Noisecreep has issued the following report from Amy Sciarretto:

Longevity and evolution have been the keys to JUDAS PRIEST's success.

"We have a rich history and back catalog, but we're still making contributions,
like we did last year with our double CD, Nostradamus," Judas Priest vocalist
ROB HALFORD told Noisecreep.

"It's about how good you can be at what you do. We're not trapped in some of the
fashionable, disposable aspects of certain types of popular music. None of us
expected to be here all these years later, but we're thrilled. We're indebted to
the fans and it's a wonderful thing."

While the band will spend it's summer playing the entirety of British Steel
while on tour, it's not lost on Halford and his band that they could have very
well done the same thing with Nostradamus, a concept album that is based on the
prognostications of the ancient seer, since the lyrical material lends itself to
such an endeavor.

But it'd be a risky move, since fans always want to hear the hits.

When probed about whether or not Priest would do a Nostradamus set, Halford
said, "We would love to. In fact, we jumped the gun. We anticipated doing it
towards the end of this year. It will be a massive presentation and undertaking,
but we have no time to do it the way we want to, yet. So let us do British Steel
and at the end of this tour, we'll get into production mode to celebrate the new
album. We have great ideas and we'd love to present it, but it has to be a
special event environment. Nostradamus is a metal album and has a tremendous
amount of potential to be interpreted in different ways."

Yorkshire-born David Coverdale, 57, sang with Deep Purple and started
Whitesnake, working with the biggest names in rock over his career.
He lives in Lake Tahoe, Nevada, with his third wife, Cindy.
Whitesnake play the Download Festival on Sunday.
We’re big fans of Ted Nugent on 60secs –are you?
Whenever we see each other it’s very nice and respectful but, politically, we
couldn’t be further apart. I have been trying for, like, f***in’ ever to
find one of my favourite Ted songs – Little Miss Dangerous – and then it
came out on iTunes. So I definitely contributed to his killing and rampaging –
an extra bullet for 99 cents.
How long are you going to go on for?
It’s a dark question. I never thought I would have been in this business past
30.
Have you got a guilty karaoke song?
No I f***in’ don’t but my hairdresser is the king of karaoke. I told him to
stay clear of Bon Jovi songs because that’s a bit too high for his butchness.
And he disobeyed my guidance and paid the price for it in front of 60 of his
nearest and dearest. I think I did a Sinatra melody. It must have been instantly
forgettable because I completely forgot about it until right this second. But
that is my only karaoke experience other than signing off on agent stuff. It’s
actually big money these days to let them use your tunes.
Is it true you have a four-octave range?
I have no idea. I practise rock’n’roll ventriloquism: I throw the voice and
hopefully it gets there. It’s going very well, seeing that dogs can hear it. I
am delighted that I go from a whisper to a scream. Ritchie Blackmore said it is
a man’s voice and that’s a big compliment. I like having a man’s voice.
Any idea how many people have popped their cherry to Slide It In?
Certainly a lot of people in the media – reluctantly at times – tell me they
did. It’s also very good for pole dancing. All these things do not figure when
one’s putting these songs together. I am 58 this September, so I have got a
couple of good years left and I got a gold record for a new album in days when
you’re not supposed to be able to sell records. Somebody out there seems to
support The Snake.
Where did that name come from?
From my penis. If I had been from Africa it would have been Blacksnake. But, no,
it was actually a song I wrote in the dying embers of Deep Purple.
Didn’t the model on the Slide It In cover faint because of the snake?
There were actually two girls. The first one was 17 years old and she fainted
dead away. We had to get another model in to do the back cover. Basically the
press dictated the sexist response from Whitesnake. The more the press jumped on
that, the more I pushed back with the sexist aspect. Regardless, we had a very
high percentage of fine young ladies at our shows. They were the loudest singing
along to Slide It In, to be perfectly honest. A lot of other songs were
tongue-in-cheek stuff. And fortunately I had the substance of other songs to
forge a soon-to-be 40-year career.
What has been your most rock’n’ roll moment?
When we were in California we jammed with Deep Purple and we had this beautiful
private plane called the Starship and we had Warner Brothers sending movies that
hadn’t been released. We kept getting this message that somebody called Miss
Lovelace wanted to see us but we ignored it. We actually got on the plane and
took off and put on Deep Throat and only then found out who Linda Lovelace was.
That was a sad moment, but there you go.
If your hair fell out, would you retire or wear a wig?
I am blessed with a full head of hair – it’s actually a bit longer this year
– so it’s not something I think about.
Ever been asked to do a shampoo commercial?
Whitesnake’s Head & Shoulders. Are you kidding me? I can’t be bought.
According to Iomtoday.co.im, WHITESNAKE will be taking to the stage half an hour
later than planned tonight (Tuesday) to allow fans enough time to travel to the
Villa Marina in Douglas following the end of today's racing. The legendary rock
band will now be performing at 9.30pm on the outdoor stage.

The Department of Tourism and Leisure thanked the band for agreeing to the move.

Whitesnake will be supported by JETT BLACK who will be playing at 8pm and there
will be a break in the programme at 8.30pm to allow the audience to watch the
Red Arrows display over Douglas bay.

The RAF commentary on the display for the display, which is taking place 90
minutes later than originally scheduled following the revised TT timetable, will
be broadcast over the venue speaker system.

Gates will open at 7pm.

Tickets for the gig are still available, priced £35. They can be purchased from
the Welcome Centre at the Sea Terminal, the Villa Marina until 3pm and at the
Gaiety Theatre from 2pm.

Meanwhile, organisers of the Ramsey Sprint are reminding fans that it is going
ahead as planned today.

The organisers of the NSC children's cycling have confirmed it is still taking
place at the NSC, Douglas, at 6.45pm





The Sunflower Jam 2009 will take place on Thursday, September 24th at London W2.
Confirmed artists include: Ian Paice (DEEP PURPLE), Bruce Dickinson (IRON
MAIDEN), Micky Moody (ex-WHITESNAKE), Margo Buchanan (ex-PINK FLOYD) and Murray
Gould (ex-ELTON JOHN).

The concept of The Sunflower Jam was originally developed in 2006 by Jacky
Paice. All proceeds raised from the previous Sunflower Jam events held in 2006,
2007 and 2008 have gone to The Sam Buxton Sunflower Healing Trust.

Say organizers: "We have managed to raise just over £250,000.00! A figure we
are extremely proud of. Due to the generosity of all our friends who have
attended previous Sunflower Jam’s, we have been able to provide The Sam Buxton
Sunflower Healing Trust with a secure footing for the fantastic treatment and
support they provide. We know that all the money we have managed to raise will
go towards paying many therapists who work within both the Acute Cancer Care
Unit and Outpatient’s Department at the UCLH and other hospitals for many
years to come.

There are other area’s of alternative and holistic care that are offered to
cancer sufferers and Jacky feels she would now like to help raise awareness and
funds for a different charity that provides this type of care and support. For
this reason, The Sunflower Jam 2009 will be raising funds for the Holistic
Cancer Support and Research Fund set up and run by the Society for Complementary
Medicine. Registered Charity Number: 801128. Another charity that is very close
to Jacky’s heart."

For more info visit www.thesunflowerjam.com.

Legendary singer PAUL RODGERS (BAD COMPANY, ex-QUEEN) spoke with Chauncey Mabe
from Sun-sentinel.com recently about a number of topics including his roots.

Rodgers grew up in the northern English town of Middlesbrough idolizing American
blues and soul singers like MUDDY WATERS, HOWLIN' WOLF, ELMORE JAMES and SAM &
DAVE. Over the years, he's had the chance to meet and perform with many of them,
including THE FOUR TOPS, who invited him to sing in their 50th anniversary
concert in 2004.

"I was gobsmacked The Four Tops had even heard of me, let alone wanted to play
with me," Rodgers said. "They're idols to me. There's a real generational
exchange."

Despite Bad Company's thoroughly British origins, Rodgers says many people
thought at first it was an American band. For one thing, it's named after one of
Rodgers' favorite movies, the underappreciated 1972 Robert Shelton western
starring a young Jeff Bridges. For another, Rodgers sings with an American
accent.

"I sing the language of rock n' roll, and that's an American language," Rodgers
said. "That comes from listening to a lot of soul and blues. I don't think rock
works to sing in an English accent. THE BEATLES, THE CLASH, those bands sing
with English accents, and that's great. But that's not the way I've come up.
American music is what I've listened to."

After two world tours with Queen, Rodgers looks forward to singing those old Bad
Company songs again.

"The old songs do get a little old hat if you do them too much," Rodgers said.
"I give it a rest. I didn't play 'All Right Now' for some 20 years. When I did
it one night, it took the roof off the auditorium."

Cameron Adams and Damian Barrett from News.com.au is reporting:

AC/DC promoter Garry Van Egmond is refusing to move the band's three sold-out
concerts from Etihad Stadium.

Van Egmond said it would be impossible to find a new venue for the February 11,
13 and 15 Black Ice tour shows, despite the AFL being adamant that its contract
with Etihad Stadium management gave it priority on all bookings at that time.

"We can't move the shows. It would be impossible," Van Egmond said.

"We've sold 180,000 tickets in Melbourne. People have bought seats in certain
areas. You can't just re-create that anywhere else, wherever it may be.

"Our concern is the punters who bought the tickets. But I'm not concerned, we've
got a signed contract for the shows at Etihad Stadium."

The legendary rock band could be forced off Etihad Stadium, with the AFL's chief
broadcasting and commercial officer Gillon McLachlan claiming the league had
contract rights to use the venue for its pre-season competition.

"This has got nothing to do with AC/DC ," McLachlan said. "We've had a contract,
it's a long-standing, very clear agreement.

IRON MAIDEN singer BRUCE DICKINSON spoke with Darryl Sterdan from Sun Media
recently about a number of topics including the band's new movie, Flight 666. A
few excerpts from the chat follow:

Sun Media: You're raising the bar here - plenty of musicians drive the van and a
few drive the bus, but you don't see anybody else flying the plane.

Dickinson: "(Laughs). Well, it is a bus, really. It is the world's biggest bus."

Sun Media: Flying every day and playing every night seems like a heck of a
schedule.

Dickinson: "Well, it would be if I did that. The documentary might give that
impression, but that's just something people have read into it. If we did an
aviation documentary, you'd see how it actually works. I'm not allowed to fly
after doing a show - I have to wait 12 hours. That's a regulatory issue. So when
you see me flying, we've had a rest day after the show and then left the next
day. And at all times on the airplane, we had three pilots as an insurance
policy against one getting sick. In fact, one did get food poisoning and I had
to take over. If they'd shown that, you'd have seen me flying in shorts and a
t-shirt."

Sun Media: Speaking of clothing, I found it curious that you're always wearing a
pilot's uniform when you're flying. Why? Couldn't you wear whatever you want
when you're chartering the plane?

Dickinson: "Well, we were chartering the plane, sure. But I also work for the
airline."

Sun Media: Wait, you were chartering the flight AND working for the airline? So
you were getting paid to fly yourself on tour?

Dickinson: "I guess I probably was! Hey, that's not bad, is it? (Laughs)"

Sun Media: You're getting it from both ends.

Dickinson: "And if you can get it from both ends, you should! (Laughs)"

Sun Media: Are there similarities between being a pilot and being a rock singer?

Dickinson: "Well, the image of the pilot is somebody who is always in control.
And the image of a rock star is somebody who is always out of control. The truth
is, as a pilot, you're not as in control as some people think. You're constantly
managing risk. Doesn't mean the airplane's not safe; but the amount of control
you have over nature is not absolute. Now flip to your rock-star head and you're
running around on stage salivating like a maniac, yelling, screaming, snarling.
But in fact, the show is quite tightly controlled. If it weren't disciplined,
the band would fall apart. So the appearances are different. But under the
surface, they're not so different. A pilot has to be aware of his environment
and all the things that might affect the airplane. As a singer, you're juggling
the audience's emotions and you've got to be aware of all the things that might
affect that evening's proceedings."

Nightofthevinyldead.com is reissuing SAXON's 1999 album Metalhead on limited
edition silver fold-out vinyl featuring an eight-page booklet. The album is hand
numbered and only 333 copies have been made.

Tracklisting:

Side A
'Intro'
'Metalhead'
'Are We Travellers in Time'
'Conquistador'
'What Goes Around'
'Song of Evil'

Side B
'All Guns Blazing'
'Prisoner'
'Piss Off'
'Watching You'
'Sea of Life'

According to the Nikita Productions website, British heavy metal legends SAXON
are set to return to San Antonio, Texas on August 22nd to headline a free
concert at the Sunken Gardens Ampitheatre as part of a tribute to the late San
Antonio disc jockey "The Godfather" Joe Anthony. Special guest to be announced.




And Party Every Day: The Inside Story Of Casablanca Records, a 300-plus page
hardcover biography will be released this fall through Backbeat/Hal Leonard
Books. This is the first time a full-length book has been published on the
legendary 1970s record label and its enigmatic founder Neil Bogart. Casablanca
was home to iconic hard rock acts KISS and ANGEL, as well as several of the
decade's most visual and influential artists like PARLIAMENT, THE VILLAGE PEOPLE
and DONNA SUMMER.

And Party Every Day was written by Larry Harris, former Casablanca Vice
President, who co-owned and co-founded the infamous record label with Bogart.
Harris shares credit with co-authors Curt Gooch and Jeff Suhs, whose
critically-acclaimed 2002 publication KISS Alive Forever is widely regarded as
the most authoritative book ever written on the band.

With Harris's unique perspective, the world will finally gain a first-hand
glimpse inside Casablanca, the record label which discovered KISS and was the
living embodiment of the 1970s and the hedonistic, sex- and drug-filled
Bacchanal that defined the Me Decade. The story of Casablanca Records is a
thrilling three-act drama that perfectly captures the American Dream. On nothing
more than a whim and the momentum of Neil Bogart's unstoppable enthusiasm,
Casablanca launched in 1973. A mere five years later, Casablanca was the hottest
record label in the world. In the pages of And Party Every Day, you'll walk the
halls of Casablanca's Sunset Boulevard casbah, past mounds of cocaine and empty
Quaalude bottles, and watch from the front row as Casablanca carefully
orchestrated the record industry to its designs, successes, and ultimate demise.

In keeping with the Casablanca philosophy of "always give the fans something
more," And Party Every Day will contain over 30 never-before-seen images and a
heavily annotated Casablanca discography/videography section. The book will also
become one of the very first publications to be promoted online featuring
unreleased vintage film and video clips.

The owners of the Casablanca label, Universal Music Group, have even made
available the classic Casablanca logo and artwork for the cover via a
first-of-its-kind licensing deal. Several additional co-promotes with
prospective major media vendors are being considered. Official And Party Every
Day Twitter and Web pages will be launched in the coming weeks, along with a
YouTube channel.

And Party Every Day: The Inside Story Of Casablanca Records' cover art will be
released later this week when it dons the cover of the prestigious Hal Leonard
Group's 2009 Fall Catalog.

As previously reported, German metal legends ACCEPT have been resurrected with
new singer Mark Tornillo (ex-TT QUICK). The band are rounded off by guitarist
Wolf Hoffmann, bassist Peter Baltes, guitarist Herman Frank and drummer Stefan
Schwarzmann.

The band have issued the following update: "We proudly announce, that Gaby
Hoffmann entered a long term agreement with Brainstorm Music Marketing AG. Since
1991 Brainstorm Music Marketing is one of the leading independent Management and
Promotion Companies in Germany. Working for big international and national rock
acts - (TOOL, SLAYER, MARILYN MANSON, RAMMSTEIN, CHILDREN OF BODOM) - Brainstorm
Music Marketing have received over 30 Gold and Platinium Awards."

Alan Sculley from Thesunchronicle.com is reporting:

The last time AEROSMITH toured - in 2007 in support the greatest hits album
Devil's Got A New Disguise: The Very Best Of Aerosmith - the band had to forge
ahead without bassist Tom Hamilton.

It wasn't Hamilton's choice. Throat cancer, and the radiation and chemotherapy
treatments that came with it, forced him to the sidelines and forced him to
entertain a thought he didn't want to face.

"What I had to go through was the band going out on tour without me. And so I
had a taste of that, the negative feelings of that," Hamilton said in a recent
phone interview. "So it was a terrible thought, but I had to learn that there
were some things that could be worse than not having the band.

"I've been in this band since I was a friggin' teenager. Obviously I've got a
strong desire to be here," he explained. "But you know, sometimes you have to
think like some day is coming. I think going through that cancer experience, it
kind of grabbed me by the head and made me look at a lot of stuff and just sort
of in general, you think of things you always wanted to do some day.

"Well some day is here. So I got a lot of that, which I think is a positive
thing because it really focused me. And I've come a long way musically since
that happened. It was almost a gift of the whole process that I'm probably a
better player, writer, recorder now than I would have been if I hadn't gone
through that."

Now, with Aerosmith on its summer tour, Hamilton can once again focus on the
band he's been with since its inception in 1970.

He has been given a clean bill of health and has been fully involved in the
group's activities, which have included starting work in earnest on a new studio
CD.

Hamilton said the band, which is working with producer Brendan O'Brien (known
for his work with Bruce Springsteen and Pearl Jam) had actually hoped to finish
the new CD before the start of the tour. But that plan was dashed when guitarist
Joe Perry needed knee surgery and singer Steven Tyler had a bout with pneumonia.
Now guitarist Brad Whitford will miss at least part of the current tour because
of surgery. Bobby Schneck is taking his place.

The Associated Press is reporting:

Two California businessmen are suing over Scottsdale's biggest Super Bowl party,
which they say lost close to $1 million.

The star-studded 944 Super Village attracted the likes of Hollywood celebutante
Paris Hilton and VELVET REVOLVER , 50 CENT, WYCLEF JEAN. Promoters had hoped to
cash in on the much-hyped event.

But Explosive Productions promoters Steve Weiner and Ira Klein claim that their
partner in the venture, 944 magazine, more than doubled the event budget and
gave away close to $1 million in tickets to promote its own interests.

Their lawsuit, filed by Phoenix attorney Michael Manning in late March, says 944
executives hijacked the Super Bowl event to promote their lifestyle magazine and
took over the naming rights without paying the $500,000 price tag.

The plaintiffs are asking for unspecified damages and attorney fees.

The lawsuit also claims the magazine executives refused to advertise in Hispanic
media because they feared it would attract the wrong crowd and kill the event.

"We will have a bunch of gangbangers and get shut down," wrote 944 executive
Steve Kushnir in an e-mail days before the Feb. 3, 2008, Super Bowl in Glendale,
according to the suit.

Kushnir did not return a phone call Friday after speaking briefly with The
Arizona Republic.

The suit names Eric Crown, his wife and one of his companies, Orbitron Holdings
LLC, as defendants. Crown, a founder and former CEO of Insight Enterprises, has
been a major investor in 944 Media LLC for four years, according to the suit.

Crown's attorney, Colin Campbell, disputes Crown's connection to 944 Media.

"This dispute is between Explosive Productions and 944 Media, and we don't know
why we were sued at all," Campbell said. "I can tell you that my client denies
the claims, and we will contest the lawsuit."

The suit claims that Crown took $180,000 worth of tickets and a VIP cabana for
three nights at the 944 Super Village without paying for them.

Tickets for the party ranged from $100 to $1,000 with entertainment that
included 50 Cent, Wyclef Jean and Velvet Revolver. Appearances by Hilton, Justin
Timberlake and Vince Vaughn also were touted, as well as a boxing match
featuring Hector Camacho Jr., who is popular in the Hispanic community.

Explosive Productions said in its claims that 944 Media had assured Weiner and
Klein all along that ticket sales were strong. But, 18,000 people attended the
four-night event while only 1,000 tickets were sold because so many were given
away, the suit alleges.

DUFF MCKAGAN of VELVET REVOLVER and LOADED has issued the latest installment of
his weekly blog for Seattle Weekly. An excerpt reads as follows:

"Late spring in Europe and the UK means only one thing for the music lover over
here: FESTIVAL SEASON! Of course, these festivals are good for both the fans AND
the bands that play in front of them, as festivals will usually put an act in
front of more people than they could otherwise garner by simply doing a club
tour. This season for Loaded has thus far been, well, colorful, let's say.

It's always great to mix some club or theater gigs into your tour schedule if
you are out doing the festivals. The beginning of June can be (and usually is)
cold and wet in northern Europe. For whatever reason, whether with Velvet
Revolver or Loaded, we've started the season more often up north, instead of,
say, Spain. Loaded took it to the extreme this past week by starting things off
in Finland, with two club shows in Helsinki and Oulu and an outdoor festival in
Tampere."

Roadrunnerrecords.com is reporting:

For those of you who saw Will Werrell’s take on the old Sid & Marty Croft
fave, ¬¬Land Of The Lost, you may have been hit over the head by a little bit
of soundtrack music that sounded familiar – make that MEGA-familiar! A few
weeks ago, literally just as the film was locking in its sound, Dave Mustaine
got a call to take off a day from the making of the new Megadeth album to add
some riffs for Chaka, Grumpy or whatever that damn dinosaur was called and the
ever-awesome Sleestaks!

“I thought that the show was really scary as a kid, even though I knew it was
fake!” says Dave. Can you imagine a grade-school-era Mustaine tuning into the
the adventures of Marshall, Will & Holly (or whatever their names were)?
Apparently so. So when Will (Anchorman/Talladega Nights) Farrell decided to take
a swing at the show, Dave bit at the chance to be part of it! “I loved how
Will Ferrell brought life to his part, but he is one of my faves anyway, so
that was a shoo in!”

VELVET REVOLVER guitarist SLASH has issued the following statement:

"Hello all, as some of you may already know, my mom (Ola Hudson) died 6:30am
last Friday morning (June 5th) of Lung Cancer. This is a difficult time, but I
have to share with you that she was the sweetest, warmest, most loving human
being I've ever known (next to my grandmother on her side), as well as one of
the most creative and talented.

She was also the coolest Rock & Roll mom a rock junkie like myself could ever
possibly want to have. She was responsible for exposing me to a lot of the music
that would influence me as a musician growing up. As well as introducing me to
'the life' and priming me to survive this crazy business that I'm now in. But
more importantly, she turned me on to all different forms of art and the
importance of artistic self expression and creative communication thru music and
dance from as early on as I can remember. She really was all things artistic and
creative personified and the world is a lesser place without her.

I still haven't grasped fully that she is gone. This is going to take some time
to process. But, I have got a lot of really genuine condolences from many of you
and I want to tell you that I appreciate it more than you can possibly know. My
family and I thank you for your support.

Sincerely,
Slash"

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal (pictured) has issued the
following statement:

"It's my pleasure to announce I'll be doing shows over the Summer with LITA
FORD, playing guitar with the band alongside BUMBLEFOOT drummer Dennis Leeflang.

To GN'R fans: Lita and I have GNR's blessings to do this together, all is cool.
This won't interfere with upcoming GN'R plans, I'll be flying out and coming
right back.

To Lita fans: lookin' forward to meeting y'all and having a great time
together!"

Lita's tour itinerary is as follows:

June
12 - Redwood Run - Piercy, CA
13 - Jackson Ranchero Casino - Jackson, CA
21 - Meltaway - Zaragosa, Spain
26 - Bang Your Head - Balingen, Germany
27 - Gods of Metal - Milan, Italy
30 - Rockwave - Athens, Greece

July
3 - Summerfest - Milwaukee, WI
4 - Bridgeview Music Jam - Bridgeview, IL
17 - Monndance Ranch Jam - Walker, MN
24 - Molson Canal Concert Series - North Tonawanda, NY
26 - Ridgefield Playhouse - Ridgefield, CT

August
3 - Buffalo Chip - Sturgis, SD
22 - Rock Gone Wild - Algona, IA

September
5 - Taste of Cleveland - Cleveland, OH

As previously reported, Lita Ford will release her new album, Wicked Wonderland,
this Fall.


Musician and movie-maker ROB ZOMBIE has issued the following press release:

Mezco's Cinema of Fear is the new reigning champion of blood, guts, and plastic,
bringing little horrors to fans across the world. This 7-inch series of figures
adds new pieces in the scale collectors have come to love but approaches the
classic baddies in ways we've never seen before. Now, the Mez takes on Rob
Zombie's H2!

We showed you how utterly creepy can be undeniably adorable with their Living
Dead Doll H2 Myers. Now we get to show off the new Cinema of Fear H2 Michael
Myers action figure! So far, we only know the shape comes in his signature
jumpsuit and wields a bloody knife, but we'd bet cash money he'll also come with
an alternate head wearing the torn apart mask horror-philes have been dissecting
ever since the trailer hit the interwebs. Look for him on the pegs this October,
and watch our San Diego Comic-Con coverage for live pictures of all Mezco's
horrors!"

Nicole Powers of SuicideGirls.com recently conducted an interview with Marilyn
Manson. An excerpt from the chat follows below.

SuicideGirls.com: I've been reading in interviews that this is a more
autobiographical album. Did that make it harder to write?

Manson: Well, it was very difficult getting to the process of writing. Twiggy
[Ramirez, bass] and I getting back together was probably more dramatic than we
even realized... Because we were best friends, brothers, we lived together. I've
never lived alone. I went from living at home to going on tour and hotels and
rats and crack and Twiggy and New Orleans, and then a series of unmentionable,
nefarious women people. And I think that there was an enormous void in both of
our lives.

It wasn't even really a fight that we got into, it was something very silly, and
one of us probably expected the other to call the next day to resolve it. But I
think everything happens for a reason...We ran into each other at a hotel
completely randomly and I could see in his face that he looked like I felt a
year before that.

The last record, "Eat Me, Drink Me", was very much about a broken person. In
fact it's not that I don't like it, or it makes me sad to listen to, but it's a
record that we're probably not going to play anything off of. We might play "If
I Was Your Vampire" because I think it's the record that's the most confident on
the album, even though it's first [on the CD], because it was written last.

The difference between that and the new album, besides all of the personal
things, [on] the new album, the songs appear in the order they were written. I
don't know how that compares the two because there's a lot of differences,
obviously, starting with Twiggy and I [being] back together.

He did things that were great, I think. He learned to be this musician. I mean
he's always been a guitar player but no one's ever seen him as a guitar player
because he's always played bass [live]. No one realizes that he wrote the guitar
riff for "Beautiful People" or "Dope Show".

But anyway, he was just playing this music that was eventually intimidating to
me because he had become a different type of musician while away from me. As a
guitar player I felt, why wasn't he always the guitar player? What were we
thinking? And, for me, I think there's nobody that plays bass better than him.
His bass guitar sounds like he's playing it with his dick. It's the best bass
that I could ever imagine. No one else can have that sound.

He just shines as a guitar player, and it took me a long time to get to the
singing part. I had a bit of a disintegration, one world ended and another sort
of began. It was probably inserting Twiggy into a situation where I had built a
lifestyle now that was very isolated, very dependent on another person.

It wasn't the same way that I look at relationships now. There's big difference
between weakness and desire, between love and dependence...The person that I
really needed in my life, and I think that it threw some kind of disastrous
monkey wrench in, but if I was actually given the choice to pick, which I should
never have to pick, I wouldn't know what to say — it's an unfair thing to say.
But the first and foremost thing that stood out to me that was important in my
life was that I saw my friend that I hadn't seen in seven years and he needed
me. It didn't matter about the music, he needed me, and I wish that I had had
him when I felt that way, when my life was falling apart and I got divorced, and
all that garbage happened. I was just glad to be there for him because he's like
a little brother to me, and I finally got to the point of making the first song.

SuicideGirls.com: You talk about Twiggy being like a brother. You often hurt the
people closest to you. That's what families do, they argue and then they come
back together.

Manson: Well, you're right about that. The other part of it is, and this was
advice that I got from one of my idols, Alejandro Jodorowsky, a director who had
great influence on me. He said to me, because he's always read my tarot, and I
mistook what he said...I even quoted it a lot of times in interviews, because he
read my tarot and he said, "This year you will come together with your twin." I
mistook that for the wrong relationship because at the end of the year there was
Twiggy. That was what he meant. He even told me that when I saw him again after
that. It was my foolishness and my projection, what I wanted to see, and Twiggy
is that.

But you can have both. I can be married to my art but you can love more than one
thing, and there's different types of love. It takes finding the right person
that is able to make you stop thinking about your work, if you want to even use
that word. Because it's hard when you're an artist; When does it turn off? Who
knows? But it should turn of when you're with the person that you're
romantically involved with. That's the point that I'm trying to be at now in my
life. And that's a different point that I've never been at.

And it took me living alone, because I'd never lived alone. From November to
January 5th is when I sang and wrote the lyrics. And that signifies something
that the record's actually about. It's about that experience for me. It's not
about any one particular thing, but it's about loss, it's about understanding
loss.

When someone doesn't appreciate the concept of...If you call someone and say, "I
need you," and they say, "Well I'll be there when I can," that's someone who
doesn't understand loss. Because "when you can" — that might not happen 15
minutes later, and the only way you learn that, the way I learnt it, is when
someone dies, or you lose something, you lose your money, you lose everything.

I've got nothing to lose now so in one way I have nothing to be afraid of, and
that makes me feel really dangerous. And in another way that makes me value the
things that I do have more than anything, and I'll fight and kill for them with
no hesitation. The only thing that stops me from that is that I don't want to go
to jail because it would prevent me from being what I want to be, and I don't
want to be ass-raped on a daily basis. It's really that simple.

BraveWords.com has received the following press release:

Legendary rock band ALICE IN CHAINS has signed an exclusive worldwide deal with
EMI’s Virgin Records and are gearing up for the release of their first new
studio album in more than 10 years. The band and producer Nick Raskulinecz
(RUSH, FOO FIGHTERS) began recording last October at Studio 606 in Northridge,
CA and recently finished mixing at Henson Studios in Hollywood. The highly
anticipated album is scheduled for release this September.

Guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez
reunited in 2005 at a benefit for victims of the tsunami in Indonesia. They
began touring with new guitarist/vocalist William DuVall the following year.

"It’s been a meaningful journey and a hell of a story,” says Cantrell.
“We're very excited to have a home at Virgin/EMI and are looking forward to
writing new chapters in the book of Alice.”

"We're in a good place," adds Kinney. "We've made a record that we’re really
proud of, we’ve got a team in place that’s passionate about the music and
we’re excited for the fans to hear the new songs.”

“Alice In Chains has had a big hand in the evolution of music and I still
can't believe we get to work with them,” says Rob Stevenson, President of
Virgin Records. “This music is going to remind people what we've all been
missing."

“There is a tremendous sense of excitement and dedication within EMI around
the world as we head into this album release,” Added Jeff Kempler, EMI’s COO
of New Music for North America and the UK,” Alice In Chains’ place in rock
history is undeniable and when people hear this remarkable new work it will be
clear how timeless, potent and visionary this band is.”

Alice In Chains were among the headliners at the recent Rock on the Range
festival in Columbus, OH. Next up is a July 18th show with KID ROCK at Comerica
Park in Detroit, to be followed by festival shows with METALLICA overseas,
including an August 1st date at Marlay Park in Dublin and an August 2nd show at
the Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth. Earlier this year, the quartet took a
break from recording to perform a string of shows in Australia with NINE INCH
NAILS.

Over the course of their remarkable career, Alice In Chains has garnered
multiple Grammy nominations, sold more than 17 million albums worldwide and
achieved 11 top 10 hit singles.

Legendary rock band ALICE IN CHAINS has set "Black Gives Way To Blue" as the
title of its first new studio album in more than 10 years, due on September 29
via EMI's Virgin Records. The band and producer Nick Raskulinecz (RUSH, FOO
FIGHTERS) began recording last October at Studio 606 in Northridge, California
and recently finished mixing at Henson Studios in Hollywood.

Guitarist/vocalist Jerry Cantrell, drummer Sean Kinney and bassist Mike Inez
reunited in 2005 at a benefit for victims of the tsunami in Indonesia. They
began touring with new guitarist/vocalist William DuVall the following year.

"It's been a meaningful journey and a hell of a story," says Cantrell. "We're
very excited to have a home at Virgin/EMI and are looking forward to writing new
chapters in the book of ALICE."

"We're in a good place," adds Kinney. "We've made a record that we're really
proud of, we've got a team in place that's passionate about the music and we're
excited for the fans to hear the new songs."

"ALICE IN CHAINS has had a big hand in the evolution of music and I still can't
believe we get to work with them," says Rob Stevenson, President of Virgin
Records. "This music is going to remind people what we've all been missing."

"There is a tremendous sense of excitement and dedication within EMI around the
world as we head into this album release," added Jeff Kempler, EMI's COO of New
Music for North America and the U.K. "ALICE IN CHAINS' place in rock history is
undeniable and when people hear this remarkable new work it will be clear how
timeless, potent and visionary this band is."

ALICE IN CHAINS were among the headliners at the recent Rock on the Range
festival in Columbus, OH. Next up is a July 18 show with KID ROCK at Comerica
Park in Detroit, to be followed by festival shows with METALLICA overseas,
including an August 1 date at Marlay Park in Dublin and an August 2 show at the
Sonisphere Festival at Knebworth. Earlier this year, the quartet took a break
from recording to perform a string of shows in Australia with NINE INCH NAILS.

Over the course of their remarkable career, ALICE IN CHAINS has garnered
multiple Grammy nominations, sold more than 17 million albums worldwide and
achieved 11 top 10 hit singles.

The Pulse of Radio reports: Former NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic has announced
that he will run for the office of county clerk in Wahkiakum County, Washington,
according to TheDailyWorld.com. Novoselic, who is chairman of the county's
Democratic Party and once considered a run for lieutenant governor, says he is
listing himself as "prefers Grange Party" to protest I-872, a new initiative in
Washington electoral politics that allows candidates to align themselves with
whatever party or organization they want, whether they're actually affiliated
with them or whether the organization exists at all.

In this case, there is no "Grange Party." The Grange is a local farmers'
organization.

Novoselic said, "As a strong believer in private association, I oppose the way
the state has implemented I-872 . . . My issue is with the way candidates can
appropriate the name of a private group."

Novoselic, who occasionally plays with veteran hardcore band FLIPPER, has been
active in Washington state and Seattle politics for years.

In addition to their previously announced American tour dates, BLACK LABEL
SOCIETY will be returning to Toronto, Canada on Sunday, July 19th.

After a sold out show in April, BLS is coming back to The Sound Academy for a
second round. Tickets are priced at $36.50 for general admission stubs or $50
for VIP seating that includes a private bar (plus service charges). Tickets go
on sale Thursday June 11th via TicketMaster and Live Nation.


MONSTER MAGNET will headline the first night of this year's Hard Rock Hell
festival, set to take place December 4-5, 2009 at Pontins in Prestatyn Sands.
North Wales, United Kingdom.

Hard Rock Hell booker Seven Webster says: "The response to this year's event has
been our best yet, with tickets selling at record speed, and adding MONSTER
MAGNET to the bill just ices the cake for us as we have wanted the band to play
at one of our events since its conception."

The festival billing is shaping up as follows:

ANGEL WITCH
CLOVEN HOOF
DEMON
EVILE
GIRLSCHOOL
HYDROGYN
LAUREN HARRIS
MARYA ROXX
MONSTER MAGNET
NEW YORK DOLLS
ONSLAUGHT
QUEENSRŸCHE
ROCK GODDESS
SONATA ARTICA
SUSPERIA
THE QUIREBOYS
TERRORVISION
TIGERTAILZ
TOXIC HOLOCAUST
W.A.S.P.
WITCHFYNDE
WRATHCHILD

For more information, go to www.hardrockhell.com.

As recently reported, WEDNESDAY 13 will enter the studio on July 1st to begin
recording with his new band, GUNFIRE 76.

Wednesday, who has been writing with Todd Youth (DANZIG, D-GENERATION, THE
CHELSEA SMILES) to record a CD that will have more of a rock sound, has issued
the following update:

"W13 here to answer a few questions and clear the air on the new band Gunfire
76, Wednesday 13 etc.

1. Is Wednesday 13 done with/broke up?

Absolutely not, we are just taking a break. I have been working on W13 non stop
since late 2003, and its been an long fun ride but I just need to take a break
from it. Having other projects such as the new band Gunfire 76 and BOURBON CROW
allows me to venture into other styles of music that i cant do with Wednesday
13. Once I return back to touring/recording with Wednesday 13 it will be full on
horror themed ghoul rock as you all expect and know.

2. The New band Gunfire 76, what is it and what is it about?

Gunfire 76 is a new band I have started alongside Todd Youth. While touring with
Todd and the Chelsea Smiles last March/April in the UK he and I quickly became
good friends and started discussing the idea of forming a band that reflected on
our influences like KISS, RAMONES, THE STOOGES, NEW YORK DOLLS, etc. I will not
be playing guitar in this band and will be just the frontman. We will record our
debut CD in July and plan to release it and tour the US and Europe by the end of
the year.

3. Bourbon Crow, news, more tours?

We just wrapped up the BC tour May 24th in NC and it was great. I had a blast,
Thanks to Roman, Rayen, Nate, and our crew Roger and Kris you guys rule. It was
a nice change to go out and play as BC and not have to worry about costumes and
make up for once. We may do some more BC shows later this year with the 4 of us
but in the mean time Rayen and I are considering doing some summer shows as a
duo in and around NC. Stay tuned for more info on that.

4. Murderdolls?

Still no def plans but there is talk between Joey and I on a new Murderdolls CD.
Keep your fingers crossed, only time will tell.

5. What have you done to your hair?

Yes its true, the dreads are gone. They are in a ziplock bag in my bedroom.
Reason? 11 years is long enough for me toting those things around, I needed a
change and I did it. Love it or hate it... I refuse to be a slave to an image or
hairstyle."

Further Gunfire 76 news will be available soon at the group's MySpace page.

WEDNESDAY 13 will enter the studio on July 1st to begin recording with his new
band, GUNFIRE 76.

Currently, Wednesday has been writing with Todd Youth (DANZIG, D-GENERATION, THE
CHELSEA SMILES) to record a CD that will have more of a rock sound.

“Gunfire 76 will be my extension in to the rock world. After touring with The
Chelsea Smiles, Todd Youth and I would find ourselves discussing the bands we
grew up on and decided to put a band together that fits more of the rock n roll
sound of KISS, DEADBOYS, NY DOLLS, THE STOOGES and the in-your-face rock n roll
sound. Not being signed to a record label allows me to create new projects and
continue growing as an artist.“

Gunfire 76’s debut is set to be released in October, 2009. The band will be
recording with producer Howard Willing in Los Angeles and are currently setting
up a tour for 2009.

The CD will be self-released in the the US and Wednesday will partner with a
company for overseas distribution.

“Gunfire 76 will be on tour this year. We are currently booking a US / UK tour
for the end of the year with BULLETS and OCTANE. I have always wanted to tour
with those guys, but the Wednesday 13 music never fit their rock and roll style.
Together this should be one great rock show!”

Further Gunfire 76 news will be available soon at the group's MySpace page.

The Pulse of Radio reports that GODSMACK is coming back on the scene next week
with a brand new track called "Whiskey Hangover", according to an e-mail blast
sent out on Friday (June 5). The arrival of the song is no doubt timed to
promote the band's appearance this summer on Crüe Fest 2, where they'll be
second on the bill under MÖTLEY CRÜE. GODSMACK is scheduled to begin recording
its fifth studio album once the tour is finished, but there's no word on whether
the new tune will be included in the eventual release.

Although GODSMACK is used to headlining its own tours, frontman Sully Erna told
The Pulse of Radio he has no problem going on before the CRÜE. "You know, we
never try to put ourselves in an opening act position, and nor do we feel like
we're an opening act," he said. "And I'm pretty sure that CRÜE, you know, asked
us on this tour because they know that we're good for attendance, to bring a lot
of bodies into the arena as well, and I think they'll understand what caliber
band we are, and that we put on a pretty big show ourselves."

Crüe Fest 2, which also includes THEORY OF A DEADMAN, DROWNING POOL, and new
act CHARM CITY DEVILS, kicks off on July 19 in Camden, New Jersey.

GODSMACK's new album is not due out until early 2010. Erna has also recently
completed work on his first solo effort, but a release plan for that remains yet
to be unveiled.


BCI has confirmed that DRAGONFORCE will play two all ages shows in the province
of Quebec:

October
3 - Medley - Montréal, QC
4 - Imperial - Quebec City, QC

Tickets for both shows go on sale June 13th.

English power metallers DRAGONFORCE have lined up the following dates in Germany
and Luxembourg:

October
16 - Alter Schlachthof - Lingen, Germany
17 - X - Herford, Germany
18 - Matrix - Bochum, Germany
19 - Columbia Club - Berlin, Germany
21 - Hirsch - Nuremberg, Germany
22 - Colos-Saal - Aschaffenburg, Germany
23 - Substage - Karlsruhe, Germany
24 - Garage - Saarbrücken, Germany
25 - Kulturladen - Konstanz, Germany
27 - Essigfabrik - Cologne, Germany
28 - Faust - Hanover, Germany
30 - Hellraiser - Leipzig, Germany
31 - Kulturfabrik - Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg


The Monterrey Metal Fest IV will be held on Wednesday, September 16, 2009
(Mexican Independence Day holiday) at the Santa Lucia Arena in the city of
Monterrey, Nuevo Leon, Mexico.

The confirmed band line-up minus the soon to be revealed headliner is the
following:

CHILDREN OF BODOM
AMORPHIS
WHIPLASH
STRAVAGANZZA
MALIGNO
SPLIT HEAVEN (Mexico's Wacken Metal Battle winners)

Only 3,000 VIP tickets will be made available for the new redesigned metal
festival.

For additional information, check out the official festival websites:
www.mmf.com.mx, www.myspace.com/monterreymetalfest.

Organizers of the Bloodstock Open Air 2009 festival, which will run from August
14th to August 16th at Catton Hall in Derbyshire, England, have issued the
following update:

"Well over half way in to Bloodstock’s Metal 2 The Masses final’s with
venues from around the UK and Ireland playing host to the absolute BEST the
unsigned metal scene has to offer all vying to get a slot on this years
Bloodstock Unsigned Stage - the competition this year is incredibly tough as
there are so many bands deserving of a slot - Metal2The Masses organiser Simon
Hall said “we just know you’re gonna be blown away by the sheer quality of
the Bloodstock Unsigned stage this year.”

Latest bands confirmed for a slot at Bloodstock are ALTERNATIVE CARPARK,
BISONHAMMER, BLOODSHOT DAWN, DIVINE CHAOS, VENTFLOW, SNAKEBITE and SANCTORUM.

Confirmed acts for the fest include: ALTERNATIVE CARPARK, AMON AMARTH,
APOCALYPTICA, ARCH ENEMY, BEHOLDER, BISONHAMMER, BLIND GUARDIAN, BLOODSHOT DAWN,
CANDLEMASS, CARCASS, CELESTY, CRADLE OF FILTH , DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER,
DIVINE CHAOS, DOC INSANE, ENSLAVED, EQUILIBRIUM, FEAR FACTORY, FUEL GIRLS,
GIRLSCHOOL, GWAR, THE HAUNTED, INTERNAL CONFLICT, KATATONIA, KREATOR, MILLION
DOLLAR RELOAD, MOONSPELL, MUNICIPAL WASTE, SANCTORUM, SATYRICON, SAXON,
SNAKEBITE, TURISAS, VENTFLOW, WINTERSUN, SABATON, INTERNAL CONFLICT.

For more info visit bloodstock.uk.com.




As previously reported, DREAM THEATER recently announced plans for a European
leg of the Progressive Nation 2009 Tour, due to take place in the fall with
OPETH, BIGELF And UNEXPECT as support. A date in Brussels, Belgium at Forest
National is confirmed for October 17th. Tickets go on sale June 11th.

The schedule is now as follows:

September
23 - Ice Hall - Helsinki, Finland
25 - Hovet - Stockholm, Sweden
26 - Spektrum - Oslo, Norway
27 - KB Hallen - Copenhagen, Denmark
29 - Arena - Berlin, Germany
30 - Luczniczka Hall - Bydgoszcz, Poland

October
2 - Sporthalle - Hamburg, Germany
4 - Zenith - Paris, France
6 - Zenith - Lille, France
7 - Ahoy - Rotterdam, Netherlands
17 - Forest National - Brussels, Belgium
18 - Frankfurt, Germany - Jahhrhunderthalle
19 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Arena
31 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Tivoli

The official press release for the Progressive Nation tour is below:

Joining the tour will be DT’s tourmates from PN08 (and Roadrunner Records
labelmates), the legendary OPETH from Stockholm Sweden. Vocalist/Guitarist
Mikael Akerfeldt was excited to partake in another experience: "Once my man 'The
Port' suggested they're going to bring Progressive Nation over to Europe, I more
or less begged him to get us on it, haha! We had such a great time doing it in
North America and it did many great things for us as a band. It's fair to say
that I can't wait to get going with this one. It will be a blast, believe
me!!”

Los Angeles band Bigelf will bring their unique brand of psychedelic,
progressive hard rock to PN09. Vocalist/Keyboardist Damon Fox adds: "When I
first met Mike Portnoy, I felt like we were cut from the same
cloth, a brother from another mother. We could talk rock & roll for eons (we
probably will on tour, hell yeah!). Being added to the Progressive Nation tour
feels like the planets have aligned for us and the elves have finally come home
to Rivendell. The mentality of Dream Theater and Progressive Nation reminds me
of a quote from the great Willy Wonka, "There is no life I know to compare with
pure imagination. Living there, you'll be free if you truly wish to be..." We
eagerly await our return to Northern Europe and on a special note, we have never
performed in England. This has driven us completely mad over the years. We are
just brimming with passion and excitement to be able to bring our music back to
the homeland which has inspired us so deeply.”

Opening the show each night will be Canada’s UNEXPECT who will surely blow
people’s minds with their insane musicianship and avant garde style of extreme
progressive metal. Guitarist Syriak had this to say: "How can we rationally
express that crazy excitement we feel about this awesome turn of events. Upon
getting offered by Mike to be on board this amazing prog vessel, we accepted at
once to participate and add our own mad musical touch to the crew! Being part of
the European leg of PN09 is an extreme honor for us and playing in company of
such talented musicians shall be a true and heartfelt enjoyment! See you all on
stage guys!! "

The European leg of Progressive Nation will follow on the heels of the North
American version of PN09 which will run throughout July and August 2009 in the
US and Canada featuring Dream Theater, ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA, PAIN OF SALVATION and
BEARDFISH.

Progressive Nation's successful inaugural run throughout North America in 2008
featured OPETH, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME and THREE.

A festival and headlining run of Europe in June, followed by the two PN09 tours
will be the first treks across the globe for Dream Theater in support of their
newest Roadrunner Records release Black Clouds & Silver Linings which is slated
for a late June 2009 release.

Swedish glam rockers VAINS OF JENNA have lined up the following US live dates:

June
12 - Galaxy Theatre - Santa Ana, CA (All Ages)
26 - Babylon Club - Fresno, CA (21+)
27 - Coaches - Lancaster, CA w/ Dirty Penny (All Ages)

July
3 - Club Red - Tempe, AZ (All Ages)
24 - Whisky-A-Go-Go - Hollywood, CA (All Ages)

August
7 - Romano's - Riverside, CA (21+)

More on the band at their MySpace page.




London-based doom metallers ORANGE GOBLIN have issued the following update:

"Orange Goblin are happy to announce that they will co-headline this years Rock
Im Wald Festival on Saturday, August 15th in Neuensee bei Lichtenfels in
Germany. Other bands scheduled to appear include BACKYARD BABIES, EAT THE GUN,
and many more. For info on tickets, etc., please visit www.rockimwald.de. A
little closer to home, the band will also be headlining at the Concorde II in
Brighton on Saturday, November 14th. This will be a chance for the band to play
some of the brand new material currently being written for the next album,
scheduled for release in 2010 through Candlelight Records.

A few more appearances this year are still in the pipeline, so keep checking
back for details."

Check out Orange Goblin's MySpace page for their complete tour itinerary.

The new version of FEAR FACTORY — featuring the band's original members Dino
Cazares (guitar) and Burton C. Bell (vocals) alongside bassist Byron Stroud (who
played on the last two FEAR FACTORY albums in addition to touring and recording
with STRAPPING YOUNG LAD and ZIMMERS HOLE) and legendary drummer Gene Hoglan
(DETHKLOK, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DARK ANGEL, DEATH, TESTAMENT) — has scheduled
the following German tour dates:

Aug. 03 - Köln, GER @ Essigfabrik
Aug. 04 - Hamburg, GER @ Grünspan
Aug. 05 - Berlin, GER @ Columbia Club
Aug. 10 - München, GER @ Backstage Werk
Aug. 11 - Aschaffenburg, GER @ Colos Saal
Aug. 12 - Herford, GER @ X

U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine recently spoke to Dino and Burton about their
decision to reform FEAR FACTORY and their future plans. A couple of excerpts
from the chat follow below.

Metal Hammer: This has come as something of a surprise. Aren't you guys supposed
to hate each other?

Burton C Bell: "Well, you know, we were friends before we were in a band
together and after a while we forgot what it was all about. The first time we
saw each other in a long time was at the MINISTRY show in L.A., and we just
started talking again. It was like, 'I don't really remember what it was all
about!' It's like, good friendships will always return, basically."

Metal Hammer: Were you surprised by that? Had you avoided each other?

Burton: "We never really avoided it, we were just never in the same place. We
were in the same place that one night and it was like seeing an old friend
again, and it was good!"

Dino: "Burt lives in Pennsylvania and I live in California, so obviously we
never really had a chance to see each other. When we did see each other, it was
like 'What's up, buddy? How're you doing?' It was like we'd never stopped being
friends. It wasn't weird, it just felt good. I already know him! Ha ha ha!"

Metal Hammer: When did you decide that this was going to be FEAR FACTORY and not
just a new project?

Dino: "Well, Burton pretty much approached me with that idea, and how could I
say no? I'd be jamming with my old friend again and it'd great to collaborate
with him because we wrote some of the best music of our lives together."

Metal Hammer: Do you have specific aims for the new FEAR FACTORY or are you
keeping an open mind about the possibilities?

Dino: "There are definitely specific things we want to achieve, but we have to
approach this with an open mind. We don't want to fully repeat ourselves, what
we've done in the past, but we definitely do want to make this album the future
of a classic record."

Metal Hammer: A lot of bands are reforming these days and everyone always plays
all the old classics…is that your plan too?

Dino: "One of the things about FEAR FACTORY's m.o. is that we were always a band
that evolved, and that's something we want to achieve now too. It's obvious that
we've got my signature right hand, my guitar, and we've got Burton's signature
vocals, but we've got a different drummer and this is eight years later, so
there's gonna be some different ideas and we're gonna make it the best it can
be. We're not gonna put out a record that's half-assed. It's going to be 100
percent FEAR FACTORY and it's going to be the future."

Burton: "I wouldn't say this is a reunion or a reformation. It's more of a
reorganization. FEAR FACTORY has been rolling around, even though we haven't
been chugging out records. The last one was four years ago, but it's just in a
state of reorganization now."

Dino: "I know a lot of bands, when they get back together they can basically go
out and tour off the classics and that's great. That's something that we're
definitely going to do and I know a lot of the fans are going to want to hear
Dino's guitar sound back into the mix, and we're really happy to be able to give
them that.

Read the entire interview at www.metalhammer.co.uk.

Dino's tenure with FEAR FACTORY ended in March 2002 after Bell announced his
departure from the group, allegedly telling his bandmates at the time, "Look,
guys, I'm not into it anymore, I don't wanna play in the band anymore, I don't
wanna play with you guys, and I especially don't wanna play with you, Dino."

FEAR FACTORY eventually reformed without Dino and released two more studio
albums, 2004's "Archetype" and 2005's "Transgression".

In a September 2007 interview with MTV.com, Cazares — who currently heads up a
new band called DIVINE HERESY — stated about his former group, "In the long
run, I believe I came out the winner, and I feel that they have bastardized the
name, and it's a completely different band, different style. I definitely
carried the passion in that band, and my riffs, my style, they were very
distinctive. I don't regret anything I created in FEAR FACTORY whatsoever. It
will be part of my memory for the rest of my life. I believe I am continuing the
legacy and keeping this metal torch alive and bringing it back with DIVINE
HERESY. You can feel the hunger and passion in DIVINE HERESY, which I believe
FEAR FACTORY has been missing, and is still missing to this day."

ARKAEA — the new band featuring FEAR FACTORY members Christian Olde Wolbers
(guitar) and Raymond Herrera (drums) alongside vocalist Jon Howard (THREAT
SIGNAL) and bassist Pat Kavanaugh (THREAT SIGNAL) — will release its debut
album, "Years In The Darkness", on July 13 via E1 Music (formerly Koch Records).


German metal commandos PRIMAL FEAR have entered the official Japanese Album
Charts at #28 with their new album, 16.6: Before The Devil Knows You're Dead. It
was previously announced that the album also hit the German Album Chart at #46
and Swedish Album Chart at #52 - their highest Swedish chart entry ever.

The record is due out in North America on June 7th via Frontiers.

The band recently debuted the video for 'Six Times Dead (16.6)' - it can be
viewed below.

The complete 16.6: Before The Devil Knows You're Dead tracklisting is as
follows: 'Before The Devil Knows You're Dead', 'Riding The Eagle', 'Six Times
Dead (16.6)', 'Black Rain', 'Under The Radar', '5.0 /Torn', 'Soar', 'Killbound',
'No Smoke Without Fire', 'Night After Night', 'Smith & Wesson', 'The Exorcist ',
'Hands of Time'.

The limited edition will include two exclusive bonus-tracks: 'Cry Havoc',
'Scream' plus the video clip for 'Six Times Dead (16.6)'

The version for Japan will include a special single remix of the song 'No Smoke
Without Fire'.

The 16.6 Viva La Swabia 2009 tour dates:

June
13 - Mainz, Germany - Rock Head Featival
27 - Zaragoza, Spain - Metalway Festival

July
18 - Nussdorf, Austria - Night Of Rock
25 - Ostrava, Czech Republic - Unholy Fest

August
5 - Mexico City, Mexico - Circo Volador
7 - Santiago, Chile - Industrial Cultural
8 - Buenos Aires, Argentina - Teatro Flores
9 - Sao Paulo, Brazil - Carioca
15 - Snina, Slovakia - Rock Pod Open Air
20 - Bucharest, Romania - Rock City Festival
22 - Iowa - Rock Gone Wild

September
7 - St. Paul, MN - Station 4
8 - West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
9 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
10 - Atlanta ProgPower X - Center Stage
12 - New York, NY - The Blender Theater
13 - Montreal, QUE - FouFounes Electriques
25 - London, UK - Garage
26 - Dudley, UK - JBs Metalfest
27 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob

October
23 - Barcelona, Spain - Salamandra 1
24 - Madrid, Spain - Heineken
25 - Navarra, Spain - Sala Totem
28 - Milan, Italy - Music Dome
29 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
30 - Geiselwind, Germany - Event Halle

November
6 - Hamburg, Germany - Markthalle
7 - Olsberg, Germany - Schuetzenhalle
8 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
9 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
11 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Rockfabrik
13 - Pilsen. Czech Republic - Serikovka
14 - Kurim, Czech Republic - House Of Culture


Chris Nelson from Hair Metal Haven has issued the following update:

"Two fantastic interviews once again on this weeks show. First up 5.00-6.00 PM
UK time I'll be talking to one of the nicest guys in the business Dan Reed about
his time in the DAN REED NETWORK, his brand new acoustic album, his time spent
with the Tibetan monks, and his new lust for making music again. Then following
that from 6.00-7.00 I'll be talking To Heri, vocalist/guitarist for Viking Metal
gods TÝR, about the new album, his Pagan beliefs and his love of Norse
Mythology. So join me this Saturday, June 13th only on www.phoenixradio.co.uk."
Portuguese metallers MOONSPELL will team up with Switzerland's SAMAEL for the
"Night Eternal Above America Tour" in October/November. Also scheduled to appear
are BOOK OF BLACK EARTH and SECRETS OF THE MOON.

Confirmed dates are as follows:

Oct. 14 - Tampa, FL - Czar
Oct. 15 - Atlanta, GA - Masqueerade
Oct. 16 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Oct. 17 - Allentown, PA - The Sterling Hotel
Oct. 18 - New York, NY - B.B. King Blues Club
Oct. 19 - Montreal, QC - Les Foufounes Electriques
Oct. 20 - Toronto, ON - The Mod Club
Oct. 21 - Cleveland, OH - Peabodys
Oct. 22 - Detroit, MI - Blondie's
Oct. 23 - Mokena, IL - The Pearl Room
Oct. 24 - Kansas City, MO - Beaumont Club
Oct. 25 - Denver, CO - Cervantes Masterpiece Ballroom
Oct. 27 - Vancouver, BC - The Venue
Oct. 28 - Seattle, WA - Studio Seven
Oct. 29 - Portland, OR - Satyricon
Oct. 30 - San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside
Oct. 31 - San Marcos, CA - The Jumping Turtle
Nov. 01 - Hollywood, CA - The Knitting Factory
Nov. 02 - Tempe, AZ - The Sets
Nov. 03 - Albuquerque, NM - The Launchpad
Nov. 04 - Tulsa, OK - The Marquee
Nov. 05 - Dallas, TX - The Ridglea Theater
Nov. 06 - San Antonio, TX - Warehouse Music Venue