Metalhead Comments On Al Queda Metal Fan

Adam Yahiye (Y.A.) Gadahn (Photo#1, Photo#2), the U.S. citizen from Southern California who is believed to be the masked man making terrorist threats against Los Angeles and Australia in a tape delivered to ABC News in Pakistan last weekend (Photo, Real Video), was a "passionate, courteous, intelligent kid excited about life, but somewhat cowed by its unnecessary human-induced dark side, thus prone to listening to lots of quality death metal," according to a former associate who shared a love for metal music with Gadahn and befriended him back "in the 1990s."

In an "open letter" to the American people posted at Anus.com, Spinoza Ray Prozak — former host of the KSPC 88.7 "Metal Show" radio program — writes, "I never met Y.A. Gadahn face-to-face, but I knew him through his contributions to my radio show. When I last spoke to him, back in the 1990s, he created several flyers for the show, and helped out with numerous music programming suggestions. I remember him as a passionate, courteous, intelligent kid excited about life, but somewhat cowed by its unnecessary human-induced dark side, thus prone to listening to lots of quality death metal. More...

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Meshuggah, Apocalyptica Remix Rammstein's 'Benzin'

Meshuggah, Apocalyptica Remix Rammstein's 'Benzin' For New Single Release

MESHUGGAH and APOCALYPTICA have contributed remixes of the RAMMSTEIN track "Benzin" to the German industrial metallers' new single containing several versions of the title cut. The complete track listing for the "Benzin" single is as follows:

01. Benzin
02. Benzin (Combustion Remix by MESHUGGAH)
03. Benzin (Smallstars Remix by Ad Rock)
04. Benzin (Kerosinii Remix by APOCALYPTICA)

The "Benzin" video was shot in August by Uwe Flade, who has also directed videos for DEPECHE MODE and FRANZ FERDINAND. The clip will premiere on Saturday (Sept. 17) on MTV Germany at 4:00 p.m.

As previously reported, RAMMSTEIN's new album, "Rosenrot", is scheduled for release in Europe on October 31. Songtitles set to appear on the CD include (English translation follows each German/Spanish-language title): "Benzin" (Gasoline), "Spring" (Jump), "Rosenrot" (Rose Red), "Zerstören" (Destroy), "Mann Gegen Mann" (Man Against Man), "Feuer & Wasser" (Fire & Water), "Wo Bist Du" (Where Are You), "Te Quiero Puta" (I Love You, Bitch) and "Ein Lied" (A Song). An audio clip of the album's first single, "Benzin", has been posted online at Motor.de. The single will precede the album on October 10.

RAMMSTEIN recorded several songs during the sessions for "Reise, Reise" which were omitted from the CD's final track listing. During a recent session at a Berlin studio, RAMMSTEIN recorded several more tracks and recently mixed the combined collection of new material for the "Rosenrot" album.

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Mudvayne Did Vid For Forget To Remember In Toronto

MTV.com is reporting that MUDVAYNE shot a video for their new single, "Forget to Remember", in Toronto earlier this month with "Saw II" director Darren Lynn Bousman. The song is the lead single off the "Saw II" soundtrack (due October 18) and the clip consists of performance footage and scenes from the movie, which opens in theaters on Halloween. Like many songs on MUDVAYNE's latest CD, "Lost and Found", "Forget to Remember" examines the concept of nature vs. nurture and explores the kinds of experiences that mold personality.

"It's really about reflection, experience and growing up," the group's frontman, Chad Gray, told MTV.com. "You've almost got to look back at where you began. What was Chad before MUDVAYNE? What was Chad before high school? What was Chad before grade school? You gotta keep digging deeper and deeper if you want to get to the bottom of what makes you who you are."

MUDVAYNE are planning to take a break before announcing their fall tour plans. Gray said the band will remain on the road through next spring and will probably return to the studio in the summer to start writing the follow-up to "Lost and Found".

"I can't wait," he said. "I love playing shows, but I'm always itching to get back to writing. [Guitarist] Greg [Tribbett] has got this tiny Marshall amp that he clips onto his belt loop and he's been jamming on that every day in the dressing room to warm up. He's been coming up with some riffs that are pretty badass. I've heard a lot of heavy stuff going on and maybe that will find its way into some of our future songs. It's too early to tell what it will sound like. I just know it'll be MUDVAYNE through and through."

Read more at MTV.com.

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KoRn's Photos Of Backstage Guitarist Rob Patterson

IAmMetal.nl reporter SickO has managed to take several exclusive photos of KORN's session/backstage guitarist Rob Patterson (ex-OTEP) performing with the group at Holland's Lowlands festival on August 21. Check them out:

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In a recent online posting KORN frontman Jonathan Davis had the following to say about the decision to recruit Patterson as a touring guitarist following the departure of Brian "Head" Welch:

"We hired Rob Patterson to play guitar for the European dates but he will not be on stage. We don't want to use samples or tape, 'cause that would suck. We are not ready to have a new guy on stage with us. This is for the first Europe run only. We have some new exciting ideas on how we are gonna play live in the future and I am sure it will blow your mind."

KORN's as-yet-untitled new album is scheduled for release on November 22 via Virgin. The album's first single, "Twisted Transistor", is scheduled to go for radio adds on October 3.

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Officer Who Took Out Dime's Killer Recieves Honor

NBC 4 is reporting that Columbus Police Officer James D. Niggemeyer, who is widely credited for saving lives on Dec. 8, 2004 when he entered Alrosa Villa without backup and killed a crazed gunman responsible for blowing away four people, including PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, is receiving a national honor.

Niggemeyer received honorable mention in Parade magazine's 2005 Police Service Awards. His story will appear in Sunday's edition.

Niggemeyer responded to the DAMAGEPLAN concert at Alrosa Villa. Nathan Gale shot and killed four people and injured three others before Niggemeyer entered the building and killed him with one shotgun blast to the head.

"I could see he was holding a hostage around the neck and still had a gun, so I knew that I didn't want that hostage to be killed," Niggemeyer said.

"When he put the gun to the hostage's head, it became a now-or-never scenario," Niggemeyer said. "Do I let him shoot the hostage in front of everybody? Or do I take what I feel is the best shot to try to keep the hostage from being killed? ... It worked out for the best."

Niggemeyer said that while he was the first and only officer to enter the back of the club, he didn't act alone.

"That's where I have to thank all the other officers that came in the front, because I'm pretty sure that they kept his attention and allowed me to get as close as I did," he said. "And if it wasn't for those officers coming in the front, I don't know if he would've ever picked me off or not."

Niggemeyer said his mission was to save lives.

"If I had to do it again, I had to do it," Niggemeyer said. "I took an oath to protect the public."

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Glen Drover : Being In Megadeth Is A Thrill

VueWeekly.com recently conducted an interview with MEGADETH guitarist Glen Drover. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

On being in MEGADETH:

"Being in MEGADETH is a great thrill. It's amazing to be in a band that you grew up listening to. Even after all these shows it's not like that effect has worn off yet — it's still exciting."

On the challenges on playing with MEGADETH:

"It's challenging music, and that's what keeps it interesting. You definitely have to be on your toes, but that's part of the fun for me — it gets boring otherwise. All the guitar players are quite different from each other, so it's been quite challenging to try to emulate those solos and feels. I try to keep it pretty faithful to the album: I find most fans want to hear it like that and appreciate when you try to do it that way, and out of respect to them and to all the guitarists who have come before me I try to get as close as humanly possible to the original, although you have to allow your own personality into the music to a point, because otherwise you end up sounding like a robot."

"You're always going to be compared to people from the past, and there are some pretty big guns there — Marty Friedman, Chris Poland, all of them. Some people are really fond of a particular lineup, but I have to say it's been mostly positive. I'm stepping into a lot of big shoes, and for the most part people's reaction has been really great, which I've been really happy about."

Read the entire interview at Megadeth.com.

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Sharon Osbourne : The Time Ozzy Tried To Kill Me

is reporting that Sharon Osbourne has recounted the moment her rock star husband tried to kill her.

The family are appearing in a one-off U.K. documentary, "Ozzy Osbourne: In My Life", in which eldest daughter Aimee speaks publicly for the first time.

Sharon, 52, describes the moment the BLACK SABBATH star — then addicted to drink and drugs — lunged at her in their house.

Sharon, Ozzy's manager, said: "There was a really bad atmosphere in the house, very hostile.

"I knew that something was going to happen. He went to bed. I was reading downstairs.

"He came down in his underpants, sat on the sofa right opposite me and said, 'We've come to a decision.'

"I was like, 'Yeah, sort of sarcastic, 'What's the decision?' and he said, 'We're very sorry but you're going to have to die. There's no other option.

"I said, 'Yeah, shut up, **** off and he jumped on me and his whole bodyweight was on top of me.

"He had his hands around my neck, he landed on top of me, I just kept thinking, 'The kids, the kids, you cannot do this, I'm not ready.'"

Sharon managed to press a panic button in their home, and when she came to, her husband had disappeared, and the police had arrived.

"I knew that I couldn't reach him because he was so far gone. There was nothing I could have said or done because he wasn't there. It was someone else," she said.

Ozzy was arrested and charged with making threats to kill after the event in 1989. But Sharon dropped the case and her husband went into rehab in a bid to beat the drink.

In the ITV program, Aimee, 22, speaks of her decision not to appear in the famous MTV reality show that shot the family to fame.

"I'm not a fan of reality TV shows, especially ones that include my own family," she said.

"I was 16 at the time. Most 16-year-old girls aren't particularly comfortable with their family so the thought of having everyone in the world see how they were was mortifying to me.

"We're a little bit unusual ... Because of our lifestyle I was always insecure about how people would perceive that."

Sharon and Ozzy recall setting eyes on each other for the first time when Sharon was working at her father's management offices.

Sharon said: "I was looking down. I was only the receptionist and very young and just kept looking down at my switchboard.

"But he definitely got my attention because he had a pyjama jacket on and a tap around his shoulder on a piece of string."

On their wedding night, Sharon got a call from hotel staff saying that her husband was sleeping in the hallway and could she remove him.

Sir Elton John, one of the celebrity contributors to the ITV show, is said to have told a story about the Osbournes which was so disgusting, that it could not be used on the programme.

Executive producer Kim Turberville said: "The family was so frank. It was just amazing. There was nothing off limits. They saw the show and loved it."

"Ozzy Osbourne: In My Life" is screened on ITV1 on September 17 at 9:00 p.m.

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The Arcane Order Sign To Metal Blade

Metal Blade Records has announced the signing of Denmark's THE ARCANE ORDER.

"THE ARCANE ORDER's music sounds fresh, heavy, melodic and unique. The boys are skilled musicians and excellent songwriters. We are looking forward to a great collaboration with them and a fantastic album in spring 2006," says Metal Blade Europe spokesman Andreas R.

THE ARCANE ORDER was born in 2000 as SCAVENGER. Having previously played in the Danish melodic death metal band AUTUMN LEAVES, mainman Flemming C. Lund recruited his old friend five-stringer Boris Tandrup, also from AUTUMN LEAVES, to cover the bass lines. A drummer was found in the excellent young talent Morten Løwe Sørensen, also known for his work in the band SUBMISSION. This three-piece recorded a three-track promo during 2004/2005 entitled "Promo 2005", still under the name SCAVENGER. After months of promises the band was let down by a singer and forced to move on. They soon found RAUNCHY shouter Kasper Thomsen, who was very excited to join the band. After a year of delay the promo was finally released in June 2005, and shortly thereafter — having gained interest from numerous labels — a deal was secured with metal label giants Metal Blade Records. At the same time the band decided to change name from SCAVENGER to the more original THE ARCANE ORDER.

THE ARCANE ORDER's debut album will be recorded in the spring of 2006 with producer Jacob Hansen at Hansen studios and will feature 8-9 tracks of blistering, intense and melodic thrash metal performed by highly skilled musicians. In a live situation THE ARCANE ORDER will include a second guitarist to ensure maximum drive and power. Working songtitles include "The Machinery of Oblivion", "A Sevenfold Condemnation", "Failure" and "Black Horse Collision". A demo version of the track "Breathe the Poison" can be downloaded at this location.

Comments guitarist Flemming C. Lund: "We are very proud to announce that we have signed a deal with legendary Metal Blade Records! We are very excited about the deal, and to be able to release our upcoming album on one of the biggest and most respected metal labels ever! To be on the same label that released the first METALLICA songs, the first SLAYER albums and currently features great bands such as CANNIBAL CORPSE, BOLT THROWER, FATES WARNING etc. is a very big honour for us. Metal Blade has treated us very good so far and believes in us. We are looking forward to doing business with the Blade and know that our cooperation will crush for sure! 2006 will be the year of The Order!"

THE ARCANE ORDER lineup:

Kasper Thomsen (RAUNCHY) - Vocals
Flemming C. Lund (INVOCATOR, ex-AUTUMN LEAVES) - Rhythm and Lead guitar Boris Tandrup (SUBMISSION, Slugs, ex-AUTUMN LEAVES) - Bass
Morten Løwe Sørensen (SUBMISSION, SLUGS) - Drums

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As I Lay Dying Comments On band Of The Year Award

AS I LAY DYING just won the Artist of the Year award at this year's San Diego Music Awards. We can't lie....this comes as a total surprise to us, especially when you consider the tough competition we were up against. But then again, considering the award was voted on by you the fans, and considering that AS I LAY DYING has the best fans in the world, maybe it's not a surprise after all. Thanks to all of you for the love and support you have given us. As always, we couldn't do it without you.....Love AILD

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Dates Announced For Soulflys Tour with Bloodsimple

Dates have been announced for Soulfly's upcoming run with Throwdown, bloodsimple. and Incite, here's the schedule so far:
More...

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It Dies Today To Embark On Headline Run

It Dies Today will be embarking on a U.S. headlining run in November with Sinai Beach, Still Remains, Bullet For My Valentine and Jacknife in tow. Dates and venues are forthcoming.

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Full Saw II Soundtrack Tracklisting

The track listing has been revealed for the Soundtrack to the upcoming film "Saw II", here's how it shapes up:

01 - Marilyn Manson - "Irresponsible Hate Anthem" (Venus Head Trap Mix)
02 - The Used - "Sound Effects and Over Dramatics"
03 - Mudvayne - "Forget To Remember"
04 - bloodsimple. - "September"
05 - Papa Roach - "Blood (Empty Promises)"
06 - Puscifer - "REV 22:20" (REV 4:20 Mix)
07 - Sevendust - "Pieces"
08 - Skinny Puppy - "Rodent" (Ken 'hiwatt' Marshall remix / DDT Mix)
09 - Queens Of The Stone Age - "Burn The Witch" (Unkle Variation)
10 - A Band Called Pain - "Holy"
11 - Buckethead & Friends - "Three Fingers" (Feat. Saul Williams)
12 - The Legion Of Doom - "Home Invasion Robbery"
13 - Revolting Cocks - "Caliente (Dark Entries)" (Feat. Gibby Haynes and Al Jourgensen)
14 - Opiate For The Masses - "Step Up"
15 - Charlie Clouser - "Don't Forget The Rules"

The outing will see an October 25th release date through Image Entertainment. In related news, Mudvayne's track "Forget To Remember" has been chosen as the lead single from the release and a video was recently shot for it with "Saw II" director Darren Bousman. More on that can be found here.

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The Dillinger Escape Plan/BTBAM November Tour

The Dillinger Escape Plan are set to embark on a tour with Between The Buried And Me and Hella come November, here's the dates:
November 07th Hamilton, ON - Underground
November 08th Montreal, QC - La Tulipe
November 09th Toronto, ON - Opera House
November 13th Edmonton, AB - Starlite Room
November 14th Calgary, AB - Macewan Hall
November 15th Vancouver, BC - Red Room
November 25th Austin, TX - Emo's

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More Dates For Opeth Tour

Opeth have rolled out numerous dates for their upcoming European tour which will take place in December, here's the schedule:
December 04th Utrecht, NET - Tivoli De Helling
December 06th Paris, FRA - La Locomotive
December 07th Toulouse, FRA - Le Ramier
December 08th Bergara, SPA - Sala Jam
December 09th Madrid, SPA - Madrid Arena
December 10th Barcelona, SPA - Apollo
December 11th Villeurbanne, FRA - Transbordeur
December 13th Milan, ITA - Rolling Stone
December 14th Florence, ITA - Flog Poggetto
December 15th Zurich, SWI - Abart
December 16th Munich, GER - Backstage
December 17th Vienna, AUT - Arena
December 18th Budapest, HUN - Petofi Hall
In other news, the band have added more openers to their previously announced October/November North American headlining run. In addition to Pelican's October 09th to October 22nd stint and Nevermore's October 24th to November 11th slot, Fireball Ministry will now also join the bill from October 09th through to October 30th, while Into Eternity will then take over the slot, opening from October 31st through to November 11th.

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Black On Black: A Tribute To Black Flag

The Black Dahlia Murder, Zao, Bleeding Through, Most Precious Blood, Remembering Never, Drowningman, The AKAs and more are among the new artists set to appear on the upcoming Reignition Records reissue of "Black On Black: A Tribute To Black Flag". A release date has yet to be announced.

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