03.11.05 (RockAndMetal.com) COLDPLAY's long-awaited new studio album, "X&Y," will finally be released on June 7th via Capitol Records in North America, preceded by the issuance of the first single from the album, entitled 'Speed Of Sound,' worldwide on April 18th. The luminous follow-up to 2002's Grammy award-winning, triple-Platinum 2002 release, "A Rush Of Blood To The Head," "X&Y" was recorded over the past year at several studios in the UK, and has been produced by Danton Supple (Morrissey, Elbow), Ken Nelson (Badly Drawn Boy, Kings of Convenience) and COLDPLAY. One of the most anticipated releases of 2005, "X&Y" sees the band building on their previous achievements while resisting the temptation to repeat themselves. "We wanted to try new things out, to move our sound along," says Jonny Buckland, COLDPLAY guitarist, "but the focus remains on the songs, and Chris (Martin)'s voice is sounding amazing. Everyone is playing at the top of their game." COLDPLAY, comprised of vocalist/guitarist/keyboardist Chris Martin, guitarist Buckland, bassist Guy Berryman and drummer Will Champion, formed in London in 1998. Their double Platinum 2000 debut, "Parachutes," featured the international hit singles 'Yellow' and 'Trouble,' and received a Grammy Award for "Best Alternative Music Album." With 2002's "A Rush Of Blood To The Head," COLDPLAY became the only band to win a Grammy for "Best Alternative Music Album" for two consecutive years. They also won for "Best Rock Performance By A Duo Or Group With Vocal" for the single 'In My Place.' "A Rush Of Blood To The Head" entered the Billboard Top 200 at #5, received four-star reviews from Rolling Stone and Blender, and landed COLDPLAY on the cover of Spin magazine as 2003's "Band Of The Year." The single 'Clocks' was released in 2003, bringing the band its fourth Grammy, this time in the prestigious "Record Of The Year" category. To date, COLDPLAY have sold over 16 million albums worldwide.
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03.11.05 (RockAndMetal.com) G//Z/R, a band featuring original BLACK SABBATH bassist Terry "Geezer" Butler, will release "Ohmwork," their first album since 1997's "Black Science" via Sanctuary Records on April 19th. "I prefer stripping songs down to their most raw, basic sounds and blasting them out!" says Butler. With over 35 years of experience in the music business -- the vast majority as a steady underpinning to the mighty BLACK SABBATH "Doom" sound -- then surely this is one musician who knows a thing or two when it comes to blasting things out. But unlike other long-time musicians of note, the delay between releases is not because he's spent his recent years locked away like a mad professor in search of "the ultimate solo album." No, the real reason for the hiatus was the small matter of a reunion between the original BLACK SABBATH members after twenty years apart. And it is the spirit of BLACK SABBATH that Geezer Butler cites when searching to explain the spark that finally sent the members of G//Z/R -- completed by vocalist Clark Brown, guitarist Pedro Howse and drummer Chad Smith -- hurtling into the studio in October of 2004 with a hectic 10-day recording schedule to hit. "There's a spirit of spontaneity and freshness that can only be achieved when you approach a record in that manner," recalls Butler. "It's the way the first two Sabbath albums were done. 'Black Sabbath' was recorded in two days and 'Paranoid' took a week, and that's what I wanted with my new record - 10 days, done and dusted." Butler maintains that there is a certain intensity of musical vision that can only be achieved when you've stripped out every unnecessary distraction in a search for the heart of each song. Tracks such as the vicious album opener 'Misfit' or the wry-but-booming 'Pardon My Depression' are positively dripping with fear and loathing for the modern world. "I like recording an album while it's still fresh, that way you can treat it like an exorcism of ideas and pull the feelings right out of your soul, because it's only then that you're truly capturing something real." Key to the mantra of... [full story]

03.10.05 (RockAndMetal.com) Swedish Alternative Pop/Rockers THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES (TSOOL) have kicked off a month-long tour of North America in support of their upcoming album, "Origin Volume 1," which will be released next week on March 15th via Republic Records. The long awaited follow-up to their 2002 breakthrough album "Behind The Music," "Origin Volume 1" showcases THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES' unique blend of styles and approach with regard to their music. Formed in Gothenburg in 1994, the band has all the signs of true greatness: excellent songs, outstanding musicianship, powerful live presence and possession of an inner radar always steering them in the right musical direction. Trying to describe their style isn't easy, because their sound is very much their own. The soundscape of THE SOUNDTRACK OF OUR LIVES' music has developed during a longer time than the lifespan of modern Brit Pop, and has grown out of much more intricate influences than just a couple of BEATLES albums. Tour Dates: 03/11 Tulsa, OK [Cain's Ballroom] • 03/12 Columbia, MO [Blue Note] • 03/13 Oklahoma City, OK [Bricktown Events Center] • 03/14 Dallas, TX [Gypsy Ballroom] • 03/15 Houston, TX [Meridian] • 03/17 Austin, TX [Austin Music Hall] • 03/18 New Orleans, LA [The Parish] • 03/19 Atlanta, GA [Smiths Olde Bar] • 03/20 Tampa, FL [TBD] • 03/21 Washington, DC [9:30 Club] • 03/22 Philadelphia, PA [TLA] • 03/23 Boston, MA [Axis] • 03/24 New York, NY [Irving Plaza] • 03/24 New York, NY [Knitting Factory] • 03/25 New York, NY [Hammerstein Ballroom] • 03/26 Toronto, Canada [Guvernment] • 03/27 Detroit, MI [Magic Stick] • 03/28 Chicago, IL [Cabaret Metro] • 03/29 Minneapolis, MN [Fine Line] • 03/30 Lawrence, KS [Bottleneck] • 03/31 Denver, CO [Bluebird Theatre] • 04/02 Los Angeles, CA [Avalon] • 04/03 San Francisco, CA [Great American Music Hall] • 04/05 Seattle, WA [El Corazon] • 04/06 Vancouver BC [Commodore Ballroom] • 04/10 Indianapolis, IN [The Vogue]
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03.10.05 (RockAndMetal.com) Earache Records recording artists THE BERZERKER have posted the following update on their label's website regarding the recording of a new album: "Hey all, just thought I'd post a quick update.... I'm currently working on the new album.... 90% of the guitars and bass have been recorded. Sam (Bass) and Matt (Guitar) are now living in the UK and Gary (Drums) is still living in Perth. Sam has helped out with the guitar and bass along with Ed and Jay from the first album (and seen on the DVD)... and also extra guitar and bass has been supplied by my good mate Adrian from local Melbourne band Demon Other. Matt and Gary have had no involvement with album no. 3 ..... Matt is now playing guitar for Akercocke... and Gary has reformed his old band The Plague... I would like to wish them all the best and thank them for there undivided involvement on the Dissimulate album and Dissimulate tours!!!! I am so happy with the new material I'm working on, I've gone back to doing both high and low vocals and really enjoying the process. The new album will defiantly bring back the feelings of old, the early 90's influences have not been stronger. It's something very I have grown very fond of, I'm working very hard everyday on the material and should have the master delivered by the end of March 2005!!! So I guess that puts it at a mid 2005 release!!!!! (if all goes to plan). This is definitely the heaviest and fastest material to date... with speeds topping 330bpm!!!! But with all the groove and Death Metal influence. That's about all I have for you up till now... I'm currently working on lyrics and arrangements and will post more soon - Stay tuned a big album and a big year for The Berzerker!!!!!!!!" - Luke (The Berzerker). THE BERZERKER are an Industrial Death Metal band from Melbourne, Australia. Specializing in speed, intensity and aggression, the wall of noise produced by the band encompasses very untraditional drum sounds and Industrial soundscapes with destructive elements used to enhance THE BERZERKER's sonic assault.
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03.09.05 (RockAndMetal.com) Magnolia Pictures and Rhino Home Video will release the movie "End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones" on DVD come next week on Tuesday, March 15th. A stark portrait of seminal New York Punk band THE RAMONES, whose influence reaches over several generations of musicians and fans alike, "End Of The Century" is both a celebration of their music and a mesmerizing document of the group's road to near-success, pitted with emotional power struggles and substance abuse. The film originally debuted in New York in 2004 on August 20th, followed by a national rollout in theaters around the country. It was a rocky road for the pseudo-brothers of THE RAMONES - the success that always seemed around the corner continually faded in the distance, as British bands they inspired were crowned the "originators of punk" by the mainstream music press. The film's title refers to their 1980 album of the same name, produced by infamous gun-toting hit song guru Phil Spector, an endeavor that strained the already tenuous relation between band members. New York-based filmmakers and directors of "End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones," Michael Gramaglia and Jim Fields share a life-long love of Punk music, and their passion is evident in this candid portrait of a band torn by internal struggles and consequences of the lifestyle. The film moves from the band's CBGB and London heydays, the decade-long silence between Joey and Johnny caused by a dispute over a girl, through to the deaths of Joey and Dee Dee Ramone and their induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame in 2002. Together with unseen live and studio footage, extensive interviews with ex-band mates, family, friends and figures from New York City's punk scene, "End Of The Century: The Story Of The Ramones" not only documents an important chapter in music history, but also chronicles the bonds of childhood friendship and their gradual breakdown.
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03.09.05 (RockAndMetal.com) German Power Metallers EDGUY perform two live songs in 'Lavatory Love Machine' and 'King Of Fools' on the newly released "Rock For Asia" DVD, which is now available for purchase in the European territories. EDGUY are just one of many artists that were featured at the "Rock For Asia" charity event for the tsunami victims in Asia, which took place at the Saturn Arena in Ingolstadt, Germany on January 27th in front of more than 2,000 enthusiastic fans. The new DVD sees EDGUY performing alongside other German Metal brethren in other strong appearances by BONFIRE ('Under Blue Skies, 'Proud Of My Country'), IN EXTREMO ('Erdbeermund,' 'Omnia Sol Temperat'), DORO (She's Like Thunder,' 'Fuer Immer'), SAXON ('Man & Machine,' 'Requiem [We Will Remember]'), CRYSTAL BALL ('Hellvetia') and RAREBELL & RABB ('Still Loving You'). Other artists captured live on the "Rock For Asia" DVD include BONNIE TYLER, KRYPTERIA, NU PAGADI, COM N RAIL, DAVID KNOPFLER and MAN DOKI SOULMATES, which all concludes with the charity song 'Rock 'N' Roll Cowboys' as performed by BONFIRE & FRIENDS. There were no reservations among different musical styles as to show unlimited support for the children of southeast Asia in this time of crisis, as issued in the following joint statement by Willi Wrede, Uwe Lerch and Claus Lessmann, the three organizers of the event: "The meaning of this benefit project of course is the collection of donations for the victims of this incredible catastrophe. To help the children in this world is especially important to us as the founders of this event. At the end of the day, all three of us are fathers, we are blessed with healthy children and can relate to the suffering regarding the loss of a child, the unbearable suffering, and the fear involved in it. This concerns all of us regardless of nationalities, cultures and beliefs." A portion of the money that goes toward the purchase of every "Rock For Asia" DVD is transferred to the Rock For Asia Foundation, which supports the German SOS Kinderdorfer program.
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03.08.05 (RockAndMetal.com) Southern California's INTANGIBLE, led by singer/songwriter Justin Wright, are set to release their debut album, "Elevate," on May 24th via Larkio Music. The band will preview songs from the album, which features the newly released first single, 'Those Around You,' when they perform at The Roxy in Los Angeles on next week on March 14th. Self-produced by Wright, "Elevate" showcases 11 original compositions where dreamy, pop-inflected melodies give way to explosive choruses that resound like Rock 'N' Roll sermons from some mythic Olympian mount. In the wondrous days before the arbiters of fashion hijacked pop music, FM radio marched to the soulful rhythms of a music so timeless, fans would ultimately dub the sound "Classic Rock." Justin Wright grew up in the thrall of that music, his ear veritably pressed to the radio, soaking in the nuances that made those songs so powerful, so magical, so meaningful. Now, with the upcoming release of "Elevate," Wright and INTANGIBLE triumphantly evoke the spirit of album-oriented radio while allowing for a decidedly contemporary approach. "It's kind of a bold-sounding record, in its way," Wright admits when asked about Elevate's crowd-pleasing melodies, impressionistic lyrics and clear, crisp production. "It's the first album...and it evolved inside of an unbiased circle of space." The result of that freedom is an album that makes no apologies for its sumptuous, hard-rocking accessibility. Justin Wright's classic Rock penchant is evident on tracks like 'Release,' 'Lean,' 'Anything Real' and 'Brown.' But "Elevate" also reveals the folkier side of Wright's musical character in the haunting melodies and organic arrangements of tunes like 'Search,' 'Winter Song' and 'Hollow.' Throughout, Wright delivers impressive vocal performances that explore the uncharted territory between post-Grunge and soaring Album Rock heroics. Justin Wright comes by his classic Rock proclivities naturally. The son of keyboardist and Rock... [full story]
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03.08.05 (RockAndMetal.com) Canadian Metalcore sextet DESPISED ICON will embark on an extensive Canadian tour alongside ION DISSONANCE and PREMONITIONS OF WAR later this month after playing several dates there at the end of this week. The band will also make their first appearance in the U.S. at the Maryland Deathfest in late May. Look for additional U.S. dates this Summer. DESPISED ICON's upcoming sophomore release, "The Healing Process," was produced by guitarist Yannick St-Amand (Ion Dissonance, Neuraxis), mixed by J.F. Dagenais (Misery Index, Kataklysm) and mastered by Alan Douches (Shadows Fall, Dillinger Escape Plan). The new album, set for an April 5th release via Century Media, is a relentless slab of sheer aggression matched by impeccable time changes. Upcoming Tour Dates: 03/10 Trois-Rivieres, QC [Maquisart] • 03/11 Rimouski, QC [Coudee] • 03/12 Ottawa, ON [Club Saw] • 03/31 Quebec City, QC [L'Anti] • 04/01 Montreal, QC [El Salon] • 04/02 Oakville, ON [The Dojo] • 04/03 Sudbury, ON [Townehouse Tavern] • 04/05 Brandon, MB [East End Community Center] • 04/06 Regina, SK [The Exchange] • 04/07 Edmonton, AB [New City Likwid Lounge] • 04/08 Edmonton, AB [Queen Alex Hall] • 04/09 Calgary, AB [Alexandra Center] • 04/10 Whistler, BC [Boot Pub] • 04/11 Vancouver, BC [The Brickyard] • 04/12 Victoria, BC [The Lucky Bar] • 04/13 Kamloops, BC [Independent Center] • 04/14 Calgary, AB [Brew Brothers Tap House] • 04/15 Saskatoon, SK [Walkers] • 04/16 Winnipeg, MB [The Albert] • 04/17 Thunder Bay, ON [The Apollo] • 04/18 Timmins, ON [GV Hotel] • 04/19 Ste-Catherines, ON [Red Square Night Club] • 04/20 London, ON [The Embassy] • 04/21 Hamilton, ON [TBA] • 04/22 Brampton, ON [TBA] • 04/23 Barrie, ON [TBA] • 05/07 Montreal, QC [Medley] • 05/14 Bromont, QC [La Debarque] • 05/29 Baltimore, MD [House Of Rock] • 07/16 Repentigny, QC [Universe Skatepark]
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03.07.05 (RockAndMetal.com) Spanning the full twenty-one years of NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS' illustrious career, a comprehensive 3-disc set entitled "B-Sides & Rarities" is slated to be released on March 28th via Mute Recordings. The new collection presents a thrilling and eclectic retrospective collection of material by the band, some of which has been out of print, featured on a disparate number of soundtrack albums, or has never been officially released before. From the menacing 'The Six Strings That Drew Blood' through the distraught 'The Girl At The Bottom Of My Glass,' the fragile beauty of 'Little Empty Boat' to the outlaw romance of '(I'll Love You) Till The End Of The World,' and from the plaintive 'Bluebird' through to the murderous attack of 'The Ballad Of Robert Moore & Betty Coltrane,' long-term NICK CAVE AND THE BAD SEEDS aficionados, recent converts or the merely curious will find much to appreciate and enjoy in this landmark, 56-track compilation. "Basically, this is material that was B-sides, outtakes or extra recordings," says Mick Harvey, a founding member of the band and coordinator of the new release. "We tried to include everything that came under that criteria. The other criteria was that it was a Bad Seeds recording, not a Nick Cave recording." According to Harvey, "B-Sides & Rarities" has been gestating for some years: "I originally put the idea of doing this B-Sides & Rarities collection in 1996/97, compiling two discs, as it would have been then," recollects Harvey. "The general response was, 'Yes, great idea. We just have to look for the right moment to do it.' There hasn't been enough space where there wasn't something else imminent. Its release now is a fairly arbitrary moment in time. Now it has expanded to three discs, which is fine. The running order was generally put together in some chronological order, although it was mixed up a little here and there if songs didn't go together very well."
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03.07.05 (RockAndMetal.com) NASUM frontman Mieszko Talarczyk, whose life was lost in the December 2004 tsunami disaster, was honored yesterday on Sirius Satellite Radio's "Bloody Roots" program. Talarczyk, who had been missing and whose body was not positively identified until February 17th, was paid tribute to by "Bloody Roots" host Ian Christe, who dedicated this week's show to the memory of Mieszko Talarczyk and the ten successful years of his band NASUM. Yesterday's show also featured a host of current day Swedish acts, many of whom Talarczyk produced, and also detailed early Swedish Hardcore music pioneers that helped pave the way for that genre, including bands such as RATTUS, ANTI CIMEX and BLACK UNIFORMS. "Grindcore is a very democratic world, nobody asks to be a rock star," Christe states. "But NASUM were basically Grindcore 2.0, and when you listen to their huge back catalog, and the multitude of ripping side projects, the bands Mieszko himself produced -- good God, there's a huge sense of loss. A central chunk of the heart of Swedish grind has just vanished." The episode will rebroadcast tomorrow, March 8th, at 9:00 PM EST. The Relapse Records family, whose label NASUM recorded for and music was released through, have also been extremely saddened by Mieszko Talarczyk's death and previously sent their condolences to his bandmates and family, as well as to all of the rest of the families worldwide who lost a loved one in the tsunami tragedy. Formed in late 1992, NASUM began building an international reputation in the years to follow on the strength of a series of split singles recorded with the likes of bands including PSYCHO and AGATHOCLES. A 1995 EP, "Industrislaven," and a subsequent seven-inch titled "World In Turmoil" helped NASUM land a contract with Relapse Records, who also issued their full-length debut album, "Inhale/Exhale," in 1998. Mieszko Talarczyk was also the band's primary songwriter.
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[ Music News: 02.28.05 - 03.06.05 ]
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