Detritus
Issue #364
Week of May 15, 2006
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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 IT BE KNOWN ***
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-Hey, whaddya know -- we're back on a Wednesday schedule. Woo-hoo.
Don't bet on it lasting... - Tim

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Two New OPERATION: MINDCRIME Packages To Be Unleashed June 20 By EMI

To commemorate the 25th Anniversary of the 1981 formation of
Queensryche, one of the world's most acclaimed progressive metal
bands, EMI will release two expanded OPERATION: MINDCRIME packages on
June 20.

A new 2-CD set adds two bonus tracks to the Platinum-certified,
Grammy-nominated 1988 album/rock opera and pairs the disc with a
previously unreleased live performance of the album's tracks in
sequence. The 2-CD+DVD OPERATION: MINDCRIME - DELUXE EDITION, packaged
in a four-panel digipak with slipcase, contains the 2-CD set and its
24-page booklet and adds VIDEO: MINDCRIME, making its DVD debut with
two previously unreleased video clips. The Rolling Stone Album Guide
described OPERATION: MINDCRIME, Queensryche's landmark narrative
album/rock opera, as "a full-blown concept album that spins Reagan-era
media manipulation into a nightmarish vision of the future." It was
this album that landed Queensryche on the map.

Featuring orchestration by the late Oscar-nominated composer Michael
Kamen ("X-Men," "Band Of Brothers"), OPERATION: MINDCRIME was an
ambitious studio outing. The band's third album, OPERATION: MINDCRIME
remained on Billboard's album chart for more than a year, selling more
than one million copies, and was met with international critical
acclaim and comparisons to the Who's TOMMY and QUADROPHENIA rock
operas. The album's powerful message of political disillusionment
still resonates today.

"Seventeen years after OPERATION: MINDCRIME's release, it's now
considered one of the finest rock operas ever recorded and universally
regarded as one of the greatest metal albums of all time." (PopMatters
- March 16, 2006) The expanded 2-CD set's first disc includes the full
original album with two bonus tracks, live renditions of "The Mission"
(recorded in 1990 at the Hammersmith Odeon in London) and "My Empty
Room" (from the "Bridge" CD single). Its second disc adds a previously
unreleased live representation of the entire OPERATION: MINDCRIME
album, recorded live at London, England's Hammersmith Odeon on
November 15, 1990.

The 2-CD+DVD DELUXE EDITION contains the 2-CD OPERATION: MINDCRIME set
plus VIDEO: MINDCRIME, the acclaimed filmed companion to the album
that spawned two MTV favorites, "Eyes Of A Stranger" and "I Don't
Believe In Love." VIDEO: MINDCRIME makes its DVD debut with this
release, adding two previously unreleased clips: a behind-the-scenes
look at "The Making Of OPERATION: MINDCRIME" and an original
television ad for the album.

Earlier this year, Queensryche launched a sold-out tour featuring the
original OPERATION: MINDCRIME performed in its entirety with actors on
stage portraying the narrative album's characters alongside the band.
On April 4, Rhino released Queensryche's new sequel album, OPERATION:
MINDCRIME II, which debuted at #14 on Billboard's Top 200 Albums
chart. Geoff Tate has announced that the band plans to stage
performances of both MINDCRIME albums in their entirety on the
upcoming tour, and that he is putting the finishing touches on a
screenplay of the original MINDCRIME. For updates, please visit the
band's official site: http://www.queensryche.com/

OPERATION: MINDCRIME - Disc 1 - 1. I Remember Now (DeGarmo) . 2.
Anarchy-X (DeGarmo) . 3. Revolution Calling (Tate/Wilton) . 4.
Operation: Mindcrime (DeGarmo/Tate/Wilton) . 5. Speak (Tate/Wilton) .
6. Spreading The Disease (Tate/Wilton) . 7. The Mission (DeGarmo) . 8.
Suite Sister Mary (DeGarmo/Tate) . 9. The Needle Lies (Tate/Wilton) .
10. Electric Requiem (Rockenfield/Tate) . 11. Breaking The Silence
(DeGarmo/Tate) . 12. I Don't Believe In Love (DeGarmo/Tate) . 13.
Waiting For 22 (DeGarmo) . 14. My Empty Room (Tate/Wilton) . 15. Eyes
Of A Stranger (DeGarmo/Tate). Bonus Tracks: 16. The Mission (Live) -
recorded at Hammersmith Odeon (London): 11/14-15/90 . 17. My Empty
Room (Live) - from "Bridge" single; recorded at the Astoria Theater
(London): 10/20/94 (special promotional show).

Disc 2 - Previously Unreleased - Recorded live at the Hammersmith
Odeon (London, England): 11/15/90 - I Remember Now . Anarchy X .
Revolution Calling . Operation: Mindcrime . Speak . Spreading The
Disease . The Mission . Suite Sister Mary . The Needle Lies . Electric
Requiem . Breaking The Silence . I Don't Believe In Love . Waiting For
22 . My Empty Room . Eyes Of A Stranger.

OPERATION: MINDCRIME (DELUXE EDITION) - Contains OPERATION: MINDCRIME
2-CD set + VIDEO: MINDCRIME DVD. Previously Available Only On VHS -
VIDEO: MINDCRIME - I Remember Now . Anarchy-X . Revolution Calling .
Operation: Mindcrime . Speak . Breaking The Silence . I Don't Believe
In Love . Waiting For 22 . Eyes Of A Stranger . Extras: The Making Of
OPERATION: MINDCRIME [promotional piece] . OPERATION: MINDCRIME TV
spot.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Z Records News

[Note: This is a compilation of several individual bulletins. - Tim]

TONY MILLS COMPLETES RECORDING OF ANDERSSON MILLS PROJECT

Tony Mills has completed the recording of the forthcoming Andersson
Mills project album CRANK IT UP! and mastering will take place on May
25th. The album has suffered a few minor setbacks and the release has
been put back to July 3rd.

The track listing is as follows,,,,,,,,

"Crank It Up," "Skin And Blood," "Search And Destroy," "Kill For
Love," "Smile," "Anyone," "Head On Collision," "Bleedin' Heart,"
"Nothin' But Poison," "Straight From The Heart," "No Rights"

A demo version of one of the tracks can be found at
http://www.myspace.com/zrecordsrocks .

Tony Mills will be present for a special meet and greets at the V Bar,
Leek on May 27th.

LOST WEEKEND CONFIRM OPENING NIGHT FOR NEW UK ROCK NIGHT

Lost Weekend will appear at the opening night of an all new classic
rock night at the famous Buckley Tivoli on July 27th. Visit
http://www.myspace.com/tivolirocks for further details.

Z ROCK 06 UPDATE

The lineup for Z Rock 06 has been finalised. Two major names have been
added and a press release will be made in a few days time. For
information regarding ticket sales, etc. visit
http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest .

Z RECORDS RELEASE SCHEDULE

June 5th:
Siam - LANGUAGE OF MENACE
Steelwind - s/t

July 3rd:
Andersson Mills Project - CRANK IT UP!

July 24th:
Vox Tempus - IN THE EYE OF TIME

August 29th:
Snakeryder - BACK FOR THE KILL
Lost Weekend - title TBC

Z ROCK 06 UPDATE

Legendary Magnum frontman Bob Catley has been confirmed his appearance
at Z Rock 06 on September 24th 2006.

TNT CONFIRMED AS SPECIAL GUESTS FOR Z ROCK 06

TNT are still alive and kickin' -- and are proud to introduce the new
man behind the mic: singer Tony Mills from Birmingham, England.

Tony is one of Europe's most respected hard rock singers, mostly known
for his work with UK Melodic Rock act Shy and his solo artiste
releases of recent years. Tony has worked along side such names as
Cinderella, Dokken, Cozy Powell, Meat Loaf, The Sweet and many more
and will add a new and exciting dimension to TNT as the band enter a
new era.

The band have confirmed their appearance at Z Rock 06 on September
24th, 2006.

September 24th
Z Rock 06, JB's Dudley, England
http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest

FIREHOUSE [US]
TNT [N/UK]
TOBY JEPSON [ex-Little Angels] [UK]
BOB CATLEY [UK]
SNAKERYDER [US]
LOST WEEKEND [UK]
DANTE FOX [UK]
EDEN [UK]

venue: JB's, Dudley, UK

Credit card hotlines:
Tel: 01782 522370
Tel: 01323 833049
Tel: 01489 603549

For postal applications e-mail zrock06@... for details.
Tickets also on sale at X Records Bolton and JB's Dudley NOW!.

http://www.zrecords.net/
http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest
http://www.myspace.com/zrecordsrocks

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Heaven & Earth Main Man To Participate In LAPD Celebrity Golf
Tournament

The Los Angeles Police Department ( http://www.lapmf.org/golf.htm )
hold their 35th Annual Celebrity Golf Tournament at Rancho Park Golf
Course in West Los Angeles on Saturday, May 20th and this year will
feature hour long sets from five rock bands during the course of the
day. The event starts at 9.00 a.m. and runs till 4.00 p.m. and is only
$5.00 admission. There will be displays from the LAPD SWAT Teams, CSI
Labs, Mounted Units as well as many other attractions including the
celebrities.

The bands kick off at 11.00 a.m. with Melt, followed by BB Chung King,
The Stoney Curtis Band, and Led Zepland and will finish off with The
Hollywood Allstarz featuring Carlos Cavazo, (Quiet Riot), Jimmy Bain
(Rainbow/Dio), Vinny Appice (Black Sabbath/Dio/Ozzy), Krigger (Ike &
Tina Turner/Guiffria) and Chas West (Bonham/Lynch Mob).

The celebrities playing golf that day include: Mark Wahlberg, Bruce
Jenner, Joe Mantegna, C. Thomas Howell, Joe Pesci, Chris O'Donnell,
Tommy Lee, (Motley Crue), Stuart Smith, (Heaven & Earth), David Paich,
(Toto), Don Felder, (The Eagles), Brian Phelps, (Mark & Brian Show)
and many others.

http://www.lapmf.org/golf.htm

Heaven & Earth / Black Star Records
http://www.heavenandearthband.com/
http://www.blackstarrecords.com/
http://www.myspace.com/heavenandearthband

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Seduced By Suicide News: Earth Is Chosen Best Musician Of 2005

Earth is chosen best musician of 2005 in Brazil

- Earth, member of Blood Tears (doom metal) and the person who makes
the voices and plays all the instruments in Seduced By Suicide, was
chosen as "Best Musician Of 2005" by the Web site HeavyRS. The "Best
Of 2005" were announced in a known local festival called "Zeppelin In
Concert." Meanwhile, his two bands went to the finals of the contest
made by Revolver Magazine and the metal T-shirt store SickIdiots,
responsible by SickIdiots.com, SickMetal.com and SickFamily.com.

Earth thanks the fans for the incredible support: "Thanks to all the
fans and friends for the high number of votes for both bands (Blood
Tears and Seduced By Suicide), which shows how supportful you are,
since they were chosen in different months."

This contest is very important for Earth since both bands will be
judged by known musicians like Lemmy (Motorhead), Don Dokken (Dokken),
Snake Sabo (Skid Row), Katon W. (Hirax), and others. All of this is
part of the great response that Seduced By Suicide is receiving after
these first months after the release of the debut, GOTHIC DREAM, that
received four highest scores in the first reviews. GOTHIC DREAM is
still having a release negotiated with labels, but meanwhile the fans
can order it through the Web site http://www.seducedbysuicide.com/ .

Actually Earth is recording the forthcoming full-length of Blood
Tears.

Links:

- Seduced By Suicide - http://www.seducedbysuicide.com/
- Seduced By Suicide (MP3s) - http://www.myspace.com/seducedbysuicide

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Emperor Multimedia Update

NEW WEB SITE ACTIVE

Our RRCA, Diskery and Emperor Multimedia Web sites have been
successfully moved to the new server and upgraded. They are working
perfectly. We even managed to restore their old domains on the new
system so you can once again visit: http://rrca.diskery.com/ and get
the RRCA or http://www.diskery.com/ and get Diskery, and **NEW**
http://emperor.diskery.com/ !

There is still one more major upgrade needed to the RRCA Web site and
that will begin next week so please forgive service interruptions,
they are only temporary.

The Diskery site features full length sample audio tracks and the RRCA
now has full length sample audio tracks with those we have promotion
or Diskery sales agreements with, but more pictures and **NEW** band
logos!! Also **NEW** instant chat program is running and we were the
first on that Internet provider to ever use the Java Chat program! So,
please take some time to visit the Web site and have a look around!

BTW a message to bands and label: WE WANT YOUR AUDIOS AND VIDEOS....
we have room and can transmit them!! Let us know if you want to submit
something! Don't worry, it's simple... nothing to sign...

RRCA ACHIEVES ITS FIRST VIDEO TRANSMISSION

Despite a few bugs in the input software that need to be sorted out.
Today, Sunday May 14, 2006 at 11:00 AM EDT the RRCA transmitted its
first music video from its server in Vancouver, Canada. Lasting just
over four minutes in duration Season Of The Wolf's video
(appropriately titled: "Transmission") broadcasted without incident in
entirety using an access path open to the public. Thanks to SOTW for
the use of their material. The use of this video had been planned
several months ago when the programming had first started and was kept
a secret this whole time.

POLISHING OF METAL NEARLY COMPLETE

We would like to remind those who have sent material (audio, video or
pictures) to our POLISHING OF METAL CD-ROM and compilation project
that the construction of this work is nearly complete and to please
contact our representitives to make sure your material is in by June
6. Why June 6? That's the only time in our lifetime the calendar will
read "666," the 6th day of the 6th month of the 6th year!!! That's
when we plan the project to go to the factory for printing. We thought
it was a cute date too, especially for a Heavy Metal record!!!

Thanks for your continued support and please spread our gospel.... ;)

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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-Ajalon Has Joined The Lineup At Silent Planet Fest

Friends,

We have sad news that the band Revelation Project has dropped out of
the Silent Planet Fest due to legitimate personal issues. The good
news is that the Seattle prog band Ajalon is taking their place. This
will be the first time the band has performed live in almost a decade.
We are very honored. Here's a little bit about them:

Their music has touched hearts in over 10 different countries around
the world. With the initial discovery of Ajalon by Rick Wakeman (Yes),
Ajalon has released two CDs. The latest, titled ON THE THRESHOLD OF
ETERNITY, is graced by the talents of Rick Wakeman and Phil Keaggy
among others and features the grand scale composition merged with the
delicate heart cry of the acoustic folk ballad. Wil Henderson is the
front man bass player and principle songwriter of Ajalon, Dan Lile is
the explosive drummer that provides the energy and multi
instrumentalist and Randy George, has worked with Neal Morse (Spock's
Beard) and Mike Portnoy (Dream Theater) playing bass and co-writing
well as producing both CPR compilations.
http://www.ajalon.net/

Also added to the lineup this week is the Scranton, PA band Axeom. We
had the privilege to see this amazing group of young people at the AG
Fine Arts competition in Carlisle, PA where they won quite a few of
the competitions. Here's a bit about them:

A local group of high school students who can absolutely shred on
their instruments. The group is comprised of music prodigies, playing
a bred of hard rock that combines elements of guitar hero with an R&B,
Jazz flavored groove. Think what would happen if G3 meet Living
Colour. This is an up-in-coming group that needs to be heard.

For more information about the Silent Planet Festival go to
http://www.silentplanetfest.com/ .

http://www.silentplanetpromotions.com/
http://www.myspace.com/silentplanetpromotions
http://p066.ezboard.com/bbadboll (forum)
http://www.silentplanetradio.com/
http://www.silentplanetfest.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-3 Announces US Tour In Support Of New Album WAKE PIG

Band Has Been Receiving Critical Acclaim for Their Debut

Riding high off the success of their label debut WAKE PIG (November
2005, Metal Blade Records), 3 has revealed plans for a summer tour
that kicks off May 25th in Albany, NY and will have them criss-
crossing the country before ending June 30th in Riverside, CA.

WAKE PIG, which has been described as "musicality without pretension,"
seeks to transcend the conformity of modern pop culture with its
rapid-fire acoustic guitar, dynamic percussion, animated drumming and
thunderous bass. Since its release late last year, the album has been
receiving rave reviews from fans and critics alike, including Zero
Magazine who proclaimed "If you are a fan of music, and all things
that exude the finest of quality and musicianship, then please do
yourself a favor and listen to 3."

However, it's not just the critics who are taking notice of 3. After
hearing the band's album, Coheed And Cambria were so impressed by its
symphony of driving metal guitars and melodic vocal acrobatics, that
they invited 3 to join them on tour last year. 3 has also shared the
stage with the likes of Underoath, Boys Night Out, Bad Brains, The
Bronx, Orange 9mm, Vendetta Red, and Your Enemies Friends, and many
more.

Now, about to embark on a solo tour, 3 says that they couldn't be any
happier about the response that they have been receiving. "It's just
been an unbelievable experience," said __ of 3. "We aren't a band that
can be type cast as one genre or another which tends to confuse
people. But, we've seen a reverse reaction; it's like they're trying
to figure us out. Which is exactly what we're about."

WAKE PIG was produced by Tom Benton and includes 13 songs. The track
listing is as follows:

Alien Angel
Monster
Dregs
Wake Pig
Bramfatura
Trust
Dogs of War
Soul to Sell
One Way Town
Queen Circus Without Clowns
Where's Max?
Amaze Disgrace

3 tour dates include:

5/25 - Albany, NY - Red Square
5/27 - Toledo, OH - Headliners
5/31 - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Theatre w/ Fates Warning
6/01 - Azusa, CA - Smart City Grinds
6/02 - Los Angeles, CA - The Mint
6/05 - Hollywood, CA - Knitting Factory
6/09 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
6/10 - McAllen, TX - Nikke Rowe VFW
6/11 - Dallas, TX - Gypsy Tea Room
6/12 - Houston, TX - Walters on Washington
6/14 - Austin, TX - Stubb's Bar-B-Q
6/15 - Durant, OK - Haggard Hall
6/17 - Salt Lake City, UT - Captain's Quarters
6/19 - Boise, ID - The Venue
6/20 - Seattle, WA - Studio 7
6/21 - Spokane, WA - Fat Tuesday's
6/23 - Modesto, CA - Underground
6/24 - Roseville, CA - The Underground
6/26 - Fresno, CA - The Belmont
6/28 - Bakersfield, CA - The Dome
6/29 - San Diego, CA - Soma
6/30 - Riverside, CA - The Vibe

For more information about 3 and the latest tour dates, check out
http://www.theband3.com/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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-Darzamat's Nera In The Italian Flash Magazine!

The superb reviews of the latest Darzamat's album entitled
TRANSKARPATIA have still been rolling into. The record was given the
positive opinions by the German magazines such as: Heavy, Legacy, Rock
Hard, Bright Eyes, Bloodchamber, Metalglory, Ruhrmetal and
Ancientspirit as well as by the French Metallion and Crypticmadness,
Czech Spaark and Metalswamp, Belgian Rock Tribune and Prog-Nose,
Norwegian Scream, Sweden Rock, Latvian Music.lt, Brazilian Metal Zone,
Italian Shapeless and Dutch Lords Of Metal.

The band's achievements were also appreciated by the Italian magazine
Flash which gets about in the outlay of more than 30 thousand copies
per month.

Nera became the main character of the column entitled "Ladies Power"
which is devoted to the women who deal with metal music. The extensive
interview with Darzamat's vocalist was placed next to the articles
about Sarah Jezebel Deva from Angtoria, Cradle Of Filth and Lady
Angelica.

TRANSKARPATIA appears in Russia, Mexico and USA!

The Russian premiere of the latest Darzamat album entitled
TRANSKARPATIA took place on 15th May. The record appeared on the
Eastern European markets thanks to the licence of CD Maximum -- the
company from Moscow ( http://www.cd-maximum.ru/ ) which has already
been the publisher of the earlier band's albums: IN THE OPIUM OF BLACK
VEIL and SEMIDEVILISH.

In the nearest weeks TRANSKARPATIA will also be released in Mexico
thanks to the contract with the Mexican record company Divenia Records
( http://www.divenia.com/ ).

Additionally in August the album will appear on the American and
Canadian market thanks to the company MVD from Oaks, Pennsylvania (
http://mvdb2b.com/ ). MVD was founded in 1986 by Tom Seaman. It
specializes in producing, releasing, marketing and distributing music-
related DVDs for worldwide release and it's one of the leading
producers and distributors of music DVD in the US and the world.

A few examples of TRANSKARPATIA album from the press:

Metal Hammer (Poland) album of the month
Rock Tribune (Belgium) 90/100
Legacy (Germany) 12/15
Heavy (Germany) 9/12
Goth Zine (Germany) 5/5
Music.lt (Latvia) 9,5/10
Metal Zone (Brazil) 10/10
Crypticmadness (France) 6/6
Metalswamp (Czech Republic) 85/100
Shapeless (Italy) 8.5/10
Obskure (France) 76/100
Lords Of Metal (Holland) 87/100
Metalfan (Romania) 8.5/10
Kogaionon (Romania) 0.82/1
CGM (Poland) 4/5
Psychozine (Poland) 5/5
Trash'em'all (Poland) 8/10
Via Nocturna (Poland) 9/10
Bright Eyes (Germany) 10/13
Scream (Norway) 4/5
Metal Heart (Germany) 7,5/10
Metallion (France) 4/6
Spaark (Czech Republic) 4,5/6
Sweden Rock: 7/10
Obliveon (Germany) 7/10
Rock Station (Turkey) 7,5/10
Rock Hard (Germany) 7.5/10
Bloodchamber (Germany) 8.5/10
Dark Noise (Tunisia) 8/10
Prog-Nose (Belgium) 87/100
Abyss Magazine (Czech Republic) 75/100

Darzamat crew:

Nera – female vocals, Flauros – male vocals, Chris – guitars, Spectre
– keyboards, Bacchus – bass, Darkside – drums

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
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-Iced Earth News: Alive In 2006

[Note: This comes directly from http://www.icedearth.com/ . I hope
it's cool we're running it here... - Tim]

Posted by Jon Schaffer on 2006-05-08 21:18:03:

Hello Everyone!

I know I've been really lame with the updates and I'm sorry about
that. We've let things get pretty lax here at Iced Earth.com and we're
going to be making some changes in this in the not too distant future.
As some of you are aware, I'm not really the internet type of guy and
only use it for my email, and even that I avoid often (which does
annoy my business associates at times; but hey, that's what phones are
for!), so I spend as little time as possible on a computer; unless
it's my studio computer and I'm spending a LOT of time on that one.
Tim enjoys surfing and all of that stuff so he's going to be involved
in the IE site a lot more in the future. You'll be seeing some big
changes in the site with the release of the next IE CD.

Which actually brings me to the next bit of news... I'm completely
consumed in the writing process of what will be by far the most
ambitious album(s) IE has ever done. Some of you probably know that
the next 2 releases will comprise the full concept album of the
Something Wicked story line, Part 1 & Part 2. I know it's taken quite
some time to get this beast on its way to fruition, but it IS finally
happening, and I really feel the time is right. The goal is to make
this our most epic, dynamic, most melodic and heaviest CD ever.
Because of the depth and detail of the story it would be impossible to
do it on one CD, there simply is not enough time, so I'm writing both
parts at one time so that the continuity is there. If I were to wait a
year or two to start writing part 2 I would be in a completely
different frame of mind and it wouldn't work nearly as well, so the
best thing is to do all the writing at once. We'll get Part 1
recorded, mixed and released and then finish part 2 which will come
out about 6 months later. That's at least the preliminary plan. We are
still pretty early in the process but things are starting to move
along nicely.

I know it's been some time since the release of "The Glorious Burden"
and I ask you to please be patient because what's coming next is going
to blow you away. This is the album that IE fans have been waiting
for.

I want to apologize to the European fans for not making it over there
for a headline tour on the last album. My back problems got too
intense to be on the road and that really screwed things up for
everyone, myself, the rest of the guys in the band, our crew, the
promoters etc.. We would have toured a lot more than we did had I not
had these problems. The great thing is that the last surgical
procedure I had in October of 2004 seems to have worked to make the
pain much more tolerable. I did very extensive therapy for many months
and am committed to being in the best shape of my life by the time we
tour again. It's good to be enjoying life for the first time in a very
long time.

I'd like to take this opportunity to thank those of you that have
picked up the Demons & Wizards "Touched by the Crimson King" CD. Sales
have been excellent worldwide and again have exceeded myself and
Hansi's expectations. It outsold the 1st release in mere months in
many territories, (including the US), around the world and charted
high in several European countries. The normal mode of operation is to
get out and push the CD by doing live shows but due to Hansi's
activities with Blind Guardian and my writing schedule for the next IE
release it will probably be a while before we do any live shows. We
knew we had a small window of opportunity to get this one recorded and
released and were aware that touring was going to be done at a later
date from the beginning. We felt it had been too long since the first
CD was released so we opted for this plan instead of waiting another 2
years to get the 2nd CD out. We will be doing a live CD at some point
here in the States, probably NYC, and that's sure to be quite an
event!

2005 was a very special year for me. My daughter was born and it's
been by far the greatest thing that's ever happened to me. After so
many years of ass breaking work to keep this band alive and successful
it was time for me to take care of #1. So I devoted my time to my
health and my family and it was great. My batteries definitely needed
recharging. Things are in perspective like never before and I feel
more determined and more focused than ever. I can say in full
confidence that this is coming through in the music.

Contrary to some rumors IE is still very much alive and will be coming
back with a vengeance, stronger and more driven than ever to spread
our brand of metal. Tim, Bobby and I are very much looking forward to
getting these CD's in the can and getting back out to see you all
again.

I haven't concentrated until recently with filling the open positions
as there are plenty of very talented musicians out there that would
love to be a part of the IE legacy. We get hit with demos and email
constantly from a lot of great players, even when we're not looking.
I'm checking out a few people and announcements will be made when the
decisions have been made.

I'll leave another post here in the near future with some titles and
updates on the writing and happenings in IE world.

Until next time, Cloven Hooves up!

\m/ \m/

Best to you all,

Jon

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-There's a new Dead End Kidz interview on-line now in the blog section
of http://www.myspace.com/brianhendrickson . See
http://www.myspace.com/dekmusic for more on the band.

-Evergrey tour dates:

5/18 - Big Easy, Spokane, WA
5/19 - McDonald Theatre, Eugene, OR
5/20 - Senator Theatre, Chico, CA
5/21 - New Oasis, Sparks, NV
5/23 - Rialto Theatre, Tucson, AZ
5/25 - Cain's Ballroom, Tulsa, OK
5/26 - New Daisy Theatre, Memphis, TN
5/27 - House of Blues, New Orleans, LA
5/28 - The Beta Bar, Tallahassee, FL
5/29 - Club Rain, Jacksonville, FL
5/30 - Revolution, Ft. Lauderdale, FL
9/15 - ProgPower USA, Atlanta, GA

-The release of HourCast's STATE OF DISGRACE on Alkamedia Records has
been pushed back to June 20. More dates have been added to the band's
opening stint for Sevendust:

5/21 - Memorial Auditorium, Evansville, IN
5/24 - Innsbrook Pavilion, Richmond, VA
5/25 - Coca Cola 600, Charlotte, NC (free show)

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

-The six members of Leaves' Eyes were able to set a Guinness World
Record last Tuesday, May 9, by each signing 5,000 copies -- for a
total of 30,000 signatures -- of the limited edition version of the
new EP called LEGEND LAND. The disc is due ut July 18 in North America
on Napalm Records, with the limited edition only being available in
stores in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland, or via the Web site
http://www.napalmrecords.com/ .

-There's a new interview with The Lizards guitarist Patrick Klein at
http://www.lizardswebsite.com/grtrpat.htm . The "10 Questions With..."
feature was done for GetReadyToRock.com and has Klein talking about
the band's recent tours with UFO and Glenn Hughes, and jamming with
Robert Plant in the UK.

-Check out http://savecentres.blogspot.com/ for info on a contest to
win a set of three Motorhead expanded edition CDs.

-Shark Island will release a brand new album entitled GATHERING OF THE
FAITHFUL on July 7 via Frontiers Records. The band's official Web site
will be on-line in the upcoming weeks at
http://www.sharkislandmusic.com/ .

-TNT has announced that vocalist Tony Mills (Shy/Shy England, Siam)
has replaced the recently departed Tony Harnell. See
http://www.tnttheband.com/ for the official announcement.

-Tribuzy's asking fans to vote for its debut album EXECUTION as "Best
Heavy Metal Album" in the Brazilian indie music awards "The Diamond
Prize." Votes can be cast at http://www.dynamite.com.br/premio until
June 30. See http://www.tribuzy.com/ or contact fc@... for
more.

Thanks to Mike Abramson, Jason Ritchie, Nathan Birk, Luiz Correra,
Eric Corbin, and Batttttty for help gathering some of this
information.

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

-I've given Beyond Twilight's newie, FOR THE LOVE OF ART AND THE
MAKING (Nightmare Records), a couple of spins this week. It's an odd
bird of a concept album, that's fer sure. Dig this from the press kit:

"The concept is compounded by 43 sections and 3 hidden sections. The
sections are [pieces of a puzzle]. Lyrics and music both play
important roles. Each section has its own life/story and every section
is a brick in the whole puzzle. Depending on in which order you listen
to the pieces of the puzzle you'll get a new picture of FOR THE LOVE
OF ART AND THE MAKING. So you can really understand this piece of work
in numerous different ways. It's up to you how you gather the puzzle."

The kit also says the album's concept deals with "the larger things in
life," and goes on to list "life, death, love, . . . sadness, joy,
anger, every possible emotions humans have, human nature." I read all
of this and figured with 43 tracks the single-disc album had to be up
near the 80-minute mark, right? But no. It clocks in at just shy of 38
minutes. So yeah, some of the tracks are very short. My favorite is
"Cold As Blue - Like A Candle You Start To Drip" which clocks in at
all of 23 seconds. It takes longer to type that title than to listen
to the track... Ah, prog metal.

And what's up with that whole notion of listening to the tracks in
different orders to "gather the puzzle?" This immediately made me
think of two other track-sequence-challenged concept albums, Kiss'
MUSIC FROM "THE ELDER" (1981) and Blue Oyster Cult's IMAGINOS (1988).
IMAGINOS' tracks were purposely ordered incorrectly by the band but
you could discern the correct order by reading the liner notes. (The
storyline had something to do with time travel, if I remember
correctly, but I think it really was just the BOC guys making fun of
pretentious concept albums!) "THE ELDER," of course, was a different
matter as the record company guys were the ones who messed with the US
version's track order, so as to put more immediate, single-type songs
at the starts of Side 1 (rocker "The Oath") and Side 2 (ballad "A
World Without Heroes"). This was fixed when the album was re-mastered
and reissued on 1997, and the originally-intended track order -- hey
wow!, the one that actually followed the story! -- was restored.

Back to Beyond Twilight... We hope to have a review soon, after
somebody here at Detritus finds those dang "hidden" sections on the
disc... In the meantime check out http://www.beyondtwilight.dk/ and
http://www.Nightmare-Records.com/ for more on the band and album.

-Now in my current playlist: Pyramaze - LEGEND OF THE BONE CARVER
(Nightmare Records), Venturia - THE NEW KINGDOM (Lion Music),
Sepultura - DANTE XXI (SPV), Hubi Meisel - KAILASH (Lion Music).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
HOURCAST – STATE OF DISGRACE (C) Alkamedia Records, 2006
13 tracks (14th hidden), RT: 53:22
[ http://www.hourcast.com/ ]
[ http://www.alkamedia.com/ ]
Wow, I listened to this album and thought to myself that Trent Reznor
should sue these guys for stealing his voice. Then I read their press
junket and they mention Nine Inch Nails as a major influence, so I
guess they found the sound they wanted. HourCast should have made this
album about four or five years ago. You know back when Staind, Flaw,
and Soil all came out. If you have heard any of those bands you know
exactly what HourCast sounds like. If you are unfamiliar with that
stuff then just imagine Trent Reznor lending vocals to Flaw's THROUGH
THE EYES and you have STATE OF DISGRACE. Except that "Trent" -- or
Patrick McBride as he likes to call himself -- does not have as much
talent as Trent used to have. I'm pretty sure if I had heard this back
when this sound was popular I might have given them a shot but now
that I am jaded and have returned to my full crazy metal self,
HourCast casts a pretty weak shadow. STATE OF DISGRACE is not bad but
it's just not good either. - Rick Berg (strngbrg@...)

KORPIKLAANI – TALES ALONG THIS ROAD (A+) Napalm Records, 2006
10 tracks, RT: 42:33
[ http://www.korpiklaani.com/ ]
[ http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ]
Sweet merciful crap! This stuff is addictive. Korpiklaani's Finnish
folk metal has consumed me. The easiest way (if possible) to describe
their sound is Russian (although they are Finnish) punk metal with
violins and flutes and accordions. Sure every track sounds almost
identical to the last but that does not matter. TALES ALONG THIS ROAD
has so much vitality and power and spirit that you can't help rocking
out to it. Who cares if some tracks are completely in Finnish -- the
melodies and composition are flawless. With a track where the main
chorus that is repeated over and over is "Happy Little Boozer," how
can you not like this band? This is the soundtrack of celebration
after your Viking hordes have returned home. Super catchy, highly
addictive -- Korpiklaani kicks major ass. Wholeheartedly recommended
for fans of all things different and fun. - Rick Berg
(strngbrg@...)

*
*** OUT ***
*