Friday July 26th 2002

Guitarist Aaron Guerra has left Tourniquet. After being in the band for eight years he's now starting a family, not able to continue the commitment required for recording and doing shows. Ted, Luke and Steve will begin recording the next album early September with producer Bill Metoyer. Right after the recordings the band will seek a new guitarist.

POD is nominated for six VMA Awards. One of these nominations is the Viewers Choice which makes it possible for you to vote for the band unless you'd rather see Eminem win this particular award. Give your vote here.

POD is working on the video for the next single Satellite with director Marcos Siega. The video will contain live footage from the band's show at the Verizon Wireless Amfitheater in Virginia Beach with 22,000 people in attendance.

Disciple is looking for some concerts for their upcoming tour. Dates yet to be filled in are between August 10 and August 22nd throughout various places in the USA. If you are willing to put together a last minute show, e-mail to: disciplebooking@aol.com

Here's the band line-up for the Destruction Festival in London, UK. Friday August 9th: Flik. Saturday August 10th, afternoon: Dead Souls. Evening: Soapbox, Last Hours Of Torment, Brutal Fight, Azure Skies, xSeventh Judgementx, Zyllah. Sunday August 11th: Zedisforzebra, Cephas, Fire Fly, Unwritten, Bloodwork, Xphere.

Embodyment is making plans to release their Industry Demo. The band signed a licensing agreement with XS Records. The title for the release has been given the name Songs For The Living. Expect ten tracks, to be released on October 8th.

The new Acoustic Torment album is called Schwarzwald and it will be available in a few weeks. The band has a new line-up. Sascha has left the band. To replace him, Acoustic Torment has a new singer and a new bass player.

On August 31st & September 1st you can go to the Texas Terror Fest. Artists that will appear there are: Norma Jean, Hopesfall, 7 Angels 7 Plagues, Falling Cycle, The Rise, Beauty To Ashes, Sinai Beach, Undying, Throwdown, Bleeding Through, Undying among others.

Bleedience is a metal band from Norway. They've just opened their website and released an EP.

Unfisted will be entering the studio this fall to record new material.

This Tuesday will see the release of Get Real, the new full length album from The Halo Friendlies. There's also a video for the first song on the record called Sellout.

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Brazilian news, gathered by Flávio de Souza, editor for the Metal Mission magazine:

On August 24th there will be a Tribute Show To Stryper in São Paulo City. Bands appearing are Eterna, Stauros, Destra, Bélica, Calvário, Getsemani, Heavenly Kingdom, Ocular, Uniao, Seven Angels, Tronos, Oráculo. More information: Heavy Melody

Stauros is changing their line-up after three members left the band to start a new band. Only the two guitarists remain and former vocalist Celso de Freyn is back.

The new album from Belica is being mastered right now. Tentative title is For All and will be out in a few months through Megahard Records, the label that will release the next Seventh Avenue (from Germany) soon.

Torment Alive is the title for the live album Arcanjo will release. The album contains twelve songs including a cover of Reject, originally from Living Sacrifice. The CD will be available through Metal Mission Distro.

Clemency is finishing up their full length album. The disc will be entitled Divine Legions Of War and will have ten songs. Some song titles are: Impetuous Fall, Black Winds Of Death and Unearthed, a cover from Crimson Thorn.

Necromanicider is back and has signed with Extreme Distribution for the release of Revelations Of Third Millenium. This album was recorded some years ago but never released.

Friday July 19th 2002

Here's some old news that was overlooked earlier: Craig's Brother has disbanded! Ted Bond is currently looking for a guitarist and a drummer for his new band (yet unnamed). If you're interested, you should know you must be able to sing as well!

Tommy Torres, the guitarist for American metal band Eternal Decision, is forming a new band. This incarnation includes former Eternal Decision singer Dave Perkins (from the Ghost In The Machine album). Musically you can expect a more alternative sound. The name for the band is Veehr. They are currently recording an album and will start touring this fall. Despite this new band, Eternal Decision will be continuing to make albums. You can check out the website for Veehr.

Some time ago you could read in this column about the recent revival of the melodic metal band Test Of Faith. In 2000 the band went on a sabbatical after guitarist Jason suffered a nasty accident that could have ended his ability to play guitar permanently. A fall through a window caused a severed right wrist. Now Jason has recovered quite nicely and is able to play guitar will full force once again. Test Of Faith did their first two reunion shows in the Karitos battle of bands held in Chicago, Illinois, USA. Test Of Faith received the second place and was awarded with twenty hours of complimentary studio time at Girder Mode Studios. Girder Mode is owned and operated by Rex Carroll, former lead guitarist of Whitecross and King James.

On the Deliverance website you can find previews of the upcoming album This Sad Veil Of Tears. Jimmy Brown is also working on projects that he will be revealing in the fall. Bassist Manny Morales is doing great. His health is recovering now.

The Swedish melodic metal outfit Laudamus have been working on a new album for a while now. Expect an album that will be a little heavier than the previous one.

Facedown Records and Blood & Ink Records are going to do a split sampler CD. This album will feature the following bands from Facedown Records: Sinai Beach, Seventh Star, Falling Cycle, Nodes Of Ranvier and more. Blood & Ink Records will contribute songs from Nourish The Flame, Soul Embraced, Enlow, Truth Be Known and plenty more.

Pitiful, Blindside's first single from their upcoming album Silence, is the #1 most added song at Rock and Alternative Radio in the USA. This week saw the premiere of the new video for Pitiful on MTV2. If you are not able to see MTV2 but would like to see the video, you can follow this link.

Royal Anguish are still working on their album Mysterion.

Steel Prophet have parted ways with vocalist Rick Mythiasin. Reason for this split are musical and personal differences. Bassist Vince Dennis: "The band is excited about the future and will continue on with a new vocalist as soon as possible." Steel Prophet will release their new disc Unseen through Nuclear Blast Records in Europe on July 29th. American fans will have to wait until September 17th. This album will be the final release with singer Rick Mythiasin.

Doug Pinnick (from King's X) is working on the second Supershine album with guitarist Bruce Franklin. So far six have been written. The ever busy mr. Pinnick is also working on demo tracks for the third Poundhound album. Plans are not concrete for the actual recording but it looks like Joey Gaskill (son of Jerry Gaskill) will be drumming on it.

Purgation has published another three songs on their MP3.com page. 

The Christian heavy rock band Disciple has finished their latest tour doing 54 shows in 61 days. Here's a praise report from singer and bassist Kevin Young: "I have no idea, except God's grace, how my voice held up the entire time...We saw 800 people receive Jesus into their lives during those two months. And countless people's lives were touched during the ministry times at the concerts. God did something special and unique in almost every concert... In Anaheim, California, we played More Than A Man with Robert Sweet which was honestly a dream come true. In Ohio a woman who desperately hoped her son (who not step foot in a church) would come to the concert and receive Jesus has her prayer answered when that very thing happened. In Meeker, Colorado, another woman who was praying the same thing for her husband for many many years (who I'm pretty sure would not step foot in a church either) was born again that very night. Then the miracle of Kristin happened in Buchanan, Georgia. Kristin was delivered from Satanism and witchcraft when she accepted Jesus into her life that night. She randomly emails me to let me know that she is learning more and more every day about God's amazing forgiveness. That was truly a highlight of the trip."

Ugly Records from Switzerland have released Un Monde Meilleur from the Swiss/French band P'tit Dej. Expect pop rock.

Friday July 12th 2002

The song Switchback from the upcoming Celldweller album has been licensed for the film Halloween: Resurrection. This film starring Busta Rhymes, is released today. According to Celldweller the scene featuring Switchback has Busta pulling up in his car with the song playing on his car stereo.

The Juliana Theory are making plans to shoot their first video late this month or early August. The video will be for the song Do You Believe Me? This song will be the first single from their next album. The single will be out in early September followed by the album release in October. The Juliana Theory also has a new drummer: Josh Walters.

The third album from Eternal Decision is finally out!

If you are interested in those Nordic metal releases coming out through Endtime Productions but experience a hard time getting them, you can take a look into the Endtime Store now. The main intention of this store is to supply rare releases to people not being reached by a local distro. There are releases available from Extol, Lengsel, Anaemia and Antestor. Expect some surprises later on so keep an eye on that page!

On Saturday July 20th you can go to the third Peacedog Festival in Ede, The Netherlands. Here's the schedule for the day. Main Stage: 15:00-15:30 Cursor; 16:00-16:40 The Lionheart Brothers; 17:00-17:20 Antitoxin; 18:00-18:40 Quark; 19:15-20:00 Silence The Foe; 20:40-21:25 Figure Four; 21:35-21:45 Ghandi Industries; 22:00-22:45 The Blamed; 23:00-23:15 Surprise-act; 23:30-00:15 The Spirit That Guides Us. Small Stage: 13:30-14:00 Noisetoys; 14:20-15:00 Deadweight; 15:20-16:00 Day by Day; 16:20-17:00 Reaching Forward; 17:20-18:00 Cassady; 18:20-19:00 Sacrificium. Quiet Stage:  20:00-20:40 At The Close Of Everyday; 21:15-21:30 An Arm's Length; 21:30-22:00 The Sounds Of Sincerity; 22:50-23:30 Brown Feather Sparrow.

Friday July 5th 2002

Balance Of Power is currently writing a new album. The British progressive metal band wants to record and mix it before the end of the year. The release should be in early 2003.

Lance King, vocalist for Balance Of Power, has finished recording vocals for the new Defyance album Transitional Forms. Defyance is a side project. The CD should be out through Nightmare Records later this year.

Sad news for the fans of The Deadlines as they have announced the end of the band. Shaun Sundholm: "Well, fans, friends, and foes, the time has come for the Deadlines to ride off into the sunset. Yes, the rumors are true, we've decided that it is best at this time to bring the Deadlines to an end. There are a variety of reasons but mainly we just feel that the direction that the band is going now is so far from where we started, nearly four years ago, that it's best to end it and start over anew. So, no, we're not just quitting and going our separate ways, we are ending the Deadlines and forming a new band. The new project will be called The Bang! We'll be starting over and building from the ground up. We'll no longer be on Tooth & Nail and we won't be touring till we build a local and regional following. Our sound won't be too much different from what it is now, especially if you've seen us in recent months, we've been debuting new songs that we'll be playing in The Bang!"

The new Threshold album Critical Mass has now been mastered and is scheduled for release in Europe and the US at the beginning of September. Tracks that will be on the album are: Phenomenon, Choices, Falling Away, Fragmentation, Echoes Of Life, Round And Round, Avalon, Critical Mass.

Since they signed up with Atlantic Records, POD have sold five million records. This makes the band the #1 selling artist on Atlantic Records. Interestingly, POD is now starting up its own record company called 3 Points Records. The first band to join 3 Points Records is the Swedish band Blindside. This will be in partnership with Elektra Records.

Tooth & Nail Records have signed the band Holland (formerly known as Somerset). The band will record their debut CD at The Compound studio with Aaron Sprinkle as producer.

Solid State Records also signed a new band: The Agony Scene. This band comes from Tulsa, Oklahoma, USA.

Life In Your Way is finishing up their new EP. Two songs will be up on their MP3.com site soon.

For the second month in a row Beam's in the Lowland Top 25. Their album Full Dimensional Stereo remained on #6. Officially a band can only be in the chart for three months. So, if you want to support this Dutch rock band, send an e-mail to gert@npi.nl and mention Beam and their album Full Dimensional Stereo. Make sure you send the mail before the 15th of this month... Thanks!

Friday June 28th 2002

For fans of old Bloodgood there's some interesting news. The band are going to re-release their two videos Alive In America and Shakin' The World on DVD. It might be a double DVD package containing bonus footage.

After almost eleven years No Innocent Victim is splitting up! Jason Dunn: "As many of you know, we were laying low for the last year or so trying to decide what we wanted to do as a band, we have decided to bring No Innocent Victim to a close. It was a great time for all of us, almost 11 years total, and none of us have any regrets in any way! We got to tour the US about a dozen times, go to Europe with our biggest influence and now close friends - Agnostic Front, and not to mention, meet hundreds and even thousands of some of the nicest people around! We had the privilege of releasing our 2 favorite albums with Victory Records and because of that, having them distributed worldwide!"

Jason Dunn and Tim will be starting a new band this fall called The Attack. The final NIV shows will be on Cornerstone Festival, Furnace Fest, two selected dates in California plus a Puerto Rican tour.

You may have been wondering what Michael Sweet's been up to lately. Here's an update! Over the past few months he and Kenny Lewis of the Mixed Emotions Studio have been pursuing their careers in producing & engineering. Bands Michael has worked with so far are Mustard, Sifted and Mass.

The last band might ring a bell to some. Mass was the eighties melodic metal band that was on Enigma Records at the same time as Stryper. The last thing heard from the band was their Voices In The Night album, produced by Michael Sweet and released in 1989. Right now Mass is looking for a record deal and therefore they are recording a single called It's You.

Besides these bands Michael will be working with a few other bands while he's also busy with his own solo record. Furthermore, he will be co-writing with other artists in the next three months as well.

Time for an update on the Celldweller album. Originally Klayton, the Celldweller mastermind, planned to release the album back in the fall of 2000. However, recording and mixing took a while longer than expected and after the completion of the album the band manager started shopping for a deal. This led to a record deal with a new start up label in June 2001. With a new budget Klayton started working on new material and hoping to release it soon. Unfortunately the label was shut down earlier this year. On the positive side, Celldweller has formed a live line-up to be able to tour this fall. The record will be released as soon as possible now.

The first single of the upcoming Blindside album is Pitiful. The band's shooting a video in Los Angeles and it should be on MTV USA around July 15th when the single goes to radio stations across the USA. In support to the album Blindside will be touring with Project 86 in the USA throughout August.

The German death metal band Acoustic Torment will be releasing their new album soon. Also expect a revamped website.

Important notice: The news for next week will be delayed a few days due to personal circumstances.

The new album from the British hard rock quartet Stairway will be out on June 28th. Title: On Hallowed Ground.

Tooth & Nail Records has signed the band Brave Saint Return. This band is a new project from members of Five Iron Frenzy and is described as astro rock! The first disc that Tooth & Nail will release can be expected next year.

The Mexican death metal band Lament was recently car-jacked and robbed. Thus they've lost all their gear. Consequently they had to cancel their show at this year's Cornerstone Festival. More positive to mention is the release of their new album: Breathless!

Roadside Monument is turning back to the land of touring bands. There's a tour coming up with Pedro The Lion. The first show the band's doing since 1998 will be played tomorrow at The Paradox in Seattle, USA.

Facedown Records has signed two new bands: Sinai Beach & Seventh Star. Both bands are in the process of writing their upcoming albums for Facedown Records. You can download MP3's from Seventh Star here, and MP's from Sinai Beach here.

Rob Rock has entered the studio. He and producer Roy Z are working on the new studio album in Los Angeles. The album should be ready by the end of July. A release date will be announced.

After 19 months Krush has finished their new CD. The album is titled Sindrome and was released on May 29th.

New Eden will have the song Threshold Of Tolerance on the Metal Crusade CD sampler. This is a sampler that the German magazine Heavy Oder Was is releasing every year. 40,000 copies of this sampler will be issued. Threshold Of Tolerance is one of the tracks on the upcoming New Eden album Stagnant Progression. All but the vocals are recorded for this album. Currently the band is auditioning vocalists as they have parted ways with vocalist Tony Devita in February.

Here's news some might already now. In April of this year the German band Necromance have decided to quit. There are basically two reasons for the split up. First the lack of press coverage for their latest album Tribulation Force and lack of support from their record label. Second, all members are without jobs and therefore can't sustain their families properly. Instruments have been sold to pay bills. Sad ending of a band that has been going for 13 years. Make sure you check out their website.

Bride is planning to return to the studio soon to begin a self financed project, which they may be releasing independently. Troy and Dale Thompson have almost twenty songs written and are still in the writing mode.

Sanctifica have a new vocalist called David Seiving. He is also handling bass and clean vocal duties for the band Crimson Moonlight.

If you dream of playing the songs from POD's latest album Satellite, now's the chance! The website of POD is now selling the Satellite song book. Time to learn to play these tunes!

Some weeks ago you could read in this column that Slechtvalk has finished the recordings for their new album and the upcoming split CD with Kekal. Interestingly, you can download a track from the album here. The song is called From Behind The Trees and features the excellent singing of their new female vocalist. Song is courtesy of Fear Dark, the record label of Slechtvalk.

This Beautiful Mess won an Essent Award. This is a Dutch award handed out to ten different bands every half year. Because of this award the band will be playing at the Lowlands Festival this summer.

The Dutch doom metal masters of Morphia are writing new songs again.

Narnia has started recording their fourth studio album. All drum and rhythm guitars are recorded. The previously announced plans for a live album have been changed. Instead you can expect the studio album.

The British hard rock outfit Stairway has almost finished their new album. They hope to release it sometime this month. Title is On Hallowed Ground. An MP3 edit of the song Liar can be downloaded from the Vitamic site.

Tourniquet will start recording their second album for Metal Blade Record in July. The album will be produced by Bill Metoyer.

The next Zao album is finished. A special edition MP3 is currently available through Fine Print Mag.

Tooth & Nail Records have signed a new band called Anberlin. This rock band from Florida, USA, was formed from the ashes of the band Sagoh. Anberlin hopes to be in the studio later this year to record their first album for Tooth & Nail. You can hear some music from the band on their MP3.com page.

Roxx Productions are releasing a compilation CD for the Extreme Mardi Gras festival they are organizing this year. The CD will contain fourteen tracks from bands performing at the festival. Expect music from Barren Cross, Blissed, Junker Jorg, A.M.R., Jordan, Oil and Ultimatum. The compilation also contains previously unreleased material from: Krush, Subdux, Biogenesis, Recon, Neon Cross, Band Of Wild Angels and D.O.G..

Fountain Of Tears are getting ready to record a new album this summer. The band also has a new vocalist that you can see on the upcoming live shows this fall.