News editors: Mikael Kahrle & Johan Carlsson

False Depeche Mode split press release
• Yesterday, a fake press release was distributed over the net about a supposed Depeche Mode split. Since it was false, we don't give you all details but want to help stopping the rumours surrounding this with this News entry. /Mikael Kahrle

Marilyn Manson threw another party for his new album

Party boys.

• Today marks the release of the new Marilyn Manson effort "The Golden Age of Grotesque". Manson celebrated his new album at a "Grotesk Burlesk" release party in Los Angeles, yesterday, where the band also performed. A similar party was thrown in UK some time ago.
The first single, "Mobscene" debuted at number five in the US single retail charts when released.
Marilyn Manson are looking forward to this year's American OzzFest, where they will play 28 dates alongside Ozzy himself, Korn and others. First, however, Europe will be dealt with. A limited tour starts on May 29. Manson answers fans questions regarding the tour and other issues at his web site (under "The Oracle").
Album review in progress. /Mikael Kahrle

Vacuum to perform at St Petersburg anniversary

Swedish ambassador. Mattias Lindblom of Vacuum live in Moscow recently.
Photo by: Olga A Maximenko

• St Petersburg celebrates its 300 year anniversary on May 25 and Swedish pop act Vacuum is officially invited. They will perform in front of 50 000 people including celebrity guests such as leaders from all over the world and Russian TV cameras. Even more, 80 000 people, are expected when Vacuum will perform at the Chaika 5 festival in Ukraine on Saturday. Vacuum have just returned from one of their many trips to Eastern Europe.
Vacuum plan to release a new album on SubSpace Communications next year. In the meantime the have produced "Share Your Love Life", written by Neil Tennant of Pet Shop Boys, on the new album by disco quartet Alcazar. They have also written several songs to the debut album from Julie. She is most likely the first artist from Greenland who has sold double platinum (in Denmark)! /Mikael Kahrle

UK tour in November for Radiohead
• After this week's club tour, Radiohead plan an arena tour of the UK in November. /Mikael Kahrle

Successful launch for Dave Gahan's solo career


Blur? No, it's Dave Gahan.

• Dave Gahan's first solo video is doing well and is spinning frequently at MTV (powerplay rotation in Germany, for instance). Complete with a backup singer, "Dirty Sticky Floors" was filmed on Malibu beach. Directors Stefan Arni and Siggi Kinski of Gus Gus shows us a very Anton Corbijn-esque style. The single has two non-album tracks and is set for release May 26 (not May 19 as previously stated). The album release dates June 2 and 3 (USA) remains.
Today is Gahan's 41:st birthday, by the way.
See an earlier Gahan solo report from Release here. /Alex Veronac, Mikael Kahrle

The Fair Sex gets compiled
• “Thin Walls - Part 1” is the title of an upcoming compilation of tracks by The Fair Sex. The "best of" album contains songs from the album trio “Bite Release Bite”, “Spell of Joy” and “Labyrinth”. /Johan Carlsson

Uncertain release date for Children Within
• Swedish synthpoppers Children Within will deliver their twelve track comeback album "Freedom of Choice" on Energy. The intention is to release the disc within the next few weeks, but it might be delayed and then they are considering a release date in the end of the summer. /Mikael Kahrle

Claudia Brücken and Anne Clark help trance duo
• The trance duo Blank & Jones has just released their chill-out album “Relax”. The album features a bunch of people helping out with the vocal parts. Sarah McLachlan, Claudia Brücken (ex Propaganda) and Anne Clark amongst others. A remix of Pet Shop Boys “Love Comes Quickly” is also included. /Johan Carlsson

Ohgr: new songs, video and live dates

- Honestly, do you think I should get some tan?

• With the impending release of “Sunnypsyop”, Ohgr's web site www.ohgr.com is now redesigned with current info. The worldly site has texts in French, German and English. Soundbytes are available online for the new Ohgr tracks “IovNow”, “Majik” and “SunBurn”. We can finally divulge that some select live dates may happen in the near future prior to planned Skinny Puppy dates. A video for lead single "Majik" (codename: hylic manouver) will be added to the ten track audio CD release. Vocalist Nivek Ogre is set to do another brief special appearance with Ministry on May 6 in Philadelphia. /Alex Veronac

Keith Flint gets on with it
• Mr Firestarter himself - Keith Flint - has formed a new band simply called "Flint" and will unveil it live June 11 at King's Cross Scala in the UK. The band plans to release only 2 000 copies of their first single "Asteroids" in May on 10" vinyl. Other members of this new project include ex-Pitchshifter guitarist Jim Davies as well as the dual drumming of Keiran Pepper and Tony Howlett. Flint has finished recording the debut album that has been produced by legendary Killing Joke member Youth. Mr Flint has stated that this new outfit "has the intensity which made Prodigy so popular". /Peter Marks

The Cure dark trilogy DVD info



• Coming June 2 via Eagle Vision (UK), The Cure's long anticipated “Dark Trilogy” concerts are brought to record shops. For those who could not make it to Berlin or Brussels in November 2002, the entire LP:s "Pornography", "Disintegration" and "Bloodflowers" can be experienced live in the two disc set. The 31 live songs filmed at Tempodrom, Berlin are also accompanied by three bonus tracks and 30 minutes of interviews. The DVD set also features Dolby 5.1 audio mix and was filmed in high definition format.
The Cure is currently recording their new studio CD for ARTISTdirect Records/BMG (US).
See earlier The Cure news from Release here. /Alex Veronac

"Sanctuary" from Erasure



• The new DVD from Erasure is entitled "Sanctuary: The EIS Christmas Concert 2002" and is out now on Mute. Currently this release is European PAL format only but an NTSC version will be released if there is sufficient demand for it. /Peter Marks

Velvet Acid Christ come out swinging or do they?
• HexFix93 (aka Disease Factory aka Bryan Erickson) has finished work on his new album which contains eleven tracks "brimming with intensity" and is entitled "Hex Angel (Utopia-Dystopia)". This new release is due in August and will have a lead single: "Pretty Toy" out towards the end of June. Both of these are issued via Dependent. Erickson states of the single:
- We took a chance by releasing a slow g*th track as a single. We don't just write pissed off electronic music. /Peter Marks

New British book about gothic rock
• Do you think you know all there is to know about gothic rock? Think again, and then read the new book "The Dark Reign of Gothic Rock" (out on British publishing company Helter Skelter) by British author Dave Thompson. The book is about the music, as opposed to hairdos and clothes. It covers everything from Nico and Iggy Pop to Joy Division, The Cure, The Sisters of Mercy and Fields of the Nephilim and in-between. "The Dark Reign of Gothic Rock" is written chronologically and is built on interviews with the actual artists, including Andrew Eldritch, Robert Smith and Peter Murphy.
Recognise the name Dave Thompson? Well, he has written the autobiography on Depeche Mode: "Some Great Reward". /Kalle Malmstedt

Ministry tours across USA

Ministry live in Niagara Falls, USA, this week.
Photo by: Alex Veronac (Release)

• As the Ministry "Fornica Tour" rolls across the USA after their promo gigs in Europe in February, the refreshed band seem to be having more enjoyment this time. Only minor setbacks of protesters in Utah and a member change by adding veteran Reynolds Washam back on drums mid-tour. Special guests have consisted of Jello Biafra (Lard), Gibby Haynes (Butthole Surfers) and Chris Connelly (Revolting Cocks) on certain dates of this tour. Fans attending May 4 in New York City will get an Ogre appearance.
Their extremely loud mosh pit classic set is mixed up a bit each night with a song from "Twitch" ("We Believe"), 1000 Homo DJs' "Supernaut" and their last six studio releases to the pleasure of fans.
European dates have been planned as some festival dates are already confirmed, as you may have noticed. Also they're looking at recording some songs soon after back in Texas. Some Canadian dates may also finally happen. /Alex Veronac

Noise for Destruction's debut single
• Peter White (ex-Sensorium), Simon Rippen (ex-Sensorium/The Nephilim) and Tony Pettit (The Nephilim) are Noise for Destruction and will release their debut single in the next few months. This single will include some or all of the following songs: "No Love Lost", "Unleashed" and "Break the Silence". The third track contains input from former Fields of the Nephilim guitarist Peter Yates whom the band hopes "will contribute to other tracks in the future". Currently, NFD have one song out on the Starvox "Trinity Volume 1" compilation and it is entitled "Darkness Falls".
There still is no news from Carl McCoy as to the release schedule of The Nephilim's new album which has been worked on sporadically over the last year. /Peter Marks

Producers start up Weltraumorgel
• The members of Weltraumorgel have previously worked as producers of Melotron, In Strict Confidence and remixers of Paradise Lost and Yello. The band is made up by Olaf Wollschläger and DJ Ralf Gehle, and will release their debut album "Communications" on Dennis Ostermann's (In Strict Confidence) label Minuswelt on June 21. /Jens Krause

Vacuum journey to the Ukraine
• Sweden's very own pop magnates Vacuum will play out on May 16 in Odessa, Ukraine and will perform once more on May 17 in Kiev at Chaika-5. /Peter Marks