Shadows Fall to Headline Strhess Tour 2006

Details have begun to materialize for this summer's Strhess Tour 2006. The trek will kick off in July, with Shadows Fall returning as the headlining act (they headlined Strhess 2004). The tour also features Poison The Well in the direct support slot in addition to It Dies Today and Still Remains, with other acts such as Darkest Hour, Bury Your Dead, Himsa and Suffocation joining the tour in select markets. Shadows Fall frontman Brian Fair had the following to say regarding the tour:

"Finally Shadows Fall will be hitting the road this year! After months of being trapped in the practice space we are really looking forward to getting back onstage. It looks like this will be the only tour we will be doing this year in support of our new album, Fallout From The War, so we urge everyone to do their best to make it out before we head back into the studio to begin work on the next album. We plan on busting out new tunes from the Fallout record and dusting of a few old tunes and adding them back into the set list. We are very excited to be part of the Strhess tour once again. The first one was a blast and we are honored that Derek Hess and all the people at Strhess have decided to invite us back. Hope to see you all there."

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SOTU 2006 Tour Dates Announced

Sounds of the Underground is rapidly taking shape. Tickets will be available through a pre-sale via Artist Arena on April 11 at noon local times. Tickets go on sale to the public April 15th (some exceptions), check local listings.

This year, the extravaganza will begin on July 8th in Cleveland, Ohio and run for the better part of the summer.

As was previously announced this years powerhouse lineup consists of; As I Lay Dying, In Flames, Trivium, Cannibal Corpse, GWAR, Terror, The Black Dahlia Murder, Behemoth, The Chariot and Through the Eyes of the Dead. SOTU is excited to have some special guests join the tour in select cities. Killswitch Engage will join in Mansfield, MA on July 14. Joining SOTU for the Phoenix and San Diego shows only are new American metal pioneers Shadows Fall, modern metalcore band It Dies Today, and Still Remains. Starting in Orlando, FL on July 19, Jacksonville 's own true hardcore champions Evergreen Terrace have been added to the majority of the tour.

Now on board; Tour Sponsor Jagermeister (for the 2nd year), and Online Sponsors: Digital Metal, Lambgoat and Download Punk have been added as event sponsors, joining the rest of the entrepreneurial powers that be who view Sounds of the Underground as the new definitive voice for independent metal festivals.

The organizers for this year's Sounds of the Underground Tour; Paul Conroy and Carl Severson of Ferret Music, Tim Borror, Larry Mazer of Entertainment Services, with National Promoter House of Blues along with partners Metal Blade, Trustkill and Prosthetic Records, The Syndicate, Music Choice, and tour sponsors Hot Topic, Revolver Magazine, Eulogy Recordings.

Dates of THE 2006 Sounds Of The Underground Festival are as follows (subject to change):

July 08 CLEVELAND, OH PLAIN DEALER PAVILLION
July 09 CHICAGO, IL 1ST MIDWEST BANK AMP. PARKING LOT
July 11 TORONTO, ON MOLSON AMPHITHEATRE
July 12 MONTREAL, QC METROPOLIS ***
July 13 POUGHKEEPSIE, NY MID HUDSON CIVIC CENTER
July 14 MANSFIELD, MA TWEETER CENTER PARKING LOT
July 15 SAYREVILLE, NJ STARLAND BALLROOM OUTSIDE
July 16 CAMDEN, NJ TWEETER WATERFRONT
July 17 WASHINGTON DC MERRIWEATHER PAVILLION
July 19 ORLANDO, FL TINKER FIELD
July 21 HOUSTON, TX VERIZON WIRELESS THEATRE
July 22 CORPUS CHRISTI, TX CONCRETE ST. AMPHITHEATRE
July 23 SAN ANTONIO, TX VERIZON WIRELESS AMP. PARKING LOT
July 26 MESA, AZ MESA AMPHITHEATRE *****
July 27 LAS VEGAS, NV HOUSE OF BLUES ***
July 28 SAN DIEGO, CA Venue TBA *****
July 29 MOUNTAIN VIEW, CA SHORELINE AMP. PARKING LOT
July 31 DENVER, CO UNIVERSAL LENDING PAVILION
August 02 SAUGET, IL POP'S OUTSIDE
August 03 STERLING HEIGHTS, MI FREEDOM HILL AMPHITHEA
August 04 MILWAUKEE, WI EAGLES BALLROOM
August 05 MINNEAPOLIS, MN ROY WILKINS AUDITORIUM
August 06 WINNIPEG, MB CONVENTION CENTRE
August 07 SASKATOON, SK CREDIT UNION CENTER
August 08 EDMONTON, AB NORTHLANDS AGRICOM
August 10 VANCOUVER, BC THE PNE FORUM
August 12 LOS ANGELES, CA GIBSON UNIVERSAL AMPHITHEATRE

Notes:

PLAIN DEALER PAVILLION in Cleveland, OH was formally Scene Pavilion

July 14 KILLSWITCH ENGAGE special guest appearance

***AS I LAY DYING, IN FLAMES, TRIVIUM, GWAR, CANNIBAL CORPSE, TERROR & BLACK DAHLIA MURDER only ( Montreal, QC and Las Vegas, NV )

***** SHADOWS FALL, IT DIES TODAY & STILL REMAINS special guest appearance ( Mesa, AZ and San Diego, CA )

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Killswitch Engage/Shadows Fall Supergroup Make CD

OVERCAST, the long-defunct influential Massachusetts band which featured in its ranks KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio and SHADOWS FALL singer Brian Fair, has reunited and will be will be playing this year's New England Metal And Hardcore Festival on Saturday, April 29. In addition, the band will be re-recording 10-14 classic tracks and laying down two previously unreleased songs for a full length album entitled "Reborn to Kill Again", in May 2006. Adam Dutkiewicz (KILLSWITCH ENGAGE) has signed on as producer of this endeavor for which a label deal has yet to be announced.

Regarding their decision to re-record classic material, OVERCAST said in a statement, "Simply put, we are having the time of our lives hanging together and playing these old songs again. We feel as if we are breathing new life into this dead material. Suddenly the ambition to 'one up' ourselves has returned, more thirsty than ever. But most importantly, our main reason is due to the overwhelming excitement of the old skool fans, even to this day. For the kids who have shown us MUCH love over the years by coming up to us at shows and telling us how much they appreciated OVERCAST. These people have provided us with the greatly needed encouragement and enthusiasm we have been lacking. They have given us a vision to try this band one more time. For them we dedicate our new found time and energy towards this recording. We consider it an honor that some of you still care."

From August 1991 to November 1998, five people had an obsession with music entitled OVERCAST. Motivated by having fun and playing songs that went against the grain, the band stayed true to themselves by writing music they wanted to play ... fashionable or not. Money was never an issue back then mainly because there wasn't any to be had. Sometimes the group would play for gas money, most times for far far less. Only through sacrifice and perseverance did they make it work. First-hand experience and trial and error provided their path. They had no one to rely on but themselves. Years and years of weekend warrior tours took them places they normally would never have gone or seen. It was indeed a time they still reflect on and a time they will never forget.

But all things come to an end. After years of being turned down by labels, skimped out on by promoters, and a general sense of the band being too much of an albatross to continue ... in 1998 OVERCAST disbanded. Heartbroken and emotionally taxed, they went their separate ways. Brian joined SHADOWS FALL (a band who had opened for OVERCAST on many occasions), Mike started working on a project called KILLSWITCH ENGAGE. Guitarist Pete Cortese continued writing and ended up in a band called SEEMLESS. Guitarist Scott McCooe began playing bass in TRANSIENT. Drummer Jay Fitzgerald formed and played in many bands, finally settling down in the band TUNNEL DRILL.

Now eight years have passed since OVERCAST was an active band. All of a sudden the stars have aligned, the planets have shifted, and old friends find themselves back home with substantial amounts for free time. OVERCAST is reborn.

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Interview With Brian Fair Of Shadows Fall

HeavyMetalSource.com has uploaded a video and audio interview with SHADOWS FALL vocalist Brian Fair. The interview was conducted on March 1 in New Haven, CT and includes such topics as the band's upcoming "Fallout from the War" release (featuring songs that didn't make it onto their breakthrough "The Art of War" album, B-sides from Japan releases and a few cover songs), the band's new record deal with Atlantic, how he found out about the Grammy nomination, the whole Grammy experience, his advice column in Metal Edge magazine and much more. Check it out at this location.

Tentatively due in May via Century Media Records, "Fallout From the War" will feature the following track listing (in no particular order)

01. In Effigy
02. Will to Rebuild
03. Haunting Me Endlessly
04. Seize the Calm
05. Carpal Tunnel
06. Going, Going, Gone
07. This Is My Own
08. Deadworld
09. Mark of the Squealer (LEEWAY cover)
10. December (ONLY LIVING WITNESS cover)
11. Teasin' Pleasin' (DANGEROUS TOYS cover)

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Century Media U.S. Office Celebrates 15 Years

Century Media has issued the following press release pertaining to their 15th anniversary of their US offices and planned reissues:

Century Media Records' U.S. office, relentlessly championing barrier-shattering music, celebrates its 15-year Anniversary in 2006. Quickly establishing itself as an incendiary musical force, Century Media brought its vision to North America in 1991 delivering its unique European style metal largely ignored by mainstream and underground labels. Tirelessly supporting a disappearing music scene, the label at once became a bastion for the artists creating extreme music and a haven for fans who found themselves disassociated , and thus Century Media generated a resurgence of the musical style.

To celebrate the anniversary, Century Media documents the past while pioneering the future. Commissioning a unique logo for its official releases and communications (as above) the label signifies the anniversary's importance. In the coming months Century Media plans new studio efforts from label heavyweights such as Lacuna Coil and Shadows Fall, and also to reissue early albums from artists who have helped shape their current distinctive image like: Nevermore, Strapping Young Lad, The Gathering, Iced Earth, Moonspell and Stuck Mojo. These reissued CDs will contain reworked artwork, new liner notes with artist comments, and bonus tracks. Passionately expressing songs with images, Century Media artists have been creating videos from the label's onset and two different DVD sets will be forthcoming chronicling these efforts. First off is Century Overload, 2-discs exploding with Century Media's more recent talent delivering musically as well as visually. The discs include over 60 different recently released videos from our current roster including God Forbid, Napalm Death, Arch Enemy, Lacuna Coil and more. Due to incessant demand Century Media has compiled their three out-of-print VHS collections, highlighting the company's first dozen years, and combined them into their second DVD set the 2-DVD release entitled The Visual Experience. Finally, Century Media artists themselves have also contributed special recordings for a CD whose nature will be announced at a later date.

The flagship label of The Century Family, Century Media Records was founded in 1988. Its American branch opened three years later. With nine offices around the globe, the label employs more than 150 people worldwide. Featuring a rich catalog, the label's leading artists today include Shadows Fall, Lacuna Coil, God Forbid, Arch Enemy and Nevermore.

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Still Remains Confirm Loads of US Tour Dates

Still Remains have recently announced nearly 60 North American tour dates including a headlining tour that will take them into May. The massive run starts with a stint as direct support to Throwdown, then a batch of dates with Shadows Fall and finally the headlining tour. "We love touring," stated singer TJ Miller. "We can't wait to tour with two of our favorite bands Throwdown and Shadows Fall and we're super excited for the headlining tour where we can give our fans the full Still Remains experience." Still Remains is touring in support of their debut album Of Love and Lunacy, which was released in May 2005. The band just returned from the triumphant tour in the UK with Bullet For My Valentine, Hawthorne Heights and Aiden that got 5 stars from Kerrang Magazine. Says Miller, "The crowds night after night were awesome- massive circle pits, insane crowd surfing, fist pumping, sing-alongs where I couldn't even hear myself. I can't wait to see if the US crowds top that."

The tour with Throwdown, that will also feature The Red Chord and A Dozen Furies will start on February 4th in Flagstaff, AZ and run through February 21st in Des Moines, IA. The band will then drive to New Haven, CT on March 1st to meet up with Shadows Fall for five dates that will also include Agnostic Front and Byzantine. The five date run will end March 5th in Poughkeepsie, NY. From March 22nd through May 9th Still Remains will headline their first tour and take Nodes of Ranvier, If Hope Dies and Demiricous along for the ride. The tour will start in their hometown of Grand Rapids, MI and hit over 35 cities around the country.

Still Remains is TJ Miller (vocals), Evan Willey (bass), Jordan Whelan and Mike Church (guitars), Zach Roth (keyboards) and Adrian Greene aka "Bone" (drums). In 2004 the band independently released the EP If Love Was Born To Die. Since the release of Of Love and Lunacy the band has toured non-stop including stints with labelmates Trivium, 3 Inches of Blood and The Agony Scene and tours with Haste the Day, It Dies Today, Darkest Hour, Bullet For My Valentine, Aiden, Stretch Armstrong, Norma Jean, Scars of Tomorrow, Kane Hodder and more.

Here are the Still Reamins tour dates: More...

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Shadows Fall Drummer Issues Update

SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner has issued the following update:

"As some of you may know, last week I had one of my longtime dreams come true when I was asked to fill in for Charlie Benante and ANTHRAX for the last two shows of their tour! Charlie and his wife Sandra were expecting their first child (initially due Feb. 14) and lo and behold, two weeks ago on the 18th her water broke!!!! Obviously Charlie was on the first plane back to Chicago... meanwhile giving me the phone call of a lifetime! 'Hey dude, can you do me a favor?' DUHHHHH!!! Does a bear shit in the woods?? So anyhow, at this point I was in San Diego on my way to Anaheim for the NAMM show... I talked with Scott (Ian) he gave me a setlist (most of which I'd been playing in my basement since 1987)... and then he and Frankie (Bello) came to Anaheim to get together for our one rehearsal! Talk about pressure! The next day I did my NAMM signings and then my wife and I hopped on a plane to San Francisco for the first show. I got to the gig literally 90 minutes prior to going on stage. Went and moved a few little things on Charlie's kit (I wanted to keep it as ANTHRAX as possible), warmed up, and it was showtime!! From the moment I heard the intro to 'Among the Living', I was literally shaking... Oh yeah, I forgot to mention, this was an OUTSIDE gig!!! 50 degrees in January! Whose brilliant idea was that?? But I was still shaking from my nerves... something that Frankie helped me calm by feeding me shots of Crown during the show!!

"So a few mistakes here and there, nothing TOO dramatic (thankfully), but we made it through, and it rocked!!! Everyone had a great time. It was also good to share the night in San Francisco with my good friends in GOD FORBID, SWORN ENEMY, and SOILENT GREEN!! They all definitely helped me with the moral support!!! And for all you SHAD DVD owners... our good friend 'Sweetdick' Willie Gee was also teching for ANTHRAX, and I always love giving him shit!!!! CRAP!!!! CRAP!!! (For those of you who don't know, go out and pick up a copy of our DVD 'The Art of Touring' on Century Media!!)

"So then we hopped on the bus… Jeez I really didn't think I was gonna be back in a bus THIS SOON!!!! And were off to Los Angeles. All of us had signings at NAMM on Saturday, I got to the gig around 5, checked over the kit, and was ready to go. I was a LOT more relaxed for this show considering we had already gotten one out of the way.... but just in case... Frankie still made sure with that bottle of Crown again!!! This time the show was amazing... the little mistakes I made the night before were gone, and we totally crushed it... sold out, 3000 people... so many of my friends there to route me on... Paul Bostaph, John Tempesta, my web guy Ray, Chad Lee, Roy Mayorga, Yael, Dino, and most importantly my own bandmate Paul Romanko!!

"So it was back to NAMM the next day... EXHAUSTED!!! I think I'm still recuperating! But it was an experience I will NEVER forget!!

"Okay, so on to the SHAD... As of late, we've been putting the finishing touches on 'Fallout from the War' (full details on this record coming soon) which will be released on Century Media in the spring sometime!! It's coming out awesome, and we're pretty psyched about it. We just went down to NYC to freeze our asses off at an OUTDOOR photo shoot with Bryan Helm for this record. On top of a rooftop in JANUARY 2 blocks from the East River!!! If we look like we're freezing — we were!!

"In other news, we have begun the writing process for the next full-length album for Atlantic Records and we have almost two songs completed... slow and steady wins the race!!! Next week we head back out to L.A. for the Grammys... Should be interesting... And then two weeks after that, we'll see you guys back out on the road... Well, at least the fine folks here on the East Coast!!!"

SHADOWS FALL with AGNOSTIC FRONT, STILL REMAINS and BYZANTINE:

Mar. 01 - Toad's Place - New Haven, CT
Mar. 02 - Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel - Providence, RI
Mar. 03 - Crocodile Rock - Allentown, PA
Mar. 04 - The Crazy Donkey - Farmingdale, NY
Mar. 05 - The Chance - Poughkeepsie, NY

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Shadows Fall Signs European Deal w/ Roadrunner

Roadrunner Records has now officially announced the signing of Massachusetts-based five-piece SHADOWS FALL for all territories excluding the U.S.

Mark Palmer, M.D. of Roadrunner Records U.K. stated: "SHADOWS FALL have been one of the standard-bearers for quality American metal for the past 4 years and it's an honor to have them as part of the Roadrunner family."

Likewise, SHADOWS FALL frontman Brian Fair was equally enthused by their new home. Speaking from Massachusetts, where the band are working on songs for their fifth studio album, he commented, "All of us in SHADOWS FALL are very excited to begin a working relationship with Roadrunner Records! The label has always represented the multiple sounds and styles of the metal genre and they have never been afraid to take a chance and support bands they believed in. From the roots of extreme metal with OBITUARY, DEICIDE and EXHORDER to the breakout success of bands like SLIPKNOT and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, Roadrunner has always been at the fore-front of the evolution of metal. We feel it will be a perfect fit to help spread the word about SHADOWS FALL around the globe. The time has come for total world domination."

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Watch Byzantine's "Jeremiad" Video Online

West Virginia's Byzantine has unveiled its latest music video, the Donnie Searls-directed "Jeremiad," on the band's official website. The track is the first from 2005's "...And They Shall Take Up Serpents" to receive the video treatment, and comes hot off the heels of critical praise for the band's progressively thrashy sophomore record.

The progressively-minded thrashers will also be supporting Shadows Fall on an upcoming run of tour dates, bringing the band's live show to a whole new slew of concertgoers.

Byzantine Tour Dates: More...

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Anthrax Cancel Boulder, Colorado Show

Anthrax has sent the following message reporting on the cancellation of the Boulder, CO show and Charlie's wife going into labor:

"Tonight's Anthrax show at the Fox Theatre in Boulder, CO has been cancelled. The stork came a little early and Charlie's wife Sandra is now in labor. Charlie's rushing back to Chicago and we'll rush back to Colorado as soon as we can to make up the show, baby stroller in tow. Until then, please keep the Benantes in your thoughts and prayers."

"Jason Bittner (Shadows Fall) will fill in for Charlie for both the San Francisco and Hollywood shows."

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Shadows Fall and Agnostic Front March Tour

More dates have been announced for SHADOWS FALL's headlining tour with AGNOSTIC FRONT, STILL REMAINS, and BYZANTINE:

03/01 Toad's Place- New Haven, CT
03/02 Lupo?s Heartbreak Hotel- Providence, RI
03/03 Crocodile Rock- Allentown, PA
03/04 The Crazy Donkey- Farmingdale, NY
03/05 The Chance- Poughkeepsie, NY

You can check out Shadows Fall's latest video for "Enlightened By The Cold" here.

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Shadows Fall Singer Gets His Own Advice Column

Metal Edge magazine has just tapped SHADOWS FALL frontman Brian Fair as their first-ever advice columnist. Fans are encouraged to send their questions to Brian at the following e-mail address: Ask.Brian.Fair@gmail.com. All types of questions are welcomed. This monthly column will make its debut in the magazine's July 2006 issue.

SHADOWS FALL have lined up a string of headlining shows in March with AGNOSTIC FRONT, STILL REMAINS and BYZANTINE in the support slots. Look for the band to possibly debut some of their highly anticipated new material at these shows. Also, be sure to pick up their latest DVD entitled, "The Art of Touring", featuring over two hours of on-the-road antics and live performances filmed from 2002 through 2004 on "The Art of Balance" album touring cycle.

SHADOWS FALL w/ AGNOSTIC FRONT, STILL REMAINS, BYZANTINE:

Mar. 01 - Toad’s Place – New Haven, CT
Mar. 02 - Lupo’s Heartbreak Hotel – Providence, RI
Mar. 03 - Crocodile Rock – Allentown, PA
Mar. 04 - The Crazy Donkey – Farmingdale, NY
Mar. 05 - The Chance – Poughkeepsie, NY

Look for a new SHADOWS FALL release on Century Media Records this spring. The group's next collection of all-new material is expected to surface before the end of the year via Atlantic.

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Shadows Fall To Enter Studio After Upcoming Tour

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

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

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The Acacia Strain Touring Update

Springfield, Massachusetts' THE ACACIA STRAIN are set to play a one-off show supporting Shadows Fall on Friday, Dec. 30. Meanwhile, The Acacia Strain finished recording the tracks that will become The Dead Walk with producer Adam Dutkiewicz earlier in December. The album will be released through Prosthetic Records in late March, and will be the follow-up to 3750, the band's Prosthetic debut.

Come February, the band will hit the road with Darkest Hour, Himsa, A Life Once Lost, and Dead To Fall for a string of US dates through March.

THE ACACIA STRAIN live dates: More...

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Shadows Fall & KSE Hold In-store Signing

Shadows Fall and Killswitch Engage have announced an in-store signing in Easthampton, MA before their show that night at the Pearl Street Nightclub on December 30th. The signing will take place at Night Owl Records on 72 Cottage St at 3pm.

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Initial Shadows Fall Tour Dates Announced

The first two dates have been released for SHADOWS FALL's headlining tour with AGNOSTIC FRONT, STILL REMAINS, and BYZANTINE:

March 1 - New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place
March 2 - Providence, RI @ Lupo's Heartbreak Hotel

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Shadows Fall Frontman Comments On Grammy Nod

Nominations for the 48th annual Grammy Awards were announced last week by The Recording Academy, which included a nod for SHADOWS FALL in the "Best Metal Performance" category. The group was nominated for their Active Rock hit "What Drives The Weak" alongside such acclaimed artists as MINISTRY, MUDVAYNE, RAMMSTEIN and SLIPKNOT. The track is featured on the group’s latest offering, "The War Within", which originally debuted at No. 20 on The Billboard 200 chart and is quickly approaching 250,000 units sold, according to Nielsen SoundScan. The album garnered accolades in such mainstream publications as Billboard, Blender and Giant, among others, while SHADOWS FALL were also hailed as a "Band To Watch In 2005" by Rolling Stone, Spin and Stuff magazines.

Brian Fair (vocals) further describes his excitement over their first Grammy nomination: "So SHADOWS FALL has been nominated for a Grammy! How friggin crazy is that. Never in a million years would I have thought that a small metal band from Massachusetts would get this type of honor and acknowledgement from the music industry. This was something we had never thought about when we began writing songs together. This is proof that if you stick to your guns and put 100 percent of yourself into something the sky is the limit. We know that we would not be where we are today without the support and energy that we have received from all our fans. This nomination is a testament to that. I can’t wait to party L.A. style at the Grammies. Finally, my chance to meet Gwen Stefani has arrived! hahahaha. The Cristal is on me."

The Grammy Awards ceremony will be broadcast live by CBS on February 8, 2006 at 8:00 p.m. EST. To learn more please visit www.grammy.com. SHADOWS FALL will also perform a special one-off show at the Pearl Street Nightclub in Northampton, MA on December 30. This will be your last chance to see the band live for a few months and the show will feature some new material, as well as some stuff you may not have heard in awhile.

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SOAD, Mudvayne, Slipknot Among Grammy Nominees

SYSTEM OF A DOWN, AUDIOSLAVE, NINE INCH NAILS, MUDVAYNE, SHADOWS FALL and SLIPKNOT are among the nominees for the 48th annual Grammy Awards, set to be broadcast live on CBS from Los Angeles' Staples Center on February 8, 2006. The nominees in the "Hard Rock" and "Metal" categories are as follows:

Hard Rock Performance:

AUDIOSLAVE - "Doesn't Remind Me"
NINE INCH NAILS - "The Hand That Feeds"
ROBERT PLANT - "Tin Pan Valley"
QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE - "Little Sister"
SYSTEM OF A DOWN - "B.Y.O.B."

Metal Performance:

MINISTRY - "The Great Satan"
MUDVAYNE - "Determined"
RAMMSTEIN - "Mein Teil"
SHADOWS FALL - "What Drives the Weak"
SLIPKNOT - "Before I Forget"

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Hard Rock/Metal Musicians Remember Dimebag Darrell

MTV News spoke with members of some 30 hard rock and metal bands about the Dimebag they remember. They told MTV how much he'd meant to them, they shared fond memories and spoke of the impact he made on their lives and their music. Here are several excerpts from the article:

David Draiman - frontman, Disturbed: "During our second Ozzfest, we were holed up in Dallas for about two or three days ... hanging out at Dime's place — it was an eclectic house. There's all kinds of Pantera memorabilia and Dimebag memorabilia all over the place. But you could never make the mistake of falling asleep at Dime's. He'd wake you up the way he always did: with firecrackers. He'd always set off an entire chain of firecrackers not two inches from my head. One time ... Dime took us to a strip club where we all judged a bikini contest. There was never a wrong time in the day for Dime to hit a strip club. ... Dime was just this character who was very easy to love. He didn't have a bad bone in his body, and was ready to give you the shirt off his back at all times. It was his mission in life to make sure every single moment you spent with him was the best moment of your life. He was selfless."

Zakk Wylde - frontman, Zakk Wylde's Black Label Society: "Whenever you were around Dime, there was never a boring moment. He was the coolest guy on the planet. He was an even better person than he was a guitar player, if that's even possible. Whenever me and him would hook up, forget about it, bro. We'd always have to have a spare kidney, liver and pancreas on ice."

Brian Fair - frontman, Shadows Fall: "Dime seemed to have a real problem with the clock on our tour bus. It all started with his tour manager trying to tell him it was time to leave. ... We were having a good old time and Dime didn't want to go to bed. So, as soon as he was told it was time to leave, he grabbed the clock off of the wall and screams at the top of his lungs, 'There is no time!' and he smashed his hand right through it. The clock was made of glass and metal, and shrapnel flew everywhere. He went through three clocks on our bus like that. Anytime anyone tried to tell him it was time to go, he'd destroy the clock. He didn't want to end the party — he wanted it to keep going. We kept replacing the clock because we wanted to see what happened next."

Read the full article at MTV.com.

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Ripper, Fair and Leach On RR 25th Anniversary Show

Three new participants have been announced to participate in Roadrunner's 25th Anniversary Concert, taking place at the Nokia Theater in Times Square on Thursday, December 15th. These are none other than former Judas Priest and current Iced Earth singer Ripper Owens, Shadows Fall vocalist Brian Fair, and Seemless singer Jesse Leach - ex-Killswitch Engage. Already confirmed participants include Jamey Jasta of Heatbreed and MTV2's Headbangers Ball, Scott Ian of Anthrax and members of Slipknot, Killswitch Engage, Trivium, Machine Head, Sepultura, Soulfly, Biohazard, Life of Agony and more.

Tickets are available now through ticketmaster.com, at their outlets across the country and via phone by calling 212-307-7171.

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