Detritus
Issue #491
Week of March 9, 2009
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*** CAST OF CHARACTERS ***
*
Patrick Brower, Editor
patrickbrower@...

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

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@...

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

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*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
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-The "Reviews" section is beefed up this week with a guest spot from
longtime reader Eric Gaumann (thanks, Eric!) and the debut of our
newest contributor, Stephanie Davison. Welcome aboard! - Tim

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*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
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-Heaven & Hell Introduces THE DEVIL YOU KNOW

Highly Anticipated New Album from Dio, Iommi, Butler, and Appice,
Their First in 17 Years, Features Epic First Single "Bible Black"

Available from Rhino April 28

LOS ANGELES -- After finishing several heralded world tours as Heaven
& Hell last summer, Ronnie James Dio, Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler, and
Vinny Appice were tighter than ever before, both musically and
personally. Agreeing that it would be a shame to stop making music
together at tour's end, the quartet began writing, first in England at
Iommi's home studio and later in Los Angeles at Dio's studio. "The
band had gotten too good to just walk away," Dio says. "We wanted to
show people that we were still capable of giving them new music that
measured up to what we'd done in the past."

With that goal in mind, the band once again converged on Rockfield
Studios in Wales last winter, the same place they used 17 years
earlier to record their last album, DEHUMANIZER. The result is the
long awaited new album THE DEVIL YOU KNOW, featuring 10 soon-to-be-
classic tracks from the Dio-fronted version of Black Sabbath. The
highly anticipated set arrives on April 28 from Rhino for a suggested
list price of $18.98 (physical) and $9.99 (digital).

It took less than three weeks to finish the album, with most of the
songs only needing a couple of takes. "It was good to play them live
in the studio. It keeps you on edge," Iommi says. "I mean, somewhere
along the line we were gonna have to play them live; might as well
start in the studio." Butler adds: "We've learned from the past that
you can kill a song doing it over and over. The first Sabbath albums
were done in two or three days. Technically they weren't great, but
vibe-wise they were great. If you capture that feeling, that's all you
need."

"Bible Black," the epic first single, begins with Iommi on acoustic
guitar behind Dio's plaintive wail before the rhythm shifts to a
menacing stomp for the rest of this dark tale about a book of sinister
scriptures. One of the first songs written for the album, Dio says it
established a tone for the rest of the album. "When you start off with
a blockbuster like that, it makes the rest of the album so much easier
because it gives you a benchmark to measure the other songs against."

Iommi proves he hasn't lost the ability to inspire six-string envy,
unleashing riffs like a pack of rabid hellhounds on "Atom And Evil,"
"Fear," "Neverwhere," and "Eating The Cannibals," a tune about doing
more than biting the hand that feeds. Butler and Appice slow the pace
while ramping up the intensity on "Follow The Tears" and "Double The
Pain" and "Breaking Into Heaven," the latter diverging from its
glacial procession for Dio's majestic chorus about fallen angels
planning an attack on paradise.

THE DEVIL YOU KNOW
Track Listing

1. "Atom And Evil"
2. "Fear"
3. "Bible Black"
4. "Double The Pain"
5. "Rock And Roll Angel"
6. "The Turn Of The Screw"
7. "Eating The Cannibals"
8. "Follow The Tears"
9. "Neverwhere"
10. "Breaking Into Heaven"

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*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
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-Blind Guardian: Eight New Songs Completed

Vocalist Hansi Kürsch announces:

"We have already accomplished eight new songs. What can I say about
these songs? They rule, of course. You want a more precise
description? Impossible. All I can say is that each and every song is
100% Blind Guardian, which naturally means there is a wild bunch of
different things going on from time to time (always?).

"According to atmospheres: we have everything from the more
NIGHTFALLish 'Curse My Name,' to the SCRIPTish 'Wheel Of Time.' In
comparison to A TWIST IN THE MYTH the lyrical direction will be more
on the fantasy side as you most probably can figure out by these
titles. The song 'Sacred' will give you an idea about the quality and
the direction of the songs.

"We have mixed modern elements with traditional ones throughout the
whole songs. We may need two or three more tracks before we can call
it a complete album, but being that far in the songwriting process we
nevertheless have made first plans for a production start in September
or October 2009.

"Apart from songwriting we will be heavily engaged in preproduction
activities and in playing festivals during the next months. As a
majority of the new songs seem to demand a sort of 'live' atmosphere,
we consider it to be good idea breathing in some real 'live' air
before we will finally get lost in the 'Twilight Hall studios' again.

"In accordance to these events I can promise you some surprising songs
(though most probably no new ones) and a nice stage set up. In total
we are not going to play more than ten shows, I would think. I am sure
they all will turn out to be a great blast and a unique experience for
everyone joining us."

http://www.blind-guardian.com/
http://www.myspace.com/blindguardian
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Blind-Guardian/21570237112

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*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
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-Edguy Return To North America In September

Touring in support of their Billboard Heatseekers charting new album
TINNITUS SANCTUS -- which was released in North America on January
27th -- Germany's beloved Edguy are headed back to the U.S. and Canada
this September to play 18 shows armed with their trademarked
unbreakable spirit, unbeatable tongue-in-cheek attitude, and
truckloads of talent to back everything up.

Direct support will come from Minnesota's Epicurean. Wisconsin's Luna
Mortis will be openers.

http://www.edguy.net/
http://www.myspace.com/edguy
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Edguy/7890846826

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*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
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-Black Majesty Announced To Play Upcoming Rock Out Festival

Australian melodic power metallers Black Majesty have been announced
as part of the upcoming Rock Out Australian Festival bill which is set
to feature Twisted Sister, Girlschool, Diamond Head, Scarlet Sins,
Fixer, Crossbreed, Rose Tattoo, Mortal Sin, Eyefear, Crimsonfire, Five
Star Prison Cell, Double Dragon, Earth, The Amenta, Sakkuth, The
Radiators, The Vandolls, State Of Integrity plus more acts to be
announced.

Black Majesty will appear at all three Australian Rock Out festival
dates:

Brisbane: 10th - 12th April 2009 - Queensland Raceway, Ipswich,
Queensland, Australia

Sydney: 17th - 19th April 2009 - Eastern Creek Raceway, N.S.W.
Australia

Melbourne: 24th - 26th April 2009 - Calder Park Raceway, Victoria,
Australia

Black Majesty launched their latest album TOMORROWLAND at festivals
such as Wacken Open Air Germany, Masters of Rock, Czech Republic and
Metal Universe in Slovakia.

http://www.blackmajesty.com/
http://www.myspace.com/blackmajesty
http://www.facebook.com/pages/Black-Majesty/48948947368

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*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
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-Sweet Live Album On Tap

Sweet, featuring Steve Priest on bass and vocals, Stuart Smith on
guitar and vocals, Joe Retta on vocals and acoustic guitar, Stevie
Stewart on keyboards and vocals, and Richie Onori on drums have just
finished mixing a live album entitled, SWEET, LIVE IN AMERICA which
was recorded on the road last year. Although they are talking to quite
a few record labels for general release it is currently available from
the band's main Web site at http://www.thesweetband.com/ .

The track listing is as follows:

ACTION
FOX ON THE RUN
HELL RAISER
BLOCKBUSTER
LOVE IS LIKE OXYGEN
WINDY CITY
WIG WAM BAM
THE SIX TEENS
SWEET DREAM
SWEET F.A.
TURN IT DOWN
TEENAGE RAMPAGE
LITTLE WILLY
SET ME FREE
AC/DC
BALLROOM BLITZ

Sweet have resumed their "Are You Ready Steve?" tour for 2009 after
just returning from playing two sold out shows in Canada. They will
playing The Canyon Club in Agoura, California on Friday, March 13th
before heading out over the rest of the States and Canada. Please
check the Web pages for more gigs to be announced soon.

http://www.thesweetband.com/
http://www.myspace.com/thesweetband

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*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
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-Lion's Share: Track-By-Track Video Teasers

To help introduce the new Lion's Share album DARK HOURS, Blistering
Records and Lion's Share have prepared a little multi-course menu of
sonic appetizers to help satisfy your metal cravings. During the
recording of the album the band filmed several video vignettes wherein
they take a particular song from the DARK HOURS sessions and give us a
little insight into the track's creation and the overall experience of
how it ultimately became part of the album.

The tracks will be presented one at a time on the Blistering Records
Web site http://www.blisteringrecords.se/ as well as on Lion's Share's
newly created YouTube page http://www.youtube.com/darkhours2009 .

The first clip, which is for the first single and video song "Judas
Must Die," will be available on March 7th, (more to follow so check
back often). It's a great chance to gain a slightly more intimate
perspective on the individual moments that went into making this
stellar new album.

DARK HOURS was recently voted album of the month ("Leader Of The
Pack"), in Sweden Rock Magazine and will be released worldwide in late
March.

A free download single is available at
http://www.blisteringrecords.se/downloads .

Upcoming Shows:

28/3 - Release party/Anchor, Stockholm
2/4 - Brandgaraget, Hudiksvall
4/4 - Zaragon, Jonkoping
2/5 - RockNight, Ljusdal
9/5 - Våningen, Sundsvall
29/5 - Metal Mayhem Festival/Arenan, Falun

BAND LINKS
http://www.lionsshare.org/
http://www.myspace.com/lionsshare

BLISTERING RECORDS
http://www.blisteringrecords.se/
http://shop.blisteringrecords.se
http://www.myspace.com/blisteringrecords

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*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
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-Revolver Golden Gods Awards Show In Los Angeles On April 7th!

Nuclear Blast Records (among many others) will be teaming up with
Revolver Magazine to present the premiere hard rock and heavy metal
awards show, the first annual Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods Awards,
which will storm through Los Angeles' Club Nokia on Tuesday, April 7.

Nuclear Blast Records will be presenting the metal album of the year
award. Find out to who by attending the Golden Gods Awards!

The event will feature Ozzy Osbourne, Killswitch Engage, Tool vocalist
Maynard James Keenan and more, and will be aired on MTV2 as a one-hour
special on Saturday, May 2.

"We're working really hard to make this an event worthy of the music
it celebrates," Revolver editor in chief Tom Beaujour tells
HeadbangersBlog.com. "Metal deserves this and deserves to have it done
f---ing right."

Heavy metal comedian Brian Posehn ("The Sarah Silverman Program") will
host the Golden Gods Awards, and performers will include Killswitch
Engage, Hatebreed, All That Remains, Suicide Silence and a special
guest that we'll announce soon.

A lifetime achievement award will be presented to metal legend Ozzy
Osbourne, and special appearances will be made by Motorhead front man
Lemmy Kilmister, Glenn Danzig, Keenan, Testament vocalist Chuck Billy
and guitarist Eric Peterson, Protest The Hero, Bleeding Through
keyboardist Marta Peterson, Isis, Dethklok creator Brendon Small, and
WWE wrestler CM Punk.

On April 25, MTV2 will air a one-hour Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods
Awards nominee special. And the week of the big show, MTV2 will air a
special one-hour daily episode of "Headbanger's Ball" hosted by Jose
Mangin of Sirius Radio.

A limited number of tickets will be available to the public for the
April 7 Epiphone Revolver Golden Gods Awards, beginning Friday,
February 20 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time at all Ticketmaster locations, the
Club Nokia box office and online.

General admission tickets are $35.00 and VIP tickets are $75.00.

Revolver Golden Gods Awards Info
http://www.revolvermag.com/content/goldengodsnews

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*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
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-Epica Begins Recording New Album

Dutch female-fronted symphonic metal act Epica entered Gate Studio in
Wolfsburg, Germany on Monday, March 2 with producer Sascha Paeth to
begin recording the follow-up to 2007's THE DIVINE CONSPIRACY,
tentatively due before the end of the year via Nuclear Blast Records.

According to the band, drummer Ariën van Weesenbeek "is doing great so
far. The beast already nailed five songs; he's been drumming for about
12 hours [on Tuesday]!"

Vocalist Simone Simons previously stated about Epica's new material,
"It is so exciting! I love the new songs and can't wait to play them
live."

THE DIVINE CONSPIRACY was Epica's first full-length concept album.
According to the band, "This concept deals with the theory that, as a
test, God created all kinds of different religions and released those
upon humanity to see if they would be able to find the true nature of
them, realizing that in all religions it is actually the same. But
there's more to it; it also concludes the 'Embrace That Smothers'
concept that could already be found on [2003's] THE PHANTOM AGONY."

http://www.epica.nl/
http://www.myspace.com/epica

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*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
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-Roadgrill Metal Festival Reveals Lineup!

The 3rd edition of the Roadgrill Metal Festival is a fact! The Dutch
heavy metal band Roadkill organised in 2007 for the first time their
own festival and this unique event will also happen in 2009. The
location in the "Spaanse Polder" in Rotterdam (Holland) stays the
same, and also the fact that seven top bands will perform and that the
Roadgrill BBQ's are already warming up for the big day:

Saturday JULY 18, 2009!!

Tickets € 15,00 (incl. "all-you-can-eat" BBQ!)

This year, we have a fantastic lineup, for the first time a mix of
international -- and national -- acts, and the true metal fan will
look forward to this! Of course, Roadkill will be on the bill as well.
We have to mention that also this year, we will have our famous half
liters beer cans again for only € 1,25!

The lineup for 2009:

ROSS THE BOSS (USA / GER)
FREEDOM CALL (GER)
ROADKILL (NL)
IVORY NIGHT (GER)
CELL 29 (NL)
DAWN OF DESTINY (GER)
CONORACH (NL)

The Roadgrill "The Original Heavy Metal BBQ" 2009, in short:

- seven top bands for only € 15,00
- BBQ ("all-you-can-eat") included in the ticket
- Beer / other drinks for only € 1,25
- Lots of parking places on the festival ground

Just like the first two editions, this promises to become a super day
for everybody. The gates will open at 14.00 and we will continue till
23:00! There will be nice activities for children, so you are welcome
to come with your whole family.

Tickets are available through the new Web site
http://www.roadgrill.nl/ . (Tickets are only for sale in pre-sale,
because we have to know how much meat we need to have for the BBQ!)

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*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
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-Sacred Oath Prepare For May 12th Release Of Their Latest Album,
SACRED OATH, And Film Video For "Counting Zeros"

If you're looking for good old-fashioned heavy metal, then
Connecticut's Sacred Oath is the band for you. The group -- which is
comprised of Rob Thorne (vocals, guitar), Bill Smith (guitar), Scott
Waite (bass), and Kenny Evans (drums) -- are preparing to release
their latest offering, SACRED OATH.

Release dates for both the standard and deluxe version of the CD have
been set for May 12th (U.S., Canada). The official version contains 10
songs in a jewel case. The deluxe edition has 14 songs and is packaged
in an elaborate digi-pak with a 16-page lyric and photo booklet. All
four bonus tracks in the deluxe package are additional brand new
songs. Why two editions? "Pricing, really," says Rob Thorne. "Old-
school Oathbangers won't have any qualms paying $14 for the deluxe,
but newcomers to the band might, and we're working on an exclusive
with iTunes to feature the album at a discounted price. You just can't
do that with 14 songs."

SACRED OATH will be available for MP3 download through all the major
online retailers, but the band expects to make an announcement about
an iTunes exclusive in the coming weeks.

"Much of the recording of this album has just been a whirlwind. The
band is in a zone," said Thorne. Sacred Oath's last album ...TILL
DEATH DO US PART spent a few weeks on the iTunes homepage as one of
eight best live metal albums in 2008.

Recently, the group filmed the first video off of SACRED OATH, for the
track "Counting Zeros." "Yeah, it's easy to get into character for a
metal video when you're standing outside in a 14-degree wind chill for
13 hours straight," says Thorne about the recent filming of the video.
"We all had pretty bitter looks on our faces. 'Counting Zeros' is
about the current mess we're in, both economically and with the war,
so I guess you could say the weather was in our favor. We just had to
grin and bear it." He laughs, "This is why bands use drugs!"

When questioned about the band's third album in as many years -- this
after a 20-year hiatus following the band's debut, A CRYSTAL VISION,
in 1987 -- Thorne responded, "What can I tell you? I can't explain the
timing of it all. But it sure is working, and we're having a great
f*cking time!"

Track listing for SACRED OATH Standard version (jewel case)

1. Paradise Lost
2. Blood Storm
3. Voodoo Dolls
4. Counting Zeros
5. High and Mighty
6. Sacred Oath
7. Caught In The Arc
8. Buried Alive
9. What The Dark Will Undo
10. Hunt For The Fallen Angel

Track listing for SACRED OATH Deluxe edition (Digi-pak)

1. Paradise Lost
2. Blood Storm
3. Buried Alive
4. Voodoo Dolls
5. Counting Zeros
6. Caught In The Arc
7. Mistress Of The Setting Sun
8. High and Mighty
9. Wings Of Salvation
10. Order Of The System Lords
11. Sacred Oath
12. What The Dark Will Undo
13. Scourge Of Sin
14. Hunt For The Fallen Angel

FOR MORE INFORMATION, VISIT:

http://www.sacredoath.net/
http://www.myspace.com/sacredoath

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*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
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-Perris Records At SXSW

Perris Records will be featuring the label's artists, and Rocknation
TV and newspaper, at booth #707 at the 2009 SXSW festival in Austin,
Texas this year. Perris Records at the booth will be giving away four
sampler CDs featuring over 50 artists on the label. Perris will also
giving out the latest Rocknation issue 12 newspaper featuring
Metallica, Papa Roach, Hinder, Rev Theory, Yngwie Malmsteen, and
George Lynch. Perris will be accepting CDs from artist at booth, for
possible licensing deals for summer releases on Perris.

South By Southwest (SXSW, Inc.) is a private company based in Austin,
Texas. Since 1987, SXSW has produced the internationally recognized
Music And Media Conference & Festival. The Music And Media Conference
showcases hundreds of musical acts from around the globe on over 80
stages in downtown Austin. By day, conference registrants do business
in the SXSW Trade Show in the Austin Convention Center on March 18th,
19th & 20th from noon to 6:00 p.m.

Perris Records has been in business over 17 years promoting the
label's hard rock bands such as L.A. Guns, Helix, Enuff Z'Nuff,
Warrant, Dirty Looks, and Jetboy, and launching new bands featuring
members of Iron Maiden, Ted Nugent, Ratt, Dangerous Toys and AC/DC. In
2006 Perris president Tom Mathers started Rocknation, since then they
have tripled their sales in the U.S.A. Rocknation is a free music
newspaper which features notable names and up-and-coming artists on
the music scene. Past issues have had interviews with Linkin Park, 3
Doors Down, Disturbed, Hinder, Lamb Of God, Shadows Fall and more.
"Rocknation TV" is a weekly 30-minute metal program featuring
exclusive interviews with Judas Priest, Heaven & Hell, and Buckcherry.
"Rocknation TV" also features videos such as Halford, DevilDriver,
Lamb Of God, Nickelback, and Megadeth. The TV show is online and aired
nationwide on Time/Warner, Comcast, Service Electric, and Charter
Communications. Some of the cities airing the show include Manhattan,
NY, Houston, TX, Anaheim, CA, Chicago, IL, Austin, TX, Denver, CO,
Atlanta, GA, Cleveland, OH, Dallas, TX, and Sacramento, CA.

Rocknation newspaper and TV can be viewed online at
http://www.rocknation.us/ .

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*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
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-Z Records News

[Note: This is a compilation of multiple bulletins. - Tim]

Club Z Rock Opens Tonight -- All The Details You Need Are Here

Club Z Rock finally opens its doors tonight at 9 p.m. We already have
confirmation of numerous people attending from far afield as well as
from Liverpool / Manchester and the feedback has been overwhelming --
thanks for your support guys.

So what can you expect?

The first 50 people through the door tonight will get a free CD, then
once inside the club you'll only hear melodic hard rock and AOR.
Forget about AC/DC, Nirvana, etc. -- we are keeping true to our
promise. This venue is run by fans for fans and there is no outside
interference regarding music policy. DJ's well two of the most
successful on the English rock scene, in fact between them they've
dominated the midlands and Northwest for many years so your guaranteed
a quality night.

The Bar??

Pub prices, draught beers the way you like 'em from clean glasses!!!!
No warm cans here!

The venue???

Clean toilets, in fact a clean venue in general with friendly staff.

The future??

Live acts, not pub bands. We are talking acts that you wish toured in
your area. If we are happy with the attendance we will announce our
first booking tonight. ;O)

Where are we??

King Street West, Wigan less than one minute from the Train
stations!!! For details call 07818 258294 or visit
http://www.myspace.com/zrocknights .

The future has arrived, see you there!

Z Rock 09 May 30th Completed

We are proud to be able to announce the finalized lineup for Z Rock 09
May 30th:

JOHN WAITE [U.K.]
The legend that is the worldwide renowned solo artist and former front
man from Bad English and the Babys.

BIG NOIZE [U.S. / U.K.]
Featuring Joe Lynn Turner [Rainbow, Y. Malmsteen, Deep Purple], Phil
Soussan [Ozzy], Carlos Cavazo [Quiet Riot], and Simon Wright [AC/DC].

VON GROOVE [Canada]
Mike Shotton and his boys return to Blighty after seven long years.

EDEN [U.K.]
Currently in the studio recording their third album, Eden have rocked
the U.K. supporting such acts as House Of Lords, Tyketto and many more
not to be missed.

NEWMAN [U.K.]
Steve Newman returns to a U.K. stage for the first time in years. High
quality AOR at its very best!

H.A.R.D [Hungary]
Hungarian act H.A.R.D are currently shaking up a storm in Europe with
their Beau Hill-produced release -- definitely a band to check out.

LEC ZORN PROJECT [U.S.]
Lec is known to everyone on the 'net, and he will be met with a great
response on his debut European appearance.

CORNERSTONE [Austria]
Austria's hottest act at present with amazing female vocals to add a
twist to the day's schedule.

Tickets are priced at £47.50 and currently only available online at
http://www.zrecords.net/ and http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest . The
reason for this is due to the heavy demand at present. We hope to make
a limited amount available via advertised outlets in two weeks' time
if enough are remaining but we advise anyone intending to attend the
show to buy now to avoid possible disappointment. PayPal payments can
be made via zrockagency@... [remember to include your
address], and those wishing to pay by cheque should e-mail the
aforementioned address for details or call 07818 258294.

Tickets will be mailed out towards the end of this month.

News will be posted about May 29th lineup in a few days' time.

http://www.zrecords.net/
http://www.myspace.com/zrockrecordsuk
http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest

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*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
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-Sweden's Cirkus Launches E-Card, Euro Release Date, Video And U.S.A.
Tour Dates!

"Welcome To The Cirkus ... Let the Madness Begin." If you look to the
Swedish Classic Rock band Cirkus, these words cannot be more true...

To celebrate the European release of their album LET THE MADNESS
BEGIN, Cirkus has launched today an E-Card with all info about the
album. The E-card can be viewed at http://www.cirkusmusic.se/ecard .

With the European release date set on today, the album LET THE MADNESS
BEGIN is now available worldwide. Earlier the band launched the CD in
the U.S.A. through Nightmare Records / Koch Distribution and received
great responses from media and fans. From today on, the whole world
can enjoy this release. Outside the U.S.A., hard copies are only
exclusively available through the band's shop at their Web site
http://www.cirkusmusic.com/ . Digital downloads are available
worldwide.

After releasing three successful EPs for three years straight, Cirkus
finished their full-on frontal assault debut album titled LET THE
MADNESS BEGIN together with musical genius Chris Tsangarides, a
Grammy-nominated producer and mixing engineer for bands such as Judas
Priest, Thin Lizzy, Black Sabbath, Bruce Dickinson, and Yngwie
Malmsteen. It's called a shock to the system and senses so what better
way to describe a Cirkus attack than LET THE MADNESS BEGIN. The songs,
the sound, and the quality of the album speak for themselves.

In addition to the worldwide release, Cirkus has also launched a video
of one of the songs featured on LET THE MADNESS BEGIN. The video of
the song "Trashy" can be viewed at the E-Card, the band's Web site and
MySpace, and on YouTube.

And if everything is not enough, Cirkus reveals also today their
U.S.A. Tour Dates. The "Tour Of Madness" will kick of at March 18,
2009.

These are the confirmed dates of the Cirkus "Tour Of Madness" so far:

March 18 - CA - San Diego - Second Wind Santee
March 19 - CA - San Diego - Second Wind Navajo
March 26 - TX - Austin - Kick Butt Café
March 27 - TX - Austin - Head Hunters Club
March 28 - TX - San Antonio - Salute International Bar
April 1 - TX - Dallas - Opening Bell Coffee
April 2 - TX - Harlingen - Copz Lounge
April 4 - TX - El Paso - Zeppelin Underground
April 10 - NM - Albuquerque - Burt's Tiki Lounge
April 11 - AZ - Cottonwood - Kactus Kates
April 18 - CA - San Diego - Molly Malone's
Apil 19 - CA - San Franscico - Black Cat
April 21 - CA - San Diego - Second Wind Santee
April 22 - CA - San Diego - Second Wind Navajo
April 23 - CA - Huntington - Beach Blue Café

More dates will be added soon, keep an eye on the Web site and MySpace
for this!

To read all detailed info + samples of all songs, please visit the
following Web sites:

LET THE MADNESS BEGIN E-card
http://www.cirkusmusic.se/ecard

http://www.cirkusmuisc.com/
http://www.myspace.com/cirkusmusic

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*** PRESS RELEASE #14 ***
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-Marky Ramone Besieged By Uncontrollable Fans In Mexico

HOLLYWOOD, CA -- Things got way out of control after last Saturday
night's show in Mexico. The van shuttling the band back to the hotel
was besieged by fans. While attempting to protect the band, a member
of the touring party was injured. The security at the venue did their
best, but was overwhelmed by the numbers of people and intensity of
the situation. They never had to deal with anything like this before.

When attempting to leave the venue, fans rushed toward Marky Ramone
and band. Surrounded by overzealous fans pounding on the windows of
the band's vehicle, the fans eventually cracked the windshield. One
fan was thrown into oncoming traffic trying to cling to the side of
the moving van. He was not injured. A few moments later he and a
friend were spotted in a taxi that caught up to the van, shouting and
waving at their hero.

If anyone saw the DVD RAW when the band was besieged by fans in
Argentina? Picture that, but much worse. It was a life-threatening
situation.

Sunday's show was to be in a larger venue, with the same amount of
security. In the interests of everyone's safety and well being, it has
been decided that Sunday's show in Mexico City will not go forward.

Marky apologies to all his fans in Mexico City and says he's really
enjoyed everything about the shows and wants to make sure no one gets
hurt moving forward. He promises to come back with The Blitzkrieg soon
under safer circumstances.

Marky will be coming back to Mexico to play in May, so keep a look
out. For more information go to http://www.myspace.com/markyramone .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #15 ***
*
-Dubai Desert Rock Festival '09: Metal Was Alive In Dubai

Center Stage Management (CSM) is happy to announce the successful
turn-out at Desert Rock Festival's sixth edition, held in Dubai
Festival City on Friday 6th March 2009. 7,476 metal fans were in awe
of the international bands performing live in Dubai for the first
time!

Thousands of enthusiastic metal fans flocked to Dubai Festival City on
Friday, forming a large queue that started around noon. As the doors
opened, the crowd fought their way through the doors. First band
performing was United We Rock competition winners Scarab and Hatred
(respectively from Egypt and Germany) who set the tone of the day,
inviting the audience to the first headbanging. Home-grown and now
international death metal band Nervecell did not disappoint the crowd
who were enjoying one of their last powerful performance in the
U.A.E., before they head off to their festival tour in Germany this
summer, which includes renowned Rock Am Ring, Rock Im Park, With Full
Force and Wacken Open Air.

After August Burns Red appeared on stage creating a moshing frenzy by
inviting people to run from the front of house to front of stage,
Chimaira pleased the crowd performing a world premiere of new song
"Destroy And Dominate." The next day they posted on their Web site
"our first concert in the Middle East was beyond amazing. You would
have sworn we were playing a hometown show the way the crowd reacted.
Everyone knew every word and we were blown away. Dubai, thank you."

Opeth, the highlight of the night for many, were greeted by
enthusiastic fans who never in their wildest dreams thought they would
ever experience their live performance, and flew in from as far away
as Japan, Morocco, Armenia, Algeria, Egypt to name a few!

Arch Enemy's front woman Angela Gossow rocked the stage with her
energy, followed by rock legends Motorhead, still rocking after 30
years and for the first time in the Middle East! Classics like
"Metropolis," "Going To Brazil" and "Over The Top" were dispatched at
break-neck speed. After an admirable guitar solo and a 15-minute drum
solo by Mikkey Dee they ended their set with much awaited "Ace Of
Spades."

Desert Rock festival sponsored by Lee Cooper, Oasis, A&E and
Playstation, was all about embracing heavy metal this year with the
campaign "Metal Lives" which indeed did on Friday, March 6th 2009,
leaving thousands of dedicated fans longing for next year.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #16 ***
*
-Quam Libet Records: Swiss Metal News

Dear Metal-Heads,

We are proud to present our latest release:

Pÿlon - DOOM

DOOM is Pÿlon's third album and delivers traditional / epic doom for
fans of Count Raven, Saint Vitus and Black Sabbath.

DOOM comes in a beautiful 8-page embossed digi-pak, entirely created
by guitarist and new lead vocalist Matt Brand.

The first reviews are coming in looking rather good.

Mail orders, distros, labels: trades are welcome.

http://www.pylon-doom.net/
http://www.myspace.com/pylondoom
http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/pylon2

53 riffs, six drummers and a flute/clarinet battle: DOOM.

HEAVY METAL NATION V

We are receiving great CDs with applications for HEAVY METAL NATION V
and we're already worried about all the bands we will have to turn
down.

One thing is certain: HMN V will be an amazing compilation of Swiss
metal bands!

Sadly, we have no application from the Ticino on this one.

http://www.quamlibetrecords.ch/

Metal Festivals

Our friends from Back To Rock and True As Steel festivals are
compiling great billings as well!

Both will feature established bands, but also breathtaking newcomers.

Metal Inferno will not take place this year, but it will be back
stronger than before next year.

QLR will also set up shop at the Bär(n) Bängers Metalfescht at the
Downstairs club in Worblaufen.

More to come, for sure!

http://www.quamlibetrecords.ch/de/home/gigs.asp

For big-name CDs and for newcomer releases: the Swiss Metal Mail Order
at Quam Libet Records -- have a scroll around!

http://www.quamlibetrecords.ch/de/mailorder/index.asp

With pÿlonic regards of doom,
Jan & Matt

Quam Libet Records / Swiss Metal Mail Order
- Metal as you like it! -

http://www.quamlibetrecords.ch/
http://www.myspace.com/quamlibetrecords

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #17 ***
*
-Skyforger Update

Hello!

Skyforger is back from the studio break and we've got some few gigs
coming up, so check out the list and hope to see You at some of these.

New album recordings are mostly finished and there's already the light
at the end of the tunnel to see. Some of new album tunes are going to
be present on next live shows.

Of course, that is not all what's planned for this year, more news as
they happen.

11.03.2009 Vilnius (LT), Forum Palace
14.03.2009 Tallinn (EE), Tapper
03.04.2009 Bratislava (SVK), Randal
04.04.2009 Milotice u Kyjova (CZ), Kulturni Dum
09.04.2009 Leeuwarden (NL), Poppodium Romein
10.04.2009 Roermond (NL), Azijnfabriek
11.04.2009 Dendermonde (BEL), JH Zenith
24.04.2009 Berlin (GER), K17
25.04.2009 Erfurt (GER), From Hell
08.05.2009 Linz (A), Posthof
09.05.2009 Vienna (A), Bach
13.06.2009 Kilkim Zaibu festival (LT), Joniskis
25.07.2009 Zvera festival (LV), Saldus
14.08.2009 Summer Breeze festival (GER), Dinkelsbühl
04.09.2009 Wolfszeit festival (GER), Hollfeld

For more information on gigs visit the Web site:
http://www.skyforger.lv/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #18 ***
*
-Gollum To Release THE CORE

Wilmington, North Carolina metal troupe Gollum, who recently signed
with Rotten Records, will release their long anticipated THE CORE
full-length on April 14th. The record is dedicated to late drummer
Hunter Holland, who died suddenly of heart failure just a short time
after he completed the drum tracks for the new record. "You helped lay
the foundation and blueprint, then you left us with a gift," writes
the band on their official MySpace page. "We will never forget. Thank
you dear friend for the inspiration you have given each of us. Your
beat goes on and forever with us you shall be."

Check out preview tracks here:
http://www.myspace.com/gollum

Upcoming Gollum Tour Dates

Mar 21 - Headliners - (Tattoo Convention '09!) - Columbia, SC
Mar 26 - Lucky's w/ Skeleton Witch & Kylesa - Wilmington, NC
Apr 11 - Soapbox - (CD RELEASE SHOW!) - Wilmington, NC
April 17 - Volume 11 - Raleigh, NC
April 18 - Plan B - Danville, VA
May 9 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
May 29 - The Dive Bar- Raleigh, NC
June 5 - Outback Lodge - Charlottesville, VA
June 9 - Dark Horse Saloon - Atlanta, GA
September 26 - Old Dorchester Club - Charleston, SC

Gollum Bio

Wilmington, North Carolina metal troupe Gollum -- a name derived from
the Yiddish "goylem" which literally translates to "shapeless mass" --
formed in the summer of 1998 by late drummer Hunter Holland and
brothers Frank and Serge Stroehmer (guitar and bass, respectively).
"Hunter and I met through a mutual college friend and always talked
about jamming after realizing that we were each into heavy music,"
recalls Frank. "I had played with Hunter and was very impressed. He
will forever be recognized as one of the most intense drummers the
world has ever known. Serge soon entered the picture after moving to
Wilmington from Goldsboro to live with me. The three of us jammed
regularly. The chemistry was undeniable."

Frank would later incorporate samples and keyboards to further expand
Gollum's already eclectic palette. Once confident enough in their
delivery, they took to the road opening for the likes of Mastodon,
Soilent Green, Vital Remains, Incantation, God Forbid, Death Angel,
Rwake, Alabama Thunderpussy, Minsk, Skeletonwitch, Crisis, and home-
state sludge kings, Weedeater. They went on to self-produce and
release their first full-length album in 2004 in the form of LESSER
TRAVELED WATERS. The disc received a host of positive reviews and
featured a guest appearance by Grammy-nominated singer D. Randall
Blythe of Lamb Of God as well as Weedeater's Dave "Dixie" Collins.

All the while, Gollum employed a revolving door of vocalists but
finally found a keeper in Shawn Corbett. A multi-instrumentalist and
longtime band friend, Corbett's talent and natural intensity meshed
perfectly with the band's music. By 2008, Gollum had garnered a
considerable buzz and caught the attention of Los Angeles-based label
Rotten Records. After a three-month courting process and a successful
showcase in Wilmington, the band signed to the label in June and
quickly entered the studio to craft and perfect what would become THE
CORE. Just before the band could finish recording the record however,
tragedy struck when founding member Hunter Holland died of heart
failure just a few weeks after completing his drum tracks. The
surviving members, devastated by Holland's untimely passing and unsure
of the band's future, ultimately put all Gollum-related dealings on
hold. After some deep soul-searching, the band soldiered on, confident
that it's what Holland would have wanted.

Gollum eventually recruited gifted drummer Seth Long who had played
with Frank in a side project. Long played his first show with the band
on New Year's Eve 2008.

Recorded in Wilmington, NC at Umbilical Studios by Frank Stroehmer,
THE CORE is dedicated to the memory of Hunter Holland. Guest
appearances include the return of D. Randall Blythe and Dave "Dixie"
Collins as well as Scott Angelacos of Hope & Suicide, the angelic
vocal work of Cassie Sipe and Dr. George Zervos, professor of
Religion/Philosophy at UNCW. The Core is scheduled to hit streets,
April 14, 2009.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #19 ***
*
-Quo Vadis Announce European Tour Dates!!!

One of Canada's most respected and influential metal bands, Quo Vadis
announce their European Tour Dates that will see them return to Europe
since their 2007 tour with Kataklysm. As Quo Vadis cross the Atlantic
for the four-country, 10-day long tour they return to Europe with new
members drummer Patrice Hamelin (Martyr), vocalist Trevor Birnie
(Annex Theory, Damascus) and bassist/keyboardist Roxanne Constantin,
and new music from their highly anticipated release still in
production, a follow-up to 2004's critically acclaimed DEFIANT
IMAGINATION.

European Tour Dates:

April 3, 2009 - Istanbul, Turkey - Kemanci
April 4, 2009 - Ankara, Turkey - IF Performance Hall
April 5, 2009 - Izmir, Turkey - PUNTA
April 6, 2009 - Bucharest, Romania - Live Metal Club
April 7, 2009 - Cluj-Napoca, Romania - Irish Music & Pub
April 8, 2009 - Split, Croatia - Kocka
April 10, 2009 - Sisak, Croatia - SKWHAT
April 11, 2009 - Golbey, France - L'Artiste -
April 12, 2009 - Chaulnes, France - Chaulnes Metal Fest at L'OMCSL

Quo Vadis Official Web site
http://www.quovadis.qc.ca/

Quo Vadis MySpace
http://www.myspace.com/quovadis1

Quo Vadis Facebook Page
http://www.facebook.com/home.php?#/pages/Quo-Vadis/9232435677?sid=a9beb160281725\
9900742a91941b57b7&ref=s

"Let this one sink in and you'll be hooked. A testimony to forward-
thinking metal indeed."
~ Tim Henderson, BW&BK ~

"...Quo Vadis are one of many bands from Quebec who are currently
making Canada proud. (...) Also, the band knows their way around their
instruments and are capable of writing very catchy thrash metal, a
combination made in metal heaven."
~ EXCLAIM! Magazine ~

"Quo Vadis are a unique, potent band that have always been cutting
edge with what they do. The intensity within them has never really
slowed down. Plus, they put on a hell of a live show. If they ever
play in your area, stop what you are doing and go crazy in the pit for
them. They love that sh*t!"
~ Adrian "The Energizer" Bromley, Unrestrained ~

"Voted consistently by our staff as being one of the best releases
this year, (DEFIANT IMAGINATION) is an essential album from the 2004
dynasty."
~ Hail Metal, Australia ~

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #20 ***
*
-Susperia Vocalist Suffers Heart Attack

OSLO, NORWAY -- Athera (Pal Mathieson), vocalist with Norwegian band
Susperia, was rushed to Akershus Universitetssykehus Hospital in
Lørenskog, Norway on the morning of March 9th suffering from acute
stomach pains and heavy bleeding. Initial tests revealed that the
singer had suffered a heart attack caused by a damaged blood vessel.
Athera is currently in the intensive care unit under close
observation, while further tests are carried out. He is expected to
remain hospitalised for the foreseeable future. At this moment future
plans including touring commitments remain unchanged, until a full
diagnosis of his condition has been confirmed.

Athera recently completed vocals on Susperia's fifth studio album,
which is due for an early summer release through the band's new label
Candlelight Records. The band worked continuously throughout 2008 on
the album which Athera described as "going back to the early days with
the melancholic riffing and dark emotional vocals and coming all the
way through to today, with a perfect blend of everything Susperia has
been and become."

Everyone involved with the band wishes Athera a fast and speedy
recovery.

http://www.susperia.net/
http://www.myspace.com/susperiafans
http://www.candlelightrecordsusa.com/

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-In Black Sabbath news, Joe Siegler's "Pilgrims Of Sabbocracy"
newsletter from Black-Sabbath.com ran some more information about THE
DEVIL YOU KNOW. The first single, "Bible Black," will be available on
iTunes on March 31, and a video will be filmed for the track. The
album will be available in digital format from all the major playerss,
and it may also be released on vinyl at some point, but there are
currently no plans for any other type of CD release beyond the single-
disc version. There may be an iTunes exclsive track, and/or a bonus
track on the Japanese version of the album, but this is all yet to be
determined. Regarding the album cover, Siegler indicated "the base art
for the cover comes from a painting called 'Satan' which appears to be
by an artist named 'Per Øyvind Haagensen' from Norway. The version
used on Sabbath's cover is tweaked slightly." A "25 / 41" appears on
the cover art and Siegler has been busy trying to decipher its
meaning. Check out http://www.black-sabbath.com/ for more, and to view
the artwork see
http://www.black-sabbath.com/images/covers/thedevilyouknow_large.jpg .

-Check out an e-card for Carbon 9's THE BULL at
http://www.worldsound.com/free/carbon9/ .

-The Dead End Kidz have a new video clip of themselves covering
Aerosmith's "Toys In The Attic" online. See
http://www.myspace.com/dekmusic for more on the band, and watch the
video at
http://vids.myspace.com/index.cfm?fuseaction=vids.individual&videoid=53540335
.

-Sacred Oath's new song "Counting Zeros" was chosen to be iTunes'
Discovery Download Pick of the week for April 7. The band's self-
titled release is due May 8 in Europe, and May 12 in North America and
elsewhere. See http://www.sacredoath.net/ for more.

-Saxon confirmed a show in New York City -- May 19 at B.B. King's. See
http://www.saxon747.com/ and http://www.bbkingblues.com/ for more.

-Steel Panther (formerly Danger Kitty, Metal Shop, and Metal Skool)
has signed with Universal. You may know the band members: vocalist
Michael Starr is Ralph Saenz (Atomic Punks, L.A. Guns), guitarist
Satchel is Russ Parrish (Fight, War & Peace, Thornbirds), bassist
Lexxi Foxxx is Travis Haley, and drummer Stix Zadinia is Darren Leader
(Thornbirds). See http://www.myspace.com/steelpantherkicksass for
more.

-Our condolences go out to Michael Sweet (Stryper, Boston) who lost
his wife Kyle Rae Sweet last week. See http://www.michaelsweet.com/
and http://www.myspace.com/michaelsweetrocks for more, including some
heartfelt letters about his wife.

-John Taglieri's new EP, LIVE, is due April 28. Joining Taglieri and
Brad Whitley on the release are Brian Fechino (Pat McGee Band), Jason
"Slim" Gambill (Will Hoge, Josh Kelly, Lady Antebellum), Lee J. Turner
(Darius Rucker), and Tom Darby. Upcoming shows:

3/12 - Edinboro University, Edinboro, PA
3/13 - Jose O'Reilly's, Norwood, NJ
3/14 - The Sand Bar, Brielle, NJ
3/17 - University Of Connecticut-Waterbury, Waterbury, CT
3/18 - Rock Bottom Brewery, Arlington, VA
3/19 - Medusa's, Greenville, SC
3/20 - APCA National College Convention, Atlanta, GA
3/21 - Kings College, Wilkes Barre, PA

See http://www.JohnTaglieri.com/ and
http://www.myspace.com/johntaglierimusic for more.

-Online reports indicate Van Halen will have its own version of the
"Guitar Hero" video game, possibly as early as this coming August.
Joystiq.com reports "Guitar Hero: Van Halen" will feature songs like
"Jump," "Panama," and "Hot For Teacher," plus tracks from other bands
including Judas Priest, Tenacious D, and Weezer.

Thanks to Alexander Ford, Jennifer Farhood, John "Rocks" Erigo, and
Bill "Spanish Fly" Kotowski for help gathering some of this
information.

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

-More on the Steel Panther bit above... Check out some great songs at
the band's MySpace, http://www.myspace.com/steelpantherkicksass ,
including the ballad "Community Property" and "Death To All But
Metal." As my buddy Bill put it, these songs easily could've been on
the legendary Skrapp Mettle album SENSITIVE, from way back in '91.
(Remember that one? It had Jeff Scott Soto and other all-stars
performing funny-but-cool songs under fake names.)

-The Dubai Desert Rock Festival press release gave me pause. Mikkey
Dee performed a 15-minute drum solo? Really? Bands still do this in
2009? Wow. Motorhead could've done, like, five extra songs during that
span. :) And, Lemmy in Dubai? I'd love to hear stories about him and
some emir, hanging out and guzzling bottles of Jack.

-This week's YouTube find comes courtesy of my buddy Jeff. Check out
Angra guitarist Kiko Loureiro's video for "Enfermo," from his 2005
solo album NO GRAVITY at
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=--TYp43PVgY&feature=related .

-In my current playlist: Edguy - TINNITUS SANCTUS (Nuclear Blast),
Mind Odyssey - TIME TO CHANGE IT (Napalm Records), Nashville Pussy -
FROM HELL TO TEXAS (SPV/Steamhammer), Leprous - TALL POPPY SYNDROME
(Sensory).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
EVERGREY - TORN (B) SPV/Steamhammer, 2008
11 tracks RT: 53:45
[ http://www.evergrey.net/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/officialevergrey ]
[ http://www.spv.de/ ]
[ http://www.spvusa.com/ ]
[ http://www.mypace.com/spvusa ]
Evergrey is a five member progressive metal band from Sweden.
Evergrey's style is dark, dreary, and sometimes sorrowful. They have
been consistent with these themes on all of their albums. More
recently, they have done concept albums. Their newest album, TORN
debuted at #4 on the Swedish charts. So, it's quite evident that TORN
lives up the Evergrey standard. This album is a concept album, with
the concept being about solitude, depression, hopelessness, and
despair. Most songs are written in a narrative way. At some times, you
may feel like you're reading a journal entry, where the writer is
being critical about life and questions the past. The lyrics are very
well written. They're broad enough so that the listener can relate to
them. Personally, out of every component to this album, the lyrics
were the thing I appreciated the most. Instrumentally, the songs
complement the dark lyrics in a dismally euphonious way. "Broken
Wings" is a strong opener to the album and sets the theme with heavy
sounding guitars juxtaposed against complex lyrics. "Soaked" was the
most memorable song to me due to the tribal-like drums in the
beginning and the end of the song. In "Fear," you'll hear the guitars
speed up somewhat. They take on a spine-chilling sound like that of
ammunition being fired out of a machine gun. "Torn" features dark and
heavy guitars that are very overpowering in the beginning. Yet, this
song also includes acoustic guitars. The trading off of electric and
acoustic guitars throughout this song makes it unique, especially
because of how well they sound together. "These Scars" is the ending
track and is a remarkable song. This song is faster than some of the
others. This song also doesn't seem as gloomy as the previous ones. It
features a guest vocalist for small part of the song, which is a nice
treat. This song ends graciously -- a subtly fitting closure to the
album. Overall, the album is strong in many different ways. One thing
I want to add is the lack of keyboard sounds. This band has a
keyboardist, but there are no piano pieces or any places in the songs
where the listener can clearly hear it. I thought I could hear it a
little bit in the distant background in some songs, but I really had
to look for it. There's a fair amount of guitar solos on this album,
but for the most part they are short to moderately long. If you're
already an Evergrey fan, this album should meet your expectations. If
you're new to Evergrey, this album is worth listening to, and will
give you a taste of what Evergrey is all about.
- Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@...)

GRAVE DIGGER - BALLADS OF A HANGMAN (A) Napalm Records, 2009
12 tracks, RT: 45:39
[ http://www.grave-digger-clan.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/gravediggerclan ]
[ http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords ]
The latest Grave Digger album is...very satisfying. Quite a surprise
in fact since the last few albums, while heavy as heck, have had few
surprises for us longtime fans. The whole album is kind of...I don't
know, it has a stripped down and basic feel to it. In most instances
it's the standard verse / chorus / verse / chorus / soloing / chorus
that so many metal songs have. When that formula's done well that can
be a very good thing, and that seems to be the case here. This new
album has, at last count, five very catchy tracks that have emerged
slowly over the last two weeks of constant play in my car to and from
work. As a sidebar I cannot remember the last time I've gotten a new
album and played it as much continuously. Lyrically I like the very
dark theme to this; lots of death and war and pain. Even the "ballad,"
"Lonely The Innocence Dies," is about death. And on that note the
female guest vocalist on that track, Veronica Freeman of Benedictum, I
find to be very irritating. But maybe that's just me. The guitar work,
lead and rhythm here is top-notch; exactly what one would expect from
such experienced players such as Manni Schmidt and Thilo Hermann and
it pains me greatly to hear that just recently the band decided to
part ways with Herr Hermann. A mistake in my opinion, but considering
the success this album's already achieved there must have been some
merit to the dismissal. The limited edition version of the album also
contains a fairly uninspired cover of Thin Lizzy's "Jailbreak." Not
bad at all, especially with the homage to Gorham and Robertson, but
vocally I think there's something lacking. (Incidentally, this album
was preceded by the PRAY EP. It has a very slightly reworked album
track, two non-album tracks (both very solid) and a very, very good
cover of Motorhead's "Overkill.") The only thing that keeps me from
giving BALLADS OF A HANGMAN a full "A+" / 10-out-of-10 rating is what
I perceive to be some discrepancies with the production. The one thing
that has really stood out, for me, in the Grave Digger catalog since
their reuniting in '92 is the production values -- especially the low
end of the audio spectrum. This album seems to have some songs that
seem to sound just a tad different, sonically, from some others and I
attribute that to different recording sessions with perhaps different
producers. I can't prove that and the album's liner notes don't credit
that but I get a feeling of disjointedness at times. And here I'm
nitpicking as this album is an easy nine on a 10 scale and really
deserves to be played loud and often by many different metalheads for
along time to come. This is an extremely good album and those into
German Metal, Power Metal and/or traditional metal should not be
disappointed at all if they buy this. This band has been around since
at least 1982, and for that reason alone they deserve a listen as they
have to be doing something right. And this album proves that, yet
again.
- Eric Gaumann (efgaumann@...)

JORN - THE GATHERING (B) Locomotive Records, 2008
16 tracks, RT: 1:17:54
[ http://www.jornlande.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/realjorn ]
[ http://www.jornlande-fansite.wz.cz ]
[ http://www.locomotivemusic.com/ ]
[ http://www.locomotiverecords.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/locomotiverecords ]
[ principal@... ]
[ http://www.frontiers.it/ ]
Jorn Lande has been all over the metal and hard rock scene with some
of the biggest names in the industry. Maybe you know him from
Masterplan, Beyond Twilight, or under his own name during his present
solo career. Jorn Lande can proudly boast that he has contributed his
voice on 30 albums over his career. For those unfamiliar with Jorn, he
is considered a hard rock singer and hails from Norway. He sings
mostly within the power metal, progressive metal, heavy metal and hard
rock genres. He is described as one of the greatest hard rock singers
by his peers due to his melodic and powerful voice. Now that we've
gone through formalities; let's get to the review. THE GATHERING is a
compilation album that features work from Jorn's vast career (except
Masterplan). If you've never heard Jorn before, this album does a
great job of getting you acquainted to him. He has a very consistent,
clean and coherent voice throughout the album's duration. The album is
what I would definitely call classic power and progressive metal. The
first song, "Something Real," starts the album off strong with a
catchy chorus, and features Lande's vocal range. The second song,
"Gonna Find The Sun," is faster and harder than its predecessor.
"Bridges Will Burn" is a more memorable song due to the dark and heavy
sounding guitars. Even though Lande's voice is clean and could almost
be described as upbeat, this song has a melancholy mood to it. The
song ends with the sounds of yelling and meowing cats as the song
fades out. I'm still baffled as to why that's on the track. The most
striking song to me was "Young Forever." Even after I listened to
every song on this album, I was able to remember word-for-word the
chorus of this song. There's a nice guitar solo in this song and fast
drumming in a later solo. "Tungur Knivur" is one of the most unique
songs. It opens with the sounds of blistering winds, followed by the
eerie sounds of a single crow and then thunder crashes -- a cool segue
to the slow and heavy guitars that follow. Another notable song is
"Sunset Station." Lande shows off his vocal talent in this song with a
high-pitched chorus. This song is fast and dare I say, fun and even
kind of upbeat, which is quite a contrast from some of the doom-and-
gloom, slow and dark songs (which are just as cool in their own way.)
My two least favorite songs were "Christine," a cliché love song, and
"Big," a borderline narcissistic song, congratulating themselves on
their worldwide success. It seems clear to me that Jorn Lande has been
influenced by Ronnie James Dio. On some songs, I could really feel a
Dio vibe. So, I'd say if you're looking for a comparison, Dio is
probably the closest you'll come. Other than some added sound effects,
the band doesn't feature any unusual or symphonic instruments. They're
straightforward power metal with an impressive vocalist. If you're
already a fan of Jorn, this album is most likely a must for you. If
you're on the fence about them, then I encourage you to come over to
Jorn's side. It's a lot of fun over here.
- Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@...)

SERENITY - FALLEN SANCTUARY (C+) Napalm Records, 2008
11 tracks, RT: 54:55
[ http://www.serenity-band.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/serenitybandtyrol ]
[ http://www.napalmrecords.com/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/napalmrecords ]
First off, let me introduce you to Serenity. They are classified as a
power metal band with progressive and symphonic influences. Formed in
2001, this five-to-six member band hails from Austria. Their newest
album is FALLEN SANCTUARY and it's pretty good! I have to admit, I
usually don't listen to a lot of power metal (with the exception of
Dio, who I adore), and so I was less than thrilled when I first gave
this album a listen. As the album progressed, it actually began to
grow on me, and I can now say that I think this is a fairly decent
album. So, what can you expect? As I mentioned, the band states that
they are symphonically influenced. This is definitely not an
understatement. Every song has some kind of symphonic element, some
more than others. Their vocalist, Georg Neuhauser, has a clean voice,
so the lyrics are decipherable. The choruses for the most part are
catchy, a few of them so much so, that I had them stuck in my head
after just one listen. You'll notice a great deal of piano playing on
this album. They tend to either open or end a song with solo piano
piece. The band does a nice job of harmoniously blending heavy guitar
riffs with soft piano numbers, flute playing, and hard hitting
drumming. One song, "Fairytales," features a female guest vocalist.
That's one of my favorite songs on the album, because I love how the
song uses all previous instruments, vocalists, and lyrics from the
song for one grand culminating moment where everything comes together
perfectly. On songs like "Oceans Of Ruby," the album features some odd
distortions on the guitars and keyboard. At some points the album
feels hackneyed after a few songs have elapsed. I felt that their
final song was also their weakest. It's pretty straightforward, not
necessarily bad; I just felt it could have been better based on the
preceding songs. Who do they sound like? Well, DragonForce comes to
mind if I'm trying to compare the entire band to another one.
Although, Serenity is nowhere near as fast as DragonForce. If you're
familiar with Pyramaze, then I'd say Serenity has a similar style,
only Serenity is more symphonic. I'd say that if you're already a fan
of power metal, then there's a good chance you'll like this band. One
thing that I want to mention is something that I felt to be a bit of
an anomaly in this album. In two songs on the album, Georg deviates
completely from his classic power metal vocals and mutates into a
death metal singer. Albeit, it's just a few seconds on both songs,
it's still quite startling. Georg sounds a lot like Amon Amarth lead
vocalist Johan Hegg. I wasn't expecting that kind of a dramatic shift
in the vocals, but it really showcases their potential. Perhaps this
is their way of foreshadowing? We'll have to wait and see. In the
meantime, FALLEN SANCTUARY is a decent album and deserves a listen.
- Stephanie Davison (Zatanna7@...)

VISION - THE OTHER SIDE OF GREY (A-/B+) Lake Of Fire, 2009
10 tracks, RT: 50:41
[ http://www.lakeoffire.net/ ]
[ http://www.myspace.com/visionlakeoffire ]
[ http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/visionprog ]
Some of my favorite music came out of the early to mid '80s, where
progressive elements were integrated with traditional power metal to
stunning effect, perfected by bands such as Queensryche, Fates
Warning, Savatage and Crimson Glory. Vision's debut THE OTHER SIDE OF
GREY is clearly steeped in these influences but exhibits excellent
nuances which keep the material fresh and interesting. No time is
wasted in establishing a suitably moody atmosphere as the album opens
with eerie keyboards leading into the venomous "Impale The Light," a
maelstrom of explosive riffs, powerful drumming and the soaring vocals
of the aptly named Nefarious. Guitarist/keyboardist Sean P. Gahgan
comes from the melodic school of tasty chords and solos, invoking the
spirit of such greats as Randy Rhoads and Criss Oliva on dark
excursions like the cleverly monikered reflection on the evils of drug
addiction "Killing In Vein," propulsive rocker "Steel The Thunder" and
one of my favorites, the theatrically dramatic "Descention." Vision's
ace in the hole may just be their quieter moments, the band displaying
a genuine feel for more sensitive fare on "The Pain Inside Of You" and
"Oceans Away," Nefarious' stirring performances effectively drawing on
his Geoff Tate/Midnight influences. Revealing strong musicianship and
songwriting, interesting lyrical content and a surprisingly good
production for an independent release, THE OTHER SIDE OF GREY is an
impressive debut recommended for those who appreciate that the quality
of that bygone era is alive and well...
- Neal Woodall (MysticX9@...)

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