MAYHEM - NORWAY ROCKERS BANNED FROM MALAYSIA

Norwegian rockers MAYHEM have been banned from performing in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, following objections from members of Dewen Rakyat, the country's parliament.

The black metal band was scheduled to give a 4 February (06) performance as part of their ASIAN LEGIONS tour, but Malaysians objected to their slogan, "Bringing hell to your doorstep" - which officials viewed as an endorsement of "satanic worship and drug use".

Deputy Cultural Arts and Heritage Minister DATUK WONG KAM HOONG says, "I assure you that the ministry will do all it can to prevent this group from coming in."

Malaysia has a stormy history with extreme heavy metal acts and their fans. At a metal show in early December (05), a series of arrests were made and 104 more people were detained in a police effort to deter people from breaking the law.