METALDATES - Concert News Archive

09/28/98

* New York's Webster Hall on Oct. 1 will host Dee Snider's Strangeland premiere party. Dubbed the Night of 1000 Scars, the premiere is set to include a wide array of pain- inflicting performances, including the Arena/ Blaze Erotic Cabaret (a bondage and fetish extravaganza), SpiderGod5 Fire Show (featuring fire eaters, fire jugglers, and fire bathers), Fredini and Kiva (a show involving a steel bikini being removed seductively with a chainsaw), and Pornocchio (a rope bondage performance). Bile (how appropriate) and Crisis, who both appear on the StrangeLand soundtrack but are not on the tour, will perform live at the event as well. If you can still stomach it, a midnight screening of the film, which opens nationwide on Oct. 2, will be held at a nearby theater after the event. In related news, Snot has pulled out of the StrangeLand tour due to the loss of two members. - Allstar

Update 09/24/98

* Motley Crue have officially announced their upcoming tour schedule. The tour, in support of their soon to be released greatest hits cd, will kick off on October 21st in Ames, Iowa and conclude on November 8th in Poughkeepsie, New York. After the poor attendance during their last arena tour, the band has decided to play in smaller venues this time around.

* The seventh sign of the apocalypse should occur around Memorial Day if Bret Michaels' wishful thinking pays off. On the day when America will be paying homage to combat veterans, the Poison frontman expects to be launching an Exile From Mainstream tour with fellow veteran cock-rockers Def Leppard, Motley Crue and Whitesnake. If his fellow glam pals are game, they're not admitting it.

"There will be no egos about who is headlining each show," Michaels says. "I don't want to predict the size of the venues we will play, but I can say that all of us will go out there and do a great job."

Poison's tour de faux is tentatively set to kick off in the Midwest, however America's Dairyland shouldn't panic quite yet. Though Michaels puts full confidence in his self-conceived headbangers ball, it seems the other honorable mentions are far from committed to the tour.

"Well, you're getting it from the snake's mouth: No," says frontman David Coverdale regarding Whitesnake's involvement in Exile. "I retired Whitesnake after a farewell tour last year about the middle of December. I finished that twenty years of good fun, up and down, and that was enough."

After peaking eleven years ago with songs like "Here I Go Again" and "Is This Love?" (best remembered for their videos featuring redheaded vixen Tawny Kitaen), Whitesnake went into hibernation as rumors spread that the Robert Plant-knockoff artist planned to fire the entire band. Though band members changed almost routinely, Whitesnake survived overseas, and Coverdale says he did speak with Michaels about bringing the band stateside during the spring or summer of this year. When Exile was pushed back one year, Coverdale had a change of heart.

"I sound like Clinton ... I do recall speaking with Bret Michaels, but I didn't touch him -- not in any intimate, inappropriate manner," jokes Coverdale. "Poison was deliberating about going out later because they didn't have an album, but I didn't think it was a promotional tour by any stretch. Basically, I withdrew."

Yet another unlikely touring companion, Def Leppard will remain under quarantine until next spring, when they plan to release the follow-up to 1996's Slang. For the time being, however, a representative at the group's management company says they "know nothing about this proposed tour."

Likewise, a spokeswoman for Motley Crue says the Exile escapade does not appear on the band's upcoming itinerary. Immediately following the release of their greatest hits album on Oct. 27, the Crue plan to launch their second North American tour in as many years, which would seem to make all but Poison exiled from Exile.

Michaels' possible delusions aside, three-fourths of Poison (Michaels, guitarist C.C. DeVille and drummer Rikki Rockett) will play together for the first time in seven years this Saturday at the Roxy in Los Angeles. The show will precede a full-scale Poison reunion, that will include a new album (Winter '99) and road show -- with or without their metal brethren. "I'm jonesing to tour again -- I miss being around Bobby [Dall] and Rikki [Rockett] and C.C. on stage," he says. "And I gotta have my sweaty leather pants so I can barely move around. It's a must." - JamTv

Update 09/22/98

* Friday nights' Van Halen show in San Juan, Puerto Rico was canceled as a result of Hurricane Georges. Georges, which began as a tropical storm on September 16th, is now a Category 4 hurricane. The entire production was set up and in place at the Roberto Clemente Coliseum when the cancellation came down. The Puerto Rican government uses the coliseum to store a plethora of emergency vechicles during emergency situations, including helicopters, humvees, etc. So the show had to be canceled and moved out so the government could move all of the equipment in to keep it safe from the hurricane's imminent onslaught. - The Offical VH Website

Update 09/21/98

* Metallica angered Days of the New frontman Travis Meeks a week ago in Chula Vista, Calif., when they coated the stage with flour and chocolate syrup, then had their roadies move Meeks' mic stand around. Co-opener Jerry Cantrell took the antics with better humor. This was the final show of the tour, as they now are recording in San Francisco.

Set-list from final show (San Diego):

Breadfan, Master (Full version), Wolf, Thing, Fuel, Memory, Bleeding, Nothing, Sleep, King, Roam, One, Fight fire Acoustic: Low man, Horsemen, Last caress Back to electric: Sad but true, Sandman, Creeping death

Update 09/19/98

* Fans hoping to savor the full-on leather-clad metal experience that is a Judas Priest concert will get plenty of chances in the coming months as the band takes to the road in support of its upcoming live double album. The heavy metal mainstays, sporting their recently anointed frontman Ripper Owens, will kick off a U.S. tour next week in support of their live album, "Judas Priest '98 Live: Meltdown." The two-CD set was culled from various stops on the band's tour earlier this year behind their "Jugulator" album, but the 24 tracks on the record will span the band's entire 25-year history. The live album hits stores on September 29, and after playing dates in Mexico this weekend, the band will launch a U.S. tour on Tuesday in Bakersfield, California and will eventually wrap up the run with a Halloween show in New York. - MTV

Update 09/17/98

* Rob Zombie is taking White Zombie drummer John Tempestra, who plays on Hellbilly Deluxe, on tour with him. "We're playing White Zombie songs on tour, we're playing the new songs on tour," says Zombie. "It's one big, confusing Zombie mess." - RockDaily

* Those who saw Metallica on Friday night in Phoenix weren't shorted on volume during a four-hour aural assault known locally as U-Fest '98. It's unfortunate that the sheer thunder made it challenging to recognize some songs. The metal gods stormed the stage at Blockbuster Desert Sky Pavilion with Breadfan, then jumped quickly into a full and complete Master of Puppets. A large backdrop of the artwork from their recent Reload CD was all that adorned the stage. With the theatrics and pyrotechnics of the Load tour left behind, the San Francisco quartet put their money into being loud. The furious Fight Fire With Fire from 1984's Ride The Lightning certainly was a jolt: twice the sugar, but with such a muddy mix, only half the caffeine. And One, the 1988 song whose video introduced Metallica to the MTV audience, grabbed everyone's attention with recorded machine-gun fire over the song's opening acoustic arpeggio. It came off great until the dueling guitar solos overpowered even the drums. - Arizona Central

* Hardradio has reported that the lame-ass Smashing Pumpkins will be opening up for Kiss on Halloween night at Dodgers Stadium in Los Angeles. Each Kiss patron will be issued 3D glasses to view 3D effects on jumbo screens. The shows will contain circus performances and the band's costumes will be updated versions of their Destroyer-ware.

* Van Halen will soon release a Japanese-only live EP called Live In Pittsburgh '98. - Hardradio

Update 09/14/98

* Dream Theater are scheduled to play at the Monsters of Rock Festival in Sao Paulo, Brazil on September 26th, 1998. Also on the bill is Slayer, Megadeth, Manowar, Savatage & several others. It also looks likely they will also be playing 3 shows as a special guest to Megadeth on October 1st, 3rd & 4th. - The Official Dream Theater Site

Update 09/12/98

* The new Judas Priest double live album is set for a release on September 29 and will be titled "'98 Live Meltdown", according to HardRadio. It has been recorded during the Jugulator tour, mainly during the shows in England in April this year.

Tracklist:

CD 1: Hellion/Electric Eye, Metal Gods, Grinder, Rapid Fire, Blood Stained, The Sentinel, Touch Of Evil, Burn In Hell, The Ripper, Bullet Train, Beyond The Realms Of Death, Death Row

CD 2: Metal Meltdown, Night Crawler, Abductors, Victim Of Changes, Diamonds And Rust - Acoustic Version, Breaking The Law, Green Manalishi, Painkiller, You've Got Another Thing Comin, Hell Bent For Leather, Living After Midnight
- The Metal Painkiller Page

Update 09/10/98

* Motley Crue drummer Tommy Lee was released over the weekend after serving about two-thirds of his original six-month sentence for spousal abuse. Before Lee was sentenced in the spousal abuse matter, he finished recording tracks for new songs that will be included on Motley Crue's upcoming Greatest Hits collection, to be released October 27th. Tentative plans are in place for the band to launch a tour in Boston on that date. A preliminary itinerary has the band touring heavily through the midwest and south, routing through Texas and doing a pair of shows in Mexico before breaking for the holidays. That tour plan is still quite tentative, though it's expected that the band will be in a position to release official dates in the next couple of weeks. - Ticketmaster

Update 09/08/98

* Rock Never Stops tour review (Sunday, Sept. 6, 1998; East Jordan, MI):

L.A. Guns, Firehouse, Slaughter, and Quiet Riot finally made the trip up to northern Michigan. For some reason, Warrant has decided to take some time off this month which was very disappointing. The venue was packed with about 2,000 rockers, yet the openers, L.A. Guns, didn’t do much to excite us. It’s really too bad that their former vocalist (former Atomic Punks frontman and David Lee Roth lookalike) left the group earlier this summer. The group’s new singer looks and sounds a lot more like Trent Reznor than DLR.

Next up was Firehouse, which still contains the original lineup in case you‘re wondering. I was expecting a great show since they rocked the last time I saw them. Let’s just say they didn’t disappoint us. They gave the crowd exactly what we wanted to hear which is basically their entire first album. They are surprisingly an extremely tight live act. Also, they threw in a new song off their soon to be released cd called “Acid Rain” which was a great tune. After their set, I got a chance to meet them and they are really great guys. They told me that the cd is finished and is sounding great. Right now they are shopping around for a record deal and they expect to have it out by early next year. Also, I asked them about the Japanese leg of the Rock Never Stops tour and they told me that it’s basically a promotional tour, with a few shows here and there. These guys stole the show, no doubt about it.

Now it was time for Slaughter. These guys can definitely still rock, yet I wasn’t down with the new stuff. I noticed that they’re not as tight a band now with the new guitarist. Basically, I wish a had a few more under my belt so I wouldn’t have noticed this, but the brews were just too expensive. They had 10 seconds a silence for Tim Kelley, then they went into “Fly to the Angels” which was awesome. Also, “Burnin Bridges”, and “Mad About You” rocked.

Now finally I would get my chance to see the re-united Quiet Riot, and they didn’t disappoint. You could really notice how experience

Update 09/05/98

* Yngwie Malmsteen Touring Update:

Lewis Entertainment reports that there will be no further USA/Canada touring to promote "Facing the Animal" for the remainder of this year. This is probably true for Europe and Scandinavia as well, although that fact has not been confirmed yet. In related news, although several Internet import sites have begun promoting Yngwie's "Live in Brazil" CD and video set, these items are not actually available yet. Yngwie is still in the editing studio working on the material, but he hopes it will be finished soon. Distribution companies often take advance orders for products before they are actually manufactured and shipped. - Yngwie Malmsteen Fanclub

Update 09/01/98

* Judas Priest will continue their "Jugulator" tour starting Sept. 23rd in San Diego, CA. After touring the U.S., there is a possibility that the band could hit South America.

* Sepultura have cut back their North American tour in October to 17 live dates out of 21 days. They will be heading to Europe to appear on MTV Germany, followed by a tour with Slayer and Entombed. The North American tour includes Vision of Disorder, Monster Voodoo Machine and Earth Crisis. - Hardradio

Update 08/30/98

* The Los Angeles date of Dee Snider's just- announced StrangeLand tour is shaping up to be a metal head's wet dream. Rumor has it that Lemmy Kilmister, frontman for seminal British metal band Motorhead, as well as Ozzy Osbourne, just may show up and join Snider onstage for a few duets. Marilyn Manson, Howard Stern, and current metal stalwarts Coal Chamber have also been extended invitations to the soiree, and, according to a source in Snider's camp, are all likely to show.

The metal extravaganza, scheduled for Sept. 8 at the Key Club in West Hollywood, will also include Snot, hed (p.e.), and dayinthelife, all of whom appear on the soundtrack to StrangeLand, which hits stores on Sept. 22 via TVT Soundtrax. As previously reported in allstar, the soundtrack also includes tracks by Marilyn Manson, Megadeth, Pantera, Sevendust, Bile, and Coal Chamber as well as Anthrax, Soulfly, Kid Rock, Crisis, and the first new Twisted Sister track in 12 years, "Heroes Are Hard to Find." The likelihood of Snider performing a few Twisted Sister songs at the special show is quite promising as well. From there, the StrangeLand tour heads North to Minneapolis with Snot, hed (p.e.), dayinthelife and headliners Soulfly. Snider will make special appearances at various stops along the way. The idea behind the tour stems from Snider's screenwriting debut in the film StrangeLand, in which he also stars as a schizophrenic sadomasochist.

Here is the first wave of StrangeLand tour dates:

Sept. 8, Los Angeles, Key Club; Sept. 22, Minneapolis, Ground Zero; Sept. 24, St. Louis, Mississippi Nights; Sept. 25, Chicago, Vic Theater; Sept. 26, Detroit, State Theater; Sept. 27, TBA; Sept. 28, Cleveland, Odeon; Sept. 29, Scranton, Penn., Tink's Hall; Sept. 30, Baltimore, TBA; Oct. 1, Norwalk, Conn., Globe Theater; Oct. 2, Portland, Maine, State Theater; Oct. 3 Providence, R.I., Lupos; Oct. 4, Hartford, Conn., Webster Theater; Oct. 9, Philadelphia, Trocadero Theater. - Allstar

* Megadeth will be returning to South America for the 2nd time on the Cryptic Writings 1997/98 tour while making a stop in Mexico along the way starting on Sept. 17th. Then, the band will return to Japan for 6 shows in November.

Update 08/29/98

* Everyone gets their 15 minutes of fame, but rarely is it anything as sinister as opening for demon thrashers Slayer. Sony Music is giving one band or solo artist the chance to perform at the Sept. 15 Slayer show at the House of Blues in Orlando, Fla. with the "Fifteen Minutes of Fame with Slayer" contest. Entrants must submit a VHS videotape of a live performance of an original song by Sept. 7 to be eligible. The winner will be chosen by an online vote at Slayer's Web site from one of 10 finalists. Complete details of the contest are available at Diabolus.net. - AllStar

* Dokken has added former Winger guitarist Reb Beach to their line-up, a replacement for the long-departed George Lynch. Beach has recently been on the road with Alice Cooper but he will be linking up with Don Dokken, Jeff Pilson and Mick Brown in time to record a new album. The band is still in the writing stages at this point but plan on powering up the console as early as next month, according to manager Nick John. The group is also expected to launch a short tour in October. - MTV

Update 08/28/98

* Van Halen concert review (08/26/98) Toronto, ON:

Well, this was the show I was waiting 3 years to see. Being both a loyal DLR and Hagar fan, I was looking forward to a more diverse set-list this time around. The new album with Cherone doesn’t exactly blow me away like every other one does, yet I was giving him the benefit of the doubt. They started out with “Unchained”, which was a great opener. Eddie’s guitar sound was unbelievable and he was running around the stage like a madman. Compared with the previous 4 VH shows I’ve seen, this had by far the best musical performance, as well as the best selection of songs. Aside from this, my worst nightmare came true. Gary Cherone annoyed the hell out of me… I really can’t stand the guy. I don’t know what it is about him, he was running around all night and played the crowd well, but for some reason I just couldn’t get into it. A lot of people say Gary is just copying Sammy’s voice, but in my opinion, he sounds nothing like the other singers. He puts his own spin on the old stuff, which takes some guts, but I thought it was awful. The highlight of the show was definitely Ed’s guitar solo and Michael Anthony singing “Somebody Get Me A Doctor”. Speaking of Anthony, he brought out the Jack Daniels bass which was pretty cool. Then a roadie brought him out a bottle of JD and without taking the cap off, he pretended to chug it… which was anything but cool. Overall, it was an awesome show despite the presence of Cherone. I got to see the greatest musician off all-time, and hear some different songs live. I suggest you check it out if you can.

Set-list:

Unchained, Without You, One I Want, Mean Street, When It's Love, Fire in the Hole, Why Can't This Be Love, I'm the One, Drum Solo, Jamie's Cryin', Humans Being, Somebody Get Me A Doctor, Year to the Day, Guitar Solo, Right Now, Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love, Josephina, Panama, Jump.

Update 08/25/98

* Vision of Disorder and Spineshank could be the opening acts on Sepultura's upcoming tour. As previously mentioned, the tour is set to begin on October 5th in L.A.

Update 08/20/98

* Van Halen will tour South America for the first time since their 1982-83 tour. All three shows will be in Brazil: Sept. 25 in Curitiba, Sept. 26 in Sao Paulo and Sept. 27 in Rio de Janeiro. On the way there, they'll hit San Juan, Puerto Rico, Sept. 20. – RockDaily.com

In September, Iron Maiden will kick off their seven-and-a-half week tour of Europe at Athens Lycabetus Theatre (September 4) and continue with shows at Thessaloniki Forest Theatre (5), Istanbul, Cemil Topuzlu Open Air (7), Istanbul Cemil Topuzlu Open Air (8), Budapest Petofi Csarnok (11), Katowice Spodek (12), Prague Eden Sports Hall (13), Munich Colosseum (15), Furth Stadhalle (16), Erfurt Thuringenhalle (18), Hamburg Sporthalle (19), Copenhagen (20), Helsinki Ice Hall (23), Stockholm Ice Stadium (25), Essen Grugahalle (27), Berlin Columbial Halle (28), Leipzig Auensee (29), Offenbach Stadhalle (October 1), Winterthur Eulachalle (2), Mulhouse Palais Des Sports (3), Besancon Palais Des Sports (5), Lyon Transbordeur (6), Zaragoza Pabellon Principe Felipe (8), Albacete Bullring (9), Dos Hermanas - Campo de Futbol (10), Nice Theatre de Verdure (13), Pau Le Zenith (14), Clermont-Ferrand Maison Des Sport (15), Manchester Apollo (17), Newcastle City Hall (18), Glasgow Barrowlands (19), Nottingham Royal Concert Hall (21), Wolverhampton Civic Hall (22), Newport Centre (23), Sheffield City Hall (25) and Portsmouth Guildhall (26). - New Music Express

Update 08/18/98

* Sepultura will begin their North American tour with two L.A. gigs on October 5th and 6th. On July 12th, Sepultura played at Club 369 in Fullerton California under the name "Troops Of Doom". Click here to read a review of this show from the Sepultribe website.

* Judas Priest's '98 Live Meltdown is a new live album with Ripper upfront, recorded in Europe on the Jugulator Tour, due out on September 29. - Hardradio

Update 08/17/98

* Van Halen stopped their Mansfield, Mass., show Thursday after four songs because singer Gary Cherone blew his voice out. The band scheduled a makeup show for the next day. "[Boston] is Gary's hometown and we want to give you the best show we can," Eddie Van Halen told the crowd.

More shows have been added to the VH III tour - Las Vegas, NV, Honolulu, HI, and the band's first ever appearance in The Land of the Midnight Sun, Anchorage, AK. The new shows take place in October, just before Van Halen heads to Japan for an 11-show stint. Concert-goers at friday's Mansfield, MA show were given an extra special treat: for the first time on the III Tour, Van Halen performed "Jamie's Cryin'," from their 1978 debut, Van Halen! - Official VH Site

Also, according to the Official Dream Theater Web Site, there is a possibility that Dream Theater will play on September 25, 26 and 27 in South America with Van Halen. There may also be a few additional headlining shows in South America, Mexico and Puerto Rico.

Update 08/15/98

* MILWAUKEE METALFEST XII review from the Milwaukee Journal Sentinal, Saturday, July 25th, 1998:

It was a three ring circus of anger and abomination Friday night at the Eagles Auditorium all accompanied by a thudding bass line and guitar riffing that approached the speed of light. The several hundred headbangers on hand for the first night of Milwaukee's 12th annual Metalfest wouldn't have had it any other way. Three stages throughout the Eagles Auditoriumhad extreme metal bands going simultaneously. bands kept to a tight schedule that allowed only a sample of music from the likes of Fleshgrind and Jungle Rot, just two of the bends restricted to twenty minuty sets. The continuous sound on three stages gave fans more options but worked against the bands themselves. Case in point: Chicago boys Oppressor on the Ballroom stage. The foursome cranked out some floor-shakingly great sound, including the thundering "I Despise" from their upcomming release. But only a few dozen headbangers got to hear it. Most of the crowd was downstairs in the Rave to see the infamous Finnish black-metalmen Impaled Nazarene, who were playing at the same time. Like the potato sruffed pastries of their homeland, the diabolical Finns are an aquired taste. Listening to guitar shreiks melding with front man Luttinen's exhortations for Satan to rise up and join the Metalfesters, you had the sense this was a band that would make Marilyn Manson tuck tail and flee. Not everyone was gunning for the dark side, however. A respectable crowd filled the Rave Bar to catch a variety of acts on the Relapse Records/Metal maniaca Showcase stage. Among the standouts were christian thrashers Tourniquet, who sneaked in a little melody between power chords and proved you can still love the Lord and bang your head. Downstairs more than a dozen vendors set up card tables loaded with concert videos, magazines, spiked jewelry, and of course, cassettes and compact discs. Most bands gigging at Metalfest are considered too extreme for for the average record store. They rely insted on mail order sales and events like the 'fest to get their music to their fans. Despite extreme metal's unwholesome image, the crowd was remarkably sedate. Inverted crosses and t-shirts with sayings like "Dead girls don't say no" were in evidence, but so were the manners. Even those trying to catch Impaled Nazarene's sinister set were mumbling "excuse me" as they pressed into an already filled Rave. Deadline requirements made it impossible to review the headliners, Death and Merciful Fate.

Update 08/14/98

* Iron Maiden / Dio review (Aug. 4, 1998, San Diego) submitted by Juan Deleon:

My girlfriend and i went to see these two here in SAN DIEGO at S.D.S.U. DIO was his usual self. sounded great looked great,and because of his opening slot, pretty much played a greatest hits selection of his music.I gotta say though his backing bang was not what i expected. They were pretty good in a session band sort of way. But definitely no stellar talent here. On the other hand, IRON MAIDEN IS ABSOLUTELY THE BEST. But they fall short with the lack of presence from their new singer.It's as if he's a roadie who got the cahnce of a lifetime.Dresse in black t-shirt and jeans and wearing a cap backwards, he made no contact whatsoever with the band. All of them interacted as they played, in typical MAIDEN style.But what can i say, they can definetly do a lot better as far as lead singer is concerned.

Update 08/13/98

* After enduring several rather bizarre setbacks to its scheduled summer tour because of various injuries sustained by its members, Aerosmith has finally announced a revised itinerary for the next leg of its North American tour, which will keep the band on the road through the first week of December. Opening up for Aerosmith on the rescheduled tour dates will be Monster Magnet from September 9 to October 3, with Fuel picking up the slot beginning on October 5 and running through the 26. - MTV

Update 08/12/98

* I just found some interesting comments made by Bruce Dickinson about the possibility of an Iron Maiden reunion:

"I really think the whole deal with all of this boils down to me and Steve. That’s it. I mean, we share the same manager (laughs). We sit and talk about this in the pub. People always ask, and I say, "Look, you want me to get up there tomorrow and sing a Maiden set? Hang on, let me go find my boots." I could walk on stage with them and we could do a concert tomorrow night, and it would be absolutely fucking mega! As for records, I’m not really sure how that would happen, because let's just say the way I make records now is very, very, very different to the way I made them in the past. I’m not sure how we would close the gap between the way I work and the way Steve works now. I’m perfectly happy with what I’m doing at the moment musically. I made a great record (due out Sept. 15), and really that’s where my life is at right now. This record is my future."

Update 08/11/98

* Machine Head will play live on September 11th at the Maritime Hall in San Francisco. The band will begin recording a new studio album in late September. - Hardradio

* Black Sabbath will set out on a promotional tour in support of the highly anticipated release of Reunion. The heavy metal mastodons are scheduled to begin the jaunt on September 15 in the U.K. From there, the four founding Sabbath members -- lead singer Ozzy Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward -- will make many TV and radio appearances to promote the two-disc live CD, recorded last December in the band's hometown of Birmingham, England. The month-long promo tour will wind-up with an in-store appearance at a unnamed New York City record store at midnight on the eve of the album's October 20th release date. After the album's release, the band will commence on a massive worldwide tour, which, according to Osbourne's spokesperson, will launch on New Year's Eve in New York City. The venue for this monumentous event is not yet available, but will most likely be held at one of the major arenas in the Big Apple. Sabbath will then spend most of 1999 delivering their singular, guitar-laden style of heavy, doom-drenched metal to eager fans, young and old, across the U.S. and abroad. There's still no word yet whether Bill Ward will be able to participate on the tour. - muzic.com

Update 08/08/98

* Anthrax have started the warm-up leg of their '98 tour in support of "Volume 8".

Update 08/07/98

* VOIVOD IN SERIOUS EUROPEAN VAN ACCIDENT

The following is a press release from James MacLean, Voivod's manager: "Voivod have been on tour in Europe since July 5, playing festivals and clubs in support of a new collection of songs called Kronik. Voivod had an accident on their way to Switzerland Tuesday afternoon August 4. It happened near Mannheim, Germany. The back tire of the van they were travelling in blew out, causing the van to roll six times into a field. Eric (Forrest, the band's bassist/singer) was thrown out of the van. He has broken bones in his lower spine, internal injuries and some broken ribs. He has undergone surgery to have metal plates attached to his spine, and will be kept in an induced coma for another few days. This is until the swelling on his spine, internal injuries and the shock to his system from transfusions can be fully asessed. He is stable and is expected to stay in hospital for at least a month. He WILL walk again, we're just not sure how well. We pray for his speedy recovery. Denis (d'Amour, guitar) and Michel (Langevin, drums) are staying with him. Denis has a few bruises and stitches in his arm; Michel and the crew have minor bumps and bruises." - ChartAttack

Update 08/06/98

* Rob Zombie is bouncing back quickly from his run-in with Korn's Family Values tour. He's just tapped Fear Factory and Monster Magnet to open his forthcoming tour in support of his solo debut album, Hellbilly Deluxe, due Aug. 25 on DGC. The tour begins Oct. 6, hitting 2,000-3,000 capacity halls and theaters along the way. As previously reported in allstar, Zombie has big plans for his tour, which includes a stage setup that looks like "a huge palace if it were in hell," according to Zombie. "I'll probably scale it back a little, but it will still be a fuckwad of shit for theaters," he adds. "All I care about is giving the kids a kick-ass show." Aside from the Zombie dates, Fear Factory is slated to tour with Slayer from Aug. 4 through Sept. 11, while Monster Magnet is currently out with Far through Aug. 15. Monster Magnet also landed about a month's worth of dates with Aerosmith from Sept. 3 through -- tentatively -- Oct. 3. - Allstar

Update 08/03/98

* Five men were arrested Saturday on charges associated with the sale of counterfeit Ozzfest tickets after police and angry fans outside the concert at the Walnut Creek Amphitheatre in Raleigh, North Carolina worked together to track them down. According to a report in the News & Observer, more than 100 people were turned away at the gates of the sold-out show. Lt. Bob Stevens of the Garner Police said that the counterfeits were good enough to fool many fans, though they were easily identified by the Walnut Creek gate staff once they were alerted by police that counterfeiters might be hitting their show. Police arrested three men on the amphitheatre grounds, and after being turned away, a group of fans who had paid $40 for what they thought were real $28 tickets rushed back to the gas station near the venue where they bought them. The men who sold the fakes were still there, still selling. They were detained by several of their former customers while the police were called, and then arrested. The suspects were being held on charges of obtaining property by false pretense, with bail set at $50,000 for the pair arrested at the gas station and $100,000 for the three men arrested at the venue. - Ticketmaster

Update 08/01/98

* Yngwie Malmsteen's U.S./Canada tour has been postponed. According to Yngwie's fan club, current economic conditions for touring have forced him to postpone the summer tour. If better trends develop for touring later in the year, he will resume the tour, hopefully in America and abroad. Yngwie is working now on reviewing concert footage from his shows in Brazil with the hope of releasing a live video and CD in the near future. Looks like I'll never get to see him live.

Update 07/31/98

* Members of Judas Priest are "Ripper" roaring mad over the release of "Concert Classics," a disc of vintage live Priest material. In a press release, the group had disowned the material saying "it has absolutely nothing to do with us," adding that they "have had no control over its' release which went out without our knowledge or approval." Calling the quality of the material "substandard," Priest are urging fans to "avoid the album" as they forge ahead to have the album removed from the market. Judas Priest are currently mixing their live album recorded during their 1998 World Tour featuring Ripper Owens and will be released later this year. According to the group "this is the genuine article." - VH1

* As Ozzfest '98 draws to a close, Ozzy Osbourne, the festival's namesake, finds himself sitting pretty atop an ever-increasing heap of summer music-festival tours. In only its second year of existence, the 18-date heavy-metal tour has nearly doubled its attendance figures -- a statistic that has Osbourne sounding as surprised as the next guy. "It's going better than my wildest expectations. It's been a major, major success," said singer Osbourne, 49. "Every year it gets bigger and bigger. I keep waiting for the bubble to burst." The tour's success might be best understood in terms of the numbers. Through the first 10 dates, shows sold an average of 28,501 tickets each, compared with an average of 19,286 tickets per show for the 1997 tour, according to Gary Bongiovanni, editor in chief of the industry trade magazine Pollstar. The average gross for the first 10 dates this year soared as well, jumping to a robust $973,455 from last year's overall average of $595,455. - SonicNet

Update 07/28/98

* David Lee Roth is rumoured to be making an appearance in Toronto in early August (the DLR BAND opus is out in Canada on August 4) at a local club where his rider requested a wet bikini contest, midgets and he must enter on top of an elephant! - Hardradio

Update 07/25/98

* Milwaukee Metalfest Preview ( MTV):

One of the largest celebrations of underground heavy metal in the country kicked off yesterday in Milwaukee. The Milwaukee Metalfest, in its 12th year, features the top international death metal acts and other subgenres including thrash, grindcore, metalcore, progmetal, black metal, doom and industrial. The festival is also traditionally a stepping stone for young groups, this year more so than ever with Metalfest XII adding a third stage to help showcase new talent. The top-billed slot on the 100-plus band line-up goes to Mercyful Fate, a thrash metal band from Denmark who just released their seventh CD, this one on the Metal Blade label. They're fronted by the flamboyant King Diamond who also leads his own self-named group. Star billing also goes to Norway's Emperor (a death metal act whose former drummer, Faust, is reported to have been convicted of burning down churches); Florida's Death, and New York's Cannibal Corpse (described by the "All Music Guide" as some of the most extreme, violent death-metal sounds and subject matter ever committed to tape). Other notables include Sodom, Destruction, Mayhem, Meshuggah, Iced Earth, Blood Storm, Sarcophagus, Angel Corpse, Mortimer Dipthong, Jungle Rot, White Knuckle Trip, Opressor, Suffocation, Pessimist, Death of Millions, Cephalic Carnage and Waco Jesus. The festival runs Friday and Saturday on three stages at the Eagles Ballroom and The Rave in downtown Milwaukee and also features booths, autograph sessions, a festival CD and other perks.

* Black Sabbath is scheduled to release their first live album with the original line-up. The two-disc set is due in stores in October on Epic Records. As it stands, the title of the collection is Black Sabbath Live.

The track listing is as follows: "War Pigs," "Beyond The Wall of Sleep," "N.I.B.," "Fairies Wear Boots," "Electric Funeral," "Sweet Leaf," "Spiral Architect," "Into The Void," "Snow Blind," "Sabbath Bloody Sabbath," "Orchid"/"Lord Of The World," "Dirty Women," "Black Sabbath," "Iron Man," "Children of the Grave," and of course, the band's signature tune, "Paranoid." In addition to the live tracks are two new songs, "Selling My Soul" and "Psycho Man," the latter of which will be the first single released.

To coincide with the album's release, the band members are currently planning a tour later in the year. According to the band's representative, the dates have yet to be confirmed, but apparently the trek will kick off on New Year's Eve in the United States and will end sometime next summer in the U.K. - muzic.com

Update 07/24/98

* Iron Maiden have been forced to shelve the remaining July dates of their U.S. tour because of singer Blaze Bayley's ongoing throat problems. The band -- which is on tour with Ronnie James Dio -- expects to start making up some of the dates in August. A Los Angeles doctor on Monday (July 20) confirmed what Bayley had heard last week in Las Vegas -- that his throat is inflamed due to the desert dust that he breathed in Phoenix and Vegas, and that he can't (or at least shouldn't) sing until at least the end of July. At first, just four dates were canceled, but now a total of 12 dates have been canceled. The tour was supposed to end Aug. 2 in Birch Hill, New Jersey. In a written statement released by the band's publicity firm, bassist Steve Harris said, "We're all, obviously, hugely disappointed to lose these dates, especially as the tour was going so well. We very much appreciate the tremendous support we get from our U.S. fans, and we're all extremely sorry to let them down."

As of now, four North American Maiden dates are confirmed for August: Aug. 2 at L.A.'s Universal Amphitheatre; Aug. 4 at San Diego's Open Air Theatre; Aug. 7 in Monterrey, Mexico, and Aug. 9 in Mexico City, Mexico. - AllStar

* Aerosmith announced on Thursday that the first 13 dates of its upcoming 50-show tour have been postponed to allow drummer Joey Kramer sufficient time to recover from second-degree burns. Dates from August 14 in Raleigh, North Carolina through early September will be rescheduled in the next few days. The tour will resume with a September 9 date in Cincinnati, Ohio. - MTV

Update 07/22/98

* Police at the Wisconsin-Minnesota border targeted fans returning from Saturday's combined Ozzfest-Warped show in Somerset, Wis., arresting about 200 of them for drunken driving and drug offenses. Ozzfest remained defiantly decadent Sunday, with Limp Bizkit inviting a nude female fan onstage to "dance nasty" with them in East Troy, Wis. - RockDaily.com

You can read a review of this show on the Wall of Sound website.

* The Set That Should Not Be: Metallica continue to mix the usual speed-metal classics with an unplugged set on their summer tour. This acoustic set includes: Low Man's Lyric, The Four Horsemen, and Motorbreath. I wish this was the WWF so someone could smash a steel chair over their heads.

Update 07/19/98

* Although W.A.S.P. is off Iron Maiden's Metal Mania '98 tour, they will perform at the Rock & Horror Convention at the Meadowlands Convention Center in Secaucus, NJ, on August 29th. There will be autograph and Q&A sessions, plus a "special live performance." Type O Negative's Peter Steele is also slated to appear. - HardRadio

Update 07/18/98

* Fear Factory are now officially opening up for Slayer in August. The tour begins August 4th in Vancouver, BC. Fear Factory will begin their tour with a headlining show August 1st in Hollywood, CA with opening act Spineshank.

* Van Halen will be making two appearances on MTV's new "Lunch With Jesse" program. The first, tentatively scheduled for July 27th will feature the band from Park City, UT along with a little vocal surprise from Jesse himself. Also, MuchMusic with be airing a recent live VH performance on Mon, July 27, 9pm, Mid, & 8am ET, 6pm, 9pm, & 5am PT. Recorded April 20, 98 at the Sydney Entertainment Centre, Australia.

Update 07/17/98

* Iron Maiden have postponed their next four shows due to lead singer Blaze Bayley's allergic reaction to dust and pollen. The shows canceled are Thursday (July 16), Los Angeles, Universal Amphitheatre; Saturday (July 18), San Diego, SDSU Open Air Theatre; Sunday (July 19), San Francisco, Maritime Hall; and Monday (July 22), Denver, Paramount Theatre. Bayley apparently suffered a severe allegeric reaction while in Arizona and Nevada, where the band just performed. The Los Angeles Universal Amphitheater show has already been rescheduled for Aug. 2; the other dates will be rescheduled shortly. - Allstar

* The Ozzfest and Warped tours will combine forces for one big show tomorrow in Somerset, Wis. LiveConcerts.com will webcast the unholy union from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m. PDT.

* A woman is suing bassist Nikki Sixx and the Motley Crue organization over head injuries she allegedly sustained at an April 1997 Crue show in Zephyrhills, Fla. Josephine Allen claims she was struck by a piece of a smashed bass guitar that Sixx flung. Allen's husband is also suing, claiming loss of companionship. – RockDaily

Update 07/11/98

* Sepultura played their first small show with new frontman Derrick Green in the House of Blues in Los Angeles July 8th. The songlist included songs like Arise, Spit and Slave New World as well as the two brand new tracks "Against" and "Choke". They were supported by Tura Satana (former Manhole), Spineskank and another local band. The show was described as "awesome" :) duh, what did you expect?? :) - SepulTribe

Update 07/09/98

* Singer Ralph Saenz has left L.A. Guns, and his sudden departure has left the future of the band's pending live performances, and maybe even the future of the band itself, in doubt. According to "Metal Edge" editor Geri Miller, both sides say there were no musical or personal differences, and no animosity; Saenz just wanted to go do his own project. - MTV

* Megadeth have kicked out drummer Nick Menza and replaced him with touring drummer Jimmy DeGrasso. Founder and frontman, Dave Mustaine explains: "we've had a lot of good years with Nick, but the band's relationship with him had run its course. We came to that conclusion after Jimmy stepped in mid-June to cover concert dates for Nick, who had taken a leave of absence to have a benign (non-cancerous) cyst removed from his knee. We wish Nick well and hope the best for him." - RockDaily

* It looks as though Steven Tyler has made a satisfactory recovery from his knee surgery. Aerosmith have just announced a number of tour dates kicking off on Aug.14 and running through Dec.9. Tyler went under the knife in May, forcing the band to cancel a large portion of its Nine Lives tour. - MuchMusic

Update 07/08/98

* Click here to read a review from Van Halen's Saturday night show at the Blockbuster Pavilion in Devore, California.

Update 07/07/98

* Ozzfest opening night highlights: 07/03/98 ( MTV)

The second edition of Ozzfest, kicked off its American run with a pair of shows Friday and Sunday at PNC Bank Arts Center. It seemed a bit impolite to have a pioneering band such as Motorhead closing things up on the second stage. But there it was, with a clean- shaven Lemmy Kilminster singing into the mike. Every headbanger worth his or her salt owes as much to Lemmy and his cohorts as they do to Osbourne. Having these lads singing "Civil War" over by the hacky-sack players instead of on the main stage seemed a terrible snub. After all, Motorhead could have easily knocked Limp Bizkit off the main stage lineup, a band heretofore best known for having its label buy a half-hour on a Seattle radio station to play its music. Megadeth was, well, Megadeth. Dave Mustaine and his henchmen delivered the usual jackhammer riffs and howls about alienation. "Peace Sells, But Who's Buying," the band's signature tune, was about all that cut through the sludge.

Ozzy's set was preceded by the Stateside debut of his latest version of "OzzTV" which features Ozzy's unique take on "Titanic," Hanson, the Spice Girls, and other pop culture movements. Fans can also expect a set light on Sabbath and rich on Ozzy's hits. We will have much more on the Ozzfest kick off throughout the week. In the meantime, here's what Ozzy's opening night setlist looked like:

"Believer"
"I Don't Know"
"Bark at the Moon"
"War Pigs"
"Desire"
"Goodbye To Romance"
"No More Tears"
"Suicide Solution"
instrumental medley including "Over The Mountain," "Symptom of the Universe," and "Diary of a Madman"
"I Don't Want To Change The World"
"Mr. Crowley"
"Flying High Again"
"Just Want You"
"Crazy Train"
"Mama I'm Coming Home"
"Paranoid"

* The Thunderfest - Convention Concert Tour is currently being put together by Collier Entertainment. Confirmed so far are Dee Snider's SMF's, Angel, and Quiet Riot. - Hardradio

* White Zombie leader Rob Zombie is slated to perform on the Family Values tour with Korn, Ice Cube, Limp Bizkit, and Orgy, beginning Sept. 23 and running for five to eight weeks. His new album, “Hellibilly Deluxe” is due Aug. 25 on Geffen.

Update 07/03/98

* After being away from home for over a month, Van Halen resumed their US tour on Wednesday night at the Desert Sky Pavilion in Phoenix, AZ. No new songs were added to the set list, but we've heard whispers that classics like Runnin' With The Devil, Beautiful Girls, The Full Bug and Don't Tell Me (What Love Can Do) will make an appearance soon, along with material from Van Halen III that has never been played live. Since I’ll be attending a show in late August, I’d rather not know much about the show. You can check out the set-list, and read a review of the show on the Van Halen News Desk.

* Fear Factory will open up for Slayer in August for a North American tour. - MetalHammer

Update 07/01/98

* Ozzy Osbourne isn't issuing press passes to Friday's Ozzfest opener in Holmdel, N.J., because "Ozzy doesn't want the show reviewed," according to a publicist. If you're a reporter who doesn't want to pay to hear Ozzy, then tune in to a free webcast of the show, beginning at noon EDT. - RockDaily.com

In other ozzy news, the Ozzman will subject himself to a grilling by Howard Stern between 9:00am-10:00am on July 2.

* To coincide with their new album's release, Sepultura will most likely embark upon a U.S. club tour with fellow metallers VOD and Monster Voodoo Machine. "Against" is due out on Sept. 22. - Sepultribe

* UNION will be playing a benefit concert at the Coconut Teaszer in L.A. on July 9th.

Update 06/30/98

* I just got back from the Metal Mania show in Hamilton, Ontario and let me tell you Iron Maiden put on a performance that I’ll never forget. As I walked in the arena, I noticed that almost 90% of the 16,000 seats were blocked off. The stage was placed on the side of the floor rather than the usual end position. There was probably no more than 3,000 people there, but they were all die-hards which was nice to see. We walked straight up to the right side of the stage, where there was only one row of people along the rails. I couldn’t believe that I was going to be this close to Iron fuckin Maiden! Well, Dirty Deeds opened up and they were energetic to say the least. Nobody was really into them at first, but eventually they started to get the crowd into it. They were a very tight sounding band, and obviously there was some Maiden influence in there. Not bad but I’d have to hear them again before buying their cd.

Next was Dio who put on a pretty good show. He played a lot off of Holy Diver, Heaven and Hell, The Last in Line, and a couple others. The highlight of his set was when this girl who was standing right beside me flashed Dio. Of course he got a kick out of that and I didn’t mind it either. A roadie that was standing backstage noticed this and after the set was over, he came to the edge of the stage and handed the girl and her friend 2 backstage passes. Dio looked like a tired old man, yet with that new drug Viagra I guess anything’s possible.

When the lights went down for Maiden, I felt like I was going to burst. The curtain dropped to reveal these strange looking walls at each side of the drum set. I was expecting them to jump right trough them, but the next thing I knew, Steve Harris was standing right in front of me and they were playing the intro to Futureal. It’s impossible to describe the energy that they had. They played mostly new songs from Virtual XI and X Factor to start. I know a lot of people don’t like these albums very much, but I’m sure their opinions would change after seeing the show. These songs sounded much heavier and a tad faster live. As for the older tunes, I thought Blaze did a great job, but of course he’s no Bruce Dickinson. It’s difficult to pick a song that stood out since every tune was unbelievable. Eddie came out near the end with a Virtual XI soccer jersey on and attempted to attack Janick. Speaking of Janick, I was surprisingly very impressed with his playing. In the past, myself as well as many other fans have blamed him for two less than spectacular albums in No Prayer and Fear of the Dark. Now I must say that he is just as talented as Smith, and he definitely has better stage presence. I would highly recommend any past or present Maiden fan to attend this show. I can’t imagine them sounding any better, and this is a great chance to get within a few feet of them.

Set-list:

Futureal
The Angel and the Gambler
Man on the Edge
Heaven Can Wait
Lightning Strikes Twice
Lord of the Flies
The Clansman
When Two Worlds Collide
Sign of the Cross
The Educated Fool
Afraid to Shoot Strangers
The Clairvoyant
2 Minutes to Midnight
Hallowed Be Thy Name
Fear of the Dark
Iron Maiden

Encore:

The Number of the Beast
The Trooper
Sanctuary

* Rock Never Stops review courtesy of C.J.

ROCK NEVER STOPS/JUNE 21/ VILLA REAL, MCALLEN TX. Talk about a rock n roll hangover. the evening started at 7:00 p.m. got up to the front of the stage and i thought i was in the wrong venue at the wrong year when L.A. GUNS took the stage. The new lead singer looked and sounded exactly like a young David Lee Roth.. They got the crowed to go nuts, played some new, some old and hollywood vampires. But the crowd went nuts when they broke out into AIN'T TALKIN BOUT LOVE(van halen). they sounded better than van halen with gary or sammy.. L.A. Guns was awsome and got a great crowd responce, they didnt want to leave the stage because the audience was great (really loud).

Next up was the mighty SLAUGHTER. Well these guys brought the house down. Everyone in the venue sang the songs word for word.. They played all the hits, and then some. some of the big crowed pleasers were eye to eye, burning bridges and shout it out. Mark did an awsome solo version of spend my life. he too loved the crowds energy. then he asked for a moment of silence for Tim Kelly after about 30 seconds a roar started erupting from the audience. his response to that was"tim would of loved this,its shows like this that keep us going". then he dedicated the next song to Tim and the venue erupted as they went into fly to the angels.during the middle of the song he did the audience sing along and that went great. by the time it was over you could see a tear in Marks eye along with a smile. They finished off with up all night. Overall they got the second best reaction from the audience next to QUIET RIOT, but i'd say it was pretty close. Blas kicked major ass on the drums, Dana pounded the bass to hell and back, Mark loved us and his voice blew the roof off the place, and the new guitarist did them justice. The guy was awsome ,Tim would be proud.

It was now time for WARRANT. They opened with down boys, always a crowd pleaser. Janie had his bottle and you know he was having a good time. They added an intreasting twist by adding a Led Zepplin tune into d.r.f.s.r. During the middle of there set Janie sat down with the acoustic and started playing heaven, the wild crowd went nuts. Two verses into it,he went into blind faith . he stopped about a verse into that and said "jesus , how many songs did i write about my ex?" then he went on to sometimes she cries, after about a verse and a half he played a little bit of a beatles song. Then joked around with the audience (as he did all night). told us to wish him a happy fathers day, talked about his two kids, then stated he was looking to make number three tonight. then played i saw red in its entirety. he was impressed the audience knew the song. After that he said enough of the slow depressing shit,it was time to rock roll. they broke out into whole in my wall. They didnt want to leave the stage and made that apperant by ending with a big bang. they slammed into cherry pie. mixed in we will rock you, and closed with an all out cover of BLACK SABBATH's war pigs blowing the audience away.

it was a little after 11:00 p.m. and Rudy Sarzo was teasing us during the set change. Peeking out from the back of the speakers. A chant started "Rudy,Rudy". Then the lights went out and the crowed went ballistic. QUIET RIOT hit the stage. Kevin,Rudy,Carlos,and Frankie. They busted out into run for cover,slammed into mamma were all crazy, people were in the air on the floor screaming at the top of their lungs. The roof was gone and was never coming back. They cranked out a new tune called angry and it was recieved well by the audience. Then it was back to the classics, Kevin the mad man told us not too worry they were going to play them all, and then delivered the goods.bursting into slick black cadillac, then tearing it all apart with sign of the times,everyone blew there vocal cords on that one and tore the walls down on the venue.QR went on to lets get crazy and then the ultimate love song that says it all, loves a bitch. After that the band did an awsome jam while Kevin had his break,It was now time to cum on feel the noise, and if the sound system didnt blow your ears off the crowd did. It was the biggest rock n roll party ive ever seen, but it wasnt over yet. carlos snuck in a guitar solo during come on feel the noise. at that point they had turned on the lights in the venue in an attempt to get QR to wrap the show up, the audience was screaming "bang your head" Kevin looked at the guys in the back signaling to wrap it up,then looked at carlos, rudy, and franky. he then held his arms out wide and you could read carlos's lips "the long one",Kevin nodded his head.It was time to reach the heavans and make sure everyone knew ROCK NEVERS STOPS! They slammed io bang your head (metal health) and that made earth shake, five min or so into the metal madness they mixed in party all night after that went into bang your head 98 and it blew everyone away after a couple minutes of that it was back to the original version of metal health to close the show. Proving once again that real ROCK NEVER STOPS. The audience was crazy, the bands were on fire, the women were hot, and the beer was good. The show kicked ass , dont miss it if it comes to your town!!!!!!!

Update 06/27/98

* I'm off to Hamilton to see Iron Maiden for the first time on Sunday night... which will likely blow my mind. I'm going to attempt to sneak a camera in, so if it works out I'll put some pictures up on the site next week. UP THE IRONS!

Update 06/26/98

* W.A.S.P. has pulled out of their scheduled road trip with Iron Maiden and Dio citing their need to continue working on their new album. A spokesperson told MTV News that both Iron Maiden and Dio would play longer sets to make up for the loss. Dio is not on all the dates, however. They drop off the schedule after July 29. - MTV News

* Metallica tour report from Wednesday’s opening night: ( Allstar Magazine)

Fists pumped and heads banged Wednesday (June 24) night when Metallica, cocked and reloaded, opened their 1998 North American tour at Coral Sky Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida. Preceded by Jerry Cantrell (of Alice in Chains fame) and teen rockers Days of the New, Metallica closed out a night of testosterone- enriched guitar rock with an explosive set that devoured most everything in its path. The San Francisco quartet opened with a blistering version of "Helpless," off the Garage Days album, and without pause kicked into a full- length "Master of Puppets" that had a crowd of 20,000 shouting along with it. James Hetfield's vocals were sharp and ominous, cutting through the wall of noise like a razor. His cocky smile and powerful stance showed a confidence that comes with experience. Metallica abandoned the theatrics of their last tour (falling light towers, stage hands on fire) for a more direct approach -- a no-frills, 20-song set that included selections from every album, from "Fight Fire with Fire" off Ride the Lightning to their current hit "Fuel." But with Kirk Hammett spewing spitfire solos from a colorful collection of guitars, frills are something Metallica can do without. One surprise caught nearly everyone off guard, though: a three- song acoustic set comprised of unplugged versions of "Low Man's Lyric," "The Four Horsemen," and a bluesy slide guitar rendition of "The Last Caress." After plugging back in, the foursome left ears ringing with impressive deliveries of three of their best -- "Sad but True," "Enter Sandman," and "Creeping Death." Although cramped for space (equipment from all three acts filled the stage), first opening act Days of the New gave early arrivals a worthy set of grungy tunes from their hit album Touch, Peel and Stand, including the mega-hit title track and new single "The Down Town." Following Days' set, Alice in Chains guitarist Jerry Cantrell (whose band included Alice drummer Sean Kinney) played several Alice tunes ("No Excuses," "Got Me Wrong," "Them Bones") with aplomb, and demonstrated even more skill during such selections as "My Song," "Cut You In," and "Dickeye" from his debut solo album Boggy Depot. Cantrell finished his set with a soulful- sounding cover of Pink Floyd's "Brain Damage."

* C.C. DeVille has casted doubt on the reported summer Poison tour: "I don't think we're gonna do it," he says. "I would love to do a reunion and do the old songs, but I don't want to go in there and do a new album, and be like the Beach Boys putting out their 97th album... It's like nostalgia that's sour." He adds, "I just don't want to be there under the guise of 'Here, we're still current.'" - Allstar Magazine

* Ozzfest article from muzic.com:

Every time Ozzy Osbourne's Ozzfest hits the road, it's always amid a flurry of rumors and allegations surrounding the metal madman. And this year is no different. The latest gossip is about a supposed legal document from Osbourne's attorneys that each band performing on the U.S leg of the tour are required to sign. According to a reliable source, the document prohibits the band members and their crew from being onstage, backstage or anywhere near Ozzy while he's performing. Why? Well, if these rumors are true, it's because Mr. Osbourne has a little secret. Apparently the aging rocker is having a little trouble remembering the lyrics to his own songs, and must rely on a teleprompter to guide him through his catalog of hard-rocking hits. Our sources also say the Ozzster is having difficulty with his vocal chords, too. In an effort to boost his weakening voice, Ozzy supposedly hired a soundalike singer to accompany him throughout the set. We weren't able to find out the identity of this mystery man but apparently, he hides behind the band and his vocals are mixed in with Ozzy's. That's why the other bands aren't permitted on the stage. True or not, the 50,000 fans that attended the Ozzfest kick-off date last Saturday in Milton Keynes Bowl near London didn't seem to notice any difference. According to a London newspaper, the crowd roared with delight when the reunited Black Sabbath hit the stage. The vibes between the Sabbath- sters was reportedly good as even original drummer Bill Ward, who recently suffered a heart attack during rehearsals, made an appearance. The drummer grinned as his former bandmate introduced him to the fans and then, in true Ozzy spirit, dropped his drawers. All of this proves that although he may be losing his physical ability, he shouldn't really worry 'cause he lost his mind many years ago. And that's why you gotta love him.

* Eddie Van Halen: "A lot of the naysayers, so to speak, who came to see us live changed their minds immediately," he says. "I think that anyone who says that has not seen us perform - this is the most powerful, deepest and most exciting incarnation yet." He jokes, "I'm takin' up the tuba if this doesn't work." To his credit, Van Halen is not frustrated with the expectations. "I definitely am not frustrated," he says. "Again we're a brand-new band. This is our first record. We get no airplay at all in our hometown (Los Angeles), and, hey, it's just like we're starting over, like we did back in '78. We're just taking it straight to the people on tour, and everyone who walks out goes out and buys the record." - Arizona Central

* Eric Singer could be the replacement for Jimmy DeGrasso on Alice Cooper's upcoming summer tour.

Update 06/23/98

* In addition to 20 North American dates with Deep Purple and ELP, Dream Theater are playing a one-off "semi-acoustic" Fan Club-only gig of old, new and cover tunes in Rotterdam and a special 2 set, 3 hour-plus gig in Paris, both of which will be recorded by Kevin Shirley for a new live album and possible home video for release in the fall. - Hardradio

* Hardradio is also reporting that all of Two's European live dates have been cancelled, including Festival appearances in July. After declining an offer to appear at Ozzfest because of the proposed Eurpean tour, Halford must now face reality. He has lost all credibility with heavy metal fans, and his contrived effort on "Voyeurs" was a disgrace.

Update 06/21/98

* Ozzfest UK set-lists courtesy of The Rock Network (06/20/98):

Fear Factory: Shock, Demanufacture, Self Bias Resistor, Hi Tech Hate, Edgecrusher, Replica, Scapegoat

Human Waste Project: Shine, Drowned, Get With It, Dog, Power Strip, Slide, Exit Wound, Drugstore, Disease

Slayer: South Of Heaven, War Ensemble, Death's Head, Dead Skin Mask, Dittohead, Raining Blood, Altar Of Sacrifice, Jesus Saves, Captor Of Sin, Mandatory Suicide, Angel Of Death

Soulfly: No Hope=No Fear, Spit, Bleed, Tribe, Umbabarauma, Quilombo, Prejudice, Roots, Attitude, The Song Remains Insane

Entombed: Eyemaster, To Ride, Shoot Straight And Speak The Truth, Like This With The Devil, Crawl, Clauses , Hollowman, Damn Deal Done, Out Of Hand

Pitchshifter: Microwaved, Virus, Civilised, Triad, W.y.s.i.w.y.g., Genius, Subject To Status

Coal Chamber: Shag, Big Truck, Bradley, Clock, Maricon Puto, Oddity, Loco

Ozzy: Believer, I Don't Know, Bark At The Moon, Goodbye To Romnance, Change The World, Suicide Solution, Mr Crowley, Crazy Train

Black Sabbath: War Pigs, N i b, Fairies Wear Boots, Snowblind, Into The Void, Spiral Architect, Lord Of This World, Sweet Leaf, Electric Funeral, Sabbath Bloody Sabbath, Black Sabbath, Iron Man, Children Of The Grave, Paranoid

Update 06/19/98

* Ozzfest '98 will make it's only UK appearance Saturday at the Milton Keynes Bowl. The lineup will consist of Neurosis, Human Waste Project, Entombed, Life of Agony, Coal Chamber, Fear Factory, Slayer, Soulfly, Pantera, Foo Fighters, Ozzy Osbourne, and Black Sabbath. Korn have pulled out of the show because guitarist Brian Welch's girlfriend is about to have a baby. Taking their place will be Irish heavy-metallists Therapy. I am hoping to post a full report from this show by Sunday.

Update 06/17/98

* David Lee Roth was recently seen doing the business at one of the Spy bar's karaoke nights in New York. On June 10th, he jumped onstage for 'Just a Gigolo' before joining comedian Dominic Chianise for 'California Girls'.

* Voivod will begin a European tour on July 8th in the Czech Republic. Due to the band's touring schedule in Europe they had to turn down an offer to play the Milwaukee Metalfest.

Update 06/15/98

* Tommy Lee, convicted of spousal abuse and serving 180 days in jail says he will return to touring as soon as he gets out. The Motley Crue drummer will rejoin the band after his release from jail. The band will tour in support of their latest album of greatest-hits. - theEnews

* Metal Mania article from MTV News:

Just when you thought it was safe to return to your local amphitheater... Perennial headbangers Iron Maiden, Dio, and W.A.S.P. have teamed up for a summer tour that kicks off next week and promises to bring old fashioned, high-shrieking heavy metal to the U.S. Iron Maiden, who will be touring behind the recently released "Virtual XI," say that this time out they will be packing a stage show suitable for a tour being dubbed "Metal Mania," and they are promising that this time their longtime mascot Eddie will be along for the ride. "We're ready to bring metal back to our North American fans," Maiden bassist and founding member Steve Harris said of the tour in a prepared statement. Harris will be joined by guitarist and Maiden co-founder Dave Murray, drummer Nicko McBrain, guitarist Janick Gers, and frontman Blaze Bayley. "The last time we toured here almost three years ago was the first tour with Blaze and we made a point of playing intimate venues that allowed the fans to get to know Blaze but didn't allow us to bring our full production," Harris said. "This time around we'll be largely in amphitheaters with the full in-your-face metal show that fans have been waiting for. Eddie is back in all his glory." In addition to Maiden, Dio, and WASP, the tour will also feature a turn from Dirty Deeds, the first band signed to Harris' Beast Records.

Update 06/13/98

* Sepultura will play a food-for-tickets benefit gig for 40,000 people in Anhembi, Sao Paolo, Brazil on August 15th 98. There will be special appearances by a host of stars and tickets will cost a food donation and approximately $5. All money and food will go to poor people in Brazil. Andreas Kisser: "...we have the set list for the brazilian gig and Derrick's performance on the old Sepultura stuff is amazing, we plan to play more than 25 songs including 3 new songs and a lot of special Jams with very special friends..." - Sepultribe

* Pantera will be taking a long break after finishing off 5 more European shows next week. The tour will conclude with an appearance at Ozzfest on June 20, 1998 in Milton, UK.

Update 06/12/98

* Sad news for Van Halen's European fans: the rest of the European leg of the tour has been cancelled as a result of Alex's arm injury on 6/03. The band will now head home to the U.S.A. to prepare for their summer tour which starts on July 1 in Phoenix, AZ. The festivals on 6/13 and 6/14 in Milan, IT and Weert, NL will still take place, but without Van Halen on the bill. - Van Halen News Desk

Update 06/11/98

* Nick Menza will be temporarily leaving Megadeth for health reasons (NOT AIDS or anything like that). Until further notice, taking his place starting June 10th in Fresno will be Jimmy DeGrasso (former Y&T, Suicidal Tendencies, MD.45, Alice Cooper). Report from last night's show in Fresno: "Jimmy played tonight in Fresno and sounded AWESOME. For those of you worried that he's "not as good as Nick" or anything like that have another thing coming. Everyone at the show tonight kept a very close eye on him and I didn't hear one bad thing. I watched the show from backstage and was quite surprised at how well he did. Even Lajon of Sevendust was impressed. Jimmy did GREAT for only a couple days notice of what he needed to learn. Yeah, he sounds different I suppose, but NOT in a bad way whatsoever." Tonight's show in San Bernadino, CA, has been cancelled. - thanks to C. J. for the info

* Van Halen's two UK shows in London and Birmingham on 6/09 and 6/10 were canceled. Alex is seeing a therapist and doctor every day and his condition continues to be evaluated on a day-by-day basis. The status of friday night's show in Zurich, SW, has not yet been determined. - www.van-halen.com

* Ronnie James Dio's new double live album, Inferno: Last in Live, is an excellent compilation I would recommend for Dio fans.

"It's always hard to select tracks for a live album," the 48-year-old Dio said. "In the great history of Dio alone, we could have done a couple double albums for that. We tried to pick the things that were absolutely necessary, like 'Rainbow in the Dark' and 'Holy Diver. We knew we were going to disappoint some people along the way," Dio added, "but we tried to get a good balance of the hits and things we haven't done in five or six years." - SonicNet

Update 06/09/98

* Yngwie Malmsteen will not take part in the Metal Maniacs tour as previously reported. The confirmed lineup will include: Iron Maiden, Dio, W.A.S.P., and Dirty Deeds. This comes as a huge disappiontment... Yngwie has blown a great opportunity to gain some North American exposure. One has to wonder why he, as well as Judas Priest are content on merely playing clubs in the States.

* Good news and bad news to report on the Dream Theater front. Good news: tentative North American dates have been released for the month of August. Bad news: they will likely be the opening act behind Emerson Lake and Palmer, and Deep Purple. These yet-to-be-confirmed dates can be viewed on Deep Purple's Official Homepage.

* Steven Tyler will perform for the first time since his May knee surgery when Aerosmith play the June 29 debut of the movie Armageddon at the Kennedy Space Center at Cape Canaveral, Fla. They'll play "I Don't Want To Miss a Thing," one of two new songs they recorded for the soundtrack. - MTV News

Update 06/06/98

* Alex Van Halen is now wearing a soft cast as he recuperates after being struck by ceiling plaster in Hamburg on June 3rd. His status will be determined on a day-by-day basis. In the interim, Van Halen have decided to cancel the Sweden show on 6/05 and the following two shows in Esbjerg and Copenhagen on 6/06 and 6/07. - The Official Van Halen Web Site

Update 06/05/98

* Judas Priest have just finished the Japanese part of the world tour which concludes the touring for now. The band will take some time off during the summer to finish a live album from the Jugulator tour and write material for the next studio album for a release next year. They will not go back to North America, nor do any festival appearances this summer as originally planned and rumoured. Possibly the tour will continue in South America in September, says Jayne Andrews, personal assistant to Judas Priest, but nothing's decided yet. - The Metal Painkiller Page

* Contrary to some rumors that have been circulating on the Net, Dokken will not be touring with Poison this summer. The band will be hitting the road in support of their new album, but Poison will not be involved. - Heavy Metal Mining Co.

Update 06/04/98

* Van Halen's performance Wednesday night in Hamburg Germany was canceled due to an injury sustained by Alex Van Halen while warming up at the venue. A piece of plaster fell from the ceiling and struck the mighty drummer in the arm. Thankfully, the injury is NOT life threatening and Al is NOT expected to suffer any permanent damage. In addition, the band may not play the Karlshamn Rock Festival on 6/05, which is currently in a To-Be-Determined state. - The Official Van Halen Web Site

* Slayer- "Diabolus In Musica" Tour Report (05/31/98 San Francisco - Warfield):

Two hours before speed-metal kings Slayer took the stage at the Warfield Theatre, the chants began. Led by System of a Down frontman Serj Tankian, the teeming sell-out crowd of shirtless young men and black-clad metalmongers boomed out Slayer's name and held pinkie and pointer fingers aloft in a Slayer-tanic tribute. When Slayer finally took the stage in a swirl of smoke and slashing red and green lights, the crowd erupted in a raucous roar and one fan rushed over the railing of the upstairs balcony and onto the hardwood floor 15 feet below. "No other band can do what they do. They're the best band on the face of the planet." -- Nate Clark, fan. Guitarists Jeff Hanneman and Kerry King stood on either side of bassist/vocalist Tom Araya, forming a formidable phalanx of tank tops and shorts. King slashed away at his instrument, his flailing arms adorned with tattoos that licked all the way up to the side of his clean-shaven head. Drummer Paul Bostaph, shirtless and beating out a blitzkrieg attack on the skins, set up camp on a raised platform fronting a large gong -- the only adornment on the noticeably spare stage set. Playing a set that pulled heavily from trusty pearls such as "Die By The Sword" (off of their 1983 debut, Show No Mercy), "South Of Heaven" (from the LP of the same name) and "Death Skin Mask," Slayer gave the black-booted swarm its much-craved metal fix. While they were blasting away, they also took the opportunity to debut new material such as "Stain of Mind" (RealAudio excerpt) and "Death's Head" from their new album, Diabolus in Musica, which hits stores on Tuesday. Despite the ferocity associated with Slayer's fierce, guitar-driven attack and ruthless lyrics such as "embryonic death/ embedded in your brain/ suffocation, strangulation/ death is fucking you insane," the group took great pains to keep the mostly younger fans from killing themselves in the name of metal. At one point, Araya offered a mild, fatherly lecture after one of several fans finished the perilous plunge from speaker to stage. "It's OK to have a good time. We want you to have a good time," he said. "But take it easy. Don't do anything to get yourselves hurt." Prior to the show, Araya had said the band meets a lot of closet fans -- businessmen in suits -- who perk up when the guys mention that they're in Slayer. But the frantic minions mauling each other in the mosh pits and scrambling atop the speakers for dangerous leaps onto the stage were the furthest thing from suits. Even after the last vicious strains of "Angel Of Death" had finished rattling around the spacious ceilings of the Warfield, a healthy crowd remained, mingling on the floor and looking tough out on the pavement. - SonicNet

* Metallica's Jason Newsted discusses opening acts ( MetOnTour index): "I would not mind having a really heavy new band open for us, like Machine Head or Entombed. Sepultura if they would get back together. For the other guys, I am sure everybody has their own separate ideas. A collective thing like Corrosion of Conformity is the perfect idea, everybody likes them. That does not come across to often, where everybody feels the same way about the opening band. We all have different music tastes." The North American tour begins on June 24th in West Palm Beach, FL with supporting acts Jerry Cantrell and Days of the New. The band has realized that they would not be able to follow a true metal act on stage. Don't be surprised to see an "unplugged" session during the encore.

Update 06/01/98

* Bruce Dickinson reveals details of his recent on-stage jam with Dream Theater in LA.: "The band's tour manager, Bill Barclay, used to be Adrian Smith's guitar technician in the early days of Maiden. So after a few beers together, the keyboard player gave me a yell and asked if I wanted to go and do 'Perfect Strangers' with them, something we had already done together on a live radio session. I've also been working with him on the Alice Cooper tribute. So we did Perfect Strangers at the end. And then, of course, the band wandered off into 'The Trooper', followed by a verse of 'Where Eagles Dare', and one of 'Killers'. So I obliged and an enormous amount of fun was had by all." - Hardradio News

* As Vinny Appice replaces Bill Ward on Black Sabbath's European tour, Ronnie James Dio has named replacement Simon Wright on drums.

Update 05/31/98

* Union have cancelled their summer tour. Guitarist Bruce Kulick explains the reasons for this decision on the Union Asylum website.

* Nikki Sixx discusses the future of Motley Crue ( MTV News) : "We cut two new songs, one called 'Bitter Pill' and one called 'Slave' and it's going to go on a greatest hits that comes out in October. And we had to cut the tracks real quickly because Tommy had to go to jail, so it was sort of a stressful time for the band, you know. But we got the songs cut, and he's in jail now. While he's in jail, we're going to finish up the songs, put the package together... when he gets out of jail, we go straight into rehearsals, we go on a Japanese tour, then we'll start a U.S. tour and onwards and upwards and leave all the junk behind us. In Japan, we're playing all the massive arenas, the band is still really big over there. America is sort of reinventing itself in the rock and roll department, so it'll probably be somewhere between 5,000 and 10,000 seaters."

Update 05/29/98

* It's OFFICIAL! Iron Maiden's North American tour dates have been confirmed. They will be touring with Dio, WASP, and Yngwie Malmsteen. The tour is set to kick off on Friday, June 26th in Chicago, IL. The set-list from the European tour can be viewed in the May 25th update. Expect to hear 6 out of the 8 songs from Virtual XI.

* Report on Ozzfest'98 Video Screen ( muzic.com): As most of you know, Ozzy Osbourne likes to concoct wacky videos that he runs before his stage shows. We just got word that on the momentous occasion of the third annual Ozz Fest, Osbourne has spent oodles of money on a video where he appears as -- get this -- Hanson. And why did he choose Hanson? Don't you remember late last year, when his sixteen year old daughter Aimee bid a whopping $16,000 for two tickets to a Hanson show at the City of Hope Auction? It must have made a big impression on old dad, because now he's donning a shaggy blond wig, on and off the stage.

Update 05/24/98

North American tour dates should be released in a few days.

Update 05/21/98

Update 05/20/98

* Motley Crue fans will have to wait a lot longer than expected for their next tour. The band had planned to tour this summer, but those plans have changed as Tommy Lee has just been sentenced to 6 months in jail. According to MTV News, the Judge also ordered Lee to serve three years probation, refrain from drugs and alcohol during that period, perform 200 hours of community service, and donate $5000 to a battered women's shelter. He also has to stay at least 100-yards away from estranged wife Pamela Anderson. According to the Associated Press, he was warned by the judge that if he violates any of the provisions, he'll be sent to a State penitentiary for the full three-year term. Expect the band to release a double live cd before the end of the year.

Update 05/16/98

Update 05/15/98

* Alice Cooper will tour Europe May 24th - June 7th, followed by a North American tour starting on June 19th. The tour will consist of stops at various outdoor fairs, festivals, and casinos. Alice now claims that he has more energy than he ever had before and that his new live album, "A Fistful of Alice", will likely blow your ears off.

Update 05/12/98

* Female rockers Vixen will begin a tour in June in support of their forthcoming album "Tangerine" which will be released on May 19th.

Update 05/10/98

* Ronnie James Dio will hit the road this summer beginning on May 19th in Bakersfield, California. The Official Ronnie James Dio Website has reported that Love/Hate will be the opening act.

Update 05/08/98

* Aerosmith singer Steven Tyler's knee injury looks to be worse than originally thought, and the band has been forced to reschedule all the remaining shows on the North American leg of its current world tour. Tyler was injured last week at a concert in Anchorage, Alaska, when the 20-pound base of his mic stand hit his knee and he fell awkwardly.

Update 05/07/98

* Featured bands performing at the Dynamo Open Air Festival will include Pro-Pain, Fu-Manchu, Death, Fates Warning, Fear Factory, Soulfly, Cathedral, and Pantera.

* Cannibal Corpse and Obituary will be co-headlining the No Mercy Festival.

Update 05/06/98

* Some disturbing news on the vintage Metal tour front as Judas Priest don't appear to be returning to North America this summer as suggested a few months back. There were rumours that Priest and Iron Maiden were slated to hook up for a package tour but negotiations recently fell through. W.A.S.P. was another name tagged to the bill, but Blackie Lawless stated recently that W.A.S.P. hadn't confirmed any tour plans as of yet. - Hardradio News

* KISS will be begin touring in September/October in support of their new new studio album "Psycho Circus", which should be released in September. The band is planning on something special this tour by mounting a 3-D screen and handing out glasses to the spectators.

Update 05/05/98

* Added tour date link for Union (Bruce Kulick and John Corabi).

Update 04/30/98

* The MILWAUKEE METALFEST XII will be held on July 24th and 25th, with 33 different bands hitting the stage each day. The first day will feature Mercyful Fate, Death, Cannibal Corpse, Suffocation, Sarcophagus, and Oppressor; while the second day will feature Sodom, Destruction, Emperor, and Six Feet Under.

Update 04/29/98

* Allstar Magazine has reported that the original members of Poison are currently writing songs for a new album to be released in early 1999. Although a tour has not yet been confirmed, the band is looking to hit the road for about a month's worth of warm-up shows across the U.S. towards the end of the summer. The possible tour could also feature Whitesnake and Dokken. Meanwhile, Bret Michaels is also expected to tour as a solo act sometime in July in support of his forthcoming soundtrack album "A Letter from Death Row", due July 28.

Update 04/23/98

* The "Metal Mania" festival will take place in the U.S. through June and July. This package will include Iron Maiden along with other legendary metal acts yet to be confirmed.

Update 04/20/98

* Cinderella's "Unfinished Business Tour 1998" has been postponed. Lead vocalist Tom Keifer has re-injured his vocal chords and could undergo surgery to correct the problem. The band hopes to resume the tour in July.

Update 04/18/98

* Partial U.S. tourdates for Slayer have just been announced. They will begin their tour on May 27 in Tempe, AZ in support of "Diabolus In Musica" which has been pushed back to a June 9 release.

Update 04/17/98

* The Monsters of Rock Festival - featuring Van Halen, Dream Theater, Deep Purple, Joe Satriani, & G3 - will take place in Milan, Italy on June 13, 1998.

Update 04/14/98

* Tourdates are now available for the Rock Never Stops tour featuring Firehouse, Warrant, Quiet Riot, Slaughter, and L.A. Guns.

* Check out Van Halen's set-list from their first show of the III world tour at Queen's Wharf in Wellington, NZ - 4/10/98.

Update 04/13/98

* Two has just been dropped from Ozzfest due to a conflicting European tour.

* Black Sabbath European dates are in.

* Motorhead has just been added to the Ozzfest lineup. They will replace Two as the headlining act on the second stage.

Update 04/08/98

* Look for the Rock Never Stops tour featuring Warrant, Firehouse, Slaughter, Quiet Riot, and L.A. Guns to hit the stage for an arena tour this summer.

* The main stage at this summer's Ozzfest will feature Ozzy's solo band, along with Megadeth and Tool. Two (Rob Halford) will be appearing on the second stage.

* Iron Maiden might join forces with Ronnie James Dio, W.A.S.P. and Yngwie J. Malmsteen on their upcoming North American tour.

* Another summer tour package could include Dream Theater with Ted Nugent and Deep Purple.

* The opening acts for Metallica on the upcoming North American tour will be Jerry Cantrell and Days Of The New.