Friday May 30th 2003

Live 10.31.01, the live album from The Juliana Theory will finally be coming out in August. This CD was recorded at Club Laga in Pittsburgh in October 2001. The songs come from the band's first two albums.

The French nu metal band Space In Your Face has a new singer. His name is Francis T.

Swirl is participating in the Heineken Award contest. This is a talent search in the Dutch province Gelderland. Tomorrow, on May 31st they will play in the finals in De Kei, Ede, Holland. The five best bands (besides Swirl you can see Typhoon, FBI, Switched On and Het Verschil) will compete there with each other. The winner will be invited to several Dutch summer festivals including Huntenpop.

Tooth & Nail Records signed another band. This time it's FM Static. Their influences range from Good Charlotte to the Beach Boys. Expect their debut album What Are You Waiting For with its sunny power op on July 22nd. You can already download the song Definitely Maybe from the band's MP3.com page.

On September 5th the album from The Death Campaign will see the light through Solid State Records. Title: Completion Conceived. From the MP3.com page of The Death Campaign you may download one of their tunes.

Friday May 23rd 2003

November 4th 2003 is the date when the new release from POD will see the light. It's their third album for Atlantic Records and it will be entitled Payable On Death. Sonny: "Payable On Death is a fresh new start, a going back to roots, a re-connecting with
our people." Currently, the band is working through 17 songs. The album is produced by Howard Benson.

On May 31st Bride will enter the studio to record twelve new songs. The release date will be around the end of August. Bride is also going to release a Bride The World Tour video/DVD. This visual experience contains live and backstage footage. You can see the band visiting Brazil and Germany.

The debut CD from Cynical Limit has arrived  Cynical Limit is the band of former Angelica guitarist Dennis Cameron.

On May 29th you can see Crushead in concert on the Kirchentag in Berlin. Interestingly, on that particular day there will be a discussion on the theme: Youth and Europe that president Gerhard Schröder will attend.

Last week this column reported the success of As I Lay Dying on the metal charts of MP3.com. Now the band has made it into the actual Top 40 of MP3.com. Their songs 94 Hours and Forever reached #10 for download and #30 for streaming. Their album Frail Worlds Collapse will hit stores on June 16th. Vocalist Tim had the following to say about all this: "The songs on mp3 are two of 12 songs coming out in June. They are by no means the best two, rather a taste of what we are doing."

Friday May 16th 2003

Sad news comes from Living Sacrifice. Due to personal family obligations and issues that have recently come up, Living Sacrifice will be discontinued. "We have no plans to do any other tours or albums as we feel that the time has come to move on." Right now the band is finishing up the last shows. After thirteen years the curtain will finally fall.

Rowe Productions released the re-issue of all the Lightforce recordings plus two bonus tracks. Lightforce 1986 To 1989 contains the Mystical Thieves and the Battlezone albums. The two bonus songs come from a 1986 Lightforce demo. Lightforce is the band that later continued under the moniker Mortification. 

Hardcore band Neshamah have finished up their six songs for the upcoming split CD with Rapture Of The Meek. This record will be out through Blood And Ink Records.

Momentum Scandinavia announced the release of a limited CD EP from Drottnar. This disc is called Anamorphosis and it will be distributed by Endtime Productions. Anamorphosis will be made available in a couple of weeks.

Endtime Productions will release a limited edition picture LP of Synergy, the new Extol album. This Swedish only release is limited to about 300 units.

Another band on Endtime Productions, Vardoger, will have their new album released before the summer starts. The first edition comes as a digipak with extended artwork.

Hearken will release an album called Nuclear Negligence. You can download three songs from their MP3.com page.

Demoniciduth, the black metal band from Switzerland, recorded seven new songs in January and April. It's their intention to release them on a split CD with the Brazilian death metal band Sabbatariam. On the MP3.com page of Demoniciduth you may get acquainted with their music.

New Metal Blade Records band As I Lay Dying are doing well on MP3.com. They have reached the number #1 and #2 spots on the metal charts with their new tracks 94 Hours and the new version of Forever.

This summer the new album from Sympathy will be released through Fear Dark. Tentative title is Arcane Path.

One of the names added to the line-up of this year's Destruction Festival is Extol. Here's the schedule so far: Friday August 15 (doors open 6.30pm, starts 7.00pm) Cry For Silence, Today Forever, Zedisforzebra, Zyllah, Cain's Mark. Saturday August 16 (doors open 5.30pm, starts 6.00pm): Extol, Last Hours Of Torment, Frosthardr, Breaking Days, Gen, Bloodwork. The festival takes place in London, UK.

Friday May 9th 2003

Sinai Beach will tour the west coast of the USA with Biohazard soon. The band will be supporting their new album When Breath Escapes.

Evanescence's track Going Under will appear in the upcoming video game Enter The Matrix. This video game will be in stores on May 15th.

You can see POD on MTV USA this weekend. The show Entertainment Tonight will feature interviews with POD and behind the scenes footage along with interviews with cast members of the Matrix Reloaded film. Also the entire single Sleeping Awake will be shown. Here are the dates you can see this: Saturday, May 10th - 11:30 AM (EST)   & Sunday, May 11th - 12:00 PM (EST).

Last week you could read in this column that on May 26th the new album from Rob Rock's Rage Of Creation comes out. However, the release of Eyes Of Eternity is postponed to June 23rd!

On the first of July the new album from Nodes Of Ranvier comes out through Facedown Records. One of the songs from this self titled CD can be downloaded from the Facedown Records MP3.com page.

Grrr Records has decided to re-issue the classic double album XX Years Live from the Rez Band. It contains 23 songs played live. The album originally came out in 1992 to celebrate the band's twentieth anniversary.

Grrr Records will also release a new EP from Headnoise. This hardcore punk band presents the seven song disc in June. Title: Ninety-nine And Waiting.

Save The Radio will make their new album Extended Play available soon. The record contains five previously unreleased rock 'n roll songs.

The official Stryper website was re-opened this week.

Friday May 2nd 2003

On May 26th the new album from Rob Rock's Rage Of Creation comes out. The CD is entitled Eyes Of Eternity and was produced and mixed by Roy Z (Halford, Helloween). It contains nine tracks. Some of the song titles are: Rock The Earth, Conquerors Hymn, Fields Of Fire and The Everlasting. The Japanese version will contain two extra tracks: Bridge To Infinity and Children Of The Wasteland. Interestingly, Eyes Of Eternity contains the twelve minute epic song The Hour Of Dawn. In this song there are guest appearances from Roy Z, Gus G (Dream Evil, Firewind), Tom Naumann (Primal Fear), Carl Johan Grimmark (Narnia), Rick Renstrom (Rage of Creation), Jeff Kollman (Glenn Hughes), Jack Frost (Seven Witches), Howie Simon (Tamplin, Jeff Scott Soto), Jimi Bell (Wayne's Metal Church), and Axel Rudi Pell.

The guys from Side Walk Slam have finished the recording of their new CD in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. Release date is August 12th.

On June 24th the Beloved debut album Failure On will come out. This record was recorded with producer GGGarth Richardson. You can now download one of the songs from MP3.com. The track is called Aimless Endeavor.

Geronimo has left Seventh Avenue. He did the last show with the band on their CD release party in March. Seventh Avenue is currently looking for a new bassist to replace him. Interested people should be from the Wolfsburg/Gifhorn/Braunschweig area in Germany. Rumors say the band might go on a European tour with Rob Rock and Narnia in late summer or fall.

Drottnar has signed with Momentum Scandinavia for the release of a four song EP.

Laudamus has signed with a label as well: Escape Music Ltd. The album Lost In Vain should be released in Europe on June 16th. On Lost In Vain there are guest appearances from Jeff Scott Soto (Talisman, Yngwie Malmsteen), Marty Friedman (Megadeth), Kee Marcello (Europe), Mattias IA Eklundh (Freak Kitchen), Rob Rock (Chris Impellitteri, Roy Z, Axel Rudi Pell, Joshua Perahia and Dennis Cameron), Howie Simon (Ken Tamplin, Glenn Huges, Jeff Scott Soto) and Ed Roth (Impellitteri, Coolio, Maya).

New Eden also inked a record deal: with Generation Records. A release date for Stagnant Progression isn't set yet.

Squad Five-O signed to Capitol Records.

Ultimatum are in the writing process. They hope to record a demo to send out to a few labels in the near future.

The guys from Slick Shoes are working on a new record for the label Side One Dummy. They entered the studio with Ed Stasium (No Use For A Name, Pennywise, 22 Jacks) as producer. 

The new video from POD will premier on MTV USA on May 13th. You can see a special appearance and interview in Total Request Live.

On May 25th there will be a Cross Rhythms Benefit gig in the United Kingdom. Appearing artists are: Cain's Mark, Fire Fly, Gopherwood, Gen, Jonah, Sibling, Unwritten, Zedisforzebra, Zyllah, Flik. Location: Rock Cafe, Stourbridge, United Kingdom.

Friday April 25th 2003

A new CD from MxPx comes out...soon! Title of this effort is Before Everything And After. Half of the album was mixed by Chris Lord-Alge. Today the mixing of the other half by Tom Lord-Alge will start. The album should be completed by the first week of May.

The Death Campaign is mixing their album today.

Side Walk Slam is currently recording with Bill Stevenson (Black Flag, The Descendents) at The Blasting Room in Fort Collins, Colorado, USA. Look for their new CD in the fall.

The Tooth & Nail Records debut of Watashi Wa will come out on June 24th. Title: The Love Of Life. Interestingly, you can download one of the songs from their MP3.com page. It's called All Of Me.

Rock band Anberlin is also getting ready to release their album through Tooth & Nail Records. On May 6th Blueprints For The Black Market comes out and from their MP3.com page you can download a new song called Foreign Language.

The organization of the Destruction Festival in London, United Kingdom, announced the first names of bands playing their festival in August: Last Hours Of Torment, Zedisforzebra, Frosthardr, Bloodwork, Breaking Days, Cry For Silence, Gen, Zyllah, Cain's Mark, Today Forever.

Friday April 18th 2003

POD sent their The Matrix soundtrack called Sleeping Awake to radio stations across the USA. Last weekend the band spent 16 hours in a secret location to film the video for this single. The video is expected to debut on MTV USA by the end of the month.

Metal Blade Records officially announced the signing of As I Lay Dying from San Diego, USA. This metalcore band will debut on Metal Blade with Frail Words Collapse containing twelve songs. This album was recorded at the Big Fish Studios in San Diego with Steve Russell (POD, Blindside).

The Mexican metal band Lament is writing new material for their fourth CD. They are looking for a producer. Musical direction is heavy thrash metal. Lament will be touring a lot all over Mexico this year.

In case you didn't know, Ganglion released a new EP called Stripped through Full Steam Records from Finland. The band still have quite a few CD's, 7" vinyl records, t-shirts and buttons in stock, so if you're interested, mail them through: lengsel@hotmail.com. Rumors say that their former band Lengsel will have a new demo out before the summer.

Stryper is planning to do some shows, starting in August.

Stryper singer Michael Sweet is still working on his new solo album. This CD with hymns will be completed as soon as he can. There will be nine or ten songs on it and it should be out around August.

Some weeks ago you could read in this column about the return of Crystavox. Drummer Fred Helm: "You heard right! Crystavox is back in the studio to basically "see if the engine still works". A couple of new songs are done, and we are transferring the old recordings to DVD-A for a 6.1 surround mix. Stay tuned we have a long way to go, but so far so good!"

You can help Blindside getting the video for Sleepwalking on MuchMusic USA. You can vote once a day. Click Here To Vote Now!

Spiritfall has added three tracks from their Without Words EP to their MP3.com site. After returning home from touring, the band will start writing new material for a project which the band will record in late May.

Bad Little Duck, Space In Your Face, and other bands will appear on a compilation against abortion. It will be a full French CD made by the team from the French Catholic Church in Paris. The goal is not a condemnation of abortion but more as a help to promote associations which can help women in these situations.

Metal fans in Finland may look forward to the Ampirock Festival on May 17th. This festival will be held in Järvenpää, Finland. Artists are Bleakwail, Anchor, Megiddon, Oratorio, Scion, Snail On The Plate, Catrabbits and Desyre.

Friday April 11th 2003

Fire Fly is busy recording their new album. As it comes to concerts they will play at this year's Cornerstone Festival. The band also are having their first video made for the new recording of Blue Eyed Boy.

Shiloh has decided to change its name into Save The Radio. On April 18th they will enter the studio to record their new EP. It will be the same rock flavor you may be accustomed to from Shiloh. Expect this release around the end of May.

Global Warning had their song Thrown Away picked up by a Canadian label and released on a six CD box set with international metal bands. The band also recorded a new song called Disconnect. The tracking of two more songs will follow.

Slow Coming Day has a new mp3 on their MP3.com page. It's the song A Midsummer's Nightmare from their upcoming debut CD Farewell To The Familiar. This album will be in stores on April 22nd.

Friday April 4th 2003

The guys from Soapbox have finally released something new. It's a five song EP called Shapeshifter that's out through Structure Records. This EP is a so-called 3" CD.

Kekal have inked a deal with Rock Express Records from former Yugoslavia. This label will release the cassette tape version of 1000 Thoughts Of Violence for the Eastern European market. The CD version will be out through Fear Dark later this month. You can already download two tracks (Vox Diaboli and Subsession II) from Kekal's MP3.com page.

The industrial rock band Undish from Poland has suspended its activity. Due to their publisher going bankrupt, their album The Gift Of Flying won't come out. Four ex Undish members will start a new project later this year.

The Agony Scene has a song available on MP3.com from their upcoming album. The song is called We Bury Our Dead At Dawn.