Testement have Just released their latest album ‘The Formation Of Damnation
‘ on the Nuclear Blast label, to listen to the tracks click this link HERE:
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TestAmenT was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980’s. Originally formed as ‘Legacy’ in 1983 by founding members Eric Peterson (rhythm guitar), Derrick Ramirez (guitar) and Louie Clemente (drums), the line-up included vocalist Steve Souza and Greg Christian (bass). Ramirez was later replaced by wunderkind Alex Skolnick (lead guitar). Souza soon departed to join Exodus and suggested that the towering Chuck Billy take over as frontman. The band became known as ‘Testament’ 3 years later, while recording their debut album in Ithaca, New York.
“The Legacy” was a brutal intro in 1987, putting Testament at the forefront of the flourishing thrash metal scene. Following “Live At Eindhoven”, an EP recorded at Holland’s Dynamo Festival, “The New Order” in 1988 was well received producing one of the band’s most memorable classics “Disciples Of The Watch”. Next came the highly successful “Practice What You Preach” in 1989, then the release of “Souls more….
Of Black” in 1990, coinciding with the European ‘Clash Of The Titans’ tour with Slayer, Megadeth and Suicidal Tendencies.
After “The Ritual” in 1992, Skolnick, who was losing interest in pure metal, decided to pursue his interest in jazz and left the band. Clemente also departed. “Return To Apocalyptic City” in 1993 brought Glen Alvelais (guitar, ex- Forbidden) into the fold, and filling in temporarily for Clemente, Paul Bostaph (ex- Forbidden, Slayer). James Murphy (ex- Death, Obituary, Disincarnate, Cancer) soon stepped in for Alvelais on lead duties for “Low” in 1994, as John Tempesta (ex- Exodus) took over on the drums. Tempesta later left to join White Zombie, and was replaced by John Dette (ex- Evil Dead ). “Live At The Fillmore” was released in 1995, then Dette left in 1996 to join Slayer. “The Best Of Testament” was released in 1996.
“Demonic”, which was recorded in Testament’s Driftwood Studios, was released in 1997. James Murphy and Greg Christian having left the band were replaced by alumni Glen Alvelais and Derrick Ramirez (bass). Gene Hoglan (drums, ex- Death, Dark Angel) lent his percussion talents. “Signs Of Chaos”, a ‘best of’ disc of the band, was released in 1997.
Dave Lombardo (ex- Slayer, Grip, Inc.) was officially introduced into the band. James Murphy was brought back once again, and on bass, the legendary Steve DiGiorgio (ex- Death, Control Denied, Sadus). “The Gathering” was born in 1999. James Murphy abruptly departed, which was determined later for reasons due to a serious illness. Steve Smyth (ex-Vicious Rumors) jumped aboard as ‘touring guitarist’, later to be invited to stay on as a permanent member. Lombardo soon also left, not being able to commit, having other projects on his plate. In 2000, Jon Allen (drums, ex- Sadus) joined the band.
After the successful “Riding The Snake” world tour to promote “The Gathering”, vocalist Billy was diagnosed with a rare form of cancer called ‘germ cell seminoma’ in March 2001. Despite his illness and grueling cancer treatments, Billy offered his ground shaking vocals to the re-recording of Testament classics on “First Strike Still Deadly” with a reunion of sorts, bringing back Alex Skolnick and John Tempesta to record on the disc.
Billy has since fully recovered. A busy touring schedule of the U.S. and Europe commenced in late 2002, through the summer of 2003. In 2004, guitarist Steve Smyth left the band to join Nevermore, and “Metal Mike” Chlasciak stepped in.
[Compiled by L. Sato with The Billys and Eric Peterson]
JYROJETS were personally chosen by Richard Ashcroft to open his show at Glasgow SECC in November 2006. For a band who had not even released a record at the time, this was amazing! Richard really likes the band and decided to give them a break. He is one of the band’s heroes and they had already bought tickets to the show, never dreaming that they would be actually be performing on that huge stage. The gig was a sell out and Jyrojets’ exceptional performance in front of 10,000 people won a public thank you and praise from Richard Ashcroft himself.
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Jyrojets have only been together since 2004 but have already headlined the BBC Radio
Scotland stage at the Belladrum Festival, had airplay on Radio 1 and Radio Scotland,
supported The Kaiser Chiefs, had a track featured on a Channel 4 CD, played a UK tour,
festivals in Spain and Moscow with a live radio broadcast across Russia, and made history by becoming the first band from Inverness ever to sign a major record deal! They describe
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their music as a heavy kick of Nirvana with Simon & Garfunkel harmonies, Beatles melodies and plenty of attitude.
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When they were 14, while sheltering from the pissing rain in a bus stop, drinking a bottle of Buckfast and listening to Nirvana with one earphone each, Colin Fraser and Martin Stewart decided to start a band and become stars. The two set about writing songs and, after a few years of trying out various line-ups (some were good, most were shite), they finally hooked up with three like-minded musicians and Jyrojets were born. This is their debut release and features tracks from their forthcoming album.
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After just a month of rehearsing 7 nights a week in the local ice rink, they recorded a demo and entered a competition for a chance to play at T in the Park. They were chosen to appear at King Tuts for the T-break heats – not bad for their first gig! They didn’t know the T-break organisers had sent their demo to Radio 1, so it was a bit of a shock to hear it on air.
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Their big break came in 2005 when a demo track was chosen for inclusion on a CD featuring unsigned bands from Scotland, and distributed to the music industry by Music Week. Songphonic Records were excited by the demos and flew to Inverness to see a gig, and soon after a 4-album deal was signed. The band had regularly been told they would never get a deal unless they moved out of the Highlands, but they have proved anything is possible if you have the talent.
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Band Members
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Colin Fraser (lead vox, guitar)
Martin Stewart (keys/vox)
Chris Bain (guitar/vox)
Veeb (drums)
Dougie Edwards (bass)
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The forthcoming single (May 19th) is currently playlisted daytime across the XFM network and also on Kerrang Radio. The band have previously received spins across both G-Cap’s ‘Music Control’ and Bauer’s ‘In Demand’ networked shows.
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The smashing accompanying video for ‘Give Me What I Want’ was quickly playlisted on Chartshow TV, NME TV, MTV2 (‘Spankin New Session’ being recorded today!), Kerrang TV and Scuzz TV and was the featured video on the FRONT PAGE of MySpace a couple of weeks back!
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What are press saying:
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“they’re going to cause a riot”NME
“catchy as hell”Kerrang
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THE ALBUM
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Kids in Glass Houses debut album Smart Casual, is released May 26th. It’s a heady amalgamation of the pop and alternative rock that soundtracked their formative years! A raw energy fused with a knowing respect and admiration for the hook laden legacies of heavyweight established artists like The Police, Prince, The Cure and Duran Duran.
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HISTORY
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Kids In Glass Houses were ‘Best British Newcomer’ nominees at the Kerrang Awards last year and voted ‘Best Unsigned Band’ in the Kerrang readers poll the week they signed to Roadrunner! Their debut single Easy Tiger picked up fans and plays at Radio and TV alike. Gaining plays and playlistings on BBC Radio 1 (Zane Lowe, Jo Whiley, Huw Stephens – ‘Introducing’ gig recorded), Bauer’s ‘In Demand’, G-Cap ‘Music Control’, XFM (‘Music Response’ session recorded), BBC6Music, Kerrang Radio & TV, MTV,MTV2, Chartshow TV, Scuzz, NME TV, as well as beating Crystal Castles to a performance on BBC Three’s ‘Lily Allen & Friends’. They recently recorded further live performances for both Nuts TV and ITV Wales‘Pop Factory’.
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They have toured with 30 Seconds to Mars, fellow countrymen Lostprophets, Manic Street Preachers and more recently Paramore and Simple Plan.
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Frenzied performances to at some of last summer’s festivals including Reading & Leeds,Download, Give it a Name and Hyde Park Calling, along with their own Sold Out headline tour, have proven them untiring experts at entertaining on a grand scale.
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The band set out on their own UKTour to support the release of the single and album…..
KILL HANNAH made their first foray into the UK live scene in 2007. You may also have caught them at the Give It A Name festival at London’s Earls Court or the Birmingham N.I.A., or more recently as main support for the sold out tour with HIM. And, like in the US, KILL HANNAH have forged a formidable reputation as an extraordinary live band.
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Single Lips Like Morphine was released on March 17, 2008 in the uk. The band’s first album release in the UK & Japan will be Until There’s Nothing Left Of Us with added songs from For Never And Ever, plus new unreleased tracks. Until There’s Nothing Left Of Us hit the stores on March 24, 2008. KILL HANNAH are the main support to Aidan’s UK tour in March/April 2008.
They may have a sexually ambiguous nature, like me. They may sing in a high nasal voice, like me. But unlike me, they are the future of Chicago rock.”
- Billy Corgan, Smashing Pumpkins
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“We hope you grow to love them as much as we do.”
- Mikey Way, My Chemical Romance
‘Vultures’, the impressing debut album of Californian youngster FATE, is in stores TODAY! Death Metal meets the attitude of Hardcore! Highly recommended to fans of JOB FOR A COWBOY and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER! You can stream the entire album on thenewx-treme.com http://www.thenewx-treme.com/ to get an idea what this promising newcomer is all about! Streaming will be online until May 9th! Check it out!
MULTI-PLATINUM TWO-TIME GRAMMY-WINNING ROCK BAND LINKIN PARK JOINS BUSTA RHYMES ON VIDEO SHOOT FOR FIRST SINGLE FROM RHYMES’ FORTHCOMING ALBUM BLESSED
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SANTA MONICA, CA – Not only is multi-platinum two-time Grammy-winning rock band Linkin Park featured on the first single from acclaimed hip-hop innovator Busta Rhymes’ new album, but the band ’s co-lead vocalists Chester Bennington and Mike Shinoda will also appear in the song’s performance video. “We Made It,” directed by Chris Robinson, was shot in Los Angeles on Tuesday, April 15. Photos from the video shoot can be found on Mike Shinoda’s website - http://www.mikeshinoda.com/photos.
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The intriguing culture-mashing collaboration reflects the theme of “We Made It.” Says Rhymes of the song: “It ain’t just about the ‘hood, it ain’t just about the suburbs, it’s about everybody. This is one of those songs that can’t be described better than touching the souls of the common people.”
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“We Made It,” produced by Cool and Dre, with additional production by Mike Shinoda, and its video will be released in May, prior to the debut of Rhymes’ eighth studio album, Blessed (Flipmode/Aftermath/Interscope), on June 17.
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Rhymes will also join Linkin Park for several spot dates on their Projekt Revolution tour this summer.
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Busta Rhymes’ previous album, 2006’s The Big Bang, his first for Dr. Dre’s Aftermath Entertainment, became the first #1 Pop album of his career, and fourth #1 R&B/Hip-hop album. Spinning off the Top 20 Pop hit “Touch It,” The Big Bang claimed the top spot in its first week and went gold. The album followed his gold It Ain’t Safe No More. The Brooklyn-born, Long Island-raised Busta Rhymes (named by Chuck D of Public Enemy) launched his solo career in 1996 with the platinum #1 R&B/Hip-hop The Coming and its Top 10 platinum “Woo Hah!! Got You All In Check.” Called “the most idiosyncratic personality in rap and possessor of its most recognizable delivery, a halting, ragga-inspired style with incredible complexity, inventiveness, and humor” (All Music Guide), Rhymes followed with three more platinum albums: When Disaster Strikes (#1 R&B/Hip-hop), Extinction Level Event (The Final World Front) (#2 R&B/Hip-hop), Anarchy (#1 R&B/Hip-hop) and Genesis (#2 R&B/Hip-hop), and their gold Top 10 Pop hits “Dangerous,” “Turn It Up” and “What’s It Gonna Be.”
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While “We Made It” marks Rhymes’ first teaming with a rock band, Linkin Park previously crossed genres when the group partnered with Jay-Z in 2004 for the platinum mash-up Collision Course, a #1 Pop album that featured the digital gold, Grammy winning track “Numb/Encore.”
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Linkin Park (vocalist Chester Bennington, drummer Rob Bourdon, guitarist Brad Delson, DJ Joe Hahn, bassist Dave “Phoenix” Farrell and vocalist Mike Shinoda) has been touring in support of its double platinum album Minutes To Midnight and new hit single “Given Up.” The album, one of the highest-debuting discs of 2007 and the seventh best-selling album of the year, has already spawned three Top 10 hits (“Bleed It Out,” “What I’ve Done,” “Shadow Of The Day”), amplifying an already illustrious career. Since arriving in 2000, Linkin Park has won two Grammy Awards (Best Hard Rock Performance with their hit single “Crawling” and Best Rap/Sung Collaboration with Jay-Z for the aforementioned “Numb/Encore”), sold more than 45 million albums worldwide (its diamond-certified debut Hybrid Theory has sold more than 18 million copies), and garnered an international fanbase. The band recently announced the highly anticipated lineup for Projekt Revolution 2008 (Review of LPunderground-2007)
New Album, “Saints of Los Angeles” to be released (dates vary country to country)
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Los Angeles (April 15, 2008) – During a press conference held today in Los Angeles, Mötley Crüe, the world’s most notorious rock band, revealed that this summer, they will bring the next generation of rock’s superstars out on the road with them for what will undoubtedly be the hottest ticket of the year for rock fans: “Crüe Fest ‘08,” which will visit cities across the U.S. and Canada July through August.
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Produced by Live Nation, Crüe Fest, a touring rock festival featuring the hottest names in rock and alternative, kicks off on July 1st, and will hit over 40 major North American cities by the end of August. As if fans getting to see a Mötley Crüe show were not enough, there is an impressive line-up for the first year of the tour which includes Buckcherry, Papa Roach, breakout rock artist Sixx:A.M., and alternative rock band Trapt. Tickets will go on sale via www.LiveNation.com beginning Friday or Saturday, depending on the market. Fans that can’t wait for the onsale can get their tickets immediately by going to www.TheRockvine.com
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.Says Nikki Sixx of Mötley Crüe,”We are SO excited not only to headline our own annual summer festival, but also to be able to share the stage with the next generation of great rock bands. There’s not a lot Mötley Crüe hasn’t done so to say this summer’s festival is going to be about rock ‘n roll excess is an understatement. A night of hit songs by great bands and a trail of panties coast to coast… Crüe Fest, hell yeah!”
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During the press conference, Mötley Crüe also announced that they will release “Saints of Los Angeles,” their first new studio album recorded with all of the original band members in over a decade, on June 17th in the U.S. Other territory’s release dates are still tbc.
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Today’s event featured the premiere of Mötley Crüe’s brand new single, “Saints Of Los Angeles,” which the band played live during a brief but raucous performance. The song, which also includes backing vocals by Josh Todd (Buckcherry), Jacoby Shaddix (Papa Roach), James Michael (Sixx:A.M.) and Chris Brown (Trapt) is the title track of the new album. Lyrically, the new album follows the story of the band’s NY Times best-selling memoir The Dirt, a no-holds-barred tell-all that features every gritty detail of the band’s exploits as one of the world’s biggest rock bands. “Saints of Los Angeles” is available for purchase at the iTunes Music Store. In an industry first, the song was also made available as a download for the Rock Band video game simultaneously with its single release.
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In addition to being televised live on Fuse, the press conference was broadcast live online and syndicated on numerous websites including www.TheRockvine.com. Mötley Crüe chose to deliver the live stream using Microsoft Silverlight via iStreamPlanet, Co’s iStream Player. The iStream Player is built on Microsoft Silverlight technology which is a lightweight cross-browser, cross-platform plug-in that delivers the next generation of fully immersive media experiences and rich interactive applications for the Web. Silverlight ensures consumers worldwide have a consistent experience while watching content in any browser and on any platform.
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Official partners for Crüe Fest include JVC Mobile Audio, MTV’s Rock Band, Best Buy, Fuse TV, Lotus, and TheRockvine.com. On-site activities will include a 2nd “Stage” presented by Rock Band where fans attending the show can play the part of “rock star” while playing the game. A special Crüe Fest CD featuring tracks from all of the bands on the tour will be available exclusively at Best Buy in the U.S. beginning June 17th. JVC Mobile Audio premiered a viral video featuring Josh Todd of Buckcherry and Jacoby Shaddix of Papa Roach having an “experience” in a car surrounded by the latest JVC audio/visual technology, a cast of hot babes and a ton of soap bubbles.
CAVALERA CONSPIRACY are set to play a one-off show at the London Astoria on Tuesday 17th June.
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The Brazilian metal brothers Max and Iggor Cavalera recently released ‘Inflikted’, their first new music together in over 12 years. The album is the first outing since they recorded Sepultura’s colossal landmark album, ‘Roots’ in 1995 (which debuted at No.4 in the UK album charts). Their new project, CAVALERA CONSPIRACY, features Max on vocals & rhythm guitar and Iggor on drums as well as Soulfly guitarist Marc Rizzo and Gojira’s Joe Duplantier on bass. Rex Brown (Down, Pantera) also makes a cameo bass appearance on one track.
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This long-anticipated reunion between the Cavalera brothers is something fans across the globe have been waiting for since Sepultura’s last gig at Brixton Academy in December 1996. Hailing from Belo Horizonte in central Brazil, Sepultura gained a legendary reputation as the one of the most highly regarded and successful thrash metal bands of all time, with two gold albums under their belts both in the UK and the USA – ‘Chaos A.D’ (1994) and ‘Roots’ (1996). “When Iggor and I met at the 10th Annual D-Low Memorial Show and got the instruments in our hands, it was like we had never been separated. The metal was flowing in our veins,” comments Max. Making an album together was the next step and doing just a short run of European summer shows was perfect timing.
Tickets for the show are on sale now at www.livenation.co.uk and are also available from box offices and all usual agents. Get your tickets now for this one-off show as they’ll not hang around for long!
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Meanwhile, the multi-tasking Max is also keeping his eye on his ‘day job’ in SOULFLY, with the forthcoming release of their sixth studio album set for this July. Stay tuned for further news soon.
With the Oculus EP now released with the lead track been the single ‘Absent Are The Saints’, Singer Brock Lindow comments on the song: “I’m excited people are finally getting to hear it. We’ve been sitting on it for a while, so now people outside our circle of friends have a chance to hear the new music. Lyrically, “Absent Are The Saints” is about how some people pray for, and wait for change rather than making it happen themselves. It’s about being proactive about changing your life.” 36 Crazyfists release their new album ‘The Tide and it’s Takers’ on Ferret music on May 5th.
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EVERY TIME I DIE takeover BBC RADIO 1 ROCK SHOW
Keith and Jordan Buckley joined Daniel P. Carter on the Rock Show on BBC Radio 1. To hear that go to the LISTEN AGAIN facility at: http://www.bbc.co.uk/radio1/rockshow
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Catch ETID still out in Europe on tour:
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EVERY TIME I DIE + Scary Kids Scaring Kids + Drop Dead, Gorgeous
Awesome drummers step up to support new Bristol Rock School
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FREE show April 20th featuring; Jason Bowld (Pitchshifter/This Is Menace), Craig Blundell (Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden), James Hester (Malakai) plus Mapex giveaways!::
,Three of the UK’s most exciting drummers have been confirmed for an exclusive show with a difference…it’s free, it’s on board a ship and it’s a launch party for The Bristol Institute Of Modern Music (BIMM Bristol). Jason Bowld (Pitchshifter/This Is Menace), Craig Blundell (Bruce Dickinson of Iron Maiden), James Hester (Malakai) are set to play a completely free gig on board Bristol ship venue the Thekla on April 20th. The sticksmen will each deliver an exclusive masterclass (stuffed with tips and pointers) playing and talking through their unique styles and techniques.
, The show will also see drummers from a whole host of bands turning out in support including: Neil Cooper (Therapy) and Kieron Pepper (ex Prodigy), And that’s not all drum tuning genius Martin Ranscombe will be fielding questions and Mapex will be giving away hundreds of pounds worth of drums ‘free’! So what are you waiting for!
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Mark Clayden (Pitchshifter/This Is Menace) BIMM Bristol College Manager and event organiser said, “This is going to be amazing, we have some of the best drummers in the UK on board. BIMM has recently helped some awesome drummers to get started in the industry including Elliot Andrews playing with Kate Nash and Simon Goldring of the Ordinary Boys. Come down to the show and learn some tricks from some of the best guys in the business.”
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The gig is the second in a series of exclusive shows in support of the Bristol Institute of Modern Music (BIMM Bristol) which opens its doors in the heart of the city in September 2008. The college has an impressive line up of tutors who are highly experienced professional musicians whom have sold millions of albums signed to major and independent record labels, had chart hits, toured the world and have placed music into film, television and video games including players from: ‘A’, Reef, Hundred Reasons, Rooster, Biomechanical, Malakai, ex Prodigy, The Crimea, Skunk Anansie, Pitchshifter, This Is Menace and Snow Patrol, China style.
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The college runs courses for musicians who are serious about a career in the music including: certificates, diplomas, professional diplomas and a Foundation Degree* in bass, guitar, drums, vocals and song writing. Core areas of the courses include: Technical Development, Session Styles, Aural Skills, Notation, Pre Production, The Music Industry, Music In Context, Music Performance and Process, Styles & Technique, Advanced Musicianship, Business Studies, Gig Preparation, Live Performance Workshop, Theory and Sight Reading. Students will use state-of-the-art equipment endorsed by the world’s biggest bands the professional vintage and modern backline includes: Mesa Boogie, Cornford, Laney, Marshall, Vox, Fender, Line 6, Ashdown, Ampeg, Peavey, Warwick, Hiwatt, Orange, Yamaha, DW, Roland. (*Subject to validation)
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LISTINGS INFO:
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FREE SHOW-Bristol Thekla Sunday April 20th, Doors 7pm, 14+ (bring ID)Jason Bowld (Pitchshifter/This Is Menace, China style), Craig Blundell (Bruce Dickinson), James Hester (Malakai) Please note, as this is a FREE SHOW it’s first come, first served
“Think the power of Sound Garden, combined with the kick of Velvet Revolver..” KERRANG
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London rockers SLAVES TO GRAVITY have charted this week at number 27 in the UK Indie Album Chart with debut full-length ‘Scatter The Crow’ !!
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Released last week it’s a 100%-proof anthemic adrenalin rush, armed with monstrous riffs, huge grooving rhythms and battle-cry melodies.
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Other news, the guys have signed up with Madina Lake and Aidens manager (John Germinario) for North America, after blowing him away with their performances at this years SXSW festival!
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On top of all this they have also announced a number of UK festival appearances with more to follow.
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Catch them at one of the following:
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Jun 01 Middlesbrough Music Live Festival
Jul 04 ZOO8 Festival, Port Lympne Wild Animal Park
Aug 08 Bulldog Bash, Shakespeare County Racecourse
Aug 09 Ripcurl Boardmasters Unleashed Festival, Newquay
, www.myspace.com/slavestogravityofficial
www.slavestogravity.com
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* Number 27 in UK Indie Album Chart (’Scatter The Crow’)
* TWO Top Three Singles in UK Rock Chart (’Big Red’ & ‘Meantime’)
* Tipped as ‘Hot Band of 2008′ in RockSound, Metal Hammer and Big Cheese Magazines
* Finalists in the ‘Best Breakthrough Artist’ category at last years BT Digital Music Awards
* Stole the show at last years CMJ Music Festival in New York
KT Tunstall is currently halfway through her UK tour and the reviews just keep getting better and better..
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…..KT Tunstall also performed solo and acoustic to ‘Black Horse and the Cherry Tree’ and ‘Paper Aeroplane’. Although she was alone on stage for these two tracks, her strong presence filled the stage. Despite mainly dancing on the spot with her guitar, she looked far from lost. To the contrary, she looked perfectly at home….
Following the significant success of their US Tour, Queensrÿche are to bring their theatrical show to the UK, hitting 10 venues across the country. Queensrÿche perform their critically acclaimed and commercially successful concept albums: Operation: mindcrime and Operation: mindcrime II in their entirety in the UK for the very first time.
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Operation: mindcrime was released in 1988 and went platinum. The album tells the story of Nikki, a junkie who is manipulated by Dr. X into assassinating corrupt public figures, which conflicts with his love for hooker-turned-nun, Sister Mary. The album has often been compared to the likes of other notable concept albums, such as Pink Floyd’s: The Wall and The Who’s: Tommy. Operation: mindcrime II is set 20 years later and explores Nikki’s life since his release from prison and answers the question “Who Killed Sister Mary?”
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Queensrÿche have taken the opportunity to make this tour much more than a concert: the show features surround-sound, video imagery and a full cast with actors re-enacting the storyline behind each of these albums. Lasting 3 hours (with an intermission), this is an epic piece of prog-metal theatre not to be missed.
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Geoff Tate says, “This is the most extensive stage show we have ever put together. Working with the actors and creating the different scenes helped us to really tell the story. Between ritualistic execution, working prostitutes, motorcycle crashes and everything in between, we are able to really draw the audience in to the story.”
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Queensrÿche are: Geoff Tate (lead vocals & keyboards); Michael Wilson (lead & rhythm guitars); Mike Stone (lead & rhythm guitars); Eddie Jackson (bass); Scott Rockenfield (drums, percussion & keyboards).
THE BLACK CROWES returned to UK shores for an exclusive one-off live date at the Brixton Academy on Wednesday 9th April, following the release on March 3rd of their new studio album, Warpaint. The band last performed in London in 2005 when tickets sold out instantly.
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The single London show forms part of the The Black Crowes’ world tour, which begins on 2nd March in the USA and includes a headline show at Stubbs during SXSW in Austin on 15th March.
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The band then travel to Australia where they will headline the East Coast Blues & Roots Festival on 24th March and conclude on April 5th (their first trek down-under since 1991). They will arrive in London for their Brixton Academy show and then travel to Amsterdam for a one-off show on 11th April at the Music Hall.
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The tour marks the live debut of two new band members - second guitarist Luther Dickinson, of North Mississippi Allstars, and keyboardist Adam MacDougall - who join CHRIS and RICH ROBINSON, drummer Steve Gorman and bassist Sven Pipien.
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Warpaint – The Black Crowes’ first studio album in seven years is being released in the UK on 3rd March through the band’s own newly-formed Silver Arrow Records label, distributed through Pinnacle. Warpaintbuilds compellingly on the band’s trademark adventurous brew of rock, blues, country, soul and gospel.
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The Black Crowes will shortly announce further US dates to start in Mayand additional European dates scheduled for this summer
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The tour marks the live debut of two new band members - second guitarist Luther Dickinson, of North Mississippi Allstars, and keyboardist Adam MacDougall - who join CHRIS and RICH ROBINSON, drummer Steve Gorman and bassist Sven Pipien.
Warpaint – The Black Crowes’ first studio album in seven years is being released in the UK on 3rd March through the band’s own newly-formed Silver Arrow Records label, distributed through Pinnacle. Warpaintbuilds compellingly on the band’s trademark adventurous brew of rock, blues, country, soul and gospel.
The Black Crowes will shortly announce further US dates to start in Mayand additional European dates scheduled for this summer
Tull are back with a UK tour, Jethro Tull are to celebrate their 40th Anniversary as a band with a mammoth 29-date UK tour. Most performances of “An Evening With Jethro Tull” will feature a special guest, who fans will know and recognise, as Ian Anderson honours past band members, friends and local musicians. As well as performing a Tull song or two, guests might also perform one of their own songs.
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Ian Anderson is taking this opportunity to thank Tull fans for their continued support over the past four decades by performing a bumper show which will provide a comprehensive trip through their history. Much of the show will focus on the first 3 albums – performing such early favourites as Serenade To A Cuckoo, My Sunday Feeling, Living In The Past, Bouree, A Song For Jeffrey and A new Day Yesterday. The band will also treat fans to some new songs, which are as yet unreleased as well as perennial favourites from their long career.
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The band will consist of Ian Anderson on vocals, flute and acoustic guitar and Martin Barre, who joined at the end of 1968, on electric guitar. The rest of Jethro Tull are: Doane Perry on drums and percussion since 1984; David Goodier on bass and John O’Hara playing piano and accordion – who are amongst the 26 musicians who have been recording or touring members of Jethro Tull in the last 40 years.
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In their 40 years, Jethro Tull have sold over 60 million albums and have performed over 2,600 shows in more than 40 countries. There are several UK venues in which they have performed many times, including Bristol’s Colston Hall, The Manchester Apollo, Royal Albert Hall and the now-defunct Wembley Empire Hall. In their history, major US venues have included: 3 Madison Square Garden shows in 1975; shows at Red Rock, Jones Beach NY and the Boston Pavilion. Jethro Tull were the first band to play 5 consecutive performances at the LA Forum – a massive achievement for any British band!
, It is evident that Anderson loves to tour, having played more than 130 shows in 2007. However, the band will slow down and perform a mere 80-90 shows in 2008. With the significant travel involved in touring, Anderson is acutely aware of climate change and says: “I have a personal carbon footprint equal to Al Gore’s – it’s large and I’m not happy about it but, like Al Gore, the upside is that I try to bring something with me on my travels to help awareness and in the last years have planted tens of thousands of trees as a personal carbon offset.” In his personal life, Ian tries to be as green as he can and takes trains, travelling economy, whenever possible and he uses a Toyota Prius which he call the Pious… because it makes him feel holier than thou! Not for the first time as, throughout the drug-fuelled 60’s and 70’s Ian never smoked pot, experimented with any drugs or complicated sex. However, he reserves the right to attempt a more orthodox Rock and Roll lifestyle in later life….
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Another little known fact is that, in 1984, Jethro Tull turned up for an interview at the then brand new MTV studios in New York. As they had their instruments with them, Ian said, why didn’t they just play some live impromptu music, which they did. That day MTV Unplugged was born.
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In recent years, Jethro Tull and their music have featured in several TV shows, from the Sopranos (where Tony Soprano sang a Tull song) to Saxondale, Friends and Ugly Betty, who featured a name check recently.
Meet Beth Rowley, the girl everyone is tipping as the talent of 2008. Armed with a timeless voice and smouldering sound, she’s one of Britain’s most exciting young artists. The 26 year-old singer/songwriter is a vision of modern music with the powerhouse vocals of a stellar soul songstress.
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If you like Amy Winehouse, Joss Stone and Adele then you will love Beth Rowley. Fusing a vintage sound & sensibility with a contemporary edge, she’s the result of her many influences - and much, much more. A taster of the forthcoming album Little Dreamer, released in May, debut digital EP Violets broke into the top 10 of the iTunes Album Chart and hints at the wealth of talent she possesses.
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Catch Beth performing live at Bush Hall, London on 16th April. To win tickets to this gig, click Here.
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For a free download of the brilliant Nobody’s Fault But Mine Click here.
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Nobody’s Fault But Mine is taken from the forthcoming album Little Dreamer, released 26th May - To pre-order the album click here
Portishead have their hugely anticipated new album, Third, released on April 28th through Island Records. Third is the band’s fourth album in total and first since 1998’s Roseland NYC Live. The Bristol based trio, who will be touring the UK and Europe in March and April, will release Machine Gun on 12″ vinyl on April 14th. A digital version of the single is already available on www.portishead.co.uk and itunes.
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Third will be released on CD, double vinyl, digital download. The band are also releasing a limited edition box set exclusively through their website www.portisheadshop.co.uk, which will include - Double vinyl/1GB USB/single etched 12″ vinyl/ltd edition print. The USB features 5 short films that the band have made to accompany the record.
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The band continue their UK tour this week with dates in Edinburgh, Wolverhampton and London.
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Sat 12 Edinburgh Corn Exchange
Sun 13 Wolverhampton Civic
Thurs 17 London Brixton Academy
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See them also appear on Later With Jools on BBC2 on the 18th April.
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Who hasn’t heard of Portishead? First things first, we’re talking about the band, not the place - though the band Portishead did take their name from the town in the west of England.*
Key figures of the Bristol music which also included Massive Attack and Tricky; Portishead won the Mercury Music Award in 1995 for their debut album Dummy, putting them in an elite group of artists that includes Arctic Monkeys, Klaxons, Pulp, and Primal Scream. However, since the release of their self titled second album in 1997, the band chose to (more or less) avoid the spotlight.
If you know Portishead and have already started humming the chorus from Glory Box you’ll be pleased to know that this hiatus is about to come to an end with the release of Portishead’s highly anticipated new album; Third, later this month. For those of us who can feel Beth Gibbons’ vocals and Geoff Barrow’s music touch a nerve, it might well be the music highlight of 2008. You can find out more below.
If you’ve forgotten about them or they’ve passed you by, click here to listen to two of the tracks from Dummy; Glory Box and Sour Times.
*It’s an endless source of novelty value if you discover the place after the band. I worked there a few years ago, and I was practically boasting about it… you’d think that working in the town made me a band-member.
With the help of Tommy Vance, Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson and legendary promoter Harvey Goldsmith, Boned showcased their electrifying live talent and became the first ever hard rock band in history to debut at The Royal Albert Hall in London.
Originally released by an American label and hailed as …
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‘DC style boogie’, Classic Rock;
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‘Utterly fabulous’, Metal UK.com;
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‘Bone crushing straight ahead rock with attitude’, Head Bangers Basement;
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‘Set the volume to 11 and let yourself be rocked to the bone’, Metal Express.
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Guitar player Stefan Elmgren has made the decision to leave HammerFall to concentrate on his second passion, flying. He has been working hard the last couple of years to get variousflying certificates, and was recently offered a position at an airline:
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”My interest in aviation has been growing very strong during the last couple of years, and I would have hoped for an opportunity like this maybe in a couple of years”, says Stefan and continues: ” I feel it’s time for me to take the step and become a pilot on a professional level, another dream come true for me after travelling around the world and playing metal for eleven years. We have discussed the possibility of combining the piloting work with HammerFall, but we all realized that it would be impossible given the rigorous schedule of the band.”
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”There is never a good timing to lose a great guitarist like Stefan, but considering we’re in between touring and recording it could definately have been worse”, says drummer Anders Johansson. ”We’ll announce his replacement shortly so we can continue working on our next record, the recordings are scheduled for this summer and we will not let this affect anything we have scheduled. The show must go on, as we all well know.”
TestAmenT was one of the first thrash metal bands to emerge from the San Francisco Bay Area in the 1980’s. Originally formed as ‘Legacy’ in 1983 by founding members Eric Peterson (rhythm guitar), Derrick Ramirez (guitar) and Louie Clemente (drums), the line-up included vocalist Steve Souza and Greg Christian (bass). Ramirez was later replaced by wunderkind Alex Skolnick (lead guitar). Souza soon departed to join Exodus and suggested that the towering Chuck Billy take over as frontman. The band became known as ‘Testament’ 3 years later, while recording their debut album in Ithaca, New York. 
Jyrojets have only been together since 2004 but have already headlined the BBC Radio
The smashing accompanying 
caught them at the Give It A Name festival at London’s Earls Court or the Birmingham N.I.A., or more recently as main support for the sold out tour with HIM. And, like in the US, KILL HANNAH have forged a formidable reputation as an extraordinary live band.
TODAY! Death Metal meets the attitude of Hardcore! Highly recommended to fans of JOB FOR A COWBOY and THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER! You can stream the entire album on thenewx-treme.com 
This long-anticipated reunion between the Cavalera brothers is something fans across the globe have been waiting for since Sepultura’s last gig at Brixton Academy in December 1996. Hailing from 
The show will also see drummers from a whole host of bands turning out in support including: Neil Cooper (Therapy) and Kieron Pepper (ex Prodigy), And that’s not all drum tuning genius Martin Ranscombe will be fielding questions and Mapex will be giving away hundreds of pounds worth of drums ‘free’! So what are you waiting for!
Queensrÿche have taken the opportunity to make this tour much more than a concert: the show features surround-sound, video imagery and a full cast with actors re-enacting the storyline behind each of these albums. Lasting 3 hours (with an intermission), this is an epic piece of prog-metal theatre not to be missed.
The single London show forms part of the The Black Crowes’ world tour, which begins on 2nd March in the USA and includes a 
It is evident that Anderson loves to tour, having played more than 130 shows in 2007. However, the band will slow down and perform a mere 80-90 shows in 2008. With the significant travel involved in touring, Anderson is acutely aware of climate change and says: “I have a personal carbon footprint equal to Al Gore’s – it’s large and I’m not happy about it but, like Al Gore, the upside is that I try to bring something with me on my travels to help awareness and in the last years have planted tens of thousands of trees as a personal carbon offset.” In his personal life, Ian tries to be as green as he can and takes trains, travelling economy, whenever possible and he uses a Toyota Prius which he call the Pious… because it makes him feel holier than thou! Not for the first time as, throughout the drug-fuelled 60’s and 70’s Ian never smoked pot, experimented with any drugs or complicated sex. However, he reserves the right to attempt a more orthodox Rock and Roll lifestyle in later life….
With the help of Tommy Vance, Iron Maiden front man Bruce Dickinson and legendary promoter Harvey Goldsmith, Boned showcased their