New Fear Factory album ‘Archetype’ is due to hit the streets Spring 2004. í¢ä‰åñI don’t really think about being a pioneer,í¢ä‰åŒ says Burton. í¢ä‰åñBut looking back at our records and what Fear Factory has accomplished in the past 12 years, I see there’s been an effect on the scene. People have followed suit to what we’ve done. There have been bands doing remix records, and people have also heard my vocals and thought, ‘Wow he’s so heavy, but then he switches to actual singing. That’s a great idea!’í¢ä‰åŒ Fear Factory continues in the groundbreaking style many have emulated but none have duplicated on its upcoming fifth full-length release, Archetype. í¢ä‰åñWhen you look up the definition of the word, Archetype, it’s the actual model from which everything else is copied,í¢ä‰åŒ says Burton. í¢ä‰åñFear Factory is that in my opinion, and Archetype is a defining moment for us. Listen to this record, and you’ll know exactly where all these other bands came from.í¢ä‰åŒ You can read more in the new Fear Factory biography HERE.

Chimaira are pleased to confirm a ton of instore signings to coincide with their forthcoming UK tour in February! You can meet the guys at the following locations… Do note, all instores start at 4pm. Mon Feb 2nd – Oxford Modern Music 7/9 High Street Abingdon OX1 5JX Tel: 01235 524 316 Tues Feb 3rd – Cardiff Spillers Records 36 The Hayes Cardiff CF10 1AJ 02920 224905 Weds Feb 4th – Exeter Solo Music 22A Market Parade Guildhall Centre Exeter EX4 3HW Tel: 01392 496564 Thurs Feb 5th – Portsmouth Reflex Records 144/146 Albert Rd Southsea PO4 OJS Tel: 02392 293571 Sat Feb 7th – Birmingham PMT 136, Lawley Middleway Birmingham West Midlands B4 7XX 0121 359 5056 Tues Feb 10th – Glasgow Avalanche Records 34 Dundas St Glasgow G1 2AQ Tel: 0141 332 2099 Weds Feb 11th – Sheffield Record Collector 233, Fulwood Rd Sheffield South Yorkshire S10 3BA Tel: 0114 266 8493 Thurs Feb 12th – Leeds Crash Records 35 The Headrow Leeds LS1 6PU Tel: 0113 243 6743 Tues 17th – Newcastle J.G. Windows 1-7 Central Arcade Newcastle-Upon-Tyne NE1 5BP Tel: 0191 232 1356 Weds Feb 18th – Edinburgh Avalanche Records 63, Cockburn St Edinburgh Midlothian EH1 1BS Tel: 0131 225 3939 Thurs Feb 19th – Northampton Spin-A-Disc Records 75A Abington Street Northampton NN1 2BH Tel: 01604 631144 More instores may be confirmed.

DEVILDRIVER ANNOUNCES TOUR DATES with Opeth and Moonspell New York, NY: DevilDriver closed out the year atop the Metal heap landing at #1 on CMJ’s Loud Rock Chart and traversing the U.S. on not one, but two, treks with Superjoint Ritual. DevilDriver is poised to continue their reign in 2004, kicking off the year touring with metal cohorts Opeth and Moonspell. Their run of dates begins on January 20th. The band has recently been experiencing a resurgence in sales and a growth in their fan base. Kerrang rages, í¢ä‰åñDevilDriver Rule!í¢ä‰åŒ and their self-titled debut, an amalgam of death, black, and classic heavy metal styles, has been widely heralded by fans and critics alike. Catch a DevilDriver show near you to see for yourself. This is a band that has a bottom end strong enough to shake the very foundations of metal itself.

It’s the dawn of a new year, and the dawn of a new beginning for Chimaira. Exit Andols Herrick, enter Richard Evensand. Yes, drummer Andols has officially left Chimaira since the band returned home from their most recent stretch on the road, and now joining Chimaira will be Soilwork’s Richard Evensand. Oddly enough, Richard cites a “slap contest with Chimaira’s drum tech” as his weirdest experience in Soilwork. Chimaira had previously been on two tours with the Swedes from Soilwork. As Chris Spicuzza recalls, “we’d watch him every night. We’d always tell people to watch the drummer (during each Soilwork show), because he was so damn good.” Well, this goodness is now part of Chimaira. And Richard is expected to be flying into the greater Cleveland area from Sweden in the next week or so to start practicing with the band before they head out to the UK for their upcoming February European tour. A message from the band on the situation is as follows: “This may come as a shock to most of you, but we assure you this changes nothing for Chimaira. No shows have been canceled, no plans have been put to rest….we continue to overcome enormous obstacles and we persevere through and through. We wish Andy the best and we welcome our new drummer Ricky. “So with the new year, the new chapter in Chimaira begins….” As for Andols, his parting message to all is as follows (and let it be known we wish him all the best as well): “As many of you might know by now, I have decided to leave my brothers in Chimaira to pursue other interests. This was a very difficult and emotionally taxing decision, and it was something I had been pondering for quite a while. Basically, I am really burned out on the touring lifestyle. It takes a special kind of person to be on the road 3/4 of the year, performing night after night. You have to live it and love it 100% or it will break you down. Unfortunately, the schedule got the best of me. I got to the point where I wasn’t having fun performing anymore, and that is extremely hard to deal with. “I plan on returning to college to finish my degree that’s been on hiatus for 5 years. As far as drumming goes, right now all I know is that I have been very unhappy with my playing for a while, and after some time off I want to really improve in every aspect and become more well rounded as a musician. Perhaps even some session work could be in order in the future. Music has been a major part of my life, ever since I first started music lessons in 1986, and more so when I first picked up a pair of drumsticks in 1988, so we will see what happens in the future. I just want to take everything one day at a time. Chimaira is in good hands now, with Richard Evensand taking over. I had the pleasure of watching him play on two tours with Soilwork, and he is incredible. Trust me, you will all be saying Andy who? when you hear him! “I’d like to thank my Chimaira bros for five years of great memories and accomplishments, my family and girlfriend for their support, Roadrunner Records, Scott Koenig, Stick Shefrin, Ian Friedman, our road crew, all the great drum companies I’ve worked with, all the great friends I made on the road, and all the great fans. “I am fully confident in the continued success of the band, and I will be there supporting them 100%, just like you all should! “Best wishes to everyone” – Andy Herrick

Caught up with Mike Gitter, Killswitch Engage’s A&R man, just before Christmas. Asked what he had to say on the new record…. “They have begun working on the record. Vocal ideas are being finalized. Sounds are being gotten. All under the watchful eye of Adam D. I’m EXTREMELY happy with what I’ve heard so far. The record is going to be a bit of a growth from “Alive Or Just Breathing”: heavier riffs, bigger choruses and a few musical surprises…a rehash it ain’t. I’d rather be purposely vague and let the record speak for itself. Howard Jones is certainly bound to live up to the bar he’s set for himself live. New drummer Justin Foley is bound to bring the band to a new level…capable of the groove of the last album as well as being completely over the top and techical. Basically, there’s nothing the guy can’t do. So, that said, we all wait with baited breath.” Adam D returns to the UK late January to work with Andy Sneap.

December 27th, while you were snoozing and snacking on festive leftovers, Robert Flynn of Machine Head was updating his diary over at the band’s official site www.MachineHead1.com. Hidy-ho fuckers!!! I’ve been home for 6 days now and what a trip it is to be back in America. Terrorism, Terror alerts, Terror levels, and other such paranoia were something I hadn’t seen for 2 months now. Everywhere I turn… on the papers, on the corner newsstands, on the TV, on the radio. Hell, we might be under attack any minute. Shit, if I didn’t know better, I’d think my dog might be a terrorist. “Could Al Quada be turning man’s best friend into man’s best terrorist!?!?!?” The news screamed, “Stay tuned and we’ll let you know!”. Golly gee, I’m scared. Hopefully this Zoloft that online meds sold me will make me feel all safe, cozy, and terror free. : / First of all, on behalf of the band, I’d like to thank all the crazed, beer drinking, metal loving lunatics that came out to all the shows, and made nearly the whole tour sold out. A few shows up to a month in advance. You guys kick every other bands’ fans asses, Period! I’d also like to thank all the kids and people who went to great lengths to follow the tour around. A few groups of ’em did the whole UK run, one group did nearly half the tour! We realize you don’t have to do that, and hope you aren’t neglecting other more important things to do it, but think it’s really cool that you dig the music THAT much. I’d also like to personally thank my guys Adam, Dave and Phil for kickin’ so much ass over there. They all stepped up to the plate and delivered nothing but home runs night after night. Those were as good a shows as we’ve ever done. I’d also like to mention the several opening bands we had on this run. All have new records out that are worth checking out. Kill II This, Sikth, Mnemic, and Breed 77 deserve your attention. The Head are for sure coming back for summer festivals, and have just been confirmed for the 2 biggest festivals in Germany, Rock am Ring / Rock am Park, as well as the UK’s Download festival. Don’t know the who, what, wheres, but we’ll keep you posted. Top 5 moments on the tour: 5) Halloween in Dublin. This should be mandatory from here on out. Dressing up like idiots, Metal-ing out with the Irish, Guinness, vodka, more Guinness, Halloweení¢ä‰åŒ_ Fuck Yeah!! 4) Last night with K2T… WAY too many naked guys on stage… Mark from K2T’s naked stage dive… parting the crowd like the Red Sea… wow! It was a pageantry of faggotry. Fuckin’ hysterical! 3) “_______’s buying a hooker… in Hamburg” (sang to the tune of ‘and she’s buying a Stairway to Heaven’). 2) The absolutely, unbelievably, gigantically psychotic circle pit in Glasgow, Scotland… Oh í¢ä‰åäóì my í¢ä‰åäóì fuck í¢ä‰åäóì ing – God!!! 1) Ten of us singing Disco and 80’s new wave songs at the top of our lungs ’til 6AM, after getting W-a-s-t-e-d at the Portsmouth show. Woo-*cough*-Hoo *cough*!!!!!!!!!! Top 5 albums of the tour: 5) Pantera í¢ä‰åäóì Vulgar Display of Power 4) Avenged Sevenfold í¢ä‰åäóì Waking the Fallen 3) Arch Enemy í¢ä‰åäóì Anthems of Rebellion 2) Lamb of God í¢ä‰åäóì As the Palaces Burn And the number 1 album of the tour by a landslide… 1) Tenacious D Muthafucka. (With karate I’ll kick your ass, from he-ah, to right over dere) Thanx to folks in the US for their patience, we are this close *holds fingers a quarter inch apart* to making an announcement regarding the states. Good, good news. Bringing the vodka drinking behemoth that is The Head thru the states in early April, if not sooner. ‘Til then… cheers fuckers! -Flynn

First of all – a very Happy New Year! We hope everyone had a rockin’ Christmas and New Year break. It’s all go back here in the Roadrunner office already! And so to the news… A new year, and a new number. Kerrang! TV have changed the phone number to dial for requesting songs to new number 09056 525666. Up for selection this week are the following RR tunes: (#965) – Murderdolls ‘White Wedding’ (#335) – Nickelback ‘Someday’ (#957) – Slipknot ‘Left Behind’

Season’s beatings from the Murderdolls…. “Seasons beatings to one and all. Here is a report from camp Wednesday. I’ve been busy as fuck as of lately. After the Iron Maiden and Stone Sour tour ended last July I came home and pretty much just relaxed, took it easy and spent time with my family. Over the months I got bored, started drawing one day, and I came up with a pretty cool concept and cast of characters. I got really heavily into developing them along with Mrs. 13 and now we have turned it into a merchandise line that will be unleashed unto the public in 2004 worldwide. The line is called “The Thirteen Dead Kids” and they are basically 13 little, weird, dead kids, all in red and black of course and will be available on shirts, bags, stickers, patches, etc. I’m really excited to get this stuff out and it’s something I think Murderdolls fans, or anyone with a good, sick sense of humor will catch on to immediately. The website “Thirteendeadkids.com” will be up and running soon. As far as Murderdolls happenings, we are working on doing a show or 2 before Joey gets into the new Slipknot album cycle. We’ll keep ya posted on that. I’ve got a few more tricks up my sleeve for 2004. Live appearances? Homicide? World domination? You’ll have to wait and see. Check out “Wednesday13.com” for all the latest. I wanna thank all the fans out there from the UK to Outer Space who have given us their undying support since the beginning and who will continue to support us during our hiatus. Thank you….Happy Horrordays!!!”

Bringing ya a Christmas note from Killswitch Engage… “Yo, Adam D here. Hope Santa doesn’t bust your balls this year. Make sure that fat fucker gives ya what you deserve. Keep your shit yule-tide, and Killswitch Engage would like to extend our seaons greetings to y’all! As far as 2004 goes, watch out for our new record, and come say hi to my fat american ass when we play a mockery of a set in a town near you! Cheers, fuck-nuts!”

Christmas related questions put to Ill Nino, Chimaira, and Spineshank…. 1. What Xmas song would you cover? Mike, Spineshank: “We Wish You A Merry Christmas” Cris, Ill Nino: “Slayer’s Reign In Blood!!” Chris, Chimaira: “Cannibal Corpse, Hammer Smash Face.” 2. Favourite item on your Christmas tree? Mike, Spineshank: “All the colorful toys.” Cris, Ill Nino: “I hate Christmas, but my hanging bong.” Chris, Chimaira: “Has to be the lights.” 3. What do you want to find under the tree on Christmas Day? Mike, Spineshank: “Two chicks at the same time.” Cris, Ill Nino: “Jennifer Lopez.” Chris, Chimaira: “Rob Garcia [Spineshank bassist] naked with 8 gallons of lime jello.”