So June 10th has come and gone. What’s the latest on the new album? We’ll let Jonny Santos tell you himself… “We are still all very hard at work right now just trying to finish writing this record. It looks as if we might be taking about another 3 or 4 weeks before we start actually tracking. The delay came about due to the band feeling that some songs were just not strong enough to make the record and Spineshank will not put out a half assed record because the fans deserve better. Although the delay might disappoint some people, Iassure you it will be worth the wait. The album will be entitled “Violent Mood Swings” and that is exactly what it is. We are hoping to be able to tour the UK shortly after release and are looking forward to seeing our fans after such a long time. Until then take care and keep f*ckin kickin ass!!” -Jonny

Available on CD only for around 퉌£11.99 from Virgin, HMV, Virgin (퉌£2 off wth ‘Download 2002’ discount card free with Metal Hammer, and this site here), MVC, Tower, & all good indies. We’ve got an amazing record on our hands and we’re in a giving mood. So click HERE and introduce yourself to FIVE POINTE 0. You’ll find the entire album in instant track by track streaming audio, pics, tour dates, links, wallpapers, etc. The tracklisting is: DOUBLE X MINUS KING OF THE HILL ART OF COPE PURITY 01 FREEDOM SYMPATHETIC CLIMATE CONTROL UNTITLED SYNDROME DOWN BREATHE MACHINE THE INFINITY ASPIRE/INSPIRE

As it just so happens, Five Pointe O is playing their debut New York City show this evening (8th), at Irving Plaza, no less. Also, for the first time, the band came by the Roadrunner NY office. Appropriately enough, they shook down bassist Sean Pavey for a little Q & A. Check it out, some pretty good stuff here, including a ‘flip off’ from the King himself: Roadrunner: So, the 1st NYC show ever for Five Pointe O, looking forward to it? Sean: Yeah, real excited, been waiting for this for a long time. Roadrunner: Nice, nice. You guys have been on tour basically since February 20th. In that time, what moment sticks out the most? Sean: It’s kind of hard to remember anything on the road, it goes by real quick…but probably…yes, we got a chance to meet Kerry King in Corona, CA…though he didn’t talk to us much, just said ‘hi’ and walked by. He did flick me off later that night. He was sitting with Matt from Chimaira on the balcony of the venue. I told Matt we were leaving, Matt questioned “already”? That was when Kerry flicked me off. “Holy shit, I just got flicked off by Kerry King,” I said to myself. Not much left to accomplish now. Roadrunner: Ha! For those of you who do not know, when we speak of Kerry King, we are speaking of Slayer’s Kerry King. Back to the road, how about the longest drive? Sean: Actually, right after Kerry King flicked me off, we had to drive from Corona (outside LA) to Joliet (Chicago). Drove straight through, except for gas and food, about a 30 hour drive. Roadrunner: And you were riding in? Sean: Sixteen passenger van. But we did have a mattress in the back, so a little room to sleep. Roadrunner: Nothing but the best…And you slept? Sean: Slept about six of the thirty hours. Roadrunner: How about your longest sleep on the road? Sean: I’ve never really slept that much on the road, but when I get home, that is when it happens. Last time back home for a break, I slept for 22 hours straight. When I woke up the next day, I felt great. A state of euphoria. Roadrunner: How about eating habits on the road? Sean: Daniel (vocals) and Sharon (guitar) like Subway a lot, freak out when we see one. But most of the time it’s truck stops, cold sandwiches. Sometimes Burger King or Taco Bell. We try to eat healthy. Roadrunner: Sounds great. Sean: But, you can’t shit on the bus, and half the time can’t shit in the club because it’s already filled. So, bathroom is a bit of a problem on the road. I, personally, am eating less to shit less. Roadrunner: Recording your debut Untitled, the toughest song for you? Sean: Ahhh no, studio went smooth. I actually did all my bass tracks in two days. The gods of bass came down and blessed me with the power for a few hours. Roadrunner: And what did you do with the rest of the month you spent in El Paso? Sean: Played pool and drank. Got really good at pool. Roadrunner: And drinking? Sean: Not quite there, yet. Roadrunner: On the road, do you find you drink every night? Sean: Lately, yeah…we’re not a big party band, but ever since this 2nd half of this Mushroomhead tour, we’ve been drinking a bit too much. Now that Lamb of God is not on the bill anymore…they used to drink all the beer, but now there is plenty left for the rest of us! A bit too much. Roadrunner: Twas checking out the Behind The Music on Ozzy last night. Would there happen to be any hidden messages on Untitled? Sean: Subliminal? Roadrunner: Yep…and I’m the one asking the questions here… Sean: You have to listen to it and find out if you start acting strangely. We’re not responsible for any unusual behavior after listening to our album. Roadrunner: Last cd purchased? Sean: Last cd I bought? Shit, Shit, Shit…oh, Ramones, Anthology. Roadrunner: Last cd for free? Sean: Ahhh, let me look in this bag here (filled up on music whilst in Roadrunner office), Killswitch Engage. Awesome cd. I was a fan of their’s before Roadrunner signed them. I might be mistaken, but I think it was Dallas from God Forbid that said this is the best metalcore album…and I probably have to agree with him. at this point Sharon (guitar) walks by, “talkin’ more shit about us online,” she asks with a laugh? Roadrunner: Band that got you into music? Sean: ahhhh…ahh…ah… Roadrunner: Thank God this isn’t being videotaped… Sean: Probably Nirvana. Nirvana and Metallica “Right On,” Sharon chimes in, as her and Sean slap hands. Roadrunner: All right, one last question and we’ll let ya get ready for tonight’s show, is 5.0 a font or a Mustang model? Sean: A what or a Mustang? Roadrunner: A font or a Mustang model. Sean: Ha! It’s a Mustang model. We’re all about rock, hot women, and fast cars. None of us drive a Mustang, but we all wish we did. It was either call us Five Pointe O or Raw Horsepower…but Five Pointe O was a bit catchier. The rest of the hippies in the band say it’s a spiritual thing, but it’s really about rock and cars. O of course, Sean’s answer to the last question was purely said in jest. Roadrunner: Ha…that’s good. Quick. We’d like to think Sean for his time, and wish him and his band the best of luck tonight, and throughout the rest of their touring travels.

The band start pre-production on their third release come Monday 10 June. They will be joined in the studio with Howard Benson and Mike Plotnikoff. Where? L.A. Shortly before entering the studio to start work on what will be their 3rd release, Spineshank guitarist Mike Sarkisyan takes a few minutes to let us know what is up in the world of Spineshank. His words are as follows: hello hello hello!!! Wanna update you guys on what we’re up to. Well, the record is pretty much written. We start pre-production today (June 10) and we’ll start recording June 24th. Howard Benson is gonna produce the record and we’re gonna be recording right here in Los Angeles. I feel that this is gonna turn out to be the best SpineShank record ever, and I mean that. It’s gonna be called Violent Mood Swings – the tittle track is brutal, probably the heaviest thing we’ve ever done. Some other song titles for you: “Obsessive Compulsive”, “Dead To Me”, “Self Destructive Pattern”. As I’ve said before, this record has some of the heaviest, fastest stuff we’ve ever done, and some of the most melodic. Overall, I think it’s more “extreme” in every aspect. We’re not planning on doing a cover or anything like that. We should be done with the record sometime in late August or early September, so it’ll hopefully get released later this year. We don’t know how many songs are gonna end up on the record, but there will be no “fillers”. I’ll try to do more updates from the studio to keep you up to date with what’s going on. Until then take care and keep it rockin. -Mike Violent Shankings – Spineshank will begin pre-production on their upcoming new album “Violent Mood Swings” with producer Howard Benson (Sepultura, P.O.D.) on May 28th. They expect to finish up the process shortly after and are slated to start recording the album on June 10th with 15 songs in total set to be tracked. Around 11-12 are planned for inclusion on the album and the rest will be used for b-sides, soundtracks and video games. If all goes according to plan the album will see a release in early November and will be preceded by an as of yet undetermined first single and video.

What the online community is saying about Five Pointe O’s debut release (i.e. not one word from our trap): “Five Pointe O will assault you with death metal and hardcore battery, and seduce you with heartfelt metalcore/emo melodies, as they recklessly tear through musical sequences inspired by every branch of modern metal. www.uraniummusic.com “From epic dirges to in your face vehemence, “Untitled” runs the gamut of sound and emotion.” www.theprp.com “The art created within the confines of “Untitled” will draw you into a web of devastating beauty that will leave you shaking and disoriented.” www.the-eko.com “This six piece is looking to create destructive and emotional mayhem. With the piercing ‘King of the Hill’, the tribal drumming and cranking riffs in ‘Purity 01’ to the slow, hard hitting unity in ‘Sympathetic Climate Control’ you will feel the beast and beauty that this band can throw at you.” www.eastcoastromper.com “í¢ä‰åŒ_this hardcore outfit from the Windy City rages, yet unlike other hardcore outfits of this ilk, they also have an operatic quality.” www.nyrock.com “The bottom line, Five Pointe O bring something new and different to the plate and are well worth your attentioní¢ä‰åŒ_” www.antimusic.com “By blending melody, beautifully crafted song writing and death metal growls, the end result is truly amazing.” www.noizepollution.com “Five Pointe O combine a startling mix of different metal forms – modern metal, hardcore, double-kick thrash and more- to create destructive and emotional mayhem that will no doubt get this band recognized over the next year or so.” www.inverse-music.com “Five Pointe O has a full CD that is packed with raw energy and emotion that transpires itself into a sound that is unmatched by any other band in today’s music scene” www.nosebleed17.com “‘Untitled’ can appeal universally–to any kind of fan, be it nu-metal, metalcore, metal, or and even fans of electronic metal and things like that, which is one of the many admirable things about Five Pointe 0.” www.undevoured.com “It is this no holds barred approach that makes ‘Untitled’ an album, not one hit and 10 other filler songs. I have always thought that music was something more then just something to dance or mosh to. Five Pointe O proves my theory correct.” www.megakungfu.com

‘LIL JONNY… Jonny Santos, vocalist of Spineshank, is a proud dad. Last night, May 6th, his wife Jen, gave birth to a 7lb 3oz baby boy. Jonny and Jen spent long and hard deciding on a name and came up with….Jonny. Congratulations to Jonny, Jen, and Jonny…and the rest of the Spineshank family, too.

Earlier this afternoon (May 1), Five Pointe O pulled into Worcester, MA., the scene of the crime where they were previously scheduled to play the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival last month. However, as you know, due to other tour commitments they were unable to attend. Well, it just so happens that The Palladium (venue for tonight’s show and previously the venue for the New England Metal and Hardcore Festival) concert goers will now get their chance to see the Five Pointe O show. Daily Schedule: hit town, load out, set up, sit back, play show. Upcoming Week’s Schedule: play a show each of the next four nights, after show in Syracuse on 4th drive to Laguardia Airport in NY, fly to LA on 5th, shoot video in LA on 6th, fly back to NY on 7th, join up once again with the Mushroomhead tour on 8th – the NYC date. Yes, this means Five Pointe O will be missing the two dates in Canada on 5th and 7th. As guitarist Sharon Grzelinski puts it, “it sucks we’re missing the Canada shows, but we need a video.” And the video has been confirmed to be for the song “Double X Minus”. All in Five Pointe O camp are excited, “very excited” about the upcoming video. Godspeed… Get your mits on a brand new downloadable MP3 for Double X Minus. Currently playing the 2nd leg of the Mushroomhead tour, their debut video shoot is shaping up to take place sometime in mid-May, most likely in NYC. Song for this video has yet to be determined. Speaking of video, word has it the band’s show in Grand Rapids tomorrow night (Apr 26th) will be filmed. If you hit this show, make a ruckus…dig? RECRUITMENT – If you like this band, why not apply to join our e-team and help promote them? We’re currently looking for some new faces from all over England, Ireland, Scotland, and Wales to be part of our e-team. We’ll hook you up with info and cool stuff to promote with, give you some ideas, encourage you to develop your own, and as well as getting yourself some swag for your efforts, you can get to meet the band when they tour over here. So if you fancy being part of the Roadrunner team, all you have to do is click on the street team link or go to: www.roadrunnerrecords.com/rruk to sign up! Down in Austin, located in the state of Texas, there is a yearly music conference known as SXSW. Previously we wrote that Five Pointe O would be making an appearance at SXSW on March 15 with Mushroomhead and Lamb Of God, another show during their upcoming tour. Well, now two other new Roadrunner acts will be making an appearance as well… Anyone and Sinch will now be playing SXSW together on Mar 16. Texas, get ready. Most likely Anyone (coming to SXSW from Cali after their upcoming US run with Lennon) will be playing a couple shows amongst their travels to Austin. Sinch, the same holds true. Going to Austin from the streets of Philadelphia, will most likely make a mini-week long tour along the way. Keep checking back for details. If you have yet to do so, you can check out the cover for this piece (by the way, that’s Daniel wearing the Independent Skateboards sweatshirt). The cover for Untitled is fully the band’s conception, which is brought to life by designer Jason Noto. Jason Noto? Did You Know? Jason Noto was actually the creative director for the cd package of Eminem’s The Marshall Mathers LP. It’s true. If you own The Marshall Mathers LP, and judging by its sales, odds are you do, raise your hand… Finally. For the first time ever on the Roadrunner site, we have Five Pointe O music to share with you. Moments ago we uploaded an MP3 file of the title track to their upcoming debut release, Untitled. The name of the track? “Untitled”, of course. More? Keep checking back. Words from the band on “Untitled” to follow shortly. Five Pointe O has finished the mixing process for their upcoming record. The record was produced and mixed by Colin Richardson. The record will be mastered in the next couple of weeks. Five Pointe O will rehearse for the next month in preparation for their home-coming show in Chicago scheduled for January 5th. Nora and 36 Crazyfists will open the show. Mixing was headed by Colin Richardson. Roadrunner Records proudly announces the signing of the Joliet, IL-based 6-piece band FIVE POINTE 0. Brought to the Roadrunner family by the same man who brought in new acts Dry Kill Logic (debut release out now) and Sinch, Paul Conroy (Roadrunner A&R) has the following to say: ” I am extremely excited about the signing of Five Pointe 0. I signed Five Pointe 0 because I believe they represent the future of true heavy metal. This band has nothing in common with the glut of pimp rock/nu-metal bands that are over-saturating the market place. Their music uniquely combines brutal heaviness with melody. I am planing for the band to record their debut release for Roadrunner this summer.”

Somewhere amongst the grubby fists of our A&R Department here at Roadrunner, one can find 4 new Spineshank tracks. A few days ago the band delivered a disc with some of the new material they have been writing – three songs which have yet to be named, and the fourth being dubbed “Dead To Me”. So, what does the band have to say about the new material at this point in time? Time for a little update from Tommy Decker (drummer)…”Hi everybody (hi dr. nick) just wanted to catch everybody up on whats up with the new album. We’ve been writing a lot of stuff and it’s coming out awesome. I think it’s the next logical step for the band. some of it is the heaviest stuff we’ve ever done. There’s a new song that will definitely be a live show closer. It’s really brutal! Sort of like the Height Of Callousness but even heavier. We’ve also been experimenting with some different kind of songs lately, really dark and dynamic. Of course there are the same Spineshank elements that have always been there, electronics, anger, good grooves, quiet parts that explode into chaos. We are gonna take our time – we want to make the best record we can and that takes time, so bear with us. It will be out this year though (barring any catastrophes). Well, I’ve gotta get back to writing music so I’ll post again soon, when things are a little more finished. Bye, Tommy” The man behind The Production Gospel According To Dave tells that the band will most likely keep writing and recording new demos over the next 3 months, before heading into the studio to record shortly thereafter. Phase II is upon us…you have been warned…resistance is futile… Just before Christmas, Spineshank guitarist Mike Sarkisyan wrote the following: “What’s up motherfuckers!!!!! Just thought i’d drop you all a line letting you know what we’ve been up to. 2 days after we got home from the UK (which was one of the best tours we have done) we locked ourselves up in our studio and started working on record #3. Right now we have about 7 songs (most of them don’t have vocals) and we’re pretty fucking excited about them. All i can tell you at this point, is that it’s gonna be the best SpineShank record by far, and we’re not gonna rest till it’s AMAZING. It’s heavier yet more melodic at times (yea yea yea I know every band says that but wait till you hear it). We’ve been listening to a lot of Weezer, Foo Fighters, Aphex Twin, Atari Teenage Riot, Slayer, The Beatles etc….. We’re hoping it could be out this summer, but we’re not gonna rush it. We’re gonna make sure it’s 110% before it comes out. Till next time, Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to you all. see ya . MIKE”

Spineshank has been back in the United States for a while now. What have they made of their time? Since their return, they have basically checked themselves into a rehearsal studio at an undisclosed location in LA, and set it up with a pro-tools recording system. What is pro-tools? In a nutshell it’s state of the art recording equipment used in about 99% of the recording studios in the world – by the way, don’t ask where that percentage came from, it could be way off…it is just there to prove a point… They have been practically “living in the rehearsal room” for the past three weeks – word is they only go home to sleep. Word is also they are working on a 6 day/week schedule, most likely sleeping in on Sundays. They have been writing, recording rough songs and rough ideas of songs. Kevin Estrada, their A&R Rep here at Roadrunner, tells they have about 4-5 solid tracks down without vocals. This week they are throwing around harmony ideas for those tracks. “They are so into the music right now. I’ve never seen them so dedicated. It’s amazing,” Kevin proudly informs. In other Spineshank news, you can catch music from their The Height Of Callousness release on the upcoming Sony PlayStation 2 game Shaun Palmer’s Pro Snowboarder, brought to you by the makers of the Cool Boarders series and the Tony Hawk series. The track “New Disease” is featured in the game, and you can catch a preview of it online (“New Disease” can be heard on the Movie 3 demo). Did you catch a date on the UK tour? They flew home on Sep 15th – right after we took them out to a(nother) London rock club for drinks and debauchery the night before… Check out our instore photos. You can see the live photos of the tour all on www.roadrunnerrecords.co.uk. Also, read a few words direct from Tommy on their visit…”I wanna thank all our friends and fans in the uk for making our first uk headlining tour such a success. It has been a long time since we had been there and i thought that maybe you had forgotten about us, You definitely showed us otherwise. T he uk tour also marked the end of a solid year on the road supporting the height of callousness and i cant think of a better way to end an amazing year for spineshank. We have already begun working on a new record which will hopefully be out by next summer but we are in no rush, we want to give you the best spineshank album possible, how ever long that may take. And dont worry, the new cd will be heavier, more intense and more dynamic than H.O.C! Well, ive gotta run, for more info on the new record check www.spineshank.com as we will be doing monthly reports. talk to you later” Tommy Spineshank The band have completed a video for the track “New Disease” off The Height Of Callousness and you can see it right here on the website. ‘New Disease’ was released as a single on September 10th. The tracklisting is as follows: 1. New Disease (edit) 2. The Height Of Callousness (Fist F*ck Integrity Mix) 3. Asthematic (Punctured Lung Mix) 4. New Disease (video) For your viewing pleasure, Spineshank’s guitarist Mike Sarkisyan sent in some photos from the US Ozzfest tour. You can check them out on Spineshank’s website www.spineshank.com. (Click on the IMAGES link, and then look for TOUR PHOTOS) As the photos on that page are from various shows throughout their current tour, the 11 pics that Mike just sent in are at the bottom…so start at the bottom and work your way up. Take a look at the video for ‘Synthetic’ – full-length as real media or as a short quicktime clip! A limited edition Digipack CD of ‘The Height Of Callousness’ is out now to combat expensive US imports. It features 4 bonus tracks and both videos. The full track listing of the digipack version of ‘The Height Of Callousness’ is: 1. Asthmatic 2. The Height Of Callousness 3. Synthetic 4. New Disease 5. (Can’t Be) Fixed 6. Cyanide 2600 7. Play God 8. Malnutrition 9. Seamless 10. Negative Space 11. Transparent 12. Perfect Ending * 13. Full Circle * 14. The Height Of Callousness (Fist F**k Integrity Mix) * 15. Asthmatic (Punctured Lung Mix) * 16. Synthetic (video) * 17. New Disease (video) * * = bonus tracks It’s available for 퉌£12.99 from HMV, Virgin, MVC, Andys, and all good indie stores. Also check out the MP3 in our ‘Downloads’ section!

THEORY OF A DEADMAN are receiving early praise from the critics for their debut album (the first release from Nickelback frontman Chad Kroeger’s 604 Records via Roadrunner Records). Here’s a sample: “Think of ‘Nothing Could Come Between Us’ as a well-tuned blend of the best elements of Tantric, Days of the New, Creed, Stone Temple Pilots, and Nickelback, with an undercurrent of blues. Lead vocalist/guitarist Tyler Connolly’s lyrics depict a breakup that may or may not be painful to the storyteller. It could easily become an anthem for those who want to ditch their insignificant others pronto. Keep your eyes open for the eponymous debut. ” –Chuck Taylor, Billboard, 24/8/02 “í¢ä‰åŒ_Theory of a Deadman’s tunes are catchy arena rock anthems delivered with such authority and passioní¢ä‰åŒ_” –Eric Schumacher-Rasmussen, CDNOW, 9/9/02 “Theory Of A Deadman showcase a guitar-based, harmony rich, post-grunge soundí¢ä‰åŒ_” –Stereo-Type (Pennsylvania), September 2002