In a brand new interview with DenverAccess.com, GWAR singer Oderus Urungus (a.k.a. Dave Brockie) was asked if the band focused more on the music or the elaborate stage show in their early days. "At the very beginning, we didn't concentrate on the music as much as figuring out what GWAR was going to be," he said. "This is before we even recorded 'Hell-O'. We would just get up there in costumes made out of paper mache and just play one chord, but when we saw the unlimited potential that GWAR had, we started taking the music seriously. Now, in order to keep GWAR ...

---

These are the same shirts that they sold out of in 5 days on the Fury tour in Europe. They were supposed to last 5 weeks. Check the link for payment and size options if interested.

---

PLATENS (Haramaic word for "cosmic equilibrium") is a melodic rock project brainchild of Dario Grillo a young and talented singer, songwriter and musician born in Palermo, Italy.

Dario has been the singer in the Italian Power Metal band THY MAJESTIE with whom he has recorded two albums ("The Lasting Power" and "Hastings 1066") and one Ep "Echoes of War".

Dario left the band in October 2003 in order to dedicate all his energies to Platens, his new musical project, where he plays all the instruments.

Frontiers Records president and A&R director, Serafino Perugino, heard the first demos and was enthusiast with what he heard. The debut album is entitled "Between ...

---

DARKANE drummer Peter Wildoer has posted the following update on the recording sessions for the group's follow-up to 2002's "Expanding Senses":

"Well, this report is a bit late but I've been working a lot since I got done with the drum parts. We've been rehearsing for the gig this weekend and I've been practicing for the clinic also.

"Ten 'normal' songs, one instrumental and two intros are recorded. I'm very happy with how the drums turned out this time. There are some 'crazy' drum parts, quite a bit of fast tracks, heavy stuff and some plain metal drumming. I do hope you'll enjoy it. I think it's a great mix of different kind of songs without losin ...

---

On October 20, two founding members of the German goth metal band FLOWING TEARS, Björn Lorson and Christian Zimmer, died in a tragic car accident, according to a posting on the group's web site. "Even though they already left the band in '95 and '96 (Björn after the first demo tape 'Bijou' and Christian after 'Swansongs'), FLOWING TEARS may never have existed if they hadn't been," the band write. "We will keep you in our minds and hearts. These days we take a breath to listen to the tunes of songs such as 'Flowing Tears & Withered Flowers' or 'Waterbride' — while mourning about two young people who had to d ...

---

AFM Records will release a new Edguy collection, entitled Hall Of Flames, on December 6th. The release will be available on standard CD and limited edition digipack formats.

Featured on the 2CD Hall Of Flames set are all the bands hit songs and many unreleased bonus tracks, all authorized by Edguy. The collection’s running time is more than 130 minutes.

The first CD includes 13 hits and all-time favorites from Edguy's career, chosen by the band. CD2 features eight rare and unreleased tracks, Japanese bonus songs, fun tracks etc., wallpapers and two video clips (one of which is previously unreleased).

The set also comes with a 24 page full colour booklet including liner notes by Tobias Sammet, many unpublished pictures, band history and complete lyrics.

---

DARK TRANQUILLITY singer Mikael Stanne recently spoke with Portugal's LOUD! magazine about the band's upcoming album, "Character", due in Europe on January 24 and North America on January 25 via Century Media Records. The Swedish band recently released an EP, entitled "Lost to Apathy", as a teaser for the upcoming full-length. It includes four songs, a video-clip (for the title track) and a screensaver. Several excerpts from Stanne's interview with LOUD! follow:

On "Lost to Apathy":

"If you like that song, you'll like the rest of the album ...

---

Former THE CROWN guitarist Marko Tervonen is currently working on a new project. No lineup details have yet been revealed, but according to Tervonen, he has already composed enough material for a full-length album. "If THE CROWN's music was more about high-energy, speed and aggression, this album is more about heaviness, fat riffing, melodies with a touch of melancholy," he wrote in an online posting. "Somewhere in the [vein] of [THE CROWN songs] 'Bow To None', 'Dead Man's Song', 'World Below', 'Death By My Side', 'Black Lightning', 'In Memoriam'... I guess you know where I'm going with this... The big difference is though, no death metal vocals. I got a very cool thing going on here..." An official web site will be launched soon.

---

OPETH's live DVD, "Lamentations - Live At Shepherds Bush Empire", has reached gold status in Canada, according to a posting on the group's web site.

As previously reported, OPETH frontman Mikael Åkerfeldt has started writing material for the group's next album, tentatively scheduled to be recorded sometime in the early spring of 2005. The band are currently unsigned as a result of having been dropped by BMG/Zomba after their previous label, Music For Nations, was folded into parent company Zomba Records Group (the world's largest independent music group).

---

IN FLAMES are currently topping Sweden's Pepsi Live chart with their video for "Touch of Red". View the whole chart at this location.

The "Touch of Red" clip was shot in Los Angeles during late August/early September with director Patric Ullaeus of Revolver Film Company, who has previously worked with DIMMU BORGIR, CHILDREN OF BODOM and LACUNA COIL, among others.

To view the "Touch of Red" video, visit IN FLAMES' web site at InFlames.com. Also available on the site are photos from the group's performance at the club Quattro in Nagoya, Japan on September 14.

---