Veteran rocker Richie Scarlet (MOUNTAIN, ACE FREHLEY BAND, FREHLEY'S COMET, SEBASTIAN BACH & FRIENDS) will be playing bass for UFO on their U.S. tour starting on April 22 at Jaxx in Springfield, West Virginia. Scarlet will be filling in for Pete Way, who was apparently unable to re-enter the country in time for the tour due to visa problems.

Confirmed UFO tour dates:

Apr. 22 - Springfield, VA @ Jaxx
Apr. 24 - Bradford, TN @ Skullbone Music Park
Apr. 25 - Louisville, KY @ Expo 5
Apr. 26 - New York, NY @ B. B. King's
Apr. 27 - Pittsburgh, PA @ The Rex Theatre
Apr. 29 - Philadelphia, PA @ Keswick Theatre*
A ...

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Former ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna recently spoke to Metal-Exiles.com about his decision in early 2000 to bow out of the ANTHRAX tour that was to feature two frontmen: Belladonna and his replacement, John Bush.

The tour, which went ahead without Belladonna's involvement, was to feature Joey on the band's older songs, while Bush was to handle vocals on the more recent material. Both lead singers were to perform on the band's rendition of THE TEMPTATIONS classic "Ball Of Confusion", which appeared on their "Return of the Killer B's (A's)" album.
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Former ICED EARTH members Gene Adam (vocals), Dave Abell (bass), and Mark Prator (drums), along with Bill Owen (guitar) of the pre-ICED EARTH band PURGATORY, have formed a brand-new project tentatively dubbed UNEARTHED. The group have just completed a two-song demo containing the tracks "Fire In the Sky" and "Unearthed" and are preparing to begin shopping around for a record deal.

Commented Gene in a posting to the ICED EARTH fan site Iced-Realm.de: "The band is called UNEARTHED because me, Dave and Bill have been away from th ...

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STRATOVARIUS webmaster Fred Derf has posted the following message on the band's official web site:

"Unfortunately I have received news that Timo Tolkki was hospitalized on April 10th due to suicidal feelings and chronic depression.

"He is currently being treated in Mehiläinen, a private hospital in Helsinki, Finland.

"If anyone wants to send recovery wishes to Timo, you can send them directly to timorecovery@stratovarius.com or you can use the ready made form we have made. You can find the below.

"All the recovery wishes will be delivered to Timo to the hospital."

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Swedish progressive dark metallers EVERGREY will be the special guests on next week's edition of MTV2's "Headbanger's Ball". In addition to talking about their upcoming North American tour with ICED EARTH and CHILDREN OF BODOM, EVERGREY will be premiering the video for "A Touch of Blessing" off their forthcoming release, "The Inner Circle", due on April 27 through InsideOut Music.

The video for "A Touch Of Blessing" was shot in Sweden and was helmed by Revolver Film Company's acclaimed director Patric Ullaeus, who has previously worked with IN FLAMES, LACUNA COIL, DIMMU BORGIR and ...

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MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has revealed the track listing for the group's new CD, tentatively due later in the year through Sanctuary Records. It is as follows:

01. Blackmail The Universe
02. Shadow Of Death
03. My Kingdom
04. Of Mice And Men
05. Truth Be Told
06. The Scorpion
07. Kick The Chair
08. Something That I'm Not
09. Tears In A Vial
10. Die Dead Enough
11. Back In The Day

Mustaine has also posted the following message in the band's official forum:

"Droogies!

"Well, the day has come and I am packing it in.

"Yeste ...

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Orlando, Florida's TRIVIUM have inked a deal with Roadrunner Records. The band - Matthew Heafy (lead vocals, guitar), Cory Beaulieu (guitar), Brent Young (bass) and Travis Smith (drums) - released their debut album, "Ember To Inferno", on Germany's Lifeforce Records last year and caught Roadrunner's attention with their "larger than life, unrestrained rock sound," according to an official press release.

TRIVIUM come to the label through Roadrunner A&R man Monte Conner (SEPULTURA, SLIPKNOT, TYPE O NEGATIVE). Says Conner: "TRIVIUM show an incredible maturity and finesse ...

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MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has posted the following message on the group's official web site:

"Droogies!

"Today I officially finished the last song of MEGADETH and am on to the MD.45 record.

"The news is that excluding 'Risk' which will only have two, every other record is going to have four bonus tracks. I enjoyed watching all of the ring pieces say that I was holding onto songs for later release for the money.

"Boy don't you look stoopid now. Yes, you do.

"There are Randy Burns mixes, Paul Lani mixes, 'RIP' demos with Chris Poland, with Marty Friedman, and just with me as guitar ...

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DIMMU BORGIR's session drummer Reno Kiilerich has spoken exclusively to BLABBERMOUTH.NET about landing a job with what is arguably the most commercially successful black metal band in the world.

Kiilerich, who hails from Denmark, was previously a member of several acclaimed death metal groups, including PANZERCHRIST, EXMORTEM and VILE. His first rehearsal session with DIMMU BORGIR, which took place last Friday (March 26), went so well that by the weekend, he had already been told that he got the gig.

The following is a short transcript of Kiilerich's first interview since being named the official "session" drummer f ...

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JUDAS PRIEST's much-anticipated four-disc box set, "Metalogy" (Sony Music/Legacy Records), will arrive in the U.S. and Canada on May 11 - one week later than the originally announced May 4 release date. Europe and Australia/New Zealand will receive the set on May 10 while Japan has scheduled a release on July 22.

As previously reported, the 65-song collection comprises hits, favorites, B-sides and rarities recorded by the veteran heavy metal act between 1972 and 2002.

The box will include a full-color book with the band's discography and a biographical essay will also feature a timeline and previously unpublished photos.

The biographical essay ...

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