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DIMEBAG DARRELL NOMINATED FOR GUITAR WORLD'S "HALL OF FAME" FOR 2008 READERS POLL HOLLYWOOD (November 14, 2007) Guitar World is running their annual Readers Poll Awards and this year Dimebag Darrell Abbott is on the ballot for the Hall Of Fame Award. With the legacy that Dimebag Darrell left to his fans, it is only fitting that he shines still in the hearts of many. His impact on the world was of humbled greatness. For those that didn't know Dimebag Darrell in his personal life got to know him through his music. Hearing his music and loving it, keeps his legacy alive. Go vote now @ http://www.guitarworld.com. MAIDEN MANIA IN SWEDEN, FINLAND AND COLUMBIA AS TICKETS GO ON SALE FOR THE BAND'S SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME WORLD TOUR. ........EXTRA STADIUM SHOW IN FINLAND ADDED When tickets went on sale yesterday morning for Iron Maiden's three stadium shows in Sweden and Finland the box offices were inundated and all 123,500 tickets were quickly sold out over nine months in advance of the concert dates. The two Swedish shows, July 16 at Stockholm Stadium and July 26 at Ullevi Stadium, Gothenburg, with respective capacities of 31,500 and 50,500, sold out in less than two and a half hours. The show at the 41,500 capacity Helsinki Olympic Stadium on July 18 sold out in under two hours and further demand is so great that a further show has been added in Finland at the 30,000 capacity Ratina Stadium in Tampere on July 19. Tickets go on sale to the public this Friday 16 November at 9.00am, but special arrangements are being made for their fan club members to buy in advance at an exclusive pre-sale - more information to be found at http://www.ironmaiden.com & http://www.ironmaiden.com Says promoter Thomas Johansson of EMA Telstar; "We said when we announced this tour that is was the biggest Nordic Tour by any rock band ever and that we wanted to ensure that as many fans as possible could get to see this amazing band. It's the first time any International Artist of any description has played stadiums in both our major cities, Stockholm and Gothenburg, on the same tour - and even this wasn't enough to satisfy the huge demand. All the 82,000 tickets were gone less than two and a half hours in these cities! The same story in Finland with Helsinki Olympic Stadium selling out 41,500 tickets in even less time, and demand is still so high we have added a second stadium in Tampere. You must appreciate that Helsinki has a population of half a million so this is equivalent to selling out a dozen Wembley Stadiums before lunch. It just goes to show just how much people here love and respect this band. Their response to this tour and these ticket sales are truly phenome nal. We will just have to make the next stadium tour even bigger!!!" Tickets also went on sale in Columbia and Phil Rodriguez, the promoter for the show at the 30,000 capacity Simon Bolivar Stadium in Bogota, stated that it was the fastest and biggest first day box office of any music event ever in Columbia; "Box Office records were broken from the very start and Maiden mania is sweeping Columbia. We sold over 12,000 on just the first day. Nobody has ever done this, it's fantastic this is usually a "slow" market for ticket sales. But even though this is the first time the band have ever played here it does not particularly surprise us Maiden are just huge in all of South America, the kids worship them. This is a massive event for the hordes of Maiden fans here" Manager Rod Smallwood comments; "We are delighted by the incredible response of our fans Worldwide to next year's tour. The reaction in Sweden and Finland is overwhelming, and also in Columbia, where we have never played before. Everywhere tickets have gone on sale so far we have had a tremendous response at the box office. Australia, where we haven't played for 15 years, opened up with nearly 45,000 tickets sold, with the large arenas in both Sydney and Melbourne selling out in less than half an hour and second shows added to both. Sales for Wachen, Germany's major Metal festival, are at this stage well ahead of any previous year so at least 70,000 will certainly be there. And this last weekend we also opened up with major arena dates in Los Angeles, New Jersey and Toronto and between them fans snapped up over 25,000 tickets within hours of the box office opening. Its seems that this has really caught the imagination of rock fans everywhere and we look forward to going on sale in many other countries very soon and getting back out on the road in India at the beginning of February." On Feb 4 08 Maiden will release the hightly anticipated DVD of Live after Death and to tie in with this will play songs mainly from their classic 80s albums on this forthcoming tour. The stage production will also feature a Production based on the Egyptian themed Powerslave Tour which was featured on the original 1985 video release of Live after Death. SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME WORLD TOUR 08 February (Press Release) Red Harvest, the new album from Reprise recording artist Bloodsimple, hit stores October 30th. The quartet is comprised of members Tim Williams and Mike Kennedy (of legendary New York hardcore band Vision of Disorder), Kyle Sanders (brother of Mastodon's Troy Sanders), and Nick Rowe. "Bloodsimple has gotten its shit together here, reveling in screamy rock with a slicing metallic edge," proclaims Outburn Magazine. " "I can't believe people still care about what I'm doing sometimes, it's pretty funny," said Bloodsimple frontman Tim Williams. But how could you not care? With their sophomore album in stores, you won't want to miss it. Revolver Magazine, giving Red Harvest three out of four stars, says the record "is brimming with heavy and inventive tunes." One of the most sonically diverse albums in recent memory, their major label debut combines their unique brand of groove-driven metal with a more organic and fine-tuned sound. Be sure to check out their first single "Out to Get You," Track 5. Bloodsimple embark on a National tour in support of Red Harvest, opening for Hellyeah, on October 30th in Detroit. Interestingly, Chad from Hellyeah had caught Bloodsimple playing, and after doing so, signed them to his label Bullygoat Records. Now the band has the opportunity to play with their friends and supporters. Bloodsimple Fall Tour with Hellyeah: HURT IS SET TO JOIN SEETHER ON WINTER TREK Seether Tour Begins November 24th In Myrtle Beach The New Album Vol. II In Stores Now (Nov. 9th, New York, NY) " Capitol Records rock quartet HURT has announced plans to open for hard-rockers" Seether on their upcoming tour beginning Nov. 24th at the House of Blues in Myrtle Beach, SC through Dec. 14th at Midnight Rodeo in Amarillo, TX (full schedule below). The news comes as Hurt wraps up their own headlining club tour in support their multi-faceted sophomore album Vol. II, which was released on Sep. 25th and entered the Billboard New Artist chart at #1. "Ten Ton Brick," the first single from Vol. II, is currently climbing the radio airplay charts where it is currently ranked #18 at Active Rock and #40 at Modern Rock. "This is one of the all time great rock albums, certainly in recent years...Everything is quality...This sounds like they recorded it playing live too, really organic. Remarkable! Such beautiful, powerful and dramatic Rock and Roll," said Rockline's Bob Coburn. "And grow they have, with Vol. II exhibiting a greater maturity, a more coherent sound, and a more self-confident band," according to All Music "That's something Hurt does well; builds you up, teases you, calms you down, then whammo! Whacks up the adrenaline again," said Blog Critics. According to The Bristol Observer, the deep intensity felt on Vol. II is expressed in the band's live show, "Hurt didn't just explode, they went supernova. To say the band is intense doesn't cover half of it." The Bristol Observer boasts that during a recent performance at Hartford's Webster Theater, Hurt "took the audience along a journey into anguish, passion, pain and despair" and "ultimately, the audience had no choice, they had to let go of the emotions inside." Vol. II continues where its 2006 predecessor Vol. I, which spawned two top 20 active rock hits with "Rapture" and "Falls Apart" left off, furthering their signature post-grunge alt-metal sound with a melodic melding of aggression and frustration with soaring harmonies, quieter interludes and intelligent, affecting lyrics. The album was produced by Eric Greedy (Ringo Starr, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Barbra Streisand), who was also at the helm for Vol. 1. Hurt is comprised of J. Loren (vocals, strings), Evan Johns (drums), Josh Ansley (bass), and Paul Spatola (guitars). For more information on Hurt, please visit http://www.myspace.com/hurt or http://www.hurtband.com Hurt on Tour with Seether Contact: Nicola Wild Former WARHORSE Guitarist Todd Laskowski Rejoins SIN OF ANGELS Rhode Island Doom Metal act SIN OF ANGELS have announced that they will join forces again with their former guitarist Todd Laskowski (WARHORSE, AS HEAVEN TURNS TO ASH). Todd was part of the original line up along with Ray McCaffrey and was instrumental in crafting the beginnings of the sound the band has today. Drummer Ray McCaffrey comments: "Todd had left the band 2 years ago to take some time off and now has returned. We have been jamming together for the past month relearning some of the older tunes we had written together and are now learning the bands newer material. It sounds heavy as hell with two guitars again. Todd's first show back with us will be at Club Hell on November 11 in our home town of Providence. It should not be missed!!!!!! If you thought it sounded thick before just wait!!!!" Conceived in early 2003 by Ray McCaffrey, Josh Maher and Todd Laskowski, SIN OF ANGELS wasted no time in recording and self-releasing a two-song demo "The Dark Sky Sessions", which contained early versions of "At Journey's End" and "Dark Sky Prophecy" (later re-recorded and released on their 2005 full-length "From the Ashes"). SIN OF ANGELS will release their second full length "In the Grip Of Despair" via OBSCENITY CULT RECORDS this winter. To hear songs from the album and for more information visit http://www.myspace.com/sinofangels. STILLBORN FEST LINEUP AND DATES ANNOUNCED!!! HATEBREED, AGNOSTIC FRONT, GOD FORBID AND MANY MORE!!! Stillborn Records is proud to announce the lineup and tour dates for their annual Stillborn Fest 2007. The 10-day tour will kick off on December 20 at Jaxx in Springfield, VA. This year's lineup includes headliner HATEBREED with support from Agnostic Front, God Forbid, Necro, At All Cost and Stillborn's newest signing, Thy Will Be Done. These bands will play the main stage on all tour dates. Additional bands will play the main stage on select dates and will be announced shortly. Some Stillborn Fest shows will also feature a second stage. See the list of tour dates for more info on band appearances. Stillborn Records founder and Hatebreed frontman Jamey Jasta had this to say about this year's event: "These shows are going to be a great way for us to wrap up the touring cycle on "Supremacy" and get to work on our first ever live DVD. We hope to film almost every one of these shows, so be there and be ready to go off! This will be our first tour on US soil since Ozzfest, and we cannot wait to play all these cities, as they are some of our favorites!" Hatebreed are psyched to offer pre-sale tickets for Stillborn Fest to their fans at low service fees for this event. Tickets are available online at https://tixx1.artistarena.com/hatebreed/. The band is offering two ticket choices for the pre-sale. From the Hatebreed website: "If you purchase your presale ticket in a block of 4 tickets, you and your guests will get a Meet-and-Greet with Hatebreed. If you purchase a VIP ticket, you will not only get a Meet-and-Greet with the band, you will also get a one year membership to the upcoming Hatebreed fan club - "As Diehard As They Come" - when it launches Winter '07." Supplies of all packages are limited and are on a first come, first served basis, so check out https://tixx1.artistarena.com/hatebreed/ to pre-order tickets to Stillborn Fest 2007, and don't miss one of the heaviest tours of the year!! STILLBORN FEST 2007 w/HATEBREED, Agnostic Front, God Forbid, Necro, At All Cost, and Thy Will Be Done: 12/21 - Norfolk VA @ The Norva Also features Catalepsy & 1 more TBA 12/22 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance Also features Catalepsy & 1 more TBA 12/23 New Haven, CT @ Toad's Place Also features Turmoil, Wrench In The Works 12/26 - New York, NY @ The Fillmore Also features Shai Hulud, Only Hell Remains, and Fatality 12/27 - Philadelphia, PA @ Electric Factory Also features Shai Hulud & 1 more TBA 12/28 - Worcester MA @ Palladium Also features Shai Hulud, Turmoil 12/29 - Albany, NY @ Northern Lights Also features Shai Hulud, Recon, Bloodjinn & 1 more TBA 12/30 - Rochester, NY @ Water Street Also features Shai Hulud and Turmoil August Burns Red Return To The Road With Between The Buried And Me!!! Messengers Outselling Thrillseeker After Only Four Months!! Fresh off of a crushing tour with Unearth which saw August Burns Red zig-zagging across the country the Lancaster, PA natives will get right back to it. On November 29th August Burns Red will embark on a three week tour with Between the Buried and Me and Behold…The Arctopus. The band will be continuing to bring new material from there hit album, Messengers, to the fans all over the country. Messengers has sold over 33,000 copies already which means in just four months it has nearly outsold August Burns Red previous release Thrillseeker. The band took a different approach in writing this album and wrote more of it as a group and it shows in the solid sound from the album. Guitarist JB Brubaker had this to say, "I think it sounds like us, but it's more mature and musicianship-wise it's way better. It's much more technical. I think it really shows how far we've come." Make sure to catch the band performing some of the monstrous tracks off Messengers when they get to your area. August Burns Red with Between the Buried and Me and Behold…The Arctopus: SMP announces new album, new guitarist, live dates. Seattle, Wash. -- Seattle industrial-rock act SMP (aka Sounds of Mass Production) has released its fifth original album, "The Treatment," on SMP founder Jason Bazinet's own imprint, Music Ration Entertainment. Produced by Wade Alin of Christ Analogue, the album features guest appearances by Slave Unit, Doll Factory, Penal Colony and Bounte, among others. Fans can listen to the first track, the vitriolic "Fuck You," on the SMP Web site (http://www.smphq.com). "The Treatment" can be purchased at http://www.cdbaby.com/smp, iTunes and other popular download sites. In live news, Jason can be seen playing drums this winter with industrial staple Chemlab. Chemlab's "Detonation Days Tour" kicks off on Nov. 16 with support acts U.S.S.A.(ex-Ministry and Jesus Lizard) and Skeleton Key. See the full list of dates below. SMP will be playing three Northwest dates on the tour. Veteran drummer Charlie Lorme and KMFDM/PIG guitarist Steve White will be joining Jason on stage to throw down the audio warfare. After the tour, SMP will be working on the follow-up album to "The Treatment" with producer Wade Alin. In other album news, a remix album of "The Treatment" that is as yet untitled is in the works. In side project news, expect the new 64K record, "Choke," and the debut record by The Loyal Opposition to be released in 2008. "Choke" is the collaborative effort between Jason and Mike Ostrander, while The Loyal Opposition is Jason and Garrick Antikajian of the industrial-rock duo Doll Factory. "Detonation Days Tour" featuring Chemlab with U.S.S.A.(ex-Ministry and Jesus Lizard) and Skeleton Key: 11/16 Worcester, MA @ Ralph's For more information: SMP is generally described as industrial-rock or coldwave. However, elements of punk and rap can be heard as well. WE THE UNDERSIGNED have uploaded video footage from a live performance this past summer at Vixens in their hometown of Fredericton, New Brunswick. Studio footage from the band's recording session at Centre for Arts and Technology has also been uploaded. The videos are available for viewing below. Beginning in early 2007 WE, THE UNDERSIGNED spent the year playing shows in the Atlantic provinces and writing music for their debut EP, "Bleed the Constants". with soaring vocals, hip shakin' grooves, and cutting, stigmata inducing guitars, this sound fears only the derivative. WE, THE UNDERSIGNED has played with such notable Canadian acts as PROTEST THE HERO, CANCER BATS, THE END and TEN SECOND EPIC. The band completed a two week Canadian tour with RUSTED DAWN in August 2007 and will return to a city near you in March and April 2008. For more information visit http://www.myspace.com/wtu. IRON MAIDEN announce a one off show at the Izod Center (formerly Continental Airlines Arena), East Rutherford, NJ on Friday March 14th, 2008 as part of the first leg of their 'SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME' World Tour 2008. The band will fly into the USA especially for this one show from Puerto Rico the day before and depart for Toronto the day after on a specially commissioned and customised Boeing 757, flown by Airline Captain and Maiden vocalist Bruce Dickinson. The Astraeus 757, decked out in Maiden and Eddie designs, will carry the band, road crew and other personnel of around 70 people plus over 12 tons of equipment. This first leg of the 'SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME' World Tour opens in Mumbai India on Feb 1st, and continues through Australia and Japan before arriving in LA. The entourage then fly to Mexico then the band's first ever concerts in Costa Rica and Columbia, and then on to Brazil, Argentina, Chile, Puerto Rica and New York, before finishing in Toronto, Canada, on March 16th. Over the 45 day period the it is anticipated that Maiden will play to well over 400,000 fans in 21 cities in 10 countries, flying close to 50,000 miles in the specially refitted plane (full schedule below). Comments Bruce Dickinson, "I have been flying commercial passenger jets for Astraeus Airlines for a few years now and we are commissioning an Astraeus Boeing 757. It will go in for overhaul, painting and conversion in November which will then give us time to ensure we have all the necessary safety documentation, especially with regard to fire safety. It also means it could possibly be flying commercial air routes decked out in Maiden colours for a couple of months before we start! "Looking at the list of places we would like to play we have always had problems joining up the dots. With sea containers in various places it slows down the whole touring process, which is fine if you want a holiday but not if you want to play. It's great to see places but we don't want to sit around for a week waiting for gear to get from, say, Australia to South America, so this way we can get to more fans in more places en route in the same time period". To tie in with forthcoming 2008 releases on DVD of the classic 'LIVE AFTER DEATH' concert video (full details coming soon) this tour, aptly entitled 'SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME', will revisit the band's history by focusing almost entirely on the 80's in both choice of songs played and the stage set, which will be based around the legendary Egyptian Production of the 1984-85 'Powerslave Tour'. This will arguably be the most elaborate and spectacular show the band have ever presented, and will include some key elements of their Somewhere In Time tour of 1986/7, such as the Cyborg Eddie. Steve Harris comments; "We made sure the tour stopped off in New York, or to be more accurate, New Jersey, but to us Brits it's all a great arena to play with some of the loudest fans anywhere! We've had so many memorable nights there over the years both on stage and off! - and played many different venues, including the Gardens and the seven nights at Radio City with the original Powerslave show in 1984. But one of our favourites was always what we still call Meadowlands, it's always a great crowd there. l always loved the Powerslave show which I think was arguably our most spectacular ever, so it will be a pleasure to take it there. We're all going to have a great time with this tour!!" The Iron Maiden fan club have arranged an exclusive first access pre-sale for members to buy Tickets to the show on Tuesday November 6th, before tickets go on sale to the public on November 10th. To allow fans to be right up close to the band, the fan club will also be running a special draw whereby 60 winners and friend at each show will be given first access to the venue enabling them to be first to the stage barrier. Full details can be found on http://www.ironmaiden.com. The fan club are also arranging for two fan club winners to get up on stage and join Maiden with the chorus of 'Heaven Can Wait'. Members of the public should tune into "Friday Night Rocks" with Eddie Trunk on Q104.3 (WAXQ FM) NYC from 11 P.M to 2 A.M Friday evenings for details on their chance to join them in this once in a lifetime opportunity to sing along with Iron Maiden live on stage at the Izod Center. Tickets on sale for the Izod Center concert go on sale to the general public beginning Saturday, November 10th at 10:00 A.M. Tickets: Reserved ($59.50, $49.50, $39.50) and General Admission Floor ($59.50) available at Ticketmaster locations, online at Ticketmaster.com or charge-by-phone at 201-507-8900 or 212-307-7171. If tickets remain, they will be available at the Box Office beginning Monday, November 12th. Full schedule for the first leg of 'SOMEWHERE BACK IN TIME' World Tour 08 The second leg of the Tour will take place mid May to mid June with further concerts in North America, followed by the third leg European Tour, extensively covering most of Europe in Stadiums and major Festivals. In total the band are expected to play to well in excess of one and a half million fans during the entire tour. HISTORY BEHIND THE POWERSLAVE TOUR AND LIVE AFTER DEATH VIDEO The band recorded and released their first five studio albums (Iron Maiden, Killers,The Number of the Beast, Piece of Mind and Powerslave) one year after the next (1980 1984) and toured the world extensively with each one. The 'Powerslave' Tour of 1984-5 also included choice songs from the first four albums, and was actually titled the 'World Slavery Tour'. It opened in Warsaw on Aug 9 1984, marking the first time a major band from the West had played large arenas in Poland at a time when the country was still very much "Behind the Iron Curtain". On top of this Maiden took with them their full spectacular arena show, again a first as no one had ever done that before in Poland. The tour continued through 193 concerts in 21 countries, including an incredible 112 arena shows in the USA and Canada, in both of which the album went Platinum, playing to over one and a quarter million fans in North America alone. The tour finally came to a (weary!!) end on July 5 1985 at Irvine Meadows (now Verizon) Amphitheatre just South of Los Angeles, marking the longest and most gruelling tour the band have ever attempted. The band and the lavish Egyptian stage production generated stunning reviews and arenas around the planet were sold out. March 14, 15, 16, 17 saw the band play 4 sold out consecutive nights at LA's 13,200 capacity Long Beach Arena. Tickets went on sale at 10 am on a Saturday morning with fans waiting overnight for the box office to open. When the first show sold out almost immediately and the second was being added some fans got rather restive as they felt they may not get tickets and this led to the LAPD being called in and LA press reporting riots! Tickets continued to sell and shows added until after about 10 days the band called a halt at a record breaking 4 sold out shows - a record which still stands to this day. It was during the 2nd and 3rd nights here that the band recorded and filmed, in 35mm, what was to become the legendary LIVE AFTER DEATH album and concert video, featuring tracks from their first five albums. This was one of the first ever full concert videos with a worldwide release and topped the new video charts everywhere. It was these concerts that also inspired the idea for the birth of one of the first specialist Metal Radio Station in America, KNAC, and certainly the most successful. The originators could not believe that a band could sell over 50,000 tickets in LA with no radio support EVER in the marketplace and wisely reckoned that there must be a massive underground market for this band and this music and went on to start a unique station which has had great success ever since and became synonymous with Metal in the USA. Says KNAC founder Long Paul: A review of the concert is reproduced below to give some idea of the show. Heavy Rock Happenings Being both a headbanger and a history major, I must confess that any metal act that concern themselves with my two pet historical periods Ancient Egypt and Medieval Europe are bound to receive my rapt attention, particularly if they're any good. In Iron Maiden's case, the band's fantastic, even without their chronological fantasies. Mystical and magical, cerebral and sonic, Maiden's rivalled only by Judas priest as metal's greatest live act something they proved a thousandfold at Long Beach's Arena for four ear-splitting nights, starting Thursday the fourteenth. Iron Maiden, it must be mentioned, don't just put on a show they stage a spectacular. And, good God, what a spectacular it was! Imagine, if you will, a stage lifted from the valleys of Luxor; with pylons like pyramids and funeral pyres, or lighting scaffolds covered with scarabs and runes, further arranged like a dragonfly's wings. Imagine, too, music so riff-laden and magnetic that each song erupts into an eargasm and with lyrics both clever and literary, no less. Maiden, you see, dabble in mythology, not misogyny; so instead of hearing singer Bruce Dickinson scream Kiss retreads, the Arena's ears heard such stuff as "The Flight Of Icarus" (you recall, I trust, the tale of Icarus and Daedalus from your high-school primers) and "Rime of The Ancient Mariner" bassist Steve Harris' masterful reworking of the Coleridge classic, and the piece de resistance of Powerslave (Capitol), their fifth and finest studio recording. Entertaining, melodic and enervating, Maiden's mu sic is like manna from Heaven in an age of Sammy Hagars. Opening with "Aces High" which segued into their anti-nuclear anthem, "Two Minutes to Midnight" the Maidens set the stage afire with instrumental fury. The twinlead guitars of Dave Murray and Adrian Smith became, and remained so throughout the show, textbook examples of metallic transcendence; only Priest's Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing can match them in imagination, and not always as artfully. Rhythmically, bassist Harris and drums-basher Nicko McBrain are no less remarkable building aural tensions instead of aimless boogies. And singer Dickinson, what with his air-raid siren screams and cerebrally witty asides to the audience, is something else again. Surely Ronnie Dio never had a more attentive pupil. Nor was Dickinson any slouch as a showman, either. During the song "Powerslave," he donned a fearsome, Horus-like falcon mask, and pranced before a suddenly-blazing pyre. It wasn't Cleopatra, perhaps (nor was Elizabeth Taylor in the front row this time for that matter), but it made for some wonderful rock theatre all the same. If the singer was upstaged by anybody, it was by Eddie the Ghoul, then band's nine foot (and mummified, this time) mascot, who dutifully appeared and danced before the knowing masses. As a whole, the band played loud and (not unpleasantly) long, with a (pleasant) minimum of soloing. They encored firstly with their medieval battle-merch, "Run To The Hills," and secondly with "Running Free," a relic from the now-ancient Killers. Then Dickinson, as is his wont, bade the audience a safe journey home. Such was the show, but such a show! The Long Beach Union March 25-31, 1985 Some recent background information: SILENT MAJORITY GROUP BAND - COURSE OF NATURE ON A COLLISION COURSE WITH SUCCESS! New Album DAMAGED set to release on January 22, 2008 on Silent Majority Group/WILG New York, NY -- (October 30, 2007) LA-Rockers, COURSE OF NATURE, have made their mark on the rock world, selling nearly 200,000 copies of their debut album SUPERKALA and charting in the Top 40 on the Active Rock Charts with their single "Caught In The Sun." The band also played in front of huge stadium crowds on tour with Creed and Nickelback throughout the USA. They reached heights in the music industry enjoyed by few and now work to have the same success with their next album. Poised to make their grand re-entrance with DAMAGED, on Silent Majority Group, the band led by Mark Wilkerson, is employing all their resources - the connections of top rock manager/label head Jeff Hanson (Creed, Alterbridge, Paramore, Sevendust) and the do-it-yourself support from Mark's celebrity wife, Melissa Joan Hart (Sabrina the Teenage Witch). Melissa directed the band's video for their first single "Anger Cage," which has scored the MOST ADDED nod at Active Rock radio and has knocked out the likes of Linkin Park and Daughtry in the process. Buffalo Program Director Jim Kurdzielsays, "We're excited to welcome Course of Nature back to rock radio. 'Anger Cage' is a tremendous lead track. Mark Wilkerson's songwriting skills and strong hooks really shine on this new release." After being dropped by the band's previous label, Wilkerson took some time for his family and looked after his son Mason as he wrote new music. Wife, Melissa Joan Hart, worked on her acting career as well as taking night classes at UCLA in Music Business so she could get a better understanding of the business to further help her husband's career. During this time Wilkerson reaped the benefits of his previous songwriting, as his song "It's Not Over" soared up the charts performed by American Idol favorite, Chris Daughtry. The song was actually meant to be on COURSE OF NATURE's follow up record, but it got shelved by the major label for a "lack of hits." As Wilkerson was proving the 'suits' wrong with his hit song, he met Daughtry friend and powerhouse rock manager Jeff Hanson who noted that Wilkerson was the 'whole package' writer, performer and personality - and signed him to his new joint venture label, SILENT MAJORITY GROUP, with Warner's Independent Label Group. Hanson explains, "The bands that I've worked with in the past all shared the talent to make a solid record all the way through. Mark has written a record that surprises you with the start of every new track on the album, by being at least as good as the last. In a music landscape where fans can preview tracks before they can buy them, this is essential. Course of Nature has songs, looks, and talent, all the elements needed to launch and sustain a great career. What really sets this band apart though, is Mark's humility which is a trait that I very rarely see in an artist." It looks as though COURSE OF NATURE is getting ready to have the strongest of comebacks. DAMAGED is set to release on January 22, 2008 on Silent Majority Group/WILG. For more information on COURSE OF NATURE log onto http://www.myspace.com/courseofnature, http://www.courseofnature.com or http://www.silentmajoritygroup.com. Super Session! â€" Dream Theater, Megadeath, Iced Earth, Zappa, Porcupine Tree Members To Appear On Guitarist Todd Grubbs New CD 10/30/07 â€" Florida â€" What only can be described as a 'super session' is taking place on virtuosic Florida guitarist Todd Grubbs upcoming fourth solo album titled Time, Space and the Electric. For these sessions, Grubbs, who has been prominently featured in national and international publications such as Guitar World, Guitar FPM and Guitar (Japan), has enlisted an array of well-known musical artists to record on his new CD. “I am very excited about how the CD is coming out!â€, says Grubbs . “It's even better than I hoped. I feel like I have achieved a nice balance between chops and composition. The CD is to me the culmination of all my years in music to this point â€" I have worked really hard to make the best album I can with no concessions towards trends, genres or anything else." Featuring!!!! Derek Sherinian from prog-rock giants Dream Theater and Planet X appears on three tracks. “He is truly a world class musician and a total pro,†compliments Grubbs. “He has a fantastic sense of melody and the technical ability to play anything. Derek is also an extremely cool guy who's very easy to work with and completely down to earth.†Also legendary Frank Zappa and the Mothers of Invention keyboardist Don Preston has lent a hand. Preston, who is best known for his work with Zappa, Carla Bley, The Residents, Grande Mothers, and John Carter, as well as a his own solo work, will be recording his signature keyboards on a track. “Don Preston's contribution is amazing!,†Grubbs exclaims. “He is playing better than ever as well as being a legend â€" I feel like I have a Beatle on my disc!†Also featured on the new Todd Grubbs CD is Chris Poland of rock legends Megadeath and OHM. “Getting Chris to do a guitar solo was a big deal for me as he is one of my absolute favorite current playersâ€, says Grubbs. Other musicians that appear: “John Wesley (Porcupine Tree) and Ralph Santolla (Obituary) are good friends of mine as well as being incredible players,†says Todd, “and they both made contributions to this project.â€; Mark Prator of Iced Earth/John Wesley and Sean Malone of Gordian Knot also contribute drums and bass respectively to several tracks. “Sean is one of the best bass players around with an innate musical sense and chops for days, “raves Grubbs. “Mark plays some great drums on a number of tracks and is also mixing the CD. Mark is a musical giant!â€; Also, Patrick Bettison of Acoustic Alchemy, who Grubbs describes as a brilliant musician with a great sound and feel, plays bass on a few songs. Last but not least, Jeff Henry (Drums) and Alan Tatum (Bass), current Todd Grubbs Group members both made large contributions to the new CD and will be the backbone of the live shows in 2008. Todd Grubbs studied at Berklee College of Music and has been voted ‘Most Outstanding Guitarist’ at the Tampa Bay Music Awards, as well as winning the ‘Most Outstanding Video’ two consecutive years in a row. Along with Frank Zappa, Grubbs influences, which can be heard throughout Time, Space and the Electric, range from Steve Vai, John Coltrane, The Beatles, Kate Bush, Jeff Beck, Michael Schenker, Ulli Jon Roth and Adrian Belew. “The songs are going to be very thematic,†Todd describes his new work, “with equal emphasis on composition and chops, stylistically ranging from heavy to ethereal.†The release date for Time, Space and the Electric is tentatively scheduled for January 1, 2008 â€" a date we can all look forward to! “I would like to thank everyone who has supported me in the past. My desire has always been to write and perform music and I am very blessed to be able to continue doing this.†For more information: OTEP PREPARES FOR RELEASE OF NEW ALBUM - "THE_ASCENSION" -PLUS TOUR WITH HELLYEAH, BLOODSIMPLE ON OCTOBER 30 OTEP are currently gearing up for the October 30 release of their long-awaited new album, The_Ascension. The band enlisted producer Dave Fortman (Mudvayne, Evanescence) for The_Ascension, and also called on Grammy nominated guitarist Greg Tribbett (Mudvayne, HELLYEAH) to co-write three songs. OTEP are currently working on the videos for two songs from the album, "Confrontation" and "Breed," to be directed by P.R. Brown (Smashing Pumpkins, James Blunt). October 30 also marks the start of the BALLS VOLUME STRENGTH Tour. OTEP will be performing alongside HELLYEAH and bloodsimple to support The_Ascension. The tour kicks off in Detroit, MI at The Fillmore and wraps up on December 7 at The Palladium in Worcester, MA. With the release of The_Ascension, their third full-length outing, OTEP challenged themselves to avoid clichés and classifications and find a new landscape of sound and vision. On The_Ascension Otep is both inciteful and insightful, with songs ranging from the aggro call to arms of "Confrontation" to the vulnerable 'Perfectly Flawed.' The_Ascension is infused with a meticulous care to detail, the CD's 13 songs both free and freeing for the listener and the band. In their career, OTEP have sold over 400,000 units. Here's what the press has to say about The_Ascension: "…Otep Shamaya is hot and her guttural scream rivals Slipknot's Corey Taylor…[The rest of the band's] pummeling power chords and break-neck speed-drumming are the icing on this pissed off cake." Penthouse "[One of the] People You Should Know About" CNN.com "When you're mad at the world and need a soundtrack, Otep's latest is here for the taking." Outburn "…eloquent and necessary…" Alternative Press "…their most inspired effort to date…The_Ascension finds the band in top form and showing levels of musical growth…" Metal Edge The_Ascension is in stores October 30. The BALLS VOLUME STRENGTH Tour hits the US this November!!! BALLS VOLUME STRENGTH TOUR: SILVERCHAIR SWEEPS ARIAS TO BECOME ALL TIME AWARD LEADERS; ANNOUNCE NOV/DEC U.S. TOUR SILVERCHAIR SWEEPS ARIAS (Australian Grammy® Awards) TO BECOME ALL TIME AWARD LEADERS IN ARIA HISTORY WITH 19 TOTAL AWARDS! ANNOUNCE NOVEMBER/DECEMBER US TOUR Silverchair swept the 2007 ARIA Awards in Sydney last night. They won five ARIAs - more than any other artist this year. Most significantly the band took out the prestigious Album Of The Year award for their acclaimed Young Modern. While they've had five chart-topping albums over their career, this was actually the first time that any Silverchair release has received that honor. They received the following awards: This extraordinary achievement makes Silverchair the most successful artist in the entire history of the ARIA Awards. Last night's haul took the band's career tally to 19 eclipsing John Farnham's previous record of 18 career gongs. Silverchair opened the Awards telecast with a memorable performance of "Straight Lines" and set the tone for a very special night that cemented Silverchair in their rightful place as one of the most acclaimed and successful bands in Australian music history The ARIAs capped the busiest few months of the band's entire career. They have toured non-stop over the last 16 weeks racking up nearly 60 shows around the world including international festival appearances and their hugely successful "Across The Great Divide" tour with co-headliners, Powderfinger. Those shows came to an end on Friday night in Silverchair's home town of Newcastle. Upcoming US Tour Dates: "After five years off, former teen rockers return with a strong, mature album."- Rolling Stone, 4 out of 5 stars "[Young] Modern is a polished glam-rock suite, boasting more ecstatic melodies and colorful riffs than their four previous efforts combined...Here's hoping Silverchair's second act is just getting started."- Entertainment Weekly, A "'Young Modern' has reestablished Daniel Johns and crew as a commercial force, exhibiting a lush, mature sound ..."- Los Angeles Times "{On Daniel Johns} Two scoops of yum with a meow on top!"- Perez Hilton http://www.myspace.com/silverchair The Road To Nowhere CD compilation (Poison Tree/MoRisen) is out in stores worldwide. The CD includes Nick Oliveri and his Mondo Generator (QOTSA/Kyuss), legends Fu Manchu, The Dwarves, Burning Brides, Brant Bjork (Kyuss/QOTSA/Desert Sessions),The Freeks - {Ruben Romano - Fu Manchu/Nebula, John Mcbain -Monster Magnet/Wellwater Conspiracy, Scott Reeder - Kyuss/Across The River, Isaiah Mitchell - Earthless, Jack Endino - Famed Engineer/Skin Yard/Earthworm}, Winnebago Deal, Truckfighters, Dig (w/ Petey X-Bassist-Rocket From The Crypt), The Sammies, …in the details, Baby Woodrose, Leech, Big Truck and Turn Me On Dead Man. The CD will be in all fine indie stores world wide as well as stores like Hot Topic, Target and other major chains. Poison Tree Records will be releasing the latest Fuzz from the Truckfighters, "Phi", on November 27, 2007. The Poison Tree release will have the bonus track "Under The Sun" exclusively. This CD will be available with PTR in the US, AUS and NZ. They will be on tour (Europe) in November with 15+ dates supporting US band Fu Manchu. On February 26, 2007, Poison Tree will be releasing a CD/DVD combo for Austrian rock band, Tripping Horse. To support the album, they will be touring Europe, Australia and have dates in the US (all starting in Jan. 08). The anticipation builds, as they sell out show after show in Europe. Huge things to come in 2008. The rumors are true, we are in talks with the infamous Punk/Rock band Winnebago Deal. A release date will be set in the month ahead. Please watch our web site for updates. http://www.poisontreerecords.com SIX OUNCE GLOVES WINS HOLLYWOOD FAME AWARD Fresno, CA-based Six Ounce Gloves was named the National Independent Hard Rock Band of the year award at the Hollywood Fame Awards (http://www.hollywoodfameawards.com); the ceremony for the Awards is being held on November 28th. Recipients were selected by people who make their living working with and booking bands at venues all over the United States. Says band drummer Chad Brummer: "We have worked very hard to get to where we are. This award is important to us it lets us know that our work has been recognized and it also reminds us that we have a lot more work to do in 2008." Additionally, the hard-working band has been nominated in one category at the L.A. Music Awards (http://www.losangelesmusicawards.net): Best Rock Group of the Year. The event is being held on November 29th at the Music Box Theatre in Hollywood. They've also made the ballot for the South Bay Music Awards (www.southbaymusicawards.com), where they were nominated for Best Rock Group/Artist of the Year, Best Live Performance, and lead singer Mitch Gordon was also nominated for Best Male Vocals. Six Ounce Gloves released its debut album, "Timing Is Everything," last year, and the band continues to tour extensively throughout the Pacific Northwest and California, much to the pleasure of its growing fanbase. The band has harnessed an energy that is completely raw live and often includes the audience in the performance, with fans being invited on stage to sing along. Their shows boast an energy that is both palpable and contagious. Bringing melodic riffs and harmonies to their aggressive rock anthems, Six Ounce Gloves sets itself apart as a band to watch. After getting a big break when they opened for Korn after winning a local battle of the bands, Six Ounce Gloves quickly saw their song, "Where Do I Go" become the #2 requested song on the Fresno hard rock radio station 103.7 KRZR. Since then, they've been asked to open for Papa Roach, Chevelle, Breaking Benjamin, and Taproot, among others. Six Ounce Gloves is: Mitch Gordon (vocals), Chad Brummer (guitar), Mike Bass (bassist), and Darren Badorine (drums). The band can be found online at http://www.sixouncegloves.com and http://www.myspace.com/sixouncemusic. |