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Metal Jihad
BW&BK reports: As the world of the 2000s turns toward strife and conflict, heavy metal emerges as a voice of dissent in the Middle East and elsewhere. 

Touted in hardcover as "the gospel of heavy metal," Ian Christe's Sound Of The Beast (www.soundofthebeast.com) returns in March 2004 with a global overview of heavy metal developments in Lebanon, Egypt, Morocco, Malaysia, Israel, and Iraq. When Egyptians teens are rousted in midnight raids and Moroccan musicians jailed for writing English lyrics, Iraqi youth defy authorities by staging their first public concerts in over a decade. Meanwhile, in America, the recorded sales of heavy metal jump to 36.2 million units in the first half of 2003, while the threads of metal history continue to energetically evolve. 

Sound Of The Beast will be available in March through HarperCollins wherever books are sold. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Jack White's Victim Speaks
Launch reports: Jason Stollsteimer of the Von Bondies is rejecting Jack White's claim of self-defense in their fight last December 13 in Detroit. White has been charged with misdemeanor aggravated assault in the incident during a show at a local club, at which White allegedly struck Stollsteimer repeatedly, sending him to the hospital. 

Stollsteimer told LAUNCH that he never took at swing at the White Stripes leader. "It wasn't a fight," Stollsteimer said. "I never even hit him. I didn't know who it was. It took 'til the second thing he said for me even to realize who it was, 'cause I hadn't seen him in a year." 

Stollsteimer also told LAUNCH that he has no idea why White was so angry at him. "I don't know. It could be a million things, but nothing that I have done in the last two years has anything to do with it." - Click Here for the Full Story 

RIAA File 532 More Suits
AP reports: The recording industry on Wednesday sued 532 computer users it said were illegally distributing songs over the Internet, the first lawsuits since a federal appeals court blocked the use of special copyright subpoenas to identify those being targeted. 

The action represents the largest number of lawsuits filed at one time since the trade group for the largest music labels, the Recording Industry Association of America, launched its controversial legal campaign last summer to cripple Internet music piracy. 

Music lawyers filed the newest cases against "John Doe" defendants � identified only by their numeric Internet protocol addresses � and expected to work through the courts to learn their names and where they live. 

The recording association said each person was illegally distributing an average of more than 800 songs online. Each defendant faces potential civil penalties or settlements that could cost them thousands of dollars. 

The resumed legal campaign was intended to discourage music fans emboldened by last month's federal appeals court decision, which dramatically increased the cost and effort to track computer users swapping songs online and sue them. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Judas Priest Rape Response
Blabbermouth reports: JUDAS PRIEST have commented via their official web site on the sex-abuse charges leveled against former PRIEST drummer Dave Holland by a 17-year-old youth with special needs who visited his home for lessons. Writing to the band's official Noticeboard, JUDAS PRIEST Management Co-Ordinator Jayne Andrews said, "Needless to say we find this whole situation very distasteful and hope that Dave is totally innocent and will be exonerated very soon. We know no more about the case than what we read in the papers. JUDAS PRIEST parted company with Dave Holland over 15 years ago and we haven't had any contact with him for many years now. As far as the questions about whether he was gay or not � well, Dave was a very private man and kept his private feelings to himself. We will not comment any further than that." - Click Here for the Full Story 

The Living Download
Shoutweb reports: The Living End have released their new album, Modern ARTillery, exclusively to digital music retailers. The album won't hit stores until March 2nd, but you can pick it up now at the Apple iTunes store.- Click Here for the Full Story 

AC/DC Prep CD
Electric Basement reports: AC/DC frontman BRIAN JOHNSON told Italy's Rock Hard Magazine that the band will definitely come out with a new studio album in 2004 and that guitarist ANGUS YOUNG has written "harder" riffs than what appeared on their last studio album Stiff Upper Lip. Johnson also said he will be handling lyrics this time around, which would be the first time since 1988's Blow Up Your Video. A world tour would also coincide with the new album. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Ides of Weezer
Punkbands.com reports: Universal Music Enterprises has set a March 23 release date for two highly anticipated Weezer items: the DVD "Video Capture Device" and an expanded reissue of the group's 1994 debut, "The Blue Album." As previously reported, The DVD is expected to run three hours and feature music videos, live footage and optional band member commentaries, while the album reissue will include a second disc of B-sides and rare tracks. 

Meanwhile, work is progressing on Weezer's next studio album, which, as previously reported, is being produced by Rick Rubin. The band is expected to be in pre-production on a new batch of songs through the end of the month, after which time it will return to the studio to record the material. "Happily, between Rick Rubin and Weezer, quality control standards are at an all time high," according to the band's official Web site. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Yes, the Ides of March is actually the week before this release date, but it makes for a fun headline. 

Cave-In Studio
The PRP reports: Cave In have posted an update regarding the progress of their next album, it is as follows: "We have been working hard at writing new tunes, and we're happy to inform you that we have a total of seven brand new songs, as of this posting. For less than a month's time back at work in our rehearsal space, this is a record feat for us. The new stuff is sounding really good and a bit different. So far, we have made some raw 4-track recordings of the stuff and we hope to "properly" demo them sometime next month in a studio, if time and money permits." - Click Here for the Full Story 

Customized Spiritualized 
NME reports: SPIRITUALIZED star JASON PIERCE is to customise copies of the band's new single 'CHEAPSTER'. 

The special edition one-track single is released on February 16. Only 500 singles will be manufactured, each one individually numbered with customised hand drawing on the artwork by Pierce.The single will only be available via the band's website, spiritualized.com, and will cost 99p. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Iced Earth 9K
Blabbermouth reports: ICED EARTH's latest album, "The Glorious Burden", has shifted 8,626 copies in its first week of release in the U.S., according to Nielsen SoundScan, to land at position No. 145 on The Billboard 200 chart. The group, who were recently joined by former JUDAS PRIEST frontman Tim Owens, have sold 45,683 copies of their previous effort "Horror Show" (2001). ICED EARTH's 1998 release, "Something Wicked This Way Comes" � widely considered to be the finest album of the group's Matt Barlow (pre-Owens) era � has moved 54,491 units to date. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Ska is Dead
Aversion reports: Maybe it's tongue-in-cheek irony or maybe it's a dose of reality, but The Planet Smashers, Big D and the Kids Table, Catch 22 and Mustard Plug are heading out on the "Ska's Dead ... and You're Next" tour. 

The third-wave and punk-ska outfits teamed up to revive some old-time enthusiasm for ska. The tour dates are: 

Feb. 17 - XTreme Wheels, Buffalo, N.Y. (No Catch 22)
Feb. 18 - Knitting Factory, New York
Feb. 19 - Downtown, Long Island, N.Y.
Feb. 20 - The Palladium, Worcester
Feb. 21 - Empress Ballroom, Hamden, Conn.
Feb. 22 - The Chance, Poughkeepsie, N.Y.
Feb. 23 - 9:30 Club, Washington DC
Feb. 25 - New Brookland Tavern, Columbia, S.C.
Feb. 26 - The Social, Orlando, Fla.
Feb. 27 - The Factory, Miami
Feb. 28 - State Theater, St. Petersburg, Fla.
Feb. 29 - Masquerade, Atlanta - Click Here for the Full Story 

Tiger Army Retreat
RIFTrock reports: Tiger Army have moved back the release of their upcoming Hellcat Records release III: Ghost Tigers Rise to May 25th. The album was originally scheduled for release in April, but the band has confirmed that they will not be able to meet the album's deadline. 

Tiger Army will be out supporting III: Ghost Tigers Rise on the second half of this year's Warped Tour.- Click Here for the Full Story 

My Morning Exit
RIFTrock reports: My Morning Jacket have official confirmed that their guitar player Johnn Quiad and keyboardist Danny Cash have quit the band. Here is the official statement off the band's website: 

"We wanted to send you all a note letting you know about the recent changes in My Morning Jacket's line-up. After four years of passion, sweat, traveling the world and spreading the love, Danny Cash and Johnny Quaid have decided to hang up their instruments and pursue other things in life. For an "In Their Own Words" vibe on how and where they're going, click here. Please know that Danny and John are still part of My Morning Jacket's fabric and friendship and where they will be missed dearly, we couldn't be happier for them to take their lives in a direction they're most comfortable with. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Is 2004 the year of bands losing members? They keep coming daily. 

Opeth Calls In Sick
siN's metal news reports: OPETH was forced to cancel their Edmonton show yesterday due to their drummer, Martin Lopez, reportedly being sick and still in Sweden. According to someone who spoke to the band (they ended up doing an autograph signing instead), Martin is currently seeing a Psychologist in Sweden after a recent Panic Attack, in which he has recently had problems with. OPETH has found a replacement drummer, and is using the time to rehearse the songs with him. It is also 'unlikely' that the band will play a rescheduled Edmonton show on Thursday, but it is possible. The calgary show may or may not be played tonight, as there's no word on their official site.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Semper Thursday
Punkbands.com reports: They're not exactly a political band, but Thursday can sure make a statement. The group's new album, War All the Time, draws parallels between the emotional agony of heartbreak and the trauma of war. The video for the album's title track, conversely, draws on war imagery to achieve aching emotional resonance. 

Directed by Marc Klasfeld (Sum 41, Nelly, Foo Fighters), the clip uses war-coverage techniques to create an atmosphere of extreme urgency. Klasfeld uses infrared and green night-vision filters to imitate war footage, and when postproduction is finished, the video will be filled with the type of computer animation that barraged TV screens during last year's invasion of Iraq. 

"War All the Time" was filmed December 15 in New Jersey at a location overlooking the Manhattan skyline. It includes scenes of kids walking through metal detectors and sprawled on the floor at a party. Klasfeld's director of photography, a Marine combat videographer who'd returned recently from Iraq, fabricated the heightened realism. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Drowning Pool Redux
siN's metal news reports: DROWNING POOL fans, tune into MTV 2's Headbangers Ball this Saturday at 10pm for a 'Special Announcement' that 'you dont want to miss'. As previously, and exclusively, revealed here DROWNING POOL are currently in the studio with vocalist Jason Jones on the mic, and producer Johnny K twisting the knobs and doing production!- Click Here for the Full Story 

Grammy Sting
Reuters reports: Sting and Sean Paul, Martina McBride and Black Eyed Peas have joined the performance lineup for the 46th Grammy Awards, to be broadcast Feb. 8 on CBS from Los Angeles' Staples Center.- Click Here for the Full Story 

VH Lynn Turner
Electric Basement reports: Singer JOE LYNN TURNER (Deep Purple/Rainbow/Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force) will be sharing compelling anecdotes and introducing classic pop and rock videos on cable channel, VH1 Classic, starting at 6am January 31. When MTV first became popular back in the 80s, the "VJs" ("video jockeys") often injected music news and interviews with artists between the videos. On VH1 Classic, this tradition continues. 

Turner's guest VJ shift will appear in segments throughout the weekend. 

JLT first gained national attention as guitarist and singer with Fandango---a band with a critically-acclaimed eclectic sound that released several albums on RCA prior to 1981. As frontman for Rainbow and Yngwie Malmsteen's Rising Force during their most commercially successful years, Joe's voice was heard on the AOR classics "Stone Cold,""Street of Dreams," and "Heaven Tonight." As a familiar face on MTV throughout the 80s, JLT provided the perfect foil both onstage and in the studio for guitarists Ritchie Blackmore and Malmsteen. His 1985 solo album, "Rescue You" spawned the MTV video & CHR/AOR hit "Endlessly." In the early 90s, Turner and Blackmore reunited in Deep Purple. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Do you remember me on a street of dreams??

In Flames USA
I Ate Your Microphone reports: In Flames have renewed their contract with Nuclear Blast for the North American market, which means their forthcoming new album "Soundtack To Your Escape" will see a release in the territory on April 06th, a week later than the expected March 29th release date in Europe.- Click Here for the Full Story 

The Who: Tommy Returns
Ananova reports: The Who are to perform their rock opera Tommy at this year's series of Teenage Cancer Trust benefit shows in London. 

The series of events at the Royal Albert Hall will also feature performances from Stereophonics, Tom Jones and Jools Holland, reports the NME. 

Teenage Cancer Trust patron Roger Daltrey said: "It is fantastic that we are able to announce another line-up of exceptional shows to raise funds for Teenage Cancer Trust. 

"Teenagers with cancer are still discriminated against by the NHS. It is my mission, through these shows, to end this prejudice. Without teenagers, there would be no pop industry and it is about time they are recognised by the NHS as the distinct group of people that they are. 

"Teenage Cancer Trust is a charity close to my heart and I am working with other members of The Who to break through red tape and get specialist cancer wards built for teenagers suffering from this terrible disease. These units are a right, not a privilege." - Click Here for the Full Story