Former STATIC-X guitarist Tripp Eisen's bail has reportedly been set at $1 million on charges that include kidnapping, sexual assault and endangering the welfare of a child.

Eisen, whose real name is Tod Rex Salvador, appeared in Central Justice Center Court in Santa Ana, California, on Monday afternoon (Feb. 28) and is scheduled to make his next appearance at the Central Superior Court in Santa Ana on Wednesday (March 2).

Eisen was arrested in Orange County, California, for allegedly meeting and sexually assaulting a 14-year-old girl two months ago in New Jersey. The 39-year-old musician allegedly met the Sayreville, New Jersey girl ...

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JUDAS PRIEST frontman Rob Halford recently conducted an interview with Canada's Exclaim! magazine. A few excerpts from the interview follow:

Exclaim!: What are your current fixations?

Rob Halford: "I am something of a bookworm. I do enjoy killing time in the bunk on the tour bus reading all kinds of material. I've got a pretty broad taste when it comes to reading — anything that can take my mind. When we get a chance I like to go to the movie theatres. I saw 'Sideways' the other day.

Exclaim!: Why do you live where you do?

Rob Halford: "I'm ...

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Glenn Danzig recently spoke to the Boston Herald about his upcoming three East Coast dates during which Danzig will reunite with former MISFITS compadre Doyle Wolfgang Von Frankenstein for a 30-minute set. The pair played two West Coast dates last year, which marked their first time onstage together in 20 years.

"Doyle's a really nice guy. I've always had a good time with him," Danzig told the Boston Herald. "When we started rehearsing (MISFITS songs), it was definitely a trip back."

In the midst of a two-month theater and club tour,

Reunited Swedish doomsters CANDLEMASS have finalized the track listing for their self-titled new effort, due on May 2 via Nuclear Blast Records.

"Candlemass" was recorded in part at Polar studios (ABBA, GENESIS, LED ZEPPELIN) in Stockholm, Sweden and is said to be musically similar to the group's classic "Tales of Creation" and "Nightfall" albums.

"Candlemass" track listing:

01. Enemy (intro)
02. Black Dwarf
03. Seven Silver Keys
04. Assassin of the Light
05. Copernicus
06. The Man Who Fell from the Sky
07. Witches
08. Born In ...

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Finnish metallers SENTENCED will perform their last-ever show in Germany at the 2005 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival, set to take place August 4-6 in Wacken. A complete list of bands currently scheduled to appear at the festival is as follows:

ACCEPT
APOCALYPTICA
AXEL RUDI PELL
BLOODBATH
CORVUS CORAX
COUNT RAVEN
DISSECTION
EDGUY
ENDHAMMER
EISREGEN
ENDSTILLE
ENSIFERUM
EQUILIBRIUM
FINNTROLL
GOREFEST
HAMMERFALL
ILLDISPOSED
MACHINE MEN
MARDUK
MERCENARY
METAL CHURCH
MORGANA LEFAY
NAGLFAR
NIGHTWISH
OBITUARY
OVERKILL
OOMPH!
POTENTIA ANIMI
SAMAEL
SENTENCED< ...

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GORGOROTH frontman Gaahl's appeal case began last week in connection with the 18-month sentence he received last May for beating a 41-year-old man in what the victim called a ritual attack.

The 29-year-old black metal vocalist, who has several prior convictions, including one for assault and battery, was sentenced at Sunnfjord court in Forde, Norway. In addition to the prison term, Gaahl was ordered to pay 100,000 NOK (approximately $15,800) in damages to the victim.

In the court of appeals last Wednesday (Feb. 16), Gaahl explained that he was attacked by the 41-year-old man without provocation.

"He grabbed me and started banging me again ...

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SAXON have confirmed via their official web site that they have been forced to postpone their previously announced March European tour as a result of the band's frontman Biff Byford suffering a major loss when his house in the Normandie area of France burned down. According to a statement from the band's management, Biff, his wife and their children got out of the house at the very last minute and nobody was hurt. The European tour dates are expected to rescheduled for later this year.

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A brand new OVERKILL track, entitled "Within Your Eyes", is available for download at this location.

"Within Your Eyes" comes off the group's new album, "ReliXIV", due on March 22 via Eagle Rock/Spitfire Records.

"ReliXIV" track listing:

01. Within Your Eyes
02. Love
03. Loaded Rack
04. Bats In The Belfry
05. A Pound Of Flesh
06. Keeper
07. Wheelz
08. The Mark
09. Play The Ace

TESTAMENT lead vocalist Chuck Billy and founding guitarist Eric Peterson have announced that original guitar player Alex Skolnick and original bassist Greg Christian (HAVOCHATE), along with previous TESTAMENT drummer Johnny Tempesta (HELMET, ex-ROB ZOMBIE), will be joining them for a reunion tour of Europe, taking place between May 7 and May 15 ONLY. The tour will last for a total of nine shows, according to the group's management.

Each of the other three musicians has other bands, projects, and recordings coming out, but they have all agreed to join forces with Chuck and Eric to blow out this li ...

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German power metallers HELLOWEEN have amicably parted ways with drummer Stefan Schwarzmann. The former RUNNING WILD/U.D.O. drummer, who played the drums during the pumpkinheads' "Rabbit Don't Come Easy" world tour, will not be playing for the Hamburg-based band any longer. During the tour it became apparent to Stefan and to the rest of the members of HELLOWEEN that, although things were going extremely well on the human side of things, Stefan and the band did not entirely share the same views musically. Stefan decided to stay to help out the band during their pre-production for the new studio album until a replacement was found. ...

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