07.09.04 (RockAndMetal.com) San Diego rockers SWITCHFOOT have quickly re-emerged onto the Pop/Rock music scene with their major label debut album, "The Beautiful Letdown," featuring the popular single 'Meant To Live' from the "Spider-Man 2" movie soundtrack. Rarely does a rock band combine explosive guitars with an intense longing for meaning. Jon Foreman and SWITCHFOOT, however, yearn for something more than what pop-culture is selling. "If I'm content as an artist to write a hit song or have a platinum record, then I'll have failed a lot of my fellow human beings," says Foreman. "We have the best jobs in the world because we play music for a living and love doing it, but we didn't get into this to try and sell something. For us, it's about communicating and connecting with people on a different level." That stance earned the SWITCHFOOT vocalist/guitarist and his bandmates (brother/bassist Tim Foreman, keyboardist Jerome Fontamillas and drummer Chad Butler) an invitation to attend last December's Nashville summit for DATA (Debt, AIDS, Trade For Africa), the charity organization founded by U2 main man Bono to promote AIDS awareness and debt relief for developing nations. "It was incredible," says Foreman, who's worked with Sudanese refugees in the band's hometown of San... [full story]
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07.09.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Finland's leading female-fronted Gothic Rock/Metal band LULLACRY are scheduled to release their new EP entitled "Fire Within" via Century Media on August 23rd. With their latest two releases, "Be My God" (2001) and "Crucify My Heart" (2003), the band has made a strong impact with their catchy, well-thought-out hooks. With two new tracks 'Fire Within' and 'The #1 Rebel,' plus two remakes of some earlier LULLACRY tracks and a cover of W.A.S.P.'s 'L.O.V.E. Machine,' "Fire Within" is set to keep LULLACRY content until the release of the fourth album. Guitarist Sami Vauhkonen sent the following message recently: "After our last album "Crucify My Heart" we did many shows in Finland, Italy, USA & Estonia and it brought lots of self-assurance for Tanja. Her voice is now awesome and she is one hell of a rocker! "Fire Within" is a logical continuation after touring cause it's a very heavyrockish piece of energy! We had lots of new songs ready in the beginning of 2004, so we decided to release an EP. We had no pressure whatsoever and we just did five songs for it. Two brand new songs and three special semi-acoustic versions of previous LULLACRY material. There's for example a very beautiful piano version from the song 'Crucify My Heart.' That song was originally a ballad indeed!"
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07.09.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Rock legend DAVID BOWIE has undergone emergency heart surgery in Germany, after discovering he had an acutely blocked artery. Bowie sought medical treatment after performing at a festival in the northwestern German town of Scheesel on June 25th, and was diagnosed with a trapped nerve in his shoulder - the painful ailment forcing him to cut short the rest of his European tour dates through July. However, the 57-year-old rocker's condition rapidly worsened, and just two days after complaining to fans of excruciating pain while performing in Prague, he was required to undergo the emergency heart operation known as angioplasty. Bowie, who was able to leave the clinic early this week, is now convalescing with his family and hopes to start work next month. "I'm so pissed off because the last 10 months of this tour have been so fucking fantastic. Can't wait to be fully recovered and get back to work again. I tell you what, though, I won't be writing a song about this one," he said in a statement issued by publicist Mitch Schneider today. Bowie had been set to headline London's T In The Park and Denmark's Roskilde festival, plus nine other festivals throughout Europe this month.
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07.09.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Veteran Florida Death Metallers DEICIDE have re-signed with Earache Records for a worldwide, two-album deal. After witnessing Earache's results with "Scars Of The Crucifix," the band have decided to extend their relationship with the label again. Since DEICIDE originally signed with Earache in 2003 for "Scars Of The Crucifix," the band and the label have made great strides together. In its first week out, "Scars Of The Crucifix," debuted at #18 on Billboard's Independent Albums Chart and #24 on Billboard's Heatseekers Chart in the U.S., hitting both charts higher than any other metal band at that time. In 2004, "Scars Of The Crucifix" has sold more copies worldwide than any other Earache release this year. The label also commissioned DEICIDE's first-ever video (for the title track off "Scars Of The Crucifix"), and saw to it that it aired on MTV2, Fuse, and more. Around the release of "Scars," Earache also secured press coverage for DEICIDE in such mags as Metal Hammer, Kerrang!, etc. Earache's Al Dawson had this to say about the re-signing: "Deicide are a great band who have stood the test of time. They're super cool guys and we're psyched to continue working with them." Deicide's Brian Hoffman declared: "I am very happy to be on the best death metal label there is."
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07.09.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Out of the ashes of CREED comes ALTER BRIDGE, the new band for Mark Tremonti, Scott Phillips and Brian Marshall, along with new singer Myles Kennedy from THE MAYFIELD FOUR. ALTER BRIDGE's debut album, "One Day Remains," was produced by Ben Grosse (Filter, Fuel, Sevendust) and will be released via Wind-Up Records on August 10th. "After all Creed achieved professionally, I felt that I needed to refocus on the goals that I had personally. One of those goals was to get back to my rock and roll roots. After Creed took a break, band-mate Scott Phillips and I started to jam together again and realized that we both shared the same vision and were surprisingly anxious to get back out there and start doing it again," says guitarist/songwriter Mark Tremonti. "It's no longer about the past -- it's about the future. This is a new band and a new beginning," he continues. "The essence of this band is organic and honest rock 'n' roll. The music is driven by melody and instrumentation. It is all about fun, and if it weren't, I doubt any of us would be committed to the new band to the level that we are." The first single off "One Day Remains" is 'Open Your Eyes,' a mid-tempo, anthemic rocker.
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07.09.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Metal Blade Records has announced that the limited first edition of the new CATARACT album, "With Triumph Comes Loss," will include a bonus DVD. The DVD will contain the following four "chapters": 1. Live "Dance Of Days Festival 04" (26 min.): A choice of seven songs recorded live at Remise/Wil in Switzerland on 04/26/03. A variety of songs of CATARACT's most important releases to date ("Golem," "Great Days Of Vengeance" and "Martyrs Melodies"), including two brand new tracks from the "With Triumph Comes Loss" CD. Everything was filmed with three cameras and recorded with a 24-track portable desk, which captures the hard and raw side of a CATARACT live appearance - bringing the intensity of CATARACT's music closer to their fans. 2. Studio Report (10 min.): If you ever wanted to know the secrets behind a CATARACT recording you get it all in here, "road movie" style. 3. The Collective 01-04 (13 min.): A variety of live songs recorded of more or less acceptable quality from CATARACT live shows between 2001 and 2004. 4. Photo Gallery (1:30 min): Approximately 35 CATARACT pictures that were taken all over the globe over during the past three years.
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07.08.04 (RockAndMetal.com) THE BONES' new album, "Straight Flush Ghetto," will be released July 13th via SPV Records. Since their formation back in 1996, THE BONES have been on stage several hundred times all over Europe putting on amazing, energetic performances. THE BONES' rise to success started in the Fall of 1997, when the band released "The Horrorway E.P." on their own label, which sold out in just a few months. That success drove THE BONES to put out a second mini-album, entitled "Six Feet Down And Two Fingers Up." During the recording sessions for "Six Feet Down And Two Fingers Up," THE BONES were contacted by German label People Like You Records, and it was in the Summer of 1999 that THE BONES signed a contract with that company, as well as with German booking agency MAD, making way for their first full-length album, "Screwed, Blued And Tattooed." The Release of that album resulted in THE BONES touring all over Europe, gaining new fans wherever they went. In the Spring of 2002, THE BONES released "Bigger Than Jesus," their second album for People Like You Records. Strong reviews echoed throughout Europe, with that album attracting some great feedback from the U.S. as well.
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07.08.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Roadrunner Records has announced they will be releasing the brand new album from Danish Death Metallers ILLDISPOSED on October 4th, entitled "1-800 Vindication." Last week, ILLDISPOSED moved the mixing process for "1-800 Vindication" to Antfarm Studios in Aarhus, Denmark, with producer Tue Madsen at the helm. Here's a comment from ILLDISPOSED guitarist Jakob Batten: "The original mixing process was going along too slowly, and in the end we felt that it needed 20% more power and some 'air' before we were completely satisfied with it. We handed it over to Tue Madsen on Thursday last week, and now we have the mix we wanted. It will be sent to Roadrunner later this week." ILLDISPOSED are currently the biggest name in Danish extreme music. Since the beginning of the 90's, when they were a 100% underground band, ILLDISPOSED have made a name for themselves within the extreme music scene utilizing an uncompromising style. When ILLDISPOSED's debut album, "Four Depressive Seasons," was released in 1992, the band played pure Death Metal with an incredible brutality for the time. Today, the members of ILLDISPOSED have developed their own more commercial form of the genre with melodic riffs, technical solos and an aggressive vocal in focus.
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07.08.04 (RockAndMetal.com) It's been awhile since something really fresh has come out of the UK Rock scene, but the wait may be somewhat over with the debut of HURRICANE PARTY, a band that was formed in 2003 for the sole purpose of regenerating classic British rock music. HURRICANE PARTY are fast becoming one of the most talked about bands in the current resurgence of Classic Rock, and are at the helm of the new wave of British Rock acts re-interpreting key musical influences from the past 40 years. What sets HURRICANE PARTY apart is their storming live set, which makes an instant connection with the new generation of kids who love Rock music. The band are winning over fans throughout the UK with their kick-ass shows, ever since they won the support slot on STATUS QUO's "Sold Out" UK tour. HURRICANE PARTY's popularity has grown rapidly, consistently selling out their own gigs as well as picking up support gigs for the likes of NICKELBACK and SKID ROW. John Kalodner, long-time A&R producer responsible for nurturing the talents of BON JOVI and more, spotted the talent of HURRICANE PARTY and made them a major priority signing to Sanctuary Records. The band's forthcoming EP, "Get This," will be released August 10th.

07.08.04 (RockAndMetal.com) New Jersey Metal titans GOD FORBID are well rested and ready to continue their rigorous U.S. touring schedule all Summer long on Ozzfest, which kicks off in Hartford, CT this Saturday, July 10th. The quintet has also locked down a series of Ozzfest off-dates alongside artists including DIMMU BORGIR, SLAYER and SUPERJOINT RITUAL. Also, GOD FORBID's new video for the song 'Antihero,' directed by Dale Resteghini (Fear Factory, Hatebreed), has just made its debut on both Fuse and MTV2. The track comes off the group's highly praised new album, "Gone Forever," a nine-track opus blending a ferocious amount of blistering solos, massive hooks and unrelenting aggression. GOD FORBID guitarist Doc Coyle had this to say about the band's upcoming Ozzfest inclusion: "I can't describe in words how excited we are to be a part of this tour. It's going to be unreal! Make sure to get there early to check out the Hellfest-resembling 2nd stage. Also, our off-date tour is turning out to be a dream come true as well. We'd also like to thank our buddies in Chimaira, Killswitch Engage and Shadows Fall for bringing us out and giving us invaluable exposure as part of the New Wave Of American Heavy Metal tour. It may have been one of our drunkest tours ever."
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07.08.04 (RockAndMetal.com) The original members of DURAN DURAN have announced the upcoming release of their first new album together since 1983's multi-platinum album, "Seven & The Ragged Tiger. Epic Records will release the as-yet-untitled record worldwide in October. Writing in the south of France and recording at Sphere Studios in London, DURAN DURAN are currently working with producers Rich Harrison (Mary J. Blige, Alicia Keys, Beyonce, Usher) and Don Gilmore (Good Charlotte, Linkin Park, Pearl Jam, Sugar Ray), thereby drawing on a unique combination of Pop and Alternative Rock experience. The poignant 'What Happens Tomorrow' and the electric rocker 'Sunrise,' both of which DURAN DURAN have played live since reuniting in 2003, are slated for inclusion on the new album. Other song highlights include the moody, noirish 'Still Breathing' and the mischievous 'Bedroom Toys.' Stylistically adventurous, the album showcases the diverse influences and abilities of each band member, blending brash rock guitar with slick synths and frontman Simon LeBon's lyrics and melodies. The album will also feature a one hour bonus DVD including live footage shot over two nights at London's Wembley Arena this past Spring.

07.08.04 (RockAndMetal.com) RED AIM are busy with the songwriting for the follow-up to last year's "Niagara" album for Metal Blade Records. Frontman Dr. Don Rogers and company have spent the last few months exploring the dark side of RED AIM, as the upcoming release is said to be a comedic concept album about no one other than Satan himself. Musically, the new material is expected to be a frighteningly dark, mystically catchy, devilishly rocking metal monster. The still-untitled album will be recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden beginning in the middle of September, when the days start getting shorter and the sunlight fades to black. Some early song titles include 'Black Mass Hysteria,' 'Mr. Sinister,' 'The Evil Made Me Do It' and 'Lucifer In Starlight.' Being one of the more inspiring bands from the German Stoner Rock scene of the early 90s, 1995 found RED AIM sick and tired of being limited to playing a "retro" style of music, so 2001 saw the band going through a self-reinvention process. By changing recording labels from People Like You Records to Metal Blade that year, RED AIM got rid of all stylistic barriers, the result being 2002's "Flesh For Fantasy."
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07.07.04 (RockAndMetal.com) A debut album of almost unbearable beauty and soaring emotion will be the subject of the new JEFF BUCKLEY release, "Grace: Legacy Edition," as the 10th anniversary of the release of Buckley's first Columbia Records album (August 23rd, 1994) will be commemorated with a special three-disc, digi-pak set on August 23rd. "Grace: Legacy Edition" is comprised of the complete original 10-song album on disc one, a 13-song collection of previously unreleased material, promotional rarities, solo tracks, and live performances on disc two, and a multi-faceted, newly-produced DVD on disc three. JEFF BUCKLEY's too-brief association with Columbia Records -- from the Summer of 1993 (when he was not yet 26 years old) up to the time of his tragic death in the Spring of 1997 -- left an indelible impression on the fans whose hearts he touched in America, Europe, Australia, and the Far East. He also left behind many fans among his musical brethren, and artists such as RADIOHEAD, COLDPLAY and STARSAILOR have all acknowledged Buckley's influence on their work. Though "Grace" was the only full-length album actually issued during his lifetime, the pace of his recording and the prolific nature of his... [full story]
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07.07.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Israel's leading Metal outfit ORPHANED LAND performed live at the Rock The Nations Open Air Festival in Istanbul, Turkey over the weekend. Created from an amalgamation of various cultures and traditions, Istanbul was the ideal setting for ORPHANED LAND's live performance. Their new release from Century Media Records, "Mabool," combines histories and teachings from the three monotheistic religions that at once divide and unite the Middle East. Vocalist Kobi Farhi reported in: "We got back yesterday from this historic festival and our performance was unbelievable - one of the best of our lives!!! The crowd knew our songs and the whole place was singing (more than 5,000 people!!). They even sang in Hebrew! We also did a song in Turkish and the place freaked out. We co-headlined the first day alongside Pain Of Salvation. Turkey is a great home for Orphaned Land, as the border of east and west. Try to imagine it yourself: the sad reality of the Middle East, and then there is a concert where people from Turkey, Israel, Syria, Jordan, Lebanon, Saudi Arabia all sing together the songs from the same band. It's amazing! I'm speechless!"
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07.07.04 (RockAndMetal.com) The End Records has announced the signing of DAN SWANO's new project, SECOND SKY. The upcoming album will be entitled "Souldiving." After 15 years of an extremely prolific musical career in the Metal underground, DAN SWANO has gone back to his musical roots and put his most personal project in the works with SECOND SKY. The band was formed from the demise of UNICORN in 2000. Swano and Peter Edwinzon, who have known each other since 1987, created SECOND SKY as the musical continuation of UNICORN, which derives inspirations from MARILLION (85-95 era), KANSAS, ASIA's first two albums and the "non-prog" years of bands like GENESIS, PINK FLOYD, and YES, among others. The scope is "Post-Prog," with a strong emphasis on big choruses and catchy vocal hooks. In the same scope, a big emphasis is put on the lyrics with concepts that range from very personal to fiction. The material for "Souldiving" has been in the works for over 10 years, and every small detail will take shape and be carefully selected from within the band's own studio. To achieve a complete emotional vibe, the album will be recorded in a little cottage on the countryside just outside Orebro, Sweden using a mobile recording studio.

07.07.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Sanctuary Records has released KMFDM's new "WWIII Tour 2003" live DVD. For the past two decades, the archetypal cyber-metal band has defied tradition, unleashing albums progressively more nihilistic and aggressive than their predecessors. Last year, KMFDM released one of its more formidable studio albums to date, "WWIII." Recorded throughout their Autumn 2003 tour, the "WWIII Tour 2003" DVD captures KMFDM at its most venomously entertaining. The DVD not only includes a white-knuckle concert performance from KMFDM, but a host of bonus features that allow the viewer to glimpse the manic world of KMFDM, including after-show and backstage footage, interviews with the band & crew, a tour photo slide show, a fan photo slide show, tour journal entries from the band & crew, a KMFDM Horde fan club featurette, the animated "Wild West Concert" intro sequence, studio footage from the WWIII recording sessions, song lyrics, an interactive e-card, an electronic press kit, and a featurette allowing the viewer to embark on a whale-watching excursion with the band. KMFDM ringleader Sascha Konietzko admits that the "new live material blows the old stuff completely out of the water."

07.07.04 (RockAndMetal.com) THE DONNAS have entered the recording studio to begin work on the follow-up album to their 2002 breakthrough Atlantic Records debut, "Spend The Night." The Bay Area-based band is currently ensconced at Los Angeles' Conway Studios with producer Butch Walker (Avril Lavigne, Midtown, Sevendust). The still-untitled collection is tentatively slated for release this Fall. After almost a decade as one of rock's cooler all-girl combos, THE DONNAS' release of "Spend The Night" saw America fall head-over-heels for their trademark Pop/Rock blast. The album - the band's fifth full-length - debuted in the #1 position on the Billboard "Heatseekers" chart of new and developing artists upon its release, fueled by their breakthrough radio hit, 'Take It Off.' The Donnas were also all over national TV, with appearances on "Saturday Night Live," "The Tonight Show With Jay Leno," "Late Night With Conan O'Brien," and "The View." In addition, the 'Take It Off' companion video was a "Buzzworthy" sensation at MTV and MTV2. THE DONNAS also spent a lot of nights on stage - touring with the likes of THE STROKES and JIMMY EAT WORLD, appearing on Lollapalooza 2003, and embarking on their own headlining treks.
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07.07.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Canadian Metal progenies INTO ETERNITY have been added to KATAKLYSM's October European tour with MYSTIC CIRCLE and GRAVEWORM. The band has just returned from Europe, where they played strong performances at Italy's Gods Of Metal Festival, Germany's Rock Hard Festival, and on three dates with Sweden's NAGLFAR, where they received encore requests. INTO ETERNITY's current release, "Buried In Oblivion," was hailed recently by Revolver magazine as "a defiantly fresh work filled with stunning virtuosity as well as truly original ideas" and as "the perfect meeting of progressive and death metal" by California's Skratch magazine. Meanwhile, INTO ETERNITY are currently looking for a drummer to complete their touring line-up, and the band has issued a call for a talented musicians who share their unique vision. Interested parties should be familiar with the group's music, and have a desire to give 110% to the band and the tour. Additionally, they need to have professional level equipment, be able to tour worldwide, hold a current passport, and have no criminal record. Parties should take into account that that the band is located in Saskatchewan, where band practices will be held.
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07.06.04 (RockAndMetal.com) After a lengthy delay, Australian band SENDER's self-titled debut EP has finally been released by Sony Music. Singer Bodhan Dower says the band is completely amped that their first commerical release is finally out, and very stoked that their first single, 'You're On Fire,' has already struck a chord with rock music fans: "Everyone in the band has worked hard for so long, and I think we've been ready for this for a longtime. We're excited. "I think the sound of the band is always evolving. When we first started we were just learning the ropes and jamming to a lot of old '70s metal like Deep Purple. Then came the Nirvana sort of Grunge scene as well and we were quite inspired by that. I think since then we've gotten more melodic and I think our songs have just sort of matured as well," Dower says. "We just wanted to keep things fairly simple and go back to basics with a lot of things and Lindsay was really good for that, helping us to draw out the essence of what we were doing. We want to gig the crap out of the EP, get out there in the world and let people know about it. Hopefully, we can start working on an album before the end of the year and get that out - that would be awesome."
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07.06.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Swedish Death Metal masters IN BATTLE are finished with the recording of their third album, "Welcome To The Battlefield," their first for Cold/Metal Blade Records. The new offering of of U.S.-style Death Metal with a touch of Swedish flavor is set for a September 20th release. "Welcome To The Battlefield" was recorded in February and March at both Courthouse Studios in Ostersund, Sweden and Necromorbus Studios in Stockholm. the mixing and mastering being done at Tampa, Florida's Mana Recording Studios in the United States by producer Erik Rutan. "Welcome To The Battlefield" contains 11 songs of true aggression and boiling adrenaline, and the production delivered by the well-known ex-MORBID ANGEL/HATE ETERNAL guitarist came out excellent and totally fits the music. As Rutan said: "Hey guys, do you know how good this sounds? This is a fucking killer man, I'm proud to be a part of this album." Erik Rutan really did do an awesome job with the sound, with every little tone from the guitars to the drums coming out great in the production. IN BATTLE made it's roots originally in Swedish Black Metal, when they formed during that genre's growing popularity in 1996.
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07.06.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Artemis Records will release 'The Revolution Starts...Now," the all-new studio album from singer/songwriter STEVE EARLE, on August 24th. Produced by the twangtrust (Steve Earle and Ray Kennedy), most of the songs on "The Revolution Starts...Now" are politically charged ('F The CC,' 'Condi, Condi'), with Earle's inimitably scathing commentary of current world events. Earle also duets with Country/Folk veteran Emmylou Harris on the song 'Comin' Around.' Singer and songwriter, STEVE EARLE was born in Virginia, raised in Texas, and has resided in Nashville for over 25 years. His 2002 critically acclaimed album, "Jerusalem," garnered him his 8th Grammy nomination. 2001 marked the release of "Doghouse Roses, his first collection of short stories. In the Fall of 2002, The Broadaxe Theatre (the non-profit theatre company he co-founded in Nashville) debuted his first play entitled "Karla," about Karla Faye Tucker - the first woman executed in Texas since the Civil War. Earle also appeared recently in the award-winning off-Broadway play, "The Exonerated." STEVE EARLE also works as an activist with The Vietnam Veterans' Campaign for A Landmine Free World and The Kensington Welfare Rights Union.
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07.06.04 (RockAndMetal.com) The following is an update from KATAKLYSM vocalist Maurizio Iacono regarding the band's upcoming plans: "Hi everyone, It's been a while since we came back from the U.S. tour we did last month. It was a rough ride, but we had fun and the fans were nuts... Thanks to everyone that came out and to Through The Discipline, Cannae and Misery Index for being part of it. In response to the e-mails we have been receiving about the Crowbar tour and the With Full Force festival in Europe - in regards to whether we are playing or not - the answer is NO (and it sucks!). Perhaps Kataklysm is still advertised, who knows?!... We wanted to do the tour and the WFF fest, but as we previously mentioned, we have been forced to cancel for family reasons. We really apologize for that. The band is playing for sure in late August at the Up From The Ground Festival in Germany. We will be headlining Saturday the 28th. This will be the only show of the summer for Kataklysm. We will debut round 2 of the "Serenity In Fire" touring campaign this fall. We will start with a massive headlining European tour in October including a stop in Iceland, followed by another North American tour if everything goes according to plan."
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07.06.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Rhino/Elektra Records salutes X, one of the more influential 70s and 80s Punk bands, with the upcoming release of "X: The Best: Make The Music Go Bang." The new 46-track collection is the first "best-of" package from the Los Angeles band. "X: The Best: Make The Music Go Bang" covers the whole of X's recording career, from their first single on pioneering indie label Dangerhouse Records to their last studio album, "Hey Zeus!," and touches on X's Alt-Country/Folk offshoot, THE KNITTERS. "X: The Best: Make The Music Go Bang" was co-produced and compiled by original band member John Doe. Disc One gathers highlights from the first four highly-acclaimed albums the band cut with producer Ray Manzarek of THE DOORS. "Los Angeles" stands as one of the more impressive punk debuts ever, while the next three discs - "Wild Gift," "Under The Big Black Sun and "More Fun In The New World" - revealed the many influences that made X's brand of punk rock so unique. With "Ain't Love Grand," "See How We Are," and "Hey Zeus!," X broadened their sound and successfully morphed from punk band to rock band that helped sow the seeds of the "alternative" music revolution with tunes like 'Burning House Of Love.'

07.06.04 (RockAndMetal.com) UK Progressive Metal band THRESHOLD will release their new album, "Subsurface," through InsideOut Music on August 3rd. With "Subsurface," THRESHOLD has produced one of their strongest albums since their "Wounded Land" debut. The album will also be released in a Special Edition format featuring an extended booklet, bonus tracks, extra multimedia and exclusive video footage. Subsurface is slated for release through InsideOut Music at the 2nd of August. THRESHOLD also plan to commence a new live tour supporting "Subsurface" sometime in September. Formed in the South of England, THRESHOLD released "Wounded Land" in 1993 through GEP Records. In the following five years Threshold released three more studio albums through GEP. 1994's "Psychedelicatessen" saw original vocalist Damian Wilson replaced by MINDFEED singer Glynn Morgan, who fronted the band for a long period of live European concerts including tours with CONCEPTION, PSYCHOTIC WALTZ and DREAM THEATER. In 1997, a permanent replacement was found in Mac (ex-SARGANT FURY) for the band's fourth album, 1998's "Clone." After a succession of drummers, the new millennium brought THRESHOLD a new recording deal.
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07.05.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Warner Bros. Records salutes one of the greatest Folk/Rock singer/songwriters of the last 50 years with the newly released, limited edition slipcase, "Paul Simon: The Studio Recordings 1972-2000." The new box set includes all nine of Simon's Warner Bros. solo albums, each digitally re-mastered for the first time ever and expanded with two to four previously unreleased bonus tracks. The box set offers six never-before-released PAUL SIMON songs, and each of the CD's will also be made available individually in two batches -- the first five albums on July 13th, the last four on July 27th. Simon's platinum 1972 solo debut, "Paul Simon," won the Grammy for Album Of The Year, and features the hits 'Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard' and 'Mother And Child Reunion.' The reissue adds demos of 'Me And Julio Down By The Schoolyard' and 'Duncan,' as well as an alternate version of 'Paranoia Blues.' 1973's "There Goes Rhymin' Simon" contains the hits 'Kodachrome' and 'Loves Me Like A Rock,' plus the classics 'American Tune' and 'St. Judy's Comet.' Bonus cuts include acoustic demos of 'Take Me to the Mardi Gras' and 'Loves Me Like A Rock,' as well as an unfinished demo of 'American Tune' and a... [full story]
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07.05.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Georgia-based Melodic Dark Metal band LILITU are nearly done with the final stages of mixing their next studio album, "The Delores Lesion," for The End Records, with the band being very satisfied with the results so far. "The Delores Lesion" is the band's most elaborate release to date, and LILITU are looking forward to getting the album completed and ready to go, with a release date scheduled for September. According to the group, the coming album, "featuring lush strings, grand piano, female vocals, electronic bits, and a little something extra, has made this record exciting to record and mix. The guitars are more up front, and the leads are rocking. 'The Delores Lesion' is catchier with great arrangements, and more expressive than anything we have released. We don't want to spill too much, so you guys will have to wait and see." Using razor-sharp riffs and compelling melodies, the album forces the listener into the honesty, adversity, and depth that lie within LILITU's music. Drawing influences from acts like DARK TRANQUILLITY, HIM, RADIOHEAD, OURS, IN FLAMES and PLACEBO, LILITU are out to prove that diversity is a fundamental element in writing valid songs.
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07.05.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Four years after their full-length debut "United" made an international impact, PHOENIX will return at the end of this month with their latest musical offering, "Alphabetical." The French quartet have masterfully, and deliberately created a stunning second effort. "Alphabetical"'s ten tracks, replete with a lounging, sunshiny ease are set for release on Virgin Music during the final week of July. Aiming to create a coherent and profoundly original sound, PHOENIX's four members, Thomas Mars, Christian Mazzalai, Laurent Brancowitz and Deck D'Arcy closeted themselves away in their studio. Collectively, each member was equally responsible for the lyrics, music, performance, arrangements and production on "Alphabetical." Retaining a renowned and rare mastery of the lyric, PHOENIX employ words which entwine themselves around and within, yet always remain at the service of the song. That sound creativity contributed to earning the PHOENIX track 'Too Young' a place on the soundtrack for the Golden Globe and Academy Award-winning critically acclaimed film starring Bill Murray, "Lost In Translation." PHOENIX's early tours of the UK are being followed this Summer by a new European tour.
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07.05.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Danish Melodic Dark Metallers MERCENARY have signed a worldwide recording deal with Century Media. Guitarist Jakob Molbjerg commented on the newly signed deal: "We are extremely proud and honoured to be able to announce that we have entered a multi-album worldwide deal with Century Media Records. Signing with the label has always been a dream for us - not only as a label but as a statement that Mercenary has entered a new rank in the world of Metal Music. Century Media Records is and has always been a stamp of approval and quality and we will make our very best efforts in every area to live up to this compliment shown to us by The Century Family!" Emerging initially in the '90s and after multiple line-up changes and stylistic re-definitions, it was their 2002 album "Everblack" that garnered MERCENARY worldwide praise and attention. The band developed a name by mixing elements from both Epic Power Metal and Progressive Metal passages with melodically aggressive Thrash/Death Metal rhythms. Their multi-layered vocals, ranging from clean singing to extreme shouting give MERCENARY a unique edge, always suitably supported by walls of atmospheric keyboards.
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07.05.04 (RockAndMetal.com) On August 24th, Artemis Records will release ALAN PARSONS' new album, "A Valid Path," in North America - his first studio recording in five years. "A Valid Path" is ALAN PARSONS' leap into the world of electronica music, filled with poly-rhythmic drumbeats and soaring guitar solos, provided in part by PINK FLOYD's David Gilmour. The album's standout track, 'More Lost Without You,' features P.J. Olsson on vocals. Another great collaboration is with THE CRYSTAL METHOD on the song 'We Play The Game.' ALAN PARSONS has released three records without the 'Project' identity behind him. His last, entitled "The Time Machine," earned several rave reviews. Parsons, an engineer and producer, worked on classic albums like THE BEATLES' "Let It Be," Abbey Road," and PINK FLOYD's "Dark Side Of The Moon," for which he earned one of his ten Grammy nominations over the years. He emerged in 1976 as the artist behind his own group, ground breaking progressive rockers THE ALAN PARSONS PROJECT, who had two Top Ten Albums, six Top Ten Singles and were awarded 3 platinum and 7 gold records by the RIAA. Parsons has also produced and engineered records for PAUL McCARTNEY's WINGS, THE HOLLIES and AMBROSIA.

07.05.04 (RockAndMetal.com) KULT OV AZAZEL have decided to postpone recording the new album. Instead of recording in August or September, the band has decided to wait and record in January 2005 at Mana Studio (Hate Eternal, In Battle, Krisiun, Malevolent Creation) in Tampa, Florida. The reason is that the band wants to write and include more material than originally planned. However, the band has posted a demo version of the track 'An Eternity With Satan,' for those hungry to hear some of the new material. Also the layout and master recording for "Oculus Infernum" has been received by French label Into The Pentagram (a.k.a. Aura Mystique) and will be licensed through them, so the recording will rear it's ugly head soon after it's initial release, but this time in vinyl format. The gatefold LP will be limited to 500 units with double-sided lyric poster and the first 100 with a 2 song 7". Last weekend on Saturday, June 26th, KULT OV AZAZEL also co-headlined the Northern Lights Festival, theband's only confirmed performance scheduled for 2004. The event took place at Club Rockit in Toronto, Canada.
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[Music News: 06.28.04 - 07.04.04]
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