Screamin Scott's Blog Screamin Scott listener Capt. Jason Richter protecting the people of Tblisi, Georgia (not the state, the former Soviet Repulic) during President Bush's latest visit.  Semper Fi!!! 5/17/2005 Kick ass weekend last weekend....let's get right to it!  Crossfade and No Address rocked Harpo's Friday night along with local support from Nurve Core.  Awesome show! Saturday night I attended the Heaven's Wish show at the I-Rock.  The show ended up being sold out, and it was great to see old friends again. Sunday I made it out to BW3 in Southgate for a Pistons Game Day bash.  The good guys ended up winning, of course!!!  Thanks for all of you and the great staff for a great Sunday afternoon! The lowdown for this week looks like this:  Friday night I'm hosting a Rusty's Last Ride party at the new Lucky's in Novi.  You can win passes to the party deck at the first NASCAR race at MIS!! Saturday night I'll be in Livonia at the Lake Pointe with the Harley truck and bike.  You can win a key that might win you the truck, bike and $5000 at Harleyfest!  Sunday I'll be catching up on yardwork...you know...going behind the garage and firing it up!  I know it was quick, but that's it for this week!  Check out the Metal Knews below! Think METAL! Screamin Scott Peter Steele is ALIVE!!! According to a representative from Roadrunner Records, TYPE O NEGATIVE mainman Peter Steele is NOT dead. "He's alive," Roadrunner says. "Type O have a very strange sense of humor." As previously reported, Type O drummer Johnny Kelly says that the band are still working on material for the follow-up to 2003's Life Is Killing Me. Audioslave On MySpace Starting on May 17th MySpace will be streaming the entire new AUDIOSLAVE album "Out of Exile" before you can buy it on May 24th. Rob Zombie's New Album Rob Zombie told Launch Radio Networks that it's too early to tell what direction his next solo album is going to take. "You know, it's not done yet, so it's really hard to say," he said. "I mean, for the first time ever, I have about 26 songs in some state. Usually I have exactly what's on the record. This time there's a lot more songs, they're a lot more varied in style and vibe and sound, but the main thing is, all of it is live band work. There's no computer-generated things. That I'm not doing this time." Zombie told RollingStone.com last week that he'll wait until after he's done touring on Ozzfest at the end of the summer to resume working on his third solo album. Zombie has been recording the disc in fits and starts over the last year, but also took time out to direct his second film, "The Devil's Rejects". Among the people who have played on the record so far are LIMP BIZKIT guitarist Wes Borland, MÖTLEY CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee and A PERFECT CIRCLE drummer Josh Freese. Former MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5, who just joined Zombie's touring band, will also contribute to the project. Zombie will headline the second stage at this summer's Ozzfest, which begins on July 15 in Mansfield, Massachusetts. "The Devil's Rejects", which stars Sid Haig, Bill Moseley, Sheri Moon Zombie, and a number of horror film veterans, opens in theatres on July 22. SOAD TV Special If you missed SYSTEM OF A DOWM on their just-completed nine-city "guerrilla" club tour, or the band's recent appearance on "Saturday Night Live," then be sure and tune into MTV when the network airs "SYSTEM OF A DOWM Live," a half-hour concert special shot at the band's April 4 sold-out show at the Astoria in London. The show premieres this Friday, May 20 at 11:00PM EST on MTV2 with several subsequent airings. The "SYSTEM OF A DOWM Live" special will include live performances of "Chop Suey!," "Needles," "Aerials," "Science," "Psycho," and the band's current Top 10 single "B.Y.O.B," currently a Top 5 track at Alternative Radio. MTV2's broadcast schedule for "SYSTEM OF A DOWM Live" is as follows: May 20 11:00PM EST 21 9:00PM EST 21 3:00AM EST 25 3:00AM EST 26 8:00PM EST SYSTEM OF A DOWN's much-anticipated new album, "Mezmerize," Disc One of the 2-disc set "Mezmerize/Hypnotize," is released today, Tuesday, May 17. The band has announced that it will headline a North American arena tour in August/September with THE MARS VOLTA as special guests. Dates will be announced shortly. Symphony X Join Megadeth Tour SYMPHONY X are the latest band confirmed for MEGADETH's forthcoming Gignatour. Dave Mustaine writes the following message: "Droogies! I am honored to announce that the fantastic group SYMPHONY X has confirmed to join us for Gigantour this summer in the US. I am triple stoked, and I know you will be too. This is a great opportunity for both MEGADETH and SYMPHONY X fans to discover each other. AND they come highly recommended by Mike Portnoy and the Drover brothers. I would like to personally thank the lads in SYMPHONY X for pushing the recording of their new record back in order to support my dreamchild of Gigantour. I look forward to meeting Mike Romeo and his crew and treating them better than they have ever been treated on any tour they have done." The official site for the tour can now be accessed at www.Gigantour.com. Bands so far confirmed are: First Stage: MEGADETH, DREAM THEATER, FEAR FACTORY, NEVERMORE, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN Second Stage: SYMPHONY X, DRY KILL LOGIC Violent Storm News JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing and Yngwie Malmsteen are the featured guests on the upcoming debut album from VIOLENT STORM, the new band formed by YNGWIE MALMSTEEN/ex-BLACKMORE'S NIGHT bassist Mick Cervino. The CD will be released in Japan on May 25 via King Records. The Taiwanese release will take place on June 1 via Rock Empire Music. Rock Empire recently released Mick Cervino's "Ostinato" bass solo album in Taiwan. As previously reported, VIOLENT STORM's debut album features lead vocals by Matt Reardon. Hailing from the U.S., Reardon's roots are said to be in "metal, grunge and rock and roll of today." His "deep and unadulterated raw powerful baratone vocals can be heard on over 60 soundtracks to date worldwide. He has also toured in Europe with his former band as guests for acts such as QUEENSRŸCHE, SAXON, IN EXTREMO and Steven Adler of GUNS N' ROSES." The group's sound is described as "a sonic barrage of stunning vocals, ripping guitars, relentless bass, and pounding drums, anchored around solid songwriting you won't soon forget." "Violent Storm" (view cover here) track listing: 01. War No More (featuring K.K. Downing on lead guitar) 02. Fire In The Unknown (featuring Yngwie Malsmteen on lead guitar) 03. Screaming In Your Face 04. Pain Is For Me (featuring Yngwie Malsmteen on lead guitar) 05. Storm 06. Meaningless Life Of Misery 07. Owning You 08. Empty Hope 09. Alimentary Fable 10. Deceiver (featuring K.K. Downing on lead guitar) 11. You Don't Care 12. Maybe Next Life (Japanese bonus track) Motograter Talks!! MOTOGRATER have posted the following message on their official website: "Unfortunately there are no MOTOGRATER updates for you at this time. I guess you could say that we're on indefinite hiatus right now. Doesn't mean we're dead, just means hiatus haha. Anyway a few of the boys have decided to do some side projects to pass the time. Crispy & Ivan have a project called GHOST MACHINE (www.ghostmachine.net) they just recorded a 6 song demo which came out amazing. Check it.. JR & A-Bomb are jamming together in a band called SYNTHETIC DELUSION out of Denver, CO Evil stuff.... That's it for now.." 5/10/2005 What a beautiful weekend we just had!  Shout out to Screamin MOM, who just moved back to our wonderful state from Florida.  Caution out to you barflys: You might find yourself at a Riff event soon being put under the table by Screamin Mom! Was at Wireless Toyz in Livonia this past Saturday afternoon.  The Grand Opening went great; this place used to be a dirty auto repair shop and is now a top notch cellular superstore.  The staff was extremely professional and knowledgeable, and awesome to me and the crew to boot!  If you're in Livonia or surrounding areas, stop by the new location at the corner of Ann Arbor Road and Ann Arbor Trail and see the crew about ANY phone.  I highly recommend them!  By the way, these guys are the official cellular provider of the WRIF Street Team! I also had my first ever garage sale from hell this past weekend.  9 years of crap sold for dirt cheap (mostly ex-girlfriend stuff that was never picked up).  I got rid of a lot....maybe I'll do it again next year. Go Pistons!  As this was being written, we were mopping the floor with Reggie Miller in Game One.  Join me Sunday at a yet to be determined location for a Bud Light NBA Pre-Party to get you fired up for Game Four! Friday night I'll be at Harpo's for a show featuring Crossfade and No Address.  I'll also be testing my new and improved liver, so join me! Now onto the Metal Knews for the week... Think METAL! Screamin Scott Jim From Grinder Passes Away It is with deep regret that I have to inform you of the passing of James B. Anders. Jim is survived by his wife Roberta and son Avery James, his family and many many friends. Jim was not only the bass player for Grinder and Nova Driver, he was our best friend, the driving force behind all of our songs and lyrics, our musical mentor, our link to the past, our visionary for the future, and the most kick ass dude on the planet. As we morn his passing, we hold strong on his principals and the things that we dreamt we could do together. With regret, we will temporarily postpone the release of the new Grinder album while we deal with the loss at hand. For those of you that can attend, we will have a memorial service for James: This Wednesday May 11th, 2005 From 2:00 PM to 9:00 PM Kaul Funeral Homes 28433 Jefferson Avenue St. Clair Shores, Michigan 48081 810.775.2424 (between 11 & 12 mile roads) For those of you that cannot attend, but would like to make a donation, please do so in trust to: Avery James Anders c/o Grinder L.L.C. 27387 Woodward Avenue Berkley Michigan 48072 New Iron Maiden According to Germany's Rock Hard magazine, EMI will be releasing a brand-new IRON MAIDEN "live box" CD/DVD set, entitled "Death on the Road", on August 29. No further information is currently available. IRON MAIDEN will co-headline this summer's Ozzfest with BLACK SABBATH beginning on July 15 in Mansfield, Massachusetts. The band will drop off the trek on August 20 due to touring commitments in Europe. Rage Frontman A Hood Ornament? Rage frontman Peter "Peavey" Wagner was hit by a car on Wednesday (May 4) while he was riding his bicycle. The driver of the car reportedly didn't give Peavy right of way, resulting in injuries to Peavy's arm. Peavy is presently in the hospital, where he underwent surgery. No further information is currently available. Rage recently signed a long-term deal with Nuclear Blast Records. The group's follow-up to 2003's "Soundchaser" is expected in early 2006. Ozzy Doesn't Miss Cameras Since pulling the plug on their MTV reality series, The Osbournes, Ozzy Osbourne and his family are free of ubiquitous TV camera crews. As he prepares for this year's Ozzfest, Osbourne said that he doesn't miss the constant surveillance: "At first when I started doing the Osbournes, it was a lot of fun. And then things started to happen, like my kids couldn't handle it, I couldn't handle it, my wife got sick with cancer. Wherever you go it's full of somebody with a boom mic or a wire and a camera. You get kind of freaked out, 'cause you start looking around the house for hidden cameras and whatever, you know." The program chronicled Sharon Osbourne's battle with cancer, as well as younger children Kelly and Jack Osbourne's stints in rehabilitation for drug and alcohol abuse. Ozzfest 2005 begins on July 15th in Mansfield, Massachusetts. Osbourne will be performing with Black Sabbath this year, topping a bill that includes Iron Maiden, Mudvayne, Rob Zombie and, on the last seven shows, Velvet Revolver. Mushroomhead DVD The official DVD from MUSHROOMHEAD, has been given a release date. "Mushroomhead: Volume 1" will hit stores on July 26th - the tracklisting and features for the DVD are below: DVD features: - Never-Before-Seen, Self-Produced Videos: Before I Die Kill Tomorrow Becoming Cold (216) The Dream is Over - Plus, the Videos for: Solitaire/Unraveling Sun Doesn't Rise Along The Way Eternal - Other Content: Live Footage Backstage Footage Offstage Antics In-Studio Footage - Special Appearances by: Sevendust Lamb of God Avenged Sevenfold Dope Meshuggah Motograter 40 Below Summer Twisted Method Dry Cell American Head Charge High on Fire 5/4/2005 Congrats!!  We've all made it to the month of May!  A reasonable person might think that with the arrival of May, the temps would be up and the crummy winter weather would be all gone.  I know, I know...its Michigan and I should expect the unexpected, but I want 70 degrees NOW!!! Anyways...thanks for everyone for coming out to the Hayloft last Saturday night.  It was a party with many titles...first, it was a Local Music Showcase, and the bands that rocked the Hayloft were all top notch!  Second, it was Sponge's CD release party, and the guys from the band performed some new material from the CD, and its good stuff!  Keep it locked to the Riff to hear new Sponge!  Lastly, it was the Velvet Revolver After Show Party, and the people I talked to that showed up after the show made it a rock n roll evening for sure! Staind came into the Riff compound yesterday and performed three acoustic tunes for some lucky listeners and fan club members, as well as the Riff staff.  As an added bonus, they brought an advance copy of the new CD with them and let everyone in attendance listen to a few tunes.  Sounds like good stuff coming our way this summer!  The band will be joining 3 Doors Down and Breaking Benjamin on a summer tour, and they'll be swinging by our town late this summer. Yesterday also marked a milestone that I think we won't see for an awfully long time.  Big Daddy Arthur P celebrated 35 years on the air at the same station yesterday.  He's not phoning it in either....the guy still rocks and is the hardest working man in radio!  Shout out to my buddy Arthur and congrats on 35 years!! Onto this week.  The only official Riff appearance that I have is this Saturday afternoon at Wireless Toyz.  Not sure which WT, but keep your eye on the Events page for the latest.  Can you hear me now?  I must not forget to mention that Wireless Toyz is the official wireless provider of the goofballs on the station's Street Team.  That's right....when one of these guys gives you ladies their phone number, Wireless Toyz helps to keep you and them connected!  Join me Saturday and we'll get you all set up with your own phone! Onto this week's Metal Knews! Think Metal! Screamin Scott One Ozzfest Mystery Slot Filled GIZMACHI have been confirmed by Ozzfest.com as one of the two remaining "mystery" bands that will play the side stage. The other "mystery" band is still TBA. Here is how the Ozzfest 2005 line-up now looks: Main Stage: BLACK SABBATH IRON MAIDEN (July 15 - August 20) / VELVET REVOLVER (August 23 - September 4) MUDVAYNE SHADOWS FALL BLACK LABEL SOCIETY IN FLAMES Side Stage: ROB ZOMBIE* KILLSWITCH ENGAGE* AS I LAY DYING* MASTODON ARCH ENEMY THE HAUNTED SOILWORK THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER TRIVIUM BURY YOUR DEAD IT DIES TODAY A DOZEN FURIES GIZMACHI + 1 more rotating band Chimara Release Date Set CHIMAIRA have tapped Colin Richardson (MACHINE HEAD, FEAR FACTORY, NAPALM DEATH) to mix their brand-new self-titled album, which is tentatively due on August 2 via Roadrunner Records. 13 songs have been recorded, with only 10 expected to make the final track listing. The follow-up to 2003's "The Impossibility of Reason", "Chimaira" was recorded at Spider Studios in Ohio with producer Ben Schigel, who has described the new material as having "more of an epic kind of vibe. The songs are a lot longer, but we found a way to make them long without being boring. Now that it's coming together, it sounds way more brutal." CHIMAIRA will be teaming up with NILE, ALL THAT REMAINS and 3 INCHES OF BLOOD for a U.S. tour immediately following the Sounds of the Underground trek. The tour will run from August through September and will be hitting a lot of areas CHIMAIRA have not played in a while or at all. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon. Judas Priest Update Reunited metal legends Judas Priest have announced their first full headlining tour in more than 15 years. The road jaunt begins June 1 at the Excel Energy Center in St. Paul, Minn. Seattle's melodic rockers, Queensryche, are the special guest for the tour. Thirty years into their career, vocalist Rob Halford, lead guitarists Glenn Tipton and K.K. Downing, bassist Ian Hill and drummer Scott Travis, are touring in support of their new album, Angel of Retribution. The band is currently wrapping up an overseas tour that covered Denmark, Sweden, Finland, Norway, Germany and the United Kingdom, with upcoming dates hitting Holland, Poland, Czech Republic, Austria, Italy, Spain, Portugal and Japan. 06/04/05 Judas Priest/Queensryche @ DTE w/WRIF! Cream Reunites Influential British 1960s band CREAM are reuniting for a series of shows 36 years after the group split. Guitarist Eric Clapton will join drummer Ginger Baker and bass player Jack Bruce for a series of performances at London's Royal Albert Hall starting next year.  The band last played together in 1993 when they were inducted into the US Rock and Roll Hall of Fame. All four performances at the Albert Hall sold in less than two hours, with tickets now changing hands for more than £500 on eBay. CREAM last played at the Royal Albert Hall in 1968. Although the band were only together for less than three years, they recorded three albums which sold more than 35 million copies. Slay Bootlegs My friend Nik over at Slayersaves.com has made available to Midnight Metal fans a live bootleg from SLAYER's performance in Edinburgh, Scotland on September 19, 1988 during the band's "South of Heaven" touring campaign. The songs available for free download are as follows: 1. South of Heaven 2. Raining Blood 3. Silent Scream 4. At Dawn They Sleep 5. Read Between the Lies 6. Fight Till Death 7. Mandatory Suicide 8. Kill Again 9. Behind the Crooked Cross 10. Postmortem 11. Reborn 12. Die by the Sword 13. Altar of Sacrifice 14. Jesus Saves 15. Chemical Warfare 16. Ghosts of War 17. Live Undead 18. Angel of Death Head over to Slayersaves.com to check them out. 4/26/2005 Wow...what a week last week...been on the go since last Wednesday.  Here's what I remember: Thanks to Pam Rossi from sister station WCSX for co-hosting the Music Awards pre-party with me last Wednesday at the Hockeytown Cafe.  Congrats go out to Mindcandy and Bobby East for their awards as well!  Friday night I got to host some awesome local rock talent on the stage at the Compuware Atrium.  For the one person out there that doesn't know, the Compuware Atrium is connected to the Hard Rock Cafe.  Our station broadcast area was set up inside the Hard Rock.  Therefore, its only right that I give a shout out to the extremely professional staff at the Hard Rock for taking care of me and the Riff Crew.  Having said that, the previously mentioned professional staff is headed by a person who shall remain nameless (Paul!!!).  Extra shout out to this person for the many shots done with yours truly.  My doctor has advised me to stay away from you for the next two weeks.  Saturday I got to take in the Lawrence Tech Open House.  What a great event!  The college has a couple of these each year, and if you haven't yet attended one, do yourself a favor and get out there! Sunday night the Emerald in Mt. Clemens held a final benefit for the late Jason Cross.  Thanks to all for letting me take part in a special night. Now for the good shit!  Thursday night is VIP Show #4 at the Masonic in Detroit.  If you won VIP tickets from us, make sure you come out early for the VIP party.  Its going to be one awesome night! Saturday night I'm at the Hayloft, and I can't recall the last time an event took on so much meaning.  Lemme explain....its going to be the Official WRIF Velvet Revolver Post-Party.  Not only that, but our good buddies from Sponge will be playing, and hosting their CD release party for their latest disc.  Last, but not least, there's awesome drink specials and my buddies from Critical Bill opening the show!  Join me for a rockin Saturday night in Mt. Clemens! I hope you'll allow me a moment to vent about something that's been eating at me lately.  VH1 (an excellent alternative to MTV) has decided to replay "VH1's Worst Metal Moments" again this month, and this means that at any given time a viewer has the opportunity to hear some so-called expert (douchebag) equate Bon Jovi with the term "metal."  So, without further BS, here's Screamin Scott's Top 10 Things Wrong with VH1's Worst Metal Moments (as you will see, I've invested WAY too much time into this): No.1: The emergence of Christian band Stryper — dressed in garish black-and-yellow costumes and soaked with enough hair spray to ignite a city block, they threw Bibles into the crowd and preached a very nonmetal clean lifestyle ... before going backstage every night and breaking 11 or 12 commandments. This isn't metal, it's marketing. Or maybe it's just lying. No.2: Faith No More allowing a fish to flop around for a few seconds at the end of a video — great song but this isn't metal. And PETA is still PISSED. No.3: Warrant's "Cherry Pie" video — anyone who understands metal knows this witless exercise in brain-dead hormonal bubbling is nothing to be celebrated. And no way is it "metal." No.4: Bon Jovi supposedly inventing the term "hair metal" — which, by definition, isn't metal. They didn't invent it anyway. Not even close. No.5: Metallica going after Napster — Maybe this is the 47th biggest metal news story of all time, but unleashing lawyers on your fans isn't "metal." Maybe justified, but certainly not metal. No 6: Joe Elliott getting burned in Def Leppard's "Foolin'" video — this might have been metal if he did it on purpose. Otherwise, nothing Def Leppard did after its second record should ever be associated with the word "metal." No. 7: Groupies starting a Web site detailing the sizes of certain rock stars — not metal. Someone should be punished for thinking it's cute. No. 8: Judas Priest singer Rob Halford coming out of the closet — pretty cool, but how anyone thinks this is "metal" is beyond comprehension. But the band is still Metal. No. 9: Ronnie James Dio supposedly inventing the metal finger sign while in Black Sabbath — I'd be OK with this if there weren't pictures of Gene Simmons doing a variation of it two years earlier. Of course, Gene's gesture may have meant "Please buy more overpriced merchandise" in sign language. No.10: Hear N' Aid — this was metal's answer to Live Aid, in which many metalers came together to record a terribly dumb charity song called "Stars". I believe it was Mother Teresa who once said "Charity is terribly important to keeping the soul human. But it's just not metal." Think METAL! Screamin Scott AHC Statement (Source: Blabbermouth.net) AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE have issued their first statement to the press following the death of guitarist Bryan Ottoson on April 19 in North Charleston, SC. The group's statement reads as follows: "The music world has lost a great guitarist and an even greater person with the death of our dear friend Bryan Ottoson.  "Bryan was a vital member of our group and a key songwriter on 'The Feeding'. It is our intention to honor his memory by re-joining MUDVAYNE, one of Bryan's favorite bands, on their current tour. Words cannot convey the depth of our sadness, but we want our fans to be able to hear the music Bryan loved so much. He'd be pissed if we didn't continue on. We will return on the Lubbock, TX date on April 29th." Bryan's surviving brother, Chad Ottoson, added: "The Ottoson family firmly stands behind AHC's decision to carry on in Bryan's name." A public memorial service for Bryan is forthcoming. More information will be made available soon. As previously reported, Ottoson died from overdosing on prescription drugs, according to MTV.com. Police said that a bottle containing "numerous amounts of prescription medicine" was found in the 27-year-old Ottoson's bunk after his body was discovered before a show in North Charleston, South Carolina. Ottoson's bandmates told police that they had last seen the guitarist alive at 4:00 a.m. as the band was departing Jessup, Maryland for South Carolina, and that he had consumed large amounts of alcohol at a Jessup bar the prior evening. Crowbar Touring Plans CROWBAR have been confirmed as direct support on CORROSION OF CONFORMITY's upcoming summer headline tour. Set to kick off June 2 at The Vogue in Indianapolis it is planned to run into early July. The tour is CROWBAR's second U.S. run in support of their latest album, "Lifesblood for the Downtrodden".  "Lifesblood for the Downtrodden" is a sonic testimonial to the determination, spirit and sheer creativity of a band very much at a continuing upswing of musical output. Produced by Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and Warren Riker (CORROSION OF CONFORMITY, DOWN), it finds guitarist/vocalist Kirk Windstein, guitarist Steve Gibb, bassist Pat Bruders, and drummer Tommy Buckley (with album performances from Rex Brown, Craig Nunenmacher, and Sid Montz) in top form. It concludes a three-year silence for the long respected band. Confirmed CORROSION OF CONFORMITY/CROWBAR dates as of press time include: Jun. 03 - Harpo's Concert Theatre - Detroit MI Jun. 04 - Newport Music Hall - Columbus OH Jun. 09 - Recher Theatre - Towson MD Jun. 10 - Irving Plaza - New York NY King Diamond Vocal Problems KING DIAMOND suffered more vocal problems in New York last night as the legend was performing at BB Kings for the second night in a row. His first show on Tuesday (19th) was "rough" in terms of vocals according to BW&BK sources. Prior to last night's performance, King hit the stage before the show and told the crowd, "Anybody who wants a refund can do so as I won't be able to do the falsetto tonight." The show's promoter comes on and says the same, although most fans stay. The King Diamond set was quite different and the band were joined by a female vocalist in the wings who handled all the high parts while King struggled through an abbreviated set. New Dickinson Pics The site electricartists.com has revealed new pictures of Iron Maiden's singer for his new solo album "TYRANNY OF SOULS", to be released on May 24th 2005: Tracklisting, Tyranny Of Souls: 01. Mars Within (Intro) 02. Abduction 03. Soul Intruders 04. Kill Devil Hill 05. Navigate the Seas of the Sun 06. River of No Return 07. Power of the Sun 08. Devil on a Hog 09. Believil 10. A Tyranny of Souls Off-fest Dates SHADOWS FALL will be headlining their own string of off dates between shows on this summer's Ozzfest. The first confirmed date is for Friday, August 5 in Fort Wayne, Indiana at Piere's. Opening bands and other dates are still TBA. As previously reported, the only other "Off-fest" confirmation we have is IN FLAMES and ARCH ENEMY will be playing some shows together. IN FLAMES will headline and ARCH ENEMY will be in direct support. Ozzfest News IN FLAMES have been bumped up from the 2nd Stage on this years OZZFEST 2005 up to the main-stage. Their billing is beneath BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, which implies that the Swedish act is opening up this years main-stage festivities. There are still two "unknown" acts set to be revealed for the Summer long tour, one of which is heavily rumored to be VELVET REVOLVER. 4/20/2005 More Sad Metal Knews... AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE guitarist Bryan Ottoson was reportedly found dead in his bunk earlier today prior to the band's scheduled appearance at the Plex in North Charleston, SC. An official word on the matter is expected shortly.  AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE were in the middle of a U.S. tour with MUDVAYNE, LIFE OF AGONY and BLOODSIMPLE in support of their new album, "The Feeding", available on Nitrus/DRT. The follow-up to 2001's "The War of Art" (American Recordings) was recorded at Westlake Studios in Los Angeles with producer Greg Fidelman (who engineered "The War of Art", and whose credits include MARILYN MANSON, SLIPKNOT, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS and BUSH).  Hailing from the Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul, the six members of AMERICAN HEAD CHARGE garnered both commercial and critical acclaim with "The War of Art", which debuted at No. 1 on Billboard's "Heatseekers" chart. Intensive, high-profile touring followed, including Ozzfest 2002, cementing the band's reputation as a killer live act. 4/19/2005 I said it time and again here, but last weekend was awesome!  Friday night I hosted a VIP Show #4 Pre-Party at a new bar downtown called The Delux Lounge.  Great staff, and a very cool place.  These passes to see Three Days Grace, Seether and Shinedown are like gold in this town right now...and if you haven't already figured it out, the easiest way to get a set for yourself is to join us at these pre-parties!!  Saturday night was the Dimebag Black Tooth Grin party at the Crazy Horse.  Lots of Black Tooth shots went down my hatch that night!  Congrats go out to Earl (from Michigan City, IN!!!!!) for winning the Tower of Metal.  Sunday night was Round Three of the Labatt Local Band Search.  Round Three featured Super Model T, Squid and Mindcandy, all of which put it out there big time for the crowd.  We've certainly got some great local talent among us! Speaking of local rock, this is a big week for all local musicians.  Wednesday night is the Motor City Music Awards, and the awards serve as a kickoff to the Motor City Music Conference, which runs through Sunday.  Everyone here at the station tells you time and again to get out and support your local bands, and this event provides you an easy way to see a lot of music over four days.  Now here's what I get the honor of fitting in: Prior to the start of Wednesday's Music Awards, I'll be at the Hockeytown Cafe for the official pre-party.  In this case, "official" means that all of the awards that won't be presented at the ceremony will be presented on-site at Hockeytown!  The party starts at 5PM! After the pre-party, I'll be heading over to the State to present at the Awards.  I'm not sure what award I'll be presenting, but I'm sure that it'll be a good time! Friday night I'll be the emcee at the Riff stage inside the Compuware Atrium for a night of live rock from Paper Street Saints, Overloaded, American Minor, Broadzilla and The Dirty Americans!!  I hope you can make it out and join me for some awesome local rock! Saturday afternoon my ringing ears and I will be at the Lawrence Tech Open House from 12-2P.  This is my first Open House at LTU, but the crew around here that have worked them before tell me that its a really cool time, and the students and staff have awesome displays and exhibits to show off.  Maybe I can get with someone to invent a machine that can restore my hearing from Friday night! I'm looking forward to some NASCAR action Saturday night, and I suppose Sunday I'll charge my batteries by laying low.  Its tough being Screamin Scott you know! That's it for this week!  Think METAL!!! Screamin Scott Ozzy Leaving America? FemaleFirst.co.uk is reporting that Ozzy Osbourne is set to leave America for good — to retire in Britain.  The BLACK SABBATH singer, who spends much of his time at home in Los Angeles, says he is fed up with the U.S. and once he finishes touring will move back to his homeland.  Osbourne, who also owns a mansion in Britain's countryside, said: "I'm going to go back to Britain. I can't see me spending the rest of my days in America."  The star has also dismissed rumors his English home is cursed. In the past six months, the house has been the scene of his near fatal quad biking accident, a jewelry theft and fire. He said: "That's a coincidence and doesn't worry me. When I've finished touring, I'm coming home." Mudvayne 150,000 Strong MUDVAYNE are on track to sell over 150,000 copies of their Epic Records release "Lost and Found", which could tentatively land them at #2 on the Billboard Charts. Vinnie Paul Emerges! DAMAGEPLAN/PANTERA drummer Vinnie Paul joined BLACK LABEL SOCIETY on stage for the song "Suicide Messiah" during their performance at the House of Blues in Orlando, Florida Sunday night (April 17). Paul had previously jammed with BLACK LABEL SOCIETY at the 2005 WAAF Indoor Beach Party on April 9 at the Tsongas Arena in Lowell, MA. MARTYR AD Split Up Martyr AD has dropped off Agnostic Front tour. They have broken up due to band indifferences. Seventh Star will be joining the tour from April 17th-24th. Jacknife will be joining April 25th-29th. Children of Bodom News The wheels are in motion for the new CHILDREN OF BODOM album. An official post reads that drums have been completed for the bands next effort: "Drum tracks for the new COB album have been succesfully recorded already. Now the band will start working with guitar and bass tracks. Recordings should be ready by the end of May!" Black Dahlia Murder's New Album THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER have just finished up mixing with Eric Rachel (NORA, ATREYU, GOD FORBID, etc.) and Andreas Magnusson (formerly of SCARLET) at Trax East in New Jersey and kick off the first day of the KING DIAMOND, NILE tour today in Ft Lauderdale, FL. After the tour finishes up in the end of May the band will be home for about a month before heading out on Ozzfest to play the infamous second stage along side AS I LAY DYING, MASTODON, ROB ZOMBIE, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, and many more. Their new album "Miasma" will hit streets on July 12th, 2005 just days before the start of Ozzfest in Boston, MA. Tracklisting for the release is below: 1. Built for Sin 2. I'm Charming 3. Flies 4. Statutory Ape 5. A Vulgar Picture 6. Novelty Cross 7. Vice Campaign 8. Miscarriage 9. Spite Suicide 10. Miasma 4/12/2005 I would like to start the weekly blog off first this week by sincerely thanking everyone who made it out to Jason Cross's benefit last Friday night at the Hayloft in Mt. Clemens.  Through your efforts, and the efforts of countless unnamed others, we were able to raise a very respectable amount of money for Jason's family and Jason's funeral expenses.  As I said last week, our local music community rallies around its own, and Friday was proof positive of that! Let's recap the other events last week: Hooters Roseville hosted me and the Riff Party Crew Thursday afternoon for a Happy Hour party.  Many thanks to the entire crew at Hooters Roseville for an awesome time.  Check me out with the girls in the photo above. Saturday night was Riff night at TNT's in Clinton Township.  TNT's booked some awesome bands into the place, and a good time was had by all, especially me!  For proof, ask them for a copy of my bar tab! As this is being published on the website, I'm hosting the regional Guitarmagddeon at Guitar Center Roseville.  The semis that I hosted a couple of weeks ago were flat out incredible; I can only imagine what kind of guitar talent will be on hand tonight.  There are some absolutely amazing guitarists among us, and most of them will be at Guitar Center with me tonight! Unless you've been living in a van by the river the past few weeks (and even that guy knows about it), you know about VIP Show #4 at the Masonic on April 28th featuring Three Days Grace, Seether and Shinedown.  The only way you can get into the show is to scam passes from us at the station, and I'll have a ton at a new bar downtown Friday night.  The place to be is called Deux Leux on Shelby, and I'm there starting at 10PM.  Join me! A couple of months back I first mentioned a Black Tooth Grin party that was coming together.  The station just finished the details late last week, and the party is this Saturday night!  The place is the Crazy Horse starting at 9PM.  The party is a tribute to the late Dimebag, and we'll be playing lots of Damageplan and Pantera.  Let me repeat that again: the lovely ladies of the Crazy Horse will be dancing to the tunes of Pantera and Damageplan.  Is there anything else that needs to be said?  Well, yes, there is....we're also giving away "The Tower of Metal" Saturday night.  What is the Tower of Metal?  Its a CD case tower just like your little sister's, but unlike her CD tower, our's will be filled with the finest metal music around!!  Get out there Saturday night! Sunday evening I head out to Fifth Avenue Novi for Round Three of the Local Band Search.  If you want to see some killer local rock, come and join me Sunday night! That's your update for this week! Think METAL! Screamin Scott Nikki Talks To Doug In a brand new interview with Doug Podell of Detroit's WRIF 101.1 FM, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx confirmed that the group has commenced work on the material for a new studio album. Asked if plans exist to release a new CD, Sixx said, "Absolutely. We're gonna do a new record. We're writing it out here [on the road], which is kind of like how 'Shout at the Devil' was written. It was written while we were playing all the time, and we were looking for stuff that worked for us live. And that's the kind of stuff that we're gonna be writing more of. I mean, 'Sick Love Song' [off the group's recent two-CD 'greatest hits' collection, 'Red, White & Crüe'], is probably a good example of where we're heading… There'll be a wide variety of stuff, as usual. So, yeah, I'm excited about the new music. But God, we're so far from getting to that point. [We're] just enjoying being here and the fact that we're going out this summer with the Carnival of Sin tour, and we've got SUM 41, THE EXIES, SILVERTIDE [opening]…" Two More Ozzfest Mystery Slots Appear Ozzfest's official web site, Ozzfest.com, has added two "mystery act" slots to their "Bands" page — one on the main stage and one on the second stage. The main-stage slot is widely expected to be filled by VELVET REVOLVER (who will reportedly join the tour on August 16 in West Valley City, UT before taking over IRON MAIDEN's slot beginning on August 23 in Albuquerque, NM), while there is no word yet on who will fill the second-stage "mystery" slot. Kulick Talks To RockConfidential.com Former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick recently spoke to RockConfidential.com about the UNION DVD, touring with Eric Singer, working on Paul Stanley's upcoming solo CD, and his thoughts on Gene Simmons' "Asshole" solo album, among other topics. An excerpt from the interview follows: RockConfidential.com: You've been staying busy and I know you're working with Paul Stanley on his solo album. How is that coming along? Bruce Kulick: "I played bass on four tunes so far. He's asked me to play some guitar stuff. I'm just waiting on a phone call from him. The stuff is terrific. It's definitely what Paul really gets off on. The other half of the record I haven't heard yet, but it's very melodic. I'm happy that he's following his vision. He's not trying to write a KISS record, although every KISS fan is going to love it." RockConfidential.com: Do the songs you've worked on compare to any previous KISS style? Bruce Kulick: "Some of there are closer to cool things like 'Every Time I Look At You' from 'Revenge'. He's got some more up-tempo kinda things that I haven't heard. He's working with people like Desmond Child. I'm looking forward to doing some more work with him." RockConfidential.com: Is he recovering well from his surgery? Bruce Kulick: "He did the hip thing twice! How many hips do you have? You've gotta get it right. Last time I talked to him he said he was feeling really good. RockConfidential.com: Just because I've got you here I wanna put you on the spot a little. What did you think about Gene's solo album? Bruce Kulick: "I like it and I think it's all over the map. There's so many styles on there and some I couldn't even imagine him wanting to record. He had an interesting take on them all. The whole concept of calling a record 'Asshole'...the way he comes off as a pimp, I just don't get it. Gene wants to be outrageous and present himself in a certain way. 'Asshole' is a song he got from a band in Norway and I understand him being attracted to the song. It's a very catchy tune. I wouldn't want to call an album that or make it the featured first single. The 'Firestarter' thing — I don't get what PRODIGY has to do with KISS but if that turns on Gene, ya know? In some ways I think he had some strong moments and the rest of the time I just didn't get it. That's what solo records are about, though. I'm more scared about his box set! What is he talking about? That sounds scary to me!" RockConfidential.com: 100 songs! I'm sure he has stuff you probably played on, right? Bruce Kulick: "Sure, he could. I don't know. I haven't heard from him. Go ahead! I'd love to hear 'em get out there. Gene is a piece of work. He's very driven. It's kinda like Donald Trump was a rock star. It's a scary thought, but that's Gene Simmons. I know Paul is looking forward to getting his solo album out and proving that he's the musical driving force of KISS. They both contribute in very big ways but I think Paul's will be more defined and more in the area of KISS." RockConfidential.com: What's your opinion of KISS? Not your opinion of the members individually, but the idea of the band continuing in makeup without Peter and Ace. Bruce Kulick: "KISS is bigger than whatever is happening at any particular moment. It doesn't matter if they're going on their fourth farewell tour. KISS has made its mark and the KISS name represents a lot of very important things in rock 'n roll. Right now it seems they're in this period of 'What's next'? Paul's solo record is coming up but other than that I don't know. I don't know if they are that ambitious to say 'Let's do a record like 'Revenge' with Tommy Thayer and Eric.' They certainly could. I don't know why they don't have the drive to do things like that. Let's just get Paul's solo record out and then maybe they'll decide to define KISS for 2006." CD and DVD Releases Out Today CD AMERICAN HI-FI Hearts on Parade (Warner Bros.) KANE HODDER The Pleasure to Remain So Heartless (Fueled by Ramen) L.A. GUNS 20th Century Masters (Chronicles) MILLENCOLIN Kingwood (Epitaph) MUDVAYNE Lost and Found (Epic) HENRY ROLLINS & MOTHER SUPERIOR Get Some Go Again Sessions (Touch and Go) SLIPKNOT Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses) (Two CDs with b-sides, live tracks) DVD YES Songs from Tsongas: The 35th Anniversary Concert (Image) 4/6/2005 With a heavy metal heart, we say goodbye later today to good friend Jason Cross, the frontman for Koyl.  Its like walking through a cloud of disbelief when I think that Jason is now gone.  This is one of those cases where someone was taken way too soon.  If you are reading this Wednesday afternoon, you still have time to pay your respects....scroll down for the funeral details. We must grieve and move on, and in that spirit let me let you know what's going on.  First off, got a couple of calls last night about the Jagermeister Tour at Clutch Cargo's featuring Alter Bridge.  They put on a great set, but the calls that I got focused on the local talent at the show...the band Overloaded, who started the night.  These guys rock, and put it out last night!!  Great job last night guys! Tomorrow afternoon I'll be spending dinner at Hooters Roseville, on Gratiot at 14 Mile.  Every place that I hang out at has an awesome staff, and the crew at Hooters Roseville is no exception.  They are always so cool to the Riff Crew, and we love hanging out there on our own time.  Join me for dinner from 5-7P, and hang out after for Hooters' trivia contest for awesome prizes! Friday night I'll be at the Hayloft in Mt. Clemens for the Jason Cross tribute.  Details about the night are below the photo below the metal news.  As we saw earlier this year with the AJ tragedy, the local music community rallies around its own, so the place should be packed Friday night, and with good reason, because all monies raised go for funeral costs and to his family left behind.  I sincerely hope to see each and every one of you out there! Saturday night is Riff night at TNT's in Clinton Township, another of my favorite local haunts.  Its Full Throttle Saturday night, and this Saturday night will feature a battle of the bands, as well as some other crazy debauchery that you will have to see to believe.  Before I get to the metal knews, a quick update on the WPHS radiothon that I was involved with a couple of weeks ago.  I got a call late last week, and the final tally was a tad over five grand!!  That's $5,000+ raised for Wigs For Kids!!!  Congrats to the fine and very professional staff at WPHS Warren!! Until next week, THINK METAL!!! Screamin Scott Ill Nino Update ILL NINO has posted the following redundant message on their official website: "Well where do we begin? Drums are all recorded, Electric guitars are done, and we're in the middle of recording the Bass, Percussion, Acoustic guitars, and Samples. We know people are gonna trip when they hear the new shit, we promise the new songs are a shitload heavier than anything we've ever done, pure Latino Metal.  As soon as we can, we'll put an MP3 of a new song for everyone to check out, also check out the photo gallery this weekend, as we're posting pictures of the band recording the new CD, Peace." GIGANTOUR is coming!!! DAVE MUSTAINE'S 'GIGANTOUR' SET TO LAUNCH IN LATE JULY; DREAM THEATER, FEAR FACTORY, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN AND NEVERMORE CONFIRMED TO JOIN MEGADETH ON THE MAINSTAGE FOR SIX-WEEK NORTH AMERICAN TREK It's called GIGANTOUR, and it's the brainchild of MEGADETH frontman/guitarist DAVE MUSTAINE.  Set to launch in late July, GIGANTOUR is a six-week festival trek co-headlined by MEGADETH and DREAM THEATER, who'll be accompanied by other main stage acts FEAR FACTORY, DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN and NEVERMORE. Artists for the second stage will be announced in the coming weeks. GIGANTOUR follows MEGADETH's sold-out 2004 "Blackmail The Universe" Tour in support of 2004's THE SYSTEM HAS FAILED--MEGADETH's tenth studio album--which debuted on the charts at #18 and was critically hailed as a brilliant return to form. Bandmates Glen Drover (guitar), James MacDonough (bass) and Shawn Drover (drums) will once again join MUSTAINE on the road.  GIGANTOUR--whose moniker was inspired by the classic 1960's cartoon "Gigantor"-- will criss-cross North America, with stops in amphitheatres and arenas in cities including Los Angeles, New York, Chicago, Detroit, Toronto, Montreal, Washington, Philadelphia, Boston, Denver and Minneapolis, among others. The tour is implementing the "fan friendly" ticket price of approximately $35 each. MUSTAINE notes: "I think people may want an affordable alternative to the choices out there--along the lines of a pure music festival--like Monsters of Rock or Clash of the Titans." MUSTAINE handpicked the bands for GIGANTOUR, with a focus on musicianship. "There are few very successful tours out each summer and in order to be significant, I knew the first Gigantour had to make an impact with top bands like DREAM THEATER, Fear Factory, Dillinger Escape Plan and Nevermore." MUSTAINE wanted to "put together a festival that consisted of positive bands that play heavy music in a high energy environment."  MUSTAINE comments on the other bands he's chosen for the GIGANTOUR main stage. "I think that the variety of playing styles and the credibility of the different players is really exciting. I'm looking forward to spending time with DREAM THEATER- -including my friend Mike Portnoy--while on the road. I think DREAM THEATER is unbelievably talented. I can't wait to see what their set list is going to be for this festival."  Mike Portnoy from DREAM THEATER comments on the band's perspective on the tour. "I think we probably bring some diversity to the bill, because we're kind of like chameleons--we can fit into a lot of different situations. We've done shows in the past with Iron Maiden, Slayer and Pantera, and then we've also done shows with Elton John, Yes and Deep Purple. I think our fan base is very diverse like that too." Portnoy sees GIGANTOUR as a "kind of a meeting of musicians and metal-heads." He adds: "I've been listening to MEGADETH since day one and always admired them and Dave as an artist--he's constantly stuck to his guns and stuck by the music he believes in. MEGADETH are one of the pioneers of the genre." GIGANTOUR marks the first U.S. leg of DREAM THEATER dates in support of their forthcoming release OCTAVARIUM, due out June 7 on Atlantic Records. MUSTAINE first toured with Fear Factory in 1994. "I think Fear Factory and Dillinger Escape Plan are really going to add something different to the tour and bring some new people in." He continues, "The frontman of Nevermore [Warrell Dane] used to be in a band called Sanctuary and I produced their first record."  MUSTAINE is excited to hit the road and has a positive outlook for GIGANTOUR. "I look forward to watching this develop over the years and seeing how we can turn this into something that's going to stand the test of time. And if this works, and it really works, maybe we'll take it elsewhere."  Stay tuned for tour dates, venues and information about the second stage bands to be announced soon and check www.megadeth.com for additional updates. Anthrax Press Conference Recap The April 1st 2005’s ANTHRAX Reunion Press Conference was no April Fools Joke. Kicking off an entire “Spreading the Anthrax” . the Legendary Metal Band ANTHRAX announced the reinstatement of their classic “Among the Living” lineup, featuring Joey Belladonna, Frankie Bello, Charlie Benante, Scott Ian and Danny Spitz. Now together for the first time in 13 years, the band touched upon the excitement of going out on the road with each other again and playing songs that they have not played in years.  ANTHRAX always plays to a packed house and this press conference was no different. A plethora of media outlets had the opportunity in an open forum to ask these famed metallers about their break up as well as the reunion and future plans. Scott Ian stated, “Going into this reunion the only way it would've worked was if everyone was into it. If it was a case where there was arm twisting and convincing to be done, there would be no reason to do it. This came together easily and with no need for us to have band therapy or for us to massage egos or anything of the sort. The relationship between the five of us is easy and natural and the last week has been a blast. The ball-busting has been non-stop and I'm looking forward to having fun with this.” Ozzfest Mystery Spot No More MUDVAYNE are confirmed for this summer's Ozzfest. Ozzfest.com has confirmed that the band will be playing the "myster" spot on the main stage directly following SHADOWS FALL and right before IRON MAIDEN.  Here is the official Ozzfest 2005 lineup: Main Stage BLACK SABBATH IRON MAIDEN MUDVAYNE SHADOWS FALL BLACK LABEL SOCIETY Side Stage ROB ZOMBIE KILLSWITCH ENGAGE AS I LAY DYING IN FLAMES SOILWORK ARCH ENEMY THE HAUNTED MASTODON THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER TRIVIUM IT DIES TODAY BURY YOUR DEAD A DOZEN FURIES August 4 - Clarkston, MI @ DTE Energy Music Theatre Rest in Piece Jason... 4/4/2005 Word just came down about the Jason Cross Memorial Show.  Here's the details: Friday April 8th - Hayloft Liquor Stand - Mt. Clemens Performances from Core Effect, Last, Abandon, Critical Bill and Ray Street Park A special reunion of the existing members of Koyl, as well as a CD and DVD sale featuring Jason's work on Koyl and other projects.  Tickets are $10 and the show is 18 and older.  ALL proceeds are going to pay for the funeral for Jason.  Hope to see you out there! 4/3/2005 Funeral arrangements have been announced in regards to Jason Cross.  Thanks to Terry from Ray Street Park for the details.  Here they are: Sawyer Funeral Home, located at 2125 12 Mile Road, just west of Woodward Viewing is 3-9P Tuesday and 1-5P Wednesday Service is 5-7P Wednesday Wake starts at 7P at the Legion Hall across 12 Mile I've also been informed that a benefit show for Jason is in the works, and as always, when I know, you'll know. Rest in Piece Jason... 4/1/2005 Just received some absolutely terrible news.  Jason Cross of Koyl passed away yesterday.  Jason and Koyl helped out on many Riff shows.  Jason was a great guy who lived hard and died way too young.  Jason will be missed by many in the Detroit Music Scene and his many friends here at the radio station.  When funeral details become available to me, I'll post them immediately. 3/29/05 Back again for another action packed blog week-in-review.  We'll start with last Wednesday: Last Wednesday I got to do something that I've wanted to do for a long time: go back and support my high school radio station, where my career started.  WPHS radio operates out of Cousino High School in Warren, and they invited me back for alumni day during last week's radiothon to benefit Wigs For Kids.  The radiothon raised close to $4,000 at last check!!  As for myself, I did a one hour shift and hung with the kids and staff.  They've got a very talented and eager staff over at WPHS, and I'll bet we hear some of their voices on "major" stations soon.  Check out the station at WPHS.com. It was a Harpo's weekend for me last Friday and Saturday.  Breaking Benjamin backed out of Friday's show due to illness, but The Exies and Theory of a Deadman came through with two killer sets.  I got the chance to talk to members of both bands before the show, and that audio should be up on my page soon. Saturday night I was on hand for the Zakk Wylde show.  Zakk put on a killer show, as you would expect.  I can't wait for Ozzfest this year, and I hope that you were lucky enough to make it into the sold out show. Having said all that, I must do justice for the local bands that were on the bill that night.  I've talked with some of them, and they tell me that they were notified that night that Zakk wouldn't play if the local bands went on, and therefore the local acts were pulled from the bill.  Zakk is a great performer and says what's on his mind and pulls no punches, but bending over the local acts wasn't cool. Zakk, next time give the local artists their due. Onto this week's happenings: Saturday is the 4th Annual Men's Expo at the Novi Expo Center, and the crew here at the station has some excellent things set up for this year's Expo.  MotorCityMensExpo.com has all the details.  Sunday night I'll be at 5th Avenue inside Comerica Park for the Local Band Search.  It should be a night of killer local rock, so join me! Looking ahead, Monday is Tiger's Opening Day.  That's right, Opening Day is finally here!  As I write this, I'm not exactly where I'll be Monday, but a good bet is the State Theater for the Riff pre-party.  Tiger's Opening Day is always one of the biggest parties of the year, and I hope to see you down there Monday! And that's it for this week! Think METAL! Screamin Scott Ozzy's Covers CD SONY has been in touch with OZZY OSBOURNE fansite OzzyHead.com, and has hinted that the "Under Covers" disc from Osbourne's latest box set release "Prince of Darkness" will be "released by itself sometime in June or this Summer".  The site mentions in recent interviews that OZZY has stated that this disc would be released on its own "somewhere in the future", and would contain some extra tracks which did not make it on the box set.  The following covers have not been released: Jeff Beck - Hi Ho Silver Lining Joe Walsh - Rocky Mountain Way John Lennon - Woman Black Dahila Murder Studio Update THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER's Trevor Strand has offered a small update regarding their studio progress:  ”The studio has been infested with mice. We have constructed makeshift vermin control suits and capture methods to aid us in this annoying turn of events. Last night while I was doing my vocals, 10 or 12 of them broke the door in to the control room with a log they had procured on the premises. Brian, Dave, and John are now dead, and Zach and I will see you at Ozzfest.” Kittie Minus Two Kittie have parted ways with both their guitarist Lisa Marx and their bassist Jennifer Arroyo. Frontwoman Morgan Lander posted a statement on the band's message board that reads as follows: Alright, I know that what has happened with Lisa comes as a shock to all of you. It was a shock to all of us too. Things haven't been said in a press release up until this point with good reason however. Not only has Lisa decided to leave the band, but Jennifer has decided to leave too. I figured we should get this all out into the open while we still can.  We discussed Jennifer's departure with her, and with a heavy heart, she said she can no longer continue with Kittie, so she will be continuing on with Suicide City full time.   There was no press release for Lisa when she decided to leave because we had decided with Jen that we should wait until April 1st to let this all out of the bag, both from her end and ours. This is an amicable departure!  Now the reasons...I feel that there are only a few real factors that came into play regarding this happening with both Lisa and Jennifer...  For the past few years, Artemis records has denied us critical things like tour support, movie soundtracks, advertisement placement and other critical things that help a band to keep making money and pay the people that needed to be paid, like Jen and Lisa. Within the last 6 months, thing became so financially bad that we were no longer able to keep the girls on retainer, that is give them a salary while we are not touring. Not only were we not able to pay them, but we came home from the last tour not knowing what was next for the band.  It is a sad fact, but ALL of this is happening because our label is destroying us, and these girls jumped from the sinking ship while they still could. Unfortunately for Mercedes and I, we have to continue on if Artemis renews our option, whether our hearts are in it or not...  Jen has been with us for 3 years, and she has seen the hardship, and experienced the pain and sadness in knowing that as long as we are with the label, we will never be where we know Kittie can be. She is a smart girl, and a hungry person, and she knows the trouble with the label first hand...  We don't blame the girls for leaving. Financially and emotionally, our trouble with the label has done nothing but break our spirits. How can we insure a future for them when we DON'T EVEN KNOW WHAT OURS WILL BE? As long as we are with Artemis, I can't guarantee anything... We love all of the girls, and wish them the best of luck...Its just so sad. Anthrax Reunion Twice Grammy nominated, MTV/VMA nominees and Multi-Platinum and Gold Awarded music veterans ANTHRAX have sold over 10,000,000 records worldwide including nine studio albums, two live albums, three greatest hits, plus two DVDs. Touring pros ANTHRAX performed on over fifty tours spanning the globe – in thirty-two countries on five continents including Europe, North America, South America, Australia and Asia. New York’s own ANTHRAX has an unmistakable signature style and distinct sound that breaks musical, cultural and political boundaries – influencing a myriad of bands throughout the spectrum of musical genres for 20 years.   Now, for the first time in 13 years the entire Among The Living lineup: Joey Belladonna, Frankie Bello, Charlie Benante, Scott Ian and Danny Spitz, will gather together in one room on April 1st to discuss new music releases, as well as the future plans for this monumental ANTHRAX reunion.  At the conclusion of the ANTHRAX Global Press Conference and Luncheon, ANTHRAX will make an important statement regarding the U.S. Government and the Anthrax Vaccine. ANTHRAX has teamed up with Slave to the Metal™ Foundation (www.slavetothemetal.org) to bring public awareness to the dangers of the Anthrax Vaccine. The newly legislated “BioShield Act” (July, 2004) allows the Department of Health and Human Services to inject American Citizens with Anthrax Vaccines and other untested and unapproved substances without informed consent, using our military as first line guinea pigs. Experts will be at the conference to discuss this with attendees. Anthrax Discography: Fistful Of Metal 1984 Armed and Dangerous 1985 Spreading the Disease 1985 Among The Living 1987 Fistful of Anthrax 1987 I’m The Man (EP) 1987 State Of Euphoria 1988 Penikufesin (EP) 1989 Persistence of Time 1990 Attack Of The Killer B’s 1991 Sound Of White Noise 1993 Live The Island Years (Live) 1994 Stomp 442 1995 Moshers 1986-1991 (Compilation) 1998 Volume 8 – The Threat Is Real 1998 Return Of The Killer A’s 1999 Madhouse – The Very Best Of Anthrax (Compilation) 2001 We’ve Come For You All 2003 Music Of Mass Destruction (LIVE Album/DVD) 2004 The Greater of Two Evils (Compilation) November 2004 3/22/05 Yet another crazy few days this past weekend.  Let me recap: Friday afternoon went to see "The Upside of Anger" again.  You already know that Arthur P and the station are featured in the film.  Its 4 **** stars baby!  Go see it! Saturday night I made my way out to the Crazy Horse.  I ALWAYS have a great time there.  Saturday night was totally off the hook, and you should make it a point to head out there sometime.  The reason I was out there was to promote their Tiger's Opening Day package, and there are a precious few packages left, so here's the skinny: A mere $100 will get you a Bloody Mary breakfast, tickets, transportation and after party back at the Crazy Horse with a steak dinner.  All this for only 100 bones!  Contact the Crazy Horse to get your package! Tesla came back to town Sunday for the 15th Anniversary of the 5 Man Acoustic Jam.  What an incredible show!  The station had a private soundcheck party pretty early in the day, so I got to spend a lot of time with the band.  All is well with the guys these days.  The Royal Oak show was the last on this leg of the tour, and they were pumped about how the shows had been going so far.  They played all the hits, and a really awesome crowd turned out for the show.  I hope you got to check it out! Speaking of jam, I'm all over the place this week, starting with Guitar Center's Guitarmagdeddon District Finals tonight.  All the best local guitar players will be on site for what should be a pretty good show. I'm there tonight at the Roseville store from 7 until 9PM.  If you haven't yet seen the HUGE new Roseville store, get out and take it all in! Wednesday I get the pleasure of going back to high school.  Some of you know that I graduated from Cousino High School in Warren back in the day.  Others know that Cousino is the home of the school district's radio station, where I once walked the halls.  The station, WPHS, is having their radiothon, and I get to come back and help out.  Not really sure what they've got in store for me, but I'll let you know how it went next week! Thursday night TNT's Bar (15 Mile and Harper in Clinton Township) is having their Tsunami benefit, featuring some really awesome bands.  Your donation to the cause gets you in to see Ray Street Park, Broadzilla, The Unheard and LAST!  Should be a good time, and get out early to see me from 7 until 9!  Doug Podell comes in at 9 and takes the party over from there, as I actually have to do an airshift at the station that night....so if you do come out, take it easy on me! I've got Friday night off, and no plans as of now.  E-mail me and let me know what's going on around town, and perhaps I'll stop by! Saturday night is the Zakk Wylde show at Harpo's.  This show is completely SOLD OUT, so stop e-mailing me for tickets!  If you were one of the lucky few to score tickets to the show, you'll be in store for quite a night!  Should be a good primer for this year's Ozzfest! Sunday is Easter Sunday, so I'll be hunting for Jagermeister eggs around the Dude Ranch Main Branch.  Hope you get to spend some time with the family this Sunday, and a shout out and thanks to all our military all over the world taking care of business and kicking an monumental amount of ass!  Think METAL! Screamin Scott Ozzy Speaks! According to Ozzyhead.com, Ozzy Osbourne appeared on a radio show Monday morning (March 21). When asked about recent rumors of plastic surgery and what he had done, Ozzy replied, "I had my dick shortened". Ozzy shot down the rumors and said "I don't know where they get this shit from."  Ozzy was also asked why BLACK SABBATH hasn't put out any new albums. Ozzy basically said that the group had gotten together in the past and put together about six new songs, but the material just didn't live up to the quality of past albums. He also added that the idea of a new album has not been laid to rest, but is on the back burner at the moment. "It just didn't feel right, but if something comes about as good as 'Paranoid' or 'Volume 4', we'll release it then." Ozzy was also asked about his quad bike accident. Did you see anything when your heart stopped? "Oh, look at the bird up in the sky... doesn't my house look beautiful from down here", Ozzy replied. Did you see the Devil? "I'm married to her!" Ozzy replied. Bruce Dickinson News The following press release has been issued in regards to IRON MAIDEN frontman BRUCE DICKINSON’s new solo album, Tyranny Of Souls, due for release on May 24th: Bruce Dickinson is an artist who has influenced thousands of singers, musicians and fans alike in his outstanding role as the front man of legendary band Iron Maiden. He has achieved great success as a solo artist, and is also acclaimed as a Radio DJ, TV presenter, pilot, author and voice of modern music. It has been seven years since Dickinson released his last solo album, The Chemical Wedding, which received massive critical acclaim while exploring intriguing and dark themes. The intervening years have seen him make a highly successful return to Iron Maiden, with two huge albums and record breaking live shows and tours. Tyranny Of Souls, Bruce's new solo venture, sees him return once again to collaborate with guitarist/producer/writer Roy Z. The album's cover is adorned with a 15th century depiction of Hell by Hans Hemling and the music continues along this path to explore dark, apocalyptic themes. Delving into science, theology and of course, his love of flight, with thought provoking, intelligent and menacing lyrics that are sure to leave the listener's mind unsettled, Tyranny Of Souls is pure Dickinson. Heavy riff-laden songs and explosive virtuoso guitar work from Roy joined with the definitive Dickinson soaring vocals, makes this ground breaking album a tour de force of modern Metal. It was following on from the end of the last Maiden tour that Bruce saw an opportunity to work alongside Roy again. Says Bruce, “With Maiden, once the band has finished up on the tours, we all tend to go our separate ways and do our own thing for a while until it's time to saddle up again for the next album. I knew I could seize the chance to work with Roy in between his work on the new Judas Priest album. We both work quickly together which I like and the recording is very organic so it came together quite easily. I'm very proud of it.” Tyranny Of Souls will feature the following tracklisting: ‘Mars Within (Intro)’, ‘Abduction’, ‘Soul Intruders’, ‘Kill Devil Hill’, ‘Navigate The Seas Of The Sun’, ‘River Of No Return’, ‘Power Of The Sun’, ‘Devil On A Hog’, ‘Believil’ and ‘A Tyranny Of Souls’. Wylde Crybaby Available The highly anticipated Zakk Wylde signature Wylde Crybaby wah is now available from ZakkWylde.com! Click the to be one of the FIRST to have this slammin' new pedal in your guitar rig! This pedal was designed by Zakk and the crew at Dunlop, and is the EXACT pedal that Zakk is using on the 2005 Mafia and Ozzfest tours. If you're yearning for that face melting tone of BLS and Zakk Wylde, this is THE wah pedal for you! A photo of the pedal can be seen at http://www.zakkwylde.com/nwwd/features/wyldewah2.jpg CD and DVD Releases Out Today THE CAVE "Original Soundtrack" (Lakeshore) with ATREYU, SHADOWS FALL, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and more) CHEVELLE "This Type of Thinking Could Do Us In" (DualDisc) DINOSAUR JR. "Bug" "Dinosaur" "You're Living All Over Me" (Merge) JOHN DOE "Forever Hasn't Happened Yet" (Yep Roc) GOOD CHARLOTTE "The Chronicles of Life and Death" (DualDisc) GRAVE DIGGER "The Last Supper" (Nuclear Blast) BILLY IDOL "Devil's Playground" (Sanctuary) LAMB OF GOD (as BURN THE PRIEST) "Ashes of the Wake" (DualDisc) NOCTURNAL RAGE "Way Out Your Mind" (Noc-On-Wood) OMNIUM GATHERUM "Years in Waste" (Nuclear Blast) OZZY OSBOURNE "Prince of Darkness" (Box Set) (Epic) QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE "Lullabies to Paralyze" (Interscope) THE RANDIES "At the Friendship Motor Inn" (Elicit/MRI) RUSH "Chronicles" (Chronicles) SINCH "Clearing the Channel" (Rock Ridge Music) SIX FEET UNDER "13" (Metal Blade) VARIOUS ARTISTS "A Rock Tribute to Lynyrd Skynyrd" (Sanctuary) DVD Audio CLASSIC ALBUMS: MOTORHEAD - ACE OF SPADES CLASSIC ALBUMS: NIRVANA - NEVERMIND DVD BRUCE DICKINSON "The Compleat Works" (Sanctuary) JETHRO TULL "Live at the Isle of Wight, 1970" (Eagle Rock) YES "9012 Live" (Image)   3/16/05 Well, this crappy weather is still molesting us like a kid at Neverland....makes you thankful that Spring is just a few days away.  And with Spring comes the start of baseball season!  If you're way into the Tigers like I am, join me this Saturday night at the Crazy Horse!  They'll have a couple of awesome Tiger Opening Day packages to award to some lucky winners, as well as some packages for all out purchase.  If you wanna experience Opening Day the right way, get to the Crazy Horse Saturday night! Tesla makes their way back to the Motor City this Sunday at The Royal Oak Music Theater for a Riff show, and I'll be on hand for all the festivities.  Its the 15 year anniversary of the 5 man acoustic jam they had at the Ritz in Roseville.  Remember the Ritz?  Well, its now a Super K-Mart, and since we can't have the show there, we moved it to Royal Oak, where you can see them up close and personal.  This is a FULL acoustic show....if you don't have your tickets yet, do yourself a favor and get them! Slipknot was this past weekend at Cobo, and it was totally off the hook!  I got to interview #8 Corey Taylor, and keep an eye out for the interview audio on my page in the near future. From one metal tour to another....Ozzfest!  I can finally confirm that Ozzfest is coming to town on August 4th at DTE.  I can also tell you that the lineup contains such acts as Black Sabbath, Iron Maiden, Rob Zombie and Black Label Society among others.  For the entire skinny, check out the Metal Knews page by using the link below. Hope to see you Saturday at the Crazy Horse and Sunday at Tesla!  Think Metal!!! Screamin Scott Ozzfest 2005 Announced Ozzfest — the king of festivals — triumphantly returns this summer to celebrate its hard-earned 10th anniversary with the staggering line-up of BLACK SABBATH, IRON MAIDEN, ROB ZOMBIE, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, SHADOWS FALL and BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. The summer's premier concert festival — which has propelled many of today’s rock bands to superstardom while paying close attention to its discerning fans — will roll out July 15 in Boston and visit 26 cities by the time it reaches West Palm Beach on September 4. The Hot Topic Second Stage will be headlined by ZOMBIE and feature a preview of rock's rising stars, including AS I LAY DYING, MASTODON, THE HAUNTED, IN FLAMES, ARCH ENEMY, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, BURY YOUR DEAD, SOILWORK, TRIVIUM, IT DIES TODAY, A DOZEN FURIES and more. "I'm most proud of the success of Ozzfest," says founder Sharon Osbourne. "Everyone said it would never happen and 10 years later we are still in business." In fact, 125 bands, 238 shows and over 4 million fans later, the all-day extravaganza of music and deranged merriment is roaring louder than ever. History in the making, 2005 marks the first time metal legends BLACK SABBATH and IRON MAIDEN have toured together and also represents IRON MAIDEN's first Ozzfest appearance. IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson said, "This summer's MAIDEN touring is based on the recent 'Early Days' DVD and all the songs we do at Ozzfest will be from our first four albums — 'Iron Maiden', 'Killers', 'Number of the Beast' and 'Piece of Mind'. We will be bringing over our full European show, naturally including as special guest Eddie in various appropriate guises!! The stage sets, production and backdrops will recreate aspects of the shows on the tours around those albums — only bigger… much bigger!!! We don’t know if anyone has done anything like this before but we think it’s something the fans will really appreciate both in the choice of songs and in the production values."  Also debuting on the tour will be Texas-based band A DOZEN FURIES who landed their coveted Hot Topic Second Stage slot after winning Ozzy and Sharon's MTV "Battle For Ozzfest" reality series competition. Debuting last fall and lasting right up until the February launch of the fourth and final season of the Emmy-award winning "The Osbournes", "Battle For Ozzfest" is the ultimate battle of the bands, with contestants having survived 2004's grueling Ozzfest challenges. This year, a limited number of fans who purchase OZZY OSBOURNE's first-ever 51-song, four-CD retrospective box set "Prince Of Darkness" (out March 22 of Epic Records) will be able to obtain one free Ozzfest ticket. The initial pressing of the box set will feature a precedent-setting promotion allowing fans to buy one Ozzfest general admission ticket and get one free.  Ozzfest, originally launched in 1996 as a limited two-city trek, has become a virtual breeding ground for up-and-coming bands. The renowned second stage has been instrumental in catapulting the careers of SYSTEM OF A DOWN, LINKIN PARK, LIMP BIZKIT, INCUBUS, SLIPKNOT, DISTURBED, GODSMACK and CHEVELLE. "Playing Ozzfest — twice — will always be among the highlights of our career," notes drummer Samuel Loeffler of CHEVELLE, who most recently appeared in the festival’s 2003 line-up. "Personally speaking, I was honored and somewhat nervous about sharing the stage with Ozzy, but finally felt comfortable after both he and Sharon patted me on the ass."  The heavy metal juggernaut has earned a hallowed position in the busiest tour season with a relentless commitment to its core fans and the consistency of quality they demand as their birthright. Just as the festival is committed to presenting the best music, it also provides an interactive, multi-sensory experience for concert-goers with a wide-range of attractions. The traveling show’s notorious "Village Of The Damned" — alive with tattoo artists, piercing booths, state-of-the-art video games, a wide range of vendors and much more — promises to be wickedly tempting.  JUDAS PRIEST — one of the biggest attractions on last year's tour — declared: "We were thrilled to be part of such a unique moment in heavy metal history that will be remembered forever!" Jonathan Davis — lead singer for KORN, who pounded the main stage in 2003 — added, 'Ozzy and Ozzfest are some of the cornerstones of metal. I loved playing in front of the Ozzfest crowd, the fans at those shows were f$*#ing amazing." In addition to drawing vital hard rock acts, Ozzfest has always attracted a variety of select sponsors devoted to the tour's core fan base. Hot Topic — returning to host the second stage — will be the festival’s official soft line teen retailer. Throughout the day, Tama drums and Ibanez guitars will proudly showcase their arsenal in the Village. F.Y.E. (For Your Entertainment) is on board for the fifth consecutive year as the official music retailer and will host the FYE autograph tent giving fans the opportunity to meet some of their favorite Ozzfest artists. Trojan brand condoms will also have presence in the Village as the official latex condom of Ozzfest. Jagermeister will once again bring the backyard BBQ party back to Ozzfest and prove their commitment to metal music with artist autograph signings and tons of free swag for attendees 21 and over. Here are the Ozzfest tour dates: Jul. 15 - Boston, MA - Tweeter Center Jul. 17 - Hartford, CT - Meadows Jul. 19 - Camden, NJ - Tweeter Waterfront Jul. 21 - Buffalo, NY - Darien Lakes Jul. 23 - Pittsburgh, PA - Post Gazette Jul. 24 - Washington, DC - Nissan Jul. 26 - New York, NY - PNC Jul. 30 - Chicago, IL - Tweeter Center Jul. 31 - Indianapolis, IN - Verizon Wireless Music Center Aug. 02 - Columbus, OH - Germain Amphitheatre Aug. 04 - Detroit, MI - DTE Energy Music Theatre Aug. 06 - East Troy, WI - Alpine Valley Aug. 07 - Minneapolis, MN - Floatrite Park Aug. 11 - Seattle, WA - White River Aug. 13 - San Francisco, CA - Shoreline Amphitheatre Aug. 14 - Sacramento, CA - Sleep Train Aug. 16 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Pavilion Aug. 18 - Phoenix, AZ - Cricket Aug. 20 - Los Angeles, CA - Hyundai Pavilion at Glen Helen Aug. 23 - Albuquerque, NM - Journal Pavilion Aug. 25 - Dallas, TX - Smirnoff Aug. 27 - Houston, TX - Cynthia J. Woods Pavilion Aug. 28 - San Antonio, TX - Verizon Wireless Amphitheatre Aug. 31 - Nashville, TN - Starwood Amphitheatre Sep. 02 - Charlotte, NC - Verizon Sep. 04 - West Palm Beach - Sound Advice 3/8/05 Metal never stops, and neither does my schedule....another party weekend has passed.  Let me recap the debauchery for you. Friday night I had the pleasure of hosting night one of the Metrotimes Blowout at the New Dodge Lounge in Hamtramck.  The bands were awesome!  Hope you made it out to this year's Blowout!  Special thanks to New Dodge owners Kathy and Lou, who always show me and the crew from the station a good time.  These guys know how to party right! Saturday night I made my way out to Walker's Speakeasy in Dearborn Heights for Hugo from Tantric's birthday bash.  This guy can put them away man!  I wouldn't be surprised if he is still hungover as I type this.  If you didn't get to hear the interview Saturday night, lots of stuff is going on with him; among the highlights are a new Tantric record in the works and Hugo finally owning his own recording studio, and helping out local bands by allowing them time in his studio.  Hugo is one of the nicest guys around, and selflessly giving studio time to local rock bands should prove that to you.  Happy Birthday buddy!  It was also good to see Kenny from the Twisted Brown Trucker Band in the house.  Another rock star celebrating a birthday last week was our own Jay Hudson from Motor City Riffs and the station's promotions department.  I wasn't able to make US 12 last Thursday for the party because I had to be on the air, but all reports are that Jay should be joining Hugo having a week long hangover.  I've seen some photos of the celebration, and it looked like a good time was had by all.  If you don't know already, Jay is there every Thursday evening showcasing the best in local rock and roll, and its a party every week, even if Jay's birthday only comes once a year!  Get out on a Thursday night soon, and tell Jay that I sent you! Late Friday and late Saturday night I made my way out to TNT's in Clinton Township and was forced (editor's note: yeah, right) on to the stage to sing with Al and the guys from the band Masquerade.  I cannot claim responsibility for my excessive Jagermeister intake Friday night (editor's note again: thanks Al), but a good time was enjoyed by all. Back at it again this week.  I'm on the air overnight Friday night, so call me up and let me know what's going on!  Saturday I'm heading out to Cobo to interview Slipknot for the station and check out what people are saying is a killer show!  Check out the Midnight Metal Knews page for a review from their show in New Jersey! Lastly, a couple of quick tidbits.  First, the Dimebag tribute night that I told you about a couple of weeks ago is just about ready to officially announce, and you'll see it here first.  Second, The Upside of Anger makes its way to theaters this Friday, and unless you've been living under a rock lately, you know that the radio station is featured in the movie.  Our own Big Daddy Arthur P has a role in the movie, and there's lots of obvious (and not-so-obvious) local references all over the place.  I'm attending the premiere party Thursday night, and I'll report on it next week...but if you can't wait for my review, go out and see it this weekend!  And lastly, mark your calendars for March 19th.  I'll be at the Crazy Horse, and if you are a Detroit Tigers fan, you should be there too!  The staff at the Crazy Horse has an Ultimate Tigers' Fan Opening Day prize package to give away that day, so come on out and see me! That's it for this week! Ryan Seacrest should be knocked OUT! Screamin Scott Static-X Lineup News STATIC-X have confirmed the re-joining of guitarist Koichi Fukuda back to the band.  An update by frontman Wayne Static is as follows: "I am very excited to announce that former Static-X guitarist Koichi Fukuda has rejoined the band. Koichi was with us back in the club days here in Los Angeles, played on our first record, Wisconsin Death Trip, and did the first two years of touring with the band. He's been in the studio with us since October working on the new record and this feels like a very natural transition. The first shows with Koichi will be at the Galaxy in Santa Ana on March 25th and at the Key Club in Hollywood on March 26th. We'll be releasing details very soon about more extensive touring plans as well as the title and release date for the new record. Tony, Nick, and I want to thank all of you for your continueds upport...you guys have never let us down. Thanks! -Wayne Static" Head Update Former KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch was baptized Saturday in the Jordan River, just weeks after quitting his band, drug habits and rock-and-roll lifestyle for religion.  In an Associated Press Article, it's revealed that Welch, a founding member of the multi-platinum band, and about 20 other white-robed Christian pilgrims from a Bakersfield, Calif., church were immersed by their pastor, Ron Vietti.  Welch said the ritual baptism had washed away his anger. "You know when you get angry and it builds up? I felt like hurting someone before, now I feel like hugging people," he said.   Vietti said Welch - who has "Jesus" tattooed across his knuckles and "Matthew 11:28," tattooed prominently across his neck - is already attracting a new group of young people to the message of Christianity.  "In recent weeks people have committed their lives to God because they're so inspired by his story," Vietti said. KORN announced Welch's resignation last month after 13 years with the band. Welch said he had become increasingly depressed and drug-addicted in recent years, but that religion helped him quit.  He said he plans to release more music without the band.  "My songs are God saying things to me, him talking to people. He's going to use me to heal people and people are going to be drawn to it, just watch, they will be," he said.  Thousands of pilgrims are baptized annually in the Jordan River where, according to Biblical tradition, John the Baptist baptized Jesus. Slipknot Show Review A Band of Fury, in Songs and Stunts By KELEFA SANNEH EAST RUTHERFORD, N.J., March 6 - When the nine-piece Iowa noise-metal band called (as if any further identification were necessary) Slipknot played the Continental Airlines Arena on Sunday night, the band members took a lot of breaks. You can't blame them. As millions of fans - and, one imagines, a handful of nonsqueamish costume technicians - already know, the members perform furious songs and furiously acrobatic stage stunts while wearing snug-fitting masks. So here's hoping that when they disappeared for a few moments between every few songs, the warriors were getting the care they needed. Imagine nine gasping musicians, perched on nine boxer's stools, getting splashes of refreshment from nine water bottles, while nine squinty Clint Eastwood-types offer soft towels and hard words of encouragement.  For this band, the masks have always represented a commitment to the grim and to the cartoonish: fans can think of the  members as sadistic clowns, as criminals wearing goofy disguises, as horror-movie villains come to life. But during Sunday night's concert, the masks were also a reminder that being in Slipknot is hard work. You get into costume; you run around or scream or bash something (or all three); you suck down a few gulps of air; you do it again.  For a young band, this notion of music as work might seem like an insult. But Slipknot is no longer a young band. After an independently released debut album in 1997, the group achieved unexpected mainstream success in 1999 with "Slipknot" (Roadrunner), which has since been certified double-platinum, meaning that more than 2 million copies have been shipped to record shops. The frantic, twisted 2001 follow-up, "Iowa" (Roadrunner), made its debut at No. 3 on the album charts, but didn't quite make the band a mainstream success.  In the years since "Iowa" the group seemed ready to drift apart, but the members rededicated themselves and last summer they released "Vol. 3: (The Subliminal Verses)" (Roadrunner), a slightly slower and more coherent album. Slipknot no longer sounds like a band hellbent on taking over the world; it now sounds like a band content to please its devoted followers. Over and over again on Sunday night Corey Taylor, the lead singer, thanked the fans for not abandoning the group. (He even showed off the band's platinum plaques; he looked like a proud dad - albeit a proud dad wearing a scary mask.) Mr. Taylor and his bandmates seemed reassured by this seemingly simple equation: work hard for your fans and they'll support you by filling up the floor and sides (though not the mezzanine) of a sports arena in New Jersey. The new album, which was produced by Rick Rubin, finds the members sometimes experimenting with softness. Early on, Slipknot played a propulsive version of "Vermillion," a new song built around a raspy riff and a shouted refrain, "I won't let this build up inside me." A few minutes later, during one of the breaks, the audience heard a recorded version of "Vermillion Pt. 2," also from the album, in which the propulsive metal track is reborn as an acoustic ballad, and the defiant refrain becomes a quiet vow. Make no mistake, this night was still mainly devoted to the Slipknot basics: spectacularly percussive rants, neck-snapping blast beats, death-defying stunts. The members spent a lot of time climbing over the three drum sets, hanging on as the sets ascended on motorized legs or tilted wildly. But while the lyrics reveled in images of misery and retribution (the band's great new single, "Duality," goes, "I push my fingers into my eyes/It's the only thing that slowly stops the ache"), the relationship between band and audience was strikingly genial: the nine and the thousands seemed really happy to see each other. During "Spit It Out," an old favorite, Mr. Taylor instructed the whole crowd to crouch with him, then jump up on his barked command. The result was probably one of the purest expression of dance-floor joy the building will see all year - though certainly not the gentlest. Right now, somewhere in New Jersey, a Slipknot fan is probably reliving an exhilarating night with his heroes, while fingering the soft gummy spot where a tooth used to be. Miscellaneous Metal Tidbits Crossfade's self-titled album has gone Gold...Judas Priest are on track to sell about 70,000 copies of their new album, Angel of Retribution, in the U.S. in its first week of release, according to Hits Daily Double...   3/2/05 What a weekend last weekend was!  From one end of the region to the other, WRIF and I were everywhere!! The madness started Friday afternoon at The Post Auburn Hills for the Motley Crue pre-party.  Those of you who were lucky enough to make it into The Post before it hit capacity can certainly attest....The Post throws a good party!!  Thanks to Bruce the bartender and the entire staff for making that a party to remember!  And thanks again to all of you for coming out! The party continued across the street at The Palace for the show.  I was only able to stay for about half the show, but what I saw was absolutely amazing!  These guys are back for sure.  I can't wait for August 24th at DTE, and I'm sure that like me, you can't either. I had to be on the air after the show Friday night, so I wasn't able to be at the post party at Clutch Cargo's in person, but I heard that Tommy Lee came out and met with tons of people surrounding the upstairs VIP area.  The people that were lucky enough to meet him report that he's a way cool guy, and that's certainly what I expected from my previous times hanging with him.  Keep it tuned to Riff for all sorts of cool happenings surrounding the upcoming Motley show at DTE! Sunday I went out to Outdoorama 2005 at the Novi Expo Center.  Each day of Outdoorama had a specific theme, and Sunday happened to be Sporting Dog Day.  These are the dogs that go with their owners into the woods to hunt and fish and things of that nature.  Many Sporting Dog breeds were represented, and it was cool for a dog lover like myself to learn cool stuff about each breed.  In addition to dogs, there was a 150 year old Alligator Snapping Turtle on display, live exotic birds and even live bears and tigers and monkeys!  What a cool event it was....can't wait for next year's Outdoorama. It'll be hard to top last weekend, but I'm sure going to try!  This Friday night is night two of the Metrotimes Blowout, and I'll be hanging out at the New Dodge Bar, with performances from Paradise, Dragstrippers, Grande Nationals and Broadzilla!  The Metrotimes puts this three day party on every year, and its extremely easy for you to get out and support your local rock bands.  One price gets you into all the clubs to see all the bands...so get out this weekend and support local rock! Saturday night I'm heading out to Dearborn Heights and Walker's Speakeasy.  The highlight of the night will be a special rare acoustic performance from Hugo of Tantric.  Get there early and take advantage of the drink specials! There's no NASCAR race this Sunday, so I'm planning to go down to see all the custom rods at Autorama.  I understand that our buddies at Michigan Speedway are bringing Jeff Gordon's NASCAR showcar out, and it'll be displayed in the Riff booth.  I also understand that Autorama has grown to two floors, so it should be a blast.  Hope to see you out there! Lastly, I wanna give a shout out to Tina and the crew at the New Way Bar on Woodward in Ferndale.  They are celebrating their 70th Anniversary this weekend with all sorts of parties and festivities starting Wednesday night.  These guys are good friends of the Riff and good guys to boot....if you can make it, show up and take part in the party! Rock on, and Think Metal!! Screamin Scott Dimebag Memorial Bracelet Pre-Orders for the Dimebag Tribute Bracelets started today at http://www.DimeTribute.com. 100% of profit will be given to The Dimebag Memorial Fund to help cover bereavement and medical expenses for John "Kat" Brooks, Chris Paluska, and Jeffrey "Mayhem" Thompson. Bracelets are due in to the warehouse on or around March 15th and will also be shipped out at that time. Congrats to Maiden! According to a posting on the IRON MAIDEN fan site MaidenFans.com, MAIDEN won the equivalent of a Grammy in Finland, an Emma, during a ceremony held Saturday (Feb. 26) at Kulttuuritalolla in Helsinki. They won for Best International Act, a category voted on by music consumers and not a specialized jury.  During his acceptance speech via video conference from a recording studio, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson said that he couldn't reveal what he was doing there, for it was "a secret." As previously reported, Dickinson is currently putting the finishing touches on a new solo album, tentatively due this spring. A solo "greatest hits" DVD is also said to be in the works. More rumors about Ozzfest? An Ozzfest representative has told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that the lineup and schedule for this year's travelling festival will be announced at a press conference "mid-March."  Although there has been no official confirmation on the matter, the 10th edition of Ozzfest is expected to be headlined by BLACK SABBATH and IRON MAIDEN. Also believed to be in the running for the festival's main stage are BLACK LABEL SOCIETY and the classic "Among the Living" lineup of ANTHRAX. Other rumored main-stage acts are MEGADETH and DISTURBED. Over on the second stage, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, SHADOWS FALL, THE HAUNTED, MASTODON and BURY YOUR DEAD are believed to be a "done deal," while unconfirmed reports have also mentioned ROB ZOMBIE, MUDVAYNE, TAPROOT and STATIC-X as strong second-stage candidates. Some reports have even indicated that there might be a third stage this year, presumably so that more non-rotating slots could be accommodated while still allowing this year's shows to start later than the previous 9:00 a.m. kick-off time. Sevendust and Skindred Tour Dates The first few dates for the upcoming SEVENDUST, SKINDRED tour have been announced: April 6 - Tampa, FL @ The Masquerade April 7 - Orlando, FL @ House of Blues April 8 - New Orleans, LA @ House of Blues April 12 - Tempe, AZ @ Marquee Theatre April 14 - Anaheim, CA @ House of Blues April 15 - Las Vegas, NV @ House of Blues April 21 - Chicago, IL @ House of Blues Head Explains His Departure Former KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch has launched an official website concerning his leaving the band to dedicate his life to Jesus Christ. Two full in-Church testimonies are available for download, as well as an excerpt from Proverbs 3: 5-6. Head to http://www.headtochrist.com/ for more information. 2/22/05 Hey all...Screamin here.  HUGE rock n roll party week this week.  TONS of stuff to get to...so let's do it! The Disturbed show is finally here this Thursday.  If you were lucky enough to scam passes to this private show from me or any of the staff here at the station, here's hoping I'll see you out there!  I'm going to try and check some of the concert out before I head in to do Friday's show. Motley Crue comes to town to tear the Palace down this Friday.  WRIF has got you covered all over the place.  Big Daddy will be at the Palace doing his show live, and I'll be checking in with him from across the street at the Post Auburn Hills.  I'm hosting the wildest Motley Crue pre-party around.  If you're heading out to the show, come early to The Post and get your name in the hat for some killer Riff prizes!  Plus, and most of you already know this, the Post has awesome food and great drink specials all the time.  You've got no reason not to stop by and see me!!  Don't forget to head over to Clutch Cargo's in Downtown Pontiac after the show for the Official Post-Show Bash with appearances by some of the band themselves!  Should be a HUGE Friday! I'll be on the air at the station after the Motley show starting at midnight, so drunk-dial me and let me know what you thought of the show! I'm back at it early Sunday morning out in Novi.  Stop by the Expo Center and check me out at Outdoorama 2005, featuring the latest in hunting and fishing gear, boats, RVs and 300 exhibitors!  Everything that you need to be a rock star in the wild!! As you can see, its going to quite a couple of days!  Hope to see you out there somewhere! Lastly, I want to let you know that you can still check my Blogs for the latest metal news.  Rock on, and Think Metal!! Screamin Scott Here's the Metal News for this week: "Informed Sources" comment on Ozzfest 2005 Blabbermouth is reporting that "informed sources" (read: still unconfirmed) tell them that BLACK SABBATH and IRON MAIDEN will headline the 10th anniversary edition of Ozzfest. In addition, ANTHRAX's "Among the Living" lineup — featuring vocalist Joey Belladonna, guitarist Dan Spitz and bassist Frank Bello — is said to have secured a slot on the main stage at the festival, which is expected to kick off in mid-July.   According to unconfirmed reports, the Ozzfest 2005 shows will start later than the previous 9:00 a.m. kick-off time and will include more non-rotating slots on the second stage.  Prior to headlining the 2005 edition of Ozzfest, BLACK SABBATH will embark on a short European tour, which will include an appearance at the U.K.'s Download festival (where they will headline the "Ozzfest" day on June 11).  No further mention was made of Megadeth who are also highly rumored to play the main stage this year. Anthrax Re-Release News Megaforce Records will re-release Anthrax's classic albums, "Fistful of Metal" and also "Armed And Dangerous" on one CD February 22, 2005. Like Metallica and Megadeth, Anthrax was responsible for the emergence of speed and thrash metal; combining the speed and fury of hardcore with the guitars and vocals of heavy metal, they helped create a new sub-genre of heavy metal. Unlike Metallica, they had the good sense to temper their often serious music with a healthy dose of humor and realism.  Their first album, "Fistful of Metal," included original singer Neil Turbin and featured the now classic song, "Metal Thrashing Mad." It also introduced fans to this new brutal style of metal. Their second album, "Armed And Dangerous," saw singer Joey Belladonna and bassist Frank Bello join the lineup. Belladonna helped take the band farther away from conventional metal cliches and was a catalyst in making Anthrax arguably become the leaders of speed metal. Fans can now have these first two Anthrax albums in one package featuring new artwork and liner notes from the band. Anthrax is a band that has sold over 10 million records worldwide. Preview Priest's New Album!!! To celebrate the comeback of the legendary Judas Priest, our friends at HardPlace.net are offering fans the opportunity to preview songs from their upcoming album "Angel of Retribution" over the coming weeks. This week you can preview the superb new single "Revolution", but be sure to keep checking back as more previews will become available leading up to the album release date. To listen to the tracks all you have to do is go here: hardplace.net/judaspriest/firstlisten/totalrock/ Halford's Thoughts on Dimebag While the late Dimebag "Darrell" Abbott was a big fan of many bands - in fact, he had Kiss guitarist Ace Frehley's signature tattooed on his arm - the former Pantera member had just as many of his own fans in the music world.  As Judas Priest front man Rob Halford recently said: "His music will live forever, and that's the wonderful thing about what we do as recorded musicians - our music will be around a lot longer than we will. So we have his music to cherish, and he still will be an inspiration to guitar players, as he was with Pantera and with Damageplan. So, you know, we'll miss him dearly."  The first time Halford saw Dimebag, it was back in 1991, and the guitarist was on Canada's MuchMusic network wearing a T-shirt featuring Priest's British Steel album cover. Halford spoke with "Dimebag" on the phone that same day, ended up jamming on the Priest song "Metal Gods" with Pantera at a Toronto club that night. Pantera opened for Priest in Europe shortly after that, and Halford and Dimebag became good friends. Halford had this to say about Dime's untimely passing: "Some things that happen in life make no sense at all, but out of pain comes strength, and I know the metal community will take that strength and use it as an enduring memory for Dimebag." COC's Latest Album News CORROSION OF CONFORMITY have finalized the track listing for their new album, "In the Arms of God", due on April 5 via Sanctuary Records.  The group's first collection of new material since 2000's "America's Volume Dealer" was produced by C.O.C.'s longtime collaborator John Custer. Besides working on four of the band's previous albums, Custer also produced C.O.C. bassist Mike Dean's track on Dave Grohl's PROBOT project and C.O.C.'s contribution to "Nativity In Black", the BLACK SABBATH tribute compilation. Playing drums was New Orleans' Stanton Moore, skinsman for the renowned jazz-funk combo GALACTIC. "In the Arms of God" track listing: 01. Stonebreaker 02. Paranoid Opioid 03. It's That Way 04. Diry Hands Empty Pockets / Already Gone 05. Rise River Rise 06. Never Turns To More 07. Infinite War 08. So Much Left Behind 09. Backslider 10. World On Fire 11. Crown Of Thorns 12. In The Arms Of God Track #3, "It Is That Way", has previously appeared at the High Times magazine compilation "High Volume: The Stoner Rock Collection", released last year. CORROSION OF CONFORMITY will embark on a U.S. tour supporting MOTÖRHEAD beginning in early March. Joining Pepper Keenan (vocals/guitar), Woody Weatherman (guitar/vocals) and Mike Dean (bass/vocals) on the road will be drummer Jason Paterson. PM5K's Spider Checks In Here's an update from Powerman 5000 vocalist Spider on the new album and upcoming tours: "O.K., so here's a long overdue update. First off, the new record is just about done. We still have to track a bit more and then mix, but I'm pretty sure we are done writing. Although who knows... No official release date yet because we are exploring all the options in terms of getting this thing into your grubby little hands. What is it going to sound like? Well, let's just say if you like calculated, bloated Hoobastank ballads or radio friendly nu metal or over produced, auto tuned, cookie cutter rock then you will hate the new Powerman 5000 record. Now, I'm NOT going to say the standard bullshit like, "this is our heaviest, most brutal record yet." That's so boring and predictable. Not to mention, not true. I will say that, this record is raw and real. My goal on this one was to put together a bunch of songs that were meant to be played live. The kind of songs you could jam on with your friends in a garage band. I don't know... it is what it is. Rock 'n Roll, punk rock, metal, whatever... it's PM5K. I'm digging it!!!  We are getting back on the road soon. I'm sure most of you have seen a handful of west coast gigs popping up. There will be more to come. We will be touring a little differently this year. Instead of long drawn out runs, we will be doing shorter regional blasts. So, we will be hitting the East and the Mid West and the South. Just not right in a row. We will let you know when all dates are confirmed.  Who the fuck can you expect to see on stage?! With the revolving door in this band, sometimes I'm not even sure myself. I'm pretty certain I'll be there. Mr. 7 and Siggy will be there. Adam, sadly will not be joining us for this run of west coast dates. He is active in the writing and recording of the new record, but is opting out of the live performance end of things (at least for right now).  Hitting the stage on guitar will be ex Alien Ant Farm guitarist Terry Corso and ex Halfcocked guitarist Johnny Rock. I must tell you the rehearsals with these guys have been blazing!! As I always say, "don't be afraid of the future"... Well, that's enough for you to chew on for now. THANX for being the coolest fans around, see you on the road." Spider (PM5K) 2/17/05 Hey gang!!!  Screamin Scott here.  Thanks to everyone who came out this past Monday night to the A.J. Lovefest.  There were a lot of you...its awesome when a community gets together to support its own!  I'm not working any official WRIF events this weekend.  You know what that means.....un-official Screamin Scott Riff World Bar Tour!  Here's the plan:  Friday over to the Emerald in Mt. Clemens.  Inside the Rock Room, bartender Melissa is celebrating her birthday, and it should be a bash!  Saturday I plan to make stops at Harpo's (to see Danzig), the I-Rock (to check out Automatic Slim) and finally TNT's (to see Bad Habits).  Sunday I'll be at home with my hangover and watching the Daytona 500 (NASCAR's back FINALLY). Something else upcoming to keep in mind: I'm putting together a Dimebag Black Tooth Grin Party.  Details are still coming together, but here's what I know so far.  The venue will be the Crazy Horse Bar and March 19th is the tentative date.  It'll be a night with all sorts of specials and prizes, and Dimebag's music, of course.  As details get cemented, I'll let you know here. With that, onto the Metal News for this week: New Nine Inch Nails Nine Inch Nails have posted the following info about their upcoming album 'With Teeth' on their official site: Amongst other news, they have revealed that the track will be as follows: 01 'All The Love In The World' 02 'You Know What You Are?' 03 'The Collector' 04 'The Hand That Feeds' 05 'Love Is Not Enough' 06 'Every Day Is Exactly The Same' 07 'With Teeth' 08 'Only' 09 'Getting Smaller' 10 'Sunspots' 11 'The Line Begins To Blur' 12 'Beside You In Time' 13 'Right Where It Belongs' The record will be released on May 2nd through Interscope. Ozzfest Lineup Rumors? BLACK SABBATH and IRON MAIDEN will headline the 10th anniversary edition of Ozzfest, informed sources have told BLABBERMOUTH.NET. In addition, ANTHRAX's "Among the Living" lineup — featuring vocalist Joey Belladonna, guitarist Dan Spitz and bassist Frank Bello — is said to have secured a slot on the main stage at the festival, which is expected to kick off in mid-July. According to unconfirmed reports, the Ozzfest 2005 shows will start later than the previous 9:00 a.m. kick-off time and will include more non-rotating slots on the second stage. Prior to headlining the 2005 edition of Ozzfest, BLACK SABBATH will embark on a short European tour, which will include an appearance at the U.K.'s Download festival (where they will headline the "Ozzfest" day on June 11). Motley Crue on the Road Rock music's biggest freak show is on the road. And the bigger question for Motley Crue is whether the band known for its excesses (sex, drugs and fighting) can keep it together for a year on tour. "This tour could last a week. It could last a year. I just don't know," drummer Tommy Lee recently told The Associated Press. "But it definitely brings a smile to my face. You know, the danger part of it, the whether these guys are going to make it a month question." For the band that gained its rock foothold in the 1980s as a glam metal band, the spotlight will be shining bright on their antics as much as their stage production when they open the U.S. leg of the "Red, White & Crue Tour 2005 ... Better Live Than Dead" on Thursday in Fort Lauderdale, Fla. The tour follows the release of "Red, White & Crue," a greatest hits album that includes three new songs. Motley Crue has reportedly auditioned midgets, contortionists and strange animals as part of the stage production, a 2 1/2-hour show with no opening act. "It's a traveling freak show. We've always been called that and we said `Why don't we take that and take it to the next level,´" said bassist Nikki Sixx. Sixx Slams Vans in Court Mötley Crüe's Nikki Sixx is no sneaker pimp. A Los Angeles jury has awarded the rocker a legal victory over shoemaker Vans Inc. that could be worth upward of $1 million, according to his lawyer. Sixx contended that the SoCal-based footwear company used an image of the musician without his permission to promote its Tony Trujillo sneaker line last year. Vans used photos of the Crüe's bad-boy bassist and pro skater Trujillo from a San Francisco Skater of the Year award ceremony organized by Thrasher magazine and sponsored by Vans. Then, per the suit, Vans used the pictures for a massive nationwide promotion for a sneaker line bearing Trujillo's name. Ads featuring Sixx palling it up with Trujillo ran in magazines like Blender and FHM and appeared in oversized displays in retail outlets. But the Mötley man said he never signed off on the ad campaign, hence his suit. On Feb. 9, a Los Angeles Superior Court jury found in favor of Sixx on three counts of misappropriation of his right of publicity and false endorsement. "I'm happy, not so much for myself, but for all artists who are unfairly taken advantage of by major corporations," the 46-year-old Sixx in a statement. "I hope this encourages other performers to stand up to those who would exploit them without securing the necessary rights." Chris Overholser, a spokesman for Vans, told E! Online Monday, "We believe that we had the right to use the photos in the manner that we did. However, the jury believed otherwise." Yet More Ozzfest News The OZZFEST 2005 duo of BLACK SABBATH and IRON MAIDEN taking charge as the top two headlining acts on this Summer's tour, according to BW&BK, has been confirmed by OZZY OSBOURNE himself, in a UK interview today that stated, "We've hoped to get Maiden in our tour forever, and this is the 10th year. Both of these old (English) bands will have the time of their lives rockin' America and fans will get their rocks off, too." OPETH Update OPETH will be entering Fashination street studios on March 15 to record their 8th yet untitled opus. The band are currently in rehearsal mode, which is a rare occasion having recorded the last four records without rehearsing. The recording will be overseen by the uprising recording mogul Jens Bogren. As of today no names for production duties have surfaced and it looks like the next record will be a band produced effort. Nothing has been decided regarding who's taking care of the mix either so we'll have to keep you wondering. OPETH and their management have spent the last month meeting the 5 top label candidates for the next Opeth recording contract. The names are still secret but a decision will be made very soon and obviously announced here earlier than anywhere else. Several Summer festival appearances have been confirmed and will be posted here soon. A Summer tour of the US has also been confirmed and will be posted here soon as well. The matters are still very "hush, hush" so we can't say anything more at this point. What can be said is that the band will make a few low-profile appearances prior to the next release and several full blown headline tours all over the world after the release. That's it for this week!  Remember, THINK METAL! Screamin Scott 2/12/05 - Event Update Hey....Screamin Scott here again.  Just got word that I'll be hosting the A.J. Lovefest at the Magic Bag in Ferndale this Monday night.  For those of you who don't know, this event is a tribute to the late Amjed "A.J." Abdallah, who was killed earlier this year at Studio 8 in Ferndale.  Lots of local musicians will be performing, and the list includes The Howling Diablos (A.J. was their drummer), Jimmy Bones and Kenny Olson from the Twisted Brown Trucker band, Vinnie Dombrowski, Zug Izland and many more.  Doors are at 8PM, and admission is only $10.00.  I'll be there, and you should be too! Screamin Scott 2/10/05 Hey...its Screamin Scott from WRIF!  I survived Super Sunday & Paczki Day (got custard shit all over my shirt). Lots of new stuff coming out soon like new Judas Priest & Dio (Live From New York).  And talk about concerts coming to the Motor City, and just in the month of February: The Snocore Tour on the 18th, Danzig on the 19th, Soulfly on the 23rd, and then the mother of all February shows....Disturbed for a Riff VIP show on the 24th!  Oh, how could I forget about the return of Motley Crue the VERY NEXT DAY on the 25th!  Speaking of Motley, don't forget the exclusive after party with us and the band at Clutch Cargo's!  Anyways, hope to see you at the shows. As far as the streets are concerned this weekend, come out to Canton (T.C. Gators) Friday night and try to rip some Disturbed VIP Passes off me!!  See you there! And now to the Metal News of the week: Dimebag's Video Tribute To Late Drowning Pool Singer Posted Online PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's touching video tribute to late DROWNING POOL frontman Dave Williams has been posted online at DROWNING POOL's official web site. Vinnie Paul plays with Anthrax? ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian has confirmed to MTV.com that he has spoken to PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN drummer Vinnie Paul about the possibility of Vinnie playing with ANTHRAX at a February 23 benefit in Chicago at the Aragon Ballroom. "We're just hoping it happens," Ian said. "There would be nothing better than getting Vinnie up on the drum kit and jamming with us. That would just be incredible." Following PANTERA/DAMAGEPLAN guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott's murder in December, some wondered whether his brother Paul would ever be able to perform in concert again. However, Ian told MTV.com that's not likely to happen. "I don't think that would be possible with him. It's in his blood. The last thing in the world he would do, or that Dime would ever want, would be for him to not drum anymore. That would be insane." More Damageplan News... Paul and surviving DAMAGEPLAN bandmates — singer Patrick Lachman and bassist Bobzilla — signed Dimebag posters at the Dean guitars booth at the National Association of Music Merchants (NAMM) show in Anaheim, California along with Ian, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY frontman Zakk Wylde and others. "His spirits were great," Ian said. "He's doing as well as could be expected in the situation, and he looked a lot better than I thought he would. The fact that he even came out to the NAMM show said a lot. He wanted to be there and talk to people and meet people."  While at the convention, Paul also attended a private party for Guitar World magazine's 25th anniversary, which was headlined by BLACK LABEL SOCIETY. "He seemed like he was doing a little bit better," confirmed Wylde. "But how do you judge when it comes to handling something like that? Vinnie has always been a quiet guy, so he's kind of hard to read."  So far, Paul, his bandmates and family members have rejected former PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo's gestures of friendship and even asked him not to attend a memorial service for Dimebag. In light of past malicious comments about Dime, some consider Anselmo's recent attempts at reconciliation hollow or meaningless.  But Ian doesn't question the singer's sincerity. "I just hope that whatever they have between them, if there's something that could be worked out, then hopefully that could happen," he said. "If any good could come out of this horrible situation, it would be great." Tsunami and Alice in Chains ALICE IN CHAINS members Sean Kinney (drums), Jerry Cantrell (guitar) and Mike Inez (bass), along with DAMAGEPLAN singer Pat Lachman, will take the stage of Seattle's Premier club on February 18 as part of a benefit concert to aid the victims of the Southeast Asia tsunami disaster.  "When something like this happens, you want to help," Kinney told RollingStone.com. "I called people up here in the Northwest to see who was available, and Jerry and Mike were the first guys I called."  The show will be Kinney, Cantrell and Inez's first together in nine years — as well as their first without lead singer Layne Stanley, who died from a drug overdose in 2002. "Obviously we all needed to take some time and all deal with the situation of the band and Layne's death," said Cantrell.  The three thought Lachman, who lost a bandmate himself in December when guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was fatally shot in an Ohio nightclub, was a natural choice to join them. "I've known Pat through the PANTERA and DAMAGEPLAN guys for years," Cantrell explained. "We were all down in Dallas to support the family, and we actually played a couple of ALICE songs at Dime's memorial, so it made sense."  For the benefit, the reunited group will perform material from the ALICE IN CHAINS catalog, and recording new music remains a possibility. "We're just starting with the gig, and we'll see what happens," Cantrell said. "But we can't wait to get into the room together. I've done plenty of [projects] without Sean and Mike, and, as far as having that silent chemistry, nobody really compares.  "If the last couple of months have shown me anything," he continued, "it's that it's still a really dangerous world we live in. You have to put one foot in front of the other . . . and if you look too far down the trail, you'll fall on your face." Metallica Fans Want Bob Rock Ousted Does any band have a more love/hate relationship with its fans than Metallica?  Some people are loyal to the foursome no matter what they do, and then there are the many people who grew up worshipping the '80s Metallica of old but hate the '90s, commercialized version of Metallica. For years, many fans begged the band to go back to their original, thrashing (and groundbreaking) ways, and when they finally released an album that had some old school charm in 2003's St. Anger, the production quality sounded about as good as banging on some tin cans. Now, in a more organized attempt to save the band they once loved, Metallica fans are signing a petition posted on PetitionOnline.com that implores the group to part ways with longtime producer Bob Rock. Written by fan Michael Vasiliou and signed by over 14,000 supporters at press time, the petition tells the band of the decline in the quality of their recent music and says it is time for a change. The document opens: "We, the longtime loyal fans and friends of Metallica and their music would like to see a major change with the upcoming album. I know it will be a hard thing to do, but we feel it is time to sever your working relationship with Bob Rock."   It continues, "Unfortunately one thing we can all agree on is nothing has been the same since he joined the ranks as longtime Metallica producer. We are not criticizing Bob Rock on his technical skills as he has mastered his sound. We just feel that his contributions to help craft a Metallica song are quite wrong and have been getting worse as time goes on... We have watched the videos of Bob Rock telling Metallica horrible suggestions in the studios while we cringe knowing it is the wrong decision. Keep in mind, Bob Rock was in a band or two himself when he was younger. The reason no one knows this is because his bands failed because he cannot craft a good song, let alone help craft a good Metallica song.  All we ask is you take our suggestion seriously for the sake of the band and your fans," the petition concludes. "Please end your working relationship with Bob Rock as producer and lets enter into a new phase for Metallica." The Banning of the Lambs!!! Lamb Of God is being forced to step aside from one of their arena concerts on the upcoming Subliminal Verses Tour with Slipknot, because of their name Lamb Of God and former moniker Burn The Priest.  The venue, The Forum in Los Angeles, is owned by The Faithful Central Bible Church who decided to impose a ruling to BAN LAMB OF God’s performance at their venue.  Lamb of God have come off of several extremely successful headline runs through LA in the last year, so this move comes completely unexpected for the band and the tour as a whole. Los Angeles is and has always been a huge market for the band, building steadily with each one of their releases and tours as well as and exploding with the bands current CD, 'Ashes of the Wake' (Epic 8/04).  In deciding to BAN LAMB OF GOD's performance, The Faithful Central Bible Church are imposing on the publics freedom of speech, choice and assembly; the bands art along with the bands ability to conduct commerce.  Drummer Chris Adler clearly states, "The "situation" in LA can only be described as ridiculous. It's already been a huge waste of energy trying to turn this around. The powers that be aren't interested budging - or doing their research apparently - and we've never been a band to placate anyone to get our way, smooth things over or make anyone feel better. They have made it clear that they don't want us because of our name, our show and our crowd - because of that ignorance, LAMB OF GOD is not being permitted to appear on the Subliminal Verses Concert in LA. It's truly a shame for the show overall, especially for our friends and fans in LA that are being forced to miss our part of the show. Trust that this was not our decision, we'd love to kick some ass in LA, but apparently the word from the powers that be is that LAMB OF GOD is not the wholesome family fun that the good people of Los Angeles deserve." Keep it METAL!! Screamin Scott 2/3/05 Hey! Its Screamin Scott from WRIF!! Metal fans, here's the latest news from the world of Midnight Metal. Support your local METAL bands and clubs! And who knows; I might see you out and about the Motor City soon. Hey Port Huron: I'm coming to Legendz for a Maui party this Friday night. Saturday afternoon you can join me for a college hockey pre-party at Cobo Joe's from 5-7PM, and Superbowl Sunday join me at the Crazy Horse for, uh, yeah, football!  Some big game is going on, and we'll be watching it (and hot females) in style! Queensryche To Tour With Judas Priest According to BraveWords.com, Queensryche have been tapped to join Judas Priest on their North American tour dates later this year. Judas Priest are touring this year in support of their new studio album, Angel Of Retribution, due out March 1st in North America (February 28th in Europe). Just to keep you up to date, Angel Of Retribution will include the following tracklisting: Judas Rising Deal With The Devil Revolution Worth Fighting For Demonizer Wheels of Fire Angel Hellrider Eulogy Loch Ness The very limited deluxe edition of the album will feature a bonus DVD including a 40-min documentary and the following seven live tracks (filmed during shows in Barcelona and Valencia, Spain in June 2004): Breaking The Law Diamonds And Rust Helion/Electric Eye Touch Of Evil Metal Gods Hell Bent For Leather Living After Midnight Live Dio CD On The Way The Official Dio home page announced yesterday that a live CD will be released soon. "Evil or Devine: Live In New York City", the companion CD from the DVD released last year, will hit the street on February 22, 2005. I'm personally looking forward to this one. Who knows, I might even get it for my birthday a week later. WARRIOR SOUL Drummer Murdered According to BBC News, two men and a woman from Essex have been charged with the murder of former WARRIOR SOUL drummer Mark Evans, whose burnt body was found in a wheelie bin in an east London car park last week. Evans, 48, from Dagenham, was strangled and transported in a wheelie bin to Electric Parade, Ilford. Anthony Aldis, 38, of Goodmayes, Steven Fullerton, 28, of Gants Hill, and Leanne Terry, 26, of Seven Kings, have all been charged with his murder. All three were scheduled to appear at Waltham Forest magistrates court on Saturday (January 29). They also face charges of perverting the course of justice. A member of the public discovered the burning body on Wednesday morning (26th) after finding his garden fence on fire. Anyone wishing to send a card for Mark's family in London can do so at this address (cards will be forwarded to the family): Johnny Ricco, Attn: Mark Evans, P.O Box 129 Radio City Station, New York, NY 10101-0129, USA. Fans To Pick Songs For Megadeth Greatest Hits As Anthrax did with their Greater of Two Evils CD, Dave Mustane of Megadeth is doing for the Megadeth greatest hits package. That is, having the fans pick the songs. As posted on the Megadeth Forums: "Droogies, we want you to choose the songs for the new greatest hits album! Spread the word! Let's get everyone involved. After all, it should be you, the fans, that pick the hits for this record!  CHILDREN OF BODOM Book Spring Studio Time & TUSKA Alexi is now better with his hand injury. Now he is able to play normally, and COB will now concentrate on putting the new stuff together. Studio, located in Helsinki is booked for several weeks in April and May, and recordings should be ready by the end of May! Band is really excited that they are now able to play new stuff together, and that Alexi is recovered from his injury that occurred in December!!! Children Of Bodom will perform in Tuska Open Air 2005. Band will play this Festival in Helsinki on 17th of July! GOATWHORE Looking For New Drummer Goatwhore is currently looking for a new solid and permanent replacement on drums for the upcoming Metal Blade Records release and a ton of touring. If you or someone you know wishes to audition, please contact the band at BenFalgoust@aol.com. The band will then arrange a time for you to meet up with them in New Orleans for auditions. It will be your own responsibility to get to the audition! Serious inquiries only! Must be able to play everything as played on the albums and handle an extensive touring schedule. You may also submit your demo for consideration to the following address: Goatwhore P.O. Box 5991 Metairie, LA 70009-5991 The list of songs to learn for the auditions: 01. All The Sins 02. The Serpent That Enslaves What Is Worshipped 03. Baptized In A Storm Of Swords 04. Blood Guilt Eucharist 05. Graveyards And Dead Angels 06. Vengeance of Demonic Fury DREAM THEATER Confirmed For SWEDEN ROCK Sweden Rock Festival 9 - 10 - 11 JUNE 2005 SÖLVESBORG Confirmed bands so far: Mötley Crüe (US) Accept (D) DIO (UK) Saxon (UK) Kansas (US) Styx (US) Blackfoot (US) Yngwie Malmsteen (S) Magnum (UK) Candlemass (S) Sebastian Bach (US) Hammerfall (S) Therion (S) Helix (CAN) ONLY SHOW IN EUROPE! Vixen (US) Sonata Arctica (FIN) Robin Trower (US) Nazareth (UK) Shakra (CH) Hellfueled (S) Statetrooper (S) A.C.T (S) Thyrfing (S) Force Of Evil (DK) Morgana Lefay (S) Satanic Slauter (S) Symphorce (S) Crystal Eyes (S) For more information about Sweden Rock Festival: Official site - http://www.swedenrock.com Well, that's the update for this week.  Check back anytime and keep tuned to Midnight Metal for your favorites.  Remember, we're your Walk Right In Free concert leader!! Screamin Scott 1/24/05 Greeting Metal Fans! Screamin Scott here with a long waited message From Phill from Pantera who just days ago broke his silence for fans at pantera.com.  And stay tuned to Midnight Metal for info on new Damageplan. Think METAL! Screamin Scott Randall Jan. 21, 2005 - PHILIP ANSELMO Says PANTERA Would Have Played Again Philip H Anselmo; On Behalf of Darrell Lance Abbott-Pt. I I’ve been stumbling around in a coma of loss. No truer lyric has been written than “You don’t know what you’ve got, ‘til it’s gone.” To explain my side of things with the hiatus of Pantera, please give me a moment and think about what I say. Think. I joined the band in late ‘86/early ‘87, and the chemistry clicked like a vice grip, we hit it off like four bad mother fuckers could. Perfection. Dime, Vince and Rex could play fucking anything. You pick the style, they could pull it off.  So in reality we had to find out where our musical hearts lay strongest. After short deliberation, our intention was to be the most devastating ‘hard core-heavy metal’ band in the world. You know, when the so called heavy metal press first got wind of ‘Cowboys from Hell’ they were absolutely unsure what to think. More bad reviews than good at the time. The Reason? They had never heard a band quite like us before, and I can’t blame the press or anyone for not hearing the full experience, but there were flashes in songs like ‘Primal Concrete Sledge’, and “Message in Blood’. Once again as I have said before, the press remained basically unimpressed, BUT, with the heavy metal audience, the phenomenon of Pantera had already begun. Slowly but surely, the fan base grew larger and larger (the best fans in the world I say still!) The LP that I believe was the first ‘true’ Pantera LP was our second major release ‘Vulgar Display of Power’. As a band, our brotherhood and obvious originality and musicianship cemented us as one of the most feared and loved bands ever to step on a stage. That, is what we all lived for. We figured as long as our awesome audience was moved (head banging, skanking, stage diving, of course) we would play for us and them. Of course we had a deep connection with both our music and our audience, and we were also very different, image and attitude wise… It was extremely rare to see a lead vocalist or anyone with a shaved head unless you looked deep into the underground with bands like the Cro-Mags, Agnostic Front, Rose Tattoo, etc…(I didn’t mean to leave anyone out). The difference between us and these great bands was the fact that we also had an insanely great guitar player who was respected alongside the best of the best, and a rhythm section so unique and tight, goddamn they were tight, tight is and always will be the word. I guarantee throughout our 17 year existence it would be extremely difficult to have one memory of Rex or Vince messing up or playing a part wrong ever. That to some people may be amazing or impossible, however I mean what I say 100 times over. They were the best damn musicians I’d ever seen or heard. Period. With ’Far Beyond Driven’, our 3rd major offering, going to #1 on the Billboard top #200, it seems appropriate to say that some Rock Magazines were taking notice, one way or another. Guitar magazines throughout the world were right on the money by calling Dimebag the best axe man of the time. That was absolutely true and within his lead style, influenced by the likes of Eddie Van Halen, Randy Rhodes, Ace Frehley, and himself (it’s true, I believe most all great lead guitar players have their own style to hear and influence. By god Darrell had that type of talent and then some). His rhythms he came up with, in ways, probably became even more influential. His influences were extremely varied and unique from guys like James Hetfield (Metallica), Kerry King and Jeff Hannemen (Slayer), Judas Priest to Motorhead, AC/DC, ZZ top, Robin Trower and even some of the ultra underground bands I would play him. In all honesty he preferred a more accomplished guitar player than some of the rawer sloppier stuff that I adored, but what he did love about the rawer stuff was its all out assault on the ears. Bless him, he did love that. Within his style he commanded and demanded the best out of himself, and all of us around him. So I will say to everyone in Texas that ever called me a friend, and especially all of my brothers that helped work with us as Pantera on the road crew; I love all of you. To the fans in Texas, and the rest across America and the world, beware of the shit you read in rock magazines.   When these pathetically titled ‘journalists’ (not all of them, but a lot still), had finally caught on to the fact that we, Pantera, had beaten all the odds a band could, and the press had no choice but to build us up until it seemed that they were all of a sudden desperate to make us supermen in the magazines, it was an assignment. It wasn’t true to them, they were getting paid for it. We weren’t supermen, just a great band. During our whole career, there were always those interviews where you could tell that the ’journalist’ didn’t know shit about our band, using wrong facts, whether they made us look good or bad, not knowing a thing about our characters, our musicianship, or our careers; asking the same questions, or as ’journalists’ love to do, just plain making up whatever they wanted. For every ‘journalist’ out there, these facts may or may not fit in with the way you personally do your work , but I know and so the fuck do you that this load of bullshit behavior, that thousands of fans read on a regular basis, is absolutely irresponsible, and it’s obvious that you truly don’t care about your responsibilities to the fans, or how many lives you truly destroy. It’s all about what sells magazines, isn’t it? A month has gone by since we, his former band mates, his current band mates, his friends and fans around the world, have lost Dimebag. I can’t necessarily speak for them, but for me, it’s the first thing that comes to mind when I awake, if I sleep at all, still. It is also the last thing I think about as I lay down to rest. God damn it still hurts me. I want to be there for Vinnie Paul no matter how long it takes. I want to be there for Rita if she’ll have me. I want to be there for the Kat and the rest of the crew as well, people that have been a part of my life for 17 ½ years. Once again, I’m hoping my biggest hope; that they realize that the bad stuff written about our bands and ourselves was coerced nonsense made to sellmagazines. Bare with me, please. I beg you all. By the way, all of the level headed fans that write in and offer support, that in itself is the best therapy I’ve received yet. I have considered retirement because of a broken heart, but also in my heart, I cannot let my fans down. As the days go by I realize that I’m at war with some things inside of myself, that I don’t mind sharing with you: I always, truly always, no matter if it was my own dreams just coming to the surface, if we, just the four of us, were to sit in a room together, we’d have been laughing, crying, and laughing again. The weight of the world would be lifted off of our shoulder as we hugged each other. Play together again? I have a suspicion that our fans would demand some type of reunion. My god I thought of that so many times and because what our fans wanted, they usually got. It may have taken a little longer, but think about how long it took the original Black Sabbath to play together again!? Then in one night early December, 2004, an event changed the entire year and our entire lives into one of the cruelest sort. Some mentally disturbed individual …crushed the dream. He took one of the most talented, extroverted people ever to grace this earth. I’m crushed for the loss of my friend that I loved, for Vince his brother, for Jerry his father, for Rita his life companion, for all of his good friends, for every music fan that was inspired and loved his playing; especially those who were lost or were injured that night we lost Darrell. None of what I have said will ever bring him back, and it hurts so bad. I add very humbly in hope that no one else out there ever has to go through something like this; Keep your loved ones close. Yours Truly, I can take no more at this time- Philip H Anselmo New Damageplan? Tragically, the world will never again experience the guitar wizardry of Dimebag Darrell. But at least Damageplan manager Paul Bassman has told Billboard.com that songs Darrell recorded before his death may still surface. "There were recordings the band laid down prior to Dimebag's death that are near completion," he said. "Vinnie Paul has said there will be a follow-up album down the road, as Dime would have wanted his music to be heard." Bassman added, "The outpouring of kind thoughts, sadness and condolences have meant so much to all of us. On behalf of all the families impacted by this horrible tragedy, let me share a public acknowledgement of our gratitude."