Hall Aflame Hopes For A Searing Show At Rckndy Tonight

Hall Aflame, the new heavy-metal band formed by former Metal Church leader Kurdt Vanderhoof, plays its first local shows tonight at RCKNDY and Wednesday at the Vogue, in support of its debut album, "Guaranteed Forever," on I.R.S. Records. The Aberdeen-based band also includes lead-singer Ron Lowd, drummer Tom Weber and bassist Brian Smith. The group's name comes from the place where it was to have played its first gig - a grange hall near Aberdeen that burned down the day of the show. The band had better luck with its first tour - it got to open for ZZ Top for several dates in the South when the Black Crowes had to drop out of the tour because of illness. Hall Aflame then toured with Blue Oyster Cult. Another former Metal Church man, David Wayne, will play here in the fall with his new band, Reverend, which releases its second album for the Charisma label, "Play God," on Tuesday. A highlight of the record is a rapid-fire metal version of the Creedence Clearwater Revival classic, "Fortunate Son." Meanwhile, the "Operation Rock 'n' Roll" tour Metal Church was on with co-headliners Judas Priest and Alice Cooper has run into difficulties, according to Billboard. The tour was losing money and most of the shows have been canceled.

-- Soundgarden has completed its new album, "Badmotorfinger," for A&M Records and it's set for release Sept. 24. The album, primarily recorded at Bear Creek Studios here, contains a dozen new songs, including the first try at lyrics by guitarist Kim Thayil, with music by drummer Matt Cameron, "Room a Thousand Years Wide." Other songs, most of them with lyrics by lead singer Chris Cornell, include "Rusty Cafe," "Outshined," "Slaves & Bulldozers," "Jesus Christ Pose," "Face Pollution," "Somewhere," "Searching With My Good Eye Closed," "Mind Riot," "Drawing Flies," "Holy Water" and "New Damage." The album introduces new bassist Hunter Shepherd, aka Ben, who joined the band earlier this year. He formerly was with the short-lived hardcore band March of Crimes. Top Northwest producer Terry Date produced the LP. An album-release party is expected to be held here, but details have not yet been set.

-- Bounce the Ocean is the latest Seattle band to sign with a national label. Private Music inked the pop duo - John Utter and Hakan "Hawk" Bjorn - to "a long-term recording contract" after hearing its debut album, "Bounce the Ocean." Private will release the album Sept. 10. The first video from it, for the song "Wasting My Time," will be filmed here the first week of September, according to Ron Goldstein, president of Private Music, a mostly acoustic and new-age label based in Los Angeles. (Among its artists are Yanni, Leo Kottke, Leon Redbone, Ringo Starr, Taj Mahal and Andy Summers.) Bjorn, who's from Sweden, and Utter met while students at Whitman College in Walla Walla. Utter is the son of Justice Robert F. Utter of the Washington State Supreme Court.

-- Michael Powers, the NAMA Award-winning guitarist, has released his second album, "Perpetual Motion," on the new Nastymix Jazz label. The popular local guitarist, known for his frequent club appearances here, as well as his teaching programs at area schools and prisons, brings his light, slightly Latin touch to a dozen originals on the album, which also includes Jack Toker on drums and Craig Hoyer on organ and bass. It's a listenable, soothing, impressive disc that should gain even wider national recognition for Powers. His next big show here is at Bumbershoot, at 7 p.m. Aug. 31 at Caffe Starbucks.

-- Peaches, the landmark University District record and video store known for its great selection, changes its name today to Beehive Music & Video. The store, owned for 14 years by Neil Heiman, formerly was a member of the national Peaches chain, which went bankrupt in 1981. The Peaches name is now owned by a Florida chain, so the Seattle store (and other sister stores in the area) can't use it anymore. The good news is, nothing else about the store has changed. It still carries just about everything and has one of the most knowledgeable and helpful staffs.