Abrasive Rock recently conducted an interview with NEVERMORE guitarist Jeff Loomis. Several excerpts from the interview follow:

Abrasive Rock: You said that [new guitarist] Steve [Smyth, ex-TESTAMENT] had some input [in the new album, "This Godless Endeavor"] then?

Jeff Loomis: "Yeah."

Abrasive Rock: So he just jumped right in and took some charge then.

Jeff Loomis: "Yeah, he did actually. Number one, a lot of readers and fans probably know that we've gone through quite a few guitar players in the past and it's not a ...

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Rumors are flying about former VAN HALEN vocalist DAVID LEE ROTH taking over for HOWARD STERN. The Roth rumor was started by a report from Steppin' Out Magazine's Chaunce Hayden. In an online post, Hayden wrote: "Howard Stern's successor has been found! It's none other than '80s rocker David Lee Roth. Infinity Broadcasting isn't commenting and Roth has been asked to keep mum until it's officially announced. But an inside source at Infinity has confirmed the signing. Roth auditioned for the job both in L.A. and Boston and got very positive feed back from listeners. Roth has been running ads in trade publications looking for a producer "For a HUGE radio show." Roth is said to be taking over for Stern in early September, 3 months before the shock jock's contract is due to expire."

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STRATOVARIUS recently parted ways with long time bassist Jari Kainulainen. They have issued the following statement via their official website, announcing Lauri Porra (SINERGY, KOTIPELTO, WARMEN) as his replacement: "Long-time bass player Jari Kainulainen has left Stratovarius. There is no drama or bad blood. Jari just doesn't have it in his heart to tour this heavily anymore. Jari is not dropping out of the scene, he will continue to play metal. The new bass player is Lauri Porra. He is 27 years old and a native of Helsinki, Finland. He has previously played with Sinergy, Warmen and Kotipelto.

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Roadrunner Records has set an August 30 release date for the new OPETH album, "Ghost Reveries".

"Ghost Reveries" was mastered on June 16 at the Cutting Room facilities in Stockholm and will feature a running time of 66 minutes. The full track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Ghost of Perdition
02. The Baying of the Hounds
03. Beneath the Mire
04. Atonement
05. Reverie/Harlequin Forest
06. Hours of Wealth
07. The Grand Conjuration
08. Isolation Years

Check out the album cover artwork (designed by Travis Smith) at this location.

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RedNova News is reporting that a third of U.K. motorists are unable to concentrate on their driving as they endure the ear-bashing of heavy metal music.

This is the conclusion of a poll by direct car retailer, Virgin Cars, which finds that heavy metal is the drivers' favorite despite being more distracting than any other type of music.

Played at high volume with a fast tempo of more than 100 beats per minute, heavy metal can affect concentration, according to research.

Drivers who listen to music with more than 60 beats per minute are twice as likely to go through a red light as those ...

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A brand-new ARCH ENEMY track, entitled "Nemesis", has been made available for download at Fuse.tv (zipped .WMA file, will require you to acquire free license key before playing).

"Nemesis" is the first single/video offARCH ENEMY's upcoming album, "Doomsday Machine", due in the U.S. on July 26 (August 22 in Europe) via Century Media Records. Check out the cover artwork by acclaimed artist Joachim Luetke (DIMMU BORGIR, DESTRUCTION) at th ...

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The cover artwork for CHILDREN OF BODOM's upcoming album, "Are You Dead Yet?", has been posted online at this location.

As previously reported, CHILDREN OF BODOM mastered "Are You Dead Yet?" on June 6 at Finnvox studios in Helsinki following a six-week recording/mixing session with producer Mikko Karmila. The complete track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Living Dead Beat
02. Are You Dead Yet?
03. If You Want Peace... Prepare for War
04. Punch Me I Bleed
05. In Your F ...

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Oak Park thrash metallers THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER were forced to cancel band practice last Friday after drummer Zach Gibson's involvement in alcohol-fueled fisticuffs outside of a small party at his Taylor home. According to Zach, 19, a drunken man, whom he had never met, was making inappropriate advances toward Zach's significant other. It was at this time that Zach asked the inappropriate party to exit the building. Outside, Mr. Gibson was allegedly "swung upon" by the drunken man, and was forced to retaliate. The next morning Zach's hand was reportedly "huge" and he "couldn't hold a drumstick," resulting in the rehearsal cancellation.
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According to a post at Scythes-Of-Bodom.com, SINERGY, the acclaimed Finnish-American metal band featuring singer Kimberly Goss and CHILDREN OF BODOM members Alexi Laiho (guitar) and Roope Latvala (guitar), have had the release date of their new album, "Sins of the Past" (Nuclear Blast), pushed back to March 6, 2006 from the previously announced August 24, 2005. No reason was given for the delay.

The follow-up to 2002's "Suicide By My Side", "Sins of the Past" was recorded in part at Finnvox and Beyond Abilities Studios (the studio of Janne Wirman from CHILDREN OF BODOM).

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Relapse Records has announced the forthcoming reissue of the entire recorded works of seminal technical metal pioneers ATHEIST.

ATHEIST was one of the first truly adventurous bands to break out of the late '80s death metal underground. In addition to ATHEIST's albums (1989's "Piece of Time", 1992's "Unquestionable Presence", and 1993's "Elements") being benchmarks of quality and progression, the band's musical vision directly influenced many noteworthy artists both past (CYNIC, later-era DEATH, PESTILENCE) and present (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, NECROPHAGIST, SPIRAL ARCHITECT).

"I am ov ...

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