Legally Pathetic Room

LAST AUTUMN'S DREAMLast Autumn's Dream2004Melodic RockFrontiers Records

Line up:Mikael Erlandsson (v)Andy Malecek (g)John Leven (b)Mic Michaeli (k)Ian Haugland (d)

Reuni tiga personil EUROPE, John Leven, Mic Michaeli, dan Ian Hauglandmembuahkan ide untuk mengerjakan suatu proyek baru dengan meneruskanjalur melodic rock yang terakhir ditempuh EUROPE di tahun 1991 denganalbum "Prisoners In Paradise". Pertemuan mereka dengan gitarislegendaris, Andy Malecek yang belum lama hengkang dari FAIR WARNING,dan vokalis Swedia bertalenta, Mikael Erlandsson, melahirkansupergroup yang dinamakan LAST AUTUMN'S DREAM (LAD) di tahun 2003.

Album perdana mereka dibuka dengan track "Again And Again" yangdiawali dengan intro keyboard diikuti dengan solo Andy. Chord-chordyang dipilih terdengar muram seakan mewarnai kesedihan lirik lagu yangditulis oleh Mikael. Selang seling rhythm guitar yang solid dan jariAndy yang menari lincah mengisi fill yang variatif membuat lagu initidak terkesan cengeng. Interlude keyboard yang impresif dipertengahan lagu dan kemudian diakhiri dengan solo gitar yangmenggelegar menjadikan lagu pembuka ini sebagai salah satu laguterbaik LAD.

"Doin' Time" terlihat mengikuti jejak warna musik EUROPE era 90an yangagak poppy dengan menggabungkan sedikit unsur latin ala Santana.Progresi chord pada Verse agak mirip dengan pemilihan nada pada laguklasik "I Will Survive" yang sempat tenar dibawakan kembali oleh CAKE.Mid-tempo track yang cukup bagus dengan selipan solo-solo gitarmenarik hampir di seluruh penjuru lagu yang hanya ada di rilisan Eropaini.

"Guardian Angel", slow-tempo ballad yang dibuka dengan intro akustikgitar dan sama seperti dua lagu sebelumnya, LAD masih memilihnada-nada sedih pada Verse awal dan kemudian berkembang menjadi powerballad pada Chorus yang mengingatkan kita pada style ballad "Prisonersof Your Love"-nya Yngwie Malmsteen. Vokal Mikael terlihat sangat kuatdan konsisten pada register bawah namun masih belum terlihat kemampuandia bermain di nada atas.

Intro speedy keyboard yang dibarengi dengan solo gitar menyayatmembuka track cadas pertama di album ini, "Break The Chains". Di laguini, Mikael mampu menjelajah nada tinggi pada Verse dengan nyaman danjuga mempertahankan konsistensinya di nada rendah. Ada sedikitkemiripan dengan style "Separate Ways"-nya Journey namun dari sisikomposisi terlihat ada sedikit kelemahan pada Bridge. Untungnya LADmampu menyulap Reff menjadi bagian lagu terbaik dengan balutanharmonisasi vokal yang eksplosif. Awesome heavy track!

Harmoni acappela mengawali "Blink of The Eye" dan kemudian ditimpalidengan sound gitar tipikal AOR yang kental. Nuansa lagu ini sangatmengingatkan kita akan hits klasik EUROPE, "Superstitious". Atmosferkeceriaan yang terbalut dengan tatanan lirik yang rapi dan penuhrayuan manis seperti "You make the rain shine and the sunlight pouringall with a smile,you make the storm calm and a soft breeze blowingjust for a while" meliputi tembang berdurasi 4 menit ini. Yang jugalayak mendapat perhatian adalah kecepatan solo gitar Andy yangsesekali diselingi dengan tapping singkat tetap terdengar lembutmengisi bagian akhir lagu.

Di "Talk To Me", LAD bermain dengan chord-chord unik yang terdengartidak lazim pada verse AOR. Kombinasi nada-nada dari distorsi gitardan keyboard yang mengalir hingga ke Reff tidak terasa dipaksakan.Lagu ini pun terasa sangat berenergi dan penuh semangat.

Dentingan keyboard yang lembut dan menghanyutkan dari jemari Micmembuka "The One", tembang indah bertema cinta hasil gubahan Mikael.Struktur lagu mungkin terasa sangat familiar karena memang banyak lagudari genre pop memilih progresi chord seperti ini namun corak vokaltebal dan tinggi Mikael yang khas berhasil memberi warna tersendiri.Bisa dipastikan ballad ini mampu mendapat tempat di hati para penikmatmusik mellow, bahkan yang tidak menyukai musik rock sekalipun.

"I Never Let You Go" menunjukkan sisi yang berbeda dari LAD denganmenciptakan nuansa kontemporer layaknya musik britrock modern dariefek gitar dan keyboard. Reff agak sedikit mengingatkan pada single"Ordinary World" milik pioneer new-wave, Duran Duran, hanya saja tempolagu ini jauh lebih cepat.

LAD kembali ke jalur cadas dengan pendekatan melodic rock ala FAIRWARNING. "High Up" adalah satu-satunya kontribusi Andy dalam penulisanmusik. Sayang lagu ini terasa biasa sekali dan tidak bisa bersaingdengan track powerful lainnya tapi permainan gitar Andy yangeksploratif patut disimak.

"Movin' On" menawarkan suasana yang santai dan damai dengan perpaduanstrumming akustik gitar, fill-fill gitar elektrik ringan, dan vokalMikael yang mengalir bak sungai tenang. Komposisi lagu yang relatifsimpel dengan keindahan yang mampu membuat Anda terkesima. Seperti"The One", lagu ini juga sangat mudah untuk dinikmati oleh kupingnon-rock.

Sayang "Going Home" tidak bisa menjadi klimaks album perdana LAD inidengan pemilihan nada yang kelam dan sedih seperti pada bagian awalalbum dan terdengar sangat mendayu-dayu. Vokal Mikael yang solidsekalipun masih tidak mampu mengangkat poin lagu yang menjadi salahsatu titik lemah album ini.

Secara keseluruhan, effort LAD untuk ikut meramaikan kancah melodicrock Eropa bisa dibilang berhasil. Mayoritas materi-materi lagu yangdisuguhkan punya kekuatan untuk menjadi hits walaupun hanya segelintiryang bisa dibilang outstanding. Sound production pun bolehdibanggakan. Album ini akan menjadi lebih sempurna kalau saja LAD bisamenciptakan lagu yang lebih catchy dari "High Up" dan menggeser urutantrack "Going Home" serta menjadikan "Movin' On" sebagai penutup album.LAD sangat layak untuk dicicipi apabila Anda penikmat EUROPE era AORsetelah John Norum cabut dan santapan melodic rock Jerman khas FAIRWARNING.

Rate : 8.5 / 10

Track Listing:1. Again And Again *2. Doin' Time3. Guardian Angel4. Break The Chains (Of Destiny) *5. Blink Of The Eye *6. Talk To Me7. The One *8. I Never Let You Go9. High Up10. Movin' On *11. Going Home

*) Best tracks

ARILYN MANSON: 'Eat Me, Drink Me' Track Listing Revealed - Apr. 4, 2007

According to MansonUSA.com, the track listing has been finalized forthe new MARILYN MANSON album, "Eat Me, Drink Me", tentatively due onJune 5. It is as follows:

01. If I Was Your Vampire02. Putting Holes in Happiness03. The Red Carpet Grave04. They Said Hell Is Not Hot05. Just a Car Crash Away06. Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides the Hand)07. Evidence08. Are You the Rabbit?09. Mutilation is the Most Sincere Form of Flattery10. You and Me and The Devil Makes 311. EAT ME, DRINK ME

Note: The title track will appear in all capital letters.

MANSON will issue "Heart-Shaped Glasses (When the Heart Guides TheHand)" as the first single from "Eat Me, Drink Me", according toUniversal Music France. The track is expected to arrive at radiostations by the middle of this month and will be accompanied by avideo shot in 3D. The clip is said to be an excerpt from a largerproject that Manson is filming with "Titanic" director James Cameron,although that collaboration has yet to be officially confirmed.

The album will reportedly be available in both a standard andcollector's edition.

MANSON is scheduled to support the album with a summer tourco-headlined by SLAYER.

The singer was given a private reception in Fort Myers, Florida lastSaturday (March 31) to celebrate the opening of his new art exhibitionat the city's Space 39 gallery. The gallery will display Manson'slatest paintings through April 17.

-- 

VINCE NEIL To Open Dr. Feelgood's Bar In Palm Beach - Apr. 4, 2007

According to Florida's Palm Beach Post, MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman VinceNeil, former Miami Dolphins offensive tackle Todd Wade and formerFlorida Gator southpaw quarterback Bob Hewko just signed a partnershipwith M&M to open a rock 'n' roll themed bar-restaurant in West PalmBeach named Dr. Feelgood's Rock Bar, after the 1989 album by Neil'sband. The joint, in the space currently occupied by MonkeyClub, willbe stuffed with Neil memorabilia and his Harley collection. The bararea will be designed to look like a pharmacy, the liquor bottles willbe displayed between oversized pharmaceuticals and the bartenders willwear sexy nurses' uniforms.

"Vince has a condo in Miami Beach and we met through a mutual friend,"Mash said. "We've been talking to him about this for a while. He wantsto give a free concert for the grand opening. He loves the location."

Next door, former Bravo cable network "Top Chef" star StephenAsprinio, 24, is scheduled to open Forte Di Asprinio, an Italianjoint, with his uncle, Palm Beach moneybags Bob Cuillo. He is founderof the nearby Cuillo Centre for the Arts.

"They're both putting money into that project," Mash said. "People goto dinner there, then go for a drink at Dr. Feelgood."

A third new place with the feel of an NYC-style club, Rebar, and afourth, Lost Weekend, are also planned at the complex.

RONNIE JAMES DIO: OZZY Has Always Hated Me When I Was In BLACK SABBATH- Mar. 11, 2007

Heath McCoy of the Calgary Herald recently conducted an interview withlegendary heavy metal vocalist Ronnie James Dio (HEAVEN AND HELL, DIO,BLACK SABBATH, RAINBOW). A few excerpts from the chat follow:

On fans' speculation that Ozzy's wife, manager and reputed controlfreak, Sharon Osbourne, is to blame for HEAVEN AND HELL not using theBLACK SABBATH name:

"As far as Sharon being the perpetrator of that, I would certainly notlike to think so. I don't like to think that my life is predicated onsomebody else's whims who has nothing to do with me."

On who might control the SABBATH name:

"I have no idea. That seems to have been a point of contention for along time. Who owns the name? Is it Sharon? Is it Ozzy? Is it TonyIommi (guitarist for both BLACK SABBATH and HEAVEN AND HELL)? I wouldthink if Tony owned the name we would be calling ourselves BLACKSABBATH, so maybe he doesn't."

"They wanted to carry on with something fresh and new. When theyproposed (the band name HEAVEN AND HELL), my initial reaction was, andstill is, 'Well, they're gonna call us f.....' BLACK SABBATH anyway,aren't they? You can call us the BOYS IN THE SHED if you want to. Itdoesn't matter to me.' "

On feeling betrayed when Ozzy, by then a mega-successful solo artist,invited his former band to open for him on the final two shows of his"retirement tour" in 1992:

"With all the horrible things Ozzy had said about Tony over the years. . . let alone what he said about me . . . I felt we needed to havesome pride for that one. Suddenly we're going to finish our reuniontour with great bravado by opening up for your ex-lead singer? . . .Besides, I knew what it was really about. It was going to be announced(at those shows) that the original band was going to reunite with Ozzy. . . I would have been left in the backseat anyway . . . I told them'Guess what? I'm not going to do it.' "

On whether Geezer Butler and Tony Iommi have been creatively stifledworking with Ozzy over the past decade, playing the same greatest-hitssetlist and never recording a new studio album:

"I'm sure that's grated on (them) . . . You know damn well they wantedto be challenged again. . . . Perhaps Ozzy doesn't want to do it, orperhaps he's incapable."

On Ozzy:

"I don't have any problems with Ozzy. I don't care what he's done orsaid. . . . When things come out of that mouth, it doesn't reallymatter to me. They're not earth-shaking comments . . . (Ozzy's) alwaysloved me when I wasn't in SABBATH and hated me when I was. He has acertain possession about (BLACK SABBATH). Or maybe obsession."

BLACK SABBATH, AEROSMITH Members Comment On BOSTON Singer's Passing -Mar. 10, 2007

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler and AEROSMITH guitarist Joe Perryhave commented on the passing of Brad Delp, the lead singer for theband BOSTON, who was found dead Friday (March 9) in his home insouthern New Hampshire. He was 55.

Geezer Butler: "I was very saddened today when I heard the news ofBrad Delp's passing away. We had the pleasure of touring with BOSTONin the late 1970s, and they were one of the few guest acts that I usedto watch every night, before SABBATH took to the stage. A nicer bunchof people would be impossible to find, and a fantastic band and debutalbum, which still sounds as good today as it did then. What anincredible singer Brad was — one of the all-time greatest voices. Hewill be greatly missed."

Joe Perry: "The few times I did meet him, he was very down-to-earthand seemed like a great guy, without any of the ego baggage. He hadone incredible, amazing set of pipes. He is going to be sorely missedin this city [Boston] and the music-loving world."

According to The Associated Press, Atkinson police responded to a callfor help at 1:20 p.m. and found Delp dead. Police Lt. William Baldwinsaid in a statement the death was "untimely" and that there was noindication of foul play.

Delp apparently was alone at the time of his death, Baldwin said.

The cause of his death remained under investigation by the Atkinsonpolice and the New Hampshire Medical Examiner's office. Police said anincident report would not be available until Monday.

Delp fronted the rock band, who rose to fame in the late 1970s and hadseveral hits, including "More than A Feeling". The group sold millionsof records.

EDGUY Frontman On AVANTASIA Project: 'There's No Limits To OurCreativity' - Mar. 10, 2007

EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet is currently working on the thirdinstallment of his solo project AVANTASIA. The album is being producedby Sascha Paeth, who also played the rhythm guitar on the CD. Thedrums were laid down by KISS/ALICE COOPER drummer Eric Singer and thebass is being handled by Tobias himself.

Commented Sammet: "I can't tell you how happy I am to be able to dothis. There is so much creativity in the studio and the materialsounds so great. There is so much variety — we got fast songs,mid-tempo songs, a few ballads. There are modern elements, epicelements, classic elements. There's no limits [to] our creativity andI feel blessed that I am allowed to work with the most talentedsidekicks I could ever dream of."

The new AVANTASIA album will be a concept album featuring differentsingers singing different characters in a story. But the conceptitself won't be a sequel to the first two AVANTASIA albums.

AVANTASIA's last release was the two-part epic called "The MetalOpera" (issued in 2001 and 2002), which featured an impressive arrayof guest vocalists playing the various characters of the opera,including Michael Kiske (ex-HELLOWEEN), David DeFeis (VIRGIN STEELE),Sharon Den Adel (WITHIN TEMPTATION), Kai Hansen (GAMMA RAY), AndréMatos (ANGRA, SHAAMAN), Timo Tolkki (STRATOVARIUS), Rob Rock(WARRIOR), and others.

For more information on AVANTASIA, visit www.avantasia.net.

source : http://www.mydenrocks.blogspot.com/

Saturday, March 10, 2007Don Dokken Interview

Dokken has two releases coming out this week - FROM CONCEPTION LIVE1981, which is a recording of one of the earliest live performancesfeaturing the classic Dokken lineup and the UNCHAIN THE NIGHT dvd,which was previously only available on vhs. Don Dokken checked in withus to discuss the new releases and what the future holds for Dokken.This will be the first installment of somewhat regular updates fromDon leading up to the new studio release LIGHTNING STRIKES AGAIN.

Mydenrocks - So you literally stumbled across the tapes for the newFROM CONCEPTION LIVE cd?Don Dokken - We store all of our master tapes at a vault in Hollywood.They are temperature controlled so they don't go bad. I was downlooking for the master tapes from the German recordings of BREAKINGTHE CHAINS to do a remix for a 25th anniversary. I saw some old fadedboxes with 2 inch tapes that just said "Dokken Live". I didn't reallyknow what it was because they're were really no other markings onthem. So, I took them with me, put them on the machine and found theywere old recordings from way back when.

MR - How much other unreleased material is stored in the Dokken vaults?DD - That's it. We got masters, etc. There's nothing unreleased inthere. Everything has been released from what I could see. I actuallylooked through the tapes, but unfortuantely these new live tapes wereit.

MR - The quality of FROM CONCEPTION is pretty good considering thecondition they were in when you first found them. Was it hard to getthe sound to come back to life and make it sound so good?DD - It was alot of work, but it really wasn't that hard. Wyn Davismixed it, who has done alot of Dokken albums in the past. We justtransferred it to digital and got rid of all the ticks and pops. Itcame out sounding good.

MR - Who actually plays bass on the new live release?DD - It's Pilson. Pilson is playing bass. He had just joined the bandabout a month before. Juan didn't even play on BREAKIN' THE CHAINS.His picture is on there, but he didn't play on BREAKIN' THE CHAINS.Peter Baltes, the bass player from Accept played on BREAKIN' THECHAINS because Juan was in the U.S. and couldn't get to Germany intime to do the bass tracks. So Peter played on the tracks. Then Juancame to Germany did the European tour and the Beat Club show, thencame back to the U.S. did like 1 or 2 showcases and got the recorddeal. But, then Juan left the band to join Ratt. Pilson joined rightafter Juan left and that's when these tapes for the new live releasewere recordeed.

MR - Why did you decide to release FROM CONCEPTION now and just nothold on to it for a later date?DD - We signed a deal with Rhino for anew studio album and I just said to them "Hey I got this old liverecording that's kind of cool. You should check it out." I gave it tothem and they were like "We should put this out for the Dokken catalogbecause it's a pretty good recording." I said "Yeah, that would begood to hold us over until we get the new studio album done." There'sa big gap - it's been 2 1/2 years since we put out HELL TO PAY. So,it's about time we put out some product. It was perfect to releaseFROM CONCEPTION and the dvd at the same time.

MR - You're probably happy to get the UNCHAIN THE NIGHT dvd out forthe first time in that format?DD - It took a long time. Elektra didn't want to release it. Theythought there was no point in putting it out because they said nobodywants to buy it - nobody cares. I said "I disagree"

MR - I heard some rumours about releasing the Dokken back catalog?DD - I don't know anything about that. They're putting out some heavymetal compilation on Rhino that I think we're going to have one songon. Maybe that compilation thing is what you were hearing about.

MR - Do you have a target release date for the new studio releaseLIGHTNING STRIKES AGAIN?DD - We wanted to put out in June. But, it doesn't look like we'regoing to make it. Like all albums they always take longer than youexpect. It looks like it will be out late summer or Sept. at thelatest. We've already booked the European tour starting in Sept. andthen we'll do the U.S. tour right after that.

MR - Any particular songs stand out to you for the new studio releasethat you would like to give a little advance on?DD - No song titles yet. I haven't even titled the songs yet.(laughing). I got the music. I got the lyrics. In about a month Ishould have some pretty concrete titles to throw out there. It's hardto describe the music without matching it up to a song name. So, noone will know what we're talking about anyhow. As far as the sound asa whole for the new material, I would say it's good hard rocking musicthat is in the veign of the classic Dokken sound.

MR - Where does your solo cd stand right now? Any release date planned?DD - Nowhere apparantley. I finished it. It's done. I gave it to a fewlabels. Alot of people don't get the solo cd. They don't get thesongs. They think it's too mellow and there's no market for it. It's adifferent kind of music. It's new age. It's different. It's not signedto a label yet. I'm really proud of the record. I just have to findthe right label to put it out on. A rock label is not the way to gowith it.

MR - Do you look at the new studio release as a make or break it typemilestone for the band? If it doesn't sell, will that mean an end toDokken?DD - It is a make or break it album. If this album doesn't have somesuccess, then I don't know what to say. We got great label. They'remarketing it, promoting it, doing whatever they can. If it doesn'tsell, then what's the point in making new cds? I won't disband theband if it doesn't sell. But we'll just stop making new records and belike Poison - we'll go out on tour every year and just play our hits.

MR - Hopefully, it does well. The whole music industry is just a messwhen it comes to promotion and selling a rock product. It's almostlike people who should know how to market, promote, and sell rockmusic don't even know how to hit a target audience anymore. Look atCleveland for example, rock radio is just pathetic. I'm embarressed tocall Cleveland the rock and roll capital anymore. It's a patheticshell of what it once used to be and you basically have these largecorporations that control the whole industry. The end result is bandslike Dokken get shut out of radio airplay, venues to play, etc.DD - The record business is so screwed up right now. It's a mess.There's no more rock radio stations. People don't how to marketanymore and that's why the record companies are going down the toilet.No one wants to play in Cleveland anymore because they don't selltickets there.

MR - Has Wild Mick and Barry ever come back from a Ted Nugent toursporting loin cloths? They ever come back with some good stories?DD - (laughing) No. No loin cloths. That's funny. But, you can imagine- it's Ted Nugent! They've come back with some stories. Oh yeah. But,they're stories I can't repeat. You don't want to get on Ted's badside - don't be a rabbit! Ted will put an arrow right through you!

MR - Thanks for checking in with us Don!DD - In about a month from now, we'll catch back up. I'll have moresongs to talk about, a more solid release date, etc. Until then, checkout the new releases and thanks for the support!

For more information check out...www.dokken.netwww.dondokken.comwww.rhino.com

GILBY CLARKE, TRACII GUNS, FRED COURY Featured On HOLLYWOOD ROSESDebut - Mar. 12, 2007

Gilby Clarke (GUNS N' ROSES, ROCK STAR SUPERNOVA), Tracii Guns (L.A.GUNS, BRIDES OF DESTRUCTION), Pat Travers, and Fred Coury (CINDERELLA)are among the musicians that appear on the debut album from the GUNSN' ROSES tribute band HOLLYWOOD ROSES, entitled "Dopesnake". Due onMay 15 via Deadline Music, "Dopesnake" was produced by Bradley Cook(QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, YELLOWCARD, DWARVES) and features originalmaterial along with masterful covers of THIN LIZZY's "Jailbreak" andVAN HALEN's "Ice Cream Man".

"Dopesnake" track listing:

01. Jailbreak (feat. Mick Taylor of THE ROLLING STONES)02. Hell Yeah!03. Turbosheen (feat. Tracii Guns of L.A. GUNS)04. Skill Of The Kill (feat. Paul Black of L.A. GUNS)05. S.C.E.06. My Deceit07. Lights Out (feat. Pat Travers)08. Last Cigarette (feat. Teddy Zig Zag, formerly of GUNS N' ROSES)09. I Lied10. Spoiled11. Come Down (feat. Chris Weber)12. Cry (feat. Tracii Guns and Phil Lewis)13. Suicide (Is Much Too Slow)14. Richer Or Poorer (feat. Muddy and Teddy Zig Zag)15. Ice Cream Man (feat. Gilby Clarke of GUNS N' ROSES, FrankieWilsey, and Fred Coury of CINDERELLA)

EXODUS Rejoined By Drummer TOM HUNTING - Mar. 13, 2007

EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt has issued the following update:

"I'd like to take a moment here and welcome back Tom Hunting toEXODUS' drum throne. It was always understood that when and if Tom wasever ready to resume his drumming duties for the band, his seat wouldbe waiting. Paul [Bostaph] always knew this, and was the first to sayit upon joining the band. Paul and Tom have always been good friendsand we, as a band, cannot thank Paul enough for his services on'Shovel Headed Kill Machine' and all the subsequent tours he did tosupport that album. We had a great time and kicked many asses alongthe way. Paul has given this reunion his whole-hearted endorsementwith no mixed blessings and is happy to see Tom back in the fold. Now,some band out there may just become the luckiest bunch of suckers inthe world, because one hell of a drum is on the market! We wish Paulall the best, and he will always be a member of the extended EXODUSfamily.

"That having been said, we are so excited to have Tom back in the bandhe co-founded. He, other than the time spent out of the band, is theonly drummer I've ever played with, and he and I have an unspokenlanguage of metal that I am stoked to continue. We are hard at work onthe new songs, and this shit is the best and heaviest music we've everwritten. I've kept quiet until now — because everyone always bragsabout how great their new shit is — but this is no boast. This albumwill redefine thrash metal as we know it. We will be hitting thestudio mid-May with Mr. Andy Sneap. YOU HAVE BEEN WARNED."

Gary Holt recently announced plans to release his first instructionalDVD. "I am planning on focusing on rhythm technique, some lead chops,and going over the correct way to play some of the EXODUS riffs," Garypreviously said. "I feel there are enough straight shred things outthere, so I want to do something as bit differrent. And of course Iwill make it funny as hell!"

As previously reported, a video clip of EXODUS performing the classicsong "Strike of the Beast" on November 29, 2006 in Belgrade, Serbiahas been posted online at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z6Z7I-2TIqY.

EXODUS recently completed a European headlining tour in support of itslatest CD, "Shovel Headed Kill Machine", which was released in October2005 via Nuclear Blast Records. Recorded at Trident studios inPacheco, California and mixed by Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, ARCHENEMY), the follow-up to 2004's "Tempo of the Damned" was the band'sfirst album to feature Lee Altus (guitar; HEATHEN), Paul Bostaph(drums; ex-SLAYER, TESTAMENT, FORBIDDEN) and Rob Dukes (vocals).

MESHUGGAH: New Album Tentatively Due In September - Mar. 13, 2007

Swedish experimental extreme metallers MESHUGGAH have posted thefollowing message on their official web site:

"Yup, it's us again already!! (Oh, that soon!? - you think) We knowyou guys think we update this site way too often and that ourcontinous 'super-flux' of information is a bit too much for all y'allto handle!!

"Well, here's yet another little tidbit for your over-full mouths andminds to nibble on:

"As you've already read and/or heard from other places than the sourcefrom where, in a perfect world, you should have heard it (i.e. thissite) that we're writing for coming album and we're just about tostart recording!

"This album will rock your flee-ridden socks off! (that is - if youlet it) We're aiming at a fall release, hopefully September!

"Doing some Euro/Scandinavian festivals this summer, starting lateJune through August, so check the tour schedule over the next fewweeks as dates will be posted there!

"Vic Firth has released a Tomas Haake signature stick! It should bereadily available in stores, at least in the U.S! If it's notavailable at your local store in Europe yet, it will be within thenext few weeks/months! It's fairly big stick, but really wellbalanced! So all you guys who play like 5B/2B or bigger size sticksshould check these babies out!!"

Revolver magazine (web site) reported in January that MESHUGGAH isreturning on its next album to the pummeling double bass drums andangular riffage that defined their early material to sculpt what theysay will be their most savage, eclectic offering yet. "We've got somefast, intense songs and hectic, heavy stuff that draws from all thethings we've done in the past," said drummer Tomas Haake. "It's sogreat to actually be playing drums again."

The band members started writing last August and are said to beworking on more than a dozen new tunes. To some extent, the tone ofthe music was motivated by the four months MESHUGGAH spent last yearrerecording guitars for the Halloween re-release of their 2002 album,"Nothing". "It was great to revisit that super-heavy stuff," Haaketold Revolver. "While we were doing it, we found new ways of playingguitar that give the music a really scary tone. That's going to makethis record sound more brutal."