Archive News Nov 26, 2001

SEPULTURA guitarist Andreas Kisser will be joining former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Paul Di'Anno on stage as a very special guest at the latter's headlining appearance at the Manifesto Bar in Sao Paulo, Brazil on December 11th. Kisser will reportedly perform with Di'Anno at the first show of the singer's three-night stint at the aforementioned venue. No word yet on what the set list for the evening will consist of, but one would venture to guess that loads of IRON MAIDEN tunes will be performed—surprise, surprise!

ANTHRAX have apparently set Superhero as the working title for their forthcoming studio CD, which is currently being recorded at Beartracks Studios in Suffern, New York for a March release through Nuclear Blast Records in Europe and Beyond/BMG Records in the US. Among the known song titles that are set to appear on the effort are the following:

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01. Superhero

02. What Doesn't Die

03. Strap On My Old School

04. Taking The Music Back

05. Nobody Knows Anything

06. Expiration

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Although very little information about the nature of the material has been leaked so far, guitarist Scott Ian has gone on record as saying that the new songs represent a “return to big fat riffs and really great grooves.” Superhero marks the recording debut with the band of new guitarist Rob Caggiano, who replaced longtime stand-in Paul Crook during the summer. Caggiano is also reportedly co-producing the effort, a role that he has grown accustomed to as one-third of the Scrap 60 Productions team that was recently responsible for producing a host of albums for the Roadrunner label, including those from 36 CRAZYFISTS, ILL NINO and DRY KILL LOGIC.

SAXON have been confirmed as “very special guests” to JUDAS PRIEST at the latter band's headlining appearance at London's Brixton Academy on Wednesday, December 19th. Tickets for this show, promoted by Mean Fiddler, are now available priced at £17.50 from the Academy box office on 0870 771 2000 and all usual agents including Stargreen and Way Ahead. Credit card bookings can also be made online at www.ticketmaster.co.uk or www.ticketweb.com.

The reworked version of POWERMAN 5000's forthcoming studio effort, which originally carried the title Anyone For Doomsday?, may not contain any of the songs that were made available on the now-scrapped recording, according to the latest posting from frontman Spider One on the band's official web site at www.powerman5000.com. The vocalist also reaffirmed that the band are still on the lookout for a new bassist and drummer following the recent departures of Dorian Heartsong and Al Pahanish, and he stated that they are welcoming applications from interested musicians, although he stipulated that the requirements for auditioning are that the applicants are “serious about wanting a shot” and that they are “as good or better than Al and/or Dorian”. Interested parties can send their packages to:

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The Firm

9100 Whilshire Blvd. Suite 400W

Beverly Hills, CA 90212

JUDAS PRIEST's classic 1980 release, British Steel, has made an appearance at position #17 on the Swedish Metal Chart following the Swedish National TV broadcast of the The Making Of British Steel special on three separate occasions on November 8th, 9th and 10th.

MEGADETH mainman Dave Mustaine has revealed in his latest online posting that he is due to travel to Los Angeles from his home in Phoenix on Wednesday, November 28th to start the remixing/remastering process for the band's upcoming reissue of their classic debut CD, Killing Is My Business…And Business Is Good!, which was originally released in 1985 through Combat Records. According to Mustaine, he will be one again be collaborating with veteran producer Bill Kennedy (who manned the boards for the recording of MEGADETH's The World Needs A Hero CD) during the upcoming sessions, which will include the remixing of the band's original three-song demo tape, containing the tracks “Last Rites/Loved To Death”, “The Skull Beneath The Skin” and “The Mechanix”, which landed the band their record deal with Combat (and which is set to be included as part of the final package). However, it appears unlikely that the reissued album will include MEGADETH's cover of the Nancy Sinatra classic “These Boots Are Made For Walking”, which appeared on the original version of the CD, after the original writer of the song, Lee Hazelwood, refused to grant the group the rights to re-release the version of the track that appeared on Killing…, seeing as it contained slightly altered lyrics to the original, thereby requiring Hazelwood's consent. “Sadly, we were forced to make a decision,” Dave stated in his posting. “Do we put 'These Boots' on as an instrumental, do we sing it again in the original format with his lyrics, or do we just beep out all of my lyrics that I added? I decided for now, not to have it on the record if it means that we have to censor ourselves to appease this person. I have also written a statement about what happened, and why it isn't on the record, for inclusion in the liner notes.

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“We are reissuing [Killing Is My Business…] with the original artwork idea, and have had one of our new artists, Michael Mueller, do the work for it. I am satisfied with the cover and have found a very old rare photo of the four of us when [guitarist] Chris [Poland] and [drummer] Gar [Samuelson] were in the band that I don't think any of you have ever seen.

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“We are going to try to leave the record in its current shape and improve on the poor production that took place because of the financial limitations put on us by our first label and the decisions that we made to spend most of that money on drugs while doing the record.

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“We have also had the privilege of having well-known metal hero Scott Ian of ANTHRAX write something about the record for the liner notes too.

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“Lastly, I am extending an invitation to [former MEGADETH guitarist] Chris Poland to come down to the studio to be part of this if he wants to. I hope he will accept my invitation.”

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Mustaine also revealed that he and Kennedy will follow up the remixing/remastering process for Killing Is My Business… with the mixing sessions for MEGADETH's upcoming live CD/DVD. According to the frontman, “we recorded 24 songs for the project, and we recorded 6 more for a later release. Many of the songs from the two nights we recorded in Tucson and Phoenix, Arizona were recorded both nights so that we would have a choice of the version that we give you. There are subtle differences in the songs that were done twice. For example one night was faster, the next night at album tempo one song had ad lib or improvisations in the arrangement, the next night it was done just like the record.

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“I hope that this is not giving me too much work to sift through, but since this is the live record that I have been waiting my whole career to officially make, I wanted it to be on fire!

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“I don't know if it will turn out like it felt on stage in Phoenix that magical night, but I will say this, I have played many shows this tour and that night was something very different. We were playing like we were one person, one instrument all night.

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“We also recorded an acoustic version of 'Burning Bridges' for potential release with the next single, if it turns out to be 'BB'. This would mean that the single would include the record, live, and acoustic version of this song. Not a bad day's work if you ask me.

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“I hope that we will go on to make more MEGADETH music soon, but this I know for sure we made a great live record for us all. FINALLY!”

According to unofficial sources, METALLICA frontman James Hetfield was recently spotted at a Oakland Raiders home game, reaffirming previous reports that the guitarist/vocalist is in fact out of rehab and is recovering nicely after his brief stint there as a result of an ongoing battle with alcoholism and “other addictions” (which reportedly includes an addiction to painkillers that Hetfield began taking as a way to deal with his chronic back pain).

According to The New York Post, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons is hoping to secure the services of either former Details editor Joe Dolce or former Detour editor Steve Garbarino to helm his soon-to-be-launched Gene Simmons' Tongue magazine, which is being described by the man himself as “a hybrid between Maxim, Rolling Stone and Playboy — hopefully, with a sense of humor.' According to Gene, “the cover will depict a 'surprise' starlet with her tongue out. Inside, there will be columns such as 'Tongue in Cheek', which might delve into 'who's doing whom,' 'Foreign Tongue', which will cover everything overseas, 'Forked Tongue', which will be our food section and possibly 'Tongue Lashings', our letter column.' Tongue, a joint venture with publisher Sterling-MacFadden, is tentatively set to launch its first issue sometime next year with an initial run of 300,000 copies.

New York's GLASSJAW, whose recording career appears to be at a standstill following disagreements with Roadrunner Records over the promotional push (or lack thereof, from the band's perspective) given to the group's debut release, Everything You Ever Wanted To Know About Silence, played their first show in 6 1/2 months at the Birch Hill nightclub in Old Bridge, New Jersey on Wednesday, November 21st, where they debuted three new songs, which carried the working titles of “Cosmopolitan Bloodloss”, “Tip Your Bartender” and “Must Have Run All Day”. Other known song titles that are set to appear on the band's upcoming sophomore effort (which is still expected to surface during 2002) include 'Ape Dos Mil' and “Midwestern Stylings”.

MANOWAR entered the German DVD music sales charts at position #6 with their latest effort, entitled Hell On Earth, having reportedly sold 20% of the whole initial pressing of the DVD within the first two weeks of its release.

Another cryptic message has been posted on the official CELTIC FROST web site at www.celticfrost.com stating simply “FALL 2K2”, thereby giving validity to persistent rumors, fueled further last week by an article in the UK magazine Terrorizer, that the group's classic line-up of guitarist/vocalist Tom G. Warrior (aka Thomas Gabriel Fischer),bassist Martin Eric Ain and drummer Reed St. Mark is about to make a comeback, with a new studio album penciled in for a late 2002 release. More information on this as it becomes available.

Former PRONG/FLOTSAM AND JETSAM bassist Troy Gregory has made available for download two tracks from his upcoming solo album, entitled Sybil, which is due to be issued shortly through Fall Of Rome Records at these locations:

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'Born In A Haunted Barn' (feat. THE DIRTBOMBS)

'Regrets I've Had A Few' (feat. OUTRAGEOUS CHERRY)

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As previously reported, Sybil apparently features a different Detroit band on each track, with the following acts allegedly having contributed to the recording sessions: THE COME ONS, BANTAM ROOSTER, THE SIGHTS, THEY COME IN THREES, THE VOLEBEATS, THE ALPHABET, SLUMBER PARTY, THE WILDBUNCH, LARVAL, THE GLOW IN THE DARK MONSTERS, and JIM DIAMONDS POP MONSOON.

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Meanwhile, former FLOTSAM AND JETSAM drummer Kelly David Smith has revealed in a posting at the official FLOTSAM AND JETSAM message board that he is presently “not doing a damn thing except going to school to eventually earn my degree in computer science. I don't have any notes on the storm. I was a drummer who was self-taught thru headphones and Neil Peart, APRIL WINE, IRON MAIDEN, Chick Corea, Terry Bozzio and many others. I did initially take [drum] lessons and I do know how to count and play to a click. I took lessons from the present drummer of Lyle Lovett. He is a good friend and an awesome drummer.”

It looks like former HELLOWEEN guitarist Roland Grapow and drummer Uli Kusch will have to try a little bit harder to come up with a suitable name for their current project, which also features in its ranks SYMPHONY X vocalist Russell Allen. An overwhelming 74% of the people that responded to the poll on Grapow's official web site indicated their displeasure over the duo's initial choice of MR. TORTURE (the projected logo for which can be viewed at this location),while only 26% approved, virtually ensuring that the pair will go back to the drawing board before selecting the group's final moniker, which is not expected to be announced for several weeks.

SODOM's latest studio effort, entitled M-16, has entered the German Media Control chart at position #88. In related news, HOLY MOSES, the reunited German thrashers who were selected to open the upcoming Hell Comes To Your Town European tour, featuring DESTRUCTION, KREATOR and SODOM, have decided to pull out of the trek in order to concentrate on the writing/recording of their next studio album, which is due to be recorded in January. Here is HOLY MOSES' official statement on the matter: “HOLY MOSES decide to skip tour: In order to be able to fully concentrate on their forthcoming, brand-new and yet untitled full-length album Germany's female fronted cult-thrashers HOLY MOSES decided to skip the opportunity to join the Hell Comes To Your Town tour with DESTRUCTION, SODOM and KREATOR. Without a doubt, it would have been a killer package and a pleasure to team up with the three other thrash originals. Also, HOLY MOSES are more than sorry to disappoint their loyal fans who were already looking forward to a real German thrash assault, but — no worries — they are already looking into possibilities for an extensive European tour in summer/fall 2002. Furthermore they already have a whole bunch of very cool ideas for their next album which will be recorded in Andy Classen's Stage One Studios in January 2002. We'll keep you posted... Horns up!”

Norway's SATYRICON have completed the recording portion of their new album and are currently waiting to mix the effort, the group's first for EMI Records Norway.

Sweden's IN FLAMES will perform an all-ages show at Trädgårn in Gothenburg, Sweden on December 28th.

Norway's KHOLD are preparing to enter the studio shortly to begin recording their next album, which is due for release in mid-2002.

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor recently told Britain's Metal Hammer magazine that he'd 'rather quit the band” than rip off their fans by over-merchandising, as a lot of other groups have done. 'Action figures are cool,' the singer told the magazine. 'But when you start getting beyond that and into all this extra sh.t, just like all the stuff that KISS do. KISS f.cking dypers and KISS f.cking cereal, it's just too f.cking much. Can you imagine if SLIPKNOT made a cereal? 'SLIPKNOT cereal - looks and tastes like real maggots!' That's when it's just going too f.cking far - when you're smearing your f.cking faces over everything, there's a point where you go - 'what's happened to the music?'. And when KISS started out, they were all about the music. They ruled, they're still one of my favorite bands. But when they started thinking more about the business, the burnt edges, they stopped worrying about the pie in the middle! They stopped worrying about what was feeding the fans in the first place, and that was their downfall. Hopefully that'll never f.cking happen to this band and I'd rather quit than let that happen!'

Italy's OPERA IX, featuring new drummer Taranis and vocalist Madras (who replaced Flegias and Cadaveria, respectively, earlier in the year),will enter Damage Inc. Studios in Ventimiglia, Italy during January to begin recording their fourth album, entitled Maleventum. A summer release through Avantgarde Music is expected.

Swedish high-energy thrashers THE HAUNTED have moved the location of their December 1st show in New York City from the Downtime in Manhattan to North Six in Williamsburg, Brooklyn.

MASTERS OF REALITY (featuring QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE guitarist Josh Homme and bassist Nick Oliveri),TERRA FIRMA and THE ATOMIC BITCHWAX will be partaking in a live web cast of the 7th Roadburn Festival, which will be taking place on December 4th. For more information, go to this location.

Finland's THE BLACK LEAGUE, featuring former SENTENCED frontman Taneli Jarva, will be performing at Foxia in Oulu, Finland on December 6th. Also appearing on eh bill will be Finnish power metal sensations SONATA ARCTICA.

Finland's NIGHTWISH have just issued a box set (the package for which can be viewed at this location) containing all four full-length NIGHTWISH albums presented in a “lovely” digibook-box set, together with a 16-page full-color booklet. Included are the following CDs:

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01. Angels Fall First

02. Oceanborn (special version includes the song 'Sleeping Sun' as a bonus)

03. Wishmaster (special version includes the song 'Sleepwalker' as a bonus)

04. Over the Hills and Far Away (European version includes the four Over the Hills and Far Away MCD tracks, plus seven live tracks from the From Wishes to Eternity Live CD)

Britain's VEX RED are set to release their Ross Robinson-produced debut album, entitled Start With A Strong And Persistent Desire, on February 18th through I Am/Virgin Records. An as-yet-unspecified single will precede the album on February 4th.

German progresive metallers VANDEN PLAS will issue their brand new studio album, entitled Beyond Daylight, on January 28th through Inside Out Music. The full track listing for the album (the cover artwork for which can be viewed at this location) is as follows:

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01. Nightwalker

02. Cold Wind

03. Scarlett Flowerfields

04. Healing Tree

05. End Of All Days

06. Free The Fire

07. Can You Hear Me

08. Phoenix

09. Beyond Daylight

Sweden's BEWITCHED will issue their latest studio effort, entitled Rise Of The Antichrist, on January 24th. The full track listing for the album is as follows:

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01. Worship the Fire

02. Under Satan's Spell

03. Victim of the Cult

04. Rise of the Antichrist

05. Sacrificed in Flames

06. Hell's Triumph

07. The Rippers Return

08. Bewitched by Evil

09. Prayer of Desecration

Christian goth/opera rockers SAVIOUR MACHINE will give their first European live performance in three years when they take the stage at at Christmas Rock Night In Ennepetal, Germany on December 9th. Appearing on the second stage will be European Christian gothic band MORPHIA. For more information, go to www.christmasrocknight.de. In other MORPHIA-related news, the Dutch act have just started recording their brand new studio album, entitled Frozen Dust, which is due to be released in early 2002.

Finnish “pagan folk metal” act MOONSORROW will issue their second full-length album, entitled Voimasta Ja Kunniasta, through Spikefarm Records on December 3rd.

Finland's SHAMAN (not to be confused with the Andre Matos-fronted Brazilian crew by the same name) are due to release their sophomore album in January 2002 through Natural Born Records. SHAMAN feature in their ranks Jonne Järvelä (vocals, yoik, acoustic guitars, electric guitars, shaman and djembe drums),who played acoustic guitar and shaman drum for FINNTROLL during the latter band's gigs in Finland and Germany in support of their Jaktens Tid CD.

Norway's SIRENIA, featuring former TRISTANIA guitarist/vocalist Morten Veland have signed with Napalm Records and are due to enter Sound Suite Studio in France at the end of the month with TRISTANIA producer Terje Refsnes to record their debut album. A spring 2002 release is expected.

DOKKEN mainman Don Dokken has posted the following update on the progress of the recording sessions for the band's forthcoming studio album, tentatively entitled Ladaze: “Hello, today is the day after thanksgiving. we took the day off to pig out, but now its straight through until were done. [Bassist] Barry [Sparks] and [drummer] Mick [Brown] have gone back to AZ. Their tracks are done. [Guitarist] John [Norum ex-EUROPE] finished his tracks today, minus solos. Finally, I get to start blabbing on the mike tomorrow. I'm excited mainly because I've been waiting to sing a new song for three freakin' years. Out of the 14 songs we recorded, it looks like 11 will make it to CD. I kicked in two of my solo LP songs, both ballads. The first single looks like it will be 'Little Girl'. Sounds like BEATLES gone metal with a dash of 'In My Dreams'. Anyway, that's it. 14 days to go! I hope we get it done in time for our February release. It's up to the dude upstairs now. The tour starts December 27th. 40 shows to start with so far. We start back east. see ya D D”

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Meanwhile, former BATON ROUGE/JOHN NORUM singer Kelly Keeling (currently in HEAVEN AND EARTH) sent the following report to www.rockreunion.com regarding his contributions to the above-mentioned DOKKEN recording sessions: “I am in the studio now with DOKKEN. High excellence critique for songs, sound performance, style, vibe, etc. Going to be maybe all of our best. John Norum (new DOKKEN guitar player) is definitely at his very best. I'm happy to contribute songs &amp background vocals &amp some instruments. Don Dokken is at his best. No one has heard him sing like this. Having another singer around is working.”

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The confirmed DOKKEN US tour dates are as follows:

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Dec. 29 - Jaxx Nightclub - Springfield, VA

Jan. 02 - The Station - West Warwick, RI

Jan. 09 - Peabody's Downunder - Cleveland, OH

Jan. 10 - The Funhouse - Lackawanna, NY

Jan. 11 - Al Rosa Villa - Columbus, OH

Jan. 12 - Harpo's - Detroit, MI

Jan. 15 - 8 Seconds Saloon - Indianapolis, IN

Jan. 17 - Sammy K's - Elgin, IL

Jan. 18 - Annie's - Cincinnati, OH

Jan. 19 - Mainstreets - Harrisonburg, VA

Jan. 27 - The Ritz - Salt Lake City, UT

A clip of former EUROPE frontman Joey Tempest's cover version of Pugh Rogefeldt's old hit 'Här Kommer Natten', which he recorded with the help of Swedish gold-selling pop star Patrik Isaksson (formerly of the KING'S X-influenced DAMAGE DONE, which featured in its ranks TALISMAN/ex-GREAT KING RAT guitarist Pontus Norgren and which released an acclaimed demo in 1994) can be downloaded from this location.

Former FASTWAY/KATMANDU vocalist Dave King's current project, FLOGGING MOLLY, have completed work on their as-yet-untitled sophomore album, which is due to be released during March. The follow-up to the acclaimed Swagger, the new LP was once again produced by Steve Albini (PAGE &amp PLANT, NIRVANA, SOIL, NEUROSIS).

German classic metallers GRAVE DIGGER will make their US live debut at the Classic Metal Festival II on July 13th, 2002 in Cleveland, Ohio. In other news, the group have announced the dates for their forthcoming European tour with BRAINSTORM and TIERRA SANTA and other headlining shows. They are as follows:

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Jan. 10 - Pratteln / Z 7 / SWI

Jan. 11 - Braunschweig / fbz / GER

Jan. 12 - Offenbach / Hafenbahn / GER

Jan. 13 - Ludwigsburg / Rockfabrik / GER

Jan. 14 - Bochum / Zeche / GER

Jan. 15 - Hamburg / Markthalle / GER

Jan. 16 - Berlin / Music Hall / GER

Jan. 17 - München / Metropolis / GER

Jan. 18 - Lichtenfels / Stadthalle / GER

Jan. 19 - Glauchau / Alte Spinnerei / GER

Feb. 26 - Treviso / New Age / ITA

Feb. 27 - Milano / Transilvania Live / ITA

Mar. 01 - Madrid / Sala Arena / SPA

Mar. 02 - Bergara / Jam / SPA

Mar. 03 - Barcelona / Razzmatazz 2 / SPA

Mar. 04 - Paris / Elysee Montmatre / FRA

Mar. 09 - Vosselar / Biebob / BEL

Apr. 06 - Mannheim / Kolosseum / GER

Jul. 06 - Leipzig / With Full Force / GER

German thrashers DEW-SCENTED have inked a deal with Japan's Soundholic Records for the Japanese release of their latest studio effort, Inwards. Due to be issued on January 23rd, the Japanese version of the CD will include a cover of SLAYER's 'War Ensemble' as a bonus, together with additional liner notes. In other news, DEW-SCENTED is confirmed for next year's With Full Force Festival, which is scheduled to take place in Roitschjora (near Leipzig) at the Flugplatz (Airport) between July 5th and 7th.

Due to a “serious chest congestion”, former MSG/RAINBOW frontman Graham Bonnet (now back in IMPELLITERRI) was forced to cancel his scheduled appearances with former RAINBOW/OZZY keyboardist Don Airey on Saturday, November 24th in Wilbarston and Sunday 25th in Southampton, UK. At the time of this writing, a possibility existed that tonight's gig in Camden Town would also be cancelled.

TOMAHAWK, the 'all star' band featuring former FAITH NO MORE vocalist Mike Patton, ex-HELMET drummer Jon Stainer, former JESUS LIZARD guitarist Duane Denison, and ex-THE COWS/current MELVINS bassist Kevin Rutmanis, will perform at Slim's in San Francisco this New Year's Eve on a bill that will also include MELVINS and a few other, as-yet-unannounced acts.

Britain's KILKUS have acquired a new bassist by the name of Tom Wilds. In other news, KILKUS have a number of dates lined up for December, which include the following:

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Dec. 01 – Frome, UK @ Cheese &amp Grain

Dec. 08 – London, UK @ Subterania

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