Unreleased Liquid Tension Experiment Jams Surface

In October 1998, LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT - featuring DREAM THEATER's Mike Portnoy (drums) and Jordan Rudess (keyboards) alongside bass legend Tony Levin (KING CRIMSON, PETER GABRIEL) - reunited at Millbrook Studios in upstate New York to record their second album. According to a press release, "a few days into the sessions, John Petrucci's pregnant wife went into premature labor leaving Mike Portnoy, Jordan Rudess and Tony Levin stranded in an already set-up and booked recording studio. So like any creative and productive musicians would do, they decided to stay and JAM... and JAM they did!
For some bizarre and still unexplained reason, the master tapes of these jams were misplaced during the mixing process. But, luckily, Portnoy records almost everything he ever does and as a result his live 2-track stereo DAT mixes are the only remaining traces of this historic jam. So what you have here is as live and raw as it gets. No overdubs, no editing, no mixing. Just three guys, their instruments and their spontaneous imaginations feeding off of each other."

The "historic jam" is being released under the moniker LIQUID TRIO EXPERIMENT. Titled Spontaneous Combustion, Magna Carta is releasing the album in Europe on October 22nd and in North America on the 23rd. The packaging is a limited edition Metallic Print DigiPak containing brand new liner notes by Mike Portnoy.

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Opeth To Support Dream Theater In North America

Swedish metallers OPETH will support DREAM THEATER on the prog-metal giants' next North American tour in April/May 2008. More details will be announced soon.

OPETH will release the "The Roundhouse Tapes" double CD in the U.S. on November 20 via Peaceville Records. The set will be issued in Europe on October 22.

The cover artwork for "The Roundhouse Tapes" has been posted at this location. According to a press release, "The Roundhouse Tapes" contains "a captivating OPETH performance from the Camden Roundhouse, London, UK, on November 9, 2006, and sees the band in scintillating form churning out a selection of classics from their illustrious career. You know what to expect from OPETH: unrivalled composition; seamless progressive dynamics and boundless atmosphere from the mellow to the incredibly heavy, all sealed with the unmistakable vocal presence of mainman Mikael Åkerfeldt." More...

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Site Update

Win A 30 GB Zune and/or Chevelle's New Album

Epic Records and Metalunderground.com are giving you the chance to win a 30 GB Zune (mp3 player) and/or a copy of Chevelle's latest album, "Vena Sera." You must register by November 25 to be eliigible to win. The contest is open only to US residents ages 13 and older. You can read more about the rules and eligability here.

Again, the prizes are:

• One (1) Grand Prize consisting of a 30 GB ZUNE Player and a copy of Chevelle’s Album "Vena Sera"


• Five (5) Runner Up Prizes consisting of the album "Vena Sera"

You can also check out Chevelle's latest single "I Get It" on the registration page.

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Prong Mainman Schedules In Store Appearance

PRONG founder and mainman Tommy Victor will pay a visit to Vintage Vinyl in Fords, N.J., on October 2, the day of the release of his band's brand new album, "Power of the Damager".

Victor will be at the store from 7 p.m., signing copies of "Power of the Damager" and celebrating its release. Before heading to Vintage Vinyl, Victor will stop by the WSOU studios at 4 p.m. for an on-air interview.

Vintage Vinyl is located at 51 Lafayette Road in Fords, NJ.

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Tonight's Black Tyranny Show Cancelled

Tonight's (September 27) Black Tyranny Tour date in Buffalo, New York at the Showplace Theatre has been cancelled "due to serious illness" on the part of MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn, according to show promoters ESI Events. "We wish Robb Flynn a speedy and safe recovery, and apologize for the inconvenience," the promoters write on their web site. "Tickets will be refunded at point of purchase."

Other bands appearing on the Black Tyranny Tour are ARCH ENEMY, THROWDOWN and SANCTITY.

MACHINE HEAD has recruited Brandon Sigmund (photo) from fellow San Francisco Bay Area metal band HOSTILITY to handle the bass parts on the group's current North American tour.

Sigmund is the temporary replacement for regular MACHINE HEAD bassist Adam Duce, who was forced to sit out the trek after suffering a broken leg while dirt biking in Redding, CA. Also joining the band onstage to reproduce Adam's backing vocals is Jared MacEachern of tourmates SANCTITY.

Duce's leg is healing normally and he's currently on track to rejoin the band for the rest of their 2007 tour schedule, starting with their Loudpark 07 (Japan) date in late October.

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Paradise Lost Frontman Talks New Album And More

Justin Donnelly of Australia's The Metal Forge recently conducted an interview with PARADISE LOST frontman Nick Holmes. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

On the band's new album, "In Requiem":

"A lot of the important decisions concerning this album came down to making sure that we retained the PARADISE LOST sound that we have now, the one we've developed over the last ten years, but making sure that 'In Requiem' had a far more metal sounding production. We wanted the guitars and drums to sound very loud in the mix, and I think we managed to do that this time around on 'In Requiem'. The mix on the new album is very different to the mix on the last few albums, and I think that's what gives 'In Requiem' more of an edge over the last few albums. I don't think a lot of people realize that the songwriting procedure within the band has remained the same as it has been for the last ten years. Once you understand that, it's fairly obvious that it's not so much the way we play the songs on 'In Requiem' that makes the difference, but more the way the album is produced and mixed that really makes it sound the way it does.”

On working with producer Rhys Fulber:

"We've done three albums with Fulber now. The first time we worked with him was on 'Symbol Of Life' in 2002, followed by our self-titled album in 2005. So with 'In Requiem', we've now worked with him three times, and it seems to be working for us. What we like about Fulber is that he kind of brings this whole new enthusiasm to the band each time. I think we only really started to believe in what we were doing a lot more when we started working with Fulber. On 'In Requiem', he really brought a new and different approach to things for us, and I think it's really worked in the best possible way. He's very into what he does. He's very enthusiastic about the recording process, and he gets involved in every aspect of the production work. He doesn't just turn up, press a button and leave. There are a lot of producers that do that. He's not just there for the paycheck and nothing else. He's really into the whole thing. I think that's really refreshing for the band."

On being at a loss in terms of direction and motivation around the late '90s:

"Initially, 'Host' got some really good press. EMI worked very hard on that album, but they really didn't know where to work it in regards to how to promote it, and just whom exactly they were supposed to promote it to. It was a tricky album to make, because it wasn't exactly a metal album as such. It was really a square peg in a round hole thing for both the label as well as us. And then there was 'Believe In Nothing'. We were never really happy with the production on that album. I think the songs on the album were good, but I definitely wouldn't rank the album overall in amongst out top five albums ever. We were all very confused by a lot of things going on around us at the time, hence the cover! (Laughs) I think they were pretty grim times, and I think that's reflected on the rather dour tone of the songs. Practically all of us were on prescribed drugs at that time! (Laughs) I was taking such strong anti-depressants at the time that I didn't really know what was going on at the time. The artwork for the album is a classic example where our brains were at the time. There were just bees in my head! (Laughs) I have no idea what that cover was supposed to represent. On a personal level, 'Believe In Nothing' represented a really dark time in my life. I don't think anything positive comes out of being depressed or down like that. My personal life was kind of in a bad way at that time, and I think that album is a direct result of that. I know a lot of people really love that album, and I think that's great. But for me, I think the most disappointing element is the production, which I think could have been punchier, and the feelings the album conjures up. From 'Host' through to 'Believe In Nothing', we didn't really kind of know where we were going. We were really in a dilemma. But I think 'Symbol Of Life' is a far stronger album that the ones that preceded it, and I think that's because of Fulber's involvement on it. I think he really brought some fresh ideas to the table on that album, which is something he's continued to do with each album since."

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Arsonists Get All The Girls To Tour

Century Media Records has issued the following:

Some of you have heard the joke, others haven’t. If you live in the Midwest or East coast, you might just have to wait for the next tour, but for those lucky enough to live on the left coast… prepare yourself.

Like the most ghetto circus you’ve never seen, Santa Cruz’s most degenerate six-piece, ARSONISTS GET ALL THE GIRLS, will astound all with razor sharp riffs and the kind of keyboard prowess the likes of which haven’t been heard since Vangelis (Blade Runner) composed the 2002 FIFA World Cup official anthem. Yes, they’re THAT good, and from October 17th to the 31st, you just might be fortunate enough to catch the incendiary innovators live with THE TONY DANZA TAP DANCE EXTRAVAGANZA and VEIL OF MAYA. See below for their complete touring itinerary.

All you have to do is read BW&BK (“..there’s just so many cool, boundary-pushing and ideas going on here to ignore”) or Kerrang! (“…the sextet batter you stupid with a ceaseless racket that’s boosted by colossal production”) to know that the band’s Century Media debut, The Game of Life, is a kickass album. And of course it has a colossal production. It was produced by the dude who brought you ANIMOSITY's Empires, Zach Ohren.

And hey, if you read the last press release, you also know that AGATG shot a hilarious concept video for the track 'Shoeshine For Neptune'. And if you try to hate AGATG, we’ll guarantee you’ll rock your socks off seeing them live (note: not legally-binding, and the band will not supply replacement socks, though they might sign the ones you just rocked off). So satisfy your musical munchies and feast on the band’s smorgasbord of sound when they hit your town.

Be sure to head over to www.myspace.com/agatg to view the much talked about new video.

Tour dates:

October
17 - Jerry’s Pizza - Bakersfield, CA
18 - The Exit - Fresno, CA
19 - 418 Project - Santa Cruz, CA
20 - The Domino Room - Bend, OR
21 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
22 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
23 - The Venue - Boise, ID
24 - Club NVO - Logan, UT
25 - Marquis Theatre - Denver, CO
27 - Chic’s - El Paso, TX
28 - The Cell Block - Mesa, AZ
29 - The Rock - Tucson, AZ
30 - Hogue Barmichaels - Newport Beach, CA
31 - SOMA - San Diego, CA (with CATTLE DECAPITATION)

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Tool Opens Up In Longest, Most Revealing Interview

Elusive art-rockers Tool recently opened up in an exclusive interview with veteran journalist Bryan Reesman (www.bryanreesman.com). The seven-page cover story spearheads the relaunch issue of Metal Edge magazine (www.metaledgemag.com) and, according to the band itself, is the longest in their 17-year history.

Reesman, who has written for the New York Times, Playboy, and Billboard, spent two hours backstage cross-examining all four members of the multi-platinum group about their music and individual personalities, capturing the animated interplay between the usually secretive musicians.

Frontman Maynard James Keenan sounds off on Hollywood studio shenanigans and his love for painfully bad movies, guitarist Adam Jones addresses being labeled "difficult" and surfing with Metallica guitarist Kirk Hammett, bassist Justin Chancellor discusses sailing and his store Lobal Orning, and drummer Danny Carey talks about his occult interests and playing celebrity basketball. The group also banters about pranking each other, what they really think of Keenan's wine, and far-flung Tool rumors, including cannibalism.

Tool on media manipulation:

Metal Edge: You don’t seem to mind if you rile up the media.

Carey: A lot of times we don’t even have to do it. It just does it itself. All these rumors… We’ve all died in car wrecks by now.

Keenan: Howard Stern has been keeping me out of his studio for years. I’m not even in New York, and he’s talking about how I’m in the lobby, wanting to come up to talk to him, and he says, “Get that guy outta here!” And I’m in L.A.

Jones: It also reflects – at least from my perspective – how sensationalized the media is that you can f**k back with that. You can do your own little spin on stuff back to the media.

Chancellor: It kind of protects the music as well. It’s like a distraction. People can think about all this rubbish, and in the meantime we can concentrate on doing music. It’s like a smoke screen.

Jones: It’s so funny that people say that the Tool guys are difficult. We’re not difficult. We’re just not going to put up with the journalistic dogma of “build you up, chop you down”. There are a lot of journalists who don't [care]. They’re just trying to get their next paycheck, and they’ll spin it any way the magazine wants them to spin it.

The September 2007 issue of Metal Edge is currently available on newsstands nationwide.

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Poison Frontman Schedules TV And Radio Appearances

Be sure to tune in and check out POISON frontman Bret Michaels on the following programs this week:

Sept. 27 at 5:00 p.m. EST on Fox's "The Big Story"
Sept. 28 at 8:00 a.m. EST on "Opie and Anthony"
Sept. 28 (night) at 12:35 a.m. EST on NBC's "Late Night with Conan O'Brien"
Sept. 29 on Fox's "Geraldo at Large" show

As previously reported, the September 16 episode of "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels", starring Bret Michaels, landed the #1 spot among all cable shows (pay and basic) for the day. The premiere of the 9:00 p.m. episode scored a 2.4 rating in the 18-49 demo and reached a total of 3.5 million viewers. The episode was easily the most watched episode ever for the series.

In addition, "Rock of Love" continues to be the #1 most streamed content on VH1.com.

VH1's "Rock of Love with Bret Michaels" is created and executive produced by Mark Cronin and Cris Abrego for Mindless Entertainment and 51 Pictures, who also produce the record-breaking "Flavor of Love", "I Love New York", "Charm School" and "My Fair Brady". Ben Samek and Matt Odgers also serve as a series executive producers for 51 Minds. The production teams' programming launched VH1 into their highest ratings ever and their ratings continue to outperform their previous successes. Jeff Olde, Jill Holmes, Kristen Kelly, Leah Horwitz and Michael Hirschorn oversee the series for VH1.

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Korn Bassist Discusses Slipknot Drummer And More

James Ridley of Australia's The Metal Forge recently conducted an interview with KORN bassist Reginald "Fieldy" Arvizu. A couple of excerpts from the chat follow:

On playing with SLIPKNOT's Joey Jordinson.

"He was a fan already and knew all the KORN songs, so when he came in to try out for us he was like, 'I know everything. What do you want to play?' It worked out perfect. It was like a piece of a puzzle that fit right in place."

On how the addition of touring keyboardist Zac Baird affected the new album recording:

"You can hear it. It's changed a lot of the sound. We like it. If we didn't like it we'd just fire him. He has some good ideas that inspire us to actually write songs so that's really cool."

On whether the devolution theme run through the whole new album:

"Every song is different. That's the only one that's really like that; more political. The entire album is a great album instead a song or two that might stand out. It's more like a one big listen. We wanted to get across a new sound a new direction and I think that everything that we did, it worked."

On why the album has no title:

"If people want to make up their own title, that's cool. I think the first KORN album is a classic album with the little girl on the swing, so you're not going to get confused buying the first self titled album or the new one. People will figure it out and name it something they want to or people won't even care. Maybe you should come up with the title."

On the partnership between KORN, their management company The Firm and label Virgin/EMI Records:

"We had to take a chance. We've always trusted our managers when they come up with these ideas and their ideas have pretty much always been good. It's been great. It's been like being on a football team and we're all trying to win the game. We're working harder than we have in ten years."

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1349 Announce Line Up For U.K. Tour

Norwegian black metallers 1349 have announced the band lineup that will embark on the upcoming UK tour. It will be as follows:

Ravn - vocals
Archaon - guitar
Seidemann - bass
Mads Gullbekkhei - drums
Blasphemer - guitar

The band will do signing sessions after all shows.

1349 UK tour dates:

Oct. 16 - Cathouse - Glasgow, Scotland
Oct. 17 - Junktion 7 - Nottingham, England
Oct. 18 - Underworld - London, England
Oct. 19 - Corporation - Sheffield, England
Oct. 20 - Damnation Festival - Leeds, UK

1349 released its third studio album, "Hellfire", in the U.S. in October 2005 via Candlelight Records. Recorded at Studio Studio in Nyhagen, Norway, "Hellfire" was supported by a North American tour with Swiss avant-garde metal pioneers CELTIC FROST.

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Demigod Announce New Guitarist

Finnish death metallers DEMIGOD have issued the following update:

"Tuomas Karppinen is Demigod's new guitarist and tomorrow we'll play our first gig in Jyväskylä (Lutakko, Finalnd) with the new lineup! Karppinen plays also in bands such as TORTURE KILLER, ARCHGOAT and DEEPRED!"

Demigod announced just yesterday, September 26th, that Tero Laitinen had decided to leave Demigod after a 'few' years of brutality and mayhem. So we leave him behind with a couple of broken bones and a shattered self-image. Enjoy the days with just a hangover and NOT a fucking band-rehearsal on top of that hangover. After being a part of Demigod from day one, Tero leaves us with a huge gap in experience, stupid jokes and all the beer-drinking sessions shall be slightly less fun."

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Just For Fun

Tony Blair Could Never Master Black Sabbath Riff

Tony Blair has admitted he could never master BLACK SABBATH on guitar. The former British Prime Minister, who was in a band at university called UGLY RUMOURS, confessed to frontman OZZY OSBOURNE that he could never get the band's track 'Iron Man' right.

"I met Tony Blair a couple of years ago, and he said to me, 'I was in a band once, and I could never get the riff to 'Iron Man' right,'" recalled Osbourne. "I thought, 'Why are you telling me about 'Iron Man' when there's a war going on?'"

Osbourne made the comments while DJing for Radio 1 as part of the station's 40th birthday celebrations. His show airs tonight (September 27) at 9pm.

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Mushroomhead Frontman To Appear In Movie

Cleveland Scene has issued the following report from D.X. Ferris:

MUSHROOMHEAD frontman Jeffrey Nothing will appear in Midnight Syndicate Films' The Dead Matter, a vampire-ghost movie shot locally last month and now in post-production."

No further details are currently available. Stay tuned for further updates.

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Divine Heresy Announce U.K. Dates

DIVINE HERESY, the Los Angeles, CA-based band featuring former FEAR FACTORY/current ASESINO guitarist Dino Cazares, drummer Tim Yeung (ex-VITAL REMAINS, HATE ETERNAL) and Tommy Cummings (VEXT) on vocals, have updated their MySpace page to announced the following UK dates in December:

December
10 - Barfly - Birmingham, England
11 - Underworld - London, England
12 - Zodiac - Oxford, England
13 - Wedgewood Rooms - Portsmouth, England
14 - Arts Centre - Colchester, England
15 - Sugarmill - Stoke, England
16 - King Tuts - Glasgow, Scotland
17 - Academy 2 - Manchester, England

The band kick off their worldwide touring campaign for their debut album, Bleed The Fifth, on October 5th as part of the Operation: Annihilation tour alongside STATIC-X, SHADOWS FALL and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD.

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Bloodclot! Seeks Record Label

New York hardcore all-stars, Bloodclot! have hit the streets running. The band boasts members of The Cro-Mags, Biohazard, Pro-Pain and Merauder.

Vocalist John Joseph (Cro-Mags) describes the band's sound best. "I don't want to lock it into any categories. There are hardcore and metal qualities, punk rock qualities, even some fusion in certain parts. It's just heavy music, with a heavy message."

The band is currently seeking a record deal with their self-produced debut, "Burn Babylon Burn." Setting a new standard in hardcore, Bloodclot! maintains a positive focus, preserving the tenets of unity central to the classic ethos. And true to the classic punk-rock DIY vibe, they also wrote and recorded everything together in drummer Danny Schuler's (Biohazard) studio, with no outside influence, financially or otherwise.

"We set out to create a piece of music that would last forever, and reflect the turbulent times we're living in," explains Schuler. "The only way to do that was to believe in each other and do it completely by ourselves. We lived every second of this record, we trusted our instincts, and worked our asses off to get it done. We made this record with absolutely no regard for what is popular right now. We listened to ourselves, dug deep, and created the record we wanted to hear."

Even the band's name itself possesses an important meaning. "In Jamaican, the word 'bloodclot' is a curse that describes everything being fucked up. It's a 'bloodclot' situation, what's happening on the planet, who's running things through deception and lies, and we need to fix it," continues Joseph.

If anyone can make a change through music, it's these five individuals with over 100 years combined experience in hardcore. In the end, Bloodclot! will make an impact. John exclaims, "We live this, every single day, that's why it comes off authentic, because it 'IS' real."

You can hear some music samples on the band's MySpace page.

Bloodclot! is:

John Joseph (Cro-Mags) – vocals
Scott Roberts (Biohazard) – guitar
Eric Klinger (Pro-Pain) – guitar
Rick Lopez (Merauder) – bass
Danny Schuler (Biohazard) – drums

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Mudvayne Announce Fan-Generated Album

Mudvayne and Epic Records are proud to announce the upcoming release, "By The People, For The People," which is set to hit stores November 27th. The highly anticipated new album consists of several live recordings, rarities, demos, as well as two new recordings including the first single, “Dull Boy,” which was produced by Dave Fortman and recorded in New Orleans, as well as an incredible never before heard cover of the Police’s “King of Pain.”

The album is aptly titled "By The People, For The People," because it is entirely fan-generated. Mudvayne is creating history by offering their diehard fans the opportunity to participate in creating the entire content of the album. Starting on September 26th, fans will be able to visit mudvayne.com and myspace.com/mudvayne to help pick the track listing, submit fan generated album artwork, and participate in creating the video for first single, “Dull Boy” which makes its radio debut in early October. “We have some of the greatest fans and this album is a way for us to give back to those that have supported us throughout the years,” states Chad Gray of Mudvayne.

"By The People, For The People" affords Mudvayne a chance to give back to their loyal fans that have stood by them throughout their entire career, one that exploded in 2000 with the release of the MTV2-award winning video, “Dig.” This album spotlights the disruption of traditional media and the band’s desire to further connect with their fans.

Every Mudvayne studio album has received gold certification including Mudvayne’s last release, 2005’s “Lost And Found,” which debuted at #2 on the Billboard Top 200 and generated the hit single, “Happy?” which skyrocketed to take the #1 spot at radio and remained there for an incredible 10 weeks. Mudvayne has sold over 4.5 million units worldwide, resulting in an incredible 6 gold-certified releases. In addition, the band was also nominated for Best Metal Performance at the 2005 Grammy’s.

Singer Chad Gray and guitarist Greg Tribbett are on tour with HELLYEAH for the remainder of 2006. However, Mudvayne returns with a new studio album in 2008.

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New Dimmu Borgir Video To Premiere On Friday

Norwegian symphonic black metallers DIMMU BORGIR recently shot a video for the track "The Sacrilegious Scorn" with renowned cover artist Joachim Luetke as creator. The song comes off the band's latest offering, "In Sorte Diaboli", which topped the Norwegian album chart upon it release in May 2007.

To celebrate the completion of the new clip, MySpace Germany, Austria and Switzerland will feature the video debut on their homepage beginning on September 28. MySpace Netherlands will also feature the video on their music page beginning on October 1. MySpace Sweden and Mexico will also premiere the video on their sites.

In other news, a TV interview with DIMMU BORGIR conducted at this year's Wacken Open Air festival will air on October 1 on the WDR "Rockpalast" program (starting at 0.45 in the night).

As previously reported, DIMMU BORGIR has been confirmed for the Bloodstock Open Air festival, set to take place August 15-17, 2008 at Catton Hall in Derbyshire England. Also scheduled to appear are the Finnish folk/pagan metal band MOONSORROW and the Finnish doomsters SWALLOW THE SUN.

Tony Laureano (NILE, ANGELCORPSE) is filling in for DIMMU BORGIR drummer Hellhammer on the band's current European tour with AMON AMARTH and ENGEL.

Laureano previously played for DIMMU BORGIR during the band's North American stint on Ozzfest in 2004 and during festival performances throughout 2005.

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Tool To Tour West Coast In November, December

Although no dates are officially confirmed at this point, it appears that TOOL will be touring the West Coast of the USA from mid-November until Christmas. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon.

TOOL released its latest album, "10,000 Days", in the spring of 2006, five years after its previous effort, "Lateralus". The group intends to stay on tour until at least the end of 2007 before taking a break, but bassist Justin Chancellor told The Pulse of Radio that he doesn't think fans will have to wait another half decade for the next TOOL record. "Honestly, I don't know," he said. "We're in the second year of this tour already and it won't be long before people have said it's five years already. If we finish touring by, say, next January or February, once we've taken a little time off, it's almost unavoidable that it's gonna be a little while. I mean, honestly, I think everyone's getting a bit older, and I have a feeling we'll want to get on with it sooner than later this time."

Billboard reported several months ago that TOOL is mulling the idea of making a band movie. Guitarist Adam Jones said, "We all have ideas about it. If I had my way, it would be a narrative story in a surreal fashion with as much money and special effects as we could throw at it...It's just talk right now."

PUSCIFER, the side project of TOOL frontman Maynard James Keenan, will release its debut album, "V Is for Vagina", on October 30 via Puscifer Entertainment.

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Ozzy Osbourne Asks Fans To Choose Next Single

Ozzy Osbourne's official web site is currently hosting a poll for fans to vote on what song should be the next single from his "Black Rain" CD. There are three tracks to choose from: "Black Rain" (currently with 49% of the votes), "Civilize the Universe" (11%) and "Here for You" (40%).

"Black Rain" was reissued last month by Epic in a new jewel-case package containing the full booklet with lyrics and new color cover art and photos. It also contains CD extra bonus content featuring behind-the-scenes footage from the "Black Rain" photo shoot.

"Black Rain", which originally came out on May 22, was released in "eco-friendly" packaging, with the CD sleeve made out of recycled paper. In addition, the record came out without a booklet to further save paper, with the lyrics, credits and other inside material available to buyers of the CD at SonyMusic.com.

"Black Rain" features several songs based on current events and the state of the world in general. But Osbourne told The Pulse of Radio that he hasn't turned into an "issues-oriented" artist. "Believe me, I've not suddenly woken up and I'm sane," he said. "But I'm not one of these guys that can write about boy-meets-girl and, I mean, it's got to mean something to me. I don't write all the lyrics, but I have to say, 'Well, you know, isn't that strange that that happened when this happened,' you know, and I'll get going, you know."

"Black Rain" debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard album chart, with first-week sales of 152,000 copies.

To download OZZY OSBOURNE's "Black Rain" CD booklet as a PDF file, complete with lyrics, credits and artwork, click here. According to a posting on Ozzy's website, "you must insert the 'Black Rain' CD when prompted in order to be able to complete the download."

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Primordial Reveal New Album Details

Ireland's PRIMORDIAL will be releasing their new album, To The Nameless Dead, on November 16th in Germany, Austria, Switzerland, Italy and November 19th throughout the rest of Europe via Metal Blade Records. A North American release is set for November 27th. According to a press release, "the band's sixth effort is a timeless statement and an ode to their forefathers which lives and breathes the ancient spirit mixed with anger, pain and despair. Harsher and faster than its predecessor, To The Nameless Dead wasn't recorded digitally - just analog to keep the sound old school and powerful. The album will also be available as limited first edition in a digi book featuring another design, 40 pages and a bonus DVD of Primordial's performance at the Rock Hard Festival."

Says frontman A. A. Nemtheanga: “To The Nameless Dead is defiantly at odds with a modern metal scene that often seems to place banality, mediocrity and safety above passion, honesty and truth”

To The Nameless Dead tracklist: 'Empire Falls', 'Gallows Hymn', 'As Rome Burns', 'Failures Burden', 'Heathen Tribes', 'The Rising Tide', 'Traitors Gate', 'No Nation On This Earth'.

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Future Saxon Releases Detailed

The following press release has been issued:

Eagerly awaited by their fans – not only since their most recent awesome show at this year’s Wacken Open Air –, British metal gladiators SAXON are scheduled to release their new double DVD, To Hell And Back Again, on 19 November 2007 (Germany: 16 November 2007, North America: 20 November 2007). To Hell And Back Again comes in a top-quality DigiPak featuring over five hours of playing time and is a perfect example of an excellent price/performance ratio. The double DVD will be released in a 16:9 image format and 2.0 Dolby Digital & 5.1 Audio sound formats. DVD 1 consists of 15 chapters with lots of interesting glimpses of the band’s life between two albums, starting with the Lionheart studio recordings and continuing with heaps of clips from the subsequent tour (the tour start in Kiel, sequences from the Graspop and WOA 2004 festivals, shows in London, Glasgow, Paris, and Pratteln, among others, plus the grand finale in Prague), and scenes from the video shoots for ‘Witchfinder General’ and ‘Beyond The Grave’. Most of the 15 chapters include at least one live track, the end of DVD 1 featuring full versions of each number. Makes over two hours playing time all in all.

DVD 2 includes the official ‘Beyond The Grave’, ‘Witchfinder General’, ‘If I Was You’ and ‘Let Me Feel Your Power’ video clips, plus the brand-new, previously unreleased ‘I’ve Got To Rock (To Stay Alive)’ with guest appearances by Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD), Angry Anderson (ROSE TATTOO) and Andi Deris (HELLOWEEN). The song will be available as an Internet single download from 19 October 2007! DVD 2 is rounded off with live cuts from the Swiss Rocksound festival, the Rock For Asia event, and a live duet by Biff Byford and DORO PESCH (performing the JUDAS PRIEST classic, ‘You’ve Got Another Thing Comin’). Another three hours of Saxon pulling out all the stops!

A re-release of the album success, Unleash The Beast, will be out on 19 November 2007 (Germany: 16 November 2007, North America: 20 November 2007). In addition to the eleven original songs on the album, there will be two live bonus tracks (‘Crusader’ & ‘Solid Ball Of Rock’), recorded in Germany during the 1995 Dogs of War world tour. The re-release is completed by fascinating liner notes courtesy of vocalist Biff Byford and a new booklet with previously unreleased photos.

Upcoming Saxon live dates:

October
18 - Moscow, Russia - Apelsin Club
21 - Tokyo, Japan - Loudpark Festival
22 - Osaka, Japan - Loudpark Festival

November
9 - Minehead, England - Hard Rock Hell Festival

December
7 - Karlsdorf, Germany – Altenbürghalle
8 - Andernach, Germany – JUZ Live Club
9 - Hohenems, Austria - Event Center
10 - Salzburg, Austria - Rockhouse
11 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
12 - Antwerp, Belgium – Hof Ter Lo
14 - Strasbourg, France - La Laiterie
15 - Düsseldorf, Germany - Phillipshalle
16 - Nürnberg, Germany - Löwensaal
17 - Prag, Czech Republic - Retro Music Hall
31 - Kavarna, Bulgaria – New Years Eve Festival

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Tank Guitarist Forms Label

Cliff Evans, guitarist for the legendary TANK as well as KILLERS, has started a new label called Soundhouse Records (www.myspace.com/soundhousemetal). The first two releases are albums by… Tank and Killers!

“I started to put together ideas last year,” says the NWOBHM warrior. “Because it’s so much more difficult to get a deal these days, to get an advance out of any kind of label. The labels are not putting any money into new records. So I thought well, it seems pointless putting all that effort behind making an album, trying to get an advance and it’s not there. So I said, I’ll do it myself. I’ve been around long enough now so I know how it works. So I thought I would put a little label together to specialize in that British metal thing. I’ve wanted to put out Murder One again (Killers), because that album has become very hard to find over the years. And I was been pretty proud of that album; it’s a pretty good album. So I kind of tracked it down. It was on BMG, but then they sold it out to a production company who sold it to someone else. So I’ve been trying to track it down for quite awhile and I finally got it. I had to pay a little advance for that, but I got it back. But that was kind of the main reason I put the label together, to put that album out. And then I have a Tank album as well, Live And Rare. So there are two good albums to put out at the same time, to kind of launch the label. That was the plan there. It’s been a lot of work this year, because we remastered everything and did all new artwork.”

Do you have specific plans for your third release?

“For the third one I’m going to do the other Killers album, which was Menace To Society; that will be next year, and I’m kind of looking around for stuff. I would like to work with some other bands, so I’m see what’s out there, what’s available, including new bands, some fresh blood. I’m in London. I’d like to find some other bands to work with, like I say, even younger bands… try to get some new stuff out there. There’s not a lot going on in London right now; there aren’t a lot of clubs. I have a fair bit of experience over the years, so I’d like to put something back into it. I want to get excited about something again; it would be nice to get involved with some new music which would be kind of cool. I’m open to any ideas.”

With Tank on shaky ground as a touring and recording entity, due to the ongoing ill health of its intrepid leader Algy Ward, Soundhouse will at least keep the ball rolling (and the hopes of fans alive) with this rare set. “Well, the rare stuff is… there are nine tracks from the 1981 tour, which is supporting MOTORHEAD on the Ace Of Spades tour. And then there are four studio demos, from that year as well, from the Filth Hounds Of Hades album, and then there are two tracks from the 1984 METALLICA Ride The Lightning tour, and then there are another two tracks from 1999 - that’s live in Japan. That was the 20th anniversary of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal tour.”

Cliff confirms that, “Algy, he’s been quite ill lately. He’s got quite a few problems. He gets down and has depression. I’ve had requests for dozens of interviews and he doesn’t do anything right now. Which is a real shame. It kind of adds to the mystique of him a little bit. Our popularity seems to have gone up quite a bit, by doing nothing (laughs). But there is also a box set coming out as well. There’s a Polish label called Metal Mind, and the guy who runs it is a big fan of Tank, and he’s putting together a box set of eight albums in it and possibly a DVD as well - 32 page booklet, every album, all the bonus tracks, all the singles, everything. So he’s putting that together now. He’s got loads of rare photos, so I think sort of around Christmas time he’s doing that. So that just, again, adds to the popularity. Because those Tank albums are very hard to find on CD. They’re very difficult to get a hold of. And the fans are very loyal as well. So when they tend to put anything out there they grab hold of them.”

Cliff adds a note about the bonus situation on the Killers set. “Oh yes, there are two acoustic tracks on there. There’s an acoustic version of ‘Wrathchild’, which kind of works. It sounds different, honestly, but it’s a straight acoustic version. And there’s an acoustic version of ‘Dream Keeper’, which works really well. I’ve always liked that song. And then there is a demo version of a track called ‘Three Words’, which was on the next album, Menace To Society.”

We wish both Algy and Cliff and his new venture well (Cliff also is in the planning stages for a new Killers album - without Paul Di’Anno!). As noted, please check out Soundhouse Records at their Myspace page - the first two releases will hit the streets in October.

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Interview

An Interview with Death-Rapper Necro

Most people are no doubt aware of Necro's departure from the Sounds Of The Underground Tour over the summer, which is why when we received the opportunity to interview the man, we leaped at the chance. Since I am a Necro fan the task was given to me. I chose to not just to talk about SOTU 2007 but also Injustice (his early death metal band), his appearance at Donnington, and lyrical themes to show why metal fans should know Necro's name just as much as the hip hop crowd.

Here are the questions and Necro's responses: More...

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As Eden Burns Booking Tour

As Eden Burns is currently booking a winter tour. Send an email to info@asedenburns.com to help with a show. Here's the itinerary:

12/27 Lake Charles, LA
12/28 Baton Rouge/New Orleans, LA
12/29 Jackson, MS
12/30 Birmingham/Mbile, LA
12/31 Tallahasse, FL w/ Khann
1/1 Tampa, FL w/ Khann
1/2 Miami, FL w/ Khann
1/3 Orlando, FL w/ Khann
1/4 Jacksonville, FL w/ Khann
1/5 Valdosta, GA
1/6 Atlanta, GA
1/7 greenvile, GA
1/8 Charlotte, NC
1/9 Knoxville, TN
1/10 Nashville, TN
1/11 St. Louis, MO
1/12 Claremore, Ok
1/13 Dallas, TX

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SOAD Drummer Launching Comic Book Venture

With multi-Platinum rock band System of a Down currently on hiatus and his Scars on Broadway project with SOAD's Daron Malakian in the early stages, drummer John Dolmayan will fulfill his other passion of comic books and collectibles by launching Torpedo Comics, an exclusively Internet-based retail store. Torpedo Comics goes live on November 1, 2007, and will boast some 15-million items - comic books, toys, graphic novels, trade paperbacks, superhero action figures and other comic book-related memorabilia, ranging in price from 99-cents to six-figures.

Dolmayan, who has been collecting comic books since he was 12, houses Torpedo Comics' inventory in a just-completed 30,000-square foot warehouse in Las Vegas, NV where he now lives. He employs a staff of 25 who catalogue and care for rare items like Sensation Comics issue #1 (the first solo series featuring Wonder Woman), just about every key issue of Marvel and DC comics including Marvel Comics' issue #1, multiple copies of Giant Size X-Men #1, plus superhero action figures from Marvel, X-Men, Superman, and Batman titles. Torpedo Comics will also offer original comic art, created between the 1940s and the present, by some 150 different artists, including Jim Lee, Art Adams, Bernie Wrightson, and Alejandro Gaza.

Dolmayan incorporated his love for comic books into the drum kit that he played during System of a Down's 2006 tour. Dolmayan contacted 22 of his favorite comic book artists, including Jim Lee, Simon Bisley, Kevin Eastman, Neal Adams and Bill Sienkiewicz, were each sent various pieces of the drum kit onto which they drew original illustrations.

As for Dolmayan and Malakian's Scars on Broadway venture, the two have been writing and rehearsing new material and plan to begin recording their debut album today, September 27, intended for a Summer 2008 release.

As drummer for System of a Down, Dolmayan shared in the band's global success of some 20-million albums sold, headlining sold-out arenas, having three consecutive #1 albums on the Billboard charts, four Grammy nominations and one win for Best Hard Rock Performance, all the while maintaining a high musical integrity, its core fan base, and its position as one of the most unique band in rock.

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Biomechanical Set Release Date

Biomechanical have announced that the release date for the new Biomechanical album titled Cannibalised has been set by Earache Records for the 11th February 2008

The line up is now nearly complete and the band are looking forward to hitting the road soon

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Iron Maiden Add Second Melbourne Date

Paul Cashmere of Australia's Undercover News reports: Following IRON MAIDEN's rapid sell-out within 25 minutes in Melbourne this morning (September 27), Sydney was also quick to respond with a sell-out show at Acer Arena within an hour.

Promoter Paul Dainty said, "Sales have been phenomenal. Ticketek advised me this morning that the queues have been the longest at their ticket outlets for any on-sale for ages."

Sydney will likewise now have a second show on Sunday, February 10.

According to Dainty, the second shows for Sydney and Melbourne will definitely be the last of the IRON MAIDEN shows added to the Australian tour because of limited time in the country.

The Somewhere Back In Time World Tour 2008 will see IRON MAIDEN perform major concerts in 20 selected cities on five continents in seven weeks including India, Japan, North America, Central and South America, and, of course, Australia.

Somewhere Back In Time - Australia 2008 dates are as follows:

Feb. 04 - Burswood Dome - Perth, Australia
Feb. 06 - Rod Laver Arena - Melbourne, Australia
Feb. 07 - Rod Laver Arena - Melbourne, Australia
Feb. 09 - Acer Arena - Sydney, Australia
Feb. 10 - Acer Arena - Sydney, Australia
Feb. 12 - Entertainment Centre - Brisbane, Australia

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Fear Factory Guitarist Selling Guitar

FEAR FACTORY guitarist Christian Olde Wolbers has issued the following statement:

I got a silverburst Jackson seven-string COW model for sale. You can see a picture of it in my pic section [on Christian's MySpace page] except this is a seven-string model. 81-7 EMG pick up bolt-on neck. Comes with a FEAR FACTORY goodie pack, CDs, t-shirt, signature picks, signature COW strings, signed photos, signed posters, stickers and more. If you like, I will get the guitar signed by the band. I'm selling this guitar for $999 plus $50 for U.S. shipping."

As previously reported, FEAR FACTORY members Christian Olde Wolbers (guitar) and Raymond Herrera (drums) are strongly rumored to be collaborating with THREAT SIGNAL frontman Jon Howard on a brand new side project. Although nothing has been officially confirmed, it is believed that the as-yet-unnamed group will occupy much of the trio's time while FEAR FACTORY frontman Burton C. Bell focuses on his ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS project, which recently inked a deal with MINISTRY mainman Al Jourgensen's 13th Planet Records.

Christian Olde Wolbers produced THREAT SIGNAL's debut album, "Under Reprisal", which was released in North America on August 22, 2006 via Nuclear Blast Records.

FEAR FACTORY previously announced plans to release another remix album, but recent activities suggest that those plans may since have been abandoned. A first taste of the proposed CD — a remixed version of the song "Supernova" (which appeared in its original form on the 2005 CD "Transgression") — was posted on the band's MySpace page but has since been removed.

FEAR FACTORY frontman frontman Burton C. Bell confirmed to the Edmonton Sun in December 2006 that the band has parted ways with Liquid 8 Records, the label that issued the group's last two albums — 2004's "Archetype" and 2005's "Transgression".

"Right now we're a completely independent band. We're free of labels and free of all sorts of things, so it's all about the music right now," said Bell.

Released in August 2005, "Transgression" was produced by Toby Wright (ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, METALLICA).

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Tygers Of Pan Tang Promise New Album Next Year

Veteran NWOBHM band TYGERS OF PAN TANG have posted this message on their MySpace page:

"The band today finished tracks 3 and 4 of the new album. We are on track to hit the timescales for a release date in February/March 2008. We are still undecided on titles for these tracks but we will let you know when they are confirmed. The 'Back & Beyond' EP is currently being processed and is still due for release in November. The EP will be available to buy on the new website with payment through PayPal and cheque. The website will be fully operational in the next two weeks."

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Within Y Hit The Studio

Sweden's WITHIN Y have posted this brief message on their official website:

"Tonight (September 26) we're entering the studio to record our so far untitled third album. The album is scheduled to be in stores in the beginning of 2008. So watch out!!! Make sure you check out our MySpace page or website frequently for pictures, videos and maybe some sound clip updates."

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Pain Announce More European Dates

PAIN, whose lineup includes Peter Tägtgren (HYPOCRISY), have added more shows to their European tour. Here are the confirmed dates:

Oct. 11 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo
Oct. 12 - Berlin, Germany - Knaack
Oct. 13 - Weimar, Germany - Hellonion Festival
Oct. 14 - Bochum, Germany - Matrix
Oct. 16 - Cologne, Germany - Underground
Oct. 17 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Roxy
Oct. 18 - Stuttgart, Germany - Roehre
Oct. 19 - Konstanz, Germany - Kulturladen
Oct. 20 - Munich, Germany - Elserhalle
Oct. 23 - Vienna, Austria - Planet Music
Oct. 24 - Ljubljana, Slovenia - Gala Hala
Oct. 25 - Graz, Austria - Orpheum
Oct. 27 - Brussels, Belgium - Biebob
Oct. 28 - Geneva, Switzerland - L'Usine
Oct. 29 - Paris, France - La Locomotive
Nov. 1 - Stockholm, Sweden - Klubben
Nov. 2 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Sticky Fingers
Nov. 3 - Linkopping, Sweden - Clotta
Nov. 14 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia
Nov. 15 - Jyväskylä, Finland - Lutakko

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Arsis Finishing Up New Album

Arsis has nearly completed the tracking process for the Nuclear Blast Records debut. The group is currently at Planet Z Recording in Massachusetts recording the effort. Bassist Noah Martin has issued the following update:

"Well, we're nearing the end of our time here at Planet Z studios. The album, to us, so far is a real treat and we hope the same for everyone else. It fuckin' rips from start to finish. James' vocals are raw and catcby. We've pretty delivered with this one.

All we have left are some clean guitar parts and some leads. We'll be done tracking tomorrow, so it'll be ready to mix on Friday. After that, mastering.

We'll also be shooting a video for one of the songs next month. More details on that to follow."

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Saga Announce Three More Shows

As previously reported, Canadian rock legends SAGA will play in Toronto, Ontario at Jeff Healey's Roadhouse on October 6th as part of their 30th Anniversary Tour. Additional dates have been announced for Barrie and Brantford, with a fourth due to be announced soon.

Their schedule is currently as follows

October
4 - Barrie. Ontario - Random Ranch
5 - tba
6 - Toronto, Ontario - Jeff Healey's Roadhouse
9 - Brantford, Ontario - Jackhammers

The tracklist of SAGA's forthcoming album, 10,000 Days, is as follows: 'Lifeline', 'Book Of Lies', 'Sideways', 'Can't You See Me Now?', 'Corkentellis' (instrumental), 'More Than I Deserve', 'Sound Advice', '10,000 Days', 'It Never Ends'.

10,000 Days will be the last Saga album with singer and founding member Michael Sadler. The initial pressing will be issued in digipack format. Release date is confirmed for October 22nd.

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Soilwork Comment On KSE, Lamb Of God Tour

Swedish metallers SOILWORK have commented on being part of the upcoming LAMB OF GOD, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE co-headlining US Tour that commences in late November.

Says singer Björn Strid: "We are thrilled to be on this tour which we think is the best tour package to hit the states for a very long time. We've toured with the boys in Killswitch Engage a couple of times before and we both sure do know how to share a bottle(s) of Jack. We always had a blast! We haven't toured with Lamb Of God or DEVILDRIVER before but we've occasionally run into each other and all we can say is that we definitely dig their music and are really looking forward to get to know those guys better. Prepare to soil your pants people!”

Soilwork recently stopped by Sirius Radio studio in New York to talk about their new record Sworn To A Great Divide. Tune into Hard Attack on Sirius Radio this Thursday at 7pm EST to hear the interview and tracks off the new record. Rebroadcasts are Friday at noon EST, Saturday 3pm EST and Sunday 6pm EST.

Sworn To A Great Divide is slated for release in North America through Nuclear Blast Records on October 23rd 2007.

The band’s latest video for the track 'Exile' can be viewed below.

Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage and Soilwork tour dates include:

November
28 - Lowell, MA - Tsongas Arena
29 - Reading, PA - Reading Eagle Theatre
30 - New York, NY - Hammerstein Ballroom

December
1 - Lewiston, ME - The Colisee
2 - Albany, NY - Washington Ave Armory
4 - Detroit, MI - The Fillmore Detroit
5 - Chicago, IL - Congress Theatre
7 - Kansas City, KS - Memorial Hall
8 - Dallas, TX - Nokia Theatre
9 - Corpus Christi, TX - Concrete St. Amphitheatre
10 - Houston, TX - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre
12 - Denver, CO - Fillmore
13 - Salt Lake City, UT - Salt Air
14 - Reno, NV - Grand Sierra Theatre
15 - Long Beach, CA - Long Beach Arena
16 - Phoenix, AZ - Dodge Theater
17 - Rio Rancho, NM - Santa Ana Star Center

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Dir En Grey Announce Two More U.K. Shows

Japan's DIR EN GREY recently announced a handful of European tour dates. They have added two UK shows to their schedule, on November 12th and 14th in Oxford and Sheffield respectively. Thier schedule is now as follows:

November
2 - London, UK - The Shepherds Bush Empire
4 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia (SOLD OUT)
5 - Helsinki, Finland - Tavastia (SOLD OUT)
7 - Amsterdam, Holland - Melkweg
8 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
10 - Paris, France - Le Zenith
12 - Oxford, UK - Oxford Carling Academy
14 - Sheffield, UK - Sheffield Corporation

As previously reported, the band's two shows for Helsinki, Finland at Tavastia were sold out 30 seconds after tickets went on sale.

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