Fools, misfits and miscreants of the earth! What have you being doing with your time? Eating big piles of chipped potatoes? Watching substandard football on TV? Erroneously imagining the non-riff-based travesty that is modern rock music to be exciting?

People, it is as if you have existed only in pathetic colours like beige, or pastel pink. For two years, you have felt listless, wishy-washy and largely kicks-free. Bad! But it has been bad for a reason: so that you fully appreciate the return of the good times. And these only come in two colours: BLACK & WHITE! Yeah!

THE HIVES, the curators of that perfectly balanced colour scheme, have been away far too long. During their absence, they have not been mucking about, oh no. They are now ready to bring the BLACK & WHITE again, only more so.

THE HIVES have made a record which has everything that you originally loved them for  kicks, riffs, good times, etc etc etc  while also being snazzy and new and longer and generally different from everything they did before. You might almost say its like making the transition from monochrome TV to colour TV, except THE HIVES are more BLACK & WHITE than ever, so that would be misleading.

Thats why the record is called: THE BLACK & WHITE ALBUM!!

Here's their singer, Howlin Pelle Almqvist: "We promised ourselves when we were 17," he says, "that we'd make 3 half-hour-long records of blistering punk rock, and so we did, culminating in Tyrannosaurus Hives. This time, we didn't want 12 fast songs, then it was over. That would've been the 4th time. They work in sets of three, you see, then it's a new period, so we had to come up with a new plan."

To recap: THE HIVES first imposed their B&W vision in the late 1990s, touring Sweden (their home nation) and Germany like crazy, until 2001, when they took the world by storm alongside strapping young rockers like The Strokes and White Stripes. Their first 2 records were collected on a British compilation, called Your New Favourite Band, which went not silver, gold or even multi-platinum, but diamond! Yeah! From it, came the hits "Supply And Demand", "Main Offender" and "Hate To Say I Told You So".

With 2004's Tyrannosaurus Hives, they successfully patted down the earth around the flag they'd placed atop this measly globe, consolidating their repute for rockin brouhaha with further hits "Walk Idiot Walk", "Two-Timing Touch & Broken Bones" and "A Little More For Little You".

Without even THE HIVES knowing it at the time, the first seed of Phase 2 Hives was sewn during the Tyrannosaurus era, when they met Pharrell Williams  the Numero Uno production dude from the kicks-hungry world of hip hop."

"Pharrell was always saying he wanted to record with us," notes Howlin Pelle. "Then, when we started this record, we finally just figured it'd be more fun to say yes than to say no. This is THE HIVES major label adventure  an honest attempt at a sell-out, maybe. We see it as the last major-label rock & roll record that anybody's ever gonna put out. So we thought we'd better spend some money on it." 

Pharrell may come from the state of Virginia, and THE HIVES from Fagersta, Sweden, but when these two giants of modern entertainment came together, the union of their differing talents worked like magic, setting THE BLACK & WHITE ALBUM  yeah! yeah!  on its long and unwavering path towards massiveness.

"We assumed he'd have all these synths and beats, sez HP, but he has all this enthusiasm for rock music, because he only just discovered it. We started talking about Creedence Clearwater Revival, and he was going, Hey, I saw them on an infomercial last night, they sounded great! We've been listening to Creedence since we were kids." 

"It kinda meant we got to see rock with new eyes. We'd just hit a chord on electric guitar, and he'd freak out, and think it's so cool. When you see someone react to it like that, you think, Yeah! Loud, stinky guitar! This is really fun!, and you get into it all over again. The best thing with Pharrell was, its mainly about having fun." 

In the past, THE HIVES unrivalled excellence has been achieved via a pain-staking collective process, whereby the 5 members have lovingly slaved over songs in rehearsals, and in the studio, often for many weeks, until all 5 were 100% satisfied that it rocked in exemplary fashion. Pharrells methodology was the exact opposite.

"It's like he throws 500 pancakes on the ceiling and sees what sticks," reflects guitarist Nicholaus Arson. "Whereas, we would have one pancake, and work on it forever. We wrote one song with him in 7 minutes. He's always on the edge of his seat, doing stuff on the phone while he's writing a song  maybe opening a restaurant in Japan, or starting a clothes line in South America. For five minutes he wants to sound like Stevie Wonder, then he's onto something else." 

"Working with Pharrell helped kickstart the whole record," concludes Howlin Pelle. "After that, there was a lot less questioning going on. The last record I really love it, it has such a straight, narrow vision. Making this one was a lot more, Yeah, but this feels good, too.and this! Why can't it all be on same record?"

With the 21st-century disco-fied "We Rule The World" and the woo-hoo rockin "Well, Alright" under their belts, THE HIVES rounded up a considerable batch of demo tracks in Fagersta, and soon hooked up with another blade whose hotness as a producer equals their's as a band, Jacknife Lee (U2, Editors, R.E.M.), who brought his hi-tech skills to "Hey Little World" and an early version of "Tick Tick Boom".

From there, the 5 Swedes zipped over to Oxford, Mississippi, where they spent some weeks carving out the rest of THE BLACK & WHITE ALBUM (say it again: yeah!) with Dennis Herring  another man of the moment, whose credits include Elvis Costello, Buddy Guy and the last two Modest Mouse records. For a band who'd never hired a producer before, his methods, again, came as quite a shock.

Howlin Pelle: "In the South, its all slow. At times, the temperance and efficiency of us Scandinavians didnt gel with the old Jamaican attitude of the American South. Like, there's nothing you can do today, that can't be done tomorrow. But this had an impact on our sound. Some stuff was better because we took longer."

The big difference is: "the record actually has bass it has a bass register, which we really never wanted on our records before. But you should do it at least once, and now is the time!"

Yeah! Its no coincidence that THE BLACK & WHITE ALBUM is Dr Matt Destructions favourite Hives record  he's the bassist! But it will almost certainly end up being most people's favourite Hives record, because its all about opening out the bands horizons including the lengthening of how long each song lasts.

"The first two Hives records were designed to be played at a 200 capacity club, tops, whereas now we play to 1000's of people," says Pelle. "The bigger the crowd, the slower they react, so there's a natural progression in making the songs longer. When the last row of the audience hears the first chord, its already over for the first half of the audience, so basically we're doing it for the people at the back." 

Having vaguely intended, initially, to get away from the sound of adrenalized punky rock, THE HIVES found themselves gravitating back towards righteousness. Pelle, again: "We were missing the rock riffage. Plus, no-ones doing it now, at all. There's a complete lack of proper, good rock riffin! It's sorely needed!"

Damn right, HP! When Vigilante Carlstrom, THE HIVES other guitarist, came up with the title for the record, all were agreed even drummer Chris Dangerous that it brilliantly encapsulated the mood of confidence in the record.

Arson: "If The Beatles could make a White Album and Metallica could make a Black Album, there was only one band who could make a record twice as good as those two combined. And as far as sales go, The Beatles White Album sold 11 million copies while Metallicas Black Album has sold well over 16 million copies. The logic is undisputable: THE HIVES THE BLACK & WHITE ALBUM will go on to sell 176 million copies, thus exceeding sales-wise anything THE HIVES have released before, or any modern artist since 1968."

THE HIVES are now ready for global supremacy. Back in action lately at the notoriously red & white 100 Club in London, they imposed a BLACK & WHITE regime so emphatically, that one UK newspaper breathlessly reported: They used to be our new favourite band, now they're the best band in the world.

Yeah! And one last time: Yeah!

If you can't quite pigeonhole Roz Bell's first single, "Yesterday Man," there's good reason. There's a hint of The Police's reggae-rock in Roz's vocal delivery and the breakdown also reveals someone well-versed in hip-hop. The upbeat guitar strumming evokes a back porch sing-along, and the sad strains of the line "I'm so-oh lonely... when you leave me" could've been plucked from a classic country song.

It's the sum total of a wildly diverse set of influences all come together on Roz's sweet debut album, The First Sunbeams. The album was produced almost entirely by James Robertson (Esthero, Skye Sweetnam), mixed by Neal Pogue (Outkast, Citizen Cope, Transplants) and features one song, "The Greatest Tragedy," shepherded by super-A&R man/producer Jeff Blue (he discovered Linkin Park and Macy Gray). It's an album made up of short, simple stories, the boy-meets-girl, boy-loses-girl sort of timeless songs that are the foundation for contemporary music.

"I'm a fan of really direct songwriting," Roz says, excitement clear in his voice when he discusses old-time hits. "I love that style of writing. Its very pop and its very simple, but done with the right angle it can be very smart can be very to the point."

Born Kevin Rosaire Bellemare and raised in Holland Landing, a small farming community an hour north of Toronto, Bell's parents schooled him on country classics. "My parents were obsessed with country music and played it constantly, almost 24 hours a day when I was a kid," Roz says. "George Jones, Alan Jackson, Hank Williams, Conway Twitty, Charlie Pride... I have one older brother and we grew up knowing the lyrics to every country song."

Still, like every good music-loving youngster, he had to find his own music. "As a kid I was into Rick Astley, Huey Lewis, Hall and Oates, '80s pop music and stuff like that, Roz says. "And once I found hip-hop in '87-'88 I just abandoned everything else." Hip-hop's hold on Roz went deep. He started writing rap songs at age 13 before discovering thoughtful rock in high school.

"I was actually getting into The Lemonheads, Counting Crows, Blind Melon, things like that that happened at that time," says Roz. "I got a guitar in grade nine and started writing pop songs. And everyone that I knew in high school played music and sang. If I went to a party there were always acoustic guitars around. Everyone was playing guitars, everyone was singing."

The First Sunbeams is definitely a singing and guitar playing album. But also a whole lot more. The groovy funk of "Papercut" is surefire dance floor sunshine from a bygone era. "Its definitely got that 80s pop-soul feel," says Roz. "I love Hall And Oates and I think 'Papercut' definitely has that kind of vibe. Its got a big chorus and its also got that 80s kind of experimenting with production, more than just guitar, bass, and drums. So its definitely got a call back to that time for sure."

Spicy track "In The Bathroom" doesn't so much recall an era as it does a naughty restroom adventure. "The song is actually about playing dress-up with your significant other," he explains a bit sheepishly, revealing not-quite-bad, but good boy...who-can-be-bad side. "[It's] not finding a random. Its 'lets pretend were strangers for the night.' Its playing naughty with your wife or your girlfriend."

"Feels Like Love" combines both that love of '80s pop with inter-personal entanglements. Id say its a modern day Jessies Girl. Lyrically its totally from that stance." That Roz could so effortlessly recreate various eras in song is unsurprising. On top of the musical influences of his youth, Roz moved to downtown Toronto in the 1998. It was the height of what was a vibrant evolutionary time in the city's music scene. He lived near Esthero. Nelly Furtado was in town working on her first album. And K-OS was still underground, not yet an international hip-pop star.

"Torontos such a diverse city," says Roz. "And I think a lot of the artists that come out of Toronto, or Canada as a whole, really do blend elements well. I think it just melts a little better here." Roz soaked up that T-dot nightlife, working, playing and taking in all the music it had to offer. "We dont separate things as much as people do in places like, say, America," he says. "Artists like Esthero and Nelly and Bedouin Soundclash and K-OS all have a fusion of different things and thats definitely the way I see my music."

When Bell takes the winsome slide guitar flourishes of "I Used To Love Her," nestles them comfortably beside the smooth and string-heavy ballad "A Girl Named Crush" and the straight-up buttery slow jam "She's So Excitable". Layer Bell's Sting-affected vocals on top and it creates something altogether new.

"I think in making the transition from hip-hop to singer-songwriter, you kind of cross into that transition of reggae vibe somewhere along the line, and I think thats where that influence on my singing style comes in," says Roz.

Fans of the classics will appreciate that transition though, as that's what makes Roz Bell truly one-of-a-kind. Few people can so effortlessly synthesize a youth full of country records, high school rap years and an emerging singer/songwriting streak into simple, genre-defying classic pop, but that's what Roz has done with The First Sunbeams.

"I think the idea of making music as a career is a wonderful thought," he says. "The idea that I can write songs and make a living off that just blows my mind.

For his part, Roz Bell is modest and genuinely excited to get his music out to the world. He's hoping it's the start of an amazing journey.

Since they muscled their way onto the Orange County metal scene in 1998, Atreyu have sold over a million albums by constantly challenging themselves and their audiences with charged music and acrobatic performances that both have pushed the boundaries of catharsis and emotional exorcism.

But even those who have grown used to the unexpected from Atreyu will be blown away by the musical growth, determination and depth of the bands Hollywood Records debut Lead Sails Paper Anchor.

Embracing new styles of singing and playing, a previously unexplored level of melodicism and a genre-shattering range of instrumentation  including Turkish saz, trumpets, strings, piano, opera vocals and pedal steel guitar Atreyu have created an exultant disc that expands the parameters of heavy music and unabashedly exposes the band members love of 80s metal, thrash, industrial, hardcore, alternative and even alt-country. At the same time, Atreyu have written some of the heaviest, most brutal tracks of their career. "Can't Happen Here" starts with the sound of machine guns, helicopters and screaming children, then breaks into a marching snare beat before bursting into a melodic mix of raging vocals, abrupt rhythmic shifts and a trademark Atreyu monster hook refrain. And just try to find progressions as driving and pounding as "Becoming The Bull", "Honor" and "Doomsday".

"We wanted to push everything about the band further than ever," explains drummer and songwriter Brandon Saller. "We wanted the heavy parts to be as heavy as anything we've done, and at the same time we wanted to go full force with ideas we've never even approached." 

"It's totally us, but it comes from a musically more mature place," adds singer Alex Varkatzas. "You can really hear us pushing ourselves to make everything as good as we possibly could." 

The first single from the album, "Becoming The Bull," kicks off with a monster guitar groove and stomping beat before shifting into a turbo-charged chorus. Then, mid-song, the band explores dynamics with a soft, atmospheric passage that builds into a horrific scream and another pummeling groove.

"That song is about the struggle of every day life and trying to deal with it and get your shit together," Varkatzas says. "Life is all about good and bad and it's important to realize that in order to keep your sanity." "When we finished the demo for that song, we were all amazed," Saller says. "It's so different for us, but it's so cool, and it was the first indication that this record was going to be everything we wanted it to be."

The most adventurous song on Lead Sails Paper Anchor is "Falling Down", which begins with a shuffling beat and a near-rockabilly riff that builds in intensity until it bursts in a chorus of blaring horns and harmonized vocals, then launches into space with a blazing metal solo.

"We were doing whatever we felt like the whole time, and at one point I went, Dude, I really want some horns somewhere on the record," says Varkatzas. "I really like bands like Rocket From the Crypt. So we put them in there and they're tight and punchy and really help keep the song interesting." 

Another curveball comes on "Lead Sails (and a Paper Anchor)" a blend of alt-country, pop and flamboyant hard rock that features pedal steel guitar, plucked strings and sweeping, dramatic vocals.

"I think I've always wanted to do a country ballad," Saller says. "We did everything we wanted to accomplish on this album. It's leaps and bounds from where we were. This is us saying loud and clear that we can and will write and do whatever feels good to us." 

One thing that's always felt good to Atreyu is 80's metal, and on Lead Sails Paper Anchor they indulge themselves like never before especially on "Blow", in which the band pays homage to the excesses of 80s metal and bands like Motley Crue (Buckcherry's Josh Todd provides guest vocals on the track).

"It has been a long time since someone made a big, epic hard rock song, and that one definitely came from [guitarist] Dan [Jacobs]," Saller says. "He has always been big time into 80s rock and metal and this time we took that stuff and made it bigger than life." 

Just as surprising as the eclecticism of the songs is Varkatzas growth as a singer.  His expanded singing techniques  harsh and melodic, brash and snotty, tunefully melancholy -- effectively bridge the bands previous blend of corrosive howls and tuneful crooning.

"I was screaming for three records straight, and it was time to bring in some new elements," Varkatzas says. "I did that a little bit on our last album A Death-Grip on Yesterday, but I didn't have the right tools. For this, I worked hard and practiced my ass off. I don't have god given talent. My talent is in my determination. I'll just try fucking hard and suck at something for a while until I finally get it right." 

Some of the riffs on Lead Sails Paper Anchor were written when Atreyu were on last years Ozzfest and others came on the bus during headline dates. But the majority of the songwriting took place last December and January after Atreyu got off the road. "I made it a point to sit down and write every single day," says Saller. "Whether it was a single riff a full song or nothing of importance, I just came up with as much as I could."

By the time Atreyu began preproduction in March with producer John Feldmann, the band had the skeletons for 20 songs. They fleshed out the tunes together with acoustic guitars over 12 to 15 hour days, then recorded the tracks in full electric form.

"He was the most hands on dude weve ever worked with, which was really cool" Varkatzas says. "We're not the kind of band that needs someone to write out parts, but John really helped us with our structuring and figuring out what worked and what didn't." 

Atreyu named the record Lead Sails Paper Anchor after an acoustic-based ballad Varkatzas wrote about feeling homesick on the road  a condition the singer likened to sailors being adrift at sea

"The image just came to me," he says. "With lead sails, a ship wouldn't be able to move and then a paper anchor would be completely useless. And sometimes thats how I feel on tour until we get onstage completely useless and shitty because my hearts at home."

While Lead Sails Paper Anchor resounds with the bands most triumphant melodies to date, Varkatzas lyrics are harsh and sobering, born from a year of family trauma, personal struggle and a desperate yearning to cope with anxiety, depression and pain. "This record took place at an even more turbulent time in my life than the last one, but its a different kind of turbulence," Varkatzas explains. "There's no girlfriend crying songs here. This is about real shit. So it's a much more grown up record in that sense."

"Blow" addressees Atreyu's tenacity in the face of adversity (What they say wont make us go away), "Becoming The Bull" is about self-examination and self-control and "Can't Happen Here" is about the U.S. governments policy of intervention abroad.

"That song really stands out because it's somewhat political, which we don't usually do. But were in another country and our armed troops are going around knocking on the doors of citizens and asking to search their houses for weapons, and it's something I wanted to write about. If that happened in America, people would be fighting back. And much love and respect to the troops who have got a fucking hard job to have to go over there and do that. Its not against them at all. But how long will it take before everyone hates us? It just breaks my heart." 

"Doomsday", the title of which could also be about war, is, perhaps, the most personal song on the record for Varkatzas. It addresses the feelings of helplessness and frustration that he suffered when his grandfather died while Atreyu was on tour.

"We were in Baltimore, and my phone was in the front lounge of the bus getting charged," recalls the singer. "So, I woke up and went to get my phone to find out where the nearest gym was, and I saw that I had missed a call from my mom. So, I called her back and she said my grandpa was dying. He was on life support and I wouldn't be able to make it back in time. We had been extremely close and I couldn't even be there to say goodbye. It was pretty much the shittiest thing ever." 

Since the band formed they have battled uncooperative clubs, unsupportive labels and an Orange County music scene they never fit in with and emerged victorious. Atreyu's roots stretch back to 1997 when Varkatzas and Jacobs met in PE class in junior high school and started talking about music. It wasn't long before they were jamming (with Varkatzas on bass and vocals). They tried out various drummers before Varkatzas friend Ryan Saller suggested they play with his younger brother Brandon. Though they were initially reluctant because of the age difference, they gave it a shot and found their chemistry together was strong so they formed the hardcore band Retribution. Two years later Varkatzas opted to just sing and the band hired another bassist. They would go through a couple more before Marc McKnight joined in 2004.

After years of gigging, Atreyu released their debut EP, Fractures in the Faade of Your Porcelain Beauty in 2001  the same year they added second guitarist Travis Miguel. When Victory Records heard the record, they immediately signed Atreyu. The bands first full-length, Suicide Notes and Butterfly Kisses, which featured three songs from the EP and seven new tunes, came out in 2002 and attracted legions to the bands mix of crushing noise and soaring melody. Atreyu fine-tuned their sound for 2004's adrenalized The Curse, which included more references to Scandinavian melodic death metal and more effective vocal exchanges between Varkatzas and Saller, and sold nearly 400,000 copies. Then came 2006's A Death-Grip on Yesterday, on which the band ramped up the melodies, varied their arrangements and tightened their attack. The disc reached No. 9 on the Billboard album chart and was praised by Revolver, who, in a cover story described the disc as showcasing lots of thrash riffs, hardcore rhythms and lacerating howls, but featuring even more sinewy guitar melodies and 80s metal solos. The album fulfilled Atreyu's contract with Victory. Soon after, the band signed with Hollywood and celebrated by headlining the second stage of Ozzfest.

But that was the past, and while the band has enjoyed the success it has worked so hard to achieve, its the future that Atreyu are the most excited about. "This really feels like a new beginning for us," Saller says. We're actually at a label that believes in our band and trusts our instincts. "So we didn't hold back anything this time. We wanted to give it everything we had. This is 100 percent Atreyu and that's what well always be."

The Toronto Islands are going to be on fire this weekend! Its the 10th anniversary of Wakestock and its going to be insane! Not only is there going to be a ton of pro wakeboarders, skaters and other extreme events going on, there is also a ridiculous amount of wicked bands playing. Social Code, Protest The Hero, Moneen, I Hate Sally, Ten Second Epic, Shad and tons more are going to be tearing up the stage over the four day bonanza. Make sure to be on the lookout for the indie village. The Blacktop Guerillas will be there in full effect giving out water, free swag and of course having Xbox 360 Guitar Hero Battles! Yep, you heard that right..Guitar Hero baby! In fact most of the bands you see on stage during the day will be stopping by for some band vs. band, battle to the death action. Make sure to stop by!

Matthew Good has returned to the roots of his inspiration, to the roots of rock 'n' roll. From the independent defiance of his bands first recordings a decade ago to the lush instrumentation of 2003's Avalanche, Good had walked many musical roads and, in continuing his journey, has returned to the foundations of the genre to bring forth Hospital Music.

Today's sanitary, pre-packaged and commodified musical offerings are still daily created for an increasingly numb populace. Good has railed against the bland throughout his career and for Hospital Music, Good acts as producer as well. Its raw off the floor no tricks, no gimmicks, just honest rhythms and forthright lyrics.

Over the years, Good has sold over 600,000 records. He has been misinterpreted at least as often as he has found like-minded listeners. Frequently branded as brash and given to distemper, Matthew Good has never been reserved about sharing his opinions and fighting for his values. Growing up in the Vancouver suburb of Coquitlam, Good was influenced by a wide range of musicians. Whether Bob Dylan and Billy Bragg or The Clash and SNFU, the attitude and outspokenness would continue as hallmarks of his own artistic endeavour.

Through it all, Good has produced exceptional music that has grown and diversified as he himself has. Further, he has championed his beliefs by using what influence he has to speak out for human rights, true democratic freedoms, and equality for all people.  

Hospital Music will be released July 31st. 

On July 31 2007 Attack In Black, from Welland, Ontario, will release Marriage, a collection of 12 stunning folk-infused songs that merge the soul of old school rock 'n' roll with the body of modern day punk rock. Although Attack In Black's sound may at first closely resemble popular forms of punk rock, it is not fitting to simply categorize the quartet as a punk rock band. Various artists and authors that many people would not relate with the genre have influenced the band: from Bruce Springsteen and Neil Young, to Refused and Ramones, to Henry Miller and Charles Bukowski. These are the muses that have lead to the lyrics and sounds of Attack In Black.

In Spring 2006, Attack in Black signed to Dine Alone Records (home to City and Colour, Bedouin Soundclash, The End, Walter Schreifels and Black Lungs).  Although still cultivating a youthful musical career, Attack In Black have already had the opportunity to share the stage with the likes of Alexisonfire, Propagandhi, Moneen, Sparta, and Death By Stereo, and recently completed their first UK festival dates as a part of the Give It A Name Festival.

"Words cannot describe how excited I am to have the opportunity to work with Thursday again. Thursday is a band that people believe in. They are innovators. They are the voice of a generation. Some bands simply make songs that people like. Other bands thrive on gimmicks. The true artists create something that changes people's lives. Thursday are true artists. They have a very special and unique magnetism. They are a band that you can believe in at a time when there is not a surplus of bands with any real substance or meaning. 'Full Collapse' is an album that has influenced so many bands as well as spearheading an entire musical movement. Working with the band on that pivotal and significant album was magical. Thursday and Victory have done great things together. I am so happy and honored that tradition will continue. Some people might want to call this a sort of homecoming. I simply see it as a reunion of passionate people that have done great things in the past getting the opportunity to do them again. This is something that people can feel good about. And to me, that is the best karma for any relationship," said Victory Owner Tony Brummel.

The release, as of yet untitled, will consist of a full length feature DVD and a full length Album. The DVD will tell Thursday's 10 year career story from the beginning to the present. It will contain interviews with the band and their team, archived show and behind the scenes footage spanning the band's career to date and hints to the band's future. The DVD will feature enhanced menus, a "Making of the song" and "The Making of Full Collapse" featurettes, the original version of "How Long Is The Night" with visuals, an audio-enhanced photo gallery, laminate gallery and more. The CD will contain three, brand new and unreleased songs along with a collection of live tracks and b-sides.

The band's long time manager Dave "Rev" Ciancio had the following to say, "February 9th, 2001 - A date that changed my life. It was the first time I ever saw Thursday perform live. I had never seen anything like it. Raw, intense, sincere, driven rock music rooted deep in hardcore but with progressive song structures and melodies. I couldn't believe what I was seeing and hearing. I grabbed the band as they walked off stage and begged them to let me and my company, The Syndicate, professionally manage their career. Thankfully, they did take the meeting and I learned what an intelligent, passionate and innovative group of guys were behind the music. It's been six some years since then and a lot of crazy things have happened. And now - three labels, two publishers, several world tours and three records later - the guys are going back to Victory Records. I thought it would never happen but to be honest, Tony and the Victory staff have proven time and time again that they care about music; They are more concerned with what the fan wants and less concerned about the bottom line or the constraints of the modern day music business. I speak for everyone at The Syndicate when I say we are honored to be working with the band and excited about working again with Victory on this DVD/CD."

Most importantly here is the band's message:

Friends!!!

We have some exciting news!!! We know that everyone is wondering what is next for us (New Label? New Record? Touring? Breaking up?). We're proud to announce that we will be releasing a DVD/CD on our former label, Victory Records. Surprise! A lot of the footage from this DVD was taken during the time we spent on Victory and we thought it was appropriate to release it with them. On a more personal note, many of you know that our parting with Victory was bitter on both sides and we're taking this chance to put that behind us. That label really helped us get to where we are and we helped them to establish themselves as well... "coming full circle" and "making amends" are some of the phrases that we could throw around here but we think you get the picture already. Tony's passion for this project and his continued support of the band after all these years has helped to make this an easy decision.

We're really looking forward to this release. The DVD will be a retrospective of our band's career so far(footage from the last nine years) with a ton of live stuff. Everyone always says we're much better live than on record-- now you can decide. The CD will have several new tracks(!) and some alternate versions and demos of older songs.

Once the DVD and CD are complete, we will be starting work on a new album soon after and the home for that has yet to be determined.

- THURSDAY

The DVD/Album package will be in stores October 30, 2007.

One would be hard-pressed to come up with a more fitting title for Silverstein's new album than Arrivals & Departures. After all, this Canadian band sold over 300,000 of their previous release, Discovering The Waterfront, on the strength of word-of-mouth and a nonstop touring schedule that saw them crisscrossing the globe. The full-throated rock passion that pervades all 11 songs on Arrivals & Departures emphatically depicts a band that has well, arrived. Silverstein is about to depart the realm of grassroots phenomenon to enter the stratosphere of critical mass success.

Its been a long, but thrilling trip for this quintet, who came together in the Toronto suburb of Burlington, Ontario at the turn of the millennium. After putting out two of their own EPs, the band signed to Victory Records and released When Broken Is Easily Fixed, which raised eyebrows throughout North America as sales climbed well past 200,000. Showing no ill effects of any sophomore jinx, Silversteins follow-up Discovering The Waterfront did considerably better; now total Silverstein record sales are beyond a half-million. The band fueled that momentum by performing on a slew of major tours, from A Taste of Chaos and Warped in the States to the Give It A Name and Download festivals in England. They topped it all off with their first headlining tour of America the sold-out Never Shave Again tour.

"We took three months off after we finished Never Shave Again in December to totally dedicate ourselves to writing new material," drummer Paul Koehler says. "We were very eager to be creative again; it was a very exciting progress that flowed very naturally, since this was our third attempt at writing a full-length CD. Its not as if we had a plan on what we wanted the new music to sound like. One of really big benefits of our band is that we let things develop organically."

That especially pertains to Arrivals & Departures lyrical heart. "I ended a seven-year relationship right before I started on this record, singer Shane Told admits. "That's something you can't ignore when youre writing lyrics. This record is, by far, the most personal record I have ever made. Sometimes it's hard for me to go back and listen to some of the songs, because the feelings behind them are still unsettling to me. But at the same time, I wanted to convey a message of hope through the record, in that no matter what happens, you can still get through the tough times, get better and be happy.

Even so, it was really hard to write lyrics that express my passionate feelings," he continues. "It scared me. I was letting people in on my personal life; you start wonder if you're just writing the songs for yourself. You wonder how your fans, who have been so supportive of you in the past, will think of what youre exposing to them. All these questions are constantly battling inside you."

Yet Told came to the conclusion that once you lay your heart out there, theres no turning back. "That's why this record is so personal to me," he states. "Even the album title; it's about being all over the world for the last four years and how that affected me. In some ways, it destroyed a part of my personal life. Had I not went down this road, I have no doubt in my mind that I probably would be married with kids, living a totally different existence. But my ultimate goal in life is to just be happy, and obviously you have to make some tough transitions in the short term to be happy in the long term. "

"The intervals of life exist as finite periods that can only be enjoyed in the moment and don't last forever," Koehler adds. "Life doesn't last forever, and neither does the happiest moments of ones life. Our lives have been transformed into a constant

coming and going throughout the years, where it is hard to maintain positive relationships and to stay adjusted to one lifestyle. When we are on the road we miss home, our friends family. At the same time, when are at home we miss the experience of traveling and playing shows, plus all of the friends and relationships we have made all over the world. From the constant shift in life, we've developed a positive embrace of any moment in each side of our life because you never know when that is going to end."

That sense of transition impacted the recording of Arrivals & Departures as well. Silverstein decided to use a new producer--Mark Trombino, who previously worked with Jimmy Eat World and Blink 182. "Before we went in the studio, I was the only one who had met him, and that was just one time," Koehler recalls. "We had to build a relationship quickly. It can be tricky doing that when you're suddenly working with someone in the same room for 10-12 hours a day. Fortunately, he's very talented and meticulous, which works well with our band, because were all perfectionists, too."

Now that the new album has arrived, Silverstein is eager to depart on more globe-hopping tours. And they can't wait to play the new tunes to their rapidly growing fan base. "You definitely feel the new music a lot more live," Told says. "By the time you've done your old songs over 100 times on stage, youre more into just performing to the audience. But the feelings behind the new songs are still fresh in my heart, so my singing will reflect that."

In a way, Arrivals & Departures illustrates an emotional growth for a band whose career is continually on the rise. "Success is reaching whatever new goals we set for ourselves, and that has been a constant progression," Koehler says. "We're always looking to attain new things by staying focused. We feel were on a really good path because were comfortable doing things that come natural to us."

You, my friend, are as common as a dumpster rat. Youre forgotten like a peanut shell beneath a bar stool. Or, maybe you're just information, ripped out like a yellow page from a phone-booth book hanging from a chain. The end times sound like a thrill compared to this, the common times. The Era Vulgaris. At least you're not lonely, cause we're all in it. And at least it sounds good, cause Queens of the Stone Age are playing it.

It's actually a reaction to what we think is the era vulgaris. You don't have time. I already know that. And, so, here we go: Pow, pow, pow, pow, pow. In a world of short bursts, it's like trying to reach down someones throat in two seconds.

That, my friend, was Josh Homme speaking, the singer, guitarist, mind of Queens of the Stone Age. He's also common. As is Troy Van Leeuwen, guitarist, multi-instrumentalist, member of the bandcommon folk. Hed like to add the following about the new album:

"Lean is a great word for it. Cause we don't have that many songs on the record. And it's like whos got the fucking time? Not us. We want to get the point out there. Slam, bang." 

Have Queens of the Stone Age given up? Is this when we see behind the curtain, the gears all rusted and stripped, a broken machine, the end of an era? No. Listen closely to lead single "Sick, Sick, Sick", featuring the Casio keyboard-guitar and vocal stylings of one Julian Casablancas, leader of the Strokes, complicit in QOTSA's determination to cut through the static. Don't resist, so the song suggests. I dare you to, my friend.

Have a go at "'I'm Designer" and try not to see yourself in that one. Its a carnival crystal ball tapped by long black fingernails, a murky view into the close future where your own name means less than the labels on your shirts and devices. "The thing that's real for us is fortune and fame/All the rest seems like work/It's just like diamonds in shit." If ever there were, my friend, an anthem for an era with no anthems, this is it. Raise your fist in the air to this one. (The fist without the phone, please.)

Theres the sliding lap-steel metallic chirp of some pre-historic bird perched inside "3s and 7s", a roundtable song of poker, the sport of lying, where money can be made from a straight flush or a straight face. "Into the Hollows" beckons with a rubber-band bass line, while it wonders about hiding in a place thats deep and dark, asking if you'll be swallowed or safe or both. "Battery Acid" buzzes like a hundred houseflies, marching and chanting exactly like something you'd be hard pressed to rinse from your skin.

These eleven new songs by Queens of the Stone Age are specifically designed to interrupt your programming. Joey Castillo's drumming is clean as a bone, complex like a skeleton. Troy sounds like he's trying to summon something out of his own body that he's never even seen. Mark Lanegan's voice is here, like a crackling fire made from stolen scrolls. Chris Goss acts as anchor, like a catcher with as many RBI's as thrown-out runners. Mr. Joshua Homme shows that you can clear six-feet-four inches and sing falsetto, you can sneer and sing harmony, you can work and you can play. He also proves, by willpower alone, that you can find a small space in this common, vulgar era to do something uncommon. There is hope, my friend. It is Era Vulgaris.

In an age thats fast like this, how do you fall in love with somebody? How do you become a master painter? Who sacrifices the time and effort to wait? asks Mr. Homme. "But I love facing insurmountable odds, because someones gotta make it. Its like being in the Civil War where they just stand in front of each other. You run at a line of people and they are dropping on your left and right. You can get down on the ground and cry or turn around. Or, you keep going. Someone has to make it. Why shouldnt it be you? "

The search is on for the next great Street Team leader in Edmonton! City TV and the Blacktop Guerillas are on the hunt for the most rockinest Albertan to head up the BTGs. They've narrowed it down to three contestants and now it is your turn to pick the winner. Head over to City TV to watch the first episode (hosted by none other than our boy John Dunham) and vote for who you think should win. Not only are the contestants vying for one kick ass job, they'll also win a killer 2007 Mitsubishi Outlander.