Word direct from Throwdown… “We’re recording a new album this February with the almighty Zeuss who is guilty of such works as Hatebreed’s “Rise of Brutality” and Shadows Fall’s “The War Within” to name a couple. New England here we come. The album is titled “Vendetta”. We have about 13 songs written right now and are going to be adding to that number as well as trimming some fat throughout all of January. The songs are the heaviest, realest and most focussed TD has ever written and also happen to blow your favorite track off Haymaker right out of the fuckin water. We’ll be keeping everyone posted on the progress of writing and recording, so check back regularly! Look for some new MP3s from the album sometime this Spring with any luck!” And… for the Throwdown collectors out there… “For those of you that are keeping it real like 25, then we are pressing “Haymaker” on vinyl!!!! For those of you that don’t collect vinyl….you should probably start with this record or pick it up as a cool collector’s item that not many people will have. You’ll be a lot cooler than the kid at school who only has it on his iPod. BUY IT HERE!!! http://www.gmsrecs.com/orderstest.html

For a short time only you can download 8 songs from Faktion on their MySpace.com page! The band is currently in Florida recording the new full-length album. Did you know? Faktion won “Rock Band Of The Year” for the 2004/2005 Screamformedallas.com Local Awards! The band would like to thank the fans for all the incredible support, hardwork in promoting, and love for this band.

Coming up on the Radio 1 Rock Show on January 18th… Caliban will be featured in the Monsters Of Rock slot. Tune in.

Roadrunner is pleased to announce we will be releasing a special 2-CD Blood Has Been Shed package on March 28 2005. Combining their 2 previous album releases on Ferret Music, the tracklisting is currently set to be: Spirals 1. Age Of Apocalypse (MP3 HERE) 2. Prion 3. Greetings From The Gallows 4. She Speaks To Me 5. Rainman 6. Uatu 7. The House Of Fists 8. Beatnik 9. Beginner’s Luck 10. Technicolor Jackets 11. Weeping Willow 12. Call Waiting (John Doe Has The Upper Hand) 13. Six Twelve 14. Cortisone Novella Of Uriel 15. Wetwork 16. Benediction 17. And A Seraphim Cries 18. En Sabah Nur 19. Intervention 20. Faded Pictures Faded Memories 21. Signs And Omens 22. And Her Name Was Entragian 23. Of Sand And Sulfur 24. Candlelight Vigil 25. Metamorph (MP3 HERE) You can see the artwork HERE. Did you know? Blood Has Been Shed features 2 members of the current Killswitch Engage lineup – singer Howard Jones and drummer Justin Foley. Stay tuned to the Blood Has Been Shed ARTIST PAGE for more info.

Prior to their upcoming tour dates (starting Jan 19) we thought we’d give you a taste of EARLY Killswitch Engage from way back when. Download a free MP3 of ‘Soilborn’ HERE. You can get this track on the KsE self-titled first album, which has been re-mastered and remixed by guitarist Adam D for a new release on Jan 24. Originally released back in 2000 by Ferret Music, the new version also features new artwork from bassist Mike D and includes their original 1999 demo. The full track listing is as follows: 1. Temple From the Within 2. Vide Infra 3. Irreversal 4. Rusted Embrace 5. Prelude 6. Soilborn 7. Numb Sickened Eyes 8. In The Unblind 9. One Last Sunset Bonus tracks 1999 demo 10. Prelude 11. Soilborn 12. Vide Infra 13. In The Unblind Do you know how KsE orginally got together? The following is taken fromthe allmusic.com site, and was written by Eleanor Ditzel. Pay attention, this info may come in handy in the near future for the Free Shit page… “The foursome that came together and created Killswitch Engage already had strong fan followings. Mike D’Antonio (bass) was formerly the leader and principal songwriter of Overcast, the legendary underground metal group. When Overcast split in 1998, D’Antonio sought for a year to find the right combination of players to fuse hardcore and metal with melody. During the summer of 1999, D’Antonio connected with Adam Dutkiewitz, who was the drummer for Aftershock, and Joel Stroetzel, Aftershock’s guitar player. Jesse Leach, vocalist for Corrin and Nothing Stays Gold, joined on and the foursome took the name Killswitch Engage. Killswitch Engage made its debut by opening for In Flames during their tour. The Ferret label heard and liked the combination of brutality, sophistication, and breathtaking originality that the group produced, and signed them on. Ferret released Killswitch Engage’s self-titled debut album in June 2000 and it immediately began capturing rave reviews.”

Rising from the ashes of his former group, Max Cavalera and Soulfly burst onto the metal scene almost a decade ago with abrasive guitars, pounding rhythms and a primal guttural roar sounding their arrival. Elements of thrash, hip-hop, reggae and world beats collide and blend on record to create a sound that is engaging, unique and unmistakably SOULFLY. But those albums are just a part of the equation – to see Soulfly live to see them at their best and this DVD does just that. The Song Remains Insane is an all-access journey with Soulfly captured live around the world throughout their career. Complete with all of the band’s videos, over an hour of live footage, interviews with Max Cavalera and much more, The Song Remains Insane is like a concrete exclamation point to the undeniable hard rock statement that is Soulfly. DVD INCLUDES: *Over an hour of Soulfly captured live around the world: – Prophecy – Eye For An Eye – Living Sacrifice – Bring It – Refuse/Resist – Execution Style – Seek ‘N’ Strike – Roots Bloody Roots *All of the band’s videos: – Bleed – Back To The Primitive – Seek ‘N’ Strike – Prophecy *Exclusive interviews with Max Cavalera and members of Soulfly *6 Bonus performance clips – Attitude – First Commandment – No Hope = No Fear – Pain – Mars – Wings DVD Produced by Villains Director: Kimo Proudfoot Producer: Jason Cohon Executive Producer: Janet Haase Editor: Chris Wright The Song Remains Insane DVD will be released on Feb 21st.

Have you stopped by the Music OMH site lately? They’ve posted up a brand new interview with Machine Head’s hard-hitting drummer Dave McClain HERE.

Last month DevilDriver started soliciting questions from the fans for the band to answer. Well, the answers are coming. Some of the questions? Just wondering, is your new album sounding alot heavier than the first? Some of the answers? Less linear, more brutal, and intricately structured, faster, tons of groove and hook. I think working with Colin Richardson has brought out the best in all of us. The greatest thing about DevilDriver and the new album (‘The Fury Of Our Maker’s Hand’) is that both the media and the fans won’t be able to paint us in a category. We are truly doing our own thing, and having a great time with it. And you can feel it in the room as it is being created. But to be fucking blunt with you, if you are a DevilDriver fan now you will be more than pleased with what you hear in the future. For answers to all questions asked thus far, check out the band’s website at www.devildriver.com.

If you missed it running before now is your chance to see the special Slipknot ‘Superstars Of Noise’ piece on Kerrang! TV. The 30 min programme is running as follows: Tonight at 6pm. Jan: 17th @ 6pm 19th @ 6.30pm 21st @ 6pm

Illdisposed singer Bo Summer and guitarist Jakob Batten recently spoke to Denmark’s Antenna webzine about their recent album, “1-800 Vindication” and landing a deal with Roadrunner. Several clips from the interview follow: Antenna: That story on how you ended up signing with Roadrunner sounds amazing. Did it really happen by coincidence? Jakob Batten: “Yes, 100 percent. We had actually already put our signatures on a completely other contract with Crash Music. It was a good thing that I was the one who had to go to the post office and mail it, ’cause I wasn’t in the mood for it. So a week came and went, and I didn’t get shit done, and then there suddenly was a mail in the inbox from a talent scout, and we all switched on standby. But we didn’t expect that much, but Roadrunner were ready for it and thought that the music sounded cool, and we got approved by all their European divisions. It’s something, they always do. It’s not enough to get approved, for instance in Germany. It needs to get all the way around in a territory.” Antenna: How long have you been working on the new material for? Bo Summer: “About two years. On ‘Kokaiinum’, it was even worse. On that one, we made ‘Richard Scarry’ two and a half years before the album was released. ‘Dark’ was one of the last ones, we made for the first promo. ‘Incisive Souls’, which is now called ‘In Search of Souls’, was probably the first one we made, and that’s about a year and a half ago. We may be slow, but I also think our songs have a certain durability. ‘Kokaiinum’ is a prime example of how it sounds, if you make everything in a hurry. I think four or five of the songs were prepared, and the four or five songsí¢ä‰åŒ_ there’s one where I bark like a dog.” Jakob Batten: “It was just something we did the evening before we entered the studio. We had moved our gear out to Borsing Recordings, and then we made four or five songs there.” Bo Summer: “When we realized we had to go to his studio for the nineteenth time, we were just like, ‘Fuck it.’ You must have in mind that with each album we make promo recordings to be prepared when we enter the studio and also to change something in the songs, if needed. We had psyched ourselves to go and record in Feedback, and we had even booked the place, so we didn’t fucking care. That was also the reason why Jan Borsing was fired as manager immediately after we had finished recording.” Antenna: What’s the story behind the album title? Bo Summer: “Vindication means that we are back contra ‘Kokaiinum’, ’cause with that one we were pretty fed up, and 1-800 is just one of those numbers you can call when you want a blowjob [laughs]. It is one of those American numbers. It wouldn’t surprise me at all if there actually was a lawyer or a firm having such a number in the U.S.” Jakob Batten: “It means that we are ready again to go out there and give it full throttle upon the last disappointments.” The entire interview can be found in Antenna magazine #3, which is available for free download at this location.