Detritus
Issue #332
Week of August 29, 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 ***
*
-Our hearts, thoughts, and prayers go out to all those unfortunate
souls affected by hurricane Katrina over the last 10 days or so. The
footage they keep showing on the news is just unbelievable. You've
heard it a million times already but if you can, please help out by
making a donation to the American Red Cross. - Tim

-Back in the beginning of July (Detritus #324) I mentioned that Jon
Oliva was up for a lifetime achievement award at the Hard Music
Awards. Well, he won the award and I wanted to thank all of the loyal
Detritus readers out there who voted for him -- the Mountain King
deserves it! Check out http://www.hardmusicawards.com/ for a full list
of winners. - Sean

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Warren Appleby's New CD MONSTERS AMONG US Is Now Available!!!

Warren Appleby has released his 4th CD, MONSTERS AMONG US on Madkar
Records. Warren is a former member of the '80s Metal band, Blacktask.
Warren's new CD features killer metal instrumentals, plus a few
surprises. You can purchase the CD for just $7.00 through his Web site
-- http://www.warrenappleby.com/ . Warren's other CDs are also still
available. FREE Shipping & Handling on all orders! Download a few FREE
MP3s from all of Warren's CDs, including "Quicksilver" from the new
album, at http://www.warrenappleby.com/ . (It is a secure PayPal
site.)

Blacktask fans should check out http://www.blacktask.net/ for info on
the band, FREE MP3s, and info on purchasing Blacktask CD-Rs.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-John 5: New Release SONGS FOR SANITY On Shrapnel Records Featuring
Steve Vai & Albert Lee

HOLLYWOOD -- SONGS FOR SANITY is a follow up to last year's critically
acclaimed VERTIGO. On this phenomenal new record, 5 exhibits
incredible diversity as a writer and guitarist. The album also further
showcases him to be one of the most technically advanced guitarists in
the business today. Fans of driving rhythms and ear-catching, over the
top, guitar work will keep this in their CD player for months on end.

John 5 offers a fresh approach to guitar instrumental music on his new
CD, which features a guest guitar solo from two of legendary
guitarists -- Steve Vai and Albert Lee. "With these two particular
guitar players, they were both, from the first time I heard them, was
a life changing experience for me. It is a true honor to have on them
on record," explains John 5.

John 5 came to the Shrapnel label after creating a worldwide following
as a widely respected guitarist with such platinum artists as Marilyn
Manson, David Lee Roth, and Rob Halford. These prior gigs were before
taking his notoriety to the next level with the release of VERTIGO, an
album that many guitar fans described as "the guitar album of the new
millennium." John 5's eclectic influences combine for a truly unique
guitar oriented record that once again sets new standards in the
genre. With guitar sales near an all time high and last year's VERTIGO
still among Shrapnel's current best sellers. SONGS FOR SANITY is sure
to be the next top seller.

http://www.john-5.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Lion Music News

Our next releases are:

Lord Of Mushrooms - 7 DEADLY SONGS
Genre - Progressive Metal
Released - September 11th 2005

Lord Of Mushrooms make their debut on Lion Music with 7 DEADLY SONGS,
a concept album based around the seven deadly sins.

7 DEADLY SONGS sees Lord Of Mushrooms hone their progressive metal
sound to appeal to a wider audience with more effective songs and
themes. Fans of the bands earlier classic progressive tones will still
find much of what the band were famous for but with the addition of a
sharper edge.

Simone Fiorletta - PARALLEL WORLDS
Genre - Hard Rock / Metal Guitar Instrumental
Released - September 11th 2005

PARALLEL WORLDS is the stunning international debut solo album from
Simone Fiorletta, guitarist of Italian Progressive Power Metal
sensations Moonlight Comedy.

PARALLEL WORLDS showcases Simone's own distinctive technical yet
soulful style and is sure to bring his name to a wider audience.

Nightscape - SYMPHONY OF THE NIGHT
Genre - Power Metal
Released - September 11th 2005

Symphony Of The Night is a classy energetic slice of Power Metal which
across its 9 track running length breathes fresh life into the genre.

The band's youthful vigour releases a sound much more mature than
their ages suggest and showcase a band that have absorbed the positive
elements of their influences and used these to create fresh powerful
music within the Power Metal genre. The band also shows traces of a
neo-classical influence along with more traditional metal moments.

Listeria - FULL OF FIRE
Genre - Heavy Metal
Released - September 11th 2005

FULL OF FIRE is the debut international release from Italian metal
sensations Listeria.

The music on FULL OF FIRE is aggressive with a classic metal edge that
dates back to the British metal movement of the early 1970's combined
with the more sophisticated touch of the melodic power metal scene of
the 1980s and '90s (with Armored Saint being a reference point). The
energy levels are high throughout with big riffs, monster grooves and
wailing solos but with the freshness that the metal scene has in 2005.

These will be followed in October by:

Milan Polak - GUITAR ODYSSEY
Milan's debut album in a new version with bonus track.

Dogpound - A NIGHT IN THE GUTTER
The second release from this killer Swedish melodic hard rock band.

Locomotive Breath - CHANGE OF TRACK
Another classic Swedish band retun with their best album to date.

Freak Neil Inc. - CHARACTERS
A highly original prog metal album from a fantasic band fronted by Rob
Van Der Loo (Sun Caged).

Lord Of Mushrooms Go To China

The French prog metal sensation that are releasing their first album 7
DEADLY SONGS for Lion Music on September 11 will play the famous Open
Air Festival in Beijing on October 4. 20,000 people are expected to
see the band perform. A smaller concert in Shenzen in the south of
China will follow before the band return to France for more gigs.

Baltimoore Launch Official Website

The band's new website can be found at http://www.baltimoore.net/ .

The band saw their latest album FANATICAL released last week with
http://www.classicrockrevisited.com/ mentioning - "All in all this is
a great ballsy record all the way through and I'd definitely recommend
you check out these Swedish ass kickers, you won't be disappointed."

New signings:

We are proud to announce that a 4th Winterlong album will be released
early 2006. This time guitarist/band leader Thorbjorn Englund has
taken over the vocal duties but most of all the band has taken a very
different approach with a completely new sound, heavier and more
modern than ever before.

Tears Of Anger have finished their 2nd album which will be released
early 2006.

Mr. V of the band Vintersorg has put together a progressive rock
project titled Waterfield which will also be released early 2006.

Marcel Coenen (Sun Caged) has finished his 2nd solo album -- this time
a mostly vocal affair as opposed to his debut GUITARTALK that is still
available in the limited edition 2 CD version. Speaking of Sun Caged
(who are working on their 2nd album) bass player Rob Van der Loo is
the leader of the band Freak Neil Inc. which will release its debut
album CHARACTERS in October this year. This a a highly original
progressive masterpiece.

The Swedish prog metal sensation Mind's Eye have completed their new
opus WALKING ON H2O -- expect an early 2006 release...

Lars Eric Mattsson who recently released his progressive metal rock
opera WAR (under the name Mattsson) has completed his first all
instrumental solo album EARTHBOUND since the 1991 release ELECTRIC
VOODOO. EARTHBOUND is to be released in November 2005.

Our webstore has been expanded and now includes many more titles that
before and since there is no space left in our warehouse we have also
put together a special "Super Sale" page where some titles are offered
extremely cheap for a limited time.

Please be sure to check out our website: http://www.lionmusic.com/

All the best,

Lion Music

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
*
-Combat Records Announces The Release of IT'S TIME TO DECIDE, The New
Full-Length Album From At All Cost; In-Stores September 20, 2005

NEW YORK, NY -- Combat Records announces the release of the first
full-length album by At All Cost titled IT'S TIME TO DECIDE, on
September 20th. The recently resurrected Combat Records is a joint
venture between KOCH Records and Entertainment Services Unlimited.

Austin, TX-based At All Cost (Trey Ramirez, Andrew Collins, Grant
Anderson, Bobby Andrews and Michael Theobald) previously released an
EP on Fiddler Records. Alternative Press gave the EP 4 out of 5 stars,
and noted, "... it's the little things that set AAC apart."

The band recorded IT'S TIME TO DECIDE with Rory Phillips (Recover, The
Rise, The Hire), and the album fuses the intensity of metal, the
energy of rock and roll, the ideology of a progressive intellectual
movement and the spirit of experimentation, to push the boundaries of
the saturated metal/hardcore genre. The band brings dance moves back
to hardcore -- literally. While other bands are triggered by the blast
beats and breakdowns, At All Cost bring classical guitars, violins,
vocoder and synth effects to one of the most danceable records this
genre will encounter. With vocals that add an entirely new layer to
what otherwise will be dubbed as a 'raging mix of metal, hardcore and
rock,' At All Cost is the missing link between the 'brutal' and the
'beautiful.'

The track listing is:

1. Death To Distraction
2. The Formula
3. Human Now
4. Polish The Nightmare
5. Right Now
6. Fabricated
7. Consider That
8. The Irony
9. This Pen
10. The Hook
11. It Burns Black
12. The Return
13. What Is Left To Inspire?

Stay tuned for At All Cost tour dates and for some additional Combat
announcements and news on future releases. For more info, check out
http://www.combatrecords.net/ .

About KOCH Records

KOCH Records is a division of KOCH Entertainment, the fastest-growing
music company and the market leader among independents in North
America. The KOCH Entertainment corporate umbrella encompasses the
KOCH Records label, KOCH Vision home video, KOCH Music Publishing and
KOCH Entertainment Distribution with operations in both the US and
Canada. KOCH Records proudly claims the largest number of Billboard
charting albums among independents for each of the last four years
(2001-2004). For additional info on the KOCH Records label and its
roster of artists, please visit http://www.kochrecords.com/ .

About Combat Records

The principals of Combat Records, Larry Mazer, Tim Smith and John
Daley, are artist managers who are involved in the careers of Lamb Of
God, ATREYU, Every Time I Die, Norma Jean, From First To Last, A Life
Once Lost and many others. Their success in identifying great career
bands led to their desire to start their own label. Larry Mazer's
long-time relationship with KOCH Records' Cliff Cultreri led to the
genesis of the re-launching of Combat Records. More info can be found
at http://www.combatrecords.net/ .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
*
-The Black Halos Hit The Road; Film New Music Video

Headlining Aug. 26 - Aug. 31; Opening For New York Dolls Sept. 1; "Old
Skars And Upstarts Tour" With Die Hunns And Guests Sept. 2 - Oct. 9

LOS ANGELES -- Five months after criss-crossing America with The
Bones, The Queers and River City Rebels, The Black Halos launched
their first US tour since the release of their new album, ALIVE
WITHOUT CONTROL, last night in Portland. They will tour along the West
Coast for the next week, including a stop in Los Angeles to film a
video for first single "Three Sheets To The Wind" with famed director
Shane Drake (Clutch, Fall Out Boy, Hawthorne Heights).

From there, following a show alongside the legendary New York Dolls in
their Vancouver hometown, the band will join the Juice
Magazine-presented Old Skars and Upstarts Tour, in conjunction with
skate and punk legend Duane Peters from Die Hunns and U.S. Bombs.
Other bands on the bill include Kings Of Nuthin, Riverboat Gamblers,
The Needles, Angel City Outcasts and additional bands TBA in various
markets. The skateboarding aspect of the event is being billed in
tandem with the live music portion. The idea is to bring back an
"old-school" DIY sensibility to package tours. Hence Peters, Lance
Mountain and a host of skate legends will drop in to skate with locals
at many of the best skate parks in country. This will include
sessioning backyard pools and private bowls along the way in addition
to the skate park demos. Mini-festivals are planned for Chicago, New
York, Austin and Los Angeles.

The Black Halos are seasoned road dogs. Their touring schedule behind
their first two releases -- a 1999 self-titled debut (Die Young Stay
Pretty) and 2001's VIOLENT YEARS (Sub Pop), was virtually non-stop. In
addition to a stint on the Warped Tour, the band has performed with
label mates The Hellacopters, Nebula and Backyard Babies, as well as
with AFI, All, Sum 41, Danzig, The Donnas, Andrew W.K., The Damned,
The Offspring, Zeke, Supersuckers, Tool, Sevendust, Murder City Devils
and more.

ALIVE WITHOUT CONTROL is available now at the Liquor and Poker Music
website, where an MP3 for "Three Sheets To The Wind" is also posted.
Join the Halos revolution now!!

MP3: http://www.liquorandpokermusic.com/mp3/BlackHalos_3sheets.mp3

Buy ALIVE WITHOUT CONTROL here:
http://www.centurymedia.com/LPmerch.html

Black Halos Tour Itinerary (all dates subject to change)

8/26 - Lost & Found Saloon - San Francisco, CA (w/ Golden Gods)
8/29 - Spaceland - Silverlake, CA (w/ Starlite Desperation)
8/31 - Hells Kitchen - Tacoma, WA
9/1 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC (Canada) (w/ New York Dolls)
9/3 - Thunderbird Stadium - Vancouver, BC (Canada)

Old Skars and Upstarts Tour
9/4 - El Corazon - Seattle, WA
9/5 - Imparts - Boise, ID
9/6 - Lo Fi Café - Salt Lake City, UT
9/8 - Triple Rock - Minneapolis, MN
9/9 - Club 1123 - Evansville, IN
9/10 - Bottom Lounge - Chicago, IL
9/11 - Alvin's - Detroit, MI
9/12 - Skatopia - Ruthland, OH
9/13 - Xtreme Wheels - Buffalo, NY
9/14 - Beachland Ballroom - Cleveland, OH
9/15 - Pontiac Grille - Philadelphia, PA
9/16 - Bombshelter - Manchester, NH
9/17 - Mercury Lounge - New York, NY
9/18 - Middle East - Boston, MA
9/20 - Nanci Raygun - Richmond, VA
9/21 - Soapbox - Wilmington, NC
9/22 - 688 Skatepark - Clearwater, FL
9/23 - Pompano Indoor Skate - Pompano Beach, FL
9/24 - Thee Imperial - Jacksonville, FL
9/25 - ESPN X Games Skatepark - Lawrenceville, GA
9/27 - House of Rock - Corpus Christi, TX
9/28 - The Sanctuary - San Antonio, TX
9/29 - Fitzgerald's - Houston, TX
9/30 - Red Blood Club - Dallas, TX
10/1 - Green Door - Oklahoma City, OK
10/2 - Emo's - Austin, TX
10/3 - House of Rock n' Roll - El Paso, TX
10/4 - Mardi Gras - Phoenix, AZ
10/5 - The Brigg - Huntington Beach, CA
10/6 - Unity Skateboards - Livermore, CA
10/9 - Wasted Festival - San Bernardino, CA w/ TSOL, The Exploited,
Street Dogs, Voodoo Glowskulls and Slaughter Of The Dogs featuring
Steve Jones.

http://www.liquorandpokermusic.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
*
-Epiphone Announces The Jay Jay French "Twisted Pinkburst" Signature
Guitar

NASHVILLE, TENNESSEE -- Epiphone announced the new Jay Jay French
Twisted Pinkburst Signature Guitar that that instantly distinguishes
its as a Twisted Sister inspired model. Based on a Les Paul Standard
from Epiphone's prestigious Elitist series, the Twisted Sister
inspired model sports the glam rock band's Bone logo on the headstock
and guitarist Jay Jay French's name on the truss rod cover.

Twisted Sister came into the rock-n-roll world in 1987 as a New York
based Glam band with theatrics rivaling KISS and a shock factor like
none other. Their songs "I Wanna Rock" and "We're Not Gonna Take It"
were hugely successful and the band's extensive touring kept them at
the top of the charts. Lead guitarist Jay Jay French's passion for
Epiphone guitars goes beyond the stage and is now captured in the
Epiphone "Twisted Pinkburst" Jay Jay French Signature Model.

"I've played Les Pauls professionally for 32 years with Twisted
Sister," said Jay Jay French. "I am honored that Epiphone has chosen
me and my guitar as the pink burst has been a signature of mine for
years. I think that the features on the guitar like the cut out in the
back and the pick-ups that are 'burst buckers' as well as having all
premium parts and assembly done here in the United States as part of
the 'elite line' are design features that all guitarists will love."

The guitar is an exact replica of the 1978 Gibson Les Paul that was
custom painted by Steve Carr, Kiss' original guitar designer, and seen
in all of the groundbreaking MTV Twisted Sister videos. The original
guitar can also be heard on all of Twisted Sister's albums and
featured on the two most famous "metal anthems" of the '80s "We're Not
Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock."

The Jay Jay French Epiphone Signature model is one of the Elitist
series designed for the professional musician seeking the ultimate in
performance. As with all Epiphone Elitist models it features premium
electronics including pickups made by Gibson USA, Grover machine
heads, nickel plated hardware and a bone nut. Other features include
an African Mahogany body with a Hard Maple cap, a one-piece Mahogany
neck and a Rosewood fingerboard with a 24-3/4" scale length. For added
playing comfort, the back of the body has a "belly-scarf" or cutout.
The MSRP is $1,768 and includes a premium, hardshell case.

Twisted Sister has recently released LIVE AT WACKEN THEATER, a DVDPlus
containing 105 minutes of live footage from the famous show plus 75
minutes of rare live tracks. For more information about Twisted
Sister, go to http://www.twistedsister.com/ .

For more information on the Epiphone Jay Jay French Signature model go
to http://www.epiphone.com/ .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
*
-Brentford Rocks!

A great up & coming band, Dustin's Bar Mitzvah appear this Friday at
Stripes -- they have been getting lots of airplay on XFM etc.

Don't miss Casual Affair who play classic rock with a progressive edge
and they are ably supported by the excellent melodic hard rockers
Sacred Heart.

16th Sep is a prog rock double header featuring Tr3nity who will
appeal to fans of Hogarth era Marillion. Credo support on their first
gig in six years and a warm-up to more UK dates and their new album
due in November via F2 Music.

Finally Eddie & The Hot Rods have had to postpone their Sep gig until
next Jan but instead there is an all punk bill (and not that limp
wristed US punk played by Sum 41 et al).

Stripes Bar, Brentford FC, Braemar Road, Brentford

Dustin's Bar Mitzvah - Friday 2nd September

Gloriously shambolic West London mod-punks stop off at Stripes en
route to taking over the world.
http://www.dustins.co.uk/index1.htm
"one of the most interesting and promising bands in ages"

Casual Affair + Sacred Heart - Friday 9th September

Casual Affair return for their first gig of 2005 and promise another
night of quality rock music and fun! Sacred Heart play an all original
set of classy melodic hard rock and are fast becoming one of the best
live acts around.
http://www.sacredheartband.com/

Tr3nity + Credo - Friday 16th September

Return of the excellent progressive rock band Tr3nity -- a must for
all fans of Genesis, Kansas, Marillion etc. Plus support from fellow
prog rock band Credo who will be playing their first live gig in six
years.
http://www.tr3nity.com/

Refuse/All - Friday 30th September

Refuse/All headline an all local punk rock bill.

All gigs £5 on the door (unless stated otherwise)
Doors open 8pm, music 8.30-11pm
Reserve tickets via music@... or (07952) 378271

More details and Stripes gig news at -
http://www.stripesmusic.org/
http://www.getreadytorock.com/
http://www.ents24.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
*
-Look What I Did Release Artwork And Track Listing

Look What I Did ( http://www.ihatelookwhatidid.com/ ) recently
completed recording their Combat Records debut, MINUTEMAN FOR THE
MOMENT. They recorded the forthcoming LP with producer Brian Virtue
(Deftones, Audioslave, Janes Addiction), which will be released
October 4th via Combat/KOCH.

The art was done by artist Paul Romano, whom many may know from his
work with Mastodon.

This week the band also plans to shoot their first video from
MINUTEMAN with director Robert Schober (Mars Volta, Relient K, Valley
Arena) of Revolver Films.

Link to cover art:
http://ihatelookwhatidid.com/art/lwid_minuteman_cover.jpg

Track Listing:

1. minuteman for the moment
2. ultimate complete home fitness machine
3. the soiree
4. the FOX eats TV ishmael
5. raining pleasantries
6. appomattox whorehouse
7. benevolesaurus lex
8. chest is a ribcage
9. lightningbugs
10. cupid full of eros
11. is, was, and will be
12. zanzibar II: sasha and sebastian

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-There is a new e-card for Biohazard's MEANS TO AN END, out this week,
at http://www.spv.de/eng/biohazard/ecard.html .

-Demons & Wizards have their video for "Terror Train" posted at
http://www.myspace.com/demonswizards/ . The video was shot on location
in Gothenburg, Sweden with director Roger Johansson. It comes from
this year's release TOUCHED BY THE CRIMSON KING, which hit #1 on the
MediaGuide Metal Specialty chart and made the Top 5 on both the CMJ
Loud Rock and MediaGuide College Metal charts. See
http://www.demonsandwizards.de/ and http://www.demons-wizards.com/ for
more.

-Flotsam And Jetsam's new video for "Straight To Hell" is posted at
http://www.crashmusicinc.com/ . "Straight To Hell" comes from DREAMS
OF DEATH which is now available. Check out
http://www.flotsam-and-jetsam.com/ for more info.

-Great White has canceled the remaining 20 dates of its US tour due to
medical reasons. The band also will not perform on the VH1 Metal Mania
Stripped tour. No other explanation was given for the cancellation.

-Check out the new King's X video for "Alone" at
http://www.insideoutmusic.com/video/KingsX_Alone_w_girls_MPEG-1.mpg .

-Leaves' Eyes and Atrocity are set to tour North America "on select
dates of the International Extreme Music Festival." The fest also
features God Dethroned, Epoch Of Unlight, Nightrage, Byzantine,
Lilitu, Hell Within, and Thine Eyes Bleed. Dates:

9/30 - Harpo's, Detroit, MI
10/1 - Windy City Invitational Festival, Chicago, IL
10/2 - Phantasy, Cleveland, OH
10/3 - Toad's, Hartford, CT
10/4 - CBGB, New York, NY
10/5 - Lupo's, Providence, RI
10/6 - Infinity, Bufallo, NY
10/7 - Opera House, Toronto, ON
10/8 - Foufounes, Montreal, QC
10/9 - Rock And Shock Festival, Worcester, MA

-Motley Crue has been confirmed as the opening act for The Rolling
Stones at the following dates:

10/30 - Key Arena, Seattle, WA
11/1 - Rose Garden Arena, Portland, OR

-Ozzy Osbourne will release a new DualDisc entitled UNDER COVERS. The
audio side will contain the collection of cover tunes previously
released on his PRINCE OF DARKNESS box set. The DVD side features a
wide range of exclusive content such as the same album in enhanced
sound (such as 5.1 Surround Sound or enhanced LPCM stereo), music
videos, interviews, photo galleries, Web links, concert footage,
lyrics and more. The songs included are "Rocky Mountain Way" (Joe
Walsh), "In My Life" (The Beatles), "Mississippi Queen" (Mountain),
"Go Now" (Moody Blues), "Woman" (John Lennon), "21st Century Schizoid
Man" (King Crimson), "All The Young Dudes" (Mott The Hoople), "For
What It's Worth" (Buffalo Springfield), "Good Times" (Eric Burdon),
"Sunshine Of Your Love" (Cream), "Fire" (Arthur Brown), "Working Class
Hero" (John Lennon), and "Sympathy For The Devil" (The Rolling
Stones).

-Primal Fear's new CD SEVEN SEALS will be released in Japan and Asia
on October 5, the US and Canada on October 15, Germany on October 21,
and in the rest of Europe, South America, and Australia on October 24.
Check out http://matsinner.rocks.de/ for more details.

-John Taglieri's video for "How Will I Know," the first single from
NOW, has debuted at MSN.com. Check it out by visiting
http://video.msn.com/ , clicking "Movies - Music," clicking "Music -
indie," and finding it in the menus. The track has also been the #1
requested song at Internet radio station WMSR; check it out at
http://mixxstudios.com/ . For more on Mr. Taglieri, see
http://johntaglieri.com/ , http://sonicbids.com/johntaglieri/ ,
http://myspace.com/johntaglierimusic/ , and
http://streetteam.johntaglieri.com/ .

-There are some photos of Twisted Sister and Sebastian Bach performing
at New Jersey's Rock The Park on August 21 here:
http://rockstarpix.com/twistedsister.html .

-The release of Valencia's debut, THIS COULD BE A POSSIBILITY, has
been delayed to October 25. The band recently filmed a live video for
the track "The Space Between" at the Pontiac Grille in Philadelphia.

-Z Records' site, http://www.zrecords.net/ , has been updated.

Thanks to Alex Kai, Tara Buzzell, Eric Corbin, Simon Fauteux, Dalila,
Chris@..., Nathan Birk, and Andrew Demarest for help
gathering some of this information.

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

-Just a few quick notes this week:

...The Scorpions DVD I promised to let you know about should be out in
the US by the time you read this. I have mine on order from
http://www.amazon.com/ but you should be able to find it in any good
media outlet.

...Derryl Gabel has just released an excellent instructional DVD
entitled COOL LEGATO PHRASES. You can order it at his Web site
http://www.derrylgabel.com/ .

...The Racer X Web site has been updated with some cool taped practice
sessions. Check it out at http://www.racerxband.com/ .

...Man, horrible situation in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama...
Our thoughts and prayers go out to all affected. Help out if you can!
http://www.redcross.org/

-On the playlist: Torben Enevoldsen - FLYING SOLO, Mind's Key - A WORK
OF ART, Pagan's Mind - ENIGMATIC CALLING, Circus Maximus - THE 1ST
CHAPTER, Conception - FLOW, Stratovarius - EPISODE. Vintage Pick -
Queensryche - s/t.

-Until next time, peace!

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

-R.I.P. to Voivod guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour and synthesizer guru
Robert A. Moog. Both men died last week; D'Amour passed on August 26
after battling colon cancer, and Moog passed on August 21 at age 71
after suffering from an inoperable brain tumor. I can't say I was ever
really a huge Voivod fan, but I certainly respected the band's
"oddness" and I actually did like the '03 self-titled comeback album
with Jason Newsted on bass. As for Moog, I think the first time I ever
saw his name was in the liner notes to Accept's METAL HEART; I saw
bassist Peter Baltes was credited with playing something called a
"Moog Taurus," and I scratched my head and figured it must just be
some goofy kind of guitar. :) (Incidentally, did we all know "Moog"
rhymes with "vogue"? I did not. I just found that out when reading the
man's obituary.) See http://www.voivod.com/ and
http://www.moogmusic.com/ for more on the men and their
accomplishments.

-Now in my current playlist: Voivod - s/t (Chophouse), L.A. Guns -
TALES FROM THE STRIP (Shrapnel), Various - BACK AGAINST THE WALL
(Purple Pyramid/Cleopatra), Mindflow - JUST THE TWO OF US... ME AND
THEM (Nightmare Records).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
AIRLESS - 2ND ROUND (B-) Lion Music, 2005
11 tracks, RT: 44:49
[ http://www.airless.name/ ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/ ]
These guys are pretty cool, sort of a mix of Casanova and FireHouse. I
say that mainly because vocalist Inaki Lazkano kinda reminds me of
Casanova's Michael Voss crossed with FireHouse's C.J. Snare (and maybe
a dash of Skid Row's Sebastian Bach from time to time), but there are
also musical similarities. Many of the songs are about love and
relationships -- titles like "Don't You Go," "Never Fall In Love," and
"It's Up To You" are big clues there -- and there's an overall vibe of
vintage, late '80s/early '90s melodic hard rock. To work, that style
really needs a hotshot guitarist and Robert Rodrigo certainly fits the
bill. Highlights include "It's Up To You" (strong vocals, killer riffs
and fills), "Prayers Are Not Enough" (fun solo!), and "Cross The Line"
(nice chunky guitars). Good stuff from this Spanish band, definitely.
As an aside, my promo disc has a glitch where track #10, "Never Fall
In Love," ends before the song finishes, and then track #11 starts
with the last 20 seconds of "Never Fall In Love" before "The Darkness"
kicks in. Odd. - Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@...)

CIRCUS MAXIMUS - THE 1ST CHAPTER (A) Sensory/The Laser's Edge, 2005
9 tracks, RT: 69:53
[ http://www.circusmaximussite.com/ ]
[ info@... ]
[ http://www.lasercd.com/ ]
I have to hope that a review of this CD won't come as news to too many
readers. I hope that everyone knew about this by the time of its
release. In my opinion, it's worthy of the hype. From seemingly out of
nowhere, to those of us to the west of the Atlantic, comes what after
countless listens now strikes me as a polished and mature progressive
metal leviathan. As ambitious as it may sound, I have to objectively
mark this release among the better output of Dream Theater and
Symphony X. Seriously... I'm not kidding. In its most intensely
progressive passages, THE 1ST CHAPTER can definitely prove a
challenging listen, but you shouldn't need a slide rule to thoroughly
enjoy the album. Every track has its own hook that will prove
accessible to even the least patient among us. (This said, I have a
very hard time understanding the note on the little promotional insert
that says fans of Pretty Maids will like it or the comment on the Web
site that says Michael Ericksen sounds like Ronnie Atkins... I don't
hear it. Not that there's anything WROOOOONG with that!) The
arrangement of vocal harmonies is stellar, and Ericksen can deliver
the goods to be sure. He has uncanny clarity at even his highest
pitches (ref: chorus in "The Prophecy"), which I find refreshing. It's
not hard to believe the brothers Haugen (Mats on guitar, Truls on
drums) have been together for a good, long time, considering the time
signature changes and intricate constructions. Espen Storø on keys
and Glen Møllen on bass round out the lineup with vim and verve. The
mix on the CD was handled by Tommy Hansen, who's balanced the aural
assault to a crisp and clean punch. The band really blister on
instrumental, "Biosfear," and the gargantuan title track, but I
recommend following the final track order for full enjoyment. There
isn't a weak song to be found. I really hope they stick with it and
get some label support, as I'd like to hear how time and touring help
sculpt the band's music. I think they have quite a future in melodic,
progressive heavy metal. - Paul Lackey (mrnot@...)

TORBEN ENEVOLDSEN - FLYING SOLO (B-) Lion Music, 2005
10 tracks, RT: 42:57
[ http://www.torbenenevoldsen.com/ ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/ ]
Danish shredmaster Torben Enevoldsen (Section A) delivers his third
solo album and appropriately enough, there are lots of solos on it!
Clearly coming from the style popularized on dozens of Shrapnel guitar
instrumental albums, Torben proves himself to be a fine exponent of
this type of playing, often demonstrating flavors of Joe Satriani,
Blues Saraceno, Tony MacAlpine and John Petrucci. On the negative
side, it's hard to make these type of albums palatable to
non-guitarists and this limitation is evident on FLYING SOLO. First of
all, you have a fairly staid drum machine that injects a mechanical
aspect into the compositions; it would be greatly preferable to have a
live drummer to breathe more life into the arrangements. Second,
Torben has really good technique but at times he overuses some of his
shreddy runs at the expense of creativity and feeling. If it sounds
like I'm dogging the album, I'm not -- there are some really good
pieces on here such as "Departure," with its cool rhythm and melodic
ideas; the hard-rocking funk of "Lobotomized"; "Beyond Compare,"
Torben's tribute to Shawn Lane (also featured on REMEMBERING SHAWN
LANE PT. II); and "First Attempt," with its fusiony atmosphere. The
production is nice and clear and Torben handles the bass and keyboard
chores well. Overall a strong album for shred guitar fans but probably
one that will not be as appealing to general fans of hard rock and
heavy metal; for more of that sound I would happily refer you to
Torben's other project, Section A. - Neal Woodall (MysticX10@...)

MIND'S EYE - A WORK OF ART (REISSUE) (B) Lion Music, 2005
15 tracks, RT: 75:23
[ http://www.roundrec.com/ ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/ ]
Lion steps outside their usual "shred guitar" milieu for a reissue of
A WORK OF ART, originally released in 2002. Mind's Eye plays what
could be classified as progressive AOR, a deft mixture of '70s and
'80s influences recalling elements from Toto and Journey to Saga and
Vandenberg. Following the short intro "Prologue - Lullaby," A WORK OF
ART takes off with the excellent track "Courage Within," featuring a
lush arrangement with great vocals and a cool melodic guitar line. "A
Moment Of Honor" follows and presents us with one of the best tracks
on the CD, with excellent vocal harmonies and subtle but effective
dynamics. "Roll The Dice" is another winner with effective piano and
acoustic guitar, although things do begin to get a little too mellow
at this point. "Shallow Water" attempts to pick up the pace but the
verse sections once again fall into relaxed territory. More strong
songwriting with excellent musicianship follow, but at 75 minutes the
disc gets a bit repetitive stylistically; it would have been nice to
hear these guys turn it up a notch and crank out some harder edged
material. The production is somewhat flat but adequate and included
are two bonus tracks, a decent cover of Queensryche's "I Will
Remember" and the uncharacteristic prog metal splash of "End Of The
Line." Overall a good album that shows Mind's Eye to be a very
promising band in the progressive rock arena; with the appropriate
attention paid to production and a better balance of heavy and mellow
material this band has the capability to release a real masterpiece.
I'm looking forward to hearing their upcoming album of new material. -
Neal Woodall (MysticX10@...)

*
*** OUT ***
*

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