Detritus
Issue #315
Week of May 2, 2005
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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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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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*** LET ME SPEAK ON THIS ***
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- Rick Berg gets quoted in a COC Press Release! Stephanie Kushner
returns to the Detritus family! A column from Keith Abt! This is one
you don't want to miss, true believers! -Patrick

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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- Enertia News

Hey Everyone,

It's time for a quick update from us to let you know what we've been
up to & have planned for the coming months of 2005/2006....

First of all, we have been very busy since November writing new
material for CD #5. We currently have 10 songs complete & plan on
writing 6 or 7 more before going into the studio at the end of the
year to record. No definite info as to where we're going to record
this time around, but if it is at all financially possible, I see us
returning to Sonic Ranch once again w/ Neil Kernon once again. As it
will be our 10th anniversary, we're looking to do something special w/
this release & are also planning on having a show professionally
filmed & including it as a bonus DVD w/ the CD. We'll do this in the
fall & will definitely like to know what songs you would like to see
on it, so check out our forum (link is
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?f=337 ) & let us know!

We are currently completely sold out of Flashpoint & will be
repressing it again soon as a 2 on 1 CD as we'll be including all 5
tracks from Law Of Three. We're pricing it to sell as we will be
putting ALL proceeds into the recording fund, so if you don't have
either disc, this will be a good time to pick them up. I'm hoping to
have the discs here by early June, so stop by the site for details.

Check out our page on Myspace.com (link down below). If you have a
page there, please feel free to invite us to your friends list & add
comments on our page! It is a great way for us to interact with our
friends & help get the word out!

Finally, a list of our upcoming shows:

May, 7 2005 at Roche's Tavern - Earth Day Concert
Cty. Rt 25, Edmeston, NY 13411 - Cost: $5
Earth Day Concert featuring:
Nick Donnison - 3 pm
Sub-urban - 4:30 pm
Caroline Blue - 6 pm
Enertia - 7:30 pm
Diamond Tear - 9 pm

May, 21 2005 at Northern Lights - http://www.upstatemetalfest.com/
Rt. 146 , Clifton Park, NY 12065
Cost: $8 - Presale tickets available @ the web site! Aave $4 off the
price @ the door!
Check out our MySpace site as I'm giving away a free pair of tickets
to this show....
Lineup includes:
SEAN BAKER ORCHESTRA
ENERTIA
HYPNOTICA
LEGACY
LUCID REALITY
RANDY McSTINE
PERFECT SILENCE
SEMINUS
SHADOW IMAGE
UNTAYMED

June, 4 2005 at House of Guitars
645 Titus Avenue, Rochester, NY 14617
Cost: FREE!
A free show at the legendary record/music store in Rochester!
For details, call - (585) 544-3500

October, 8 2005 at Albie's - Central New York Metal Meltdown
1000 Warren St, Utica, NY 13502-4042 - Cost: $8 pre-sale
7 KILLER BANDS TEAM UP FOR A KILLER DAY / NIGHT OF METAL!
CAROLINE BLUE
ENERTIA
HAUNTED BY ANGELS
HYPNOTICA
LOVEBONE
LUCID REALITY
ZADOC & THE NIGHTMARE
complete info & web site coming soon!

Thanks for all your support & I look forward to hearing from you soon!
Joe Paciolla
Bassist - ENERTIA

ENERTIA: Pure American Metal
http://www.enertia.cc/

ENERTIA on MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/realenertia

UPSTATE METALFEST 2005
Saturday, May 21
Northern Lights
Clifton Park, NY

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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- Lion Music presents: WAR!

A non-fictional rock opera about the state of this planet we call the
Earth.

Release date: May 27 2005.

WHERE'S OUR CHANCE

Lead and backing vocals - Irene Janssen
Choir: Ella Grussner and Cocki Sarling

YOUR DREAM

Lead and backing vocals: Lance King
Choir: Ella Grussner and Cocki Sarling
Keyboard solo: Vitalij Kuprij

DEEP IN THE SHADOWS

Lead Vocals: Mark Boals
Choir: Mikaela Mattsson

SMOKE AND MIRRORS

Lead vocals: Andre Vuurboom
Choir: Ella Grussner and Cocki Sarling
Keyboard solo: Vitalij Kuprij

A DREAMER'S LULLABY

Lead and backing vocals: Irene Janssen

THIS IS THE END

Lead and backing vocals: Björn Jansson
Keyboard solo: Vitalij Kuprij

WAR SUITE CONCERTO
I. The Tension is Growing
II. Attack!!!
III. Chant of the Angels
IV. Who are you?
V. Anthem of Fools
VI. Victory of the Hungry
VII. Chant of the Angels Reprise
VIII. The Truth

Choir: Ella Grussner, Cocki Sarling and Nicke Stjarnfelt
Additional vocals: Lars Eric Mattsson

REQUIEM

Lead and backing vocals: Ella Grussner, Cocki Sarling, additional
vocals by Stella Tormanoff
Keyboard solo: Vitalij Kuprij

Lars Eric Mattsson - all guitars, bass and keyboards (except for
Vitalij Kuprij's solos)
Strings - The Astral Chamber Orchestra
Drums and percussion - Eddie Sledgehammer
Additional percussion - Yoshi Watanabe
Artwork by Carl-Andre' Beckston

More information can be found at http://www.lionmusic.com/ and
http://www.larsericmattsson.com/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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- Great White Starting Summer Tour 2005

HOLLYWOOD -- Great White is heading out on a U.S. summer tour
performing all of their hard-rockin' hits from multi-platinum albums
"Once Bitten...," "...Twice Shy," "Hooked" and many others.

TOUR DATES:

MAY
05/06/05 - Rockford, IL - Elixir
05/07/05 - Cottage Grove, MN - Rush
05/11/05 - Baltimore, MD - The House of Rock
05/12/05 - Farmingdale, NY - Downtown
05/13/05 - Clifton Park, NJ - Northern Lights
05/14/05 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
05/15/05 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland
05/28/05 - DePere, WI - Celebrate DePere

JUNE
06/04/05 - Louisville, KY - Bluegrass Biker Festival
06/10/05 - Las Vegas, NV - House of Blues (on hold)
06/11/05 - Parker, AZ - Bluewater Casino & Resort
06/12/05 - Irvine, CA - Badd Ride
06/17/05 - Sioux City, IA - Awesome Biker Nights
06/18/05 - La Crosse, WI - Road Dogs POW/MIA
06/19/05 - Des Moines, IA - JD/OS
06/23/05 - East Bethel, MN - Hooks
06/24/05 - Bottineau, ND - Rockin' in the Hills

JULY
07/01/05 - Lombard, IL - Taste of Lombard
07/02/05 - Algona, IA - ABATE Rally
07/04/05 - Daytona Beach, FL - Hops
07/16/05 - Lincoln, NE - Pershing Auditorium
07/17/05 - Cadott, WI - Chippewa Valley Festival
07/20/05 - Cleveland, OH - House of Blues
07/21/05 - Paducah, KY - Paducah Summer Fest
07/27/05 - Monmouth, IL - Rivoli Theatre
07/28/05 - Robinson, IL - Robinson Bowling Center
07/29/05 - Jefferson City, MO - Cole County Fair

AUGUST
08/05/05 - Sheboygan, WA - Brat Day Festival
08/06/05 - Elko, WA - Red Lion Casino
08/08/05 - Darrington, WA - TDA
08/13/05 - Columbus, NE - Rockin' on the Runway
08/14/05 - Louisville, KY - Bluegrass Bikefest
08/16/05 - Elko, NV - Red Lion Inn & Casino

SEPTEMBER
09/09/05 - Kileen, TX - Robin Knuckles
09/10/05 - Fort Worth, TX - Bone KDBN Radio Festival

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

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

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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- Street Dogs Hit The Road May 2 Supporting Tiger Army

**Warped Tour Dates Begin August 2**

NEW YORK, NY -- Brass Tacks/DRT recording artists Street Dogs will
embark on a 17 date tour beginning May 2 supporting Tiger Army. The
band is currently finishing up a three week tour of Europe in support
of their latest effort, Back To The World.

Released in February, Back To The World has garnered critical acclaim
from a variety of publications, including Classic Rock ("It's
singalong, drinkalong, Irish punk at its finest. An awesome debut.
4/5*s"), Kerrang ("Street Dogs have us grinning from ear to ear with a
set of no-frills street punk that hits the target square on."),
Alternative Press "McColgan could teach his former band a few tricks.
4/5"), and Boston Herald ("Lyrics with brains behind the brawn. Yep,
this is the real thing. 3 1/2 *").

Look for the Street Dogs on this year's Warped Tour beginning August 2.

Visit the official Street Dogs website at http://www.street-dogs.com/ .

Street Dogs w/Tiger Army:
2-May - Pop's, Sauget, IL
3-May - El Torreon, Kansas City, MO
4-May - Gothic Theatre, Englewood, CO
6-May - In The Venue, SLC, UT
7-May - The Big Easy, Boise, ID
8-May - El Corazon, Seattle, WA
9-May - El Corazon, Seattle, WA
11-May - Meow Meow, Portland, OR
13-May - Slim's, San Francisco, CA
14-May - New Oasis, Sparks, NV
15-May - The Catalyst, Santa Cruz, CA
16-May - Club Slo Brew, San Luis Obispo, CA
18-May - SOMA, San Diego, CA
20-May - House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA
21-May - House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA
22-May - House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA
23-May - House of Blues, West Hollywood, CA

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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- Fear Factory In The Studio And Upcoming Tour

After the success of Fear Factory's latest release, ARCHETYPE, which
sold over 122,000 copies within its year of release, the world has no
choice but to eagerly anticipate the next Fear Factory creation. Fear
not, the wait won't be long. Fear Factory are already working on their
next release entitled TRANSGRESSION tentatively due out August 23,
2005 on Trillion Records. Trillion is the new imprint from Liquid 8
Records and Entertainment founder and CEO, Mike Cattain, has created
Trillion as a home for Fear Factory and new bands seeking a creative
haven grounded in growth. http://liquid8records.com/

Fear Factory will enter Track Record Studios in North Hollywood,
California on May 5th, 2005 joined by Toby Wright (Alice In Chains,
Korn, Metallica) who will produce along side with Fear Factory this
highly anticipated musical offering. "We are all very, very excited
about the collaboration with Toby," says singer Burton C. Bell. In
addition to Toby Wright there will be a list of all stars
collaborating on TRANSGRESSION such as bass player, Billy Gold of
Faith No More fame. Burton explains, "Billy brings a different vibe to
the music the way his bass lines move around the beat and drive the
songs with a unique element." Billy will contribute to two songs;
"Echo Of My Scream" and "Super Nova." Other working titles for
TRANSGRESSION are:

Transgression
New Promise (co-written with Mark Morton of Lamb of God)
Empire
540,000 Degrees Fahrenheit

"It's really cool to be writing a new record. We are all feeling very
positive and it's moving quickly since we have overcome some major
obstacles. Now we can work on a fucking great album. 2005 is the year
of TRANSGRESSION for Fear Factory!" say Burton on the current outlook
of the band.

You can get a preview of what's to come of TRANSGRESSION when you play
the new game, Rainbow Six Lockdown, which features a track from
TRANSGRESSION entitled "Lockdown", as well as scores created by Fear
Factory throughout the menus. Apart from contributing music to Rainbow
Six Lockdown, drummer Raymond Herrera's production company 3volution
Productions, has produced the soundtrack to the Tom Clancy Rainbow Six
Lockdown game, which will include Fear Factory tracks, and many other
songs from various bands, to be released on Calvin/Trillion Records on
August 3, 2005.

Fans will get to hear some of the new Fear Factory tracks this summer
on Dave Mustaine's Gigantour. Christian Olde Wolbers, who will be
slaying fans on the Gigantour tour this summer with his new Jackson
signature series guitars and Krankenstein amps, states, "We're really
excited about doing a big summer tour -- we haven't done that since we
headlined the side stage of Ozzfest in '98. I'm happy to convert the
older and young metal fans of the Gigantour. Once again Dave has put
together a slamming summer tour!" For more information on tour dates,
you can visit http://www.fearfactory.com/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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- Corrosion Of Conformity To Headline Stone Breakers And Hellraisers
Summer Tour With Crowbar And Alabama Thunderpussy, Sponsored By
Revolver Magazine

COC Supporting New Release In the Arms Of God Through Sanctuary Records

First Studio Album In Five Years Features Special Guest Drummer
Stanton Moore Of Galactic

Corrosion Of Conformity, the Grammy-nominated heavy rockers from North
Carolina, has released the critically acclaimed In The Arms Of God
through Sanctuary Records. It is the band's first studio album in five
years.

Lead vocalist/guitarist Pepper Keenan, guitarist/vocalist Woody
Weatherman and bass guitarist/vocalist Mike Dean are joined on the
album by special guest drummer Stanton Moore, a member of the highly
respected jazz/funk band Galactic. He is a longtime friend of
Keenan's, and both men are natives of New Orleans.

The 12 tracks on In The Arms Of God are "Stone Breaker," "Paranoid
Opioid," "It Is That Way," "Dirty Hands Empty Pockets/Already Gone,"
"Rise River Rise," "Never Turns To More," "Infinite War," "So Much
Left Behind," "Backslider," "World On Fire," "Crown Of Thorns" and "In
The Arms Of God."

The first video is for "Stone Breaker." Directing was Rio Hackford,
son of 'Ray' director and Academy Award nominee Taylor Hackford.

COC's latest work reflects the band's long tradition of evolution. "We
started writing songs, and they somewhat had the vibe of Blind,
Deliverance and our earlier material," says Keenan. "We started
thinking from that perspective, and it evolved into a heavy, classic
sound but with a modern wisdom to it."

"We really got back to our roots with this one, listening to old
records that we all grew up on and headbanging at Woody's farmhouse,"
he adds. "It was a good time putting it together."

The result, Keenan says, is a "bombastic, epic record, staying clear
of the three-minute formula. It's not a nostalgic record by any means;
it's big and ugly and heavy. Thematically, there's a lot of disgust,
directed inwardly and towards society in general, reflecting these
times we all live in. A lot of people will be able to relate."

Producing was COC's longtime collaborator and knob-twisting,
speaker-blowing genius, John Custer. Besides working on four of the
band's previous albums, Custer also produced COC bassist Mike Dean's
track "Access Babylon" on Dave Grohl's Probot project and COC's
contribution to Nativity In Black, the Sabbath tribute compilation.

The band was very excited to work with Moore. Over the past year, COC
found themselves writing intense material and needed a drummer who
could not only handle it but take it to another level. Keenan, who had
since moved back to his hometown of New Orleans, called his old friend
Moore to ask him if he knew any drummers up for the task.

Moore laughed. "Yeah, me," he said.

Within four days, COC was in New Orleans undertaking a musical
adventure without a map. It's the type of creative situation in which
the band thrives and distinguishes itself as an original force in
heavy music. Though COC's onslaught represented a departure for Moore,
he was more than up for the challenge.

"His performance was totally original and category-crushing,"
Weatherman says. "He stepped right into it full-throttle."

"He's one of the most progressive drummers I know," Keenan says of
Moore. "In the heavy metal world nobody really knows who he is, but
after they hear this they will. He's an accomplished jazz drummer
playing manic heavy music -- I've never heard anything like it."

In The Arms Of God is musical statement from men who care about the world.

"It's disturbing and full of ugly power, but ultimately there's a
shred of optimism," says Keenan. "It was worth the wait."

To promote In The Arms Of God, COC is heading out on the road with
fellow New Orleans natives Crowbar and Alabama Thunderpussy. Keenan,
Weatherman and Dean have recruited longtime friend and former Cry Of
Love member Jason Patterson as their touring drummer. Schedule
permitting, Moore might sit in occasionally with COC. For more
information, visit:

http://www.coc.com/
http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com/

Stone Breakers and Hellraisers Tour dates include:

DATE - CITY - VENUE
Thursday, June 2nd - Indianapolis, IN - The Vogue
Friday, June 3rd - Detroit, MI - Harpo's
Saturday, June 4th - Columbus, OH - Newport Music Hall
Sunday, June 5th - Covington, KY - Madison Theater
Tuesday, June 7th - Buffalo, NY - The Buffalo Icon
Thursday, June 9th - Towson, MD - Recher Theater
Friday, June 10th - New York, NY - Irving Plaza
Saturday, June 11th - Philadelphia, PA - Trocadero
Sunday, June 12th - Norfolk, VA - Norva Theater
Tuesday, June 14th - Wilmington, NC - Marzz

Here's what the press is saying about In The Arms Of God:

3 1/2 STARS - ROLLING STONE

"A Glorious Slab of Raging Riffs and Unbridled Fury From America's
Unheralded Metal Heroes." - METAL EDGE MAGAZINE

"This May Well Be the Angriest Album in the History of Hard Rock." -
REVOLVER MAGAZINE

"As Far As I'm Concerned, ["In The Arms of God"] Achieves the COC
Standard of Excellence That We've All Come to Expect and It Sure as
Hell Meets or Beats Both When it Comes to Creativity and Musicianship.
What More Could You Ask For?" - Scott Alisoglu, BLABBERMOUTH.NET

"Pepper Keenan's Corrosion of Conformity Will Rock You With Their
Heavy Southern Sludge." - NEWSDAY

"Killer Riffs, Intelligent and at Times Politically Sharp Lyrics and
Lo and Behold Vocals That You Can Actually Understand." - DENVER ACCESS

"Heavier and harder-edged than any COC release for years, the sound is
effortlessly exciting and steeped in a youthful verve, which belies
the band's long career. 8/10"
METAL HAMMER - May 2005 : lead album review

"A glorious return to form. COC are in a league of their own, and with
so many mediocre, identikit mall-metal bands in 2005, we need them now
more than ever. 4/5" KERRANG - issue dated 2nd April 2005

"Do this band have anything to offer in 2005? Um, it would appear so.
With this record, COC have confirmed their unwillingness to settle for
being mere elder statesmen. Still vital? Fuck yes. And then some.
8/10" ROCK SOUND - May 2005

"It's startling to take in just how much of a giant rock album this
is. 'In The Arms Of God' seems destined to be a classic. 8.5/10"
TERRORIZER - April 2005

"'In The Arms Of God' is unquestionably the album COC needed to
deliver; it shows that they can hold their own alongside the NWOAHM
that has risen since their last foray. 8/10" POWERPLAY - April 2005

The album has also received an 8/10 review in the next issue of
CLASSIC ROCK (no review quote available as yet).

COC were one of the first bands to explore the darker side of metal by
using punk's politicised lyrics and disaffected anger. Formed in the
early 1980's, they have retained the energy and anger that has resided
at their core since the fast & furious early days of the 'crossover'
phenomenon that they spearheaded. A long hiatus after their last
studio album (2000's 'America's' Volume Dealer') saw frontman Pepper
Keenan concentrate on his swamp metal supergroup Down (which also
featured Phil Anselmo and the rhythm section of Crowbar), and he
almost joined Metallica when they were searching for a new bass
player. It is therefore something of a miracle that this, their eighth
studio album, was made at all. The fact that it ranks in the current
metal pantheon alongside recent releases by the likes of Mastodon and
High On Fire is a true blessing indeed. In God We Trust!

9 OUT OF 10 STARS " best album this year so far" - INFERNO MAGAZINE

A+ DISC OF THE WEEK - AQUARIAN

A+ 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! - DETRITUS (Yeah, Rick!!! -Patrick)

It has been five years since Corrosion of Conformity's last release --
an eternity in hard rock. With that much time, it would be expected
that the band deliver a solid album, but COC has gone above and
beyond. "In the Arms of God" is a riff-fueled set that ranks with its
best work. COC has been through many incarnations, from its
hardcore/punk beginnings to a Southern rock-influenced sound. This
album feels like a culmination of these disparate genres, with bluesy,
Sabbath-influenced moments ("It Is That Way," "World On Fire") and
thrashy rockers ("Paranoid Opioid," the title track). A few songs
don't pick up beyond the initial thrill of their first riffs, and the
dual guitar harmonies that had been COC's calling card are few and far
between. Still, "In the Arms of God" is likely to wind up on many
headbanger's year-end top 10 lists. - BILLBOARD MAGAZINE

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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- Ethereal Update

Recent Shows

Gratifying is, without a shadow of doubt, a word more than fair to
middling to qualify our last three live performances.

Starting with the one from the Alta Tensão Festival, we ought to say
it was undoubtedly a pleasure to be able to share the stage alongside
several other bands from our scene -- and not necessarily from our ilk
-- such as Ramp and Painstruck (among others); not only due to the
lineament and professionalism of the folks responsible, but also by
the sheer and enthusiastic reaction of the audience -- be it by the
habitués, or the ones that were introduced to us that night (having
displayed a massive forthright allegiance, as if they already knew us
for a long time).

As for the performance at Jinx Bar, that evening was outlined by an
electric and joyful atmosphere (courtesy of the audience, who greeted
us gracefully). Some technical faults at the beginning, turned-up to
offer a couple of mirthful moments that were perfect to break that
typical icy edge at the beginning; from there onwards, it was hellfire.

And to wrap things up, our short performance at the amazing Santiago
Alquimista -- in regard to the Tocabrir Festival -- was definitely a
memorable experience; not only were the physical and technical
facilities near-perfect, but also the crowd's roaring acceptance was
breathtaking throughout that half an hour (or so).

In the end, we'd like to thank all the people who were
behind-the-scenes and were responsible to make these sonic masses come
true; all the bands whom we shared the stages with and especially to
all our fans and friends who were present: thanks a lot and see you soon!

Next Date

On June 4, we'll be playing with Oratory, In Her Self and Face Off in
Cadaval, Painho. The show is set to start at 9 p.m.

More info will be spread in due time.

Street and E-Teams

There's been a number of people who've gradually got in touch with us,
asking pretty much the same question: "how can we help promote
Ethereal?", giving the fact that we still currently debate with
serious flaws in this sphere. Thus, we wanted to invite everybody --
from fans to friends -- to join us in a quest for real promotional
activity, as we believe it's bloody time to get out there, spread the
word and show more people what Ethereal is all about. So it doesn't
matter if you're in Portugal or abroad, as the pivotal point is to
raise organized propaganda (alright, it sounds a tad totalitarian, but
regardless).

Anyway, are you really interested? If so, you can send your personal
info to the following address: ethereal@.... We're
counting on you!

Towers of Isolation

Contrarily to what was planned, the new work is still under production
duties. Due to technical reasons out of the band's control, the
recordings were stopped at the end of December, having delayed the
whole process in almost a year. In complete bluntness, the best ally
we have is to know we have the chance to redo the lost work in a
superior way.

At the time being, we're laying down the vocals and this will then be
followed by the mixing and mastering stages, respectively. We expect
to conclude this process before the summer, so we can finally release
the album in the autumn (the next one).

During these sessions, we've been elaborating some studio reports --
that individually refer to each one of the production periods – and
they'll be available on our homepage as soon as possible.

Well, let's keep this one as short as possible: don't forget to
regularly stopover our website that, even if it's still undergoing a
renewal phase, is updated as it justifies.

Take care,
Ethereal

http://www.etherealrealm.org/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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- Mad Margritt News

Mad Margritt Are Now Nationwide!!!

Perris Records is proud to announce that Mad Margritt will now be
distributed nationwide by Select-O-Hits Distribution (Tower Records,
Borders, etc...). Select-O-Hits is a member of the Sun Records family
(founded by Sam Phillips of Elvis Presley fame) and is the exclusive
distributor for Poison's latest CD, Hollyweird. Perris Products are
also sold worldwide in countries such as Canada, Germany, UK, Italy,
Brazil, Czech Republic, Sweden, France, Denmark, Japan, Spain,
Australia, The Netherlands, Greece, & Argentina.

Come celebrate Independence Weekend with Skid Row & Mad Margritt!!!

Mad Margritt will be opening the show for Skid Row July 2nd at The
Suncoast Grand Prix Festival in Sarasota, Florida!! Last year there
were over 6,000 people in attendance and this year's festival is
expected to top that!!

Mad Margritt will also be performing at an outdoor festival on May 5th
in Macon, GA for Cinco De Mayo!! For more information contact (478)
475-9199.

Listed below are Mad Margritt's upcoming shows for the Spring/Summer.

Upcoming Shows

4/30 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Asheville, NC
5/5 - Cinco De Mayo Festival @ El Azteca, Macon, GA
5/6 - 5/7 - The Office, Norcross, GA
5/13 - The Modjeska, Augusta, GA
5/20 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Augusta, GA
5/21 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Hilton Head, SC
5/27 - 5/28 - The Office, Norcross, GA
6/3 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Hilton Head, SC
6/4 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Charleston, SC
6/11 - Caps, Bremen, GA
6/18 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Wilmington, NC
7/1 - The Main Street Fourth Of July Parade, Sarasota, FL
7/2 - The Suncoast Grand Prix Festival, Sarasota, FL (w/ Skid Row)
7/8 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Augusta, GA
7/9 - The Wild Wing Cafe, North Charleston, SC
7/16 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Charleston, SC
7/22 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Asheville, NC
7/29 - 7/30 - The Office, Norcross, GA
8/5 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Hilton Head, SC
8/6 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Greenville, SC
8/12 - 8/13 - Gipsons, Douglasville, GA
8/19 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Augusta, GA
8/20 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Mt. Pleasant, SC
8/26 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Wilmington, NC
8/27 - The Wild Wing Cafe, Asheville, NC

More dates to be added soon!!!

The Official Mad Margritt Website
http://www.madmargritt.com/

Join Our New MySpace Site
http://www.myspace.com/madmargritt/

Perris Records
http://www.perrisrecords.com/

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*

- Beseech, the "heavy Swedish male/female fronted gothic metal band"
had its latest album DRAMA released on Haunted Records in South
America late last month. (It had already been released in the US and
Europe on Napalm Records last year.) The band is currently in the
studio working on a new album called SUNLESS DAYS. It will feature a
Danzig cover and a new version of the song "Manmade Dreams" from
Beseech's second album BLACK EMOTIONS, and it's due out in September.
See http://www.beseech.net/ for more.

- Black Sabbath related news; Tommy Iommi's new solo CD entitled FUSED
is scheduled for release on July 12 via Sanctuary Records. The track
listing is as follows: Dopamine / Wasted Again / Savior Of The Real /
Resolution Song / Grace / Deep Inside A Shell / What You're Living For
/ Face Your Fear / The Spell / I Go Insane

- Nevermore news: Producer Andy Sneap has finished with the new
Nevermore CD, THIS GODLESS ENDEAVOUR. He recently posted the following
on his website, http://www.andysneap.com/sneap.html :

"25th April, 2005 and I'm finally finished with Nevermore's new opus
THIS GODLESS ENDEVOUR, exactly one month late, due to the great idea
of shows in the middle of recording and it taking longer than
expected....as I had expected ha-ha. But we got there in the end.
Warrel still has vocals to do on Revelation for the bonus track. I
called up Axel from Masterplan/Gamma Ray to play keys on this, and
he's done an amazing job, just got the files a couple of days ago."

- The rumor of the week is that John Sykes and George Lynch are going
to head out on a U.S. tour this summer.

- Symphony X news; Guitarist Michael Romeo has posted an update on the
official Symphony X website http://www.symphonyx.com/news.html#studio7
. Michael has over two hours of music written for the new CD, lyrics
are in the process of being written now.

- Virgin Steele has updated their official website with the following
announcement; "David DeFeis has finally decided which Songs will be
issued on the first CD, from out of the over 60 compositions he has
prepared so far. And not only that, but the Group is actually now
officially half way through capturing the first 20 on tape. Sessions
are going extraordinarily well, and the Group is hoping for a much
sooner...rather than a much later release. We will keep you informed,
as the information comes our way. I have also heard rumors about a
"making of" short video documentary that is in the works!" Check out
http://www.virgin-steele.com for more info.

Special thanks to Dusk Till Dawn and Almost Human for helping gather
some of this information.

*
*** AT THE ALTAR ***
*
by Patrick Brower (patrickbrower@...)

- Admittedly, I was never the most prolific Detritus columnist to
begin with, but ever since taking over as editor, I've done ONE
column. Whoopee. So this is my near-pathetic attempt to rectify that.
And it's in everybody's favorite `Random Thoughts' format. Go!

- I've been sitting on this since January. The January/February 2005
issue of Selling Power magazine (Solutions for Sales Management) had a
cover story on Celebrity Endorsements entitled "Personality Sells."
And who was their cover whore? Any guesses? Gene Simmons. Along with
a plethora of media celebrities, and Jon Bon Jovi, Gene had a write-up
about his business savvy. Excerpts follow:

"Does the name Chaim Witz bring to mind images of wild parties,
squealing girls and thundering rock n' roll? If the answer is "No,"
that's probably because you're not familiar with the selling
personality of Gene Simmons."

"Despite the makeup, shock tactics and an image as a womanizer…
Simmons is primarily know for being smart and financially savvy (Hey,
I already used the word `savvy' you thieving bi***es!!). He describes
himself as a workaholic, says his mother is his hero and is
unabashedly patriotic."

"Although KISS has more number one gold records than any band in
history (Huh? The history of what, now?), it's also one of the few
groups to make as much on merchandising as on touring and album sales.
Simmons leaves no stone unturned in the merchandising arena,
producing everything from motorcycle gear to baby clothes."

Thanks to Luke Smarto for the magazine. For more on Selling Power:
http://www.sellingpower.com

- I bought Soul SirkUS' debut WORLD PLAY from their website. It was
$16.98 and had 11 tracks. It also had Deen Castronovo on drums. As you
may know, Deen left the band to concentrate on Journey and Virgil
Donati replaced him. And they replaced all the drum tracks and
re-mixed the songs. Now there's a new version of the CD available, on
the Journey website of all places, and it cost $16.99 and has 17
tracks. WTF? So as an original fan I get penalized when they get
national distribution? And if I buy the new version, what reason do I
have to ever listen to the old version? And let's face if, if I had
know that Virgil was coming on board, I surely would have waited.
Nothing against Deen-O but Virgil is a madman on them skins! Bottom
line, do I buy the new version as well? Would you? I DO like the
original, but enough to buy it twice? http://www.soulsirkus.com

- I wrote this last June: "Welcome, parishioners, to a new dose of
metal worship. I am ever your humble reverend, pastor, priest,
whatever, and I am here to help you atone for your sins. And this
time we have a whole new house of worship to discuss, but it resides
solely in Illinois, so some of you must attend only in spirit. Neo.
Not the Keanu Reeves Matrix character, but the Chicago Goth club.
Yes, dear followers, I said "Goth," but not always. Every Monday
night is an evening they have christened "None Blacker." Heavy Metal
Mondays are here and they are exactly what you want them to be.

From the ashes of a punk-themed evening, several Neo employees
vocalized their desire for a metal-themed night. It was accepted and
starting back in February, February 9, 2004 to be exact, None Blacker
debuted. The official description is "The best of Glam, Thrash and
Heavy Rock from the 70's, 80's 90's and beyond." And it is all of
those and more. Open from 10:00 pm to 4:00 am, that six-hour window
provides more than enough time for you to hear exactly what you want
to hear and to be surprised by songs and bands you may never have
expected. DJ Eleven is well versed in all areas of metal and is more
than willing to take requests. Seriously, that is so rare I was in
awe. Usually most clubs have a cut-off time or a request limit and
they rarely get to what you want. DJ Eleven, however, actually walks
thru the club and asks what people want to hear. And here's the best
part, if you mention a band that he may not be familiar with, which is
rare, he'll go out of his way to seek it out for next week, or if you
bring it in and he likes it, he'll play it. How cool is that? Not
only that, but he's as big an Armored Saint and Anthrax fan as I.
Okay, probably bigger…

While DJ Eleven helms the booth, your behind the bar hosts for the
evenings are Mr. Hate and Skinny Rabbit, two guys that both thrive in
this element. Mr. Hate lives it full time and that's proven as he's
all over the recent Anthrax DVD release, Music Of Mass Destruction. A
shaved-head goateed man, you see him at the front of the stage almost
every time you see Scott Ian. And while both he and Rabbit are
regular employees of Neo, Mondays are their night. Quite personable
and polite these guys are quick with the drinks and quicker with the
attitude that gives None Blacker its personality. Don't be fooled;
however, just because these guys are down-to-Earth and friendly
doesn't mean they won't bust you up if need be. Trust me, stay on
their good side and everybody gets along.

Neo is located at 2350 N. Clark St., a half block south of Fullerton.
Look for the thin, pink neon sign and walk down the creepy alley.
And then prepare for a new addition to your weekly routine because
you'll keep coming back. Hey, did I mention that it's 21 and over?"

Now it's been over a year since Metal Mondays started and they're
bigger than ever. Local hard rock station 94.7 the Zone is a sponsor,
as is Sanctuary Records. And big, big metal-themed events happen
often. Go here and learn: http://www.metalmondays.com

- Putting this ezine together week after week is no easy matter and
Tim Wadzinski deserves a huge round of applause and a large gold
statuette for doing this for seven years!! Also, I would not be able
to do this without Sean Gahgan every week as well as Steve S., Rick
B., Neal W., Keith A., Terry G., and of course, l'il Timmy W. And
again, welcome back, Steph!

*
*** FROM THE MEGA VAULT ***
*
by Keith Abt (keithabt@...)

-This Week: RANDOM NEURAL FIRINGS...

Greetings from New Jersey, home of the Mullet, to all you saints and
sinners out there! It's been fairly quiet in Mega-Vault land lately
but I still have a few stories to share...

...Here's a tale that'll break the heart of every hardcore CD hunter
out there: I ALMOST made one of the best used-CD scores of my life
earlier this week. Do you all remember those limited Iron Maiden
reissues on Castle Records that came out in the mid-'90s? Each album
came with a second disc containing all of the album's B-sides. I
stupidly missed out on several of them when they first appeared and
have been hunting for them in used-CD bins ever since they went out of
print. Anyway, I damn near had a stroke when I walked into a record
store recently and found THREE of the albums I'm missing from that set
(the s/t debut, POWERSLAVE and THE NUMBER OF THE BEAST) sitting in the
used bin. I was halfway to the checkout counter with the discs and had
my credit card in my hand when luckily I happened to open one of the
CD cases...and saw the bonus disc was missing! The album itself was
there, sitting by itself inside the two-CD case. The little card with
the track listing for the extra disc was also there, but no bonus CD.
I quickly looked inside the other two and saw the same thing...no
bonus discs in any of them. So either some dishonest bastard simply
shoplifted the bonus CDs right out of the cases (a crime for which I
hope he or she burns in the deepest, darkest pit of HELL!) or they
were merely sold to the store "as is." Either way, it was with a heavy
heart that I returned all three to the shelf and left the store empty
handed. SIGH... The hunt goes on...

...I fell asleep during VH1's big deal commercial-free premiere of
"Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster" a few weekends ago, but the movie
itself didn't make me doze off, I was simply exhausted. The parts I
did see (I nodded off at approximately the halfway point) did interest
me enough to make me want to catch it in full sometime soon. If
nothing else, this documentary made me understand why the ST. ANGER
album turned out to be such a mess...because the interpersonal
relationships within that band were SO completely screwed up that they
probably shouldn't have been trying to record ANYTHING at that time!
Not for nuthin' but in a perfect world, they probably should've waited
till Robert Trujillo was officially in place, then they could've
completed their therapy sessions (Amazing to think that they were
willing to pay that Phil Towle guy $40,000 a month for all that
time...man, I'm in the wrong line of work!), had a nice group hug,
then gone back into the studio and treated the stuff they'd recorded
up to that point (with Bob Rock playing bass) as their demos. It's
possible that if they'd tweaked that material and polished it up it
could've been somewhat listenable, instead of just slapping the rough
recordings onto CD and rushing it out to stores. But hey, that's just
one a**hole's opinion. :-)

...Random Christian Metal News Bit (Wow, I haven't had one of those in
a while huh?): Unconfirmed reports suggest that Scott Waters, vocalist
for Christian speed metallers Ultimatum, has joined forces with
several former members of the seminal late-'80s thrash-for-Jesus
combo, Vengeance Rising, in a new band named "Once Dead." (Which was
also the title of Vengeance Rising's second album from back in the
day.) Whether the band is working on fresh material or is simply a
Vengeance Rising cover band is unknown at this time, but you can
apparently find out for yourself if you catch their set at this
summer's Cornerstone Christian music festival. Boy, this was an
informative item, wasn't it? :-)

...Best Advertising Slogan EVER: I recently read an article in the New
York Daily News about a new program being introduced by Clear Channel,
the concert promoter that books summer shows at various outdoor venues
in and around New York City (i.e., Jones Beach, the PNC Bank Arts
Center, etc.) in which prices for the "lawn seating" tickets at such
venues will be greatly reduced this season in an attempt to lure back
concert-goers who've been scared off by high ticket prices in the
past. The campaign is being advertised with the slogan "Music Sounds
Better On Grass." Right ON man! I'm sure a couple of million
Deadheads, Phish fans and stoner rockers will agree with that
sentiment. :-)

...Check out the new issue of Metal Maniacs magazine for a very
informative interview with the recently reunited Metal Church, in
which Kurdt Vanderhoof basically admits that 1999's MASTERPEACE
comeback attempt sucked...you ain't kiddin' brutha! Oh, and check out
the Church's (far superior) new WEIGHT OF THE WORLD album if you
haven't already.

-I suppose that'll do till next time, but remember this until we meet
again..."the words of the prophets are written on the subway walls,
and tenement halls..."

-THIS WEEK'S PLAYLIST: Gwar - RAGNAROK; Heavenly - DUST TO DUST;
Sacred Warrior - WICKED GENERATION; Love/Hate - WASTED IN AMERICA;
Iced Earth - THE GLORIOUS BURDEN.

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
MORGANA LEFAY – GRAND MATERIA (A) Black Mark, 2005
12 tracks, RT: 59:47
[ http://www.morganalefay.se ]
[ http://www.blackmark.net ]
The boys from Bollnäs, Sweden have released their first album in about
5 years, and they are back with a vengeance! What? You've never heard
of Morgana Lefay? Well, I won't go into their long and somewhat
complicated background in this review, but for those of you who would
like a history lesson in all things Morgana Lefay, head to their
official website (http://www.morganalefay.se). So, what do they sound
like? Well, their music does not easily fit into one of the seemingly
endless "sub-genres" of metal that are used to describe a band's
sound, but if I had to define their music using such categories I'd
say they are a mix of doom and thrash, with melodic undertones and
some progressive stylings thrown in for good measure. Still confused?
Yeah, well, their sound has always been a bit hard to define, but that
is one of the most appealing aspects of the band. They really don't
sound like anyone else. I know that there have been countless
comparisons to Savatage (vocalist Charles Rytkönen has been compared
to Jon Oliva by just about every reviewer I've seen), but quite
frankly I just don't hear it. There is most certainly a Savatage
*influence* on this band, but they don't *sound* like Savatage, in my
humble opinion. Anyway, suffice it to say that this band has an
original sound, not easily defined, and not directly comparable to any
band I know of. So, who are the musicians who make up this band? I
have already mentioned vocalist Charles Rytkönen, who is one of two
original members of the band – guitarist Tony Eriksson is the other.
Guitarist Peter Grehn and drummer Robin Engström have been with the
band since around 1999 or so, and bassist Fredrik Lundberg makes his
debut with the band on this recording. And what a recording it is! I
have to start by saying that this is easily their best work since
MALEFICIUM (1996), a concept album which can easily be included in the
same breath as Queensryche's OPERATION MINDCRIME and Savatage's
STREETS: A ROCK OPERA. Yeah, I know, the Savatage thing, but I'm only
using it to try and explain how good of a concept album MALEFICIUM is,
OK? And speaking of concept albums, GRAND MATERIA is also a concept
album, and I must say that the story as written in the liner notes of
the album is quite detailed – in fact, it makes Paul O'Neill seem
succinct (yeah, I know, another Savatage reference – sue me). The
story tells of the life of Nicholas Flamel, an alchemist who is
seeking the one thing he needs to be able to create gold. He finds it
and a lot more than he bargained for in the process. The songs
themselves weave seamlessly through the story, but also stand very
well on their own. So, if you don't want to plow through the entire
saga, you can still enjoy the songs. The track listing is as follows:
"Grand Materia," "My Funeral Is Calling," "Only Endless Time Remains,"
"Hollow," "Edge of Mind," "On The Other Side," "I Roam," "Emotional
Sanctuary," "Angel's Deceit," "The Operation of the Sun," "Blind," and
"My Task Is Done (Reconcile With Time)." The vinyl version of the
album is slated to include a bonus track, "Sangreal," but I'm not sure
where in the running order this song will be included. The CD version
is being released in a standard jewel case and in digi-pack format. I
currently have the jewel case release, and aside from the packaging I
don't believe there are any differences between it and the digi-pack.
So, to get the bonus track, you'll have to buy the vinyl and dust off
the turntable! Long-time fans of the band will not be disappointed
with this release, as it contains all of the elements that the band
has been known for, particularly the vocals of Charles Rytkönen, whose
unique delivery is one of the band's trademarks. Plenty of fantastic
"riffage" is provided by Tony and Peter's dual axework, and I daresay
that the songs are probably the most "catchy" ones that the band has
ever recorded. Never fear, they certainly have not transformed into a
pop group, but one of the many "complaints" I have heard about Morgana
Lefay is that they are not "easily accessible," in other words, you
have to invest some time with their material to get into it and
appreciate it. And in some ways I don't disagree with that. However, I
think that this album is more "accessible" to the uninitiated, (ie, it
is easier to "get into" upon first listen), and should bring many new
fans to the band. Hopefully Black Mark will get behind them and give
them the support they truly deserve. I had the honor of attending the
band's first –ever US performance at Powerfest in Chicago the weekend
of April 8-9, and they blew the roof of the venue with a blistering 2
hour set, and won a lot of new fans as well as pleasing the
long-timers (myself included). The final verdict is that "Grand
Materia" is grand, indeed. –Stephanie Kushner (twstdrsteph@...)

*
*** OUT ***
*