07.30.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Swedish band LAKE OF TEARS will release their new album, "Black Brick Road," on September 14th via Noise Records. When LAKE OF TEARS made their debut with "Greater Art" in 1994, there wasn't much of an indication of the band's true potential. However, if their first release came across somewhat bumpy, LAKE OF TEARS made up for it one year later with their second recording, "Headstones." The press honoured the disc with glowing reviews, and "A Crimson Cosmos" brought them their big breakthrough in 1997. The material reflecting a broad musical range, paving the way for LAKE OF TEARS to secure themselves a prominent position on the European music scene, strengthened by a tour with THERION. The band's next release, 1999's "Forever Autumn" (this time performed by a trio consisting of band leader Daniel Brennare, bassist Mikael Larsson and drummer Johan Oudhuis, joined by several different guitarists, didn't quite live up to its predecessor's success. It was then that the Scandinavian outfit realized they had more to offer, but seemed unable to figure out just how to tap their sources at the time, and so the group broke up shortly after the arrival of their fourth album. To fulfill their contractual obligations with recording label Black Mark Records, they had to record another album, 2002's "The Neonai" - Daniel Brennare... [full story]
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07.30.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Bay Area Metalcore veterans MACHINE HEAD have chosen to celebrate the 10th anniversary of the release of their highly influential debut offering, "Burn My Eyes," by treating fans to a special, one night only performance of the album in its entirety on August 8th at the Theatre Of Living Arts in Philadelphia, PA. Released worldwide on August 8th, 1994, "Burn My Eyes" was and still is considered to be one of the most important albums of its genre, garnering the band an unprecedented level of recognition and spawning a myriad of imitators - all from just their first album."It's hard to believe that it's been ten years," exclaimed bassist Adam Duce. "We've been having so much fun practicing and revisiting all those songs." Since the album's anniversary happens to coincide with a date on the annual Roadrunner Records-sponsored "Road Rage" tour featuring MACHINE HEAD, co-headliners CHIMAIRA, and up & comers TRIVIUM, the band knew right away that a special treat was in order. On top of setting aside their scheduled setlist, the band will also forego their current merchandise - offering just a "Burn My Eyes" commemorative t-shirt in it's place. Drummer Dave McClain added: "I don't know who's gonna have more fun at this show, us or our fans! This is gonna be a killer show and a great way to say thank you to our fans for all their continuing support."
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07.30.04 (RockAndMetal.com) A new GENE SIMMONS DVD & CD release, "Speaking In Tongues," is slated to be issued August 10th. The new release chronicles GENE SIMMONS' first ever, no-holds-barred "lecture tour" of Australia, captivating audiences by speaking his mind on his favorite topics - Money, Success, Fame, KISS, and -- most of all -- Women. Other highlights from "Speaking In Tongues" include an in-depth look at Simmons' private life, including his home, family and various business dealings. Additionally, the DVD & CD include, for the first time anywhere, over ten unheard and previously unreleased GENE SIMMONS songs from the past three decades. However, "Speaking In Tongues" is more of an intimate and revealing portrayal of GENE SIMMONS' personal philosophies on life. For instance, Simmons (arguably the most opinionated man in music) states: "I decide things for myself; convention in society says I'm supposed to get married, I'm supposed to do this...I refuse. I'm a contradiction to all this stuff...I'm willing to bear all the criticism and I'm willing to take all the rewards. All the blame, but all the credit." Just one of several statements from a man unafraid of pushing the envelope and dealing with the consequences... Most recently, GENE SIMMONS released his long-awaited second solo effort, "Asshole" via Sanctuary Records, revealing yet another side to the co-founder of KISS.
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07.30.04 (RockAndMetal.com) After 92 weeks, "Comalies," the third album from Italian band LACUNA COIL, has now cracked the Billboard "Top 200" list, that magazine's weekly tally of the country's top-selling albums. Originally released on October 29, 2002, "Comalies" -- which shattered the 100,000 sales mark two weeks ago -- achieved its best weekly sales mark to date from July 19-25, logging 5,818 copies sold, according to SoundScan. The album - #194 on this week's chart - has sold more than 17,000 copies in the last month alone, and marks the first-ever Billboard 200 appearance in the history of the group's label, Los Angeles-based independent Century Media Records. "It's a testament to our philosophy of believing in a band and working them from the ground up," says Phil Hinkle, Century Media's director of A&R. "In an era where artist development seems to be an afterthought, it's exciting to be a part of such a natural, organic success story." In large part, "Comalies"' robust sales can be attributed to LACUNA COIL's Ozzfest performances. Of all second-stage acts, the group is being outsold by only SLIPKNOT and ATREYU - both of which have released new albums within the last two months. Meanwhile, LACUNA COIL's current single, 'Swamped,' is enjoying heavy radio airplay, and will be included on the upcoming "Resident Evil: Apocalypse" movie soundtrack.
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07.30.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Following on from the critically acclaimed debut album "Original Pirate Material," which sold over 1 million copies worldwide and secured Gold sales in Australia, THE STREETS (or the one-man band better known as Birmingham musician Mike Skinner) continue their success with their new album, "A Grand Don't Come For Free." Touring in support of the new release, THE STREETS are set to arrive in Australia next week for two sold out shows in Melbourne on August 4th (Prince Of Wales) and in Sydney on August 5th (The Metro). "A Grand Don't Come For Free" has also been a massive success in the UK, sitting at #1 on the album charts. The first and second hit singles, 'Fit But You Know It' and 'Dry Your Eyes' have currently secured the #4 and the #1 position respectively on the UK singles chart. 'Dry Your Eyes' has also been #1 on the singles airplay chart, and #2 on the singles TV charts. The success of 'Dry Your Eyes' has put Mike Skinner in the record books as the first UK Rap/Fusion artist to have a #1 single and #1 album. "A Grand Don't Come For Free" has now sold over half a million copies in the UK, spent 11 weeks in the Top 10, and also put the debut album, "Original Pirate Material," back in the Top 10 (with over 75,000 units sold since the release of the 2nd album). In Australia, "A Grand Don't Come For Free" is already approaching gold sales status.
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07.30.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Canada's INTO ETERNITY have announced that Adam Sagan has been tapped to tour with the band, taking over the drum throne. After the position was vacated by long time member Jim Austin, a worldwide call was made for a replacement, and it was answered by Madison, Wisconsin's Sagan, one of the band's most adamant supporters and assistant editor of Pit Magazine. "I have been aware of the band for years," says Adam, "and had missed seeing them live on three different occasions. When I received 'Buried In Oblivion' earlier this year, I was blown away. This is music that I have always wanted to hear: classically influenced progressive death metal. Most impressive is that the band actually performs the intricate vocal harmonies live tha they record. I am really honored to be a part of the band, and look forward to playing ProgPower and touring with one of my favorite bands, Kataklysm." "We are really excited to be working with Adam, he's an awesome drummer with great double bass. He catches on really quick and fits perfectly with the band," says INTO ETERNITY guitarist Tim Roth. "We are working really hard to get him up here full-time." Sagan has been playing drums for 13 years, and had been with the band HALCYON until recently, who broke up after releasing a self-titled EP in 2003.
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07.29.04 (RockAndMetal.com) More than 35 years after the release of his debut solo album, WILLIAM SHATNER (a.k.a. "Captain Kirk" from "Star Trek") has teamed up with singer/songwriter Ben Folds to create "Has Been," a surprisingly pop-driven, lyrically potent collection of songs written by the duo. With the exception of 'Trying,' co-written by Folds and novelist Nick Hornby ('High Fidelity,' 'About A Boy'), 'Real' by Brad Paisley, and PULP's 'Common People,' Shatner proves to be a witty and self-deprecating poet, while Folds' talent for crafting the perfect pop melody is as evident as always on "Has Been," scheduled to be released on October 4th via Shout! Factory Records. Although it may sound like an odd coupling, WILLIAM SHATNER and Ben Folds have actually collaborated before, once on Folds' solo album, "Fear Of Pop, Volume 1," and when he repaid the favor by appearing in some of Shatner's popular Priceline.com commercials. Earlier this year, when Shout! Factory executives Richard and Garson Foos approached WILLIAM SHATNER with the idea of recording a new album, the actor casually mentioned that his friend "Ben" had been trying to get him to do the same thing. Everybody agreed and everybody signed on, and Shatner began writing. "These are thoughts and experiences of mine that very few people have heard before," Shatner explains. "I wanted to share them with my loved ones." Shatner's rendition of the song 'Trying' is downright... [full story]
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07.29.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Danish Modern Metallers MNEMIC will release their new album, "The Audio Injected Soul," on September 27th through Nuclear Blast Records. The upcoming album, produced once again with Tue Madsen at Antfarm Studios in Aarhus, features ten highly dynamic and fast tracks that saw MNEMIC work a lot more with melodies and catchy hooks this time around. MNEMIC are a band that's hard to catagorize -- their sound is modern, heavy and driven, yet described as a kind of Thrash Metal, Progressive Metal or Nu Metal. MNEMIC describe their particular sound as "Fusion Future Metal," with the music being supported by keyboards, samples and guitar synths, which create a spacy atmosphere. 2003's "Mechanical Spin Phenomena" was a product of a thousand physical and psychological impressions gathered through the constant bombardment of everyday life in all its forms, so MNEMIC work through ideas evolved from both images and atmospheres. MNEMIC actually is the Latin word for "memory." In the case of the band, a quintet now having been in existence for about five years now, it stands for "Mainly Neurotic Energy Modifying Instant Creation." MNEMIC are also scheduled to play several upcoming European Summer festivals, more notably at Wacken (August 5-7), Summer Breeze (August 19-21) and Up From The Ground (August 27-28).
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07.29.04 (RockAndMetal.com) CAKE are scheduled to release their new album, "Pressure Chief," on October 5th in North America via Sony Music. Marked by the band's trademark minimalism and frontman John McCrea's unexpected, often sardonic turns of phrase, the album's 11 songs also represent some of the band's tightest, most musically urgent work to date. Recorded entirely in a converted house in CAKE's hometown of Sacramento (part of the inland California region that produced several iconic, contrarian Rock acts including CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL and PAVEMENT), "Pressure Chief" marks the band's first album recorded outside a commercial studio. "It's representative of the place we're from. A dry and dusty place," says chief trumpeter, Vince DiFiore. The album's opener, 'Wheels,' is an evocative pastiche of "muscular cyborg German dudes" and "overweight Americans in their patriotic jumpsuits," while 'No Phone,' driven by an insistent and electronic-influenced rhythm track, stands as a Luddite anthem. On the folky 'The End Of The Movie' and the expansive 'She'll Hang The Baskets', CAKE further explore dynamics and space, though always with their perspectives askew: "There's something funny about disillusionment," says McCrea, "and something subversive about joy." Formed in 1992, CAKE caught on fast with their sophomore album, "Fashion Nugget."
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07.29.04 (RockAndMetal.com) SUICIDE NOTE's second album, "Caucasia," is now mastered and finished and will be released sometime in October, according to recording label Ferret Records. The band's sophomore effort finds SUICIDE NOTE delving into a darker side, substantially heavier and deeper than any of their previous efforts with dense riffs that drag you through multiple levels of tempo and intensity. Meanwhile, SUICIDE NOTE will precede the release of "Caucasia" with a planned U.S. tour with HOT CROSS in September, with dates currently being finalized. SUICIDE NOTE sprang from the ashes of FAILSAFE. The band later changed names, gaining a fresh attitude and renewed enthusiasm towards their music by first completely scrapping all of their previous songs, writing all new material with a new feel and direction. Not afraid to throw some melody into their brand of Noisecore, SUICIDE NOTE show that it is still possible to have a fresh take on modern music and the Hardcore scene. They recorded eight songs in the Fall of 1999 in Indianapolis, and prepared a demo that sold hundreds of copies in a matter of months. The band then released their debut CD-EP, entitled "Come On Save Me," on Hawthorne Street Records. Ferret Records then signed SUICIDE NOTE up for a two-album deal, the first and most recent of which was 2002's "You're Not Looking So Good."
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07.29.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Avant Garde/Experimental artist DIAMANDA GALAS has released "La Serpenta Canta," the first of two successive double albums, via Mute Recordings. Her first release since 1998's "Malediction And Prayer," "La Serpenta Canta" will be followed August 24th by the double album, "Defixiones, Will And Testament." On both releases, DIAMANDA GALAS continues her forensic acts of identifying long buried hurts, even more so on "Defixiones, Will And Testament," which investigates the little known Armenian, Assyrian and Greek genocides carried out by Turkey between 1914 and 1923. On the other hand, "La Serpenta Canta" (a.k.a. "The Serpent Sings"), recruits Blues, Rock, R&B, Motown, Southern Soul, Country & Western and her own 'Baby's Insane' (from "This Sporting Life," her duet album with LED ZEPPELIN bassist John Paul Jones), in Galas' ongoing campaign against forgetting. Both sets are sung by Galas accompanying herself on piano, tape and a minimum of electronics, though you'd think there are several vocalists out there coming at you from all sides, as DIAMANDA GALAS formidable voice rises to its full power and rattles the walls with its reverberating echoes. "My voice was given to me as an instrument of inspiration for my friends, and a tool of torture and destruction to my enemies," Galas once said.
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07.29.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Neoblast Records has announced the signing of New Jersey-based Brutal Death Metal band VICIOUS CIRCLE. The band will release their first full-length for the label at the beginning of November. The still untitled album was recorded by Dan Korneff (Candiria, Ill Nino, M.O.D.) at Sonic Debris Studios, and mastered by UE Nastasi (Biohazard, Candiria, Clutch) at Sterling Sound in New York. VICIOUS CIRCLE formed back in 1989, and have become a relentless entity within the underground scene. The band's self-titled 5-song demo was sent to countless fanzines worldwide for review, the resulting buzz leading VICIOUS CIRCLE from playing local shows to being added to numerous national tour packagesthroughout the U.S. Their 1992 "Fist Of God" demo piqued the interest of Indianapolis-based label JL America, and in May of 1993, VICIOUS CIRCLE released "Cryptic Void," the band's full-length debut album. A successful U.S. tour followed in support of that release. Shortly afterwards, JL America was forced to fold - leaving VICIOUS CIRCLE a scorned but much wiser band. In late 1994, the band then recorded a 5-song demo with a new vocalist, while writing new material for the 1997 EP, "Live Long And Suffer." 1998 saw the arrival of another vocalist to solidify the VICIOUS CIRCLE lineup, which has remained the same ever since.
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07.28.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Brisbane, Australia's SPEEDSTAR will release 'Unbreakable,' the first single from their current album "Forget The Sun, Just Hold On," on September 20th via EMI Records. SPEEDSTAR are one of Australia's most underrated bands. Their debut album, "Bruises You Can Touch," was released in 2002. What followed was a small but obsessive fanbase that fell in love with their naive but soaring rock songs and passionate live shows. Since then, SPEEDSTAR started something that they have been unable to stop, and that is a fervent work ethic that sees them traversing Australia playing their own shows as well as appearing on the festival circuit. A couple of songs from their debut, 'This Everyday Life' and 'Song For You' spent time on the Australian charts, leaving a mark in Australia's consciousness, touted the band as one of "the ones to watch." Fast forward to 2004, and SPEEDSTAR are no longer showing any signs of naivety. "Forget The Sun, Just Hold On" was produced by Tony Doogan (Teenage Fanclub, Belle And Sebastian) and is brimming with confidence and sublime pop sensibility. The new SPEEDSTAR album has been received warmly by the Australian music press, with the band currently playing live on the "Unbreakable" tour throughout the rest of the year.
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07.28.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Metal Blade Records has announced that they have just signed Virginia-based Metalcore act WINTER SOLSTICE. Beginning in 2001, the band has secured an underground following by playing with bands such as NORMA JEAN, AS I LAY DYING, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, BETWEEN THE BURIED AND ME, LIVING SACRIFICE, SILVERSTEIN and BURY YOUR DEAD, just to name a few. The bands most recent EP was recorded at Cloud City Studios (The Black Dahlia Murder, Walls Of Jericho) by Mike Hasty of WALLS OF JERICHO in January. The band will head back to Cloud City Studios in Detroit, MI in October to start recording their debut full-length release for Metal Blade, which will be out sometime in the early part of 2005. "We are very excited to be with Metal Blade. It's exactly where we wanted to be. We are glad to be a part of a label with such great bands on their roster," says drummer Duke Cuneo of WINTER SOLSTICE. Metal Blade Records Owner and CEO Brian Slagel commented: "It's great to have the Winter Solstice guys as part of the Metal Blade family. They are a very hard working and talented group that have an amazing live performance and work ethic that can take them all the way." Upcoming dates: 8/1 Little Rock, AR [Vino's] • 8/4 Jacksonville, FL [Murray Hill Theater] • 8/5 Jupiter, FL [The End] • 8/7 Orlando, FL [American Legion Post]
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07.28.04 (RockAndMetal.com) "Family and friends, homies and enemies, we bid you hello from the road. It is time again for us to drop you an email hot off the presses. We finished our virgin run of dates on the Warped Tour. It's hard to put the entire experience into words. Amazing, tiring, crazy, beautiful and pig sweaty. Picture having the best time ever while simultaneously feeling like you've been run over by a train. Enduring a 24 hour party while being 48 hours behind on sleep. Madness. We got the chance to meet, hang out and play music with some of the best bands around. Thanks to everyone who came out to hang with us. You rock. After an amazing 50+ hour drive from Portland, OR to Portland, ME, we're now on tour with Finger Eleven and Strata. The tour runs until mid August, so put some pants on and come out to the show. The video for "Stratus" is now virtually complete. We will be posting it on our website as soon as humanly possible. We will also have the dates for our upcoming tours with Further Seems Forever and then Hot Water Music, and our Florida Record Release shows up any day. In case you've somehow made it this far without checking out the site, it's www.momentsingrace.com, The entire site will soon be exuding that "new web smell" too. Yes, our album "Moonlight Survived" is still scheduled to come out on August 17th. Check out the cover here." - Moments In Grace
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07.28.04 (RockAndMetal.com) L.A. Dark Metalcore band CRISIS begin a new U.S. tour with SOULFLY and ILL NINO Friday. Dates:
7/30 Colorado Springs, CO [32 Bleu] • 7/31 Denver, CO [Ogden] • 8/1 Salt Lake City, UT [Ritz] • 8/3 Boise, ID [Big Easy] • 8/4 Spokane, WA [Big Easy] • 8/5 Seattle, WA [Graceland] • 8/6 Portland, OR [Crystal Ballroom] • 8/7 Sacramento, CA [Colonial Theatre] • 8/8 San Francisco, CA [Fillmore] • 8/10 San Diego, CA [Cane's Bar & Grill] • 8/11 W.Hollywood, CA [House Of Blues] • 8/12 Anaheim, CA [House Of Blues] • 8/13 Las Vegas, NV [House Of Blues] • 8/15 Tempe, AZ [Marquee] • 8/17 El Paso, TX [Xcape] • 8/18 Albuquerque, NM [Sunshine Theatre] • 8/19 Moore, OK [Diamond Ballroom] • 8/20 Austin, TX [Backroom] • 8/21 Corpus Christi, TX [Pavilion] • 8/22 McAllen, TX [La Villa Real] • 8/24 Houston, TX [Meridian] • 8/25 Ft. Worth, TX [Ridglea Theatre] • 8/26 Springfield, MO [Rockwell] • 8/27 Kansas City, MO [Beaumont] • 8/28 Sauget, IL [Pop's] • 8/29 Urbana, IL [Canopy Club] • 8/31 Ft. Wayne, IN [Pieres] • 9/2 Minneapolis, MN [Quest Club] • 9/3 Milwaukee, WI [Eagles Club] • 9/4 Chicago, IL [House Of Blues] • 9/5 Royal Oak, MI [Royal Oak Theatre] • 9/8 Columbus, OH [Newport Music Hall] • 9/9 Cleveland, OH [Peabody's] • 9/10 Rochester, NY [Water Street Music Hall] • 9/12 New York, NY [Irving Plaza]
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07.28.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Throwing shout-outs to 80's musical icons and movies, Geffen/Drive-Thru Records artists NEW FOUND GLORY will premiere the video version of their new single, 'Failure's Not Flattering (What's Your Problem)' this week. The video was directed by Meirit Avis, who also directed the band's recent clip for 'All Downhill From Here'. The new video features a miniaturized NEW FOUND GLORY living in a big big world, a la "Honey I Shrunk The Kids." In one scene, the band's lead singer Jordan Pundik is swapped with a fly - a tip of the hat to the film "The Fly" and it's 1986 remake. The singer-headed fly then buzzes like Ric Ocasek in THE CARS' 'You Might Think' video from 1984. Another scene makes a visual reference to always outlandish frontman Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER, and the late 1980's Tom Hanks film "Big" also gets a tribute in the video during a keyboard passage in the song. 'Failure's Not Flattering (What's Your Problem)' is the latest single from NEW FOUND GLORY's gold-certified album, "Catalyst." First formed in 1997, the band launched their career with 1999's "Nothing Gold Can Stay," followed by their 2000 EP "From The Screen To Your Stereo," 2001's gold-certified self-titled album, and 2002's nearly-platinum "Sticks And Stones." NEW FOUND GLORY are currently on the road as one of the headliners of the Vans Warped Tour.
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07.28.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Crash Music, Inc. has announced they have signed an exclusive licensing agreement with Germany's Armageddon Music to market and distribute the 2-disc "Armageddon Over Wacken 2003" DVD and CD audio releases for North America. Wacken Open Air is a yearly metal festival held in the small farming town of Wacken, Germany.The festival started out 14 years ago, and has now amassed an attendance of nearly 35,000 people. Crash Music, Inc. will first release the DVD set on October 19th, which includes performances by TWISTED SISTER, SAXON, RUNNING WILD, THE CROWN, TESTAMENT, VADER, NILE, IN FLAMES, GAMMA RAY and many more. The double live audio CD set will be released November 16th, and includes music from SONATA ARCTICA, GRAVEWORM, SINNER, SENTENCED, KATAKLYSM, PRIMAL FEAR and more. Just a half year after the festival happened, this double-cd enters the international market in Digi-Pak including 24-pages full colour booklet, but will be offered for the low price of a regular 1-cd. To bring Wacken Open Air to reality, a total of 64 bands were recorded live in multi-track audio to compile the new two-hour set, which reflects the festival atmosphere in a realistic way. To achieve this, only authentic audience recordings and noises from the festival were used by producer Lars Ratz with no studio overdubs.

07.27.04 (RockAndMetal.com) R.E.M. have announced they will release their thirteenth album in October, just prior to the United States Presidential election. For now, vocalist Michael Stipe wouldn't have it any other way: "For better or worse, the current state of the world has had a profound impact on the way I'm writing," says the singer, who is in the midst of finishing up the still-untitled album in Miami, FL with guitarist Peter Buck and bassist Mike Mills. "But this isn't a downer of a record. Even the most depressing R.E.M. song is going to have a glimmer of hope in it. That's just me, I can't help myself. But there's some stuff on the record that's pretty hard-core, and fairly political." The political tracks include a fleshed-out version of the Internet-only song, 'Final Straw,' which was written prior to U.S. forces going into Iraq, and 'I'm Gonna DJ,' about the 1999 World Trade Organization riots in Seattle, with the war in Iraq serving as the main creative impetus for much of the new material. "At this time, as an American, I feel like the angriest pacifist in the world, and I don't think I'm alone in that," says Stipe. "It's not an easy time to live through." However, R.E.M. dabble in more than just politics on the band's 13th offering, as Stipe characterizes the new 'Leaving New York' as a love song and 'Wanderlust' as a pop song.
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07.27.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Earache Records has announced the signing of Bakersfield, California band ADEMA. The group exploded onto the Modern Hard Rock/Metal scene in 2001 with the release of their self-titled debut album on Arista Records. ADEMA's first two singles, 'Giving In' and 'The Way You Like It,' turned out to be radio hits that pushed the band to near-platinum sales status. ADEMA's instantaneous fan base was cemented by an almost unheard-of coup: landing on the main stage of Ozzfest 2001-2002, merely on the strength of their first album. Afterwards, ADEMA stayed on the road for more than a year, touring with the likes of LINKIN PARK, DROWNING POOL and DISTURBED. "Insomniac's Dream," a seven-song EP of remixes and cover songs, followed ADEMA's debut album in October of 2002, followed by the full-length album, "Unstable," in 2003. Recorded with producer Howard Benson (P.O.D., Hoobastank), "Unstable" was a mature, dynamic album that proved Adema was a musical force to be reckoned with, not just a flash in the pan. Yet mere weeks after the release of "Unstable", Arista closed its doors, suddenly leaving ADEMA without a recording label. With the music industry on the whole tightening its belts and major labels struggling to latch onto the next new trend, Adema persevered for months on its own with no label support until signing with Earache.
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07.27.04 (AP) COURTNEY LOVE was sentenced today to 18 months of drug rehab, closing one chapter in a troubled saga that began when she was accused of trying to break into her ex-boyfriend's home while high on cocaine. Superior Court Judge Patricia M. Schnegg gave Love until October 29th to enroll in a drug counseling program, which will require frequent drug testing. She will be permitted to travel, but will be barred from taking non-prescription drugs, drinking alcohol or being in places that serve alcohol. "I have to stop drinking. That's funny," Love said outside court, firing up a cigarette. "I think I can do it." The 40-year-old widow of NIRVANA frontman Kurt Cobain showed up to her sentencing 15 minutes late, dressed in a two-piece lavender suit and purple high heels. She sat down and immediately began reading the British music magazine NME. Love appeared demure during the hearing, despite a history of being admonished by judges for courtroom outbursts. Several times she put her hands over her face and shook her head. "Thank you," she told the judge when it was over. Love was arrested in October after she allegedly tried to break into the home of former manager and boyfriend Jim Barber. Authorities said cocaine and other opiates were found in her system at the time.
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07.27.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Swedish Brutal Death Metal butchers BLOODBATH have announced the completion of their new album for Century Media, "Nightmares Made Flesh" After the departure of vocalist Mikael Akerfeldt (Opeth), BLOODBATH researched intensely among befriended musicians and can now proudly announce the new line-up entries of vocalist Peter Tagtgren (Hypocrisy, Pain) and drummer Martin "Axe" Axenrot (Witchery, Satanic Slaughter), replacing now-guitarist Dan Swano (Edge Of Sanity, Nightingale, Infestdead), who played the drums on the previously released "Breeding Death" EP (2000) and the band's 2002 full-length debut album, "Resurrection Through Carnage" (2002). Guitarist Nystrom commented on the upcoming release of "Nightmares Made Flesh" as follows: "After being resurrected through carnage, our nightmares have turned into flesh! This time we promise the world an even more brutal and varied piece of real and pure death metal. Take the outstanding performances by the new members Axe and Peter Tagtgren into account, and BLOODBATH will prove no longer only to be a tribute to death metal. We are now among death metal's very own elite." "Nightmares Made Flesh" will be released September 27th on both a limited edition vinyl release as well as the regular issue CD.
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07.27.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Due to circumstances still not fully revealed, Toronto, Canada's THE ALMIGHTY TRIGGER HAPPY have once again decided to call it quits. Their official website doesn't offer much of an explanation either. The band previously disbanded in 1999 immediately following the release of the album "I Hate Us." THE ALMIGHTY TRIGGER HAPPY were formed in 1990 in your typical suburban neighborhood basement, and has since become a sort of Canadian Punk legend over the last 10+ years, and deservedly so. As they began to intimidate audiences internationally, the name THE ALMIGHTY TRIGGER HAPPY started to become synonymous with a true live experience. Even in their infancy their reputation preceded them to the point where they were asked to open for and tour with many renowned bands including NOFX, BAD BRAINS, ALL, PENNYWISE, GOOD RIDDANCE, SICK OF IT ALL, SNFU, SATANIC SURFERS, LAGWAGON, STRUNG OUT, GOB, etc. In 2003 the band got back together and had been playing a few shows in the Southern Ontario region, receiving an overwhelming response from the packed houses. THE ALMIGHTY TRIGGER HAPPY then toured Europe this past Spring with TEN FOOT POLE in support of the re-released "I Hate Us...Even More," which featured new cover art, bonus tracks and was officially the band's re-introduction to audiences around the globe.
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07.27.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Candlelight Records has confirmed October 19th and November 2th as the reissue dates for EMPEROR's four genre-defining albums. "Wrath Of The Tyrants," "In The Nightside Eclipse," "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk," and "IX Equilibrum," all currently out of print in the U.S., have been reworked with additional bonus footage and material unavailable on both the European and U.S.-licensed versions. In documentary style, each of the four recordings have been enhanced with live and studio footage. "Wrath Of The Tyrant," being Part 1, "includes very rare, exclusive footage of pre-Nightside rehearsals plus live outtakes from our first tour (1993, in support of Cradle Of Filth)," says guitarist Samoth. "In The Nightside Eclipse," Part 2, "includes edited material from a live show in Oslo for the song 'Towards The Pantheon,' as well as various other clips from live recordings in 1997." "Anthems To The Welkin At Dusk," Part 3, starts off with a band interview on Finnish TV talking about the album, and then various live clips from 1997-98, including cool clips from the Dynamo Festival," continues Samoth. Part 4, "IX Equilibrium," starts off with a clip from the No Mercy Festival tour and then follows us to the U.S. for our first and only headline American tour in 1999." "IX Equilibrium" ends the series with a clip from Poland's Mystic Festival, the final EMPEROR performance.

07.26.04 (AP) Fans of ELVIS PRESLEY are trying to raise $80,000 to have a statue of the Rock 'N' Roll icon created in Shreveport, Louisiana, in time for the 50th anniversary of Presley's first appearance on the "Louisiana Hayride"show. Friends Of The Municipal Auditorium and a fan club known as Elvis Angels plan to ask the Shreveport Downtown Development Authority next week for money, said Johnny Wessler, past president of the auditorium group. Artist Eric Kaposta of Houston, who formerly lived in Shreveport, said he could have the statue ready in time for the October 16th anniversary if backers can come up with $20,000, Wessler said. Wessler said Kaposta has created a bust of Presley that bears such an accurate resemblance to the legendary singer that Memphis, TN-based Elvis Presley Enterprises -- which handles all marketing of the ELVIS PRESLEY trademark and images -- has even agreed to sanction the project. "The statue will be on a tremendously large granite base that will tell a story and include lyrics from his songs," Wessler said. Presley was among a cadre of stars - including Hank Williams, Johnny Cash and George Jones - who appeared early in their careers on "Louisiana Hayride," a stage show broadcast weekly from the Municipal Auditorium from 1948 to 1960.

07.26.04 (RockAndMetal.com) CULT OF LUNA have confirmed that the band's brand new album (their third), entitled "Salvation," is due to be released on Monday, October 4th. Like "The Beyond," "Salvation" was recorded again at Tonteknik Studios in Sweden, produced by Magnus Lindberg. The album is described by CULT OF LUNA guitarist Johannes Persson as "a natural progression for the band, but we hope it will appeal to a much broader audience than the previous two releases, as the tracks are much more melody-based. Having Anders in the band has allowed us to use fewer samples this time, and our musical skills have improved immensely, so we can push our music forward!" Persson continued: "Salvation is definitely a heavy album, but we have learned that you don't need 100 guitars to be heavy. We've been much more diverse in our use of sounds. They have more depth this time. Fewer walls of sound and more soundscapes!" In keeping with the CULT OF LUNA tradition, "Salvation" will not be a short affair, as Persson explains: "One problem we have is that we have one song too many! You can only fit 74 minutes on a CD, so we're having to cut one song off!" If you caught CULT OF LUNA on any of their UK and European tours last year, then you will have already heard one of the tracks to be included on "Salvation." Their set ender, the 13-minute epic 'Waiting For You...' [full story]
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07.26.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Power Poppers THE HIGH DIALS have released their new "Fields In Glass EP." An aural workout of remixes, out-takes and previously unreleased tracks from their full-length album "A New Devotion," the new EP not only includes 3 new remixes of their song 'Fields In Glass' and the album version of 'Things Are Getting Better,' but also two new tracks in the remarkable 'The House Where Trouble Sleeps' and the psych-rock stomper, 'City Rivers.' THE HIGH DIALS continue to mix jangle, psychedelia and colorful melodies, reminiscent of a psychedelicized SQUEEZE backed by THE WHO. "A New Devotion" is about as ambitious as a Pop/Rock album can get. 18 songs tell the story of a mysterious character known only as "Silas," and his attempt to escape unseen powers in a nightmarish city of the future. Lead singer/songwriter Trevor Anderson says: "A lot of the songs are about that magic, a perfect place we've lost and want back. Anderson added: "We're inspired by the more adventurous bands out there who still try to make great albums. The Flaming Lips are a prime example. I like a good vapid pop tune like the next guy, but it's the albums -- the ones that keep giving up new secrets: Those are the ones we really hunger for." THE HIGH DIALS cite many influences in their music, more notably PINK FLOYD, LOVE, CSNY, BLUR and THE KINKS.
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07.26.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Swedish Grindcore merchants NASUM have recorded their fourth album, "Shift," for new label Burning Heart Records, who the band signed with after releasing their first three albums via Relapse Records ("Inhale/Exhale," "Human 2.0" and "Helvete"). NASUM are now the hardest act ever signed by the label. "It feels cool to be the hardest band on the label. This is going to be something new for both us and Burning Heart. We have strong confidence in them, and believe that we can grow as a band in Sweden and abroad due to this cooperation," commented a band member. "They sure are the most extreme band on Burning Heart so far, but we are always out there looking for great alternative acts, and Nasum definitely fits that profile, and we're proud to have them on the label," says a Burning Heart spokesman. During their 12 years of existence, NASUM have evolved from a simple side project to the biggest Grindcore band in Sweden as well as a respected name on the International scene for extreme music while completely ignoring current trends. With "Shift" (a title picked due to the changes the band has experienced during the last year), recorded at Soundlab Studios in Orebro, a reconstruction of the NASUM line-up has also transformed the terrorizing trio into a raging quartet. "Shift" is slated to be released in October.
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07.26.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Hollywood, California's very own STARWOOD will release their debut album tomorrow on Metal Blade Records, "If It Ain't Broke, Break It!" Combining the style and raw energy and decadence of Rock icons like THE NEW YORK DOLLS, KISS, GUNS N' ROSES and MOTLEY CRUE with their own brand of new school Hard Rock similar to BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION, THE DARKNESS, VELVET REVOLVER and a bit of THE VINES, "If It Ain't Broke, Break It!" was recorded at Zanzibar Studios in North Hollywood at the beginning of 2004. The album, a high octane, stripped-down recording that pays homage to the power of Sunset Boulevard-style excessive and heavy music, STARWOOD -- featuring veteran bass player Marten Andersson (THE JONAS HANSSON BAND, JOY BASU, LIZZY BORDEN, LEGACY, THE GEORGE LYNCH GROUP) and guitarist Joe Steals (DIAMOND DOGS) -- was created at the end of 2002 to bring a new sense of Rock 'N' Roll to a now dying Hollywood music scene that was once a central point and breeding ground for bands from the late 80's/early 90's "Hair Metal" scene that exploded in popularity at the time. With an energetic live show to boot, STARWOOD don't focus on just reliving the past, pushing forward with a blend of hook-laden Rock 'N' Roll, Punk, and good old-fashioned Metal.
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07.26.04 (RockAndMetal.com) Colorado Power Metallers JAG PANZER have completed work on their 8th studio album. "Casting The Stones" will be released end of September through Century Media, just two months after their current album -- the first official release of the band's early "Chain Of Command" recording -- which was originally made in 1988. "Casting The Stones" was partly recorded at Tampa's Morrisound Studios (Nasty Savage, Death, Cannibal Corpse) with producer Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Savatage), and will feature artwork by Mattias Noren (Evergrey, Into Eternity). According to JAG PANZER, "Casting The Stones" will be a more aggressive outing than 2001's "Mechanized Warfare." To abridge the waiting time for the new release, founding guitarist Mark Briody sent this message to JAG PANZER: "'Casting The Stones' is coming out GREAT! Chris (Broderick) has delivered some awesome layered and complex songs complete with some intense rhythms. My songs have much more harmony guitar work then my previous writing." Recently, JAG PANZER have toured with bands like ICED EARTH, IN FLAMES and HELLOWEEN. Their headlining performance in Cologne in 2003 was honoured as "Best Concert Of The Year" by premier Heavy Metal magazine Rock Hard. In 2005, JAG PANZER will play the 10 Year Anniversary show of the Bang Your Head Festival in Germany.
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[Music News: 07.19.04 - 07.25.04]
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