals), Mark Kendall (lead guitar), Tyler Nelson (guitar), Derrick
Pontier (drums) and Scott Pounds (bass).

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-HEAVY MUSIC AND VIOLENCE

The discussion about a supposed connection between heavy music and
violent acts isn't new. Suicides, killings, assaults, etc. We've been
hearing those comments every now and then when a tragedy happens in
the rock / metal scene, since the early days of those styles. However,
as it seems since Dimebag Darrell's tragic loss, another cop-out was
given to the conservative and thoughtless press and writers.

Many people did explore the tragedy in a disrespectful way and found
in it something to explain and justify their own fantasies. That was
enough for an uprising that moved all the metal community and
especially the boards and mail boxes of Blabbermouth, Melodicrock,
Metal Maniacs, Metal Hammer, Whiplash!, all the local magazines, and
Imhotep itself. Obviously it was also hard to any of us involved in
the metal scene and working on it -- many of those journalists,
friends or people who met Dimebag personally -- to read those
statements and articles made by people with the sensibility of a door.

Some weeks after the guitarist's death, we thought it would be a good
thing to bring the discussion upon the carpet to the musicians
themselves in the traditional 'virtual conference' that we organize.
There they would be able to express their feelings towards the
connection between heavy music and violence, and towards Dimebag
Darrell Abott if they wanted to.

It's important to remember that all the statements were done without
any influence from any other musician / artist. They didn't know what
each other answered at all.

Initially we would organize the article with metal musicians /
producers only. But in the middle of the process, we thought it would
be interesting to bring people from other styles. Not only because
this is a very polemic subject, but also for the fact that Dimebag's
music surpassed the limits of heavy / hard music and people that
apparently has nothing to do to heavy / hard music at all, showed an
indignation that we weren't expecting when we told them about the
articles stating about a possible connection between heavy music and
violence, and somehow blaming Darrell for his own death!

Even including Frank Zappa's quote in the introduction, we removed
ourselves from our own opinions during the article. Obviously I don't
agree with a lot of things said, but that space is dedicated to the
artists, and that's why you won't find long introductions or
statements from me or any other member of Imhotep. We're thankful to
each participant for sharing their feelings and thoughts with our
readers and us.

But I could not conclude this press release without saying some
important things.

PanterA sold over six million albums worldwide (with just "Vulgar
Display Of Power", "Cowboys From Hell" and "Far Beyond Driven"). If
one fan lost his mind in one disturbed night, did you ever think about
how many fans found themselves or found some reason to their lives
listening to those records? Maybe it's also interesting to reflect that:

From a guitar, you have musical notes,
From a gun, you have bullets,
Musical notes move lives...
Bullets stop them!

This article is dedicated to the memory of one of the greatest guitar
players this world ever witnessed... "Dimebag" Darrell Abott... and to
his brother Vinnie Paul and his wife, Rita. We hope you can move on
sometime. We're still trying.

Thiago Pinto Correa Sarkis - On behalf of Imhotep staff.

http://www.imhotepzine.com/heavyviolence/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-THINE EYES BLEED TO HIT THE ROAD IN MARCH

LONDON, Ontario – Thine Eyes Bleed will begin its live devastation
this March. The Canadian extreme metal band will do a run of dates
with California's Vehemence beginning March 21. Prior to the tour,
Thine Eyes Bleed will open the Toronto Soulfly date, then head to
Japan for a live showcase and promotion, and hit the South By
Southwest convention in Austin on the way home.

"This is gonna be a crazy month," said vocalist Justin Wolfe. "We
can't wait to hit the road again… Japan and SXSW back to back will be
an amazing experience." "I haven't been to Japan since Beast Feast
2001 with Kittie and I am excited to play for the metal fans again,"
said guitarist Jeff Phillips. Thine Eyes Bleed supported Kittie,
Candiria and Crazyfists on a nationwide tour last year.

The Canadian quintet's debut, "In the Wake of Separation," is due to
be released April 26 on The End Records. The group's website
(www.ThineEyesBleed.com) features mp3s of two tracks from the album,
as well a video for "Cold Victim." Drawing comparisons to classic and
modern metal alike, the initial response to Thine Eyes Bleed has been
tremendous. Thine Eyes Bleed was voted Best Underground Metal Band by
Uranium.com, the official website of FUSE TV's metal show "Uranium."

Dates are as follow:
02/25/05 Fri. Call the Office, London, ON
03/02/05 Wed. The Guvernment, Toronto, ON w/Soulfly
03/13/05 Sun. Independence-D @ Studio Coast, Tokyo, Japan
03/18/05 Fri. SXSW @ Backroom, Austin, TX
03/19/05 Sat. The Ballroom, Corpus Christi, TX
03/20/05 Sun. Studio 28, Lubbock, TX

With Vehemence:
03/21/05 Mon. Surges, El Paso, TX
03/22/05 Tue. Classics, Colorado Springs, CO
03/23/05 Wed. Eck's Saloon, Lakewood, CO
03/24/05 Thu. Starlight Theater, Ft. Collins, CO
03/25/05 Fri. The Venue, Boise, ID
03/26/05 Sat. The B-Side, Spokane, WA
03/27/05 Sun. Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
03/28/05 Mon. Sabala's Mt. Tabor, Portland, OR
03/31/05 Thu. The Pound, San Francisco, CA
04/02/05 Sat. Jerry's Pizza, Bakersfield, CA
04/03/05 Sun. Showcase Theater, Corona, CA

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-FORGOTTEN TALES VIDEOCLIP
Forgotten Tales is proud to present their first videoclip of the song
"March For Freedom
<http://www.forgottentales.com/Videos/MarchforFreedom.zip>", from
their latest album: "All The Sinners". This videoclip has been
produced by Productions 24 Images Secondes <http://www.24is.tv>. You
can download it for free on their official website
<http://www.forgottentales.com/> and read it with the Windows Media
Player.
You can exchange this videoclip with your friends and put it on your
website as long as you respect the original content don't modify it)
and you don't sell it.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
*
-SHADOWSFALL – "IT" HAS BEGUN
There are only a few more days until we take off for our
Australi-Asian Domination Takeover as we head to Japan for Extreme the
Dojo Vol. 12 then Korea and finally Australia. We're looking forward
to seeing old friends and trying new beers!

Japan's Extreme the Dojo Vol. 12
7th February Tokyo Club Quattro w/Everytime I Die, As I Lay Dying
9th February Osaka Club Quattro w/Hatebreed, Everytime I Die, As I Lay
Dying
10th February Nagoya Club Quattro w/Hatebreed, Everytime I Die, As I
Lay Dying

Korea
12th February Seoul Korea Rolling Hall

Australia
16th February Arena, Brisbane w/As I Lay Dying
18th February Manning Bar, Sydney w/As I Lay Dying
19th February ANU, Canberra w/As I Lay Dying
20th February Corner Hotel, Melbourne w/As I Lay Dying
22nd February Fowlers Live, Adelaide w/As I Lay Dying
23rd February Monkey Bar, Perth w/As I Lay Dying

KEEPING IT METAL
We're going to be filling some days off with Slipknot this spring with
shows of our own. We expect to see each and every one of you there.
Our website has all of the juicy details.
3/10 - Grand Rapids, MI w/Walls of Jericho, Gizmachi, Fallopiandudes
3/17 - Spartanburg, SC w/Stretch Arm Strong
3/21 - Jacksonville, FL w/The Bled
3/24 - Birmingham, AL w/The Bled, Catchfire
3/27 - Little Rock, AR w/VORE, Epoch of Light
4/3 - Lubbock, TX
4/14 - Boise, ID w/Lamb of God, From Autumn to Ashes, Palehorse

OUR TRIBUTE TO A GOOD FRIEND
Anyone who caught last year's Devastation Across the Nation Tour with
us and Damageplan can attest to how much fun we had on the road with
Dimebag, Vinnie Paul, Pat, Bob Zilla and the rest of the gang. It is
our very sincere pleasure to share with you some footage that was
taken on our last date of the tour in Albany, NY on December 5th. The
audio isn't too great and the cameraman wasn't a pro but the
friendship shines through. We now present to you Mini-Paul.

SLIPKNOT
Almost all of The Subliminal Verses Tour shows with Slipknot and Lamb
of God have gone on sale. You can purchase tickets on either of the
presales Slipknot is hosting at slipknot1.musictoday.com and the AOL
FirstTix: Slipknot Presale. The Iowa and Illinois shows aren't
available for presale until Feb. 9th. There are several new dates on
here since the last time we said hello. More details can be found at
www.shadowsfallrocks.com.

3/4 - Hartford, CT w/Gizmachi
3/5 - Philadelphia, PA w/Gizmachi
3/6 - East Rutherford, NJ w/Gizmachi
3/8 - Columbus, OH w/Gizmachi
3/9 - Cleveland, OH w/Gizmachi
3/11 - Rosemont, IL w/Gizmachi
3/12 - Detroit, MI w/Sworn Enemy
3/13 - Indianapolis, IN w/Sworn Enemy
3/15 - Lowell, MA w/Sworn Enemy
3/16 - Fairfax, VA w/All That Remains
3/18 - Hampton, VA w/All That Remains
3/19 - Atlanta, GA w/All That Remains
3/20 - Pensacola, FL w/The Bled
3/22 - West Palm Beach, FL w/The Bled
3/23 - Tampa, FL w/The Bled
3/25 - New Orleans, LA w/The Bled
3/26 - Houston, TX w/The Bled
3/28 - Oklahoma City, OK w/Devil Driver
3/29 - Valley Center, KS w/Devil Driver
3/31 - Corpus Christi, TX w/Devil Driver
4/1 - San Antonio, TX w/Devil Driver
4/2 - Grand Prairie, TX w/Devil Driver
4/4 - Albuquerque, NM w/Trivium
4/5 - El Paso, TX w/Trivium
4/6 - Glendale, AZ w/Trivium
4/8 - San Diego, CA w/Trivium
4/9 - Inglewood, CA w/From Autumn to Ashes **No Lamb of God**
4/10 - Fresno, CA w/From Autumn to Ashes
4/12 - San Jose, CA w/From Autumn to Ashes
4/13 - Sacramento, CA w/From Autumn to Ashes
4/15 - Portland, OR w/From Autumn to Ashes
4/16 - Tacoma, WA w/From Autumn to Ashes
4/17 - Spokane, WA w/From Autumn to Ashes
4/19 - West Valley City, UT w/Dillinger Escape Plan
4/20 - Denver, CO w/Dillinger Escape Plan
4/22 - Kansas City, MO w/Dillinger Escape Plan
4/23 - Ames, IA w/Dillinger Escape Plan
4/24 - St. Paul, MN w/Dillinger Escape Plan
4/26 - Green Bay, WI w/American Head Charge
4/27 - Springfield, IL w/American Head Charge
4/29 - Council Bluffs, IA w/American Head Charge
4/30 - Madison, WI w/American Head Charge
We're making changes to www.shadowsfallrocks.com every day so make
sure you check it out often.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
*
-THE END OF SENTENCED
Sentenced news from http://www.sentenced.org/ "After spending about 2
months in different studios the new album is finally finished. Its
total running time is 49:53 and the following
titles are included:

01. May Today Become the Day
02. Ever-Frost
03. We Are But Falling Leaves
04. Her Last 5 Minutes
05. Where Waters Fall Frozen
06. Despair-Ridden Hearts
07. Vengeance Is Mine
08. A Long Way To Nowhere
09. Consider Us Dead
10. Lower The Flags
11. Drain Me
12. Karu
13. End Of The Road

The album was recorded mainly at Finnvox and Tonebox studios (both in
Finland), and mixed & mastered at Finnvox. The man on the producer
chair was again Hiili Hiilesmaa, who also produced our 2 previous
albums CRIMSON and THE COLD WHITE LIGHT.

What you can expect is a variation of different kinds of songs, and
for sure some surprises. In addition to the traditional instruments we
used everything from scissors, zippers, compressed air and spoons to
harmonicas and a children choir but not to worry: as far as I
understand anything anymore, we still have managed to maintain a sense
of style.

The general feel and overall sound are more aggressive than on our
latest few albums, but there are also songs that are based more on
emotion and atmosphere. Lyrical themes include death (surprise,
surprise?), life, loss, love, unity, disappointment and revenge, but
only to start with. Overall there's perhaps more depth in the lyrics,
as well as in the music, than ever before. I think some, if not all
songs will definitely take a dozen spins before fully opening to the
listener.

*Funeral Statement
"We'd better put this out in the open before you hear it somewhere
else. The title of the new album is THE FUNERAL ALBUM, and with it we,
Sentenced, are coming to the end of our road. This album will be our
last one.

The decision is mutual, thoroughly thought over and final.
Metaphorically speaking, this is a mass suicide of 5, and the new
album is the kind of note we want to leave behind. One last time
around for good-byes.

The decision was made during 2004. The reasons are many, and I don't
feel any need to go into details here. I will say however, that
everyone will walk away as friends. In my eyes we are not even
splitting up, but ending our recording career together. And there is a
major difference between those two. Our wish was always to go out with
style and at the peak of our so-called success. I think with THE
FUNERAL ALBUM we will do exactly that.

Once the album is released, there will be an undefined number of
farewell shows. When, where and how many, those are questions that at
this point remain open. Intense and long touring, however, will
unfortunately not follow, and most of these shows will take place on
festivals where we can reach as much people as possible at one time.
At the moment it seems that all of these funeral shows will be in Europe.

If everything goes as planned, we will also make a live-DVD out of
those last shows and include a lot of stuff from the past on it. Not
to mention all the music videos we have done during the years. The
working title for the DVD is BURIED ALIVE. After that Sentenced is no
more.
And: THIS IS IT. There will not be a re-union, comeback, or any other
pathetic and soap-opera-ish circus that seems to be in fashion these
days. Sentenced will rest in peace.

We will make the most out of the bands last year, and hope you will
all join us.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
*
-SALEM'S UPCOMING RELEASE
Salem is currently in the recording studio, putting the final touches
to their up and coming release "No Strings Attached", scheduled to be
out this coming April through a local distributor in Israel, The End
Records in North America and Raven Music for the rest of the world.
"No Strings Attached" contains 11 songs from the band's past
repertoire and one brand new song, all re-arranged to be played with
one of the most respected all-girl String Quartets in the country.
For more information visit www.salemband.com.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
*
-Z RECORDS SIGNS SOULSKINNER
Z Records are extremely proud to announce the signing of the Swedish
act SOULSKINNER.
Formed only twelve months ago by former Steel Attack members Dennis
Westman and Patrick Spath, SOULSKINNER combine metal with melody in a
manner rarely heard during recent years. Drawing influences from past
hard rock and metal legends, SOULSKINNER have recorded a possible
modern day classic.

The signing of the band also sees the return of one of our former
artistes to the Z roster. Thomas Thorsen will be remembered by many
for his colossal vocal work with Damned Nation and fans of his
previous work will not be disappointed.

Soulskinner line up:
Thomas Thorsen - Vocals
(ex. Member of DAMNED NATION)
Dennis Westman - Guitar
(ex. Member of STEEL ATTACK & CARNAL FORGE)
Petri Kuusisto - Guitar
(Also member of CARNAL FORGE & ASPERITY)
Patrick "Schweinsteiger" Späth - Bass
(ex. Member of STEEL ATTACK)
Rickard Holmgren - Drums
(member of agro-metal band SCAAR
Ex.Member of VANESSA)

Sound samples will be online later this week at www.zrecords.net.
The bands debut album will be released during early April 05.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
*
-STRATOVARIUS TO HEADLINE PROG POWER VI
ATLANTA – ProgPower USA has confirmed Stratovarius as one of the
headliners of the festival's sixth installment, to be held September
16 and 17 at Earthlink Live in Atlanta.

This performance will be the Finnish power metal band's first ever in
North America. It is also the first confirmed show since the
reformation of the "classic" lineup including vocalist Timo Koltipelto.

"We feel that the time is now finally right, and that the legendary
ProgPower is the perfect setting for us," said keyboardist Jens
Johansson. "We are really excited about this chance to connect with
our fans there."

Only a total of 10 bands will be invited to play the acclaimed
festival. Other bands confirmed to date are Sweden's dark symphonic
metal band Therion, Denmark's Manticora, and Norway's Circus Maximus,
whose debut is due this spring on Sensory Records. Manticora and
Circus Maximus will be making their North American debuts while
Therion will use the festival as the cornerstone for their tour in the
fall.

"We are looking forward to going to the USA for the first time in our
18-year-long music career," said Christofer Johnsson, guitarist for
Therion. "We will play a `best of' set that will cover most of our 12
studio albums and I hope we will satisfy both older and younger fans.
We are bringing with us six singers, the same as we used for the
previous touring on these new albums. We have heard a lot about
ProgPower and we've had the question why we're not playing there, as
it would be perfect for our type of stuff - so we are particularly
looking forward to playing there."

Additional bands will be announced weekly on the ProgPower USA website.

Tickets will go on sale April 2 at 10 a.m. EST via all Ticketmaster
outlets. Only 900 tickets will be made available to the public.
Advance Gold Badges are already sold out.

One of America's most highly praised festivals, ProgPower USA has
sold-out for three consecutive years over five months in advance.
There is currently a three-year wait on the Gold Badge waiting list.
Last year ProgPower USA drew fans from 32 states and 12 counties
including Japan and Australia.

ProgPower USA is sponsored by Pacific Drums, Sabien Cymbals, Shure
Microphones, Planet Waves Gear, J.'Addario Strings, and Evans Drumheads.

www.progpowerusa.com

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*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
*
-NIGHTWISH NORTH AMERICAN TOUR POSTPONED
Finland's NIGHTWISH have pushed back the launch of their previously
announced North American tour to this fall. The rescheduled trek will
most likely kick off in September prior to the band touring South
America. "A bandmember has some pressing issues with some outside
projects that directly impacted this time period," a representative
from the group's booking agency told BLABBERMOUTH.NET.

"The band as a whole were looking forward to this tour and are truly
sorry for their fans who already purchased tickets," the
representative added. "Sometimes these things happen and it is
unfortunate. However, the dates will be moved and put back on sale as
soon as possible, and there will be some new cities added to the
itinerary."

NIGHTWISH's North American tour with SONATA ARCTICA was scheduled to
launch on April 20 in Chicago, Illinois.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
*
-HAVOCHATE AND INDECENT MEDIA ENTER `CYCLE OF PAIN'
NEW YORK – New York metal band HavocHate has inked a deal with
Indecent Media to release its second album, "Cycle of Pain," on March 15.
"We had been in contact with other labels and they all offered us more
or less the same things," said guitarist Freddy Ordine. "Indecent
assured us that we are going to be a priority for the label. It is a
small up-start with more of a team/family vibe, and with great
distribution in the states. For me, these two things are the most
important."
Jurgen Korduletsch, president of dance and pop label Radikal Records,
established Indecent Media in the fall of 2004 with a focus on
finding, releasing, and developing rock and alternative artists.
HavocHate is one of the label's first signings. The group caught
Korduletsch's ear with their 2003 debut, "This Violent Earth."
Impressed with the group's level of musicianship and the guitar
virtuosity of Freddy Ordine - HavocHate's founder and leader - he
convinced the group to start working on a new album immediately.
"I almost fell out of my chair when I heard the album for the first
time," said Korduletsch. "It is a tremendous collision of great songs
and brutal force playing."
HavocHate's sophomore effort is a marked growth from "This Violent
Earth," brought on partially by the band's revamped lineup. Joining
Ordine are vocalist Tim Bouchee, who joined the band early last year;
Mario Rodriguez, who was added as second guitarist after the recording
of the first album; former Testament bassist Greg Christian; and
original drummer Ovie Rodriguez.
"I think that this record was just a natural growth that had to
happen," Ordine said. "We changed a lot over the past year and tend
to look at things a whole lot differently now. The writing process
was a team effort. When we started to write, we had no predetermined
idea of what we wanted. The only thing we knew was every song had to
be real. This record was written purely from the heart."
Added Mario Rodriguez: "It's the first time Freddy and I have
collaborated in a recording process, so it was great to bounce off
ideas and create. It's like our last record was in black in white and
`Cycle' is full of colors and textures."

The track listing is:
"Cold Embrace"
"Cycle of Pain"
"Fiction"
"Alone"
"Speak No More"
"Rotting Hour"
"Crack in the Sky"
"Tentacle"
"Still Alive"
"Wicked"
"Buried in Lies"

All Indecent Media releases are distributed by Navarre Distribution.
www.havochate.com
www.indecentmedia.com

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*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
-IN FLAMES + JUDAS PRIEST
Nuclear Blast reports that two generations of Metal will join forces
in February and March. Sweden's IN FLAMES were confirmed as the
support for the mighty JUDAS PRIEST on the Scandinavian and German
part of their reunion tour. The veterans of all things Metal and
purveyors of countless classics take out the masters of Melodic Death
Metal - how much heavier can it get?

Confirmed dates are:
February
23 in Copenhagen, Denmark at Valby Hallen
25 in Karlstad, Sweden at Lofbergs Lila Arena
26 in Stockholm, Sweden at Stockholm Globe Arena
28 in Oulu, Finland at Oulu Ice Hall

March
2 in Tampere, Finland at Tampere Icehall
3 in Helsinki, Finland at Hartwall Arena
5 in Goteborg, Sweden at Scandinavium
8 in Oslo, Norway at Spektrum
10 in Essen, Germany at Grugahalle
11 in Offenbach, Germany at Stadthalle
13 in Munich, Germany at Zenith
14 in Boblingen, Germany at Stadthalle

Coinciding with the start of the tour, In Flames will release their
latest CD, "Soundtrack To Your Escape", as a Digipak including a
5-track-bonus-DVD. This means: the whole album plus two clips plus two
live videos plus a making-of sequence.

In other news, In Flames were honored with the "Best Hard Rock" award
at the Swedish Grammys, held Monday (7th) at China Teatern in
Stockholm. Other acts competing for the award were DISMEMBER,
ENTOMBED, EUROPE and THE HELLACOPTERS.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-ALICE IN CHAINS + DAMAGEPLAN
ALICE IN CHAINS members Sean Kinney (drums), Jerry Cantrell (guitar)
and Mike Inez (bass), along with DAMAGEPLAN singer Pat Lachman, will
take the stage of Seattle's Premier Club on 18 February as part of a
benefit concert to aid the victims of the Asian tsunami distaster.

"When something like this happens, you want to help," Kinney told
RollingStone.com. "I called people up here in the Northwest to see who
was available, and Jerry and Mike were the first guys I called."

The show will be Kinney, Cantrell and Inez's first together in nine
years, as well as their first without lead singer Layne Stanley, who
died from a drug overdose in 2002. "Obviously we all needed to take
some time and all deal with the situation of the band and Layne's
death," said Cantrell.

The three thought Lachman, who lost a bandmate himself in December
when guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was fatally shot in an Ohio
nightclub, was a natural choice to join them. "I've known Pat through
the PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guys for years," Cantrell explained. "We
were all down in Dallas to support the family, and we actually played
a couple of ALICE songs at Dime's memorial, so it made sense."

For the benefit, the reunited group will perform material from the
ALICE IN CHAINS catalog, and recording new music remains a
possibility. "We're just starting with the gig, and we'll see what
happens," Cantrell said. "But we can't wait to get into the room
together. I've done plenty of [projects] without Sean and Mike, and,
as far as having that silent chemistry, nobody really compares.

"If the last couple of months have shown me anything," he continued,
"it's that it's still a really dangerous world we live in. You have to
put one foot in front of the other . . . and if you look too far down
the trail, you'll fall on your face."

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
*
-DANZIG DVD
More information has surfaced about DANZIG's upcoming DVD, "Il Demonio
Nera", due in late March through Evilive via MDM distribution. The
complete track listing for the DVD is as follows:

01. Until You Call On The Dark (MTV Version)
02. Until You Call On The Dark (Glenn Danzig Performance)
03. Until You Call On The Dark (Band Performance, Directed by Peter
Christopherson)
04. Cantspeak (Clean Version)
05. Cantspeak (Filter Pass Version, Directed by Fred Stuhr)
06. I Don't Mind The Pain (MTV Version)
07. I Don¡¯t Mind The Pain (Glenn Danzig Performance)
08. I Don¡¯t Mind The Pain (Band Performance, Directed by Dean Karr)
09. Sadistikal (B/W Only, Unreleased)
10. Sadistikal (B/W & Color, Unreleased, Directed by Glenn Danzig)
11. Sacrifice (Director's Cut, Letterbox, Directed by Glenn Danzig)
12. Serpentia (Unreleased Reg. Version)

Check out the DVD artwork at
http://www.blabbermouth.net/DanzigIlDemonioNera.jpg.
DANZIG will be teaming up with KATAKLYSM, TRIVIUM and EYES OF FIRE for
a North American tour beginning on February 18 in St. Louis, MO. A
complete list of currently confirmed tour dates can be found at
http://www.danzig-verotik.com/danzig/danzig_live.html

TYPE O NEGATIVE drummer Johnny Kelly will once again be filling in on
drums for DANZIG on their upcoming tour. Kelly had previously played
with DANZIG on their 2002 European trek for "I Luciferi" and two
"Blackest of the Black" West Coast shows in May 2003.

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-Blabbermouth.net reported that Former VIXEN guitarist Jan Kuehnemund
has formed DRAWING DOWN THE MOON, an alternative group that ventures
into musical territory one wouldn't expect from a hard-rock veteran.
From the neo-psychedelic touches of "Dream" to the shimmering riffs of
"Blue", Kuehnemund is exploring her own versatility, crafting pop
music that can stand on its own outside of her work with VIXEN.
Stunning two-and-three part female harmonies soar atop melodic
pop/rock that reveal the influences of blues, '80s new wave, country,
and of course, hard rock. Comprised of Kuehnemund,
vocalist/percussionist Stacy Robin of IMAGINARY FRIENDS, vocalist
Jackie Paulson, drummer / bassist / keyboardist Donna Eveland, and
guitarist / vocalist Donna Rawlins, DRAWING DOWN THE MOON have just
released their debut album, "Angel in My Room", on Oceanic Records.
The 12-track CD is a hook-driven collection of stylish, sultry, and
emotionally uplifting rock 'n' roll where no song can be compared to
each other; every track has its own distinct identity. DRAWING DOWN
THE MOON's new album, "Angel in My Room", is currently available at
Amazon.com and CDBaby.com. For more information, visit
www.drawingdownthemoon.net.

-Celtic Legacy news fom http://www.celtic-legacy.com/
*Writing/Rehearsal sessions in full flight!
Writing continues for the upcoming album with ideas being presented
and refined. New vocalist Damien Molloy has already been busy on the
three songs that were completed prior to his arrival in December and
has given them a whole different slant. He will be working closely
with bassist Dave Boylan on the vocals over the coming weeks.

As of this update 10 songs are either completed or are in various
stages of construction and it seems likely that the band will have an
excess of material this time around and the possibility of even more
being written up to and during recording means that THE THIRD LEVEL
should be easily an hour in length.

*HEAVY, ODER WAS? interview with Dave Boylan
CL Bassist Dave Boylan will have a full length interview published in
the next issue of German Metal Mag Heavy, Oder Was? Slim answers
questions about everything from the first album right up to the
preparations for THE THIRD LEVEL and everything in between, including
his views on last year's line-up split.

In the meantime, our thanks go to Stefan Glas for his support. Since
"Live By The Sword" was included on the Metal Crusade Sampler CD,
there has been renewed interest in Celtic Legacy and our remaining
stocks of both albums have sold out completely. Heavy, Oder Was? will
carry another interview with the band at the time of THE THIRD
LEVEL's release in the summer.

*Celtic Legacy confirmed for Day Of Darkness 2005!
http://www.dayofdarkness.com/
Celtic Legacy will appear at the annual Day Of Darkness Metalfest on
July 9th 2005. This will be Legacy's first live gig in over a year
and the band will showcase new material from the upcoming album as
well as established favorites from both previous albums. It seems
unlikely that THE THIRD LEVEL will be ready in time for this show, but
the band are doing their best to try and have it ready for this date.
It is hoped to launch the album proper a few weeks later in August.

-InsideOut Music report that they will release EVERGREY's new live CD,
A Night To Remember, on March 15th. Also, the band's forthcoming
double DVD features their 19 song live performance in their hometown
of Gothenburg, Sweden, and was filmed with 15 hi-def cameras by video
producer Patrick Ullaeus (Lacuna Coil, In Flames, Dimmu Borgir, etc.).
The DVD will include all 6 of the group's videos to date as well as
live material from the beginning of their career, festivals, old demo
songs and tons of pictures! Look for the DVD to hit stores in late April.

-Other Evergrey rumours put them opening for James Labrie's solo dates
in Europe. Check out their official website for details
http://www.evergrey.com/

-SPACE SHIP ONE will be the new solo album by Racer X guitarist Paul
Gilbert, due in Japan on March 26. U.S. and European release dates
have yet to be confirmed. SPACE SHIP ONE track listing: Space Ship One
/ Every Hot Girl is a Rockstar / On the Way to Hell / SVT / Jackhammer
/ Terrible Man / Interaction / G9 / Mr. Spock / Boku No Atama / Good
Man / Wash My Car / It's All Too Much / We All Dream of Love

-HAMMERFALL's new single "Blood Bound" has debuted in the Top Five of
the singles chart this past week in Sweden. To read more on this, and
to read the chart info, visit official band site here:
http://www.hammerfall.net

-From the Under a Cyber Moon official Dream Theater emailing, James
LaBrie's new solo album, ELEMENTS OF PERSUSIAN, is scheduled to be
released on March 29th, 2005 through Inside Out Music. Musicians
appearing on the album include Matt Guillory (Dali's Dilemma) on
keyboards, Mike Mangini (Extreme, Annihilator) on drums, Bryan Beller
(Steve Vai) on bass and a new guitar prodigy from Italy named Marco
Sfogli. The album will also feature a special guest appearance by
fellow Canadian Kim Mitchell (Max Webster). Engineering is handled by
James' old Winter Rose band mate Richard Chycki, who has done work for
the likes of Aerosmith, Rush and the Jeff Healey Band. Also, James and
his band will be touring in Europe in April and May. Track listing:
Crucify / Alone / Freak / Invisible / Lost / Undecided / Smashed /
Pretender / Slightly Out Of Reach / Oblivious / In Too Deep / Drained

-Check out http://forums.megadeth.com/ if you want to vote for what
songs will end up on Megadeth's Greatest Hits which will be released
later this year.

-Also from Under a Cyber Moon comes info on John Petrucci solo CD
SUSPENDED ANIMATION which will be out soon! SUSPENDED ANIMATION will
be the title of John Petrucci's long awaited solo album. The release
date will be available soon, track listing: Jaws of Life / Glasgow
Kiss / Tunnel Vision / Wishful Thinking / Damage Control / Curve /
Lost Without You / Animate-Inanimate

-Sweden's RUNEMAGICK have just released their new album Envenom in
Norway (Aftermath Music). The first edition of the 5-track EP is
available in a hand numbered digipak. In case you can't find this
c.d. yet where you live, the band has samples of all 5 tracks posted
online: http://www.runemagick.se

-According to Michael Schenker's official website,
http://www.michaelschenkerhimself.com
25 Years MSG Celebration CD TALES OF ROCK 'N' ROLL will feature all
new songs, all new performances, and all new recordings. 5 songs have
already been mixed and there will be a total of 18 songs on the CD
Jari Tiura, Robin McAuley and Kelly Keeling have already done their
vocals. Gary Barden, Leif Sundin and Chris Logan are next to record
there Vocals. Michael feels that the material is turning out really
good and that it will be the perfect celebration album.

-From the official Vanden Plas Website, http://www.vandenplas.de, The
name for the new Vanden Plas album has been chosen: It will be a
concept album called CHRIST 0 (Christ Zero). It's a modern adaptation
of Alexandre Dumas' book Monte Cristo. The band is also working on a
rock opera based on the same concept, but the regular Vanden Plas
album is their main priority. Even though the band has been working on
theater-oriented material for their rock opera, CHIST 0 will be a very
heavy album. The band has written more than 25 songs and will chose
about 15 of them to work on the arrangements for the album. The
leftover material will be used for the rock opera.

*
*** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@...)

-First off, Neal Woodall clued be back in to who wrote that "Genres Of
Heavy Metal" thingy I published in the 2004 year-end issue. It was Dsv
Raaj from Neal's Melodicmetal mailing list at Yahoo! Groups. Thanks
Raaj!!!

-You'll find this either amusing or extremely gay, but I gotta let it
out. Ever since I've become a daddy I've been seeing things in a
different light. Say that I'm "in a different headspace," if you
will... Anyway, when I was a teenager my brother and I would
frequently make up alternate lyrics for songs we liked -- we were a
pair of regular Weird Al's and my crowning achievement back then was
re-writing Kiss' "Tears Are Falling" as "Cubs Are Losing" after my
beloved Cubbies crashed and burned during the 1985 season. (I've still
got the lyrics written down somewhere in the archives.) Then in '94 I
re-wrote Manowar's "Carry On" as "Cheetah Run," to commemorate a wild
road trip a bunch of us took to Atlanta for a buddy's bachelor party
at the notorious Cheetah nudie bar. I still get ideas for parody songs
from time to time, and now that I'm in "daddy mode" I'm getting
inspired again. How about "Teether" sung to the tune of Yngwie
Malmsteen's "Teaser," or "Maternity Clothes" sung to the tune of
Nocturnal Rites' "Eternity Holds"? And this one isn't metal but how
about that oldies tune "Beach Baby" redone as "Breech Baby"? (You know
it -- "Beach baby beach baby, give me your hand...") Oh well. The
stuff you think about during 1 a.m. feedings... :)

-Back in December, right after I put things on ice around here, Thiago
Sarkis from Imhotepzine.com contacted me about a new article at the
site detailing musicians' favorite artists from the "early days of
rock 'n' roll." Now that we're officially back I can finally mention
it. :) The title of the piece is "The Beatles, The Rolling Stones, The
Who, And / Or Others?" and is located at
http://www.imhotepzine.com/earlydays/ . Musicians in the article
include Eddie Ojeda (Twisted Sister), Bill Leverty (FireHouse), Brian
Vollmer (Helix), Joey Vera, Bob Daisley, Rikard Zander (Evergrey), Zak
Stevens (Circle II Circle, Savatage), and many others.

-Also back in December, someone (John Erigo? Keith Abt?) told me about
an on-line interview with Raven's John Gallagher. I don't remember the
URL but some of the highlights included bits on the band's upcoming
album. The guys have been working on demos and will hit the studio
again this year. New song titles include "Against The Grain," "Running
Around In Circles," "Armageddon," "Long Hard Road," "Bulldozer,"
"Breaking You Down," "Under Your Radar," "Attitude," "Burn Your
Bridges," "Long Day's Journey," "The Stranger Inside," "Desperate
Measures," "Strip Away," and "Wrecking Crew." Plus, John said there
are "at least another ten with another five or so" that need lyrics,
plus six cover songs the band has in mind. That's a lot of
entertainment. See http://www.ravenlunatics.com/ for more.

-Does anyone watch the CBS comedy "Still Standing" with Jami Gertz? I
happened to catch an episode a couple weeks ago and one scene cracked
me up. On the show Gertz's character and her husband were rockers back
in high school, and are now married with three kids. In this scene
they were meeting her sister's new loser boyfriend, who said he was
the singer of a "Foghat cover band." The husband asked if he made a
good living at that, and the guy said his band could make good money
at a gig...unless some other band offered to play for less. The
husband asked, "You mean another Foghat cover band?" The guy replied,
"No, Foghat." Good stuff.

-Thanks to everyone who wrote me with kind words about what I've done
with Detritus over the years, and with well-wishes for my wife and me
with our new baby girl. I appreciate it more than you know!

-Now in my current playlist: Winterlong - s/t (Lion Music), Metal
Majesty - 2005 (Lion Music), Spock's Beard - OCTANE (InsideOut Music
America), RPWL - WORLD THROUGH MY EYES (InsideOut Music America),
Anand - A MAN'S MIND (Lion Music).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*

AL DI MEOLA: ONE OF THESE NIGHTS (A) Inakustik, 2005
11 Tracks, RT: 116 Minutes
[http://www.aldimeola.com]
[http://www.in-akustik.com]
Al Di Meola has been stunning audiences with his incredible technique
and captivating musical arrangements for the past three decades, from
his early tenure with fusion pioneers Return To Forever to a string of
successful solo albums and collaborations with John McLaughlin, Paco
De Lucia, Stanley Clarke and Jean Luc Ponty. A highly influential
player, Di Meola has had a tremendous impact on rock and metal players
such as Vinnie Moore, Paul Gilbert and Yngwie Malmsteen. ONE OF THESE
NIGHTS is his latest release, a DVD recorded in front of a German
audience in May of last year. Featuring 11 tracks of Latin influenced
jazz-fusion, this performance finds the maestro in fine form indeed.
Witness "Rhapsody Of Fire" and be amazed as Di Meola plays blazing
runs along with percussionist Gumbi Ortiz, or be swept away by the
telepathic interplay of the musicians on tracks such as "One Night
Last June" and "Beyond The Mirage." Using a variety of effects with
his trademark ovation acoustic guitars, Di Meola manages to recreate
all manner of soundscapes from his albums, from sweetly distorted
electric guitar runs to enchanting synthesized passages. Di Meola has
nothing left to prove as a guitar hero but wisely incorporates the
most beloved elements of his style, effectively entertaining longtime
fans along with devotees of his more recent excursions into World
Music. Kudos must also go to his band, a tight ensemble of master
musicians including pianist Mario Parmisano, drummer Ernie Adams,
Hungary's Sturcz String Quartet and the aforementioned Gumbi Ortiz.
Concluding with the classic "Egyptian Danza," Di Meola demonstrates
why he continues to be one of the best in the business. Highly
recommended for fans of great music. Neal Woodall (MysticX10(at)msn.com)

LENNON – I AM (B+) Columbia Music Entertainment, 2004
13 tracks, RT: 53:00
[ http://www.lennononline.com ]
[ http://columbia.jp/company/en_index.html ]
It's no secret that I've been a Lennon Murphy fan since I first heard
"Brake Of Your Car" from her 2002 album, 6:30 Saturday Morning. Since
then I bought 2003's Career Suicide and last year's DVD, "Before The
So Called," and have seen her live a few times, all the while waiting
for this second official studio release. Late last year word came out
about the Japanese release of I Am and it was also recently released
in Portugal. Well I finally tracked down a copy of the Japanese
version and here we are. This was probably the most money I have ever
spent on an import and I am not disappointed. I Am starts out with a
rerecording of "My Beautiful," a track on 5:30 Saturday Morning, this
time recorded with Travis Meeks. The second song "Brake Of Your Car"
is the same version as her debut release. I'm sure there's a reason
for both of these songs being on this album, I just don't know it.
They're both good songs, but I admit I prefer the original of "My
Beautiful" to this duet. At this point the real `new' album starts.
Musically, Lennon fits in-between hard rock and nu metal, but I still
consider this to be a metal band. I hate to make this comparison
(again) but think of Evanesence, but with a sound you actually like.
Also, Lennon is way hotter. Lennon Murphy was young when she signed
her first record deal, but the lyrical content of this record is that
of a woman hardened by life and confrontational with an "I don't give
a shit about your opinion" attitude, only sung so melodically that you
really have to listen. Her brutally honest vocals have always made me
care about this women's music. My two favorite songs at this point,
and keep in mind I've only had the CD for 3 days, are "Nothing Out Of
Me" and "Another For Another." "Nothing Out Of Me" has such
brilliantly dark lyrics that I can't stop cranking it in the car and
singing along; "If I had a voice I'd speak/If I knew the truth I'd
believe/But you give me the lies I need/To make nothing out of me."
And "Another For Another" is a matter-of-fact song about bringing
anyone home just for the night. "So if I take you home, we leave our
names at the door, no questions asked, no stories told/That's all I
want; I don't need anymore/So if I take you home, we leave our names
at the door, I don't want your number, I won't bother to call/You're
just another for another night." While those two tracks immediately
stood out to me, every song on this disc is solid. Other titles
include No One Knows," "Reason To Complain," and "Goodbye." I am a
bit lost as to the full songwriting credits as this information isn't
contained in the liner notes. Or maybe it is but just in Japanese so
I can't tell. Don't want to just take my opinion on this disc's
quality? Go to her website (www.lennononline.com) and sign up. As a
member you have access to songs and video for free. In exact
contradiction to the last song on her CD, Lennon is definitely
"Worth It." Patrick Brower (patrickbrower(at)comcast.net)

BONED - UP AT THE CRACK (B-/C+) Perris Records, 2004
10 tracks, RT: 42:51
[ acdcrock21@... ]
[ http://www.perrisrecords.com/ ]
Sometimes you can judge a book, or in this case a CD, by its cover.
The band name, album title, record label, and cover art -- not to
mention the band's e-mail address! -- all add up to only one thing:
These guys like AC/DC a *lot*. (One final clue: The band used to be
called AC/DD...yet they weren't a tribute act. Wow.) The vocals are a
cross between the immortal Bon Scott and Krokus' Marc Storace, so they
fit perfectly, and the guitar work is gritty and fun with catchy
riffs. And check these song titles: "Ain't No Talkin' With Your Mouth
Full," "Up At The Crack," "Tails Up Heads Down," "Drain The Main
Vein." Yes, you already know what they're about *and* what they sound
like, and that's just fine. The overall sound can be broken down as
follows: 85% AC/DC (for the general vibe), 10% old Def Leppard (for
the backing vocals), and 5% Great White (for a few "Once Bitten, Twice
Shy"-styled riffs). Good stuff, not too deep, but for whatever reason
I prefer Broken Teeth to these guys when I need a non-AC/DC AC/DC fix.
Your mileage may vary. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512(at)yahoo.com)

HEAVEN & EARTH (REISSUE) (A) Black Star Records, 2004
16 tracks, RT: 72:26
[ http://www.stuartsmith.com/ ]
[ http://www.blackstarrecords.com/ ]
I first reviewed this in late 1998 when it was originally issued as a
solo album called HEAVEN AND EARTH from guitarist Stuart Smith. It was
then reissued by Frontiers, and now that Smith has a cohesive band --
called Heaven & Earth -- it's out again in an expanded format and
treated as the self-titled debut from Heaven & Earth Featuring Stuart
Smith. This version consists of the 11 tracks from the original
release, three of the four bonus tracks from the Frontiers version
("Howlin' At The Moon," "Memories," and "When The Blues Catch Up With
You" are here while "Telstar 2000" is missing), and two new bonus
tracks ("Life On The Line" and a cover of Gary Moore's "Still Got The
Blues"). There are literally tons of notable guest stars all over this
thing, including singers Joe Lynn Turner, Glenn Hughes, Bobby Kimball,
and Kelly Hansen, guitarists Richie Sambora (who also sings) and
Howard Leese, bassist Chuck Wright, keyboardists Pat Regan and Teddy
Andreas, and drummers Jay Schellen, Carmine Appice, and Mike Terrana.
Despite the vast number of songs and guests, the album amazingly comes
off as a cohesive set of songs rather than a big hodgepodge. Smith is
definitely shooting for the classic rock vibe of Rainbow, Deep Purple,
Whitesnake, and other bands of that ilk, and he more than succeeds.
"Lose My Number" and "Trouble In Paradise" (both sung by Hansen) and
"Memories" and the title track (both sung by Turner) are all just
great, with the latter being a downright instant classic. There are
slower, bluesy, and even folksy (the excellent "Shadow Of The Tyburn
Tree") songs on the album as well, and there really isn't a dull
moment anywhere to be found. It's simply a fantastic, professional,
slick release that's only gotten better with age these last seven
years or so. Kudos. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@...)

NEW EDEN - STAGNANT PROGRESSION (B-) P&P Records, 2004
10 tracks, RT: 60:32
[ http://www.NewEdenBand.com/ ]
[ Horacio@... ]
Former Steel Prophet guitarist Horacio Colmenares returns with his
band New Eden's third full-length release (fourth overall since '94),
and as a welcome surprise for fans everywhere, his former Prophet band
mate Rick Mythiasin sings on the disc. Colmenares also plays bass, and
the lineup is rounded out by guitarist Tim Thomas and drummer Jimmy
Schultz, with Onward vocalist Michael Grant "lending his deep and
haunting voice to the cause." (That's what it says in the credits!)
The vibe is aggressive, American power metal of the "thinking man's"
variety, somewhat akin to bands like Nevermore, some Crimson Glory,
and -- surprise! -- Steel Prophet, rather than the ultra-melodic so-
called "ballerina" variety of European power metal. The songs (a tad
on the long side, averaging six minutes apiece) are packed full of
blazing, technical guitar work -- charging riffs, fiery licks, and
shredding solos abound -- and pounding drums, not to mention Mr.
Mythiasin's trademark powerhouse and searing vocals. Highlights
include the title track and "Pawn For A King." Overall STAGNANT
PROGRESSION is a good, tight disc but I must admit I have some trouble
warming up to it completely. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512(at)yahoo.com)

*
*** OUT ***
*