Detritus
Issue #456
Week of April 28, 2008
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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
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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 ***
*
-Driving around last weekend, I heard the new Def Leppard and
Whitesnake singles on the radio, and the DJ was giving away Judas
Priest concert tickets. Took me back 20 years or so... - Tim

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Edguy: Enter The Studio & Upcoming Tour

German melodic metallers Edguy are preparing to enter the studio to
begin recording the follow-up to 2006's ROCKET RIDE.

Commented front man Tobias Sammet:

"People think that we are quite fast but that's not the truth. I
completed the Avantasia album last autumn, the Avantasia songwriting
itself was completed even way back in 2006.

"All the new ideas I've had since then could be taken for Edguy. In
fact, this is a long time to refresh your creativity and gather new
stuff. The material sounds very fresh, it embraces all the different
trademarks of Edguy, I think it is a logical continuation of ROCKET
RIDE and HELLFIRE CLUB.

"Maybe it doesn't come across as goofy as ROCKET RIDE, but I am sure
if we have fun in the studio we'll have enough possibilities to ruin
the day for notoriously bitter people, haha. Yet it's more bombastic
and heavier, not too fast 'cause I really don't like pure speed metal
that much anymore.

"I like 'Lavatory Love Machine,' 'The Piper Never Dies,' 'Mandrake'
and 'Sacrifice.' There's three fast tracks, but they are all good, not
'just fast!' We'll enter the studio next week and work whenever
producer Sascha Paeth and me come back from the Avantasia weekends."

Edguy will be on tour in North America with Kamelot in October.

Tickets are now on sale. To see if they'll be dropping by a city near
you, please visit http://www.myspace.com/edguy .

Edguy MySpace Page
http://www.myspace.com/edguy

Edguy Official Web site
http://www.edguy.net/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Magic Circle Music Update

Manowar Confirmed For The Kaliakra Rock Fest 2008

Manowar has been confirmed to perform at the Kaliakra Rock Fest 2008,
set to take place on July 5th in Kavarna, Bulgaria.

The Metal Mayor of Kavarna, Tsonko Tsonev and Joker Media will bring
the Kings Of Metal once again for what is certain to be another
historic concert on the shores of the Black Sea. Last year's
performance was attended by 25,000 fans who witnessed over 2,5 hours
of true metal along with an awe-inspiring rendition of Bulgaria's
national anthem, Mila Rodino.

Manowar's headlining show will be preceded by Sixth Sense and
HolyHell.

For more information and tickets, please visit:
http://www.kaliakrarockfest.com/
and
http://www.jokermedia.net/

Manowar Web site
http://www.manowar.com/

More Bands Confirmed For The Magic Circle Festival 2008

Michael Schenker Group (MSG), Beloved Enemy, Titanium Black, Mob Rules
and Benedictum have been confirmed for the Magic Circle Festival 2008,
set to take place July 9-12 in Bad Arolsen, Germany.

Also, a third full day of music has been added to the Magic Circle
Festival at no additional charge. "Magic Circle Music is all about
value for the fans, and three nights at the original price is the best
way we could think of to add to that value," says Magic Circle Music
founder and Manowar bassist Joey DeMaio.

For more information and tickets please visit:
http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/

Battle Of The Bands Voting Form Now Online!

You can now vote for the bands you want to see at the Magic Circle
Festival 2008 Battle Of The Bands competition!

To vote, visit http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/ and click on
"Battle Of The Bands 2008 - Vote Here"!

The semi-finalists will compete against each other on Wednesday July
9th 2008 at the Magic Circle Festival Battle Of The Bands Stage where
they'll seek support from all true metal fans attending the festival!
The winning band will be invited to play three songs on the main stage
on Saturday July 12th 2008, will be featured on the Magic Circle
Festival Volume 2 DVD and will also have their single released by
Magic Circle Music!

If your band missed the deadline to submit your entry via YouTube
video you still have a chance to compete by mailing us your CD, band
photo, contact information and short bio. For more information and
competition rules please visit:
http://www.magiccirclefestival.com/

One-of-a-kind Jewelry Items Now Available At The Kingdom Of Steel
Online Store

Now available at The Kingdom Of Steel online store: one-of-a-kind
hand-woven jewelry items crafted by an experienced metal-smith using
battle-tested Old World techniques. These items were inspired by
designs of the ancient Vikings and forged from .925 pure Sterling
Silver and unique Swarovski crystals. For more information please
visit:
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/category/150/Jewelry

The Kingdom Of Steel
http://store.magiccirclemusic.com/storefront.php

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Great White Embarks On Summer Show Dates

HOLLYWOOD -- Great White's original members Jack Russell (vocals),
Mark Kendall (lead guitar), Audie Desbrow (drums), Michael Lardie
(guitar/keyboards) and Sean McNabb (bass) are once again ready to rock
all summer long. The band will hit the road for summer shows Nation
wide performing all their greatest hits the fans know and love.

Show Dates (many more to come):

May
22 - Portland, OR - Roseland
24 - Roseburgh, OR - Douglas Hall
30 - Ogden, UT - Teazers
31 - Twin Falls, ID - Krusers

June
5 - Waukesha, WI - A Taste Of Summer
7 - Celing, OH - Romers At Westlake
13 - Santa Fe, NM - Camel Rock Casino
14 - Anthony, TX - Wet N Wild WaterPark
19 - San Juan Capistrano, CA - Coach House
20 - Los Angeles, CA - Crash Mansion
21 - Agoura, CA - Canyon Club
27 - Balingen, GER - Bang Your Head!!! Festival

July
11 - Walker, MN - Moondance JAM
12 - Glendale Heights, IL - Summerfest
23 - London, ONT - Harris Park
24 - Heyward, WI - LCO Casino
25 - Eagle River, WI - High Pines Amp
26 - Toledo, OH - Make A Wish Foundation

August
16 - Santa Fe, NM - Sky City Casino
23 - Greenwood, IL - Galt Airport

September
12 - Boone, IA - The Venue
20 - Jim Thorpe, PA - Penn Peak

For more information go to http://www.mistabone.com/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Virgin Steele Sign To Dockyard 1!!!

[Note: This is from http://www.dockyard1.com/virginsteele/ . - Tim]

We are honoured to announce the signing of legendary American Heavy
Metal band Virgin Steele! After the collaboration on the re-releases
of AGE OF CONSENT and NOBLE SAVAGE which made those legendary albums
available again, Virgin Steele now signed a new recording contract!
"This took quite awhile to conclude, as it was a difficult decision to
make in regards to who to sign with, as we were offered several very
good agreements from various labels, but in the end we decided to go
with Dockyard 1. We have a very long history with several members of
the team there and have always enjoyed working with them. We have
achieved great results and have built lasting friendships with them,"
said David DeFeis, the group's vocalist.

While there is yet no specific release date, the projected target area
for the album is for sometime in January of 2009. DeFeis claims, "If
all goes well we should be able to issue a new album sometime between
January and March..." Meanwhile in addition to working on a new album,
the Group will continue to reissue various albums in the catalogue,
once again with bonus tracks. We will keep you up to date with more
details as we receive them.

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Guitar Virtuoso Richie Kotzen To Release Live Album: LIVE IN SAO
PAULO

Richie Kotzen's 17th Solo Album Due May 6th, 2008

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- LIVE IN SAO PAULO is Richie Kotzen's first-ever live
album released. With much prompting from fans, Kotzen chose a stellar
performance from his South American tour in 2007.

LIVE IN SAO PAULO is an absorbing collective blend of Kotzens songs
throughout the years. His live performance reflects the guitar styles
that have defined his career as a virtuoso. Kotzen reveals to fans
live his true diversity with the rhythmic labors of "A Love Divine" to
the poignant ballad "Remember." The performance continually travels
between moments of classic-rock song "Shapes Of Things" to the
uplifting original "Stand."

Kotzen is influenced from such bands as Bad Company, Free, early Van
Halen and Cream. They are the inspiration for his songs, but having
deep Philly roots Kotzen tends to combine rock with the Motown
influences he heard as a kid. "Much influence for my songs comes from
the likes of the Spinners, O'Jays, and Curtis Mayfield," explains
Kotzen. "Growing up outside Philadelphia and listening to those old
soul stations I ended up with that sound being a heavy influence in my
writing even though the core of what I do is rock."

Kotzen burst onto the heavy metal scene as a teenager with a
lightning-fast guitar techniques. With his talents, Kotzen has played
with some of the best musicians; securing such major collaboration
with the band Mr. Big and renowned jazz great Stanley Clarke as well
as his own solo projects. "I have been lucky, in the sense, that I
have been able to play with guys who I could learn from. The biggest
musical lesson for me was playing in a band with Stanley Clarke and
Lenny White. Obviously these guys are jazz musicians and I am not, but
I learned so much from the time we recorded and toured together. My
favorite rock bassist is Billy Sheehan and we were in Mr. Big together
for three years which was awesome."

LIVE IN SAO PAULO will be released on May 6th, 2008 on Headroom-Inc.
LIVE IN SAO PAULO will be available on CD Baby, RichieKotzen.com and
coming soon to iTunes. For more information about Richie Kotzen or
LIVE IN SAO PAULO click on http://www.richiekotzen.com/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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-Odin's Court Is Signed To ProgRock Records And Releases The Album
DEATHANITY

RANCHO SANTA MARGARITA, CA -- Odin's Court is a Maryland, U.S.A. band
that was initially formed by Matt Brookins in 2001. For the first two
years the band struggled to find their sound, playing covers and
originals ranging from classic rock to modern metal and everything in
between. Over the years they honed their sound and live show, opening
for such notables as Symphony X, Spock's Beard, King's X, Kamelot,
Enchant and more. They will be opening for Circa on May 2, 2008 in
Springfield, Virginia.

DEATHANITY displays why Odin's Court is difficult to fit into a genre;
ambience, dynamics, and soul are combined with complexity, groove, and
energy in a song oriented structure, to create a unique, surreal
landscape. Including a configuration similar to that of the classic
Pink Floyd album DARK SIDE OF THE MOON, DEATHANITY utilizes saxophone
and backing female vocalists, and includes a palate scattered with
spoken vocal clips and vast ranging sound effects. Special guest
vocalists include Tom Englund (Evergrey) and Tony Kakko (Sonata
Arctica).

Matt Brookins had the following to say on becoming a ProgRock Records
band: "Odin's Court has a rich history. We've done a lot of great
shows, put out some CDs, put out a DVD, and had many exciting
opportunities along the way. However, we've always had an important
element that was missing, and that was the ability for distribution,
marketing, and networking on a larger, global scale. Our latest album
DEATHANITY is leaps and bounds above our previous work in terms of
maturity, so the time was right to make that next jump, and we're very
happy and pleased to be joining the ProgRock Records family. President
Shawn Gordon is simply put, one of the most down to earth and humble
people I've met in the industry. But don't let that fool you -- he has
business savvy to match, and I think we're all excited for Odin's
Court to be unveiled upon the world!"

"I'd seen the name Odin's Court floating around for a few years but
didn't have a chance to hear their material, but they sure seemed to
be getting some big gigs, so it was a pleasant surprise when Matt
contacted me and was interested in working with us. Matt's a very
talented and determined guy and exceptionally easy to work with, which
is becoming a lot more important to me now than it use to, we're
really glad to have him and the boys on board," Shawn Gordon,
President of ProgRock Records said.

DEATHANITY is the ProgRock Records debut release from Odin's Court and
can be found here:
http://www.progrockrecords.com/shop/view.php?id=158

An amazing sonic journey that you're not going to want to miss. The
album is available for immediate order and will ship in mid-May 2008
and be available at your favorite brick and mortar retailer on July
15, 2008. Presales are discounted $2 on the ProgRock Records site
until the album starts shipping.

More on the album from the PRR Web site:

DEATHANITY is the latest effort from Odin's Court, a Maryland, U.S.A.
band. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by band architect
Matt Brookins at D2C Studios between January 2007 and March 2008.
DEATHANITY is an ambitious concept album dealing with the effects
mankind's actions are having on the planet. Alternate views are
offered through the use of instrumentation, lyrics, sound effects, and
various vocal clips. Ambience, dynamics, and soul are combined with
complexity, groove, and energy in a song oriented structure, to create
a unique, surreal landscape. Each song, dealing with a different
theme, is accompanied by a newly created word and definition in the
album art. Special guest vocalists include Tom Englund (Evergrey) and
Tony Kakko (Sonata Arctica). Other guests include Bill Green on tenor
sax and Nicki Brookins, Elena Hall, and Suzanne Warner on backing
vocals. Odin's Court, comprised of Matt Brookins (Vocals, Guitars),
John Abella (Drums, Percussion), Savino Palumbo (Keyboards), Craig
Jackson (Bass), and Rick Pierpont (Guitar), draws from classic
inspirations such as Pink Floyd, Boston, Queen, Rush, Metallica, Yes,
and Journey as well as more modern bands such as Devin Townsend,
Chroma Key, OSI, Porcupine Tree, Dream Theater, and Tool.

Preorders for the new album DEATHANITY can be found here:
http://www.progrockrecords.com/shop/view.php?id=158

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-Z Records News

Z Rock 08: Slight Changes And Venue Details

With just under three weeks to go until Z Rock 08 some fine-tuning has
been made to the running sequence and ticketing details.

Firstly many have been asking for exact location details for the
Asylum. Z Rock 08 will be the opening night for the venue which
features a fantastic PA and light system. The venue is situated in
Hampton Street, Hockley, Birmingham B19 3LS.

Tickets sales are close to that needed to announce a further show in
2009 and we urge everyone to help make this happen by buying in
advance via http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest or ST Records Dudley or
Swordfish Birmingham. Tickets will be available online until noon on
Sunday May 11th and from ST and Swordfish until 12 noon on May 16th.
In the event that tickets are remaining on the day they will be priced
as follows May 16th £25 and on May 17th £50.

The running order adjustments now means that Stormzone will play two
totally different sets, the running for each day is now.....

DAY 1 - FRIDAY MAY 16TH

HOUSE OF LORDS 10:35 - 'til late
DANTE FOX 9:30 - 10:15
STORMZONE 8:30 - 9:10
7DAYZ 7:35 - 8:10
ROCKSTAR 6:40 - 7:15

doors 6 p.m. / admission £25

DAY 2 - SATURDAY MAY 17TH

BLACK 'N BLUE 10:50 - til late
BONFIRE 9:05 - 10:25
SHY 7:30 - 8:40
EDEN 6:05 - 7:05

break for 1 hour 15 mins.

BOMBAY BLACK 3:50 - 4:50
STEVE GRIMMETT BAND 2:40 - 3:30
STORMZONE 1:30 - 2:20
REDLINE 12:30 - 1:10

£45 advance / £50 on door

Anyone requiring information regarding the show should e-mail
zrockagency@... or call 07724 606920.

We are close to hitting our target that will ensure the festival
continues in 2009 but we urge fans to buy now rather than at the last
minute to help us. Any questions regarding the show should be sent to
zrockagency@....

Z And Lost Weekend Part Company On Good Terms

Z Records have parted ways with Lost Weekend after a great
relationship over the past two years. Z commend the support /
involvement by the band for the release FOREVER MOVING ON and we wish
them good fortune in their future endeavours. With immediate effect we
have officially passed on our option for a further release.

http://www.zrecords.net/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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-Shred Master Paul Gilbert To Perform Wednesday, May 7th @ The House
Of Blues On Sunset Strip In Hollywood With Special Guest Richie Kotzen

Both Will Unleash The Shred As A Double Record Release Party

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- On April 8th Paul Gilbert let loose another
instrumental masterpiece on Shrapnel Records. SILENCE FOLLOWED BY A
DEAFENING ROAR comes out on the tail end of his successful and very
first instrumental GET OUT OF MY YARD. SILENCE FOLLOWED BY A DEAFENING
ROAR is an emotionally fueled work of genius and guitar solo mastery
that has become Gilbert's signature. To celebrate this outstanding
album Gilbert will perform at the Sunset Strip House of Blues where
you can experience his new work.

SILENCE FOLLOWED BY A DEAFENING ROAR's title is inspired by a recent
move that Gilbert made from one house to another smack in the middle
of recording this album. "After two long months of packing, moving,
and learning about the vast sciences of plumbing and electrical house
wiring, I was very much looking forward to becoming a GUITARIST
again," explains Gilbert. This CD is the result of that desire. "I
suppose those two months without my guitar is the 'Silence,' and the
sound of me happily reuniting with my favorite musical instrument
could be the 'Deafening Roar.'"

Joining Paul Gilbert is virtuoso Richie Kotzen with his new release
LIVE IN SAO PAULO. This is Kotzen's first live album ever coming out
May 6th on Headroom-Inc. LIVE IN SAO PAULO is an absorbing collective
blend of Kotzen's songs throughout the years. His live performance
reflects the guitar styles that have defined his career as a virtuoso.
Kotzen reveals to fans live his true diversity with the rhythmic
labors of 'A Love Divine' to the poignant ballad 'Remember.' The
performance continually travels between moments of classic-rock song
'Shapes of Things' to the uplifting original 'Stand.'

This is a no-holds-barred event so hold on for the ride as Gilbert &
Kotzen promise to deliver a high-impact show -- A show which will also
set the tone for Gilbert's upcoming tour with the great Joe Satriani
in the U.K.

For additional information click on http://www.paulgilbert.com/ or
http://www.richiekotzen.com/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
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-Guns N' Roses Guitarist Bumblefoot To Create All Star Band In Support
Of 2008 Rock Against Diabetes Charity Concert

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Guns N' Roses guitarist Ron Thal (a.k.a. Bumblefoot)
has committed himself to this year's Rock Against Diabetes event by
orchestrating an All Star Band composed of top metal/rock artists of
the last two decades.

"I want to help bring attention, awareness, and hopefully get some
people thinking about what they can do to prevent diabetes, or how
they can lend a hand to someone living with it," explains Thal. "I
have been reaching out to musicians to form a group that hasn't ever
played together before, something very special just for this one
night. This is an important event, and it's a privilege to be able to
participate."

Participants of the All Star Band, yet to be named will be announced
once they commit to the project. More information on the All Star
Band, as well as current and any other lineup changes can be found at
http://www.rockagainstdiabetes.org/ .

The band will perform live at http://www.deeprockdrive.com/ in Las
Vegas. There are a very small amount of VIP tickets available only by
auction. To bid on these limited edition VIP tickets, visit
http://www.rockagainstdiabetes.org/auction . The rest of the world,
will be able to take in the event from the comfort of their homes, in
HD as a fully interactive Web broadcast. Tickets are available at
http://www.deeprockdrive.com/event/5462/rock_against_diabetes_2008 .
Tickets are only $9.99 and each ticket purchaser has the option to
invite 5 friends to view FREE.

For more information visit http://www.rockagainstdiabetes.org/ ,
http://www.bumblefoot.com/ , or http://www.deeprockdrive.com/ .

ABOUT ROCK AGAINST DIABETES

Rock Against Diabetes was created my Vancouver music writer and
diabetic amputee Darrin Buchanan in 2007. After diagnosis as a type 2
diabetic in 2006, and a resultant below knee amputation of his right
foot in March 2008, Darrin has chosen to dedicate his energies to this
project to help ensure others do not walk down the same path that he
chose previous to diagnosis. The main objective of Rock Against
Diabetes, is to provide a FREE worldwide online tool, for all diabetic
suffers as well as pre-diabetics to use to eat correctly, set goals
and prevent the sometimes brutal complications the disease can inflict
on sufferers. 88% of diabetic complications can be slowed or prevented
with a proper safe diet. Rock Against diabetes will also donate a
portion of all money collected to The BC Children's Hospital, to
support the Endocrinology and Diabetic area of care, as well as the
University of Toronto Faculty of Medicine, to support the breakthrough
studies in diabetic research they have had. For more information on
the causes supported by Rock Against Diabetes, visit
http://www.rockagainstdiabetes.org/causes.htm . For more information
about Rock Against Diabetes 2008 Darrin Buchanan
darrin@....

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*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
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-REQUIEM: A New JOHN 5 Instrumental Masterpiece Releases June 3rd On
60 Cycle Hum

"Such a nice guy; such evil notes. Blood on the strings!" - Paul
Gilbert

HOLLYWOOD -- Once again the dark passages of John 5's mind worked
overtime to bring to you another outstanding macabre instrumental.
REQUIEM is John 5's fourth solo album due out June 3rd on 60 Cycle
Hum.

By definition REQUIEM is prayer for the salvation of the soul(s) of
the departed, REQUIEM is also the title of various musical
compositions used in such liturgical services. In the case of John 5,
REQUIEM is a mind-blowing, sinister guitar instrumental with song
titles named after torture devices. "I find the macabre fascinating,
it's all over history. In researching the torture devices I heard
music to describe each one," explains John 5.

John 5 performs all instruments with the exception of the time-keeping
by Zombie band mate Tommy Clufetos (drums). The album was recorded in
the middle of night that lent a cool vibe and only time John 5 had
studio times. Most of the songs are 12–13 minutes long so John 5
decided to put in markers to divide them up so when songs change from
track to track it seems to meld in to each other.

John 5 has created a worldwide following as a widely respected
guitarist with such platinum artists as Marilyn Manson, David Lee
Roth, Rob Halford and now an integral member of Rob Zombie. John 5's
eclectic influences combine for a truly unique guitar oriented record
that once again sets new standards in the genre.

http://www.john-5.com/

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*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
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-Lion Music News

Lion Music Sponsors Guitar Idol Competition

http://www.guitar-idol.co.uk/

Lion Music is proud to be a sponsor of the world's biggest
International online Guitarist Talent Search designed to find the
hottest new guitarists!

How does it work?

Visit http://www.guitar-idol.co.uk/ . Contestants upload audio or
videos of their entries which are then voted for by thousands of
guitar fans worldwide in order to win both "The People's Choice" Award
and -- in combination with a panel of top music industry professionals
-- the chance to be one of 10 finalists to play live in front of
thousands at the London International Music Show on June 14th and be
awarded the "Guitar Idol 2008" crown.

Uniquely the 10 finalists will have the chance to appear on an album
released by top international guitarists' label Lion Music with
worldwide distribution.

The Winner will also collect top of the range prizes from Paul Reed
Smith, Peavey and Roland -- as well as a cash prize from exam board
Rockschool -- and interviews/promotion and professional opportunities
with The Institute Of Contemporary Music Performance,
http://www.alloutguitar.com/ , http://www.licklibrary.com/ , and
Guitar Buyer magazine.

As if that is not enough, the eventual Winner will get to open up for
Joe Satriani on June 15th at The London International Music Show, and
be able to play over the weekend on the various sponsors stands --
what a chance to kick-start a career!

For more information contact
Owen Edwards - Editor
http://www.alloutguitar.com/

Venturia Gearing Up For The Release Of HYBRID

The new album from one of the world's hottest metal acts Venturia has
just been mastered and a release is anticipated in September 2008. The
new album entitled HYBRID takes off from where the band's critically
acclaimed debut THE NEW KINGDOM left off, yet shows impressive growth
from the band incorporating new sounds and a killer production.

Charly Sahona of the band comments, "We're extremely proud of the
result: the production, the song writing and the performance of
everybody is a step higher than the previous album. The musical
approach is the same as before, a blend between metal, prog, pop,
classical, electronic music and the technical parts are even more
crazy. The title HYBRID, it's a good name to reflect the musical
direction, influences and sounds with different styles of music."

HYBRID is home to 10 new songs on the album:

1. Intro/Will You Save Me?
2. Swearing Lies
3. Be The One
4. Running Blind
5. Pearls Of Dawn
6. Sparkling Rain
7. Hottest Ticket In Town
8. Love Gamers
9. Why? / This Women's Life
10. Sublimated Dementia

HYBRID was recorded at Artsonikstudios in Switzerland in the winter of
'07/'08 and you can check all the different steps of the recording on
Venturia's official blog at http://blog.venturiaofficial.com/ .

Web Links
http://www.venturiaofficial.com/
http://www.myspace.com/venturiamusic
http://blog.venturiaofficial.com/

Emir Hot Announces First Live Gigs In Support Of SEVDAH METAL

Emir Hot has announced his first tour dates in 2008 to support the
release of SEVDAH METAL which is currently picking up tremendous
praise worldwide. This is only a short summer tour on both sides of
beautiful Adriatic Sea with a big European tour to follow a couple
months after this "warm-up." The following dates are confirmed:

· Wed 23th July: Split – Croatia (Special guest Markonee (
http://www.myspace.com/markonee99 ) – Italy)
· Fri 25th July: Rimini - Italy
· Sat 26th July: Verona – Italy

The lineup will be:
Emir Hot – Guitars / backing vocal
John West (ex Royal Hunt, Artension) – Vocal
John Macaluso (ex Malmsteen, Ark) – Drums
Ivan Cvitkovic – Bass
Muhamed Sehic – Keyboards/Accordion
Lonnie Park - Backing Vocals

Emir adds, "As you can see Mike Terrana is not playing with us on this
one due to his every day music obligations. But could we have got a
better replacement than John Macaluso? Probably not! We welcome one of
the greatest drummers in the metal world ever. Check out
http://www.johnmacaluso.com/ . In between our tour dates there will be
some acoustic shows with John West and Lonnie Park. That will make
this little tour even more interesting. As soon as these dates are
confirmed we will let you all know. We hope to see some of you there
and get ready to rock!!!"

If you haven't heard SEVDAH METAL check out this free album sampler
MP3:
http://www.lionmusic.com/audio/emir_sampler.mp3 (9.32mb)

Web Links
http://www.emirhot.com/
http://www.myspace.com/sevdahmetal

Saturday Night's Alright For A Johnny Mac Prog Rock Fight!

Drummer John Macaluso (John Macaluso's Union Radio/MCM) has become the
DJ for the Saturday night prog rock radio show broadcasting every week
on Solar Guitars radio. Last week John had Mike Portnoy drummer of
Dream Theater on the show and this Saturday night is the legendary
Drummer Rod Morgenstein (Dixie Dregs, Winger, Morgenstein/Rudess) with
loads more names lined up for future shows.

To tune into the "The Johnny Mac Prog Rock Show" on a Saturday night
at 11:00 p.m. (23:00) Eastern visit http://www.solarguitars.com/ and
listen online for great music and great chat.

Seventh Wonder About To Enter The Studio To Record MERCY FALLS

Seventh Wonder begin the recordings of their third album MERCY FALLS
on May 5th as the band once again teams up with Daniel Flores in the
studio. After the massive sound of WAITING IN THE WINGS the band has
also decided to hook up with Tommy Hansen again to do the mixing and
mastering at the famous Jailhouse Studios in Denmark. This is
scheduled for late June. The album will be released late this summer
on Lion Music worldwide and there will also be a very limited first
edition with bonus material; more news on this will follow.

As soon as the actual recordings start, there will be a studio log
accessible from http://www.seventhw onder.nu/ , where you can track
the progress and the making of the album. Make sure to join the new
forum (link below) and make it as alive as the old one was or even
more for that matter!

Andreas Blomqvist of the band states, "Updates have been scarce lately
and the band wishes to thank everyone for their patience and
understanding. Every minute of time has been put into the writing and
producing of this album to make sure it is the best that can be. Now
we invite you to join us in this endeavour."

Web Links
http://www.seventhwonder.nu/
http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/seventh-wonder-488/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
-Total Metal Festival 2008: 20 September -- The Best Metalheads
Meeting In Southern Italy!

Since the first edition in 2002 this festival has been a "must" for
all metalheads in southern Italy (and not only!). The organization is
detailed and well seen in every little part, the bands chosen to play
the festival are always awesome and brilliant and the rest is done by
the enthusiasm and support of all the fans coming there from all over
Italy and not only! Thirty-eight bands played on the festival stages
in the last five editions; we can remember some great ones as Rage,
Dark Funeral, Necrodeath, Eldritch and some awesome act coming out
from the underground Italian scene as DGM, Warchild, Golem,
Backjumper, Disguise and many, many more. This made possible something
that just a few years before was only an utopia. Now also southern
Italy has got his big Metal event. But, as everybody knows, the Total
Metal Festival is not simply a concert, but a real multilateral
meeting with all the arts and the activities that are part of this
magic culture. In fact, every year, the festival is full of stands,
CDs market, artists and every kind of expression that fits with the
Heavy Metal and the Hard Rock world. A great party that goes on all
day and night long! All this made this event a very longed for
happening every year. This year the TMF date has been fixed for 20
September.

The Vivo Management Agency (organizers of the festival) announce a big
news: The Total Metal festival will change location! A place more
close to the Urban center of the city of Bari. There will be a brand
new atmosphere. Curious? Keep In Touch...

Soon will also be comunicated the bands that will perform at the
festival. At the moment The Agency is still fixing the deals, but be
sure that there will be something magic going on as usual! Soon the
official site http://www.totalmetalfestival.it/ will be updated,
meanwhile you can rest informed by the agency site
http://www.vivomanagement.it/ .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-Two Side Moon/SLW Promotions Update

Band: By Blood Alone
Album: SEAS OF BLOOD
Genre: Gothic/Progressive/Metal
Release Date: Out Now

One never feels as though By Blood Alone are truly content with the
body of their work, but always reaching into the murky darkness before
them for what mystery lies ahead.

Formed in 2004, By Blood Alone proudly sound like no one else in their
hometown, and few elsewhere. By virtue of association, they might be
compared to the likes of Finland's operatic Nightwish or Florida's
decidedly progressive Kamelot, and though that is certainly good
company to be in, such comparisons are somewhat inaccurate. The songs
on By Blood Alone's CD SEAS OF BLOOD possess a cinematic quality,
brought to life by keyboard tones that bring to mind classic horror
and '50s science fiction films that sit alongside crucial sections of
dramatic orchestration. At any given moment you are as likely to hear
a solitary piano delicately underscoring vocalist Cruella's quiet
whispers as you are a relentless guitar/bass/drums gallop of bone-
crunching verses propelling her wail of contempt. A sultry mix of
bitter loss, inglorious defeat and even a bit of gallows humor can all
be culled from the furious aural denouement unleashed upon the
audience before them. These are not simply encores -- they are
epilogues.

2005 saw By Blood Alone map out their path with the debut EP ETERNALLY
Ambitious in scope, it set the stage for what is clearly their
pinnacle achievement, SEAS OF BLOOD. Amongst accolades from numerous
press outlets, Portland's primary arts weekly The Phoenix has twice
placed By Blood Alone on their year-end Top 10 list, in 2007 for SEAS
OF BLOOD and in 2005 for ETERNALLY. These achievements can be added to
a string of stunning live performances across New England with the
likes of Joey Belladonna of Anthrax, Metal Blade Recording artists
Goatwhore, as well as former Misfits vocalist Michale Graves and
countless other local and regional acts. 2008 will see the band
continue to promote SEAS OF BLOOD and drive crowds to their auditory
revival theater.

"SEAS OF BLOOD is a hugely enjoy able sexy and mysterious record. Each
song is different, you do have to sit with it and let the music grow
on you so you hear everything from the lyrics to the vocals to the
instrumentation. A strong and diverse album for fans of Lullacry, Lana
Lane and Magenta."
(Fireworks Magzine UK)

"SEAS OF BLOOD shows a lot of promise... By Blood Alone have all the
tools to someday compete with acts like Nightwish, Epica, Within Tempt
ation, and After Forever."
(Pete Pardo, Sea Of Tranq uility)

"By Blood Alone largely avoids the pitfalls and traps that litter the
path of gothic metal. There are no beauty and the beast vocals here,
nor are there extensive sections aspiring to Latin or Arabesque
grandeur, which tend to remain mired in grotesque pomposity. In lieu
of this, the listener is graced with an addictive, absinthe and spice
soaked sonic brew that offers more than just your typical slice of
dark metal ... As a whole, SEAS OF BLOOD is a solid release that
rewards across multiple listening sessions. Here's to looking forward
to future releases!"
(Bill Knispel, Progscape.com)

Band: Eden Sands
Album: LIVING KILLS
Genre: Power Metal/Melodic Hard Rock
Release Date: Out Now

Eden Sands blast out of Lorraine in France with their new hard hitting
refreshing debut album called LIVING KILLS.

Eden Sands play heavy and melodic rock with fantastic high powered
crunching vocals from Stefan Tudela whom a few years ago fronted the
band Northwind. Joining Stefan are guitarists Maxence Hughes and
Bertrand "Old" Bonnin, bassist Vinz Camacho and powerhouse drummer
Pere Alex.

Eden's Sands are influenced by the likes of Edguy, Symphony X, Yngwie
Malmsteen, Skid Row and are currently out on the road captivating
audiences with their electric live show that the band hope to bring to
British soils later in 2008.

If you like power metal and guitar driven hard rock then this band are
for you.

Band: The V Project
Album: NEW MACHINE
Genre: Melodic Rock
Release Date: Out Now

With a tip of the hat to the 1970's era of bands from Aerosmith to
Zeppelin, V-Project has chosen the tried and true blues-rock formula
as the fuel that powers the NEW MACHINE CD. The result is maybe best
described as "pure rock for all generations." It is melodic, album-
orientated rock that's been overhauled and retro fitted for the new
millennium, all the while remaining true to the guitar orientated AOR
style that V-Project comes from.

Platinum selling MSG vocalist and current Survivor front man Robin
McAuley returns to handle vocal duties on four NEW MACHINE tracks. For
McAuley fans it's a safe bet to say you've never heard Robin quite
like this. And, stepping up to the mic for the first time on CD, the
man behind the machine, David Vaccaro takes the lead vocal for five
tracks.

If you're looking for a band that blends the urgency of today's music
with the guitar-orientated bands of another time and place, then put
this CD into your stereo and power up the NEW MACHINE.

Press
"I like this CD very much -- especially 'Somebody Like You' and 'You
Don't Care.' The production is good and the guitar playing great."
-- Music Producer Tom Werman

Two Side Moon/SLW Promotions
http://www.myspace.com/nickyaor

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
*
-Guitarist Richie Kotzen Invites You To His Private Performance @ GIT
In Hollywood On May 8th, 2008 At 6:00 P.M.

The venue is Musicians Institute, and all MI students are welcome,
plus I will be giving away 50 pairs of FREE TICKETS to the public.

To win a pair of free tickets, just write to publicity@...

Write GIT TICKETS as the subject of your e-mail. Please include your
FULL NAME and CITY where you live in the e-mail.

I will reply to the FIRST 50 PEOPLE who respond and add you to the
guest list along with directions, show time, and other details.

Winners will be required to show picture I.D. to match the name on the
guest list. So don't request tickets unless you are coming!

*** If you live outside the Los Angeles area, please don't request
tickets unless you are really going to travel to Hollywood for the
gig.

LIVE IN SAO PAULO will be available for sale at the show, and I'll be
happy to sign your copy after the show and say hello.

Thank you, and write soon before the tickets run out.

Richie~~

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
*
-Asylum Update

Fear Factory's Christian Olde Wolbers to produce vocals for Asylum.
Zimmers Hole vocalist "The Heathen" to record bonus track vocals.

Fear Factory's Christian Olde Wolbers is set to produce the vocals
alongside Markus Johansson on the debut album from ASYLUM, the
Illinois-based project featuring Markus Johansson (Lead Vocals, Lead
Guitar) and Johnny Rox (Bass Guitar). In addition, Zimmers Hole
vocalist "The Heathen" is set to record guest vocals on the bonus
track, Van Halen's "Get Up" off their 5150 album. Look for that track
to be deliciously evil, with "The Heathen" providing vocals alongside
an Asylum/Dethklok collaboration. Also contributing to the CD are
Kevin Talley (Daath, ex-Chimaira, Dying Fetus, Misery Index), Gene
Hoglan (Dethklok, Zimmers Hole, Strapping Young Lad), Larry Tarnowski
(ex-Iced Earth), David Shankle (Manowar, DSG), Andy LaRoque (King
Diamond), Michael Angelo Batio (Nitro, MAB) and Roland Grapow
(Helloween, Masterplan).

Accompanied by Talley and Tarnowski, Johansson and Rox began recording
the debut Asylum album in May 2006. By October of 2006, Gene Hoglan
made a guest appearance, ripping up the drums on the bonus track "Get
Up," a Van Halen cover. Brendon Small of Dethklok and "Metalocalypse"
fame also contributed a guest guitar solo to the same song.

Asylum's debut album is being engineered by Grammy nominee Bob "Doc"
Pucci. In addition, the album will be mixed by Grammy nominee Ulrich
Wild, best known for his mixing/engineering work with Pantera and
White Zombie. The CD will be mastered by Tom Baker, who has worked
with bands like Nine Inch Nails, Marilyn Manson, Motley Crue, White
Zombie and Velvet Revolver.

Asylum is currently UNSIGNED and looking for label representation. For
more information, visit http://www.myspace.com/officialasylum for
contact details.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
*
-Moonspell: NIGHT ETERNAL Widget Features Album Stream And Much More!

One month before the release of their amazing new studio album NIGHT
ETERNAL, Moonspell and SPV are proud to unleash their widget on the
world. With the entire album stream, a "Making Of The 'Scorpion
Flower'" video (feat. Anneke van Giersbergen) and a blog from
Moonspell singer Fernando Ribeiro, fans get a sneak peek from
Portugal's most famous musical export.

The widget will be constantly updated directly via RSS feed, so embed
it in your MySpace, etc. pages, pass it on to friends, and DEFINITELY
keep checking it!!! There's much more to come, and Fernando will also
be keeping you informed about all Moonspell happenings on his blog!

NIGHT ETERNAL has been warmly embraced by the media and will be
released in Germany on May 16, Europe on May 19th, and U.S.A./Canada
on June 10th and will be available as a normal CD, as well as a truly
special Limited Edition Digi-pak featuring three bonus tracks, a DVD
featuring Moonspell Live at Wacken Open Air 2007 and a fan sticker.

http://www.spv.de/moonspell/widget

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
*
-Ihsahn Discusses ANGL

Two years after the release of THE ADVERSARY, his first solo album,
former Emperor maestro Ihsahn is back with a new one, ANGL. Darker,
heavier and more intense than its predecessor, the album sees Ihsahn
embrace the furious metallic sound that defined his earlier recorded
works, while still indulging in some fascinating musical experiments
and paying his respects to the traditional melodies and riffs of old
school metal along the way. We spoke with Norwegian metal's premier
genius-in-residence shortly before he unveiled the new material. He
took us through the album track-by-track and shared a few thoughts and
insights about the songs and what they mean to him on a musical and
personal level.

"Misanthrope"

"It has a similar feel to the opening from THE ADVERSARY, but
lyrically it's clear cut and hard hitting from the start. I
deliberately wanted a similar start, although that wasn't exactly
planned, but lyrically too, I wanted a good opener that sets the
standard for the album. I felt it okay to be a rather harsh and
probably more typical black metal theme on the opening track. It
doesn't really cover all the other elements or give any hints to the
more experimental parts of the album. The whole album builds in a
different way from THE ADVERSARY, but for me it was a natural thing."

There seems to be a lot more guitars on this album. It's a lot heavier
than THE ADVERSARY. Was that something you set out to do?

"I really wanted THE ADVERSARY to be quite thin-sounding and I didn't
overdub any guitars, and things like that. This time, the way the
material developed, even before I started writing I realised that when
you're solo, you have to have some parameters, so I wrote some
guidelines. I have this book where I write musical ideas, lyrical
ideas and sketch out the idea of what kind of album I want to create,
with some key words and all that, and a modern and heavier sound was
one of the main things. Last time I wanted to have a go at being very
pure in how I picked the sounds, with just one guitar in each speaker.
We recorded it in a very old school studio. This time, I wanted to
have a go at a more modern, overdubbed, massive sounding album. That's
the privilege of being a solo artist. You can really indulge your
curiosity for doing different things."

Have you ever been tempted to enlist a producer to help you in the
studio?

"We never really had a producer. The ego overcame that idea! Probably
at some point it would be interesting to have a producer, but then
again, the reason why I continued to do all this myself is that I want
to learn from it. It's good to use your own stuff as the guinea pig,
rather than to destroy someone else's work."

"Scarab"

"I started to have these rules with THE ADVERSARY, trying to be more
focused and use more traditional song structures. I wanted this album
to be more focused and not as all over the place as THE ADVERSARY was
at times. I wanted the songs to have a particular feel too, but also
to stand out alone. With 'Misanthrope,' it's kind of straight forward.
'Scarab' is much groovier. The scale it's built around, it has this
Egyptian feel, in the tonality of it, and also this theme, the
symbolic idea of the scarab, it's almost a 'Powerslave' tonality to
it. So I tried to be specific and more focused on the feel, and not
necessarily bring in all different emotions and arrangements into all
the songs."

What are the lyrics about on this one?

"It reflects around the symbolism of the scarab and the reinvention of
itself. The scarab is a symbol of reincarnation. It dies and a new
scarab is born from the shell of the old one, so that's how the lyrics
go. From my experience, you build a new version of yourself, then you
fall on your face when confronted with yourself and you have to start
over. I've been very much inspired by Nietzsche and the re-evaluation
of all things. You can't stop that process, it's always ongoing. You
have to re-evaluate constantly, unless you want to stagnate and become
one of the static people. That's the theme of the song."

"Unhealer"

This song features vocals from Opeth's Mikael Akerfeldt. Was it
written with his voice in mind or did you originally intend to sing it
yourself?

"I originally intended to sing it myself. I wrote all the songs first
and then I tried to work out which one would be most suitable for
bringing in Mikael, when I first got clearance for doing that. It was
written first and then chosen later. It worked pretty well, I think,
with the things he did with it. It was kind of easy to pick that song
for him."

It's quite progressive, but in a different way from the songs on THE
ADVERSARY.

"Yes, I think that's a general thing for this album. I don't think
it's more progressive in any way than THE ADVERSARY. The progressive
part of THE ADVERSARY is more clear cut, with odd speeds and time
signatures, whereas on this album there is some progressive riffing
and arrangements, but the progressive tonality and melodies are much
more apparent on THE ADVERSARY. On 'Emancipation,' for instance, the
main riff is a certain way and then you have a contrast with the long
guitar lines in the middle. It's kind of progressively built, but the
way it sounds is different from an ADVERSARY-style thing. That's the
main objective. Even though the arrangement may be tricky, that
complexity shouldn't take the leading role."

Has it been liberating to write as a solo artist, and to be able to
write slower songs with less blastbeats and more space between the
instruments?

"I think so. The overall impression or the way of doing it is very
extreme, but I've always been into having beautiful elements in there,
and that's where the more epic, symphonic parts of Emperor came from,
I think. It's all extreme, but the underlying melodies and the feel of
it aren't that extreme, and I think with this material I can put a bit
more emphasis on that element without everything going at 150 beats
per minute the whole time."

"Emancipation"

"I'm developing as a songwriter. Me and Heidi have discussed this. On
her album (THE THREAD, Starofash), she wrote all the songs on the
piano and they worked in that context, and so then she started to
arrange it. I think I tried to take a similar approach, just using
guitars and drums and getting the riffs down, so the songs themselves
were just basic ideas which you colour later. You need to have a very
clear motive for each song. It's a much more interesting way of
working, rather than coming up with all these different pieces and
trying to fit them together and make something that makes sense, which
was very much the case in the early days. You can hear that in very
young bands. They'll reach a certain technical level and start to have
ten-minute songs with 30 or 40 different riffs in there, with no
apparent link between them. Eventually, you learn to appreciate form."

Obviously this song is about freedom, but freedom from what?

"It's about emancipation from everything else around you trying to
lead you to decisions. It's building on the same themes that I've
always had. The re-evaluation of all things, but also setting your own
standards for own things. When you've reached a point where you can
find certainty in a certain belief and you can make your own moral
decisions and moral values without having them dictated by society or
religious history and all that, then you can become more immune to all
these other factors. These themes are on THE ADVERSARY as well. You
have to try to build a wall, so as not to get too distracted and try
to have some trust in seeing things through your own eyes. It's also
about being liberated from caring too much about what people think,
and their impression of you. Particularly since going solo, I've
stopped caring. I used to worry about interviews and whether I'd said
the wrong thing. But having done as many interviews as I've done, and
having said all the stupid things I've said, it hasn't really mattered
one way or the other. These days I probably do better interviews
because I don't have a second self judging me at the side. I just try
to make good conversation and enjoy it, rather than telling myself to
do the right thing."

"Malediction"

"It's a very aggressive song. It's probably the most black metal-
sounding of the songs. Both the title, the music and the lyrics
express that. I haven't really been trying to do something that sounds
evil, but somewhere inside that kind of teenage rage still lives on
and once in a while you need an outlet for that. 'Malediction' is
probably an example of that."

Do you still feel obliged to satisfy the rules and conventions of the
black metal scene to any degree?

"Not really. If I had any concerns or felt competitive within that
scene, it would be the strange feeling of being one's own little
brother, because since the split Emperor has become even bigger than
we ever were, so I know that everything I do, whether it's in a
similar style or a different style, will always be compared with
Emperor. That's my main competition. I have to show that I'm about
something real even though I do not play in Emperor. In the end, I've
come to the point where I just do my best and do it honestly and
people will have to either like it or not. As an artist, you always
try to better yourself and I know I'm a much better musician and song
writer than before, but still people rave about things I did when I
was a teenager. The majority of fans of music that I've done are still
mostly attached to things I did years ago. They think I'm way past my
peak, I'm just a shadow of myself, fiddling around in my old age with
some riffs, you know? Most people stop evolving as listeners, I
guess."

Would you ever contemplate doing another Emperor album?

"If we did a new Emperor album, we'd get sh*t for it whatever it
sounded like. We could do something that sounded like ANTHEMS [TO THE
WELKIN AT DUSK] and we'd get sh*t for it. We could do something new
and more appropriate, and we'd get sh*t for not sounding like ANTHEMS.
If we did an album because people wanted one, it would be a paradox.
Would people really want an album that we didn't want to make? No one
would ever be satisfied, I think."

"Alchemist"

"It's building a song on the Goethe Faust story. You've experienced
the same thing so much, and you want to experience something else,
something more. You want to experience something other than the little
cave you've built around yourself. It's an interesting perspective.
You'd rather take the risk, like Faust. He does the deal with
Mephistopheles, rather than keeping with the same old thing. As with
Icarus and Prometheus and the others, it doesn't really go that well
for him but at least he has a go at it! It's about dealing with that
type of thing. The riffing and all that is more experimental in a way.
I've used a different tuning, so I feel it has some kind of
alchemist's feel to the music as well."

"Elevator"

"This one didn't start with a riff or a lyric. It just started with a
title. I had this idea that I wanted to write a song called 'Elevator'
and I wanted to have the feel of the elevators in 'Angel Heart,' going
downwards, because that image and that movement has made such a strong
impression on me. I wanted the song to be like that, hence I wrote the
riffs that descend, all the movement is downwards. For me, it's a new
perspective. I have a particular goal and then I try to fit the music
to that. I've tried to do that with all the songs, have a clear cut
idea of what the song should be before I write all the parts. I've
been able to stay focused, and that's been a general rule of the
album, having a very strong focus. We have our own studio and huge
sound libraries and many guitar effects and sounds, and you can get
really lost in all that, because you can do practically anything, so
you need to have a real musical focus and try to use those tools to
achieve that, rather than letting the tools lead you away."

"Threnody"

"I've always layered my stuff so much, so I wanted to challenge myself
and just use the guitar and vocals and not necessarily use ten extra
voices. I'm challenging myself and trying to make things work without
all the extra bits around them. It's a very simple, pure idea, having
a go at that type of ballad. It's a very different thing from 'Astera
Ton Proinon.' It's much more stripped down. It was kind of scary to
do, but very liberating once you get past the ego thing of 'Do I look
stupid naked?,' you know? I'm very pleased with the way it came out."

"Monolith"

"It ends in a similar way to how the album starts. It's lyrically very
harsh, with the symbol of standing alone and relating to the whole
desultory, solo experience, and the fact that you end up doing this
alone. It's really a statement of 'Like it or not, this is what it
is.' It's a bit of an arrogant attitude, I guess, but it should be
expected! You can't be too polite or too humble."

Where do you think the new album will lead you?

"I have absolutely no idea. I feel so subjective right now. I feel
very comfortable with the album and it even sums up more of the things
I've done in the past. It's more confident. I'm coming to terms with
my musical work as a whole and being content that this is what I do. I
can still do other things in the future and try to reach new musical
ground and challenge myself, but I feel confident with what I do. I'm
not trying to escape it. With Emperor, it does become limiting when
people try to pinpoint what you do, especially when you want to do
something different, but I've come to terms with that, so if something
I do sounds like Emperor, then why shouldn't it?"

ANGL hits stores nationwide May 27.

http://www.ihsahn.com/
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
*
-Boris -- North American Tour With Torche Announced; Album Out Now

Just as the critically-acclaimed new release from Japan's Boris hits
shelves (officially out 4/29), the band announces its latest North
American tour beginning in June with Torche. (Wolves In The Throne
Room were initially booked for the tour but have since withdrawn from
the venture.) Boris are currently on tour in Europe.

With major features in North American mags such as Alarm, Metal
Maniacs, Decibel, Exclaim, Metal Edge, Pitchfork, Outburn, Crustcake,
PaperThinWalls, Thrasher, Unrestrained and more hitting, not to
mention the countless amazing online reviews from all styles and
genres of webzines, the massively-viewed "Statement" video and wide
array of other glowing coverage, this is easily the most well-received
Boris release to date, and shows the ever-morphing musical diversity
of the band spreading thousands of listeners more than their doom
metal beginnings.

Boris w/ Torche
06/24/2008 Casbah - San Diego, CA
06/25/2008 The Clubhouse - Tempe, AZ
06/27/2008 Rubber Gloves - Denton, TX
06/28/2008 The Mohawk - Austin, TX
06/29/2008 White Rabbit - San Antonio, TX
07/01/2008 Spanish Moon - Baton Rouge, LA
07/02/2008 Common Grounds - Gainesville, FL
07/03/2008 The Social - Orlando, FL
07/05/2008 The Earl - Atlanta, GA
07/06/2008 Cat's Cradle - Carrboro, NC
07/08/2008 Black Cat - Washington, DC
07/09/2008 First Unitarian Church - Philadelphia, PA
07/10/2008 Webster Hall - New York, NY
07/11/2008 The Middle East - Cambridge, MA
07/12/2008 La Sala Rosa - Montreal, QC
07/13/2008 Barrymore - Ottawa, ON
07/14/2008 Lee's Palace - Toronto, ON
07/15/2008 Tralf - Buffalo, NY
07/16/2008 Grog Shop - Cleveland, OH
07/17/2008 Diesel - Pittsburgh, PA
07/18/2008 St. Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
07/19/2008 Turner Hall - Milwaukee, WI
07/20/2008 Pitchfork Music Festival / Union Park - Chicago, IL
07/22/2008 The Waiting Room - Omaha, NE
07/23/2008 Granada Theatre - Lawrence, KS
07/25/2008 Marquis Theater - Denver, CO
07/26/2008 Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
07/29/2008 Neumo's - Seattle, WA

http://www.inoxia-rec.com/boris
http://www.myspace.com/borisdronevil
http://www.southernlord.com/
http://www.myspace.com/southernlordrecordings
http://www.flowerbooking.com/
http://www.myspace.com/flowerbooking

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-AC/DC announced on http://www.acdc.com/ that the band is currently
recording in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien and longtime
audio engineer Mike Fraser. This will be the band's first new studio
album since 2000's STIFF UPPER LIP.

-D.A.D (or is it D-A-D?) is working on the follow-up to 2005's SCARE
YOURSELF in New York. See http://www.dad.dk/ for more.

-The Dead End Kidz will join Leatherwolf on "The Classic Metal Show"
on May 17. Check out http://www.theclassicmetalshow.com/ at 10 p.m.
Eastern for interviews with both bands as well as listening parties
for their latest releases, UNFINISHED BUSINESS and NEW WORLD ASYLUM,
respectively. See http://www.myspace.com/dekmusic for more on The Dead
End Kidz.

-Dream Theater has recorded a cover of Iron Maiden's "To Tame A Land"
for an upcoming tribute album that will be released in association
with Kerrang! Magazine. Check out http://www.dreamtheater.net/ for
more.

-Upcoming shows from The Feds:

5/3 - Exit 6C, Tulsa, OK
5/17 - Cavern Club, Dallas, TX

-There's a brand new Journey track called "Never Walk Away" available
at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uRVdF7EinBI . Lyrics are included.

-Judas Priest's Rob Halford, Glenn Tipton, and K.K. Downing will make
an in-store appearance at Vintage Vinyl in Fords, NJ, at 6 p.m.
Eastern on May 9. To gain entry fans must get a wrist band by pre-
ordering the band's new album NOSTRADAMUS, either at the store or at
http://www.vvinyl.com/ . Only 500 spots are available.

-Track list for Motley Crue's SAINTS OF LOS ANGELES: "Mother F*cker Of
The Year," "Down At The Whiskey," "Saints Of Los Angeles," "Face Down
In The Dirt," "What's It Gonna Take," "Chicks = Trouble," "White Trash
Circus," "The Animal In Me," "Welcome To The Machine," "This Ain't A
Love Song," "Just Another Psycho."

-Sinner will releaes CRASH & BURN through AFM Records on September 19.
The disc was recorded at the House Of Music Studios, with Sinner and
guitarist/vocalist Henny Wolter serving as producer and Dennis Ward
(Pink Cream 69) engineering. It will be mixed by Achim Kohler at his
Indiscreet Audio studio. Check out http://www.matsinner.de/ for all
the details.

-Upcoming live dates for The Strawbs:

6/10 - B.B. King's Blues Club, New York, NY
6/11 - Sellersville Theater 1894, Sellersville, PA
6/12 - Rams Head On Stage, Annapolis, MD
6/13 - Kent Stage, Kent, OH
6/14 - The Thirsty Ear, Columbus, OH
6/15 - The Ark, Ann Arbor, MI
6/17 - Abbey Pub, Chicago, IL
6/18 - Shank Hall, Milwaukee, WI
6/20 - Red House, Syracuse, NY
6/21 - Towne Crier Cafe, Pawling, NY

-Michele Luppi has left Vision Divine, and rumor has it original
singer Fabio Lione will return. The name of the new vocalist will be
announced soon. The band's next album is "almost ready," and one new
song title is "9 Degrees West Of The Moon." See
http://www.visiondivine.com/ for more. Meanwhile, Luppi has begun work
on his second solo album with Fabrizio Grossi; it's touted as a
"melodic rock" release due out early next year.

-Updated roster for this year's Wacken Open Air: 3 Inches Of Blood,
Airbourne, Alestorm, As I Lay Dying, At The Gates, Autumn, Avenged
Sevenfold, Avantasia, Axel Rudi Pell, Axxis, Before The Dawn, Carcass,
Children Of Bodom, Corvus Corax, Crematory, Cynic, Destructor, Dream
Of An Opium Eater, Enemy Of The Sun, Ensiferum, Evocation,
Excrementory Grindf*ckers, Exodus, Girugämesh, Gorerotted, Gorgoroth,
Grave, Hatebreed, Headhunter, Holy Moses, Iron Maiden, Job For A
Cowboy, Kamelot, Killswitch Engage, Kreator, Krypteria, Lauren Harris,
Leaves' Eyes, Lord Belial, Lordi, Machine Men, Massacre, Mercenary,
Metakilla, Mortal Sin, Nashville Pussy, Negura Bunget, Nifelheim,
Nightwish, Obituary, Opeth, Powerwolf, Primordial, PsychoPunch,
Sabaton, Saltatio Mortis, Soilwork, Sonata Arctica, Stam1na, Sturm Und
Drang, The Bones, The Haunted, Torture Squad, Van Canto, Unerath,
Warbringer, and Watain. See http://www.wacken.com/ for more.

-Wolfgang's Vault, touted as "the world's largest collection of
concert recordings for streaming and download," is streaming 14 "new"
concerts that were recently uncovered, including Motorhead in 1983,
Slade in 1976, Sammy Hagar in 1977, and the Jimi Hendrix Experience in
1968. See http://www.ConcertVault.com/ for more.

Thanks to HeadbangerNYC.com, Matthew Rudzinski, Anne Leighton, and
Bill "Coin Slot" Kotowski for help gathering some of this information.

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
THE FLOWER KINGS - THE SUM OF NO EVIL (B+) Inside Out Music, 2007
6 tracks, RT: 75:01
[ http://www.flowerkings.se/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/cosmiclodge ]
[ http://www.insideoutmusic.com/ ]
THE SUM OF NO EVIL is the latest offering from progressive rock
ambassadors The Flower Kings and for the most part it's another
strong, engaging piece of carefully constructed artistry which I think
will be well-received by followers of the band. THE SUM OF NO EVIL
begins with the regal, memorable theme of "One More Time," the melody
elevated by the sensitive vocals of Hässe Froberg. The usual vintage
influences are quite evident here, with Yes and Kansas flavors
noticeable but not overwhelming. Interestingly enough, the standout
title track weaves in a bit of Uriah Heep and Blue Oyster Cult and to
my ears is one of The Flower King's most realized songs to date,
filled to the brim with creativity and outstanding playing. The oddly
titled "Flight 999 Brimstone Air" is a lively instrumental best
experienced with headphones, while album closer "Life In Motion" ends
things off on a pleasant and uplifting note. The musicianship is
unassailable, with fine performances by bassist Jonas Reingold,
keyboardist Tomas Bodin, drummer Zoltan Csörsz, the aforementioned
Hässe Froberg and of course, guitarist Roine Stolt. Major criticism?
Again the length of some of the songs, especially "Love Is The Only
Answer," which could have been pared down to make room for two or even
three more compositions of a more reasonable duration. Otherwise some
incredibly good prog here to discover, likely to be especially
appealing to those nostalgic for the genre's '70s zenith, still
unsurpassed...
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

SIN DEALER - DYING TO LIVE (C-) indie, 2007
10 tracks, RT: 44:37
[ http://www.myspace.com/SinDealer ]
One word review: Yaaaaawwwwwwn! In preparation for this review I spun
DYING TO LIVE four times in the same day, and at the end of that
marathon it made no impression on me whatsoever, unless you count the
fervent desire I now have to strangle these Canadians for making me
sit through their pitiless butchering of the AC/DC classic "Walk All
Over You" that appears on this CD. As for the rest of the album, it's
basic, plodding, sludgy stoner rock with gruff vocals which got old
really quick. The band's bio claims that Sin Dealer "pumps out a
classic vibe from AC/DC to Elvis, from Kiss to Johnny Cash, from James
Brown to Motorhead," but to be honest I hear absolutely none of the
above in any of these rather dull songs (well, except for the
aforementioned AC/DC cover song, which was pure torture.). This one
couldn't leave my player fast enough. Zzzzzzzzzzzz...
- Keith Abt (KeithAbt@...)

*
*** OUT ***
*