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Moshter Mash By Natalie Sibert Freitas SINCE THE DAYS when Alice Cooper started playing with snakes on stage, metal and all its mutations have held tight to a dedicated following. Now, metal madness seems to be on the upsurge again in Sonoma County. On Thursday, Jan. 27, Rumors nightclub will host its first metal mania event with Slamfest 2000, a show featuring eight Northern California bands. Patrick Warner of Aurora Sound is teaming up with Hedge-hog Productions to co-present the event, which he hopes will pump new energy into Sonoma County's metal scene. "There has always been a steady interest in metal shows," Warner says. "My hope is to renew the scene as it was back in the days of Magnolia's and the Cotati Cabaret, when bands like Ice and Parallax played." Among the bands that will take the Slamfest stage are Spitkiss; Ripstoke, which plays a Black Sabbath-style of music; Sonoma County's longest running metal masters, Skitzo; and the Heat Creeps, who offer a fast mix of punk, rockabilly, and metal. "All of the bands have a very good stage presence, which was a huge motivation for selecting them," Warner says. [ Sonoma County | MetroActive Central | Archives ]