Legendary death metal band Cannibal Corpse has been busy working on the follow-up to 2006’s victorious release 'Kill', which saw the band hit the Billboard Top 200, a coveted spot touring on 2006’s Sounds of the Underground, headlining the extremely successful Metal Blade Records 25th Anniversary Tour, and multiple tours overseas and dates in Canada and South America. Their new album isn’t expected until the autumn or winter of 08/09 so until then fans will be able to get their Cannibal fix with the bands first-ever career retrospective 3-disc DVD, ‘Centuries of Torment: The First 20 Years’ , due out in July.

'Centuries of Torment: The First 20 Years' contains live and rare footage, interviews with members past and present, and loads of bonus material, documentary and bonus footage directed and produced by Denise Korycki.

Centuries of Torment: The First 20 Years’ will be released one 15th July 2008

 

Meshuggah, who released their latest album Obzen through Nuclear Blast in March, have lined up a series of UK dates in September in support of the release. The full list of dates for the tour are as follows:

Sept 4th – Brighton Barfly
Sept 5th – London LA2
Sept 6th – Newcastle Carling Academy
Sept8th – Glasgow Garage
Sept 9th – Manchester Academy 3
Sept 10th – Sheffield Corporation
Sept 11th – Birmingham Carling Academy 2
Sept 12th – Bristol Carling Academy 2

In other Mesuggah news the band have filmed a video for the  song Bleed and a trailer for the vid can be found @ http://ianmcfarlandfilms.com/bleed.html

German riff masters Callejon just inked a worldwide deal with Nuclear Blast Records. Taking a look back on the career of the still young band it’s needless to say, that both parties are more than satisfied with this new collaboration. Fusing the skills, the aesthetics and the power of the band with the experience, knowledge and also power of Nuclear Blast, the team will definitely raise the bar for all other bands in modern metal/metalcore! UGH!
 
Here's what the band has to tell about the just begun new era:
 
Sweat, blood, gas, miles n miles of traffic jams, sleepless nights, endless phone calls and emails, offers and meetings, contracts in English, German and Kisuaheli just to finally find the One label to work with in the future. So what was really important for us?

The three suitcases packed with money and the five brand new Porsche Turbos (of course all white with red brake pads) as well as a faked drivers licence for Bernhard we all got as soon as the contract was signed? The rights for all Michaela-Schaffrath Movies?  Definitely not! Seriously, with Nuclear Blast we found more than just a label. It was more a feeling of visiting old friends you can understand without many words. We are all so looking forward to the exciting stages of the album release as well as to more nice evenings playing pinball and having a cold beer or vodka lemon.  Cheers to a cooperation you definitely will hear about in the future.  But not only the label of choice has been found! We also found the poor bastard that will have to stand us for four weeks in the studio! We will head for Eike Freese’s EiKey Studios to produce our new album this summer! 

The testing tracks were more than promising and we felt really comfortable being there.  Most likely we will rather spend all of Nuclear Blast’s money in shady stews than recording a proper album. A more exact date for the beginning of the recordings will be announced soon! Expect a studio diary of the walkin’ dead by then!!!

Billy Idol is coming home – bringing his Idolize Yourself tour to the UK for just 2 dates in July. These shows in Manchester and London are Billy’s first British live dates in over 2 years. He was the surprise hit of Download in 2005 and his sold-out performance at the Brixton Academy in 2006 wowed audiences and critics alike with superb vocals and rocking stage presence.

The Idolize Yourself Tour will feature a mixture of old and new material, including such classics as ‘White Wedding’, ‘Rebel Yell’ and ‘Eyes’ Without a Face’, as well as tracks from Devil’s Playground and some new material.

Of the forthcoming shows, Idol says, “I always look forward to returning home to the UK. British audiences are the best and as always we will rock ‘em to their core. Brace yourselves; we’re comin’!”

Idol, whose critically acclaimed album Devil’s Playground was released in 2005, is releasing a new career spanning CD ‘The Very Best of Billy Idol: Idolize Yourself’ on 23rd June. The album features 2 brand new tracks: John Wayne and New Future Weapon.

Idol’s band comprises: Steve Stevens on guitar; Stephen McGrath on bass; Derek Sherinian on keyboards, and the irrepressible Brian Tichy on drums.

Billy Idol + Guests tour details are:-

30th July - Manchester Apollo
31st July - London Brixton Academy

Tickets go on sale on Friday 9th May. Tickets are available from 0844 576 5483 or to buy online at www.livenation.co.uk.

Brighton based folk-punk legends, the Levellers, release Burn America Burn as an exclusive free download on 2 June. The track is taken from the genre-defining forthcoming studio album Letters from the Underground and “is about the self destruction of the country” according to bassist, Jeremy Cunningham.

 

Fresh from a sell-out 20^th Anniversary show at Brixton Academy, the Levellers are set for a very busy summer playing the new tracks, and old favourites, to festival crowds across the UK.  

LIVE APPEARANCES:

24.05.08 - Perth Festival
26.06.08 - Glastonbury Festival The Left Field Stage
04.07.08 - Guilfest
12.07.08 - Arley Hall Northwich
17.07.08 - Larmer Tree Festival
01.08.08 - Cambridge Folk Festival
03.08.08 - Stokes Bay Festival
08.08.08 - Cropredy Festival
09.08.08 - Harewood House Yorkshire
15.08.08 - Beautiful Days Festival
22.08.08 - Arundel Castle
30.08.08 - Connect Festival
12.09.08 - Bowood House
17.10.08 - Musicport Festival

After their latest album 'Float' smashed into the US Billboard Hot 100 at No.4 last month, Flogging Molly travel to the UK this month for a four date tour, kicking off on May 31st with a sold out show at London's Astoria before heading to Glasgow, Manchester and Birmingham.
 
To tie in with the tour, Sideonedummy release the CD format of 'Float' in stores in the UK on June 2nd 2008. The album has been available digitally from April 17th.

They've also confirmed they will perform at the Reading/Leeds 2008 Festival, on the Lock Up Stage in Reading on Saturday 23rd August and in Leeds on Sunday 24th August.

Fronted by Irishman Dave King, it's the seven-piece's non-conformity of years and musical influences that has attracted a huge following for their infectious folk-inflected punk rock, and seen the likes of Ewan McGregor, Gabriel Byrne and Sean Penn catching them live.

The quartet of of live shows are as follow:

Frontiers Records have announced the European release of "Live In Sao Paulo", Richie Kotzen's first-ever live album on July 4th 2008. With much prompting from fans, Kotzen chose for the purpose a stellar performance from his South American tour in 2007.

  

"Live in Sao Paulo" is an absorbing collective blend of Kotzen's songs throughout the years. His live performance reflects the guitar style's that has defined his career as a virtuoso. Kotzen reveals to fans live his true diversity with the rhythmic labours of "A Love Divine" to the poignant ballad "Remember". The performance continually travels between moments of classic-rock song "Shapes of Things", to the uplifting original "Stand".

Kotzen is influenced from such bands as Bad Company, Free, early Van Halen and Cream. They are the inspiration for his songs, but having deep Philly roots Kotzen tends to combine rock with the Motown influences he heard as a kid. "Much influence for my songs comes from the likes of the Spinners, O-Jays, and Curtis Mayfield", explains Kotzen. "Growing up outside Philadelphia and listening to those old soul stations I ended up with that sound being a heavy influence in my writing even though the core of what I do is Rock".

Kotzen burst onto the heavy metal scene as a teenager with a lightning-fast guitar techniques. With his talents, Kotzen has played with some of the best musicians; securing such major collaboration with the band Mr. Big and renowned jazz great Stanley Clarke as well as his own solo projects. "I have been lucky, in the sense, that I have been able to play with guys who I could learn from. The biggest musical lesson for me was playing in a band with Stanley Clarke and Lenny White. Obviously these guys are jazz musicians and I am not, but I learned so much from the time we recorded and toured together. My favourite rock bassist is Billy Sheehan and we were in Mr. Big together for 3 years which was awesome".

Ratt In The UK

Veteran LA rockers Ratt return to the UK for a series of shows later this month and heading into June. The full list of dates are:

May 30th - Sheffield Corporation
May 31st - Nottingham Rock City
June 1st - Belfast Spring & Airbrrake
June 3rd - Dudley JB's
June 4th - London Astoria II
June 5ht - Leeds Rio's

British punk-rockers My Awesome Compilation have added a number of extra dates to their UK tour which kicks off  next monday. The band are gearing up for the release of new album 'Frontiers', due out on May 26 via Small Town Records, it will be preceded by single 'Ghosts On The Underground' on May 19. Produced by Hundred Reasons' Larry Hibbitt, these offerings are intense and focused blasts of punk rock energy.

The Leicester quartet (made up of two sets of brothers) have enjoyed some breathtaking successes in their short life. A split single with Fallout Boy (2004's 'As Always'), the use of their 'Put Up A Fight' single on the Australian Big Brother and the best selling Saints Row computer game, tours with the likes of The Darkness, A, Fallout Boy, Funeral For A Friend and Alkaline Trio (that took in Australia, Japan and Europe), and a level of critical and commercial success that many UK acts would yank their eye teeth out for!

Now in 2008, My Awesome Compilation are all about expanding their musical horizons and stamping their authority on the world....and album 'Frontiers' looks set to do just that!

Check out the guys at one of the following and experience them for yourself!

12-May-08 Guildford Boileroom
13-May-08 Southampton, Joiners
14-May-08 Bristol, Fleece
15-May-08 Cambridge, Barfly
19-May-08 Brighton, Freebutt
20-May-08 Cardiff, Barfly
21-May-08 Derby, Victoria Inn
22-May-08 Liverpool, Barfly
26-May-08 Leicester ,The Charlotte
27-May-08 London, Metro
29-May-08 Newcastle, The End Bar
31-May-08 Arbroath, The Viewfield
01-Jun-08 Dundee, The Westport
03-Jun-08 Stoke, Sugarmill

The following is a press release from One Percent Entertainments Group concerning this year’s organisation of the 25th Anniversary of the annual “Rock & Blues Custom Show” .

The Rock & Blues Custom Show is an annual event steeped in history and has become an annual summer three day holiday and pilgrimage to many thousands of custom motorcycle enthusiasts and music fans alike, who travel not only from most parts of the United Kingdom and mainland Europe but the four corners of the World and we are very proud to have an event that as become an annual occasion for the whole family. It has also served as a huge financial investment to local towns and surrounding traders at its former locations.

The Rock & Blues Custom Show is an event the likes of which in respect of professionalism and organisational management would be hard to duplicate, such has been our dedication. Over the years the events organising teams have prided themselves in working hard alongside all the local authorities and emergency services on a level that has required our staff’s and outside contractors utmost skill and dedication to achieve the correct computation to what is a difficult area of work, such is the world of public entertainment in the 21st century. This event has always been run to the letter of the law and the codes of practice that are enforced by public entertainment laws, emergency services, local authorities and entertainment guidelines. During the past twenty four years that this show has operated there as been neither public disorder nor trouble, consequently making our event one of the safest outdoor shows in the country.

This year’s event although be it at a different venue, namely Catton Hall, South Derbyshire, has been ongoing since before Christmas 2007 as regards a new location and all the background legislations and organisational commitment which also includes the use of professional outside contractors, that an event on this level and scale so rightly deserves and we have been looking forward to working alongside the local authorities & emergency services again, some of whose faces remain the same from our previous working history!! But however!! For reasons completely unconnected with the organisers of this event, the Derbyshire Constabulary have this year decided to object to the events license at Catton Hall, citing possible public disorder. We can confirm that at no point have we received threats of any kind about this year’s event however it is noted that we as an organising body have a duty of care to our customers, employees and the general public and so therefore must take seriously any representations made by this county’s police force to which they have based on their own intelligence, no matter how sensationalised One Percent Entertainments Group believe it to have been.

The 25th Anniversary of The Rock & Blues Custom Show 2008 has been largely run on a voluntary basis and the representations made by Police and the recent publicity surrounding those representations have taken away most of the pleasure which this years organising team have enjoyed putting in this event. There is also no question that the recent media publicity surrounding the event has had and will have an adverse effect on ticket sales.

It was noted that the Police had also indicated that they would not Police the event even if the license were to be granted. This is disappointing as we believe that as a responsible law abiding event, the public attending this event are entitled to the same protection from the Police as at any other public licensed event.

It is therefore with deep regret that we have decided to extract our application for a premises license for this year’s event due to Derbyshire Constabularies objections.

We know that this decision will come as an enormous disappointment to the many thousands of bikers and music lovers out there who were again looking forward so much to another milestone event that would have been RBCS 25. It is however hoped that the Police will accept our decision to withdraw from this year’s event as the strongest possible indication of our willingness to cooperate with them and that it will be possible in the future for further events to be organised.

We have already sold many advance tickets and are grateful to those dedicated supporters of our event and our policy is obviously to return all those payments recieved;

Online Ticket Sales; will be returned via PayPal.
Postal Ticket Sales; will be returned by Postal Cheque.
Other Ticket Outlets; please return your tickets back to the place where you purchased them from for a Ticket refund.
PLEASE NOTE: One Percent Entertainments Group can not return any postal charges unless your tickets had not been posted out to you already. Please also note that anyone who has purchased Tickets through one of our ticket outlets should not expect to be reimbursed with any booking fees paid. That was a decision made between you and the seller.

We have also sold trade stand pitches both food and non food alike. We can assure all our current customers that we will be returning all payments back to each and every one of you.

We just ask at this time that you be patient whilst we sort everything out and please expect at least two weeks before receiving any of those payments back. We can only apologise at this present time for any inconvenience caused to you as a customer by an unforeseen hindrance to this year’s event organisation.

One Percent Entertainments Group wish to thank everyone who has been involved with the background organisation of the event up to this point, we know that you are as disappointed as we are regarding this unfortunate outcome but however we look forward hopefully to be working with you again in the future and send our gratitude for all your hard work.

If at any time there is any more official news to announce you will see it here on the event website first and we advise you not to believe everything you see or read in the media or from people who love to spread gossip and rumours.
Finally we appreciate and welcome the publics good wishes and support for this prestigious event. “Europe’s No1 Motorcycle and Music Festival”

If you have any comments regarding this current unforeseen situation, then please feel free to e-mail your honest views to us using the address below as we would love to here from you, however please do not e-mail us at this present time asking Questions etc because we currently do not have the man power to reply with any answers.

Damage Control, the band together by Pete Way, Robin George and  Chris Slade will release their sophomore album, entitled Raw, on May 9th. Raw is the stripped down power trio Damage Control at their best moody & melodic, down & dirty! Massive high fidelity sound, the way it’s meant to be, featuring new tracks and completely new versions of Damage Control classics.

This is perfectly polished hard rock blues. The nucleus of this power trio remains, built on mutual respect and friendship.These veteran rockers are Damage Control…The Power of Three. Robin George Chris Slade Pete Way. The full track listing for Raw is as follows:

Raw, Alice, Savage, Damage Control, One Step Closer, Selfish, Spy, Redundant, Slaughtered, Victim, Seven Golden Daffodils and Bitchin Blues.