SPINESHANK are set to return to the UK for a 7 date UK tour in support of their new album ‘Self-Destructive Pattern’, out June 14th. Last seen in the UK two years ago Spineshank can’t wait to deliver their explosive new material to Britains metal kids.. expect the most full on live sonic assault yet! In support are stable mates CHIMAIRA. Dubbed the figureheads of ‘The New Wave Of American Metal’ and heavily endorsed by Slayer legend Kerry King, this tour will showcase the killer new album ‘The Impossibility of Reason’, out May 12th. Expect fury, speed, aggression, monster riffs & metal!!! 16th June – London, Astoria (퉌£12.50 0870 400 0688) 17th June – Manchester,MDH II (퉌£10.00 0870 400 0688) 18th June – Glasgow, QMU (퉌£10.00 0870 169 0100) 20th June – Dublin, Music Centre (14 Euro 1890 925 100) 21st June – Derry, Nerve Centre (퉌£8.00 1890 925 100) 23rd June – Cardiff/MS1 (퉌£10.00 02920 301 000) Also.. check both bands out at the hottest event of summer – the Download Festival! Catch Chimaira on the 31st May & Spineshank 1st June!

“Hey Roadrunner. Here’s a review I wrote of the Killswitch Engage Bristol show, 8th April 2003… I’d been waiting to see Killswitch again since I saw them last October at Roadrage- all 3 bands put on a great show, and it was the first time I’d heard Howard’s vocals- very impressive indeed. Anyway back to the April 8th showí¢ä‰åŒ_ About ten to four I got the bus into the city centre for the signing at replay. As it pulled up, I spotted some tall dude with dyed black hair and glasses crossing the road- I immediately knew it was Adam from Killswitch Engage with the rest of the band! It was so weird seeing my favourite band just strolling through the centre of my hometown! I leapt off the bus and made my way to replay for the signing. I met the band and they signed some stuff that I’d brought along- it was weird though, cos I’d planned out some questions to ask them, but when the time came I blanked- meeting them was such a shock. I couldn’t believe I was meeting these guys who I’d looked up to for so long. They were really cool guys as well, really normal, grounded people which was cool. I had a few hours to kill before the show so I chilled with some of my mates and we got there early. The actual venue was quite small, but totally packed out: it was great to see so much support for the band, support they deserve. I secured my spot right up at the front, and there was no barrier which was awesome, you could get right up close to the bands. First up was a band from the UK called Beecher, who have been described as hardcore/noisecore. They played quite a short set, I think their singers voice was playing up- it was a shame cos I found I enjoyed the set more towards the end, as the crowd were getting warmed up. Next up were the main support- Poison the Well, who were truly awesome. They really got the crowd going, it seems as if they were highly anticipated by most people there. I got into them a few months back and I was pleased they played my favourite songs, Botchla and Slice Paper Wrists, a track from their previous album. But now onto the band I was there for… the mighty Killswitch Engage. The reception they got was phenomenal- they couldn’t even appear at the side of the stage without huge roar from the crowd. At last they took to the stage, with Adam sporting what looked like a Hitler moustache and a pipe in his mouth! Immediately they stormed into Numbered Days, my personal favourite, and the crowd went insane. This was followed by Life to Lifeless, another classic, which went down a treat live. Howard was amazing on vocals, even better than last time I saw them- if you’ve heard the hype about this guy, then believe it, he really can cut it live. He has the stage presence of a tank- it almost scares you having this huge guy growling his lungs out in front of you. He even did a bit of crowd surfing! Next came To the Sons of Man, Fixation on the Darkness and Vide Infra. Joel kicked ass on lead guitar, pinch harmonics galore, and Adam was in a world of his own on the left of the stage, just going crazy. He was right up in the faces of us in the front half the time. They played In the Unblind, which I was pleased about, cos its such a wicked song and its off their previous album. After that they played Rise Inside and Self Revolution, two more awesome songs, especially live. I think it was around this time that someone chucked some brown sauce onto the stage, and there was only one solution- Adam picked it up and took a huge swig- ‘I got me some Brown Sauce!’ Next up was the Element of One, a more mellow song, which made a good contrast to the heavier songs they played. Mike started throwing out some free stuff into the crowd as well- tshirts, keyrings, what a nice guy! I was impressed with Tom’s drumming too, he truly is a drumming machine. They finished up with temple from the within, sparking a huge cheer and chants of ‘killswitch, killswitch’ seeing them off the stage- but you just knew these guys were gonna come back out and seal the deal with My Last Serenade. And boy they did just that. It was intense to say the least. It seemed like it was over so quickly, I just didn’t want it to end. The crowd finally saw the band off with numerous chants and cheers. As the crowd dispersed, we went outside, and I seized the opportunity to sneak past security and congratulate Mike on the show- and he gave me his set list! He was a real nice guy, we found Adam lurking around too, and got him to take a picture of me and Mike, before I got ushered outside by some big dude. It was an amazing way to finish the evening, and if any of you guys read this then cheers Killswitch for a such a cool day! I cant wait till the new album is out!” thanks for sending that in, Sam

MACHINE HEAD have officially recruited ex-VIO-LENCE/TECHNOCRACY axeman Phil Demmel as their new full-time guitarist. Phil joins the band as a replacement for Ahrue Luster, who amicably left the group last May due to “creative differences.” The San Francisco Bay Area band are thrilled to welcome Demmel to the camp, as he brings along exceptional guitarist skills and an extremely positive vibe. “It just feels like MACHINE HEAD jamming with Phil,” bassist Adam Duce said in an official press release. Demmel’s addition to MACHINE HEAD marks the reunion of one of the more explosive guitar teams in metal history. The Robert Flynn/Phil Demmel partnership was first cemented in seminal Bay Area thrashers VIO-LENCE when the two axemen were barely out of their teens. “I don’t know why we have a chemistry together, but man, I’m telling ya, when the four of us jammed together the other day, there was sparks flyin’ out of the practice room,” Flynn explained. “It was electric!” Phil’s decision to join MACHINE HEAD as a full-time member will also mark his departure from the recently-reunited VIO-LENCE, who are a set to perform their final gig with Demmel as the headliners of the 420 Musik Conspiracy festival in San Francisco on April 19. To honor the occasion, Flynn will be joining VIO-LENCE on stage for the first time since he left the band in February 1992 to form MACHINE HEAD. Demmel has previously filled in on second guitar for MACHINE HEAD’s summer 2002 European dates, and has made a guest appearance on two tracks on the group’s new live CD, “Hellalive”, released last month through Roadrunner Records. MACHINE HEAD are currently writing and demoing material for their fifth studio album, tentatively due in late 2003/early 2004. Among the tracks set to appear on the as-yet-untitled follow-up to 2001’s “Supercharger” are “All Fall Down”, “Pins And Needles”, “Descend The Shades Of Night”, “Bite The Bullet” and “Left Unfinished”. taken from blabbermouth

What’s up, this is Joel from Killswitch Engage. Just wanted to answer those questions for you… Date of birth: July 24, 1980 A tour story: We had been having some rough days on our tour last summer. It was the icing on the cake when we arrived at a show in Florida to find the club flooded with sewage. Not the most positive little tale… but the first that comes to mind. 5 words that describe you: Drink beer and rock, man! One album you think everyone should own: I have a tie, between Carcass-Heartwork and the soundtrack to Purple Rain. Everyone should own both of these records… tis the beginning of the long road to enlightenment. What famous person would you invite over for dinner, and why them? I’d like to have dinner with Madonna. I imagine she’s one of those people who could be standing right in front of you… and yet still, it would be hard to believe she really exists. That’s metal, dude. Best advice you’ve been given: Don’t over-think things. I’ve been reminded many times… but I still often forget. If I wasn’t in this band I would be… Finishing up college, maybe playing in a Dokken cover band…

The final part of the Chimaira video series is in. Check out this intro from Mark Hunter from the band, and then head over to the VIDEO section to view… enjoy. So here we are at the end of our online documentary sessions. We start it off with Jim, who if you haven’t noticed, needs to stop smoking the grass. He ‘reefers’ to the new record as being our 2nd, when in all actuality it is our 3rd…oh well, potheads unite and embrace all that is Jim!!! We know what he means, but come on! You can’t forget about the EP!! We also learn the background surrounding Chris’ inspiration for the electronic aspect of the new record, and it winds down with me doing some vox and rambling like I am now about starting to write the record, what I think of the music yada yada yada…. We hope to put up some video clips from the road, but for now enjoy part 4, the final of the series and just say no to drugs. Songs you get to hear a bit of *Power Trip (bit where Jim is tracking bass) *Pictures In The Goldroom (Chris’ section) *Stigmurder (Where I am talking about thrashy riffs) *Pure Hatred (Mark Singing bit) *Cleansation **Demo (Closer of the session) mark hunter www.chimaira.com

Words from Spineshank’s Mike Sarkisyan on the new record ‘Self Destructive Pattern’… “The new album is more extreme in every respect. In the three years since out last album, we’ve become a different band. If everybody out there was as shocked as they were when that came out, they better put their fucking seatbelts on again!! As for the recording process, Santos, Spineshank’s singer, tells “It was by far the hardest thing anybody has ever done in their lives. It took 16 months to write and 5 months to record in six different studios.” Now it’s time for you to hear new Spineshank. The first MP3 is here. ‘Violent Mood Swings’ is up for download in our MUSIC section. What’s it like? Straight from Santos himself, “I think ‘Violent Mood Swings’ is probably one of the heaviest songs we’ve ever written.”

THERE WILL BE 2 ADDITIONAL TRACKS ON THE NEW JUNKIE XL ALBUM! Extra track #1: Reload (guest vocals Dave Gahan from Depeche Mode) Extra track #2: Perfect Blue Sky (guest vocals Robert Smith from The Cure)

Just a reminder for all you Fear Factory fans out there, Hatefiles is in stores now. And as quoted from the liner notes in this release, Monte Conner – head of A&R at Roadrunner and the man who brought FF to the RR family – tells the following of this piece: This album is strictly for you, the diehard Fear Factory fan. It contains everything you need to complete your FF collection, from unreleased songs to those that are simply rare, hard-to-find or deleted. It represents both sides of the band, from the high-tech, futuristic metal that made them famous to the adventurous remixes they often put out for those fans who were interested. Except for live material, Hatefiles has pretty much emptied the FF vaults. This is not some hodgepodge compilation that was quickly thrown together with no planning or regard for quality: the strength of the music will become instantly obvious as you work your way through the first few tracks. Detailed notes are provided on many songs, telling the story of how and why they came to be. For me, overseeing this compilation has been a true labor of love as I am still a huge FF fan. When I was a teenager growing up and worshiping bands like Black Sabbath, Deep Purple and Aerosmith, I would have sold my soul to get my hands on a fans-only album such as this one. Perhaps that is why I take such joy and pride in bringing this to all of you… and to myself. -Monte Conner

Wednesday 9th April. Killswitch Engage play London tonight, spending the day before hand doing interviews to promote their album. Tonight’s show is sold out, so if you don’t have a ticket, console yourself reading the below, all about KsE’s drummer Tom. Name: Tom Gomes Date Of Birth: February 5th, 1978 A Tour Memory: I got blood splattered on me when Brock from 36 Crazyfists headbutted some guy in the nose. Describe yourself in one sentence: I’m pretty relaxed. One album you think everyone should own: Either of the Fiona Apple albums. Which famous person would you invite over for dinner, and why them? Angelina Jolie because she has nice lips. Best piece of advice you’ve been given: Don’t eat food in the UK. If I wasn’t making music I would be: Living on an island. Tell us one thing about yourself: I only wear Carhartt pants.

Our light-hearted series of the men behind the music continues with Killswitch Engage… currently touring the UK. First up, Howard Jones, vocals. Name: Jones, Shark O’Reilly. Date Of Birth: I believe it was a Thursday. A Tour Memory: I signed a prosthetic leg… it was soft on the outside and quite firm underneath. Describe yourself in one sentence: I have a cat and I feed it. One album you think everyone should own: All of Faith No More, with special attention to ‘Angel Dust’. Which famous person would you invite over for dinner, and why them? Alfred Hitchcock… he was rather odd and had a voracious appetite. Best piece of advice you’ve been given: Don’t eat things you have dropped on the carpet. If I wasn’t making music I would be: Making lunch. Tell us one thing about yourself: I am NOT watching wrestling, or The Simpsons… I am sad.