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Priest, Slipknot Ozzfest 04
Blabbermouth reports: According to a reliable industry source, JUDAS PRIEST are "90 percent a go" for this year's Ozzfest, which is tentatively expected to kick off late June/early July. OZZY OSBOURNE, who is recovering from a nasty all-terrain-vehicle crash, will reportedly try to headline the festival once again, although any complications with his recovery may indefinitely postpone his return to the live stage. SLIPKNOT are believed to be in talks to co-headline the festival's second stage with HATEBREED, while DAMAGEPLAN and VELVET REVOLVER are also said to be strong possibilities. Says our source: "The thinking is that not enough people have been coming early so [the festival organizers] may lay off the newer acts and get more established acts for the second stage." - Click Here for the Full Story 

Beer Kills Maiden
Blabbermouth reports: IRON MAIDEN manager Rod Smallwood has issued the following statement regarding the band's abbreviated performance at the Hammerstein Ballroom in New York City Saturday night (Jan. 24):

"It's Sunday morning and already l see many posts in the forum. On behalf of the band and myself all of you have our sympathy, especially the many of you who traveled great distances to be there. This gig sold out in a matter of minutes when it went on sale last December and we know, being the weekend show, a lot of you traveled in from many parts of the USA and Canada. For those who aren't sure what happened, some idiot in the first couple of rows on the mezzanine above the mixing desk thought it was a good idea to chuck his beer in the air rather then down his throat. It landed on the desk blowing too many channels to be retrievable. This prevented us playing any encores. We are very sorry for the fans there and we know you know there was absolutely nothing we could do. Believe me, the band were gutted. It was a great gig up 'till then. Thanks from the band for the good-natured way you accepted this bad news � we always say MAIDEN fans are the best. 

"Maybe we will see some of you again on Monday or Tuesday and to anyone else coming along, remember beer is to be drunk not thrown at a gig. And to the idiot who caused this, l do hope you learned a lesson." - Click Here for the Full Story 

Sparta Soph
The PRP reports: Sparta have posted an update regarding their new album, it is as follows: "Sparta was recently in New York City, braving 0 degree temperatures while mixing their new, yet to be titled album. It is slated to be released in early May. The album was produced by Mike Major and is being mixed by the amazing Andy Wallace. We're all very proud of it and can't wait for you to hear it. We will also be announcing some dates soon, getting our street team up and running and all that good stuff.. so we're revving up and getting ready to roll!!" - Click Here for the Full Story 

Rancid Cypress Hill
Digital Noise reports: Cypress Hill are back with a new album "Til Death Do Us Part" to be released sometime in March.

The album is preceded by a new single "What's Your Number?", described as a "hip-hop ode to The Clash", paying homage to the band's track "Guns Of Brixton" with Rancid's Tim Armstrong on guitar. The single is set for release in February.

Other collaborators on the album include Bob Marley's son Damian, members of Mobb Deep and The Alchemist.

Founder member B-Real said of the album: "This is one of the first albums where everything just fell into place. Songwise, it just really came together. It felt right." - Click Here for the Full Story 

French Join MP3 War
Reuters reports: Add the French to the war on Internet song swappers. 

Facing their first annual sales decline in recent memory, officials from the world's fourth largest music market told Reuters Sunday they would fight back with lawsuits. 

Monday, French music industry trade body SNEP will report that recorded music sales fell 14.6 percent in revenues in 2003 to just under 2.1 billion euros, said Herve Rony, SNEP general manager. 

The culprit, according to Rony, is the growth in file-sharing services such as Kazaa and possibly CD-copying by home users. 

"It happened very suddenly. Apparently, there is a link to the fall in the market and the increase in access to the Internet," Rony told Reuters on the sidelines of the Midem Music conference in the French seaside city. 

"It is the first year we can say France has to face the Internet crisis." - Click Here for the Full Story 

Drowning Pool Revocalized
I Ate Your Microphone reports: Drowning Pool have announced that Jason Jones (formerly of Chop Shop and Built XL) will be staying with the band as full time vocalist. He has been filling in for the late Dave Williams since mid-2003, so the move comes as little surprise. Drowning Pool are currently recording their third album, tentatively titled "Desensitized", alongside producers Johnny K. The record is expected to emerge through Wind-Up Records on April 20th 2004. Preceding this, the group will have a new song entitled 'Step Up' featured on the forthcoming soundtrack to the movie "Punisher", which is due on March 23rd also through Wind-Up Records.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Preview the new song at the Full Story link.

Rotten Reality
Sky News reports: The makers of I'm A Celebrity ... Get Me Out Of Here! have denied rumours that former Sex Pistol John Lydon has quit the show.

Lydon reportedly refused to speak to the press at a photoshoot for the ten contestants.

He then left, sparking rumours he had walked out on his star companions.

But a spokeswoman for Granada insisted Lydon would be there when the latest series of the show begins on ITV1 on Monday night.

"He has definitely not quit," she said.

"He is making preparations to join the rest of the contestants in the jungle." - Click Here for the Full Story 

JethrA Tull?
MTV reports: Former Jethro Tull member David Palmer has had a sex-change operation and is now going by Dee Palmer, according to the Daily Scotsman. Palmer joined Tull in 1976 as a keyboard player but began arranging orchestral music for the band for its first album, This Was, in 1968. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Stone Temple Lockdown
MTV reports: Scott Weiland appeared in two separate courtrooms to address drug charges on Friday (January 23) before being ordered back into lockdown rehab. The former STONE TEMPLE PILOTS frontman and current VELVET REVOLVER singer pleaded not guilty during his arraignment in Los Angeles Superior Court to charges of driving under the influence of drugs, stemming from his late October arrest. But because Weiland had left his court-ordered lockdown rehab last month, the singer was ordered into another six-month lockdown stint at a separate, undisclosed facility, with six months of aftercare treatment. Should Weiland walk away from this round of rehab, or test positive for drug use, a bench warrant will be issued for his arrest. His next progress report is scheduled for March 5.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Aerosmith Fear The Darkness
Blabbermouth reports: TeenMusic.com is reporting that AEROSMITH pulled out of a planned duet with rising U.K. stars THE DARKNESS at this year's Brit Awards after fearing they would be upstaged.

According to sources cited by TeenMusic.com, the organizers of February's ceremony were gleeful when they persuaded Steven Tyler and Joe Perry to team up with the Justin Hawkins-fronted band for a cover of their hit "Love in An Elevator".

But after some careful consideration, AEROSMITH called time on the deal.

A source told British tabloid The Daily Star, "It was all set in stone and was going to be the collaboration of the night.

"But on Friday, AEROSMITH pulled out with a load of flimsy excuses. The impression they gave was of a band who didn't want to be upstaged." - Click Here for the Full Story 

Dean N' Roses
MTV reports: Howard Dean may have a shot at a pro wrestling career if his bid for the White House doesn't pan out.

After his disappointing finish in the Iowa caucuses on Monday a red-faced Dean made an impassioned entreaty to his supporters in Des Moines that left him hoarse and sounded reminiscent of wrestler Randy "Macho Man" Savage's patented "Oooooh yeah!" The gruff, fist-pumping appeal made its way onto the Internet, where inventive and aspiring remixers have added their own sardonic twists to the fiery speech.

One of the first remixes to surface, Jonathan Strong's "Dean Goes Nuts Remix" hosted by Right-Magazine.com, featured Dean's shrieking yowl set to Aphex Twin's frenetic electronic "Wax the Nip" from 1995's I Care Because You Do. The track has since been taken down due to bandwidth issues. With many pundits speculating that Dean's campaign has gone off the rails, it's no surprise that a remix with Ozzy Osbourne's "Crazy Train" has also made its way onto the Web. Other remixes include Dean paired with Guns N' Roses' "Welcome to the Jungle" and Lil Jon's "Throw It Up." - Click Here for the Full Story 

Clips of the songs available at the Full Story link above

Top Metal Guitarists
siN's metal news reports: Guitar World has picked the 100 Greatest Metal Guitarists for their upcoming March 2004 issue, while the magazine states:

"This is not a list that ranks who can play the fastest or with the most taste, feeling or technique (although many players on our list have all of those arrows in their quiver)," the editors stress in the accompanying introduction. "It is, rather, a tribute to the great men who s*** iron and piss stainless steel razor blades, and do it every time they plug into an amplifier."

Here's the list:
1. Tony Iommi (BLACK SABBATH)
2. Kirk Hammett & James Hetfield (METALLICA)
3. Angus & Malcolm Young (AC/DC)
4. Randy Rhoads (OZZY OSBOURNE)
5. Eddie Van Halen (VAN HALEN)
6. Jimmy Page (LED ZEPPELIN)
7. Dimebag Darrell (PANTERA, DAMAGEPLAN)
8. Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY)
9. Adam Jones (TOOL)
10. Kerry King & Jeff Hanneman (SLAYER)
11. Dave Murray & Adrian Smith (IRON MAIDEN)
12. Jimi Hendrix
13. Glen Tipton & K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST)
14. Ace Frehley & Paul Stanley (KISS)
15. Slash (GUNS N' ROSES)
16. Ritchie Blackmore (DEEP PURPLE, RAINBOW)
17. Yngwie Malmsteen
18. Joe Perry & Brad Whitford (AEROSMITH)
19. Dave Mustaine & Marty Friedman (MEGADETH)
20. Chuck Schuldiner (DEATH)
- Click Here for the Full Story 

Click the full story link for the full list. 

Morea Jones
Billboard reports: "I'm very over myself," Norah Jones says with a self-conscious laugh. Fortunately, she seems to be the only one who feels that way. The music industry and countless fans are looking at her Feb. 10 U.S. release "Feels Like Home" as the first potential smash of 2004. 

"We expect the new album to be the No. 1 seller for Sam Goody in its first week," says Donna Beadle, spokeswoman for Sam Goody parent Musicland. 

Indeed, anticipation for her sophomore Blue Note album is running extremely high after the success of 2002's "Come Away With Me," which swept last year's Grammy Awards. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Click the full story link for a lot more details. 

Music Sales Up
Reuters reports: Sony Corp's music sales are recovering after a clamp-down on song swapping on the Internet and the advent of legitimate online music stores, the Japanese electronics and media conglomerate said on Friday. 

"It's clear that the impact of piracy is diminished by legitimate downloading. It also seems that lawsuits have made an impact," said Howard Stringer, chief executive of Sony's U.S. operations and head of its film and main music units. 

"My expectation is that Sony Music will be profitable in our fiscal year (to the end of March), although it's too early to know for sure," he said. 

Sony's music sales contracted 8.9 percent in the quarter to the end of September. Stringer said the sharp decline appeared to be leveling off, but could not yet say if the industry's music sales were now flat or still falling slightly. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Releasing a CD by Kelly Osbourne couldn't have helped Sony CD's sales any. 

Red Hot In the UK
Reuters reports: British fans of U.S. rockers The Red Hot Chili Peppers on Saturday snapped up over 200,000 tickets to watch their idols when they tour Britain this summer. 

The tickets were sold in under four hours and the demand prompted organizers to add an additional concert at London's Hyde Park. 

Within hours they too where sold out and only a few tickets remain for the group's open-air shows at the Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh on June 13. 

After Edinburgh the rockers will head southwards when they play the City of Manchester Stadium on June 18 and Hyde Park on June 19 and June 20. 

Concert promoters said they may consider adding more dates. - Click Here for the Full Story 

The Bottom Line Closes
Reuters reports: The Bottom Line, the legendary New York music club where for nearly 30 years stars like Bruce Springsteen and Miles Davis took the stage, has hit the finish line over a rent dispute. 

The eclectic Greenwich Village club, whose acts also included singer Stevie Wonder and blind country-folk guitarist Doc Watson, owed landlord New York University nearly $200,000 in back rent and could not agree on a new long-term lease. It closed for good on Thursday. 

Co-owners Allan Pepper and Stanley Snadowsky, childhood friends who opened the club in 1974, posted a farewell note on the club's Web site that said, "The Bottom Line has always been about the music, and we find fulfillment in knowing that we have stayed the course and remained true to our vision." 

The venue's final shuttering came six weeks after a judge's deadline for the owners to pay back rent or face eviction. The university had proposed a new lease that would have raised the $11,000 monthly rent. The owners vacated the property and were not evicted, according to the New York Times. 

Pepper had said that the Bottom Line's business dropped off after the Sept. 11, 2001, attacks on the World Trade Center. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Priest Drummer Guilty of Rape
AP reports: The former drummer for heavy metal band Judas Priest was convicted Friday of attempting to rape a teenager whom he was giving drum lessons. 

David Holland had denied assaulting the 17-year-old, who has learning difficulties, at the drummer's rural English home in 2002. The youth cannot be named for legal reasons. 

A jury at Northampton Crown Court found Holland guilty of one charge of attempted rape and five counts of indecent assault. A co-accused, 22-year-old Spiros Laouitaris, was cleared of four counts of indecent assault. 

Holland, 55, wept in the dock as the verdicts were read out. 

Judge Charles Wide asked for a pre-sentence report on the risk the former rocker posed to adolescent boys. 

Prosecutors said the teenager, who had sometimes stayed overnight at Holland's house while taking lessons, wrote a letter to his parents in December 2002 describing the abuse. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Killswitch Inmay
I Ate Your Microphone reports: Killswitch Engage's forthcoming new album has now been allotted a tentative release date of May 11th 2004. The as-yet-untitled new effort will be released through Roadrunner Records.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Beyonce, Britney and Pink Cover Queen
Net Music Countdown reports: In what could be the most polarizing occurrence in music since the glory days of prog rock vs. punk rock, the trinity of Beyonce, Britney and Pink have recorded a version of "We Will Rock You" by the legendary Queen for their upcoming Pepsi gladiator commercial. 

The, perhaps, disturbing aspect of this is that the two of the three surviving members of Queen, Brian May and Roger Taylor actually played on the track. Bassist John Deacon thought better of the whole affair, perhaps. 

"We Will Rock You" had previously been butchered by metal-lite rockers Warrant for a soundtrack. - Click Here for the Full Story 

When asked why she did it, Britney responded "Cuz, I really love Led Zeppelin".

Ryan Adams Breaks Arm
Ananova reports: Ryan Adams has cancelled part of his European tour after breaking his arm falling off stage in Liverpool. 

Adams fell off stage during his concert at the Liverpool Royal Court and has cancelled forthcoming dates in Belgium, Germany, Austria, Italy and Spain. 

The singer was expected to return to the UK in February for gigs at The Dome in Brighton, Birmingham Academy and London's Brixton Academy. 

A spokesperson for Adams apologised to fans and said it was "unlikely" the UK gigs would take place. - Click Here for the Full Story