Extreme-metal drummer Gene ''The Atomic Clock" Hoglan (DETHKLOK, FEAR FACTORY, TESTAMENT, DEATH, DARK ANGEL, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD) has issued the following statement:

"Hey everybody, I just got back from Chile, where I played with Testament at The Metal Fest and boy, was it a hoot! I swear, the swirling mass of metalheads was a site to see indeed. You young'ns with yer karate choppin', believe me, you would get mowed down in the psychosis that is a Chilean pit, no doubt about it.

There was somewhere around 10-12,000 ragers there, and at some points there were at least 4,000 lunatics running in that circle, and all innocents would be cut down like weeds in that wall of utter brutality. My hat's off to ya, Chilean Metalhead, you know how to bring it.

It was also great to hang out (albeit briefly) with my bro's in FORBIDDEN, ANTHRAX (who were on FIRE, btw!), KREATOR, DESTRUCTION, OBITUARY, EXODUS, and FEAR FACTORY. I wish I could have stayed the next day to see what the ragers would have done for Exodus. 'Toxic Waltz'? 'Toxic Death Sprint of the Apocalypse' is more like it.

I do have some maddeningly sad news to report, however. Somewhere at the venue, The Movistar Arena, my gear bag was stolen, containing my two Alesis DM5's, my triggers, my stickbag, my in-ears, my leg weights, but most importantly, my BOOTS. The same boots I've played and recorded in for almost the last decade.

Sentimentality aside, they don't make these boots anymore, as the company who makes them, Boodaz, went out of business around the time I got them. Or else I would just be forced to go out and pick up another pair of size 13 Flameboots. Since I can't do that, I am going to appeal to you directly, my Chilean friends.

If for whatever reason you were to gain knowledge of the whereabouts of my bag (or the bag itself), especially my boots, could I ask you to contact me in care of Rob Shallcross, my manager, at rob@reversedrecords.com. Those boots mean an awful lot to me, and you would have me as friend for life if you would find a way to have them returned to me. Y'see, though the contents of my gear bag can be replaced (at QUITE a cost to me personally), the boots can't.

So of course, I'd love for the entire gear bag to be returned to me, but I would REALLY appreciate it if at least the boots were. I wouldn't be able to thank you enough, my Chilean friends.

Thank you so much, Gene

PS: I had to play in tennis shoes for the first time in 17 years this weekend. They might as well have been ballet slippers. Okay, I'm gonna stop sniveling about it now. Thanks for listening, my friends."