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Judas Priest Rapist?
BW&BK reports: Former JUDAS PRIEST drummer David Holland sexually abused a 17-year-old youth with special needs who visited his home for lessons, a court was told. 

David Holland, 55, who played with the heavy metal band in the 70s and 80s, faces one charge of attempted rape and five counts of indecently assaulting the teenager. 

Spiros Laouitaris, 22, who also stayed at the musician's cottage, is charged with four counts of indecently assaulting the same teenager. 

Mr. Holland, of The Green, Stoke Bruerne, Northamptonshire, and Mr. Laouitaris, of Bourne Crescent, Kings Heath, Northampton, deny all the charges. 

Maria Savvides, prosecuting at Northampton Crown Court, said the alleged incidents came to light in December 2002 when the teenager sent a letter to his parents implying the abuse.  - Click Here for the Full Story 

KISS Bizkit Is On
Blabbermouth reports: Australian concert-promotion agency Andrew McManus Presents has confirmed via its web site that KISS and LIMP BIZKIT will be teaming up for a tour Down Under this spring. Exact cities and dates will be announced soon. It is believed that KISS' tour of Australia will coincide with their announced opening of a "Kiss World" store in Melbourne in April. A tour of Japan and additional dates in the U.S. are expected to take place later in the year. - Click Here for the Full Story 

In Studio Death
Ananova reports: A guitarist with an up-and-coming band has been found hanging at recording studios owned by Peter Gabriel. 

James Lawrence, 26, a member of Chichester indie group Hope of the States was found at the Real World Studios in Box, near Bath, earlier. 

A Wiltshire Police spokesman said: "I can confirm that we were called to the Real World studios in Box shortly after 4am today where the body of James Lawrence was found by other members of the band hanging from the rafters. 

"He was taken down and efforts made to revive him but to no avail." 

Police said he was declared dead at the scene and said they were not treating the incident as suspicious. - Click Here for the Full Story 

The Darkness Like Rabies
NME.com reports: THE DARKNESS are continuing their assault on America, despite likening themselves to rabies. 

At the end of last week, the band saw their debut album 'Permission To Land' jump 81 places to Number 92 in the Billboard charts, and this week the LP has rocketed to 39. 

Justin Hawkins said: "It's like the three stages of rabies. First people fear us, then they start foaming at the mouth because they want us. And then they start attacking other people." 

The Darkness are also planning to capitalise on their continuing success Stateside by playing a North American tour - due to kick off on March 24 before winding up on April 18. The spandex clad rockers will then return in the summer to continue the jaunt. - Click Here for the Full Story 

DVD As A Weapon
Blabbermouth reports: The "Music As A Weapon II" DVD/CD set is scheduled for release on February 24 through Reprise/Warner. The set features highlights from DISTURBED's "Music As A Weapon II Tour", which also included CHEVELLE, TAPROOT, and ÜNLOCO. 

Here is the track listing for both the CD and DVD: 
01. DISTURBED – "Loading The Weapon"
02. DISTURBED - "Bound"
03. TAPROOT - "Myself"
04. DISTURBED - "Dehumanized"
05. ÜNLOCO - "Empty"
06. TAPROOT - "Sumtimes"
07. DISTURBED - "Darkness"
08. ÜNLOCO - "Bruises"
09. DISTURBED - "Prayer"
10. CHEVELLE - "The Red"
11. TAPROOT - "Poem"
12. DISTURBED (w/ Pete Loeffler of CHEVELLE and Joey Duenas of ÜNLOCO) – "Stupify"
- Click Here for the Full Story 

Check the full story link above for previews

Live Ataris
RIFTrock reports: Longtime pop-punksters and Don Henley fans The Ataris are releasing a live album, "Live at the Metro", on February 10. 

The album will be released on Columbia Records and includes 19 songs from the band's Chicago tour stop last October. The album will feature seven acoustic tracks, including Ataris' the ode to Bill and Ted, "San Dimas High School Football Rules" and a cover of Elvis Costello and the Attractions' "(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding". 

The track listing is:
"Unopened Letter to the World"
"1/15/96"
"IOU One Galaxy"
"So Long, Astoria"
"Between You & Me"
"Your Boyfriend Sucks"
"Song #13"
"All You Can Ever Learn Is What You Already Know"
"Someday"
"The Saddest Song"
"The Boys of Summer"
"Astro Zombies"
"1/15/96" (acoustic)
"My Hotel Year" (acoustic)
"The Hero Dies in This One" (acoustic)
"Fast Times at Drop-Out High" (acoustic)
"A New England" (acoustic)
"(What's So Funny 'Bout) Peace, Love & Understanding" (acoustic)
"San Dimas High School Football Rules" (acoustic)
- Click Here for the Full Story 

Chevelle Writing
RIFTrock reports: Chevelle are currently writing songs for a new album, the follow-up to their highly successful Wonder What's Next. The boys will be entering the studio in a few months to record the new material.- Click Here for the Full Story 

RPM Revs Up
Press Release reports: New female Rock artist RPM will release her much anticipated debut album on January 20th entitled Irrational Anthem. Produced by Frank Gryner (A Perfect Circle, Rob Zombie, Coal Chamber, and The Crystal Method), the album has already sparked controversy with its strong lyrical content. Always someone who can be counted on to speak her mind, RPM takes on religion, suicide, and school violence among many other topics on Irrational Anthem. The album is bursting with undeniably edgy hooks able to disarm the most skeptical of listeners. The first single "Goddamnit" is a searing assault on organized religion that pulls the listener in while never letting up. To support the release of the album, RPM will be playing several shows in the LA area that promise to feature her awesome live show. 

"Hell yeah!!... Ya gotta love a girl who just doesn't give a f*$@ about saying what she feels...Nuthin’ but Love and Respect RPM...Go get em!!!" 
-Tommy Lee (Motley Crue, Methods of Mayhem)- Click Here for the Full Story 

Slipknot Paradox
siN's metal news reports: SLIPKNOT, in a recent interview with 'Sound Rock' magazine revealed what is supposed to be a possible tracklisting for their upcoming album, which is set to come out late Spring, early Summer. The tracks are as follows: 

Don't Get Close
Before I Forget
Vermillion
The Blister
Exists
Scream
Prelude
Opium Of The People
Three Nil
Welcome
Paradox
Triggers Yearn
Need To Learn
The Pessimist
Holes Hide
These Duality The Manic Half - Click Here for the Full Story 

MP3s Save The Day
Reuters reports: A top music executive on Thursday said strong music download sales over Christmas from artists like chart-topping hip-hop Outkast with their hit "Hey Ya!" have set the beleaguered industry up for a promising year. 

"The market is exploding, and as more significant retailers join the fray, we expect this market to continue to grow," said Larry Kenswil, president of eLabs, the new business and technology division of the world's largest music label, Universal Music Group . 

"And Europe is next. Just about all the players roaring in the U.S. are preparing to come here. There is no reason to think they won't be just as successful here," he said, addressing a gathering of media and technology executives at a conference hosted by the Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts. 

Industry observers say it is far too soon to call a recovery. The $30 billion industry is bracing for a fourth consecutive year of declining sales as they struggle to find a solution for online piracy and win over a consumer base that spends more on DVDs and video games. 

Outkast's "Hey Ya!" was the most downloaded song for 2003, with over 110,000 downloads, Kenswil said. The artists, signed to the BMG label Arista, hold the new distinction of topping the virtual and real-world charts. 

In the Christmas week, 2.5 million songs were downloaded by U.S. consumers and 30 million songs were downloaded for the full year, said Kenswil, citing data from Nielsen Soundscan, which tracks U.S. music sales. 

Kenswil said the best-selling bands in stores are also topping the charts online. But, he added, obscure artists who rarely sell a CD in stores are selling online. "Apple has sold almost every track they have. Even the most obscure thing -- someone has bought it," he said. "All of this data, we're just starting to dig into it." - Click Here for the Full Story 

MTV College
AP reports: MTV reintroduced its college-targeted network Thursday with a new name: mtvU. 

"We basically have to put college students' lives front and center, and speak in their language," said Van Toffler, president of mtvU as well as MTV and MTV2. 

Previously known as CTN: College Television Network, the outlet, acquired by MTV in October 2000, pipes student-oriented programming and ads into more than 700 U.S. college campuses. 

Airing around the clock, it's seen on specially installed televisions in dining rooms, student lounges and other public areas, and through certain cable systems also is available in dorm rooms. 

Among the new initiatives for mtvU: a special selection of new artists whose videos will be featured on the TV channel, accompanied by free music downloads on the mtvU Web site and live performances at campuses on mtvU-arranged tours. - Click Here for the Full Story 

7th Anathema
(press release) Chipster PR reports: In a climate where music has become formulaic and predictable, Liverpool's Anathema is a rare pleasure. The band's unique brand of ethereal, neo-progressive rock is in full regalia with the unveiling of their latest masterpiece, A Natural Disaster, on KOCH Records/Music For Nations on February 24th. 

The new album, the band's seventh full-length studio album, displays Anathema at their very finest, honing a most distinctive sound to the climax of absolute perfection. 

The current lineup consists of three brothers: vocalist/guitarist Vincent Cavanagh, guitarist Danny Cavanagh, bassist Jamie Cavanagh, as well as keyboardist Les Smith and drummer John Douglas. 

The full album track listing includes: 

Harmonium
Pulled Under at 2000 Metres a Second
Balance
A Natural Disaster
Closer
Flying
Are You There? 
Electricity
Childhood Dream
Violence - Click Here for the Full Story 

SOiL Redefined
I Ate Your Microphone reports: SOiL have finalized the tracklisting which will make up their forthcoming third full length "REDEFiNE", now set for a March 23rd release through J Records. The tracks will be 'Pride', 'Redefine', 'Can You Heal Me?', 'Cross My Heart', 'Suffering', 'Remember', 'Deny Me', 'Something Real', 'Say You Will', 'Love Hate Game', and 'Obsession'.- Click Here for the Full Story 

Fearless Sugarcult
Punkbands.com reports: Fearless will be releasing the new Sugarcult Record. It is slated to come out in March. The band's tour plans through February include opening for the Simple Plan / MxPx co-headlining tour along with Motion City Soundtrack, From Autumn To Ashes, and Billy Talent on select dates. - Click Here for the Full Story 

Click full story link for dates

Telsa Get Into the Now
KNAC.com reports: Tesla will release its eagerly anticipated new studio album Into The Now on Sanctuary Records on March 9, 2004. The original lineup of vocalist Jeff Keith, guitarist Frank Hannon, guitarist Tommy Skeoch, bass guitarist Brian Wheat and drummer Troy Luccketta spent more than two years writing and recording Into the Now. Tesla co-produced the album with Michael Rosen. 

The 12 songs on Into The Now include: "Into the Now," "Look @ Me," "What a Shame," "Heaven Nine Eleven," "Words Can't Explain," "Caught In a Dream," "Miles Away," "Mighty Mouse," "Got No Glory," "Come to Me," "Recognize" and "Only You." - Click Here for the Full Story 

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