Godsmack's Erna Plots 'Exotic' Solo Album

Billboard.com reports: As his bandmates busy themselves with the side band Another Animal, Godsmack frontman Sully Erna is plotting his first solo album, which he hopes to begin recording in the spring.

"It's gonna be nothing like rock music," Erna tells Billboard.com. "It's gonna be very Native American tribal rhythms mixed with these Middle Eastern bluesy kind of vocals. This is a project to get a different kind of music out of me that I feel is inside me. .. and not for any expectations about how big the hit may be or if it's gonna make it on the radio."

Erna plans to work with singer Lisa Guyer, who was featured on the "Godsmack IV" track "Hollow," as well as a number of other musicians.

"I'm not setting any time limits on it," Erna says. "We're kind of baby stages in the writing process. But it'll be good. It'll be fun, and it's gonna be different. I don't know if it'll be something the real hard rockers out there dig, but anybody who enjoyed the acoustic EP or 'Voodoo' or 'Serenity' I think will enjoy this stuff 'cause it's very cool and hypnotic and kind of exotic."

Read the full article at Billboard.com.

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Ministry Update Tour Itinerary

MINISTRY, who will tour the world one final time, have announced two additional West Coast dates on their North American leg of their C U LaTouR. The tour is set to feature Ministry founder Al Jourgensen being joined onstage by guitarists Tommy Victor (PRONG) and Sin Quirin (REVOLTING COCKS), keyboardist John Bechdel (Prong, FALSE ICONS), and
drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (ex-MEGADETH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, ALICE COOPER). STATIC X's Tony Campos has recently stepped in to fulfill bass on behalf of the recently departed Ministry/KILLING JOKE bassist Paul Raven. Joining the Ministry clan as special featured artist will be FEAR FACTORY/ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS vocalist Burton C. Bell. Main support is Swedish experimental metal Meshuggah and opening act is the US-based Hemlock.

The updated tour itinerary is as follows:

March
25 - Big East - Spokane, WA
26 - The Whiskey - Calgary, AB
28 - Commodore Ballroom - Vancouver, BC
29 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA
30 - Roseland Theatre - Portland, OR

April
1 - Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
2 - Fillmore - San Francisco, CA
5 - House of Blues - Los Angeles, CA
6 - House of Blues - Los Angeles, CA
7 - House of Blues - San Diego, CA
8 - Marquee Theatre - Tempe, AZ
9 - House of Blues - Las Vegas, NV
11 - The Great Salt Air - Salt Lake City, UT
12 - Ogden Theatre - Denver, CO
15 - La Zona Rosa - Austin, TX
17 - Palladium - Dallas, TX
18 - Verizon Wireless Theatre - Houston, TX
19 - House of Blues - New Orleans, LA
22 - Jannus Landing - St. Petersburg, FL
23 - House of Blues - Orlando, FL
24 - Tremont Music Hall - Charlotte, NC
25 - Masquerade - Atlanta, GA
26 - Rams Head Live - Baltimore, MD
27 - Palladium - Worcester, MA
29 - Fillmore at the TLA - Philadelphia, PA

May
1 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
2 - Irving Plaza - New York, NY
3 - Metropolis, Montreal - QC
4 - Koolhaus - Toronto, ON
6 - Agora Theatre - Cleveland, OH
7 - Emerald Theatre - Detroit, MI
8 - House of Blues - Chicago, IL

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Manson's Music Featured in "Funny Games" Movie

Marilyn Manson’s "Mutilation Is The Most Sincere Form Of Flattery" taken from his latest album, "Eat Me, Drink Me," is in the film Funny Games. You can view the movie's trailer here.

As previously reported, Manson recently announced tour dates for an North American tour in January and February next year.

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Council of the Fallen Add Aghora Member

Florida-based death/black metallers COUNCIL OF THE FALLEN, whose "Deciphering the Soul" 2004 album came out on Season of Mist, have announced the addition of guitarist Santiago Dobles from progressive metal band AGHORA.

Commented the group: "The permanent line-up is now 100% solidified. One listens to the solo at the end of "As if a Rose I wither" and it is crystal clear that Santiago is a perfect fit to finalize the COUNCIL OF THE FALLEN camp. We are honored to have him aboard!"

Just last month, COUNCIL OF THE FALLEN announced the addition of extreme drummer Steve Asheim (of Deicide fame).

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A Plea For Purging Tour Dates

A Plea For Purging will kick off a three-week tour at the end of the year. Here are the tour dates:

with Alert The Sky
12/31 Owensboro, KY @ The Brother's Pizza (w/o Alert The Sky)
1/1 Douglasville, GA @ The 7 Venue
1/2 Valdosta, GA @ Vito's
1/3 Jacksonville, FL @ Jack Rabbit's
1/4 Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
1/5 Mobile, AL @ City Church of Mobile
1/6 Houston, TX @ Java Jazz
1/7 Corpus Christi, TX @ The Compound
1/8 McAllen, TX @ Bethel Baptist Missionary Church
1/9 San Antonio, TX @ The White Rabbit
1/10 Dallas, TX @ TBA
1/11 Little Rock, AR @ Vino's
1/12 Nashville, TN @ Rocketown

with Once Nothing, Here I Come Falling
1/14 Mobile, AL @ City Church of Mobile
1/16 Tampa, FL @ Transitions Art Gallery
1/17 Orlando, FL @ The Island Oasis
1/18 Homestead, FL @ Life Pointe Church
1/19 Jacksonville, FL @ The Pit
1/20 Thomasville, NC @ The Soundvent
1/21 Greenville, NC @ Bullet Music Hall

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The Fire The Flood Seeks New Drummer

Charlotte, North Carolina hardcore/metal band The Fire The Flood (No Sleep Records) is currently in search of a new drummer. Interested parties should contact the band here for additional information.

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Descended From Rats Post New Album Online

Two-piece thrash/grind act DESCENDED FROM RATS have released their debut album Species Extinction as part of a new sliding scale download series through Canada's Moshpit Tragedy Records.

The seventeen-song release is now available on the label's website complete with a print-ready sleeve for as much or as little as each visitor chooses and is even being offered for free to those without a paypal account. An audio preview and cover art for the release is also available at www.moshpit-tragedy.com.

Hailing from Hong Kong, Descended From Rats began as an experimental project ala AGORAPHOBIC NOSEBLEED and began playing live shows before recording Species Extinction earlier this year. More...

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Woods Of Ypres Complete New Album

Canadian black/doom metal band WOODS OF YPRES has issued the following update regarding their recently completed album, Woods III: The Deepest Roots And Darkest Blues:

"(Leader/drummer/guitarist) David Gold promised fans more then a year and a half ago one of the strongest woods releases to date a return to the harsher colder sound of the original demo well who ever throws this disc on gets just that. The music has an aura behind it sending chills down your spine. One of the strongest and obvious influences on this record is its huge tribute it pays to the early KATATONIA records. Tracks like 'Years In Silence' and 'Song Of Redemption' will leave you in that state of thought and amazement that Katatonia did the first and hopefully many times you listened to there albums. This is a record that is one that you can throw into your stereo and just wonder in its image or rock the fuck out to. A raw cold black 72 epic that will place woods in the history books as one of the best black metal acts to ever come out of Canada."

To order Woods III: The Deepest Roots And Darkest Blues click here.

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Audio Interview with Agent Steel Online

The weekly metal radio show Whiplash, heard on Belgian national radio Studio Brussel, has a new streaming interview with California-based power metallers AGENT STEEL. Click here to listen. Agent Steel's latest album Alienigma was released by Mascot Records in September.

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Piledriver Issue Studio Update

PILEDRIVER guitarist Kinky Pork Cream issues the following studio update:

"Well..as of right now we have eight songs recorded and pretty much ready to mix for the new album entitled The Metal Manifesto. We will head back in the studio sometime in January to record two or three more songs and then prepare to mix the album. We have a few big name people lined up to mix it which is great news...don't want to say who yet until its official, but needless to say I have no doubt this will be The Piledriver album fans have been waiting for. Also we have a few artists working on the album cover. When it's approved, I will post it for you to see. We also have a US record label showing great interest in releasing the CD, so that will definitely help get it in stores around the globe. Like I said before, no names till the ink is dry." More...

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Megadeth To Headline Rock In India Festival

MEGADETH will headline the Rock In India festival on March 14 in Bangalore, India. This will be the final show of the band's February/March 2008 Tour Of Duty leg supporting the "United Abominations" record.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine will be the featured guest on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline", hosted by Bob Coburn, airing tomorrow (Monday, December 17) at 11:30 p.m. EST/8:30 p.m. PST. Fans can talk live with Dave Mustaine by calling 800-344-ROCK (7625). To find a station near you or to listen to the show live via the Internet, go to www.rocklineradio.com.

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Nile Post New Video Online

Headbanger's Blog has uploaded NILE's video for the ridiculously titled but face-shredding song "Papyrus Containing the Spell to Preserve its Possessor From Attacks Against he Who is in the Water". Also available is the "Making the Video" footage for the clip. Watch both videos below. (Note: The video stream may not be available to some non-U.S. residents.)

"Papyrus Containing The Spell To Protect The Possessor From Attacks From He Who Is In The Water" comes off NILE's fifth studio album, "Ithyphallic", which came out on July 17 via Nuclear Blast Records. Engineered by Bob Moore and produced by Neil Kernon (CANNIBAL CORPSE, NEVERMORE, DEICIDE), the CD was recorded at Sound Lab Studios in Columbia, South Carolina. More...

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Dremora Part Ways With Singer and Seek Replacement

Los Angeles-based symphonic metal band DREMORA has issued the following update:

"Due to issues with distance and relocation, differences in agendas, and other conflicts. It was decided that it was in the best interest of the band that Juliana [Novo, vocals] should pursue her own passions and music career in Brazil, while DREMORA continues on with a new female soprano voice local to Los Angeles, California.

"One of the goals of DREMORA in 2008 is to start doing live shows, and to seek a contract with a label. It was felt that the aforementioned conflicts would not be resolved with any amount of effort, making these goals impossible to attain. All the best wishes go to Juliana in her future pursuits and dreams.

"The band is currently holding live auditions for a female soprano vocalist / singer that can perform equally well live and in the studio the material from our 'Martyrs' CD, is outgoing, and can front the band with a good stage presence. We will make a separate announcement later about accepting live auditions to fill out the remaining positions within the band." More...

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Pagan's Mind To Co-Headline ProgPower Europe 2008

Norwegian prog-metal masters PAGAN'S MIND have been confirmed as one of three headliners of the ProgPower Europe 2008 festival. The three-day event will celebrate its 10th anniversary with three bands on Friday, October 3 and six on Saturday, October 4 and Sunday, October 5 at JC Sjiwa in Baarlo, The Netherlands.

According to the festival organizers, PAGAN'S MIND will play "a full show of almost two hours." Also scheduled to appear are SUSPYRE and DIVISION BY ZERO.

Tickets will go on sale on January 2.

For more information, visit www.progpower.eu.

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Warhag Guitarist Checks In

Kurt Phillips, guitarist for British Columbia's WARHAG, has issued the following update:

"We are actively searching for the new rhythm section, and have new songs to record, plus the already recorded stuff to make into an album. Local college radio station will play some tunes, and there are new ones up on here. I really feel creative now that all the moving stuff is behind, although we do have to wait until February 1st to move into our new house on Vancouver Island. I'm excited what the new year will bring for the band. Thanks for all the support this year. I would like to wish a Merry Christmas to all metal and hard rock bands, fans and supporters of all kinds out there."

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Vision Divine Update Live Schedule

Italian melodic metallers VISION DIVINE have updated their live schedule as follows:

February
2 - Rock Planet - Pinarella di Cervia (Ra), Italy
16 - Lucille - Verona, Italy

March
2 - ITALIAN GODS OF METAL - Milano, Italy
13 - Jail Break - Roma, Italy
29 - Siddharta - Prato, Italy

June
20 - Morarock 2008 - Moraro (Gorizia), Italy

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Exciter Now In Mixing Mode

Bassist Clammy of the Canadian thrash metal pioneers EXCITER has issued the following update:

"The last of the recording is complete. We're well into the mixing of [the new EXCITER album] 'Thrash Speed Burn' now, and personally, I am blown away by what I'm hearing!! This CD is gonna crush! The interviews, for the bonus material, are being edited now, and we'll be getting the artwork, etc. together shortly.

"Only a little more to go now!! I can't wait for this CD to drop!"

Massacre Records will release "Thrash Speed Burn" on February 22, 2008. More...

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Stream Rotten Sound's Entire New Album Online

You can stream ROTTEN SOUND’s entire new album, Cycles, online here. The album is set to be released on January 9th through Spinefarm Records.

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Burst Cancel Eurosonic Appearance

Sweden's BURST has issued the following update:

"We have had to cancel the Eurosonic appearance [in Groningen, Netherlands in early January], as well as the Tilburg show, for grave personal issues, despite flights booked and paid for, et al."

"It totally sucks. The amount of gravel we have dug through to try and make it to
Holland is not only disproportional, it is in fact insane."

"We will however do the shows we agreed to do to finance the Holland shows, i.e. the Amplified festival in Umeå at the end of January, Sweden and Inferno festival in Oslo, Norway in March."

"All focus on the next record. Studio is being booked for beginning of April."

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Morker Post Four Songs From Forthcoming CD Online

Swedish black metallers MÖRKER have posted four songs from their forthcoming second full-length album, "Höstmakter", on their MySpace page. Due in early 200, the CD was mastered by Tore Stjerna (a.k.a Necromorbus) and contains the following songs:

01. I Flodens Forsande Brus
02. Segertåg
03. Mitt Arv
04. Dödsångest
05. Dödens Visa
06. Djupa Spår Av Tvivel
07. I Kamp Mellan Liv och Död
08. Undergången
09. Själen Vandrar Sin Egen Väg
10. Falk
11. Höstmakter
12. När Allt Är Över...

Check out the cover artwork for "Höstmakter" at this location. More...

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Ignitor is Auditioning Singers, Rhythm Guitarists

Texas-based heavy metallers IGNITOR have issued the following update:

"IGNITOR is auditioning singers and rhythm guitarists. Male or female. You will learn at least two of the songs on our MySpace page on your own (we'll send lyrics or mp3s as needed.) If you've got what we need, then bring it! If you live outside the Austin area, then consider moving here. Whoever — wherever you are, we need you. We will tour in the northeast U.S. and Europe in 2008 to support [the band's recently released full-length album] 'Road of Bones'."

IGNITOR recently inked a deal with Italy's Cruz Del Sur to license and distribute "Road of Bones". According to a posting on the band's web site, the CD features "10 scorching tracks telling tales of Vikings, Irish battles, serial killers, insane asylums and war heroes." More...

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Mudvayne Singer Talks About New Album And More

Greg Maki of Live-Metal.net recently interviewed HELLYEAH/MUDVAYNE vocalist Chad Gray. Excerpts follow.

Live-Metal.net: It's almost over now, but how has this [HELLYEAH] headlining run been?

Chad Gray: It's cool. It's the same shit, fuckin' day in and day out. What might be new to you ain't that new to us. We do it every fuckin' day. We try to bring it just as hard every day. Even on days when you don't think you can, something about the music, it's the fuckin' wind in your sails. You can just fuckin' drag your ass up to that stage and it's like, "Fuck." You get on it and the music starts going and it's loud and the crowd's there, it's like fuckin' flipping a switch. It's been cool, though. Like I said, I'm fuckin' burnt. I'm burnt out. I haven't toured this hard probably since 2001, since the early days of MUDVAYNE when did 300-some shows in a year. We toured for "L.D. 50" for 22 months. This is pretty equal to that lifestyle of touring. There's a lot of people on this bus and it's just been going and going and going. This tour that we're on now — by the time I get off of it Dec. 17, I will have not been home for three months. To me, that's a long time because the last time I was not home for three months I was fuckin' 26 years old, 27 years old. This is fuckin' eight years later. It's a little different now. It's harder touring. People have fuckin' families now and you feel more established. No matter how established MUDVAYNE is, this has been very much a starting over process and you would've maybe never thought that. You put these players together, you would think that it's just gonna go BOOM! and everything's gonna be fuckin' limos and fuckin' catering. It's been like, "OK, here's your fuckin' $10 buyout. Go to fuckin' Burger King." It reminds me of 2001. It really does. It reminds me of fuckin' years ago.

Live-Metal.net: After this tour is over, is that gonna be it for HELLYEAH for a while?

Chad Gray: We're gonna go back out. We're working on it. We haven't confirmed anything yet, so I can't even say the bands that we're talking about. We're maybe slated to go out like late January through February.

Live-Metal.net: Headlining or supporting?

Chad Gray: Headlining.

Live-Metal.net: Switching to MUDVAYNE, where did the whole idea come for the new "By the People, For the People" album?

Chad Gray: We had so much shit on hard drives and discs and live versions of stuff, acoustic versions and different shit we had laying around. It was kind of like we need to put this out there. Like, "This is fuckin' stupid. We've got something here that we can put out and I think people would really dig it." We're not putting this out to sell millions. We don't give a fuck, although it did 27,000 the first week, which I was really overwhelmed by. It's just demos and live versions and shit. It's not new stuff. "Dull Boy" is the only new fuckin' song on it. We were just like, "We should do this." I'm like, "Well, fuck it. If we've got all this stockpile of shit, this music sitting around or whatever, we should use the stockpile of artwork that we have sitting around from fans to do the artwork with." Because one of the biggest fuckin' headaches of doing a record is putting together the artwork. It's a nightmare. It's a zillion emails back and forth. I'm like, "Fuck it. Let's collage it, put it together." And then we were like, "Fuck it. If we're doing a contest, there's not one song that somebody could pick that we don't have some version of. So fuck it. Let's let them pick the tracks and then we'll determine what version they get." If somebody wants "Forget to Remember", we've got a live version of it, we've got a demo version of it and we've got a fuckin' acoustic version of it. OK, fuck it. Let's give them the acoustic version 'cause it's something different and it's something we can put out there and whatever. So it's cool, man. There are a couple things, obviously, that people wouldn't have known we had, like the cover of "King of Pain".

Live-Metal.net: Is the new MUDVAYNE album done?

Chad Gray: Yeah, it's done.

Live-Metal.net: Any idea when it will be out?

Chad Gray: We haven't decided what we're doing yet. We talked about writing more. We talked about writing another record. We talked about doing all kinds of shit. I think now we're really trying to figure everything out in the sense of timelining and scheduling and how we want to see things going down 'cause we do have something else now. We're excited about HELLYEAH, but we are very, very much still very passionate about MUDVAYNE and I think we're gonna try to get the most bang for our buck. Give as much to the MUDVAYNE people as we can without wasting a lot of our lives and our time. So maybe we'll do something like — we thought about putting out two records in a year. We put out two records in a year, then that opens up another two years where we would be touring and supporting those two separate records. If you put one out and you tour for 18 months, then you put the other one out and you tour for 18 months, there's a lot of fuckin' time gone there. When you can just write 'em, put one out, start touring, put the next one out while you're touring, finish up touring, support both records at the same time, come off, be done, go back, write a HELLYEAH record, go out, tour, come back, write a MUDVAYNE record — you know what I mean? Let's start hustling. Let's start moving and shaking. Not hustling people, hustling our time, really lassoing our time and fuckin' corralling it and going, OK, this is what the fuck we want to do with our time. We don't want to waste it anymore by going out and touring for 18 fuckin' months and doing fuckin' five runs through the States and two runs in Australia and two runs in Japan and fuckin' two runs through Europe. Essentially, you're doing the same shit anyway. The cool thing is with doing a couple different records in one year is that if you are gonna roll through the States five times, you're gonna go to Australia twice, you're gonna go to Japan twice and you're gonna go to Europe twice, you can schedule everything so that when you do go back to Australia for that second time, you're playing some new new material; go back to Japan the second time, you're playing new new material; you go back through the States for the third time, you're playing new new material; you go back to Europe the second time, you're playing new new material. And the first time you went there, you're playing new new material, too. So it's cool. It gives the fans more, too. They're not seeing the same show.

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Millenium Stadium Desperate For Led Zeppelin

According to Icwales.icnetwork.co.uk, Millennium Stadium (national stadium of Wales, located in the capital Cardif) bosses are desperate to lure reformed rockers LED ZEPPELIN to the venue if they announce a tour next year.

The band received rave reviews for their performance last week at London’s O2 Arena – the first time they had played together in 19 years.

It has led to speculation and rumours they could be set to take to the road on a money-spinning world tour.
And now WRU Chief Executive Roger Lewis – a personal friend of the group’s bassist John Paul Jones – is intent on making sure they make Wales will be a stop-off on any tour.

He told Wales on Sunday: “We would love to welcome Led Zeppelin and we have already put out a request to Harvey Goldsmith [the band’s promoter].

“We have a good relationship with Harvey who also handles BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, who is coming to the stadium. Initially Harvey said they were only going to do a one-off gig, but now they are considering a tour.

“The thing is, we are the only stadium in Britain with a retractable roof and we can guarantee a perfect event for 70,000 people.
“There’s nowhere else in the country that can do that.”

Tickets for the 02 gig were made available via a lottery system, costing £125. The website exceeded its bandwidth allowance and crashed almost immediately following the announcement, with Mr Goldsmith predicting that the gig would cause the “largest demand for one show in history."

The ticket request site receiving one billion page impressions and one million people registered for fewer than 20,000 available tickets. A Millennium Stadium gig would be a guaranteed instant sell-out. The band’s guitarist, Jimmy Page, has recently suggested the band may start work on new material.

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UFO Update Tour Schedule

UFO have updated their forthcoming North American tour schedule as follows:

April
10 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
11 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
12 - New York, NY - B.B. King's Blues Club
13 - Akron, OH - Tangiers
15 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theatre
16 - Nashville, TN - Wildhorse Saloon
17 - Milwaukee, WI - Potawatomi Bingo Casino
18 - Medina, MN - Medina Entertainment Center
19 - Chicago, IL - House Of Blues
23 - Dallas, TX - House Of Blues
24 - Lake Somerville, TX - Hawgs Of Texas Bike Rally
26 - Las Vegas, NV - Boulder Station Casino
27 - Ventura, CA - Majestic Ventura Theater
30 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick

May
1 - Santa Ana, CA - Galaxy Theatre
2 - West Hollywood, CA - Key Club
3 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst
4 - San Francisco - CA - tba

UFO's live DVD Showtime has been scheduled for release on state-of-the-art HD-DVD, including, along with the extras from the regular release, additional bonus material, an “on the fly” menu which can be operated while you are viewing the film, and exciting picture-in-picture interviews. The Showtime HD-DVD will be out on February 22nd in Germany, the 25th throughout the rest of Europe and April 8th in North America via SPV.

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EMI Boss Wants More Rights From Iron Maiden

According to Thisismoney.co.uk, EMI's new owner, financier Guy Hands, wants artists signing to his label to agree to multiple rights contracts, allowing the music giant to profit from all aspects of their careers, from CDs to T-shirt sales.

Traditionally, music companies sign artists to recorded music contracts and they may also sign music publishing deals that entitle them to payment whenever the music is used. However, Hands is understood to be planning to boost the number of multiple rights deals - sometimes called 360 degree deals. These mean the company will also take a share of tour and merchandising revenues.

One of the first to sign up was heavy metal group IRON MAIDEN, who joined EMI last week.

This type of deal is particularly suitable to artists such as Iron Maiden who get limited radio airplay but are hugely popular touring artists with strong record sales.

Music companies have been trying for some time to find other sources of revenue from their roster of artists as album sales fall in the face of the growth of online music.

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Nevermore Singer Completes Solo Album

Former SOILWORK guitarist Peter Wichers has completed mixing the debut solo CD from NEVERMORE frontman Warrel Dane at a studio in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. "The album sounds amazing and I am really proud of the songs on this one," says Wichers, who co-wrote most of the material on the LP with Dane.

Songtitles set to appear on the CD include:

01. When We Pray
02. Messenger (featuring Jeff Loomis)
03. Obey
04. Let You Down (featuring Chris Broderick)
05. August
06. Feel Failure (Hail Yesterday)
07. Brother
08. Patterns (PAUL SIMON cover)
09. Praises To The War Machine (featuring James Murphy)
10. This Old Man
11. Lucretia (THE SISTERS OF MERCY cover)

In a September 2006 interview with Metal-Rules.com, Dane stated about the upcoming solo CD, "I've been working on it for like the last year off and on, just writing songs with Peter Wichers, and at some point we'll finish them then go in the studio . . . It doesn't sound like NEVERMORE, and I think, you know, if it did, there wouldn't be much point in doing a side project. If it sounded like NEVERMORE I think it would be a little redundant . . . Of course it's metal! Kind of like metal-infused hard rock, I think. It's different and it's a chance for me to explore myself — explore myself in other ways! [laughs] Well, for me, and for Peter from SOILWORK as well, it was kind of a chance for us both to 'step outside the box,' because people expect a certain thing from both those bands and with this we don't have to fulfill any expectations. We can do whatever we want."

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Sinner Announce New Album Title

SINNER have issued the following update:

"There's a new batch of songs in the MySpace player for you; gems of old, heavy hitters from the '90s and a catchy rocker from the current album Mask Of Sanity... Enjoy!

Sinner are still taking a break since Mat (Sinner) and Henny (Wolter) are touring the world with the mighty PRIMAL FEAR. Meanwhile, Klaus (Sperling) has been playing drums on the last FREEDOM CALL tour, while Christof (Leim) is about to finish an album with his other band THE NEW BLACK.

Songwriting for the next Sinner album Crash & Burn will slam into a higher gear in 2008. So expect cool new music from this line-up, and a tour, too!"

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Conquest Of Steel Announce European Tour

UK power metallers CONQUEST OF STEEL have announced a string of 2008 European tour dates. The band's itinerary is as follows:

January
11 - Newcastle, UK - Trillians
12 - Edinburgh, UK - Bannemans

February
2 - Hull, UK - The Ringside
8 - Leeds, UK - Rios
13 - Antwerp, Belgium - tba
15 - Bulle, Switzerland - L’Ebullition

March
20 - Croyden, UK - The Ship
22 - Eindhoven, Netherlands - Dynamo Café
24 - Prague, Czech Republic - Exit Chmelnice
28 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - The Cave
30 - Leeuwarden, Netherlands - Mukkes

After the tour, Conquest of Steel will then take a break and concentrate on writing material for their upcoming third album to be recorded during summer 2008 and to be released early 2009.

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Darkest Hour And Cephalic Carnage Announce Dates

DARKEST HOUR appear to be hitting the road for a U.S. tour next year with CEPHALIC CARNAGE, EMMURE, and WHITECHAPEL. The following dates so far have been released:

February 1 - Wilmington, NC @ The Soapbox
February 2 - Atlanta, GA @ Masquerade
February 9 - Dallas, TX @ The Door
February 13 - Hollywood, CA @ Roxy Theatre
February 14 - Pomona, CA @ Glass House
February 20 - Denver, CO @ Marquis Theater
February 22 - Iowa City, IA @ The Picador
February 25 - Detroit, MI @ Magic Stick
February 26 - Cleveland, OH @ Peabody’s
February 29 - New York, NY @ Blender Theater at Gramercy

THE RED CHORD are also listed on some dates.

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Down To Release Latest Album On Vinyl In The U.K.

Roadrunner in the UK will be issuing DOWN's latest album, III - Over The Under, as a limited edition double vinyl on December 24th.

After successful runs on the HEAVEN AND HELL Tour in Australia and An Evening With Down Tour in the US, Down is currently preparing to embark on the second leg of their US tour beginning on January 19 in Birmingham, AL and continuing through February 19 in Nashville, TN in support of their third album, Down III-Over The Under.

Dates include:

January
19 - Birmingham, AL - Workplay Theatre
22 - Little Rock, AR - The Village
23 - Oklahoma City, OK - Diamond Ballroom
25 - Springfield, MO - Reminton’s
26 - Champaign, IL - Canopy Club
27 - Grand Rapids - Orbit Room
29 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
30 - Pittsburgh, PA - Rex Theater

February
2 - Indianapolis, IN - Egyptian Room
4 - Buffalo, NY - Town Ballroom
5 - Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock
7 - Long Island - Mulcahy’s
8 - Providence, RI - Lupo’s
9 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
11 - Poughkeepsie, NY - The Chance
12 - New Haven, CT - Toad’s
14 - Norfolk, VA - The Norva
16 - Knoxville, TN - Valarium
18 - Asheville, NC - Orange Peel
19 - Nashville, TN - The Cannery

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Kowloon Walled City Post EP For Free Download

KOWLOON WALLED CITY has just released an EP for free download. It's called "Turk Street" and can be found at the band's homepage.

Kowloon Walled City is detuned, sludgy hardcore/noise rock/metal. There's some Unsane and Shallow North Dakota influence in there. The band are currently working on a full-length for spring release, and playing shows in and around San Francisco.

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Papers Detail Horror Story of Cornell's Stalker

TMZ.com has obtained court documents outlining a terrifying series of events that have left former SOUNDGARDEN and AUDIOSLAVE frontman Chris Cornell and his family in terror. Cornell is seeking a restraining order against a man who they say was hired to do the dirty work of the woman to whom Cornell was once married.

According to documents, filed yesterday in L.A. County Superior Court, Cornell claims his ex-wife, Susan Silver — the manager of ALICE IN CHAINS and the singer's former band, SOUNDGARDEN — has sent his family "numerous threatening and terrifying death threats." According to the docs, Silver has even threatened to harm Chris' two-year-old son. It has become so terrifying LAPD's Threat Management Unit has taken the case.

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Sarpanitum Vocalist Departs, Replacement Announced

Wasting no time following Andy Techakosit's (bass/vocals) recent announcement that he would be leaving SARPANITUM to pursue his academic career, the band are pleased to welcome Vic Lochab to their ranks. Vic’s musical ability and enthusiasm made the decision to take him on as a session bassist a no-brainer and the foursome are looking forward to hitting the stage again with a new sense of vigour. Lead vocal responsibilities will now be handled by guitarist Mark Broster, who is not only excited by this new challenge but eager to put his pipes to good use in the name of Sarpanitum.

Restructuring their set-up has breathed a new life into the band whose previous live shows and debut album, "Despoilment Of Origin", saw them hailed as the UK’s brightest hope in underground death metal circles by numerous publications, webzines and audiences alike. For Sarpanitum it marks a turning point; symbolising the start of a new chapter in the band’s history. Material for their second album is already underway and promises to raise the bar for UK death metal even further still.

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Dawn Of Demise Announce New Guitarist

Danish death metallers DAWN OF DEMISE have announced the addition of guitarist Alexander Kjeldsen following the recent split with Jakob H. Nyholm. The band will embark on a short Danish tour in February 2008.

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