Detritus
Issue #446
Week of February 18, 2008
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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.myspace.com/kdsteve

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-I was recently carping about all the snow we've gotten in my area. I
would now officially like to change my tune to pissing and moaning
about single-digit (and even sub-zero) wind chills. Enough already.
Good God. - Tim

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Iron Maiden's "Somewhere Back In Time" Tour...Back In America!!!

From onstage last night (Feb. 19), amid the pandemonium in front of
14,000 screaming fans at a packed Los Angeles Forum, Iron Maiden
announced the first leg of their eagerly anticipated North American
summer tour. Tickets for Iron Maiden's current "Somewhere Back In Time
- World Tour '08" dates at the Los Angeles Forum and New Jersey's Izod
Centre sold out months in advance, the band are delighted to announce
they are coming back for more major U.S.A. concerts this summer which
will take them to a number of cities they have not played in many
years along with a return to the Los Angeles area with two nights at
the 16,000 capacity Verizon Amphitheatre on Friday May 30 and Saturday
May 31. Tickets for the majority of these shows will go on sale to the
public on Saturday, March 1st. A special pre-sale will be made
available exclusively to members of the Iron Maiden fan club, who will
also be eligible to enter to be "First to the stage barrier." Full
details can be found on http://www.ironmaiden.com/ .

"Somewhere Back In Time - World Tour '08" U.S.A. Tour Dates:
(International dates can be found on ironmaiden.com)

Wed - 5/21/08 - San Antonio, TX - Verizon Wireless - on sale 3/1 10
a.m.
Thu - 5/22/08 - Houston, TX - Woodlands - on sale 3/1 10 a.m.
Sun - 5/25/08 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion - on sale 3/1 10
a.m.
Mon - 5/26/08 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Pavilion - on sale 3/15 10 a.m.
Wed - 5/28/08 - Concord, CA - Concord - on sale 3/9 10 a.m.
Fri - 5/30/08 - Los Angeles, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - on
sale 3/1 10 a.m.
Sat - 5/31/08 - Los Angeles, CA - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre - on
sale 3/1 10 a.m.
Mon - 6/2/08 - Seattle, WA - White River Amph - on sale 3/8 10 a.m.

The "Somewhere Back In Time - World Tour '08" was inspired by Maiden's
recently released DVD, LIVE AFTER DEATH (New Door Records/Ume). Filmed
and recorded over four spectacular nights at Long Beach Arena on the
"Powerslave Tour" in 1985, this has long been a benchmark for rock
concert videos and live albums, and the CD remains one of the biggest-
selling live albums ever with sales in excess of six million
worldwide. With the video having been largely unavailable for many
years, the fan's massive interest in this legendary concert continues
to this day with the DVD debuting at No. 1 on charts around the world
(including the U.K., Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Sweden,
Switzerland, Australia, New Zealand, Denmark and Finland), as well as
No. 2 on the Billboard U.S.A. Chart and in Canada.

This tour revisits the band's history by focusing almost entirely on
their classic '80s period in both choice of songs played and the stage
set, which is based around the legendary Egyptian Production of that
"Powerslave Tour" as portrayed on the LIVE AFTER DEATH DVD. This will
arguably be the most elaborate and spectacular show the band have ever
presented. Furthermore the band intends to bring along for this summer
leg of the tour the colossal mummy of Eddie, as featured on the LIVE
AFTER DEATH DVD, along with various other elements of the show that
would not fit on their 757 on the first leg of this tour, which
included the shows at the Forum and Izod Centre. Sadly no jumbo has a
door big enough to fit in such a massive and imposing monster!!!

Says vocalist Bruce Dickinson: "We are all greatly looking forward to
getting back to see our fans in places like Texas, the South West and
Seattle where we haven't played for quite some time. And for this leg
we will be able to bring along all Eddie's toys which we couldn't get
on our plane during the first leg. We are all having a great time on
this tour and really can't believe the excitement it is creating round
the world and the huge numbers of people who are turning out to see
us. It makes for a really very exciting time for all of us, fans and
band alike."

Maiden kicked off their record-breaking "Somewhere Back In Time -
World Tour '08" in Mumbai, India on Feb. 1st, before it rolled into
Australia and Japan earlier this month -- their first visit to the
country in 15 years. Sky News joined the band from departure in the
U.K. through the Indian leg to document Maiden's enormous
international profile. They received an unprecedented amount of
coverage which rolled across the network for two whole days. View the
links below to experience the Maiden Boeing 757, the fan hysteria and
exclusive footage of the first night of the tour in Mumbai. Channel 9
News in Australia also caught up with the band landing in Sydney and
cameras around the world are expected to follow the band throughout
this tour.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UBniMHcNR30
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XWQw4fG8RxU
http://news.ninemsn.com.au/article.aspx?id=377726

This tour, during which Maiden is expected to play to more than 1.5
million fans in the next six months, sees Iron Maiden consolidate
their reputation as one of the greatest live acts on the planet and
also one of the biggest ticket-selling bands ever.

"Maiden Mania" is currently gripping countries around the world as
tickets for the 2008 World Tour flew out of box offices everywhere
when they went on sale last year. On the first leg in February/March
alone, tickets in San Paolo, Brazil, at the 42,000 capacity Palmeiras
Stadium sold out in just a week; Mexico City's 22,000 capacity Sports
Arena sold out in a record-breaking four days leading to the show
being moved to the 51,000 Foro Sol Stadium, which is already sold out
too; a first ever visit to Colombia, where first day ticket sales were
the biggest for any music event there ever, saw the Simon Bolivar
Stadium in Bogota sell out the 30,000 original capacity in 10 days and
this has now been extended to 50,000; 14,000 capacity arenas in Sydney
and Melbourne, Australia, sold out in less than half an hour with
second shows being added in both cities and the band playing to 70,000
fans there; 25,000 fans in each of Argentina, Chile and Costa Rica
have already snapped up all available tickets with the promoter asking
the venues if he can get more fans in to see the show.

The story continues in North America where shows in major arenas in
L.A., New York, and Toronto sold out weeks in advance; and in the
summer, when Maiden take the show around the stadiums of Europe,
125,000 tickets were sold in just over two hours last November for
three stadium shows in Sweden and Finland!

Being able to tour the Southern Hemisphere in such a concentrated way
is all due to the band taking their own plane -- along with their
entire 50-man crew, 12 tons of equipment and stage set -- around the
world with Astraeus Airline Captain Bruce Dickinson at the helm. As
The Age in Australia reports:

"Some bands achieve such colossal levels of success that they get to
ride in their own jet. But very few actually fly the damn things
themselves. British heavy metal kings Iron Maiden have taken the DIY
ethos to a new level -- albeit with a much bigger budget than most
heavy metal bands -- when singer Bruce Dickinson flew his band into
the country this week in a specially refitted Boeing 757."

Reviews from Mumbai, India:

Mumbai Mirror: (Headline "The Evening City Went Aces High"):
"It was exactly at that desperately awaited stroke of 7.59 p.m., that
Mumbai's collective adrenaline, energy, and frantically fluctuating
blood pressure levels rushed from almost 30,000 heads and toes at
Bandra's MMRDA grounds. As one of heavy metal music's most revered
super-gods stepped on to the stage, the black T-shirted swarm of
helplessly eager metalheads almost risked screaming their lungs out of
their mouths [and] as the frenetic crowd went berserk trying hard to
believe its ears, the band exploded into a full-blown live-wire act."

Bombay Times: (Headline "Hallowed Be Their Name!"):
"The legendary U.K. heavy metal band kickstarted their 'Somewhere Back
In Time' World Tour 2008 in Mumbai and boy, what a start it was! ...
thousands of fans screaming their lungs and heads out in excitement,
disbelief and sheer pleasure. It was...a dream come true for any metal
fan -- to see and hear Maiden live! LOUD music, mindblowing guitar
riffs and a voice that can match no other, this was not just a
concert, it was an experience. 'Scream for me Bombay' Bruce shouted
and boy did Mumbai scream! Truly this night was Maid-en heaven"

Reviews From Australia:

Drum Media (Perth)
"Furthermore it was set in stone that fateful night... Iron Maiden
will never grow old, sell out or lose their balls of steel. Iron
Maiden scream like no other, perform like no other and rocked the
socks off Perth like no other" - Annie Newton, Drum Media, Perth

Rave Magazine (National)
"Maiden vault out onto the stage to a universally enraptured response
at the sold out Burswood Dome. Quite simply the band is magnificent --
the Egyptian-themed POWERSLAVE stage set, the lighting and
pyrotechnics and the ten foot SOMEWHERE IN TIME Eddie figure that
strides out onto the stage -- Iron Maiden combine what is without a
doubt the finest live performance my eyes and ears have beheld...
Strolling exhaustedly back towards Melbourne's city lights I feel I
understand just a little of what it is that drives so many folks to
leave home and hearth, time and time again, to follow this band around
the globe."

Drum Media (National)
It's not easy to write a review when left speechless after a gig, but
it must be done... At 9.15 p.m. Iron Maiden graced Sydney for the
first time in a couple of decades in explosive fashion and delivered
one of the best live performances, I, and no doubt, any of the 20,000
avid fans have witnessed... An Iron Maiden show really is something
else...never have I seen or heard so many fans sing an entire set,
word-for-word and scream, chant and clap in unison...it was the
engaging interaction with the crowd achieved through an electrifying
entrancing performance from all members that the evening became
magic."

X-Press Magazine (National)
"The vibe at Burswood Dome was one of the most positive and happy of
any show you could attend" ... Iron Maiden were on fire, following
'Aces High' with '2 Minutes To Midnight.' You just couldn't wipe the
smile off your face"

Beat Magazine (Melbourne)
"They're an event band of the highest magnitude and metal shows of
this calibre can't soon be forgotten"

InPress magazine (Melbourne)
"...one would be expecting something pretty f**king spectacular. And
sure enough, as the night unfolded, the greying lords of metal
delivered a most fantastic show of epic proportions ... exploding onto
the elaborate, multi-tiered, golden-jewelled, mummy occupied Egyptian
stage, the lads burnt through classic after classic, perpetuating the
awesomeness (as if pyrotechnics, fireworks, 14 foot walking mummies
weren't ridiculously fantastic enough already) ... The four guitar
horsemen stood tall at the helm of the stage in unison, a sight almost
too epic for some minds; Steve Harris reflecting a sceptre of light
off his bass, casting a majestic beam upon the capacity audience ...
Iron Maiden aren't afraid to deliver rock and metal shows in complete
excess (in the best way possible) and will stand the test of time as
an unsurpassed collection of rock gods"

Daily Telegraph (Sydney)
"The band did not disappoint. It was more a military attack than a
concert with the band spraying the crowd with metal pellets in the
form of 'greatest hits' with punishing precision... After 33 years
together, Iron Maiden still sonically soar higher than most."

Canberra Time (Canberra)
"When the band hit the stage the release of tension in the house was
enormous. And Iron Maiden did not let anyone down. The band was in
incendiary form."

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Kiss Announce Scandinavian And Austrian Dates, Presale And Meet &
Greet Packages Go On Sale Wednesday February 20th!

[Note: This is from a Kissonline.com newsletter. - Tim]

Kiss Announce Scandinavian Dates!

The following five Scandinavian dates have been added to Kiss' Alive /
35 World Tour:

MAY
28 Hartwell Arena - Helsinki, Finland
30 Stockholm Stadium - Stockholm, Sweden
31 Valhall Oslo - Norway

JUNE
1 Koengen - Bergen, Norway
3 Forum - Copenhagen, Denmark

Kiss Meet & Greet and Soundcheck Packages for these shows will go on
sale Wednesday, February 20th, at Kissontour.com.

Kiss Add Austrian Date To Kiss Alive / 35 World Tour!

Kiss will play at Stadhalle in Vienna, Austria on May 12.

Kiss Army Presales, Meet & Greet and Soundcheck Packages for this show
will go on sale Wednesday, February 20th, at Kissontour.com.

If you are not a premium member of the Kiss Army and would like to
participate in the 2008 Euro Tour presales, JOIN NOW! >>
http://www.kissontour.com/service.php?module=subscribe_step_one

Join the Kiss Army Fan Club for exclusive access to the greatest band
in the world! When you join the Kiss Army you'll receive the coveted
new Kiss Army membership kit, a $10 coupon to the Kiss Online Shop,
10% discount to the Kiss Online Shop, member's only section of Kiss
Online and access to amazing seats with our exclusive Fan Club Pre-
Sales. Join the ranks of the Kiss Army today to share your love for
the greatest band as part of this exclusive community.

If you are a Premium Kiss Army Member, LOGIN >>
http://www.kissontour.com/service.php?module=login

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Ace Frehley To Sweden Rock Festival

Sweden Rock Festival
4-5-6-7 June 2008
Solvesborg, Sweden

Space Ace is coming to Sweden Rock Festival!

Ace Frehley is obviously best known as the original lead guitarist in
Kiss, but he has also had a successful, although sporadic, solo
career. His first solo album was released in 1978, when all four Kiss
members issued their own albums simultaneously. ACE FREHLEY outsold
the other three by far. In 1983, Ace jumped ship and formed the new
band Frehley's Comet, putting out the splendid album TROUBLE WALKIN'
in 1989. By that time, however, the band named had been dropped and
the record was released under the name Ace Frehley. The compilation
album 12 PICKS hit the shelves in 1997, but by that time Ace had
already reunited with Kiss for a series of big arena tours and
subsequently a new studio album. Now that the original Kiss lineup has
once again split up, Ace has returned to his solo career. A brand new
studio album is planned for 2008, so we should be able to look forward
to both old and new Ace Frehley material as well as a few mandatory
Kiss gems!

Now we have all our tickets up for sale online.

If you want to go all four days it is time to buy the 4-day ticket now
as we dont have so many left. It is limited to 10.000!

4-day ticket: limited - 1990:- (there are not many left)
3-day ticket: regular - 1790:-
3-day ticket: limited w/exclusive CD - 1890:-
1-day 4 june: 390:-
1-day 5 june: 990:-
1-day 6 june: 990:-
1-day 7 june: 990:-

BUY TICKETS? CLICK HERE
http://www.tickster.com/c/swedenrock/Default.aspx?lang=en

All information: http://www.swedenrock.com/

CONFIRMED BANDS SO FAR:

JUDAS PRIEST (UK)
DEF LEPPARD (UK)
POISON (US)
TRIUMPH (CAN)
WHITESNAKE (UK/US)
TOBIAS SAMMET'S AVANTASIA (D)
ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA (UK) former members of ELO and ELO Part II
BLUE ÖYSTER CULT (US)
SAXON (UK)
TESTAMENT (US)
ACE FREHLEY (US)
JOE SATRIANI (US)
TESLA (US)
AT THE GATES (S)
SEBASTIAN BACH (US)
DERRINGER BAND (US)
MINISTRY (US)
HAVANA BLACK (FIN)
PRIMORDIAL (IRL)
THE BLUES BAND (UK)
COHEED & CAMBRIA (US)
CARCASS (UK)
HENSLEY/LAWTON & LIVE FIRE (UK)
PICTURE (NL)
DARE (UK)
MUCC (JAP)
ULI JON ROTH (D)
SHAKIN' STREET (FR)
ELÄKELÄISET (FIN)
GOTTHARD (CH)
MUSTASCH (S)
SABATON (S)
PRIMAL FEAR (D)
LIZZY BORDEN (US)
BONAFIDE (S)
SONIC SYNDICATE (S)
GLYDER (IRL)
FASTWAY (UK)
AXEWITCH (S)
FIVE FIFTEEN (FIN)
ASTRAL DOORS (S)
AVATAR (S)
VOLBEAT (DK)
ROYAL HUNT (DK)
VIVIAN (CH)
H.E.A.T. (S)
NEGATIVE (FIN)

All-inclusive

SWEDEN AT ITS BEST -- WELCOME TO VISIT SOUTH SWEDEN AND SWEDEN ROCK
FESTIVAL 2008 THE 4-5-6-7 JUNE

We offer you the complete All-inclusive Sweden Rock packages,
accommodation and festival transfer.

Check up our services. http://www.visitsouthsweden.com/

CD AND MERCHANDISE WITH THE BANDS?
http://www.swedenrockshop.com/

Sweden Rock Festival
Norjebokevägen 2
294 76 Sölvesborg
Sweden
Tel: 0456-317 95
Fax: 0456-317 94
E-mail: info@...
http://www.swedenrock.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Testament Announce Short U.S.A. Tour!

Veteran San Francisco Bay Area metallers Testament have scheduled the
following U.S.A. tour dates:

03/28/08 Sacramento, CA - Colonial Theater
03/30/08 San Francisco, CA - The Independent (w/ Laaz Rockit, Sadus)
04/05/08 Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
04/06/08 New York, NY - BB Kings
04/10/08 Santa Ana, CA - The Coach House (w/ Laaz Rockit)
04/11/08 Las Vegas, NV - The Canyon Club (w/ Laaz Rockit)
04/12/08 Hollywood, CA - The Key Club (w/ Laaz Rockit)
05/03/08 Mokena, IL - The Pearl Room (Chicago Powerfest)

[NOTE: All dates subject to change. Always check with the venue
first.]

Testament guitarist Eric Peterson recently spoke to Decibel magazine
about the group's forthcoming album, THE FORMATION OF DAMNATION, due
in North America on April 29 via Nuclear Blast Records.

The band recorded the effort in part with producer Andy Sneap at
Fantasy Studios in Berkeley, California.

"The album is very traditional-sounding," Peterson told Decibel. "The
ideology of what we're doing is like THE LEGACY [1987]. But the
musicianship's a lot better, so it's like THE GATHERING [1999]. As
most bands record their first, second and third albums, they're
developing, developing, developing... until they've got their sound.
Then they get worse. As a rule, you get good when you're starving and
start slipping as soon as you're eating well. We never really made it
to the big time. But, then again, we didn't fail. Because we've always
been on that borderline, we've never had to make the kinds of
compromises that end up killing so many bands. As we see it, we're
better off doing what we do best, especially since things seem to have
turned full circle. Kids even have long hair again."

Testament MySpace Page
http://www.myspace.com/testamentlegions

Testament Official Web site
http://www.testamentlegions.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Cosmosquad Announce Japanese Shows!

Acclaimed Southern California heavy fusioneers Cosmosquad, featuring
guitarist Jeff Kollman (Glenn Hughes, Mogg/Way), bassist Christopher
Maloney (Dweezil Zappa, Hardline), and drummer Shane Gaalaas (B'z,
Diesel Machine), have announced their first ever Japanese shows. The
band will be playing a pair of double headers (showtime: 7 p.m. and 9
p.m.) in Osaka and Tokyo and also appear at the Musicians Institute in
Tokyo (open to students only!). A Los Angeles area show has been
booked for April 4 at the Baked Potato in North Hollywood. Exact dates
and venues are as follows:

March 12 - Live Square 2nd Line, Osaka, Japan
March 14 - Shibuya Duo Music Exchange, Tokyo, Japan
March 15 - Musicians Institute, Tokyo, Japan
April 4 - Baked Potato, North Hollywood, CA

In other news, Kollman will be officially unveiling his new
instrumental '70s funk/rock/fusion venture The Bombastic Meatbats,
also featuring fellow Glenn Hughes alumni Chad Smith (Red Hoy Chili
Peppers) on drums and Ed Roth on keyboards, along with bassist Kevin
Chown, with two shows at the Baked Potato (showtimes are 9 p.m. and 11
p.m.) on Saturday, March 1. The Meatbats are scheduled to head to
Japan for a tour in late April where they will be playing the
following dates:

April 21 - Live House enn, Sendai (Doors: 19:00 / Show Time: 19:30)
http://www3.ocn.ne.jp/~enn/
April 22 - STB139, Tokyo (Doors: 18:30 / Show Time: 19:30)
http://stb139.co.jp/
April 24 - Bottom Line, Nagoya (Doors: 18:30 / Show Time: 19:30)
http://www.bottomline.co.jp/
April 25 - Bigcat, Osaka (Doors: 18:30 / Show Time: 19:30)
http://www.arm-live.com/bigcat/
April 26 - Crazymama Kingdom, Okayama (Doors: 18:00 / Show Time:
19:00) http://www.yumebanchi.jp/
April 27 - Gate's 7, Fukuoka (Doors: 17:00 / Show Time: 18:00)
http://www.gates7.com/

The group's upcoming 11-song debut CD is finished and mastered.
Recorded analog and live in the studio in a mere two days, the disc
was co-produced by Jono Brown. Songs include "Need Strange," "Battle
For Ventura Blvd.," "Night Sweats," "Big Feet," "Lola," and "Roller
Girl." Footage of the Meatbats' inaugural live performance at this
year's NAMM Show in Anaheim, CA can be viewed here:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RugsUPyayWs

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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-Death Angel: Listen To Entire New Album On MySpace!

Death Angel's new album, KILLING SEASON, is now be streaming in its
entirety at the group's MySpace page.

An e-card for KILLING SEASON can be accessed at
http://www.nuclearblastusa.com/Splash/DeathAngel_ecard/index.html .
Due on February 26, 2008 via Nuclear Blast Records, the CD was
recorded at Studio 606 in Northridge, California with producer Nick
Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with Foo Fighters, Rush, Velvet
Revolver, Shadows Fall and Stone Sour, among other acts.

Death Angel and Forbidden will team up for two special shows -- on
February 28 and February 29 -- at Slim's in San Francisco, California.
Tickets are still on sale for the show on the 28th!

KILLING SEASON track list:

01. Lord Of Hate
02. Sonic Beatdown
03. Dethroned
04. Carnival Justice
05. Buried Alive
06. Soulless
07. The Noose
08. When Worlds Collide
09. God Vs God
10. Steal The Crown
11. Resurrection Machine

Death Angel MySpace Page
http://www.myspace.com/deathangel

Death Angel Official Web site
http://www.deathangel.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-Pearl To Tour With Velvet Revolver In The U.K.

HOLLYWOOD -- Pearl, a name all together fresh and rooted in rock 'n'
roll history, is flying onto the music scene breaking the social
traditions that have become the U.S. rock norm. Headed up by the
whiskey soaked voice of Pearl Aday, daughter of music icon Meat Loaf,
this album will smash through the anonymity and secure her rightful
place in rock history.

Pearl Aday has an innate talent capable of conveying powerful emotion
through heart-stomping, primal, rock-and-roll singing. "There is no
real female rock anymore," states Aday. "I will be the chick to bring
it back." In the veins of Janis Joplin, Aerosmith and all great hard
rock blues filled artists, Pearl's debut album is explosive, crushing,
real and soulful with its natural fusion of blues and rock. Aday's
vocal intensity proves a perfect match for the high-energy music of
Pearl. "I grew up surrounded by rock 'n' roll, soul, blues, funk, and
country. It's what I love. It's what I'm made of. It's in my blood."

Pearl was produced and engineered by Joe Barresi (Tool, Queens Of The
Stone Age). Aday is backed by the musical talent of Scott Ian
(Anthrax) and Jim Wilson (lead guitar/vocals), Marcus Blake (bass/
vocals), and Matt Tecu (drums) of the band Mother Superior, with
special performances by Ted Nugent on the blistering track "Check Out
Charlie," and Jerry Cantrell (Alice In Chains) on the dark and
beautiful track "Anything." All the songs are of a very personal
nature for Aday in speaking of her lyrics. "'Check Out Charlie' is
about the lessons I've learned with sex, drugs and rock 'n' roll." She
goes on to say, "The song is so rockin', and it's got Ted Nugent and
Scott Ian going back and forth on guitar."

Coming from a musical background and being the daughter of Meat Loaf
led Aday into music from an early age. "I don't remember when I
discovered I could sing. I was always singing. As a little girl I was
singing all the time putting on shows for everyone." Eventually, Pearl
was singing on stage with her father, Meat Loaf, touring the world for
nine years. Pearl also joined Motley Crue on their Maximum Rock world
tour in 2000. Shortly after, she stepped out on her own, and began
recording her solo original material.

Pearl will be joining Velvet Revolver on tour in the U.K. this March
2008. "I'm really looking forward to coming to the U.K.," exclaims
Aday. "Especially with such an iconic band as Velvet Revolver. I'm
ready. I am so ready. Let's go! We're gonna tear it up!"

TOUR DATES FOR THE U.K.:

Fri. - March 21 - London Barfly (headline show)
Sat. - March 22 - Wolverhampton Civic Hall (w/ Velvet Revolver)
Sun. - March 23 - Birmingham Academy (w/ Velvet Revolver)
Tue. - March 25 - London Brixton Academy (w/ Velvet Revolver)
Wed. - March 26 - London Brixton Academy (w/ Velvet Revolver)
Thu. - March 27 - Brighton The Brighton Centre (w/ Velvet Revolver)

For more information see http://www.myspace.com/Pearl .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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-Joey Belladonna's "Never Look Back" Tour 2008

Joey Belladonna, former lead singer of the legendary group Anthrax
from 1985-92 and 2005-06, has been featured on over 10 albums that
have sold over 8 million records worldwide. During that time,
Belladonna has shared the stage with Iron Maiden, Metallica, Megadeth,
Kiss, Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Slayer, Alice In Chains, Dio,
Public Enemy, Living Colour, Primus, Motley Crue, Bon Jovi,
Whitesnake, Testament, Overkill, Exodus, Helloween, Rob Zombie, Judas
Priest and many others. Also during this time Joey sang the National
Anthem at Madison Square Garden and the Metrodome in Minnesota for the
NFL's Minnesota Vikings. In 1988 he starred in the underground cult
classic film, "Pledge Night."

While Belladonna was with Anthrax, the band was nominated for three
Grammy awards, appeared on the Fox sitcom "Married With Children," and
was voted #1 metal singer two years in a row by Metal Forces Magazine.

In the mid to late '90s, Joey Belladonna released his first two solo
albums with great press and reviews from around the world. After his
successful worldwide reunion tour with Anthrax in 2005-06, Joey is now
onto his solo project. With a world tour for 2008 entitled "Never Look
Back," Joey has recruited a new powerhouse band and is currently
working on a new Belladonna album to be released in the fall of 2008.

For dates in your area, please visit http://www.joeybelladonna.com and
http://www.myspace.com/joeybelladonna .

April 2 - Jack Rabbit Slims, Albany, NY
April 3 - Underworld Concert Club, Columbus, OH
April 4 - The Lighthouse, Imperial, PA
April 5 - Montage Music Hall, Rochester, NY
April 9 - Kings Tavern, Denver, CO
April 11 - Roadhouse, Apple Valley, CA
April 12 - Tremors, Riverside, CA
April 13 - The Museum Club, Flagstaff, AZ
April 14 - Club Congress, Tucson, AZ
April 16 - Fat Cat, Modesto, CA
April 18 - Studio Seven, Seattle, WA
April 23 - Big City Night Club, Farmington, NM
April 25 - Acadia Bar, Houston, TX
April 26 - Tiffanys Billiards, San Antonio, TX
May 1 - Jaxx, Springfield, VA

More dates TBA....

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
*
-Voivod To Complete Final Record

Canada's pioneering metal band Voivod will enter the studio this
spring to record their final album using songs left behind by founding
guitarist Denis "Piggy" D'Amour who died in August 2005 from colon
cancer.

An official band statement reads: "There remain 13 songs that
guitarist Denis D'Amour (Piggy) had written with the band before his
death, yet to be recorded. Michel Langevin (Away) and Denis Belanger
(Snake) will track the last songs this spring bringing all the past
and present members together to participate in a homage to the guitar
legend of Piggy and the legacy of 25 years of a brotherhood forged by
exploring metal, rock and punk ethics with an other worldly premise.

"Jean-Yves Theriault (Blacky) and Eric Forrest (E Force) have eagerly
agreed to contribute bass tracks along with current bass player Jason
Newsted (Jasonic). The End Records and Nuclear Blast Europe will
release this final record once completed.

"Voivod may play select shows after the release as a thank you to the
fans and to bring closure to a great career."

More info:

Official Voivod Web site:
http://www.voivod.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
*
-Dallas Chapter Of Little Kids Rock In Honor Of Dimebag Darrell Abbott

Honors To Be Held Tuesday, February 19th @ Pleasant Grove Elementary

[Note: Yes this is late but it's still cool. - Tim]

HOLLYWOOD -- Guitar monster-shredder, Dimebag Darrell Abbott will be
honored for the newest chapter of The Little Kids Rock school program
in Dallas, TX this Tuesday, February 19th.

In May 2007, Dimebag was chosen as the next inductee for the famed
Hollywood RockWalk at the Hollywood Guitar Center on Sunset Blvd.
After the induction, to further honor Dimebag Darrell Abbott was The
Six String Masterpiece Auction held to benefit The Little Kids Rock
Foundation. Dimebag's Black Tooth Bash immediately followed the
auction with special performances comprised with some of Dimebag's
closest friends and influences. The auction raised enough funds to
open two chapters in Dimebag's name. One chapter to be opened in Tampa
near Dean Guitars, Dimebags guitar of choice and the other chapter in
Dimebag's home of Dallas, TX.

Dimebag Darrell Abbott was loved by all and a hero to many. His
unexpected departure from our world has been a great loss, yet he left
us a legacy that will continue forever. It is a legacy to his family,
friends and fans of the great music that he loved to perform as well
as his crazy, charismatic sense of humor that touched many.

Little Kids Rock believes that all children in our public schools
deserve music education as music education is a transforming force in
children's lives. Dimebag had the same philosophy with always sharing
his passion and love of music to the world inspiring kids to pick up a
guitar.

The ceremony for Dimebag Darrell Abbott's Little Kid's Rock Chapter
begins at 1:30 p.m., February 19th, 2008 at the Pleasant Grove
Elementary.

Pleasant Grove Elementary
1614 N. St. Augustine Road
Dallas, TX 75217

Click here to see a page about Pleasant Grove Elementary and view a
map:
http://www.dallasisd.org/schools/realtor_new.cfm?id_con=40

http://www.littlekidsrock.org/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
*
-Metal Mind To Release Onslaught CD/DVD

Metal Mind Productions presents Onslaught and their LIVE POLISH
ASSAULT 2007 DVD in a special DVD+CD limited swing case edition!
Onslaught's first live DVD LIVE POLISH ASSAULT 2007 contains more than
an hour of veritable thrash mayhem: dirty and furious guitar riffs,
powerful rhythm section -- all this havoc crowned with Sy Keeler's
distinctive devilish shrieks.

Filmed during the band's first gig in Poland, the DVD will include a
well-balanced mixture of some of the best Onslaught songs performed
live! Among other bonus features, the DVD will also include an
interview with Nige Rockett and Sy Keeler, bonus live video footage
from the band's gigs in Japan, as also bonus audio tracks from the gig
at Bristol Colston Hall, 1987 (featuring Onslaught's very first live
performance of "Let There Be Rock")! Special edition of the DVD
includes a CD with audio material recorded at the show!

DVD+CD will be available on 3rd March in Europe and 13th May in the
U.S.A. (via MVD).

Onslaught - LIVE POLISH ASSAULT 2007
Label: Metal Mind Records
Cat. No.: MMP DVD 0143
Barcode: 5907785031890
Format: DVD+CD (limited swing case edition)
Genre: thrash metal
Release date: 03.03.2007 Europe / 13.05.2008 USA

Track list:

DVD
1. Intro
2. Let There Be Death
3. Angels Of Death
4. Thermonuclear Devastation Of The Planet Earth
5. Killing Peace
6. Fight With The Beast
7. Metal Forces
8. Twisted Jesus
9. Intro
10. Flame Of The Antichrist
11. Shellshock
12. Demoniac
13. Burn
14. Power From Hell

Bonus video:
Live in Japan, September 2006:
1. Demoniac
2. Let There Be Death
3. Angels Of Death
4. Power From Hell

Bonus audio:
Live at Bristol Colston Hall, 1987:
1. Metal Forces
2. Let There Be Rock / Let There Be Death

CD:
1. Intro
2. Let There Be Death
3. Angels Of Death
4. Thermonuclear Devastation Of The Planet Earth
5. Killing Peace
6. Fight With The Beast
7. Metal Forces
8. Twisted Jesus
9. Intro
10. Flame Of The Antichrist
11. Shellshock
12. Demoniac
13. Burn
14. Power From Hell

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
-Party With A Purpose Rocks Against Cancer

Longtime antiMUSIC.com writer/columnist and Thrashpit.com editor Mark
Hensch needs your help for a very worthy cause!

A sophomore at Hillsdale College in Hillsdale, Michigan, Mark's
friends/roommates Dylan Lindgren (23) and Brad Puglisi (20) have both
been diagnosed with Stage IV Hodgkin's Lymphoma in the last year. As
Stage IV Lymphoma is the worst progression of the Lymphoma Cancer,
hospital costs in treating both men are expected to be steep.

With this in mind, Mark is organizing a fundraiser the weekend of Feb.
29 through March 2. The fundraiser, called the "F*ck Cancer Social,"
needs all the moral and material support it can get to help these two
fine young men and their suffering families.

For those that can not make this event, plans are also being discussed
about organizing an online auction for all donated items (via a newly
made eBay account 207fcs) as well as a possible benefit concert and/or
a digital album.

Any merch, promo albums, instruments, letters, or other donations
would be greatly appreciated. Bands willing to play a free house show
during the event can come to Hillsdale, Michigan and be guaranteed
free food, housing, and alcohol provided they contact Mark first.
Money donations can also be sent to a PayPal account registered under
Mark's friend Templeton Klos, located at Tklos@....

Parties interested in helping out this cause in any way, shape, or
form can contact Mark via e-mail at MDHGuitars3@..., Facebook
under Mark David Hensch, or MySpace at
http://www.myspace.com/henschs_hometown_heroes .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-Napalm Records News Highlights: Entire New Draconian Album Available
For Pre-Listening!

Swedish Gothic Doomers Draconian have scheduled a special prelistening
for their upcoming album TURNING SEASON WITHIN. In cooperation with
MySpace Nordics, the ENTIRE ALBUM will be available online on the
official Draconian MySpace page http://www.myspace.com/draconianmusic
from February 21, 24:00 Central European Time untill the official
release of the album.

No voice-overs, no fade-outs!

TURNING SEASON WITHIN will be released on:

SWE/GER/AUT/SUI: 29.2.2008
Europe: 3.3.2008
Finland: 27.2.2008
USA/CAN: 4.3.2008

First reviews:

Heavy - 12/12
Rock Tribune - 94/100
Spark - 5,5/6
Fury - 9/10
RockHard ESP - 9/10
Sweden Rock - 8/10
RockHard Ger - 8/10
Orkus - 8/10
Metal Hammer ESP - 8/10

and way more...

Napalm Records Homepage
http://www.napalmrecords.com/

Napalm Records Shop
http://s7992294.shoplite.de/

*
*** SPECIAL REPORT ***
*
by Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

-Interview w/ Roger Staffelbach (Angel Of Eden)
February 21, 2008

Roger Staffelbach knows a thing or two about high quality rock music
-- growing up in Sweden, he first took a liking to Status Quo, The
Rolling Stones and Kiss at the impressionable age of 8, later
discovering his primary inspiration Yngwie Malmsteen after hearing the
album TRILOGY. Roger met up with keyboard wiz Vitalij Kuprij in the
early '90s and formed Atlantis Rising, which would later become
Artension, subsequently releasing seven albums with them as well as
appearing on several compilations and guesting on Vitalij's solo
projects. Currently Artension appears to be on extended hiatus, so
Roger assembled a top-notch band under the moniker Angel Of Eden and
proceeded to surprise the neoclassical metal community with the
excellent debut THE END OF NEVER. As one of my favorite releases of
2007, I was happy to ask Roger a few questions relating to the
project.

DETRITUS: I'm guessing you've been thinking about doing your own
project for awhile now; I think THE END OF NEVER has some of your best
playing on it. Did the album turn out the way you wanted it?

ROGER STAFFELBACH: I agree with you, I'm really satisfied with my
playing and the album in general. Of course there are always things on
every record, as for me at least, that one would do a little bit
different. But in general the record turned out to be the way I wanted
it and I'm more than happy with the final result.

D: Are you planning more Angel Of Eden releases, and if so will you
keep the current lineup and what will it sound like stylistically?

RS: I will continue with Angel Of Eden and I already started the
songwriting for AOE No. 2, which will head somewhat in the same
direction as THE END OF NEVER. Regarding the lineup, I was very
satisfied with the works of everybody involved on the first record, so
let's see what happens.

D: I hear a number of influences in Angel Of Eden besides Yngwie
Malmsteen; does it bother you to always be compared to him and who
were some of your other influences?

RS: Of course Malmsteen influenced me, he's the original and he's a
true legend. He was the reason I started playing guitar. I might
somewhat sound a little bit like him, but I don't try to copy him and
I think I have my own style regarding my playing. I listened and keep
listening to so many other bands and musicians, mainly instrumental
and U.S. metal, AOR and classical music, so I have been influenced by
lots of other bands and musicians as well.

D: Will Angel Of Eden be doing any live shows in support of THE END OF
NEVER?

RS: I'm working now with an Italian booking and management company (
http://www.chiarapellegriniagency.com/ ) and we are working on some
live dates in Italy now, so I guess we will rock out pretty soon. I am
looking forward very much to it.

D: What is the status of Artension?

RS: We have not been talking about a new record for a while, but I
hope that we will get back together again and record another one.

D: You've done some really nice instrumentals. Any plans to do a full
instrumental solo album?

RS: No, not really, at least not at the moment.

D: What kind of gear are you currently using?

RS: I endorse Dean Guitars -- I own a Dimebag ML and a Vendetta.
They're great guitars. Furthermore I play an Engl Savage 120 Amp, use
a 1960 Marshall Cabinet, Dean Markley Strings 9-42, Dunlop Picks 2mm,
and a Shure SM57 Mic. And for works in the studio an Eventide HS3000
Effects Processor.

D: You've worked with a lot of big names in the prog metal world. Is
there anyone who you would like to record with?

RS: There are many great musicians I would love to work with. My
absolute Dream Team would consist of Geoff Tate on vocals, Billy
Sheehan on bass, Deen Castronovo on drums, and Jens Johansson on the
keys.

D: Of the things you've done on album, which is your favorite? What
would you recommend to someone new to your playing?

RS: My favorite vocal tracks of the album are "End Of Never" together
with "Battle Of 1386," and as for the instrumentals it would be
"Return Of The Pharaoh Pt. 1." I'm particularly proud on this one. I
would recommend them my works with Artension and most importantly the
Angel Of Eden record.

D: Anything you would like to tell our readers in closing?

RS: Thanks for having me here Neal. Please check the record out and I
hope to see you live soon.

Relevant links:

Angel Of Eden
http://www.angelofedenband.com/
http://www.myspace.com/angelofedenband

Artension
http://www.vitalijkuprij.com/artension

Roger Staffelbach
http://www.rogerstaffelbach.com/
http://www.myspace.com/rogerstaffelbach

Lion Music
http://www.lionmusic.com/

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-About Heavy Metal's "Best Heavy Metal Albums Of The 1990s" list is
now online at http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/4r1X .

-Upcoming releases through Artist Service/MusicBuyMail.eu, all due out
March 28: Shannon's ANGEL IN DISGUISE, Circular Logik's ONE,
Stonelake's UNCHARTED SOULS, Whitecross' NINETEEN EIGHTY SEVEN,
X-Sinner's FIRE IT UP. Further notes: Circular Logik is Phil Vincent's
new project, the Whitecross disc is a re-recording of the band's self-
titled debut hyped as "bigger, louder and better than ever!," and the
X-Sinner disc is a re-recording of the original disc. See
http://musicbuymail.eu/?r=44&l=2 for more.

-Check out a great video of some young kids known as Gauchos
performing Iron Maiden's "The Trooper" at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s_4aGXTHo7w .

-There's a new sex tape out there, this time featuring Kiss' Gene
Simmons and a girl named Elsa. According to online reports "it's being
promoted as co-starring a spokesmodel for an energy drink he endorses,
Frank's." It's available through GenesSecret.com. For more, see
http://www.411mania.com/music/news/69481 .

-Steve Lukather's (Toto) EVER CHANGING TIMES is due out February 22 on
Frontiers Records. Check out a "Hot Spot" feature, with picture slide
show, album information, and song clips, at
http://musicbuymail.eu/index.php?a=355 . Hype from the man himself:
"The record rocks harder than Toto, but there is enough melodic stuff
on there to please any Toto fan. There is also music that sounds
youthful because my co-producer Steve Macmillan and my son were
keeping me honest and up to date." Track list: "Ever Changing Times,"
"The Letting Go," "New World," "Tell Me What You Want From Me," "I
Am," "Jammin With Jesus," "Stab In The Back," "Never Ending Nights,"
"Icebound," "How Many Zeros," "The Truth."

-Vocalist Andre Matos' (Viper, Angra, Virgo, Shaman) solo debut TIME
TO BE FREE, out last year in Japan, will be released elsewhere on
February 22. The album was co-produced by Sascha Paeth and Roy Z and
includes the following tracks: "Menuett," "Letting Go," "Rio,"
"Remember Why," "How Long (Unleashed Away)," "Looking Back," "Face The
End," "Time To Be Free," "Rescue," "A New Moonlight" (Viper cover),
"Endeavour." Check out http://musicbuymail.eu/index.php?a=356 for a
"Hot Spot" feature on the disc that includes a photo slide show, album
info, and a review that mentions comparisons to Iron Maiden, Edguy,
Magnum, and Queen.

-Tribunal Records has a new e-store online now at
http://tribunalrecords.bigcartel.com/ . See
http://www.tribunalrecords.net/ and
http://www.myspace.com/tribunalrecords for more.

-The list of bands confirmed for this year's Wacken Open Air includes
3 Inches Of Blood, As I Lay Dying, At The Gates, Autumn, Avantasia,
Axel Rudi Pell, Axxis, Before The Dawn, Carcass, Children Of Bodom,
Corvus Corax, Crematory, Destructor, Dream Of An Opium Eater, Enemy Of
The Sun, Ensiferum, Evocation, Excrementory Grindf*ckers, Exodus,
Girugämesh, Gorerotted, Gorgoroth, Grave, Hatebreed, Headhunter, Iron
Maiden, Killswitch Engage, Kreator, Krypteria, Leaves' Eyes, Lord
Belial, Lordi, Machine Men, Mercenary, Nifelheim, Nightwish, Obituary,
Opeth, Powerwolf, Primordial, PsychoPunch, Sabaton, Saltatio Mortis,
Soilwork, Sonata Arctica, Sturm Und Drang, The Bones, Van Canto,
Warbringer, Watain, and more. See http://www.wacken.com/ for more.

-Check out a new interview with Warbringer at
http://glclk.about.com/?zi=1/4r1Z .

Thanks to Bill "Dr. Love" Kotowski, Chad Bowar, Matthew Rudzinski,
Mitch Michaels, and Michael Schnabel for help gathering some of this
information.

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

-A buddy of mine told me about a cool-looking joint in Chicago called
Kuma's Corner, located at 2900 W. Belmont Avenue -- not *too* far from
the excellent Vic Theater. Among other dishes, they serve burgers and
sandwiches named after various metal bands, including the Black
Sabbath, Led Zeppelin, Judas Priest, Metallica, Iron Maiden,
Motorhead, Slayer, Pantera, and Neurosis burgers. And, naturally, the
Pig Destroyer is a pork sammich. The Slayer is described as a "Pile of
fries topped with a 1/2 lb. Burger, Chili, Cherry Peppers, Andouille,
Onions, Jack Cheese, and Anger." The Metallica has Buffalo sauce,
bacon, an Bleu Cheese dressing, and the Judas Priest has bacon and
bleu cheese dressing with apples, walnuts, and dried cranberries. And
how about the Goblin Cock? It's a big Vienna hot dog with bacon,
cheddar cheese, tomatoes, onions, neon green relish, sport peppers,
pickles, celery salt, and mustard. See http://www.kumascorner.com/ for
more.

-I finally got around to checking out Judas Priest guitarist K.K.
Downing's excellent site, "The Steel Mill," at
http://www.kkdowning.net/ . There are some neat features there,
including a blog, nifty downloadable PDF format bio, ongoing Q&A with
fans, and analysis and background information on select Priest tracks.
This last bit -- known as "The Fuel Of The Furnace" -- is really cool,
with entries so far on the songs "Sinner," "Jawbreaker," "One Shot At
Glory," "Steeler," and "Lochness."

-This is obviously a bit late but Pat Benatar and husband/guitarist
Neil "Spider" Giraldo guest-starred on a couple episodes of the soap
opera "The Young And The Restless" last week. My wife TiVo'd them and
I watched them. I was hoping for a rockin' live performance but
instead Ms. Benatar performed one song unplugged. Oh well, still kind
of cool, and definitely random... See http://www.benatar.com/ for
more.

-So Iron Maiden isn't coming to Chicago this summer. And here I bought
the LIVE AFTER DEATH DVD and everything, to prepare. Wankers.

-Now in my current playlist: House Of Shakira - RETOXED (Lion Music),
Funny Money - s/t (REISSUE) (Perris Records), Mortal Love - FOREVER
WILL BE GONE (Locomotive Records), Mind's Eye - A GENTLEMAN'S
HURRICANE (Lion Music), Bettie Ford - LEAGUE OF FOOLS (Locomotive
Records).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
ALESTORM - CAPTAIN MORGAN'S REVENGE (A-/B+) Napalm Records, 2008
10 tracks, RT: 41:40
[ http://www.alestorm.net/ ]
[ http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords ]
I was trying to come up with some perfect description for these guys,
but sometimes you have to call a spade a spade -- the disc's promo
materials proclaim the band plays "Scottish pirate metal," and that's
exactly what it is. I was all set to dismiss Alestorm as a Running
Wild clone (Still Running Wild?, Running Wilder? Sprinting Wild?) but
that's just not true. These guys are *not* a mere rip-off, as Alestorm
is more fun and definitely aware of the silliness going on. I mean,
with song titles like "Nancy The Tavern Wench," "Of Treasure," and
"Wenches & Mead," how can you not have a sense of humor? The music is
a mix of gritty, accented vocals, driving classic power metal, a bit
o' thrash, swirling keyboards, some folksy type sounds, and a heaping
helping of tankard-waving swagger. Vocalist Christopher Bowes has a
little Jon Oliva in him, and I even detect some Annihilator-esque
crunch in the riffing here and there. The lyrics are amusing -- "Set
Sail And Conquer" is Manowar on the high seas! -- and there is some
true heft and staying power to tracks like "The Huntmaster," "Over The
Seas," "Death Before The Mast," and "Terror On The High Seas." It's
fun stuff for sure but I can't guarantee the band's longevity if the
guys hang on to this pirate shtick.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@...)

BILL LEVERTY - SOUTHERN EXPOSURE (A) Leverty Music, 2007
10 tracks, RT: 42:11
[ http://www.leverty.com/ ]
This is guitarist Bill Leverty's instrumental solo debut, and all I
can say after being a fan of his main gig FireHouse since 1990 is,
"It's about time!" Nothing against the band or its vocal tracks, but
I've always thought of Mr. Leverty as a somewhat underrated player,
and I've wondered what he'd do in this setting. Despite the album
title, SOUTHERN EXPOSURE -- which features FireHouse band mate Michael
Foster on drums and Leverty on everything else -- is not chock full of
Southern rock. There's a fair amount of tuneful shredding, plus bits
of piano, bluesy swagger and stomp, some acoustics, and an overall
positive vibe. It's very much a guitar record in possession of a nice,
smooth, fluid style -- basically true songs that just don't happen to
have any vocals. Thankfully it's not one of those by-the-numbers crazy
shredfests or an overly-eclectic, "jam as many styles as possible onto
one album" affairs. Highlights: "Hang Six," "Giddy Up," "The Valley Of
The Kings," and the title track.
- Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@...)

PATHOSRAY (A-) Sensory Records, 2007
9 tracks, RT: 52:37
[ http://www.pathosray.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/pathosray ]
[ http://www.lasersedgegroup.com/ ]
[ http://www.lasercd.com/ ]
Coming to us from Italy is Pathosray with this absolutely stunning
debut, an album that manages to combine adroit progressive passages
with traditional melodic metal for a truly captivating listen. "Free
Of Doubt" opens things up with keyboardist Gianpaolo Rinaldi's classy
(and classically influenced) piano piece taking us directly into
"Faded Crystals," a rich mix of haunting keyboards, crunchy riffs and
the astonishing vocals of Marco Sandron, sure to be the next big find
in the prog metal world. One of my favorite tracks is up next, the
devastating "Lines To Follow," this one ultra-cool due to its blend of
prog elements with an almost New Wave Of British Heavy Metal feel,
really creative and powerful -- and again that voice! Like fellow
countrymen Labyrinth, these guys never forget the melody, delivering
memorable motifs on songs like "Scent Of Snow," "Sorrow Never Dies,"
and their piece de resistance "The Sad Game." One of the things that
set Pathosray apart from their contemporaries is the avoidance of
excessive flash in the instrumentation, especially the guitar work,
Luca Luison eschewing the usual prog penchant for speed and technique
for more thoughtful, atmospheric runs; apparently he has now been
replaced by Alessio Velliscig so we'll have to see if that dynamic
changes but hopefully they will increase the soloing just a bit but
keep the emphasis on those killer riffs and addictive keyboards, as
it's really a winning combination here. Fantastic performances by
drummer Ivan Moni Bidin and bassist Fabio D'Amore plus an excellent
production seal the deal on this bad boy. Highly recommended to both
prog and melodic metal fans, I can't wait to see these guys bring it
at ProgPower USA IX!
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

RICK WAKEMAN - THE BURNING (REISSUE) (B-/C+) Music Fusion/Voiceprint
Music/MVD Audio, 2007
11 tracks, RT: 35:36
RICK WAKEMAN - G'OLE! (REISSUE) (C+) Music Fusion/Voiceprint Music/MVD
Audio, 2007
12 tracks, RT: 37:26
[ http://www.rwcc.com/ ]
[ http://www.voiceprint.co.uk/ ]
[ http://www.MVDb2b.com/ ]
Rick Wakeman explores different sonic territory than what he is
usually known for on these two re-releases, soundtracks to two films
from the early '80s, Japanese horror cult favorite "The Burning" and
"G'Ole!," which was a feature on the 1982 World Cup. THE BURNING
starts off nicely with Rick's variations on the movie's themes, the
best being the title track and "Variations On The Fire," which kind of
have a Tangerine Dream feel. "Sheer Terror And More" is a cool mix of
horror movie music with jazz and pop blended in but like many of the
other pieces it would make more sense experienced with the movie
rather than by itself. Elsewhere we have the hokey "Campfire Story,"
which is just dialog from the film, sound effect pieces like "The
Fire," and the odd "Deliverance"-like "Devil's Creek Breakdown,"
complete with banjo, fiddle and pedal-steel guitar, Rick nowhere in
sight. "The Chase" is suitably creepy and would fit well alongside the
"Halloween" soundtrack, making me wonder how the film compares with
the music. G'OLE contains full songs rather than including dialog and
effects but is actually the weaker of the two, sporting a very dated
sound that reminds heavily of Vangelis ("Chariots Of Fire," anyone?).
On pieces like "International Flag," "The Dove," "Latin Reel," and
"Spanish Holiday," Rick concocts music so happy and upbeat it makes
one long for the drama of, say, a Jimmy Buffet concert. You could even
put the baby to sleep with "Black Pearls," so sensitive a tune it is.
G'OLE is certainly not a bad album, just a little too dainty for my
tastes, and as I said earlier, stripped of the movie's context, it
really doesn't connect emotionally. So I'll reserve my recommendation
on these to Rick Wakeman completists and those who have a particular
affinity for film soundtracks.
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

*
*** OUT ***
*