Detritus
Issue #393
Week of December 11, 2006
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*
*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Patrick Brower, Editor
patrickbrower@...

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
lof@...
http://www.lakeoffire.net/

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@...

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

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-Howdy and Happy Holidays. It's about time for a hiatus (read: work's
kickin' my a$$ again) so this'll be the last issue for maybe a month.
We've got a mini-issue coming Friday and then we'll be back in January
with our 2006 "year in review" spiel. Until then... - Tim

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Winger: IV Hitting The Airwaves And Tour

Winger's "Blue Suede Shoes" Hit The #2 Spot On High Octane Radio

Hollywood, CA -- Winger's been busy with their new release IV on
Shrapnel Records. A solid rock album with emphasis on our Military and
leaving politics at the door, Kip had a vision to support the American
troops that are standing ground in Iraq. "I had been doing solo shows
at Military bases and in speaking with many of the soldiers, it
touched me," explains Kip. "One day I woke up and knew what I wanted
to do for an album so I called up Reb to start writing."

All music and lyrics are by Winger's guitarist Reb Beach and vocalist/
bassist Kip Winger. The album examines what it must be like if it was
us over in Iraq, and realities of war. Winger's lyrics were motivated
by playing for our Military at the bases and wanting to capture the
lyrics from the perspective of the soldier. Songs like "Generica,"
"M16" and "Blue Suede Shoes" are some of the military inspired songs
seen though the eyes of a soldier at war.

The album artwork is handled by Ethan Van Sciver who wanted to put in
his part for our Military. Sciver is a renowned DC Comic book artist
and penciler who has contributed (among others) to "Cyberfrog," "New
X-Men," "The Flash: Iron Heights" and "Impulse." The album art depicts
our Military's finest protecting with guardian angels that are
representative of our prayers we send.

Winger will hit the road beginning January 24 on a five-week headline
tour of North America. Dates are below with more to come.

Dec. 31, 2006 - Station Square, Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Feb. 1, 2007 - Mulcahy's, Long Island, New York
Feb. 2, 2007 - Harper's Ferry, Boston, Massachusetts
Feb. 3, 2007 - Stone Pony, Asbury Park, New Jersey
Feb. 7, 2007 - Amos' Southend, Charlotte, North Carolina
Feb. 10, 2007 - The Culture Room, Ft. Lauderdale, Florida
Feb. 11, 2007 - State Theater, St. Petersburg, Florida
Feb. 12, 2007 - Mojo Room, Port St. Lucie, Florida
Feb. 16, 2007 - Alrosa Villa, Columbus, Ohio
Feb. 17, 2007 - Harpo's, Detroit, Michigan
Feb. 18, 2007 - House Of Blues, Chicago, Illinois
Feb. 23, 2007 - Jake's Tavern, Gilette, Wyoming
Feb. 24, 2007 - Hubba's House Of Rock & Roll, Denver, Colorado
Mar. 2, 2007 - Velvet Jones, Santa Barbara, California
Mar. 3, 2007 - Galaxy, Anaheim, California
Mar. 5, 2007 - Metal Skool @ Key Club, Los Angeles, California
Mar. 8, 2007 - The Palladium, Dallas, Texas
Mar. 9, 2007 - Scout Bar, Houston, Texas

For more information go to http://www.kipwinger.com or
http://www.myspace.com/wingertheband .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Big Sale At Radiant!

Hey you!

How are you doing? Enjoying the season we hope.

We are having a huge insane sale at Radiant! Come check out the wacky
prices. Make sure you look at the whole order page 'cause there are
some nutty savings to be had.

We are also running our Buy 3 For Only $30.00 USD special. So if you
already have these great CDs, buy 'em as a gift for someone else!

Here's the deal on the buy 3:

Buy 3 CDs from our list of specials for only $30.00! (Click on info to
see the list of titles -- paste titles into the notes field when you
order -- only CDs from the list will be shipped.)

And here's the list:

YELLOW MATTER CUSTARD - ONE NIGHT IN NEW YORK CITY (2-CD set)
NEAL MORSE - NEAL MORSE (debut solo album)
MORSE, PORTNOY AND GEORGE - COVER TO COVER
NEAL MORSE - THE ONE DEMOS
TRANSATLANTIC - SMPTE THE ROINE STOLT MIXES
NEAL MORSE - QUESTION MARK
SPOCK'S BEARD - THE LIGHT (regular version)
SPOCK'S BEARD - BEWARE OF DARKNESS (regular version)
SPOCK'S BEARD - KINDNESS OF STRANGERS (regular version)
NEAL MORSE - TESTIMONY (2-CD set)
NEAL MORSE - GOD WON'T GIVE UP
TRANSATLANTIC - LIVE IN EUROPE (2-CD set)
NEAL MORSE - THE TRANSATLANTIC DEMOS
SPOCK'S BEARD - DON'T TRY THIS AT HOME (LIVE)
NEAL MORSE - MERRY CHRISTMAS FROM THE MORSE FAMILY

Remember the Buy 3 only applies to CDs from this list.

We are also running a special price on some other items like Neal
Morse's amazing TESTIMONY LIVE DVD.

ONE WEEK ONLY! So come and get it while you can!! Bon Prog-atite!

Thanks,

Cherie Morse
Radiant Records
http://www.radiantrecords.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Voivod Update

Voted #1 Album of the Year by Brave Words & Bloody Knuckles!

Voivod drummer Michel "Away" Langevin has issued an update on the
band's current activities:

"To All Voivodians: A video for 'The Getaway' has just been completed
and submitted to all national and regional cable outlets such as MTV2,
FUSE, etc. The footage was pulled from the 2003 American tours and the
2006 recording sessions of KATORZ (The End Records). Currently we are
working on a video for 'Polaroids' with Banger Productions ('Metal: A
Headbanger's Journey') and then we will follow that up with a video
for 'The X-Stream.' I am still hard at work on the reissues (due out
on The End Records next year). We will start with the Sanctuary ones
(RRROOOAAARRR, DIMENSION HATROSS and KILLING TECHNOLOGY). Each album
will be re-mastered and will come with a bonus Iron Gang DVD. The pre-
production for the follow-up to KATORZ will start this winter. Also,
we are still trying to coordinate a tribute show for 2007. Be sure to
check out our Web store at bandmerch.com, soon to feature prints of my
artwork and a commemorative 'Piggy' pin. Troubleman Unlimited are
still working on the layout of my art book. I should have a release
date very soon. As always, thanks for your patience!

"Away"

The band released the critically-acclaimed KATORZ this summer on The
End Records. The album was recently released as a limited edition
vinyl pressing available exclusively through The End Records mail-
order. The beautiful gatefold 180gm vinyl comes in color format and
also includes special artwork and packaging designed by Voivod artist/
drummer Michel "Away" Langevin. The album was done with full
cooperation from the band. The release is limited to 1,000 copies: 400
clear vinyl, 400 red vinyl and 200 black vinyl.

For more information, go here:
http://shopping.theendrecords.com/s.nl/sc.2/category.38/.f

Voivod
Official Site: http://www.voivod.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Jasmin St. Claire Takes Home Her Own Rock City News "Rockie"!

"Hey everyone,

"I just wanted to say thanks for the support. 'The Metal Scene TV
Show' (which I co-host with Ron Estrada) won 'Best Outstanding Metal
TV Show' at the Rock City Music Awards. What shock I was in!!!"

"The Metal Scene TV Show" broadcasts throughout Los Angeles and Orange
County on various Local Cable Systems including Adelphia, Comcast, and
TimeWarner.

Showcasing music videos and interviews from well-known bands including
Stephen Pearcy, Chimaira, Arch Enemy, Children Of Bodom, Anthrax and
Mnemic, "The Metal Scene TV Show" never fails to highlight the local
scene as well!

Check the "Meatl Scene TV" Web site for show times and air dates:
http://themetalscenetvshow.tripod.com/

Webcast at http://www.kcat.tv/ . (Check their Web site for airings.)

The "Rockies" 12th Annual Award Ceremony by Los Angeles' famed Rock
City News paper awarded outstanding musicians and artists in these
categories:

o New Band of The Year
o Solo Artist (male & female) of The Year
o Alternative Band of The Year
o Rock Video of The Year
o Punk Band of The Year
o Hardcore Band of The Year
o Death Metal Band of The Year
o Blues Band of The Year
o Metal Band of The Year
o Rock Band of The Year
o The Dimebag Darrell Award and many, many more!

The metal bombshell and music crusader, Jasmin St. Claire, has
wrangled her appetite for brutality and deviance into the homes of her
extreme music allies by virtue of her successful entrepreneurship of
the METAL'S DARKSIDE DVD collection distributed through MVD.

The "completely unabashed and quite compelling" as dubbed by Metal
Maniacs, Jasmin St. Claire has succeeded in apprehending premier
artists to reveal without reservation to their feinding music addicts.

Step into Jasmin's lair at MetalsDarkside.com. Now streaming video
interviews featuring artists such as Children Of Bodom, Wicked Wisdom,
Chimaira and more!

METAL'S DARKSIDE VOLUME ONE is still available for purchase on
MetalsDarkside.com!

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Z Records News

MERRY CHRISTMAS TO ALL OUR FRIENDS

We would like to thank all our friends for their support during 2006,
we wish you all a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Z BACK IN GEAR AND OUR PLEDGE FOR 2007

We released three stunning albums last month -- Lost Weekend - FOREVER
MOVING ON, Andersson Mills Project - CRANK IT UP, and Snakeryder -
BACK FOR THE KILL -- which signalled our return. On January 8th we
will start announcing our new signings. Most are exciting new talents
but some classic artists are rejoining the Z stable also. 2007 will be
a year to remember for all of us.

HOUSE OF LORDS CONFIRMED AS HEADLINE ACT FOR Z ROCK 07

It is with great pleasure that we are able to announce that House Of
Lords have been confirmed as the headline act for Z Rock 07 on Sunday
May 27th 2007. The lineup is currently under negotiation with only one
other act confirmed at present, Lost Weekend, however further news
will be posted shortly.

Legendary House Of Lords front man James Christian made the following
statement concerning their appearance at Z Rock....

"Hi everyone this is James Christian. I am happy to announce that we
will be performing at the next Z Rock festival. This year we will be
changing the set a bit and have a few requests for songs we did not do
on our last tour."

Z Rock 07 will see us return to Maximes in Wigan where the festival
was first launched nine years ago. Tickets are now on sale via PayPal
info@....

A further band will be announced early January so watch this space!

http://www.zrecords.net/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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-Dimmu Borgir Finally Confirmed For Sweden Rock Festival!

Now here's a long overdue SRF-feature: Norway's -- and arguably the
world's -- biggest black metal act. On their most recent release of
fresh material, DEATH CULT ARMAGEDDON (2003), Shagrath et al.
permanently raised the bar for grandiose and orchestral black metal,
and now the sequel is finally here. Just in time for the fans to learn
some brand new material for Dimmu Borgir's very first onslaught on
Sweden Rock Festival!

CONFIRMED BANDS SO FAR OUT OF 70 BANDS IN ALL:

HEAVEN & HELL (UK) - Ronnie James Dio - Tony Iommi - Geezer Butler -
Vinnie Appice
BLIND GUARDIAN (D)
MOTÖRHEAD (UK)
REO SPEEDWAGON (US)
DIMMU BORGIR (N)
THE AUSTRALIAN PINK FLOYD SHOW (AUS)
TROUBLE (US)
KREATOR (D)
U.D.O. (D)
SUZI QUATRO (UK)
GOV'T MULE (US)
HARDCORE SUPERSTAR (S)
BLACK OAK ARKANSAS (US)
THUNDER (UK)
THE ANSWER (UK)
AXEL RUDI PELL (D/US)
CIRCUS MAXIMUS (N)
RANDY PIPER´S ANIMAL (US)
TOKYO DRAGONS (UK)
ELDRITCH (I)
LION'S SHARE (S)
FALCONER (S)
MEMFIS (S)

More info about the festival and how to get tickets:
http://www.swedenrock.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-Year Of Desolation Reveals Artwork, Tracks From Forthcoming Record

Indiana thrashers Year Of Desolation have revealed artwork and two
tracks from the band's forthcoming self-titled Prosthetic Records
debut. Boasting in-depth artwork from Paul Romano (Mastodon, The
Acacia Strain), and production from Jamie King (Between The Buried And
Me, Through The Eyes Of The Dead), YEAR OF DESOLATION will see a
January 23 release, with the band having already spent much of 2006 on
the road alongside the likes of Incantation, headlining the
Cultivating The Masses tour, and a two-month tour with labelmates Burn
In Silence.

The band has posted two tracks, "The Economy Of Excess" and "Erasing
Your Existence," on the official Year Of Desolation MySpace page (
http://myspace.com/yearofdesolation ), while artwork can be found at
ProstheticRecords.com:

front:
http://www.prostheticrecords.com/filebin/images/yofd_yofd.jpg

back:
http://www.prostheticrecords.com/filebin/images/yofd_yofd_back.jpg

The official Prosthetic Records MySpace page (
http://www.myspace.com/prostheticrecords ) is also housing a streaming
copy of "The Economy Of Excess."

Year Of Desolation is currently mapping out plans to continue touring
in early 2007, details on that will be available shortly.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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-Beneath The Massacre Reveals Artwork, Track Listing For Full-Length
Debut

Canadian technical metallers Beneath The Massacre has revealed artwork
and a full track list for the band's upcoming full-length debut, due
out Feb. 20, 2007 through Prosthetic Records. Artwork for the album,
dubbed MECHANICS OF DYSFUNCTION, can be viewed at
ProstheticRecords.com:

front:
http://www.prostheticrecords.com/filebin/images/btm_art.jpg

back:
http://www.prostheticrecords.com/filebin/images/btm_back.jpg

Track listing is as follows:

1) The Surface
2) Society's Disposable Son
3) The System's Failure
4) The Stench Of Misery
5) Untitled
6) Modern Age Slavery
7) The Invisible Hand
8) Better Off Dead
9) Long Forgotten
10) Sleepless

The 10 new tracks were recorded and produced by Yannick St-Ammand
(Despised Icon, Neuraxis), mixed by Pierre Rémillard (Cryptopsy,
Krisiun) and mastered by Alan Douches (Dillinger Escape Plan, Shadows
Fall) and MECHANICS OF DYSFUNCTION, the full-length follow-up to the
praised five-track EVIDENCE OF INEQUITY EP from 2005 will hit stores
Feb. 20, 2007.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
*
-Live Gojira Photos Posted At The Gauntlet.com

TheGauntlet.com has posted live photos of Gojira's recent performance
in Anaheim, Calif. as the band continues to support Children Of Bodom
and Amon Amarth alongside Sanctity on the first North American tour
for Gojira:

http://www.gauntletphotos.com/photos0/1611/Gojira

Hailing from France, the band is supporting its latest record, FROM
MARS TO SIRIUS, which saw an August release in North American through
Prosthetic Records, after initially being released in Europe through
Listenable Records in September of 2005.

Continuing to build buzz on the band, FROM MARS TO SIRIUS has appeared
on KNAC.com's top 10 year-end list (
http://knac.com/article.asp?ArticleID=5134 ) and has earned Gojira
high praise Stateside, leading Decibel magazine to describe the album
as "monstrous, alien endgame chords, forged in fires of ice and honed
to hyperjazz perfection." The band will return to North America early
next year and details surrounding tour package, dates and venues will
be available shortly.

"Fiendishly original and disgustingly heavy, Gojira are everything
that a metal band should be in 2005. This, the French quartet's third
album, is a masterpiece; a monumental collision between pneumatic
drill riffage, a half-man-half-machine percussive onslaught and the
otherworldly, portentous atmospheres of Killing Joke at their
overpowering best." - 4Ks, Kerrang magazine

"This is a band comfortable with their roots in death metal, and as
adept as anyone in deploying heavyweight blastbeat ballast or a burst
of scything staccato riffage, but with a fascination, both lyrically
and sonically, with all things elemental and cosmic that takes their
brutality skyward in a distinctly refreshing manner." – Terrorizer
magazine

"massively heavy but varied and surprising, never monotonous" –
9/10, Blabbermouth.net

"monstrous, alien endgame chords, forged in fires of ice and honed to
hyperjazz perfection." – Decibel magazine

"If you ever wished an amalgamation of Fear Factory, Morbid Angel,
Death, Sepultura, and Meshuggah was to be created, FROM MARS TO SIRIUS
is the closest thing that makes that fantasy a reality." – Metal
Maniacs

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*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
*
-The Minor Times Offers Studio Update

Pennsylvania's The Minor Times is currently in the studio with
engineer Vince Ratti at Skylight Studio recording the follow-up to
2005's MAKING ENEMIES, which is scheduled for a spring 2007 release
through Prosthetic Records. The forthcoming effort has already been
dubbed SUMMER OF WOLVES and The Minor Times has already revealed a
handful of song titles, including "This Is The Blues," "Blackhole
Living," "Van Zant," "Bringing In The Suit" and "+ + +."

Drummer Brian Medlin offers an update for the first week's activity:
"Hello everyone!! Things are going great in the studio. We have lots
of time, and we are using it to our advantage. We're keeping it a very
relaxed environment which helps spawn more creativity. We're
definitely experimenting with every sound and idea that comes to mind.
Here's how the past week went:

"Day 1- We cleaned and reorganized the studio, making it easier to
work in and feel a little less cramped. We discussed the overall game
plan: our ideas for drum sounds, guitars, vocals, etc. Then Lou and
Matt sang 'Happy Birthday' to a girl at a diner because she thought
they were cute.

"Day 2- We set up the drums and started getting sounds. The room sound
is very important to us on this record, so we started with that before
we got to the kick and snare. Our bass player went to school for
engineering, so he'll be collaborating a lot with Vince on ideas for
mic placement, EQing, pre-amp selections, etc.

"Day 3- We finished all the remaining drum sounds. Like I said, we're
taking our time and trying as much as we can. We brought multiple bass
drums and snare drums. You can see the extra snare drums set up in
this picture:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/TheMinorTimes/Studio/brian3.jpg

"Day 4- Started tracking drums and got solid takes of about 5 songs.
Most of the days this week were just Matt and myself in the studio,
with the other guys showing up later in the day.

"Day 5- Tracked the remaining songs on the main drum sound.

"Day 6- Listened over to the takes, checking if other takes were
needed. Or, simply made drum edits if needed. Then we tracked some
extra kit ideas. We had ideas for some parts of songs to have an
additional drum kit playing.

"Day 7- This day was a blast! We messed around with loads of pre-amp
ideas for certain parts in songs where we want a completely different
drum sound. We like this much better than using a computer plug-in for
the effect.

"Day 8- Another really fun day. For an additional percussion part of a
song, we used very organic instruments (i.e. things around the room).
So we banged on trash cans, slammed doors, slapped things, even
recorded spraying a can of Lysol! I liked this because everyone got
involved. So everyone has their hand in percussion on this record.
Here's a picture of some of the 'instruments':
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/TheMinorTimes/Studio/percussion
.jpg

"After that, we stripped down the drum set to just a bass, snare, and
two broken cymbals that I brought for a part in another song. Here's a
picture:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a361/TheMinorTimes/Studio/strippedse
t.jpg

"We muffled the hell out of the bass and snare, brought the mics a
little closer, and got a really nice dry/trashy sound. That was the
last of the drum tracking. We ended the day by clearing the room of
drums, brought in the amps, and started on bass guitar tones. More
studio updates to come!"

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-Check out About Heavy Metal's "Top 5 Most Disappointing Heavy Metal
CDs Of 2006" and "Top 10 Best Heavy Metal DVDs Of 2006" at
http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/30VP and
http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/30VQ , respectively.

-Amaseffer is a new project from drummer Erez Yohanan -- along with
Vanden Plas vocalist Andy Kuntz and guitarists Yuval Kramer and Hanan
Avramovich -- that's working on a trilogy of albums based on the story
of the Exodus in the Bible. Hype: "The unique sound of the trilogy is
a mixture of Middle Eastern spices with an epic, cinematic scope
polished with huge philharmonic orchestrations, all wrapped in
pounding drums and heavy guitars." See http://www.amaseffer.com/ for
more.

-Check out a new Angtoria E-card at
http://www.listenable.net/ecards/angtoria/ . See
http://www.angtoria.com/ for more.

-Blissed's new video for "Getting Better" is available on-line at
http://www.blissedmusic.com/video.htm . The band's next single will be
announced "around Christmas."

-The new video for Cloudscape's "Demon Tears" available at
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?
fuseaction=vids.individual&videoID=1479396384
.

-The 49th annual Grammy Awards will air live on CBS from the Staples
Center in Los Angeles on February 11. Nominees and categories Detritus
readers may care about include Lamb Of God's "Redneck," Mastodon's
"Colony Of Birchmen," Ministry's "Lies, Lies, Lies," Slayer's "Eyes Of
The Insane," and Stone Sour's "30/30-150" for Best Metal Performance,
and Buckcherry's "Crazy Bitch," Nine Inch Nails' "Every Day Is Exactly
The Same," System Of A Down's "Lonely Day," Tool's "Vicarious," and
Wolfmother's "Woman" for Best Hard Rock Performance.

-Check out Hard Rock Haven's interview with Images Of Eden main man
Gordon Tittsworth at
http://www.hardrockhaven.net/interviews2006/imagesofeden_06.php .

-Kamelot's Web site has been updated with a message from Thomas
Youngblood:

"I am just returning from another great week in Germany as we are
laying down the finishing touches of the new album. I am dying to tell
you the song ideas and title but I am sworn to secrecy. We are working
on the art with several artists including one amazing new one from
France. Drums are done, Casey did a killer job again. This time he
flew to Gate Studios in Wolfsburg to record. We are aiming for a
release of Spring 2007, followed by the first leg of Europe tour, then
to Japan and another run in North America in August. New songs, new
stage and every night a party with our extended family. Also we are
excited about our first visits to Finland, Russia, Serbia, Romania,
Hungary and Denmark. What else? Some new festivals like ProgPower UK,
Kvinesdal and Karmageddon in Norway, Oliver will be on stage both
Friday and Saturday as Doro is the Friday Headliner and Kamelot is
Saturday's. Oh... the new DVD is out everywhere now. Thanks for your
fantastic response to our first DVD, also thanks to Patric at Revolver
for his hard work as well as Mattias and Pako who did the artwork. So,
until next time..."

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

-Various on-line reports indicate Metallica as written "about 25
songs" for its next album, and they were inspired by the band's
European tour last summer where the seminal MASTER OF PUPPETS was
played in its entirety. Recording is set to commence in January with
producer Rick Rubin, and the album is due out late next year.

-Salem signed a deal with French record label Season Of Mist. The
band's new album NECESSARY EVIL is due out early next year. See
http://www.salemband.com/ , http://www.myspace.com/salemband , and
http://www.season-of-mist.com/ for more.

-Thunderstone is set to release its fourth album EVOLUTION 4>0 on
March 14. Check out the studio reports posted on their site,
http://www.thunderstone.org/ .

-Tigertailz' new video for "Falling Down" from BEZERK 2.0 is now
available on-line at http://www.wtorecords.com/ , YouTube.com, and
other video sites. The clip was directed by Pepsi Tate.

-Whitesnake's new album, GOOD TO BE BAD, is due out next summer. The
video for "Ready To Rock" is available on SPV's Web site at
http://www.spv.de/eng/whitesnake/multimedia.html .

Thanks to Dave "Love Bomb Baby" Tedder, Mark Blair Glunt, Chad Bowar,
zrtenenb@..., and Mikey@... for help
gathering some of this information.

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

-I hate to do this because I much, much prefer full-blown reviews down
in the ol' "Reviews" section, but ya gotta do what ya gotta do. Here
are some "quick hit" reviews for things I've been meaning to get to
seemingly forever...

...Bob Catley's SPIRIT OF MAN (Locomotive Records) is yet another
winner from the Magnum front man. There are three certainties in this
world: death, taxes, and Uncle Bob. Cliche alert, but I would listen
to this dude sing the phone book. Doesn't matter who's in his band,
either, as he always seems to find top-notch talent. (This time it's
guitarist Vince O'Regan, bassist Al Barrow, keyboardist Irvin Parratt,
and drummer Jamie Little.) If pomp rock meets heavy AOR is your thing,
buy this immediately. See http://www.bobcatley.com/ ,
http://www.hard-rain.demon.co.uk/ , and
http://www.locomotiverecords.com/ for more.

...Bruce Dickinson's mammoth three-DVD set ANTHOLOGY (Sanctuary) is a
total monster, with live material from the three major phases of his
solo career (the TATTOOED MILLIONAIRE, SKUNKWORKS, and THE CHEMICAL
WEDDING tours/eras), 14 promo videos, and extras including a TYRANNY
OF SOULS-era EPK and the fun short film release "Biceps Of Steel" from
his pre-Iron Maiden days in Samson. You *do* already have this, right?
Mandatory. See http://www.screamforme.com/ ,
http://www.ironmaiden.com/ , and http://www.sanctuaryrecords.co.uk/
for more.

...Dio's HOLY DIVER LIVE DVD (Eagle Vision) is cool and all, but as
noted earlier this year, 1) Ronnie's voice actually starts to show a
bit of age on this release and 2) there have been a lot of live Dio
releases lately. So, consider that before (holy) diving in. But we all
know you'll get this because it *is* just so cool to have HOLY DIVER
done in its entirety, right? The bonus 12-minute interview segment
with band and crew is fun, too, but I still have to ask: What does
keyboardist Scott Warren do 90% of the time in this gig? He sure
appears to be playing, possibly doubling Rudy Sarzo's bass line, but
the keyboards are inaudible. See http://www.ronniejamesdio.com/ ,
http://www.myspace.com/dioofficial , and http://www.eaglerockent.com/
for more.

...Helloween's HELLISH VIDEOS: THE COMPLETE VIDEO COLLECTION DVD
(Sanctuary, 2005) is a must-own for fans of the pumpkin metallers. The
bonus features aren't anything special but you just gotta have all the
promo videos, right? This replaces and updates the old PUMPKIN VIDEO
VHS. And, here in the US, who actually knew the band made so many
videos from the Andi Deris era??? See http://www.helloween.org/ and
http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com/ for more.

...Judas Priest's RISING IN THE EAST (Rhino, 2005) and LIVE VENGEANCE
'82 (Columbia/Legacy) live DVDs are both mandatory, but what else
would you expect me to say? Recorded over two decades apart, taken
together the offer amazing snapshots of one of metal's godfather
bands. LIVE VENGEANCE '82 -- which, it must be noted, was already
released as part of the METALOGY box set -- was recorded during the
band's breakthrough SCREAMING FOR VENGEANCE era when the guys were
still young, lean, 'n' hungry. RISING IN THE EAST was filmed in Japan
on the tour behind the reunion album ANGEL OF RETRIBUTION, and finds
the guys are still in top form. There's a lot of song overlap between
the two sets but really, who cares? On a cool note the new song
"Hellrider" is actually the highlight of RISING IN THE EAST. Imagine
that, considering the set is stacked with all those other classics!
See http://www.judaspriest.com/ , http://www.rhino.com/ ,
http://www.columbiarecords.com/ , and http://www.legacyrecordings.com/
for more.

...Leatherwolf's WORLD ASYLUM (Leatherwolf Music, Inc./N.I.L.8.
Records) is just plain awesome and it's a *crying* shame vocalist Wade
Black has already left the band. I dig this album a lot, and it's
possibly my #1 so far for 2006. I don't think I saw a single bad
review, actually, which is amazing these days. The disc is very heavy
and done straight, sports excellent guitar work, and has Black in a
cool voice where he's not screaming all the time. Opener "I Am The
Law" -- no, not an Anthrax cover -- is one of the best songs of the
year. Let's see how mainstays Geoff Gayer and Dean Roberts reload. See
http://www.leatherwolfmusic.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/leatherwolfmusic for more.

...Megadeth's ARSENAL OF MEGADETH two-DVD set (Capitol Records) is
another mandatory monster that plays like those old mix VHS tapes my
buddy Bill used to make in college -- it's got videos, interviews, and
live TV appearances -- from the Capitol era only -- arranged in
chronological order. It starts with 1986's "Peace Sells" and ends with
"Insomnia" from 1999's RISK, with a couple live clips from last year's
Gigantour tacked on. Lotsa stuff here, for sure, but the completist in
me asks where are the videos for "Angry Again" (1993's "Last Action
Hero" movie soundtrack), "99 Ways To Die" (1993's THE BEAVIS AND BUTT-
HEAD EXPERIENCE compilation), "Crush 'Em" (1999's RISK and the
"Universal Soldier: The Return" movie soundtrack), and "Breadline"
(RISK)? Ah well. :) One of the Easter Eggs is some cool footage of
Marty Friedman's band audition. This arsenal is da bomb. See
http://www.megadeth.com/ for more.

...I had high hopes for Warrant's BORN AGAIN (Deadline Records), what
with the original lineup's return coupled with new vocalist Jaime St.
James and all. Ah well, maybe the guys need another album to fully
gel... It's certainly not a bad album by any stretch but the "fun
factor" is kinda low and there just aren't any real standout tracks. I
definitely want to see this lineup live and I am holding out hope the
next disc kicks some big ass. C'mon guys! See
http://www.warrantweb.net/ and http://www.cleorecs.com/ for more.

...Wolf's THE BLACK FLAME (Prosthetic Records) is a great disc for
fans of vintage Mercyful Fate/King Diamond, Judas Priest, and Iron
Maiden. These guys are old school and proud of it. "Steelwinged Savage
Reaper" (PAINKILLER alert!), "Make Friends With Your Nightmares," "At
The Graveyard," and "Demon" are all highlights, but really, this is
one of those full albums you can easily put on from start to finish
with no skippage. Kudos. See http://www.wolf.nu/ and
http://www.prostheticrecords.com/ for more.

-Now in my current playlist: Twisted Sister - LIVE AT WACKEN - THE
RETURN (DVDplus) (Eagle Vision), Ray DeTone - GUITAR NOIR (Dancetone
Music), Edenbridge - THE GRAND DESIGN (Napalm Records), Redemption -
THE FULLNESS OF TIME (Sensory).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
TWISTED SISTER - LIVE AT WACKEN - THE RETURN (DVDplus) (A) Eagle
Vision, 2005
[ http://www.twistedsister.com/ ]
[ http://www.deesnider.com/ ]
[ http://www.rebellionentertainment.com/ ]
[ http://www.eaglerockent.com/ ]
CD: 11 tracks, RT: 42:55
DVD: RT: 1:49:43
Yes this is an '05 release but to me it's still new 'cuz it kinda
snuck out under the radar last year. I've been on a Twisted kick as I
just got this about the same time as the band's new Christmas album, A
TWISTED CHRISTMAS. The DVD side of this puppy has a 14-song set from
Wacken '03 plus a documentary comprised of several very cool live,
interview, and behind-the-scenes segments. The documentary traces the
reunion of the band's classic lineup -- Dee Snider, Jay Jay French,
Eddie "Fingers" Ojeda, Mark "The Animal" Mendoza, and A.J. Pero --
that progressed at a snail's pace from 1997 on up to this triumphant
'03 festival gig. And although the band's been back and relatively
active for three years now, after watching these interviews you'll
still get the feeling it's not all hugs 'n' kisses between the
members... For the live portion, the Wacken set list basically mirrors
what's on the 1994 album LIVE AT HAMMERSMITH (with a different track
sequence and I think one song being different) and it's of the
"greatest hits live" variety, meaning it touches on every studio album
recorded by the above lineup. Man, you can't beat classic Twisted
Sister for fun-yet-kinda-powerful metal. I never really got into the
plodding "Destroyer" but everything else here, from "What You Don't
Know (Sure Can Hurt You)," "Like A Knife In The Back," and "You Can't
Stop Rock 'n' Roll" down to the STAY HUNGRY classics "I Wanna Rock,"
"Burn In Hell," "We're Not Gonna Take It," and "S.M.F." kicks butt.
Dee Snider is still the man. The video is professionally shot by
multiple cameras, too, and looks great. The audio/CD side of the disc,
entitled LIVE...PAST & PRESENT, features a mishmash of tracks recorded
in 1980, 1982, and the Wacken '03 gig. The older songs are the gems,
naturally, with the guitar showcase "You Know I Cry" being a favorite,
and of the Wacken stuff "I Am, I'm Me" is a good inclusion because
it's not on the DVD side. There's a ton of Twisted on this release --
check it out.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@...)

ZERO HOUR - SPECS OF PICTURES BURNT BEYOND (B+) Sensory, 2006
7 tracks, RT: 43:08
[ http://www.zerohourweb.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/zerohourband ]
[ http://www.lasersedgegroup.com/ ]
[ http://www.lasercd.com/ ]
Zero Hour is back with a new album and vocalist, following up 2005's A
FRAGILE MIND with the unusually titled SPECS OF PICTURES BURNT BEYOND.
I was fortunate to see these guys live at ProgPower USA not just once
but on two occasions, and I can certainly attest to their prog metal
skills. SPECS OF PICTURES BURNT BEYOND starts of with "Face The Fear,"
and after about 20 seconds you pretty much know what you are in for
throughout the album: jarring rhythms, complex drumming, and the
haunting voice of Chris Salinas (Power Of Omens). Chris is inevitably
going to be compared to the bar-setters in prog metal and not without
good reason, his voice often resembling the early stylings of Geoff
Tate, John Arch and Ray Alder. "The Falcon's Cry" blasts out with more
of the band's trademark choppy rhythmic attack, Chris' passionate
vocals soaring above the maelstrom produced by brothers Jason and Troy
Tipton (guitar and bass, respectively) and drummer Mike Guy. The
frequent staccato aspect of the music may be difficult for some
listeners to appreciate, but the juxtaposition of clean chordal
voicings and Chris' emotional delivery serve to offset the sometimes
cold, impersonal nature of the arrangements. One of my favorites is "I
Am Here," a quieter piece allowing the band to mellow and let the
music breathe in a manner not unlike that found on Queensryche's RAGE
FOR ORDER masterpiece. Zero Hour is ultimately a progressive metal
outfit from the same sonic neighborhood as bands like WatchTower,
Spiral Architect and latter period Fates Warning, and nowhere is this
more apparent than on the stunning title track and closer "Evidence Of
The Unseen," both containing over seven minutes of the kind of
technical playing that simultaneously frustrates and inspires would-be
virtuosos. SPECS OF PICTURES BURNT BEYOND is not the type of feel-good
metal that everyone is going to warm up to, but it will definitely do
the trick for those into the precise rhythmic complexity and vocal
brilliance that prog is known for. If that means you, do yourself a
favor and check this out, in my opinion their most fully realized work
to date.
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

*
*** OUT ***
*