Clayton Mills Leaves Dixie Witch

From Clayton Mills of DIXIE WITCH:

After ten years as the founding guitarist of DIXIE WITCH, I am leaving the band to concentrate on family for awhile. I know that there have been some word of mouth rumors circulating so I just want to set the record straight. My wife and I are having a child this summer and I`m going to stay at home and take care of business there for the time being. The band will continue to play shows and tour with a new guitarist and we`ll just have to play it by ear as to my involvement with DIXIE WITCH in the future. By no means am I getting out of music or quitting playing guitar for good or any bullshit like that. Y`all will be hearing from me and my Les Paul again! Its been a great decade of playing music with the WITCH, we`ve been all over and played nearly 1,000 live shows since 2000 and I`m very grateful for the experience and career I`ve had with the band.


I`d really like to thank all of those who have supported us over the years! The list of names could go on and on forever so I`d just like to say thanks to all the fans who have come out to the shows and bought our CDs and merch, all the bands we`ve shared the stage with, all the family we`ve made on the road (especially those who have opened their homes to us), all the bartenders for the extended hospitality and all the clubs and venues who have let us rock their stages. I`d like to say an extra special thanks to Tone Deaf Touring (Erik, Troy, and Greg), webmaster Jeff Downing, Scott and Small Stone Records, John Perez and Brainticket Records, Mauro and Arclight Records, Erik Larson and ATP, Jeff Pinkus and HONKY, THE SUPLECS, Joel Hamilton, Klaus at the Vibra Agency in Europe, Greg Barrett from Emissions from the Monolith, Walter and the Roadburn festival, the Room 710, Emo`s Austin - and of course to Trinidad and CC for being the incredible musicians that they are! It`s been quite the ride! We have two more shows coming up in Texas with our good ol` friends HONKY - April 10 at the Continental Club in Houston and April 11 at Room 710 in Austin.


- Clayton

TROUBLE Guitarist To Guest On ROBOT LORDS OF TOKYO CD

Columbus, Ohio's ROBOT LORDS OF TOKYO have announced that Rick Wartell, who makes up one half of the legendary guitar duo in U.S. doom masters TROUBLE, will make a special guest appearance on their next album.

The ROBOT LORDS is a songwriting duo consisting of Rick Ritzler (drums, guitar) and Paul Jones (vocals, guitar), who utilize a "PROBOT-like" approach by utilizing a variety of special guest players. Their music has been described by critics as "classic southern-doom-groove metal topped by blistering solos." "I've made it a point in pretty much every interview I've done to make it clear that TROUBLE is a massively important influence on me," says Ritzler. "Rick Wartell and Bruce Franklin have the single most devastating live guitar tone I've ever heard, period. It's beyond an honor to know we'll be working with Rick."

ROBOT LORDS OF TOKYO is currently promoting its second CD, "Whiskey, Blood & Napalm", released at the end of 2008. Guest six-stringers on the record include Steve Theado (AMERICAN DOG), Steve Pollick (ex-ICARUS WITCH, ORDER OF NINE), Rob Johnson (MAGNITUDE 9) and instrumental shred great Neil Zaza.

For more information, visit www.myspace.com/robotlords.

HERMANO Guitarist Bleeds For Rock And Roll

American heavy blues rockers HERMANO, who feature in their ranks musical heavyweights John Garcia (KYUSS, UNIDA), David Angstrom (BLACK CAT BONE, SUPAFUZZ), Steve "Dandy" Brown (DOCK ELLIS, ORQUESTA DEL DESIERTO), Chris Leathers (SUPAFUZZ), and Mike Callahan (DISENGAGE, EARSHOT), have issued the following update:

"During the [November 12] show in the packed Kassablanca Club in Jena [Germany], the very last song was ended before its time. David 'All Over The Place' Angstrom, HERMANO's guitar player, walked into the bass head of Dandy Brown's bass guitar. As a result blood everywhere. He was taken to the hospital and they stitched him up good. They lost count after 12 stitches. He is doing okay, but got the advice to take it a little bit easier so the wound doesn't open up. That will be a hard thing to do for Dave all over the place. The last three dates will take place as planned."

"…Into the Exam Room", the third album from HERMANO, came out in January 2008 in North America via Regain Records.

HERMANO went for a classic old-school escape-ism approach with "…Into the Exam Room". No messages, no hidden meanings just pure heavy rock lined with beautiful harmonies and Garcia's distinct yowl.

Formed in 1998 as a side project, HERMANO has flourished for nearly a decade, despite its members being scattered across America. The group's writing sessions happen in its members' respective cities, with ideas tossed into the song library by every member until the quintet sifts through and chooses the best.

HERMANO's unconventional approach pays off in the end. "…Into the Exam Room" is a diverse record with a character all its own. "This is the most emotional record in my entire life," said Garcia. "It's been a long time since I felt this strongly about a record. Honestly, I haven't felt this strongly since KYUSS."

"I could not be more pleased with the way this band continues to conquer through adversity," Leathers said. "Faced with thousands of miles between us, babies being born, wives having surgery, divorces, and a record on a deadline, this band still managed to release a kick-ass record. Being willing to be challenged and punch life right back in the mouth is a testament to everyone involved."

Fan-filmed video footage of HERMANO's November 5, 2008 concert at Atak in Enschede, Netherlands can be viewed below (clip uploaded by "weinandt").

BARONESS Parts Ways With Guitarist, Announces Replacement

Savannah, Georgia-based quartet BARONESS has parted ways with guitarist Brian Blickle and has replaced him with Peter Adams of VALKYRIE.

Commented drummer Allen Blickle: "[Peter] is a longtime friend of the band and we are very excited to have him on our side. Peter is quite the talent. An all-around great musician.

He added, "Brian played his last show with us at Hovefestivalen [held late June on the island of Tromøy, just outside the city of Arendal] in Norway, which was a great last performance. He has decided to go back to school and pursue a career in law. We are very happy for him and know he will be very successful in his future endeavors. As a band member and brother, I will dearly miss having him on tour."

SAVIOURS Announce New Guitarist

Oakland, California's SAVIOURS have announced the addition of guitarist Sonny Reinhardt (WATCH THEM DIE) to the group's ranks. Reinhardt will join SAVIOURS on the road for the upcoming North American tour with ICED EARTH and INTO ETERNITY. SAVIOURS have also begun writing songs for the follow-up to their sophomore album, "Into Abaddon", which came out on January 22, 2008 via New York City's Kemado Records. The new material is said to be "insanely dynamic," boasting passages that contain "three-part guitar harmonies."

"Into Abaddon" was produced, engineered and mixed by Joe Barresi, who has previously worked on such seminal records as TOOL's "10,000 Days", MELVINS' "Stoner Witch" and the QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE debut.

SAVIOURS' video for the song "Narcotic Sea" can be viewed below. The clip was directed by Dante Della Maggiore ("Zombie Attack!") and features the band performing the song in a live setting as a consciousness-expanding quasi-storyline unfolds.

Singer/Songwriter/Guitarist Looking To Join Band

This dude named Matt e-mailed me the other day asking me to help him out in finding a new band that might need his services. He writes, sings and plays guitar and is currently moving from the U.K. to Sydney, Australia. For more info, check out his current band's MySpace page.

You can contact him at this address: mattandgabi@bigpond.com

CANDLEMASS Guitarist MATS "MAPPE" BJÖRKMAN: "I Am Not A Criminal"

CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman, who was recently sentenced to two years in a Swedish prison for grand theft, has spoken exclusively to Sweden Rock magazine about his court case and how it might impact the band's future activities.

Björkman was convicted of stealing CDs worth approximately $490,000 from the distribution warehouse of Entertainment Network Scandinavia AB, where he and an accomplice shipped the CDs to Stockholm retail outlets.

Björkman initially denied the charges against him, but his alleged accomplice, Stefan Håkansson, has admitted his role in the theft and has implicated his colleague.

The guitarist stated in court that he didn't understand why Håkansson "lied" about his involvement in the theft scheme, suggesting it might be because Håkansson was trying to protect others.

The following are a couple of short excerpts from Sweden Rock's interview with Björkman:

Sweden Rock: Why did your former co-worker accuse you of being an accomplice?

Mats: "He's on trial in three different cases and this is the one that has received the biggest amount of publicity, mostly because I apparently am a 'famous rock musician.' He's, among other things, been busted for selling large amounts of alcohol illegally, which is something I think he has done through contact with serious criminals. All the money that he has made from that is something he has 'transferred' to the CD sales because he can't rat those people out.

"I am not a criminal, but sure, just like I've sold some CDs, I've helped him sell CDs. But these are CDs that I've been given or gotten through my dealings within the music business. It's not a secret that record label people in Stockholm sell boxes of CDs to different stores, but it's nothing people like to talk about."

Sweden Rock: Have you discussed how it would affect the band if your conviction was upheld on appeal?

Mats: "No. With CANDLEMASS we've never planned far ahead, but concentrated on the here and now. I've learned a lot through this trial and in the court of appeals, any evidence must be a lot stronger, and we will be able to counter the prosecutor's arguments in a much better way when we're there."

Sweden Rock: Won't you have trouble getting a working visa for the planned tour in the USA [which kicks off in May]?

Mats: "It'll actually not be a problem. That's the tragic thing about the papers claiming that 'Mats Björkman from CANDLEMASS will be spending the next two years in prison.' The court of appeals will hear the case sometime in the fall, so even if I have been convicted in the district court, that verdict has not become legally binding because I've appealed. The district court's verdict has no meaning at all as far as the band's plans are concerned.

"I'm really looking forward to touring the USA and recording the next CANDLEMASS EP. The material is great and Leffe (Leif Edling, CANDLEMASS' bass player and main songwriter) is a genius!"

Sweden Rock's entire interview with Mats "Mappe" Björkman can be found in the magazine's brand new issue, which hits stores in Sweden on April 22. It also features, among others, interviews with THE HELLACOPTERS, MANILLA ROAD, GRAVEYARD, GRAND MAGUS, NÅSTROND, WHITESNAKE and TIAMAT, and an exclusive tour report with HARDCORE SUPERSTAR and CRASHDÏET.

For more information, visit www.swedenrockmagazine.com.

FU MANCHU Guitarist Opens Music School In San Diego

Bob Balch, FU MANCHU's lead guitar player for the past eleven years, has opened a music school in Escondido, California. There is a FREE trial lesson to start and any referral will be rewarded with a FREE lesson also. The school will focus on guitar, bass, drums and vocal lessons. Three lesson rooms feature state of the art teaching technology so that each student will leave the lesson with a CD recording of practice tips and play along jam tracks.

North County Guitar Lessons also rents instruments. This way students don't have to start with the "acoustic from hell." They can rent a guitar and an amp for a small monthly fee and get started making some real noise that day.

You can visit www.northcountyguitarlessons.com to hear samples of Bob playing a few of the styles that will be taught.

North County Guitar Lessons will take on all styles, levels, and ages. It is located conveinently off the 15 and 78 freeways in Escondido, California.

You can reach North County Guitar Lessons by e-mailing NCGLrocks@hotmail.com.

CANDLEMASS: "Nothing Has Changed" Following Guitarist's "Grand Theft" Conviction

Legendary doomers CANDLEMASS have issued a statement regarding the recent reports in the Swedish media that the group's guitarist, Mats "Mappe" Björkman, has been sentenced to two years in prison for grand theft. The musician was convicted of stealing CDs worth approximately $490,000 from the distribution warehouse of Entertainment Network Scandinavia AB, where he and an accomplice shipped the CDs to Stockholm retail outlets.

Stated the band: "CANDLEMASS answer to the crap that's been published lately is very simple: NOTHING HAS CHANGED!! The band will record the planned EP, 'Lucifer Rising', in April WITH MAPPE… CANDLEMASS will also tour the states WITH MAPPE in May and June and also record the follow-up to 'King of the Grey Islands' this coming autumn WITH MAPPE!!

"Despite what's been said in the press, the band is very optimistic about the future. 2008 and 2009 will be two great years for CANDLEMASS.

"Don't believe everything you read!!"

Suspicions were raised in November 2005 when a music company spotted a discrepancy in Björkman's reported sales. A subsequent investigation uncovered evidence that someone had manipulated the warehouse computer on 301 occasions.

Björkman initially denied the charges against him, but his accomplice, Stefan Håkansson, has admitted his role in the theft and has implicated his colleague.

The guitarist stated in court that he didn't understand why Håkansson "lied" about his involvement in the theft scheme, suggesting it might be because Håkansson was trying to protect others.

But, based on the evidence, the court concluded that Håkansson had no reason to lie about Björkman's role in the scheme and determined that prison was the appropriate punishment for both men.

The agreement between Mats and his accomplice was that they were to split the profits — which were estimated to be SEK 1.3 million (approximately $213,000) — equally.

Björkman's accomplice received a sentence of one year and nine months.

CANDLEMASS Guitarist Sentenced To Two Years In Prison

CANDLEMASS guitarist Mats "Mappe" Björkman has been sentenced to two years in a Swedish prison for grand theft, reports Realtid.se.

He was convicted of stealing CDs with a retail value of SEK 3 million (approximately $490,000).

According to prosecutor Mats Jansson, Björkman and and his accomplice Stefan Håkansson skimmed CDs from Entertainment Network Scandinavia AB (ENS), where they both worked at the warehouse. ENS handles product distribution to retail outlets and wholesalers throughout Sweden for the four major labels.

Over a period of several years, Björkman and Håkansson shipped the stolen merchandise to two Stockholm retail outlets who were also allegedly involved in the scheme.

In November 2005, a music company contacted ENS regarding a discrepancy in Björkman's reported sales. ENS investigated the matter and discovered that someone had manipulated the company computer on 301 occasions.

By checking Mats' employee/entry card, ENS determined that the musician's log-in information had been used to access the company's computer system in 279 of these instances.

Mats Björkman denies the allegations and claims that someone else must have used his entry card. But his accomplice Stefan Håkansson has admitted his role in the theft and has implicated his colleague.

The scheme was uncovered after a tip was received that the record stores in Stockholm were selling CDs that were shipped from the Borås-based warehouse for a much lower price than those sold by their competitors.

The information about the weight on orders had been manipulated to conceal how much merchandise had been delivered. A package that according to the computer system contained 8 CDs in reality turned out to include more than 100 CDs plus a few box sets and DVDs.

According to the prosecutor, Björkman was the one that was in contact with the retailers and that received the money for the transactions.

The agreement between Mats and his accomplice was that they were to split the profits — which were estimated to be SEK 1.3 million (approximately $213,000) — equally.

Mats stated in court that he doesn't undertand why Stefan would lie about him being involved in the theft scheme but he thinks it might be because Håkansson was trying to protect other people who might have been responsible for stealing the merchandise.

Before he went to court, Mats told the local paper Borås Tidning, "I'm innocent, no question about it."

During the court proceedings, he continued to deny his involvement in the theft while the other man confessed.

Based on the evidence, the court concluded that Håkansson had no reason to lie about Björkman's role in the scheme and determined that prison was the appropriate punishment for both men.

Björkman's accomplice received a sentence of one year and nine months.

(The above BLABBERMOUTH.NET article was based on Swedish-language reports on Realtid.se and BT.se)

DOWN: New Audio Interview With JIMMY BOWER Available

Music Patch recently had the opportunity to conduct an interview with DOWN drummer/EYEHATEGOD guitarist Jimmy Bower. During the chat, Jimmy talked about the upcoming DOWN DVD, EYEHATEGOD DVD, DOWN's recording process, being a "band slut," what he is currently listening to and much more.

Listen to the interview at www.musicpatchrocks.com.