As previously reported, ALICE IN CHAINS have selected William DuVall to sing lead vocals with the group on their upcoming U.S. club tour and subsequent European trek.

DuVall performed two songs with the reunited ALICE IN CHAINS last month in New Jersey at a taping of the VH1 Classic series "Decades Rock Live!".

Guitarist Jerry Cantrell told Launch that he'd also like to see other musicians perform with the reactivated group, who are touring in honor of late singer Layne Staley. "The door's open to invite anybody," he said. We'd like anybody to be a part of it. There's tons of guys that we love and that Layne loved, you know, that we'd love to be a part of this on a part-time basis."

DuVall, who sings and plays guitar in COMES WITH THE FALL, has also sung ALICE IN CHAINS material as part of Cantrell's solo touring band.

Guest singers who have jammed with the members of ALICE IN CHAINS during the past year include TOOL's Maynard James Keenan and former PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo.

The band will begin its European tour on May 26 in Lisbon, Portugal. A full list of dates can be seen at AliceInChains.com.

The new GODSMACK effort follows up the band's 2003 disc, "Faceless", and 2004's acoustic EP, "The Other Side".

GODSMACK will be the featured guests on the nationally syndicated radio show "Rockline" airing Monday, May 1. The live show begins at 8:30 p.m. PT / 11:30 p.m. ET, and fans are encouraged to call in with questions during the program at (800) 344-ROCK (7625). To find a station near you, check out www.rocklineradio.com.

As previously reported, GODSMACK will perform on NBC-TV's "The Tonight Show with Jay Leno" on Wednesday, April 26 and on ABC-TV's "Jimmy Kimmel Live!" on Thursday, April 27.

GODSMACK's video for their new single, "Speak" (audio: Windows Media), has been posted online at this location.

ABORTED
AMON AMARTH
ARCH ENEMY
ATHEIST
BATTLELORE
BLOODTHORN
BORN FROM PAIN
CALIBAN
CELTIC FROST
CHILDREN OF BODOM
DANKO JONES
D'ESPAIRSRAY
DIE APOKALYPTISCHEN REITER
EKTOMORF
EMPEROR
END OF GREEN
FEAR FACTORY
FINNTROLL
FLESHGORE
GAMMA RAY
HERMAN RAREBELL
IN EXTREMO
KORPIKLAANI
KRIEGER
LAKE OF TEARS
MAMBO KURT
METAL INQUISITOR
MINISTRY
MOTÖRHEAD
MSG
MYSTIC CIRCLE
NEVERMORE
NOCTURNAL RITES
OPETH
ORPHANED LAND
PRIMAL FEAR
ROSE TATTOO
SCORPIONS
SIX FEET UNDER
SOILWORK
SUBWAY TO SALLY
THE DOGMA
ULI JON ROTH
VICTORY
VREID
WE
WHITESNAKE
WINTERSUN

Sean P. Gahgan, Editor
lof@earthlink.net

Tim Wadzinski, Owner
tsw512@yahoo.com

Steve Shumake, Co-owner
vongoober@vongoober.com
http://www.vongoober.com/

*
*** LET IT BE KNOWN ***
*
-Late again (sigh), but stay tuned again tomorrow for another mini-
issue with an interview. I'll now kill you with suspense by not
telling you who the interview subject is. I'm like that. – Tim

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #1 ***
*
-Alleycat Scratch Return To Trash City

HOLLYWOOD, CA — Cult sleaze rockers Alleycat Scratch made the long
lonely trek from the Bay Area of California to the City Of Angels (and
smog, crime and shattered dreams) in the early '90s to make a name for
themselves. And make a name they did. Hailed as one of the top indie
glam acts to take the stage, the quartet released their sole album to
date, the bombastic DEADBOYS IN TRASH CITY in 1993 to a wealth of
global fan and critical acclaim.

Unfortunately for the band, just as the music industry started to take
notice of Alleycat Scratch the musical tide changed and the momentum
the band had built suddenly ground to a halt and the band had very few
options available to them. In April of 1994 the inevitable happened
and Alleycat Scratch pulled the claws out one last time for a packed
show at Los Angeles' famed nightclub The Troubadour. It was their last
stand and they went down fighting as a screaming, blood thirsty
audience showed Eddie Robison, Devin Lovelace, Bobby "Boa" Dias and
Robbi Black their appreciation by giving their heroes a drunken orgy
of a send off that many of their Sunset Strip predecessors would have
been envious of.

Thirteen years later the time has come for the world to revisit the
DEADBOYS IN TRASH CITY album via a special CD/DVD package from new
reissue label Regeneration Records. Featuring updated artwork, the
original ten songs plus two bonus tracks (a cover of The Boomtown
Rats' "I Don't Like Mondays" and the infamous "Love Song" from the X
Rated "Backdoor To The City Of Sin" film) and a DVD comprised of live
footage and extra goodies, the package will be unleashed in May of
2006 and will be the flagship release for Regeneration.

For more information on Regeneration Records please visit
http://www.regenerationrecords.com/ and for more information on
Alleycat Scratch hit up http://www.myspace.com/alleycatscratchmusic .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #2 ***
*
-Saxon: THE EAGLE HAS LANDED PT. III Details Revealed

[Note: This comes from the official Saxon747.com mailing list. Thanks
to Vince Rock. - Tim]

Every truly great act in the history of rock music has had two
distinctive traits: a sure hand for hit-worthy compositions, but also
the skill and that inner fire to translate these compositions just as
hauntingly in their shows. Saxon certainly have both characteristics:
having composed countless metal classics, they are also indisputably
at home live on stage. 24 years after the release of their live
classic, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED I (1982), and 10 years after THE EAGLE
HAS LANDED II (1996), Steamhammer/SPV are due to release Saxon's
brand-new live album, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED PT. III on June 6, 2006
(Germany: June 2, US: June 27), featuring the first recordings with
drummer Nigel Glockler, who has returned to the Saxon fold following
an extended creative break. In other words, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED PT.
III was recorded by two different line-ups: the cuts from 2004 feature
drummer Jörg Michael, the 2005 material presents Nigel Glockler.
Consisting, next to Glockler, of founding members, Biff Byford
(vocals) and Paul Quinn (guitar) plus the long-serving Nibbs Carter
(bass) and Doug Scarratt (guitar), Saxon are still one of the hottest
contemporary live acts.

The double album, THE EAGLE HAS LANDED PT. III, will be released in a
top-value digi-pack. CD1 contains many of the classics from the band's
early years up to 1984, including the release of their landmark album,
CRUSADER. CD 2 features the most important songs from the recent past,
starting with tracks from their 1991 comeback release, SOLID BALL OF
ROCK, and ending with material from LIONHEART (2004) — with one
exception: "Broken Heroes" from their 1985 recording, INNOCENCE IS NO
EXCUSE.

THE EAGLE HAS LANDED PT. III track listing:

CD 1:
01. This Town Rocks (Stockholm 2005)
02. Backs To The Wall (Nuremberg 2005)
03. Redline (Hamburg 2005)
04. Stand Up And Be Counted (Berlin 2005)
05. Never Surrender (Berlin 2005)
06. Frozen Rainbow (Fulda 2005)
07. Suzie Hold On (Nuremberg 2005)
08. Play It Loud (Nuremberg 2005)
09. Warrior (Nuremberg 2005)
10. See The Lights Shining (Hamburg 2005)
11. To Hell And Back Again (Hamburg 2005)
12. Stallions Of The Highway (Fulda 2005)
13. Wheels Of Steel (Nuremberg 2005)
14. And The Bands Played On (Wacken 2004)
15. Crusader (Wacken 2004)

CD 2:
01. The Return (Paris 2004)
02. Lionheart (Paris 2004)
03. Man & Machine (London 2004)
04. Beyond The Grave (London 2004)
05. Searching For Atlantis (London 2004)
06. To Live By The Sword Pt. I (London 2004)
07. Unleash The Beast (London 2004)
08. To Live By The Sword Pt. II (London 2004)
09. Flying On The Edge (Paris 2004)
10. Jack Tars (Kiel 2004)
11. English Man 'O' War (Kiel 2004)
12. Court Of The Crimson King (Kiel 2004)
13. Broken Heroes (Kiel 2004)
14. Dragon's Lair (Kiel 2004)
15. Rock Is Our Live (Wacken 2004)
16. Travellers Time (Wacken 2004)
17. Solid Ball Of Rock (Wacken 2004)

http://www.Saxon747.com/
info@saxon747.com

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #3 ***
*
-German Power-Metal Pioneers Helloween To Release Deluxe Expanded
Editions Of WALLS OF JERICHO, PINK BUBBLES GO APE, CHAMELEON On April
25th, 2006

MASTER OF THE RINGS, THE TIME OF THE OATH And BETTER THAN RAW To
Follow On May 16th, 2006

Bonus Rarites Include Mini-Album/EP/Compilation Tracks, B-Sides,
Remixes And Live Versions

Germany's Helloween was one of the most influential heavy metal bands
to launch out of Europe in the 1980s. In fact Helloween, which formed
in Hamburg in 1982, pioneered the popular subgenre known as power
metal.

Six of Helloween's most interesting, transitional albums — WALLS OF
JERICHO, PINK BUBBLES GO APE, CHAMELEON, MASTER OF THE RINGS, THE TIME
OF THE OATH and BETTER THAN RAW — are being reissued as remastered,
deluxe expanded edition CDs by Sanctuary Records on April 25, 2006.
Bonus tracks include rare B-sides, remixes and live versions. WALLS OF
JERICHO, CHAMELEON, MASTER OF THE RINGS and THE TIME OF THE OAT are
two-CD sets while PINK BUBBLES GO APE and BETTER THAN RAW are each one
fully packed CD. All six releases include informative liner notes with
essays, new interviews with guitarist Michael Weikath, lyrics and
photos.

WALLS OF JERICHO was originally released in late 1985. It was
Helloween's first full-length album following the appearance of the
mini-album HELLOWEEN earlier that year. In addition to WALLS OF
JERICHO itself, this two-CD reissue also includes the five songs from
HELLOWEEN and a track from the picture-disc version, two songs from
1984's compilation album/sampler DEATH METAL, 1986's JUDAS EP and two
remixes from 2002's TREASURE CHEST.

PINK BUBBLES GO APE hit the streets in 1991 and it was Helloween's
first album with guitarist Roland Grapow, who had replaced Kai Hansen.

CHAMELEON followed in 1993 and this experimental effort was the final
album with vocalist Michael Kiske.

MASTER OF THE RINGS appeared in 1994 and it marked the debut of
vocalist Andi Deris.

THE TIME OF THE OATH was issued in 1996 and it is generally regarded
as containing the band's strongest, most cohesive set of songs since
the mid-1980s classics KEEPER OF THE SEVEN KEYS, PT. 1 and KEEPER OF
THE SEVEN KEYS, PT. 2.

BETTER THAN RAW came out in 1998 and it found Helloween adding
progressive elements as well as touches of neo-classical and neo-black
metal.

The track listings are as follows:

WALLS OF JERICHO

Disc 1 – "Starlight," "Murderer," "Warrior," "Victim Of Fate," "Cry
For Freedom," "Walls Of Jericho," "Ride The Sky," "Reptile,"
"Guardians," "Phantoms Of Death," "Metal Invaders," "Gorgar," "Heavy
Metal (Is The Law)," "How Many Tears" and "Judas."

Disc 2 – "Murderer" (remix), "Ride The Sky" (remix), "Intro/Ride The
Sky" (live), "Guardians" (live), "Oernst Of Life," "Metal Invaders"
and "Surprise Track."

PINK BUBBLES GO APE

"Pink Bubbles Go Ape," "Kids Of The Century," "Back On The Streets,"
"Number One," "Heavy Metal Hamsters," "Goin' Home," "Someone's
Crying," "Mankind," "I'm Doin' Fine, Crazy Man," "The Chance," "Your
Turn," "Blue Suede Shoes" ("Kids Of The Century" single B-side), "Shit
And Lobster" ("Kids Of The Century" single B-side), "Les Hambourgeois
Walkways" ("Number One" single B-side) and "You Run With The Pack"
("Number One" single B-side).

CHAMELEON

Disc 1 – "First Time," "When The Sinner," "I Don't Wanna Cry No More,"
"Crazy Cat," "Giants," "Windmill," "Revolution Now," "In The Night,"
"Music," "Step Out Of Hell," "I Believe" and "Longing."

Disc 2 – "I Don't Care You Don't Care" ("When The Sinner" single
B-side), "Oriental Journey" ("When The Sinner" single B-side
previously Japan only), "Cut In The Middle" ("Windmill" single
B-side), "Introduction" ("Windmill" single B-side), "Get Me Out Of
Here" ("Windmill" single B-side), "Red Socks And The Smell Of The
Trees" ("I Don't Wanna Cry No More" single B-side), "Ain't Got Nothin'
Better" ("I Don't Wanna Cry No More" single B-side) and "Windmill"
(previously unreleased demo version).

MASTER OF THE RINGS

Disc 1 – "Irritation," "Sole Survivor," "Where The Rain Grows,"
"Why?," "Mr. Ego (Take Me Down)," "Perfect Gentleman," "The Game Is
On," "Secret Alibi," "Take Me Home," "In The Middle Of A Heartbeat"
and "Still We Go."

Disc 2 – "Can't Fight Your Desire" (single B-side), "Star Invasion"
(single B-side), "Cold Sweat" (single B-side), "Silicon Dreams"
(single B-side), "Grapowski's Malmsuite 101" (single B-side), "I Stole
Your Love" (Kiss cover – single B-side previously Japan only) and
"Closer To Home" (Grand Funk Railroad cover – single B-side previously
Japan only).

THE TIME OF THE OATH

Disc 1 – "We Burn," "Steel Tormentor," "Wake Up The Mountain,"
"Power," "Forever And One (Neverland)," "Before The War," "A Million
To One," "Anything My Mama Don't Like," "Kings Will Be Kings,"
"Mission Motherland," "If I Knew" and "The Time Of The Oath."

Disc 2 – "Still I Don't Know" (previously Japan only), "Take It To The
Limit" (previously Japan only), "Electric Eye" (single B-side),
"Magnetic Fields" (single B-side), "Rain" (single B-side), "Walk Your
Way" (single B-side), "Light In The Sky" (single B-side) and "Time
Goes By" (single B-side).

BETTER THAN RAW

"Deliberately Limited Preliminary Prelude In Z," "Push," "Falling
Higher," "Hey Lord!," "Don't Spit On My Mind," "Revelation," "Time,"
"I Can," "A Handful Of Pain," "Lavdate Dominvm," "Midnight Sun," "Back
On The Ground" (previously Japan only), "A Game We Shouldn't Play"
(single B-side), "Perfect Gentleman" (live bootleg version) and "Moshi
Moshi ~ Shiki No Uta" (live B-side).

http://www.helloween.org/
http://www.sanctuaryrecordsgroup.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #4 ***
*
-Tribuzy Earning All Prizes In Brazil

After the poll done by Roadie Crew Magazine, where Tribuzy appears in
several categories, including first place in the Best New Band of
2005. Now is the turn of Whiplash Website, the most important Website
of Heavy Metal in Brazil, to highlight the work of the band.

The band got once again first place in the Best New Band of 2005, with
more than 40% of the votes, and they also were mentioned in the top
ten of the following categories: Best Singer, Best Album, Best Show,
Best Cover and Best Song; in this last one, getting three positions
with the songs: "Beast In The Light," "Execution" and "Absolution."

Tribuzy is also in the top three places of Rock Brigade and Valhalla
Magazine, in the following categories: Best Singer, Best Album and
Best New Band of 2005.

Luiz Correra
Tribuzy Fan Club
fc@tribuzy.com
http://www.tribuzy.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #5 ***
*
-New Flower Kings Now At Radiant!

Hello there,

How are you doing? Very well and enjoying the beginning of spring? In
Nashville we are enjoying a full early spring experience complete with
the trees budding and pounding thunderstorms. We get it all at once!

Here's a great new release from the mighty Flower Kings! We have the
Limited Editions in stock and ready to ship. Please stop by and order
one of the new Transatlantic DVDs or Neal Morse CDs while you're
there! We also have Roine Stolt's latest solo album WALL STREET VOODOO
as well as CIRCUS BRIMSTONE LIVE in stock, so pick those up as well.
Here's some info about the new FK:

The Flower Kings: PARADOX HOTEL (double CD)

Since the mid Nineties, Roine Stolt and his Flower Kings, have
maintained a prolific output on a regular basis packing as much music
as possible onto each disc and sometimes expanding onto a double
album. Each year sees at least one Flower Kings release, plus an array
of solo albums and side-projects. One has to ask how can one man
produce so much music? After 2004's ADAM & EVE, comes the new Flower
Kings studio album PARADOX HOTEL, and once again the band have
produced another double album packed with prog!

"I guess, it's a combination of burning passion and a clear musical
vision," Roine Stolt begins to explain his vast output. "Once I stick
to a project, I'll carry it through mercilessly. I'm usually working
14 to 18 hours a day" he tells us, and adds with a smile "I'll
probably die young."

Hopefully not, because far beyond the boundaries of prog, Stolt is
regarded as am amazingly skilled guitarist, composer and producer who
we still expect many more new ideas and compositions to come from.
Even more so, since he recently unveiled a different side to his
musical persona with the new double solo album WALL STREET VOODOO in
2005. Stolt gave listeners a somewhat more accessible side to his
music for those who had previously found his material a little too
demanding. Even those who have so far struggled with the band's music
will find something immediately accessible about the Flower Kings'
music via PARADOX HOTEL.

The "trick" is actually quite simple, but as is often the case it's
the little things which can sometimes have the greatest effect. With
the exception of the vocal harmonies, most of the material was
recorded live by Stolt and his band mates at Copenhagen's Medley
Studio during a week's residence there. Afterwards, the band edited
the songs at their own studio over a two month period. "This album is
not as focused on detail, it has raw edges and isn't based so much on
complex themes as is usually the case" says Stolt. "We painted with a
thicker brush, so to speak. However, the melody side is still very
strong, and the whole thing sounds much more dynamic than we have been
in the past." Furthermore, keyboardist Tomas Bodin and bassist Jonas
Reingold were more involved in the songwriting process than in the
past, and even Hasse Froberg has composed one song.

With PARADOX HOTEL, the "FloKis" as they are affectionately known,
will keep their devoted fan base happy and undoubtedly win over new
listeners. Master Stolt needn't be afraid of any sleepless nights,
besides he will most likely be brooding over his next project at full
moon anyway…

2 CD Limited Edition now available at http://www.radiantrecords.com/

We thank you very much for your business,

Cherie Morse
Radiant Records
http://www.radiantrecords.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #6 ***
*
-System Of A Down To Launch Three-Day Washington, DC Campaign For
Armenian Genocide Recognition

Band Members to Join Rally at Turkish Embassy; Screen New Genocide
Documentary; Meet with Media and Key Congressional Officials on
Pending Armenian Genocide Legislation

LOS ANGELES, CA — Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan of the Grammy Award-
winning band System Of A Down will travel to Washington, DC on April
24th for a three-day campaign to urge Speaker of the House Dennis
Hastert and other Congressional leaders to end their complicity in
Turkey's ongoing denial of the Armenian Genocide.

On the evening of Monday, April 24th — starting at 5:00pm — the
multi-Platinum-selling group members will join with the Armenian
National Committee of America and Armenian Youth Federation in leading
a grassroots demonstration outside the gates of the Turkish Embassy at
2525 Massachusetts Ave, in Northwest Washington, DC. The Turkish
government, through its Embassy in Washington, spends millions of
dollars each year to bully, threaten, and blackmail the US government
not to recognize the Armenian Genocide.

The band members will devote Tuesday, April 25th to providing
interviews to the political media in Washington, and, in the evening,
hosting a Congressional screening of "Screamers," a new documentary by
filmmaker Carla Garapedian about the band's worldwide campaign for
Armenian Genocide recognition.

On Wednesday April 26th, System will meet with key Members of Congress
to urge them to allow a vote on legislation recognizing the Armenian
Genocide, and — at 5:30pm — will participate in the annual Capitol
Hill commemoration of the Armenian Genocide. This event, now in its
11th year, is regularly attended by over 30 Members of Congress,
diplomats, ethnic community leaders, human rights activists, genocide
prevention advocates, and Armenian Americans from across the country.

Beginning on April 24, 1915, the Ottoman Turkish government began a
centrally planned and systematically executed campaign to annihilate
the Armenian people from their ancient homeland. By 1923 over 1.5
million Armenians were killed and hundreds of thousands deported, in
what constituted the first genocide of the 20th century. Congressional
legislation recognizing this crime (H.Res.316 / H.Con.Res.195 /
S.Res.320) has broad bipartisan support, but has been blocked from
coming to a vote by Congressional leaders, despite the fact that, five
years ago, US House Speaker Dennis Hastert promised to allow Members
to vote on this human rights measure.

In September of last year, Serj Tankian and John Dolmayan from the
band traveled to the Speaker's hometown of Batavia, Illinois to lead a
rally urging him to allow a vote on the Armenian Genocide legislation.
During the rally, Tankian delivered a personal and powerfully worded
message calling on the Speaker to do the right thing, and stressing
that "historical truths should never be denied in a democracy –
especially one with such a proud heritage of freedom."

Speaker Hastert has it in his power to accomplish one of System's
goals — official US recognition of Turkey's destruction of 1.5
million Armenians between 1915 and 1923. By allowing Congress to vote
on this legislation, Speaker Hastert can end US denial of this crime
and open the doors to justice — to the restoration, reparation, and
restitution owed to the victims of genocide. By continuing to block a
vote on this legislation, Hastert effectively joins in the denial of
this crime against humanity, and the denial of justice to an entire
nation.

The members of System Of A Down, Serj Tankian, Daron Malakian, John
Dolmayan and Shavo Odadjian, who are of Armenian descent, all
personally lost family members and family history to the Armenian
Genocide. "Because so much of my family history was lost in the
Armenian Genocide," said Malakian, "my grandfather, who was very young
at the time, doesn't know his true age. How many people can say they
don't know how old they are?" Tankian, Dolmayan and Odadjian all
identify their grandparents' memories as the only links they have to
their respective family heritages, as most of their families were
obliterated during the Armenian Genocide.

"It's important for people to be aware of the Armenian Genocide,"
explained Tankian, "and that those actions continue to be covered up
by the Turkish government, the US State Department, Turkey's allies in
the defense and oil industries, and by our present US Administration.
Had the Armenian Genocide been acknowledged as a Crime Against
Humanity as it was, Hitler might not have thought he could get away
with the Jewish Holocaust. History does and will repeat itself, unless
we stop that cycle."

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #7 ***
*
-Guitarist Glenn Rogers Returns To The New Lineup Of Hirax / First-
Ever New York Performance In May

LOS ANGELES — Hirax vocalist Katon W. De Pena has announced lead
guitarist Glenn Rogers has rejoined Hirax. Lead guitarist Lance
Harrison, bassist Steve Harrison and drummer Fabricio Raveli complete
the new lineup.

"I wanted to make some changes for a while," said De Pena. "The only
other band member that I saw eye to eye with on what direction Hirax
should be going was Glenn. We both really love playing heavy thrash
metal and we know what Hirax should sound like."

"Katon and I began talking again after he mailed a copy of the THRASH
TIL DEATH DVD to me," said Glenn Rogers. "My heart has always been
into Hirax; and after our meeting, we found out that we're both still
on the same page. So we decided it was in our best interest to put all
the bullshit behind us and move forward."

"The Harrison brothers are local Los Angeles/Orange County musicians
who are veterans of the heavy metal scene," said De Pena. "Lance
Harrison was our guitar tech so he knows what we are all about. He is
a great addition to the band. His brother Steve knows how to play his
instrument and comes from the Jaco Pastorius, Cliff Burton, Steve
Harris school of bass playing. He is perfect for what we do. Our
newest member is Fabricio Ravelli from Brazil. He is dedicated to
metal and had been following our music for years. Fabrico is a well
known musician back in South America and relocated to California in
order to peruse his career in music. We are privileged to have him as
a member of Hirax."

Hirax is currently working on new material for their next record to be
titled ASSASSINS OF WAR. The record was planned to be an EP, however,
it has morphed into a full-length because of the amount of material
that Rogers and the Harrison brothers have been writing.

One of the first dates for the new lineup of Hirax will be in Long
Island City, New York, on May 13, headlining a show for Metal Kingdom
Records' 2nd Anniversary. This will be the band's first-ever New York
show.

"Not only am I excited about ASSASSINS OF WAR, I am looking forward to
playing shows with these guys," said De Pena. "They are TRUE ROAD
DOGS!! They are willing to travel and sleep on floors if that's what
it takes. They are hungry like I am and are willing to go the extra
mile to play our music for the fans — no matter what country and no
matter if they are rich or poor. All we care about is METAL!!"

Live Dates:

05/13/06 Sat. Metal Kingdom Records 2nd Anniversary (w/ Deceased,
Toxic Holocaust, Ancient Wound, and Unatural Desaster.

http://www.hirax.org/
http://www.blackdevilrecords.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #8 ***
*
-The Illuminati's Full-Length Debut Set For June Release

ON BORROWED TIME, the full-length debut from Toronto boogie-rockers
The Illuminati, will be released in America on June 28. The trio –
who just wrapped up a US tour alongside The Hellacopters and Nebula
that included a stop at South By Southwest — will continue touring
before and after the album's release.

The Illuminati have recently received extensive critical acclaim for
their self-titled EP, a six-track, 16-minute gem released last fall.
The new issue of Revolver praises its "swinging roadhouse rock," while
Outburn salutes their "rock anthems infused with jazz n' blues parts,
as well as rip-roarin' solos."

The US pressing of ON BORROWED TIME will include the music video for
album track "Goin' Down," as well as a bonus audio and video track
culled from the EP, "On My Way Back Home…Again" (
http://mp3.centurymedia.com/mp3/illuminati_onmywaybackhomeagain.mp3 ).
In its review, All Music Guide calls the song — a staple of the
group's live set — "probably the defining piece on the EP, a rowdy
and hell-raising tune that fuses rock, prog and hillbilly."

The Illuminati EP was only a proverbial glimpse through the keyhole,
however — a mere hint of what this band was capable. ON BORROWED TIME
finds The Illuminati's doctrine of musicality fully realized, with
profound and melodic compositions hurled headlong into visceral, even
sleazy, three-minute rock epics. Sneaky details — moments of metal-
blues fusion, impeccably written noodley jazz codas — recall a time
before today's genre-bound constraints. Melodic and exploratory yet
fast and mean, the group offers a refreshing return to pretense-free
virtuosity, conjuring wild specters of rock n' roll's greatest
legacies — and giving BW&BK reason to say that "the buzz is
certifiably justified."

It's time to return to a sense of wonder. It's time for The
Illuminati.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #9 ***
*
-Soulfly's Marc Rizzo On Sirius Satellite Radio's "Hard Attack"

Tune in to Sirius Satellite Radio's "Hard Attack" show on Saturday,
April 8th at 3pm when Soulfly guitarist Marc Rizzo sits in with DJ
Jose. You can sign up for a free trial and listen online at
http://www.siriusradio.com/ .

Marc will be talking about the upcoming Soulfly US tour as well as his
own solo tour and performing live in the studio.

In other news, Soulfly's official Web site (
http://www.soulflyweb.com/ ) is running a contest where three lucky
fans can win an autographed copy of Marc's solo CD COLOSSAL MYOPIA.

Marc Rizzo Solo dates:

Apr. 5 – Harper's Ferry – Allston, MA
Apr. 6 – Dingbatz – Clifton, NJ
Apr. 7 – Vincent's Ear – Wallington, NJ
Apr. 8 – Mexicali Blues Cafe – Teaneck, NJ
Apr. 10 – Victor's House Of Music – Paramus, NJ (In-Store)
Apr. 13 – Jaxx – W. Springfield, VA
Apr. 14 – Tower Records – Nanuet, NY (In-Store)

Soulfly US Tour:

Apr. 21 – Anaheim, CA – House Of Blues
Apr. 22 – Hollywood, CA – Whiskey A Go-Go
Apr. 23 – San Francisco, CA – The Fillmore
Apr. 25 – Orangevale, CA – The Boardwalk
Apr. 26 – Bend, OR – Midtown
Apr. 27 – Seattle, WA – El Corazon
Apr. 28 – Portland, OR – Hawthorne Theatre
Apr. 29 – Spokane, WA – Big Easy
Apr. 30 – Boise, ID – Big Easy
May 1 – Billings, MT – 12th Planet
May 3 – Chicago, IL – House of Blues
May 4 – Milwaukee, WI – The Eagles Club
May 5 – Detroit, MI – Harpo's
May 6 – Grand Rapids, MI – The Intersection
May 8 – Springfield, VA – Jaxx
May 9 – Allentown, PA – Crocodile Rock Cafe

For more information, go to http://www.marcrizzo.com/ .

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #10 ***
*
-Carl Palmer Hitting The Road; Legendary Drummer/Progressive Rock
Pioneer Celebrates The Music Of ELP

Drummer extraordinaire Carl Palmer is embarking on a six week North
American tour of the power trio, The Carl Palmer Band, which features
Palmer on drums and percussion, guitarist Paul Bielatowicz and bassist
Stuart Clayton.

Each show will serve up an evening of classic ELP music, presented
with exciting and innovative new versions. An all-instrumental show,
"Carl Palmer Celebrates The Music Of ELP" promises to be among the
most musically compelling live shows of 2006.

The Carl Palmer Band will be playing showcase clubs, intimate theaters
and Performing Arts Centers. "I am very excited to be returning to
North America to see and play for the many loyal fans I have come to
know over the years," says Palmer, who has been touring in Europe,
leading a power trio since 2002. "This is a trio, which ELP also was,
but we have replaced the keyboards with some very powerful guitar
interpretations of that classic music."

Among the songs featured in the show are: "Tarkus," "Fanfare For The
Common Man," and "Hoedown." Adds Palmer, "Although ELP had a lot of
vocal hit songs, we were really about musicianship and conveying the
spectrum of emotions through our instruments. Many of the classic
elements of these songs remain, but they have been updated and
reinterpreted through the my new band."

In addition to nearly two hours of classic ELP songs, fans will be
treated to Palmer's innovative and highly creative drum work. While in
his previous bands, ELP and Asia, Palmer's remarkable drum solos were
often a high-point in those shows.

Carl Palmer first emerged on the British rock scene at the age of 17,
as drummer for the Crazy World Of Arthur Brown. After Brown recorded
his #1 hit, "Fire." Palmer toured the US for the first time. He left
to form Atomic Rooster with Vincent Crane, another Brown alumnus. In
1970, he formed ELP with Keith Emerson (ex-The Nice) and Greg Lake
(King Crimson's singer and bassist).

ELP was among the pioneer super-groups launched during the era of
Blind Faith, Crosby Stills & Nash, and Led Zeppelin. They eventually
became one of the biggest rock bands of all time, and the first group
to effectively blend rock, jazz and classical music for the pop music
masses. Together, on and off from 1970 through 1998, Emerson Lake &
Palmer, sold over 35 million albums.

Upon the initial demise of ELP in 1980, Palmer formed another
progressive rock super-group, Asia, with members of Yes, King Crimson
and The Buggles. With Asia, through much of the 1980s, Palmer would go
on to have a second multi-platinum career.

"My new group is a great band and I am certain the fans will enjoy our
unique versions of these timeless classics," says Palmer. "I look
forward to returning to both the US and Canada and seeing everyone
once again."

http://www.carlpalmer.com/

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #11 ***
*
-Fireball Ministry To Resume Crusading

Two-week tour alongside Disturbed kicks off May 20

The Los Angeles-based hard rock quartet Fireball Ministry will soon
return to the road for a series of shows alongside multi-platinum
rockers Disturbed. The groups — who performed a sold-out California
show together in January — will tour America and Canada for two weeks
beginning on May 20. These will be Disturbed's final North American
shows prior to their summer stint on the main stage of Ozzfest.

The trek marks Fireball Ministry's first tour of 2006. The group
criss-crossed America no fewer than five times late last year in
support of their acclaimed new album, THEIR ROCK IS NOT OUR ROCK.
Then, two nationwide treks with CKY book-ended a cross-country jaunt
with Opeth, Pelican and Nevermore; those were followed by a string of
dates with H.I.M., Skindred and Finch (the inaugural "Viva La Bands"
tour), and another series of shows with Clutch. The group also
supported metal legends Judas Priest at a Michigan concert before
capping off the year with a nationally televised performance on NBC's
"Last Call With Carson Daly."

"We took a rest, but now we're back to get you drunk and make you
deaf," says guitarist/vocalist James A. Rota.

Before the Disturbed run kicks off, Fireball Ministry will be
headlining a hometown show at The Troubadour on May 4.

In other Fireball news, the group recently recorded a rendition of the
Joe Walsh song "Turn The Stone" for the second volume of Small Stone
Records' SUCKING THE '70s compilation. In 2002, the band appeared
alongside Clutch, Alabama Thunderpussy and Spirit Caravan on the first
installment, covering UFO's "Doctor, Doctor."

Meanwhile, the video for THEIR ROCK… standout "Sundown" has received
regular airplay on MTV2's "Headbangers Ball" in recent weeks. It can
be viewed at both the band's website (
http://www.fireballministry.com/ ) and the website of their North
American record label, Liquor And Poker Music (
http://www.liquorandpokermusic.com/ ).

Fireball Ministry with Disturbed (except *):

5/4 – Troubadour – Los Angeles, CA*
5/20 – McElroy Auditorium – Waterloo, IA
5/22 – Rushmore Auditorium – Rapid City, SD
5/23 – Shrine Auditorium – Billings, MT
5/25 – MacEwan Hall – Calgary, AB
5/26 – Reds – Edmonton, AB
5/28 – Pioneer Hall – Duluth, MN
5/29 – Tyson Center – Sioux City, IA
5/31 – Element – West Kitchener, ON
6/1 – Metropolis – Montreal, QC
6/3 – Colisee Pepsi Arena – Quebec City, QC
6/4 – Docks – Toronto, ON

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #12 ***
*
-Doug Doppler To Perform With Uli Jon Roth

In addition to Doug Doppler's recently announced tour of Europe, with
Guns N' Roses (and newly announced, Supernova) guitarist Gilby Clarke,
Doug has also been announced as special guest to Uli Jon Roth, at his
SKY academy seminars in Los Angeles. Doug has been asked to perform as
a Guest of Honor, during the five day event, held at the Ralph Freud
Playhouse on the UCLA campus, between May 24th – 28th.

Again, Doug has been approached by one of his peers, and acknowledged
as a leading guitar virtuoso. He was handpicked to inherit Joe
Satriani's Guitar studio, was signed to Favored Nations by Steve Vai,
and has performed at the infamous G3 with Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, and
Yngwie Malmsteen.

Doug will be on tour in Europe between April 21st and May 13th,
showcasing his talents to a new audience. Check out
http://www.dougdoppler.com/ for details of the dates. He also has
recently released not only his incredible album NU INSTRUMETAL, but
you get the chance to attempt to play like him by following his first
instructional GUITAR 411 DVD.

*
*** PRESS RELEASE #13 ***
*
-Petition To Bring Metal Shows Back To Fuse

I have created a petition at this address to bring Metal in some way
shape or form back to a greater presence on the channel that I want
all of the MetalHeads on this board to sign: to sign it go to this
address:

http://www.PetitionOnline.com/zdunne/petition.html

Also e-mail me at zdunne@kent.edu to with this message telling me you
have signed it: my goal is to get as many signatures as I can within a
month before I send it to the program director. Again, my goal is not
to get Juliya back on the channel but to get Metal back on the channel
because I feel the music is more important than who is hosting and it
is more important the Metal audience gets the music it wants than who
is hosting it. Your assistance in this effort would be highly
appreciated.

Zach Dunne

P.S. Spread word of this petition across the web

—

To: Fuse Program Director

Dear Program Director of the Fuse network,

Many in the Heavy Metal Community are appalled by your current actions
of cancleing "Metal Asylum" without formal announcement to the press
and not renewing the contract of your most popular VJ Juliya
Chernetsky without pior notice weeks ahead of time. The decision to do
this has appalled many listeners of Hard Rock/Metal who had previously
put your channel on the map by flocking to it over the past few years
because it offered an outlet that MTV was not giving us. We feel that
your actions as of late have been contradictory to your success and
that by cancleing a series on your network that had a significant
following that you are hurting your network more than helping because
you are turning away an entire audience that helped lead your network
to prominence in the past several years. We are not asking that you
rehire Ms. Chernetsky, we are only asking that you bring back the
presence of Metal Music on your channel in a greater form within the
next few months even if it is with a new host because the Metal
Underground has made significant gains in the past few years and to
not acknowledge these gains and alienate an audience that previously
made your upstart channel a success will cost your network viewers not
increase it.

Sincerely,

The Undersigned

*
*** NEWS/RUMORS ***
*
-Accept's 2002 DVDplus release METAL BLAST FROM THE PAST will be
available in the US from MVD, http://mvdb2b.com/ , on June 6. The
disc's video side features the STAYING A LIFE concert film (a 1985
METAL HEART-era live show filmed in Osaka, Japan), promo video clips,
live footage from their 1993 reunion tour, and interviews and behind-
the-scenes footage, and the audio side features unreleased bonus
tracks. STAYING A LIFE set list: "Metal Heart," "Breaker," "Screaming
For A Love Bite," "Up To The Limit," "Living For Tonight," "Princess
Of The Dawn," "Restless And Wild," "Son Of A Bitch," "London
Leatherboys," "Fast As A Shark," "Balls To The Wall," outro ("Bound To
Fail"). Video clips: "I'm A Rebel," "Balls To The Wall," "Midnight
Mover," "Generation Clash," "Protectors Of Terror," "Slaves To Metal,"
"Death Row." Live '93: "Starlight," "Slaves To Metal," "Objection
Overruled." Audio: "Rich And Famous" (OBJECTION OVERRULED import bonus
track), "Rocking For The Sun" (I'M A REBEL outtake), "Morning Sun"
(I'M A REBEL outtake), "Run If You Can" (BREAKER 8-track demo), "Down
And Out" (BREAKER 8-track demo), "Can't Stand The Night" (BREAKER 8-
track demo), "Breaker" (BREAKER 8-track demo), "Burning" (BREAKER 8-
track demo), "Writing On The Wall" ("Rich And Famous" single B-side).

-Beyond Fear is touring Europe with Anthrax this month:

4/7 – The Academy, Glasgow, UK
4/8 – Corperation, Sheffield, UK
4/9 – Wolfrun Hall, Wolverhampton, UK
4/10 – Astoria, London, UK
4/11 – Rock City, Nottingham, UK
4/14 – 013, Tilburg, Holland
4/15 – Hof-Ter-Lo, Antwerp, Belgium
4/16 – La Laiterie, Strasbourg, France
4/17 – Matrix, Bochum, Germany
4/18 – Vega, Copenhagen, Denmark
4/19 – Tagarn, Gothenburg, Sweden
4/21 – Nosturi, Helsinki, Finland
4/22 – Pakkahouse, Tampere, Finland
4/24 – Markthalle, Hamburg, Germany
4/25 – Garage, Saarbrücken, Germany
4/26 – Rohstofflager, Zürich, Switzerland
4/27 – New Age, Trevisto, Italy
4/28 – Live Club, Milan, Italy
4/29 – Temo Rock, Reggio Emilia, Italy

US tour dates are being planned now. See
http://www.timripperowens.com/ and http://www.spvusa.com/ for more.

-Black Label Society's SHOT TO HELL is due out July 3 via RoadRunner
Records. Check out http://www.zakkwylde.com/ for all the updates.

-Dream Theater's set list for the final show on the band's 20th
Anniversary tour was as follows: First Set – "The Root Of All Evil,"
"I Walk Beside You," "Another Won," "Afterlife," "Under A Glass Moon,"
"Innocence Faded," "Raise The Knife," "The Spirit Carries On." Second
Set (performed with a 23-piece orchestra) – "Overture," "About To
Crash," "War Inside My Head," "The Test That Stumped Them All,"
"Goodnight Kiss," "Solitary Shell," "About To Crash" (reprise),
"Losing Time/Grand Finale," "Vacant," "The Answer Lies Within,"
"Sacrificed Sons," "Octavarium." Encore: "Metropolis — Part I." A CD
and DVD of the show will be released later this year. Check out
http://www.dreamtheater.net/ for all the updates.

-Sammy Hagar reportedly worked on a biography shortly after he left
Van Halen, but after a falling-out with the writer he fought to stop
the book from being published. A 50-page excerpt is available in PDF
format at http://www.semi7.com/hagar_book.pdf .

-Upcoming Listeria tour dates in support of FULL OF FIRE:

4/7 – Mushrooms, Pozzuoli, Napoli, Italy
4/14 – Klakson, Montecavolo/Reggio Emilia, Italy
4/29 – Transilvania Live, Cremona – Italy

The band will also perform at the the Euromet Open Air in the UK in
July. See http://www.metalmusicfest2006.com/ for more on the festival,
including instructions on how you can vote for Listeria to have a high
position on the bill, and see http://www.listeriaband.com/ or contact
info@listeriaband.com for more on the band.

-Upcoming Lizzy Borden live dates:

5/5 – Empire Ballroom, Las Vegas, NV
5/6 – Iliff Park Saloon, Aurora, CO
5/7 – The White Buffalo, Loveland, CO

Check out http://www.lizzyborden.com/ for more info.

-RockStarPix.com has more great live shots of Loudness, at
http://www.rockstarpix.com/loudnessct.html . These were taken at a
show in Connecticut.

-George Lynch has a new subscription-based on-line tutorial featuring
monthly guitar lessons "not for the faint of heart!" See
http://www.georgelynch.com/ for more.

-Queensryche reportedly has the video for "I'm American," from
OPERATION: MINDCRIME II (out this week), available at
http://www.queensryche.com/ .

-Organizers of the Rock Of Ages 2006 festival, slated for July 28-29
in Seebronn, Germany, have announced Wishbone Ash is now on the bill.
The current list of performers: Twisted Sister, Uriah Heep, Wishbone
Ash, Gotthard, UFO, Fish, Asia, The Sweet, Vixen, Soul Doctor,
Evidence One. Four more acts are still to be confirmed. See
http://www.rock-of-ages.de/ for more.

-Shy's 105-minute performance at last weekend's Z Rock 06 show in the
UK was recorded for "a possible summer release." In related news, a
second Z Rock 06 show will take place on September 24 at JB's Dudley
in the UK. Toby Jepson (Little Angels) is confirmed already, with
another five or six acts to be announced soon. See
http://www.myspace.com/zrockfest and http://www.zrecords.net/ for
more.

-Check out http://www.vanity-blvd.tk/ and
http://www.myspace.com/vanityblvd for more on Vanity, a "werry cool
glam/sleaze band" from Sweden whose music has been compared to Vixen,
Lita Ford, Motley Crue, and Kiss. The MySpace site has song samples
and a demo can be ordered from the main site.

Thanks to Dave Brenner, Bill "Bookworm" Kotowski, Emil Skoglund, and
Dalila Kriheli for help gathering some of this information.

*
*** ROCK HARD RIDE FREE ***
*
by Tim Wadzinski (tsw512@yahoo.com)

-I only saw one good music-related April Fool's joke going around this
year. A buddy of mine forwarded me an "announcement" trumpeting a
three-disc 30th Anniversary Edition of Kiss' DESTROYER. Here's the
part that tipped me off to the hoax: "Officially the 30th anniversary
took place last March, but for some reason they didn't make the
deadline as the project got delayed. The new edition of DESTROYER will
now see the light of day on July 4th." There is no way Paul Stanley
and Gene Simmons wouldn't "make the deadline" on a money-maker of a
proposition like this. :) The rest of the announcement said the
package would include a DVD of "never before seen material from the
band's archives," CD #1 would contain the original nine-song album,
and CD #2 would feature these rarities: "Detroit Rock City" (radio
single mix), "King Of The Night Time World" (instrumental), "God Of
Thunder" (outtake), "Great Expectations" (alternate version), "Flaming
Youth" (radio single mix), "Sweet Pain" (instrumental), "Shout It Out
Loud" (radio single mix), "High And Low" (demo), "Beth", "Do You Love
Me?" (demo), "Flaming Youth" (alternate version), "Ain't None Of Your
Business" (demo), "You've Got Nothing To Live For" (demo). Nicely
done, regardless… I would've bought it. :)

-Another potential April Fool's/hoax item I saw involved the ongoing
feud between members of Dream Theater and Queensryche. This one is
probably true though… I haven't had time to dig around and verify/
dispute anything, but Neal showed me an on-line report attributing
several quotes to Dream Theater drummer Mike Portnoy that had him
calling Queensryche vocalist Geoff Tate "a two-faced douche bag,"
among other things. Tate supposedly appeared on Eddie Trunk's radio
show last Friday and, off the air, talked some smack about Portnoy to
Trunk and Chris Jericho (Fozzy vocalist). The problem there is Trunk
and Jericho are Portnoy's buds and they told him what Tate had said.
Uh, oops. Portnoy went on to clarify he's only got a problem with
Tate, and not the other 'ryche mainstays (guitarist Michael Wilton,
bassist Eddie Jackson, and drummer Scott Rockenfield).

-I just got another pile of promos CDs including six Helloween
reissues (check out the details in the "Press Releases" section above)
and Dio's new double album HOLY DIVER – LIVE. The lineup on that one
is Ronnie James Dio on vocals, Doug Aldrich on guitar, Rudy Sarzo on
bass, Scott Warren on keyboards, and Simon Wright on drums. A quick
scan of the liners and artwork reveals this band member photo count:
RJD – 5, Sarzo – 3, Wright – 3, Warren – 1, Aldrich – 0.25. I say
Aldrich only got a quarter of a photo because I *think* that's his
right arm pictured at the bottom of one of Ronnie's shots… Why on
Earth is he basically left out like this? Some weird contract thing
with his Whitesnake duties perhaps??? Odd.

-Now in my current playlist: Helloween – PINK BUBBLES GO APE (Expanded
Edition) (Castle Music), Dio – HOLY DIVER – LIVE (Eagle Records),
Helloween – WALLS OF JERICHO (Expanded Edition) (Castle Music).

*
*** REVIEWS ***
*
ERIC GALES – CRYSTAL VISION (A-/B+) Shrapnel, 2006
12 tracks, RT: 55:20
[ http://www.myspace.com/ericgales ]
[ http://www.shrapnelrecords.com/ ]
Eric Gales first stunned the world with his fiery Hendrix influenced
playing back in 1991 on his debut album THE ERIC GALES BAND, with his
unusual command of the blues idiom even more impressive when you learn
that he was only 15 at the time! Now signed to Shrapnel's Blues Bureau
International label, Eric has released the scorching CRYSTAL VISION
and is all set to be recognized again as a master of his craft.
"Retribution" gets your attention immediately with a groove recalling
prime King's X and Living Colour, Eric's biting solos and passionate
vocals competing for dominance. Eric is adept at injecting variety
into his music — just listen as he gets into a quirky rhythm
complemented by droll lyrics on "Trouble," serves up a high energy
rendition of Joe South's "Hush" and delivers a clever riff along with
an awesome solo on the stirring title track. Many of the songs were
co-written by Shrapnel founder Mike Varney, who shows a love and
aptitude for standard blues themes, allowing Eric to get more
traditional on "I Got Me A Woman" and "Freedom From My Demons." Some
of my favorite cuts come near the end of the album, with the
devastating guitar solos in "Plastic Girl" bringing to mind the
brilliance of players the caliber of Jimi Hendrix, Eric Johnson, Robin
Trower and Stevie Ray Vaughn, while Eric gets to show off his
instrumental chops on the Jeff Beck flavored "Old School." I would be
remiss if I didn't mention Eric's soulful vocals, which are incredible
throughout. Eric's band is right on target with their solid
musicianship and the production is clear but with an authentic raw
edge. Fans of blues based hard rock would do well to put a copy of
CRYSTAL VISION in their collection and make every effort to see Eric
in concert, as I understand his live performances are even more
astounding… – Neal Woodall (MysticX9@gmail.com)

*
*** OUT ***
*

As previously reported, GODSMACK's video for their new single, "Speak" (audio: Windows Media, has been posted online at this location. The band teamed up with Las Vegas-based Count's Kustoms for the clip, which was shot on March 7. It was the band’s production crew who found Count's Kustoms through a random search on the Internet. Frontman Sully Erna and the other members of GODSMACK were immediately attracted to the Count's Kustoms vibe, as the video features the Count's signature custom choppers and screaming hot rods from the shop's ghoulish flair.

"Speak" is the first single from GODSMACK's new album, "IV", due on April 25 via Republic/Universal.

In a recent interview with MTV.com, GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna had the following to say about the follow-up to 2003's "Faceless": "It's a killer record, and I'm really curious to see what the public's going to think of it. It's still GODSMACK — I don't think it's lost the integrity of what GODSMACK has built our career off. The toughness of the sound is still there. But we've expanded a little bit more. After 'Faceless', we started to spread our wings a bit and reintroduce guitar solos and stuff like that. The acoustic record [2004's 'The Other Side'] was a departure and it was very well received. It opened up a new audience for us — a lot more adults were coming to the shows, bringing their kids and having a glass of wine. That gave us a permission slip to take it to the next level."

As previously reported, Hagar will be hitting the road in the U.S. this summer as part of the "Livin' It Up" tour. He's announced 26 dates that get underway June 3 in Devore, California, and run through August 10 in Sturgis, South Dakota. According to Launch Radio Networks, he will pull double-duty on the trek — he'll do a full set with his band the WABORITAS, and he'll also perform VAN HALEN songs with WABOS guitarist Vic Johnson and drummer David Lauser and VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony, who are collectively known as THE OTHER HALF.

Hagar is recreating the full-on Cabo Wabo experience at each tour stop, which will have a Cabo Wabo village with a bar, food vendors, mariachi bands, body builders, and of course, women in bikinis.

According to the All Music Guide, HAYSEED DIXIE is a novelty band that issued a tribute album to heavy metal legends AC/DC in 2001 (completely reworking the Australian band's classics as country/hillbilly rave-ups), titled "A Hillbilly Tribute to AC/DC". Their sense of humor is also evident in their bio, which claims that the band hails from Deer Lick Holler, "deep in the heart of the Appalachia," where its members grew up playing the traditional hillybilly music of their forefathers. But as fate would have it, they just so happened to stumble across AC/DC's back catalogue of recordings when a stranger driving through the boy's hometown crashed his car and perished, but his records were saved by HAYSEED DIXIE! The bandmembers of AC/DC have taken quite a liking to HAYSEED DIXIE, as AC/DC bassist Cliff Williams invited the band to play a set at the band's tour wrap-up party at his East Coast mountain retreat in the summer of 2001. HAYSEED DIXIE isn't the kind of group to let a smart ass idea go to waste, and followed the AC/DC album with 2002's "A Hillbilly Tribute to Mountain Love", which gave the same bluegrass treatment to assorted hard rock songs.

Pearl recently addressed the rumors of his departure from RATT and a possible reunon of the band's "classic" lineup (featuring frontman Stephen Pearcy) by saying, "My 'status' in RATT hasn't really changed. It hasn't changed since I first started hearing about the supposed 'reunion' four years ago. Every year around the time of the NAMM show it starts — big plans, big money. I don't want [the reunion with Pearcy] to happen for selfish reasons but at the same time if it happens, I wouldn't be shocked either. I did tell everyone my status in RATT; it is unchanged."

As previously reported, PEARL JAM will be the featured musical performers on NBC's "Saturday Night Live" on April 15. The last time the band served as the program's musical guest was in 1994.

An extensive European tour is in the works for later this year in support of PEARL JAM's self-titled album, which is due May 2 via J Records. First single "World Wide Suicide" is available as a call tone and ringer exclusively through Sprint. The cell phone carrier is also hosting a contest to send a fan to see PEARL JAM play a hometown show in Seattle on a date to be announced. Five runners-up will win a Sprint Music Phone filled with PEARL JAM content.

PEARL JAM tour dates:

Apr. 20 – London, UK @ Astoria
May 9-10 – Toronto, ONT @ Air Canada Centre
May 12 – Albany, NY @ Pepsi Arena
May 13 – Hartford, CT @ New England Dodge Music Arena
May 16 – Chicago, IL @ United Center
May 19 – Grand Rapids, MI @ Van Andel Arena
May 20 – Cleveland, OH @ Quicken Loans Arena
May 22 – Auburn Hills, MI @ Palace of Auburn Hills
May 24-25 – Boston, MA @ TD Banknorth Garden
May 27-28 – Camden, NJ @ Tweeter Center
May 30 – Washington, DC @ MCI Center
Jun. 1, 3 – East Rutherford, NJ @ Continental Airlines Arena
Jun. 23 – Pittsburgh, PA @ Mellon Arena
Jun. 24 – Cincinnati, OH @ US Bank Arena
Jun. 26-27 – St. Paul, MN @ Xcel Energy Center
Jul. 2-3 – Denver, CO @ Pepsi Center
Jul. 06 – Las Vegas, NV @ MGM Grand
Jul. 07 – San Diego, CA @ Cox Arena
Jul. 9-10 – Los Angeles, CA @ Forum
Jul. 13 – Santa Barbara, CA @ Santa Barbara Bowl
Jul. 16, 18 – San Francisco, CA @ Bill Graham Civic Auditorium
Jul. 22 – George, WA @ the Gorge
Aug. 25 – Leeds, UK @ Leeds Festival
Aug. 27 – Reading, UK @ Reading Festival

Staley was born in Kirkland, Washington on August 22, 1967 and began playing drums at the age of 12. He soon switched to singing and met guitarist Jerry Cantrell in 1987. The pair formed ALICE IN CHAINS, which started out as a glam band but eventually became one of Seattle's biggest "grunge" exports.

Cantrell, bassist Mike Inez and drummer Sean Kinney recently reunited to appear at a taping of the VH1 Classic series "Decades Rock Live!" and plan to tour this summer with guest vocalists on the mic. Inez told Launch that the surviving members of the band still feel Staley's presence onstage with them. "He's in our hearts and we're carrying him with us every place we're gonna be playing this year," he said. "If anything we've got an angel looking out for us, you know, and of course, he's crazy."