Music News & Notes

DARKTHRONE's 'A Blaze In The Northern Sky' Vinyl Reissue Due In December

Peaceville Records will issue DARKTHRONE's "A Blaze In The Northern Sky" album on 180g heavyweight vinyl with gatefold sleeve in December.

"A Blaze In The Northern Sky", DARKTHRONE's second album, was originally issued in 1992 and was without question the blueprint release for the black metal scene.

An album that defined the now ubiquitous phrase "true norwegian black metal," it was hailed on release as an album of true scene shifting greatness.

The album saw a whole new blacker-than-black DARKTHRONE, new names, new sound and highly visual black and white artwork. Fenriz claimed, "This is the new DARKTHRONE, the old DARKTHRONE is dead".

So great was the hunger and need for DARKTHRONE that it meant absolutely nothing to critics and fans alike that the band hardly ventured out to play live. On the contrary, this only added to the mystique of the band, and saw them, in the eyes of the fans as very much "keeping it real."

This vinyl edition of the album is limited to 1,000 numbered copies and is issued on 180g heavyweight vinyl in a gatefold sleeve which features new liner notes written by Nocturno Culto especially for this release.

The album will ship on December 7.

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THEM CROOKED VULTURES' 'New Fang' Premiers On 'Rock Band' In Time For Debut Album

Harmonix and MTV Games today announced that THEM CROOKED VULTURES are premiering on Rock Band beginning next week with "New Fang", the single from the band's self-titled debut album. The song will be added to the Rock Band Music Store and LEGO Rock Band Music Store of downloadable content for the Xbox 360 video game and entertainment system from Microsoft, PlayStation 3 computer entertainment system and Wii.

"THEM CROOKED VULTURES are keenly aware of the different ways in which modern music fans digest new music and are therefore especially happy to be able to offer the first single from their self-titled debut up as a downloadable Rock Band game track on the same day the album goes on sale," stated THEM CROOKED VULTURES.

The debut self-titled album from THEM CROOKED VULTURES, comprised of Dave Grohl, Joshua Homme and John Paul Jones, will be released November 17 in the United States, the same day and date that "New Fang" will be available for Rock Band download on the Xbox 360. The band released the single as a free download for fans November 3 and has been streaming their full album on their web site, www.themcrookedvultures.com, since November 9. The band is touring the United States in November, and their December tour of the United Kingdom sold out in just 12 minutes.

THEM CROOKED VULTURES' "New Fang" will be available November 17 for the Xbox 360, November 24 for the Wii and December 3 for the PlayStation 3 in both the Rock Band Music Store and LEGO Rock Band Music Store.

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GWAR: Deluxe Edition Of 'America Must Be Destroyed' Crammed With DVD


"America Must Be Destroyed", GWAR's 1992 opus, can now be purchased in a special edition digipak that's also crammed with a DVD that includes the seminal GWAR films "Tour De Scum" and "Phallus In Wonderland". Never before have they all been available in one package for you to get your clammy human hands on!

The "America Must Be Destroyed" special edition is available everywhere now while GWAR continues to pummel audiences across North America on their headlining tour!

"Let Us Slay", the new video from GWAR, was shot in Richmond, Virginia by director David Brodsky (SUICIDE SILENCE, THE BLACK DAHLIA MURDER, WHITECHAPEL) and his MyGoodEye crew.

GWAR's new album, "Lust In Space", sold around 5,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 96 on The Billboard 200 chart.

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Asian Man details upcoming Matt Skiba solo record

Asian Man Records has announced more details on the upcoming solo album from Alkaline Trio guitarist/vocalist Matt Skiba. The album will be called Demos and is slated for a February 16, 2010 release. The label is promising to post new songs once the record is mastered and also remarked:

"The new Matt Skiba album "Demos" is getting mastered this week. 15 brand new songs. All songs were recorded over the past 10 months by Mr. Skiba in various avenues. Whether in his bedroom or while traveling, Matt recorded these songs originally as demos, but the songs are perfect as is. We couldn't ask for more. Anybody who loves the Alkaline Trio without the glossed over production will be incredibly happy with this final product. We plan on releasing various colors of vinyl and will be taking pre-orders sometime in DECEMBER"

Skiba last released a split CD with Kevin Seconds in 2002. Meanwhile, his Trio bandmate Dan Andriano has been playing solo shows under the name The Emergency Room, and Alkaline Trio are slated to self-release their next full-length sometime in the future.

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Missing Person's Singer Chargeed With Animal Cruelty

Dale Bozzio, lead singer for Missing Persons, has surrendered in Ossipee, New Hampshire to serve time on animal cruelty charges.

Last year, authorities found Bozzio's home filled with cats, both living and dead, while she was on tour. She was given the cruelty charges and sentenced to repay a $2,700 vet bill, spend 90 days in jail and serve 250 hours of community service.

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U2 Fined For Loud Shows

U2 were a little too loud, even for Dublin. MCD, the promoters for the group's July concerts, were fined $53,000 by the city for twelve breeches of the city's noise ordinance over their three nights of performing. These were the same shows that created such a controversy with neighbors of the stadium over the late-night building and tearing down of the U2 set.

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New Ringo LP?

The New York Examiner reported exclusively today that Ringo Starr will have a new album in January titled Y Not. The album is showing up on Amazon.com with a January 12 release but that is not official according to Ringo's press office.