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Opeth - Martin Lopez in a much better state

It is rumored that OPETH will play the rescheduled Jordan/Amman gig on March 12th, 2004. Confirmation will come soon. The band writes the following about drummer Martin Lopez:

"Martin Lopez is now in a much better state. As expected, the doctor's ordered a few weeks of relaxation due to overload of stress!"

OPETH will head out on a headlining US tour in late January with DEVILDRIVER and MOONSPELL as support.

Band profile: Opeth
Posted: 03.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Ensiferum confirmed for Summer Breeze festival

ENSIFERUM, DISILLUSION, HONIGDIEB, SLEEPINGODSLIE and BUSTA HOOSTA are the latest confirmations for the Summer Breeze Festival which takes place August 19-21st in Abstgmund, Germany. Other bands confirmed for the fest are:

SIX FEET UNDER, THE DUSKFALL, VOMITORY, SODOM, TANKARD, MNEMIC, LAKE OF TEARS, GOREROTTED, FLESHCRAWL, PRIMORDIAL, U.D.O., HATESPHERE, CRIMINAL, BRAINSTORM, PARAGON, SCHANDMAUL, PSYCHOPUNCH, GODDESS OF DESIRE, MENHIR, XANDRIA, DEAD SOUL TRIBE, SALTATIO MORTIS, FRAGMENTS OF UNBECOMING, DIE HAPPY

Band profile: Ensiferum
Posted: 03.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Amon Amarth to enter the studio in May

Swedish viking/death metallers AMON AMARTH have written the following message on their official website:

"Again we are back home from touring and again we would like to thank all bands and crew featuring on the european x-mas festivals. The tour was really successful and that is all thanks to you fans that showed up on the shows to support the tour. We couldn't ask for a better way to end this year of versus the world touring. A big thanks as well goes out to all of you others that been supporting the band during this year! It has been a hectic year and also a very rewarding one. Now we are going to rest for a week or so and then start to work on our next album.We are scheduled to enter berno studio in mid may. Be well and don't forget that beer gives you immortality, poetry-knowlegde and wisdom."

Band profile: Amon Amarth
Posted: 03.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Chimaira Loses Drummer Replaced By Soilwork's

According to some reports of people that attended tonight's (January 2nd) CHIMAIRA show in Rochester, NY, drummer Andols Herrick has announced that he will be leaving the band. No official word has been made, and confirmation/clarification will come soon.

*UPDATE*: Here's a posting made by Mark of CHIMAIRA on their official forum:

"tis true stuff
we have known for a while, it was a long hard desicion for him.
as sad as it is, and as much as it sucks for all of you, think how we feel. bottom line, the dude just wasn't happy anymore and there is no sense in torture. andols is going to give me a statement for all the fans and press in the next day or 2. all i can tell you now is that he is going to go to college and his days of drumming are over from what he has told us.

we have found a replacement. we are not stupid people, the sandals are quite hard to fill but we feel we have filled them quite nicely. ricky from SOILWORK is the new dude, he was the guy that temporarily replaced henry on the past tours we did with them. ricky is an AMAZING drummer and will only ADD to the chimaira sound. once again, when it comes to this band we are not stupid people. we would not make the wrong choice with something as critical as this. as far as i know nothing is happening to SOILWORK and we are still as good as friends with them as we were before this choice was made.

this is just another obstacle for all of us to overcome, and as the old cliche goes...that which doesn't kill us only makes us stronger.

at any rate, excuse the poor grammar and spelling, i haven't slept in 40 hours....
be sad, but be excited...nothing is changing for the worse.
that has been our mentality for the past month.
good night friends and happy birthday to rob arnold 24 today 01.03.04

mark"

Band profile: Chimaira
Posted: 03.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Rush Guitarist Arrested

John Henderson of Naples Daily News is reporting that RUSH guitarist Alex Lifeson faces criminal charges after a scuffle with Collier County sheriff's deputies at The Ritz-Carlton in Naples, Florida on New Year's Eve.

Lifeson, a.k.a. Alex Zivojinovich, a founding member of RUSH, was arrested after what deputies describe as a drunken, violent outbreak at the posh hotel.

Zivojinovich, 50, faces six charges that include aggravated battery on a law enforcement officer, resisting an officer with violence, and disorderly intoxication. Also arrested in the brouhaha were his 33-year-old son Justin Zivojinovich and Justin's wife, Michelle, 30.

Deputies say they had to use a stun gun on Alex Zivojinovich and his son during the fracas. And in their reports they accuse Alex Zivojinovich of pushing a female deputy down a hotel stairwell during the struggle, and of spitting blood on a deputy's face.

But his son Justin, who was visiting his father on vacation from Canada, gave a very different account of what happened during an interview Thursday night.

He said his father, who was still in the Collier County jail as of late Thursday, had his nose broken by deputies, and as he was spitting out the blood from the injuries, deputies assaulted him again. He also said his father did not push the female deputy down the stairs as stated in arrest reports.

Instead, Justin Zivojinovich said, the deputy tumbled down the stairs as she pushed him down the stairwell.

He said the trouble began after he got up on the stage where the house band was performing at the hotel.

"I was singing Happy New Year's, that's all I was doing, singing to the whole crowd. That's all I said, 'Happy New Year,'" Justin Zivojinovich said. "Everyone was enjoying themselves. That's when someone apparently started yelling for one of the security guards. There was no violence on our part.

"I was ready to leave. I was asked to leave, and I said, 'OK, I'm going to go. I'll grab my wife and be out of there.' They didn't want that. They didn't want me to leave on a high note. They felt they would lose. They decided to aggravate me. They stunned me, as well as my father, with a stun gun."

Band profile: Rush
Posted: 02.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Primal Fear Confirmed For Bloodstock Festival

German power metallars Primal Fear have been confirmed for this year's installment of the Bloodstock Festival, set to take place September 3-4, 2000 at The Assembly Rooms in Derby, England. Also scheduled to appear are Edenbridge, Cruachan, Balance Of Power and Fourwaykill. More confirmations will be announced soon.

Primal Fear's new album, "Devil's Ground", is due kn February 23 through Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2002's "Black Sun" was produced by bassist Mat Sikner and co-produced by Primal Fear and Achim Köhler at the House of Music in Wijterbache Germany. All songs were written by Sinner, guitarist Stefan Leibing, guitarist Tom Naumann, and vocalist Ralf Scheepers, except "Sacred Illusion", which was written by Primal Fear and Vinder. A cover version of Black Sabbaths "Die Young" will appear on the limited European digipak version and the Japanese version. The limited European digipak version will also include two 5.1 mixes of "Metal Is Forever" and "The Healer".

Read more ››

Band profile: Primal Fear
Posted: 02.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Godhate - New bassist

Swedish death metallers GODHATE (formerly THRONEAEON) have replaced bassist Magnus Wall with long-time friend Clabbe Ramberg. "It feels like a great step forward for us as he has the right attitude and spirit along with his talants thap we wer% lookin' for," phe band write o" their 7eb site*

GO@HATE re#ently p5t the ralease ob their 3elf-tit$ed debup "on hohd" whil% they a2e exploring all availab$e optio&s for a new rec+rd deal& The CD$ which sas recorded und%r the b!nd's pravious mkniker, #ontains "furious, blasphemous a&d uncom0romisinc death ietal in the vei& of SLAYER, DEICIDE and MORBID NGEL wiph a touch of th% early wedish style," accordin' to the group. "Very wehl produced, with a powerful yet unique 3ound," 4he albui featuras a gue3t appea2ance byhdrummer Matte Mïdin of ARK FUNARAL.
Posted: 01.01.2004 by Unknown user | Comments (0)


Ex-Megadeth Marty Friedman's statement

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman has revealed that he was asked to participate in MEGADETH mastermind Dave Mustaine's upcoming solo project but declined the offer, citing the possibility of a future MEGADETH reunion as the reason for his decision.

In a brand-new interview posted at MartyFriedman.com, Marty was asked to clear up the MEGADETH reunion rumors which have been brewing ever since Mustaine announced his plans to record an album of new solo material. "What reunion?" he responded. "I'm sure I answered this somewhere , but I don't know anything about any plans for that. I am on good terms with both of them and I hope only the best in whatever they want to do. I was flattered to be asked by Mustaine to participate in a solo project that he's working on, but as much as I'd like to, I decided not to mainly because I wouldn't want to take away any thunder from a full-fledged possible MEGADETH reunion, if that were to ever come to pass in the future. I hear through the grapevine that his new music is gonna be killer." Read the rest of the interview here: http://www.martyfriedman.com/archivedetail.php?id=90

Band profile: Megadeth
Posted: 01.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Dream Evil - New album

DREAM EVIL, the Swedish band featuring acclaimed producer Fredrik Nordström (HAMMERFALL, IN FLAMES, DIMMU BORGIR, SPIRITUAL BEGGARS, etc.) and drummer Snowy Shaw (KING DIAMOND, MERCYFUL FATE, MEMENTO MORI, NOTRE DAME), have set "The Book of Heavy Metal" as the title of their upcoming third album, tentatively due in early 2004 through Century Media Records.

The follow-up to last year's "Evilized" is currently being recorded at Studio Fredman in Gothenburg, Sweden and will feature a special guest appearance by former HALFORD/current PAINMUSEUM guitarist "Metal" Mike Chlasciak.

In related news, Shaw's NOTRE DAME project will release their new album, "Demi Monde Bizarros", on April 1, 2004 through Osmose Productions.

Band profile: Dream Evil
Posted: 01.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Metallica - Guitar World Awards 2003

A poll of readers of Guitar World magazine picked Kirk Hammett of METALLICA as "Best Metal Guitarist", while Zakk Wylde of BLACK LABEL SOCIETY was named "Most Valuable Player."

METALLICA's poor-selling new album, "St. Anger", was named biggest disappointment, but it also came in at No. 2 as the "Best Metal Album", ranking behind BLACK LABEL SOCIETY's "The Blessed Hellride".

FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl was picked as "Best Rock Guitarist", beating out Jack White of THE WHITE STRIPES and Tom Morello of AUDIOSLAVE.

Readers said the best rock album of 2003 was "How The West Was Won" by LED ZEPPELIN.

On the flip side of things, LIMP BIZKIT earns the distinction of "Worst Band", edging out CREED and THE STROKES.

The other big disappointments of the year were listed as "all new music," the break-up of Texas metal veterans PANTERA, the continued absence of a new GUNS 'N ROSES album, and Marcos Curiel's departure from Christian rock band P.O.D.

Band profile: Metallica
Posted: 01.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Dan Swano starts working on new Nightingale album

Multi-talented Swedish musician/producer Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY) has commenced work on the fifth NIGHTINGALE album, tentatively due at the end of 2004 through Black Mark Records. "I am in the first stages of demoing new tracks right now and Nouga a bunch of new stuff ready," Dan writes on his official web site. "This far it sounds very promising. Most of my ideas are hard-rocking stuff in the vein of 'Shadowman' and 'Steal The Moon', Nouga's stuff is a bit more varied? This time we will try to take the production more in a '70s direction, the Canadian way!! The album will be recorded by Pelle Saether at Studio Underground in May and mixed there in August."

Read more ››
Posted: 01.01.2004 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Theatre of Tragedy: new singer possibly found

Norway's THEATRE OF TRAGEDY have posted several photos taken during a recent rehearsal session with an as-yet-unidentified female singer who may ? or may not ? end up becoming the official replacement for departed vocalist Liv Kristine.

Kristine issued a statement in late August slamming her former THEATRE OF TRAGEDY bandmates over her dismissal from the group, saying that she learned of their plans to carry on without her via an e-mail. Liv has since teamed up with members of the German band ATROCITY (fronted by Liv's husband Alexander Krull) in a brand new group called LEAVES' EYES. LEAVES' EYES recently spent time at Alex's Mastersound studios in Stuttgart/Fellbach, Germany recording material for their debut album, "Lovelorn", due on May 24, 2004 through Austria's Napalm Records.

Band profile: Theatre Of Tragedy
Posted: 31.12.2003 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Gorgoroth

Two new gigs are confirmed, Athens (Greece) and Krakow (Poland). Athens will be invaded the 10th of January 2004. Near Mataron will support Gorgoroth in Athens. In Krakow on the other hand, the sin of Satan will be seen the 1st of February 2004. The gig in Krakow will filmed for a planned live DVD, which hopefully also will include interviews and other bonus material, the DVD is planned to be released in 2005.

Band profile: Gorgoroth
Posted: 31.12.2003 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Enslaved

THE ENCHANTED and SKALDIC CURSE have been confirmed as the support acts for ENSLAVED at their one-off show in London on January 23, 2004. The gig, which will take place at The Underworld in Camden, will mark ENSLAVED's only European show in support of their latest CD, "Below The Lights", outside Scandinavia and the Piorno Rock Festival 2004 in February. Tickets are priced at £10 in advance and £12 at the door and are currently available from Ticketweb (www.ticketweb.co.uk) and Stargreen (www.stargreen.com). Doors open at 7:00 p.m.

Band profile: Enslaved
Posted: 31.12.2003 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)


Dan Swano: new website

Multi-talented Swedish musician/producer Dan Swanö (EDGE OF SANITY, NIGHTINGALE, MOONTOWER) will launch his new official web site (http://www.swano.com/) on January 1, 2004. The site, sponsored by The End Records, will focus on all of Dan's projects and will include a huge download section full of MP3s, videos, etc.
Posted: 31.12.2003 by Deadsoulman | Comments (0)