Detritus
Issue #309
Week of March 21, 2005
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*
*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Patrick Brower, Editor
patrickbrower@...

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
lof@...

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@...

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@...
http://www.vongoober.com/

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
- This is by far the longest issue of Detritus I have edited. And
speaking of editing, I did a poor job editing myself in last week's
Jani Lane interview. The band he's producing is named 11After
(www.11after.biz) and I also misspelled Neil Peart and Keri Kelli's
first names. Be sure to hunt for all the errors in THIS week's issue--
starting now! -Patrick

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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- BEN JACKSON GROUP SCHEDULED TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM 'ALL OVER YOU' ON
MARCH 29, 2005, THROUGH SCREAMING FERRET WRECKORDS
Florida-based heavy metal band the Ben Jackson Group is set to release
its new album 'All Over You' on March 29, 2005, via Screaming Ferret
Wreckords. 'All Over You' is the band's second album.

Vocalist/guitarist Ben Jackson created his own band to further expand
the musical direction explored by his previous bands Crimson Glory and
Parish.

Joining Jackson on 'All Over You' are guitarist Mark Borgmeyer, bass
guitarist Dano Binz, drummer Rich Tabor and backing vocalist Rose
Sexton. Special guest Midnight, who worked with Jackson in Crimson
Glory, contributes backing vocals. Binz left the band after the album
was completed. His replacement is Fabrizio Fulco, a Crimson Glory fan
who read about the band's bass guitarist vacancy and moved to Florida
from Rome, Italy, to accept Jackson's invitation to join.


"The mood was electric while we recorded 'All Over You.' The creative
sparks were flying and the attitude and emotion are very evident in
the finished work," says Jackson. "With the release of 'All Over You,'
this feels like a fresh start for me and I have an amazing band
backing me on this project." The 10 songs on 'All Over You' include
"Turn It On," "Mean Machine," "All Over You," "Falling Down," "Ghost
In The Mirror," "Eyes Of Ice," "Far And Away," "Heavy On My Mind,"
"Break It" and "Rock 'N' Roll Heaven."

"The record kicks ass from start to finish. I would have a hard time
choosing a favorite track as I love all the songs," Jackson says.

'All Over You' was recorded in Tampa, Florida, at Morrisound Studios,
owned by brothers Jim and Tom Morris. Crimson Glory and Parish
recorded their albums at Morrisound.

"The reason I formed my own band in the first place is so that I could
step up as the singer. When a singer leaves a band, I believe the band
loses something creatively and the fans are disappointed too. After
about four years of work, that's what happened with Parish. So much
relies on the singer I thought the best way to avoid that problem was
to become the singer!" Jackson says.

Jackson compares his musical role to that of Metallica's James
Hetfield and Megadeth's Dave Mustaine.

2001's 'Here I Come' was the first Ben Jackson Group album. Jackson
was pleased with the results, but he is much happier with 'All Over You.'

"That first album was recorded as a power trio. It was really cool and
really raw, but I missed having another lead guitarist in the band
like it was in Crimson Glory. We're definitely a better band now,
especially with Mark and Rose on board," says Jackson.

" 'Here I Come' was kind of an experiment and I was a little unsure of
myself. 'All Over You' was not as nerve-wracking to make. Everything
just exploded. I was more confident and aggressive. I just envisioned
what I wanted to do."

"We are pumped over this new record and I believe the fans of my work
with Crimson Glory will love this one as well. For the Crimson Glory
fans who have been waiting a long time for someone in the band to put
out a record of this style and dynamic again, your wait is over!"

For more information, including updates on touring plans, visit
www.benjacksongroup.com.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
*
- DANZIG AND DOYLE TO HEADLINE SECOND NIGHT OF NEW ENGLAND METAL AND
HARDCORE FESTIVAL
WORCESTER, Mass. -- Danzig and special guest Doyle have been confirmed
as the Saturday headliner for the seventh annual New England Metal and
Hardcore Festival, to be held Friday-Sunday, April 22-24 at the
Palladium in Worcester, Mass.

In addition to the regular Danzig set, Doyle with join the band for a
blistering 30-minute set of classic Misfits material. Danzig and Doyle
have performed together just three times during Danzig's recent tour
-- their first performances together in over 21 years.

Hatebreed, Unearth and Obituary will headline Friday night. Saturday's
other headliners will include Chimaira and Cryptopsy. Sunday's
headliners are King Diamond, Nile and Soilwork. Also appearing are A
Life Once Lost, All Shall Perish, All That Remains, As I Lay Dying,
Behemoth, Black Dahlia Murder, Blood Has Been Shed, Bury Your Dead,
Dark Tranquillity, Darkest Hour, Evergreen Terrace, Full Blown Chaos,
Glass Casket, Hypocrisy, If Hope Dies, Internal Bleeding, Ion
Dissonance, It Dies Today, Kylesa, Maroon, Misery Signals, Mnemic,
Premonitions Of War, Pro-Pain, Red Chord, Reflux, Remembering Never,
Scurvy, Sonata Arctica, Stemm, Strapping Young Lad, The Acacia Strain,
The Agony Scene, The Esoteric, The Killing, The Minor Times,
Throwdown, Trivium, Winter Solstice, and many more to be added. Talent
is subject to change.

Single day tickets are $35 per day. Three-day passes are $99. Tickets
are on sale at all Strawberries Record Stores, online at
http://www.tickets.com/ , or by calling tickets.com at (800) 477-6849.

Sponsors this year include Decibel Magazine who is presenting this
fest, Prosthetic Records who is sponsoring the 2nd Stage upstairs,
Metal Blade Records, Trustkill Records, Fuse / Uranium, Metal Maniacs
Magazine, Revolver Magazine, Relapse Records, Mazur PR, The Syndicate,
defyunlearn.com, jeremysaffer.com, returntothepit.com, and
theundergroundscene.net. Vendors this year include Acrux Clothing /
Deep Send Records, Century Media / Nuclear Blast, Decibel Magazine,
Eulogy Recordings, Ferret Records, Lifeforce Records, Metal Blade
Records, Metal Maniacs Magazine, Prosthetic Records, Red Rocket
Records, Relapse Records, Revolver Magazine, Trustkill Records and
Victory Records.

The Palladium is located at 261 Main Street in Worcester.
http://www.metalandhardcorefestival.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
*
- WACKEN OPEN AIR 2005 UPDATE
Here the latest list of confirmed bands for W:O:A 2005:

+ ACCEPT + APOCALYPTICA + AXEL RUDI PELL + BLOODBATH + CANDLEMASS +
CORVUS CORAX + COUNT RAVEN + DISSECTION + EDGUY + EISREGEN + ENDHAMMER
+ ENDSTILLE + ENSIFERUM + EQUILIBRIUM + FINNTROLL + GOREFEST +
HAMMERFALL + HANOI ROCKS + ILLDISPOSED + KREATOR + MACHINE MEN + MAMBO
KURT + MARDUK + MARKY RAMONE + MERCENARY + METAL CHURCH + MORGANA
LEFAY + NAGLFAR + NIGHTWISH + OBITUARY + OOMPH! + OVERKILL + POTENTIA
ANIMI + SAMAEL + SENTENCED + SONATA ARCTICA + SUFFOCATION + TORFROCK +
TRISTANIA + TURISAS + W:O:A FIREFIGHTERS + ZYKLON +

After the great success of the X-MAS Packages ( thanx to all
Metalheads for your support! ) there is now the 3-day ticket
available. The ticket will be available as original hard ticket!

The 3-Day Ticket includes:
Free camping starting from 03.08.05
Free entrance for the Wacken Swimming Pool starting from 01.08.05
Camp directly at your car
No limitations of drinks and food on the camping ground
Reservations of camping ground for groups with more than 50 people
Only grass surfaces, short ways to the festival ground and village
60 Bands on 4 Open Air Stages and a Tentstage (Headbangersballroom)
Videoscreen, LED-Info-Systems
Beer-garden
Park-fee 20,- EUR per car (doesn't matter how many people inside) and
much more

The tickets price is 79,00 EUR incl. presale charge + p&p

Ticketlink: http://www.metaltix.com/link/?item,21444,nlwoa20041223 or
hotline +49 (0) 4627 - 18 38 38

To get the latest News about the W:O:A just go to http://www.wacken.com/

To shorten the wait until the next W:O:A we released the first
official "Wacken History". In this book you find statements from bands
who played at the W:O:A the last 15 years, backstage reports, storys
about the W:O:A and many previously unreleased pictures.
http://www.metaltix.com/link/?item,3339103,nlwoa20041121

We have some W:O:A 2004 merchandise left in our stock that you can buy
at our online-shop http://www.metaltix.com/ : festivalshirt with
bandlogos, tricots, blackstage shirt, batik shirt, clothes for kids,
towels, ballpen, flags, keyholder, tents, sleeping bags and much more...

And there is the new SAXON merch available now, exclusively at
http://www.metaltix.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
*
- EMPEROR/RRCA NEWSLETTER
Diskery is now giving away free copies of either our The Alliance
release Or Polishing Of Metal with each Heavy Metal purchase on-line.
Check the websites for the details and which is available at the
moment. Diskery also wants to remind artists we offer the same
services as the fee-for-use services but at no cost. Sign up today and
see why Diskery is one of the Internet's oldest and most respected
music sales services.

The RRCA Database now features 1,304 bands and is rapidly growing!! It
is now in the top 5 of largest music databases on the Internet and the
top 10 music websites searched over-all, and within the top 5 for
record collectors sites in general. Remember, any band featured on the
site you can purchase their releases on-line by clicking the link at
the bottom of the page free of charge.

Emperor Multimedia is re-launching its artist website service. For one
low cost a band can get their website written or rewritten, we now
offer low-cost hosting services. Check out our website for details.

The big news of interest, however, is our Polishing of Metal project.
All 1,304 artists are featured plus some 900 reviews and over 100
pictures with some 10,000 pages of digital (PDF) text on the bios,
reviews and history of Heavy Metal itself -- the most comprehensive
ever done. The disc now has no less than 30 music tracks and 14 videos
from bands around the world. It requires no installation and runs on
Unix, Mac and PC/Windows systems (including Win-XP-(SP2)) on a 2
picture CD set. Multimedia encryption is now underway. Emperor
Multimedia is planning for a fall 2005 release.

Those who have authorized multimedia (pictures, music and/or videos)
so far are:

MELECHESH
TERATISM
A FASTER NOW
UNLEASHED POWER
SKULGRINDER
JOE SIMMONES & DREAM OR NIGHTMARE
AHRCANA
METHEDRAS
KING VIRTUE
GOAT HORN
GHOSTS OF NOMAD
SANITY'S VOID
SEVEN 13
LIFEND
ROBERT JACKSON
VALAK
DEMACRETIA
CIRIBUS
RAGGEDY ANEURYSM
DEFORGE
KRISTENDOM
SNAKE EYES
BETRAYER
ADMAN
UNEXPECT
USER
RETTURN
MONSTER BOX
M FRANCIS FESTER
PAIN AND PASSION
UNDERTOW
JET BLACK JOY
OSSUARY INSANE
SPIN
ENDLESS PAIN
DAVID NEIL CLINE
VLE
MUDDY ROXX
PENETRATOR
SEPTIMUS
MESMERIZE
SEASONS OF THE WOLF
PIRATE EARTH
DYING BREED
ION VEIN
SORKIN
BLOT MINE
INTO THE SUNLESS MARIDIAN
J.D. BRADSHAW
STROKER
MORBID PAIN
A LIFE LESS ALIVE
LEONARDO
NIACIN
MULLMUZZLER
DEHUMANIZED WITCH (VARIOUS)
ALLIANCE (VARIOUS)
LASHING ETHER

The disc is already tentatively accepted by UNESCO (a division of the
UN) as "an accomplishment of mankind").

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
*
- FALCONER TO RELEASE NEW ALBUM IN MAY
Swedish Power Metal merchants Falconer are set to release their fourth
studio album "Grime Vs. Grandeur" on May 2nd, 2005 via Metal Blade
Records!

"It is what we would like to call a comeback," states mastermind
Stefan Weinerhall, "since the last album felt a bit too unfocused and
not as good as it should have been. This time though... oooh, how I
have rubbed my hands to some of the stuff!"

On this new album, Stefan shared the songwriting duties with singer
Kristoffer Göbel to some extent, which gave the whole affair more
variety and a new approach, allowing Stefan to only bring forth his
best ideas and dumping the rest.

"Kristoffer was also more confident in the studio this time,"
continues the guitarist, "which cannot be missed by anyone. He fits
the songs like a glove! With songs like 'Humanity Overdose',
'Emotional Skies', 'Child Of The Wild', and 'I Refuse' we feel like:
If people don't like this it's time to start doing something else
'cause people are retarded!"

"Grime Vs. Grandeur" features guest performances by Snowy Shaw on
drums and Andy LaRocque on additional lead vocals.

"People will recognize the Falconer sound but also get to discover a
new aspect of it," concludes Stefan. "So prepare to get a dose of the
best melodies in the metal world spiced up with more attitude and a
heavier sound than ever before."

"Grime Vs. Grandeur" - In stores May 2nd, 2005!
http://www.falconermusic.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
*
- SONIC AGE NEWSLETTER
Sonic Age Records proudly announces official the following releases
that will take place until the end of May 2005:

HELLFIRE - Requiem for my Bride Digi-CD (SARECD005)
A Fire of Metal Origin!!!

If you miss the days when King Diamond ruled with albums like "Them",
"Abigail" and "Conspiracy" and you also miss the divine riffs of
Annihilator on their first albums, then get prepared for the best
concept album of the decade! Hailing from Poland and after releasing
the amazing self-financed CD entitled "Recoffination", this great band
is ready to deliver their sophomore
masterpiece on the 28th of March. Fantastic limited edition digi-pack
CD release with 12 page booklet! OUT ON 28th of March 2005!

GOD.FEAR.NONE - Envy Digi-CD (SARECD006)
Vulgar Display of Metal!!!

Sonic Age Records is mostly reputed for our heavy/power metal
releases. So, just imagine how good a death metal band has to be in
order to draw our attention. God.Fear.None are so damn powerful,
brutal and melodic at the same time that their recordings tore us into
pieces. We knew this band had to be on our roster! Think Soilwork,
Nevermore, Kill Switch Engage and the sharpest riffs of At The Gates
and you'll be in the back yard of what God.Fear.None are creating. The
imposing clean vocals of Wastefall singer Dominic and the powerful
harsh singing of Chronis (ex-Sadwings) will finish you off! OUT ON
25th of April 2005!

PENETRATOR - Penetrator Digi-CD (SARECD007)
Hammering metal into your head!!!

The Canadian heavy metal scene has always been one of the most quality
scenes worldwide; just think of Exciter, Annihilator, Sword, Eidolon,
Anvil... Be ready for the best thing Canada has put out in a very long
time in classic heavy metal. All the members of Penetrator are veteran
musicians and their promo CD "Unleash the fury" got some triumphant
reviews from the worldwide metal press. 9 metal-thirsty compositions
comprise the debut CD release of the band and be sure that some of
them will become instant classics! A late April release that is
expected with much anticipation! OUT ON 25th of April 2005!

-It was inevitable after the huge success of the Overlorde CD, to
print a special digi-pack version of it. The digi-pack edition will be
ultra limited to 1000 copies and it won't be reprinted again in the
future. All digi-packs sold from our online shop will be accompanied
by a giant Overlorde poster for free! The digi-CD will be available
for sale through our web site soon and through record stores worldwide
around mid-March.

Also, there are plans to do a gatefold vinyl edition of the Overlorde
release. The master CD is already in the pressing plant, but the vinyl
edition won't be available sooner than late May. That vinyl edition
will be limited to 500 copies to satisfy all of you vinyl hunters and
collectors out there! Keep an eye on our web site for more news on the
matter.

-North and South American metalheads will now have access to all the
Sonic Age Records stuff! Century Media has come to an agreement with
our label to distribute our products all over America! Especially for
the territory of North America, as you may already know, our products
are also available by The End distribution. You may visit their
website ( http://www.centurymedia.com/ ) for more info on the
distribution services of Century Media!

- Penetrator commenced their 6-Week US tour on March 11, 2005:

March
11 Oklahoma City, OK
12 Oklahoma City, OK
13 Tulsa, OK
14 Dallas, TX
15 Fort Worth, TX
17 Houston, TX
18 Austin, TX
19 New Orleans, LA
20 New Orleans, LA
22 San Antonio, TX
23 Corpus Christi, TX
24 Sante Fay, NM
25 Denver, CO
26 Northglenn, CO
27 Phoenix, AR
29 Los Angeles, CA
30 Los Angeles, CA
31 San Fransisco, CA

April
1 Las Vegas, NV
2 St. Lake City, UT
3 Omaha, NB
4 Desmoines, IO
5 Chicago, IL
6 Detroit, MI

European tour upcoming in July/August 2005!!!

Website coming soon: http://www.penetratorpower.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
*
- SACK TRICK IN THE SHOPS LIKE A REAL BAND
(Note: This is taken from the band's e-mail newsletter. SHEEP IN KISS
MAKE UP is the band's new Kiss tribute album. - Tim)

Sack Trick's Sheep in Kiss Make Up is in the shops just like a real
band's CDs would be! It's distributed by Cargo Records (home of such
bands as Eric Singer Project and AntiProduct) across the UK and
Europe. HMV seem to be one of the better places to buy it from
although many independent shops are stocking it too. You should be
able to order it through any record shop now, although if you're
having problems it's still available mail order from
http://www.sacktrick.com/ .

And the first reviews have come out the latest issue of Rock Sound
gave us 8/10, Classic Rock gave us 7/10 ...more reviews on the way
check the UK music press.

That Islands competition we had on the website was hard wasn't it? Two
lucky winners get a first prize each, John Ging and Nando,
congratulations and well done to everyone who entered- it was very
close. I'll post the correct answers in the Chat Forum at
http://www.sacktrick.com/ in case you're curious. Meanwhile now
there's a brand new competition to win genuine Kiss autographs
(generously donated by Gene Hall at http://www.kisstorysource.com/ )
simply by listening to Sheep In Kiss Make-up a few more times!

We've also heard that bootleggers in the USA have been selling copied
CDRs of Sheep In Kiss Make-up! While we're very flattered that someone
would want to go to the effort of copying our CDs for sale, it is a
little bit naughty and there's no guarantee of quality- and they're
generally no cheaper. Gene Simmons wouldn't be very happy either
because although we've paid Kiss their due royalties on our pressings
of the album, these bootleggers probably haven't. To be sure you're
getting an official CD always order through this website or through a
reputable shop or dealer.

There's been a bunch of little updates, more photos, extra news items,
press cuttings etc on the Sack Trick and related websites too so go
and have another browse around http://www.sacktrick.com/ now...

In the meantime, Merry Kissmas- yes it's Kissmas everyday here at Sack
Trick HQ!

PS The Prog Aid single (featuring Chris Dale Paulo as well as many
name musicians from the Prog scene) in aid of the Tsunami victims is
now available to order from http://www.progaid.com/ - order lots of
copies now for this great cause!

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
*
- BANDS SET FOR PROGPOWER PRE-SHOW
[Note: This comes from the ProgPower USA forums and was posted to the
Balance Of Power mailing list "ListofSecrets" at Yahoo! Groups. Thanks
to mcharris123@... for this. - Tim]

Well, here we go. It's been an interesting year leading up to this.
After Orphaned Land's acoustic Set, which everyone knows about, here
are the final 3 bands to play the pre-show.

Dreamscape
Orphaned Land
Outworld
Avian

Making a return appearance from Germany is Massacre Recording Artists
Dreamscape. After a very strong showing at ProgPower 5, Dreamscape is
back with a vengeance, and is looking forward to their 2nd appearance
stateside. Armed with new songs, and favorites from "End of Silence",
"Very", and "Trance Like State" Dreamscape will top off the show with
their unique brand of Progressive Metal.

See previous posts for Orphaned Land. ( And a BIG thanks to Glenn )

Outworld is a band that I'm sure that everyone has heard of, but not
very many have seen live. Well, that is about to change. In support of
their first Full length release via NTS Records, and Intromental
Management, Outworld will perform for the masses for the first time in
a very long time. With screaming riffs from shredder Rusty Cooley,
unique songwriting structures, and soaring vocals from Kelly Carpenter
(Beyond Twighlight), Outworld releases a musical onslaught that will
be noticed for years to come.

Out of the US comes a new name on the power metal / heavy metal scene.
Avian is musically rooted in old school Iron Maiden sound, blended
with the more modern touch of Hammerfall and Edguy, the musicians
behind this incredible outfit (featuring members and ex-members of
such bands as Pyramaze, Balance Of Power, Lilitu, F5, and a very
special guest appearance by David Ellefson, formerly of Megadeth) are
ready to set their mark on metal in 2005. Featuring Lance King
(Balance of Power, Pyramaze) and Jonah Weingarten (Pyramaze).

http://www.progpowerusa.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
*
- BLACKFOOT DRUMMER JAKSON SPIRES DIES
Jakson Spires, the powerhouse drummer behind legendary Southern Rock
songs "Train, Train," "Highway Song" and "Wishing Well," died March
16th in the hospital in Florida where he had been on life support
since Sunday. Jakson suffered what has been described as "something
like a brain aneurysm," with a blood vessel bursting in his head.
In 2001, Jakson was here at Sweden Rock with his band Southern Rock
Allstars and during the week they spent here he got alot of new
friends among the people who worked with the festival. A man with a
big heart has left us today, missed, as a great musician, but even
more for the warm, humoristic and caring person he was.

Despite this tragedy, Blackfoot has decided to continue together and
they will play Sweden Rock Festival this summer. Our thoughts go out
to Jakson's family, band members and friends.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
*
- WIN A DANGEROUS TOYS GOLD AWARD
Perris Records is proud to announce a giveaway of an Dangerous Toys
"Self Titled" Gold Award commemorating 500,000 albums sold. The winner
will also get his name on the award.

The first 50 customers that buy the Hollywood Hairspray DVD from
Perris will go into a drawing to win the Gold record. The drawing will
be held on April 8th. Hurry and buy now! You have a one in fifty
chance of winning.

Dangerous Toys is appearing on the Hollywood Hairspray DVD with the
unreleased video "Pissed."

The picture of the award and details regarding the DVD is posted at
Perris web site. http://www.perrisrecords.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
*
- NEW BRUCE DICKINSON SOLO ALBUM, TYRANNY OF SOULS OUT MAY 25 ON
SANCTUARY RECORDS
Bruce Dickinson is an artist who has influenced thousands of singers,
musicians and fans alike in his outstanding role as the front man of
legendary band Iron Maiden. He has achieved great success as a solo
artist, and is also acclaimed as a Radio DJ, TV presenter, pilot,
author and voice of modern music.

It has been seven years since Dickinson released his last solo album,
The Chemical Wedding, which received massive critical acclaim while
exploring intriguing and dark themes. The intervening years have seen
him make a highly successful return to Iron Maiden, with two huge
albums and record breaking live shows and tours.

Tyranny Of Souls, Bruce's new solo venture, sees him return once again
to collaborate with guitarist/producer/writer Roy Z. The album's cover
is adorned with a 15th century depiction of Hell by Hans Hemling and
the music continues along this path to explore dark, apocalyptic
themes. Delving into science, theology and of course, his love of
flight, with thought provoking, intelligent and menacing lyrics that
are sure to leave the listener's mind unsettled, Tyranny Of Souls is
pure Dickinson. Heavy riff-laden songs and explosive
virtuoso guitar work from Roy joined with the definitive Dickinson
soaring vocals, makes this groundbreaking album a tour de force of
modern Metal.

It was following on from the end of the last Maiden tour that Bruce
saw an opportunity to work alongside Roy again. "With Maiden, once the
band has finished up on the tours, we all tend to go our separate ways
and do our own thing for a while until it's time to saddle up again
for the next album. I knew I could seize the chance to work with Roy
in between his work on the new Judas Priest album. We both work
quickly together which I like and the recording is very organic so it
came together quite easily. I'm very proud of it."

Tracklisting -- Tyranny Of Souls
1 Mars Within (Intro)
2 Abduction
3 Soul Intruders
4 Kill Devil Hill
5 Navigate The Seas Of The Sun
6 River Of No Return
7 Power Of The Sun
8 Devil On A Hog
9 Believil
10 A Tyranny Of Souls

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
- OVERLORDE NEWS
HEAVY, ODER WAS!? issue # 80, March/April 2005 included a GREAT
surprise! Not only did they include their 1/2 page interview with
Overlorde's M.E., but they included RETURN OF THE SNOW GIANT in its
SOUNDCHECK feature. Twelve (12) reviewers rated seventy three (73) CDs
and they were ranked by the average rating. Overlorde came in an
astonishing NUMBER TWO!!!!

A two page interview with Overlorde's M.E. is also in the current
issue of Holland's HEADACHE magazine! Not to be overlooked, Germany's
UNBROKEN METAL has given the CD a "Perfect 10" rating in the current
issue (the only perfect rating in the issue) and LEGACY gave it 14/15!

Sweden's largest rock/metal radio show is going to be airing an
Overlorde song this weekend, on Saturday March 12th. So those of you
in the listening area, or who can stream online, can check it out. The
show starts approximately 6:00pm CET and an archive file can be
downloaded during the following week. The website is
http://www.sr.se/p4/dist. The DJ is Andreas Matz, the show name is
DIST. You can see his prior week play lists by clicking on SPELLICITOR.

RETURN OF THE SNOW GIANT Vinyl and Digipak coming soon! Also full size
Poster!

Overlorde's debut European show is fast approaching on April 2nd.
Check www.keep-it-true.de for the band order, etc.

CENTURY MEDIA is now distributing the CD in North and South America!

Thanks to EVERYONE who attended the "Online Chat and CD Listening
Party" that was held on January 15th. Lots of people attended and a
great time was had by all! Special thanks to www.gospel.org for
providing the chat room and Bad Attitdue Radio
(http://www.kissthis.com/) for streaming the CD. Please stop by and
check them out! The transcript will be posted soon.

THE END USA sold out of their first shipment of Overlorde CDs in just
three days last month, and U.S. fans were unable to order it while The
End waited for a restock shipment. That shipment arrived recently and
the CD can now be ordered either through THE OMEGA (The End's Online
mail-order) or by asking your local record store to get it from THE
END. Other U.S. mail orders like METALDISC also carry it.

WDHA FM's METAL MANIA aired SNOW GIANT on Friday, Feb 11th. Overlorde
thanks DJ Matt Murray for continuing the tradition of Metal Mania's
support for Overlorde, which began when Metal Mania's Cheryl Richardt
supported the band in 1987. If you live in the WDHA listening area
(Northern NJ) be sure to listen and request Overlorde each Friday
night during the show!

Overall RETURN OF THE SNOW GIANT has been getting unbelievable
reviews. Here is a sampling of other great reviews not already
mentioned above.

HEAVY, ODER WAS?! (Germany) 12/12
HEADACHE (Holland) 10/10
METAL HAMMER (Italy) 6/6
TERRORIZER (UK) 9/10
SWEDEN ROCK MAGAZINE 9/10
ROCK HARD (Germany) 8.5/10 and 5th place of 41 CDs reviewed in SOUND
CHECK feature
METAL HAMMER (Greece) 8/10
www.metalgospel.org : Best CD of 2004!
www.metalcrypt.com : Best CD of 2004 (Cryptkeeper's pick)

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-IVORY KNIGHT ANNOUNCES NEW ALBUM UNCONSCIENCE
Ottawa, Ontario - Classic heavy metal band Ivory Knight is proud to
announce the release of its new full-length CD, titled Unconscience.
The new album was mixed and mastered by the Jeff Waters of the great
Canadian metal act Annihilator, and features artwork by Gyula
Havanscak, who also did the artwork for Annihilator's last album.

During the late 1980s, Ivory Knight was a name familiar to metal fans
who witnessed the bands exciting live performances at venues including
Ottawa's Barrymores, Porter Hall, and (now-defunct) Roxannes in Hull.
The band shared the stage with many great acts including Sword and
Blackstar (featuring John Ricci and Jacques Belanger of Exciter). The
band recorded a demo Voices In Your Nightmare that received excellent
reviews from all over the world. The band broke up in 1990 due to
musical differences. Founding member John Devadasan Perinbam reformed
the band in late 1999 with drummer George Nesrallah, bassist Steve
Mercer, and guitarist Rob Gravelle. The band, featuring the soaring,
powerful, passionate vocals of Perinbam and the virtuosity of
Gravelle, recorded an album Up From The Ashes that received excellent
reviews from fans and critics throughout the world. The band has
played many shows in the Ottawa area including the Rainbow and Caf Dekcuf.
http://www.ivoryknight.com

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
*
-HARD ROCK BAND PROVES PERSISTENCE PAYS OFF
TORONTO, March 14, 2005 - What's old is new again. This expression is
reality for Sonic X, a Toronto-based hard rock band that has just
released their self titled debut CD on Z Records with worldwide
distribution.

"It's great to see the classic bands such as Motley Crue, Judas
Priest, and even Billy Idol releasing new material and touring," said
Adam Troy lead singer for Sonic X, "It is very timely for what is
happening with Sonic X."

The band formed in the mid-eighties and toured extensively throughout
Canada under the name L.A. and built a large coast-to-coast following.
This popularity allowed LA to earn "Best Toronto Club Band Award" at
the Toronto Music Awards in 1989.

"It seemed that everything was going our way'" said Joseph Cumbo,
bassist for the band. "We had development deals with Capitol Records,
MCA/Universal and BMG also expressed interest in signing us at the
time." L.A. also started getting airplay on local radio stations,
which is a rarity for a band that is not officially signed to a record
label.

"At the time we were being compared to bands such as Guns & Roses,
Whitesnake and Skid Row. We fit in well with that genre of music.
Everyone around us was excited and then Nirvana happened," said Cumbo.
"The shift in music was drastic.

The focus became signing `Grunge' bands instead of hard rock bands."
The change in music landscape provided a considerable challenge for
the band.

The band had a decision to make, would they follow the Grunge movement
and change their musical style or stay true to their hard rock roots.
With the help of Gil Moore from the classic Canadian rock band
Triumph, the band decided to finish the recording of their
debut album themselves.

The band then began to knock on doors once again, basically starting
from scratch, shopping their material but with limited success.

The break came when someone suggested that the band send the album to
the U.K. based label, Z Records. "We figured we had nothing to lose by
sending the album over to Europe. Based on our genre of music and what
was happening with "The Darkness" and other bands like them, we felt
we had a good chance to be picked up," said Troy.

Their persistence and self-belief paid off. Z Records signed them to a
two-album deal with an option for a third. Feeling that they had a new
lease on their dreams, the band decided that a name change was in
order. Having waited ten years for success the band incorporated the
Roman Numeral Ten (X) into the name and changed it to Sonic X. "It
is a hidden reference which signifies the over ten years of
persistence in getting this album released to the public," says Cumbo,
"it has been an exciting ride and worth the wait."
For more information, visit: WWW.ZRECORDS.NET

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
*
- ICEBERGRADIO.COM's METAL RADIO ADDS
The following albums have been added to IcebergRadio.com's Metal
Stations: BWBK.com, '80s Hair Bands, Budweiser Radio, BlackDeath,
ProgPower, Hair Transplant, '80s Aggression, Roots Of Metal.

ADEMA - Planets (Earache): Budweiser Radio
AMERICAN DOG - Scars N' Bars (Outlaw): Hair Transplant
ARTENSION - Future World (Lion Music): BWBK.com, ProgPower
CONFESSOR - Blueprint Soul (Indie): BWBK.com
DISBELIEF - 66Sick (Nuclear Blast): BWBK.com, BlackDeath
DRACONIAN - Arcane Rain Fell (Napalm): BWBK.com
FREEDOM CALL - Circle Of Life (SPV): BWBK.com, ProgPower
GEEZER - Ohmwork (Sanctuary): BWBK.com
KAMELOT - The Black Halo (SPV): BWBK.com, ProgPower
NIGHTRAGE - Descent Into Chaos (Century Media): BWBK.com, BlackDeath
PARADISE HOTEL - Paradise Hotel (Fusion): Hair Transplant
BILLY SHEEHAN - Cosmic Troubadour (Favored Nations): Hair Transplant
TRIVIUM - Ascendancy (Roadrunner): BWBK.com, Budweiser Radio
WINTER SOLSTICE - The Fall Of Rome (Metal Blade): BWBK.com, Budweiser
Radio

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
*
- LION MUSIC MARCH RELEASES
All titles available 25th March.

IMAGINERY - Long Lost Pride
Imaginery is an extension of the musical vision of
keyboardist/guitarist Bob Katsionis (Firewind) and vocalist Bjorn
Jansson (Tears Of Anger). The music on Long Lost Pride features
intense musical scenarios within a progressive metal framework.
Backing up Katsionis and Jansson's spectacular performances are
guest guitars from Gus G (Firewind), Marcel Coenen (Sun Caged) and
Michael Harris. Open your mind and imagination to the delights of
Imaginery.

LALU - Oniric Metal
LALU is a new heavy progressive music project in the vein of acts like
Dream Theater, Evergrey and Sun Caged. Band leader Vivien Lalu (Hubi
Meisel) has gathered a killer line up for this debut release in Joop
Wolters on guitar, the mighty Ryan Van Poederooyen (Devin Towsend
Band) on drums, Martin LeMar on vocals and Russell Bergquist
(ex-Annihilator) on bass.Oniric Metal combines excellent production
values with strong melodies and exciting dynamics.

MILAN POLAK - Dreamscapes
Dreamscapes sees guitar whiz Milan Polak unleash his fresh music
vision for a new generation of guitar fans. The 13 tracks Dreamscapes
has on offer showcase the impressive compositional skills and stellar
production values that is making Milan Polak one of the hottest
players on the guitar instrumental scene.

http://www.lionmusic.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
*
-FASTLANE RECORDS NEWS

The Dose
The Dose from Dallas, TX are putting the final touches on their debut
record Duration. The Dose influences range from the Beatles to Cheap
Trick with a guitar crunch and great harmonies. The first single will
be 'She's Young, Wasted And Beautiful', to hear a stream of this song
and other samples, please visit here:
http://www.fastlanerecords.com/tunes/dose/

FastLane Records/The Napoleon Blownaparts/Contest
FastLane Records Artist The Napoleon Blownaparts are busy preparing to
go into the studio to start a full-length album for FLR. Mainman Ajax
Garcia has been busy as of late with his clothing company Madman
Apparel and their newest contest for Skyway Wheels. Feel free to enter
the contest (http://www.fastlanerecords.com/music/nb/nb2.htm )...also
click http://www.fastlanerecords.com/videoplayer.html to see vocalist
Ajax Garcia describe The Blownaparts and his influences. More to come
from Fresno's most dangerous band.

FastLane Records/CD Smash Records/Tributes
FastLane Records/CD Smash Records announced a planned, upcoming
tribute to the Beatles titled Beatle-esque. Bands interested in
contributing a track to this great project, can email for more details
at: beatlestrib@... with Beatles Trib in the subject
line of the email. Spots/songs are filling up fast. The latest
FLR/CDSR tribute release Jetboys Of Babylon - A Tribute To The
New York Dolls can be ordered here: http://www.fastlanerecords.com/ .

FLR Bits n' Pieces
American Anthem are still in the studio finishing up their debut for
FLR, titled Hit Repeat. AA should finish up recording sometime in
March/April for a target Spring/Summer release date. Mike Gallagher
has been also finishing up his long awaited guitar virtuoso, solo
project Sonic Universe. Mike has also been busy recording a few songs
for Marc Ferrari and his company for Extreme Guitar 2.

FastLane Records/CD Smash Records Collector Series line has been
officialy launched with the first release being the 1985 cult classic
Sweet Pain and their self-titled debut record. Sweet Pain spawned
Kelly Nickels (L.A. Guns) and Ronnie Taz (The Throbs) in the beginning
of their careers. This release will contain all new remixed/remastered
versions as well as bonus tracks/live tracks and radio interviews.
Also just added to the collector series will be Ultra Pop..the band
that spawns Lizzie Grey and Timothy J of London and Spiders & Snakes
fame. This will be both Ultra Pop releases (s/t and Adventures In
Fantasy Land) and will be remastered and repackaged..more details soon.

The Issues have completed three new songs (and a Bon Jovi cover of
It's My Life for a upcoming tribute record) for FLR. They will be
going back in the next few weeks to concentrate on tracking the rest
of the record in a steady pace. Look for more details as they unfold.

ModiFY will enter the studio in April in Minnesota to record their
debut for FLR. As of yet no title given for the record. Details to
follow. For more news on FastLane Records and all artists, please
visit: http://www.fastlanerecords.com/

IRG Radio ( http://www.irgradio.com/ ) has been getting great feedback
with its Rock And A Hard Place show (101.9 FM 'The Box') out of Fargo,
ND. RAAHP features the mighty TORCH and Serena Storm serving up the DJ
duties three times a week on IRG. Great show and a very supportive
crew of FastLane Records/IRG Radio. In the future we will announce
contests/giveaways with RAAHP as well as partnering up in other
avenues to be announced. Please check out http://www.irgradio.com/ for
show schedules and check out Torch and Sarena at
http://www.rockhardplace.com/

http://www.fastlanerecords.com/
http://www.irgradio.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
*
- DEMOLITION TO SUPPORT TESTAMENT; RELEASES "EXISTENCE"
Amok Promotions (amok-promotions@...) is extremely proud
to announce that Demolition (Austria) will be supporting Testament on
their reunion tour throughout Europe.

The dates:
MAY 08, SUN - LONDON (UK) KOKO (FORMERLY CAMDEN PALACE)
MAY 09, MON - PARIS (FR) LA LOCOMOTIVE
MAY 10, TUE - ESCH SUR ALZETTE (LUX) KULTURFABRIK
MAY 11, WED - MILAN (IT) ROLLING STONE
MAY 12, THU - INNSBRUCK (A) HAFEN
MAY 13, FRI - LICHTENFELS (GER) STADTHALLE
MAY 14, SAT - MÜNSTER - DIEBURG (GER) LIVE ARENA
MAY 15, SUN - GAVERE (BEL) RACING

A short history of Demolition:

The intention was to found a melodic thrash band, when drummer Tom
Kräutner and
guitarist Thomas Pippersteiner decided to bring Demolition to life in
1996. Hans Peter Rapp on bass and Peter Musch, serving both vocals and
rhythm guitars completed the first line-up.

In 1998 the band recorded their debut-album "...in the beginning"
which was distributed by the band's own label DN Records through
various mailorder companies. About 1000 sold copies showed a first
indication of the band's potential by being sold through companies
such as The Metal Merchant, Hellion Records or Rising Sun Records.

Following up the band got a lot of great opportunities to open up for
a big variety of national and international metal bands such as
Testament, Ronnie James Dio, Manowar, Saxon, Overkill, Annihilator,
Destruction, Kreator, Sodom, Dew-Scented, Mercyful Fate, Nevermore,
Soilwork, Dark Funeral, Mystic Circle, Stigmata IV, Lefay, Gilby
Clarke / Eric Singer, Eldritch, Labyrinth, Edguy, Skyclad, Knorkator,
Girlschool, Angra, Blackend, Farmer Boys, Holy Moses, Rawhead Rexx,
Darkside and many more. These gigs helped the band a lot to increase
their reputation as a very intense, hard working live band.

As a logical next step, the band tried to improve also on the
recording side of things and so in 2000 they chose to record their
next album under the veils of a experienced producer. Having signed a
deal with Gutter Records -- a division of Massacre Records from
Germany previously, Demolition in late 2001 hooked up with Producer
Milos "Dodo" Dolezal in his Hacienda Studio situated in southern Czech
Republic to record the follow-up "Out Of Noland." Among others the
album featured guest musicians such as Ritchie Krenmaier of Stygma IV
fame.

During the preparations for the songwriting of the third album the
band decided to replace shouter Peter Musch. The vacant post behind
the microphone was handed over to Wolf of Darkside. This added a lot
of power and edge to the new material which was finally recorded in
Slovakia, namely the Studio Exponent (Krabathor, Hypnos, Darkside) in
summer of 2003. Entitled "Existence," the new stuff shows a
development towards more concise songwriting without denying the
band's roots.

More powerful, more melodic and sounding better than ever -- this is
Demolition 2005! They are back and with Twilight-Distribution they
have a strong partner to back them up with the release of "Existence."
Don't miss out this opportunity and lend them your ears, you won't
regret it !!!

Demolition are:

Thomas Pippersteiner - guitars
Hans Peter Rapp - bass guitars
Tom Kräutner - drums
Wolf - vocals

More live dates of Demolition in 2005:

10.06.2005 - A-St. Leonhard am Forst - "Devil Days Festival '05" with
Criminal, God Dethroned, Gorerotted, Mystic Circle, My Darkest Hate,
Final Breath, Night in Gales, Agathodaimon, Rotting Christ,
Infestigation, Sanatorium, Totenmond, Dark Fortress, Casket Garden and
many more... http://www.devildays.at/

09.07.2005 - D-Obersinn - "Eisenwahn Open Air" with Justice, Final
Breath, Steel Attack, Jack Slater, Gardens of Gehenna, Unbound,
Structural Defect, Guerilla, Fulltanked, R.O.T.S, Selaiah, Rusted
Chains, Sickening Art, Salvation, Ismael, I.N.R.I,...
http://www.eisenwahn.de/

15.07.2005 - A-Spital am Semmering - "Kaltenbach Open Air '05" with
Destruction, Dissection, Carnal Forge, Defleshed, Aborted,
Illdisposed, Endstille, Primordial, Master, Fleshless, Noctiferia,
Lunar Aurora, Secrets Of The Moon, Thirdmoon, Olemus and many more...
http://www.kaltenbach-openair.at/

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*

- Accept News: Wolf Hoffmann, has issued the following statement:
"Accept feel honored to be able to relive 'the good old days' for
their fans this summer at several festivals. But please understand
that we will stick to the plan to reunite only this one time. We will
go our separate ways after the last show as friends. "As for all the
rumors floating around: We will not be touring after the summer not
even with Judas Priest, who we always admired very much." See
www.acceptarchive.com for more info.

Confirmed Accept dates:

Apr. 25 - St. Petersburg, RUS @ Ledoviy
Apr. 26 - Samara, RUS @ MTL Arena
Apr. 27 - Moscow, RUS @ Luzhniki Arena
Apr. 29 - Miinsk, RUS @ Dvorets Sport
May 15 - Gelsenkirchen, GER @ Rock Hard Festival
Jun. 04 - Bergum, NETH @ Waldrock
Jun. 09 - Svesborg, SWE @ Sweden Rock Festival
Jun. 12 - Bologna, ITA @ Gods Of Metal
Jun. 24 - Belgium @ Graspop
Jul. 08 - Athens, GRE @ Rockwave
Jul. 17 - Helsinki, FIN @ Tuska Festival
Jul. 29 - Tokyo, JPN @ Shibuya AX
Jul. 30 - Tokyo, JPN @ Shibuya AX
Jul. 31 - Osaka, JPN @ Namba Hatch
Aug. 02 - Nagoya, JPN @ Diamont Hall
Aug. 4-6 - Wacken, GER @ Wacken Open Air
Aug. 11 - Sziget, HUN @ Szidget Festival
Aug. 13 - Spain @ Cumpo de futbol
Aug. - Switzerland @ TBC

-Hard rock/progressive metal band Deaf Symphony has a new album out
called BLACK GARDEN. Hype from the band: "Our fans already love it we
couldn't be more excited. "Scary Love Song" and "Vision" are getting
the most attention from the fans. BLACK GARDEN has songs that are
guitar driven with strong vocals and harmonies." See
http://www.deafsymphony.com/ for more and check out a clip at
http://www.cdbaby.com/allmp3/deafsymphony.m3u

- From the Total Rock Newsletter: Dokken are to call their new album
LIGHTNING STRIKES AGAIN. This should be released by Sanctuary in the
summer. The band intends to film their upcoming UK/European tour. This
will be for a bonus DVD to be included with the album.

- Gamma Ray's new CD is called MAGESTIC and should be released this fall.

- www.marciefree.com has tons of new demos and cool stuff that
chronicles the singer's career.

- Check out www.tonyharnell.com for some great info on the
TNT/Westworld/Starbreaker singer's career.

- Iron Maiden will only b playing a 60-minute set during Oz-Fest this
year.

-In Isengard news, drummer Uffe Tillman is going to Finland to assist
vocalist Morgan J. Johansson revive his "cult party/cover band"
Pennybridge Playboys. The group also features guitarist Jonas Gagner
(Get Wet) and bassist Pat Bondage (Fired Up), and will play a week of
gigs from July 4 - 10 at Molly Malone's in Helsinki. Isengard's site
http://www.isengard.se/ has been updated with a new guestbook and
forum, new downloads, a new mailing list.

- Jacobs Dream will release DRAMA OF THE AGES May 2 on Metal Blade.
The album will be the first with new singer Chaz Bond. According to a
Metal Blade newsletter the band says, "We have come down a long road
and are excited about the new material. We hope the fans will be just
as excited. We are currently trying to get a web site up and running
to keep everyone updated. Hopefully this will be together in the next
week or two. We are looking forward to touring and playing out as much
as we can. Keep it Metal!"

-Jet Motor Crash recently finished up a US for PERSONAL SPACE, but
there is one date remaining: April 23 at the Whiskey in Los Angeles.
See http://www.jetmotorcrash.com/ and http://www.mastodoninfantry.com/
for more.

- Rumor is that Dave Mustaine from Megadeth is putting a killer 4-5
band tour for the U.S. this summer. Details will be announced once the
lineup is finalized.

- From www.melodicrock.com comes a Journey update: Journey--guitarist
Neal Schon, bassist Ross Valory, keyboardist Jonathan Cain, singer
Steve Augeri and drummer Deen Castronovo--will be entering the Record
Plant recording studio in Sausalito, CA this week to start work on
their 13th studio album.

It's their first since 2002's Red 13 four-song EP and 2001's
full-length Arrival album. Kevin Elson (producer of the band's
multi-platinum Escape, Departure and Frontiers albums, as well as
their double-platinum Captured live album) will be at the producer's
helm and Mike Fraser (Metallica, AC/DC, Aerosmith) will be engineering
the sessions. The as-yet-untitled album is due out this summer, just
in time for a major U.S. tour, which the band promises to be their
most exciting yet. In recent interviews, Journey guitarist Neal Schon
has been hinting at a 3-4 hour show of classic hits as well as some
obscure songs spanning their entire catalog (starting with their 1975
self-titled debut and the three other pre-Steve Perry albums). Stay
tuned for further details. A new Neal Schon interview is online at:
www.annecarlini.com/ex_interviews.php?id=347.

- From the NOCTA newsletter: We are proud to announce that Nocta and
Sleazy Rider became partners in crime!!! We are very happy to be part
of this promising record company and we will do our best to honour our
deal. Our debut album "Wicked Woman" will be released March 15th 2005!
Until then stay Heavy. www.nocta.org

- www.blabbermouth.net reports that "Camp Utopia", the new low-budget
horror movie starring former RATT singer Stephen Pearcy, will be
released on DVD on May 17. A film synopsis from the official press
release reads as follows: "In 1969, in a small hippie commune in
Northern California, Timothy Bach (Stephen Pearcy), a self-proclaimed
guru, maintained a hypnotic hold on his followers. On June 23,
something went terribly wrong in the free love and peace commune. In
an apparent drug-induced frenzy, Bach began slaughtering his
followers. He then disappeared into the night, never to be heard from
again. More than thirty years later, five teenagers return to the site
of 'Camp Utopia'. And now, what happened back then...is happening
again. Has the evil cult leader returned? Or is it something far
worse..." View the official movie trailer at
http://www.texastroubleentertainment.com/utopia_trailer_pg.html

- From the official Primal Fear website (http://matsinner.rocks.de/)
comes the following announcement; "Short before the start of the
recordings for our new album, we can proudly announce that we have
extended our contract with Nuclear Blast for another five albums plus
one DVD and one live CD. We're very happy with the work of Nuclear
Blast and their support all over the years! "We will have a band
meeting next Saturday. We've collected around 20 songs and we will
decide which 12 songs will finally record for the new, as-yet-untitled
album. Charlie Bauerfeind [producer] will travel from Tenerife to
Germany in the beginning of April and we will set up the gear and rock
the House Of Music [studio]. The deal with Mike Fraser (Def Leppard,
Metallica, AC/DC, Aerosmith) to mix the album is signed & sealed. We
will mix the album at the Warehouse Studio in mid-May. We're in
contact with some more open air festivals in Italy, Poland, Spain and
Germany, plus shows in Russia and Japan." (Editors Note: Not
surprising since Matt Sinner works for NB – Sean)

- Update from www.frontiers.it: Billy Greer and Mike Slamer have
agreed to the production of a Seventh Key Live DVD. The shooting will
take place in a Los Angeles club in June and under the direction of
Mike Slamer s daughter Nicole. Famed singer Terry Brock will also
appear and the band will showcase songs from the two Seventh Key
studio albums, plus some tasty surprise. The DVD will also include all
the videos shoot by the guys including the most recent Love Train and
An Ocean Away plus an in-depth interview with Billy Greer, Mike Slamer
and Terry Brock. Stay tuned for more details.
-The Killer Dwarfs have scheduled a show for April 9 at Fiddler's
Green Irish Pub in Cambridge, Ontario. Also, a recent post to their
official mailing list said "More DWaRfS news coming soon!" Stay
tuned... See http://www.killerdwarfs.com/ for more.

- From www.stratovarius.com: After a lot of listening and editing, the
basic structure of our 11th album is getting together slowly but
surely. After the turbulence of the last year, none of us has known
what to expect when going into the studio. "We have used the drums
(Michael) recorded alone at Soundtrack studio about a year ago. There
was about 70 gigabytes of drums, so that took a while to listen to.
And bit of tough decisions, and editing, cutting and pasting. New
lyrics and vocal melodies have been written, and also some new songs.

"Says Timo Tolkki (guitar): 'I recorded all my rhythm guitars during
one evening. God, my fingers still hurt!! There is a construction
project going on under my studio. They are building a parking hall and
are exploding huge bombs twice a day. Also there is lots of drilling.
I am sure that this is the first time in the history of metal that an
album has been recorded under circumstances like these.'

"It has indeed been very hard to record vocals and acoustic
instruments. But we are finally getting there, slowly but surely. It's
flowing and the feeling is really good. The vocals will for sure be
finished before [singer] Timo Kotipelto's solo tour embarks. Then of
course, the mixing...the mixing...the mixing.

"STRATOVARIUS has never made a compromise when it comes to the sound
and this time with [Timo Tolkki] in his own studio. My God, anything
under two months of mixing and we'll be lucky. Anyway we would like to
thank you, the fans, for your patience and hope that you enjoy this
progress report and some new pictures."

- Tower Of Power is on the road, with Mike Finnegan filling in on
keyboards through April. Main keyboardist Roger Smith is recovering
from prostate cancer and surgery until then.

Dates:
3/13 - Paramount Theatre, Rutland, VT
3/15 - 3/18 - Scullers Jazz Club, Boston, MA
3/19 - Mohegan Sun Casino - Wolf Den, Uncasville, CT
4/6 & 4/7 - Empire Theatre, Belleville, ON
4/8 - Brock University, St. Catharines, ON
4/9 - Capitol Centre, North Bay, ON
4/11 & 4/12 - Markham Theatre Anthony Roman Centre, Markham, ON
4/13 & 4/14 - Oakville Centre For The Performing Arts, Oakville, ON
4/16 - Academy Theatre, Lindsay, ON
4/30 - Denton Arts & Jazz Festival @ Civic Center Park, Denton, TX
5/1 - George's Majestic Lounge, Fayetteville, AR
5/3 & 5/4 - One World Theatre, Austin, TX
5/6 - House Of Blues, New Orleans, LA
6/9 - The Mountain Winery, Saratoga, CA
6/16 - Save-On Foods Memorial Centre, Victoria, BC
6/17 - Canada General Motors Place, Vancouver, BC
6/18 - Paramount Theater, Seattle, WA
6/19 - Arelene Schnitzer Concert Hall, Portland, OR
6/21 - Event Center @ Cache Creek Casino, Brooks, CA
6/22 - Paramount Theater Of The Arts, Oakland, CA
6/24 - Chumash Casino, Santa Ynez, CA
6/25 - The Greek Theatre, Los Angeles, CA
6/26 - The Dodge Theater, Phoenix, AZ
6/27 - Anselmo Valencia Amphitheatre, Tucson, AZ
6/29 - Universal Lending Pavilion, Denver, CO
7/7 - Chastain Amphitheater, Atlanta, GA
7/8 - Grand Casino - Tunica, Robinson, MS
7/9 - Grand Casino - Gulfport, Gulfport, MS
7/10 - Grand Theatre @ Biloxi Grand Casino, Biloxi, MS
7/13 & 7/14 - Arena @ Mohegan Sun Casino & Resort, Uncasville, CT
7/15 & 7/16 - Fleet Boston Pavilion, Boston, MA
7/17 - The Filene Center, Vienna, VA
7/19 & 7/20 - Entertainment Centre @ Casino Rama, Rama, ON
7/21 - Clio Area Amphitheater, Clio, MI
7/22 - TBA, Chicago, IL
7/23 - Jerome Duncan Ford Theater, Sterling Heights, MI
7/24 - Mountaineer Race Track & Gaming Resort, Chester, WV
7/26 - Reading Eagle Theater, Reading, PA
8/3 - Outdoor Stage @ Reno Hilton, Reno, NV
8/4 - Resort Showroom @ Konocti Harbor Inn, Kelseyville, CA
8/16 - San Mateo County Fair Grandstand, San Mateo, CA
8/18 - Monterey County Fairgrounds, Monterey, CA
8/23 - Artpark, Lewiston, NY
8/25 - Toad's Place, New Haven, CT
8/26 - House Of Blues, Atlantic City, NJ
8/27 - Birchmere, Alexandria, VA
9/2 - 9/4 - Suncoast Hotel & Casino, Summerlin Las Vegas, NV
The shows from 6/16 - 7/26 are opening for Tom Jones. (Yes, Tom Jones.)
See http://www.bumpcity.com/ for more.

Special thanks to Trevor Lyman and James Saqui for helping gather this
information.

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

-So after reviewing the new Michael Schenker Group live DVD a couple
issues back, I've been on an MSG kick. I've managed to collect about
99% of Schenker's output over the years, but there is one Holy Grail
that constantly eludes me: the original version of 1983's BUILT TO
DESTROY, featuring singer Gary Barden, on CD. I first picked this
album up as a vinyl cut-out for a buck at Appletree Records in DeKalb,
IL, when I was in college in '88. My buddy Bill and I got a kick out
of the song "Still Love That Little Devil" and played it a few times
on our radio show; the hook was infectious and it sorta became a "go
to" song for our show. Naturally, I wanted to upgrade my vinyl to CD.
In about '94 or '95 another buddy made me a CD-R copy of his CD, and I
thought my quest had ended. But no. As I listened to the CD-R it
sounded a little "funny," and "Still Love That Little Devil" sounded
downright *different*. After a little research I found out this was
the American version of the album, which wasn't the same as the
original German version. It also came out in '83 but it had a
different track order, some of the songs were re-mixed, the song "Walk
The Stage" had been re-titled "Rock Will Never Die," and there were
some new additional lead vocals from Ted Nugent sideman Derek St.
Holmes added. Weird. So that meant the vinyl copy I had was the
original German version -- how it wound up in Appletree's cut-out bin
is anyone's guess! -- and that's the version I really wanted to have
on CD. OK, fine. In '96 I heard an English record company called
B.G.O. was going to reissue the album, and after seeing it listed
on-line somewhere I noticed its track listing matched the German
version's. Yay. So I ordered it. And I was severely pissed off when I
got it (at inflated import CD prices) and discovered it was, in fact,
the American re-mix version after all! I was duped because some jerky
boy at the record company reordered the songs to match the German
version's track list. Good God man! But now, during my current MSG
kick, I found out from our very own Steve "Captain Nemo" Shumake that
the recent Japanese reissue of BUILT TO DESTROY, which again has the
songs from the American re-mix version, actually has five bonus tracks
that are original, i.e., "not re-mixed," versions. And -- ta da! --
one of them is "Still Love That Little Devil." So now, finally, my
quest will end. Maybe. I kind of don't want to dump that kind of cash
on a Japanese import CD...

-My wife's birthday is this week. I think she needs the new Ozzy
Osbourne box set. That's romantic and thoughtful, right?

-Now in my current playlist: James LaBrie - ELEMENTS OF PERSUASION
(InsideOut Music America), Sack Trick - SHEEP IN KISS MAKE-UP (indie),
Overkill - RELIXIV (Spitfire Records), Revolver - TURBULENCE (Sextant
Records), Helloween - HIGH LIVE (DVD) (Sanctuary).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*

PAIN OF SALVATION - BE LIVE DVD (A) InsideOut Music America, 2005
18 tracks + bonus features, RT: 1:10
[ http://www.painofsalvation.com/ ]
[ http://www.insideoutmusic.com/ ]
I've always approached Pain Of Salvation music a bit differently than
most of the stuff in my collection; they are one of those
"acquired-taste" bands you have to relinquish preconceived
expectations about to fully appreciate. When Pain Of Salvation
released their concept album BE last year there was mixed reaction
from fans and critics; some declared it a work of genius while others
dismissed it as pretentious and boring. I'm not going to review the
music of BE here because I've already done so in issue 289 of
Detritus, but I will say that seeing this performed live has given me
a new appreciation for the album, and I am struck with the notion that
the theatrical performance documented here is the best way to fully
experience the elaborate themes and subtle complexities of BE's
arrangements. The live performance of BE actually took place before
the album was recorded, and if you are familiar with the album you may
notice the live versions are somewhat different; this makes it
all-the-more interesting to me, as it's not just an exact copy of what
you've already heard. Daniel Gildenlow and company do, however,
deliver virtually flawless renditions of the songs interspersed with
video and symbolic representations of BE's ambitious storyline. Seeing
the "Orchestra of Eternity" seamlessly playing along with the band
provides a new understanding of how intricate and demanding this music
really is to play, and I found myself marveling at how much work went
into completing this project. One of the highlights of the disc is
the commentary track featuring Daniel and keyboard player Fredrik
Hermansson revealing the meaning behind each song and discussing the
technical difficulties encountered during the performance (I really
don't know how they pulled some of off!). There is a multitude of
bonus material including some "Easter eggs" you'll need a little
patience to discover, and even a hilarious version of the concert in
which the audio track is reversed to give religious fanatics something
to find hidden messages in! Watching this DVD made me wish I had seen
this performed at ProgPower V, as it would really be incredible to see
in person; this is definitely the next best thing, however. If you
enjoyed BE I would highly recommend this as a companion to the album,
it will clear up much of the confusion that a lot of fans apparently
encountered (myself included!), and if you found yourself
"on-the-fence" about BE, you might just find the DVD brings the
concepts to life while disclosing what Daniel Gildenlow was trying to
achieve. The only things I didn't like about the disc were the menus,
which made navigation a little awkward, and track numbers that did not
correspond with the last five songs. Overall, BE - LIVE DVD provides
a captivating and entertaining experience that is visual, intellectual
and musical... Neal Woodall (MysticX10@...)

QUIET RIOT - LIVE & RARE VOLUME 1 (B-/C+) Deadline, 2005
12 tracks, RT: 62:08
[ http://www.frankiebanali.com/ ]
[ RedSamuraiMusic@... ]
[ http://www.cleorecs.com/ ]
I admit I'm a sucker for these "live and rare," "then and now," and
"latest and greatest" types of releases, and the totally hot blond on
the cover sucked me in. (Sorry, but it's true. It's all about the
marketing.) The first seven tracks here appear to be a complete,
42-minute show from the CONDITION CRITICAL tour, then there are two
tracks recorded on the METAL HEALTH tour, and then the last three are
demos recorded by the band DuBrow in 1981. The CONDITION CRITICAL tour
tracks -- "Let's Get Crazy," "Condition Critical," "Run For Cover,"
"Swinging Lumber," "Winners Take All," "Cum On Feel The Noize," "Metal
Health" -- are great quality so I'm guessing they were originally
simulcast on the radio, or recorded for use on a live album. I could
live without the tepid drum solo "Swinging Lumber," and its follow-up,
the ham-fisted ballad "Winners Take All." (Guys guys, *never* play a
ballad after a drum solo! Pacing pacing pacing!!!) In a cool move, the
METAL HEALTH tour tracks are two then-unreleased songs, the rocking
"Danger Zone" (which supposedly was written for METAL HEALTH but was
never completed; it did eventually appear as a bonus track on the 2001
reissue of the album though) and the rollicking, goofy "Gonna Have A
Riot" (which dates back to the pre-METAL HEALTH Randy Rhoads era of
the band). The fidelity of these two isn't as good as the other live
tracks, but it's more than adequate. All nine live tracks feature the
"classic" lineup of vocalist Kevin DuBrow, guitarist Carlos Cavazo,
bassist Rudy Sarzo, and drummer Frankie Banali, but the demo tracks
recorded under the DuBrow moniker feature Kevin D. and Mr. Banali
joined by guitarist Bob Steffan (who?) and bassist Chuck Wright.
All three tracks -- "Thunderbird," "Love's A Bitch," "Let's Get Crazy"
-- eventually wound up on METAL HEALTH; the versions here are a little
different than the album versions, and they sound absolutely killer
for being nearly a quarter of a century old! My quibbles are minor and
major. The minor one is that the liner notes, while informative, are
just too darn skimpy. The major one is that there is a two-second gap
of blank space between every live song, and the songs don't fade up or
down to soften the transitions. As I said, it appears the CONDITION
CRITICAL songs are all from the same show and in sequence, so why on
Earth would they be broken up in such a jarring fashion?! Ah well,
it's still a pretty fun album. Big dumb rock rules. What's gonna be on
Volume 2? - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@...)

HAVOCHATE - CYCLE OF PAIN (B) Indecent Media, 2005
11 Tracks, RT: 44:21
[ http://www.havochate.com ]
[ http://www.indecentmedia.com ]
Is the classic thrashing metal sound on the verge of a comeback?
HavocHate answer this question with a solid "YES" on their second
album, CYCLE OF PAIN. This New York area troop (who some of you may
remember from their slot opening for Manowar a few years back) have
concocted a nice blend of traditional metal and old-school Bay Area
vibes, thankfully without any of the death metal or hardcore overtones
that are prevalent in so many of the current European thrash bands.
The real stars on CYCLE OF PAIN are the guitar team of Freddy Ordine
and Mario Rodriguez, who lay down walls of twisting riffs in the
tradition of Slayer or Testament with the harmonic touches of masters
like Maiden and Priest. They also know their way around an acoustic
guitar when they're not doing all-out speed runs, with some impressive
strumming displayed during the quieter moments of "Speak No More" and
"Alone." Vocalist Tim Bouchee has a nice voice as well, part Ripper
Owens (with a little less high end) and part Chuck Billy (similar to
the really cool, aggressive "ROOOOAAARRR" that Chuck had on
Testament's LOW album, before he screwed up and went with an all-out
death metal gargle on DEMONIC). If it seems like I'm making a lot of
Testament comparisons here, I guess that makes sense, as former
Testament bassist Greg Christian is a recent recruit to the HavocHate
lineup. His bass work is as solid and crunchy as ever and he forms a
rock-solid rhythm section with drummer Ron Lipnicki (Hades). I
especially like the mid-paced "Fiction" (which contains Bouchee's
smoothest and best vocal performance on the disc) the epic "Crack
In The Sky," and "Speak No More," but the entire album has been
growing on me with each successive spin. I'm impressed, and I'd be
willing to bet that CYCLE OF PAIN would please fans of Testament,
Overkill, Nevermore, or Iced Earth as well. - Keith Abt
(Keithabt@...)

CORROSION OF CONFORMITY - IN THE ARMS OF GOD (B) Sanctuary Records, 2005
12 tracks, RT: 64:37
[ http://www.coc.com/ ]
[ http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com/ ]
My brother was a big C.O.C. fan waaaaayyyy back in the '80s when they
were a young, angry, lightning fast hardcore punk band, and it seems
that their stylistic shift over the past decade into a
Sabbath-influenced "stoner metal" band is still a bitter pill for him
to swallow. When I recently told him, "Hey, I got an advance copy of
the new C.O.C., it's pretty cool," I was blasted by a foul-mouthed
tidal wave of comments like "I f**king HATE those f**king sell-outs!
They should've f**king changed the f**king name of the f**king band
fifteen f**king years ago! That sh*t isn't Corrosion of F**king
Conformity! Don't even f**king TALK to me about them!" (We're looking
into getting a Xanax prescription for him.) So, OK, it'll be
impossible to convince him, but anyone out there who enjoyed such
Corrosive chunks as WISEBLOOD and DELIVERANCE will likely find IN THE
ARMS OF GOD to be a damn fine piece of work that is definitely more
Sabbath and less Southern Rock than their last studio album, 2000's
hotly-debated AMERICA'S VOLUME DEALER. (Being mostly unfamiliar with
the "new" C.O.C. sound at the time, I enjoyed AMERICA'S VOLUME DEALER,
but when I compared it to some of their other material, I could
understand why many fans were pissed at the album's mellower, LOAD-era
Metallica leanings.) Opening track "Stone Breaker" starts off with
some nice '70s style guitar noodling before it tears off into a nasty,
chugging riff that will have you nodding along in no time. "Paranoid
Opioid" (Is that a real word? I doubt it but it SOUNDS cool doesn't
it?) ups the ante (and the tempo); Pepper Keenan sounds truly P.O.'d
on this one and I can just imagine the pits that this tune will
inspire while C.O.C. are out on the road with Motorhead this Spring.
Other highlights include "Infinite War," a grooving doom metal
monster, and the epic title track that closes the album (preceded by a
very Pink Floydian intro called "Crown Of Thorns") that somehow
manages to be both groovy and brutal at the same time. If I had to
pick nits with IN THE ARMS OF GOD, I'd say that some of the tracks run
a bit long (like "Never Turns To More," which clocks in at 8:15 but
never really catches fire) but overall I have a feeling that this CD
will be spending a lot of time in my car stereo. Fans of C.O.C.'s '90s
work should be pleased, and as for the stubborn hardcore folks like my
brother, who would probably rather stick their fingers in their ears
and shout "lalalalalalalalala" rather than hear a single note off of
this album, all I can say is it's their loss. The Southern Fried Metal
Attack is definitely back! - Keith Abt (Keithabt@...)

REBIRTH OF DISSECTION – MAHA KALI (B-) Escapi Music, 2004
2 tracks, RT: 12:07
[ http://www.dissection.com/ ]
This is apparently the return i.e. the "Rebirth" of Dissection. This
2-track single is their first new music in about 10 years. The first
track "Maha Kali" sounds not unlike newer In Flames. It's ok but
nothing I have not heard before or better. Jon Nödtveidt's vocals are
gravelly enough and his range is ok. Nothing spectacular to hear but
nothing horrible either. The guitars by Set Teitan, bass by Brice
Leciercq, and the "battery" by Tomas Asklund are all competent but
with only two tracks I can't get a real good vibe from them. Again
nothing to impressive but still better than your average nobody band.
The thing missing in either track is some oomph or power. It fells
like the are just going thru the motions. I don't feel the passion one
gets by listening to great bands like In Flames or Amon Amarth. Even
the melodies lack any sense of muscle behind them. Probably my
biggest complaint if I could think of one is track 2. "Unhallowed
(Rebirth Version)" opens with the same drum machine like cascade that
I have now heard in nearly everything black metal album over the last
5 years. Trust me once you hear it you would recognize it. Of course
since Dissection has not done anything new in a decade maybe they did
it first. I don't know, it just seems to be a soundtrack to metal
class 101. Anybody and everybody can do this sound, it's nothing new
and refreshing. Overall the two tracks are uninspired and forgettable
and I would recommend saving your money for something else. - Rick
Berg (strngbrg@...)

NECRO – THE PRE-FIX FOR DEATH (D-) Psycho Logical Records, 2004
25 tracks, RT: 1:11:36
[ http://www.necrohiphop.com/ ]
[ http://www.psychologicalrecords.com/ ]
[ http://www.mazurpr.com/ ]
First of I want everyone who reads this review to know I highly
dislike hip-hop and rap music in general, it's just not for me at all.
I don't care for the lyrical content or stylings, the sampling, the
beats, none of it. Even the so-called best and most popular rap or
hip-hop is unattractive to me. Instead I love metal in all forms,
death metal, Viking death metal, power metal, etc., etc. The louder,
the angrier, the faster, the music is the better I will enjoy it. And
yes I do know that countless metal albums use sampling and rhymes all
the time. Unless it's old school Anthrax, Suicidal Tendencies, Faith
No More or Skindred I don't need rap at all. THE PRE-FIX FOR DEATH is
described as being a death metal rap hybrid. It is supposed to be the
ultimate form of rap nu-metal from everything I read about. This is
not true for 85% of the album. There are only a few tracks that even
have a little of what anyone who HATES metal would deem to be metal.
An example of this is track # 6 "The Pre-Fix For Death" which features
Away of Voivod. Essentially Necro raps over a very basic guitar track.
The music is not fast or furious. The drums do not pound in my head.
The soul searing screams do not make my ears bleed, Necro's rap does.
When there is some deep growling or screeching, like on track # 7
"Push It To The Limit" it's a extremely small part, the chorus by
Hatebreed's Jamey Jastas, that lasts only a few seconds. Most of the
time it doesn't even sound like Necro is rapping, it sounds more like
he's just talking over the "music". The only way I could try to
quantify this as metal is the lyrical content. Necro's subject matter
is very death metal in theory. He "raps" about violence, gore,
Satanism, killing, murder, death, rape, real metal bands, countless
horror movies, and the like. Unfortunately subject matter alone does
not make death metal. I have heard plenty of death metal about demons
and death and gore and this does not compare. Death metal is a package
that comes with machete like lyrics cutting your soul and machine gun
like music destroying your body. Necro by and large does not have
anything close to this. Nobody would say that A Nightmare On Elm
Street and Forest Gump are the same type of movie yet both feature
humor, death and disfigurement. A "fine" sample of Necro's themes can
be found in track #11 "Nirvana" where he brings up Rosemary's baby and
Satanism and the Exorcist's movies but the soundtrack sounds like a
bad 70's exploitation movie. The other major topic Necro loves is
degrading women. Track #12 "86 Measures Of Game" starts off with an
excerpt of an interview with rock god Gene Simmons being a dick then
the track spirals down into what horrible things Necro "enjoys" about
women. As degrading to women as metal heads can be, this track was
pathetic and disgusting. And speaking of sampling Gene Simmons'
interview, nearly every other track features a sample or just is one.
I may have been so put off by how bad the rest of the CD was to catch
why it was all there, but it sure felt like it was filler material.
Probably the saddest part of this album besides the foul treatment of
women was the amount of metal guest stars that worked on it. #0 from
Slipknot, Jamey Jastas & Sean Martin from Hatebreed, Trevor Peres &
John Tardy from Obituary, Away from Voivod, Dan Lilker from Nuclear
Assault, Danny Diablo from Skarhead and Mr. Hyde all appear. Must of
the time I could barely tell what if anything they added to this
album. Overall I found this whole album to be nothing more than poorly
done hate rap than anything resembling metal much less death metal and
I do not recommend it for anyone who likes good music. I just missed
the whole point of it. - Rick Berg (strngbrg@...)

OPIATE FOR THE MASSES – "BIG RED NIGHT OF THE DEAD HALLOWEEN SHOW"
(B-) American Voodoo Records, 2004
4 tracks, RT: 12:44
[ http://www.opiateforthemasses.com/ ]
This is a limited edition EP recorded at The Dodge Theater in Phoenix
AZ October 29th 2004. It features 4 tracks off the upcoming April '05
release THE SPORE. For starters this band is for anyone who likes
Tool, A Perfect Circle, Union Underground, Earshot or anything Maynard
Keenan is involved with. If you like that type of industrial metal you
should enjoy Opiate For The Masses (OFTM). Essentially this EP sounds
like a Tool warm up album for the uninitiated. If you like what you
hear here, any Tool album will blow you away. OFTM is basically Tool
but with a slightly faster, more upbeat and less heavy vibe. They
sound a lot like A Perfect Circle would if they were high on caffeine.
Even my "Tool is the best band ever" friend first thought I had scored
new Tool music. We both enjoyed what we heard and wanted to put on
some real Tool. Anyways back to the review and more Tool comparisons.
The band itself is super tight and sounds like they have been together
for a very long time. The drums and rhythm section work especially
well in conjunction with each other. The screaming vocals are very
clean and energetic but are missing some of the power of Tool. The
major difference for me between OFTM and Tool is that OFTM is much
less about the overtly industrial sounds. OFTM has a more of a
mainstream sound than anything Tool has done to date, which I believe
may find them a slightly broader audience. With only four tracks the
best thing I can say is the OFTM is the best Tool tribute band I have
ever heard. - Rick Berg (strngbrg@...)

*
*** OUT ***
*