12.02.03 (RockAndMetal.com) The debut EP from HEADWAY, "Vital Signs," was released yesterday by V2 Music. The EP is be available on both CD and 10" vinyl, with both formats individually numbered and limited to 1000 copies each. HEADWAY, who cite influences from the likes of Jeff Buckley to Led Zeppelin, specialise in well-crafted songs with a uniquely British feel. With swooping, driving guitars and catchy vocal melodies, the HEADWAY sound is a dynamic mix heady with soul, emotion and power in equal amounts. Songs like 'Turn Around' with its hypnotic guitar riff, and 'Where Angels Claim Their Wings,' drenched with raw emotion and mesmerising harmonies, appear likely to cement HEADWAY's position as one of the more promising new acts on the UK music scene.
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12.02.03 (Reuters) OZZY OSBOURNE has revealed how he was sexually abused as a child. After a year of trauma for Ozzy and family, he explained how, as a child growing up in Birmingham, he was molested by boys on the way home from school. He told the Daily Mirror: "I was sexually abused when I was a kid. Two boys used to wait for me to come home after school. Then they would fuck around with me. They didn't fuck me but they messed about with me. They would force me to drop my pants and all that shit. They felt me and touched me... and it was terrible. The first time it happened was in front of my sister, and that affected me even more. It became a regular thing on the way home from school. It seemed to go on forever. I was afraid to tell my mother or father, and it completely fucked me up. Dirty little secrets fester, and that is one of the first things I said to my kids. When I was a kid, people didn't talk about these things like they do now. I worked it out with a therapist. But if you have a traumatic experience when you are young, it does fuck you up. Sharon knows all about it and it was only with her that I could finally relax and be myself."

12.02.03 (Reuters) Rock legend DAVID BOWIE announced on Monday he would headline two of Britain's biggest music festivals next year. Bowie, who has had a string of hit albums and singles since the early 1970's including 'Space Oddity,' 'Changes' and 'Let's Dance,' will perform at July's T In The Park at Balado, near Kinross in Scotland, and at the Isle Of Wight festival in June. Bowie's official web site reported that he was thrilled to play the Isle Of Wight festival. The event, revived in 2002, was originally held from 1968 to 1970 when it hosted acts like The Who, Bob Dylan and Jimi Hendrix. "I was so envious of other acts that got to do the other Isle Of Wight Festivals -- it is really coming back," Bowie said. The T In The Park organizers said on their web site: "We are well and truly over the moon," regarding DAVID BOWIE's commitment to play that event.

12.02.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Sweden's IN FLAMES have set "Soundtrack To Your Escape" as the title for their forthcoming album, due in Europe on March 29, 2004. The follow-up to 2002's "Reroute To Remain" was recorded at a rented house/converted studio in Denmark, with producers Daniel Bergstrand (Meshuggah, Strapping Young Lad, Darkane etc.) and Orjan Ornkloo (ex-Misery Loves Co.. "Soundtrack To Your Escape" is currently being mixed at Galaxy Studios in Mol, Belgium (Rammstein, Manowar, Iron Maiden etc.), and mastering will take place at Cutting Room in Stockholm, Sweden. Track Listing:
1. F(r)iend • 2. The Quiet Place • 3. Borders And Shading • 4. Discover Me Like Emptiness • 5. Touch Of Red • 6. Bottled • 7. Dead Alone • 8. Superhero Of The Computer Rage • 9. Like You Better Dead • 10. Dial 595-Escape • 11. Evil In A Closet • 12. In Search For I • 13. My Sweet Shadow
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12.02.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Epic Records' Alternative Rockers VENDETTA RED have extended their current American tour with STUN and Armor For Sleep in support of the band's current album, "Between The Never And The Now," through the middle of this month. Remaining tour dates are as follows:
12/2 Milwaukee, WI [Rave] • 12/3 St. Louis, MO [Gargoyle] • 12/5 Albuquerque, NM [Launchpad] • 12/6 Tucson, AZ [City Limits] • 12/7 San Diego, CA [TBA] • 12/8 Anaheim, CA [Chain Reaction] • 12/9 Los Angeles, CA [Roxy] • 12/10 San Francisco, CA [Slim's] • 12/11 Eugene, OR [Wild Duck Brewery] • 12/12 Seattle, WA [Graceland]
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12.02.03 (RockAndMetal.com) 100 DEMONS are currently locked up at Planet Z Studios with producer Zeuss (Hatebreed, Shadows Fall) to record their as-yet-untitled new album, to be released by Deathwish Inc. in February. And after five years of progression, 100 DEMONS have risen to the forefront of the influential Connecticut Hardcore community. Encapsulating a pure viciousness and ravenous intensity that few ever could achieve, The 100 DEMONS-approach is utterly monstrous, equal parts hardcore intensity and gut wrenching metallic precision. 100 DEMONS released the highly-regarded "In The Eyes Of The Lord" album on Goodlife Recordings in 2001. That 11-song debut officially carved 100 DEMONS deep into the bone of the worldwide hardcore scene, securing the band two very successful tours of Japan and Europe. 100 DEMONS will once again head to Europe for a German tour next month.

12.02.03 (NME) NME.COM reports that SUEDE are in the process of preparing a CD for their fan club, which is set to feature approximately 12 rare and unreleased songs from the band's career. The record will be sent out to members in 2004, although the fan club is not accepting any more new members at this time. SUEDE began their farewell tour in Ireland this week, with the final show at the Astoria in London on December 13th. Previously, singer Brett Anderson explained some of the reasons behind the SUEDE split: "Firstly, I'd like everyone to know that this decision was based purely on creative reasons. Personally, I feel that the only way to escape the artistic dead end I have found myself in is to work at least for a while outside the band. The bottom line is I need to do whatever it takes to get my demon back."
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12.02.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Century Media recording artists MY RUIN are currently out on a new headlining tour of The UK, supported by Charger and Murder One. Upcoming Tour Dates:
12/3 Cardiff [Engine Room] • 12/4 Swansea Escape] • 12/5 Cork [An Cruisin Lan] • 12/6 Dublin [Voodoo] • 12/7 Belfast [Limelight] • 12/9 Glasgow [King Tut's] • 12/10 Edinburgh [Venue] • 12/11 Middlesborough [Crypt] • 12/12 Scarborough [Kazbah] • 12/13 Bradford [Rio] • 12/14 Manchester [Bierkeller] • 12/15 London [Ghetto Club] • 12/16 London [Mean Fiddler K-Fest] • 12/17 Liverpool [Liverpool University] • 12/18 Wrexham [Central Station] • 12/19 Birmingham [Carling Academy 2] • 12/20 Nottingham [Rock City]
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12.01.03 (Rolling Stone) To commemorate the 40th anniversary of THE HOLLIES' first commercially released record, Capitol Records has put together "The Long Road Home," a six-CD box set due December 2nd. THE HOLLIES got their start in Manchester, England, and earned their chops covering R&B and rock & roll standards, like so many other beat groups of the era. Two things helped them rise above the pack: the songwriting team of singer Allan Clarke and guitarists Graham Nash and Tony Hicks, and their unmistakable ascending harmonies. "Graham's always had a very unique voice," Hicks says. "It's incredibly high but not falsetto. When I joined The Hollies, there was no suggestion that I could be singing at all, but it just worked out that the structure of the single was there'd be a verse where Allan would sing on his own, there'd be a second... [full story]

12.01.03 (RockAndMetal.com) NORA has just hit the road on a multi-band tour with POISON THE WELL, EVERY TIME I DIE, and THE BRONX, then play a 2-day festival at Antwerpen, after which they're back in America on tour with FROM AUTUMN TO ASHES and AVENGED SEVENFOLD. Upcoming shows scheduled as follows:
12/1 Lancaster, PA [Chameleon Club] • 12/2 State College, PA [Crowbar] • 12/3 Toledo, OH [Headliner's] • 12/4 Louisville, KY [Keswick Democratic Club] • 12/5 Indianapolis, IN [Emerson Theater] • 12/6-12/7 Antwerpen, BE (2-Day Festival) • 12/12 South Amboy, NJ [Club Krome] • 12/13 Farmingdale, NY [The Downtown] • 12/15 Boston, MA [Axis] • 12/16 Rochester, NY [Steel Music Hall]
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12.01.03 (RockAndMetal.com) CHARLTON HILL will play a series of live dates in Canberra, Victoria and South Australia beginning this week. The Sydney-based musician will perform tracks off his debut album, "Waterline," and a collection of new songs too. "The shows have given me a good chance for me to do a whole bunch of new stuff as well as experiment with the musicality of the existing songs," says Hill. "I've got a whole lot of new tracks that are kind of just finding their feet." Upcoming Dates:
12/3 Canberra, ACT [Holy Grail] • 12/4 Fitzroy, VIC [Empress Hotel] • 12/5 Melbourne, VIC [Esplanade Hotel] • 12/6 Lorne, VIC [Q'dos] • 12/7 Geelong, VIC [National Hotel] • 12/10 Adelaide, SA [Grace Emily Hotel] • 12/11 Adelaide, SA [Govenor Hindmarsh Hotel] • 12/12 Adelaide, SA [E And I Lounge]
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12.01.03 (RockAndMetal.com) French Brutal Black/Death Metallers BENIGHTED have finished recording their third opus, entitled "Insane Cephalic Production." Recording took place in Germany with producer-engineer Christian Kholemannsleiner (Agathodaimon, Ad Inferna), who also recorded Destinity's last album. The release of "Insane Cephalic Production" is scheduled for the beginning of 2004. The music of BENIGHTED is often clasified as brutal Black/Death, with influences including bands such as Marduk and Cannibal Corpse. BENIGHTED emphasize much importance on changes within their songs by variations of rhythms, breaks, incisive riffs, etc. The speed and the brutality of the band is amplified by both black and guttural voices in many of BENIGHTED's songs.
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12.01.03 (Billboard) "It's just very cool," ZZ Top bassist Dusty Hill told Billboard.com of his band's pending induction into The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. "I'm very excited about it and very honored. It's great company we're keeping." As previously reported, the 2004 class of Hall Of Fame inductees will also include Jackson Browne, The Dells, the late George Harrison, Prince, Bob Seger and Traffic. "I view it like Cooperstown," an ebullient Seger says. "I think about Al Kaline in the [Baseball] Hall Of Fame. I've played golf occasionally with Larry Bird, who's in the [Basketball] Hall Of Fame. Now I'm in my Hall Of Fame. There wasn't a Hall Of Fame when I started," he adds, "but to be in there with my heroes -- with your Little Richards, your Elvises, The Beatles, The [Rolling] Stones, [Bob] Dylan, is just beyond words. It's wonderful. To..." [full story]

12.01.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Norway's FRANTIC BLEEP have begun work on their first full-length album, which will be released on The End Records early next year. 9 songs have been written and recorded so far for the album. New FRANTIC BLEEP drummer Stein Erik has been in the groove and has impressed with his excellent drum work - recording most parts on the first or second take all the way through. Tentative Tracklisting: 1) A Survey • 2) The Expulsion • 3) ...But A Memory • 4) Curtainraiser • 5) Mausolos Nephew • 6) Mandaughter • 7) Sins Of Omission • 8) Nebulous Termini • 9) Cone

12.01.03 (NME) DRIVE-BY TRUCKERS have headed out on a tour of the UK, which began at Manchester Academy 3 lat night. The country-rockers, who released their latest album, "Decoration Day" last month (October 6) will be appearing at a handful of dates across the country including two nights at London's Borderline on December 3-4. The band first hit the road in 1998 and played over 400 shows in two and a half years while recording and releasing three independent albums. Their gruelling touring schedule didn't let up either after releasing their fourth album 'Southern Rock Opera' in 2001, as the band then played over 250 shows in 14 months. Drive-By Truckers will be playing at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow tomorrow night, The Borderline in London on both Wednesday and Thursday, and The Fez Club in Sheffield Friday night.
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12.01.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Canadian death metallers KATAKLYSM have changed the recently released artwork for their upcoming album, "Serenity In Fire." Singer Maurizio Iacono explains: "What our fans think is very important to us because in the end, they are the ones spending the money to buy albums and we want to satisfy as many as we can with not only our music, but also the booklet and artwork. Even if it's impossible to satisfy everyone, we still try :)" We've had positive comebacks and many negative ones for the artwork that was intended for "Serenity in Fire," so after debating with Thomas (artist) and Nuclear Blast, we decided to do a new one for the album. We think the new artwork is killer, so does the label and our close friends. Hopefully you guys will dig this one up too (coz we ain't changing it again, this is it)!"
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11.28.03 (AP) The record album JOHN LENNON signed for the man who killed him hours later is for sale online. Gary Zimet, president of MomentsInTime.com, said the album, "Double Fantasy," is being offered for $525,000 -- on sale by the man who found it in the front gate flower planter outside the Dakota apartment building near Central Park. Mark David Chapman shot and killed Lennon in 1980 outside the building, where Lennon lived with Yoko Ono. "There has been a tremendous amount of interest," Zimet says. "This is the greatest rock 'n' roll piece ever sold." Zimet said that the owner, "a Beatle fan all of his life ... wrestled for 18 years before coming to the decision to sell the album." The owner had turned the album in to police as evidence, and it was returned "with a letter of extreme gratitude from the District Attorney," said Zimet. The album bears the signature of JOHN LENNON, and is dated 1980. Zimet said the cover and dust jacket contain forensically enhanced fingerprints of Chapman.

11.28.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Melodic Dark Metal band EVEMASTER's latest album, "Wither," is scheduled to be released in North America on January 13th, 2004 through Crash Music Inc.. A few comments from guitarist Tomi Mykkanen "Wither": "I think that Wither is pretty much the album I always wanted to make. It's dark and heavy, yet very melodic. There are also some very interesting drum and synth parts that make the album different from the rest. I've included some not-so-metal things in the songs, which hopefully makes Wither stand out from the huge mass of upcoming metal albums. Of course the time was short in the studio, but there's nothing half baked on the album," Tomi explains. "Jarno's vocals are amazing throughout the album. There's so much variation in his vocals, even though he sings with his metal voice all the time. I'm very glad to have Jarno as the vocalist in EVEMASTER."
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11.28.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Nashville's SCATTER THE ASHES has officially signed with Epitaph Records. Comprised of singer Daryl Stamps, guitarist James Robert Farmer, bassist Matt McCord and drummer Dillon Napier, SCATTER THE ASHES have been playing together since 2001. Honing the ethereal and ambitious qualities of Joy Division and the sonic intensity of Refused, SCATTER THE ASHES will release their Epitaph debut in mid-2004. Currently, SCATTER THE ASHES can be found alongside such artists as Thursday, Thrice, Andrew W.K. and The Bronx on the Island Records compilation, "Hard To Get Volume 1," as well as being featured in the "Screamo 101" feature in the current issue of Entertainment Weekly's "Listen 2" supplement. "Epitaph is our ideal label. We couldn't have picked a better place to be. It's really a dream come true," sais Dillon Napier.
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11.28.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Denmark's RAUNCHY have posted the following message on their official web site: "Just an update on what's going on in the RAUNCHY camp. At the moment we're awaiting the release of 'Confusion Bay' (release February 9), and we're pretty damn excited to get some reactions as we're VERY proud of the result. "We're also discussing which song to do a video for ...either 'Watch Out' or 'I Get What I See.' In the rehearsal room, things are great and we're actually writing some new stuff and trying out various ideas which sound very, very promising. We're also rehearsing for doing live shows and we're working on some tour dates as well. 12 songs were recorded for "Confusion Bay" at Hansen Studios, including a cover of FAITH NO MORE's 'From Out Of Nowhere,' which is planned to be used as a bonus track."
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11.28.03 (RockAndMetal.com) WEEN just kicked off a three-week European tour yesterday in Stockholm, Sweden, in support of their current album, "Quebec," on Sanctuary Records. Tour Schedule:
11/28 Oslo, Sweden [Rockefeller] • 11/30 Hamburg, Germany [Grosse Freiheit 36] • 12/1 Berlin, Germany [The Maria] • 12/2 Prague, CZ [Palace Akropolis] • 12/4 Vienna< Austria [WUK] • 12/5 Munich, Germany [Elserhalle] • 12/6 Zurich, Switzerland [Volkhaus] • 12/7 Darmstatd, Germany [Centralisation] • 12/9 Amsterdam, Holland [Paradiso] • 12/10 Ghent, Belgium [Handelsbeurs] • 12/11 Koln, Germany [Live Music Hall] • 12/13 Paris, France [Maroquineries] • 12/15 London, UK [Forum] • 12/16 Dublin, Ireland [Ambassador]
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11.28.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Swedish Brutal Death Metal band KILLAMAN's self-titled debut album, "Killaman," was released today by Displeased Records. Formed in May of 2002, KILLAMAN rose from the ashes of DERANGED, MURDER CORPORATION and RECLUSION. After releasing a demo that September, it wasn't long until Displeased Records came along and signed KILLAMAN. With the same musical and lyrical intentions as their former bands, the members of KILLAMAN make up a powerful Swedish force to be reckoned with, as the band pounds away hard-hitting and aggressive Death/Thrash hybrid metal mixed with hints of Crust, Punk and Grind.
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11.28.03 (NME) MEAT LOAF has left a London hospital after minor heart surgery, following his collapse last week. The singer collapsed onstage here last week, and was later identified as suffering from Wolff-Parkinson-White Syndrome. Following minor surgery, the condition has been rectified. MEAT LOAF explains the situation on his official website: "I went through a whole week of tests for my heart and lungs and they found out I have a condition called Wolff-Parkinson-White syndrome. Basically, it is a condition where an individual is born with an extra electrical pathway in the heart. The cardiologist performed an angiogram on Friday and they were successful in removing the extra pathway." "The prognosis is excellent as the procedure's success rate is over 95%. I was in surgery for around two hours, out of the hospital and back at the hotel."

11.28.03 (RockAndMetal.com) DEICIDE are scheduled to play a multi-band European tour with DESTRUCTION, NILE, AMON AMARTH, DEW SCENTED, GRAVEWORM, and MISERY INDEX next month. Dates:
12/7 London, UK [Camden Palace] • 12/8 Paris, France [La Locomotive] • 12/9 Essen, Germany [Zeche Carl] • 12/10 Osnabruck, Germany [Hyde Park] • 12/11 Berlin, Germany [Columbia Halle Fritz] • 12/12 Engelsdorf, Germany [Hellraiser] • 12/13 Wels, Austria [Schlachthof] • 12/14 Vienna, Austria [Arena] • 12/15 Milan, Italy [Alcatraz] • 12/16 Pratteln, CH [Z7] • 12/17 Ludwigsburg, Germany [Rockfabrik] • 12/18 Praha, CZ [Roxy] • 12/19 Strasbourg, France [La Laiterie] • 12/20 Antwerp, Belgium [Hofter Loo] • 12/21 Tilburg, Netherlands [013]
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11.27.03 (RockAndMetal.com) UK band SEACHANGE, a recent signing to Matador Records, will release their first EP, "Glitterball," for the label on December 8th. Originally scheduled to be issued last week, "Glitterball" is the band's third release (they've issued 2 tough-to-find singles thus far on the Radiate and Gringo labels). A full-length debut is scheduled for early 2004. SEACHANGE are a sextet hailing from Nottingham, the first English signing to Matador Records since 1998. Through the past couple of years playing up and down the UK, SEACHANGE have established themselves as a deadly live proposition. The band is very adept at a crazy melange of the anthemic & hypnotic. Plus SEACHANGE has some great songs, too.
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11.27.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Polish Black Metal band VESANIA's latest album, "Firefrost Arcanum" (Empire Records), has been slated for a North American release through Crash Music, Inc. on January 27th, 2004. VESANIA has been in existence since 1997. The end of 1998 marked a recording of a 15-minute long studio EP, which later became "CD Promo 1999." The band performed in several cities in Poland, and - in early 2002 - "CD Promo 1999" was re-released through Odium Records as "Moonastray," a limited edition split CD with BLACK ALTAR. After some delays, VESANIA entered the studio in mid-2002 to record "Firefrost Arcanum" - their full-length debut - at Selani Studio with producer Szymon "Szymonaz" Czech. "Firefrost Arcanum" was released in Europe in May, 2003.
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11.27.03 (RockAndMetal.com) A new full-length CD from LUBRICATED GOAT is due to be released sometime next month on Reptilian Records. Formed in the mid-eighties in Australia, LUBRICATED GOAT were infamous for their bizarre brand of post-punk noise rock -- appearing naked on a lip-synch style Aussie TV show, then landing U.S. record deals with Amphetamine/Reptile and PCP/Matador, before fading into the outer darkness. Now back to tell tales of their exploits and make new converts, the new CD, entitled "The Great Old Ones" (featuring CopShootCop bassist Jack Natz) promises a return to the good old days. LUBRICATED GOAT now play with the deft confidence and sure-handedness of a well-oiled touring rock machine. With plenty of new material to be recorded (and a film in tow), 2004 should be a busy year for the band.

11.27.03 (NME) MOTORHEAD frontman and Golden God winner Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister is currently demoing his first solo album, according to NME. Recently, Lemmy spent time in a Berlin studio owned by German rockers Skew Siskin: "We are working on Lemmy's solo album at the moment," revealed Skew Siskin's axeman Jim Voxx in a radio interview. "The record will be out in 2004 or 2005 -- it'll take probably some time. Late one evening, Lemmy was ringing at our door with a load of tapes in his arms and asked, 'How long will you be awake tonight?'" The as-yet-untitled album will feature a number of cover songs, as well as Lemmy's own tunes.

11.27.03 (Billboard) Once MATCHBOX TWENTY gets off the road next month, the band plans to take time to pursue solo ventures. Singer Rob Thomas will continue work on a solo album, while guitarist Kyle Cook is working on an album with his band, The New Left. Drummer Paul Doucette is making a solo album as well, while guitarist Adam Gaynor "has been talking to some people about writing," according to Thomas. "In between records, that's our time to have another musical identity than just the five of us together," he continues. "In between records, everybody's gone out and worked with other people and done something else. Whenever we came back, we brought those new experiences back with us, and we became a better band."
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11.27.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Viking Deathsters Amon Amarth have announced the following European tour dates:
12/08 Paris, France [La Locomotive] • 12/09 Essen, Germany [Zeche Carl] • 12/10 Osnabruck, Germany [Hyde Park] • 12/11 Berlin, Germany Columbia [Halle Fritz] • 12/12 Engelsdorf, Germany [Hellraiser] • 12/13 Wels, Austria [Schlachthof] • 12/14 Vienna, Austria [Arena] • 12/15 Milano, Italy [Alcatraz] • 12/16 Pratteln, Switzerland [Z7] • 12/17 Ludwigsburg, Germany [Rockfabrik] • 12/18 Prague, Czech Republic [Roxy] • 12/19 Strasbourg, France [La Laiterie] • 12/20 Antwerpen, Belgium [Hof Ter Loo] (with Finntroll, Sadus, Nasty Savage and more) • 12/21 Tilburg, Netherlands [013] (with Finntroll, Sadus, Nasty Savage and more)
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11.27.03 (RockAndMetal.com) JOURNEY's "Greatest Hits DVD 1978-1997" has just been released by Sony Music, and includes 18 videos and live performances of JOURNEY's most popular songs. Track Listing:
Don't Stop Believin' (1981) • Wheel In The Sky (1978) • Faithfully (1983) • Any Way You Want It (1981) • Separate Ways (1983) • Lights (1978) • Lovin' Touchin' Squeezin' (1979) • Be Good To Yourself (1986) • When You Love A Woman (1996) • Who's Cryin Now (1981) • Send Her My Love (1983) • Girl Can't Help It (1986) • Open Arms (1981) • Just The Same Way (1981) • Stone In Love (1981) • Feeling That Way (1978) • After The Fall (1983) • I'll Be Alright Without You (1986)

11.27.03 (RockAndMetal.com) The writing of the long awaited sixth BAL-SAGOTH album is continuing, and the new material is sounding "phenomenal," according to the band. Fans of everything BAL-SAGOTH should find the forthcoming album a wondrous and enthralling voyage into the darksome realms of sinister avant-garde black/death metal. The front and back cover artwork by renowned fantasy artist Martin Hanford is also now complete, as are the interior booklet illustrations by both official artists Hanford and Samuel Santos. Recording is expected to begin either next month or in January, with a release through Nuclear Blast during the spring of 2004.
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11.27.03 (Reuters) CNET Networks Inc. has announced plans to offer a music upload and download destination for independent artists on it's newly acquired MP3.com website, beginning early next year. CNET acquired MP3.com from Vivendi Universal for an undisclosed price recently. As part of that agreement, MP3.com -- which hosts music from 250,000 mostly-unsigned artists -- will shut down, and all material on the site will be destroyed on December 2nd. CNET says it's offering the download service to support artists and their work, but did not say why the terms of its acquisition of MP3.com would not provide for material being transferred directly. It said the new service it would launch would support more than 2.4 million downloads per day. News of the new service come amid massive efforts throughout the music industry to preserve the existing MP3.com audio library. On Wednesday, a start-up company, Primetones, said it was in talks to help preserve the MP3.com file library, and had offered to transcribe and host the material that is scheduled to be destroyed.

11.26.03 (RockAndMetal.com) The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame Foundation has announced it's 2004 Inductees in the "Performer" category. The announcement was made by Suzan Evans, Executive Director of the Foundation. The following artists will be inducted at the Nineteenth Annual Induction Ceremony, which will be held Monday, March 15th in New York at the Waldorf Astoria Hotel: Jackson Browne -- For more than three decades, Jackson Browne has been one of rock's consummate singer-songwriters. Writing intricately crafted, deeply personal songs, he made his mark as a master chronicler of the affairs of the heart. The Dells -- The Dells began recording in 1953 and still perform today with virtually all original members. They have performed and charted in every decade since the Fifties, making them one of the most influential... [full story]

11.26.03 (RockAndMetal.com) KARMAGEDDON MEDIA has announced the upcoming release of a CD by Chuck Schuldiner's band CONTROL DENIED next Spring. It will feature incomplete, unfinished recordings which were meant for a new album by the band, which, unfortunately was never finished due to Schuldiner's death. According to Karmaggedon Media, they requested to get the Master tapes on the recordings from Shuldiner's family, who they claim do not wish to communicate or talk with them anymore. Karmageddon also claims that a contract was signed with Schuldiner that he was very happy about prior to his death. They say the only honest and valid reason why the "real" album by CONTROL DENIED is still not released is very simple; the legal inheritors of Chuck Schuldiner's estate refuse to do anything concerning the release.
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11.26.03 (RockAndMetal.com) After three long years, SUNK LOTO's second album, "Between Birth And Death," is finally out in Australia, the band's native homeland. SUNK LOTO are now back on the road promoting the release on a major national tour. The LP is the follow up to their huge 2000 debut, "Big Picture Lies," which can be credited for initially catapulting the Queensland rockers into the limelight. "The first album was hard because sometimes we were in the studio, it was really stressful," says lead singer Jason Brown. "We'd just left school. This time we wanted to take our time. You can't force yourself to create. We wanted to change our direction. We needed to progress and find our feet musically. It took a long time to figure out where we were going with our songs."
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11.26.03 (RockAndMetal.com) THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER will begin a new tour with HIMSA, FREYA, and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD next month:
12/03 Spartanburg, SC [Ground Zero] • 12/04 Marietta, GA [Swayzes] • 12/05 Birmingham, AL [1213 Rock Club] • 12/06 Myrtle Beach, SC [The Limelight] • 12/07 Augusta, GA Plus [Eight] • 12/08 Lumberton, NC Bill [Sapp Recreation Center] • 12/09 Virginia Beach, VA [BubbaÕs Beach Club • 12/10 West Springfield, VA [Jaxx] • 12/11 Ronkonkama. NY [Hungarian Hall] • 12/12 Poughkeepsie, NY [Club Crannel] • 12/13 Lackawanna, NY [The Cruise Inn] • 12/14 Philadelphia, PA [First Unitarian Church] • 12/15 New York, NY [Club Rare] • 12/16 Pittsburgh, PA [Mr. Roboto Project] • 12/17 Detroit, MI [Magic Stick] • 12/18 Grand Rapids, MI [Skelletones] • 12/20 Chicago, IL [Fireside Bowl]

11.26.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Virgin Records will release the new "Genesis - Live At Wembley Stadium" DVD in America on December 2nd. Taken from a 4-day sell-out 'Invisible Touch' show at Wembley Stadium in July 1987, this is the first time this stunning footage has been available on DVD, and with 5.1 surround sound. "Live At Wembley Stadium" captures GENESIS at the very peak of their career, which spanned a colossal 1967-1998, and yielded five #1 albums, eight Top 10 albums, eight Top 10 singles and another ten Top 30 singles. Always known for their huge production and spectacular stage set-up, Genesis live was a visual as well as aural feast; this, coupled with a set list including tracks such as 'Mama,' 'That's All,' 'Land of Confusion,' 'Tonight, Tonight, Tonight' and 'Invisible Touch' makes "Genesis - Live At Wembley Stadium" an iconic piece of... [full story]

11.26.03 (RockAndMetal.com) With their unreleased 1990 album finally out, BLOOD FREAK is excited to announce they are back together, after 12 years being out of action. The band has already begun work on their next full-length album, to be titled "Live Fast, Die Young...And Leave A Flesh-Eating Corpse." The band is hard at work on 30 new songs for this album which will show that old-style grind-gore is still the law. "We noticed many of today's bands are playing way too technical for this style of music, and we wanna bring back the old way like Impetigo and Repulsion, and even earlier-Blood Duster", said bass/vocalist Jason Grinter. "Lots of these new gore bands basically just sound like Suffocation and Cannibal Corpse and are trying to pass it off as being grind/gore when it's really just generic death metal. We're sick of those shitty American... [full story]
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11.26.03 (RockAndMetal.com) After 17 years in the music industry, UK rockers PRIMAL SCREAM have just released their first greatest hits collection. Entitled "Dirty Hits," the album features 18 of the band's career-spanning hits including 'Loaded,' 'Come Together" and "Swastika Eyes.' Also included is the new electronica song, 'Some Velvet Morning,' with guest vocals by supermodel Kate Moss. A bonus remix disc has also been added to the package, with tracks reworked by the likes of The Chemical Brothers, Massive Attack, and more. Singer Bobby Gillespie first came up with the concept for "Dirty Hits." "This time last year I put forward the idea," he explains. "I had 24 tracks that I initially wrote down. Then I showed them to the band and they went, 'yeah, but what about this one?'" They proposed some other songs, and then we cut it down to 20. Then we got it down to 18, so we could fit it all on one CD."

11.26.03 (RockAndMetal.com) Finnish Black/Doom Metallers ARTHEMESIA will start pre-production next month for their upcoming album, "ShamaNatahS." The band will record demo-versions of the songs 'Patheme,' 'The Order Of The Opposite Force,' 'ShamaNatahS' and 'Transcendental Mindflow - Into the Cosmos Unknown.' According to bandleader Valtias, ARTHEMESIA has also secured the services of a new drummer in Dr. K.H., who replaces the band's previous skinster, Mor Vethor.

11.26.03 (Hollywood Reporter) The digital rights technology Apple uses to set limits for songs downloaded from it's iTunes Music Store has been challenged by a familiar name. Jon Johansen - a Norwegian teenager best known for bypassing the copyright protection on DVD's - has devised a new program that performs a similar function on iTunes music. QTFairUse works on Windows-based PC's, and intercepts files while they are streaming -- but only works on music that has been legitimately purchased. The program requires considerable programming knowledge to use as well. QTFairUse is in the family of utilities known as "memory dumpers." Johansen wrote his DeCSS program in 1999 so he could view DVDs on a Linux computer. He was brought to trial, but was acquitted after the court ruled that Johansen had the right to view legitimately purchased movies however he chose.

[News Archives: 11.19.03-11.25.03]
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