Detritus
Issue #375
Week of July 31, 2006
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*
*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Patrick Brower, Editor
patrickbrower@...

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
lof@...

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@...

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

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-At least this week we're only late one day, so that's progress again.
Stay tuned for a mini-issue tomorrow, too. And just to give you a
head's up so you can plan accordingly (ha ha!), I may take a short
"summer break" and skip next week's issue. We shall see... - Tim

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-MVD Visual To Release Two New DVD Titles In The "Under Review" Series
From Sexy Intellectual On August 29, 2006: Queen (1980-1991) & Sandy
Denny

MVD Visual and Sexy Intellectual are pleased to announce the home
viewing release of two new DVD titles in the "Under Review" Series for
US distribution on DVD. The series will be released on August 29, 2006
and each DVD will retail at $19.95.

QUEEN - UNDER REVIEW 1980-1991

In the 1980s Queen became the confident, mature yet still challenging
band they'd always threatened to be. Unlike many groups who'd broken
through in the early 1970s, Queen were unaffected by the onslaught of
punk; they were neither old wave nor new wave, they were just Queen.
Queen - UNDER REVIEW 1980-1991 features live and studio performances
by the group, rare interviews and a host of other features all
interspersed with the independent review and criticism from a panel of
esteemed experts. These include: broadcaster, journalist and long term
friend of Freddie Mercury, Paul Gambaccini; music author and Classic
Rock Magazine journalist, Malcolm Dome and many others.

Track list: "I Want It All," "Flash," "Princes Of The Universe,"
"Under Pressure," "Las Palabras De Amor," "Body Language," "Radio Ga
Ga," "We Will Rock You," "Hammer To Fall," "I Want To Break Free,"
"Living On My Own," "It's A Kind Of Magic," "One Vision," "Who Wants
To Live Forever," "The Miracle," "The Show Must Go On," "These Are The
Days Of Our Lives," "Heaven For Everyone" Short Film, "We Will Rock
You" (From The Musical).

Bonus Features: Extended Interviews, "The Queen Collector" -
Interactive digital Queen quiz, Beyond DVD section & more.

Selection #: CVIS399
UPC: 823564508191
Run Time: 90 minutes

SANDY DENNY - UNDER REVIEW

"My favourite singer out of all the British girls that ever were." -
Robert Plant

This documentary film reviews the music and career one of Britain's
finest female vocalists and songwriters: Sandy Denny. She is revered
deeply amongst fans of folk music and the singer-songwriter genre, but
has never received universal acclaim for her tremendous talent. This
program attempts to redress this imbalance and reveal why she remains
such an inspiration to so many. The features include obscure footage
and rarely seen photographs, musical performances reviewed and re-
assessed by a team of esteemed experts, and live and studio recordings
of Sandy Denny classics, reappraised by our panel of contributors.

Track list: "Solo," "Crazy Man Blues," "I'm A Dreamer," "Northstar
Grassman," "Next Time Around," "The Pond And The Stream," "This
Train," "Blackwaterside," "Green Grows The Laurels," "It'll Take A
Long Time," "It Suits Me Well," "One More Sad Refrain," "Like An Old
Fashioned Waltz."

Bonus Features: "Remembering Sandy Denny," "The first Sandy Denny
digital interactive quiz," Full contributor biographies.

Selection #: SIDVD507
UPC: 823564508498
Run Time: 90 minutes

Please visit us on the Web at http://www.mvdb2b.com/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Seasons Of The Wolf Update

Metal Masters Presents - Seasons Of The Wolf - Live!

Saturday night - August 5th - At Bourbon Street Night Club - New Port
Richey, FL
For directions and details:
http://www.clubbourbonstreet.com/
Come on out and join us and sport those SOTW T-shirts if you got 'em!

**See the new Seasons Of The Wolf music video "Wings Of Doom" featured
here:
http://www.realitysnap.com/seasons_of_the_wolf3.htm

*Modern Knives Video Magazine - SOTW songs from Nocturnal Revelation
featured:
http://modernknives.com/issue6.htm

*A new review of NOCTURNAL REVELATION from Toxic Shock TV:
http://www.toxicshock.tv/musicreviews/musicreviews13.htm

*Here is a little write-up I found about the Xtreme Soundscape show at
the Haunt in Ithaca from April 29th 06:
http://xtremesoundscapes.blogspot.com/

Also see photos from The Haunt NY show and The Sky Club in Ohio show
here:
http://www.sotwmetal.com/photopage1.html

** Friday September 15th Seasons Of The Wolf - LIVE! UDTV Thrash &
Bash at Eddie C's in
Gainesville, FL
http://www/eddiecs.com/

NEW SOTW WEBSITE DESIGN
And check merch page for all the SOTW T-shirts available!
http://www.sotwmetal.com/

Also see history page for some really cool layout. Click on each photo
and get a brief history for that time.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-American Heartbreak Completes New Video

Bay Area rockers American Heartbreak have posted a video for the song
"The Last Of The Superheroes (Of The 1970s)" -- the first single from
their new self-titled album -- on-line.

The video -- shot and directed by Bam 13 Films -- was filmed at The
Arrow, a San Francisco rock bar, as well as the band's own rehearsal
space. Guitarist Billy Rowe comments on the shoot: "The song lyrically
pays tribute to some of our true rock n' roll heroes of the 1970s,
which gave us the idea to include animated images of old 8-track
players, platform shoes, cool cars and more, along with a mocking
intro of the classic '70s late-night TV show, 'Don Kirshner's Rock
Concert.' The video starts off with an introduction of the band from
bass player Michael Butler portraying the late night host. Dressed in
an oversized jean leisure suit coat with a nicely combed-over hairdo
and a dry personality, the video is hilarious from the start!

"A few good friends, girlfriends and family members gave us their
Sunday afternoon time as our audience for the live footage along with
our good pal Mick Cripps (who's best known as rhythm guitarist with
the original L.A. Guns) as the creepy door guy who denies the band to
enter the club and then gets flashed by American Heartbreak's album
cover model, Justine Nelson, as the band then sneaks past him. Justine
is also seen again throughout the video in some great scenes of her
blowing bubbles with images of each band member inside, along with her
go-go dancing in her little stars and stripes bikini. The end result
is a good fun Rock N' Roll video with a bit of sex and comedy. We had
a blast making it and look forward to filming the next one."

As previously reported, American Heartbreak's self-titled album was
released in Japan this week through Big M.F./B-Gram records, and the
band will perform its first-ever Japanese concerts this fall.

American Heartbreak on tour:

August 2 - San Francisco, CA @ The Elbo Room (w/ The Flairs)
August 10 - Seattle, WA @ The Sunset Tavern
August 12 - Bellingham, WA @ The Nightlight Lounge
August 24 - San Francisco, CA @ Bottom Of The Hill (w/ All Time High)
November 9 - Tokyo, Japan @ Outbreak
November 10 - Tokyo, Japan @ Outbreak
November 11 - Tokyo, Japan @ Live Freak
November 12 - Tokyo, Japan @ Live Freak

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Esoteric Pop/Rock Group LeGrand Releases American Debut

MALMO, Sweden -- For the Swedish esoteric pop/rock band LeGrand,
there's no room for family squabbles, with two sets of brothers making
up the majority of its lineup.

"Having two pairs of brothers in the band can sometimes lead to some
arguments when writing a song," said keyboardist Fredrik Tillaeus,
whose brother Anders plays sings and plays guitar in LeGrand. "But
that is also our strength as a band. We know each other so well that
we can be honest with each other. So, sometimes a song can be finished
in like ten minutes; other times it takes weeks, the song being left
half-finished before we pick it up and re-discover it. At its best,
it's a democratic process where everyone feels happy with the result.
But as I said, sometimes it's blood, sweat, and tears before having a
finished song. In the end, it's almost always worth the hardships."

LeGrand began to truly come together in the year 2000, solidifying its
lineup and searching its musical imagination for a sound to call its
own.

"It took a while for us to get things going, trying to create a sound
that we felt was 'us,' so to speak," Frederik said. "In the beginning
the material was quite diverse, as we tested a lot of different stuff
before coming up with a sound and material that we felt at home with."

The group hooked up with its label, Roasting House, through a sort of
coincidence. There was a music industry workshop taking place at the
studio where LeGrand was rehearsing and a friend submitted the band's
band demo for critique. The recording was one of four selected for
review and Anders "Theo" Theander from Roasting House took an
immediately liking to it. The end result was LeGrand's demo track
"Calling You" being included on a Roasting House compilation and a
recording contract with the label.

The self-titled debut was recorded during the summer of 2003 and is
now available in America via Roasting House/Locomotive Records. "I
guess you could say that we've learnt that sometimes less is more,"
said Frederik. "You don't have to have a wall of sound all the time.
And I think this is something which will be even more apparent on our
next record."

http://www.roastinghouse.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Code Of Perfection Brings Inspired Guitar Playing Back To Metal

Code Of Perfection is re-introducing the concept of exciting music
based on frenetic, masterful guitar playing with its first release,
LAST EXIT FOR THE LOST, out now on Limb Music.

The innovative guitarist Thorsten Koehne, who previously spent time
slinging his axe for Attack and Demon Drive, is the mainman behind
Code Of Perfection. "It started out as my solo project but during the
production grew up to be a real band," he said. "We hope to play live
a lot!"

The good portion of LAST EXIT FOR THE LOST's songs came from Koehne's
repertoire of demoed material, which he had hoped to one day record in
a professional studio. To do that, he enlisted the help of some
friends, like drummer Frank Kraus, whom he had played with in Demon
Drive. "I knew about his musical and technical abilities so he was
first choice for drums," Koehne said.

Others came into the fold through recommendations. "Our producer
Jochen Mayer suggested Carsten 'Lizard' Schulz for vocals and he also
fit in just perfectly," said Koehne. "He has an amazing voice! Then
Carsten brought in Keisuke Nishimoto for bass. He's like the Japanese
Billy Sheehan on bass and just an awesome virtuoso on his instrument.
Again, he just fit in perfectly!"

Code Of Perfection wraps all sorts of musical elements into its music,
resulting in a fascinating metal mixture rife with crazy songwriting
and fast and furious guitars.

"I see a lot of bands today that just gear towards a certain sound
they wanna do and that's it," said Koehne. "They don't seem to be
challenging their musical and technical abilities on their instruments
very much, and it looks like they don't really have fun playing. With
Code Of Perfection we always try to play to the limit and as perfect
as we can and it's just fun to be able to play what you want and
really fly on your instrument."

http://www.limb-music.de/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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-Blanc Faces Offer Up Dynamic Melodic Rock On New Release

With a couple decades of playing music under their belts, together and
with other artists, brothers Robbie and Brian La Blanc have teamed up
for a new release together under the moniker of Blanc Faces.

The duo -- Robbie on rhythm guitar and Brian on bass and background
vocals -- have teamed up with drummer Kyle Woodring (Dennis DeYoung/
Styx, Survivor, John Mellencamp), keyboardist Jeff Batter, and lead
guitarist Butch Taylor, along with some additional drum tracks by Tony
Archer, to create a dynamic album rock, rife with great melodies,
solid vocals, and terrific solos.

The siblings connected with Frontiers when a friend sent a demo to
label president Serafino Perugino, who also asked to them to
contribute a couple songs to a release from the band Ambition.

"We record the stuff in our home studio with a good friend of ours,
Steve Milo," Brian said. "The record was mixed in Germany by Dennis
Ward (Pink Cream 69), who I thought did a terrific job."

Brian is the main songwriter of the group, with some collaboration
from Robbie. "My brother Brian writes most of the songs and he hears
it a certain way in his head," said Robbie. "After a while working it
out, we'll play around a bit and have some fun with it. Sometimes we
go at it pretty good but we both want the same thing so it usually
works out. It's easier arguing when you're brothers!"

Originally hailing from Stamford, Conn., the brothers had one release
in '80s under the name of Fury, which was produced by Felix Cavaliere
of the Rascals. They've also been involved in projects with members of
Toto and have worked with Michael Bolton, Arif Mardin, and Rupert
Holmes of "Pina Colada" fame.

http://www.frontiers.it/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-Dominus Praelii Will Release A Vinyl Edition Of BASTARDS & KILLERS

Besides the CD and slipcase CD editions of BASTARDS & KILLERS, through
Megahard and Marquee Records, the Brazilian heavy metal band Dominus
Praelii signed with the label Dark Sun to release a vinyl edition of
their last album, and the release is expected in August.

The band is still playing in the Be A Banger Or Be A Bastard South
American Tour - 2006, which should pass through 50 cities of South
America, a number never reached before by a rock/metal band before.

Every news related to the tour are available through the band's Web
site, http://www.dominuspraelii.com/ , and some samples of the new
album can be downloaded through the band's MySpace page at
http://www.myspace.com/dominuspraelii .

Related links:

- Dominus Praelii (Website) - http://www.dominuspraelii.com/
- Dominus Praelii (MySpace) - http://www.myspace.com/dominuspraelii
- Dominus Praelii (Orkut) -
http://www.orkut.com/Community.aspx?cmm=679165

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
*
-Asia Reunites

Asia, the first supergroup to emerge with the dawn of the MTV-age, has
reunited with its original lineup intact to celebrate the band's 25th
anniversary. The founding members of Asia emerged from classic rock
icons Yes, Emerson Lake & Palmer, King Crimson, and The Buggles, and
released one of the most enduring and commercially successful debut
albums of all time, simply entitled ASIA.

The reunion of the band's original lineup marks the first time all
four founding members will be playing together since 1983. In addition
to ASIA hits including "Heat Of The Moment," "Only Time Will Tell,"
"Sole Survivor," "Don't Cry," and others, the band will play
selections from their individual careers. Audiences can expect to hear
such rock radio staples as "Roundabout" (from Yes); "In The Court Of
The Crimson King" (from King Crimson); "Video Killed The Radio Star"
(from The Buggles); "Fanfare For The Common Man" (from Emerson Lake &
Palmer) and other rock classics.

VH1 Classic will present the tour, which has been viewed as one of the
most anticipated reunion tours of the decade. Collectively as Asia,
and in their various other bands, the four original members have sold
over 200 million records since 1970.

The tour will take the supergroup to many cities and countries where
it has never previously performed, starting with an intimate show at
the Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY on August 29, in
celebration of popular drive-time DJ Dave Kane's 25th anniversary with
radio station WCMF. Among the noted appearances on the tour will be:
two nights at the Nokia Theater in Times Square, Manhattan; Boston's
legendary Avalon Ballroom; Trump's Marina Casino in Atlantic City, NJ;
and the House Of Blues concert theater in Las Vegas, Nevada. The US
tour will be followed by a trek through the band's native UK, ending
December 3; and a nationwide tour of Japan in March next year. An
extensive global tour throughout the remainder of 2007 will follow.

"We've waited a long time to put the original lineup back together
once again," says vocalist and bassist, John Wetton. "Although we
always remained friendly, we had all moved on to other musical
commitments. With the 25th Anniversary coming up, it just seemed like
the right time to bring back the music we made as Asia." Since the
demise of the original lineup in 1983, the members had worked in
various combinations, including numerous versions of Asia that
performed with one or two of the original members. Only now, has the
band re-emerged with all four of the founding members.

"There is a certain chemistry and energy that comes out when the four
of us are working together," says drummer Carl Palmer, who -- after he
left Asia -- returned to ELP for several years, and continues to
record and tour with his own power trio. "There is a distinct pedigree
that was the foundation of the band, and that history was always
apparent in the music we created during that period. It feels good to
be playing those classic songs again with the guys who wrote and
recorded them originally."

"This is the REAL ASIA," says guitarist Steve Howe. "There have been
other versions of the band, but this original lineup is the one that
the public truly embraced. Since we only toured for a couple of years,
it will be nice, finally, to play for audiences all over the world,
many of whom never had a chance to see the group in concert, until
now."

Adds Geoffrey Downes: "We've all remained dedicated to our craft of
making compelling and powerful music. After many years apart, I think
we all bring a new and very fresh attitude to the music from our
initial studio recordings. I am looking forward to playing these songs
on stage with these musicians, once again."

Originally released on Geffen Records in 1982, the debut ASIA album
scored four Top 10 Billboard and Radio hits and stayed at the #1 spot
on the Billboard Top 100 album chart for an astounding nine weeks.
Only a handful of albums such as Pink Floyd's DARK SIDE OF THE MOON
and Michael Jackson's THRILLER have been #1 on the Billboard charts
for a longer time. Universal Records will mount a worldwide catalogue
campaign in celebration of ASIA's landmark anniversary.

The initial leg of the 25th Anniversary tour will include these shows
and cities:

Tues. August 29 - ROCHESTER, NY - Water Street Music Hall
Thur. August 31 - ATLANTIC CITY, NJ - Trump Marina Casino
Fri. September 1 - JIM THORPE, PA - Penn's Peak
Sat. September 2 - NIAGARA FALLS, NY - Seneca Niagara Casino
Sun. September 3 - MASHATUCKET, CT - Foxwood Casino
Thur. September 7 - BOSTON, MA - Avalon Ballroom
Fri. September 8 - NEW YORK, NY - Nokia Theater
Sat. September 9 - NEW YORK, NY - Nokia Theater
Sun. September 10 - NORWALK, CT - Oyster Festival
Tues. September 12 - RED BANK, NJ - Count Basie Theater
Wed. September 13 - PHILADELPHIA, PA - Keswick Theater
Fri. September 15 - CLEVELAND, OH - House Of Blues
Sat. September 16 - CHICAGO, IL - Park West
Sun. September 17 - MILWAUKEE, WI - Pabst Theater
Wed. September 20 - LONG BEACH, CA - The Vault
Thur. September 21 - LAS VEGAS, NV - House Of Blues
Fri. September 22 - FOUNTAIN HILLS, AZ - Radisson Casino
Sat. September 23 - LOS ANGELES, CA - Canyon Club
Sun. September 24 - PALM DESERT, CA - McCallum Theater

UK TOUR

Tue. November 28 - Liverpool Carling Academy
Wed. November 29 - Newcastle Carling Academy
Thur. November 30 - Glasgow Carling Academy
Fri. December 1 - Wolverhampton Wulfrun Halls
Sun. December 3 - London Shepherds Bush Empire

http://www.originalasia.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
*
-Z Records News

CLUB Z ROCK OPENS THIS SATURDAY!

This Saturday sees the launch of an all new AOR / Classic rock night
for the NW of England.

Doors open 9 p.m. with admission £3 before 10 p.m. along with special
drinks promotions and a free cd to the first 100 through the door.

Club Z Rock is situated at the Cricketer, Keats Ave, Poolstock, Wigan.
For further information e-mail midas.ent@..., call 01695
725725 or visit our Web site at http://www.myspace.com/clubzrock .

The venue is located just off Junc 26 of the M6 for those travelling
South and Junc 25 of the M6 for those travelling North with more than
ample secure free parking right outside the venue!

If you decide to stay at a hotel the following are recommended....

MAPLE HOTEL
35, Upper Dicconson St, Wigan, Lancashire WN1 2AG
Tel: 01942 243537
Quality Hotel Wigan

River Way, Wigan, Lancashire WN1 3SS
Tel: 01942 826888

The Bellingham Hotel
141-149, Wigan Lane, Wigan, Lancashire WN1 2NB
Tel: 01942 243893

Swan & Railway Hotel
80, Wallgate, Wigan, Lancashire WN1 1BA
Tel: 01942 495032

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*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
*
-Sean Chambers: Evolution And Tribulations While Recording Sophomore
Album HUMBLE SPIRITS

TAMPA -- Critically acclaimed blues rock guitarist Sean Chambers has
released his second album titled HUMBLE SPIRITS.

Chambers' relentless touring schedule throughout the world, both as a
solo artist and as musical director and guitarist for Hubert Sumlin,
was the catalyst for the amalgamation of styles that can be found on
HUMBLE SPIRITS. Although his guitar playing has never been referred to
as "standard," Chambers' new material clearly indicates that he is
comfortable with creating music that stretches the standard blues rock
envelope.

"We are inspired by the blues -- older traditional blues like Muddy
Waters and Howlin' Wolf, as well as a lot of my personal guitar heroes
like Jimi Hendrix, Johnny Winter, Billy Gibbons and Robin Trower,"
said Chambers. "Even though we get a lot of inspiration from the real
blues guys, our sound is more of a rock feel with obvious blues roots.
It's a melting pot of all our influences."

Along with longtime members bassist Tim Blair, drummer Paul Broderick
and keyboardist Ben Crider, HUMBLE SPIRITS was produced by Bud Snyder
(Allman Brothers / Gov't Mule) and features guest appearances by a
who's who of blues rock heavyweights. Bernard Allison, Frankie and
Danny Toler (Allman Brothers), Bobby T. Torello (Johnny Winter '74-
'81) and Greg Allman Band alumnus Bruce Waibel participated in the
recording session. Sadly, Bruce unexpectedly passed away while still
recording the sessions. Waibel appears on five of the 10 tracks on the
record.

As if Bruce Waibel's passing during the sessions wasn't hard enough to
work through, Chamber's grandfather and keyboard player Ben Crider's
father both passed away during the recording of HUMBLE SPIRITS.

"It all seemed very unreal," said Chambers. "This album took us almost
a year to complete. I know they would all be proud of HUMBLE SPIRITS."

Beginning August 4, Sean Chambers will tour extensively throughout the
Southeast. One of the tour highlights will be an appearance at the
Paola Roots Festival in Payola, Kansas on August 26.

HUMBLE SPIRITS is released on Rockview Records and is distributed
nationwide through Fontana/Universal.

Track Listing:

"Return To Groove"
"Foolin'"
"Rock Me Baby"
"Tom Cat"
"Loneliness"
"Livin' Together (Ain't Always Easy)"
"I Still Love You"
"I'm Ready Now"
"Time Passes"
"Love Can Find A Way"
"Humble Spirits"

Live Dates:

08/04/06 - Fri. - Lou's Blues, Indialantic, FL
08/05/06 - Sat. - Bradfordville Blues Club, Tallahassee, FL
08/12/06 - Sat. - Music Ranch, Lakeland, FL
08/18/06 - Fri. - Skipper's Smokehouse, Tampa, FL
08/26/06 - Sat. - Paola Roots Festival, Paola, KS
09/01/06 - Fri. - Gatorz, Port Charlotte, FL
09/08/06 - Fri. - Ringside Cafe, St. Petersburg, FL
09/09/06 - Sat. - Ringside Cafe, St. Petersburg, FL
09/15/06 - Fri. - Charlie B's, Albany, GA
09/16/06 - Sat. - Darwin's, Marietta, GA
10/13/06 - Fri. - Gatorz, Port Charlotte, FL
10/14/06 - Sat. - Music Ranch, Lakeland, FL
10/20/06 - Fri. - Ringside Cafe, St. Petersburg, FL
10/21/06 - Sat. - Ringside Cafe, St. Petersburg, FL
11/24/06 - Fri. - Gatorz, Pt. Charlotte, FL
12/01/06 - Fri. - Ringside Cafe, St. Petersburg, FL
12/02/06 - Sat. - Ringside Cafe, St. Petersburg, FL
12/29/06 - Fri. - Gatorz, Port Charlotte, FL

http://www.seanchambers.com/
http://www.mazurpr.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
*
-Blissed's Latest CORROSIVE Is Shipping This Week -- "Superhero"
Current Single Going For Adds Now

Blissed is a dynamic force in today's often mundane rock and roll
climate. Founded by David Pearson (Vocals/Guitar) in 2002 along with
Jeff Miller (Lead Guitar/Vocals), Geoff Breen (Bass/Vocals) and Nathan
Kojak (drums) Blissed delivers an explosive brand of hard rock written
for a wide audience.

During 2002 Blissed recorded their debut full length release titled
WAKING UP THE DEAD. This CD went to retail through Central South
Distribution, Bayside and Select O Hits. The CD was well received as
were the songs from WAKING UP THE DEAD on radio. Partnering with Pure
Tracking, Concrete Marketing and Skateboard, Blissed received airplay
throughout North America and Europe. They broke the top 50 on the CMJ
charts, received airplay on FMBQ and found themselves in many 'Top
10s' in the CCM market as well, on some staying in the top ten for up
to 16 weeks.

During the first weeks of the Waking Up The Dead Tour Blissed toured
from California to Michigan, through the Mid West and to Texas. With
each venture building a stronger fan base all leading to the
opportunity to tour Europe. The European tour had the purpose of
introducing the band to a new audience with explosive shows and also
to avail the band to press. The live shows were explosive! The first
set, performed in Holland, saw a crowd of more than 4,000. The
promoter of the event was so impressed that they had the band do a
second set in the Netherlands the very next day. This concert saw the
band headline a group of five bands and many in attendance were new
loyal Blissed fans. Blissed then traveled through Belgium and France
and into the UK for yet more dates in England and north into Scotland.
After two more shows in Glasgow and Edinburgh respectively the band
finished up the tour in London at the infamous Garage, the same club
that had just hosted P.O.D. and the Red Hot Chili Peppers. During the
busy schedule of live sets the band sat down with many eager press
representatives for interviews and introductions. Powerplay, CCM,
Hebbez, Rock Tribune and Metal Hammer are a few in print as well as
many radio stations throughout Europe.

Finding themselves home again in North America led the band to the
only logical next step, intensive touring. On the last leg of touring
Blissed performed in the following cities: Niagara Falls, Atlanta,
Orlando, Jacksonville, Chattanooga, Nashville, New York City, Long
Island, Youngstown, Cleveland, Detroit, Battle Creek, Wilmington,
Tulsa, Fort Worth and Wichita. All of this touring has landed Blissed
an endorsement deal with Jackson Guitars and a sponsorship agreement
with Monster Energy Drinks. Yet Blissed recognizes that this is only
the beginning, that they have only scratched the surface of the
potential for the band. The new full length release titled CORROSIVE
is now complete. Mastered at Sterling Sound by the same engineer that
worked on Green Day's AMERICAN IDIOT, Slipknot and Stryper's reunion
CD REBORN. With this new release comes an intensive marketing plan...
a full radio servicing program, music videos shot in High Definition
Wide Screen for every track on the CD, and a 14 month touring schedule
with plans on performing coast to coast in North America and back over
seas to Europe and the Far East. Blissed now has a firm foundation
laid and a very focused plan for the future, 2006 promises to be a
very exciting year for Blissed and fans of their music.

INDUSTRY COMMENTS

Bob Rock - "This CD is real thick and heavy, very nice."

Reign Radio - Daytona Beach - "Heavy stuff, it has pop edge to it but
still absolutely heavy!"

O.C. Weekly - "Blissed trucks largely in a visionary interpretation,
creating art that enlightens, inspires and intrigues."

HM Magazine - "Current metal album not to miss!"

Intense Radio - Nashville - "I can't wait to see these guys live!"

KFSG - Los Angeles - "Very good, very, very solid."

Total Rock - London England - "Intriguing and intense."

Roxx Productions - "These guys put on a killer show, it rocks, you
will not be disappointed!"

KNAC - LA - "Wow! this has a real hard edge to it!"

Stryper.com - "Blissed performed and all in attendance agreed that
they rocked."

The Ground Floor - CA - "For those who love Stryper, they're gonna
really dig it. For those who don't know who Stryper was, you'll love
Blissed anyway."

ITINERARY

Aug. 4 2006 - Crossfire, Hamilton, ON
Aug. 11 2006 - River Of Life, Nicholson, GA
Aug. 18 2006 - Keith & Kelli's (BattleCreek Friends Youth Building),
Battlecreek, MI
Aug. 21 2006 - CokeCan's (Temple Baptist Youth), Jamestown, ND
Aug. 23 2006 - TBA, Casper, WY
Aug. 26 2006 - Spirit & Truth, Covington, WA
Aug. 31 2006 - JCM Warehouse, Concord, CA
Sep. 1 2006 - Angel City Coffee House, Bellflower, CA
Sep. 2 2006 - TBA, San Diego, CA
Sep. 3 2006 - Rivers Edge, Ontario, CA
Sep. 8 2006 - TBA, Nashville, TN
Sep. 9 2006 - Joshua Generation Festival, Hughesville, PA
Sep. 10 2006 - The Deck, St. Catharines, ON
Sep. 15 2006 - Joe's Java, Wilmington, OH
Sep. 22 2006 - Larry & Lea's IYS @ FBI Rocks Club, Houston, TX
Feb. 16 2007 - Joe's Java, Wilmington, OH

http://www.blissed.biz/
http://www.myspace.com/blissedrocks

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
-Year Of Desolation Completes Recording, Set To Hit The Road

Indiana thrashers Year Of Desolation have completed recording the
band's Prosthetic Records debut album in North Carolina with producer
Jamie King (Between The Buried And Me, Through The Eyes Of the Dead).
The self-titled release will see an early 2007 release, and audio
previews will be available shortly.

"Just ask me about the Jack Daniel's bottle, pissing in the parking
lot and guitars being flung across the studio," vocalist Chad
Zimmerman says of the recording process. "All that aside, Jamie King
is a crucial dude, the atmosphere he creates makes for a fucking
unforgettable experience! We've all had a blast being out here the
past three weeks making friends and making the most devastating
material we have done to date. The only negative thing I can say about
this whole experience: Fuck the mosquitos!!! See you all on the road!"

Year Of Desolation will hit the road with Cerberus and Forever In
Terror on the "Cultivating The Masses" US tour upon returning to
Indianapolis. The band will then hit the road with label mates Burn In
Silence this fall. Dates for that run will be available shortly. After
forming in 2001, Year Of Desolation released its debut album, YOUR
BLOOD, MY VENDETTA, in 2004 before signing with Prosthetic in early
2006. "Teaming up with Prosthetic will be a good investment for both
band and label," guitarist John Hehman previously said. "We've got
plenty to offer and so do they. When the self-titled album drops,
everyone's going to know that real metal isn't dead. That's what their
goal is, and that's exactly what our goal is too."

Year Of Desolation:
7/29 - Indianapolis, IN – American Legion Post 64 (Crossroads Of
Evolution Fest)
7/30 - Louisville, KY – Headliner's (with Forever In Terror,
Antikythera)
7/31 - Lexington, KY – Southside Church Of Christ
8/1 - Nashville, TN – The End

Cultivating The Masses Tour 2006 with Cerberus, Forever In Terror:
8/2 - New Orleans, LA – The High Ground (with Bury Your Dead)
8/3 - Jacksonville, FL – The French Quarter
8/4 - Satellite Beach, FL – The Sports Page
8/5 - Savannah, GA – Little Ricky's
8/6 - Summerville, SC – The Legion
8/7 - Wilmington, NC – The Soapbox
8/9 - Baltimore, MD – The Sidebar
8/10 - Wilkes-Barre, PA – Backstage Enterprises
8/11 - New York, NY – Wild Spirits
8/12 - Staten Island, NY – Dock Street Bar
8/13 - Wallingford, CT – Wallingford American Legion
8/14 - Brattelboro, VT – The Church
8/15 - Albany, NY – Saratoga Winner's
8/16 - Buffalo, NY – Club Infinity
8/17 - Kent, OH – Screwy Louie's
8/18 - Detroit, MI – The Modern Exchange
8/19 - St. Paul – Station 4
8/20 - Moorhead, MN – All Star Bowl
8/22 - Spokane, WA – The Boulevard
8/23 - Seattle, WA – Studio Seven
8/24 - Portland, OR – Rock and Roll Pizza
8/25 - Sacramento, CA – On The Y
8/26 - Paso Robles, CA – Masonic Temple
8/28 - Phoenix, AZ – Metal Devastation II
8/29 - El Paso, TX – Chic's Bar And Billiards
8/30 - San Antonio, TX - White Rabbit
8/31 - Austin, TX – RedRum Club
9/2 - Monroe, LA – Fleur De Live

Year Of Desolation:
9/8 - Saginaw, MI – Old Jamestown Hall (with Harlots, Veil Of Maya)
9/9 - Hobart, IN – Hobart Eagles

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-WAKE UP SCREAMING - A Vans Warped Tour Documentary Available on DVD
October 10, 2006 Through MVD Visual

MVD and PETA are pleased to announce the home viewing release of WAKE
UP SCREAMING for worldwide distribution on DVD.

WAKE UP SCREAMING is a one-of-a-kind, behind-the-scenes look at the
Vans Warped Tour through the eyes of Texas-farm-boy-turned-punk-rock-
roadie Jason Bayless. Bayless, along with extreme documentary
filmmakers David Bergthold of Blockhead Skateboards and pro
skateboarder Laban Pheidias, was granted exclusive access to all
aspects of the tour.

Follow Jason and crew as they spend nine weeks traveling through 48
cities, rubbing elbows with the hottest bands of today and hundreds of
punk rock all-stars. Watch awesome live performances from emerging new
bands, including Emery, Strike Anywhere, Valient Thorr, Bleed The
Dream, and more! With more than 700,000 fans in attendance, there is
never a shortage of sexy groupies and crazy nights of excess. Witness
all the wild backstage and onstage happenings as Jason gets a
firsthand account of this exciting lifestyle.

WAKE UP SCREAMING is a truly mind-bending experience at the longest-
running music festival on the planet—the Vans Warped Tour!

FEATURING MUSIC AND LIVE PERFORMANCES FROM MORE THAN 20 BANDS,
INCLUDING: Hawthorne Heights, Story Of The Year, Silverstein, Emery,
NOFX, The A.K.A.s, The Eyeliners, S.T.U.N., Strike Anywhere, Anberlin,
Bleed The Dream, Street Drum Corps, Opiate For The Masses, Despistado,
Valient Thorr and more!

Director's Statement:

"The Warped Tour is an incredible machine -- a massive, ear-piercingly
loud, teen angst-powered machine that will not die: more than 125 tour
busses, semis, vans, and motorhomes ... 17,500 miles, 48 cities,
700,000 kids, and 100 bands playing daily ... flat tires, mechanical
trouble, stolen vans, pouring rain, and lightning ... nothing can stop
this tour. The tour has been running for more than a decade, but
surprisingly, up until now, no one has climbed inside the belly of the
beast to attempt a real behind-the-scenes look at the Warped Tour.
Sure, people have come out for a day or two and filmed some bands and
asked a few questions before retreating back to their comfortable
lives. But we were determined to stay the course and find out how
grueling life on the road is for all the musicians, set-up crew,
sponsors, and Warped staff.

"Although the documentary is very much about the music, it is just as
much about the kids and their 'question authority' attitude, which
also drives many of the young musicians on the tour. While you will
surely find a number of boneheaded pit jocks on the tour, you will
also find a large number of young people who have a social conscience
and want to make the world, corrupted by greed and ignorance, a better
place to live.

"Enter peta2, the Youth Division of the controversial People For The
Ethical Treatment Of Animals, and Senior Youth Outreach Coordinator
Jason Bayless. In 2001, Jason staffed peta2's first booth at the
Warped Tour, and over the past four years, he has built relationships
with a surprising number of young band members who are vegetarian,
vegan, or anti-fur or just support the ideals of peta2 in some way.

"As a vegetarian/vegan for more than 15 years and all-around animal-
friendly, punk-rock, activist kind of guy, I could not pass up this
project. I was also inspired by Jason's personal story: a small-town
Texas kid growing up raising cattle, pigs, and goats for slaughter,
only to rebel against the cowboy status quo and devote his life to
activism against police brutality, animal abuse, and other social
injustices.

"In making this film, my goal was to capture the challenges that the
youth of today are willing to face -- and the sacrifices that they are
willing to make -- to bring positive social change to our world, all
while using their passions as an outlet. I believe that everyone has a
contribution to make in this world, and our contribution just happens
to come from the young, tattooed, pierced, dirty, travel-weary, rock-
and-roll subculture of the Warped Tour."

Bonus materials include:

- Full Performances section (10 songs including Hawthorne Heights,
Emery, Silverstein & more!)
- Cool outtakes with Bert McCracken from The Used and John Feldmann
from Goldfinger
- Exclusive interviews with members of Story Of The Year, Silverstein,
The A.K.A.s and more.

Selection #: DR-4521
UPC: 022891452195
Street Date: 10/10/06
Prebook: 09/05/06
Retail: $16.95
Run Time: 80 mins.

Please visit us on the Web at http://www.mvdb2b.com/ .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
*
-Angtoria Video Release & Album Lyrics For Download

The video for Angtoria's "God Has A Plan For Us All" is due for
release in September. It will be distributed worldwide to most Metal
and Rock TV stations. Not long after the release it will also be
available for download on http://www.myspace.com/angtoriaofficial and
http://www.angtoria.com/ . It will be announced when the video is
available for download.

Sarah's words about the lyrics to the video track:

"The song covers two subjects but they are both linked. Written about
a man who preaches God's word yet finds it acceptable to sexually
abuse children. Also this song describes the pitiful clichι used by
many religous people who can't offer any other explanation as to why
people suffer in their life. Rape, murder, poverty, whatever it may
be, the only excuse that can be offered is: 'God Has A Plan For Us
All!'"

The video was filmed at two locations, a very impressive and beautiful
church (Njurunda Kyrka) and an abandoned deteriorated building, over a
three day period and due to the lyrical theme of the song it was
filmed as a "short movie." It contains footage of as well the band as
Chris' five year old daughter Saga who played the child, Toni Davey
(wife of Dani Filth in Cradle Of Filth and cover girl on the album)
who played the child as a grown-up to a 35-piece church choir and a
priest played by Pierre Ragnehag!

A video diary along with pictures and soon also video footage from the
making of the video can be found in the "Diaries" section of the
Angtoria Web site.

Many have asked and now the lyrics to the album GOD HAS A PLAN FOR US
ALL are finally available to read on the site! You can find the lyrics
as well as Sarah's comments about them at this location:
http://www.angtoria.com/godhaslyrics.html

http://www.angtoria.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
*
-Manes: Live Video Posted + Album Working Title

A live video by the Norwegian band Manes performing "The Neoflagellata
Revision" is now made available for download (38 MB WMV) via their
official Web site http://www.manes.info/ .

>> Direct link:
http://www.manes.info/downloads/Manes_Neoflagellata_Revision_LIVE_medi
um.wmv

If you do not wish to download, the video is available to view on-line
in the video player at http://www.myspace.com/manes .

>> Direct link:
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=990714999&n=2

The video is edited from bootleg footage shot at a 2004 gig in their
hometown Trondheim. The song "The Neoflagellata Revision" was then
still unavailable on any releases, but has since been recorded and is
one out of two new songs by the band on their latest 2006 release, the
seven-track EP entitled [VIEW] out on Aural Music. Among the other
songs on the EP is a cover song of "Cinder Alley" (originally by 16
Horsepower) that can also be heard in the band's MySpace profile.
Several new misc pictures is also added at http://www.manes.info/ .

Manes has recently signed to Candlelight Records for their upcoming
releases, and their third full-length album is expected out in early
2007. The band is currently in pre-production and has enlisted many
outside collaborators for this album. The album has been given the
working-title INVENTION - OR HOW THE WORLD CAME TO AN END AND WHY WE
DID IT, but as the band comments: "...INVENTION - OR HOW THE WORLD
CAME TO AN END AND WHY WE DID IT probably won't be the title of our
next album at all. It's more of a roadmap. But who knows, we still
kinda like it...." Read more about the next Manes album in their
MySpace blog here:
http://blog.myspace.com/manes

http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk/
http://www.auralmusic.com/
http://www.manes.info/
http://www.myspace.com/manes

The [VIEW] EP, along with the recent limited edition Manes demo vinyl
reissues, is avalable to purchase on-line while stocks last from:

Apocalyptic Empire Records
http://www.apocalypticempire.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
*
-Kylesa Reveals New Album Details, European Touring Plans

Savannah sludge rockers Kylesa have released details about the band's
follow-up to 2005's highly praised TO WALK A MIDDLE COURSE. Due out
October 31 through Prosthetic Records, the new album has been dubbed
TIME WILL FUSE ITS WORTH and clocks in at just over 40 minutes. The
track listing is as follows:

1) What Becomes An End
2) Hollow Severer
3) Where The Horizon Unfolds
4) Between Silence And Sound
5) Identity Defined
6) Ignoring Anger
7) The Warning

TIME WILL FUSE ITS WORTH marks the recording debuts of new drummers
Jeff Porter and Carl McGinley, adding to the band's already thunderous
sound. As a precursor to the record's release, Kylesa will open up a
European tour September 5, trekking across the continent well into
October, before returning to America.

Kylesa on tour
8/11 - Philadelphia, PA – First Unitarian Church (Pointless Fest)
8/17 - Richmond, VA – Southside Roller Skating Rink (Best Friends Day)

(European tour)
9/05 - Arnhem, Holland - TBA
9/06 - Hamburg, Germany – Rote Flora
9/08 - Gδvle, Sweden - TBA
9/09 - Stockholm, Sweden – Cafι 44 (with Witchcraft)
9/10 - Linkoping, Sweden - TBA
9/11 - Turku, Finland – TVO (with Stumm)
9/12 - Helsinki, Finland – TBA (with Unkind)
9/13 - Tampere, Finland – Vastavirta (with Unkind)
9/14 - Oulu, Finland - TBA
9/15 - Umea, Sweden - TBA
9/16 - Trondheim, Norway - TBA
9/18 - Oslo, Norway – TBA
9/19 - Gothenburg, Sweden - TBA
9/20 - Copenhagen, Denmark – Ungdomhuset
9/21 - Rostock, Germany - JAZ
9/22 - Potsdam, Germany - Archiv
9/23 - Pozan, Poland – Rozbrat (Squat Festival)
9/24 - Wroclaw, Poland - Wagon
9/25 - Prague, Czech Republic – Klub 007 (with Spacehorse)
9/26 - Vienna, Austria – Arena
9/27 - Brno, Czech Republic – Yacht Club (with Spacehorse)
9/28 - Munich, Germany – Cafι Kult
9/29 - Bremgarten, Switzerland - KuZeB
9/30 - Mannheim, Germany - JUZ
10/01 - Kontich, Belgium - Lintfabrik
10/02 - Birmingham, UK - TBA
10/03 - Glasgow, UK - Nice N Sleazy
10/04 - Belfast – UK - The Bunker
10/05 - Galway, Ireland - Richardson's Bar
10/06 - Dublin, Ireland – Voodoo Lounge
10/07 - Leeds, UK - Fenton
10/08 - Sheffield, UK - Corporation
10/09 - Nottingham, UK – Old Angel
10/10 - London, UK - Underworld
10/11 - Brighton, UK – Engine Rooms
10/12 - Gent, Belgium - TBA
10/13 - Hogeveen, Holland - TBA
10/14 - Leiden, Holland – Bar & Boos
10/15 - Utrecht, Holland – TBA

"...it's fiery, bottom-heavy and lethal in large doses; every
gloriously foul thing a blend of crust, metal and Southern swamp water
should be... If Kylesa's sludgy, metallic assault really is the stuff
'next big things' are made of, this is one bandwagon we're happy to be
jumping." - Alternative Press

"Somewhere in the bowels of Savannah, Georgia, an eight-legged, three-
cocked monster is having its way with the locals, forcing them to
perform unspeakable acts in the name of good citizenship and the
advancement of culture. Its name is Kylesa, and it is the new
standard-bearer for sludge-mongering and crust-punkery in a section of
the country that has already produced more than its fair share of
dirty noise." - Decibel

"...an evocative dystopia–and one hell of a metal album... MIDDLE
COURSE delivers more forearm smashes than technical finesse and has
the same untamed, primal aggressiveness and psychedelic tinges of the
first couple of Black Sabbath albums." - Revolver

"Kylesa's songs are full of sudden tempo shifts, raw-throated lyrics
and sludgy guitar parts borrowed from the slower end of the heavy-
metal spectrum. TO WALK A MIDDLE COURSE, the band's second full-length
album, is not only engrossing but satisfying: the riffs alternately
gallop and ooze, and soon the apocalyptic, stream-of-consciousness
lyrics start to make a dreamy sort of sense."
- New York Times

"Play this loud and be prepared with dry wall compound because your
walls will not know what hit them." - Caustic Truths

"Easily one of the more refreshing takes on heavy music as of late, TO
WALK A MIDDLE COURSE leaves its mark..." - Outburn

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-Aska plays Monte Carlos in Arlington, TX, this Saturday (August 5)
with special guests THC and 9 Mileshigh.

-Earlier this week Geffen Records released Alice Cooper's classic 1986
Halloween show that was filmed in front of a sold-out audience of
20,000+ at Detroit's Joe Louis Arena. THE NIGHTMARE RETURNS contains
Alice's full theatrical show in support of the CONSRICTOR album. The
all-star band backing Alice up contains Kane Roberts and Devlin 7 on
guitars, Kip Winger on bass, Paul Taylor on keyboards, and Ken Mary on
drums. Track list: "Intro," "Welcome To My Nightmare," "Billion Dollar
Babies," "Years Ago" (instrumental excerpt), "No More Mr. Nice Guy,"
"Years Ago" (instrumental excerpt), "Be My Lover," "I'm Eighteen,"
"The World Needs Guts," "Give It Up," "Cold Ethyl," "Only Women
Bleed," "Go To Hell," "Ballad Of Dwight Fry," "Teenage Frankenstein,"
"Sick Things," "I Love The Dead," "School's Out," "Elected," "Under My
Wheels."

-Edguy front man Tobias Sammet has a new project in the works. It will
not be a continuation of the story from his first two Avantasia
records but will go under the same name. Check out Tobias's official
Web site for all of the details: http://www.tobiassammet.com/ .

-Falconer is done recording album #5, NORTHWIND. Metal Blade reported
these comments from guitarist Stefan Weinerhall: "NORTHWIND. . .is a
return to the folkish style after some experiments on the last one.
Very melodic and catchy, and with Mathias back on vocals he gives the
album that extra epic touch that none other can do. The album is not a
concept album although the title sums up the atmosphere of both the
music and the lyrics. From catchy metal to sweet ballads to medieval
minstrels gone electrified, there's something for all tastes."

-Upcoming Flower Kings tour dates:

10/6 - Largo Cultural Center, Tampa, FL
10/7 - Hard Rock Cafe, Pittsburgh, PA
10/8 - Water Street Music Hall, Rochester, NY
10/10 - The Medley, Montreal, QC
10/11 - Imperial De Quebec, QC
10/13 - Regent Theater, Arlington, MA
10/14 - "TFK Fan Day" @ The Forum, Metuchen, NJ
10/15 - State Theater, Falls Church, VA
10/16 - Whittier Center, Los Angeles (Whittier), CA
10/17 - TBD, San Francisco, CA
10/18 - Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
10/19 - Oriental Theater, Denver, CO
10/20 - TBD, Chicago, IL

-A new Krokus song called "Angel Of My Dreams" is posted on its Web
site, http://krokusonline.seven49.net/ . The new album HELLRAISER is
due September 15 on AFM Records.

-Motorhead's KISS OF DEATH can be pre-ordered -- on CD or as a digital
download -- now on-line at http://motorhead.sanctuaryrecords.com/ .
There are two formats, the regular album version for $9.99 or a
version that comes with a limited edition T-shirt for $19.99.

-Rail, whose claim to fame was winning MTV's first-ever video contest
back in the early '80s, has the following live dates scheduled:

8/10 - Umatilla County Fair, Hermiston, OR
8/11 - The Big Easy, Spokane, WA
8/12 - Boomers, Lewiston, ID
9/1 - Pig Out In The Park, Spokane, WA

Check out all of the updates at http://www.railonline.net/ .

-Derek Sherinian's new video for "In The Summertime," featuring Slash
and Billy Idol, is now available at these links:

http://www.dereksherinian.com/
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNsBg1KHvMc&search=Derek%20Sherinian
http://www.myspace.com/insideoutamerica
http://www.myspace.com/insideoutrecords
http://www.insideoutmusic.com/video/summertime426x240.mov

The clip was directed by Chad Michael Ward.

-Stigmata is a "unique Rock/Metal" band from Sri Lanka, and has been
around since 1999. Hype from the band: "[We] have pushed the
boundaries of Asian Metal and segregated, positioned and marketed
ourselves in an industry with no proper infrastructure, studio backing
or media/press contribution for originality." A new album called
SILENT CHAOS SERPENTINE is out now, and the band headlined a tour of
Maldives (see http://www.therockstorm.com/ for more) before heading to
India and Dubai later this year. Check out an album review at
http://www.tmetal.com/ , listen to the band's music at
http://www.garageband.com/ , and see http://www.stigmata.us/ and
http://www.wikipedia.com/ for more.

-MelodicRock.com reprinted a report from AVN.com detailing Eddie Van
Halen's involvement with a new adult film called "Sacred Sin" from
director Michael Ninn and Ninn Worx. Van Halen and Ninn are friends
and Eddie is contributing to the film's soundtrack. One is a new Van
Halen original called "Rise" and the other is a re-mix Eddie did of
"Catherine," a song from a previous Ninn feature. The two-disc DVD of
the film will include videos for both songs. See
http://www.ninnworx.com/sacredsin for more.

-Check out http://heavymetal.about.com/b/a/257652.htm for About Heavy
Metal's interview with Voivod drummer Michel "Away" Langevin and a
review of the band's new album KATORZ. The End Records has posted an
album e-card at http://voivod.theendrecords.com/ and the new song "The
X-Stream" at http://media.theendrecords.com/Voivod-TheXStream.mp3 .
Check out http://www.bandeapart.fm/voivod for the full broadcast of a
two-hour July 27 "gala launch" of KATORZ that aired live on the site
and Sirius satellite radio. Hype from The End: "The special event
featured interviews with band members Michel 'Away' Langevin and Denis
'Snake' Belanger in the studio and bassist Jason 'Jasonic' Newsted on
the phone from Los Angeles. The event -- in French -- also included
discussions of the new album, the entire album played live and friends
and family paying homage to fallen Voivod guitarist Denis 'Piggy' D'
Amour. There was also a unique classical arrangement of some of the
band's most unique tracks." See http://www.voivod.com/ for more.

Thanks to Chip Ruggieri, Chad Bowar, Suresh de Silva, and Eric Corbin
for help gathering some of this information.

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
BEYOND TWILIGHT - FOR THE LOVE OF ART AND THE MAKING (A-/B+) Nightmare
Records, 2006
43 tracks, RT: 37:50
[ http://www.beyondtwilight.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/beyondtwilight ]
[ http://www.Nightmare-Records.com/ ]
Nightmare Records is quickly becoming one of my favorite labels for
progressive and melodic metal, with recent releases from Pyramaze,
Katagory V, Avian and Shining Star really impressing; well, you can
chalk another winner up for the label with Beyond Twilight's third
album FOR THE LOVE AND ART OF THE MAKING. Consisting of one song split
into 43 tracks (!), FOR THE LOVE AND ART OF THE MAKING is a truly
progressive album that covers a lot of musical ground, including
passages reflecting traditional, prog, symphonic, orchestral and
operatic metal. This is a difficult album to categorize and even
harder to rate, as musically it could be considered a work of genius
due to the complexity of the arrangements and fascinating but puzzling
concept. According to the liner notes, you can put your media player
on shuffle and reorganize the album into a multitude of interesting
configurations. Highlights are nearly impossible to delineate due to
the way the piece segues but you can get some idea of the quality of
the album by checking out segments such as opener "In The Eyes Of My
Soul," a movement that repeats to great effect several times
throughout the work; "Sleeping Beauty - The Journey," with awesome
guitar work by Anders "Exo" Kraugh, the quirky "Tongue Angel;" intense
metal workout "Blackened In My Eyes;" and the ripping good "Dark Wild
Rage." As I say, you pretty much have to put this in and listen to the
whole thing all the way through as it's not segmented into songs per
se, and that enhances the effect of the album in some ways and
detracts from it in others. The musicality and production are top-
notch and I can really visualize this as an incredible theatrical
concert experience. If you are at all a fan of progressive metal
concept albums I highly recommend you check out FOR THE LOVE OF ART
AND THE MAKING, as Beyond Twilight is at the forefront of this
interesting genre. I only hope I can see this performed live sometime!
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

CJSS – 2-4-1 (B+) Lion Music, 2006
18 tracks, RT: 75:15
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/cjss241.htm ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/ ]
Well now, THIS is a nice old-school surprise! 2-4-1 is a handy-dandy
single-disc reissue of CJSS' 1986 albums, WORLD GONE MAD and PRAISE
THE LOUD, both featuring axe master David Chastain on guitar. Shred
freaks are probably quite familiar with the many projects (including
Chastain, Zanister, and Southern Gentlemen) that David has been part
of over the years, but even though I've heard his name mentioned in
tones of hushed awe by guitar aficionados for close to two decades,
2-4-1 is the first chance I've had to hear any of his playing. After
many healthy spins of this excellent compilation I'd say that I am
definitely going to have to do some more exploration of his extensive
back catalog. Before you get the idea that CJSS was strictly the David
Chastain show, i.e. less of a "band" and more of an excuse for Dave to
show off his shredding prowess, keep in mind that when these two
albums were first released, he didn't have a "rep" among six-stringers
yet. So what you get on 2-4-1 is a very interesting time capsule
showcasing a young guitarist making his bones for the first time in
the early days of America's heavy metal boom. All four members of this
Cincinnati based crew (in addition to Chastain, the lineup was rounded
out by vocalist Russell Jinkens, Les Sharp, and Mike Skimmerhorn)
formed a potent combination, powering out good old fashioned '80s
style heavy metal anthems that must've sounded awesome when blared
from the concert stage at max volume. I used to jokingly call stuff
like CJSS "Van Priest" bands, meaning that the musicians would mesh
the sing-along style and shred guitar of classic Van Halen with
touches of the sinister denim and leather-isms of vintage Judas
Priest. Just about every one of these 18 tracks is centered around a
catchy chorus ("No-Man's-Land," "Out Of Control," "Don't Play With
Fire" and "Welcome To Damnation" being some of my favorites) that fans
could sing along to, backed by crunching power chords and thunderous
drums to get the crowd's heads a-bangin'. Throw in a classic cover
tune (a barnstorming take on Led Zeppelin's "Communication Breakdown")
and a couple of good old fashioned "METAL RULES, DUDES!" rallying
cries like "Praise The Loud" and "Metal Forever," and you've got the
early '80s US metal movement in a nutshell. It would be fairly
accurate to compare CJSS to bands such as early Keel, Malice, Lizzy
Borden, or Loudness (yeah, I know, they're Japanese, but they were
sounding quite Americanized by 1985), all of whom were also making
similar noises around the same time. Chastain was obviously quite a
talent even at this early stage of his career (witness his
instrumental "Thunder And Lightning" for proof) and Jinkens had a
powerful, confident voice, which sounded a lot like Phil Lewis of L.A.
Guns (no kiddin'). According to the band's bio, a third CJSS album was
in the planning stages back in the '80s, but Chastain chose to move on
and start his solo career, which he continues to this day. (That third
album, KINGS OF THE WORLD, finally did surface in 2000, but it's
unclear whether or not Chastain was involved at that time.) Even after
all these years, it's obvious that WORLD GONE MAD and PRAISE THE LOUD
still have a cult following among metal freaks, so it's very cool to
see Lion Music giving them renewed shelf life. Now the old-timers can
replace their worn-out vinyl or cassette copies and newbies (like me)
who've heard about CJSS but never experienced 'em can find out for
themselves what all the fuss was about. Highly recommended.
- Keith Abt (KeithAbt@...)

CODE OF PERFECTION - LAST EXIT FOR THE LOST (B+/B) LMP, 2006
12 tracks, RT: 47:26
[ http://www.codeofperfection.com/ ]
[ http://www.limb-music.de/ ]
Seems a whole new generation of shred aficionados have come of age and
are now ready to show the music world their talent; one of the latest
bands to emerge displaying an affinity for over-the-top guitar
virtuosity is Code Of Perfection, a group with considerable
fretburning aptitude and an ear for some very melodic songwriting.
LAST EXIT FOR THE LOST begins with the title track, a very catchy
instrumental with a Satriani meets Eurometal feel. Thorsten Koehne is
an excellent guitarist, bringing to mind venerable shredders such as
Paul Gilbert, Steve Vai and Jason Becker. Thorsten's band mates do a
great job of supporting his fiery excursions and there are some nice
guest spots by Michael Angelo Batio, Alex Beyrodt and Ferdy Doernberg.
Code Of Perfection is not just instrumental noodling, however, as they
are also quite good at writing '80s inspired melodic hard rockers such
as "Miracle Times" and "Walkin' On Thin Ice," featuring vocalist
Carsten "Lizard" Schultz. It's the ridiculous six-string prowess on
instrumentals like "evil:FEX," "Polka Beast Stampede" and "Psychotic
Nightmare," however, that will have aspiring guitar gods running back
to the woodshed to practice. Code Of Perfection have that Shrapnel
atmosphere and LOST EXIT FOR THE LAST is mostly right on target,
stumbling occasionally with some of the more standard compositions
such as "Hearts In Atlantis." Overall, an impressive release by a band
keeping the spirit of vintage fretburning alive and well. Check it
out!
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

MERENDINE ATOMICHE – RAW (B) Mausoleum Records, 2006
11 tracks, RT: 46:37
[ http://www.merendineatomiche.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/merendineatomicheofficial ]
[ info@... ]
[ http://www.mausoleum-records.com/ ]
I love it when a promotional CD arrives in the mail that I know
nothing about and yet still manages to completely knock me on my ass!
Merendine Atomiche is a five-man thrash metal assault force from Italy
that packs quite a wallop on RAW, their second full-length album. I
have to admit that I didn't quite know what to think when I opened the
envelope and RAW fell out. The band's name was weird (I still have no
idea what it means, so please don't ask), the CD cover is even weirder
(it's a photo of a bunch of bovine rear ends, with cartoonish
microphones sketched in behind them) and song titles like "Roads And
Beers" and "I Want To Be A Man" had me scratching my head and
wondering "What the heck...?" However, when the first track "In The
Cage" kicked in and damn near blew me across the room I was
immediately cheering and saying "YYYYYES!" Merendine Atomiche
obviously came of age during the golden age of metal and have combined
such influences as classic Metallica, Anthrax, and Pantera with some
touches of Sepultura and Prong and even some '80s hair metal (!) to
create one heckuva heavy beast with a healthy dose of groove. Vocalist
Luca Zandarin (one of three Luca's in this band, by the way) uses
several impressive vocal styles throughout RAW, depending on the mood
of the song. During major-ragin' thrash bashes like the title track
and "In The Cage," he's a dead ringer for Max Cavalera circa
Sepultura's CHAOS A.D. or ARISE, while he shows his soft side on the
acoustic ballad (!) "Ocean's Shadows" and then drops to a more "rock
'n' roll" (dare I call it "sleazy?") voice on the bluesy hard rocker
"We Didn't Know." Judging from the naughty lyrics of the
aforementioned "Roads And Beers" and "We Didn't Know" (a hard-life-on-
the-road song and an ode to a groupie, respectively) it seems that
Merendine Atomiche don't take themselves totally seriously either,
which is always refreshing in this day and age of "angry all the time"
thrashers. In short, RAW was a pleasant surprise that came out of
nowhere, kicked my butt up and down the block and still has me coming
back for more! Co-produced by the band with Seven Witches/Frost main
man Jack Frost (who contributes guest solos on several songs as well),
RAW is the result of two years of hard work for Merendine Atomiche,
and it shows that they are now quite ready to break out of Italy's
underground and take on the rest of the world. RAW indeed, and very
satisfying!
- Keith Abt (KeithAbt@...)

SPHERE OF SOULS - FROM THE ASHES... (B+/B) Lion Music, 2006
13 tracks, RT: 58:13
[ http://www.sphereofsouls.com/ ]
[ http://www.anandmahangoeproject.com/ ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/sphere_ashes.htm ]
[ http://www.lionmusic.com/ ]
I'm usually not a huge fan of this more modern, mechanistic style of
prog metal and it took me awhile to get into Sphere Of Souls, but
damned if I didn't come to appreciate this album after a few
concentrated listens. Back in 1993 Chris Poland of Megadeth fame
released a band project called Damn The Machine, featuring a sort of
bleak but atmospheric alternative/progressive metal blend that I quite
liked despite its unusual sound; FROM THE ASHES... reminds me a lot of
Damn The Machine, Andrι Vuurboom's (Sun Caged) vocals projecting
melancholy as well as a strange confidence, as if asserting that he
can rise above whatever adversity he is met with. Give a listen to the
tight playing, jarring dynamics and excellent production on "Sweet
Sorrow," "Beneath The Surface," "Untruth" and "Lies, Inc." for a
strong dose of what Sphere Of Souls has to offer. I was really happy
to see one of my favorite new guitarists, Anand Mahangoe, as a guest
soloist on several songs, but I wish he had been allowed to play on
the entire album, as the lead work is exceptional but all too brief
(check out "No Salvation"). At almost an hour in running time, FROM
THE ASHES... suffers a bit from a stubborn consistency in tone, but
the unique vocal melodies and intense rhythmic delivery found
throughout should insure that Sphere Of Souls will soon find an
audience intrigued by its solid and passionate approach to
contemporary metal.
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

VENOM – CAST IN STONE (EXPANDED EDITION) (B) Castle Music/Sanctuary
Records, 2006
Disc 1: 14 tracks, RT: 54:38
Disc 2: 15 tracks, RT: 49:41
[ http://www.venomslegions.com/ ]
[ http://www.sanctuaryrecords.com/ ]
When it was first released in 1997, Venom's CAST IN STONE was supposed
to signify the rebirth of one of black/thrash metal's founding
fathers, as it was the first full-length recording from the original
Venom lineup (bassist/vocalist Cronos, drummer Abaddon, and guitarist
Mantas) since the late '80s. However, what should've been a triumphant
reunion fell apart shortly after the release of the album, as the
always-volatile band imploded once again after only a handful of live
dates. (Cronos continues to perform under the Venom banner to this
day, releasing the new METAL BLACK album earlier this year with two
new recruits, Mykkus and Anton, in the lineup.) Thus, CAST IN STONE
disappeared from view, but now Sanctuary Records has seen fit to
rescue this unjustly-overlooked piece of Venom history from the used-
CD bins with its new "expanded edition" reissue. Cronos himself
oversaw the complete re-mastering of the album, and a second disc of
Venom classics re-recorded by the band in 1997 (included in limited
editions of the original release, if I'm not mistaken) has been added
to the package. An extra enticement for the diehard Venom completists
to pick up this double-disc set is the addition of five extra tracks
(four more re-recorded oldies and the then-new track "The Evil One"),
taken from an exclusive mini-CD given out to promote Venom's
appearance at the 1996 Dynamo Festival. After immersing myself in this
Venomous offering for several weeks I'd say that it's a shame that the
band splintered so quickly after the release of CAST IN STONE, because
to these ears it was Venom's most musically accomplished offering to
date. Of course, there are still plenty of old-school, hell-bent,
pedal-to-the-metal blasts like "Raised In Hell" (a classic Venom title
if ever I've heard one), "Flight Of The Hydra," and "You're All Gonna
Die," to name just three high-speed highlights, but they're evenly
mixed with slower, moody skull crushers like opening track "The Evil
One" (quite possibly the best damned -- pun intended -- Venom tune
I've ever heard), "Judgement Day" and "Destroyed And Damned" (that one
has a classic Metallica-gone-evil feel to it), all of which will creep
up behind you, grip you in their claws and refuse to let go. The bonus
disc of redone Venom classics is a treat too, with such high-octane,
hyperactive Satanic hymns as "Black Metal," "Bursting Out," and "Rip
Ride" still sounding as gnarly and evil as they always did; in fact
they seem even HEAVIER with the updated production values. (I was a
little disappointed that a personal favorite Venom track, "Teacher's
Pet," wasn't included, but I guess you can't have everything...) Some
very entertaining, informative liner notes from British metal scribe
Malcolm Dome (of Metal Forces magazine fame) complete this classy
reissue. When classic thrash metal was all but dead in the late '90s,
Venom came roaring back from Hell with their fists in the air, middle
fingers raised and fangs bared, and CAST IN STONE is the proof. This
expanded edition should be considered a must-buy not only for the
Venom hordes, but for anyone interested in finding out where all those
weirdo forest-dwelling, Satan-lovin', face-painting bands lifted all
of their inspiration from. In the words of Cronos himself, "Lay down
your soul to the gods, rock and roll... BLACK METAL!!" Horns up!!
- Keith Abt (KeithAbt@...)

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