Former NILE bassist/vocalist Chief Spires has spoken out for the first time about his departure from the group and his decision to form SHAITAN MAZAR with fellow ex-NILE member John Ehlers (guitar) Speaking to Poland's Masterful Magazine, Spires explained his reasons for leaving NILE. "Well the official press release was something like 'Spires leaves the ...
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DROWNING POOL bassist Stevie Benton has accused SW1TCHED frontman Ben Schigel of "making shit up" by claiming that he was asked to join Benton's band as the replacement for Jason "Gong" Jones, who has been unofficially working with the Dallas-based metallers for much of the past year. In an interview with the Cleveland ...
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SHAITAN MAZAR, the new band featuring former NILE members Chief Spires (bass, vocals) and John Ehlers (guitar), will play the following dates in late November/early December: Nov. 27 – Masquerade - Atlanta, GA (w/ PSYCHOTIC SUSPENSIONS, MIRAGE) Nov. 28 - Uncle Doctors - Columbia, SC (w/ DROP COMIX, GODS OF MARS, SOUTHPAW) Dec. 12 - ...
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Florida-based technical death metal band CAPHARNAUM have joined the Willowtip roster. The group's debut full-length CD, "Fractured", will be released on Feb. 17, 2004. "Fractured" was recorded at CAPHARNAUM guitarist/vocalist Jason Suecof's (MONSTROSITY) own AudioHammer Studios (MONSTROSITY, TRIVIUM) and contains eight tracks that are being described as "extremely well written and catchy while displaying unparalelled ...
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Jason Bracelin of Cleveland Scene is reporting that SW1TCHED frontman Ben Schigel was asked to join the platinum metal band DROWNING POOL, replacing the replacement (Jason "Gong" Jones) for former frontman Dave Williams, who died during the Ozzfest 2002 tour from cardiomyopathy, a heart muscle disease for which he was never diagnosed. Schigel ...
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GODHEAD frontman Jason Miller has spent much of the time between the band's tours and video shoots doing voice-over work and pursuing acting gigs. Most recently, he appeared as several characters on an ABC Family Channel cartoon series "Daigunder". While working on the five episodes he was hired for, Miller was approached by the show's ...
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Former METALLICA and current OZZY OSBOURNE/VOIVOD bassist Jason Newsted will team up with Tom Johnson (DOOBIE BROTHERS), blues guitarist Roy Rogers and singer Austin Willacy to record cover versions of songs written by the students of Little Kids Rock, an innovative non-profit organization that teaches low-income kids how to play and compose their own, original ...
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Ex-METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted has once again slammed his former bandmates over the production of their latest effort, "St. Anger", stating that the band appear to be more concerned with "following" the latest production trends than putting out records that live up to the high-quality standards that fans have come to expect from METALLICA. In ...
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WATCHTOWER guitarist/composer Ron Jarzombek has posted a track from his long-awaited sophomore SPASTIC INK release, "Ink Compatible". The song, titled "Aquanet", features Jarzombek on guitar, Jason McMaster (WATCHTOWER, DANEGROUS TOYS) on vocals, Bobby Jarzombek (ex-HALFORD, RIOT) on drums, Pete Perez (RIOT) on bass and Jens Johansson (STRATOVARIUS, ex-YNGWIE MALMSTEEN) on the synthesizer. Download it
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Former DOKKEN bassist Jeff Pilson has posted the following message on his web site: "I jammed at the Benefit for the Station Family Fund on Friday the 7th — what a blast! I played with Vinny Appice (still one of my dearest friends, along with wife Justine), Alan Krigger (also long-time friend and drummer for ...
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Jon "Tumor" Fahnestock (ex-SNOT, AMEN, LO-PRO) has officially turned over the bassist position in ABLOOM to Marcello D. Rapp (ex-SOULFLY). "The decision had to be made recently with the departure of the SOULFLY lineup [from mainman Max Cavalera]," Fahnestock writes on his web site. "ABLOOM needed a bass player to be there for them in ...
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VEHEMENCE, the self-styled "chaotic melodic death metal" band from Phoenix, Arizona, have parted ways with keyboardist Jason Keesecker. There are no plans for a replacement, although a session pianist will be used for the upcoming album. According to the band, "the recording of the new CD, 'Helping The World To See', is going very smoothly, ...
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MESHUGGAH, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, HIGH ON FIRE and DOG FASHION DISCO are among the artists confirmed to appear on an upcoming tribute CD to THE MELVINS. Titled "We Reach: The Music Of The Melvins", the album will be the second release through Fractured Transmitter Records, the label formed by MUSHROOMHEAD vocalist Jason ...
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SHAITAN MAZAR, the new band featuring former NILE members Chief Spires (bass, vocals) and John Ehlers (guitar), have posted their entire four-song demo in MP3 format at their official web site. The tracks available for download are as follows: 01. Ascent (mp3) 02. Baptizme (mp3) 03. Poison the Mind (
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Former METALLICA and current VOIVOD bassist Jason Newsted was among the special guest teachers who came to San Francisco's Spring Valley Elementary school Tuesday (October 21) to share their knowledge and excitement about music to kids, according to KPIX.com. Popular music is a regular part of Ms. Chinn-Smoot's classes of 8, 9, 10, and 11-year-olds ...
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A tribute to former DEEP PURPLE/RAINBOW guitarist Ritchie Blackmore, titled "Blackmore's Castle: A Tribute to Deep Purple and Rainbow", is slated for release on November 11 through Lion Music. The complete track listing for the effort is as follows: 01. MISTER KITE – Bloodsucker 02. TRANSCENDENCE – Perfect Strangers 03. ARABESQUE – STARGAZER 04. LARS ...
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Despite drummer Ken Jay's (ex-STATIC-X) health issues which have forced GODHEAD to withdraw from their European tour with PARADISE LOST, the band will still open the U.S. EVANESCENCE tour beginning in Tucson on November 21 and running through mid-December. Band frontman Jason Miller explains, "Ken's illness came too close to the start of the European ...
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GODHEAD have issued a statement explaining their decision to drop off the forthcoming PARADISE LOST European tour in order to allow their drummer Ken Jay (ex-STATIC-X) sufficient time to recover from an undisclosed illness. "It is with much regret that we have to make this announcement, but our European tour must be postponed," the band's ...
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PANTERA guitarist Dimebag Darrell and drummer Vinnie Paul have officially named their new band DAMAGEPLAN. The group, whose debut album is due January 27 through Elektra Records, also features singer Patrick Lachman, who used to play guitar in HALFORD and DIESEL MACHINE. Former JERRY CANTRELL back-up guitarist Shawn Matthews, who played bass in an early ...
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Former SOULFLY members Mikey Doling (guitar), Marcello D. Rapp (bass), and Roy Mayorga (drums) have rejoined forces in ABLOOM, the California-based group formerly known as MOTHRA. The band, whose lineup is rounded out by guitarist Levon Sultanian and vocalist Jason Radford (both of ONESIDEZERO), played two shows (in San Diego and Santa Barbara) last weekend ...
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Winnipeg-based BURNTHE8TRACK have inked a deal with Abacus Recordings. The four-piece, whose members include brothers Derek and Jason Kun, Sam Osland and Mike Goreski, formed in the summer of 2001. In the last two years they have opened for a number of high-profile artists, including PROPAGHANDI, THE ATARIS, SUM 41 and THE MISFITS. Packing a ...
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Amy Bracken Sparks of the Cleveland Plain Dealer reports that the Akron Symphony Orchestra will tackle the work of Page, Plant, Bonham and Jones this weekend at the E.J. Thomas Performing Arts Hall in Akron, Ohio, the orchestra's regular home. According to Jeffrey Sperry, executive director of the 52-year-old orchestra, 50 members of the 83-member ...
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UFO bassist Pete Way has posted the following message to his official web site: "Hello everybody, "I am putting together the final arrangements on getting overseas to join UFO and begin recording. I should be leaving for Hanover, Germany within the week. "I am so excited about this record! I have heard some great stuff ...
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Former MACHINE HEAD/SOULFLY guitarist Logan Mader has solidified the lineup of his new band, NEW BLACK. Joining Mader (who handles guitar and lead vocals in the new group) and collaborator/guitarist Lucas Banker (formerly of LIFE OF AGONY singer Keith Caputo's solo band) are drummer Christopher Antanopolis, bassist/backing vocalist Jason Evagen and guitarist Clyde Shorey. As ...
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Swedish experimental extreme metal band MESHUGGAH have posted the following update on their official web site: What's up guys!? Thought we should post a 'little something' regarding these darn label rumors. We're releasing a 'one-off' thing on a small label called Fractured Transmitter Records. "The label is owned by Jason Mann of MUSHROOMHEAD — we're ...
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A concert by Florida shock-rockers HELL ON EARTH which was to feature an on-stage suicide of a terminally ill person was postponed Saturday because of problems with the planned broadcast of the event over the Internet, according to The Associated Press. The band's web site was attacked Saturday evening by a flood of data from ...
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A short video of OZZY OSBOURNE guitarist Zakk Wylde and bassist Jason Newsted (VOIVOD, ex-METALLICA) jamming together backstage on the Ozzfest 2003 tour has been posted online at the Fuse TV web site. Check it out: Windows Media (High, Low), Real Media (High, Low). In related news, ...
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Despite previous reports to the contrary, veteran Montreal metallers VOIVOD have announced that they will NOT be touring Europe with OZZY OSBOURNE. Instead, the band will spend the remainder of the year in Montreal working on their next album and plan on touring Europe in 2004. Jason Newsted (ex-METALLICA) will be touring Europe with Ozzy ...
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Swedish experimental extreme metal band MESHUGGAH will issue a new EP in the spring through Fractured Transmitter Records, the label formed by MUSHROOMHEAD vocalist Jason Mann. The one-song disc will reportedly clock in at over 20 minutes and will "bring the world of extreme music to its knees," according to a posting on the record ...
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MESHUGGAH vocalist Jens Kidman has recorded a guest appearance on MUSHROOMHEAD's forthcoming CD, "XIII", due on October 14 through Universal Records. Kidman reportedly shares lead vocal duties with MUSHROOMHEAD frontman Jason Mann in the track "The Dream Is Over". As previously reported, MESHUGGAH have started writing material for the follow-up to last year's "Nothing", ...
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