Thursday, April 30, 2009

UNRESTRAINED (CANADA) LAST ISSUE


First the end of METAL MANIACS now the end of UNRESTRAINED. It is with a heavy heart that Canadian extreme metal zine "UNRESTRAINED" have announced the illustrious metal zines very last issue. The primary reason for "UNRESTRAINED" closing camp was the death of it's chief editor and founder Adrian Bromley whom passed away to pneumonia in December of 2008. In this, the 21st century, everyone is upgrading from print media to internet as that transition is also to blame for UNRESTRAINED Magazines demise. I'm really pissed, I'm going to miss Adrian and all at UNRESTRAINED, all the best to them, hails, metal horns \m/, UNRESTRAINED was awesome, and I still have some copies. Download the final issue (in PDF format) of UNRESTRAINED here as it is dedicated to Adrian Bromley: http://www.unrestrainedmag.com/
FROM UNRESTRAINED: It is with great sadness that I announce that Unrestrained! magazine has come to an end.


Debtors and Creditors

As Unrestrained! magazine is solely owned by Adrian Bromley, outstanding debts and credits will be addressed as part of the settlement of Adrian’s estate.

Winston Bromley is now the acting on behalf of the family executor of the Estate and will take all legitimate inquiries at info@unrestrainedmag.com with the Subject: ESTATE. Please include all contact information including phone, email, name and the nature of the debt, as well all details of owed payments along with ALL paperwork that states it was owed to you. As with any estate, the funds will be pro-rated on a even share basis of debt owed from the funds that are in the Estate. Once the payments are made and Estate has been liquidated, no more payments will be issued, so please submit your details in the next 2 weeks from now (April 12, 2009). We will close out the estate on May 1, 2009 and make the pro-rated payments at this time. Thank you

-------------------

As most of you know, Adrian Bromley passed away on December 7. Adrian was the publisher, coordinator, and co-editor of the magazine. The magazine was intertwined with Adrian to such an extent that it could not continue without his presence at the helm. It was agreed by Adrian’s friends and family that bringing the magazine to a close would be the most appropriate course of action. This is a view that I share.

Along with countless expressions of sympathy, I have received inquiries about the future of the magazine. We have made every effort to wrap up the magazine in a way that would honour Adrian’s life and vision. Here is what will happen:

Adrian passed away with the thirty-ninth issue about a week-and-a-half away from completion. Myself, along with copy editor Rob Hughes and layout artist Rex Zachary, decided to put the finishing touches on the issue so that the option would be on the table for this issue to be released. I would like to thank them for their hard work during this most difficult time. Outside of a different editorial (now a eulogy for Adrian, written by myself) and a few typographical corrections and layout tweaks, the issue is largely as Adrian last saw it. Adrian was very excited by this issue. His excitement is fully justified; it is a terrific issue and a suitable finale to a spectacular run.

Unrestrained! #39 will be released by Adrian’s friends and family as a tribute to him in PDF format

Below is information for the following: public relations agents, debtors and creditors.

Public Relations Agents

Please remove Adrian Bromley’s address from your mailing lists. However, note that many of our writers contribute ink to other publications, so contact them to determine their current activities before you remove their respective addresses.

I would like to thank all those who supported Unrestrained! magazine, especially our readers and staff, for their support over the years. It was a great run.

Sincerely,

Tate Bengtson

Editor

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-RIP Adrian Bromely- \m/ -l-

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

WEST MEMPHIS THREE UPDATE: ECHOLS FILES FOR NEW TRIAL


"You aint gowna bee nnnoo boogey main in West Memphis any more, you're gowna be ded in haaail"-Mark Byers in PARADISE LOST REVELATIONS

Yes, I misspelled the above quote to imitate southern accents. When I first saw the HBO documentary on the West Memphis Three, specifically that scene quoting Mark Byers, at first, I was horrified as I figured a father was grieving. Then I figured, ok, Mark Byers has an honorarium for his "play acting" in the documentary..Then, a friend of mine, mocking Mark Byers quoted him in the deepest southern accent, intimating a skoal chewing redneck, and I busted out laughing, almost in tears. It's the redneck Southern accent, that makes Mark Byers into a tragic comedy (amongst many of Byers behaviors). However, this is no joke, The West Memphis Three still proclaim there innocence as there is ZERO evidence, and DNA has cleared all three of the West Memphis Three. Damien Echols is fighting for his life on death row, and Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelly are being considered for a re trial.
I honestly can't watch the HBO documentaries on the West Memphis Three anymore, as I can understand the anger of the families. I would assume to prove the West Memphis Three's innocence, they would have to prove the guilt of whomever committed this horrid crime. Best of luck to the West Memphis Three and the families of the deceased.
FROM WM3.ORG: WM3 REVELATION
April 16, 2009



Written By: The Arkansas Times Staff

In its final review of the trial of Damien Echols, one of the men known as the West Memphis Three, the Arkansas Supreme Court last week agreed to consider an affidavit filed under seal last year by a Little Rock attorney.

Echols was found guilty and sentenced to death for the murders of three eight-year-old children. Lawyers for the Arkansas attorney general's office had argued that the affidavit, which alleges juror misconduct, was irrelevant and should not be considered.

Lloyd Warford, an attorney with the Arkansas Public Defenders Commission, filed the affidavit in May 2008 in the circuit court in Jonesboro where Echols and co-defendant Jason Baldwin were tried in March 1994. Baldwin was sentenced to life in prison.

Sources familiar with the case say that, in it, Warford states that Kent Arnold, the foreman for the Echols-Baldwin jury, telephoned him repeatedly while the trial was in progress and talked about what was happening.

Judge David Burnett, who officiated at the trial, expressly forbade such discussions. Lawyers for Echols argue that Arnold's conversations with Warford compromised the integrity of the jury process and that Echols deserves a new trial.

Documents submitted to the Supreme Court by Echols' lawyers describe the content of the men's conversations, without identifying either of them by name. According to those filings, Arnold told Warford that he had prejudged Echols' guilt, based on news reports he'd seen from the trial of Jessie Misskelley Jr., a third defendant in the case whose trial was held a month earlier.

A jury found Misskelley guilty, largely due to a confession he made to police that implicated Echols and Baldwin. Those two were tried separately from Misskelley because they did not confess, and information about the Misskelley trial was not supposed to enter their trial.

Nevertheless, the affidavit reportedly states, Arnold told Warford that he was growing frustrated by the “weak, circumstantial” case prosecutors were presenting against Echols and Baldwin, and that if they did not present something powerful soon, it would be up to him to secure a conviction.

A large chart used by jurors during their deliberations and a smaller one kept by one juror support the claim that jurors for Echols and Baldwin discussed the Misskelley confession.

Until filing his affidavit, Warford, a former prosecuting attorney who was once an assistant director of the Arkansas Division of Youth Services, had no role in the case. Arnold knew Warford because he'd represented his brother on a charge of child rape, eventually resolved by a guilty plea to first-degree sexual abuse.

Warford did not come forward with the information about his contact with the jury foreman until May 2008, after a co-worker recalled hearing him mention the improper conversations and passed that information to Echols' lawyers.

Warford did not return a phone message seeking comment.

In 2004, two lawyers representing Echols interviewed Kent Arnold. According to affidavits they filed, Arnold said that Misskelley's confession had been “a primary deciding factor” in the jury's conviction of Echols.

FROM WM3.ORG: ATTORNEY FOR DAMIEN ECHOLS FILES AFFIDAVIT FOR NEW TRIAL WITH ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT
March 26, 2009



An affidavit was filed today in Arkansas Supreme Court, petitioning for a new trial for Damien Echols. The motion cites jury misconduct and the complete absence of DNA evidence linking Echols to the crime.

A copy of the affidavit is forthcoming.

Check back here for more details as they become available.


Full Press Release:

DAMIEN ECHOLS SEEKS NEW TRIAL IN ARKANSAS SUPREME COURT

New DNA and Forensic Evidence and Juror Misconduct Cited in Plea to Overturn Wrongful Conviction

Prominent Arkansas Attorney Files Sworn Affidavit Stating Jury Foreman Urged Other Jurors to Convict Based Upon False Confession

(Little Rock AR, March 26, 2009) – DNA testing and other powerful forensic evidence - combined with a sworn affidavit that the original jury foreman engaged in blatant misconduct that contributed to the jury’s decision - proves that Damien Echols was wrongfully convicted of three notorious 1993 murders in West Memphis, Arkansas, according to legal papers filed today in the Arkansas Supreme Court asking to overrule a lower court decision and grant Damien Echols a new trial.

Damien Echols, Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley were convicted in 1994 for crimes they did not commit, and have served 15 years in prison. There was no credible physical evidence, eyewitness testimony or motive tying the three local teens to the murders. Damien Echols was sentenced to death and Jason Baldwin to life imprisonment at their joint trial. Misskelley was tried separately and sentenced to life in prison.

Case History

Three eight-year-old boys were found dead in a drainage ditch in Robin Hood Hills, a local wooded area near their homes in West Memphis, on May 6, 1993. Less than a month later, 17-year-old Jessie Misskelley “confessed” to the crime and claimed that Echols and Jason Baldwin sexually abused and beat the victims. Misskelley, a mentally handicapped boy with an IQ of 72, believed he would get a reward for confessing; many of the details of his confession (including the time of day the crimes were committed and the claim of sexual abuse) did not match the facts of the crime. Misskelley was tried and convicted of first-degree murder in February 1994. Baldwin and Echols were tried together after Misskelley’s trial, and were convicted of three counts of first-degree murder. The following day, Echols was sentenced to die, and he has been on death row ever since.

At the time of Damien Echols’s trial, there was no scientific evidence to support the prosecution’s case and a poisonous atmosphere during trial contributed to his wrongful conviction. The prosecution alleged that Echols and two other teenagers committed the crimes as part of a satanic ritual and provided testimony from a faux “expert” whose words created a Salem witch trial atmosphere.


Echols was 18 years old and penniless at the time of his trial, and a court-appointed attorney representing him failed to challenge a pattern of inaccurate and inflammatory statements made by prosecutors and others during the trial, failed to engage forensic experts who could have refuted the testimony that was used to convict Echols, and entered into a contract with documentary filmmakers prior to the trial which improperly influenced legal decisions in the defense.

Crime Scene DNA Does Not Match Echols, Baldwin or Misskelley

Dozens of pieces of evidence found at the crime scene conclusively show that no DNA from the murders matches Echols or the other two men. DNA testing, however, links Terry Hobbs, stepfather of one of the murdered children, to the crime scene, and other evidence has emerged implicating him in the crimes. [Editor's note: Hobbs has denied such charges in the past.]

A hair found in the knot used to bind the victims matches Terry Hobbs. Tests also show foreign DNA – from someone other than Echols, Baldwin and Misskelley – on two of the victims. DNA matches a hair at the murder scene to another man who was with Hobbs on the day of the crimes. This places Hobbs at the scene of the crime, since it refutes any theory that the Hobbs hair was there before the crime. DNA testing linking Hobbs to the crime scene was not available at the time of the trial.

In addition, scientific evidence from the nation’s leading forensics experts demonstrates that most of the wounds on the victims were caused by animals at the crime scene, after their deaths – not by knives used by the perpetrators, as the prosecution claimed and was the centerpiece of the prosecution’s case. Moreover, evidence presented that a knife recovered from a lake near one defendant’s home caused the wounds was completely discredited by the pathologists. As well, the testimony of a jailhouse informant and a faux “expert” who testified that the knife wounds were part of a satanic ritual was deemed incredulous by these forensic scientists.

Jury Foreman Engaged in Shocking and Illegal Activity During Trial

Echols’s brief also informs the Supreme Court that a prominent Arkansas attorney who is a former prosecutor and state official filed a sworn affidavit with the trial court detailing the contents of improper conversations that the jury foreman held with the attorney while the original trial was in progress, clearly violating the law and the rights of Damien Echols and Jason Baldwin to a fair and impartial trial. In those conversations, the jury foreman indicates that he had prejudged Echols’s guilt and was trying to convince other jurors to convict based upon news reports of the false confession of Jessie Misskelley, which was barred from admission at the Echols-Baldwin trial.

During one conversation, the jury foreman told the attorney that the prosecution had presented a weak case, and that the prosecution had better present something powerful the next day (the end of the prosecution’s case) or it would be up to him to secure a conviction.

The Arkansas Attorney General has opposed placing the affidavit, originally filed in May 2008 in the Circuit Court that tried the three defendants, in the record before the Arkansas Supreme Court.


Lower Court Decision Denying New Trial Based Upon DNA Law is Flawed and Narrows Legislation’s Intent

In 2001, the Arkansas Legislature passed a law granting post-conviction access to DNA testing. The law passed partly as a result of widespread doubts about the convictions of Echols, Misskelley and Baldwin. The lower court’s decision denying Damien Echols a new trial based upon its narrow interpretation of Arkansas’ new scientific evidence statute (DNA law) was flawed and limits the possibility of any wrongfully convicted defendant of obtaining justice using DNA results. In denying Echols a new trial, the state essentially declares that unless the new DNA establishes absolute exoneration it is not relevant. The judge’s decision would not grant relief, “no matter how scientifically conclusive that a petitioner is not the source of relevant DNA, if not legally conclusive in favor of innocence.”

In fact, according to the Arkansas law (Ark.Code 16-112-201,et seq.) “A person is entitled to a new trial insofar as he can demonstrate that the DNA test results, when considered with all other evidence in the case, regardless of whether the evidence was introduced at trial, establish by compelling evidence that a new trial would result in an acquittal.”

Dennis Riordan and Don Horgan, Echols’s lead counsel, assert in their brief before the Supreme Court that “the evidentiary showing made by petitioner completely undermines the state’s evidence and convincingly points in the direction of alternative suspects. Every reasonable juror hearing Echols’s new evidence would doubt his guilt; indeed, any such juror could be confident of his innocence. Petitioner has more than satisfied the standard for relief set forth in Arkansas’ new scientific evidence statutes.”
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal- \m/ -l-

DREAM THEATRE ANNOUNCE PROGRESSIVE NATION DATES


For the prog geeks out there, as announced earlier this year, New York progressive metal legends DREAM THEATER shall hit the road for a JULY U.S. summer tour with PAIN OF SALVATION, BEARDFISH and ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA. Yes, ZAPPA PLAYS ZAPPA features "Dweezil", the late Frank Zappa's son.
FROM PROGRESSIVENATION2009.COM: Jul. 24 - Fillmore @ Jackie Gleason Theater-Miami, FL
Jul. 25 - Rock Hard Live - Orlando, FL
Jul. 28 - The Tabernacle - Atlanta, GA
Jul. 29 - Thomas Wolfe Auditorium - Ashville, NC
Aug. 01 - Merriweather Post - Washington DC *
Aug. 02 - Bank Of America Pavillion - Boston, MA
Aug. 04 - The Palace Theater - Albany, NY
Aug. 11 - The Agora - Quebec City, QUE
Aug. 12 - Bell Center - Montreal, QUE
Aug. 14 - Molson Amphitheater - Toronto, ONT
Aug. 16 - The Burton Cummings Theater - Winnipeg, MAN
Aug. 18 - MacEwan Hall - Calgary, AB
Aug. 19 - Shaw Conference Center - Edmonton, AB
Aug. 21 - The Orpheum Theater - Minneapolis, MN
Aug. 22 - Riverside Theater - Milwaukee, WI
Aug. 23 - Chicago Theater - Chicago, IL
Aug. 25 - Temple Hoyne Buell Theater - Denver, CO
Aug. 29 - The Greek Theater - Los Angeles, CA
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-

Monday, April 27, 2009

SLAYER and MEGADETH CANADIAN TOUR DATES/MAYHEM CANCEL MEXICAN TOUR, QUO VADIS ANNOUNCE FIRST U.S. DATES




Soo, it's been a while since MEGADETH and SLAYER have toured together, and for you youngins out there, this may be the first time you've seen these two bands tour together, and maybe, considering the age of SLAYER and MEGADETH members, there last tour together. SLAYER and MEGEDETH will team up for the Canadian Carnage tour in JUNE of 2009 as the tour features MACHINEHEAD, and SUICIDE SILENCE.
FROM SLAYER and MEGADETH: Tickets will go on sale Saturday, May 2, and will be available at all Ticketmaster outlets and at Ticketmaster online.
June
24 @ GM Place, Vancouver, BC
26 @ Rexall, Edmonton, AB
27 @ Saddledome, Calgary, AB
29 @ MTS Centre, Winnipeg, MB
BTW, if you are south of the border in MEXICO, everyone's concerned about the "Swine" Flu" outbreak as many small, mass gatherings and bands are canceling tours down there, nothing personal. Norwegian black metal legends MAYHEM have canceled there MAY tour of MEXICO, however they SHALL RETURN.
FROM MAYHEM: Legendary Norwegian black metallers MAYHEM have been forced to cancel their previously announced shows in Mexico (May 1-3) "due to the recent outbreak of swine flu in Mexico." The band says, "Rest assured, we are already working on finding new dates so that we can get over there and spread OUR plague!"
From north of the border, Canadian metal legends QUO VADIS have announced the bands first EVER U.S. dates as QUO VADIS will headline with REVOCATION, DARK FAITH as support.
FROM QUO VADIS:
June
10 2009 - Buffalo, NY - Club Diablo
11 2009 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
12 2009 - Allentown, PA - The Sterling Hotel
13 2009 - Brooklyn, NY - Club Europa
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal- \m/ -l-

Friday, April 24, 2009

NOTES FROM THE EXTREME METAL UNDERGROUND V.09 PART 4






Presenting: A very long, and comprehensive, and OVERDUE "Notes From the Extreme Metal Underground V.09 Part 3". Sowee, I was late, and life is brootal. SOURCE OF NEWS: MYSPACE band accounts, Blabbermouth.net, SMNNEWS.COM. ect.
*Bay area thrash legends METALLICA were inducted into the rock and roll Hall of Fame this month, as Jason Newsted reunited with METALLICA on bass (Ron McGovney too). CLIFF BURTON's father accepted on behalf of METALLICA's late bass player. METALLICA are only the third or fourth metal band in history to be inducted into the rock and roll hall of fame.
* California thrash band DEVILDRIVER will headline the "Thrash and Burn" U.S. tour in JUNE.
*As a new generation of metal heads evolve, SLAYER and MEGADETH will tour the USA together again this fall, in case you were too young to see them in the 80's and early 90's.
*James Malone, mainman for Virginia death metal band ARSIS, has admitted to suffering from anorexia and is on the road to recovery: FROM NOISECREEP.COM: This is really tough for me to talk about. I don't even know where to begin in all honesty. I just want to start off by saying that I don't have a drug problem of any kind. I know a lot of people were saying that when I released that press statement. The truth is I've had anorexia for the past year or so. It's not the first time I've gone through it either. When I was in college I struggled with it. I finally got past then I started having a drinking problem that I fought with for years. When I stopped drinking last year, the anorexia problems came back.

I have the kind of personality where I take things way too far. For me it wasn't about weight, it was all about control. I couldn't control everything in my life so I fixated on my weight. At my worst, I weighed 128 lbs and that's crazy for a guy who is 6' 1" tall. I got to the point where I was surviving on 500 calories a day and that's even with the rigorous exercising I was doing at the same time. Last year I lost 100 lbs in the span of 4 months. I think doctors say that a healthy weight loss pattern is about 2 lbs a week so that should tell you how messed up I was.
*ATHEIST, THE FACELESS, PSYOPUS and THE AGONIST will tour the USA this summer.
*European doomsters AHAB will unleash a new CD entitled "The Divinty of Oceans" July via Napalm Records on the following dates:

July 22 - Finland, Spain
July 24 - Germany, Austria, Switzerland, France, Italy, Sweden
July 27 - Rest of Europe
July 28 - Canada, U.S. on Napalm Records.
*NYDM (New York Death Metal) legends SUFFOCATION will release their Nuclear Blast debut "Bloodoath" July 3rd (Europe) and July 13th (North America). Track listing for "Bloodoath" is as follows: 1. Blood Oath
2. Dismal Dream
3. Pray For Forgiveness
4. Images Of Purgatory
5. Cataclysmic Purification
6. Mental Hemorrhage
7. Come Hell Or High Priest
8. Undeserving
9. Provoking The Disturbed
10. Marital Decimation
11. Pray For Forgiveness (Instrumental version)
12. Dismal Dream (Rough mix un-mastered)
*New Orleans black metal supergroup GOATWHORE will hit the road for a North American run on the "Conquer and Curse" tour with Daath, Abigail Williams, Abysmal Dawn, Success Will Write Apocalypse Across The Sky (S.W.W.A.T.S.) GOATHWHORE will release a new offering "Carving Out The Eyes of God" June 23rd on METAL BLADE records.
Tracklisting for GOATWHORES "Carving Out The Eyes Of God":

1. Apocalyptic Havoc
2. The All-Destroying
3. Carving Out the Eyes of God
4. Shadow of a Rising Knife
5. Provoking the Ritual of Death
6. In Legions, I Am Wars Of Wrath
7. Reckoning of the Soul Made Godless
8. This Passing into the Power of Demons
9. Razor Flesh Devoured
10. To Mourn and Forever Wander through Forgotten Doorways
*Polish death metal heroes VADER will release their latest offering "Necropolis" this summer on Nuclear Blast records. Necropolis track listing:
01. “Devilized”
02. “Rise Of The Undead”
03. “Never Say My Name”
04. “Dark Heart”
05. “Blast”
06. “Impure”
07. “We Are Horde”
08. “Anger”
09. “When The Sun Drowns In Dark”
10. “The Sigil”
11. “Dei Nostri”
12. “Summoning The Futura”
*Indiana doomsters GATES OF SLUMBER will embark on a North American tour this summer with Zoroaster and Serpentcult.
*Norwegian black metal legends have announced that SATYRICON's bassist VICTOR BRANDT has left the band to be replaced by session bassist Anders Odden. Odden has played with established acts such as APOPTYGMA BERZERK and CADAVER, as well as touring with CELTIC FROST.
*VENOM drummer ANTONY LANT has left the legendary black metal band. "I have left for various reasons and would like to concentrate on my own band called DEF-CON-ONE," Antton is the brother of VENOM frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant —
*Chicago black metal band NACHTMYSTIUM have the worst luck, but also have a new EP, and a small mini tour booked with doom legends PENTAGRAM. NACHTMYSTIUM shall unleash "DoomsDay Derelicts" on Battle Kommand records May 5, 2009. FROM NACHTMYSTIUM: “Last Friday (April 17th, 2009) at about 5:30 - 6:00 PM, Jeff Wilson left his apartment building here in Chicago (that Blake also has an apartment in) to head two blocks away to our neighborhood grocery store. On his way out, walking back down the small side street right near our building….an SUV comes flying around the corner of a small side street just south of where he was walking, two men hung out of the window and opened fire in Jeff’s general direction (and many other people, including children…) towards someone located behind where Jeff was walking.

“Fortunately, Jeff’s amazing ninja-style, bullet-dodging skills kicked in, instinctively, and he some how managed to escape what became a crossfire of bullets and made it home safely with his smokes and a 2 liter of Diet Coke. Although the Diet Coke was tempting to Jeff, as he was out of breath and parched with thirst after running his ass off from the onslaught of violence, Jeff opted for a can (or twelve) of High Life that he found in the fridge….and then enjoyed one of his cigarettes, which he fought for his life to have.

“This, dear fans, is just one more example - smoking kills!!”

The band further has also made a post in regards to an upcoming tour with Pentagram!

“It is with much honor to announce our upcoming mini-tour with U.S. rock / doom legends PENTAGRAM!!! The tour kicks off right in our neighborhood here in Chicago and will take us to the west coast and then down to Texas for six exclusive performances with this very-influential band who’s been around for nearly four decades in one form or another!!

“Thanks to everyone who had a hand in getting us the direct support slot for this tour…we’re very stoked about it and hoping to make it to some of our fans who missed us on our canceled tour in April as a result of Blake’s broken leg.”
*U.K. black metal dou ANAAL NATHRAKH shall unleash a new CD entitled "In The Constellation Of The Black Widow" June 29th via CANDLELIGHT records.
*British Doomsters MY DYING BRIDE were featured in a March article in ZERO TOLERANCE magazine about freedom of speech vs. extreme metal more blasphemous and anti religious themes. Check out more here on Blabbermouth.net and ZeroTolerance: http://www.roadrunnerrecords.com/blabbermouth.net/news.aspx?mode=Article&newsitemID=116728
*Finnish death doomsters AMORPHIS will release a new single "Silver Bride" April 22nd in Finland as the track is featured here on the bands MYSPACE: http://www.myspace.com/amorphis
*Former MAYHEM front man MANIAC whom now fronts black/doom project SKITLIV has announced SKITLIV signing to SEASON OF THE MIST. SKITLIV's new CD entitled "Skandinavisk Misantropi" shall drop this year.
INTERNATIONAL EXTREME METAL TOUR DATES:
ST. VITUS:(GERMANY)
April 24 - 013 - Tilburg, NETH (Roadburn)
April 27 - Live Music Hall - Köln, GER
April 29 - Die Röhre - Stuttgart, GER
CANNIBAL CORPSE (JAPAN) BURRN! Magazine Presents Extreme The Dojo Vol.22
Cannibal Corpse, The Faceless, and Misery Index
6/08 - Tokyo @ Club Quattro (750p)
6/09 - Osaka @ Club Quatttro (700p)
6/11 - Nagoya @ Club Quattro (500p)
CANNIBAL CORPSE, DYING FETUS, EVOCATION, OBSCURA, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED, ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY (FALL EUROPEAN TOUR):

Oct. 02 - Oberhausen, Germany - Death Feast Ultimate
Oct. 03 - Lichtenfels, Germany - Way Of Darkness Festival
Oct. 04 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
Oct. 05 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
Oct. 06 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob
Oct. 07 - Paris, France - La Locomotive
Oct. 09 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
Oct. 10 - Madrid, Spain - Heineken
Oct. 11 - Bilbao, Spain - Rock Star
Oct. 12 - Lyon, France - Transbordeur
Oct. 13 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
Oct. 14 - Rome, Italy - Alpheus
Oct. 16 - Athens, Greece - Gagarin 205
Oct. 17 - Thessaloniki, Greece - Principal Club Theatre
Oct. 18 - Belgrade, Russia - SKC
Oct. 19 - Bratislava, Slovakia - DK Dubravka
Oct. 20 - Cracow, Poland - Studio
Oct. 21 - Berlin, Germany - Columbia Club
Oct. 23 - München, Germany - Backstage
Oct. 24 - Linz, Austria - Posthof
Oct. 25 - Ludwigsburg, Germany - Rockfabrik
Oct. 26 - Dordrecht, Netherlands - Bibelot
Oct. 27 - Zwolle, Netherlands - Hedon

CANNIBAL CORPSE, DYING FETUS, TRIGGER THE BLOODSHED, ANNOTATIONS OF AN AUTOPSY:

Oct. 28 - Colchester, UK- Arts Centre
Oct. 29 - London, UK- Koko
Oct. 30 - Sheffield, UK- Corporation
Oct. 31 - Glasgow, UK- ABC
Nov. 01 - Leamington Spa, UK - Assembly
MISERY INDEX, HATE ETERNAL, BENEATH THE MASSACRE, PSYCROPTIC "SUMMER SEEK AND DESTROY TOUR" (EUROPE):
Aug. 09 - Wien, Austria - Viper Room
Aug. 10 - Budapest, Hungary - Diesel
Aug. 11 - Zilina, Slovakia - Kozel Pub
Aug. 13 - Dinkelsbühl, Germany - Summer Breeze
Aug. 14 - Kamnik, Slovenia - Paranoid
Aug. 15 - München, Germany - Backstage
Aug. 16 - Pinarella Di Cervia, Italy - Rockplanet Club
Aug. 19 - Rotterdam, Holland - Baroeg
Aug. 20 - Essen, Germany - Turock
Aug. 21 - Muotathal, Switzerland - Mountains Of Death
ESOTERIC (UK) (EUROPE) May 2 2009 10:45P
SWR Barroselas Festival, Portugal Barroselas
May 23 2009 8:00P
with Jarboe @ Glaz’ Art, France Paris
May 24 2009 8:00P
with Jarboe & Secrets of the Moon @ The Little Devil, Holland Tilburg
May 25 2009 8:00P
with Jarboe and Secrets of the Moon @ Batschkapp, Germany Frankfurt
May 26 2009 8:00P
with Jarboe and Secrets of the Moon @ Turock, Germany Essen
May 27 2009 8:00P
with Jarboe and Secrets of the Moon @ Kato, Germany Berlin
May 28 2009 8:00P
with Jarboe and Secrets of the Moon @ Markthalle, Germany Hamburg
May 29 2009 8:00P
with Jarboe tba, Denmark Copenhagen
May 30 2009 8:00P
with Jarboe @ Betong, Norway Oslo
Jun 20 2009 8:00P
with Jarboe and Rose Kemp @ The Underworld, UK London
Jul 18 2009 8:00P
Hell’s Pleasure Metal Fest, Germany Poessneck, Thüringen
Jul 24 2009 8:00P
Club Phoenix, UK Manchester
Sep 12 2009 8:00P
Dublin Doom Day @ Fibber Mcgees, Ireland Dublin, Dublin
Nov 29 2009 8:00P
Metal Storm Festival, UK London/High Wycombe
HATE ETERNAL (SOUTH AMERICA): June 27th,2009-Victor Jara Stadium - Santiago, CHILE
July 1st,2009---Teatro Flores- Buenos Aires, ARGENTINA
NORTH AMERICAN EXTREME METAL TOUR DATES: TEMPLARS OF DOOM 3,
DOOM METAL FESTIVAL INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA: May 7 2009 6:00P
TEMPLARS OF DOOM III -- THE THIRD CRUSADE INDIANAPOLIS, IN
May 8 2009 5:00P
TEMPLARS OF DOOM III -- THE THIRD CRUSADE INDIANAPOLIS IN
May 9 2009 2:00P
TEMPLARS OF DOOM III -- THE THIRD CRUSADE
LINEUP AND SET TIMES: Thursday - May 7th, 2009


6:00 PM Doors

7:00 to 7:40 Necropharmacon

8:00 to 8:40 Order of the Black Hand

9:00 to 9:40 Bulletwolf

10:00 to 10:40 Rebreather

11:00 to 11:50 Devil To Pay

12:10 To 1:10 You Will Die



six bands $8



Friday- May 8th, 2009



Doors at 5:00 PM

6:00 to 6:40 CoffinWorm

7:00 to 7:40 Argus

8:00 to 8:40 Backwoods Payback

9:00 to 9:40 Zebulon Pike

10:00 to 10:40 Midnight

11:00 to 11:50 Lair of the Minotaur

12:10 To 1:10 The Gates of Slumber



7 bands $12



Saturday - May 9th, 2009



Doors at 2:00 PM

3:00 to 3:40 Tunguska

4:00 to 4:40 Apostle of Solitude

5:00 to 5:40 Bison BC

6:00 to 6:40 Earthen Grave

7:00 to 7:40 Orodruin

8:00 to 8;40 Pale Divine

9:00 to 9:50 Earthride

10:00 to 10:50 Revelation

11:00 to 11:50 IRON MAN

12:00 top 1:00 The Hounds of Hasselvander


10 Bands $15

CONQUER AND CURSE TOUR: GOATWHORE, DAATH, ABIGAIL WILLIAMS, SUCCESS WILL WRITE APOCALYPSE ACROSS THE
SKY NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES:
Jun. 14 - Charleroi, PA - Club Octane
Jun. 15 - Allentown, PA - Crocodile Rock
Jun. 16 - Syracuse, NY - Lost Horizon
Jun. 17 - Buffalo, NY - Xtreme Wheelz
Jun. 18 - Southgate, MI - Modern Exchange
Jun. 19 - Owensboro, KY - The Brothers
Jun. 20 - Fredricksburg, VA - The Refuge
Jun. 21 - Charlotte , NC - Casbah
Jun. 22 - Wilmington, NC - Soapbox
Jun. 23 - Birmingham, AL - The Nick
Jun. 24 - Atlanta , GA - Masquerade
Jun. 25 - Jacksonville, FL - Jack Rabbits
Jun. 26 - St Petersburg, FL - The Garage
Jun. 27 - Raleigh, NC - Volume 11
Jun. 28 - Virginia Beach , VA - Peppermint Beach Club
Jun. 29 - Baltimore, MD - Sonar
Jun. 30 - Louisville, KY - Uncle Pleasants
Jul. 01 - Waterloo, IA - Spicoli's Bar and Grill
Jul. 02 - Minneapolis, MN - 7th St Entry
Jul. 03 - Thunder Bay, ON - Black Pirate Pub
Jul. 04 - Winnipeg, MB - Royal Albert Arms
Jul. 05 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
Jul. 06 - Saskatoon, SK - Walkers
Jul. 07 - Edmonton, AL - Starlite Room
Jul. 08 - Calgary, AL - The Underground
Jul. 10 - Victoria, BC - Sugar
Jul. 11 - Vancouver, BC - The Biltmore
Jul. 12 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
Jul. 13 - Portland, OR - Satyricon
Jul. 14 - San Francisco, CA - Thee Parkside
Jul. 15 - Los Angeles, CA - Whisky a Go Go
Jul. 16 - San Marcos , CA - Jumping Turtle
Jul. 17 - Las Vegas , NV - Cheyenne Saloon
Jul. 18 - Farmington, NM - Gators
Jul. 19 - Denver, CO - Larimer Lounge
Jul. 20 - Kansas City, MO - Riot Room
Jul. 21 - Nashville, TN - The Muse
Jul. 22 - Danville, VA - Plan B
Jul. 23 - New York, NY - The Blender Theatre at Gramercy
Jul. 24 - Springfield, VA - Jaxx
Jul. 25 - Hartford, CT - Webster Underground
Jul. 26 - Montreal, QC - FouFounes Electriques
Jul. 27 - Toronto, ON - Wreck Room
Jul. 28 - Rochester , NY - Penny Arcade
Jul. 29 - Cleveland, OH - Peabodys
Jul. 30 - Mokena , IL - Pearl Room
Jul. 31 - Urbana, IL - Canopy Club
Aug. 01 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
Aug. 02 - Edelstein, IL - The Hub
Aug. 03 - Tulsa, OK - Marquee
Aug. 04 - Oklahoma City, OK - The Conversatory
Aug. 05 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar
Aug. 06 - San Antonio, TX - Scout Bar
Aug. 07 - Ft Worth, TX - Lola's
Aug. 08 - Austin, TX - Red 7
Aug. 09 - Amarillo, TX - The War Legion Underground
Aug. 10 - Albuquerque, NM - The Compound
Aug. 11 - Tucson, AZ - The Rock
Aug. 12 - Phoenix, AZ - U.B.'s
Aug. 13 - Anaheim, CA - Chain Reaction
Aug. 14 - Bakersfield, CA - Jerry's Pizza
Aug. 15 - Fresno , CA - The Exit
Aug. 16 - Modesto , CA - Modesto Virtual
Aug. 17 - Rosamond, CA - Moose Lodge
Aug. 19 - Salt Lake City, UT - Club Vegas
Aug. 20 - Casper , WY - American Legion Hall
Aug. 21 - Sheridan , WY - Sheridan County Fairgrounds

Tickets are on sale through EnterTheVault.com and all normal ticketing services.
GATES OF SLUMBER, ZOROASTER, SERPENCULT NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES: Aug 1 2009 9:00P
The Metal Shaker W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Chicago, Illinois
Aug 2 2009 9:00P
Mac’s Bar W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Lansing, Michigan
Aug 3 2009 8:00P
Wreck Room W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Toronto, Ontario
Aug 4 2009 8:00P
Rainbow Bistro W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Ottawa, Ontario
Aug 5 2009 8:00P
Katacombes W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Montreal, Quebec
Aug 6 2009 8:00P
Billy Balconey’s W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Danbury, Connecticut
Aug 7 2009 8:00P
O’Briens Pub W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Aug 8 2009 8:00P
Taking Head Club W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Baltimore, Maryland
Aug 9 2009 8:00P
The Studio at Webster Hall W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT New York City, New York
Aug 10 2009 8:00P
The M Room W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aug 11 2009 8:00P
Howler’s Cafe W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aug 12 2009 8:00P
Peabody’s w/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Cleveland, Ohio
Aug 13 2009 8:00P
Ravari Room W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Columbus, Ohio
Aug 14 2009 8:00P
The Emerson Theater W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Indianapolis, Indiana
DRAGONFORCE, CYNIC, DAATH NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES: Aug 1 2009 9:00P
The Metal Shaker W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Chicago, Illinois
Aug 2 2009 9:00P
Mac’s Bar W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Lansing, Michigan
Aug 3 2009 8:00P
Wreck Room W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Toronto, Ontario
Aug 4 2009 8:00P
Rainbow Bistro W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Ottawa, Ontario
Aug 5 2009 8:00P
Katacombes W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Montreal, Quebec
Aug 6 2009 8:00P
Billy Balconey’s W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Danbury, Connecticut
Aug 7 2009 8:00P
O’Briens Pub W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Bridgewater, Massachusetts
Aug 8 2009 8:00P
Taking Head Club W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Baltimore, Maryland
Aug 9 2009 8:00P
The Studio at Webster Hall W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT New York City, New York
Aug 10 2009 8:00P
The M Room W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Aug 11 2009 8:00P
Howler’s Cafe W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
Aug 12 2009 8:00P
Peabody’s w/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Cleveland, Ohio
Aug 13 2009 8:00P
Ravari Room W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Columbus, Ohio
Aug 14 2009 8:00P
The Emerson Theater W/ ZOROASTER, SERPENTCULT Indianapolis, Indiana

ATHEIST, THE FACELESS, THE AGONIST, PSYOPUS NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES (MORE TBA):
Jul 8 2009 6:00P
Masquerade w/ Psyopus,The Agonist ,Gnostic, Atheist Atlanta, Georgia
Jul 9 2009 7:00P
Volume 11 w/ Psyopus,The Agonist ,Gnostic, Atheist Raleigh, North Carolina
Jul 10 2009 8:00P
Jaxx w/ Psyopus,The Agonist ,Gnostic, Atheist Springfield, Virginia
Jul 11 2009 6:00P
The Sterling Hotel w/ Psyopus,The Agonist ,Gnostic, Atheist Allentown, Pennsylvania
Jul 12 2009 6:00P
B.B. King w/ Psyopus,The Agonist ,Gnostic, Atheist New York, New York
Jul 13 2009 7:00P
Peabody’s w/ Psyopus,The Agonist ,Gnostic, Atheist Cleveland, Ohio
Jul 14 2009 5:00P
The Pearl Room w/ Psyopus,The Agonist ,Gnostic, Atheist Mokena, Illinois
Jul 15 2009 7:00P
The Muse w/ Psyopus,The Agonist ,Gnostic, Atheist Nashville, Tenne
DEVILDRIVER ect. U.S. TOUR DATES: Upcoming Shows ( view all )
Apr 28 2009 6:00P
Marquee Tulsa
Apr 29 2009 6:00P
New Daisy Theater Memphis, Tennessee
Apr 30 2009 6:00P
Southgate House Newport, Kentucky
May 1 2009 6:00P
Al Rosa Villa Columbus, Ohio
May 2 2009 6:00P
Harpos Detroit, Michigan
May 3 2009 6:00P
Van Andel Arena Grand Rapids, Michigan
May 5 2009 6:00P
Prairie Capitol Convention Springfield, Illinois
May 6 2009 6:00P
ScottTrade Center St. Louis, Missouri
May 7 2009 6:00P
Peabody’s Cleveland, Ohio
May 8 2009 6:00P
Emerson Theater Indianapolis, Indiana
May 9 2009 6:00P
Powerfest @ the Pearl Room Mokena, Illinois
May 10 2009 6:00P
Hartman Arena Park City, Kansas
May 12 2009 6:00P
The Annex Madison, Wisconsin
May 13 2009 6:00P
Alltell Center Mankato, Minnesota
May 14 2009 8:00P
US Cellular Center Cedar Rapids, Iowa
May 15 2009 6:00P
Sokal Omaha, Nebraska
May 16 2009 6:00P
Marquis Theater Denver, Colorado
May 17 2009 6:00P
Gators Farmington, New Mexico DEVILDRIVER U.S. TOUR DATES:

April 9, 2009 - The Pearl Room - Mokena, IL
April 30, 2009 - Southgate House - Newport, KY
May 1, 2009 - Al Rosa - Columbus, OH
May 2, 2009 - Harpo’s - Detroit, MI
May 7, 2009 - Peabody’s Downunder - Cleveland, OH
May 8, 2009 - The Emerson Theater - Indianapolis, IN
SUMMER SLAUGHTER 2009 NORTH AMERICAN TOUR DATES (W' NECROPHAGIST, SUFFOCATION, DARKEST HOUR, ENSIFERUM, DYING FETUS, ORIGIN, DECREPIT BIRTH,BENEATH THE MASSACRE, AFTER THE BURIAL, WINDS OF PLAGUE, BORN OF OSIRIS, BLACKGUARD): Jun 5 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Sonar Baltimore, Maryland
Jun 6 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ The National Richmond, Virginia
Jun 7 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ TLA Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jun 8 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Webster Theater Hartford, Connecticut
Jun 10 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Amos Southend Charlotte, North Carolina
Jun 12 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Headliners Louisville, Kentucky
Jun 13 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ The Masquerade Atlanta, Georgia
Jun 14 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Jannus Landing St. Petersburg (Tampa), Florida
Jun 15 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Plush Jacksonville, Florida
Jun 16 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Club Firestone Orlando, Florida
Jun 18 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ White Rabbit (Night One) San Antonio, Texas
Jun 19 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Java Jazz Outdoors Houston, Texas
Jun 20 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ White Rabbit (Night Two) San Antonio, Texas
Jun 21 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ House of Blues Dallas, Texas
Jun 23 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Gothic Theater Denver, Colorado
Jun 24 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Sunshine Theatre Albuquerque, New Mexico
Jun 26 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ The Marquee Theatre Phoenix, Arizona
Jun 27 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Soma San Diego, California
Jun 28 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ The Grove Anaheim, California
Jun 29 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ The House of Blues Las Vegas, Nevada
Jun 30 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ House of Blues Los Angeles, California
Jul 1 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ The Grand Ballroom San Francisco, California
Jul 2 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ Roseland Theater Portland, Oregon
Jul 3 2009 3:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour @ King Cat Theater Seattle, Washington
Jul 6 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ @ The Whisky Calgary, Alberta
Jul 9 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ First Ave Minneapolis, Minnesota
Jul 10 2009 2:00P
The Rave Milwaukee, Wisconsin
Jul 11 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ DirtFest Birch Run, Michigan
Jul 12 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ Phantasy Concert Club Cleveland, Ohio
Jul 13 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ House of Blues Chicago, Illinois
Jul 14 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ Bogart’s Cincinnati, Ohio
Jul 15 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ Sound Academy Toronto, Ontario
Jul 16 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ Medley Montreal, Quebec
Jul 17 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ Northern Lights Albany, New York
Jul 18 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ The Palladium Worcester, Massachusetts
Jul 19 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ Irving Plaza (Night One) New York, New York
Jul 20 2009 2:00P
The Summer Slaughter Tour@ Irving Plaza (Night Two) New York, New York


KAYO DOT U.S. TOUR DATES: May 26 2009 8:00P
Pearl Street with Secret Chiefs 3 Northampton, Massachusetts
May 27 2009 8:00P
Space 538 witrh Secret Chiefs 3 Portland, Maine
May 28 2009 8:00P
Middle East with Secret Chiefs 3 Cambridge/Boston, Massachusetts
May 30 2009 8:00P
Music Hall of Williamsburg with Secret Chiefs 3 Brooklyn, New York
May 31 2009 8:00P
First Unitarian Church with Secret Chiefs 3 Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
Jun 2 2009 8:00P
Le Cercle with Secret Chiefs 3 Quebec City, QC
Jun 3 2009 8:00P
La Salla Rossa with Secret Chiefs 3 Montreal, QC
Jun 4 2009 8:00P
The Mod Club with Secret Chiefs 3 Toronto, ON
Jun 9 2009 8:00P
El Rey Theatre with Secret Chiefs 3 Los Angeles, California
Jun 10 2009 8:00P
Great American Music Hall with Secret Chiefs 3 San Francisco, California
NACHTMYSTIUM, PENTAGRAM U.S. TOUR DATES 2009: 06/27 - The Empty Bottle - Chicago, IL
06/30 - Studio Seven - Seattle, WA
07/01 - Satyricon - Portland, OR
07/02 - DNA Lounge - San Francisco, CA
07/03 - House of Blues - Hollywood, CA
07/06 - Emo's - Austin, TX
HOSTILE CITY DEATH FEST-7/4-5/09-Philadelphia Pennsylvania-THE ARENA:
FEATURING:
DEICIDE
MONSTROSITY
VITAL REMAINS
PESSIMIST
ORDER OF ENNEAD
ANAL CUNT
TOTAL FUCKING DESTRUCTION
KULT OV AZAZEL
ABSU
JUNGLE ROT
BLOODSOAKED
DENIAL FIEND
GOREAPHOBIA
RUMPLESTILTSKIN GRINDER
THORNAFIRE
TORN THE FUCK APART
INSATANITY
POLTERCHRIST
INHUMANITY
CARBOMB
STRONG INTENTION
CURSED FROM BIRTH
MACHINA INFERNUS

Single-day: Advance Ticket $35 / Day of Show $40
Two-day: Advance Ticket $70 / Day of Show $75
CARNIFLEX, IMPENDING DOOM, W' Miss May I, Conducting from the Grave, Underneath the Gun U.S. TOUR DATES:

June 12 - Victorville, CA @ Karma
June 13 - Phoenix, AZ @ The Phix
June 14 - Las Cruces, NM @ The Dream Center
June 15 - Odessa, TX @ Dos Amigos
June 16 - Oklahoma City, OK @ Bricktown Live
June 17 - Houston, TX @ Java Jazz
June 18 - San Antonio, TX @ White Rabbit w/ Summer Slaughter
June 19 - Waco, TX @ Art Ambush
June 20 - Metairie, LA @ The High Ground
June 21 - Pensacola, FL @ American Legion Post 33
June 23 - Tampa, FL @ The Orpheum
June 24 - Winter Park, FL @ Island Oasis
June 25 - Jacksonville, FL @ The Pit
June 26 - Douglasville, GA @ The 7 Venue
June 27 - Nashville, TN @ Rocketown
June 28 - Louisville, KY @ Bulldog Cafe
June 29 - Fort Wayne, IN @ Sunset Hall
June 30 - Mt. Clemens, MI @ The Hayloft
July 1 - Orland Park, IL @ Mojoes
July 3 - Buffalo, NY @ Xtreme Wheels
July 5 - Montreal, QC @ Underworld
July 6 - Holyoke, MA @ Watrefront
July 8 - Philadelphia, PA @ First Unitarian Church
July 9 - Davidsonville, MD @ Riva Trace
July 10 - Raleigh, NC @ The Brewery
July 13 - Memphis, TN @ New Daisy Theatre
July 14 - Little Rock, AR @ Juanitas
July 15 - Belton, MO @ Cactus Jacks
July 18 - Salt Lake City, UT @ Studio 600
July 19 - Boise, ID @ The Venue
July 20 - Spokane, WA @ The BLVD
July 21 - Portland, OR @ Satyricon
July 22 - Roseburg, OR @ Riversdale Grange
July 23 - Sacramento, CA @ The Boardwalk
July 24 - San Diego, CA @ Epicentre
July 25 - Anaheim, CA @ Chain Reaction

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-BBL with more and the Best and Worst OV 2008-\m/ -l-

Wednesday, April 22, 2009

MORE MIDDLE EASTERN EXTREME METAL:

After over 20 years of cultural, repression from religious fanatics, heavy and extreme metal is finally be recognized as important art form in the middle east. Of course, without the Middle East, extreme metal would not have the Egyptian theme featured by bands such as Morbid Angel, Nile, Lykathea Aflame and many other death and extreme bands. There are some great up and coming bands from the Middle East:
Orphaned Land, Nervecell, Bilocate and Oath to Vanquish are quality bands from the Middle Eastern region. FROM BLABBERMOUTH.NET:

Heavy Metal In The Middle East: AL JAZEERA Report Available Online - Apr. 19, 2009
"Playlist", a program devoted to the music of global fusion which is hosted by Richard Gizbert on the English version of the Arabic-language news network Al Jazeera, has dedicated a full episode to "the story of metal in the Middle East." "Playlist" "explores the massive appeal of heavy rock and metal across the Middle East, bringing you some of the biggest bands and the loudest sounds coming out of the region today. A tale of the longevity and strength of a metal movement that has defied official bans, and survived authoritarian crackdowns and oppression, and is now bigger than ever. Featuring NERVECELL, BILOCATE, BETZEFER, ORPHANED LAND, OATH TO VANQUISH and TARANTIST."

Watch the episode in two parts below.

"Playlist" enables viewers to meet the artists from across the world whose unique blends of sounds are creating a new musical melting pot.

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-

METAL AT THE MOVIES PART 5: MELECHESH: Ashmedi: A Metal Disporant

MELECHESH'S (Netherlands) godly release "Emissaries" has to one one of my faves of this decade.Check out this documentary of MELECHESH main man Ashmedi: “Ashmedi: A Metal Disporant” is the title of a new documentary directed and shot by Tools Of The Trade Productions which focuses on the life & story of Ashmedi, mainman of legendary Sumerian black/thrash pioneers MELECHESH!

Surf by to check out the trailer: www.youtube.com/watch?v=ULS60qImfmQ.

Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal- \m/ -l-

METAL AND SOCIAL JUSTICE: GAY MARRAIGES LEGAL IN VERMONT


I was pulling my hair out wondering what I was going entitle a series of journal entries chronicling "POSTIVE" and "progressive" social causes, as opposed to the grimness of a receding world economy,(ITP: WORLD APOCALYPSE) and social ills of the sort...So here, all that we've worked for, and Harvey Milk would be very proud and would be giving you ALL the metal horns.\m/ Of course, the most revolutionary thing one could do is LOVE someone. Metal Horns to VERMONT, as Gay Marriages are officially legal in that state, as Maine, Iowa, and New York are sure to legalize gay marriages as well. As of this date, Massachusetts, Connecticut,and Vermont have legalized gay marriages.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2009/04/07/AR2009040701663.html
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2009/04/16/paterson-unveils-same-sex-marriage-bill/
http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/story?id=7253244
FROM ABC NEWS:
Gay Marriage Spreads Without Backlash
Culture Wars Are Raging -- but Noise Is on Spending, Not Social Issues
By RICK KLEIN
April 22, 2009

The culture wars are raging. But if we're in the midst of a revolution, it's hardly being televised.
PHOTO People with opposing viewpoints on Proposition 8 demonstrate outside the California Supreme Court in San Francisco, California in this March 5, 2009 file photo.
People with opposing viewpoints on Proposition 8 demonstrate outside the California Supreme Court in San Francisco, California in this March 5, 2009 file photo.
(Robert Galbraith/Reuters)

A flurry of state-level activity is dramatically expanding gay marriage in the United States. A court ruling in Iowa and a legislative vote in Vermont made them the third and fourth states to legalize same-sex marriage, and moves are under way for states including New York, Connecticut and New Hampshire to join them soon.

Add to that Obama administration executive orders on stem-cell research and abortion rights, and the last few months have brought victories for social liberals -- and setbacks for social conservatives -- on a scale not seen in decades.

Yet beyond the expected condemnation from conservative leaders, the stunning series of events is notable for how little it's reverberated across the national political landscape.
Related
Some in GOP Want Gay Marriage Support
McCain Guru to GOP: Back Gay Marriage
WATCH: Can GOP Say 'I Do' to Gay Marriage?

"It's almost like the silence is deafening," said Tony Fabrizio, a GOP pollster. "This is the first time in probably 15 years that the social right has really no levers of power, and they are watching their agenda get rolled back."

The national agenda is consumed by the economic crisis, with all of its tentacles. Last week, nationwide grassroots protests offered a sharp critique of President Obama -- but the "tea parties" came together around fiscal issues, not social ones.

The religious right, a force powerful enough to dictate policy direction in Congress and the White House as recently as the Terri Schiavo affair, has shown signs of splintering at the national level.

While social conservatives remain a major part of the GOP, they are losing influence inside and outside the party, said Rich Galen, a Republican strategist.

"The social conservatives don't have the sway that they've had before, because they haven't been very successful running the party the last six years," Galen said. "The libertarian/fiscal conservative wing of the party is proving to be in the ascendancy."

On one level, the relative quiet shouldn't be surprising. The gay-marriage expansions have been happening at the state level, with no direct involvement by Democratic congressional leaders or Obama. A Conservative Argument for Gay Marriage?

In the wake of the activity in Iowa and Vermont, a coalition called the National Organization for Marriage did launch a TV advertising campaign in targeted states, designed to warn religious voters about the potential impact of gay marriage on their lives.

"They want to bring the issue into my life," says one actor in the ad. "My freedom will be taken away," says another.

Maggie Gallagher, the organization's president and a conservative commentator, said there's no shortage of grassroots conservative anger over the recent moves expanding gay marriage.
Related
Pataki Slams Obama in Iowa
Lawmakers Bring Gay Marriage to Vermont
New Hampshire Gay-Marriage Bill May Get Tangled up in Senate

That outrage may not be getting much national press attention, but it remains a potent political force, she said.

"It's manufactured moment, this idea that people are ready to give up on the gay-marriage fight," Gallagher said. "In Connecticut, in New Hampshire, in Iowa, the legislators are being flooded with phone calls on this issue. People are not happy with gay marriage."

Gallagher noted that voters continue to support gay-marriage bans, as they did in California last year.

Still, prominent Republican politicians have been much more apt to criticize Obama and national Democrats on fiscal policies and national security than to adopt social conservative causes as rallying cries this year.

Utah's Republican Gov. Jon Huntsman Jr. recently came out in favor of civil unions for gay couples, even as he leads one of the nation's most Republican states.

Last week, Steve Schmidt, who ran Sen. John McCain's presidential campaign last year, sparked a fresh debate inside the Republican Party by publicly calling on the GOP to drop its opposition to gay marriage.

"There is a sound conservative argument to be made for same-sex marriage," Schmidt told the Log Cabin Republicans, a gay GOP group. "I'm confident American public opinion will continue to move on the question toward majority support, and sooner or later the Republican Party will catch up to it."

Schmidt's comments are unlikely to prompt a wholesale reexamination of the party's positions on gay rights. Many other party strategists say that Schmidt's prescription would cause short-term electoral disaster for Republicans, since the party's support is rooted in religious and other social conservatives.
FROM NPR: Big Wins Re-Energize Gay Marriage Activists

by Liz Halloran

Two men argue about Proposition 8 in front of the California Supreme Court.
Enlarge

David Paul Morris

Craig Winsor (left) and Victor Choban argue about Proposition 8 at a rally in front of the California Supreme Court building in San Francisco on March 5. Getty Images



Interactive Map: Battle Over Gay Marriage
Interactive Map: The Legal Battle Over Gay Marriage, State By State




NPR.org, April 16, 2009 · Same-sex marriage advocates have racked up big recent victories in Iowa and Vermont, where legislators on April 7 approved a same-sex marriage measure by overriding a gubernatorial veto. They joined Connecticut and Massachusetts as states where gay marriage is recognized.

Similar efforts are well under way in a handful of other states, including New Jersey, New Hampshire, Maine and New York, where Gov. David Paterson on Thursday introduced a bill to legalize same-sex marriage.

But though the national battle is still pitched — and even Paterson's bill faces an iffy future — there is a growing and powerful phenomenon that is expected to someday shape the debate over same-sex marriage: its wide acceptance among young Americans as a basic civil right.

Growing Acceptance Among Youth

Graham Gillette of Des Moines, Iowa, says he's always on the lookout for a teachable moment — a chance for his three children to learn from a real-life situation.

And the April 3 unanimous decision by the Iowa Supreme Court to legalize same-sex marriage provided just such an opportunity. Or so Gillette assumed.

"The day the ruling came down, I was taking my 13-year-old to baseball, and thought, 'Hey, big teaching moment,' " says Gillette. He imparted to his son the historic importance of the court's 7-0 decision to legalize what it referred to pointedly as "civil marriage."

"He looked at me and said, 'Duh. Why is this a big deal?' " said Gillette, a former Republican who supports same-sex marriage.

"To him, [the right to marriage] is a given, and it's stupid that we even talk about it," Gillette says.

Sixty percent of Iowans under age 30 support same-sex marriage, according to a recent University of Iowa Hawkeye Poll, numbers that are echoed nationally. Meghan McCain, the 24-year-old daughter of Republican Sen. John McCain, the party's most recent presidential nominee, weighed in this week as a "pro-gay-marriage Republican."

"The demographics are clear, the trends are strong and not reversible," says Charles C. Haynes, a senior scholar at the First Amendment Center. "It's all over but the shouting."

Though people feel "deeply and emotionally about the issue," Haynes said, "gay marriage is inevitable in the United States."

Nationally, Opinion Remains Divided

Opponents, while acknowledging the direction of youth sentiment, beg to disagree.

"Without some reversal of the trends, that could be the case, but I'm not resigned to that," says Tony Perkins, president of the conservative Family Research Council, noting that when put to a public vote in California, legalized gay marriage lost.

"I don't think anything is inevitable," Perkins says, adding that he considers the Vermont situation "an outlier" that has run ahead of public opinion.

Twenty-nine states have constitutional amendments restricting marriage to one man and one woman, and 13 states have laws that do the same.

A recent CNN/Opinion Research Corp. poll found that a majority of Americans oppose the legalization of same-sex marriage. Fifty-five percent of those polled said such marriages should not be legally recognized; 44 percent said they should.

A CBS News poll released early this month also showed Americans divided on the issue: Six in 10 supported some form of legal recognition, but only one-third said that same-sex couples should be allowed to marry.

"Evidence does not suggest that the public is turning that quickly on this," Perkins says. "This is not a natural evolution."

Framing The Issue As One Of Civil Rights

The same-sex marriage movement has been historically speedy, says Marty Rouse, the national field director for the Human Rights Campaign, an organization at the forefront of the gay rights movement. It was only nine years ago that Vermont, amid turmoil and tumult, became the first state in the nation to approve civil unions for same-sex couples.

"As far as civil rights movements go and in terms of a change in culture, this has been a very fast evolution for American society," says Rouse, who has been instrumental in organizing state-based legalization efforts.

"But it's actually progressing the way we expected it would," he said.

For years, gay rights organizers have been working in targeted states to get sympathetic legislators elected, to organize grass-roots supporters, and to advance legislation that would soften the ground for same-sex marriage.

Four states allow same-sex couples to marry (Massachusetts, Vermont, Connecticut and Iowa.) Three other states (New Hampshire, New Jersey and Oregon) extend to same-sex couples the same spousal rights guaranteed at the state level. The District of Columbia and California offer same-sex couples almost all state spousal rights. And three states (Hawaii, Maine and Washington) extend partial rights. Seventeen states now give their employees domestic partnership benefits.

There's been a concerted effort to stay away from religion, Rouse says, and to frame same-sex marriage as simply a civil right.

"We're not trying to deal with religion at all, and we're not asking for sanctification," Rouse says. "This is not new, but we do need to clarify it, because a lot of people picture marriage as walking down an aisle in church."

The 1964 Civil Rights Act exempts "religious corporations" from compliance with anti-discrimination rules in the conduct of their religious work or activities.

None of that placates opponents like Robert Vander Plaats of Sioux City, Iowa, a Republican who plans to make a third run for governor next year.

"I really believe that as soon as a same-sex couple goes to a church where they may have met and fallen in love and demand to be married, it will be a perfect case for a lawsuit against the church," says Vander Plaats.

"This is playing games with marriage, a judicial effort to redefine the institution of marriage," he says. "It is the union of one man and one woman."

Bigger Fights Ahead

During a rally Monday on the steps of the state Capitol in Des Moines, Vander Plaats pledged that, if elected, he would attempt to halt same-sex marriages until Iowans had an opportunity to vote on a state constitutional amendment that would bar such unions.

So, in Iowa as elsewhere, the issue is still far from settled. And both sides are girding for bigger fights ahead.

"This has awakened the sleeping giant," says Vander Plaats. "I see people who have been on the sidelines for a long time now saying they need to get back in the game."

A recent advertisement aired by the National Organization for Marriage, a group formed to fight same-sex marriage, is called "A Gathering Storm." It uses actors to portray everyday people who talk about how gay marriage would affect their lives.

"Advocates," says one, "want to change the way I live."

The Human Rights Campaign has responded with a Web site called "End the Lies" — an effort, the group says, to expose the "deception and fear" being used in the battle against gay rights.

And just down the road, gay rights activists say they plan to expand their marriage efforts to states including Hawaii, Minnesota, Rhode Island and Maryland. Activists are also still waiting for a court decision expected by June 4 on their constitutional challenge of Proposition 8, the successful anti-gay-marriage initiative in California.

"If we can't turn that around in 2010, we'll go to 2012," Rouse says. "It's been a state-by-state march. Change is coming."

But just how fast it will proceed appears to be in the hands of not only gay rights activists and their opponents, but also the parents — conservative, liberal or somewhere in between — of kids like Connor Gillette.
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-Gay Pride- \m/ -l-

MORE SUMMER SLAUGHTER TOUR 2009 DATES, EL PASO, TEXAS DATE ADDED ON BLACKENED TOUR, "BEFORE THEIR EYES" BEATEN BY CHANCE (Poughkeepsie, NY) SECURITY



Yeh, it's been a while, and expect "Notes From the Extreme Metal Underground V.09 part 3" to be HUGE. The Summer Slaughter Tour 2009 have added more dates including three NEW YORK dates, The Blackened Tour have added a El Paso, Texas date (without MAYHEM, btw) and all hell broke lose at the Chance last night(Poughkeepsie, NY) as Ohio hardcore band "BEFORE THEIR EYES" were beaten by club (THE CHANCE) SECURITY..
This fight between The Chance (venue security) and "BEFORE THEIR EYES" stemmed from "load in" issues, as this has been one of the few complaints about how the Chance is situated. Of course, Chance owner, Frank Pallet, sold Club Crannel (Club Cranell was an addition to the Chance earlier this decade) last year as it is now "The Nutty Irishmen" featuring quality food and ale. Of course, we at ITP think the opposite, The Loft should have been sold as it never should have been a music venue, or perhaps the Loft should have been a dance club. Club Crannel should have stayed the alternative music venue. The reason why The Loft is inconvenient for touring bands, is, yes, the load is up a steep staircase. I don't mind if local unsigned bands load in at the Loft,(let them pay their dues) but touring bands may have an issue with the Loft, as the load in doesn't feature a ramp, and well, bring your own tarp, to cover your gear in inclement weather. The Chance could hire "loaders" to help bands load in their gear for load in. All the best to everyone at The Chance and this (emo/core like, ick) band I've never heard of "BEFORE THEIR EYES".
FROM BEFORE THEIR EYES MYSPACE and SMNNEWS.COM:
THE CHANCE, NEVER AGAIN
WE REMOVED THE OTHER BLOG - THIS BLOG HAS NO COMMENTS AND NEVER WILL
BEFORE THEIR EYES, currently on tour with SILVERSTEIN, NORMA JEAN, and BLESSTHEFALL, fell victims to security with attitudes. The result was mangled faces, New York coppers, and a photographer who could snap nothing but black and white stills.

It all blew up at The Chance in Poughkeepsie, NY.

Their blog reads:

“Hey- tonight’s security did a great job of putting a fellow band member in the hospital.

All of this started because the security member (pictured below) decided to ATTACK us because we didn’t want to set our equipment out in the pouring rain while we went to get our van to load out.

Here is how it all went down: Meet goliath, 7 foot, 300 pound, crazy man that likes to beat up kids.”

This is what happened that night if your interested....

We JUST got done playing our set and we were taking guitars and drums down the staircase because it was raining and the trailers were not ready to be loaded, we wanted to simply place a few items in the room just downstairs till the van pulled up. Security Guard #1 (a 5'10 300 pound dude) started screaming and pushing around Jarrett to get his gear outside right away. Once Security Guard #2 (We beleive his name was Anthony) (a 6'5 ripped body builder) heard the yelling, he decided to start pushing us up and down the stairs, screaming to get their gear out. After trying to simply calm them down to stop yelling and pushing everyone, security guard #1 decided to throw anthony down 6 or 7 steps, take a swing at jarrett, and push nick up against a wall.

At this point, we are all in the ally outside and we just wanted to calm the dudes down and get on with the show.
But the excessive forces these 40 year old dudes, TWICE our ages and TWICE our sizes were using was completely unacceptable and VERY unprofessional. Nick called the cops at this point. We never resort to violence, and the show was more important than these security guards....but they were taking it too far.
After that all hell broke loose outside until the cops got there.
We could not press charges because security claimed we attacked them (like we would do that lol). We can assure you that WE NEVER TOUCHED ANYONE.

Jarrett is okay and suffered a cut to the head and some bruises (i'm sure you seen the pictures in the blog before this)
The whole point of this blog is to let everyone know they need to be careful at THE CHANCE / THE LOFT in Poughkeepsie, NY. We've heard sooo many stories of that place assaulting people and we don't want to see anyone else get hurt/physically assaulted by the security there. We are sorry for anyone on either side of the fight that was injured.
COME SEE US OUT ON THE REST OF THE SILVERSTEIN TOUR!!!!!
God Bless
BTE
The Summer Slaughter Tour 2009 have added more dates to the U.S. tour including three dates in New York, 2 in NYC. FROM SUMMER SLAUGHTER TOUR 2009 PROMOTERS: You can now visit summerslaughter.com for TICKETS. Also, we would like to announce these dates, cites, and venues. Please be patient for your ticket link, and thank you being part of "The Most Extreme Tour of the Year."

7/09 - Minneapolis, MN @ First Ave
7/10 - Milwaukee, WI @ The Rave
7/11 - Birch Run, MI @ DirtFest
7/12 - Cleveland, OH @ Phantasy Concert Club
7/13 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues
7/14 - Cincinnati, OH @ Bogart's
7/15 - Toronto, ON @ Sound Academy
7/16 - Montreal, QC @ Medley
7/17 - Albany, NY @ Northern Lights
7/18 - Worcester, MA @ The Palladium
7/19 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
7/20 - New York, NY @ Irving Plaza
Also, MARDUK, CATTLE DECAPITATION, CEPHALIC CARNAGE and WITHERED have added another TEXAS date, EL PASO, an off date on the BLACKENED TOUR, although the EL PASO date does NOT feature MAYHEM. FROM WITHERED's MYSPACE: 05/28/2009 El Paso, TX Chic's w/ Marduk, Cephalic Carnage, and Cattle Decapitation.
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-

Thursday, April 16, 2009

STATAN ISLAND, LAMOUR's and METAL


Of course, I've never been to the NEW Lamour's in Statan Island, only the old Lamour's in Brooklyn (I'm sorry I'm allergic to hairspray), but I hope Lamour's is doing well, as there are a few entries about Lamour's in this journals archives. Check your local newspapers, as metal never died, and Lamours still exists. FROM SILIVE.COM:
Metal is back -- but for the Staten Island faithful, it never went away
by Ben Johnson/Staten Island AWE
Thursday April 16, 2009, 8:30 AM

The unlikely survival -- & mainstream revival -- of music's most maligned genre

STATEN ISLAND, N.Y. -- Donnie Tranchina may be the only guy in history to wear his mullet with apparent dignity and, one might even say, grace.

"I've been doin' this since I'm 10 years old. It was huge when I was a teenager," says the wirey musician and show promoter, sitting in the VIP area of L'Amour just after 9 p.m. on a recent Saturday.

If you've seen pictures of Tranchina's numerous hairstyles as the frontman of the band Deceiver, you know the 43-year-old is not talking about the mullet. He's talking about the metal. Tranchina has been around long enough to see metal music both push the boundaries and be the butt of jokes. Anyone who has seen the classic 1984 mockumentary, "This Is Spinal Tap," knows that fashion fads, a strict adherance to epic solos and druid-peppered lyrics rendered the genre both unique and comical. That's what makes its survival -- and current mainstream revival -- so unlikely.

But Tranchina's increasingly popular Saturday showcase at L'Amour (2354 Arthur Kill Rd., Rossville) proves both old and new forms of the genre are alive and kicking on Staten Island. Whether you trace its origins to Led Zeppelin or Black Sabbath, circa 1969, the genre -- defined by most as a mix of technical virtuosity and blugeoning volume -- has reached an age where its denizens are as varied as its sub-genres, able to look forward and back. Examples are everywhere: From the Broadway hit "Rock of Ages" to the critically acclaimed arthouse doc "ANVIL! The Story of Anvil."

"I think it is sort of the first popular music that really pushed the envelope," says S.I. native Brian Cogan, 42, co-author of the new "Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music & Culture" (Greenwood Press; $69.95). "There's always been a huge metal subculture, and Staten Island was always a very fertile place for it. The joke I used to make was that I could tell the progression from hard rock to metal evolution on Staten Island when I saw the same guys' denim jackets change, from Rush's '2112,' to Iron Maiden's 'Number of the Beast,' to Metallica's 'Master of Puppets.'"
This week's cover of AWE.

PRECIOUS METAL
Evidence that the genre's value is rising again in the mainstream market

Record sales
In an industry that's suffering more losses in record sales every month, Metal had the most retention of every genre tracked last year by Nielsen Soundscan, with a dip of only -4.7%, while popular genres like country and R&B music dipped as much as -24%. Metal also came in 4th in sales, beating out even the behemoth of country music. Metallica's "Death Magnetic" was the best selling internet album of the year with 144,000 sales.

ANVIL! The Story of Anvil
Musicians and the people who love them: See this film. Why? Not because Slash, Lars and Lemmy are interviewed. Not because Anvil singer Steve "Lips" Kudlow was known for playing his Flying V guitar with a dildo. Only because this is perhaps the greatest movie ever made about the trials and tribulations of the rock 'n' roll everyman. You'll laugh, you'll cringe, you'll throw the devil horns, and you may even shed a tear for this Canadian band that never gave up. Now playing: Angelika Film Center, 18 W. Houston St., Manhattan; 212-995-2570; AngelikaFilmCenter.com. Read Ben Johnson's review of "Anvil!" here: http://www.silive.com/entertainment/music/index.ssf/2009/04/more_metal_fit_to_print_anvil.html

Encyclopedia of Heavy Metal Music and Culture
S.I. native Brian Cogan used to be a punk rocker scared of the metal girls whom he imagined "could beat you up." Now he's a professor of music and pop culture lecturing at Molloy College, NYU and CSI. Cogan's latest book, co-authored with William Phillips, traces the development of heavy metal, speed metal, death metal, hair metal and its myriad subgenres.

Rock of Ages
Hair metal is metal, too, people, and one of the best ways to remember without breaking out the man makeup and leather tights is heading to this Broadway hit (MySpace.com/rockofagesmusical) that tells a familiar story of young love and ambition with the help of music from the genre's best: Twisted Sister, Quiet Riot, Bon Jovi, Poison, Whitesnake and more.

Concert films
British heavy rock legends Iron Maiden will be releasing a feature length documentary film into cinemas worldwide on April 21st 2009. "Iron Maiden: Flight 666" follows the band on its 2008 tour. Circumnavigating the globe, the band flew in a customized Boeing 757 airliner with their crew and 12 tons of music and stage equipment on board, playing 23 sold out stadium and arena shows in 13 countries in just 45 days. Details: IronMaiden.com

Headbangers Ball
The MTV music video show, which launced in 1987, introduced legions of music fans to metal acts both mainstream and obscure before getting pushed out by grunge and alterna-rock in 1995. Now it's back at the very "metal" hour of 2 a.m. Saturdays on MTV2.

Coming soon
Director David Fincher ("Fight Club," "The Curious Case of Benjamin Button") is reportedly planning a remake -- slated for 2010 -- of the 1981 cult film "Heavy Metal," based on the sexually charged comic books of the same name.

On this particular Saturday at L'Amour, evidence of fandom appears in the form of Sharai Flores, a decked-out 24-year-old who commuted from Elizabeth, N.J., to flash devil horns with a big group of friends.

"L'Amour brought it back, telling people what's up," she yells over No More Tears, a local Ozzy tribute band which could probably play all night without complaint from anyone. "They're not bringing new metal to the masses -- they're bringing it old school."

In the case of L'Amour, this is often true. In 2007, club owners George and Mike Parente transplanted their landmark rock club here from Bay Ridge, where it had been a bastion for metal since the 1980s, when it hosted early gigs from Guns N' Roses and Metallica. But the Parente brothers were having trouble luring fans and acts to the new location. That's when Tranchina stepped in.

"They said, 'Hey listen, we're dyin' over here,'" says Tranchina, whose forearms are encircled by snake tattoos. "This is like a no-man's land; far from everything. But it's getting better every weekend."

Since Tranchina started utilizing a long list of connections built over years of playing, he says the joint has drawn large numbers -- sometimes as many as 400. Part of this is a booking policy that regonizes the broad-reaching strength of underground community in metal music. Take Rosebank's Anthony Gonzalez, the 20-year-old lead guitarist of Betrayal, a local thrash and progressive metal quartet playing L'Amour April 25.

"I was at Chevy's in Jersey just the other day, and some guy came up to me and my friend and said 'I'm diggin the long hair, that's f***in' thrash,'" says Gonzalez, whose band is finishing up a record with Biohazard guitarist Billy Graziadei. "Then we started talking about all these old bands. It depends on the people. Some people who aren't into it, they just don't understand."

Scientific research supports Gonzalez's feelings. Heriot-Watt University in Edinburgh, Scotland, conducted a random survey of 38,000 people about which personality traits are affiliated with fans of 104 genres of music.

"One of the most surprising things is the similarities between fans of classical music and heavy metal," professor Adrian North, who orchestrated the study, told the BBC. "The general public has held a stereotype of heavy metal fans being suicidally depressed and being a danger to themselves and society in general, but they are quite delicate things."

Or maybe just a little nostalgic? Many still in attendance at L'Amour are fans from the club's storied past, groupies and roadies-turned-parents, are now making the trip from Brooklyn, Jersey and Staten Island to keep living the dream -- if only for nights when the baby-sitter is available.

"George and Mike are the godfathers of the metal scene in New York City," says Phil Dieli, 37, of Prince's Bay, an ex-roadie who has toured with the likes of Kiss. "L'Amour gave lots of kids a reason to enjoy life, and I can speak on behalf of most bands I've toured with that they wouldn't be where they are without this club."

Older fans aren't ashamed, either -- somebody just dedicated "Mama I'm Comin' Home" to all the mothers in the audience. It's all still pretty "metal," too. One guy who won't give his name -- and I didn't ask twice -- has an industrial wallet chain that must weigh 50 pounds. A woman who dances in the front row all night rocks leopard-print spandex, a black tube top and a large silver cross around her neck that dips into her cleavage. Hair and leather are in abundance.

Unlike some other spots on the Island, Tranchina's metal night seems to prove even the most discerning fans can unite around a place and a sound that is conducive to head-banging. Cover bands and original acts share the stage under a tangible air of brotherhood. Laidback bikers sip drinks alongside the sober, both nodding in approval.

Altough is heyday might be past, L'Amour is again a destination for bands and fans -- a place where metal lives on.
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-

Tuesday, April 14, 2009

NEW PRINT FANZINE EVIL'S BEST (FROM DARKTHRONE)


DARKTHRONE (not sure wich of the two) are starting a new print fanzine in Scandinavia so check it out. FROM DARKTHRONE MYSPACE support for Evil's Best zine: The 2nd issue of my fanzine is reprinted and now can be purchased directly from me for 7$ PPD worldwide (ask for snail mail or paypal address, I accept both PayPal and hidden cash) or through distributing labels worldwide, which are the following:
: The 2nd issue of my fanzine is reprinted and now can be purchased directly from me for 7$ PPD worldwide (ask for snail mail or paypal address, I accept both PayPal and hidden cash) or through distributing labels worldwide, which are the following:

USA:

Hell's Headbangers

Planet Metal

And now - NUCLEAR WAR NOW! PROD.
AS WELL!

France:

Legion of Death

Chile:

Kuravilu

Thailand:

Witchhammer

Here is some information about the zine:

After seeing how a Hebrew-written fanzine limits itself (the 1st issue, released in September 2008) I decided to continue in English. The result is 92 A5 xeroxed pages with 14 deep inties with both ''famous'' and new violently oldschool Heavy/Thrash/Death/Blackthrash ug bands, 50 detailed reviews + more (font size 8, no unnecessary space waste, just the reasonable amount of pictures. Most of the material form the debut issue appears here, so the inability to understand what's written there is not a big loss now).

Please repost it to your friends, who you think that might be interested in a copy!
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-

Friday, April 10, 2009

NOVEMBERS DOOM PREMIERS NEW TRACK ON METALSUCKS


Yeh, I'll be back with NOTES FROM THE EXTREME METAL UNDERGROUND V.09 part 3, and the BEST and WORST OV 2008. Meanwhile, Chicago, Illinois doomsters NOVEMBERS DOOM are premiering a new track on METAL SUCKS: FROM NOVEMBERS DOOM:
NOVEMBERS DOOM Premieres New Track, "Empathy's Greed," on MetalSucks.net



NOVEMBERS DOOM have leaked "Empathy's Greed," the third cut off their forthcoming full-length, to MetalSucks.net. The track is available for download/posting/sharing at the following location:

http://www.metalsucks.net/2009/04/10/exclusive-premier-novembers-doom-empathys-greed/

"Empathy's Greed" comes from NOVEMBERS DOOM's forthcoming seventh LP, 'Into Night's Requiem Infernal,' which is due out later this year on THE END RECORDS. The album was recorded at Belle City Sound, tracked by Chris Djuricic (Engineer and Novembers Doom bassist), and mixed by Dan Swano at Unisound. The band comments:

"We're using the same Recording / Mixing formula we've used on 'The Pale Haunt Departure' and 'The Novella Reservoir'. In our opinion, the combination of Djuricic and Swano creates the perfect sound for us, and we've received nothing but stellar reviews of sound quality from this
combination in the past.

"Every band hypes their new material, and says it's the best they've done, and the hardest and the heaviest... You can judge that for yourself in time. What we can say is that this is the first time going into a recording the entire band feels confident and believes the material will please fans of the band, as well as turn many new heads in our direction. It's dark, aggressive, and melodic, and compliments the last three releases."

During the recording sessions, the band kept a daily journal including photos, videos, and comments. A direct link to the journal on the official forum can be found here:

http://www.ultimatemetal.com/forum/novembers-doom/460664-2009-recording-journal.html
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal-\m/ -l-

Thursday, April 2, 2009

METAL AT THE MOVIES PART 2: THE HEART IS A DRUM MACHINE DOCUMENTARY

Our METAL AT THE MOVIES series is back, this time premiering a documentary about the human connection to music. THE HEART IS A DRUM MACHINE, directed by Christopher Pomerenke and produced by Ryan Page, Joe Mundo, and Hans Fjellestad, has comprehensive interviews with George Clinton, Red Hot Chilli Peppers John Frusciante, Tool's James Maynard Keenen, Enslaved's Ivar Bjornson and many others.


 FROM BWBK.COM: The Heart Is A Drum Machine, the eagerly awaited documentary film that explores the complex and critical relationship between humanity and music, will premiere in Los Angeles on Saturday, April 25th at Nike’s Ricardo Montalbán Theater in the heart of Hollywood.

Sponsored by L.A. Weekly and Nike, proceeds will benefit the Charles Mingus Youth Arts Center in Watts, a facility of the City of Los Angeles Department of Cultural Affairs.

Directed by Christopher Pomerenke and produced by Ryan Page, Joe Mundo, and Hans Fjellestad, The Heart Is A Drum Machine explores music’s role in shaping human history, the profound connection people have had to music throughout human history, how it has shaped our experiences, and its involvement in our daily lives.

Tackling the topic is a who’s who of musicians including GEORGE CLINTON, TOOL's Maynard James Keenan, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS’ John Frusciante, and JIMMY EATS WORLD’s Jim Adkins.

Music historians and writers such as MTV’s Kurt Loder and KCRW’s Nic Harcourt were also interviewed, in addition to Carl Sagan’s widow and collaborator Ann Druyan, who discusses the Voyager Golden Record.

THE FLAMING LIPS’ Steven Drozd created an original score for the film and covered ELTON JOHN’s 'Rocket Man' with vocals by Maynard James Keenan.

ENSLAVED’s Ivar Bjørnson speaks about lucid dreams and music. He details how he became involved with the film here: “Enslaved went over to do three shows during South by South West 2008, in Austin, Texas. On the press schedule was ‘My Heart is a Drum Machine,’ a constellation of words that caught my immediate interest. It turned out to be the shooting for a documentary on the complex relationship between music, humanity and psychology. I went to a villa outside Austin, sat down in a dark room, and started talking about these acutely huge issues: What is the essence of music? What does music mean to me? What can music do? It turned out to be an extraordinary session that seemed to be highly enjoyable for both me and the movie makers. Now, a year after, the movie has premiered in the United States, and hopefully it will make its way across the world. I haven’t seen the whole thing yet, but the theme and the makers’ approach to it is truly interesting. I remember being brought back to the hotel and they told me the next guy to do a shoot was Elijah Wood, and thinking I was in good company. When I saw the final list, including Tool’s Maynard James Keenan, George Clinton, Juliette Lewis and more, I realized the company was a lot more than merely ‘good’!”

Information about the screening day can be viewed here. Tickets are now on sale here. Parking information can be viewed here.
Thanks-Stay Metal, Stay Brutal- \m/ -l-