Detritus
Issue #409
Week of April 30, 2007
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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/

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-She's real fine, my 409... Beach Boys joke! Humor!! (Check the issue
number above!) My brother and I used to air guitar and lip sync to
that tune when we were kids. When I was in the third grade I tried
writing my first song -- lyrics only, mind you -- and stole about half
of "409." Little did I know I was paving the way for the rap artists
of the future... :) - Tim

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
*
-European Union Release Of Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS!

Metal God Entertainment and Rob Halford are pleased to announce the
European Union release of Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS - VOLUME 1 on
June 8, 2007 through licence with Frontiers Records of Naples, Italy!

Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS - VOLUME 1 features thirteen (13)
dynamic tracks from Rob Halford's Fight and Halford solo releases. The
Halford band's first new songs in more than four years, "Forgotten
Generation" and "Drop Out," are also featured; as is an exclusive 2007
re-mix from producer Attie Bauw: "Redemption European Mix."

Frontiers Records' European Release of Halford - METAL GOD ESSENTIALS
- VOLUME 1 includes a full-color twenty (20) page expanded booklet and
Bonus DVD featuring eight (8) Halford promotional videos in an
enhanced digi-pack.

The Metal God's U.S. (ESSENTIALS Release July 2007); Japan (ESSENTIALS
Release July 2007); Australia (ESSENTIALS Release August 2007); Canada
(ESSENTIALS Release July 2007) and Brazil (ESSENTIALS Release June
2007) licensees and release configurations will be announced late May
2007.

Metal God Entertainment will also produce three (3) new Box Sets for
its licensees in the European Union, U.S. and Canada for fall 2007 /
early 2008 release. The Fight and Halford Box Sets will feature a 5.1
DVD documentary and live concert performance, re-mastered audio
releases, expanded booklet, rare and unreleased photos and liner
notes.

The Box Sets are tentatively titled:

1) Fight - WAR OF WORDS THE FILM - Box Set
2) Halford - LIVE AT ROCK IN RIO III - Box Set
3) Halford - LIVE CRUCIBLE WORLD TOUR - Box Set

Special configurations for all other territories are in production and
will be announced summer 2007. Halford - IV licensees will be
announced summer 2007.

Visit these sites for more Metal God info, merchandise, digital music
and film downloads:

http://www.RobHalford.com/
http://www.HalfordMerchandise.com/
http://www.HalfordMusic.com/

iTunes.com - keyword: Halford
iTunes.com - keyword: Fight

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
*
-Radiant Records Updates

[Note: This is a combination of two separate press releases. - Tim]

New Mike Portnoy Now At Radiant!

Hello there,

We've got something new and exciting here at Radiant. Mike Portnoy's
new instructional three-DVD set: IN CONSTANT MOTION!

Neal watched it yesterday and this is what he had to say about it:
"Wow! The packaging and production values on this thing are amazing.
It has live TransAtlantic footage that I've never seen! With great
sound and multi cameras...where did Mike find all that great stuff? It
also has great footage of the Testimony band playing in Whittier at
the end of the TESTIMONY tour. Not only that but some Yellow Matter
Custard and all of Mike's side projects are featured. He goes through
'Author Of Confusion' and shows how he plays it all. Really great
stuff. And, of course there is a whole disc of DT stuff and ANOTHER
whole disc of bonus material. It's an incredible package."

Here's a blurb:

Mike Portnoy – IN CONSTANT MOTION three-DVD set!

Featuring three discs with over seven hours of instruction, live and
studio performances and insights on the numerous projects he has been
involved with, IN CONSTANT MOTION is Mike Portnoy's latest DVD release
from Hudson Music. IN CONSTANT MOTION is the Dream Theater drummer's
first DVD since his award-winning video, LIQUID DRUM THEATER, was
released in 1999 and covers music from the last three Dream Theater
albums as well as several of Mike's outside projects, including
tribute bands Yellow Matter Custard (The Beatles), Hammer Of The Gods
(Led Zeppelin), Amazing Journey (The Who) and Cygnus & The Sea
Monsters (Rush). With such a wealth and diversity of instructional and
performance material, IN CONSTANT MOTION is recommended for drummers
of all interest and ability levels.

Disc 1: "In The Dream" focuses on music from the last three Dream
Theater albums, SIX DEGREES OF INNER TURBULENCE, TRAIN OF THOUGHT and
OCTAVARIUM; featuring complete band performances of six songs from
these albums as well as new studio performances of the drum tracks and
Mike's in-depth analysis of each song.

Disc 2: "On The Side" covers a wide range of Mike's side projects,
including his work with TransAtlantic, John Arch, John Petrucci/G3,
Fates Warning and Neal Morse. In addition to the nearly six hours of
high quality, all-new content, excerpts of rare performances are also
included -- including a detailed look at each of Mike's tribute bands,
paying homage to The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, The Who and Rush!

Disc 3: "Bonus Material" contains four additional, exclusive Dream
Theater tracks filmed on the band's 20th Anniversary tour, three live
drum solos featuring duets with Charlie Benante, Jason Bittner and
Richard Christy, a tour of Mike's infamous "Albino Monster" drumkit
and bonus clips including unreleased live solos, studio footage and
more.

In addition to state-of-the-art, studio-quality digital audio and
video, IN CONSTANT MOTION also includes special features such as:

• PDF transcriptions of selected performances, key grooves and fills.
• Camera-switching option on three in-studio performances.
• Complete Discography, Videography and Photo Gallery.

We've got 'em at http://www.radiantrecords.com/ .

New Alan Morse CD From Radiant!

Hi,

How are you doing? Enjoying the spring we hope!

There are a few things we ant to tell you about in this e-mail so
scroll down!

First of all: Neal Morse is doing a few concerts! Come see Neal
perform material from his new epic SOLA SCRIPTURA as well as other
classics with his amazing European band. It will be the same lineup as
last summer except for the addition of Paul Bielatowicz (the guitarist
from the Carl Palmer band) on lead guitar. Here are the dates and
where to buy tickets:

May 26th: IO-Pages Progfestival 2007
De Boerderij, Zoetermeer, Holland

Neal Morse & Band will headline this second day of the festival.
Spock's Beard will also perform at this festival.

Tickets and information: http://www.boerderij.org/ or
http://www.ticketmaster.nl/
More info: http://www.iopages.nl/ioprogfestival2007.html

May 28th: Colos-Saal, Aschaffenburg, Germany
Tickets and information: http://www.colos-saal.de/

June 13: Regent Hall, London, England
Tickets and Information: Tickets available at
http://www.radiantrecords.com/ and http://www.regenthall.co.uk/

For more info see: http://www.nealmorseuk07.co.uk/

Also:

We are thrilled to tell you about this new release! Alan Morse – 4 O'
CLOCK AND HYSTERIA. Alan Morse's debut solo album! What's it like?
Here's a blurb:

Alan Morse – 4 O'CLOCK AND HYSTERIA

You all know Alan Morse, right? The wild man Guitarist from prog rock
icons Spock's Beard. So, what would you expect from his solo album?
Well, the old term "expect the unexpected" certainly applies here!
This is a wonderful rock/jazz fusion instrumental album that ranks up
there with Jeff Beck's classic BLOW BY BLOW or WIRED. It's also very
melody oriented. With much of the material written by Alan and his
brother Neal Morse, the music soars and throbs with melodic vibrancy.
This is not just a shreddy guitar record, but one of taste and
composition. Supporting Morse on his debut solo outing are his Beard
band mates, brother Neal on keys and a lineup of brilliant studio
musicians as well as violinist Jerry Goodman who has performed with
(amongst others) Mahavishnu Orchestra. You're gonna love it!

Available now at http://www.radiantrecords.com/ .

Neal Morse Inner Circle News

The Inner Circle release for May 15 is a DOUBLE LIVE full band concert
CD featuring material from ?, ONE and other food for the ear. Sign up
by May 15 to receive this great release. Wanna sign up? It's easy! Go
to http://www.nealmorse.com/ , click on the Inner Circle banner and
follow the instructions.

Also, don't forget our newest exciting titles:

Mike Portnoy – IN CONSTANT MOTION (three-DVD set)

Neal Morse – SOLA SCRIPTURA

Neal Morse – SONGS FROM THE HIGHWAY

Take care and we love ya,

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

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
*
-Gold Storm Records Releases Violent Storm's Album STORM WARNING, With
Guests Yngwie Malmsteen And Judas Priest's K.K. Downing

Executive Produced by K.K. Downing, In This Production Outside Of
Judas Priest

More and more in the early 21st century, newer metal acts seem to be
modeling their sound after the metal masters. And there's a reason why
the debut full length by Violent Storm, STORM WARNING, bears a sonic
resemblance to the aforementioned metal masters -- two of the genre's
most renowned guitarists, Yngwie Malmsteen and Judas Priest's K.K.
Downing, have lent a hand (with the latter also handling Executive
Production duties).

Led by bassist/songwriter Mick Cervino (who has toured alongside
Ritchie Blackmore and Malmsteen), alongside Mike Sorrentino on drums
(ex-Blackmore's Night), Matt Reardon on vocals and Martin Mickells on
guitars, Violent Storm instantly left an impression on Downing.

"There's a lot of bands out there now, but a lot of it is very 'nu
metal' to me. So when I heard Mick's stuff, I thought, 'This is pretty
cool -- it has a freshness about it. Very classic metal.' So I played
a couple of solos and things went on from there. Yngwie played on the
record, and later, I pushed them towards Roy Z to engineer and re-mix
the record from the original. Roy and I were sending files back across
the Atlantic, I actually went there a couple of times -- once to L.A.
and once to Las Vegas -- and hooked up with Roy to listen to some
stuff. And that's how it all happened, really -- I've been involved
ever since."

Although he's appeared on live recordings by Malmsteen (ATTACK!! and
G3 LIVE: ROCKIN' IN THE FREE WORLD) as well as a song on a studio set
by Blackmore's Night (UNDER A VIOLET MOON), Cervino hasn't had the
opportunity to truly show off his bass chops in the studio, until now.
"That's another reason why I needed to do Violent Storm, because I've
got to be able to play the bass on an album sometime!"

The result is a rockin' release that manages to appeal to metalheads
both old and new, explains Cervino. "If you're in an aggressive mood,
you listen to something fast, like 'War No More.' But sometimes you're
more into a melody frame of mind, and you listen to 'Alimentary
Fable.' It really depends on the mood of the day -- and that's what I
intended to do for the listener, so they wouldn't be stuck with one
style that is redundant."

Track listing for STORM WARNING:

1. War No More [Featuring K.K. Downing]
2. Fire In The Unknown [Featuring Roy Z and Yngwie Malmsteen]
3. Deceiver [Featuring K.K Downing]
4. Pain [Featuring Yngwie Malmsteen]
5. Alimentary Fable
6. Screaming In Your Face [Featuring Roy Z]
7. You Don't Care
8. Owning You
9. Empty Hope
10. Storm

* PLUS BONUS VIDEO FEATURES

CONFIRMED TOUR DATES

June 6 2007 - KB Hallen, w/ Heaven and Hell, Coppenhagen, Denmark
http://www.kbhallen.dk/

June 7 2007 - Stengade 30, Coppenhagen, Denmark (headlining show)
To buy Tickets go to: http://www.stengade30.dk/

June 9 2007 - Sauna Open Air Festival, Tampere, Finland
http://www.sauna-open-air.fi/

June 13 - Apolo 2, Barcelona, Spain (headlining show)

June 14 - Heineken, Madrid, Spain (headlining show)
http://www.salaheineken.com/

June 22 - Bang Your Head Festival, Ballingen, Germany
http://www.bang-your-head.de/

For more information, visit http://www.violentstorm.net/ and
http://www.goldstormrecords.com/ .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
*
-Sacred Reich To Release Reissue Of INGORANCE/SURF NICARAGUA

Metal Blade Records will release a three-disc deluxe reissue of
IGNORANCE and SURF NICARAGUA on the 15th of June (G/A/S) - 18th of
June (Europe). This release has been postponed a couple of times, but
it was definitely worth the wait!

There will be two CDs included in the package (ALL materials re-
mastered!) as well as a bonus DVD!

The package includes liner notes by Phil Rind and Malcom Dome (Classic
Rock/Metal Hammer/Radio Total Rock) and an extensive booklet with
loads of yet unpublished photos. Check out the fantastic new front
artwork by Paul Stottler.

Track list:

Disc 1 CD:

IGNORANCE album
1. Death Squad
2. Victim Of Demise
3. Layed To Rest (instrumental)
4. Ignorance
5. No Believers
6. Violent Solutions
7. Rest In Peace
8. Sacred Reich
9. Administrative Decisions

Bonus material:
10. Rapid Fire (Judas Priest cover with Rob Halford singing)
11. The Big Picture (MDC cover)
12. Sweet Leaf (Black Sabbath cover)

Disc 2 CD:

Surf Nicaragua EP
1. Surf Nicaragua
2. One Nation
3. War Pigs
4. Draining You Of Life
5. Ignorance (live)
6. Death Squad (live)

Bonus material:
7. Draining You Of Life (four-track demo 1986)
8. Ignorance (from METAL MASSACRE VIII)
9. No Believers (four-track demo 1986)
10. R.I.P. (four-track demo 1986)
11. Sacred Reich (four-track demo 1986)
12. Sacred Reich (METAL MASSACRE sessions)
all four-track demo songs feature original member Jeff Martinek on
lead guitar

Disc 3 DVD:

* "Ignorance" Video and Interview
* live show from Dynamo Open Air 1989
* "Just Say Sacred" - short film by Eric Braverman

http://www.myspace.com/sacredreich

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
*
-Of The Archaengel Launches New Web Site And MySpace Page

The veteran musicians of the band Of The Archaengel (which rises from
the ashes of Lethal Curse), originally formed in 1992, recently
released their new Web site, now with a new English version, with a
specific layout for such language. Besides of general information of
the band there are samples taken from the promo THE DANTE'S CHILDREN
EXTRAVAGANCE, released in 2006.

With the great experience acquired and professional work in their
promo, the response by major rock and metal magazines was great,
receiving excellent reviews and comments as the following ones:

"everything here is extremely professional: from the graphical
production to the sound production, from the Web site to the songs,
from the songs' arrangements to the performance, everything that
differentiates real bands from the ones that are only playing making
music is featured at this recording" - Rock Brigade Magazine

"THE DANTE'S CHILDREN EXTRAVAGANCE is a very well composed demo, from
a mature band ready to give bigger steps. Quality and professionalism
indeed don't lack" – 4/4 - All The Bangers

"... a mature band that knows what is doing." 10/10 - Metal Hearer

" pretty enjoyable! The overall composition seems pretty interesting!
I can't think of many bands who sound similar..." - Peaceville Records
/ Paul Groundwell

With the new Web site, it's also available a MySpace page, where fans
can interact with the band, leave comments and also listen to samples
of the promo. The address is: http://www.myspace.com/ofthearchaengel .
Right now the band is working in their new album, more details coming
soon.

Of The Archaengel
press@...
http://www.ofthearchaengel.com/
http://www.myspace.com/ofthearchaengel

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
*
-Ten Years After Celebrate 40th Anniversary With Exclusive Worldwide
Tour

When one thinks of the original Woodstock Festival, classic
performances of such bands as The Who, Jimi Hendrix, Joe Cocker, and
Santana immediately come to mind. But one group that handed in one of
the festival's show-stopping (and certainly, one of the most rocking)
performances was Ten Years After, who subsequently built a sizeable
fanbase of people starved for classic blues rock. Now, 40 years after
the group's original formation, Ten Years After -- Joe Gooch (vocals,
lead guitar), Chick Churchill (keyboards), Leo Lyons (bass guitar),
and Ric Lee (drums, no relation to Alvin) -- is rocking the tour trail
once more.

During the group's first go-round (from 1967 to 1974), the focal point
of Ten Years After was guitar hero/singer Alvin Lee. It was the Lee-
fronted lineup that rocked Woodstock, and also scored several hits
(tops on the list being "I'd Love To Change The World" and "I'm Going
Home") as well as the hit albums SSSH (1969), CRICKLEWOOD CREEK
(1970), and A SPACE IN TIME (1971), before splitting up. The group
reunited briefly in the late '80s, before going their separate ways
once more. Come the early 21st century, Ric Lee had unearthed a gem
from the vaults, LIVE AT THE FILLMORE EAST (from 1970), which got the
band members considering another go 'round. With Alvin Lee the only
member not willing to move forward, Gooch stepped in, and the group
has been a lean, mean, rockin' machine ever since.

"It's better -- has more of a band feel than before," explains Ric Lee
about the Gooch-fronted Ten Years After. "The energy level is
frightening from three old bastards and a young dude who is able to
play the signature licks, and yet impart his own original stamp on
everything." Lyons adds that the move to replace Alvin was out of
necessity to keep the band alive, but has worked out for the best.
"Alvin Lee did not have the enthusiasm to tour. Joe joining Ten Years
After has been a very positive thing and has given the band a renewed
energy. I think the band is now playing like it did when the fire was
first lit way back in 1967. We have more fun on stage than we've ever
had and it shows in our music."

And although it's been 40 years since Ten Years After first took
shape, the upcoming Anniversary Tour will show the quartet is still
firing on all cylinders. "We're determined to give them as good a time
as we have playing for them," says Lyons. "It's a real pleasure to be
back on tour. We'll play a selection of the most requested songs from
our earlier records plus new material from NOW (2004) and ROADWORKS
(2005). We'll also be slipping in some as-yet-unrecorded material.
After the show we'll come out to meet our fans and sign any albums or
CDs they bring along."

And if the upcoming tour wasn't enough to satisfy longtime fans, Lee
unveiled that the group is also currently hard at work on an all-new
studio set. "Writing is going on as we speak, and a new album should
surface in early 2008. The music will no doubt still have a blues base
but will move forward from where NOW and ROADWORKS left off."

After the 40th Anniversary Tour winds down, Ten Years After plans on
finishing off the forthcoming album, before...hitting the road again,
says Lyons. "The 40th Anniversary tour runs until May 2008 and travels
all over the world. It's a heavy commitment. We plan to release at
least one DVD and one studio CD. After that I guess we'll start the
41st Anniversary tour. We all enjoy playing."

In addition to U.S. dates, Ten Years After also plans on performing
this year in such exotic locales as the Far East, South America,
Australia, and New Zealand. According to Lee, expect to be rocked. "A
powerful, ass-kicking Ten Years After -- playing old and new like the
fans have not seen or heard before."

Confirmed Ten Years After tour dates:

May 23 - Sellersville, PA - Sellersville Theater
May 24 - Roanoke, VA - Festival In The Park
May 25 - Winston-Salem, NC - Ziggy's
Jun 15 - Chattanooga, TN - Riverbend Festival
Jul 11 - New York, NY - B.B. King's
Jul 12 - Northampton, MA - Iron Horse
Jul 13 - Ottawa, Canada - Ottawa Blues Festival
Jul 15 - Milton, Canada - Escarpment Blues Festival
Jul 17 - Detroit, MI - Magic Bag
Jul 20 - Huntington, NY - IMAC Theater
Jul 21 - Annapolis, MD - Rams Head

For more information, visit the official Ten Years After site, at
http://www.tenyearsafternow.com/ .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
*
-Greg Lake On DVD And CD | MVD Entertainment Group

NEW MVD EXCLUSIVE TITLES

Greg Lake - WELCOME BACKSTAGE

This DVD presents exclusive insight into Greg Lake and his band in
pre-tour rehearsals filmed in September 2005 at Classic T Stage,
Shepperton Film Studios, U.K. The feature captures a selection of full
length tracks, excerpts from rehearsals, backstage footage and
interviews. From his initial days in the explosive London music scene
of the late 1960s, through his time as founding member and voice of
rock innovators King Crimson, and legendary British rock band,
Emerson, Lake And Palmer (ELP); Greg Lake has continually made records
that have endured the test of time. On this DVD, Lake brilliantly
displays why he's a highly revered singer and influential progressive
rocker.

DVD
SKU #: DVD8081X
UPC: 022891808190
SRP: $19.95
BOX LOT: 30
RUN TIME: 50 mins.
LABEL: MVD VISUAL
PRE-BOOK DATE: 05/22/2007
STREET DATE: 06/26/2007

Greg Lake - GREG LAKE

Greg Lake -- The Voice of a Generation. From his initial days in the
explosive London music scene of the late 1960s, through his time as
founding member and voice of rock innovators King Crimson, and
legendary British rock band, Emerson, Lake And Palmer (ELP); Greg Lake
has continually made records that have endured the test of time. This
album presents one of the most enduring musical figureheads of our
time, performing many of his best-known classics, including King
Crimson's "In The Court Of The Crimson King" and "21st Century
Schizoid Man" and Emerson, Lake And Palmer's hit "Lucky Man,"
"Pictures At An Exhibition" and "Fanfare For The Common Man." Live at
Stevenage Concert Hall Arena 2005.

CD
SKU #: 5034X
UPC: 022891503422
SRP: $14.95
BOX LOT: 25
RUN TIME: 74 mins.
LABEL: MVD AUDIO
PRE-BOOK DATE: 05/22/2007
STREET DATE: 06/26/2007

MVD
on the web - http://mvdb2b.com/
phone - 800-888-0486

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
*
-Glenn Hughes Schedules New York City Performance

Trenton, N.J. -- Glenn Hughes has scheduled his first New York City
performance in decades, to take place on Monday, June 4 at B.B. King's
in Times Square.

"New York is a city that has an energy like no other," Hughes said. "I
sense anticipation from my fans there, and I always feel exhilarated
when I perform there. It's gonna be tight, and it's gonna be funky."

The New York City show will follow a one-off weekend performance in
L.A. with Red Hot Chili Peppers drummer Chad Smith, who collaborated
with Hughes on his latest offering, MUSIC FOR THE DIVINE.

Dubbed "the voice of rock" for his rich, soulful singing, Hughes has
explored many musical paths and worked with some of the greatest
musicians in the business. Smith, Hughes' partner in crime in recent
years, acted as a sounding board for Hughes' demos before the
musicians came together with longtime guitarist JJ Marsh to flesh out
the tracks for MUSIC FOR THE DIVINE. The trio, along with help from
Chili Peppers guitarist John Frusciante and Mark Kilian on keys and
string arrangements, recorded MUSIC FOR THE DIVINE live at Smith's
Hollywood Hills home.

Doors are at 6 p.m. Showtime is at 8 p.m. Tickets are $25.00 in
advance/$28.00 day of show and are available through Ticketmaster
outlets.

http://www.glennhughes.com/
http://www.myspace.com/glennhughesonline
http://www.demolitionrecords.com/
http://www.bbkingblues.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
*
-Get Ready To Rock! Sponsors Cambridge Rock Festival Featuring
Thunder, Wishbone Ash, Australian Pink Floyd & Many More

Cambridge Rocks With Thunder & Wishbone Ash In August

GRTR! Sponsors Second Stage

Cambridge Rock Festival 2007, incorporating Rockinbeerfest is a great
friendly music festival, with a classic lineup -- Over 40 bands
including, Australian Pink Floyd, Thunder, Wishbone Ash, Deborah
Bonham, Man, Stray, Juicy Lucy, Hazel O'Connor, Nine Below Zero, Dr
Feelgood, John Otway, Eddie & The Hotrods, Karnataka, Limehouse Lizzy,
Helium Soul, The Reasoning, to mention just a few.

GRTR! is sponsoring this year's second stage which features upcoming
and unsigned acts.

The site has approved camping, caravanning and campervan spaces, hook
up, permanent toilet & shower blocks, restaurant, coffee shop, clothes
and craft stalls and a collectors vinyl & CD fair.

All the favourite festival food varieties will be available, from Thai
curry to a full roast on Sunday, plus vegetarian options. This year
has an even bigger selection of 70+ real ales, lagers, ciders, wines &
spirits!

Day and weekend tickets available, with free parking for ticket
holders.

See Web site or call the box office on 0845 299 0845 for tickets and
more information.

At Wood Green Animal Shelters, Godmanchester, Cambs, PE29 2NH on
16th-19th August 2007

Price: £79.00-£69.00 in advance (full festival) / Day tickets - Thus
£5, Fri £25, Sat £33, Sun £33

Concessions for under 10s and under 16s listed on the festival Web
site.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
*
-Makers Of "Get Thrashed" And Zetro Souza On Hand For L.A. Screening
At Silver Lake Film Festival

Director Rick Ernst and Associate Producer Rat Skates will attend the
West Coast premiere of "Get Thrashed: The Story Of Thrash Metal" at
the Silver Lake Film Festival in Los Angeles on Saturday, May 5.

After the screening, there will be a question and answer session with
Ernst, Skates, as well as former Exodus vocalist Zetro Souza. Members
and ex- members of Anthrax, Testament, Dark Angel and other
influential thrash artists are scheduled to attend the West Coast
Premiere.

"I'm so excited to be a part of 'Get Thrashed,'" said former Exodus
vocalist Zetro Souza. "There's finally a film that makes you feel a
part of that magic time. The L.A. screening is going to be a blast.
I'm psyched to see the film, interact with the fans and catch up with
old friends."

Due to the increasing buzz about the film, and considering that Los
Angeles is one of the cities that played a big role in the birth of
thrash, the film has been moved to a larger room in the Los Feliz 3
Theatre.

"I'm very proud of our work on this movie," said associate producer
Rat Skates. "Just like the bands in this film believed in their music
and the genre they created, Rick and I had a similar belief and that
die-hard attitude in doing something so involved like 'Get Thrashed.'
After all of the insanely difficult hurdles that had to be jumped to
make this film happen, it makes it that much cooler to see the final
product. Our movement was the most significant building block in what
metal is today. This is definitely an essential learning tool for the
new school. It's a step back in time to look at the overall landscape
of the scene we created."

Skates, founding drummer of '80s thrash band Overkill, has been
involved in the filmmaking industry with his own company Kundrat
Productions since 1999, producing a wide variety of projects from
corporate advertising and television commercials to the performing
arts. His recent projects include "Get Thrashed" (Associate Producer)
and Producer of the newly released autobiographical documentary "Born
In The Basement."

"Get Thrashed: The Story Of Thrash Metal" recently took home awards
for "Best Documentary" and "Best Soundtrack" at the Backseat Film
Festival in Philadelphia.

The film will screen on Saturday night, May 5th, at 11:45 pm at the
Los Feliz 3 Theatre located at 1822 North Vermont Avenue, L.A., CA
90027. Tickets are $11.00 and can be purchased online at
http://www.silverlakefilmfestival.org/ or by calling 1-800-838-3006.

http://www.getthrashed.com/
http://www.silverlakefimfestival.org/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
*
-Zakk Wylde To Play Special Performance At RockWalk -- "In This River"
For Dimebag Darrell's Induction

Confirmed Performers For The Black Tooth Bash & Artist Roster For The
Hand Painted Six-String Masterpieces

HOLLYWOOD -- May 17th, 2007 marks the day of Dimebag Darrell Abbott's
induction to Guitar Center Hollywood RockWalk. Many of rock's top
players will be in attendance to honor our lost and beloved brother.

At the induction guitar virtuoso Zakk Wylde (Black Label Society, Ozzy
Osbourne) will perform live on Sunset Blvd. in tribute to his friend
and brother. Wylde will play "In This River" -- a song forever
dedicated to Dimebag Darrell. According to Wylde, the song will never
leave the set list for Black Label Society.

After the induction, come join us at the House Of Blues Hollywood to
further honor Dimebag Darrell Abbott where The Six-String Masterpiece
Auction will be held to benefit The Little Kids Rock Foundation.
Dimebag's Black Tooth Bash will immediately follow the auction with
special performances comprised with some of Darrell's closest friends
and influences.

Black Tooth Bash confirmed list of players are as follows:

The Little Kids Rock Band

Vinnie Paul, Jamey Jasta, Scott Ian, Jerry Cantrell, William Duvall
(Alice In Chains), M. Shadows (Avenged Sevenfold), Evil D (Morbid
Angel), Paul Grey (Slipknot), Ripper Owens, Nick Bowcott (Grim
Reaper), John 5, David Draiman (Disturbed), Bob Zilla (Damageplan),
Aaron Lewis (Staind), Brent Smith and Jasin Todd (Shinedown), Dave
Navarro, Stephen Perkins, Matt Byrne (Hatebreed), Chester Bennington
(Linkin Park) and many more surprise artists!

Six-String Masterpieces: The Dimebag Darrell Art Tribute created by
the following artists:

Zakk Wylde, Ace Frehley, Rob Zombie, Otep, Shinedown, Jerry Cantrell,
Bob Zilla, Kelly Clarkson, Steve Stevens, Tommy Lee, Filip Leu (Leu
Family Iron), Marilyn Manson, Ryan McGinness, Moby, Gill Montie, Tom
Morello, Mark Mothersbaugh (Devo, Mutato Muzako), Munky (Korn), Dave
Navarro, Ted Nugent, Jim Root, Jack Rudy, Joe Satriani, Mike Shinoda
(Linkin Park), David Stoupakis (Sum 41), Mick Thompson (Slipknot),
Greg Tribbett (Mudvayne), Hank Williams III plus many more -- for a
comprehensive list of all Six-String Masterpieces go to
http://www.actionartsagency.com/sixstring1.html .

The collection comprises of over 60 Dean ML guitars that have been
hand-painted by world-famous Rock Stars and internationally known
Tattoo & Visionary Artists in a memorial tribute to one of the
greatest guitarists of all time, Dimebag Darrell Abbott. The guitars
can be viewed prior to the auction May 4th to May 16th at LaLuz
DeJesus Gallery in L.A. (4633 Hollywood Ave.).

The Little Kids Rock Foundation (501(C)3) is the charity of choice for
Dimebag Darrell -- so it's Dime-Time folks and we are going to rock
the house to honor Dimebag and raise money for the kids!

The gear companies are uniting as one to raise money for the kids. The
night's sponsors are Dimebag Hardware, Dean Guitars, Dunlop, Musicians
Institute, Seymour Duncan, GHS Strings, EMG Pickups, Schecter Guitars
with more joining us each day!!

For more information on the charity and the Six-String Masterpieces go
to http://www.rockwalk.com/ , http://www.littlekidsrock.org/ ,
http://www.actionartsagency.com/ , and
http://www.myspace.com/sixstringmasterpieces .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
-Summer Breeze News

August 16-18, 2007
Dinkelsbuehl

Dear friends of Summer Breeze!

Many of you may have guessed when we will be able to confirm the last
band missing on the billing for the 10th Summer Breeze. It was worth
holding on. For our Breeze anniversary we are happy to welcome a
living legend of the scene in Dinkelsbuehl for the first time: Max
Cavalera with Soulfly! No need to mention again what he has achieved
with Sepultura which was even topped by the success he had with
Soulfly. Songs as "Back To The Primitive" or "Eye For An Eye" were
influencing an entire young metal generation in the late '90s.
Soulfly's last output DARK AGES showed a perfect fusion of modern
metal, world musical intention and old school thrash attitude. Get
ready for a firework of aggressive riffing, hammering grooves and the
pure power of south American feeling for rhythm.

Now the billing is complete, each of the 60 bands is confirmed. Among
these also the 11 bands who will be playing the party tent starting
Wednesday already. Where in previous years we had to stop we can now
put something on top from 2007 on. The party will continue until 4 o'
clock in the party tent for the party animals to prove what life is
all about. But then again we have a limitation from the local
authorities. Car stereos or any other noises like aggregates are
prohibited during the entire night. Not only for the people living
nearby but also for the people on the camping site who simply want to
sleep. Fair enough!

Here is the final billing:

SOULFLY – IN EXTREMO – AMON AMARTH – OOMPH! – BOLT THROWER – NEVERMORE
– FINNTROLL – DORO – DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER – DARK TRANQUILLITY –
PAIN – RAGE – CALIBAN – L'ΒME IMMORTELLE – DARK FUNERAL – SUFFOCATION
– TANZWUT – POISONBLACK – DORNENREICH – CREMATORY – THE BLACK DAHLIA
MURDER – MOONSORROW – TANKARD – SAMSAS TRAUM – VOLBEAT – KRYPTERIA –
LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE – EISBRECHER – SIRENIA – IMMOLATION – AFTER
FOREVER – MAROON – XANDRIA – NECROPHOBIC – COMMUNIC – IMPIOUS –
HARDCORE SUPERSTAR – ILLDISPOSED – HEVEIN – POWERWOLF – DARK FORTRESS
– DISILLUSION – FEAR MY THOUGHTS – NIGHTRAGE – MACHINEMADE GOD –
SQUEALER A.D. – SECRETS OF THE MOON – SWALLOW THE SUN – JUSTICE –
HELRUNAR – KOLDBRANN – ELUVEITIE – DAGOBA – BLACK MESSIAH – DEADLOCK –
KARKADAN – PRESIDENT EVIL – FALL OF SERENITY – ABSOLUTE – WAR FROM A
HARLOTS MOUTH

This will be added by five up and coming bands who will be competing
in the party tent on Wednesday for the opening slot on Thursday. A
renowned jury will decide who will be the one! Mentioning this we
would like to take the opportunity to say thank you to all of you who
have sent us your demo pack. Currently we are picking the 20 bands who
will be judged by the Summer Breeze community at
http://www.newcomer-stage.de/ of which then 5 will be picked again for
the battle on Wednesday night.

Think locally. Act globally. Therefore we have increased the
international service of our homepage. With immediate effect the
Summer Breeze homepage is also set up in French. Some spaces might
still be in English and German. But we are currently working on that.
At least the important info can be read in French. So we are looking
forward to the French speaking neighbours in Europe hitting our new
homepage for more and detailed info. You are very much welcome!

Tickets are as always available on our homepage for 60,-EURO incl.
party tent, bus shuttle, camping and parking! As mentioned in the last
newsletter already the bus shuttle between Dinkelsbuehl and the
festival site is included in the price. Apart from Wednesday (10 a.m.)
and Sunday (until 2 p.m.) the bus will depart at the festival site
every half and full hour and in Dinkelsbuehl every quarter and three
quarters of an hour. The bus stop is newly based between the REWE
supermarket and McDonald's which is about 50 m. from the official
station.

Tickets will also be available through the ticket systems of
EasyTicket, Kartenhaus and TicketCorner. Due to this tickets can be
purchased at numerous ticket counters throughout Germany, but also in
Austria and Switzerland. And it should be a hell of a bad luck if
there wasn't a ticket counter near you!

Please note tickets can be purchased also in the online shop of the
Sundown festival ( http://www.sundown-festival.de/ ) which will be
taking place on the Pentecost weekend (incl. Ensiferum, Heaven Shall
Burn, Vader, Korpiklaani, etc.) on the old Summer Breeze festival site
in the city of Abtsgmuend. For 80,- EUROS you can by a combi ticket
which gives you access to both festivals, the Summer Breeze and the
Sundown!

Once again we would like to draw your attention to the strict glass
prohibition on the entire camping and festival site. In case you not
being sure whether an item is allowed or not better leave it at home
or put the content in a plastic case. More info about this and many
other important matters can be found in our festival abc which is
being updated in case of need.

Remaining yours,
the Summer Breeze Team

http://www.summer-breeze.de/
http://www.myspace.com/summerbreezeopenair

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-Crushed Issue Mike Clink-Produced Debut, MY MACHINE

Specializing in a sound that manages to merge goth with metal -- while
not sacrificing melody -- the five-man band Crushed should easily
garner heaps of crossover interest with their just-released debut, MY
MACHINE. Hailing from the arid locale of Phoenix, Arizona, the group
(which consists of singer/guitarist Mark Lauer, guitarist Mike
Halland, guitarist/keyboardist Harry McCaleb, bassist Mike Brown, and
drummer Jeff Garten) quickly impressed one of rock's most renowned
producers, Mike Clink, who was the main man behind none other than
Guns N' Roses' APPETITE FOR DESTRUCTION, among other rock classics.
"Crushed is a blend of hard rock with a melodic overtone, similar to a
wolf in sheep's clothing," explains Clink. "The band gave 110% to make
sure this was the best Crushed album they could deliver."

Clink's expertise quickly rubbed off on Crushed, resulting in one
helluva debut. "Mike only works on one level and that is top notch
professionalism," adds Lauer. "I have to say I really learned a lot
about myself and recording by working with Mike Clink. He encouraged
me to dig deeper and to bring out my best." Garten also voices Lauer's
sentiment. "[Clink] was able to dig in, and bring out the performances
that were inside of us. His astute selections of the people he works
with have made MY MACHINE an album I'm extremely proud to call my
own."

The 14-track album perfectly captures "the Crushed sound," which
touches upon riff rockers ("Nocturnal"), melodicism ("Crash Coping"),
and tracks that touch upon both approaches ("Hovering"). Having built
a solid following in the Arizona region, the group is itching to bring
the songs from MY MACHINE to life on concert stages throughout the
world, admits Halland. "We throw in new songs to test them as well, so
fans can hear songs live they would have not heard otherwise. Crushed
is a very energetic live band -- the band looks at each show as an
event."

UPCOMING CRUSHED SHOWS:

Mar 31 - 1:30P - TEMPE MUSIC FESTIVAL - TEMPE, AZ

Apr 14 - 8:00P - JOE'S GROTTO - PHOENIX, AZ

May 17 - 12:00P - Hyperactive Conference And Music Festival 2007 -
ALBUQUERQUE, NM

MY MACHINE can be purchased through iTunes or
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/crushed .

For more information, go to http://www.crushed.net/ and
http://www.myspace.com/crushed .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
*
-Till We Die To Support PRESSING ON With Live Dates Throughout 2007

Although Till We Die's full length debut, PRESSING ON, will not be
officially released until June 26th (via the Locomotive Records/
Screaming Ferret label), the group -- singer Matt Ingham and guitarist
Joe Demarco, the duo soon enlisted the rhythm section of bassist Mike
Laroche and drummer Dave Stewart -- will be previewing tracks on
countless just-announced dates.

From the middle of May through June, Till We Die will be touring with
A New Revolution, and on Monday, May 14th, the group will be
performing at Rock 101 WGIR Presents "3 Days Grace And Puddle Of Mudd
Official Pre-party" at Mark's Showplace in Bedford, NH.

The show is 18+ and is open to the public, while the bands will be
signing autographs and hanging out with their fans from 7-9pm.

Just a few days later, Till We Die will also perform on Sunday, May
27th, as part of Rock 101 WGIR's 16th Annual Radio Show "The Sky
Show."

The WGIR concert is an all-ages and free show, and usually attracts
between 20-30,000 attendees -- as past rockers to perform have
included Shinedown, Lacuna Coil, and Godsmack, among others.

Once PRESSING ON is issued, Till We Die's tour schedule will get only
more jam-packed.

First up will be a CD release party on June 23rd at the Avalon
Ballroom.

Presented by WAAF 107.3, the band will perform, and again, will be an
all-ages show (additionally, a free CD will be distributed to ticket
holders).

From mid-July through August, Till We Die will be touring with former
Roadrunner Records artist Faktion (
http://www.myspace.com/faktiondallas ), before appearing Sunday,
September 8th on the main stage of WAAF's Locobazooka at the Tweeter
Center in Mansfield, Mass.

And from September through October, dates with Powerman 5000 have been
firmed up.

Ever the road warriors, Till We Die vocalist Matt Ingham will be
performing these shows wearing a cast, due to a broken leg. "I haven't
seen a young band draw crowds like they do at their shows since the
early days of Godsmack back at the Brewhouse in Haverhill, MA, ten
years ago before they were signed," says head of Screaming Ferret
Wreckords, Tim Koukos.

"These guys command the same kind of energy and presence as Godsmack
did back then."

The confirmed track listing for PRESSING ON:

1. Ride
2. Slave
3. Low
4. Do It Again
5. Skitzo
6. Lies
7. UPS
8. That Day
9. Selfish
10. Pressing On
11. Defined
12. Ting
13. Apology

For more information, go to http://www.myspace.com/tillwedierock/ .

Till We Die's Confirmed Tour Dates:

4/28 - Dover Brickhouse, Dover, NH (w/ Hourpast)
5/12 - River City Billiards, Haverhill, MA
5/14 - Marks, Bedford, NH (going away party)

w/ A New Revolution
5/17 - Cheap Shots, Stoughton, WI
5/18 - Back Bar, Janesville, WI
5/19 - Badger Theater, Reedsburg, WI
5/20 - Wild Horse Music Hall, Wisconsin Rapids, WI
5/23 - Scanlon's, Rockford, IL
5/24 - The Machine Shop, Flint, MI
5/27 - Rock 101 Sky Show, Manchester, NH (1 p.m., no A New Revolution)
5/29 - Peabody's, Cleveland, OH
5/31 - Crocodile Rock, Allentown, PA
6/2 - Jester's, Fayetteville, NC
6/3 - French Quarter, Jacksonville, FL
6/6 - Hooligans, Jacksonville, NC
6/8 - Jaxx, Springfield, WV

6/19 - DEBUT ALBUM IN STORES EVERYWHERE!!!!!!, EVERYWHERE U.S.A.
6/23 - Avalon Ballroom, Boston, MA (5 p.m., all-ages CD release party)
9/8 - Locobazooka 2007 (1 p.m.)

w/ Powerman 5000
9/14 - The Reverb, Cedar Falls, IA
9/16 - The Rock, Maplewood, WI
9/18 - Pops, Sauget, IL
9/19 - Forest Hills Theater, Rockford, ID
9/20 - Madhatter, Covington, KY
9/21 - Harpo's Ballroom, Detroit, MI
9/22 - Al Rosa Villa, Columbus, OH
9/23 - Starland Ballroom, Sayreville, NJ
9/25 - Highline Ballroom, New York City, NY
9/26 - Webster Theater, Hartford, CT
9/27 - The Silo, Reading, PA
9/28 - Northern Lights Ballroom, Clifton Park, NY
9/29 - Lucky Dog, Worcester, MA
9/30 - Mark's Showplace, Bedford, NH
10/2 - TBA, Boston, MA

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
*
-Mors Principium Est Band Update

Mors Principium Est have posted new updates about the status of the
band lineup on http://www.morsprincipiumest.com/ .

"Ok, let's start with some good news. We have found our new guitar
players! Karri Kuisma is now our official member and our new solo
guitarist is a dude called Tomy Laisto. Both Karri and Tomy allready
played with us at the show in Turku (11.4.2007). Jarkko will still be
a member of MPE, but he will not play any live shows."

The band goes on to say, "And then some not so good news. We decided
with Joona, that it will be the best for everybody that Joona will not
be a member of MPE anymore. And the reason why is that Joona just
simply doesn't have any time for MPE. At the moment we are not looking
for a new keyboard player."

The new live lineup will be the following:

Ville Viljanen - vocals
Mikko Sipola - drums
Teemu Heinola - bass
Karri Kuisma - rhythm guitar
Tomy Laisto - solo guitar

"Mors Principium Est transfer the crown from Gothenburg to Pori in one
fell swoop and don't look back. As Demilich once proclaimed in 1993,
'F*ck Sweden!' It's taken 14 years, but I finally believe 'em. 9/10"
-- Decibel Magazine

"I know that it is only February, but this will probably be my most
favorite release of 2007 I give LIBERATION = TERMINATION 4.5 out of 5
stars. This band is just what the doctor ordered." -- RockMyMonkey

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
*
-Dimmu Borgir Guitarist, Silenoz, Blasts Scarve In His Stereo!

If you haven't given Scarve a listen, take it from someone who knows
metal...

Scarve - THE UNDERCURRENT

The follow-up to SCARVE's critically acclaimed IRRADIANT (2004), THE
UNDERCURRENT, coming out on June 12, 2007, has already hit reviewers
and fans right in the gut. If you haven't taken the time to lose
yourself in Scarve check out their MySpace (
http://www.myspace.com/scarve1 ) and listen to the newly posted "The
Plundered."

"Finally this monster is here! Honestly, I can't get it out of my
stereo, it's just keeps getting better and better and I was hooked
during the first spin!! Awesome!"
- Silenoz of Dimmu Borgir

This album marks a grandiose return of the band marking them as
pioneers and way ahead of their time. Beyond any doubt the most
sophisticated, intricate, unconventional Scarve recording to date.
Scarve will impress and annihilate both friend and foe!

"Scarve are an integral part of France's outward facing metal scene,
and THE UNDERCURRENT, the group's fourth, certainly will turn heads in
the same way... Compared to bands fighting for similar goals, THE
UNDERCURRENT renders 98.5% of them inert."
- Decibel Magazine

"Scarve will strangle you."
- Corazine Magazine

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
*
-Ramesses Update: Debut Album Release Date, Album Launch Party,
Tour!!!

The European release date for our debut album MISANTHROPIC ALCHEMY, on
FETO Records, is April 30th. Cargo is distributing it in the U.K. and
we are taking pre-orders for this -- if you would like to order this
from us directly please e-mail us back. U.S.A. release date and
details will be announced soon. The limited double LP version of
MISANTHROPIC ALCHEMY will only be available in the autumn, on Leaf
Hound Records from Japan.

We are playing a MISANTHROPIC ALCHEMY Album launch gig in London! We
are doing a special set at Lark In The Park in Islington, London (60
Copenhagen Street by the Park -- between King's Cross & Angel tube:
http://www.myspace.com/larklondon ), on Thursday May 10th. Tickets:
With Flyer £5.00, £6.00 without, £10.00 with BBQ included!!!!!! Also
on the bill: Invasion ( http://myspace.com/weareinvasion -- feat.
Marek on guitar who did our video for "Master Your Demons"! Check them
out!) and Stubb ( http://www.myspace.com/stubbband ). The flyer for
this show is on our MySpace page: http://www.myspace.com/ramesses666 .
And we WILL have new T-shirts (design will be added to our MySpace
page soon) available for this show on May 10th! Mark has a new snare,
which sounds like a punch in the guts. It has been a long time....

Lastly, we are doing an European tour with Unearthly Trance in
September. Confirmed dates so far are:

6 - ANTWERP, Scheld'Apen
7 - HOOGEVEEN, Het Podium
8 - SPREMBERG, JC Erebos
9 - COPENHAGEN, Loppen
10 - OSLO, Garage (w/ Suma)
11 - STOCKHOLM, Debaser (w/ Suma)
12 - MALMO, Knaster@Inkost (w/ Suma)
13 - ROSTOCK, Jaz (w/ Suma)
14 - LEIPZIG, Zoro
16 - PARIS, La Gambetta
17 - CHERBOURG, L'Epicentre
18 - COLCHESTER, Arts Centre
19 - MANCHESTER, Star & Garter
20 - NEWCASTLE, Trillians
23 - LONDON, The Barfly (w/ Gallhammer)

Cheers
The Ram Family

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
*
-The Funeral Pyre Returns From Metalfest, Offers Tour Update

Los Angeles' The Funeral Pyre has returned from the East Coast from
the ninth annual New England Metal And Hardcore Festival. "It was an
awesome time and a great experience for us, thanks to Scott Lee for
hooking it up and everyone involved," The Funeral Pyre's front man
said. Pictures from the band's performance this weekend can be seen at
http://www.returntothepit.com/ , thanks to Return To The Pit.com.

Currently gearing up for a few local shows, including a Hollywood
appearance with Horse The Band, The Funeral Pyre is also hard at work
booking a three-week summer tour across the U.S. with As Eden Burns
and looking for help booking shows, via the newly-started Prosthetic
Booking. Interested parties can contact them directly at
booking@... to help fill in any TBAs.

The Funeral Pyre continues to support the band's most recent release,
THE NATURE OF BETRAYAL, which saw a March release through Prosthetic
Records after being released earlier through the Bay Area label
Creator Destructor. Samples of the band's music can be found on the
band's MySpace page, http://www.myspace.com/thefuneralpyre .

The Funeral Pyre

5/6 - Canoga Park, CA @ The Cobalt Cafι (w/ Cerberus, Crematorium,
Antagonist)
5/7 - Corona, CA @ Showcase Theatre (w/ Cerberus, Antagonist)
5/12 - Hollywood, CA @ The Knitting Factory (w/ Horse The Band)
6/8 - Yuma, AZ @ TBA
6/9 - Tucson, AZ @ TBA
6/10 - El Paso, TX @ TBA

(with As Eden Burns)
6/11 - Odessa, TX @ TBA
6/12 - Austin, TX @ TBA
6/13 - Lewisville, TX @ Fat Daddy's Soundshack
6/14 - McAllen, TX @ The Metro
6/15 - Corpus Christi, TX @ The Underground
6/16 - Houston, TX @ Java Jazz
6/17 - Metairie, LA @ TBA
6/18 - Little Rock, AR @ TBA
6/19 - Tulsa, OK @ The Pink Eye
6/20 - Topeka, KS @ The Static Bar
6/21 - Omaha, NE @ TBA
6/22 - Salina, KS @ The Blue Goat
6/23 - Denver, CO @ TBA
6/24 - Ogden, UT @ TBA
6/25 - Boise, ID @ TBA
6/27 - Reno, NV @ TBA
6/28 - Las Vegas, NV @ TBA
6/29 - Bakersfield, CA @ TBA
6/30 - Los Angeles, CA @ TBA

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #19 ***
*
-Gojira Interviewed By Lamb Of God Front Man, Video Available

French metal titans Gojira singer/guitarist Joe Duplantier and drummer
Mario Duplantier were recently interviewed by Lamb Of God front man
Randy Blythe for a special segment on Metal Injection, during the two
bands' time on tour along with Trivium and Machine Head. Metal
Injection has posted the interview at
http://www.metalinjection.net/tv/ , available in two parts along with
a music video and live footage. Some excerpts from the interview:

On the French metal scene:
"There is a huge scene in France. A lot of really great bands. You
have a problem when you are a French band, it's to...cross the border.
But we have a lot of really good bands, like Trepalium. It's one of my
favorites. It's a French band, really powerful. There are a lot of
bands, like Scarve. There are too many [bands] to mention. They are
all good friends and some of them are very good friends of Gojira,
like Trepalium and Manimal...and after that, you have dozens of great,
great bands, like Claw, Dagoba...they all have their own personality."

On opening up the recent tour:
"It's very exciting, because you have to play for 25 [minutes] or half
an hour, and it's a totally different story because you don't really
have time to show the whole thing, like the message and the atmosphere
and the pictures on the wall that we use to project the feeling."

On the Gojira's focus on whales:
"The music we're playing, we try to sound as big as possible and as
heavy as possible. We like when it's big and very, very heavy and a
whale is very, very heavy...We like to sound like the whale. And yet,
it's so beautiful. When it moves, it's like it's flying. It's a poetic
vision...It's poetry. Another thing is that whales are very
intelligent, they have a very important brain matter, like us but they
don't do wars, they don't build cities or drive cars, they don't go to
McDonald's and most of the time, animals have very small brain
matter...but the whales, they have this incredible brain matter and
they behave sometimes in a way we don't understand. The thing is, I
think we have to learn from the whales, and we kill them. The album is
kind of a tribute to these Earthlings that are so beautiful."

Gojira continues to support the band's latest release, FROM MARS TO
SIRIUS, which saw an August 2006 release through Prosthetic Records in
North America and a September 2005 release in Europe through
Listenable. The band is currently back at home in France, having just
completed a tour of the United Kingdom supporting Trivium.

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-Vocalist Graham Bonnet has reformed Alcatrazz with guitarist Howie
Simon, bassist Tim Luce, and drummer Glen Sobel. The band is working
on a new album for a late 2007 release, and has these live dates
scheduled:

5/25 - Paladino's, Tarzana, CA
5/30 - 5/31 - O-East, Tokyo, Japan
6/1 - Club Quattro, Osaka, Japan

See http://www.myspace.com/AlcatrazzOfficial for more.

-Animal main man Randy Piper has an in-store scheduled for 5 p.m. on
May 25 at Bengans in Stockholm, Sweden. Later that evening the band --
vocalist Rich Lewis, guitarists Piper and Chris Laney, bassist
Grizzly, and drummer J. Koleberg -- starts a European tour that will
run through Norway, Finland, Sweden, and Germany. A new album, the
follow-up to last year's VIOLENT NEW BREED, is on the horizon with new
song titles including "Who Is Next?," "Lust," and "Livin' On The
Edge." Laney will produce and Joachim Bloohm will drum on the disc. A
live DVD is also being planned.

-In Black Sabbath news, Rhino will release Heaven And Hell's LIVE FROM
RADIO CITY MUSIC HALL on August 28. Track list for the DVD/two-CD set:
"E5150," "After All (The Dead)," "The Mob Rules," "Children Of The
Sea," "Lady Evil," "I," "The Sign Of The Southern Cross," "Voodoo,"
"The Devil Cried," drum solo, "Computer God," "Falling Off The Edge Of
The World," "Shadow Of The Wind," guitar solo, "Die Young," "Heaven
And Hell," "Lonely Is The Word," "Neon Knights."

-Get Ready To Rock! has new interviews with Trivium, The Flower Kings,
and Roger Chapman at http://www.getreadytorock.com/rock_stars.htm .
There are new 10 Questions features with Tommy Shaw (Styx, Damn
Yankees) and Intense at
http://www.getreadytorock.com/10questions/tommy_shaw.htm and
http://www.getreadytorock.com/10questions/intense2.htm , respectively.
There's a competition to win Intense CDs and a T-shirt at
http://www.getreadytorock.com/intense_comp2.htm . There's another
competition to win the MULLETS ROCK! TOO!: MULLETS IN LOVE compilation
at http://www.getreadytorock.com/mullets_rock_comp.htm .

-Great White -- vocalist Jack Russell, guitarist Mark Kendall,
guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie, bassist Sean McNabb, and drummer
Audie Desbrow -- has reunited. The band recorded an all-new 25th
anniversary studio album in March and will release it this August
through Frontiers Records. Funny quote from Kendall: "I don't feel
it's a record where we have tried to reinvent ourselves. It's like
everything you have liked or disliked over our entire career rolled
into one record and then some. But everyone has grown musically and I
think that will show through." Check out a lengthy news item at
http://www.frontiers.it/ , and http://www.mistabone.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/frontiersrecords for more.

-Kamelot has a new Web site corresponding with the release of the new
album GHOST OPERA. Streaming samples of the album as well as the video
for the title track are available at http://www.ghostopera.com/ .

-Track list from Scorpions' upcoming HUMANITY HOUR 1: "Hour I," "The
Game Of Life," "We Were Born To Fly," "The Future Never Dies," "You're
Lovin' Me To Death," "321," "Love Will Keep Us Alive," "Your Last
Song," "Love Is War," "Rise Again," "The Cross," "Humanity." The
German site http://www.weltbild.de/ has samples of each track; go
there and search on "Scorpions" to find the page.

-Vanden Plas front man Andy Kuntz has a new DVD available featuring a
full performance of his solo project, the musical ABYDOS. The show is
from the Pfalztheater in Kaiserslautern, Germany, and features Kuntz,
members of Vanden Plas, and the Pfalztheater ensemble. The DVD is
"presented in Dolby Digital 5.1 16:9 HD quality!" Orders are being
taken via e-mail at band@...; the DVD cost EUR 20 plus
shipping and handling. See http://www.vandenplas.de/ for more.

Thanks to Blabbermouth for help gathering some of this information.

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

-Hey now, you see the kind of power I wield? Just last week I was
pissing and moaning about "American Idol" being boring, and was asking
for a Metal Night. Then Jeff Beck guested one night last week, and
this week's theme was Bon Jovi songs. Not exactly Metal Night, but
close enough I guess. The songs covered by the contestants were "Blaze
Of Glory," "Livin' On A Prayer," "This Ain't A Love Song," "You Give
Love A Bad Name," "Wanted Dead Or Alive," and "Have A Nice Day."
(Alas, no "In And Out Of Love"...) It was interesting to see a few of
the contestants try to evoke more of a band atmosphere by having
musicians perform on stage with them. The oddest version was Blake
Lewis and a drummer doing a hip hop/beat box-infused version of "You
Give Love A Bad Name." Kickin' it old school, dawg. Then Bon Jovi (the
full band) performed live last night and did an el-lameo power ballad.
Ugh...

-A co-worker and I were talking about censorship last week and I
brought in Anthrax's ATTACK OF THE KILLER B'S (1991) so he could hear
the anti-PMRC rant "Startin' Up A Posse." (You know, the funny one
that starts with "Now, I'm gonna tell you a story / a tale of wrong
and right.") He listened to it and laughed, so mission accomplished.
Then another guy, who's like 29 or so, wanted to borrow it because he
said he had the cassette version but hadn't seen or heard it in
"forever" because it was "locked in a chest down in his basement" with
all his other old cassettes. He listened to the whole disc and brought
it back with a huge smile on his face. Bonus mission accomplished.

-I was shocked to learn from Steve this week that Animal, featuring
ex-W.A.S.P. guitarist Randy Piper, is working on a follow-up to last
year's VIOLENT NEW BREED. I say shocked because I didn't even know
about VIOLENT NEW BREED... Just par for the course though -- Steve and
I have kind of a long history of not being able to find out
information on this band. Why should that change now? So, anyway, now
I gotta pick up VIOLENT NEW BREED, W.A.S.P.'s newie DOMINATOR, and
then this new Animal disc when it hopefully surfaces later this year.
I just have to. It's a sickness.

-I didn't check out those new Scorpions song clips yet, but sheesh --
three song titles include the word "love." I'm a little scared.

-Now in my current playlist: Lordi - THE AROCKALYPSE (SPECIAL EDITION)
(The End Records), Manowar - THE DAY THE EARTH SHOOK: THE ABSOLUTE
POWER (DVD) (Magic Circle Music), Pretty Maids - WAKE UP TO THE REAL
WORLD (Frontiers), Visions Of Atlantis - TRINITY (Napalm Records).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
ATROPHY – SOCIALIZED HATE (REISSUE) (B) Roadrunner/Metal Mind/MVD
Audio, 2007
13 tracks, RT: 53:26, multimedia section
ATROPHY – VIOLENT BY NATURE (REISSUE) (B+) Roadrunner/Metal Mind/MVD
Audio, 2007
12 tracks, RT: 53:26, multimedia section
[ http://www.myspace.com/atrophyoriginal ]
[ http://www.mvdb2b.com/ ]
[ http://www.metalmind.com.pl/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/metalmindproductions ]
[ http://www.metalopolis.pl/ ]
[ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/ ]
During the late-'80s thrash metal explosion in the U.S., critics
created three categories to subdivide the hundreds of bands releasing
CDs at the time: the "Big Four" (i.e., Metallica, Megadeth, Anthrax,
and Slayer, who were the best-selling bands of the genre), the "Second
Tier" (bands that may not have been mega-sellers but were still
popular on a smaller scale, i.e. Testament, Exodus, Overkill, etc.)
and the "third tier," which consisted of...well, pretty much everybody
else. Listening to these classy reissues of SOCIALIZED HATE and
VIOLENT BY NATURE from Arizona's Atrophy (originally released on
Roadrunner Records in 1988 and 1990, respectively) I can see how they
fell into the "third tier" trap, as they were indeed a very competent,
powerful thrash act, but perhaps they lacked that extra "special
something" that would've made them stand out from the extremely
crowded pack. Atrophy passed me by back in the late '80s, but then
again, at that time it was virtually impossible to keep up with every
new thrash band that was coming down the pike. Since good old-school
thrash is hard to find nowadays, I've been discovering (or
rediscovering) a lot of bands over the past few years that I missed
out on back then and Atrophy impressed me right off the bat with their
blend of high-speed, tightly controlled musical mayhem and smart,
topical lyrics. Time has been kind to these guys! The band members are
sporting Exodus, Dark Angel, and Flotsam And Jetsam T-shirts on the
back cover of SOCIALIZED HATE, and if you combine those three bands,
it pretty much describes Atrophy's sound in a nutshell. Brian
Zimmerman's vocals were one part Chuck Billy, one part Steve "Zetro"
Souza, and guitarists Chris Lykins (who attended medical school after
this band called it a day and is now a full fledged doctor, by the
way!) and Rick Skowron were a hella tight six-string team that could
lay down some serious shred. If you fondly remember the bullet-belted
glory days when Exodus' "Toxic Waltz" was getting MTV play, or if you
regularly destroyed your bedroom with Flotsam And Jetsam's NO PLACE
FOR DISGRACE playing in the background, you will immediately find
yourself transported back to Thrash Heaven with either of these two
discs. The liner notes in each CD make it a point to mention Atrophy's
socially conscious lyrics, which were supposedly deeper than the
average thrash band (though Megadeth and Nuclear Assault weren't
exactly singing about smiley faces and daffodils either, now were
they?); after seeing the topics covered in tracks like "Urban Decay"
(about life in the slums), "Chemical Dependency" (drug addiction),
"Puppies And Friends" (the cruelty of animal testing) and "Process Of
Elimination" (overpopulation of the Earth) it's pretty obvious that
the Atrophy boys read the Op-Ed section of the newspaper every day
while on the tour bus and were not exactly thrilled with the state of
the world. (Lest you think they were a bunch of high-brow snobs,
though, they were not above letting their hair down and writing an old
fashioned slam-fest about getting hammered, called "Beer Bong,"
either.) If I had to choose a favorite between the two albums I'd have
to go with the band's sophomore effort, VIOLENT BY NATURE (which
sports a tighter, more polished production that made an already-good
band sound even better), though SOCIALIZED HATE is no slouch either.
Metal Mind Productions went all-out on these discs (as well as the
rest of the Roadrunner Records classics they've reissued), presenting
them in sharp looking digi-pak cases with full color lyric booklets
tucked inside, digitally re-mastering each album and pressing them on
cool looking gold CDs. Both albums are beefed up with several bonus
tracks from the band's demos (three extra songs on each album), a
video clip (live renditions of each album's respective title song),
and both are limited to a pressing of 2,000 copies worldwide, which
makes them nice collector's pieces as well. (No, you can't have mine!)
The Golden Era of Thrash may be gone, but with reissues like these
coming along almost every day, thankfully they will never be
forgotten.
- Keith Abt (KeithAbt@...)

FOGHAT - LIVE II (B) Metro City Records/Foghat Records, 2007
Disc 1: 9 tracks, RT: 43:12
Disc 2: 11 tracks, RT: 68:23
[ http://www.foghat.net/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/foghat1 ]
[ boogie@... ]
[ http://www.MetroCityRecords.com/ ]
[ http://www.screamingferret.com/ ]
The press kit hypes Foghat's '70s album FOGHAT LIVE pretty hard but I
must admit I've never heard it (or, really, any of the band's studio
albums). This follow-up -- released a mere 30 years later -- is quite
good though. Now featuring ex-Ted Nugent and Victory front man Charlie
Huhn on vocals and co-guitar, the band -- with lone remaining founding
member, drummer Roger Earl -- has been soldiering on since the 2000
death of iconic front man Lonesome Dave Peverett, releasing a new
studio album and live DVD in recent years, and now this. LIVE II
consists of nearly 80 minutes of material recorded live in July 2005
plus over 30 minutes of rehearsal numbers recorded live in the studio
both in '05 ("Trouble, Trouble") and again earlier this year (the six-
song "Hurry Up & Wait Rehearsal Jam"). The live portion features the
expected hits -- "Fool For The City," "I Just Want To Make Love To
You," "Slow Ride" -- along with other nuggets, the newer track "Mumbo
Jumbo" (from the last studio album FAMILY JOULES), and short guitar
and drum solos. Yes, the boys can still boogie with the best of them,
and Huhn's voice is in fine form. This is definitely a party record,
and the cool thing is the studio rehearsal portion isn't just throw-
away filler -- by itself it'd make for a nice EP. These seven tracks
consist of four vintage tunes ("Trouble, Trouble," "Chevrolet," "My
Babe," "Road Fever!") plus three from FAMILY JOULES ("I'm A Rock N'
Roller," "I Feel Fine, "Self-Medicated"), and they blend seamlessly.
(The highlight for me is the rollicking AC/DC-inspired "I'm A Rock N'
Roller.") I wasn't sure what to expect from this two-disc set but I
certainly came away impressed. Check it out.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@...)

HEATHEN - VICTIMS OF DECEPTION (REISSUE) (A-/B+) Roadrunner/Metal
Mind/MVD Audio, 2007
11 tracks, RT; 68:23
[ http://www.heathenmetal.com/ ]
[ http://www.mvdb2b.com/ ]
[ http://www.metalmind.com.pl/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/metalmindproductions ]
[ http://www.metalopolis.pl/ ]
[ http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/ ]
Roadrunner delivers another kick-ass re-master with this re-release of
Heathen's 1991 thrash assault VICTIMS OF DECEPTION, an album full of
killer riffs, tasty dual lead guitar, elastic bass, frenetic drumming
and biting vocals. You'll immediately notice a semblance to early
Exodus, Metallica and Anthrax on songs like "Opiate Of The Masses,"
"Morbid Curiosity," "Mercy Is No Virtue," and "Timeless Cell Of
Prophecy," but the guys also pay homage to traditional and NWOBHM
influences by including two cool covers, Rainbow's "Kill The King" and
a bonus track, the Tygers Of Pan Tang's "Hellbound." Heathen keep
things fast and furious for most of the running time, only taking a
breath on the relatively mellow "Prisoners Of Fate." Once again the
re-master features a powerful mix and an attractive limited edition
digi-pak. Fans of mid-late '80s thrash who missed these guys the first
time around would do well to seek this excellent reissue out, and
watch for more from these Bay Area veterans as they are currently
active and look to be working on new material. Bang that head!
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

KOTIPELTO - SERENITY (B+) Candlelight USA, 2007
10 tracks, RT: 45:27
[ http://www.kotipelto.com/ ]
[ http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/ ]
[ http://www.candlelightrecords.co.uk/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/candlelightusa ]
Full disclosure: I like but don't love some Stratovarius stuff,
vocalist Timo Kotipelto's accent sometimes gets to me, and I never
heard his second solo album, COLDNESS. So although I am not an expert
on Kotipelto or either of his gigs, I will say this album -- his third
solo affair -- smokes Stratovarius' last effort, the self-titled
reunion album from '05. SERENITY boasts several fine uptempo ditties
(opener "Once Upon A Time," "Mr. Know-It-All," "Angels Will Cry,"
"King Anti-Midas"), classy mid-paced rock songs ("Dreams And Reality,"
"City Of Mysteries," and the title track), a sure-fire catchy single
("Sleep Well"), a power ballad ("After The Rain"), and a mini-epic
(the eight-minute closer "Last Defender"). There's a definite Rainbow/
Deep Purple vibe in a lot of the songs, due in no small part to
keyboard maestro Janne Warman's (Warmen, Children Of Bodom) excellent
use of various tones and styles, and it all works perfectly. Solid
release, no question.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@...)

*
*** OUT ***
*