IRON MADIEN

Formed in London, England, in 1976, Iron Maiden was from the start the brainchild of Steve Harris (b. 12 March 1957, Leytonstone, London, England; bass), formerly a member of pub rockers Smiler. Named after a medieval torture device, the music was suitably heavy and hard on the senses.

The heavy metal scene of the late 70s was widely regarded as stagnant, with only a handful of bands proving their ability to survive and produce music of quality. It was at this time that a new breed of young British bands began to emerge. This movement, which began to break cover in 1979 and 1980, was known as the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal, or N.W.O.B.*.M.. Iron Maiden were one of the foremost bands in the genre, and many would say its definitive example. Younger and meaner, the N.W.O.B.*.M. bands dealt in faster, more energetic heavy metal than any of their forefathers (punk being an obvious influence).

There were several line-up changes in the Iron Maiden ranks in the very early days, and come the release of their debut EP, the band featured Harris, Dave Murray (b. 23 December 1958, London, England; guitar), Paul Di'Anno (b. 17 May 1959, Chingford, London, England; vocals) and Doug Sampson (drums).

The band made its live debut at the Cart & Horses Pub in Stratford, east London, in 1977, before honing its sound on the local pub circuit over the ensuing two years. Unable to solicit a response from record companies, the band sent a three-track tape, featuring Iron Maiden, Prowler and Strange World, to Neal Kay, DJ at north London's hard rock disco, the Kingsbury Bandwagon Soundhouse. Kay's patronage of Iron Maiden won them an instant welcome, which prompted the release of The Soundhouse Tapes on the band's own label.

In November 1979 the band added second guitarist Tony Parsons to the line-up for two tracks on the Metal For Muthas compilation, but by the time the band embarked on sessions for their debut album, he had been replaced by Dennis Stratton (b. 9 November 1954, London, England), and Sampson by Clive Burr (b. 8 March 1957; drums, ex- Samson ). A promotional single, Running Free, reached number 34 on the UK charts and brought an appearance on BBC Television's Top Of The Pops. Refusing to mime, they became the first band since the Who in 1973 to play live on the show.

Iron Maiden was a roughly produced album, but reached number 4 in the UK album listings on the back of touring stints with Judas Priest and enduringly popular material such as Phantom Of The Opera . Killers boasted production superior to that of the first album, and saw Dennis Stratton replaced by guitarist Adrian Smith ( b. 27 February 1957).

In its wake, Iron Maiden became immensely popular among heavy metal fans, inspiring fanatical devotion, aided by blustering manager Rod Smallwood and apocalyptic mascot Eddie (the latter had been depicted on the cover of Sanctuary standing over Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher's decapitated body).

The release of Number Of The Beast was crucial to the development of the band. Without it, Iron Maiden might never have gone on to be such a force in the heavy metal arena. The album was a spectacular success, the sound of a band on the crest of a wave.

It was also the debut of former infantryman and new vocalist Bruce Dickinson (b. Paul Bruce Dickinson, 7 August 1958, Worksop, Nottinghamshire, England), replacing Paul Di'Anno (who went on to front Dianno , Paul Di'Anno's Battlezone and Killers ). Formerly of Samson , history graduate Bruce Dickinson made his live debut with Maiden on 15 November 1981.

Singles such as Run To The Hills and The Number Of The Beast were big UK chart hits, Iron Maiden leaving behind their N.W.O.B.*.M. counterparts in terms of success, just as the movement itself was beginning to peter out.

Piece Of Mind continued their success and was a major hit in the UK (number 3) and USA (number 14). Clive Burr was replaced by Nicko McBrain on the sessions, formerly drummer with French metal band Trust , who had supported Maiden on their 1981 UK tour (he had also played in Streetwalkers ). Piece Of Mind was not dissimilar to the previous album, showcasing the strong twin-guitar bite of Murray and Smith, coupled with memorable vocal lines and a sound that perfectly suited their air-punching dynamic.

Single offerings, Flight Of Icarus and The Trooper , were instant hits, as the band undertook two massive tours, the four-month World Piece jaunt in 1983, and a World Slavery retinue, which included four sell-out dates at London's Hammersmith Odeon a year later.

With the arrival of Powerslave in November, some critics accused Iron Maiden of conforming to a self-imposed writing formula, and playing safe with tried and tested ideas. Certainly, there was no significant departure from the two previous albums, but it was nonetheless happily consumed by the band's core supporters, who also purchased in sufficient quantities to ensure UK chart hits for Aces High and Two Minutes To Midnight . Live After Death was a double-album package of all their best-loved material, recorded live on their gargantuan 11-month world tour.

By this time, Iron Maiden had secured themselves an unassailable position within the metal hierarchy, their vast popularity spanning all continents. Somewhere In Time was a slight departure: it featured more melody than previously, and heralded the use of guitar synthesizers. Their songwriting still shone through and the now obligatory hit singles were easily attained in the shape of Wasted Years and Stranger In A Strange Land . Reaching number 11 in the USA, this was another million-plus seller.

Since the mid-80s Maiden had been staging increasingly spectacular live shows, with elaborate lighting effects and stage sets. The Somewhere In Time tour (seven months) was no exception, ensuring their continued fame as a live band, which had been the basis for much of their success.

A period of comparative inactivity preceded the release of Seventh Son Of A Seventh Son , which was very much in the same vein as its predecessor. A concept album, it retained its commercial edge (giving the band their second UK number 1 album) and yielded hit singles in Can I Play With Madness , the surprisingly sensitive The Evil That Men Do and The Clairvoyant .

After another exhausting mammoth world trek, the band announced their intention to take a well-earned break of at least a year. Speculation abounded that this signalled the dissolution of the band, exacerbated by Bruce Dickinson 's solo project, Tattooed Millionaire , his book, The Adventures Of Lord Iffy Boatrace , and EMI Records ' policy of re-releasing Iron Maiden 's single catalogue in its entirety (on 12-inch).

After a considerable hiatus, news of the band surfaced again. Steve Harris felt that the direction pursued on the last two albums had been taken as far as possible, and a return to the style of old was planned. Unhappy with this game plan, Adrian Smith left to be replaced by Janick Gers ( b. Hartlepool, Lancashire, England), previously guitarist with White Spirit and Ian Gillan (he had also contributed to Bruce Dickinson 's solo release).

The live show was also scaled down in a return to much smaller venues. No Prayer For The Dying was indeed much more like mid-period Iron Maiden , and was predictably well-received, bringing enormous UK hit singles with Holy Smoke and Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter . The latter, previously released in 1989 on the soundtrack to A Nightmare On Elm Street 5 , had already been awarded the Golden Raspberry Award for Worst Song that year. Nevertheless, it gave Iron Maiden their first ever UK number 1.

The obligatory world tour followed. Despite being denounced as Satanists in Chile, 1992 also saw the band debut at number 1 in the UK charts with Fear Of The Dark , which housed another major single success in Be Quick Or Be Dead (number 2). However, it was Bruce Dickinson 's swan-song with the band, who invited demo tapes from new vocalists following the lead singer's announcement that he would depart following current touring engagements.

His eventual replacement was Blaze Bayley (b. 1963, Birmingham, West Midlands, England) from Wolfsbane . His debut album was The X-Factor , and on this and at live gigs (which they only resumed in November 1995), he easily proved his worth. This was a daunting task, having had to learn Maiden 's whole catalogue and win over patriotic Dickinson followers. Adrian Smith resurfaced in a new band, Psycho Motel , in 1996.

MAROON 5

Sometimes Plan B can put Plan A to shame. Singer/guitarist Adam Levine, guitarist Jesse Carmichael, bass player Mickey Madden and drummer Ryan Dusick would second that emotion, seeing as how their first shot at the big time got them some rave notices, but not much else. Now, their second shot, in the form of neo-soul rock outfit Maroon 5, thanks to 2 songs, "Harder To Breathe" and "This Love", has the LA-based Maroon 5 looking like the Cinderella story for 2005.

Released as a single way back in the summer of 2002, seventeen months later "Harder To Breathe" hit #4 at top 40 radio. Over 500 live shows, including opening stints for John Mayer, Sheryl Crow, Train, and Counting Crows, and now a consistent headline act in its own right, has helped to underscore a list of reasons why Maroon 5's debut CD, Songs About Jane, had already sold more than 3,000,000 records and gotten the guys on the Tonight Show twice, The Today Show, Jimmy Kimmel Live, Last Call with Carson Daly and the Late Late Show with Craig Kilborn. The next single, "This Love" was #1 at top 40, VH1 and MTV, simultaneously! It was also the first song ever to be certified as a platinum download.

But perhaps we're getting ahead of ourselves. What about Plan A?

Known as Kara's Flowers, Levine, Carmichael and Madden were the toast of their West LA high school (Dusick, who’d known Levine since they were nine and seven, respectively, had already graduated). Here they were, 17 years old and making a CD with legendary producer Rob Cavallo (Green Day, Goo Goo Dolls, Michelle Branch). Life was grand.

This is where the good news ends. Following a disappointing run with their debut, The Fourth World, Kara's Flowers were granted their release from the label. Plan A had gone awry, leaving the quartet to consider their future. "We were like, Okay, what do we do now?" recalls Levine. "So we ran away to college to figure it out." Leaving Dusick and Madden behind to study at UCLA, Levine and Carmichael ran smack dab into Plan B in the dorms at the State University of New York.

"The halls would be blasting Gospel music and people would be listening to stuff that we’d never actually listened to, like Biggie Smalls, Missy Elliot and Jay-Z. The Aaliyah record had come out around then, and we were just blown away. When I think of songwriting, I think of The Beatles, Dylan, Simon & Garfunkel, the stuff that I grew up on, but then I was like, 'I want to do this.' Stevie Wonder came into my life at that point," Levine mentions, "and I just found a knack for doing it."

"I started singing differently," he told VH1, "and Jesse started playing keyboards; that's what changed it." When the duo hooked back up with Madden and Dusick in LA they were summarily reinvigorated by adding an R&B, groove-based tint to their explosive rock & roll. With the new musical frame-of-mind came a new name, Maroon 5, and a fifth member: guitarist James Valentine. "James came along right as we were deciding on the name," says Levine. "We clearly weren't Kara's Flowers anymore, with the addition of James and an entirely new approach to music. Also, if you name a band when you're 15, by the time you're 23 you're probably not gonna like it very much."

Fortified with a new attitude, a new sound and a new name, Maroon 5 quickly attracted attention from labels. Octone Records, a new independent label based in New York (Octone is a marketing co-venture partner of J Records/RCA Music Group), signed the group, and in 2001 Maroon 5 entered the studio with producer Matt Wallace (The Replacements, Faith No More, Blues Traveler). "I was all about making a hardcore, straight-up, funk R&B record," Levine remembers. "I have to give the people at Octone credit because they were really trying to push us to do this. Matt Wallace also thought we had so much chemistry as a rock & roll band that it would be a shame to lose that element. We went back and recorded live drums over loops, and wound up making more of a rock record, which I think makes it stand out way better."

The resulting album, Songs About Jane, was released in June 2002. Funky rhythms and classic soul melodies co-habiting with searing guitars and a powerful rock bottom end. On top of it all, Levine's expressive voice belts out tale after tale of an ex-girlfriend. You can probably guess her name.

"Harder To Breathe"” a powerhouse guitar workout, is ironically not a song about Jane. "There was a lot of pressure to write," Levine offers. "I just want to make music when I feel like making music, and when I feel forced it’s kind of frustrating. Granted, I don't have much to complain about, but I thought that I was done with the album. It turned out to be for the best because it pissed me off so much I wrote 'This Love' and 'Harder To Breathe', which are the first two songs on the record."

SYSTEM OF A DOWN

Not long ago, accepted sonic belief held that rock music, certainly hard rock music, had been stretched, manipulated and tinkered with to its logical end. With no new forms looming, the genre would slip into malaise and the kids would look elsewhere for an outlet. Enter Los Angeles quartet System of a Down, who, over seven years and two albums have revived and revitalized heavy music with their manic brand of post-everything hardcore. Millions of records on, they charge into the new century as living proof that for those brave enough to snub convention, greatness follows.

“I think we're ahead of the game,” says guitarist/songwriter Daron Malakian. “I just feel like this band will be more respected ten years from now when people finally figure out what we’re really doing.”

Malakian, singer Serj Tankian, bassist Shavo Odadjian and drummer John Dolmayan, bonded quickly as friends but also shared Armenian ancestry and mutual disdain for perceived limitations. Their disparate tastes – Jaco Pastorious, Slayer, The Beatles, Faith No More, traditional Armenian folk music – assured from the onset that this would be a band less ordinary.

Malakian says,“We started this band to show people, ‘Look, not everything has been done before.’”

Tankian says, “Humans have been on the earth for millions of years, yet we don’t believe man began thinking until he started building walls. And what good have these walls ever done us?”

System’s 1998 self-titled debut, produced by bearded board whiz Rick Rubin (Slayer, Red Hot Chili Peppers, Public Enemy), was an achievement in pastiche overdrive, a dark carnival of moods punctuated by breakneck tempo shifts and progressive structures. That year, radios rung to the visceral fury of “Sugar” and the spooky tension of “Spiders,” each a fiery baptism for listeners weaned on predictability and rote rhyme schemes.

Serj favors abstract, existential poetry, peppered with politics and personal religion. He says, “No one ultimately knows what they’re saying anyway. Are we really making art? Art doesn’t belong to us. It doesn’t belong to people, it belongs to the universe. It comes FROM the universe. It comes THROUGH us. When I write something, I think I know what I’m saying, but I never pretend to know the full meaning of the words.”

The singer’s quaking wails were the perfect compliment to Daron’s schizoid noodling, Shavo’s inventive lines and John’s potent jazz-cum-thrash rumble. Their first salvo found an instant cult and was heralded as a revolutionary diamond in the homogenous crush of Nü Metal…a label that clearly didn’t (and still doesn’t) fit this foursome.

John says, “I don’t think we sound like anybody else. I consider us System of a Down.”

Shavo says, “You can compare us to whoever you want. I don’t care. Comparisons and labels have no effect on this band. Fact is fact: We are who we are and they are who they are.”

Two years of hard touring followed (OzzFest et al) before the band re-immersed themselves in the studio in late 2000. With Rubin again at the helm, they set about crafting a sprawling blitzkrieg of sounds, one that invited an even wider array of influence and experimentation to the table. Melodies expanded. Riffage went mad. Structure and timing were eviscerated. Deeper lyrical levels were mined and the resulting gems were strewn onto thrashing anthems and careening frenzies of fuzz.

Rubin says, “They really set out to reinvent themselves, to be bigger and better than they were last time. I think they're very proud of their first album and all the touring they did. They wanted to grow from those experiences and expand. They really wanted to write lots and lots of songs and reach in all different directions.”

In August of 2001, System of a Down emerged with their second album, “Toxicity.” As critics scoured their thesauri for ample superlatives, radio and MTV heavily rotated the first single, a harmony-drenched slab of whiplash rock called “Chop Suey.” With the cult of System exploding nationwide, the foursome took to the road where manic throngs of Systemites old and new awaited.

In May of 2002, with the title track from Toxicity in heavy rotation and a third single, “Aerials” fast gaining steam, System accepted the coveted headlining slot on the annual OzzFest circus. The thinking man’s metal troupe aim to give Ozzy’s mobile headbangathon an intellectual facelift.

Shavo says, “It’s time for the bands these kids are listening to to deliver something deeper than just ‘let’s party.’”

Now one year after the triumph of “Toxicity,” System of a Down find themselves in an elite class of rock acts who’ve managed commercial hugeness with dignity in spades and nary a compromise on their resume. They’ve engendered a sound transcendent of trends or labels, a propulsive hybrid destined to flourish in any radio climate from here to forever. What sonic twists await us only they know, but we can rest assured knowing that their next offering, like those that have proceeded, will be born from a primal need to evade classification and emote loudly.

Daron says, “Everyone who knows me knows my music comes before anything. It comes before me. If someone said, "your music will live forever but you won't wake up tomorrow morning, I'd be like, 'Okay.' That's very fair to me.”

Thanks to Tim Hoogland for submitting the biography.




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Would you please submit the latest System of a Down biography to me? Thank You.




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Review about System of a Down

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AHHHHHHH!!!! | Reviewer: Emily
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

System of a Down are amazing! I have all there albums and listen to them constantly. They are by far the best rock band out their, there music ranges from slow, harmonious songs like Lonely Day right to just plain crazy, loud songs like Darts. If you haven't listened to them do it NOW!


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my god... | Reviewer: Cheeser
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

These guys are consistantly amazing but my girlfriend finds them annoying. System Of A Down are head and shoulders above ANY other band going at the moment in my opinion. They are not your run of the mill nu-metal band. They are so much more, and further more, NO ONE sounds like System Of A Down.


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From Armenia With Love | Reviewer: fxzero
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

As a first time entrant, well sort of.. in the heavy metal music I went out and bought toxicity by System. I thought the songs they kept playing on the radio of em were preety sweet. Man was i blown away by what i had discovered. That CD is pure sweet honey... or gold on your preffecence. I enjoyed every single song and will now go out to buy more SOD albums. Every song has a unique theme and feel, it is all so revolutionary i hope System keeps going like the Beastie boys. Also, being half armenian and half russian i can say now that i am awesomely proud of my armenian side. Not that i was not before, now i just love it and so should you. System rules.


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SOAD are the bomb!! | Reviewer: Anonymous
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

SOADs album Toxicity is one of the best albums i have ever listened to in a while. I just started getting interested in them about 4 months ago, decided to buy it and havent stopped listening to it since. The first song Prison song is so true to talk about the American prison system, and title track toxicity is almost like a warning of what our world will come to if we dont fix the pollution etc. The Lyrics in Mr Jack "Little men, big guns, pointed at our heads", subtely remind me of George Bush. when i told my friends that i like SOAD, i was asked 'why do u like them? Their music is so angry!' to which i replied, no they arent. have u ever heard aerials? The lyrics in this song are so meaningful, how can they be angry?
I saw SOAD perfom at Big Day Out in Australia early this year. They were sooo good, I would definetly pay to go see them perform again. Im eagerly awaiting their next CD.


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SOAD's Got My Vote!! | Reviewer: DeadlyBeauty
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

System of a Down is really a respectable, awesome group. With four extremely creative & witty minds, their writing is arguably some of the greatest work ever. I personally think that anyone who hates abuse of power should listen to their music. And people who love fun, fast rock can listen too. They're not just about politics, but they're not just about fun. They're perfect for an aspiring artist of any and all creativity to listen to.


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The ALMIGHTY gods!!! | Reviewer: system-freak
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

the reason why i love SOAD, is because they have always been political, and i agree with everything they say. The president is too much of a little bitch to go and help our troops in the war.


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System of a Down | Reviewer: NightWalkers ~|-itachi-|~
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

System of a Down are a revolutionary band. The music they make is so different that everybody (and i mean everybody) has a favorite song. And it does not matter of they hate the actual band. This band still have great potential and they have already published 5 albums. They are great. Besides that, they are the ONLY band where i can say they have not published a bad album. That is something special. Yea, sure the new album are different but it is SOAD who made them. They are meant to be different. Personally i think Toxicity is the best album they have made (even though Bounce is there worst song). So i you are thinking about some SOAD, you should probaly go for this (also because it cost around 15 bucks) and if you like it (wich you probaly should) go for Hypnotize/Mezmerize.

All in all fantastic band with the sound of the new millenium. They will never die


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SYSTEM | Reviewer: Anonymous
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

SOAD toxicity is the best album made in 2004.The opening sont prison song is the best song to have started the album with.Every song in the album is mad and i hope the system makes a new album soon


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w00p | Reviewer: TOM!
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

these guys are very good and just so refreshing, cant wait until the new ablum comes out, i gotta pick it up and so should you!! B.Y.O.B. is an amazing song!


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For geniuses only!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! | Reviewer: Kudro
------ About the artist/band System of a Down

soad is amazing. thye are everything a hall of famer is. intelligent , correct, musically correct (souds good) origonal, innovative, passsionate, exciting and enthusiastic. they dont just bitch about our govt, they are attempting to fight the power as well. its amazing how right they are. they even when to college so god speed for soad. they worked hard for what they have and there music is aimed for the intelligent. cuz most ppl are to stupid to think forthemselves and see through anothers eyes. U have to be pretty smart to do that and understand everything.. They are so perfect. they talk about religion although to they dont believe in any.. If you dont like or love system of a down, you should die because ur stupid and stupid ppl should be beheaded.. because they ruin our nation with arrogance, hate greed and evil.... like Bush. as a musician myself, I look up to them for creative ideas for my music adn lyrical content i realize the lyrics and sounds i had for my muusic before i ever discovered soad was like that of system of a down's so its like woah... great Minds Do Think Alike!!! anbd free thinkers are dangerous. fuck the system

MARILYN MANSON

Love him or hate him, the self-proclaimed "Antichrist Superstar" Marilyn Manson was indisputably among the most notorious and controversial entertainers of the 1990s.


Celebrated by supporters as a crusader for free speech and denounced by detractors as little more than a poor man's Alice Cooper, Manson was the latest in a long line of shock rockers, rising to the top of the charts on a platform of sex, drugs and Satanism. Though widely dismissed by critics, his brand of metal nevertheless struck a major chord with the youth market -- on the strength of a masterfully orchestrated marketing campaign, he became a mainstream anti-hero, much to the chagrin of conservative politicians and concerned parents. Manson was born Brian Warner in Canton, Ohio; at the age of 18, he relocated to Tampa Bay, Florida, working there as a music journalist. In 1989, he became friends with guitarist and fellow outsider Scott Mitchell; they decided to form a band, with Mitchell rechristening himself Daisy Berkowitz and Warner adopting the name Marilyn Manson.


With the addition of bassist Gidget Gein and keyboardist Madonna Wayne-Gacy, the group -- originally dubbed Marilyn Manson and the Spooky Kids -- begin self-releasing cassettes and playing gigs, their Gothic stage show notable for Manson's elaborate make-up and homemade special effects. Jettisoning their drum machine in favor of one Sara Lee Lucas, the band's sound began taking on a harder edge, and by 1992 they were among the most popular acts in the South Florida area. In 1993, Nine Inch Nails' Trent Reznor came calling, offering both a contract with his Nothing Records label as well as the chance to open for NIN the following spring; Manson accepted both offers, and the group's debut LP, Portrait of an American Family, appeared during the summer of 1994. With new bassist Twiggy Ramirez replacing Gein, the group's notoriety began to soar -- most infamously, during an appearance in Salt Lake City, Manson ripped apart a copy of the Book of Mormon while on-stage. The Church of Satan's founder Anton LaVey also bestowed upon him the title of "Reverend."


While some onlookers dismissed Manson's behavior as crass audience manipulation, his cult following -- comprised almost entirely of disaffected white suburban teens -- continued to swell, and with the release of the 1995's Smells Like Children EP the band broke into the mainstream, propelled by their hit cover of the Eurythmics' "Sweet Dreams (Are Made of This)." Berkowitz quit a short time later, and was replaced by guitarist Zim Zum; their next LP, 1996's Antichrist Superstar, debuted at the number three spot on the pop album charts. As Manson's popularity grew, so did the furor surrounding him -- his concerts were regularly picketed by civic groups, and his music was the subject of widespread attacks from the right-wing and religious fronts. Again, however, his quick embrace of the media spotlight called into question the true sincerity of his revolutionary aims -- with a cover story in Rolling Stone and a best-selling autobiography, The Long Hard Road Out of Hell, some onlookers doubted whether Manson had sold his soul to Satan, or just sold his soul, period. The glam-inspired Mechanical Animals followed in 1998, with the resulting tour yielding the live Last Tour on Earth a year later.

Holy Wood (In the Shadow of the Valley of Death) came out at the end of 2000. The band toured to support the album in 2001 and during a July show in Michigan, Manson was charged with criminal sexual conduct after performing an alleged offensive act on a security guard. December saw Manson's version of "Tainted Love" appear on the Not Another Teen Movie soundtrack while another security guard filed a civil suit alleging Manson had rubbed his pelvis on the guard's head. The July 2001 sexual conduct charges were lowered to a misdemeanor in January of 2002 and the civil suit was dropped soon after. May of 2003 saw the release of The Golden Age of Grotesque, which spent a week on top of the album charts and ended up on more than a few critics' year-end Top Ten lists. In April of 2004 the album Lunch Boxes and Choklit Cows appeared, credited to Marilyn Manson & the Spooky Kids -- Spooky Kids being the name of Manson's earliest band. Manson fought the release and court-ordered some artwork removed that was too close to the art to which the singer owned the copyright. At the end of September the Lest We Forget collection was released, covering the highlights of Manson's career and including a new cover version of Depeche Mode's "Personal Jesus."

After his marriage with model Dita Von Teese went downhill, Von Teese effectively left Marilyn and moved out of his house. Manson sunk into a bit of depression, and was subject to "the classic rock and roll scenario of people robbing me behind my back", as Manson himself put it. Marilyn left his studio environment and got a fully-furnished studio home, where he could literally "write a song, walk down two doors and record it." Commenting on the new creative environment, Manson feels "liberated." Marilyn plans on releasing a new album, "Eat Me, Drink Me" and has released a song from it titled "If I Was Your Vampire". Marilyn's full intention thru-out the album is to seduce someone, but he hasn't mentioned who. Marilyn and his band will be performing a World Tour upon the release of the new album.

CREED

It's not easy to find a success story as genuine as Creed’s in popular culture these days, with all the carefully scripted rises to glory and the falls that inevitably follow careers built on hype. If any late-'90s band can claim to have ascended strictly on its own merits, it's Creed, a Florida-bred foursome that went from zero to sixty (or, more accurately, zero to nearly 4x Platinum) by virtue of a combination of finger-on-the-pulse songs and powerful live performances, rather than a raft of hype.

"With My Own Prison, I knew we had the talent to get a record deal and I knew we had songs good enough to get played on the radio, but I never had any expectations of reaching this many people," says Creed's dynamic frontman, Scott Stapp. "But when I think back, I can remember that Mark Tremonti definitely did. The very first time we went into a meeting at Wind-up, he said he'd be totally disappointed if the album didn't go triple platinum." Tremonti didn't have to suffer any pangs of regret. Creed was the first band in history to have four Number One Rock Radio singles from a debut album -- a feat even more impressive in these days of love-'em-and-leave-'em, one-hit wonders.

On the strength of their singles, including the crushing title track and the more pensive "What's This Life For," Creed topped countless year-end charts and was recognized as the Rock Artist of the Year at Billboard’s 1998 Music Awards. Their debut album was also the #1-selling Hard Music album for 1998 on SoundScan’s Hard Music chart. Now, with the release of their second album, Human Clay, Creed is poised to up the ante yet again. "We're the type of band that functions really well under pressure, and there was definitely a pressure to try to top ourselves this time," says Stapp. "Not so much what we sell, because we don't really care about that. We wanted to make a really great record.

The band’s goal has always been to make records that are solid from start to finish; records that take you through an entire range of emotions." Those sentiments come across loud and clear during stretches of Human Clay. On "What If," Stapp's baritone turns fierce when addressing those he feels have judged him unfairly over the years -- a pitch that's matched by the searing guitar lines that Tremonti turns out. The intensity comes through in more subtle ways as well, as in the plaintive tone of the album’s first single, "Higher," which finds Stapp seeking refuge from the rigors of the outside world, as his bandmates erect a majestic wall of riffs to ring his discourse. Throughout Human Clay, the entire band sounds to be on a quest to explore different sonic territories, ranging from the Led Zeppelin-styled eastern modalities of the album’s first track "Are You Ready?" to the lush balladry of "Wash Away Those Years." While Stapp grants that the band's increased resources had some impact on the structure

of Human Clay - the first album was recorded for a mere $6,000 -- it's clear that Creed's evolution is far more than just a matter of dollars and cents.

For Human Clay, Creed once again turned to longtime friend and producer John Kurzweg to ensure that they captured the anthemic guitars, dramatic vocals and bold lyrics that made Creed's brawny-yet-intimate sound a radio staple for two solid years. Together with Kurzweg, the band recorded the new album in a studio they constructed in a house just outside of Tallahassee. On Human Clay, Stapp contemplates how responsibilities, choices and actions impact people. The album’s songs explore fears of growing up and letting go of youth ("Never Die") conscience ("Faceless Man") and betrayal ("Beautiful") among other topics. Creed challenges their listeners to think without preaching or pretending to have all the answers. Balancing Human Clay’s hard rock sensibilities is "With Arms Wide Open," a deeply personal song that Stapp wrote when he learned he was going to become a father. "I think my songwriting is very direct and understandable," says Stapp. "People can relate to that, so that's something I didn't want to

move away from.

At the same time, we're a little bit older and more mature now and we’ve been through a lot in the past two years, so we were looking to put things across in a way that reflected that." In many ways, Creed has been evolving gradually since the band played its first dates together four years ago. After high school, teenage acquaintances Stapp and fellow songwriter Tremonti took different routes, but both ended up in Tallahassee, where they recruited bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips to form Creed. Within a few months, they had meshed their wide-ranging influences to create the band’s rich musical texture. Creed’s reputation for dynamic, passionate live performances has led to consistently sold-out shows. During the past two years the band has played to more than two million fans worldwide, not including the huge crowd who witnessed their awesome performance at Woodstock ’99.

Creed gave fans something special to remember the festival by when they invited Robby Krieger, guitarist for The Doors, to join them during their performance on the main stage. When Stapp introduced Krieger, the crowd of approximately 200,000 erupted in cheers and shouted along to Doors favorites "Roadhouse Blues" and "Riders On The Storm." Krieger also stayed on to play slide guitar on Creed's "What's This Life For." "We were out on tour for a long time, and wherever we went, there were people telling me how much certain songs meant to them and how they felt so close to them," says Stapp. "That means more to me than any other kind of attention. It’s important to feel as if you're doing something worthwhile, and in this band, I feel like I am." It will only take a few listens to Human Clay to see that they are. DISCOGRAPHY Albums My Own Prison -- August 1997 Human Clay -- September 1999 Singles "My Own Prison" - August 1997 "Torn" - January 1998 "What’s This Life For" - May 1998 "One" - December 1998 "Hi

gher" - August 1999 Soundtracks "Bound & Tied" (from the Dead Man On Campus soundtrack) - August 1998 "I’m Eighteen" (from The Faculty soundtrack) - December 1998 - "Is this the End" (from the Scream 3 soundtrack) -January 2000

Just for the record Creed no longer has 4 band members, they don't have a bass gutair player, the members still there are: Scott Stapp(lead vocals), Mark Tremonti(gutarist), Scott Phillips(drummer)!!!!

AEROSMITH

Aerosmith was formed in 1970, when vocalist Steven Tyler met guitarist Joe Perry while working at an ice cream parlor. Bassist Tom Hamilton and guitarist Ray Tabano, joined the group, but Ray was replaced by Brad Whitford and they added drummer Joey Kramer.

In 1972 they landed a record contract with Columbia Records. As a result, Aerosmith's self-titled debut album was released in the fall of 1973.

Areosmith spent time touring the U.S. and working on their secound album Get Your Wings, it spent a total of 86 weeks on the charts.

Aerosmith's third record, 1975's Toys in the Attic, was their breakthrough album their sound was pure rock n roll, and the the album hit number 11. Its success prompted the re-release of the power ballad "Dream On," which shot into the Top Ten in early 1976. Both Aerosmith and Get Your Wings climbed back up the charts in the wake of Toys in the Attic. "Walk This Way," the final single from Toys in the Attic, was released around the time of the group's new 1976 album, Rocks. Although it didn't feature a Top Ten hit like "Walk This Way," Rocks went platinum quickly, peaking at number three.

In early 1977, Aerosmith took a break and prepared material for their fifth album. In addition to another tour in 1978, the band appeared in the movie Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band, performing "Come Together," which eventually became a number 23 hit. Aerosmith recorded Night in the Ruts in 1979, releasing the record at the end of the year. Brad Whitford left the group in early 1980, forming the Whitsford-St. Holmes Band with former Ted Nugent guitarist Derek St. Holmes.

As Aerosmith regrouped with new guitarists Jimmy Crespo and Rick Dufay, the band released Aerosmith's Greatest Hits in late 1980; the record would eventually sell over six million copies.

Pump, released in 1989, continued the band's winning streak, reaching number five, selling over four million copies, and spawning the Top Ten singles "Love in an Elevator," "Janie's Got a Gun," and "What It Takes."

Aerosmith released Get a Grip in 1993. The album was as successful as the band's previous two records, featuring the hit singles "Livin' on the Edge," "Cryin'," and "Amazing." In 1994, Aerosmith released Big Ones, a compilation of hits from their Geffen years which fulfilled their contract with the label; it went double platinum shortly after its release.