2-27-05 Static-X Guitarist Busted On Sex Assault, Kidnapping Charges

Ken Serrano and Chris Jordan of New Jersey's Asbury Park Press have issued the following report: He told the 14-year-old Sayreville girl he was "T-Rex" and he liked to impersonate the guitarist for the heavy metal band they both liked, STATIC-X, authorities said. But the 39-year-old man accused of meeting the girl through the Internet, driving from Pennsylvania and sexually assaulting her in an Old Bridge shopping center in January was no impersonator, police said. Tod Rex Salvador, who goes by the stage name Tripp Eisen, a guitarist for STATIC-X, was apprehended Thursday in Orange County, Calif. by two detectives from New Jersey, authorities said. Salvador, of Burbank, Calif., was charged with kidnapping, aggravated sexual assault, luring to entice a minor through the Internet and endangering the welfare of a child. If convicted, he faces a maximum of 30 years in prison on the kidnapping charge alone.When Det. Scott Crocco of the Old Bridge Police Department and Det. Sgt. David Jones of the state police encountered Salvador, he had just gotten out of jail. Police in California arrested Salvador on Feb. 10 after finding him sleeping in a parked car with a girl with whom he had just had sexual intercourse, said Jon Fleischman of the Orange County Sheriff's Department. Salvador was charged with committing a lewd act with a child and was released after posting $100,000 bail, Fleischman said. Following his arrest Thursday technically on a fugitive warrant from New Jersey, Salvador was turned over to the Central Men's Jail in Santa Ana, Calif. He is being held there without bail while he awaits extradition to New Jersey, authorities said. "We've confiscated several computers to examine them to see if there are other victims," Lt. Kevin Rehmann of the New Jersey State Police said. "We suspect there may be in several other states." STATIC-X is one of the most popular groups to emerge from what's known as the nu-metal scene of the late 1990s that spawned bands like KORN. The band released its debut album, "Wisconsin Death Trip", in 1998. The album went gold, selling half a million copies. A new album is scheduled for release later this year. A call placed to the band's publicist at Warner Bros. was not returned. A management company, The Firm, referred calls to Salvador's Los Angeles-based attorney, Mark Werksmen, who did not return calls. Police said the Sayreville girl met Salvador on a web site where he used the screen name "groverygodadat" under the heading "never married male looking for female." "He tells the girl he's a fan of the band and portrays himself to look like the guitarist in (STATIC-X)," Rehmann said. He drove out to Old Bridge on Jan. 7 from Pen Argyl, Pa., in a truck belonging to a Pennsylvania relative, said Lt. Robert Weiss of the Old Bridge Police Department. Salvador, who once lived in New Jersey, was back in Pennsylvania from the West Coast on an extended holiday visit. Police said he had consensual sex with the Sayreville girl in the truck in the parking lot of the shopping center. The girl's mother found out about the assault and went to Old Bridge detective Thomas Montagna, Weiss said. An Orange County Sheriff's Department arrest log dated February 10 confirms that STATIC-X guitarist Tod Rex Salvador, who goes by the stage name Tripp Eisen, was arrested in California on charges of "crimes against children." The log lists Salvador's date of birth as June 29, 1965 and gives his height as 5' 10 and weight as 160 lbs.

11-22-04 Former Holloween Guitarist

    Former HELLOWEEEN and current MASTEPLAN guitarist Roland Grapow made a special guest appearance, along with Timo Kotipelto (STRATOVARIUS), during a SHAMAN gig in Martin, Slovakia on Saturday (Nov. 20). Roland and Timo played two songs with the band: "Pride" and a cover of JUDAS PRIEST's "Breaking the Law".
As previously reported, MASTERPLAN have set "Aeronautics" as the title of their sophomore full-length album, due on January 24, 2005 via Germany's AFM Records. A four-song EP, containing two non-album cuts plus a multimedia section, will precede the album on November 29. The songs included on the EP are as follows: "Back For My Life" (single and album version), "Crimson Rider", "Killing in Time" (two different versions, non-album cut) and "Love Is a Rock" (non-album cut). The material was produced by Andy Sneap (MACHINE HEAD, EXODUS, SKINLAB, NEVERMORE) and was mixed by Mikko Karmila. Mastering duties were handled by Mika Jussila at Finnvox Studios. The "Aeronautics" tour will probably begin on March, but the band is planning to do a small promotional tour in December.

11-14-04  Slayer Slays, Though "Raining Blood"

Over 20 years after their formation, Slayer remain one of the most menacing, brutal and skilled acts in heavy metal. They're also one of the most unlikely success stories. The band's songs aren't rooted in vocal melody like Black Sabbath's, and they're not anthemic like Judas Priest's or multifaceted like Metallica's. They're sinister, bludgeoning and played at one of two speeds — fast and lightning fast. Before the launch of the Jägermeister Tour, it looked like Slayer's set would feature "Reign in Blood" in its entirely, capped by a shower of fake blood from the rafters (as the band did for its current concert DVD, "Still Reigning"). Instead, Slayer opted for a greatest-hits showcase that ended with three songs from Reign in Blood. As a result, the performance displayed more range than it otherwise might have. Slayer revved into thrash-metal overdrive on soundblurs like "Fight Till Death" and "War Ensemble," and dropped the pace on moodier numbers like "At Dawn They Sleep" and "Dead Skin Mask." As the band emerged Thursday night for "Disciple," the stage was flooded with smoke and decorated like a creepy church altar. During the show, flags with red inverted crosses and the group's Teutonic eagle-and-pentagram logo were unfurled, and later a backdrop of shots from Reign in Blood descended. But the group could have performed without any frills (as it did on Ozzfest) and still have destroyed. Years of experience surely have something to do with it, but Slayer's ferocity stems largely from their chemistry. When King and Hanneman stand side-by-side, trading off whirring riffs and strangled-cat solos while headbanging in tandem, they're as lethal a team as serial killers Henry Lee Lucas and Otis Toole. And no frontman can windmill his head and play bass as viciously as Araya, who has recently been plagued with vocal problems, but who sounded great for the entire show.

ACCEPT - Reunion Confirmed
10-30-04

October 28, 2004... Accept reunion confirmed! Late yesterday morning I recieved two e-mails directing me to the rock hard site which mentions a one show Accept reunion? I held off on posting anything on this site because I was hoping for some more concrete confirmation. The only site I've seen with the news is: http://www.rockhard.de/ The other site that they link for more information, http://www.rockhardfestival.de/ I tried several times to access and I could not. This is strange for a couple reasons. First of all, one of the terms that I agreed with Wolf on before I interviewed him was to not ask him reunion questions. He was tired of being asked. Second of all, an announcement as blockbuster as this, why has it just been announced in one place? I thought this might have all be a mistake. I e-mailed Wolf yesterday afternoon and got this reply early this morning!
No misprint here...
It's true : We are going to play some festival shows next summer in Europe. Original good ol' Accept.
best,
Wolf

Tommy Lee and Vince Neil have signed on to star in separate reality shows.      9-2-04

Lee has inked a deal with NBC for a reality series centered on his enrollment in college. The still-untitled show is currently in development and does not yet have a premiere date. It will follow the former Crue drummer as he experiences college life at a university to be announced. In 2002, Lee had a development deal with VH1 for a reality show, but the network declined to pick it up as a series and instead aired it as a special, "Tommy Lee: The Naked Truth." Lee's autobiography, "Tommyland," will be published October 19 by Atria Books. Meanwhile, Crue singer Vince Neil will star in MTV's "The Remaking of Vince Neil." The show, which will premiere on a date to be announced, will document Neil's attempt at a career comeback with the help of makeover specialists. Last year, Neil was part of the first-season ensemble cast of the WB's "The Surreal Life," which chronicled the activities of various celebrities living together in the same house. Motley Crue is reportedly eyeing a reunion tour for 2005. Its last tour with all four original members collapsed due to inter-band squabbling in 1999; Lee was absent from a 2000 outing.

8-17-04    Crop Circles

    Crop circles found in Cottage Grove Minnesota. A farmer reported it and said "their are some circles in my wheat"  it was freaky said one as he stood near. well there you go,   we are doomed. grab your shit  and run.. Ok its True,        Really .

Morbid Angel    

Morbid Angel Might not be with Earache Records too much longer. The band's contract is up and the label has not picked up the option for more albums yet. but they have until August 6th to do so if they wish

Korn Plans For Cover Album

KORN guitarist James "Munky" Shaffer took time out during Tuesday's (August 3) Projekt Revolution stop in Camden, New Jersey, to discuss which cover songs will appear on the band's upcoming "best of" album, "Greatest Hits: Volume One". "We're gonna put [CAMEO's] 'Word Up' on the record, and also we did a version of 'Another Brick In The Wall' by PINK FLOYD," the guitarist told Launch Radio Networks. "We recorded NINE INCH NAILS' song 'Head Like A Hole', we did FAITH NO MORE, 'We Care A Lot', a PSYCHEDELIC FURS song, which I personally, I thought it's better than 'Word Up', but the democracy thing has to play in a decision like that. It's 'Love My Way', I think. It's really good."

$18.5 million in damages.

SLIPKNOT Sober

  Someone pour Corey Taylor a frosty mug of sparkling cider. As of yesterday, the frontman of masked nu-metal act Slipknot has been sober for 10 months. "I quit drinking in the middle of recording because I had a real problem," says Taylor, whose group headlines the second stage at Ozzfest tonight at Jones Beach and on Friday at the PNC Bank Arts Center in New Jersey. "I was drinking a bottle-and-a-half of whisky every night, sometimes more, waking up the next day and regretting it, and then doing it all over again. "My wife grabbed me and said, 'Either you stop drinking or I take the kids and I leave.' It was a pretty easy choice." Booze wasn't the only problem plaguing the birth of Slipknot's new album "Vol. 3: The Subliminal Verses." As the group toured with their 2001 album "Iowa" (named after their home state), tension grew and fights ensued. Slipknot split up and several members pursued new projects, perhaps never to don their scary masks again

D.O.T

Downside Of Truth and guitarist Chad Betsinger have parted ways. D.O.Ts new guitar player Chris Winter, who simply goes by the name "Winter". Played his first gig with the band on june 19th at the Rock in Maplewood. If you want see Downside Of Truth play or just say hi go to my links page and click on D.O.T.    Tell them scott sent ya. You never know, you might get a free ticket.

ACE FREHLEY

      Quit Music ?

Although the validity of the following is yet to be confirmed or denied, sources close to original and former KISS guitarist ACE FREHLEY are reporting the following:

1. Ace has retired from the music biz.
2. Ace now lives in Florida with his ex-wife.
3. Ace cut off all his hair.
4. Ace has no plans to tour or record with KISS or as a solo artist.
    He has also said he needs to do this to stay alive and away from drugs and booze.
And to add fuel to the fire, Ace’s official website (www.acefrehleyonline.com) no longer exists.

SCORPIONS

SCORPIONS TO STING FANS WITH NEW STUDIO ALBUM 'UNBREAKABLE' ON JUNE 22, 2004

1-1-05Former Stone Temple Pilots Members Back In New Supergroup

Former Stone Temple Pilots members Dean (guitar) and Robert DeLeo (bass) have confirmed a January 14 show with a new band at B.B. King's nightclub in Los Angeles, according to Launch Radio Networks. The DeLeo brothers are part of the new band known as Farm Fur, which is rounded out by Steve Ferrone, who drums with Tom Petty, and singer Alex Lighterwood, who has recorded with Carlos Santana. This newly minted super group will perform versions of Stone Temple Pilots songs as well as new original tunes

11-22-04  All-Star Lineup For IRON MAIDEN Tribute CD

Legendary rock producer and musician Bob Kulick (KISS, MEATLOAF) has finished producing an all-star tribute to IRON MAIDEN in honor of their 25th anniversary. Culling from his extensive contacts in the musician world, Kulick has assembled major hard rock and metal players to come together and put this tribute album together.
All of the tracks have been completed except for two key signature vocalists to come in and finish the job. Kulick has been using the rest of the finished material to shop around for a label to license the masters and put out the hottest IRON MAIDEN tribute of all time.
The album will feature the following track listing/musicians:

01. Wrathchild

Vocals - Paul Di'Anno (ex-IRON MAIDEN)
Lead Guitar - Alex Skolnick (TESTAMENT)
Guitar - Chris Traynor (HELMET, BUSH)
Bass - Frank Bello (HELMET, ANTHRAX)
Drums - John Tempesta (HELMET, ROB ZOMBIE, TESTAMENT)

02. Flight of Icarus

Vocals – Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH)
Guitar - Doug Aldrich (WHITESNAKE, DIO)
Bass - Jimmy Bain (DIO, RAINBOW)
Drums - Simon Wright (DIO, AC/DC)

03. Can I Play With Madness

Vocals - Mark Slaughter (SLAUGHTER, VINNIE VINCENT INVASION)
Guitar - Bruce Kulick (KISS, GRAND FUNK RAILROAD)
Bass - Marco Mendoza (WHITESNAKE, THIN LIZZY, TED NUGENT)
Drums - Aynsley Dunbar (DAVID BOWIE, WHITESNAKE)

04. Wasted Years

Vocals - Dee Snider (TWISTED SISTER)
Guitar - George Lynch (DOKKEN, LYNCH MOB)
Bass - Jeff Pilson (DOKKEN, DIO)
Drums - Jason Bonham (UFO, BONHAM)

05. The Evil That Men Do

Vocals - Chris Jericho (WWE wrestler, FOZZY)
Guitar - Paul Gilbert (Mr. BIG, RACER X)
Bass - Mike Inez (ALICE IN CHAINS, OZZY OSBOURNE)
Drums - Brent Fitz (VINCE NEIL, UNION)

06. Run to the Hills

Vocals - Robin McAuley (MSG)
Guitar - Michael Schenker (MSG)
Bass - Tony Franklin (THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER)
Rhythm Guitar - Pete Fletcher (PYGMY LOVE CIRCUS)
Drums - Brian Tichy (BILLY IDOL, OZZY OSBOURNE)

07. The Wickerman

Vocals – Jason Miller (GODHEAD)
Guitar - Scott Ian (ANTHRAX)
Bass - Blasko (ROB ZOMBIE)
Lead Guitar - Ben Moody (EVANESCENCE)
Drums - Ben Graves (MURDERDOLLS)

08. 2 Minutes to Midnite

Vocals - Joe Lynn Turner (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW)
Guitar - Richie Kotzen (MR. BIG, POISON)
Bass - Tony Franklin (THE FIRM, BLUE MURDER)
Drums - Chris Slade (AC/DC, THE FIRM)

09. Aces High

Vocals - Jeff Scott Soto (YNGWIE MALMSTEEN, TALISMAN)
Guitar - Nuno Bettencourt (EXTREME)
Bass - Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, DAVID LEE ROTH)
Drums - Vinny Appice (BLACK SABBATH, DIO)

10. The Trooper

Vocals - Lemmy Kilmister (MOTÖRHEAD)
Bass - Chuck Wright (ALICE COOPER, QUIET RIOT)
Guitar - Phil Campbell (MOTÖRHEAD)
Guitar - Rocky George (FISHBONE, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES)
Drums - Chris Slade (AC/DC)

11. Fear of the Dark

Vocals - TBA
Guitar - Craig Goldy (DIO)
Bass - Rickie Phillips (STYX)
Drums - Mikkey Dee (MOTÖRHEAD, KING DIAMOND)

11-14-04  Former Machine Head Drummer To Form New Band

Chris Kontos (drums, ex-MACHINE HEAD, ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT), Sean Smithson (guitar, ex-SACRILEGE B.C., GRINCH) and Sean McGrath (guitar, IMPALED) are in the process of forming a "full-on metal" band in the vein of EXODUS, THE HAUNTED, PANTERA, SHADOWS FALL and MEGADETH, according to a recent online posting by Smithson. The as-yet-unnamed group, who already have a vocalist in mind, are currently seeking a bassist to complete the band's lineup. "McGrath and I tend to be somewhat 'intricate' players, so a lot of twin attack guitaring will be happening," Smithson writes. "We hope to find a bassist that can lock in with Kontos' style and really bring the rhythm section to life." More details as they become available

10-11-04SUICIAL TENDENCIES

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES are currently working on a new project called "Return to Venice", according to a posting on the group's web site. No further information is currently available.

9-2-04 MORBID ANGEL  back in studio
Morbid Angel (Trey Azagthoth, Pedro Sandoval, Steve Tucker) have entered D.O.W. Recording Studios in Tampa, Florida  to begin recording their next album... Co-producing with the band is none other than long time friend and former front of house mixer of the band for 8 years Juan Punchy Gonzalez. 

Vocalist Killed In Car Accident

 Nick Noble, former vocalist of Maine group Barium, was killed in a car accident in Oxford, ME on Monday night. Noble was nineteen years old. The accident appears to have resulted from excessive speed. Also killed was Vanessa Jordan, of Windham, ME. Noble was once the vocalist for Barium, who released an album with Brutual Records in 2002. Noble left the group in October of 2002, only to rejoin them a few months later. The band ultimately called it quits in 2003

Marilyn Manson/Appearing Videogame

Marilyn Manson will appear in the soon-to-be-released Area 51 videogame by Midway Games Inc. Area 51 is one of the last of Midway's arcade franchises (from back in the day) to be given a makeover for present-day consoles. Manson will appear in the form of an alien that the team calls "Edgar." He becomes responsible for sending special messages to help guide you to your goal. Edgar communicates by reanimating corpses. A tentative late 2004 release is expected.

8-17-04      Reunited Helmet

  After a five-year (what do we do know), guitarist/vocalist Page Hamilton reformed the seminal hard rock act with guitarist Chris Traynor, former White Zombie drummer John Tempesta and former Anthrax bassist Frank Bello. A new album, "Size Matters," is due Sept. 14  

Megadeth  vs Ellefson

   Billboard.biz is reporting that MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has filed a counter lawsuit against former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson alleging that Ellefson on May 14 executed a settlement agreement in which he gave up his 20% interest in MEGADETH. Mustaine maintains that the settlement — which Ellefson alleges was signed under pressure and ultimately withdrawn — released Mustaine from all claims.   Mustaine's suit, which seeks damages to be determined, was filed in response to Ellefson's original action, filed July 12 in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of New York, which alleges that co-founding guitarist David Mustaine breached their long-running partnership agreement. He claims Mustaine wrongfully took the lion's share of the band's gross income (estimated at more than $200 million since 1984) for himself and cut Ellefson out of the band's music publishing and merchandise revenues.   Ellefson also says that Mustaine libeled him in an online posting. The bassist is seeking at least

 Peter Criss on TV

  An encore presentation of Peter's guest appearance as inmate Martin Montgomery on HBO's "Oz" in episode "#41 Visitation" has been scheduled for July 8 at 11:00 p.m. EST on HBO Zone.
  Criss will guest-starring on the new animated show called "Fatherhood", based on Bill Cosby's best selling book of the same name. Peter's episode will be airing in July on Nick at Nite

Italian Police Uncover Bodies Used for Sacrifice

The bodies of two members of the Italian heavy metal band BEASTS OF SATAN, who were allegedly killed six years ago in a satanic sacrifice, were uncovered in a two-meter deep grave  in the woods in northern Italy, according to Reuters.     19-year-old Chiara Marino and 16-year-old Fabio Tollis  were last seen in January 1998 leaving a pizza place with other members of their group. 4 of the band members have been arrested for murdering the pair for a human sacrifice.   "It is a crime with a level of cruelty and savagery,  with an intent to cause extreme pain through ritual activity, that I have never seen before in my career," chief investigating magistrate Antonio Pizzi told Reuters on Monday.   "There was a very specific ritual with very specific rites and at the end of that Chiara and Fabio were killed."   Italian media said witness statements showed Marino and Tollis died during a cocaine-fuelled ritual where Marino, a petite brunette, was killed under a full moon by knife plunged into her heart.   Tollis, the lead singer of the band, was killed with a hammer blow to the head when he realized the other band members were going ahead with Marino's murder and tried to stop it.  The deaths have horrified Catholic Italy, home of Vatican City, with pages of newspapers given over to descriptions of the black candles and goats' skulls decorating Marino's bedroom and witness statements of sexual violence.

 F***ing stupid as hell.. If your in to satin and death   Go To.            www.firstefc.org

Creed Officially Split Up

After nearly 10 years together and more than 24 million albums sold, CREED have decided to put an end to their string of multi-platinum records and chart-topping singles. The choice was made months ago, when guitarist Mark Tremonti and singer Scott Stapp reconvened after a yearlong hiatus and ran into problems.                                                   

"We had gotten together two or three times and nothing happened," Tremonti explained to MTV.com. "We got our instruments and played, but neither of us was taking it seriously. We were just running in circles. There wasn't a vibe like on the previous records. It felt very job-like. We knew that it would take us years to get a record out."

Read the full article at MTV.

ICED EARTH "                      Best Of" Due July 27th

Century Media is releasing a 2CD best of collection from ICED EARTH called The Blessed And The Damned on July 27th.
The album features 23 re-mastered tracks (over two hours of material) with two different album covers. The band talks about each song in the 20 page booklet that's included in the package.