August 11th, The Key Club, Los Angeles with Daijabou. If you are in Los Angeles then don’t forget to check out this performance by Temper featuring Jonny Santos (former singer of Spineshank). If you haven’t heard their 2 demos online then check out http://www.tempermusic.com.

This week Obituary launched its second official website. Now joining the Trevor Peres run www.slowlywerot.net is the new John and Donald Tardy run www.obituary.cc. Drop by, check it out, drop the band a line. Other than that, Obituary is currently writing material for an upcoming 2005 release.

How many times has Nickelback toured the US in support of their latest release? All the more reason to savor the moment, to celebrate that Nickelback is indeed currently touring the states this summer. That being said, check out THIS LINK and enjoy.

Congratulations going out to happy couple Mr & Mrs Decker! Tommy & Amie were married on August 1st. All here hope you both had a wonderful day! Spineshank bandmates Rob Garcia and Mike Sarkisyan were all suited and booted as part of the wedding party too…

The new September issue of Metal Hammer has just hit the streets. And we think you should go pick it up… here’s why: – free ZAO & SLIPKNOT tracks on the covermount CD – Mick from Slipknot on the cover, plus 7 page SLIPKNOT cover feature inside (pgs 42-48) – KILLSWITCH ENGAGE’s Joel & CHIMAIRA’s Matt talking about Slayer (pgs 39,40) – ZAO whole page 9/10 album review (pg 99) – SLIPKNOT top the poll for most eyebrow-raising live shows (pg 25) – Access All Areas with MACHINE HEAD from Download (pgs 32-35) – 3 pgs on Fury Fest from France featuring SLIPKNOT, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, HATEBREED, SOULFLY, FEAR FACTORY, CALIBAN, CHIMAIRA, TERROR, WALLS OF JERICHO, and a pile more… (pgs 54-56) – Incoming new band special on ZAO (pgs 74-75) – 2 page lead 9/10 live review for the KILLSWITCH ENGAGE/CHIMAIRA tour (pgs 112-113) And that’s not all! There’s also live reviews of both FEAR FACTORY and NICKELBACK, as well as a nice piece on Trustkill band EIGHTEEN VISIONS.

We’ve been telling you how awesome the new Zao album is, but don’t take OUR word for it. Here are 2 very recent press reviews… and don’t forget, it’s out on Monday. METAL HAMMER THE FUNERAL OF GOD (ZAO) [FERRET/ROADRUNNER] State of the art heavy metal 9/10 I’ll admit it – there are certain things that you actually really, really, look forward to reviewing and this was definitely one of those. Having totally bought into the US press ad campaign of: í¢ä‰åñWe ask that you join us in grieving at ‘The Funeral Of God,’ a 47 minute, 26 second Mass,í¢ä‰åŒ along with the powerful statue and cross imagery, the wide eyed fan in me was salivating in a way unseen since the death of picture-disc vinyl. To live up to that kind of vision Zao couldn’t simply be good, it had to be awesome, even genre defining. If that genre happens to be metalcore then never has there been a more required moment for sharpening and redefining, as band after band mix old hardcore riffs with trad solos and strained grunts into a lumpen, impotent grind. If the melodic end of the genre has been taken by Killswitch Engage then the extreme end of the Kingdom belongs to Zao. No question. Armed with the knowledge that extreme doesn’t always have to read ‘brutal’, ‘The Funeral Of God’ is Zao’s attempt to rise above the underground and in striving for that there can surely be few things more ambitious than a concept album based around God choosing to die with which to achieve that aim. It’s the kind of subject matter that could lead to considerable embarrassment but one that Zao tackle with something approaching total fearlessness. The influence pool may seem familiar doses of NYHC bludgeon, classic thrash riffs and damaging death metal beats, but the difference between them and so many of their so-called peers is in how Zao wrap it up into a concise and thoroughly contemporary beast. The end result is so much more than simply a sum of its parts. The dual guitars of Scott Mellinger and Russ Cogdell are razor sharp when required, cauterising on the riffs and beautiful in equal parts, while Dan Weyandt’s vocals sound equally commanding whether he be shredding his throat or squeezing the last drops out of his soul. There’s no death grunt to whining caterwaul here, the guy can really sing when he wants to. From start to finish the quality is relentless but for the best results and the most seamless examples of everything Zao can be then ‘Liveí¢ä‰åŒ_ From The Funeral Of God’ and ‘Praise The War Machine’ shine strongest – the riff coursing through the latter simply monstrous. ‘I Lay Sleepless In My Grave’ is the kind of epic finale that an album of this stature needs and indeed demands, bringing to an end a piece of art that you can both rock out to and bask in. By being brave enough to take the high road and take chances in the concept of what they could achieve, Zao have not only succeeded in re-setting the bar within their genre they have very likely crippled it as surely as they have transcended it. However if ambition breeds competition then let the new age begin. BIG CHEESE THE FUNERAL OF GOD – ZAO Christian metalcore legends return. 4/5 Despite having split up several times and having gone through more band members than Guns & Roses, Zao have retained their reputation as being one of the best metalcore bands in the world. Zao are committed Christians and they’ve done a concept album about God. Now there’s a surprise. The album explores the idea that that God has the hump with humanity because we don’t pay him enough attention so he decides to have an everlasting kip. Regardless of the ideological aspects of Zao, they make some damn fine and ferocious metalcore. It’s also surprisingly coherent as a concept album. The songs work well individually but the album definitely has to be listened to in one sitting for its full effect. The more melancholy and calmer tracks towards the end of the album give a nice sense of balance to the full on aural assault at the start. Zao haven’t sullied their good name.

MURDERDOLLS bassist Eric Griffin has teamed up with ROXY SAINT for a U.K. tour beginning August 24. The trek will include both the Reading and Leeds festivals and several other shows around Great Britain. Eric will also be playing in Los Angeles with the NAPOLEON BLOWNAPARTS on August 11 at the Troubadour. Also appearing on the bill will be Sweden’s BACKYARD BABIES. blabbermouth.net

A new drummer is in the Chimaira ranks – Kevin Talley, formerly of Dying Fetus / Misery Index. Recommended to the band by Slayer’s Kerry King, Kevin will be behind the kit for Chimaira’s co-headline run with Machine Head on the US Road Rage tour, which starts tomorrow night (8/03) in Cleveland, and on the band’s inaugural trips to Japan and Australia in September. PS – for the real reason on this and more, check out Chimaira’s upcoming DVD The Dehumanizing Process, coming this winter.

It is with great disappointment that we confirm that Ferret signed SCARLET will not be able to honour their place on the forthcoming HOPESFALL/NORA tour. The band are currently busy recruiting a new bass player following the departure of Chris Hagan. Scarlet were then dealt a further blow losing most of their stage gear to theft after a US show. The band have decided to re-build themselves with a new member and hit the road stronger than ever in the Autumn! We anticpate a new album to follow ‘Cult Classic’ in early 2005 í¢ä‰åäóì meantime, watch this space for UK dates before the end of the year.

Further to the previous exciting news about the new Roadrunner/Trustkill licensing deal, we have just added artist pages for Walls Of Jericho, Eighteen Visions, Poison The Well, Bleeding Through, Throwdown, and Most Precious Blood as come October, we will be releasing some classic Trustkill back catalogue by these artists, as well as a selection of hot new Trustkill albums! More details on all the releases to come, but meanwhile check out the updated artists section and familiarise yourself with some new bands or grab some desktop wallpaper from our In The Pit section!