Six Feet Under Release First Headlining Tour Dates

Six Feet Under have released the following initial tour dates for the "Crossroads to Armageddon" U.S. tour with Sworn Enemy and Animosity:

March 17th - Houston, TX @ Java Jazz
March 18th - San Antonio, TX
March 19th - Corpus Christi, TX @ The Ballroom
March 20th - Dallas, TX
March 21st - Oklahoma City, OK
March 22nd - Albuquerque, NM
March 23rd - Phoenix, AZ
March 24th - Corona, CA @ Showcase Theatre
March 25th - South Gate, CA
March 26th - Hollywood, CA @ Whisky a GoGo
March 27th - San Francisco, CA
March 28th - Portland, OR @ Rock n Roll Pizza
March 29th - Seattle, WA @ Studio Seven
March 30th - Spokane, WA
March 31st - Boise, ID @ Imparts
April 1st - Ogden, UT @ Club Boom Va
April 2nd - Denver, CO
April 3rd - Omaha, NE
April 4th - Milwaukee, WI4/05 - Cincinnati, OH
April 6th - Cleveland, OH
April 7th - Baltimore, MD
April 8th - Fredericksburg, VA @ KC's
More...

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Fear Factory Store Now Open

According to their website, the new Fear Factory store is now open for business, complete with new past and present merchandise ranging from clothes, posters, patches, and stickers.

Check it out at FearFactoryStore.com.

In other news, Fear Factory drummer Raymond Herrera will be signing autographs in the Zildjian booth (Booth 2940, Hall D) at the NAMM convention from 3:00pm to 5:00pm on Friday January 21st and Saturday January 22nd. The NAMM convention will be held at the Anaheim Convention Center in California.

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Anthrax's Opening Set List For 2006 Tour Unveiled

Anthrax, with their 'Among the Living'-era line up, kicked off their 2006 tour Friday night in Baltimore, MD with support coming from God Forbid, Sworn Enemy and Manntis. Here is Anthrax's set list from the show:

Among the Living
Metal Thrashing Mad
Got the Time
Caught in a Mosh
A.I.R.
Madhouse
A Skeleton in the Closet (first time ever performed according to guitarist Scott Ian)
Antisocial
Indians
N.F.L.
Aftershock
I'm the Man
I Am the Law
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Cannae Joins God Forbid On Tour

Boston-based thrashers CANNAE will embark on a handful of dates alongside God Forbid, Sworn Enemy, and Manntis to continue supporting Gold Becomes Sacrifice, the band's second album on Prosthetic Records. The record has received praise from the press, being called "a crafty combination of mind-numbing precision and jarring sensory overload" by Revolver magazine, while Blabbermouth.net wrote that the album "snorts, snarls, and kicks 90-pound weaklings in the face. As far as sheer heaviness is concerned, this quintet leaves bomb craters in its wake." Produced and mixed by Jason Suecof (God Forbid, Trivium) and mastered by Jim Morris (Iced Earth, Death), the record features guest solos by both Suecof and James Murphy (Death, Obituary, Testament), alongside the addition of several new members to the band.

Currently on the road with The Nicea Room in support of Gold Becomes Sacrifice, Cannae will meet up with God Forbid at the end of January, having already opened for the band on a string of dates throughout the Northeast in November. More...

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Victory To Reissue Darkest Hour's Debut Album

Darkest Hour will enter the studio in January with Brian McTernan to re-mix and remaster their first Victory Records album, "So Sedated, So Secure," which will be re-released on March 7, 2006. This re-issue with contain a new layout, liner notes written by the band, two new tracks, covers of Pentagram's 'Be Forewarned" and Battery's "Go Back To The Gym."

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Magica To Support After Forever, Nightmare

Romania's MAGICA have been confirmed as the support act for AFTER FOREVER and NIGHTMARE on their European tour beginning in late January. MAGICA will play all shows except the London date on January 31. The details are as follows:

Jan. 27 - Brussels (B) Ten Wengaert
Jan. 28 - Dordrecht (NL) Bibelot
Jan. 29 - Weert (NL) De Bosuil
Jan. 31 - London (GB) Garage (w/ CRIMSON TEARS)
Feb. 01 - Lille (F) Splendid
Feb. 03 - Nijmegen (NL) Doornroosje
Feb. 04 - Rennes (F) Antipode
Feb. 05 - Le Havre (F) Agora (w/ BANSHEE)
Feb. 06 - Strasbourg (F) La Laiterie
Feb. 07 - Pratteln (CH) Z7
Feb. 09 - Barcelona (SPAIN) Razzmatazz II
Feb. 10 - Valencia (SPAIN) Republica II
Feb. 11 - Madrid (SPAIN) Divino Aqualung
Feb. 12 - Bilbao (SPAIN) Santana 27
Feb. 14 - Bordeaux (F) Rock School Barbey
Feb. 15 - Toulouse (F) Salle Des Fêtes De Ramonville
Feb. 16 - Montpellier (F) Rockstore (w/ MYSTRIA)
Feb. 17 - Verone (ITALY) Gate 52
Feb. 18 - Cesena (ITALY) Vidia Club
Feb. 19 - Lyon (F) Ninkasi Kao

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Mortician's Will Rahmer Is Back and Posts Update

MORTICIAN vocalist/bassist Will Rahmer has issued a lengthy bulletin via his MySpace.com account regarding an incident in Poland where he was arrested by the police after allegedly threatening a taxi driver with a knife and stealing a taxi cab following the group's performance in the city of Zielona Gora on Nov. 13, 2005. His statement reads as follows:

"OK, here's the story... I'm only going to write this once so do not ask me any more about it. Those of you who I know personally, I will give you the full story when I see you....

"I feel it's time to let all my friends know a little about what happened over in Poland...

"First off, I was sick before I even went on tour, and [on] the plane ride over, I started feeling worse. Then the ferry ride to England I got sick on. Then being on the bus with around 20 people didn't help me get any sleep — lots of partying, etc. going on, but I didn't do too much of that — mainly just drank a little and watched movies... There were no days off to get any rest and I was getting sicker everyday with no medicine until 12 days into the tour. Upon getting to Poland, I was in the worst condition yet, and my throat was really fucked up, so I didn't want to continue playing... There was some other bullshit going on, among other things, with some certain two-faced pieces of shit involved with the tour, so to make a long story short I decided to leave and go home because otherwise I was going to check into a hospital. Either way, I would have had to cancel shows and to avoid all the hassle I thought it was best to get back home...

"Now, I had a situation with a taxi driver over there, which I'm not going to get into on here. My close brothers and sisters that I love and trust with my life are getting the real story, but let's just say that i was faced with a life-or-death situation, and I had to react the only way I can. More...

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Celtic Frost Explain Album Delay

CELTIC FROST men Tom Gabriel Fischer (guitar, vocals) and Martin Eric Ain (bass) recently talked to U.K.'s Terrorizer magazine about the reasons for the long delay in the recording of their first new album in 15 years, "Monotheist".

Tom: "Everything you can think of happened. I cannot describe it any other way. From technical problems to personal problems to song writing developement - anything you can imagine. With hindsight I'm glad we let it mature because now it's exactly where we imagined it would be when we first talked about this. Any time before would have been nice for that f ans - I've read all the complaints on the CELTIC FROST board."

Martin: "You should keep in mind in that regard that this wasn't about a band writing an album, it was about forming a band and writing an album. We had to get ourselves back together again and redefine our relationship. We had loose contact over the years, and I'd been out of the gamefor years and had to get myself into CELTIC FROST mode. We also had to find a drummer. So it was forming a band and then writing the material."

Tom: "We recorded tons of demos that nobody will ever hear. Some are finished and mixed, some are just basics. That was very important for the gestation of this album. Also, we were under no obligation to release an album by a certain date. This wasn't a band coming back together because management and record company offered a lot of money. we did it because we wanted to. We had total independence. We did the album on our own time and since we had already waited 15 years, what difference would a month or 10 months make? We wanted to make the album the way it needed to be."

CELTIC FROST's first album in 13 years, "Monotheist" will be released during the spring on an as-yet-undisclosed label. The culmination of some three and a half years of songwriting and recording work, the album was largely produced by the band themselves and financed by their own production company, with additional assistance from HYPOCRISY / PAIN mastermind Peter Togtgren during the final recording and mixing sessions at Horus Sound Studio in Hanover, Germany. Original CELTIC FROST members Fischer (voice and guitars) and Martin Eric Ain (bass) are joined by Erol Unala (guitar) and Franco Sesa (drums). The band are now managed by Antje Lange for The A Label in Berlin, Germany.

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Vital Remains To Play Show With Glen Benton

VITAL REMAINS will be making a rare New England appearance featuring Glen Benton of DEICIDE on lead vocals on January 28 at The Living Room in Providence, Rhode Island. The group's lineup will also feature Ralph Santolla (DEICIDE, DEATH, ICED EARTH) on lead guitar, Dave Suzuki on drums and Ron Greene on bass. Also appearing on the bill will be Boston doom legends GRIEF, SIN OF ANGELS, I, DESTROYER, and TERATISM.

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Shadows Fall To Enter Studio After Upcoming Tour

Shadows Fall are planning to enter the studio to firmly focus on their next album for Atlantic following their upcoming March East Coast run with Agnostic Front, Still Remains and Byzantine. Dates announced for the aforementioned tour so far include:

March 01st New Haven, CT - Toad's Place
March 02nd Providence, RI - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel
March 03rd Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock
March 04th Farmingdale, NY - Crazy Donkey Bar
March 05th Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance

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SOiL Post New Song Online For Download

SOiL have posted their new track "Fight For Life" online over at www.soil-music.com. The song will appear on their upcoming new album "True Self", which is set for an as-yet unannounced April release date via DRT Entertainment.

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36 Crazyfists Confirmed For SOTU 2006

MTV.com is reporting that Alaska-bred metallers 36 CRAZYFISTS have been confirmed for this summer's Sounds of the Underground tour, set to take place in August. The band will be touring in support of their third album, "Rest Inside the Flame", which is currently being recorded at Big Blue Meenie Studios in Jersey City, New Jersey with producer Sal Villanueva (THURSDAY, TAKING BACK SUNDAY, VISION OF DISORDER). 10 songs will appear on the CD, including "Midnight Swim", "I'll Go Until My Heart Stops", "Between the Anchor and the Air", "Aurora" and the first single, "On Any Given Night". The album, which will be mixed later in the month by Andy Sneap (NEVERMORE, EXODUS, ARCH ENEMY) at Backstage Productions in Derbyshire, England, will feature three guest spots: former ONLY LIVING WITNESS and MILTOWN singer Jonah Jenkins, ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE drummer Tom Gomes and current KILLSWITCH frontman Howard Jones, the latter who sings on "Elysium". A late April/early May release via Roadrunner Records is expected.

With regards to thew new album's musical direction, 36 CRAZYFISTS frontman Brock Lindow told MTV.com, "This record's definitely heavier than the last two and has an older-school feel to it — like an old-school rawness. We wrote the record thinking of the live show. We didn't want to have any laid-back moments on it. We're wanted to keep things moving and going, so it's a speedy record — it's a little heavier, a little faster."

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In Flames E-Player With New Music Up Online

Sweden's IN FLAMES have unveiled an online E-Player featuring two tracks from their forthcoming album, "Come Clarity". The songs "Take this Life" and "Leeches" are available as a free downloadable MP3s now via the Ferret Music web site at this location.

"Come Clarity" will be released in North America on February 7 through Ferret Music. The follow-up to the band's 2004 album, "Soundtrack to Your Escape", "Come Clarity" features thirteen explosive tracks, including "Take this Life", the roll-out single and video.

IN FLAMES will a launch a North American headlining tour in support of "Come Clarity" on January 25 at the Marquee Theatre in Tempe, AZ. The tour will run through February 26 in Lake Buena Vista, FL with support provided by TRIVIUM, DEVILDRIVER and ZAO. The extended trek will represent the first IN FLAMES North American dates since their main-stage appearances as part of Ozzfest 2005 and will kick off the band's most extensive touring on the continent in their decade-plus history.

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Byzantine Upload New Video Online

West Virginia-based "tech-metal" band BYZANTINE have uploaded their video for the track "Jeremiad" at this location (Quicktime, 23 MB). The song comes off the group's sophomore album, "...And They Shall Take Up Serpents", which was released in July 2005 via Prosthetic Records. The follow-up to "The Fundamental Component" was produced by the band and Aaron Fisher and was mixed by Brad Divens (FU MANCHU, WRATHCHILD AMERICA) and Drew Mazurek.

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Dream Theater Schedule More Tour Dates

DREAM THEATER have announced a San Francisco live date as part of their upcoming tour. Confirmed dates are as follows:

Mar. 10 - Los Angeles, CA @ Pantages
Mar. 11 - San Fransisco, CA @ The Warfield
Apr. 01 - New York City, NY @ Radio City Music Hall

As previously reported, DREAM THEATER's very last show of the band's 20th Anniversary Tour 2005/2006 at the Radio City Music Hall in New York City on Saturday, April 1 will be recorded and filmed for an upcoming 20th anniversary DVD and CD release. To hear the radio ad, click here (mp3, 1.4 MB).

DREAM THEATER are continuing to tour in support of their latest album, "Octavarium", which came out in June 2005.

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Kamelot To Film Live DVD In Norway

American/Norwegian melodic metallers KAMELOT will be filming their first live DVD on February 11, 2006 at the Rockefeller Music Hall in Oslo, Norway. The shoot will be handled by acclaimed Swedish director Patric Ulleaus (DIMMU BORGIR, LACUNA COIL) and promises to be full of surprises for all the fans. "This has been in the works now for more than two years and we are very pleased to have all the gears in motion now," stated guitarist Thomas Youngblood. "This will be a very, very special event for us and all the fans of the band." According to lead singer Roy Khan the crew is already in full swing preparing for the show in Oslo, most certainly destined to be another milestone in the career of the band. More details are expected for this muchnticipated DVD, including track listings, bonus footage and special guest appearances. Release date is scheduled for summer/fall 2006 via SPV Records. Ticket sales, flight and hotel information for fans traveling from outside of Norway is available at the tour section on Kamelot.com.

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NY Death Metalers Skinless Entered Studio

The record, titled "Trample The Weak, Hurdle the Dead," will be the band's first to feature new vocalist Jason Keyser (MUCOPUS) and is being recorded with long-time engineer Brett Portzer at his Max Trax Studios. "Trample The Weak, Hurdle the Dead" is the follow up to 2002's "From Sacrifice To Survival."

Guitarist Noah Carpenter (bassist Joe Keyser and returning drummer Bob Beaulac round out the Albany-based band) comments; "We're all excited about the material on the new album. It's some of the heaviest stuff SKINLESS has done. Bob is done tracking his drums and has brought back that signature SKINLESS groove."

Song titles for "Trample The Weak, Hurdle the Dead" include the title track, "Execution of Reason," "Endvisioned," "Sycophant," and "Overlord."

Carpenter leaves off; "We can't wait to get out on tour to rock these songs live. In 2006 we plan to do our most extensive touring in years. Prepare to be trampled!"

"Trample The Weak, Hurdle the Dead" is scheduled for a Spring 2006 release through Relapse Records.

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Rhapsody To Release First Live Album January 31

Italian power metal band RHAPSODY have announced that they will release their first live album on January 31 via Magic Circle Music. Entitled "Live In Canada 2005 – The Dark Secret", the release is a testimony of pure energy, with over 60 minutes of footage recorded at the Metropolis in Montreal/Canada on June 14, 2005 during leg one of the MANOWAR's "Demons, Dragons and Warriors World Tour".

As the special guests for MANOWAR this past summer, RHAPSODY's performance was highly acclaimed internationally for its stripped down and performance-orientated arrangements, which allowed the band to prove that the music really is the message.

"This album is exceptionally magical,” said guitarist and composer Luca Turilli. "It combines the song visions with the fun we had on stage and the amazing reaction from the fans."

Keyboardist and composer Alex Staropoli added, "The reaction of the fans in Canada and the U.S. was just unbelievable. That's why we simply had to name this album 'Live In Canada'. A true dedication!"

"Live In Canada 2005 – The Dark Secret" will be released in two configurations: as a CD format that features the complete Montreal show and as a limited edition CD package (with the complete album recorded in 5.1 surround sound) that will include a bonus DVD that contains exclusive behind-the-scenes-material. The track list includes old favourites from previous years as well as tracks from their latest release "Symphony of Enchanted Lands II - The Dark Secret".

"Live In Canada 2005 – The Dark Secret" track listing:

01. The Dark Secret
02. Unholy Warcry
03. Wisdom Of The Kings
04. The Village Of Dwarves
05. Erian´s Mystical Rhymes
06. Dawn Of Victory
07. Lamento Eroico
08. Nightfall On The Grey Mountains
09. The March Of The Swordmaster
10. Emerald Sword
11. Grand Finale

RHAPSODY will continue to tour as the special guest on the second leg of MANOWAR's "Demons, Dragons and Warriors World Tour" in 2006. The first dates have been confirmed and more are to follow.

Demons, Dragons and Warriors Tour 2006: More...

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Father Of Man Killed At Show Looking For Answers

C.T. Revere of the Tucson Citizen is reporting that the father of the man fatally shot outside a hardcore/metal show on December 7 in Tucson, Arizona has written a letter to Tucson Mayor Bob Walkup asking several hard questions: Why was his son portrayed as a "violent hoodlum" after being shot to death outside a youth club downtown?

Why did Tucson police give his son's girlfriend the impression that 27-year-old Ray Darrin Pierson "deserved to be dead" when they spoke with her outside Skrappy's nightclub?

And why, the grieving Tempe father asks, did he learn of his son's death through media reports and not directly from Tucson police?

The pain Jeff Pierson, 52, feels over the loss of his son is made greater by feeling that he is miscast in death.

"What I've read and what I've heard from his friends and those who were there just doesn't reconcile - nor does it reconcile with what I know of my son," Pierson said. "I don't believe what I've read in the newspapers, and I don't believe, necessarily, what I've heard."

There's not much police or reporters can do to ease the sense of loss and shock that accompanies a homicide, but leaving questions unanswered falls far short of that goal.

News reports focused on Darrin Pierson's affiliation with a group called FSU, which stands for "Friends Stand United" or an alternate phrase that refers to making a mess of things (Fuck Shit Up).

He also was part of "Team Loco," a Phoenix-area group started by friends with shared interest in extreme sports.

"I don't know anything about FSU," his father said. "Team Loco was started by a neighborhood friend as sort of an extreme sport clothing group. I think it's expanded to something more. It's a big group of young people, and I know a few of them. I can't imagine it being anything to do with harming other people."

Read the full article at Tuscon Citizen.

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