Canadian technical death metallers CRYPTOPSY have officially parted ways with vocalist Martin Lacroix (ex-SPASME). No reason was given was given for Lacroix's departure. The group are currently seeking a replacement frontman while continuing to write material for their fifth studio album, tentatively due in early 2004 through Century Media Records. The as-yet-untitled effort will be ...
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Miami-based hardcore band ANGER, featuring drummer Alex Marquez (ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION, DEMOLITION HAMMER, SOLSTICE), have announced plans to release a new live album, tentatively titled "Out On Bond". No further information is available at this time. As previously reported, ANGER, featuring drummer Alex Marquez (ex-MALEVOLENT CREATION, DEMOLITION HAMMER, SOLSTICE), will headline the first annual 12 Hours ...
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A brand new VAN HALEN DVD, "The Van Halen Story: The Early Years", is slated for release on November 25 through Passport Video. "The Van Halen Story: The Early Years" (view cover here) chronicles the rise of four young musicians from their formative years to their transformation into a worldwide phenomenon. Witness the ...
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Leipzig, Germany-based metallers DISILLUSION have set a January 26 European release date through Metal Blade Records for their full-length debut, "Back To Times Of Splendor". The CD will be mixed in early November at Tam Recording Studios in Zwickau, Germany before being mastered at Mastersound Studios in Fellbach, Germany with ATROCITY mainman Alex Krull. Says ...
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Veteran death metallers CANNIBAL CORPSE recently reached the one-million mark for combined sales of all their albums. Bandmembers Alex Webster, Pat O'Brien, George Fisher and Jack Owen commemorated the occasion with Metal Blade Records owner/CEO Brian Slagel at Sonic Ranch studios in El Paso, Texas. where the band are currently recording the follow-up to 2002's ...
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Former TESTAMENT/SAVATAGE guitarist Alex Skolnick has announced his decision not to participate in this year's TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA tour. The following is Alex's official statement on the matter: "It is with mixed emotions that I announce my decision to not participate in this year's TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA tour. It has been an honor to be a part ...
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Veteran German metallers PARADOX have announced plans to record a new studio album in early 2004. The as-yet-untitled effort will feature the same lineup as 2000's "Collision Course" (including current RHAPOSODY/occasional BLIND GUARDIAN fill-in drummer Alex Holzwarth), and will surface in late 2004 through Germany's AFM Records. As previously reported, PARADOX are confirmed to appear ...
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Paul Dianno (IRON MAIDEN), Mick Box (URIAH HEEP), Nicky Moore (SAMSON), Manny Charlton (NAZARETH), Stefan Elmgren (HAMMERFALL), and Dave Hill (DEMON) are among the guest artists featured on the forthcoming SPEARFISH CD, "Back, For The Future", due on October 31 through Sweden Rock Records. All proceeds from the album will be donated to the Children's ...
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Former VAN HALEN frontman David Lee Roth's lawsuit against the band over unpaid royalties has been dismissed "without prejudice" at the request of the singer, according to the case information available on the web site of the Los Angeles Superior Court (case number: BC286832). Roth filed his suit on December 11, 2002, claiming ...
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Austrian death/black metal act BELPHEGOR have signed a deal with Napalm Records for the release of their fourth full-length album, "Lucifer Incestus", tentatively due in late November. The follow-up to 2000's "Necrodaemon Terrorsathan" was recorded at Mastersound studios In Stuttgart/Fellbach, Germany with producer Alex Krull (ATROCITY) and will be released in three different formats: limited-edition ...
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TED NUGENT's forthcoming reality show, "Surviving Nugent", will premiere October 5 on VH1. Described as "a two-hour reality-based event that challenges not only the intestinal fortitude of the seven contestants, but also the image of the outspoken rock legend," "Surviving Nugent" features "seven unsuspecting souls have accepted an invitation to enter and survive [Ted's] all-terrain ...
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SILENT FORCE's Torsten Röhre has finished recording the keyboard parts for the group's third album, "Line Of Attack". Next up, Alex Beyrodt will lay down the guitar tracks, to be followed by D.C. Cooper's (ex-ROYAL HUNT) vocals. The follow up to 2001's "Infatuator" is being produced by Dennis Ward (ANGRA, PINK CREAM 69) and is ...
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WATCHTOWER/SPASTIC INK guitarist Ron Jarzombek, who recently completed a seven-date run as part of ex-MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman's backing band on the Guitarevolution tour (also featuring former TESTAMENT/SAVATAGE guitarist Alex Skolnick and original MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland), has posted the following tour report on his official web site: "This whole adventure started with me sending ...
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Guitarists extraordinaire Marty Friedman (ex-MEGADETH), Chris Poland (ex-MEGADETH, DAMN THE MACHINE) and Alex Skolnick (ex-TESTAMENT, SAVATAGE) will be teaming up for an East Coast "Guitarevolution" tour in early 2004. Exact cities and venues will be announced soon. The three axeman recently completed a successful run of West Coast dates under the "Guitarevolution" banner. Upcoming THE ...
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Due to pressure from German government ratings groups, Relapse Records' German distribution partner SPV has been forced to withdraw EXHUMED's new record, "Anatomy Is Destiny", from distribution on the brink of its release and on the eve of the band's European headlining tour. Ratings groups deemed the band photos inside "Anatomy Is Destiny" — EXHUMED's ...
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Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman and his backing band — guitarist Ron Jarzombek (WATCHTOWER, SPASTIC INK), drummer Jimmy DeGrasso (ex-MEGADETH, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, Y&T) and bassist Chris Catero (RAZER, ex-WARDOG) — kicked off the Guitarevolution U.S. tour with THE ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO (featuring former TESTAMENT/SAVATAGE guitarist Alex Skolnick) and OHM (featuring original MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland) ...
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Former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar recently spoke to Goldmine magazine about frequent jam partner/VH bassist Michael Anthony's views on the current VAN HALEN situation. "[Michael is] basically like everyone else out there," Hagar said. "He's completely lost touch with any of the VAN HALEN situation. He hasn't talked to any of those guys in ...
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Greece's HOMO IRATUS have commenced the recording process for their new album, "Apocalypse", tentatively due in late 2003/early 2004 through an as-yet-undetermined label. The group, who parted ways with Arctic Music Group at their own request, are laying down 12 tracks at the Rock studio in Thessaloniki, Greece. The tentative track listing for "Apocalypse" is ...
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LEAVES' EYES, the new band formed by ex-THEATRE OF TRAGEDY singer Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull and members of the German band ATROCITY (who are fronted by Liv's husband Alexander Krull), have posted a demo clip of the track "Norwegian Lovesong" at this location. The music of LEAVES' EYES is "based on the wonderful ...
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Former TESTAMENT/SAVATAGE guitarist Alex Skolnick has joined the distinguished faculty of New York's premier guitar school, American Institute Of Guitar (AIG). Alex will be teaching the Jazz Soloing Workshop this fall. "Learn the essential scales, arpeggios and techniques of jazz soloing," reads a post on Skolnick's web site. "Hands-on with lots of playing. In addition, ...
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THE MIGHTY NIMBUS, featuring members of SIXTY WATT SHAMAN and ALABAMA THUNDERPUSSY, have inked a deal with Threeman Recordings, the Swedish label owned by Alex Hellid of ENTOMBED. The group's debut album, tentatively a self-titled affair, is due before the end of the year. Among the tracks set to appear on the CD are the ...
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LIZZY BORDEN bassist Marten Andersson (photo) is offering private lessons to a limited number of students in the Los Angeles Area. For more information, fill out the form at this location. LIZZY BORDEN recently commenced the recording process for their eighth album, tentatively due in early 2004 through Metal Blade Records. ...
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Long-running Dutch death metallers SINISTER have parted ways with guitarist Pascal Grevinga and bassist Alex. Ron van de Polder, who was involved in the songwriting process for 1992's "Cross The Styx" and this year's "Savage Or Grace", has been named the group's permanent guitarist. Polder, singer Rachel Heyzer and drummer Aad Kloosterwaard have already started ...
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THEATRE OF TRAGEDY singer Liv Kristine Espenaes Krull has teamed up with members of the German band ATROCITY (fronted by Liv's husband Alexander Krull) in a brand new group called LEAVES' EYES. The music of LEAVES' EYES is "based on the wonderful voice of Liv and beautiful melodic arrangements," according to a post on Kristine's ...
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Former YNGWIE MALMSTEEN singer Jeff Scott Soto and his solo band — Howie Simon, Alex Papa and Gary Schutt — performed a set of QUEEN classics at the 2003 Queen Convention in the U.K. The performance, which was captured on video, has now been made available on DVD via Soto's official web site,
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Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman recently played two songs from his latest solo CD, "Music For Speeding" ("Lust For Life" and "It's The Unreal Thing"), live in the broadcast center for Japan's Sky Perfect TV's "Party Dude!" program. This nationwide hard rock show will broadcast the two songs plus interviews on two separate programs over ...
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Don Dokken has posted the following message to DOKKEN's official web site: "Hi everybody, it's been a long time since I've posted a note. As you know we've been on tour almost a year and a half, and a lot has happened during that time. Member changes tough tours and law suits to boot! After ...
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Home-video footage of THE IRON MAIDENS — L.A.'s all-girl tribute to IRON MAIDEN that features in its ranks PHANTOM BLUE members Linda McDonald (drums), Josephine (guitar), and Sara Marsh (guitar) — jamming with former TESTAMENT/SAVATAGE guitarist Alex Skolnick on a version of MAIDEN's "The Trooper" has been posted online in Quicktime format at
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Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman has announced his backing band for the upcoming Guitarevolution tour, the month-long trek featuring Friedman, Alex Skolnick's (ex-TESTAMENT, SAVATAGE) jazz combo THE ALEX SKOLNICK TRIO and original MEGADETH guitarist Chris Poland's (ex-DAMN THE MACHINE) prog-rock outfit OHM. Joining Marty on the tour will be guitarist Ron Jarzombek (WATCHTOWER, SPASTIC INK), ...
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Italy's RHAPSODY have slammed Brazil's ANGRA and SHAMAN over the negative remarks made by the latter two groups in the Brazilian Cover Baixo magazine about the relationship between RHAPSODY and their German producer Sascha Paeth. In a posting to their official web site, www.mightyrhapsody.com, RHAPSODY guitarist Luca Turilli writes, "It's since 1997 that ...
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