Drum-cam footage of SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph performing the song "Raining Blood" during the band's November 3, 2018 concert at Wembley SSE Arena in London, England can be seen below.

In August 2020, Bostaph confirmed that he is involved in a brand new project headed up by his SLAYER bandmate Kerry King. The duo has spent the last couple of years working on music with the hopes of recording it properly once the coronavirus pandemic has subsided.

The drummer opened up about his latest collaboration with King in an interview with Australia's Riff Crew. Asked to describe the musical direction of the music he has been working on with the founding SLAYER guitarist, Bostaph said: "I guess the best way to put it is Kerry writes what he writes. Is this gonna be a rock and roll record? No. Is it gonna be what you want it to be? Yes. Is it gonna be what you expect it to be? Yes. It's not gonna be some rehashed stuff… It's gonna sound like SLAYER without it being SLAYER — but not intentionally so. I mean, Kerry's been writing songs in SLAYER his entire career, and he has a style. And that style, as a songwriter, you just don't change your style because your band is done. But that's what you love to write.

"Are things gonna maybe morph over time? Yeah. I would imagine so," he continued. "I don't think the first song Kerry wrote as a kid is the same as the last song he wrote for [SLAYER's final album, 2015's] 'Repentless'. Songwriters do change over time based on their influences and how they feel at the time.

"Kerry's on fire right now. So, all I can say is if you like heavy music and you like SLAYER, you'll like this. Is it gonna be SLAYER? It's not gonna be SLAYER — SLAYER is done; they retired…

"The thing about it is that we don't wanna sound like 'Baby SLAYER,' you know what I mean?" he added. "There is SLAYER. But it's gonna be good — it's gonna be really good. I've been listening to the music and I just cannot wait to get into the room and start jamming with Kerry.

"Part of it for me is that I don't have to… And this is not an insult; it's definitely a compliment… I don't have to drum under the show of [original SLAYER drummer] Dave's [Lombardo] drumming badassery. That's a good thing to do, but I might be able to stretch out a little bit and do some things that I like to do and still make it fit within the framework of what we're doing. I'm looking forward to trying some things that I've wanted to try within SLAYER but couldn't, just because I didn't have it developed well enough. And we'll see if I can make some of that stick in some of the new music."

Asked if his songwriting approach with King has changed compared to how it was within the confines of SLAYER, Bostaph said: "Right now, the formula's gonna be the same. I know how Kerry writes.

"When I first joined SLAYER, before we did [1994's] 'Divine Intervention', Kerry and I were roommates, and we barely knew each other," he explained. "And we spent a lot of time together, on a friendship level and jamming musically. I know what he wants out of a song, and we have that formula, and it's a good formula that works, and we're not gonna change it. If it's not broke, don't fix it. You know what I mean?"

Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001 and recorded four albums with the band, rejoined SLAYER in 2013 after the group's original drummer, Dave Lombardo, was effectively fired from the band due to a contract dispute with the other members of the veteran California-based thrash metal act.

In an interview with Fuse, King stated about Bostaph: "Paul, I mean, he's a machine. I don't worry about him at all. He never would have been out of SLAYER if he didn't quit twice. It was never over anything personal — he was always my friend — so it was very easy for him to come back and be a part again."

SLAYER played the final show of its farewell tour in November 2019 at the Forum in Los Angeles. One day later, Kerry's wife, Ayesha King, said that there is "not a chance in hell" that the thrash metal icons will reunite for more live appearances.

When SLAYER first announced that it was embarking on its final tour back in January 2018, Ayesha assured fans that they would "always get music" from her husband.

King has said in previous interviews that his post-SLAYER musical efforts would not be much different from the sound fans have grown accustomed to hearing from him.

"If someone quit, I'm not going to go around with a made-up SLAYER," he told AZCentral.com back in 2010. "But my next band would sound like SLAYER, that's all I know."

As part of Jonathan Montenegro's "My 3 Questions To" series, Randy Blythe was asked what "the most complicated part" has been of being in a band like LAMB OF GOD. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think the most complicated part of it is not really anything within the band. It's trying to make sense of how this has become a career, really. 'Cause we just did it for the love of it. That's why we started the band. I never thought it would be a job. I was never, like, 'Oh, we're gonna be rock stars,' or whatever.

"I think the really complicated part of it for me has been navigating the fact that something that I would be doing anyway, which is making music, is navigating how that has become a business," he continued. "And it's not something I'm always entirely comfortable with, to tell you the truth, 'cause I'm just a regular dude. That's why we have management, though; I don't handle the business. But I think that has really been the most complicated thing for me, is realizing that it's a business at this point. Because we employ a lot of people. People were able to buy their families Christmas gifts this year because we employ 'em. [Laughs] It's definitely a band that, it's our art and we love it, but it is a business, and for me, accepting that is strange — it's strange. 'Cause I don't come from the business world. I never had any money. I'm not a rich kid or anything weird like that."

Blythe added: "Just learning to be a professional musician, I guess, is the most complicated part. Writing the music and touring and playing shows and all that shit, that's fun. That's easy for me. Learning the business has been complicated."

LAMB OF GOD's latest album, "Omens", was released in October. The LP is the follow-up to the band's self-titled album, which arrived in June 2020. That effort marked LAMB OF GOD's first recordings with drummer Art Cruz, who joined the band in July 2019 as the replacement for the group's founding drummer, Chris Adler.

LAMB OF GOD's Live Nation-produced summer/fall 2022 U.S. headlining tour featured special guests KILLSWITCH ENGAGE on all dates. Different legs also saw support from BARONESS, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, SPIRITBOX, ANIMALS AS LEADERS as well as SUICIDE SILENCE and FIT FOR AN AUTOPSY. The tour kicked off September 9 in Brooklyn and ran through October 20.

Earlier this month, LAMB OF GOD and KREATOR announced MUNICIPAL WASTE as support for their "State Of Unrest 2023" European co-headline tour.

"State Of Unrest" was originally scheduled to take place in 2020, but ended up getting postponed, first to 2021 and then to 2022, due to the ongoing coronavirus pandemic. Most recently, the trek was supposed to launch on November 18 in Copenhagen, Denmark and conclude on December 21 in Zurich, Switzerland.

MVD Marquee Collection has set a January 20, 2023 release date for the "Ultimate Edition" Blu-ray and "Standard Edition" DVD of ANVIL's acclaimed documentary, "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil".

The new version of the film will arrive in time for its 13th anniversary and will feature remastered picture and sound, as well as a new exclusive epilogue interview with director Sacha Gervasi and ANVIL frontman Steve "Lips" Kudlow and drummer Robb Reiner moderated by former MTV host Matt Pinfield.

The remastered "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil" received its premiere in conjunction with Beyond Fest on September 22 in Los Angeles at the Saban Theater, where ANVIL also performed. This was followed by a question-and-answer session with Kudlow, Reiner, producer Rebecca Yeldham and Gervasi, moderated by Steve-O from "Jackass".

Ultimate Edition Blu-Ray (pre-order) - Special Features:

- NEW! 2022 audio commentary with director Sacha Gervasi
- 2008 audio commentary by director Sacha Gervasi and bandmembers Steve "Lips" Kudlow and Robb Reiner
- 2008 audio commentary by director Sacha Gervasi, producer Rebecca Yeldham and editor Andrew Dickler
- NEW! 2022 video commentary with director Sacha Gervasi and the band
- NEW! 2022 video commentary with director Sacha Gervasi and producer Rebecca Yeldham
- NEW! ANVIL Q&A at Saban Theater with moderator Steve-O
- Interview with Steve "Lips" Kudlow, Robb Reiner and director Sacha Gervasi moderated by Matt Pinfield (93 minutes)
- Rich Roll video podcast interview with director Sacha Gervasi and the band
- 1981 interview with Maor Applebaum (mastering engineer)
- 1981 interview with Steve "Lips" Kudlow
- 1981 Backstage interview with Robb and Steve
- Q&A with director Sacha Gervasi, the band, and Peter Dinklage
- Three deleted scenes: "Choice Children's Catering Extended Scene" (7:14),"Former Band Members" (2:39),"Lips's Brother" (2:11)
- "Interview With Lars Ulrich" featurette (30:06)
- 'Where Are They Now?" featurette (3:10)
- "This Feels Good" featurette ( 12:37)
- "School Love" Sacha Gervasi rocks with ANVIL live performance (4:17)
- Theatrical teaser
- Original theatrical trailer

Standard Edition DVD (pre-order) - Special Features:

- NEW! 2022 audio commentary with director Sacha Gervasi
- NEW! ANVIL Q&A at Saban Theater with moderator Steve-O
- Three deleted scenes: "Choice Children's Catering Extended Scene" (7:14),"Former Band Members" (2:39),"Lips's Brother" (2:11)
- Theatrical teaser
- Original theatrical trailer

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" was named one of 2009's best documentaries by a slew of film critics associations across the continent, including critics in Chicago, San Francisco, Toronto, and Las Vegas, as well as the International Documentary Association, the Online Film Critics Society, and the National Society of Film Critics. It also made the year-end Top 10 lists in publications such as the New York Times, Washington Post, Newsweek, and Village Voice.

"Anvil! The Story of Anvil" was the directorial debut of screenwriter Gervasi and was produced by Yeldham ("The Kite Runner" and "The Motorcycle Diaries"). The film follows Kudlow and Reiner and their band, ANVIL, which released one of the heaviest albums in metal history, 1982's "Metal on Metal". The album influenced an entire musical generation of rock bands, including METALLICA, SLAYER, and ANTHRAX, who all went on to sell millions of records. ANVIL, on the other hand, took a different path — straight to obscurity. The film was both entertaining and touching as it followed their last-ditch quest for the fame and fortune that has been so elusive to them.

This past April, Lips said that he didn't expect the proposed follow-up to "Anvil! The Story Of Anvil" to ever see the light of day. He told Friday 13th Metal: "I don't suspect there will be [another movie], because I think it's a little late on. There's really no point at this point. To a great degree, the people who knew about the movie knew about it, and today it's kind of faded back; it's not as prominent today. That could change. You never know."

As for what he attributed the film's overwhelming success to, Lips said: "It's hard to compete with reality, isn't it? People try to make documentaries, but it's not the same as actually filming things in real time. It's not the same, man. You can do a retrospective and show pictures of the band in the old days and all that — talk about the old days, the old days, the old days — but everybody's seen the old days. What about tomorrow? What are we gonna film tomorrow? What are you doing tomorrow? What do you hope to happen tomorrow? How are you gonna make what's gonna happen tomorrow, put it into motions so we can see it happen? That's what the ANVIL movie did. It's off the hook in that regard. You can't beat the spontaneity. I mean, there's pure spontaneity — as things are going on. You can't make shit like that up."

Back in 2017, Lips said that there was "forty minutes of probably good footage" already shot for a follow-up ANVIL film, but he didn't "really expect anything to ever come of it." He explained: "[Gervasi] paid for that movie ['Anvil! The Story of Anvil'] himself. He doesn't wanna do that again… You never make back all your money. But what it did for his career… like what he did for our career — same thing. He's got a career, and then some. But it's just a question of, will a movie company wanna buy it, wanna finance it? And it's not cheap. It won't be like a blockbuster — it's not gonna cost three hundred million dollars. You're talking about probably less than a million to make a documentary. I don't get paid. Documentary subjects never get paid. I'm not an actor. And it's doing my career such a huge favor, I haven't really got the right to go, 'Hey, why don't you pay me too? You're making the biggest advertising campaign that ever existed? Now why don't you pay me?' It's, like, that doesn't make sense. And he'd say 'no' and I wouldn't get the movie made."

Lips added: "So that's the big question: will there or will there not be? Who knows? I'm not gonna discount it. I'm not gonna say 'no.' I don't know enough. I'm not in that stream of the business, so I really don't know how to answer it. Now, having said that, the ANVIL movie did extraordinarily well, so it would be in their best interest [to finance the movie]. And it's, like, if you guys are lacking stories out there and storytellers and writers, here's something that's a natural, living, breathing fucking story. Why not continue it? You've got an automatic audience from all the people that saw it the first time. So it's got all those positive aspects going for it. But it's just a question of who's gonna open their wallet. [Laughs]"

ANVIL's latest album, "Impact Is Imminent", arrived on May 20 via AFM Records.

Like its three predecessors, "Anvil Is Anvil" (2016),"Pounding The Pavement" (2018) and "Legal At Last" (2019),"Impact Is Imminent" was produced by Martin "Mattes" Pfeiffer and Jörg Uken at Uken's Soundlodge studios in Germany.

Coming to Blu-ray and DVD January 20th from the MVD Marquee Collection

ANVIL! THE STORY OF ANVIL

Forming the band...

Posted by Anvil on Wednesday, December 28, 2022

PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante has shared an eight-minute compilation of video clips filmed at all seven shows of the reformed band's December 2022 Mexican and South American tour. Check it out below.

In a message accompanying the YouTube release of the video, Benante wrote: "Here is our view of some clips Compiled by techs, friends and Family members of our first tour as PANTERA. I was blown away by the reaction from the audiences , there were times I wanted to stop playing and just enjoy the sea of passion. The fans down there are a different kind, they get involved and they even put their phones down at times."

On December 13, Benante shared a few photos of the drum kit that he is using for the PANTERA comeback shows. He posted the pictures on his social media and he included the following message: "Drum post- a lot of people have been asking about the kit for this tour and here it is- it's a @officialtamadrums kit. The tom's and floor tom's gong drum are Star maple shells and the kicks are star bubinga - the snares are my signature snare and a starclassic G-maple. The cymbals are @paistecymbals and as you can see a mix of Rudes and 2002s. Sticks are my signature @vicfirth , heads are @evansdrumheads , @rolandglobal provided the td50x module with their triggers @porter_and_davies thumper and that sums it up."

The reformed PANTERA played its fourth concert without bassist Rex Brown on December 18 at Knotfest Brasil at Sambódromo Do Anhembi in São Paulo, Brazil. The Knotfest Brasil gig took place six days after Rex confirmed that a positive COVID-19 test forced him to miss PANTERA's performance at Knotfest Chile. Filling in for him at Knotfest Brasil gig — and other recent shows — was CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with PANTERA singer Philip Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR.

Joining surviving members Brown and Anselmo in PANTERA's reformed lineup are guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and Benante (ANTHRAX).

The new PANTERA lineup made its live debut on December 2 at Mexico's Hell & Heaven Metal Fest and also performed on December 6 at Monterrey Metal Fest in Monterrey, Mexico.

It was first reported in July that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

The band will headline a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and stage some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who last year said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Charlie discussed his drum setup for the PANTERA shows in an interview earlier in the month with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said: "It's a totally different configuration [to what I play with ANTHRAX]. I'm playing more like Vinnie's kit, the way Vinnie played it. I wanted to play a kit like that because it gave me a bit more of a challenge. And I can't add more drums to it, because I just wanted to have the two toms in the front — floor toms — so I'm just sticking totally to the way he had it, and I wanna play it exactly like he had it and it sounds exactly how he had it too. So that's how I approach this."

Cyhra, featuring former Amaranthe vocalist Jake E, ex-In Flames guitarist Jesper Strömblad, and Kamelot drummer Alex Landenburg, are gearing up for a tour of Japan in January. Jake is featured in a new interview with Roppongi Rocks. An excerpt is available below.


Q: Following two fab Cyhra albums, Letters To Myself (2017) and No Halos In Hell (2019), you will release the band’s third album in 2023. What can fans expect from your forthcoming album? 


Jake: "After we released Letters to Myself, I never thought that I could outdo myself as a songwriter ever again. At the time, I thought that that was the best album that I’d ever been part of. Then we released No Halos In Hell and I thought that, damn, this holds the same kind of standards and we’re finally starting to set the trademark of what the band is all about. With the band’s third album, I’ve realised that we are here to stay! Cyhra as an entry is a phenomenal bunch of people that have been shown to be not only amazing musicians but also amazing friends to be around. I’ve never had so much fun on stage in my whole life and I am so proud of us as an entity. I am extremely excited to see what the fans are going to think about it because it’s Cyhra all over it and you will directly hear that it’s a Cyhra album from the first time you hit the play button. It might be so that this album is a bit more modern. You have great lyrics and great hooky choruses. Any fan out there won’t be disappointed. I think that we’ve created a monster and I can’t wait for the world to hear it."




Q: Guitarist Marcus Sunesson (Engel, ex-The Haunted) has been playing live with Cyhra for the past few years as founding guitarist Jesper Strömblad has not been touring with the band. Is Marcus now a proper band member or is he about to become one? Has he been contributing in the studio as well?


Jake: "Yes, absolutely. Marcus is a full-time member since 2019 and Jesper is still a full-time member as well. It’s just so that Jesper has decided that for the time being, he’s not touring with either Cyhra or The Halo Effect. But Jesper has been a big part of the new album. It’s of course sad that he won’t join us for the Japanese tour dates but he is working on himself and he’s getting better every day. So, when the time comes Jesper and Marcus will be on stage together and that’s going to be fantastic."


Read the complete interview here.


The band's Japan tour schedule is now as follows:


January
19 - Duo Music Exchange - Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan
20 - Duo Music Exchange - Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan
21 - Imaike Huck Finn - Nagoya, Japan
22 - Am Hall - Osaka, Japan
24 - Varon - Osaka, Japan
25 - Imaike Huck Finn - Nagoya, Japan
26 - Space Odd - Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan
27 - Space Odd - Shibuya City, Tokyo, Japan
28 - Koenji High - Suginami City, Tokyo, Japan





Cyhra recently released a new single, "Ready To Rumble". Check out the official video below, stream and purchase the song here.


The song will appear on the band's new studio album, due to be released in 2023.





Photo by Linda Florin

Synth-rock pioneers of India, Arogya release “Desire”, the second single off their upcoming album SuperNatural. "Desire" is a dark rock song with a touch of power ballad, infused with Oriental scales to give it a melodious tinge of Eastern flavour. Arogya is known for being the first-ever synth-rock band to emerge from India, and the first band from Northeast India to sign with an international record label. The new Arogya album is set for a worldwide release in 2023. 


"Our second single is named 'Desire'. Have you ever had such strong intense feelings of wanting, a deep aching of longing, a bottomless hole of emptiness in your heart that no one else but a special One could fill it. This song is about that passionate craving for that One in your dreams beyond your grasp, igniting a fire so fierce inside that will make you defy destiny and challenge fate." - Arogya










Visual Kei elements bring even more playful lightness to the colorful potpourri of Arogya's sound worlds, and the profound lyrics, sometimes shouted in a soulful clear voice, but also sometimes in a heavy metal style and evil growls, deal with love, pain, transience, hope and the effort to escape the inner darkness, as does life as such.


"Our first single 'Supernatural' is about an encounter with a Supernatural being / Deity and how humans tend to worship the divine and powerful, the allure and temptation of the mystic and mysterious; to pin their hopes, wants and wishes on the Supernatural which may not always turn out to be good or with the right intentions. This song has a dark melancholic vibe to it and we hope it will connect to our fans and new audiences alike." - Arogya








 

In the video below, courtesy of Drumeo, former Ozzy Osbourne drummer Tommy Aldridge shows you how he played "Crazy Train" live. And it's not what you'd expect!


"If anyone led me up the primrose path, it was Randy Rhoads.”


Tommy is known for many things - playing with Whitesnake, Motörhead, and Yngwie Malmsteen to name a few - but he arguably made some of his biggest impressions backing Ozzy Osbourne in the '80s, joining Ozzy's band for the 1981 Blizzard Of Ozz tour and tracking drums on 1983's Bark At The Moon and several live recordings.




A heavy-hitting rock guru through and through, you can imagine how Tommy translated Ozzy's songs to the stage.





 

Clutch performed at the 2022 edition of Germany's Wacken Open Air festival. Watch the band perform "Immortal", "Electric Worry", and "The Face", below:





Clutch released their new album, Sunrise On Slaughter Beach, back in September. The band's thirteenth studio album is a slamming summary of everything that makes the band great and another giant leap forward into career longevity. Order here.







Tracklisting:


"Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)"
"Slaughter Beach"
"Mountain Of Bone"
"Nosferatu Madre"
"Mercy Brown"
"We Strive For Excellence"
"Skeletons On Mars"
"Three Golden Horns"
"Jackhammer Our Names"


"Slaughter Beach" video:





"Red Alert (Boss Metal Zone)" video:





"We Strive For Excellence"





Lineup:


Neil Fallon - Vocals
Tim Sult - Guitar
Dan Maines - Bass
Jean-Paul Gaster - Drums

Gus G. has released the new video below, in which he and Firewind perform “Head Up High” from the 2008 album, The Premonition. The footage was filmed in Thessaloniki, Greece during Firewind’s 20th anniversary tour on October 1, 2022.





Gus G. recently released the video below, in which he and the band's original singer, Stephen Fredrick, look back on the group's debut album, Between Heaven And Hell, released in 2002 via Massacre Records in Europe, Leviathan Records in the US, EMI in Japan and Rock Brigade in South America.







Below is the official lyric video for "Warrior", taken from the 20th Anniversary reissue of  Between Heaven And Hell:

METALLICA played an acoustic cover version of UFO's "It's Killing Me" live for the first time on December 16 at the band's annual benefit concert in support of their All Within My Hands Foundation. Professionally filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

The "Helping Hands Concert & Auction", which was held this year at Los Angeles's Microsoft Theater, also included METALLICA's debut live performance of the band's latest single, "Lux Æterna", as well as a cover of THIN LIZZY's "Borderline" (performed acoustic) and an appearance by special guest St. Vincent on "Nothing Else Matters".

"Lux Æterna" is the first single from METALLICA's upcoming 12th studio album, "72 Seasons", which is due on April 14, 2023 via the band's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with METALLICA's James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich, and clocking in at over 77 minutes, the 12-track "72 Seasons" is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since 2016's "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

Last month, METALLICA announced the "M72" world tour featuring two-night stops in nearly two dozen cities. Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, the 46-show trek will launch in Amsterdam on April 27 and will include shows all over Europe and North America through 2024. Each "No Repeat Weekend" on "M72" will feature two completely different setlists and support lineups. The "M72" tour will feature a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage, as well as the "I Disappear" full-tour pass and the debut of discounted tickets for fans under 16 years of age. Opening acts for the tour include PANTERA, MAMMOTH WVH, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, ICE NINE KILLS, ARCHITECTS, VOLBEAT and GRETA VAN FLEET.

In the six years since the arrival of "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct", METALLICA has reissued some of its classic albums, released a second live album with the San Francisco Symphony, commissioned a covers album featuring the likes of GHOST, VOLBEAT, WEEZER, Corey Taylor and THE HU, and landed on the Billboard songs chart with "Master Of Puppets" after a prominent placement in the hit Netflix show "Stranger Things".

THE LUCID, the four-piece hard rock band featuring bassist David Ellefson (ex-MEGADETH),vocalist Vinnie Dombroski (SPONGE),guitarist Drew Fortier and drummer Mike Heller (RAVEN, FEAR FACTORY),has released another new song called "Mumps". It is the second single from THE LUCID's upcoming EP, "Saddle Up And Ride", which will arrive on January 27, 2023.

From the ferocious vitriolic sonic assault of the title track to the epic off-the-wall and out-of-left-field "Sweet Toof", "Saddle Up And Ride" showcases the various genres the eclectic quartet have tackled for this release, including country, thrash, rap and funk.

Violent J, one half of the legendary rap duo INSANE CLOWN POSSE, is featured on the EP's title track as well as the album closer "Sweet Toof".

Fortier states: "We are thrilled to join forces with an iconic artist like Violent J. He added such a kick-ass and dangerous element to 'Saddle Up And Ride' and 'Sweet Toof'. J has without a doubt taken THE LUCID to another level."

He continues: "As far as live shows go, we had to cancel those shows back in May 2021 due to my cancer situation resulting in surgery which I have fully recovered from, but with David and Mike looking to have a busy 2023 with KINGS OF THRASH/DIETH and RAVEN/FEAR FACTORY, respectively, it's looking like the most pragmatic route would be if Vin and I team up for some acoustic shows to promote THE LUCID, so be on the lookout for that."

"Saddle Up And Ride" was produced by Mike Heller and mixed/mastered by Lasse Lammert and features artwork by Alex Sarabia.

"Saddle Up And Ride" track listing:

01. Deep Country
02. Saddle Up And Ride (featuring Violent J)
03. Mumps
04. Risk Machine
05. Sweet Toof (featuring Violent J)

Ellefson confirmed earlier in the year that THE LUCID was working on new material as a follow-up to THE LUCID's self-titled debut album, which was released in October 2021 via SpoilerHead Records.

"The Lucid" was also produced by Heller and mixed/mastered by Lasse Lammert.

Ellefson previously stated about the LP: "It's been a real blast making a record with these guys and I must say that it's refreshing to explore some new musical avenues… to step out a bit from what each of us have done stylistically in our own careers. There was an effortless synergy that came with creating these songs together which is always amazing when working with new people."

During a November 2020 appearance on "The Chuck Schute Podcast", Ellefson stated about how he got involved with THE LUCID: "Drew sent me a track and said, 'Hey, can you throw a bass on here?' And I was writing a new ELLEFSON solo record at the time, so my studio ears were on. I was plugged in and ready to go. He sent it over and I was, like, 'Yeah, this is freaking cool, man.' I'd seen Drew play, I know his BANG TANGO history and the other stuff he's done. But this was really cool stuff that spoke to me. And then he called me up and he said, 'Hey, Vinnie is gonna come in and write some vocals and lyrics and lay down some tracks.' And it turned into a thing."

"I love [Vinnie]. I love SPONGE," David continued. "He's such a rock star. He's just a cool guy. And he writes such great lyrics — very trippy lyrics. He's the type of lyricist I'd never worked with before, so it's fun with that. And Drew is a great guitar player. Mike Heller — he's good friends with [MEGADETH drummer] Dirk Verbeuren. And Dirk's, like, 'Mike's awesome.' They're good friends. We all met in L.A. We got the songs together and we all met in L.A. in mid-July [2020]. I plugged in and banged out 10 songs in two days. And it was fun. Mike was very good in the studio; he really knows his way around."

As for THE LUCID's musical direction, Ellefson told VWMusic: "It's definitely a rock album. It may trend slightly into metal with songs like 'Damned' and 'Deaths Of Despair'. It’s not a thrash metal record. It's not a doom or a power metal record or any of that kind of stuff. I just think it's just a straight-up hard rock record."

Fortier was diagnosed with testicular cancer in May and subsequently underwent surgery.

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021 after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In the 37-minute video below, MEGADETH's Kiko Loureiro breaks down the guitar solo in the song "We'll Be Back" which appears on the band's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!".

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine discussed Kiko's contributions to "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" in a recent interview with Jovem Pan Entretenimento. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Kiko's songwriting contributions have been great. Kiko had his influence on every song with the solos. There are several songs that we wrote together, and there are some parts that I helped him, and there are some parts that his stuff was great just like it was. It's like I've always said: 'When we do things, it's your way, our way [or] my way.' So Kiko [brought in] some riffs, and several of them were his way; they were great just like they were. And then there was a couple that needed a little bit of some help, so it was our way. And there was no my way, 'cause Kiko's a great, talented player and he's very musically gifted. So I can have him help me in a lot of areas that I don't know what I should do."

"The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" sold 48,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked MEGADETH's eighth top 10-charting album. Of "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!"'s 48,000 units earned for the week, album sales comprised 45,000, SEA units comprised 3,000 and TEA units comprised a negligible sum.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

Two months ago, the Brazilian-born Kiko spoke to Heavy Music about his increased number of songwriting credits on "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" compared to the first MEGADETH album he appeared on, 2016's "Dystopia". He said: "In the beginning, in the very beginning [of the songwriting process for 'The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!'], even before we got together in Nashville in 2019, I was selecting riffs. I'm always somehow creating stuff. And then sometimes it's more MEGADETH; sometimes it's not very MEGADETH. So when I record ideas — it can be a simple idea — I try to label them, that's, like, 'MD', that's more MEGADETH-like.

"When I met Dave [Mustaine to begin working on 'Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!']… Before going to Nashville, I was bringing some ideas and recording this with the producer in a way to present the riffs and guitar ideas… The way Dave works with his ideas, he kind of organizes them, labels the riffs, the names; he's pretty organized," Kiko continued. "So then I started working the same way, putting my ideas with the names and the tempos. That's the way Dave organizes his ideas; he has his way. So I put my ideas into his way of organization with the producer. So I think that's the first step. So I was bringing some ideas that I had. I re-recorded them. And then I was adding more ideas. So all those guitar riffs from 'Night Stalkers' or 'We'll Be Back' and 'Célebutante' and 'Killing Time', they came from those ideas, from those ideas that I brought before getting together. And then when we got together, we started listening to the ideas and kind of assembling them and structuring them. Dave had, of course, a lot of ideas. And then [drummer] Dirk [Verbeuren contributed his ideas] as well.

"So it was a good environment," Loureiro added. "We bring in our ideas but we put our ideas in the way Dave likes to organize them, which is very methodic, which is very good. So it was a good thing for me also. Because he thinks songs in chunks, in parts. If I'm gonna write a song myself, I kind of play a part; then I try to get inspired with another one. And then this part inspires me to the third one. And I try to keep it going and I try to get the same momentum… I try to feel the music, feel the song and I try to finish the song. Dave doesn't work like this. He creates a good part, he stops and records that good part. He doesn't keep trying to, 'Oh, what's the next part of this one?' and get inspired and be jamming forever. He just keeps that one, and then he labels that… He's very organized and methodic. Even songs like 'Célebutante', I created a song like this one part after the other, and then I cut it in chunks, so it's easier to understand as well. So also because Dave sometimes, he sings on top, sometimes he's, like, 'Oh, let's put a solo on top of this.' Then we start messing around with those ideas. It can be, like, 'Oh, this can be an intro but can [also] be a pre-chorus.' And then you start labeling the way you feel the parts. It's pretty interesting. It's a bit different than I did in the past."

Kiko previously talked about the MEGADETH songwriting process in a September 2022 interview with Andrew DiCecco of Vinyl Writer Music. At the time, he said: "I think doing 'Dystopia', I was very new in the band — I was like five days new in the band. I met Dave, and then, like a week later, I was there at the studio learning the parts and open for suggestions. So it was already a thing for me to have some credits, some collaborations, with Dave on 'Dystopia'. And now, of course, after so many years of understanding MEGADETH better, not only Dave and getting the confidence from Dave but also understanding the fans, the band, the catalog, and playing the songs… As a metal fan, I know MEGADETH, but, of course, after four or five years of playing so many different countries and seeing fans' faces and their reaction, playing the songs from the '80s and the '90s, you understand the band better. So when you bring ideas, you know, 'Okay, this will fit. This is MEGADETH. I know what I'm bringing is still something completely related to MEGADETH.' I think Dave just felt like, 'I'm in a safe place with those guys.' So, I was always bringing ideas and giving suggestions — not only in the ideas that I brought but also his songs and his guitar stuff; I would say something. No fear, you know? I think creating a creative environment is like feeling that you're in a safe place because you might give an idea that's not good, that sucks, but it has to be okay to receive a 'No, this doesn't fit.' It has to be okay, and then try again and propose something else. And then vice versa — the person who is receiving that idea has to be open to be, like, 'Okay…' Maybe the person doesn't like the idea that much but can say, 'Okay, let's try.' So, it's both ways, right? We have to be open to receiving a no, and the other person has to be open to trying the idea, even if, at first sight, the idea is not that great.

"I think I understand Dave," he continued. "Sometimes — it's hard to explain — he has a very artistic vision of things. Bringing elements that you have no idea where he is coming from; [it] can be colors, can be an old movie, can be the soundtrack of something that I don't know, an old TV show — things like that. And then, when you listen to the theme of the old TV show, it has no correlation to what the riff is presenting. But there's something there that reminds him. So you have to give time to understand what the person is thinking. Sometimes it's just a feeling of, 'I want something like that intro of that old TV show from the '60s.' Then it's, like, 'Let's hear that. Let's go there.' Then, I think, because I have my past music experience with other composers or me writing my songs, I know that. So, I kind of understand where he is coming from, so I think Dave feels safe saying those crazy ideas out loud. Then it's a creative process, and everybody is free to bring their own ideas. Then I think Dirk [Verbeuren, drums] felt, 'You know what? I can bring some ideas, too, because that's a cool environment.' So, during the process, [Dirk] just brought some riffs — because he plays guitar — and then Dave helped him get what he wants because he has certain guitar techniques. So, then we play, and it's, like, 'Oh, we can refine your idea.' The same goes when we suggest a drumbeat, and then Dirk goes and plays something like one hundred times better, but coming from what we are suggesting. So, that's a mutual collaboration."

MEGADETH's Dave Mustaine has shared a video of him "writing the bass line" for the song "Dogs Of Chernobyl". The six-minute track, which features lyrics loosely about animals left behind after the 1986 nuclear meltdown, appears on the band's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", which came out in September.

This past summer, Mustaine reflected on the decision to fire bassist David Ellefson last year following a sex video scandal and bring in TESTAMENT's Steve DiGiorgio to re-record Ellefson's bass tracks on "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!"

"I don't really talking about him anymore," Mustaine said about Ellefson. "I like telling the funny stories, but I really don't like talking about that part of things, because the guy that I know and love was a different person.

"Making the change to Steve, we needed to do that; we needed to do that for so many reasons. On the outside looking in, there were a few people that were saying that I did the wrong thing, but I'm sorry — for my personal convictions, I just couldn't have that around us. And even if it wasn't true, I didn't want that in my life.

"When Steve came in, he was a wonderful breath of fresh air because he could play the parts [on the new MEGADETH album]. And the parts that were on the record that were there… I did an interview recently and the girl says, 'Why did you change Dave's parts?' And I thought, 'You can't be that stupid. I have to change the parts.' I didn't say that to her, but I was thinking that.

"First off, the majority of the bass on the record I played," Mustaine explained. "And it's demo tracks — we didn't have all the record recorded yet. When I was in my studio with [engineer] Chris Rakestraw and I'm writing the guitar parts, I picked up the bass and plunked along with it. I mean, it wasn't terrific, but it was the parts. So when anybody came in to record the parts, whether it was Steve or Dave, the parts were already written and recorded.

"The part about DiGiorgio coming in, it was cool because there was just so much bad going on at the time," Mustaine added. "It just seemed like the record was gonna keep getting delayed and delayed and delayed. But I believe there's a spiritual vacuum in my life and that whenever things get really bad, there's a breakthrough ready to happen. And I know that when things get bad like that, it's kind of a challenge for the universe to see if I'm gonna stop living my life on the right side of things, if I'm gonna start trying to force things to happen again. And that's not who I am anymore. I think right now we're sitting on some of the best years ahead of us ever. I feel great. I think I'm playing really well. My relationships with most of the people in my life are really doing good. And I think that the band's trajectory has just continued to go upward."

Ellefson laid down his bass tracks on MEGADETH's sixteenth LP in May 2020 at a studio in Nashville, Tennessee.

In July 2021, Mustaine announced during an episode of his Gimme Radio program "The Dave Mustaine Show" that Ellefson's bass tracks would not be used on the new MEGADETH LP.

In October 2021, Ellefson told The Metal Voice about MEGADETH's decision to replace his parts on "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!": "They did what they did. I don't think they had to do that. I asked them not to. But they did what they did. It's the path they chose."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on TwitterEllefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

"The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" arrived on September 2 via UMe.

ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna's JOURNEY tribute band called BEYOND FRONTIERS (formerly JOEY BELLADONNA'S BEYOND THE BAND and JOURNEY BEYOND) performed last night (Wednesday, December 28) at Palladium in Worcester, Massachusetts. Video of the concert can be seen below.

BEYOND FRONTIERS will play two more East Coast shows this week:

Dec. 29 - Poughkeepsie, NY @ The Chance
Dec. 30 - Hampton Beach, NH @ Wally's

A year and a half ago, Belladonna spoke to "The Johnny Dare Morning Show" about his JOURNEY tribute, which also features keyboardist Doug Carter, bassist Paul Arntz, guitarist Matt Basford and drummer Justin Ward.

"We're working on some recordings so we can be like a normal band and put stuff up on the site — maybe do a video," Joey said. "We've got interest in playing shows. We're just trying to figure out when and how, that kind of thing. The band's still together. We record at home. Everybody's all in different places at the moment. We only did one show, so we can't wait to do it again, 'cause it's gonna be fun."

Belladonna also touched upon his reasons for launching a JOURNEY tribute band, saying: "People ask why the hell I do it. I just like the songs. I've liked the band forever. And I just wanted to do it because I think it's a cool challenge and it's just fun music. I can't think of many bands that I'd like to do a whole evening of without trying to dress up and do everything they do. We just wanna be a band that plays that music. I don't care about the whole lookalike-type stuff. It's just about music. That's really all it is."

In an April 2020 interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Belladonna stated about his approach to singing material that was originally written and recorded by Steve Perry: "Obviously, when you do [something like this], there's always open ground for [people to say], 'You didn't do that part, 'You didn't do this.' [But] I didn't wanna copy it note for note. Sometimes I just like to do my own thing with it. Represent it and do what you can, but I love to mess around with things. Not so much to try to be too different, but just make it cool and do it your own way versus trying to get every note. I'm sure some guys study every second of it. Even with ANTHRAX, I do songs different a lot of times. It's just fun that way. To do things off the cuff is fun for me versus trying to follow everything… I can study it all day, but I just don't feel like doing that. I wanna have a little fun doing my own thing with it."

Belladonna's JOURNEY tribute made its live debut in March 2020 at The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell, Virginia.

When he is not busy touring and recording with ANTHRAX, Belladonna has been spending time playing drums and singing for a classic-rock covers band called CHIEF BIG WAY. The upstate New York-based group, which also features Dave Mickelson on bass, Joe Precourt on guitar and John Goodwin on keyboards, plays versions of songs from JOURNEY, AC/DC, ZZ TOP, BOSTON, CHEAP TRICK, FOREIGNER, PINK FLOYD, VAN HALEN, COLLECTIVE SOUL, THE WHO, THE DOORS, SHINEDOWN and BON JOVI, among others.

In a 2005 interview with MusicDish, Belladonna was asked about the rumor that he came to the table with a JOURNEY tune during his 1985 audition for ANTHRAX. "Actually, what happened was I went into the room and they said, 'Just go on in,' and they hadn't heard me sing," he said. "They'd heard of me and they asked me to come in, but we were going in to start tracking and stuff, to get the mic set up and all that and they said, 'Let's get you in there and get you warmed up.' I hit the mic and belted out some JOURNEY… I think it was [the song] 'Lights'. I didn't know what the hell I was getting into in the first place. I just wanted to lay some vocals or something. Just to kinda give an idea and that's what happened. It wasn't really anything more than that. I just kinda belched it out. I think I did 'Oh Sherrie' [written by Steve Perry], too, or something. I dunno why, but I just did. It was something off the top of my head I could do a cappella and it was kinda challenging. I thought maybe in range or something that would be kind of intriguing. It was definitely one they weren't expecting."

ANTHRAX's 2013 EP "Anthems" EP included the band's cover version of JOURNEY's "Keep On Runnin'" alongside classics by RUSH, THIN LIZZY, AC/DC, CHEAP TRICK and BOSTON.

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Rolling Stone is exclusively reporting that a woman who claims to have had an illicit relationship with Steven Tyler in the 70s when she was a minor has filed a lawsuit against the Aerosmith singer, accusing him of sexual assault, sexual battery, and intentional infliction of emotional distress. The lawsuit was filed following California legislation that temporarily waived statutes of limitations for childhood sexual abuse allegations.


In the suit filed in Los Angeles and obtained by Rolling Stone, the plaintiff Julia Holcomb alleges that Tyler convinced Holcomb’s mother to grant him guardianship over her when she was 16 years old, which consequently allowed her to live with him and engage in a sexual relationship. She claims they were together from 1973 until about three years later. The suit itself doesn’t name Tyler, naming the defendants as Defendant Doe 1 and Does 2 through 50. But Holcomb — who Rolling Stone mentioned in a 1976 profile of the band in reference to Tyler’s romantic life — has been public about her experience with Tyler in the past, and the lawsuit directly quotes from Tyler’s own memoir. In his book, without stating a name, Tyler similarly says he “almost took a teen bride” and that “her parents fell in love with me, signed a paper over for me to have custody, so I wouldn’t get arrested if I took her out of state. I took her on tour with me.”


In the suit, Holcomb alleges that she “was powerless to resist” Tyler’s “power, fame and substantial financial ability, and that Tyler “coerced and persuaded Plaintiff into believing this was a ‘romantic love affair’”. Holcomb alleges that she met Tyler (who would’ve been 25 at the time of their meeting) just after her 16th birthday when Aerosmith played a concert in Portland, Oregon, in 1973. Tyler, according to the suit, took Holcomb back to his hotel room, where they discussed Holcomb’s age. After he allegedly asked why she was out all night by herself, Tyler and Holcomb talked about her troubles at home. He then “performed various acts of criminal sexual conduct upon” her before sending her home in a taxi the next morning, the lawsuit states.




Tyler also allegedly bought Holcomb her own plane ticket to his next Aerosmith show in Seattle since she was a minor and could not legally travel with him across state lines, the suit says. After the Seattle show, Tyler allegedly performed more sexual acts on her, and Holcomb flew back to Portland the next morning.


By 1974, as the suit alleges, Tyler convinced Holcomb’s mother to allow him to become her guardian, which would allow him to more easily travel with her without criminal prosecution — a timeline that matches Tyler’s own comments from his 2011 memoir. Tyler allegedly told Holcomb’s mother he would provide better support than she was getting at home, promising to enroll her in school and give her medical care. Tyler “did not meaningfully follow through on these promises and instead continued to travel with, assault and provide alcohol and drugs to Plaintiff,” the suit claims.


Holcomb further alleges that she was pregnant with Tyler’s son in 1975 when she was 17 years old but got an abortion after Tyler insisted she terminate the pregnancy following an apartment fire. In making the argument, he cited smoke inhalation and lack of oxygen to the baby. Though the suit claims a medical professional told her the unborn baby was not harmed by the fire.


Read the full report at Rolling Stone.

Swedish death metal stalwarts The Crown have a new drummer. An official statement from the band reads:


"Sometimes things come to an end. We have decided to part ways with Henrik (Axelsson), he has been a kickass drummer and a solid Viking Punk in this band for 7 years. We part on mutual, good terms and would like to thank him and wish him all the best for his future.


As for the rest of us - We have onboarded an amazing drummer in Mikael Norén, an old friend of ours that previously also played in Impious together with Robin. We believe that we will make one hell of a team for 2023. We can't wait to see you all. The Crown Never Dies! Cheers!"




The Crown 2023 line-up:


Mattias ”Arvid” Rasmussen - bass
Johan Lindstrand - vocals
Marko Tervonen - guitars
Mikael Norén - drums
Robin Sörqvist - lead guitar


Henrik Axelsson, who played drums for The Crown from 2014 - 2022, has issued his own brief statement:


"It’s been a pleasure for 7 years! I wish all the best to the boys in their future adventures. Hope to see you somewhere on the road."


Catch The Crown live as part of 70000 Tons Of Metal - The Original, The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise. Their eleventh sailing will be hosted on board The Freedom Of The Seas from Miami, Florida to Bimini, The Bahamas from January 30 to February 3, 2023.


Previously announced acts include: Nightwish, Rotting Christ, Korpiklaani, Månegarm, Kamelot, Uli Jon Roth, Kreator, Novembre, Fallujah, Warbringer, Obscura, Oceans Of Slumber, Melechesh, Nightmare, Evergrey, Sirenia, Jungle Rot, Feuerschwanz, Visions Of Atlantis, Abysmal Dawn, Amorphis, Cynic, Destruction and Fractal Universe.





Organizers for the 70000 Tons Of Metal Cruise recently checked in with the following update:


"Over many years it has become an annual tradition that 3,000 crazy Metalheads from over 70 Nations worldwide, representing The United Nations Of Heavy Metal, meet in person in Miami, Florida to celebrate the beginning of a new year. Together with 60 Metal Bands from all over the world, they take over one massive cruise ship! This unique event is called 70000 Tons Of Metal, The Original, The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise!


Due to unfortunate world events in the past two years we could not celebrate these treasured moments... but the wait is over!!!


Are you ready to join us when we set sail on January 30, 2023 from Miami, Florida to the beautiful island of Bimini, watch 120+ live shows (yes you heard right, every band plays twice!) and live out every Metalhead's dream? Then book your cabin NOW at 70000tons.com.


When you are back in Miami on February 3rd, 2023 you may need another vacation after this vacation..."





The eleventh voyage of 70000 Tons Of Metal will take place January 30 - February 3, 2023 and sail from Miami, Florida to Bimini, Bahamas and back on board the Freedom of the Seas. Ticket prices start at USD 966.00 plus taxes and fees per person.


True to their claim, The World's Biggest Heavy Metal Cruise will include 60 bands over four stages. The festival boasts three indoor stages and most importantly, the outdoor Pool Deck Stage: The World's Biggest Open Air Stage Structure to sail the Open Seas featuring hot tubs incorporated into the stage itself. Fans can watch their favorite band perform on a world-class stage from the comfort of a hot tub. All shows are included in the ticket price.


The Freedom of the Seas is one of the largest passenger vessels in the world and offers numerous amenities and unique bars including a casual Sports Bar & Arcade as well as a more sophisticated retro "R Bar" serving up classic cocktails. There is a vast selection of cuisine available across a number of restaurants on board, ranging from formal à la carte meals to casual international dishes, sushi, Italian fine dining and savory steakhouse classics.


The luxury liner will sail to Bimini, The Bahamas: a chain of islands located in the north of The Bahamas, boasting picturesque white sand beaches, crystal clear waters, and various attractions to indulge in: sport fishing, snorkeling & scuba diving, relaxing at the local bars and cafes, or getting pampered at a beach club.





Sailing on board the Freedom of the Seas, guests will enjoy complimentary fine dining, bars and lounges that never close, 24 hour room service and a host of on board activities.


With ten consecutive sellouts since the first voyage in 2011, this five-day, four-night Heavy Metal Music Festival and Caribbean vacation offers 3000 Metalheads the unique opportunity to mingle side-by-side with 60 world-class Heavy Metal bands.


Every band plays twice and all guests have unrestricted festival access to 120+ live performances, including the Jamming in International Waters All Star Jam, meet & greets with every band, intimate Artist Clinics & Workshops and exclusive premieres. All of this with no VIP areas on board makes it feel like everyone has a backstage pass. If that's not enough, festival goers even get a chance to explore a Caribbean dream destination with their favorite Artists.


For more information on 70000 Tons Of Metal 2023, including photos, FAQs (for booking, travel documents, payment, etc.), vessel amenities, event details and more, please visit 70000tons.com.








 

LAST IN LINE drummer Vinny Appice spoke to the "Nothing Shocking" podcast about the status of the band's upcoming third album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We got an EP that just came out. We actually did a cover of 'A Day In The Life', a BEATLES song. It's a little twist on that version. That was doing well. And the rest of the EP, there was a new song and two live songs from Europe that we did. And the album is coming out in March — I think March 31st — on earMUSIC. It's a German label. They're a really, really good label — actually planning stuff around this. And then we're gonna do some dates around that time as well — go out and do some gigs and promote the album. We've gotta work around DEF LEPPARD's schedule, because they're gonna go out again with the big tour.

"So things are good," he added. "LAST IN LINE is great. It's a great band. We have a lot of fun onstage [and] offstage. And that's when it's cool. When it's no fun anymore, then it becomes a job. I'm still having fun, luckily."

"A Day In The Life" arrived on November 11 via earMUSIC. The effort was numbered and limited to 3,000 copies worldwide.

Regarding how LAST IN LINE's cover of "A Day In The Life" came together, guitarist Vivian Campbell — who is also a member of DEF LEPPARD — told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk": "Going back to spring of 2020 when everything shut down, we talked about doing a cover song prior to that and we'd already started cutting the first six tracks for what will be the third album, which will come out early next year.

"LAST IN LINE always cuts tracks live and we look at each other in the studio while we do it; we have that push-pull dynamic going on," he continued. "Well, 'A Day In The Life' is the one exception to that; that's the one song that we didn't do that way. We kind of did it the DEF LEPPARD way by building on a track and reverse-engineering it. That was just out of necessity, 'cause this was in March, April, May of 2020 and we couldn't travel; we couldn't be together. So we basically built up the track that way and did it remotely. And that was an interesting thing for us, because, like I said, that's never anything we've done before or done since."

Asked if he was a fan of THE BEATLES growing up, Campbell said: "THE BEATLES were huge for all of us. The first song I ever actually learned how to play on guitar was 'She Loves You'. I remember working out the chords when I was a kid on holiday one summer. And I was well chuffed with myself 'cause I had actually figured that out.

"['A Day In The Life'] was a pretty ambitious song to take on," he admitted. "To be honest, I don't know how we really ended up on that one. We were discussing what would an appropriate and interesting cover for us to do. We didn't wanna do something from the genre, so it wasn't like we were gonna try and do an AC/DC song or something from the hard rock world. We decided we wanted to tackle something that would be a little left field. I've gotta say probably it was [bassist] Phil Soussan who came up with the idea for 'A Day In The Life', but we were certainly not in need of coaxing 'cause, like I said, we're all massive, massive BEATLES fans. And it is such an ambitious song to take on, with time changes and key changes and whatnot, especially to do it in the way that we had to do it — in this remote sort of fashion. But it was good in as much as it actually gave us some impetus to do something and to keep moving forward. Like I said, this was spring of 2020 and all of a sudden all plans were on hold. So it was a good thing for us to keep inching the band forward and keep making that progression."

This past summer, Vinny told Metal Rules that LAST IN LINE's third studio album was helmed by Chris Collier, who has previously worked with KORN and WHITESNAKE, among other bands. LAST IN LINE's first two albums were produced by former DOKKEN and current FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson.

The news of LAST IN LINE's partnership with earMUSIC was shared in February by Appice during an appearance on "Waste Some Time With Jason Green". Vinny also revealed that LAST IN LINE completed recording six more new songs in late January at Danny "Count" Koker's Desert Moon studios in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Formed in 2012 by Appice, Campbell and bassist Jimmy Bain — Ronnie James Dio's co-conspirators and co-writers on the "Holy Diver", "Last In Line" and "Sacred Heart" albums — LAST IN LINE's initial intent was to celebrate Ronnie James Dio's early work by reuniting the members of the original DIO lineup. After playing shows that featured a setlist composed exclusively of material from the first three DIO albums, the band decided to move forward and create new music in a similar vein.

LAST IN LINE's debut album, "Heavy Crown", was released in February 2016 via Frontiers Music Srl, landing at No. 1 on Billboard's Heatseekers chart. Initially, the release had been preceded by tragedy when Bain unexpectedly died at the age of 68 on January 23, 2016. LAST IN LINE, honoring what they knew would be Bain's wish to keep the band moving, brought in Soussan and committed to sustained touring in support of the album before beginning work on the follow-up release, 2019's "II", which was also made available through Frontiers Music Srl.

In February 2021, Soussan told the "Pat's Soundbytes Unplugged" podcast about the musical direction of the new LAST IN LINE material: "The songs are another progression from the last album — the difference between 'Heavy Crown' and 'II', and now 'II' and whatever this next album is gonna be called. But it's definitely evolved even more; it's gone into even more of an evolution, but we are always trying to keep the characteristics of LAST IN LINE there. I mean, you can't shake those things — you can't shake Vinny's drumming, you can't shake Vivian's playing. And I'd like to say the same thing about myself, and, of course, [singer] Andrew [Freeman]."

Some of the early recording sessions for LAST IN LINE's third album took place in January 2020 at Steakhouse studio in North Hollywood, California.

Multi-instrumentalist and vocalist, Snowy Shaw, has released his new collection, This Is Heavy Metal, Plain & Simple, on all digital platforms. Stream/download the collection here.


What is "This is Heavy Metal, plain & simple"?


As the title suggests we're not reinventing the wheel here by any means. It's classic metal, that range from hardr ock to death metal and everything in between, all according to Snowy Shaw (multi-talented worldwide underground superstar formerly of King Diamond, Notre Dame, Therion, Dimmu Borgir, Dream Evil, Mercyful Fate, Memento Mori etc.)




But! make no mistakes, Snowy is not what one would call a conventional or predictable man, and there are quite a few things that are exceptional and downright groundbreaking about this album (or collection of singles.)


First of all, instead of putting out a full length album of 12 songs, during the pandemic year of 2021 Snowy opted to swap things around and release one single each and every month (digitally) throughout the year and then in time for X-mas release a limited edition physical double vinyl and digiCD with the collection of songs, plus no less than four bonus tracks.


Where on each track he also invited special guest stars to contribute consisting of several of his teenage heroes, living legends, former bandmates and friends to as guest stars. Including members from King Diamond, Therion, Ozzy Osbourne, Dark Funeral, Mercyful Fate, Death SS, Doro, Hardcore Superstar, Mustasch, Torch, Dream Evil, Lillasyster, U.D.O, Arch Enemy, Sabaton, Soilwork, Raubtier, Erika, Ross The Boss, Amaranthe among many others


Sadly during the recording process some of his old heroes eventually had to cancel their participation due to health issues and even more tragically a few of them passed away. R.I.P. "Their legacy lives on."





Tracklisting:


"Of Hell And Fire" (January) (feat. Scarlet)
"The Heydays" (February) (feat. Gus G & Thomas Vikström)
"We Are The Survivors" (March) (feat. Olof Mörck, Marc Lopes & Alicia Grimoir)
"Tell Me, Tell Me" (April) (feat. Erika)
"Metallicus Tinnitus Satanicus (The Devil's Orchestra)" (May) (feat. Chaq Mol, Hank Shermann & Steve Sylvester)
"Black Blood (This Is Not A Lovesong)" (June) (feat. Björn "Speed" Strid & Chris Amott)
"Gladitor" (July) (feat. Dan Dark & Michael Moon)
"We Sold Our Souls To Rock N' Roll, That Is Our Religion" (August) (feat. The Necro Spiritual Choir of Corpus Christi)
"Weekend Warriors" (September) (feat. Ralf Gyllenhammar, Jocke Berg & Martin Westerstrand)
"If I Was King For A Day" (October) (feat. Andy La Rocque & Hal Patino)
"Guitarmageddon" (November) (feat. Bill Hudson, Rob Marcello, Pär Hulkoff, Thobbe Englund, Ira Black, Kelly McLauchlin, Stefan Lindholm & Kosta Papazoglou)
"The End Of An Era" (December) (feat. The All-Star Choir)

Portuguese death metal group Analepsy has debuted a music video for their song "Edge Of Chaos", which can be found on the band's 2022 album, Quiescence.





The vinyl version of Quiescence was released through Agonia Records. Miasma Records and Vomit Your Shirt issued the album on CD, MC and digital formats. Order your copy here.




Quiescence continues the space motif from Analepsy’s previous releases, but from a different perspective. There are no living creatures, only the deserted cosmos awaiting its own demise. The album features guest appearances from Ricky Myers (Suffocation, Disgorge), Angel Ochoa (Cephalotripsy, Disgorge, Abominable Putridity, Condemned) and Wilson Ng (Facelift Deformation, Vermicular Incubation).


The band commented: "We are delighted to present our most recent work: Quiescence! This has been a tight process, and despite all the changes the band went through, everything worked like clockwork. The essence of our music lives on!"


The recordings of Quiescence took three months (August - October, 2021), entailing the skills of guitarist/co-founder Marco Martins, guitarist/vocalist Calin Paraschiv (ex-Pestilence), bassist João Jacinto and ex-drummer Tiago Correia. The album was recorded, mixed, and mastered by Miguel Tereso at Demigod Recordings studio in Caxarias, Portugal. The cover artwork was created by Pedro Sena - Lordigan.





Tracklisting:


"Locus Of Dawning"
"Impending Subversion"
"Elapsing Permanence" (featuring Wilson Ng)
"Accretion Collision"
"Stretched And Devoured" (featuring Angel Ochoa)
"Converse Condition"
"Fractured Continuum"
"Spasmodic Dissonance" (featuring Ricky Myers)
"Edge Of Chaos"
"Quiescence" (Instrumental)


"Fractured Continuum" video:





"Spasmodic Dissonance" lyric video:





"Locus Of Dawning" video:





Analepsy's sound can be described as a crossover between old-school brutal death metal and modern melodic elements. The correct pronunciation of the name of the band is "uh-nuh-leh-psy" [ʌnʌlepsy], and it was chosen due to its (now obsolete) meaning: recovery of strength after an illness.


(Photo - Joël Martins)


 

Disney's Hollywood Studios in Bay Lake, Florida, will be temporarily closing the Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith attraction.


A statement from Disney: "Beginning February 20, 2023, Rock ‘n’ Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith will be temporarily closed for refurbishment. This rocktastic attraction will resume its super-stretch limo rides in summer 2023."







About Rock 'n' Roller Coaster Starring Aerosmith: Inside their Hollywood music studio, legendary rock band Aerosmith is wrapping up a recording session. When their manager tells them they’re late for a concert across town, the band invites you to ride along. Hop into their gleaming limousine and speed off into the night as Aerosmith’s hard-rock harmonies fill the air. Buckle up before zooming through the city on this roller-coaster style attraction.


Speed through iconic Hollywood landmarks. Maneuver past traffic jams and swoop into 3 thrilling inversions - 2 rollover loops and one corkscrew - as the wind races across your face. Will you make it to the year’s biggest concert in time?


Your super-stretch limo is decked out with a 125-speaker, 24-subwoofer, 32,000-watt audio system. Each vehicle broadcasts different Aerosmith hit songs, including “Walk This Way,” “Dude (Looks Like A Lady),” “Sweet Emotion” and “Back In The Saddle.” The classic “Love In An Elevator” was rewritten as “Love In A Roller Coaster” specifically for this rocktastic attraction.

SiriusXM has released the video below, featuring Bret Michaels performing "Your Mama Don't Dance", originally by Loggins & Messina, and featured on Poison's Open Up And Say... Ahh! album, released in 1988.





Hot off the heels of a massive stadium tour with Poison, for the first time ever, Bret Michaels is hitting the road for a limited run of live dates for his 2023 Parti Gras Tour. Michaels has created this tour with a Mardi Gras feel in celebration of his great fans and hit music. The renowned rockstar will bring a few of his rocker friends along for a mashup of all killer, no filler hits featuring special guests Night Ranger and Jefferson Starship with special appearances from Steve Augeri (former lead singer of Journey) and Mark McGrath (Sugar Ray), plus a nightly surprise guest to rock your world.




Presented by Live Nation, the 12-city limited date run kicks off on Thursday, July 13 at the one and only Pine Knob Music Theatre in Clarkston, MI; known for its epic concerts and parties, going on to make stops across the US including at The Pavilion at Star Lake, in his birthplace of Pittsburgh (PA), Holmdel (NJ), Tinley Park (IL), Tampa (FL), and more before wrapping up in Charlotte (NC) at PNC Music Pavilion on August 6. The tour promises to be a modern day throwback to epic tailgate parties, positive energy, and a much needed nothing but a good vibe.


“After seeing Bret bring the party in every market of The Stadium Tour, this past year, we are looking forward to more of his ‘nothing, but a good vibe, high-energy performing’ on The Parti-Gras Tour next summer,” said Rick Franks, Global Touring Live Nation.


Michaels states, “I created Parti-Gras as a sincere and grateful thank you to the fans, friends, and family who have rocked with me over the years.  I promise to deliver positive energy, live, raw, real music, and all the bands will deliver sing-a-long hit after hit songs. Your voice will be hoarse after an epic, big, fun stage show.“


Tickets for the tour are on sale now at LiveNation.com. VIP Meet & Greet Tickets are available for Parti-Gras at BretMichaels.com.





Tour dates:


July
13 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
15 - Burgettstown, PA - The Pavilion at Star Lake
16 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center
21 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
22 - Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
23 - Camden, NJ - Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
28 - Maryland Heights, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
29 - Tinley Park, IL - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
30 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center


August
4 - Tampa, FL - MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre at the FL State Fairgrounds
5 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
6 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion