Last Week's News Roundup: Febuary 10th - 17th

(Monday 11th Feb) Alien Ant Farm reformed with original members

Being a band that has survived it’s fair share of misfortune (singer Dryden Mitchell came very close to death after a terrible bus accident) it looks as if the band are set to reform with it’s original members.

Despite their 2001 album ‘Anthology’ becoming a massive hit, helped with a charming cover of Smooth Criminal that still gets regular play on the (nazi) likes of Kerrang, later releases didn’t see the group reach quite the same heights both in sales and in quality of music.

Hopefully the reformation will see the group return to their fun and sarcastic roots that saw them being a band that everyone (should have) enjoyed.

(Tuesday 12th Feb) UK illegal downloaders could face internet ‘ban’.

The good old British government have given approval for plans to be developed in order to find a method to ‘banning’ people who use their internet connection to download music illegally. Although nothing is set in stone, it seems as if we are coming ever closer to a 1984-esque atmosphere.

It’s a story that has been courting a great deal of attention and protest from the public, considering the issues surrounding privacy on the net, and one that is sure to be thrilling to follow.

Obviously this is a reaction by the government to help the music industry recover it’s slumping sales, seemingly due to the prolific amount of illegal downloading going on over the isles (six million people a year apparently). Personally, I find the concept quite disturbing, as if such plans were given the go-ahead then this opens a whole floodgate concerning what internet service providers (such as BT) and the government can find out from your internet usage. Where will the line be drawn?

(Thursday 14th Feb) Tool to record new album soon?

MTV had a brief chat with James Maynard Keenan, the lead singer from Tool this week at the Grammy’s. Not only was Maynard breaking tradition by actually turning up for the award ceremony (Tool were up for best ‘hard’ rock performance) but he was also in quite a talkative mood it would seem, revealing that Tool are looking to head back into the studio much sooner than normal.

Considering the gap between Lateralus and 10,000 Days was around five years, it’s good to hear the group looking at releasing some material a bit quicker. Although, having created one of the best albums ever (in my opinion) in Lateralus, some might argue that it’s almost futile for the group to continue pushing to better it, as 10,000 Days seemed to prove. Still, it should be interesting to see what the band develops.

"We all get in a room, shut out all the extra noises from the other people and what goes on outside the room and just focus on the four of us, where we are that day. And then we just start making sounds," is what Maynard said, and it certainly seems the best way to do it.

(Saturday 16th Feb) 36 Crazyfists to release precursor EP ‘The Oculous EP’

Alaskan rocker’s 36 Crazyfists are putting the finishing touches on their fourth album (The Tide and it’s Takers, tipped for a May 27th release) and in order to give fans something to mull over whilst they are waiting, they will release a new EP on April 19th .

Considering their third album seemingly passed over absolutely everyone, even those actually interested in the band (go on, name it without looking) it should be intriguing to see how much effort the group have put into their next release. Their first two albums were stonkingly good listens, if a bit on the shallow side but they do have a certain passion that could make a big difference in this upcoming release.