Detritus
Issue #312
Week of April 11, 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/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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- Sonic Age Records To RELEASE Penetrator Digi-CD Worldwide On April
25, 2005
North American Distribution through Century Media/The End Records

PENETRATOR - Penetrator Digi-CD Hammering metal into your head!!!
The Canadian heavy metal scene has always been one of the most quality
scenes worldwide. Be ready for the best thing Canada has put out in a
very long time in powerful heavy metal. Featuring "Bulldog" Bess Ross
on guitar, Maxel Black, vocals , Dave T. Green, bass, all veteran
musicians, and talented drummer, Simon Vanderzand. Their promo CD
"Unleash The Fury" received triumphant reviews from the worldwide
metal press. 9 metal-thirsty compositions comprise the release of
"Penetrator" and be sure that some of them will become instant
classics! Fantastic limited edition digi-pack CD release with 8 page
booklet.

Official Website Launch Date: April 9 www.penetratorpower.com

Canada's PENETRATOR assaults the US with heavy powerful METAL!
Featuring guitar shredder BULLDOG Bess Ross.

TOUR DATES:
Fri. March 11 - Purgatory, Oklahoma City, OK
Sun. March 13 - $100 Taco, Tulsa, OK
Wed. March 16 - Forgetta About It, North Houston, TX
Thurs. March 17 - The Howling Coyote, Houston, TX
Sat. March 19 - Sam's Burger Joint, San Antonio, TX
Thurs April 7 - Sudsy Malones, Cincinnati, OH
Fri. April 8 - The Hi-Fi Club, Cleveland, OH
Sat. April 9 - McGuffy's House of Draft, Dayton, OH
Thurs. April 14 - New Way Bar, Ferndale, MI
Fri. April 15 - I-Rock, Detroit, MI

PENETRATOR from Toronto and the rest of the world better be ready for
this heavy and powerful debut from Penetrator. The phrase "action
speaks louder than words" works so well in this case as PENETRATOR
backs up everything they preached about what they would sound like
before "Penetrator" was released. Intense Power Metal gets an amazing
wake up call from PENETRATOR as BULLDOG Bess (Guitars) and Maxel Black
(Vocals) put together one of the best Canadian metal duo's not yet
heard of in this country's history. These two guys along with David T
Green (Bass) and Simon Vanderzand (Drums) tear through nine tracks of
heavy metal passion and fury. The title track that leads off the CD
has this superb power metal riff that will no doubt have you screaming
for more. "Spread The Mind" and "Guns and Whiskey" explode with
BULLDOG Bess' incredible riff mastery. Maxel Black's vocals on
"Unleash the Fury" take you to another world of the power metal genre.
With so many bands out there following the same path one after
another, PENETRATOR takes matters into their own hands creating a
sound they can call their own. PENETRATOR is making a lot of noise!
Some may try and follow suit, but only one shall remain on top.
PENETRATOR has all the tools to remain number one for many years to come.

BULLDOG Bess Ross: Pro guitarist. Personal guitar tech for Tony Iommi
of Black Sabbath during the Never Say Die tour. Bess Ross is a
renowned showman, songwriter and producer. His previous recording acts
include Anvil, Brawl and Travelin War.

Maxel Black: Singer songwriter, lyricist, pro vocalist. Maxel is known
for his powerful voice and captivating live presence. His previous
recording credits include Mastery (The Triad) and Maniacal (Sinkhole
to Hell) features harmonic highlights by Megadeth/Eidolon
guitarist Glen Drover.

Simon Vanderzand: Drummer/Engineer/Co-Producer, recorded the
Penetrator CD at his studio, The Sound Lounge. Simon has been playing
professionally since the age of sixteen. Previous recording acts
include Static Eden and The Love Letter Refuge.

David T Green: The last member to join the fold. Dave's thundering
bass lines and "in your face" stage presence don't go unnoticed in the
Penetrator lineup. Co-writing Penetrator's assault attack style of
music is just a part of Dave's talent. Imaginative playing combined
with quick wit make him an invaluable part of the band.

Label: http://www.sonicagerecords.com

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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- Legendary Rockers Head Back To School For New 'Rock School'
Soundtrack Set For Release Via Trillion Records On May 31, 2005

Alice Cooper, Ian Gillan, Dave Mustaine, Billy Idol, Ann Wilson And
More Team Up With Music Students For The 'Rock School' Soundtrack

The soundtrack to the much-anticipated film 'Rock School' will be
released on May 31, 2005 through Trillion Records.

The documentary, which will hit theaters early this summer through
NewMarket Films, chronicles the inception and success of Paul Green's
School Of Rock Music, which was founded in Philadelphia in 1999 to
teach young musicians and singers to play and perform classic rock 'n'
roll.

Produced by Grammy® Award-winning Phil Nicolo (Lauryn Hill, The Roots,
Train), the soundtrack to Rock School takes a unique approach by
featuring the actual students that appeared in the film re-recording
hits alongside legends like Alice Cooper, Deep Purple's Ian Gillan,
Yes' Jon Anderson, The Police's Stewart Copeland, The Ramones' Marky
Ramone, Heart's Ann Wilson, Megadeth's Dave Mustaine, and Billy Idol.

The track listing is as follows:

1. "Black Magic Woman" - Gregg Rolie
2. "I Wanna Be Sedated" - Marky Ramone/Tyson Ritter (The All American
Rejects)
3. "School's Out" - Alice Cooper
4. "Barracuda" - Ann Wilson
5. "Highway Star" - Ian Gillan
6. "LA Woman" - The Paul Green School of Rock Music
7. "Heart Of The Sunrise" - Jon Anderson
8. "Rebel Yell" - Billy Idol
9. "Don't Stand So Close To Me" - Stewart Copeland
10. "Iron Man" - The Paul Green School of Rock Music
11. "Peace Sells" - Dave Mustaine
12. "Hocus Pocus" - The Paul Green School of Rock Music

"When the producers asked me to be a part of Rock School, I said okay
and asked them to send me a track of the kids performing our song.
What I heard was a bunch of kids giving it 100%, and it sounded great.
It was good fun," said Ian Gillan of Deep Purple who performs the
band's hit "Highway Star" on the soundtrack.

'Rock School' is the soundtrack to more than just a temporary fantasy
camp. It's the beginning of the kids' new way of life.

The movie trailer can now be viewed at an FTP site (in QuickTime,
Windows Media and Real Player formats in small, medium and large sizes):

http://www.liquid8records.com/video/trailer.htm
http://www.trillionrecords.com/
http://www.rockschoolthemovie.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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- ProgPower USA VI Sells Out In Record Three Days

ATLANTA – ProgPower USA VI has officially sold out just three days
after tickets went on sale to the general public.

"I don't think my attendees realize how truly grateful I am for their
continued loyalty and support," said promoter Glenn Harveston. "This
is the fourth consecutive sell-out thanks to them. I don't think
anyone had a clue that tickets would move so fast this year. My
heartfelt thanks to the public for allowing me to continue with what I
believe is the best concert experience in North America."

This year's stellar lineup will host Angra, Conception, Orphaned Land,
Circus Maximus, and Manticora on Friday, September 16. The festival's
second night, Saturday, September 17, will feature Stratovarius,
Therion, Pink Cream 69, Symphorce, and Stride.

ProgPower be held at Earthlink Live in Atlanta. Doors are scheduled
to open at 4:30 p.m. on both days.

A ProgPower USA VI Pre-Show Party will be held Thursday night at The
Loft. After a great experience performing at last year's ProgPower,
Germany's Dreamscape is returning to headline the pre-party. Orphaned
Land will perform an acoustic set with material different from their
Friday set. Avian, featuring Lance King (ex-Balance of Power,
Pyramaze) on vocals, and Outworld, featuring guitar virtuoso Rusty
Cooley, will also perform. Ticket information for the pre-party will
be released in the coming weeks.

ProgPower USA is one of America's most highly praised festivals.
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, Sabian Cymbals, Shure
Microphones, Planet Waves Gear, J.'Addario Strings, and Evans Drumheads.

Earthlink Live is located at 1375 Peachtree Street NW in Atlanta.

http://www.progpowerusa.com
http://www.earthlinklive.com

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
*
- Dave Mustaine's `Gigantour' Set To Launch In Late July; Dream
Theater, Fear Factory, Dillinger Escape Plan And Nevermore Confirmed
To Join Megadeth On The Mainstage For Six-Week North American Trek

It's called GIGANTOUR, and it's the brainchild of MEGADETH
frontman/guitarist DAVE MUSTAINE.

Set to launch in late July, GIGANTOUR is a six-week festival trek
co-headlined by MEGADETH and DREAM THEATER, who'll be accompanied by
other mainstage acts Fear Factory, Dillinger Escape Plan and
Nevermore. Artists for the second stage will be announced in the
coming weeks.

GIGANTOUR follows MEGADETH's sold-out 2004 "Blackmail The Universe"
Tour in support of 2004's THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED -- MEGADETH's tenth
studio album -- which debuted on the charts at #18 and was critically
hailed as a brilliant return to form. Bandmates Glen Drover (guitar),
James MacDonough (bass) and Shawn Drover (drums) will once again join
MUSTAINE on the road.

GIGANTOUR -- whose moniker was inspired by the classic 1960's cartoon
"Gigantor" -- will crisscross North America, with stops in
amphitheatres and arenas in cities including Los Angeles, New York,
Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston,
Denver and Minneapolis, among others. The tour is implementing the
"fan friendly" ticket price of approximately $35 each. MUSTAINE notes:
"I think people may want an affordable alternative to the choices out
there -- along the lines of a pure music festival -- like Monsters of
Rock or Clash of the Titans."

MUSTAINE handpicked the bands for GIGANTOUR, with a focus on
musicianship. "There are few very successful tours out each summer and
in order to be significant, I knew the first Gigantour had to make an
impact with top bands like DREAM THEATER, Fear Factory, Dillinger
Escape Plan and Nevermore." MUSTAINE wanted to "put together a
festival that consisted of positive bands that play heavy music in a
high energy environment."

MUSTAINE comments on the other bands he's chosen for the GIGANTOUR
main stage. "I think that the variety of playing styles and the
credibility of the different players is really exciting. I'm looking
forward to spending time with DREAM THEATER -- including my friend
Mike Portnoy -- while on the road. I think DREAM THEATER is
unbelievably talented. I can't wait to see what their set list is
going to be for this festival."

Mike Portnoy from DREAM THEATER comments on the band's perspective on
the tour. "I think we probably bring some diversity to the bill,
because we're kind of like chameleons -- we can fit into a lot of
different situations. We've done shows in the past with Iron Maiden,
Slayer and Pantera, and then we've also done shows with Elton John,
Yes and Deep Purple. I think our fan base is very diverse like that
too." Portnoy sees GIGANTOUR as a "kind of a meeting of musicians and
metal-heads." He adds: "I've been listening to MEGADETH since day one
and always admired them and Dave as an artist -- he's constantly stuck
to his guns and stuck by the music he believes in. MEGADETH are one of
the pioneers of the genre." GIGANTOUR marks the first U.S. leg of
DREAM THEATER dates in support of their forthcoming release
OCTAVARIUM, due out June 7 on Atlantic Records.

MUSTAINE first toured with Fear Factory in 1994. "I think Fear Factory
and Dillinger Escape Plan are really going to add something different
to the tour and bring some new people in." He continues, "The frontman
of Nevermore [Warrell Dane] used to be in a band called Sanctuary and
I produced their first record."

MUSTAINE is excited to hit the road and has a positive outlook for
GIGANTOUR. "I look forward to watching this develop over the years and
seeing how we can turn this into something that's going to stand the
test of time. And if this works, and it really works, maybe we'll take
it elsewhere."

Stay tuned for tour dates, venues and information about the second
stage bands to be announced soon.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
*
- Oz Noy "HA!" Magnatude Records

"Imagine Jeff Beck meets John Scofield in James Brown's band, and you
might get the picture" - Guitar One Magazine

Sometimes it's a chainsaw in a hotel closet. Sometimes it's an alien
bug in its death scream. The sound may vary, but the impact never
does. A guitar in the hands of Oz Noy can be a dangerous beast, barely
contained. Speed licks, tasty chops, and sonic assaults are the order
of the day, all with an ever-present groove. Jazz fusion legend Mike
Stern calls Oz Noy "a fantastic guitar player...one of the best I've
ever seen."

Oz Noy's Ha! includes contributions from the rhythm section of Late
Night With David Letterman's Band: drummer Anton Fig and bassist Will
Lee, as well as guest guitarist Mike Stern (Billy Cobham, Miles Davis)
and Brecker Brothers' keyboardist George Whitty.

Check out the bonus video interview with Oz discussing his guitar
techniques and an added audio track - "Just Groove Me" - Live with
Anton Fig and Reggie Washington. One listen to Ha! and you'll join
Mike Stern in the Oz Noy admiration society.

Oz Noy HA! Lineup:

Oz Noy - guitar
Anton Fig - drums
Keith Carlock - drums
Will Lee - bass
James Genus - bass
George Whitty - keys
Mike Stern - guitar

Oz Noy Live:
3/21/2005 New York, NY Bitter End with Keith Carlock & Will Lee
3/28/2005 New York, NY Bitter End with Keith Carlock James Genus
4/4/2005 New York, NY Bitter End with Keith Carlock & Will Lee
4/11/2005 New York, NY Bitter End with Keith Carlock & Will Lee

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
*
- Lion Music News

Lion Music recording artist "Mistheria" joins Iron Maiden's Bruce
Dickinson!

When Bruce releases his new solo album on May 23 it will be filled
with the magical keyboard mastery of Mistheria. Read more about it
here: http://www.bravewords.com/news.html?id=25931

Mistheria's current album is "Messenger of the Gods," an all star
masterpiece featuring Rob Rock, George Bellas, Alex Masi, Anders
Johansson and many more.

Joe Stump on tour in the Netherlands:

Date / Venue / City
April 14 - Total Music - Schiedam - guitar clinic
April 15 - Rocks - Enschede - show
April 16 - Black Rose (popcentrale) - Dordrecht - show
April 17 - Druppel - Zeist - show
April 18 - Backstage - Deventer - guitar clinic
April 22 - Spider - Balk - show
April 23 - Schiller - Aalten - show

Joe's new album is "Speed Metal Messiah."

KILLER PROG NIGHT:13 April @ ALPHEUS (ROME):
Moonlight Comedy
+ Astarte Syriaca
+ The Fifth Season

Our next releases will be:

April 22 2005

IRON MASK - Hordes Of The Brave
Stunning second release from Dushan Petrossi's fantastic neo-classical
/ power metal band. Dushan's compositions are performed by Oliver
Hartmann (ex At Vance), Goetz "Valhalla Jr" Mohre, Vassili Moltchanov,
Anton Arkhipov. Guest keyboard solos are provided by Richard Andersson
(Time Requiem, Majestic, Space Odyssey), with artwork coming from Leo
Hao (Iced Earth, Magic Kingdom) and Eric
Philippe (Rhapsody).

SPEARFISH - Area 605
New release from the Swedish band, following their Scandinavian tour
with Uriah Heep and previous CD, "Back For The Future," including such
talents as Paul Dianno, Mick Box, Manny Charlton and others. Spearfish
is classic hard rock at its best.

ALEX MASI - In The Name Of Beethoven
The third and final instalment of Alex's series of classical inspired
releases music that started off with the very successful "In The Name
Of Bach" and followed last year by "In The Name Of Mozart."

May 20 2005

TORBEN ENEVOLDSEN - Flying Solo
The guitarist of Section A and Denmark's finest player will release
his third and best solo album to date.

VIRUS - TBA
Hardness and melody paired with feeling and sorrow belongs to the
emotional foundation of "Virus," which in its own style evolves from a
mixture of energetic guitar Grunge, Metal, and simple rock n' roll.

MATTSSON - War
A stunning progressive metal rock opera /concept album about the
current state of things, specially in the middle east featuring: Mark
Boals (Ring Of Fire), Vitalij Kuprij (Artension), Andre Vuurboom
(ex-Sun Caged), Irene Janssen, Lance King, Bjorn Jansson (Tears of
Anger/Imaginery)... All music composed by Lars Eric Mattsson.

Here are some other artists that will release new album on Lion Music
within the coming year:

MILAN POLAK (reissue with bonus material)
MIND'S EYE (new album as well as reissues with bonus material)
SEVENTH WONDER - Become (Killer prog metal from Sweden)
RESISTANCE - Lies In Black (Power/Thash metal)
LORD OF MUSHROOMS - Deadly Songs (prog metal)
BYRD - Crimes Of Viruosity (reissue with bonus material)
SIMONE FIORLETTA - TBA (solo album from the guitarist of Moonlight Comedy)
DOGPOUND - A Night In The Gutter
LOCOMOTIVE BREATH
LISTERIA - TBA
ZEELION - TBA
HOUSE OF SHAKIRA - TBA
AIRLESS - TBA
ARABESQUE - TBA
DELPHIAN - Oracle
ELIAS VILJANEN - TBA
NIGHTSCAPE - TBA (mindblowing power metal from Sweden)
VII GATES - TBA
SECTION A - TBA
JUKKA TOLONEN BAND - JTB
FREAKY NEIL INC. - TBA
DE GLADAS KAPELL - TBA
MYSTERY HALL - The Voyager Through The Void (Amazing prog metal from
Spain)
FRANCESCO FARERI (with Vitalij Kuprij, Bob Katsionis, John Doman and Kyle
Honea)

Please check out our website for more news!

http://www.LionMusic.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
*
- Former October Thorns Frontman Joins Chris Caffery's Live Band

Paul LaPlaca, former frontman for Brooklyn's October Thorns has joined
Chris Caffery's live band for several international dates in support
of Caffery's solo debut. Caffery is well known for his work with
Savatage, Trans-Siberian Orchestra and Dr. Butcher. Performances
include BB King's in NYC and the BW&BK Festival in Cleveland with more
dates to be announced. LaPlaca will be performing backing guitar,
vocals and keys for the band.

Paul is also currently working with other former Thorns bandmates Jofu
(drumming with Zandelle) and Dave Z (Bass-ZO2, Trans-Siberian
Orchestra and Joan Jett). He is handling co-lead guitar and backing
vocals for Zandelle who recently finished tracks for their second CD
on LMP Records and he played keys for ZO2 in the opening slot on the
KISS / Poison 2004 US Tour.

For additional tour dates and more info on Chris Caffery:

http://www.chriscaffery.com/

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*

- Biss, featuring Marc Storace of Krokus are putting the finishing
touches on their 3rd album. Track listing is as follows: Breathless /
Pyromania / Rejected / Darker Side Of Town / Raise The Hammer (tribute
to Icon) / Calling / Fire In The Nite / Big Life / Lady of The Night /
Wiseman. Check out http://www.b-i-s-s.com for more info.

- Alice Cooper interviewed Stuart Smith, Kelly Hansen, Richie Onori
and Joe Petro of Heaven & Earth for his radio show, "Nights with Alice
Cooper" which will air on Wednesday, April 20th. To find the
affiliate radio stations in your area go to:
http://www.nightswithalicecooper.com/

- Geezer Butler has a new Web site on-line now, accessible at either
http://www.geezerbutler.com/ or http://www.gzrmusic.com/ . According
to Web master Joe Siegler, available at the site are "MP3 samples from
his forthcoming album OHMWORK, Geezer's Journal, some private and
behind the scenes photos, album lyrics," etc. There is also a contest
to give away signed copies of the upcoming GZR album OHMWORK.

- There is a rumor going round that Edguy and Hammerfall will be doing
a North American tour in late summer/early fall.

- In Kiss news, http://www.rockconfidential.com has a good interview
with Bruce Kulick in which he comments on Paul Stanley's new album, "I
played bass on four tunes so far. He's asked me to play some guitar
stuff. I'm just waiting on a phone call from him. The stuff is
terrific. It's definitely what Paul really gets off on. The other half
of the record I haven't heard yet, but it's very melodic. I'm happy
that he's following his vision. He's not trying to write a Kiss
record, although every Kiss fan is going to love it."

- Leaves Eyes will release the ELEGY EP and the full-length album
VINLAND SAGA, through Napalm Records in the US, on June 28 and July
19, respectively.

- Lilitu has a new bassit: 20-year-old Noah Martin from Virginia
Beach. A video for the track "The Delores Lesion" will be shot, and
two live dates have been booked so far:

4/15 - The Monkey Bar, Huntington, WV (w/ Trivium)
5/24 - Swayzie's Venue, Marietta, GA (w/ Epoch Of Unlight and Recourse)
See http://www.lilitu.ws/ for more.

- Lillian Axe main man/guitarist Stevie Blaze's production company
Velvet Life Productions (formed with Blaze's Near Life Experience band
mate Eric Morris and James Bills) has reportedly "entered into a joint
venture with Isis Films" to make a full-length feature film entitled
"Tao Of Marious." According to a post on the Lillian_Axe mailing list
at Yahoo! Groups, pre-production starts this month, shooting starts in
July, and the release date is October 31. This film is based on last
year's indie short film "Slayer Zed And The City Of Fhe Dead," which
had NLE material in its score and featured Blaze as a 300-year-old
vampire and Morris as a vampire slayer.

- Penetrator launched its official Web site last week at
http://www.penetratorpower.com . The Canadian power metal band
features vocalist Maxel Black (Mastery, Maniacal), guitarist Bulldog
Bess Ross (Anvil, Brawl, Travelin' War, and a former tech for Tony
Iommi), bassist David T. Green, and drummer Simon Vanderzand (Static
Eden, The Love Letter Refuge). Penetrator's self-titled release on
Sonic Age Records is due out April 25 and features harmony vocals from
Glen Drover (Eidolon, Megadeth).

Upcoming shows:
4/14 - New Way Bar, Ferndale, MI
4/15 - Irock, Detroit, MI

See http://www.sonicagerecords.com/ for more.

- The Scorpions are working on a new DVD that includes a live-concert
from Vienna and a historical documentary of the band. No timetable was
given for its release; however, it is supposed to be released before
their next studio effort, which is scheduled to be out at the end of
the year.

- Check out http://www.skullshifter.com for an update on
Skullshifter's soon to be released debut CD INNER DEMON. There are
also some sound bytes posted for you to listen to.

- According to reports from Professor Metal, Tad Morose stole the show
at these past weekends Power Fest at J.J. Kelley's in Lansing
Illinois, their set list was as follows(the middle group of songs may
be slightly out of order); Servant of the Bones / I Know Your Name /
New Clear Skies / Another Time Around / Cyberdome / Where the Sun
Never Shines / Order of the 7 Poles / A Mended Rhyme / Undead / Lord
on High / Life in a Lonely Grave / Ethereal Soul / Matters of the Dark
/ Mother Shipton's Words / Unwelcome Guest / Sword of Retribution / No
Mercy / Take on the World / ??? (They got me on this one - good song,
I don't know what it was! Not off any Breed album) / Anubis /
Corporate Masters

- John Taglieri's new CD "NOW" Starts is available for presale at his
website http://www.johntaglieri.com. The pre-sale for the new CD, NOW
will only be available for the first 250 people that order and will
include a numbered and signed CD and a signed poster and picture!!!
You'll be among the very first to get this CD as soon as the first
batch is ready!! The Price for the package is only $15!!!

- The Gathering is rehearsing for new DVD and album releases. The band
should enter the studio this fall. See http://www.gathering.nl/ for more.

- Twisted Sister guitarist Eddie Ojeda is working on his first solo
album. Scheduled to ppear on the record are one time TS drummer Joe
Franco, Ronnie James Dio and Rudy Sarzo.

Special thanks to Stuart Smith, TxTiger128@..., Nathan Birk, Betty
Dworatschek, & Professor Metal for helping gather some of this week's
information, and thanks to Basti and stefano@... for
last week's help.

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

-This is so cool and *so* overdue. Now-defunct indie metal band Edwin
Dare is going to reissue the 1994 masterpiece CAN'T BREAK ME on April
4. Y'say you've never heard of Edwin Dare? It's not a dude; it's a
band. :) Guitarist Jeff Kollman went on to stints with Mogg/Way,
Cosmosquad, and others, and bassist Kevin Chown went on to stints with
Artension, Tony MacAlpine, Magnitude 9, and others. And, the duo is
currently working together again in JKB (Jeff Kollman Band) and Crumb
Bros. But back to Edwin Dare... I first stumbled onto the band back in
'94 or '95 at a Dangerous Toys show at the Thirsty Whale in suburban
Chicago. I was there to see the Toys but when I approached the venue I
saw a dark red "Edwin Dare" tour bus parked in the small lot. I was
like, "Who the hell are these guys?" The band -- rounded out by singer
Bryce Barnes and drummer Tommy Kollman -- came out and blew the shorts
off of everyone in the club. I had never seen such a cool opening band
in my life. I really, really wanted to run back to the merchandise
table and grab a copy of their album (they were supporting CAN'T BREAK
ME at the time) but I didn't want to give up my front-row spot... At
the end of the night I finally made it back to the table but all the
CDs were gone... A quest ensued; I will spare you the details but
suffice it to say I finally got a CD a couple months later, and I
partook in road trips to Fort Wayne, Indiana, and Toledo, Ohio, to see
the band live again. If this all sounds a tad obsessive, remember this
was late '94 or early '95, back when grunge was still in full force,
all the cool bands were breaking up or already gone, and there was
virtually *nothing* coming out in the US for melodic metal fans to get
excited about. The album rules and I can't believe it's over a decade
old already. You *need* to get a copy of this reissue. Even if you
already have one, the new version will be re-mastered (my only quibble
with the original was the "indie" sonic quality, so I'm eager to hear
the new tweaks!) and will include a bonus track, the song "The
Forbidden," which was demo'd up and played live but never officially
released. See http://www.jeffkollman.com/ for more.

-Now in my current playlist: Russell Allen's Atomic Soul - s/t
(InsideOut Music America), Billy Idol - DEVIL'S PLAYGROUND
(Sanctuary), Various - SUBDIVISIONS: A TRIBUTE TO RUSH (Magna Carta),
Samson - BICEPS OF STEEL (DVD) (Deadline), GZR - OHMWORK (Sanctuary).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*

CORRSION OF CONFORMITY – IN THE ARMS OF GOD (A+) Sanctuary Records, 2005
12 tracks, RT: 1:04:30
[ http://www.coc.com./ ]
[ http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com/ ]
Holy Crap! Amen brother! C.O.C. is back with a vengeance and my neck
hurts! After a 5-year wait the boys from the South deliver a
masterpiece of epic proportions. Sure there was 2002's phenomenal 2nd
Down album A BUSTLE IN YOUR HEDGEROW which featured Pepper, but IN THE
ARMS OF GOD is all C.O.C. This is what I have been missing for a while
now, new heavy powerful metal. The deepness of this baby hurts at
times. This is pure unadulterated hard, heavy, guitar driven, bluesy,
metal goodness that EVERYONE should own. This is my favorite record so
far in this year of remarkable music. It tops the awesome Zakk Wylde's
Black Label Society's MAFIA for my money. From top to bottom this
godlike creation of metal confirms that Corrosion Of Conformity is
truly a unique band that is worth the wait. Listening to something as
good as IN THE ARMS OF GOD makes it that much harder to even bother
listening to anything else. It has been the only CD in my player since
I was fortunate to get a copy. Sure to the casual listener I guess IN
THE ARMS OF GOD might sound like any other C.O.C. album but even that
is better than nearly everything else out there. A wonderful example
why IN THE ARMS OF GOD rules is track #10. "Word On Fire" has
awesomely staggering riffs that pull you one way then the other,
forcing you into an air guitar solo for the ages. This album
definitely moves the listener; the power and soul missing from so many
of today's popular bands are evoked dramatically on every track. Track
#1"Stone Breakers" is a head banger's dream; it builds slowly into a
monstrous beat after beat work of art that drives your body into
submission. Even a slower track such as #11 "Crown Of Thorns" has so
much feeling and weight behind it that it's hard not to be moved.
There are so many layers to this stuff that it should be required
listening to anyone looking to pick up an instrument. Track #7
"Infinite War" is so well crafted that I have even seen people who
hate nearly all my CDs rock out to it, repeatedly. Pepper Keenan,
Woody Weatherman, Mike Dean, and Stanton Moore go all out to show
younger bands how to write a song. Studio drummer Moore showcases his
spider like talents on the magnificent track #12 "In The Arms Of God".
I can only hope that touring drummer Jason Patterson (Cry of Love) can
keep up with Stanton's scorching work. Having seen C.O.C. in concert I
can only imagine how hard this album is to play live. From powerful
lyrical commentary to mind blowing musical genius Corrosion Of
Conformity has returned again to corrode crappy music. So sit back,
grab a brew and prepare for greatness. Truly worth the wait IN THE
ARMS OF GOD is a great place to be. - Rick Berg (strngbrg@...)

MIKE TERRANA - MAN OF THE WORLD (B-) Lion, 2005
11 tracks, RT: 58:10
[ http://www.terrana.com ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com ]
Well this is a bit different than what I expected! Mike Terrana is
one of the best rock and fusion drummers currently making the rounds,
and I have a ton of respect for his work with heavy-hitters such as
Yngwie Malmsteen, Tony MacAlpine and Rage, to mention
just a few. Mike has incredible technique and a powerful playing
style, but you won't find much of that displayed on this album. On
MAN OF THE WORLD, Mike has enlisted the aid of Cyril Achard (who
actually wrote 7 of the tracks) and fellow Rage member Victor Smolski
to help him realize his vision. MAN OF THE WORLD is neither heavy
metal or hard rock, but fairly relaxed jazz-fusion. "The Omen" starts
things off well with a nice Latin-styled melody, like something off
one of Al Di Meola's early releases, featuring Mike's odd time
drumming and rubbery bass work courtesy of Kevin Chown. "Native
Tongue" follows and continues with some easily flowing but precise
musicianship showcasing some tasty lead guitar by Cyril Achard.
Things kind of get a little too "muzak" for my tastes on the next
track, the Smolski penned "Easy Does It," although there is a funky
breakdown in the middle, which redeems it. "Spin Drifter" is one of
the best tracks, moving with confident rhythms and melodies as each
player is allowed room to express their talent. I'm scratching my
head, however, at the inclusion of Beethoven's Sonata 9 Pathetique, as
it sounds totally out-of-place here. Several live tracks and a
calypso flavored piece called "Jungle Alley" allow us to glimpse
Mike's tremendous technical skill, but overall those wishing for a
clinic on modern power drumming will likely be disappointed, as Mike's
virtuosity is demonstrated in more subtle ways here than what fans are
used to hearing. Honestly, this type of album has been done better by
the likes of Shawn Lane and Frank Gambale, but MAN OF THE WORLD is
well constructed, expertly played jazz-fusion revealing a different
side to this master of the skins. - Neal Woodall (MysticX10@...)

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