Behold...The Arctopus, Orthrelm Ready Split Single

Crucial Blast will be releasing a 2 song CDEP from New York tech/prog metal wizards BEHOLD...THE ARCTOPUS and the insane shred meltdown duo of ORTHRELM at the end of 2005. Away from VOIVOD is doing the artwork, which will be a tribute to recently passed Voivod guitarist Piggy. Each band will be doing one new song on the split single. BEHOLD...THE ARCTOPUS just released a killer EP on Troubleman earlier this year, and ORTHRELM will be following up their critically acclaimed OV album on Ipecac.

You can check out clips from both band's songs here:

• BEHOLD THE ARCTOPUS Paincave


• ORTHRELM pithot1

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SOAD To Perform At MTV Europe Music Awards

SYSTEM OF A DOWN have been confirmed as one of the performers at the MTV Europe Music Awards, set to be held on November 3 at the Atlantic Pavilion in Lisbon, Portugal. They will join AKON, COLDPLAY, FOO FIGHTERS, GREEN DAY, ROBBIE WILLIAMS and THE BLACK EYED PEAS at the live ceremony, to be hosted by the Sacha Baron Cohen character "Borat." All MTV Europe Music Awards categories will be voted for online by MTV's audiences, apart from "Best Video" and the "Free Your Mind" award, which will be chosen by MTV. Additionally, viewers can vote for the "Best Song" category via WAP.

For more information, and to vote, go to mtvema.com.

In other news, SYSTEM OF A DOWN's e-card for their upcoming album, "Hypnotize", can be accessed here. It features an exclusive sneak peek at the "Hypnotize" DualDisc, the first single, "Hypnotize", a "Downloads" page that features new buddy icons, wall papers, a screensaver along with a send-to-a-friend and IM-to-a-friend feature.

As previously reported, American Recordings/Columbia will release two versions of "Hypnotize", SYSTEM OF A DOWN's fifth studio album, on November 22. Both the CD and DualDisc versions feature 12 new songs as well as artwork by Vartan Malakian, father of SYSTEM OF A DOWN's guitarist/singer Daron. The packaging for "Hypnotize" is specially designed to physically join "Mezmerize" and "Hypnotize" together, forming one unified product with continuous artwork. Additionally, the DualDisc edition will contain exclusive behind-the-scenes footage showing the making of both records.

SYSTEM OF A DOWN filmed performance footage for their video for "Hypnotize"'s title track on September 28 at Van Andel Arena in Grand Rapids, MI.

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CoF Bassist Explains Return To Band

Morley Seaver of antiMusic.com recently conducted an interview with CRADLE OF FILTH bassist Dave Pybus. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

antiMusic: So you're back in CRADLE. Why did you leave earlier this year and why have you returned?

Dave Pybus: "I left in January 2005 on the eve of the European tour. I just needed a break. I'd become less tolerant of people around me and it wasn't healthy for me to be in a situation where, say, I was gonna walk off a tour. I returned about six months later when the band asked me to come up to the studio and listen to the new material they had written and see if I could join in with that. I loved the new stuff and had some ideas... so it just went from there, really. It's great to be playing with them again. We all have a great deal of respect for each other and it's turning out to be fun writing this new record together."

antiMusic: If you had grown a bit weary of the pace, what has changed during your brief sojourn away? You're presently writing the new record. The DVD is just about done. You did the Bam [Margera] thing this summer. On top of that, Dani [Filth] recently got married. You've signed on to continue your role as webmaster. It doesn't sound like the schedule has gotten easier.

Dave Pybus: "Well, no... CRADLE is a wild horse and you just have to try ride it as long as possible before you get bucked off. But I'd say what I do bring back to the line-up is dependability and my playing is pretty consistent and that's what you need from a bass player. He, along with the drums, are the backbone of the band. We are there to be built upon and I'd say I'm quite reliable in that sense. The webmaster work has opened me up to a lot of learning new things which can be quit daunting at first. Pretty time consuming stuff but I enjoy that too."

antiMusic: Can you give us a sneak peek at the songs for the new record? Any titles yet and does the material continue in the same vein as the stellar "Nymphetamine"?

Dave Pybus: "It's a progression from 'Nymphetamine' in regards to catchy songs with some hooks and lots of good ideas. We have most of the material written now... near on 15-16 tracks... with a few more still to be completed with arrangements. We are also trying out a few new ideas. All good."

antiMusic: Is Rob Caggiano producing once again? What is it about him that agrees with CRADLE OF FILTH?

Dave Pybus: "I think Rob is still doing the new record yes. I hope so... I love working with Rob. He's got a youth and understanding for CRADLE and I can trust him (to re-record all my parts when I'm away haha... )... with the sound. It's gonna be great to work with Rob for the third record in a row. He must be crazy haha. Well, without a doubt, he is crazy."

antiMusic: So what's the gameplan for CRADLE for the next little while?

Dave Pybus: "Get in the studio... recording the new album... there's a 10-date U.K. tour and then break for Christmas and then finish the record. Touring starts in May/June next year all over the place."

antiMusic: Is your relationship with Roadrunner still a good one?

Dave Pybus: "Depends which department you are talking to. [Laughs]. I love everyone there that I've had the chance to meet or work with so far. I was flattered to be asked to appear on the 'All Stars' CD with Joey [Jordison] and Peter Steele and Josh and Steve from 36 CRAZYFISTS. Like a highlight of my career there. Thanks to my friends at Roadrunner, they made it possible for me to fly out to Iowa and do that at such short notice."

Read the full article at antimusic.com.

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Vinnie Paul Jams With Sammy Hagar In Mexico

Former PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN drummer Vinnie Paul was among the special guests during a two-week celebration at Sammy Hagar's Cabo Wabo Cantina in Cabo San Lucas, Mexico. The celebration, which culminated Thursday night (Oct. 13) with Hagar's annual Birthday Bash, saw Vinnie jamming with Hagar on a couple of David Lee Roth-era VAN HALEN classics, including "Running With the Devil" and "You Really Got Me". You can check out pictures at Damageplan.net. Other expected guests at last night's show included VELVET REVOLVER drummer Matt Sorum and VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony. Hagar told Launch Radio Networks that he planned to play a long time and fill the set list with whatever songs he feels like. "It doesn't matter what songs I play," he said. "It's how I present it. It's all about the party. A band like VAN HALEN, it's all about the songs and the individual musicianship. Sammy Hagar's band, it's not about none of that. It's about the fun, the party, the event, the evening, and if we decide to play LED ZEPPELIN, ROLLING STONES, ZZ TOP songs all night, the fans could give a shit. They're there for the party."

Hagar has opened a second Cabo Wabo Cantina in South Lake Tahoe, Nevada. Hagar will also play at the Chet Helms Tribal Stomp on October 30 in San Francisco, California.

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Headline News

Rigor Mortis Announce First Shows In 15 Years

RIGOR MORTIS have announced their first shows together in 15 years. The band will head out as part of the "Re-Animate Tour" which will include a number of dates throughout Texas and performances in Arkansas, and New York. More shows are expected to be announced for St. Louis, Indianapolis, Cincinnati, Worcester, Richmond, Spartanburg, and Atlanta. The band's lineup is as follows:

Bruce Corbitt
Mike Scaccia (MINISTRY, REVOLTING COCKS)
Casey Orr (GWAR, X-COPS, THE HELLIONS, THE BURDEN BROTHERS)
Harden Harrison (PERVIS, SPEEDEALER, MITRA)

There are also tentative plans for the band continue touring after the first of the year, which would then be followed by a new album.

Dates are as follows for the "Re-Animate Tour":

October 21 - Austin, TX @ The Backroom
October 22 - Dallas, TX @ The Galaxy
October 23 - San Antonio, TX @ Jacks
October 24 - San Marcos, TX @ Lucy's
October 28 - Houston, TX @ Fitzgerald's
October 29 - Ft. Worth, TX @ The Axis
October 31 - Fayetteville, AK @ The Dart Room
November 4 - Brooklyn, NY @ Northsix
February 4-5 - Grapevine, TX @ Grapevine Convention Center

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Belphegor Split With Napalm Records

Austrian death/black metal act BELPHEGOR have officially severed ties with Napalm Records.

"[Napalm] worked into another direction than we wanted, and we don't want others to meddle into our things because we know for ourselves what's the best," the band write on their web site. "Unfortunately, they did too [little] for us in the live sector and we are really not amused to wait all the time. For the already successful European tour, Napalm Records has forsaken us and deleted the whole budget, so we made the final stroke, it's time for the next chapter."

BELPHEGOR will enter producer Andy Classen's Stage One studios in Germany in early November to begin recording their sixth album, tentatively due in April 2006 via an as-yet-undetermined label.

"From Andy at the controls we expect an absolute brilliant killer production,' the band write. "Nefastus will begin on 12th of November with the drum sessions, the recording process will reach out 'till middle of February 2006 with four sessions, so everything can grow and we can take the best result. Middle of February 2006 everything will be mixed/mastered, so you can count with the opus in middle/end April 2006 if everything runs the way we want to. More info on those soon."

Regarding the songwriting process for the new album, the group write, "We have already begun with the compositions for the next yet not titled album and most of the tracks/arrangements are almost finished. This time we will work with different guitars (tunings) and very unconventional moods in the hertz area, to let it sound more monumental. The new material is massive and iron. We have again worked out everything into the littlest detail and are going to spend the next month to rehearse the sound collages as tight as possible."

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Rammstein Film Second Video From Rosenrot

RAMMSTEIN have filmed a video for the second single off their upcoming "Rosenrot" album. According to the Swedish newspaper Aftonbladet, Jonas Åkerlund (METALLICA, MADONNA, SATYRICON) was the director for "Mann Gegen Mann", which deals with the subject of "men on the edge of homosexuality." No word yet on when the new single or video will be released.

RAMMSTEIN's new album, "Rosenrot", is scheduled for release in Germany on October 28 via Universal. A limited-edition version of the album will include a bonus DVD featuring three live video clips recorded earlier in the year.

RAMMSTEIN's video for their new single, "Benzin", can be viewed here. The clip was was shot in August by Uwe Flade, who has also directed videos for DEPECHE MODE and FRANZ FERDINAND.

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Incantation To Record New Album Next Spring

Pennsylvanian death/grind heavyweights INCANTATION have posted the following message on their official web site:

"We have just returned from Europe and the Harvest Festivals with NILE, UNLEASHED, PUNGENT STENCH, BEHEMOTH, and BELPHEGOR. The festival tour was a great success, the shows were some of the best we have ever done in Europe. All the bands and crew did a fantastic job every night, it was a great experience for us. We want to thank Metallysee, World Management, Listenable and everyone else involved that made the tour a great experience. Also many hails go out to all the metal heads that came out and showed their support every night!!! We will also be doing our first show in Puerto Rico on November 5th with FUNERUS and VORACIOUS.

"We have officially been picked up by Century Media Records for North America after the closing of Olympic Recordings do to some issues with the United States Olympic Committee.

"The writing process is in full swing for the eighth INCANTATION studio album, still untitled. We are looking to record early spring next year for a fall 2006 release."

INCANTATION's most recent CD, "Decimate Christendom", was released last August via Listenable Records.

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Blood Red Throne Shift Lineup Before Euro Tour

Norweigan death metallers BLOOD RED THRONE have had some changes within their ranks recently. New members Vald (vocals) and Anders (drums) will be joining current members Død, Tchort and Erlend for their upcoming European tour with MORTICIAN and AKERCOCKE this coming November.

According to guitarist and founding member Død, former vocalist Mr. Hustler could no longer continue with BLOOD RED THRONE due his occupational commitments. Meanwhile, former drummer Espen "Beist" Antonsen was not available to perform and rehease with the band as often as other members would've liked so the band opted for someone within a closer vicinity to the rest of the members. Død also said that he was excited about taking the new line-up out on the road, stating, "we're ready to kick ass live!"

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Behind The Scenes With Crue And Bennington

Exclusive behind-the-scenes footage of Motley Crue with Linkin Park frontman Chester Bennington in the studio recording a special rendition of Crue's hit song 'Home Sweet Home', in addtion to the music video, is available at Yahoo.com.

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Khanate UK Tour Dates

Khanate have confirmed the following UK/Irish shows:

November 18 - Leeds Joseph's Well (with Melt Banana)
November 19 - Glasgow ABC II
November 20 - Belfast Bunker
November 21 - Dublin Whelans
November 22 - Newcatsle Cluny
November 23 - Birmingham Medicine Bar
November 24 - Manchester Roadhouse
November 25 - Bristol Croft
November 26 - London Highbury Garage

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Divinity Destroyed Reveal Details on New EP

NJ progressive death metal band Divinity Destroyed issue an update on their website:
Prepare for an update not half as dextrous as the subject line...

4 months, 5 buckets of paint, and countless trips to Wawa later, the new EP is near completion. With the mastering and artwork in the bag and the whole affair off to the presses, we may have something tangible in hand in under a month.

Entitled "The Plague", it brandishes 3 new songs ("Haven", "These Waking Dreams", and "Prism") and acoustic rearrangements of "Void", "Red Reflection", and "Forsaken". We'll let you know when we have a release date, which will probably be sooner rather than later. And for post-release kicks, we've prepared something for the site, a visual diary if you will, covering the artwork's latex-based conception. Interpret that as you see fit. [the artwork can be seen here]

Also, this Saturday after our show at The Haunt in Ithaca, 93.5/105.5FM The Last Exit for the Lost will be offering an exclusive sneak preview of "The Plague" in its entirety. Nowhere near Ithaca and out of frequency range? Welcome to the rest of earth's population. Fortunately, you can stream the program online. So even if you're stuck in Poland, you can still bask in the crackly glory. For more info, go to www.thelastexit.org, www.wvbr.com, or write to the program director at demon@thelastexit.org.

As both of you may know, we somehow ended up gracing Gigantour with our stench last month at PNC Bank Arts Center, thanks to what scienticians worldwide are calling one frighteningly dedicated fan base. And to keep you zealots at bay, along with showing our appreciation for helping us brave the Bar A gauntlet, we're breaking our yearlong streak and uploading some new pictures on the site. Enjoy.

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