According to a posting on the unofficial BLACK SABBATH web site
Black-Sabbath.com, the digital versions of the BLACK SABBATH "The Rules Of Hell"
box set being sold via iTunes and Amazon MP3 (among other digital music
providers) will include three more tracks than the conventional physical copy.
These are the three new studio songs from last year's "Black Sabbath: The Dio
Years" package ("The Devil Cried", "Shadow of the Wind", "Ear in the Wall").

As previously reported, there is a version of BLACK SABBATH "The Rules Of Hell"
box set being sold at Best Buy which is an exclusive. The majority of the box
will be exactly the same as you can get everywhere else. There will, however, be
an extra CD packed on the outside that will contain five live tracks from 1981:
"Neon Knights", "The Mob Rules", "Children Of The Grave", "Voodoo" and "Country
Girl". The source of these live tracks was the "Live At Hammersmith" release
from May 2007. The first four of these tracks (all except "Country Girl") were
already released on the UK "tour edition" of "The Dio Years" last year.

For more information, visit the Best Buy web site.

"The Rules Of Hell" is a box set featuring all three of BLACK SABBATH's Dio-era
studio releases ("Heaven And Hell", "Mob Rules", "Dehumanizer") and its double
live collection ("Live Evil"), each recently remastered for the first time.

Heavy metal pioneers BLACK SABBATH were reborn in 1980 when founding members
Tony Iommi and Terry "Geezer" Butler added vocalist Ronnie James Dio to the
lineup. The band's short but memorable time together added an unforgettable
chapter in SABBATH's storied history. Rhino relives the demonic fury conjured by
the Dio era with "The Rules Of Hell". The set comes packaged in a deluxe
slipcase with extensive liner notes featuring all new interviews with the band.
This five-disc boxed set will be available from Rhino on July 22 at all physical
outlets, as well as www.rhino.com, for a suggested list price of $54.98. The set
will also be available the same day at all digital outlets for a suggested list
price of $24.99.

Two years ago, Dio, Iommi, Butler and drummer Vinny Appice reunited to record a
trio of new songs for Rhino's "Black Sabbath: The Dio Years" before launching a
highly anticipated and greatly acclaimed world tour under their new moniker
HEAVEN AND HELL. Revitalized by the reunion, the lineup is back in the studio
now recording the first ever full-length studio album from HEAVEN AND HELL, set
to be released by Rhino in early 2009. To whet the fans' appetites for the new
album, HEAVEN AND HELL will return to the road for a short stint on the Metal
Masters Tour, a month-long North American trek with JUDAS PRIEST, MOTÖRHEAD,
and TESTAMENT. This blistering metal juggernaut will launch August 6 in
Philadelphia.

BLACK SABBATH/HEAVEN AND HELL members Ronnie James Dio (vocals), Tony Iommi
(guitar), Geezer Butler (bass) and Vinny Appice (drums) will sign copies of
"Black Sabbath: The Rules Of Hell", at Vintage Vinyl in Ford, New Jersey on
Saturday, August 2 from 3:00 p.m. to 4:00 p.m.

Due to time constraints, the band will only sign copies of "The Rules Of Hell"
box set and HEAVEN AND HELL's "Live From Radio City Music Hall" DVD/CD.

Vintage Vinyl
51 Lafayette Road
Fords, NJ
Tel.: (732) 225-7717

Contact the store for further details


According to a bulletin issued by OZZY OSBOURNE's MySpace page, the Prince of
Darkness will follow up his appearances at the Monsters of Rock show in Calgary,
Alberta, Canada on Saturday, July 26 and Ozzfest 2008 in Dallas, TX on Saturday,
August 9 by returning to the studio to record a new album.

OZZY OSBOURNE's latest CD, "Black Rain", was certified gold on December 14, 2007
by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for shipments in excess
of 500,000 copies in the United States.

"Black Rain" was reissued on November 20 as a "Special Limited-Edition Tour
Package" featuring a bonus CD of live tracks and B-sides. The bonus CD includes
the following cuts:

01. I Don't Wanna Stop (live)
02. Not Going Away (live)
03. Here For You (live)
04. Nightmare
05. Can't Save You
06. Love To Hate

"Black Rain" debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart, with first-week
sales of 152,000 copies.

Ozzy and his family will return to television in a new reality variety show this
fall. The Fox program has the working title of "The Osbournes: Loud And
Dangerous" and will feature Ozzy Osbourne, his wife Sharon, and their kids Jack
and Kelly.

Fox has reportedly ordered six episodes of the series and each episode will run
for an hour. "The Osbournes: Loud And Dangerous" will feature musical
performances, comedy sketches, and game-show competitions. The show is being
produced by FremantleMedia North America, who also produce "American Idol" for
Fox.


JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Glenn Tipton has posted the following message on the
band's official web site:

"Well, we've finished the first leg of the PRIEST tour in Europe and had a
fantastic reaction from everywhere starting in Helsinki and finishing in
Istanbul. We played countries that we have never been to before such as Romania
and Turkey which we found fascinating — there were even fans from Iran at the
Istanbul show! It goes to show just how rock and metal is underestimated and so
popular all over this world!

"First of all, I'd like to apologize for the two shows we missed in Serbia and
Croatia. Unfortunately I had been in pain with a stomach illness from almost the
beginning of the tour and wasn't as focused as I should have been on stage. It
got to a point where it needed immediate attention and we may have had to cancel
a lot more dates, if not the whole tour, and I was forced to return to England
for treatment. We have never played Croatia or Serbia before and I know the fans
have waited so long to see the band and were very disappointed. The rest of the
band have been very supportive of me and we will do everything we can to get
back and play those markets and make up for the missed shows.

"Everyone out there loves the new set list and it's great to be playing tracks
like 'Hell Patrol', 'Hammer and the Anvil' and 'Sinner' as well as some new
tracks off the new album 'Nostradamus' (which everyone's already singing along
with!!) and as always, PRIEST classics like 'Breaking The Law', 'Hell Bent For
Leather' and 'Painkiller'. I think the new set has something for every PRIEST
fan!!

"We've played together with so many great bands on this European leg — old
friends like DEF LEPPARD, WHITESNAKE and MOTÖRHEAD. New bands such as AIRBOURNE
— great lads from Australia — and it was good to see KISS again at the the
Download Festival in the UK — we toured with them in the early days in the
U.S. and unlike many other bands who gave us very little stage or lights, KISS
were generous and helped us out which we appreciated in those days!

"All of the festivals had a great atmosphere backstage as well as out front —
it was nice to see Ripper [former JUDAS PRIEST singer Tim Owens] out there with
Yngwie [Malmsteen] and we watched or were watched by many other bands from the
side of the stage including some of the newer bands such as CAVALERA CONSPIRACY,
DISTURBED, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE and many more. But when Neil Young came back
and told us how much he'd enjoyed the show at Roskilde in Denmark, I think that
meant more to us than anything! He's such a nice guy and has written so many
classic songs in his time. We watched about an hour of his set before we had to
leave — and enjoyed every second; his songs bringing back lots of great
memories.

"We are planning a second leg in Europe including some UK dates probably in the
New Year but are now off to the States and Canada for the next leg before
heading to Australia, Japan, Korea, Japan and finishing in Mexico and South
America.

"We'd like to thank PRIEST fans the world over — the support has been
fantastic and there are still many more places for us to play and we are going
to do our best to reach out to every one and every country!"

Colorado power metallers JAG PANZER have been confirmed for next year's Play It
Loud festival, set to take place February 28, 2009 in Italy. The exact location
for the event has not yet been announced.

Play It Loud festival billing is shaping up as follows:

JAG PANZER (USA
EXCITER (CAN)
JAGUAR (UK)
MARTIRIA (ITA)
HOLY MARTYR (ITA)
LONEWOLF (FRA)
WOTAN (ITA)
NATIONAL SUICIDE (ITA)
FALLEN FUCKIN ANGELS (ITA)

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/playitloudfest.

EDGUY singer Tobias Sammet's solo project AVANTASIA filmed its July 10
performance at the Masters of Rock festival in Vizovice, Czech Republic for a
forthcoming DVD.

In other news, vocalist Amanda Somerville has issued a new video blog (see
below) from the AVANTASIA world tour, which kicked off on June 5 at the
Rocksound Festival in Huttwil, Switzerland.

AVANTASIA's touring lineup consists of the following musicians:

Tobias Sammet
Jörn Lande (ex-MASTERPLAN)
André Matos (ex-ANGRA)
Amanda Somerville (EPICA stand-in singer)
Olli Hartmann
Sascha Paeth
Miro
Robert Hunecke
Claudy Yang
Felix Bohnke

Amanda Somerville is the American singer-songwriter and vocal coach who was
recently tapped to replace EPICA vocalist Simone Simons on the band's North
American tour with SYMPHONY X due to Simons' ongoing health issues.

A Michigan native, Amanda has resided and worked mainly in Germany and the
Netherlands since 1999. She has collaborated with several bands in the metal
scene (EDGUY, AFTER FOREVER, EPICA, KAMELOT, etc.) along with producers Sascha
Paeth and Miro, and co-wrote the rock opera "Aina". Her own music is of the
pop-rock genre and she is currently focusing on her solo career.

Remaining AVANTASIA tour dates:

Jul. 24 - Festivalul Peninsula - Tirgu Mures, Transylvania
Jul. 26 - Rockin Field Festival - Italy
Jul. 31 - Wacken Open Air - Wacken, Germany
Aug. 13 - Sziget Festival - Budapest, Hungary


MASTER mainman Paul Speckmann has posted the following message on the band's
MySpace page:

"Lemmy Kilmister, aka God, was and still is my biggest influence from the early
days when I began in WARCRY. There is no doubt that punk had a great influence
on DEATHSTRIKE and MASTER in the beginning, but after hearing my first
MOTÖRHEAD release called 'Ace Of Spades' in 1981, my life was forever changed.
I had the pleasure of seeing Lemmy with one of his first lineups featuring Fast
Eddie Clark as well as the legendary Philthy Animal Taylor at the Aragon
Ballroom in Chicago while they were supporting Ozzy on his first solo tour. This
was just shortly after the 'No Sleep Til Hammersmith' album was released. It was
evident at the time that the Chicago fans were still in the dark about
MOTÖRHEAD, as only the first eight rows of fans were on their feet, the rest
were sitting and waiting for the Prince Of Darkness. Up until this moment I had
always regarded bassists that used a pick as real wimps. Lemmy changed my
opinion on that particular evening.
Before this, I was trying to emulate the skills of Steve Harris and really
concentrated on my chops. After seeing Lemmy take the stage, I realized that
image plays an important part of the show. Lemmy just had a strong image and
attitude on this particular evening. I laugh at the bands today as the metal
scene has been invaded by short-haired wimps. I mean, you look back at the early
Seventies when the long-haired freaks like SABBATH and DEEP PURPLE reigned
supreme, and you have to wonder what happened to image. Today, a bunch of
short-haired sissies reign supreme. Of course, even the punk rockers have always
had some sort of image. I remember seeing Wattie Buchan from THE EXPLOITED in
Chicago in the early days, with spit trickling down his face and hanging from
his mohawk. Wattie had an attitude as well. Today the record companies just
support trendy bullshit. It's a bunch of rich kids that don't know the struggles
of life and hard work. I went out and
bought 'Bomber' and 'Overkill' shortly afterward. I went and saw many
MOTÖRHEAD concerts after this first time during the beginnings of my various
bands. I would see Lemmy again on tour with MERCYFUL FATE and the opener called
EXCITER a few years later, and Mr. Kilmister would take the stage and talk
negatively about KING DIAMOND, the makeup, and the Satanic bullshit, as he
called it, right on the stage. What I liked about this was that Lemmy wasn't
afraid to speak his mind, even right there on the stage. I have always felt that
free speech is an important freedom and it should be practiced wherever and
whenever necessary. At this time, I agreed with Lemmy, but I went to the
after-show party on that very evening and spoke for an hour with the King over a
bottle of wine, and years later began to appreciate King Diamond. My attitude
has changed over the years regarding many bands. Some music is like a fine wine,
and appreciates with age as do people
sometimes. I would learn another aspect of professionalism from Lemmy once
again. I walked into the Aragon Ballroom just before the recording of 'Another
Perfect Day', and I would see this funny-looking red-haired goofball take the
stage alongside Philthy and Lemmy. This comedian was dressed in a white jogging
outfit and proceeded to fuck up about fifty percent of the set. I would watch
Lemmy as he whispered in Brian Robertson's ear at the time when the change came.
MOTÖRHEAD played old rock'n'roll songs as it was evident that Brian Robertson
didn't know very many MOTÖRHEAD tracks and more than once fucked the ones up
that he knew. Lemmy completely played it cool during this fiasco. A true
professional was seen on this difficult evening. I have had some similar
experiences in the past and learned from Lemmy that it's best to be cool or more
mistakes will happen and the nightmare will continue. 'Another Perfect Day' was
a killer album for me anyway,
but opinions are like assholes, everybody has one. Many of the German critics
have said that MASTER are the MOTÖRHEAD of death metal, and I have to smile at
this. Could it be the bullets? I think not. I suppose it's the opinion that less
is more. What I have always appreciated about Lemmy and MOTÖRHEAD is the
ability to write simplistic, aggressive, heavy riffs with cool changes tying
them together. In today's world, everyone is trying to be the fastest and most
technical. The energy is lost among many of today's heavyweights of the metal
genre. It's sort of like a technical ballet and the energy is lost. We live in a
crazy chaotic world with problems stemming from idiots that run governments and
control our destinies. This is not time for a ballet. True, honest music is what
I am all about and MOTÖRHEAD is true honest music for me.

"I used to work at a company in Los Angeles called Load, Lock 'N' Roll, and
MOTÖRHEAD stored their gear at the storage part of the moving company. I
remember meeting Philthy for the first time. He got on the caretaker Rich
Sneider's phone with Lemmy and they were arguing about the original drum cases
that Philthy wanted back. Needless too say, Lemmy won the argument. I tried to
convince the 35-kilo strung-out drummer to go upstairs with me and jam on Mikkey
Dee's drumset, but he would have no part of it. Even the second time when he
visited, when I mentioned the name MOTÖRHEAD, he left the building. I would go
to see MOTÖRHEAD in Los Angeles the same year and my friend would smoke a joint
mixed with tobacco and leave me at the venue. I went backstage with roadie Pap,
and Lemmy would tell me that Rich left. Lemmy was totally cool with the
situation where many others would have had an attitude about me bugging them
backstage. I also met Mikkey Dee at a
concert in Chicago once and asked him about his silly stint with DOKKEN as he
was pissing in the urinal next too me. He exploded and said that DOKKEN was the
best band he'd ever played with, and that he'd learned more from DOKKEN than
from KING DIAMOND or MOTÖRHEAD. I left with a smile. I have too say that I have
had the pleasure of seeing Lemmy and the boys numerous times in their history
and respect is the key word here. I have nothing but the utmost respect for
these legends called MOTÖRHEAD.

"I truly hope that Lemmy and MOTÖRHEAD will live forever."

VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum has checked in with the following update:

"Hello one and all,

Much love from Velvet Revolver world and thanks for stickin' with us. Hope you
all like the look of our new MySpace. Slash, Duff, Dave and myself felt it was
time to freshen up and get ready for a new beginning. We have been in writing
mode again and the future looks bright. Please stay close to the site and
VelvetRevolver.com for updates.

We will be ready to Rock for you again very soon!!!!"

Best,
Matt Sorum


The city of a 1000 bands - a place built on music and creative spirit can now be
seen with the Dublin Rock 'N' Roll Bus Tour. Featured on the journey is THIN
LIZZY mainman Phil Lynott’s Statue, RORY GALLAGHER Way and the U2 Wall.
Enthusiasts can also discover the history of Dublin and Irish Music &
Literature.

The 1 hour 15 minute panoramic and audiovisual experience leaves daily from
Westmoreland St. at 10:30, 12:30 14:30, 16:30 and 18:30. Ticket Prices: €15.
Private tours are also available.

For more info:
P: +353 1 620 3929
Email: bookings@....
Website: www.dublinrocktour.ie

DEVILDRIVER, the Santa Barbara, California-baed band led by former COAL CHAMBER
frontman Dez Fafara, has issued the following update:

"An experienced touring and session drummer in the metal scene, Kevin Talley
will be joining us for Ozzfest. Talley recently finished a new record with his
current band DAATH, due out this fall. He has recorded and/or toured with DYING
FETUS, CHIMAIRA, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, THE RED CHORD, HATE ETERNAL, M.O.D.,
MISERY INDEX and SUFFOCATION."

Ozzfest organizers confirmed earlier in May through a post at the official web
site that the festival, a touring event for more than a decade, will transform
into a "destination festival" this summer. OZZY OSBOURNE and METALLICA will
headline the event on August 9 at Pizza Hut Park in Dallas. Also appearing on
the main stage are SERJ TANKIAN, KORN singer Jonathan Davis, HELLYEAH, CAVALERA
CONSPIRACY, SHADOWS FALL, APOCALYPTICA, IN THIS MOMENT and what's being billed
as an "all-star tribute" to slain PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag"
Darrell Abbott.

DEVILDRIVER's current studio album, "The Last Kind Words", sold a little more
than 14,000 copies during its first week of release to debut at No. 48 on The
Billboard 200 chart. This figure represented around a 40 percent increase over
the opening-week number of 2005's "The Fury of Our Maker's Hand", which
premiered at No. 177 with sales of 10,400.


Kevin Crush of Edmonton Alberta, Canada's Edmonton Sun reports: Gene Simmons
doesn't know it yet, but his legendary rock band had a major role in helping to
solve the mysterious discovery of a man's remains in Vegreville.

And now friends and relatives of Robin Douglas Goodwin, who would have turned 47
in February, want to thank the tongue-wagging KISS frontman.

It all started last Nov. 3, when the body of an unknown man was discovered in a
wooded area near Vegreville.

Eleven days later, RCMP (Royal Canadian Mounted Police) released several photos
in an attempt to identify the man.

The pictures showed a denim jacket with several badges — including several for
KISS.

"Once I saw the jacket I knew that was my friend's jacket," said Ken Peterson,
who grew up with Goodwin in rural Saskatchewan.

"There (are) not too many people who have that amount of badges all on one denim
jacket."

He’s the little hunched one. The sinister gnome-like character in the
background, dressed in raven black, features hidden under a crinkled top hat.
Like some cartoon villain, he at times resembles the dour Wednesday from the
Addams Family, but for all the notoriety of his fellow band members, Mick
Mars’ monstrous slide-work and signature guitar riffs make him the quiet man
behind Mötley Crüe’s sleezy brand of glam rock, an act that is now
celebrating their 27th Anniversary with a new album Saints Of Los Angeles.

Mars is calling from Jones Beach, halfway between New Jersey and New York, in
the midst of CRÜE FEST, a massive American stadium tour dubbed ‘The Loudest
Show On Earth’ and the latest branch of the Mötley Crüe franchise. So then,
should we be imagining the guitarist in stately repose, occupying the spa bath
of some plush suite, surrounded by buxom young bikinied ladies, just like the
Crüe of legend would suggest? “If that’s what you want to think, then I’m
not phased.” chuckles the guitarist. “It’s actually nowhere near as
exciting as you might imagine – I’m just here hanging out with my girlfriend
having coffee. She’s from Sweden,” he adds as an afterthought. “Just
mellowing out. I tried to prep myself before a show, and not get too wound up,
so when I go onstage I can be real relaxed.”

Saints Of Los Angeles is the first Crüe record in almost ten years featuring
the original line-up. How does he feel it stacks up against their back
catalogue? “Most of it, I really like,” muses Mars. “There’s a couple of
songs on there, like every album that we’ve done, that I call ‘fillers’.
But for the majority, I think it’s a really good direction and step that
we’ve taken.”

The process for writing and recording was a different one for the band this time
– rather than rehearsing and jamming the songs as a normal band, individual
schedules forbade it, so most of records came together in the studio after Mars
and bassist Nikki Sixx (the band’s prevalent songwriters) assembled the songs
piecemeal. “It was mainly constructed in the studio as a couple of the other
guys had prior commitments to do other things, so Nikki and I did a lot of
writing, along with James Michael and DJ Ashba (Sixx’s partners in the SIXX
A.M project), using ProTools. It meant that we got to explore a lot of our ideas
without any limitations. In the old days, we’d rehearse and then sit down to
record it, and if we went ‘oh, I wonder what it would sound like if put the
chorus where the verse is’ then we’d have to re-record it. Nowadays, you can
just chop it, move it around, listen and go ‘oh no, that sucks’ or ‘yeah,
that works’, you
know? It gave us a lot more freedom.”

Part of the band’s infamous legacy of excess is also their reputation for
infighting and some serious tantrum-throwing. What does the guitarist put down
to the fact, that even after all the internal bickering and members coming and
going, the original Mötley Crüe have ultimately been drawn back together in
the end? “I think from the very beginning, even back in the early ‘80s when
we were really naïve, our goal back was to be like the Stones and stay
together,” he says. “But what we didn’t know about was all the rough spots
along the way; drugs, alcohol abuse, egotistical stuff….but now, we’ve all
reached a point where all four of us know where home is – and that’s Mötley
Crüe. Generally, I think we all share that goal now, and it also okay for us
all now to go off and do other things, experiment, have solo projects, but
there’s always something in our minds saying ‘ this is our real gig, right
here.’”

Mick says the Crüe are like brothers, and as such there is always also going to
be squabbling. So as for avoiding falling back into conditioned behaviour and
old patterns, especially when they’re on the road in each others space all the
time, he says it is par for the course. “I think there’s nothing wrong with
it. Everybody’s human, and there are days when we’re all being a complete
ass, having a bad day or whatever. But we’ve learnt to cope with that, because
we all know each other really well. We still make mistakes, but the bottom line
is we understand each other a lot better now than we used to.”

Making things easier, Mars no longer parties as hard these days. “The other
guys have some fun, but Nikki and I have girlfriends that we really love, and
although that might sound wimpy, it’s just we choose not to,” he says.
“Put it this way, I have things I like to think about more than feeling bad
the next day from getting high.”

Perhaps it’s just the perception of the fans, but as the older one in the band
– Mars turned 57 in May – the guitarist always seemed to be the one above
all the petty squabbling the other members indulged in, the one thinking
‘can’t we all just get along and make this about the music?’ Would this be
an accurate reading? “You got it exactly right,” he says, laughing. “But
they’re slowly catching up – now they know what it’s like to be 48. Now
it’s like ‘oh, now we know what old Mick was talking about!’”

Mar’s slide guitar and bluesy approach to heavy rock has been an integral part
of the Crüe’s sound – has he ever considered returning to his roots and
making a blues album? “Absolutely, and I am going to do that,” the guitarist
enthuses. “My plans are a little different from what the other guys in the
band have done with their solo stuff. Have you heard the albums Pet Sounds by
the Beach Boys, or the Beatle’s Sergeant Peppers or Electric Ladyland by Jimi
Hendrix? Those albums have something more to them that just the music, something
special that stands out. What I wanna do is record with a lot of my friends who
I’ve met over the years, a bunch of really different talented musicians, to
all come in and do something. Different singers, guitar players, bass players
from all types of bands – kinda like what Hendrix did on Electric Ladyland –
and then I’m gonna record it at Electric Ladyland studios, and you can only
get it on
vinyl,” he laughs. “I’ve got it all worked out.”

Back in the early 2000, things weren’t so rosy for Mars. The band were on
permanent hiatus, he was beset by financial woes and virtually broke, and to
make things worse, the guitarist was in the midst of depression due to a
progressive lifelong arthritic condition called called Ankylosing Spondylitis.
So debilitating was it, at one point, Mars was reported to have given up playing
guitar. Needless to say, he’s happy and relieved to be back friends with his
instrument once more. “It took a while, with this stupid condition,” he says
glumly, adding that the litany of painkillers and “quick-fix medication” he
was prescribed by doctors actually ended up exacerbating the illness and
preventing him from recovering. “I kept getting worse and worse, and I just
stopped playing guitar for almost two years. Nowadays, it’s not so bad, but
back then when I was high on all that stuff and Mötley were having a break, I
knew if I didn’t stop I was
gonna die. In the end, I have to go to a neuro-psychiatrist to straighten me up
and he said to me ‘just hold the guitar for an hour a day – don’t play it,
just hold it.’” Mars can now laugh at the memory, “It was pretty bizarre
but I got through it, and in the end I think I’m actually a better player
because of it.”

It’s been suggested that the self-titled Mötley Crüe album recorded in 1994
with John Corabi on vocals (after original frontman Vince Neil was
unceremoniously dumped in 1992) is actually the band’s best work. Mötley
Crüe had an ambitious musicality to it, and it seemed for the first time the
band had actually stretched themselves to construct an album unlike anything
they’d done before. Far from being insulted (Neil is now back in the band, and
new album getting mixed reviews), Mars is delighted. “Absolutely!” he says,
happily agreeing. “I feel the same. That Corabi album was like really, really
good to me. It was a step away and above anything we’d done before, and a lot
more guitar-orientated. It was heavy, it had great songs. To me, I think that
when people like yourself come to understand and listen to that album they’ll
also go ‘wow, that is the best Mötley record!’ It’s my favourite as well,
so thank you!”

Unfortunately, whether it was a case of Mötley Crüe releasing that album in
the midst of the grunge-era, when they were regarded as relics of the hair-metal
glam, or just bad timing, the Corabi album tanked sales-wise. Mars is
philosophical about it now. “I think a lot of Mötley fans…and I don’t
like this comparison, but it’s the only one I can think of….thought it was
like going to see The Beatles without one of the Beatles. The fans just
couldn’t see John in the band…and maybe if Vince had sung on it, it would be
up there with one of all-time albums, who knows?”

How does Mars respond to the cynics who might suggest that this new album is
just another cash-in on the recent romantic resurgence of Mötley Crüe’s
popularity and infamy, another product to be flogged, in the same way Kiss have
flogged a dead horse all these years? “I would probably say ‘umm, talk to
Mick Jagger.’” He laughs. “No, that isn’t the case at all. Look at Mick,
he’s still up there doing it like he’s 16 years old, and that’s not for
money, that’s cos he loves it. That’s the same with us – we love what we
do. It’s not about exploiting our legacy. How can you exploit something which
is already a house-hold name, you know? We do this because we want to – we
really sat down together and thought this album out, in the same way as we
worked together to make this Crüe Fest even more special for the fans. It’s
not about the money. We’ve made millions and could all retire now if we
wanted…but fuck that! We do it
because we love it.”

On a final note, when the much-rumoured film of The Dirt, Neil Strauss’
notorious biography of Mötley Crüe, is finally released – what famous actor
would Mars like to see play him? “I wanna go hand-pick some bum that I find
under the Santa Monica Pier,” he laughs heartily. “That would be perfect,
but if Paramount wanted us to choose some legitimate actor, then I would have to
go with Johnny Depp…I reckon he could play me pretty well.”


GORGEOUS FRANKENSTEIN, the band led by ex-MISFITS axeman Doyle Von Frankenstein,
will embark on a U.S./Canadian tour in August/September. Support on the trek
will come from goth punk veterans BELLA MORTE.

Confirmed dates are as follows:

Aug. 15 - Jaxx - Springfield, Virginia
Aug. 16 - Masquerade - Atlanta, Georgia
Aug. 17 - Mercy Lounge - Nashville, Tennessee
Aug. 18 - One Eyed Jacks - New Orleans, Louisiana
Aug. 19 - Rock Bottom - San Antonio, Texas
Aug. 20 - Granada Theater - Dallas, Texas
Aug. 22 - Jillian's Of Las Vegas - Las Vegas, Nevada
Aug. 23 - Crash Mansion - Los Angeles, California
Aug. 24 - DNA Lounge - San Francisco, California
Aug. 26 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, Oregon
Aug. 27 - El Corazon - Seattle, Washington
Aug. 29 - Oriental Theater - Denver, Colorado
Aug. 30 - Record Bar - Kansas City, Missouri
Aug. 31 - Three Floyds - Munster, Indiana
Sep. 01 - Pops Nightclub - Sauget (St Louis), Illinois
Sep. 02 - Buzzbomb Club - Chicago, Illinois
Sep. 03 - I-Rock Nightclub - Detroit, Michigan
Sep. 04 - Peabodys - Cleveland, Ohio
Sep. 05 - New Alhambra Arena - Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep. 06 - Crocodile Rock - Allentown, Pennsylvania
Sep. 07 - BB King's Blues Club - New York, New York
Sep. 09 - Les Foufounes Electriques - Montreal, Quebec
Sep. 10 - The Opera House - Toronto, Ontario
Sep. 12 - Montage Music Hall - Rochester, New York

GORGEOUS FRANKENSTEIN's debut album was produced by Glenn Danzig and was
released through Glenn's label, Evilive. According to Glenn, he and Doyle
recorded "eight blood-curdling tracks" that include "Man or Monster",
"Devilgirl", "Reverse of God", and "Made In Hell". The two played all
instruments on the album.

According to the Press-Register, BUCKCHERRY will headline the "hard rock" day at
BayFest 2008 on Saturday, October 4 in downtown Mobile, Alabama.

The day's schedule for the Pepsi Stage includes SAVING ABEL, SHINEDOWN, PUDDLE
OF MUDD, and AVENGED SEVENFOLD.

BayFest 2008 opens Oct. 3 in downtown Mobile and runs through Oct. 5, with music
on three major stages and several smaller ones.

Tickets go on sale August 1 at Bayfest.com.

BUCKCHERRY recently released a "dirty viral video" for its new song "Too
Drunk…". Watch it below.

"Too Drunk…" made its way online earlier in the month, with evidence
suggesting that it was an intentional "leak" by the band's management. The track
is a BUCKCHERRY original and not a cover of the notorious tune "Too Drunk to
Fuck" by hardcore act the DEAD KENNEDYS.

BUCKCHERRY's new album, titled "Black Butterfly", will be released on September
23. The title of the band's last effort, "15", was taken from the amount of days
it took the group to record the CD. Singer Josh Todd told The Pulse of Radio
that the band had a different reason for choosing "Black Butterfly". "We just
thought it was a great iconic image," he said. "It was actually one of the songs
that didn't make the record that we really liked. I've kind of been obsessed
with butterflies lately and we just wanted to have, like, kind of an iconic
image like we did on our first record, 'cause we always loved that first record
cover, you know, and we've been trying to beat it since we started making
records, you know."

"Black Butterfly" will arrive almost a month earlier in Japan, on August 27.

BUCKCHERRY is currently on the road with MÖTLEY CRÜE's Crüe Fest tour, which
stops on Tuesday (July 22) in Houston.

BUCKCHERRY released "15" just over two years ago, beginning a comeback that saw
the band play 300 shows and sell over one million copies of the record.



MOTÖRHEAD will reportedly team up with VALIENT THORR, MISFITS, AIRBOURNE and
YEAR LONG DISASTER for a U.S. tour later this summer. So far the following dates
have been released:

Sep. 03 - House of Blues - San Diego, California
Sep. 04 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 06 - The Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, Colorado
Sep. 07 - Harrah's N. Kansas City Voodoo - N.Kansas City, Missouri
Sep. 09 - The Pageant - St. Louis, Missouri
Sep. 10 - Orpheum Theatre - Madison, Wisconsin
Sep. 12 - Myth - St. Paul, Minnesota
Sep. 13 - The Orbit Room - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Sep. 18 - Rams Head Live - Baltimore, Maryland
Sep. 19 - The Electric Factory - Philidelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep. 20 - Roseland Ballroom - New York, New York
Sep. 21 - Stone Pony Parking Lot - Asbury Park, New Jersey

Scuzz TV conducted an interview with MOTÖRHEAD at this year's Download
festival, which was held June 13-15 at Donington Park, Leicestershire, UK. Watch
the chat below.

MOTÖRHEAD mainman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister was IRON MAIDEN frontman Bruce
Dickinson's guest last Friday night (July 11) during Bruce's weekly BBC 6 Music
radio show, aptly named "The Bruce Dickinson Friday Rock Show". Listen to a
replay of the program at BBC.co.uk.

Keep It True XII takes place April 24th and 25th, 2009 in Lauda-Königshofen,
Germany at the Tauberfrankenhalle.

Organizers check in with the following update:

"We wanted to remind you, that on July 24th, 2008 (Thursday) the presale for
Keep It True XII will start. As always the tickets are limited to 2,000 and like
last time should sell out really fast, so do not waste no time to be part of it.

We won't accept orders before July 24th so that everybody will have the same
chance to get their ticket. People attending this weekends Headbangers Open Air
can also get their tickets directly from Oliver Weinsheimer or the Hellion
Records stand there. There will be tickets for Keep It True XI, Keep It True XII
and Thrash Assault 3 available.

The lineup for Keep It True XII is as follows: ARMORED SAINT, LIZZY BORDEN,
HITTMAN, ABATTOIR, TYRANT, EXXPLORER, LIVING DEATH, ZOUILLE & HANTSON, EXUMER,
RIGOR MORTIS, RUTHLESS, MILITIA, HELL (3 original members plus Andy Sneap and
Martin Walkyier), THE GATES OF SLUMBER, ATLANTEAN KODEX, ASKA, MELTDOWN, IN
SOLITUDE, DEJA VU.

Go to Keep-it-true.de or Myspace.com/keepittruefestival for more information.


Guitarist ALEX GROSSI (pictured), of QUIET RIOT and BEAUTIFUL CREATURES, will be
joining SKID ROW for the following shows:

July
24 - Rock The Park - London, ON - with SAMMY HAGAR
25 - Pickle Park - Findley, MN
26 - Dakota Rock Fest - Sioux Falls, SD


Hard-rock heroes AVENGED SEVENFOLD have announced fall headlining tour dates
beginning September 9 and co-headlining dates with BUCKCHERRY kicking off in
mid-September. AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BUCKCHERRY will alternate as headliners,
with SHINEDOWN and SAVING ABEL filling out the bill.

On September 9, AVENGED SEVENFOLD will release a DVD/CD package, entitled "Live
in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough". The live DVD features the band's April 10
hometown show at the Long Beach Arena headlining the Rockstar Taste of Chaos
tour, while the CD contains previously unreleased b-sides that were recorded
during the making of "Avenged Sevenfold", plus various covers, and other
never-before-heard material. The DVD was directed by Core Entertainment's Rafa
Alcantara, who also worked on the band's critically acclaimed 2007 road
documentary "All Excess".

The track-listing for "Live in the LBC & Diamonds in the Rough" is as follows:

CD:

01. Demons
02. Girl I Know
03. Crossroads
04. Flash of the Blade
05. Until the End
06. Tension
07. Walk
08. The Fight
09. Dancing Dead
10. Almost Easy (Remix)
11. Afterlife (Alternate version)

DVD:

01. Critical Acclaim
02. Second Heartbeat
03. Afterlife
04. Beast and Harlot
05. Scream
06. Seize the Day
07. Walk
08. Bat Country
09. Almost Easy
10. Gunslinger
11. Unholy Confessions
12. A Little Piece of Heaven

AVENGED SEVENFOLD have raised hell on the fourth annual Rockstar Taste of Chaos
massively successful arena tour and are currently in the middle of a European
tour with rock legends IRON MAIDEN. The band is touring behind its latest
self-produced, self-titled album, which topped the Billboard Alternative, Hard,
and Rock charts the week after its release. The follow-up to 2005's
million-selling "City of Evil", "Avenged Sevenfold" also debuted at No. 4 on the
Billboard Top 200, marking the biggest sales week ever for the quintet. The
album's first single, "Almost Easy", was a Top 10 hit at Active Rock, went Top
20 at Alternative, and was the No. 1 most played video on Fuse.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD headlining dates:

Sep. 06 - Huntington, WV - WAMX Festival
Sep. 09 - Quebec City, QC - Pavilon de la Jeunesse
Sep. 10 - Montreal, QC - Metropolis
Sep. 11 - Toronto, ON - Sound Academy
Sep. 13 - Chicago, IL - Q101 Block Party

Co-headlining dates with BUCKCHERRY:

Sep. 16 - Moline, IL - iWireless Center
Sep. 18 - Sioux Falls, SD - Canaries Stadium
Sep. 19 - Kansas City, MO - Sandstone Amphitheatre
Sep. 22 - Lincoln, NE - Pershing Auditorium
Sep. 23 - Wichita, KS - Kansas Coliseum
Sep. 24 - Tulsa, OK - Riverparks
Sep. 26 - Huntsville, AL - Big Spring Jam
Sep. 30 - Clemson, SC - Littlejohn Coliseum
Oct. 04 - Mobile, AL - Bayfest

More dates will be announced soon.


Singer Steve Lomax, guitarist Mal Bruk and drummer Phil Martini of the London,
England-based rock band TOKYO DRAGONS will be the featured guests on UK's "The
Rock Show" on Sunshine Radio with Jeff Collins on Sunday, July 27 between 6:00
p.m. and 9:00 p.m. (UK time).

You can listen to the program via the Internet at www.sunshine-radio.net.

TOKYO DRAGONS recently announced plans to disband after releasing two
full-length albums — 2005's "Give Me The Fear" and 2007's "Hot Nuts".

"Hot Nuts" was recorded at Seattle's legendary Litho (owned by PEARL JAM's Stone
Gossard) and Avast studios with producer Kurt Bloch (NASHVILLE PUSSY,
SUPERSUCKERS).


MOTÖRHEAD will team up with MISFITS, VALIENT THORR, AIRBOURNE and YEAR LONG
DISASTER for the "Volcom 2008" tour later this summer. So far the following
dates have been released:

Sep. 03 - House of Blues - San Diego, California (no MISFITS)
Sep. 04 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, Nevada
Sep. 06 - The Fillmore Auditorium - Denver, Colorado
Sep. 07 - Harrah's N. Kansas City Voodoo - N.Kansas City, Missouri
Sep. 09 - The Pageant - St. Louis, Missouri
Sep. 10 - Orpheum Theatre - Madison, Wisconsin
Sep. 12 - Myth - St. Paul, Minnesota
Sep. 13 - The Orbit Room - Grand Rapids, Michigan
Sep. 18 - Rams Head Live - Baltimore, Maryland
Sep. 19 - The Electric Factory - Philidelphia, Pennsylvania
Sep. 20 - Roseland Ballroom - New York, New York
Sep. 21 - Stone Pony Parking Lot - Asbury Park, New Jersey

Scuzz TV conducted an interview with MOTÖRHEAD at this year's Download
festival, which was held June 13-15 at Donington Park, Leicestershire, UK. Watch
the chat below.

MOTÖRHEAD will release its new album, entitled "Motörizer", through SPV
Records on the following dates:

USA: August 26
Germany: August 29
Rest of Europe: September 1

The follow-up to 2006's "Kiss of Death" was recorded in part (drums only) at FOO
FIGHTERS frontman/ex-NIRVANA drummer Dave Grohl's Studio 606 in Northridge,
California with producer Cameron Webb, who also worked on "Kiss of Death" and
2004's "Inferno".

"Motörizer" track listing:

01. (Teach You How To) Sing The Blues
02. Time Is Right
03. Heroes
04. Runaround Man
05. English Rose
06. Rock Out
07. 1000 Names
08. When The Eagle Screams
09. Don't Die Ashamed
10. Back On The Chain
11. Buried Alive


The Pulse of Radio reports: MUDVAYNE's MySpace page has recently changed, with
all the usual features going away and replaced by a simple, riff-heavy music
loop and a black screen that displays a message in bursts of static. The message
reads, "It's happening. It's coming. Are you ready?" This is the first sign of
activity in a while from the Illinois-based band, whose fourth studio album was
initially slated to come out late last year and was subsequently bumped to an
unspecified release date while the group recorded additional music. According to
Harddrive Radio, management has said that the yet-to-be-titled disc could now
surface in November.

Drummer Matt McDonough told The Pulse of Radio recently that he's been concerned
about staying in shape during the band's long layoff. "Yeah, I'm not getting any
younger, so I love to run, I've got a nice elliptical here at my house, but
nothing compares to being onstage and playing my drums," he said. "I mean, you
can sit down at a kit by yourself in your basement and it's just — the energy
isn't the same. And I don't think you, for me, I don't play the same way. So I'm
a little nervous about going back onstage again. It's gonna be some work to get
my stage legs."

MUDVAYNE's last all-new studio effort, "Lost and Found", came out over three
years ago.

The quartet issued a collection of fan-selected rarities called "By The People,
For The People" in 2007. It featured one new track called "Dull Boy" (see video
below).

MUDVAYNE was initially rumored as one of the big acts on this summer's Rockstar
Energy Mayhem tour, which is co-headlined by DISTURBED and SLIPKNOT, but those
plans never materialized.

Singer Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett spent most of last year and the
first part of 2008 touring with their other group, HELLYEAH, which also includes
members of PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN and NOTHINGFACE.


Legendary British/American heavy metal trio RAVEN has scheduled a September 13
concert at L'Amour in Staten Island, New York. The group's schedule is now
shaping up as follows:

Aug. 23 - Safari Sam's - Hollywood, CA (w/ HIRAX, HATCHET)
Sep. 12 - The Sterling House - Allentown, PA
Sep. 13 - L'Amour - Staten Island, NY


Ivan Chopik of Guitar Messenger conducted an interview with MESHUGGAH guitarist
Mårten Hagström at the 10th annual New England Metal and Hardcore Festival in
Worcester, Massachusetts in late April. A couple of excerpts from the chat
follow.

Guitar Messenger: MESHUGGAH has been getting significantly more media attention
and gaining new fans with the latest release. What do you think sets "obZen"
apart from the last couple of albums?

Mårten: For me, that's a real tough one to answer, because of the obvious fact
that I'm not 100% sure why people are into a certain record at all. You never
know. We're always experimental in one way or another, trying to come up with
shit we find cool. In reality, since we've gone back for the first time in a
bunch of years to a regular song structure and having the songs be a bit more
direct and with a little bit more aggression back in it — I think just going
back to that format makes it more accessible than it used to be for a long time.
And maybe people have adjusted to us, as well. Through the years, people have
been saying "Oh, that's kind of an oddball band." But people are slowly getting
used to that, I guess (laughs).

Guitar Messenger: You started out with a strong thrash influence, and arrived at
a more groove-based technical sound that we've come to know as MESHUGGAH. Having
been on this path for the last three or four of albums, where do you see your
sound going from here on out? Where would you like to take it?

Mårten: As far as I where I see it going, I have no clue. I don't think any of
us have a clue. Because, in all honesty, whenever you're finished with an album
and look back on it — it's a very rare thing that you had a preconceived
notion of what it was going to be. So whatever's going to happen next is going
to be whatever we're gonna feel like after coming off of touring for this album.
Because that's what always happens. We go back home, we take a break, and then
things just fall into place. We're pretty rigid with our sound. We tweak our
sound a little bit, but we're within our own bubble — we produce and write our
stuff. It's just a matter of what kind of mindset we're gonna be in at the time.
I couldn't read the title of it, though.

Guitar Messenger: What's the typical writing process like?

Mårten: If you're talking about "Chaosphere", it was done in a different way,
but the general way is that you come up with an idea — "Oh, cool thing. We
should go do something like that." You hear it in your head and you sit down and
record it on the computer and program drums and stuff like that. The cool thing
is that kind of makes it so that we're so into the whole process, that you never
really lift your head. So we really are one of those bands — we never jam on
tour or write stuff on tour. It's at home. When we're at home and working
together, we just bury ourselves in our little bubble, in our studio — and
that's it.

Guitar Messenger: How do you approach all the polyrhythms in your music? I've
actually sat down and tried to count out some of those overlying patterns —
they're outrageous. Do you approach them separately?

Mårten: Ninety percent of the time I approach it the way you would when playing
a blues. Because everybody knows the blues and it's a natural motion of
something, but it's fairly set down so everybody can just pick it up. The thing
is, I try not to think of it as rhythmic figures that start there and then stop,
and then start again. It's how the figure sounds different, and works in a
different way and moves as far as how it's grooving towards the 4/4 — that's
everything. Some parts are difficult to learn, especially if you didn't write
them yourself. They might not come as natural to you, so in the learning process
you might break it down into numbers so you can get a view of what's actually
down there, as far as what you're gonna do. But the way the music sounds to you
is how it moves through the 4/4.

Guitar Messenger: What have been some high points and low points throughout your
career?

Mårten: Low points: well, there's always a bunch of low points in a career
that's this long. We've had our share of bad luck, especially back in the day
— cut off fingers and shit like that. Fredrik cut his finger off and had to
sew it back on [points to his left ring finger]; Tomas split his finger once…
We've been having some accidents, man, involving hands. Peter, our first bass
player, got sick and had to leave the band — the regular stuff you go through
in your career, but it's kind of a bum-out when it happens. High points:
whenever you release an album and feel satisfied with it. Getting to tour with
TOOL — that was a great tour, we had a lot of fun. It was great being out with
SLAYER. We've been lucky with tours, man. So touring's gotta be the high point,
I think.

Guitar Messenger: Some of the original bands that you were influenced by now
claim to be influenced by you — like METALLICA, for example.

Mårten: Yeah, METALLICA — those guys were the shit when we were growing up. I
still have tremendous respect for them, and still play the old albums. It's hard
to even bother about stuff like that. Because, OK — somebody likes your stuff;
that's great, period. Whoever it is doesn't really matter. But it's cool, it's
just something that's kinda weird when you think about it — we try not to. So
we just do our stuff.

Vocalist Brian Fair of the Massachusetts metal band SHADOWS FALL has issued the
following update:

"There has been a ton of stuff going on so I just wanted to give everyone a
quick update on everything that is happening in the SHADOWS FALL universe.



"We have been in writing mode for the past few weeks and getting a little head
start on the new album while we had some down time. So far, we have the
skeletons of two songs coming together, with a third on the way. I am not sure
where things will head in the future, but these songs are definitely on the fast
and technical side of the SHADOWS FALL sound. Lots of changes, tons of thrash
riffs, and guitar solos galore. More updates on new material as things unfold.

"This weekend we are hopping on a plane headed to Calgary for the Monsters Of
Rock festival. The line up is absolutely insane. We cannot wait to tear it up on
the same stage as some of the greatest bands in metal. I will fill you in on all
the details when I get home next week. It is sure to be a rager. After Calgary,
we have stops in Korea for the Busan Rock Festival and Dallas for the second
Ozzfest date. These will be our only shows of the summer so make your travel
plans accordingly!!!

"You may have heard that the beast known as OVERCAST has risen from the grave to
once again unleash havoc upon the land!!! For those who don't know, OVERCAST was
the band I sang for before SHADOWS FALL. The record we recorded last year with
[producer] Adam D. [KILLSWITCH ENGAGE] is finally coming out on Metal Blade
Records on August 19th. To celebrate we will be playing shows on the East
Coast!! Not sure when it's going to happen again so get your ass to the shows!!
Hit the OVERCAST MySpace page for tour dates and info on the new album.

"In further side project news, TRANSIENT, the band I play guitar in, recently
finished a new demo that I will be posting on our myspace soon. I recorded it
myself in our practice space so it is pretty ghetto but gets the idea across.
Check it out when you are in a non-metal mood.

"That's it for now. I will be trying to have updates as often as possible so
keep checking back. I am off to watch my brand new Boston Celtics 2007-2008
Championship DVD that just arrived. Banner 17!!!!! We will see you on the road."


NWOBHM (New Wave of British Heavy Metal) legends CLOVEN HOOF have issued the
following update:

"CLOVEN HOOF were unable to appear at a charity show on 13th July. This was
because Jon Brown (drums) had sustained a hip injury. The band would like to
apologize to all the fans who went to the Liquid Room in Edinburgh and promise
there will be a chance for the faithful in Scotland to see the HOOF soon. Jon
has made a good recovery, and he is looking forward to the Metal Brew festival
in London on Saturday, July 26th. The event will take place at the Mill Hill
Rugby Club, Page Street, Mill Hill, London NW7 2EL (The festival is held on the
field outside the rugby bar). CLOVEN HOOF take to the stage at 10pm, and promise
the best set ever!"

CLOVEN HOOF was recently rejoined by guitarist Mick Powell. His first show back
with the group took place at JB's in Dudley on April 23.

The band re-recorded 24 of its classic songs for a two-part "best-of"
compilation, "The Definitive Part One" and "The Definitive Part Two".


CBS2.com reports: Marilyn Manson — sued for millions by a former band mate who
maintains the offbeat singer spent money belonging to the band partnership on
extravagant acquisitions — says he is the sole decision-maker when it comes to
the group's money.

Manson makes the assertions in a five-page declaration included in
hundreds of pages of documents his lawyers filed Friday in connection with an
Oct. 3 motion to dismiss ex-band keyboardist Stephen Bier's lawsuit on grounds
there are no triable issues.

Central to the litigation is whether steps were ever taken to dissolve the band
partnership. Manson maintains it ended 12 years ago, and Bier was an employee
after that.

VICIOUS RUMORS and PHANTOM-X have cancelled their participation in the Kansas
City Power Metal Fest 2008, set to take place August 8-9 at the The Riot Room in
Kansas City, Missouri. Newly added to the festival is AVENGER OF BLOOD.

The billing is now as follows:

Friday, August 8:

LEATHERWOLF
AVENGER OF BLOOD
SEVENTH CALLING
MEATSHANK
THE ARRET ZONE

Saturday, August 9:

MANILLA ROAD
WIDOW
TWELFTH GATE
SACRED DAWN
ANCIENT CREATION
A LOWER DEEP

Tickets for both nights are $10 in advance per night, or $12 day of show.
Tickets are available for pre-sale at www.ticketweb.com.

For more information, visit www.kcpmf.com.


W.A.S.P. mainman Blackie Lawless has issued the following statement:

"W.A.S.P. regret to announce that because of logistical and communication
problems, the upcoming shows scheduled for Spain on July 25th in Lorca and
Bilboa on the 26th have been cancelled. Originally, W.A.S.P. was scheduled to
perform on July 26th in Portugal at the Lagoa Festival. An announcement was made
by the festival that W.A.S.P. as well as other bands pulled out of the show
without giving a reason... this is not true! The fans in both Spain and Portugal
have supported W.A.S.P. from the beginning and we love you! We will return to
play for both soon!"

Remaining European W.A.S.P. shows are as follows:

Jul. 29 - Turku Festival - Turku, Finland
Jul. 31 - Pakkahuone - Tampere, Finland
Aug. 01 - Teatria - Oulu, Finland
Aug. 02 - Annka Rock Festival – Finland


Dean Zelinsky, founder of Dean Guitars, officially announced today that he has
parted ways with the company that he founded in 1976, which still bears his
name. (As first reported by BLABBERMOUTH.NET on May 8.)

Having sold Dean Guitars in 1991, Zelinsky played an integral part in the
brand's recent resurgence in popularity, effectively putting Dean Guitars back
in the limelight after becoming re-affiliated with the company in 2000, during
the tenure of its recent owners.

Zelinsky, discussing his not yet announced new venture, stated today, "I wanted
to get back to what put Dean on the map originally — building high-quality
instruments that shape both the image and tone of guitar players, from the
beginner to world-class professionals." Regarding Dean Guitars, Zelinsky says,
"I can no longer attach my name to the reputation, quality and direction of Dean
Guitars or its current objectives."

Zelinsky stated the announcement with details of his new venture will be
released on Tuesday, August 26, 2008.

Ohio.com reported in early May that the University of Arkansas had gained
licensing control over Dean's Razorback electric guitars, commemorating late
PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott who was killed during a
show in Columbus, Ohio.

Dean Guitars created the line and began selling the guitars after the 2004 death
of Abbott. He was known for performing with a razor blade around his neck.

In 2007, the university sued, claiming the Razorback guitar brand infringed on
the school's copyright. The Arkansas athletic teams bear the Razorback name.

A settlement filed on May 6, 2008 gave the university licensing control over the
guitars, but Dean gets to keep selling them.

Atlantic recording group BUCKCHERRY has announced early details of its fourth
album, "Black Butterfly". The LP, which follows 2006's RIAA platinum-certified
blockbuster "15", arrives in stores at all digital retailers on September 16.

The album — co-produced by longtime AEROSMITH collaborator Marti Frederiksen
(the co-writer of BUCKCHERRY's top 10 smash "Sorry") and BUCKCHERRY's own Keith
Nelson — will be offered in a standard CD package; a "limited fan club
edition" version, which comes with bonus tracks and a one-year membership to the
BUCKCHERRY fan club; and a "limited fan club edition" bundle which adds a "Black
Butterfly" T-shirt to the previous package.

"Black Butterfly" is now available for preorder via Buckcherry.com. Fans who
pre-order the "limited-edition fan pack" will receive the track "Too Drunk…"
at the time of their pre-order. The ringtone for the track is also available on
the band's web site.

The title of the band's last effort, "15", was taken from the amount of days it
took the group to record the CD. Singer Josh Todd told The Pulse of Radio that
the band had a different reason for choosing "Black Butterfly". "We just thought
it was a great iconic image," he said. "It was actually one of the songs that
didn't make the record that we really liked. I've kind of been obsessed with
butterflies lately and we just wanted to have, like, kind of an iconic image
like we did on our first record, 'cause we always loved that first record cover,
you know, and we've been trying to beat it since we started making records, you
know."

True road warriors, BUCKCHERRY will follow their current tour with a full-scale
co-headline tour alongside AVENGED SEVENFOLD, slated to kick off in
mid-September, running through the beginning of October.

BUCKCHERRY recently released a "dirty viral video" (see below) for the song "Too
Drunk…". "I just wanted something that was funky," noted Todd, "so we all
collaborated on it and turned it into something with a lot of space to breeze
along and tell a story."

"Too Drunk…" made its way online earlier in the month, with evidence
suggesting that it was an intentional "leak" by the band's management. The track
is a BUCKCHERRY original and not a cover of the notorious tune "Too Drunk to
Fuck" by hardcore act the DEAD KENNEDYS.