A Snow-Capped Romance is the name of the brand new 36 Crazyfists album, due out early 2004. And now, for the first time, you can see the glorious artwork, unveiled HERE.

SOULFLY frontman Max Cavalera, well known for his adventurous, experimental approach to extreme metal, recently recruited former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson to play on some new recordings. “[Dave]’s a great guy,” said Cavalera. “I’ve been into his bass playing for a long time, and it’s awesome to work with him.” Cavalera invited Ellefson to play on four new SOULFLY songs at Mesa, Arizona’s The Saltmine studio. The tracks, with working titles including “Defeat U”, “Prophecy”, “Mars” and “Xecution”, will surface on SOULFLY’s as-yet-untitled fourth album, which is due in early 2004. “Max and I have shared stages over the years for events like Ozzfest and Rock in Rio, but I had never actually sat down and played with him before,” said Ellefson. “It was cool to work with him on a brand-new SOULFLY record, because the slate was clean for new ideas and it seemed he wanted to try some different things. I found it invigorating to work with musicians from different eras of the metal movement to see how they approach their writing and playing. That kind of stuff keeps your playing fresh.” SOULFLY have selected Terry Date (PANTERA, DEFTONES, MACHINE HEAD) to mix the follow-up to last year’s “3”. The band, which currently consists of Cavalera, guitarist Marc Rizzo (ex-ILL NINO), drummer Joe Nunez (STRIPPING THE PISTOL), and bassist Bobby Burns (ex-PRIMER 55 guitarist), have so far completed nine new tracks during sessions at The Saltmine, with Cavalera himself once again handling the production duties. Among the tracks set to appear on the as-yet-untitled effort are the following: 01. The Prophecy 02. Living Sacrifice 03. Defeat U 04. Mars 05. R.A.F. 06. Born Again Anarchist 07. Believe 08. Porrada 09. Soulfly IV Cavalera is currently in Serbia where participated in a special concert Friday night (Nov. 7), dubbed “Eye For An Eye” (see flyer here), alongside some of the most popular and most respected musicians from Serbia and Montenegro: Boban (RITAM NEREDA, backing vocals, guitar), Kojot (EYESBURN, bass, vocals), Alek (EYESBURN, drums) and Nino (EYESBURN, guitar). While in Serbia, Cavalera will also record a song with the Belgrade-based ska-metal band EYESBURN for inclusion on the new SOULFLY album.

Have you visited the website of Sebastian Bach, the former frontman of SKID ROW, lately? Bach writes: “Every musician has their influences. However, it is one of the coolest things in rock when a musician that you personally admire & respect lists you as one of THEIR influences. Such is the case with 2 current lead singers whom I feel are at the forefront of rock today, Corey Taylor of SLIPKNOT/STONE SOUR & Davey Havoc of AFI. While shooting the first episode of the ‘Gilmore Girls’ in Hollywood, I finally got a chance to hang out with Corey Taylor & SLIPKNOT at Rick Rubin’s house where they are recording their new CD. We had a classic fun-filled rock’n’roll party & jammed on [SKID ROW’s] ‘I Remember You’, [STONE SOUR’s] ‘Bother’, & just about every other rock song in existence that you can name. Here is a pic from the party of me, Corey, & some other cool people at the party í¢ä‰åäó MINI-KISS!!!!!! Yes, we all ran through the MINI-KISS catalog too í¢ä‰åäó it was incredible!!!!!”

Two things. One: a shout out to Richard Jones from Gloucestershire… who stood front and centre of the pit for the entire night at Roadrage Cardiff. His very first gig ever it was too… hope you had a very metal night Richard… see, we said we’d put your name on our website. Two: “Awesome on a stick!” That’s how Matt describes the show in Cardiff. Quite right we say too… read on for more. Hmmmm….. How to review a night out with the likes of Ill Nino, Chimaira and Spineshank in Cardiff…. The only words that come to mind is “awesome” and “stick”. Becasuse that’s exactly what it was! That concert was awesome on a stick! The gig was fukin off the wall, it was in insane! Chimaira should have been on WAY longer than they were, they were brilliant. They were incredible live and it was great to see every member moshing in unison! And my head is still killing me from when they did their trademark as “Moses” parted the “Red Sea”!!!! When it comes down to Ill Nino…. Well… quite frankly… I was a little disapointed. They were a great band, getting the crowd really worked up, but I felt as if they lacked a bit of stage presence. And their music seems to have calmed down a little, which was a let-down because my adrenalin was still racing from Chimaira! But still, you guys were awesome! And for Spineshank……? Words cannot describe how fukin insane the crowd went with EVERY song they played! They fukin tore the whole building down!!!!! I was especially excited when they played a few old song such as Asthmatic, New Disease and Synthetic which are definitly in my top 5 of favourite songs of all time!!!! When they played New Disease, the song was so orgasmic I jizzed in my pants……. 3 times!!!! When Jonny shook the hand of every crowd-surfer doing “Beginning of the End” I thought that was safe as Fuk, I’ve seen nobody EVER do that and couldn’t help but of what a dude he is! And more importantly, I managed to obtain one of Mikes plectrums!!! Hehe!!!!! Overall….. I’m not going to compromise, this was the best concert I’ve EVER been to and It’s gunna stay with me until I’m old and senile…. because then I’d lose my memory, y’know, forget my name shit my pants…. but still, you guys are awesome on a stick. Matt Rohman Awesome on a stick. We like. Check your post Matt.

Check out this awesome review of the killer new Hatebreed album… UK version out on CD this week for only 퉌£9.99 (and includes a bonus track). This just so happens to be the Lead Album Review in the latest issue of Metal Hammer’s Subterrania. HATEBREED THE RISE OF BRUTALITY [ROADRUNNER] HAS it really been 18 months since our last dose of Hatebreed? Frontman Jamey Jasta and company made great inroads with their well-named second album, ‘Perseverance’, and there can be little doubt that the metal-injected hardcore of ‘The Rise Of Brutality’ will boost the Connecticut five-piece a few further rungs up the ladder. For a band of humble independent origins the question, of course, is at what cost? Perhaps still mindful of sell-out accusations, Hatebreed allowed Roadrunner to license the album from Universal just as this issue was going to press. I guess we’ll find out their reasons at a later date. Aside from the departure of guitarist Lou Richards, those who pay attention to such trivia will also note the removal of Matt Hyde from the producer’s desk, replaced by Zeuss of Shadows Fall fame, and with none other than Mike Fraser (Metallica, AC/DC, Aerosmith and – ulp! – Bryan Adams) being brought in to handle the project’s mix. But you relax, Hatebreed haven’t sold out. These songs are still crunchy as a raw lobster sandwich, Jasta’s anguished bellows as punchy and ferocious as before, yet once again his streetwise sentiments are strangely decipherable. ‘Perseverance’ was a lean, energetic and supple (but certainly not subtle) slice of escapist hardcore energy, with just two of its 17 songs creeping past the three-minute mark. This time, ‘Facing What Consumes You’, ‘Doomsayer’ and ‘Another Day, Another Vendetta’ and the album’s first single ‘This Is Now’ all encroach into what’s generally regarded as dangerously ‘epic’ territory. Fortunately, the record’s 35 minutes of music are as mosh-friendly as you’d hope guitarist Sean Martin will literally pin you to the wall with his stun-gun riffery on ‘Live For This’, ‘A Lesson Lived Is A Lesson Learned’ and the bruisingly Biohazard-Like ‘Straight To Your Face’. DAVE LING [8]

Holy shit, it’s half 12 in the afternoon and I have just woken up sore and achy but with a huge smile on my face from a fantastic night out! I was at the venue early and after getting cold went for a drink with some mates to a nearby pub and saw a snake of people from the entrance round the corner, (never have I seen this at the venue) When I got in I went right up front so I could be as close as possible to CHIMAIRA as I haven’t seen them live and needed to see them. As soon as Power Trip kicked in I knew I was in for an amazing night. Their whole set was flawless and I was impressed with the carnage after “Metal Moses” parted the metal sea. Next up were one of my favourite bands, the mighty ILL NINO. Another wicked performance for the guys mixing up classics like Loco, Unreal and God Save Us with the new How Can I Live and Te Amo…I Hate You. The new guys in the band fit perfectly and Cristian’s showmanship has to be seen to be believed. Getting the whole venue to chant “Chi mair ra, Spine shank and Ill Ni no” over and over so that Evanescence would hear upstairs as they were playing next door. I have only been in one moshpit that was as brutal as that. Nino just keep getting better and better! SPINESHANK were the final band to come out and as soon as their intro kicked in the venue went nuts. Mr Santos is amazing but sadly I missed a good portion of therr set as my brother was gettin treated for a bump he took in the mosh pit… from the back though they sounded amazing and much better than I imagined. They have at least one new fan now anyway! Adam Curson Adam, little something in the post to you too. Thanks for emailing.

Were you at Roadrage Wolverhampton? James Black was and this is what he had to say about it. OH MY GOD! What a night! After attending the recent Roadrage show at the Wolverhampton Wulfrun, I can officially confirm it was the best gig and day of my life! Myself and my mates, being huge Chimaira fans, were immediately on our way to Wolverhampton Monday morning to go to the Chimaira signing at Highway 61 (a small music shop). I had all of my items ready to be signed, including both Chimaira album booklets, posters, a piece of paper, my wallet and ticket! It was like climbing through a mosh pit when reaching the desk where the band were signing (the desk actually being the counter), but luckily I managed to get most items signed, and also take some excellent photographs. However, we left the shop and realised we weren’t satisfied! Therefore, we decided to wait until every other fan had left, and go back in for more! It was the best moment of my life, getting to properly talk to the band with no one rushing you. When the band were taking a walk around the shop, I heard Mark Hunter talking about the lack of death metal CDs, and Matt (one of the guitarist’s) discussing Mushroomhead’s new album! All of the guys were really cool and I will never forget meeting them! After the signing we headed straight for the Wulfrun, where we started the long wait for the gig to start. With hours and hours to go, we fortunately managed to hear Spineshank completing their sound check, by leaning against a door at the side of the Wulfrun building! If things couldn’t get any better, I also met the Spineshank bassist later on in the day! Finally, the doors opened and so myself and my friends (being freezing cold at the time) eagerly entered the building and headed straight for the barrier at the front. Chimaira opened with ‘Power Trip’, and before I knew it they had finished with ‘Pure Hatred’! Their set was way too short, and they played only one song off their first album- ‘Pass out of Existence’, this being the furious ‘Severed’. However, I was promised by Mark Hunter at the signing that they would play more on their official headline tour next February 2004. Believe me, you’re missing out if you dont see Chimaira live! Ill Nino were next on, opening with ‘If You Still Hate Me, the song they normally open with every time they perform. I feel they have improved now they have two new members, and Cristian certainly knows how to pump the crowd up! The new stuff off ‘Confession’ was excellent and amazing to hear, Ill Nino have true talent when playing live! The headliners, Spineshank, completed the insane show, with what I feel as ‘Dead To Me’ being their best performance (off their recent album). During the set, the singer Jonny, noticed how tired and battered people looked in the pit, as Chimaira and Ill Nino had completely destroyed too! As the night finished, I was on the train home, tired, bruised, and overwhelmed with the days outcome. RoadRage Tour 2003 was the best time of my life, and I wish I could only turn back time and go again and again! Thanks to all three bands and the fans who went, 10/10! Cheers RoadRunner. James, little something in the post to you… great write up.

Travelling round Europe for a month in a bus while on the Roadrage tour has got to lead to some memorable moments…. and so Ill Nino’s Cris & Laz present… Ill Nino’s Top Ten Tour Bus Moments Roadrage 2003 1. Ali G movies & shows. [note: we hear Ahrue even made a quick trip out to see the actual Staines massive, before leaving the UK] 2. Watching DVDs in my mini DVD player 3. The dream I had of our bus driver driving the bus into a lake. 4. Our bus driver driving, tying his shoes, and reading.. AT THE SAME TIME. 5. Our bus driver driving the bus like it’s a ferrari. 6. Shagging in other people’s bunks. 7. The snoring concerts (every nite). 8. “This is shite”. 9. The unforgettable smell of the tour bus toilet. 10. Club Rat (every nite).

The Roadrage tour is done, but before all the bands went home, we took some time and had them answer a few questions… all of which will be coming to this site over the next few days. We asked Andols, Chimaira’s drummer, just what he thought of Europe… this being their first full European tour! Andols’ Top Five Best Things About Europe 1. The fans here are more appreciative. 2. The Euro, so convenient! 3. I can alsmost always find the Golden Arches wherever we go. 4. All the venues have showers. 5. Did I mention McDonalds already? Andols’ Top Five Worst Things About Europe 1. The third world countries on wheels known here as “tour buses”. 2. Your truck stops rock here, except for the exact opposite. 3. When I get home, my mobile phone bill rivals California’s statewide budget deficit. 4. If you’re hungry after 7pm, you’re screwed. 5. I could make a list of restaurants that would fill a Roman scroll you are in dire need of…

As the crowd cheered and heavy riffage filled the air and emerged around the building it could only mean one thing – Chimaira had begun their set. Although it was short (only 30 minutes) it was a fast-paced, noise drenched, straight-in-your-face ride. They started with ‘Implements of Destruction’ (the instrumental), which led into ‘Power Trip’. They also played ‘Eyes of a Criminal’, ‘Cleansation’, ‘Army of Me’ and my personal favourite ‘The Dehumanising Process’ as well as songs from their first album including ‘Severed’. It was incredible when Mark Hunter split the crowd in two down the middle like Moses and the Red Sea, and when he got everyone to repeat the chorus after him in ‘Pure Hatred’. I even got Rob Arnold’s plectrum when he threw it into the crowd! Ill Nino were truly electrifying, they played for longer than Chimaira and were also very very good. They belted out songs such as ‘How Can I Live’, ‘God Save Us’, ‘If You Still Hate Me’, ‘Unreal’ and ‘What Comes Around’. When Chimaira were on the bassist walked past me and started talking to me which was pretty awesome. Spineshank closed the evening with one of the best performances I have seen in a long time. They began with ‘Violent Mood Swings’ (which got the mosh-pit going!). They also played ‘Smothered’, ‘Slavery’, ‘Stillborn’, ‘Dead To Me’ and ‘New Disease’ amongst others. For their last song, Mark Hunter came onstage and joined in with Jonny Santos which was brilliant. If you didn’t go then all I can say is shame on you! I got loads of stuff signed by all 3 bands and even met the Lostprophets who were there watching the gig. It was one of the most exhilirating nights of my life and if you weren’t there then you will never know how amazing it was….. Review by Jonathan Bayes. Thanks for emailing us Jonathan!