Drum wizard GENE HOGLAN (DARK ANGEL, DEATH, OLD MAN'S CHILD, STRAPPING YOUNG LAD, TESTAMENT) has issued the following update:

What's happening folks? Well, last Sunday, we visited our friends at The Armoury Studios here in Vancouver, to lay down the drum tracks for Jed's mighty TENET album. Now, I don't know why, but I was really nervous about tracking this one, mainly because I wanted to make sure I gave Jedly's baby the love it deserved, which was well-precluded by the 'up-to-my-eyeballs-ness' of my schedule up here in Van.

Y'see, when my manager (and chief poobah here at Gene Hoglan Industries) Byron Stroud called me a month-and-a-half ago about this project, his last words were, "It probably won't even have a release 'til early next year, so we'll have plenty of time to get it done", so I thought, "Okee dokee, piece o' cake!" Well, schedule-goblins being what they are, upon my return from the UNEARTH stint, I was informed that I was to be tracking in about two weeks. The bricks then appeared in my pants.

Gene: "B-but Byron, I don't know if I'll have enough time to prepare for this, what with the DVD editing, the MECHANISM mixing/jamming, the MR. PLOW tracking, plus, don't forget about the carousing..."

Byron: "Shut up and do it, ya fat fuck, or I'll SMASH ya."

Ahh, the soothing nature of By's subtle persuasion.

So, I broke out the Kraft Extra Creamy peanut butter (Jed's fave), the cheese slices, the Stoli Razz (again, Jed's fave), fired up a buncha Jed's famous 'Thrash Metal Sandwiches' and hunkered down for a good ol' preppin' party.

And, it was just like ridin' a bike. All the songs came back to me, no problem. And I ended up tracking everything in the typical day-and-a-half. Figgers. Don't know why I was worried. I was just happy to hook my brother up. I love Jed, I'd do anything for him.

So, with that done, and hopefully Jed'll be psyched when he hears it (cuz remember, he was in Philly gettin' to know his little one during this entire process, tracking included), I've just been informed that, finally, my "Gene Shirts" are ready! The girlie-T's were ready last week, but it took a little extra time to get the main T-shirt design right. So, the minions here at Gene Hoglan Industries (God, that cracks me up every time I say it), are finalizing 'the Store', and by Tuesday, we're gonna pull the trigger on the whole shebang. I'm also gonna figure out how to get the designs loaded up around here (little help?), so at least people can get a gander at the beauty that will be, 'My Face Across Your Manboobs'. And, oh, yes, the big brothers are gonna be taken care of as well, as the shirts will be available up to XXXXL.

Oh, by the way, Jedly, I've got an untouched bottle of Stoli Razz here for ya. And an extremely-touched jar o' Kraft Extra Creamy...

See ya all early next week!

Gene"