Ex-ANNIHILATOR drummer Ray Hartmann will not join his former band for the group's previously announced appearance at the Topfest in Slovakia this coming June. The show will celebrate the 35th anniversary of ANNIHILATOR's classic debut album, "Alice In Hell", with former ICED EARTH frontman Stu Block singing the entire record. There will also be a few "best-of" songs that will include "hits" chosen by the fans.

Earlier today, ANNIHILATOR released the following statement via social media: "Quick note about our awesome exclusive summer 2024 Alice 35 show: Unfortunately, drummer Ray Hartmann will not be with us for this celebration and, since long-time ANNIHILATOR drummer Fabio Alessandrini stepped aside to let Ray give it a go, Fabio happily stepped right back in! See you soon, Topfest!"

When the Topfest concert was first announced in December, ANNIHILATOR guitarist and leader Jeff Waters commented: "2024 is the year of Alice: 'Alice In Hell'. 35 years since its release and we will be celebrating with many of you for the year with merch, signature guitars, shows, events, catalogue re-issues, etc... and this will lead us into 2025, which is the anniversary of our biggest record: 'Never, Neverland'. Alice will continue on with us, into 2025.

"Randy Rampage, 'Alice In Hell''s vocalist and awesome frontman, passed away a few years back. To honor Rampage, I had a tough job to find someone to fill his shoes for this anniversary.

"Stu may be known as a badass vocalist and frontman BUT he also loves Rampage's attitude and will be the perfect singer to channel this classic record onstage. Longtime fellow axe-slingers Rich Gray (4 strings!) and Aaron Homma (6 strings!) also continue their journey with ANNIHILATOR.

"Stage? Oh yea. Let us just start with this: ANNIHILATOR will be co-headlining, along with SCORPIONS and FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, at Topfest, Slovakia on June 29, 2024. We will play the entire 'Alice' record, along with some other rockin' tunes.

"This will be an exclusive Europe festival show for 2024, however, we will be announcing lots more. We have NOT forgotten anyone. We will do our best in 2024-2025+ to get to where we should have been playing AND to where we already have!

"So, thank you all for getting ANNIHILATOR to the point of 17 studio records, a zillion tours and STILL rockin, after all these years. We are very aware that we're still going strong because of our fans; not the industry.

"On that note, any festivals and promoters that want this legendary 'Alice'/'Neverland' set in 2025, talk to our dude Nik at Bottom Row for Europe and our web site contact for everywhere else!

"Check the socials for regular updates now, cause we have a lot coming for you!"

Block can be heard on "Metal II", the reworked version of ANNIHILATOR's 2007 "Metal" studio album. "Metal II" also features former SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo.

Founded in 1984, ANNIHILATOR took the metal scene by storm with "Alice In Hell", upped the ante with 1990's "Never, Neverland" and has continued a non-stop career-pattern of releasing records and touring with many of the biggest bands in the metal genre (mostly all outside North America),ever since, cementing ANNIHILATOR as the biggest-selling metal act in Canada's history.

"Alice In Hell" was the first of six ANNIHILATOR albums to feature songwriting contributions from the band's former singer John Bates, who was credited as the co-writer of the songs "Alison Hell", "W.T.Y.D.", "Burns Like A Buzzsaw Blade" and "Human Insecticide".

To promote "Alice In Hell", ANNIHILATOR supported ONSLAUGHT internationally on the "In Search Of Sanity" tour, and TESTAMENT in the United States on the "Practice What You Preach" tour.

"Alice In Hell" was re-released twice: in 1998 with three demo tracks as bonus tracks and again in September 2003 as part of a two-disc compilation set along with "Never, Neverland", titled "Two From The Vault".

Two years ago, earMusic announced a reissue series of (almost) the entire ANNIHILATOR catalog. In total, 18 records are being released over the next few years, including the original 2007 version of the "Metal" album.

Quick note about our awesome exclusive summer 2024 Alice 35 show: Unfortunately, drummer Ray Hartmann will not be with...

Posted by Annihilator on Sunday, February 4, 2024

Former JUDAS PRIEST and current KK'S PRIEST singer Tim "Ripper" Owens kicked off his four-date solo tour of Texas, "Tim Rips Through Texas 2024", on February 1 at Average Joe's in Laredo. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

In a recent interview with Poland's Pełna Kulturka, Owens was asked what advice he would give to aspiring vocalists and other metal musicians looking to break into the music business. He responded: "Pick another career. [Laughs] You have one job, one job to do, if you're a new musician or a new singer, and that is to blow people away. Your job's to go on stage, especially live, and sound like you did on the record or better. That's your job. It's not to drink beer. Your job is to blow people away. And there's nothing better for a musician, a young musician, or any musician, [than] to see the reaction of somebody's face out there when you're delivering it, when you're bringing it out. So that's your job. Everything you do, if you're a musician, you should only worry about promoting your band and delivering the best performance you can."

Asked if he would say the "live performances are the most important thing", Owens replied: "I think so. I mean, you can make a great record, but — and you don't have to go up on stage and… It's not the stage show to me, it's not running around the stage and getting crazy. To me, it's just looking like you wanna be there and sounding great, or at least wanting to sound great. You've gotta try. And to me, that's the biggest thing. I wanna hear somebody that sounds good."

Last year, Owens reiterated his commitment to singing all songs like they were originally recorded, whether it's material from his former band JUDAS PRIEST or his new project KK'S PRIEST. He told DJ Ramo (a.k.a. Omar Rodriguez) of The Metal Mixtape: "Everything you hear on this [second KK'S PRIEST] record I can sing live. I'm so sick of watching singers, and I don't care — I'm 56, [and] I've seen singers in their 50s that still couldn't do it. I'm so sick of watching singers — I know they can do it, but they change their songs; they lower it, they make new melodies and they hit a high note for a second. And it's, like, 'Dude, sing what you wrote. Sing what you wrote.' I understand it gets tougher. But I can sing 'Sermons Of The Sinner'. And these songs, the KK'S PRIEST songs are harder to sing than the classic PRIEST songs, except maybe 'Metal Meltdown'."

He continued: "I pride myself on whatever I did in the studio, I can do live. I mean, listen, we open out of the gate with 'Hellfire Thunderbolt', and if anybody's heard it from these concerts, it goes 'Hellfire Thunderbolt' into 'One More Shot At Glory', and they sound like the record — I mean, close to the record. And that's the other thing about doing these vocals — one minute I want it to be aggressive, one minute I want it to be high and clean, I want it to be soft and beautiful, but I can do all that live.

"These songs are great to do live, man," he added. "I love doing these ones [on 'The Sinner Rides Again'] even better than the first record [2021's 'Sermons Of The Sinner']. 'One More Shot At Glory', 'Reap The Whirlwind', 'Strike Of The Viper' — I mean, man, they sound great live, man. They are unbelievable."

Regarding what he does so that he can perform the songs faithfully, Owens said: "Listen, I don't warm up. It really starts with, are you a good live singer or not anyways? … There's songs I've just heard recently that it sounds so manufactured. Not that it's a bad song, and it sounds great, but it doesn't even — I could just hear where it's pieced [together] and hear where it's Auto-Tuned. And it's, like, you're not gonna sing it live.

"There are some singers out there, they're like the best singers in the world, but they're just not great live singers," he explained. "They're not great live singers at singing what they record in the studio. They're still great live singers; it's just they've changed the version. They've made up their own version to make them be able to sing — which is fine, because there's gonna be times where I'll have to do that to a song or I might lower a word, but I try to stick to it. I mean, you would see singers like Ronnie Dio. He wasn't going off… If he changed the version, he probably made it harder. He would sing it live.

"I record everything at the top of my ability, and I always struggle with my material," Tim explained. "Like when I tour solo, it's pretty easy. It's pretty easy tours. It's okay tours for me, because I'm doing my own stuff. But when my rest comes [is] when I get to sing the classic PRIEST songs, and I imagine it's the same even with Rob [Halford], when he gets to sing 'Breaking The Law' and 'Metal Gods'. I mean, those things are, like — anybody could sing them, it's so easy and it's a break. But this tour, you open up with 'Hellfire Thunderbolt', 'One More Shot Of Glory', 'The Ripper'… I'm doing 'Night Crawler' — 'Night Crawler''s easy. 'Burn In Hell', easy. 'Sermons Of The Sinner' — I was scared of 'Sermons Of The Sinner', to be honest, cause I was, like, 'Holy crap, man. This is gonna be tough.' And it's actually fun to sing.

"I think all singers should be recording to the top of their ability. So my songs are always harder, and that's why, but some singers just can't reproduce it. This record, I had a better feeling I would reproduce easier even than the first, because I sat here [at home] and did it myself. I wasn't told what to do. I was told what the melody is, but I'd use my own voice to do it. But some singers, they don't sing exactly what they do live. I mean, that's just how they are."

KK'S PRIEST, which features Tim alongside another ex-PRIEST member, guitarist K.K. Downing, made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

Owens and Downing are joined in KK'S PRIEST by guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST has been performing tracks from "Sermons Of The Sinner", plus new material from "The Sinner Rides Again", as well as many a PRIEST classic thrown in for good measure.

In a separate interview with "Paltrocast"host Darren Paltrowitz, Owens was asked how he keeps his voice in shape after so many years. "I think I'm just lucky and fortunate," he responded. "I do take care of it. The one thing I always wanna do is sing as good as I can and sing in as many styles as I can. And I think I'm just fortunate that it's held up pretty good throughout these years."

Asked if his routine involves vocal cooldowns and having to sleep a certain number of hours and drink a certain amount of water every day, Owens replied: "There's no warming up or warming down with me, really. On the KK'S PRIEST shows, I warm up singing [the opening song] 'Hellfire Thunderbolt' on stage. So I don't warm up or warm down. I don't talk a lot. I drink a lot of water. I show up and do my show and then get to the hotel as soon as I can. And then I wake up every day hoping I'm gonna be able to sing."

He added: "The voice is a weird thing. Sometimes you just don't have it. You just wake up and it's not there, and there's nothing you can do about it."

"The Sinner Rides Again" was released on September 29, 2023 via the Austrian rock and metal empire Napalm Records. The nine-song effort was produced and written by Downing and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen.

"Sermons Of The Sinner" was released in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour will kick off on March 7, 2024 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida and will feature support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES. The tour will be the first of at least a two-leg USA run of shows, planned to continue later in 2024.

Tickets make the Perfect Christmas gift.
Tickets on sale now for all 4 Texas dates 2024. Online tickets for the...

Posted by Mike Plata on Friday, December 1, 2023

JUDAS PRIEST drummer Scott Travis performed with the California-based JUDAS PRIEST-AC/DC cover band called PRIEST/DC on February 3 at Pistol Pete's in Auburn, California. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

PRIEST/DC features vocalist Jeff Martin from RACER X. Martin was also previously a member of SURGICAL STEEL, a JUDAS PRIEST-sounding metal band which was one of the very first real metal bands in Phoenix, Arizona, having been formed in 1980. When JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford settled in the Phoenix area, he helped the group record a demo and also lent his vocals to the SURGICAL STEEL track "Smooth And Fast".

SURGICAL STEEL was originally fronted by vocalist Harley Van Kirk, but drummer Jeff Martin later took over the vocalist spot around the time Rob discovered the act. Their song "Rivit Head" was part of Metal Blade's 1982 compilation "Metal Massacre II" and the band also played a pivotal role in the 1985 movie "Thunder Alley".

The 62-year-old Travis, who was born in Norfolk, Virginia, joined PRIEST after an audition in Spain in November 1989.

Scott's long and very influential drumming career has also included acclaimed work with FIGHT and RACER X.

Travis's mother went to Juilliard and his brother, who is 10 years older, exposed him to THE BEATLES on "The Ed Sullivan Show" and Elvis Presley through an extensive record collection.

In a 2018 interview with NJArts.net, Scott stated about his influences: "I was always around music growing up and I vaguely remember some things, but I remember seeing a drum set and I liked the look of it, the metal and the chrome, and thinking, 'Yeah, that's kinda cool,' and then you see the actual movement of a drummer, whether it be Ringo [Starr] or anybody else…

"Influences? I'm gonna answer that but I find it … well, I guess everybody wants to know but it's always the same guys if you're a rock drummer. We all love [John] Bonham and Neil Peart and Alex Van Halen, Tommy Aldridge, Ian Paice. It's always the same guys, and, of course, Ringo. Ringo was the first commercial rock drummer, long before Tommy Lee or any of those guys. I mean, that is the rock drummer who you look at and say, 'Wow, that looks like a cool gig.'"

Posted by Priest/DC on Thursday, January 4, 2024

Mark Osegueda says that he is still "very much the lead vocalist of DEATH ANGEL" despite having just been announced as the frontman of Kerry King's new band.

Earlier today, it was revealed that King will release the debut album from his long-awaited solo project, "From Hell I Rise", on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music. Joining King on the record are drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) on lead guitar, and Osegueda. Working with producer Josh Wilbur (KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD, BAD RELIGION),the vast bulk of King's solo album was recorded at Henson Recording Studios (formerly A&M Studios) in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from THE DOORS, PINK FLOYD, RAMONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among others.

After details of Kerry's new band were made public, Mark took to his social media to write: "Well… The secret is out! I AM the lead vocalist for Kerry King's new band!

"I worked so hard on getting this gig! I worked so hard in the studio recording this record! And.. I'm so proud with what we all achieved!

"I can't wait to hit the road with this! And there will be plenty of that!

"Thank you all for your years of your support and inspiration! And… Yes!! I am still very much the lead vocalist of DEATH ANGEL".

Regarding Osegueda's addition to the band, Kerry told Rolling Stone: "With Mark, he was on board early on. I just didn't pull that trigger. I was like, 'Let's see what happens.' Say for instance, [JUDAS PRIEST's] Rob Halford calls me and says, 'Hey, I would love to be your singer,' I'd have to go that way."

King also confirmed that PANTERA's Philip Anselmo was "considered" as a possible singer for his new project. "My management, my promoter, my record label all wanted Phil," Kerry said. "Phil's a good friend of mine, but I always thought he's not the right guy. That has nothing to do with his ability; I just knew he wasn't the right guy. When you hear Mark on this record, you know that's the guy.

"I had to do due diligence, because at the end of the day, had Philip been the guy, we'd be in arenas immediately because we could play new stuff, we could play PANTERA, we could play SLAYER, and fans would've been happy. It ended when the PANTERA thing came up.

"I saw Mark a few years back singing covers of MINOR THREAT and cameo in THE WEDDING BAND with members of METALLICA," King added. "It was different from what he does in DEATH ANGEL, and he sounded great. He's super versatile. He took steps to make this different than DEATH ANGEL. I don't touch on probably 50 percent of what he can do on the album.

"Mark knew how I expected the songs to be performed. On my demos, I sing with very good conviction, but I don't have pipes; that's why I don't sing. With 'Residue', he sounded so good I had to ask him, 'Is this sustainable? I don't want you to blow your load on this record and then blow your voice out every third show.' And he swore up and down he could do it. He went on to some of the harder ones and did the same thing on those, so I went, 'Okay.'"

"From Hell I Rise" track listing:

01. Diablo
02. Where I Reign
03. Residue
04. Idle Hands
05. Trophies Of The Tyrant
06. Crucifixation
07. Tension
08. Everything I Hate About You
09. Toxic
10. Two Fists
11. Rage
12. Shrapnel
13. From Hell I Rise

The LP's first single, "Idle Hands", can be streamed below.

Kerry's new band, called simply KERRY KING, has announced two U.S. shows so far: May 9, 2024 at the Welcome To Rockville festival at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, and May 16, 2024 at the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival at the Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

Kerry King photo credit: Andrew Stuart

Well…
The secret is out!
I AM The Lead vocalist for Kerry King's new band!
Kerry King Music

I worked so hard on...

Posted by Mark Osegueda Official on Sunday, February 4, 2024

TESLA bassist Brian Wheat, who manages the band and started a company called J Street Entertainment Inc. to help develop young artists, recently spoke to MANOWAR bassist Joey DeMaio's "Words Of Power With Joey DeMaio" podcast about the importance of being honest with young musicians about the various facets of the music industry. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's a lot of people that just feed people that don't know any better a bunch of bullshit… So you get these guys that just feed them a bunch of bullshit, and it's like… With the bands I manage and the people I work with outside of TESLA, it's, like, I got a job. I don't need to take your money. I'm not doing this because I want your money. I'm doing it because I have passion and I like to win. I like to take something from [a lower level] and bring it to [a higher level], and whether it's a young band or whatever it is. But there's reality. There's the reality of this business, and it is a business. I mean, sure, when we all started, we all wanted to get chicks and drugs and everything else… Listen, all that costs money. Someone's paying for it, and who's paying for it? You, the artist. You're the last guy to get paid, and you pay for it."

He continued: "So I don't bullshit anybody. It's like, look, some guy calls me and he's 50 years old and he says, 'Hey, I wanna make a record.' And I'm, like, 'Okay, you do realize what this is. No one's gonna give you 300,000 dollars to make a record — no record company is gonna give you [that at] 50 years old.' They don't even give it to 20-year-old kids in a van anymore. Those kids have to do everything on their own now, where when we started, you didn't have to. We got signed on demo tapes. Today, if you wanna get signed by a major label, you've gotta have a dozen markets that you're playing, that you're selling a thousand tickets on your own. You've gotta have all this social media presence. You've gotta have radio play. Then they'll do it, and they'll give you pennies on the dollar, and you've done all the work. Well, that model's done and tired. It's old. It don't work anymore. So where I can offer something to some people is, like, 'Look, I know the old school, but this is the new school. So if you have a budget and you wanna do this and you really wanna take a shot, I'll put together a radio team for you. I'll put together a promotion team for you. This, that and the other. Record people. You wanna make a record? You don't have to have some producer that's milking you for 4,000 dollars a day. You can go to a place for 800 a day and do the same work. But people think, 'Well, if you put this person with that name, I can just buy this.' But the thing that people don't realize is what we did in the garage or when we first started. We wanted to be musicians. We honed our craft. We learned how to play our instruments. We learned how to write songs. We learned how to make records. That just doesn't come. You can't just buy that. And now with this AI stuff, it's, like, come on."

Wheat went on to say that he feels "bad" for people who are just starting out in the music business. "I mean, if I had a son, I wouldn't want him to be a musician," he admitted. "Back when I started it or back when you started it, we had a small chance to make it. Now, that's like — what do you call it? Microscopic, minuscule. I mean, today. It's really, really tough. People aren't buying music anymore. They're streaming it. We're getting raped."

Brian then blasted Spotify for the paltry payments the music streaming service pays out to music rightsholders. He said: "If you had 500 million streams, so that stream, let's just say it equates to someone listening to your song. When we were on radio, if we had one play on the radio station, we got four cents. Now for one play, you get one 200 millionth of a cent. But people are still listening to it. So we're getting raped — badly — and no one wants to say anything about it or do anything about it. It's just, like, well, this is the new way. So the record companies are involved, and then you have Spotify. And listen, for the huge, huge artists — the LED ZEPPELINs and THE BEATLES and all that stuff — they're getting paid better than you or I are getting paid, or the kid that's just starting out at Active Rock and he's got one song. But when [TESLA's] 'Modern Day Cowboy' came out, we had all this airplay. We got played and there was a fair wage. Now you don't, and then people aren't buying your record, so you're not getting that buck a record that you used to get for selling it, because no one's buying it. I mean, vinyl sales are up — yeah, great — but no one's selling those kind of records, unless you're Taylor Swift or Miley Cyrus or something. But a rock record selling 150,000 copies physically is miraculous. I mean, there's maybe three artists that can do that."

Many people still think Spotify doesn't pay the artists who are featured on its platform fairly.

In recent years, Spotify CEO and founder Daniel Ek has been trying to defend the company's payouts, telling CBS News in early 2023: "We don't pay artists directly. [Artists] have their deals with their record companies and their deals with their publishers, et cetera. And what Spotify does is we pay out to those record companies and these publishers, and don't know what individual deals these artists may have."

Three years ago, Spotify created a web site called Loud&Clear to clarify exactly who receives payments.

According to Forbes, "Spotify has been paying back nearly 70% of every dollar generated from music as royalties to rights holders who represent artists and songwriters. These organizations, which include independent distributors, publishers, performance rights organizations, record labels, and collecting societies, then pay the artists and songwriters based on their agreed terms."

Spotify reportedly has nearly 600 million monthly active listeners and a 30% market share, but has yet to turn a profit.

TESLA's debut album, 1986's "Mechanical Resonance", went platinum on the strength of the hits "Modern Day Cowboy" and "Little Suzi". The 1989 follow-up album, "The Great Radio Controversy", produced five hits, including "Heaven's Trail (No Way Out)" and "Love Song", which hit the pop Top Ten.

TESLA will return to the House Of Blues inside Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino Las Vegas with its "Tesla: The Las Vegas Takeover". Shows will be held on April 5, 6, 10, 12 and 13, 2024, and are scheduled to begin at 8:30 p.m.

Image courtesy of "Words Of Power With Joey DeMaio" podcast

BEARTOOTH has shared a five-minute official short documentary called "Below The Surface". In the film, which was directed by Jar, BEARTOOTH singer Caleb Shomo shares his odyssey and reveals how the pandemic inspired the band's 2021 album "Below" and how follow-up effort, 2023's "The Surface" reflects his journey towards self-improvement and positive change.

In am August 2023 interview with Germany's Rock Antenne, Shomo spoke about why BEARTOOTH went through several lineup changes in the early days of its existence around a decade ago. He said: "Yeah, thankfully, we do have [a lineup] that we've had for a while. I think something like this and the way this is run, with it being just me and me [playing all the instruments], at least in the studio… the way this whole thing is structured out, it was bound to go through some changes. And everybody else also has their own lives they've gotta live. And not everybody wants to just be out on the road doing this all the time, which I completely respect. But I think as of now, we've got the lineup, in my opinion. It's good. We got some of the best players ever. I'm very, very proud of everybody who's standing on that stage. And I feel like every show we just get more in tune with each other and we're becoming more of a team and it's really taking the BEARTOOTH live show to a whole new level."

Regarding "The Surface", which arrived last October, Caleb said: "It's really just kind of the polar opposite of 'Below'. 'Below' was really a COVID kind of period piece record, just about all of the emotions that were being felt throughout that, that I was feeling and I was dealing with and kind of my mental state. And I vowed after that record that I would never make a record that kind of dark and sad again. And in turn, through all of the kind of changes that I started making in my own life coming out of COVID, this record just kind of started to be born. And it really is just the polar opposite. It's hopeful and there's positive tones to it and it's not just miserable and sad, and I'm very happy about that."

He continued: "I think really for me it's about manifesting happiness. I really do believe that we are very in control of our futures and at least ourselves and the way we feel in the future. And it takes a lot of manifesting, it takes a lot of just calling things for what it is and deciding things. For me, I think being happy in a lot of ways is a choice, and I have to choose to do these practical things that may be difficult throughout the day but I know they will make me happier in the long run. So this record's really just about kind of like wanting to manifest that I wanna live a happier life from here on out."

"The Surface" was released via Red Bull Records. Like its predecessors, "The Surface" is an intensely personal and powerful journey for Shomo, who has never shied away from sharing his demons in his music and with his fans. However, the frontman has turned a corner with a more optimistic outlook and demonstrates exceptional growth as both an artist and a human being through the songs that comprise the album.

Shomo first turned the pain of his struggle with mental health and self-image into music in 2013. BEARTOOTH began as a living document, a diary, a journal of repressed rage and depression. Alone in his basement studio, screaming and singing, playing all the instruments, and self-producing a batch of furious but melodic songs filled with reflection and confession, the Ohio native stared into the abyss, initially with no intention of returning to the heavy music world that burned him as a teen. A decade later, the different pieces of his body of work connect in title, sound and spirit.

Like NINE INCH NAILS, BEARTOOTH remains a one-person band in the studio. On the heels of the introductory "Sick" EP (2013),"Disgusting" (2014) produced the band's first gold single, "In Between". "Aggressive" (2016) and "Disease" (2018) expanded on the desperation and pain, each a step closer to a balance between the blood and tears of classic recordings and the shimmer of modernity.

Rolling Stone heralded BEARTOOTH as one of 10 Artists You Need to Know. The rabid response to Shomo's music demonstrated how many people related to his struggle for self-acceptance. "Below" topped the Rock and Alternative charts and several Best Rock/Metal Albums Of The Year lists. As of 2023, the BEARTOOTH catalog boasted more than one billion streams across all platforms.

At last month's Metal Hall Of Fame gala at the Delta Marriott Garden Grove in Garden Grove, California, singer Joacim Cans and guitarist Oscar Dronjak of Swedish metallers HAMMERFALL confirmed to The Metal Voice that they are working on the follow-up to the band's 2020 LP "Hammer Of Dawn".

"I'm actually here in Los Angeles right now recording vocals for the new album," Joacim said. "So everything is done in the drums, bass, guitar departments. But I can't really record in Sweden, can I? I mean, the weather sucks. It's too cold to sing over there."

Oscar also spoke about HAMMERFALL's upcoming spring 2024 North American tour as the support act for KAMELOT. Opening each night on the trek, which will begin on April 25 in Baltimore, Maryland and come to an end a month later in Tampa, Florida on May 25, will be AD INFINITUM, featuring KAMELOT touring guest vocalist Melissa Bonny.

"Yeah, we're going on tour in the U.S. in May with KAMELOT, actually," the guitarist said. "So it'll be four weeks maybe or something like that, [or] five. The tour starts the end of April. We join a little bit later."

In December 2022, HAMMERFALL, which started its career in 1997 on Nuclear Blast with its debut album "Glory To The Brave", announced that it was returning to the long-running German label.

HAMMERFALL's entire Nuclear Blast catalog, from "Glory To The Brave" to the 2014 album "(r)Evolution" was certified with a diamond award for over 1.5 million worldwide sales.

Following on from "Renegade" (2000),"Crimson Thunder" (2002) and "No Sacrifice, No Victory" (2009),HAMMERFALL's fifth studio album, "Chapter V: Unbent, Unbowed, Unbroken" from 2005, became the band's fourth album to go gold in Sweden, while "Crimson Thunder" even went platinum, surpassing 60,000 sales in the group's home country.

In April 2023, HAMMERFALL released a special platinum edition of "Crimson Thunder" with tons of bonus material.

"Hammer Of Dawn" was released in February 2022 via Napalm Records. The LP was produced by longtime collaborator Fredrik Nordström (IN FLAMES, OPETH),who handled mixing, mastering, drum recording, and shared the duty of recording guitars and bass with guitarists Pontus Norgren and Oscar Dronjak. Jacob Hansen (VOLBEAT) produced the lead vocals.

In a new interview with Dave Griffiths of Australia's Subculture Entertainment, BLIND GUARDIAN vocalist Hansi Kürsch was asked if he and his bandmates have commenced work on the follow-up to 2022's "The God Machine" album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We belong to the bands which cannot really dig into new creation when it's on the road. So, we're working on all the concerts we have to play first. And that keeps us busy until pretty much the end of the year. We're still touring North America, we're touring U.K. and Scandinavia. We're playing a lot of the big European festivals, and so on and so on. So, I would say this will be a year dedicated to live performances. We work a bit on acoustic stuff, but that's old stuff which we try to present in a different way. But other than that, I would say we start with the real songwriting in 2025."

BLIND GUARDIAN's "The God Machine" North American 2024 tour will commence on April 18 at The Fillmore in Silver Springs, Maryland and will make its way to Dallas, Seattle, and Toronto before the final performance at Milwaukee Metalfest on May 17. Joining the band as support is NIGHT DEMON.

"The God Machine" was released in September 2022 via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the CD was designed by Peter Mohrbacher.

Prior to "The God Machine"'s arrival, BLIND GUARDIAN's latest release was the all-orchestral album "Twilight Orchestra: Legacy Of The Dark Lands", which came out in November 2019 via Nuclear Blast. To create the concept, lead guitarist André Olbrich and Kürsch worked alongside German bestselling author Markus Heitz, whose novel "Die Dunklen Lande" was released in March 2019. The book is set in 1629 and contains the prequel to "Legacy Of The Dark Lands".

BLIND GUARDIAN's previous "regular" studio album, "Beyond The Red Mirror", was issued in 2015. It was the band's first LP since 2010's "At The Edge Of Time", marking the longest gap between two studio albums in BLIND GUARDIAN's career. It was also the group's first album without bassist Oliver Holzwarth since 1995's "Imaginations From The Other Side".

BLIND GUARDIAN's core trio consists of Kürsch, lead guitarist André Olbrich and rhythm guitarist Marcus Siepen. Drummer Frederik Ehmke has been with the group since 2005.

Drummer Thomen Stauch played on BLIND GUARDIAN's first seven albums before being replaced by Ehmke. Frederik made his recording debut with BLIND GUARDIAN on 2006's "A Twist In The Myth".

Photo credit: Dirk Behlau

LAMB OF GOD played the first concert of 2024 last night (Saturday, February 3) at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida as the support act for PANTERA. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be seen below.

LAMB OF GOD's setlist was as follows:

01. Vigil
02. Walk With Me In Hell
03. Memento Mori
04. Ruin
05. Hourglass
06. Contractor
07. Now You've Got Something To Die For
08. Laid To Rest
09. Redneck

LAMB OF GOD's latest album, "Omens", was released in October 2022. The LP was the follow-up to LAMB OF GOD'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.

"The world is crazy and keeps changing. 'Omens' is a reaction to the state of the world," LAMB OF GOD vocalist Randy Blythe said. "It's a very pissed off record. It is extremely pissed off."

"Omens" was recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles, California, a location that birthed classics from THE DOORS, RAMONES and SOUNDGARDEN, among others.

"The inner workings of the band have never been better," explained LAMB OF GOD guitarist Mark Morton. "You can hear it in 'Omens'. You can see it in our performances, and if you're around us for five minutes, you can feel it."

In August 2022, LAMB OF GOD bassist John Campbell told Germany's EMP that "Omens" is "a fairly dynamic record. There's a few other little surprises and tweaks," he said. "But we recorded it differently this time. We went to Los Angeles and all of us in the same room and same time recording, which gave us some leeway to make changes as things happened and just kind of feel it out in a different way than we've done in the past, which would be everybody kind of going in their corner recording and it gets assembled later. So it was a real team effort on this one, in the recording — all the way through it's been a team effort — and in the recording especially, when we were all in the same room doing that stuff, it was great. I got to spend three and a half weeks working on a record instead of four or five days — working on the recording of the record."

Also in August of last year, Campbell was asked by Knotfest what led to the decision to record "Omens" live in the studio. John responded: "Well, we've been doing this so fucking long, we had to do something different. I believe that was [producer] Josh Wilbur's idea to do that. I know he had a great place worked out to do that in. And we had just kind of been doing it the same way over and over and over again, and we were looking to get a little more excitement into it and maybe see if that couldn't produce a different feel on the record."

PANTERA played the first concert of 2024 last night (Saturday, February 3) at the Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida. The band's 14-song set, which marked the opening show of PANTERA's February North American tour with LAMB OF GOD, included the first performance of the track "Floods" since May 2001.

"Floods" originally appeared on PANTERA's 1996 album "The Great Southern Trendkill". An early mix of the song was released on the 20th-anniversary edition of the LP.

Video of PANTERA's entire February 3 concert at the Amerant Bank Arena can be seen below.

Featured songs:

01. A New Level 03:20
02. Mouth For War 08:00
03. Strength Beyond Strength 12:52
04. Becoming 19:00
05. I'm Broken 24:02
06. Suicide Note Pt. II 30:03
07. 5 Minutes Alone 36:11
08. This Love 42:08
09. Floods 49:00
10. Walk 58:12
11. Domination 01:03:53
12. Hollow 01:05:24
13. Cowboys From Hell 01:07:43

Encore

14. Fucking Hostile 01:18:00

Last week, PANTERA released a new video message from singer Philip Anselmo, shot during the rehearsals for the band's February 2024 North American tour. In the short clip, Anselmo stated: "Youngsters have come out in droves to these PANTERA shows, and it has lit and ignited a fuse and a fire in me, and I just wanna play these fucking shows the best fucking way we goddamn know how. And I'm looking forward to it."

Last fall, Anselmo made his first public comments about PANTERA's return to the live stage.

The reformed band — featuring PANTERA's surviving members Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) — are headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.

It was first reported in July 2022 that Anselmo and Brown would unite with Wylde and Benante for a world tour under the PANTERA banner.

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 in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

Anselmo and Brown spoke about PANTERA's return to the stage during an appearance on the seventeenth episode of "The Metallica Report", the recently launched podcast offering weekly insider updates on all things METALLICA. Philip said: "It's empowering. It is incredibly beautiful, and you feel so much love when you're up there. And if you take it in, it's a great feeling, man. These days, man, that's where me and Rex, you know, we get to dig the shows more."

He continued: "When we were younger, we were at war and when we were on stage; we were just angry and at war, man. Now it's — the songs are there. I can concentrate on singing the fricking songs, number one. Geez, that's a relief for me, man. I don't have to break my fricking body in part anymore."

Anselmo and Brown also talked about Charlie and Zakk being part of the PANTERA team. Philip said: "Them two dudes, so enthusiastic. And they got their damn thing and they got their own damn legacy, both of them, without us. It's an honor to play with them. They're the nicest frickin guys in the world, man. I'm just so... [Laughs] Zakk, he's a crack-up, man. He's a sweetheart. And fricking Charlie, we've known Charlie since '87, man. It's a long time."

Rex chimed in: "The way [Charlie] plays Vinnie's parts is uncanny. I don't think there's any drummer out there that could play the way that Vinnie did. I would close my eyes, because I was trying to get tight, and sometimes if I close my eyes, I can hear a little better; I think I can. And there'd be a tear of joy just coming down, because that was so close to what Vinnie and I used to play. So you have the foundation."

Philip concurred, saying: "The low end sounds so PANTERA, man. It's freaking me out."

When the interviewer suggested that PANTERA in 2023 had Vinnie Paul and Dimebag's "spirit inside it", Philip said: "Only thing I can say is, man, I know for a damn fact Vince and Dime would want us to do this, hands down. They would want the PANTERA brand or the legacy to go on. And I don't know what you believe in, but sometimes, you know, you would like to think that them old fellas are looking down on us, giving us the thumbs-up."

While he was alive, Vinnie Paul had repeatedly dismissed talks of a PANTERA reunion, telling Germany's EMP Rock Invasion in 2014: "People are selfish, man. They want what they want; they don't care what you want. And it's unfortunate that people go, 'Oh, wow, man, they can get Zakk Wylde to jump up there on stage and it's PANTERA again.' No, it's not, you know. It's not that simple. If Eddie Van Halen was to get shot in the head four times next week, would everybody be going, 'Hey, man, Zakk, go play for VAN HALEN. Just call it VAN HALEN.' You see what I'm saying? I mean, it's really selfish for people to think that, and it's stupid. It's not right at all."

He continued: "They call it a reunion for a reason. It's called bringing the original members back to what it was. So there's a lot of these things that they call reunions that aren't really reunions. They've got one dude from the band floating around in them, you know. That's not a true reunion. With PANTERA, it'll never be possible."

He repeated those same sentiments a few months later, telling PlanetMosh in a separate interview: "Without Dimebag Darrell, there is no [PANTERA] reunion. And that's all there is to it. We were a very influential band, and we touched millions and millions of people with that band, but it's over. People really have to come to grips with that, and that's all there is to it. If all of us were still here, then the possibility would truly be there, but since it's not, you know… It's selfish of the fans to want something that they can't have. And they don't ever understand that, and I get it. There's things I want in this world too. You know, people in fucking hell want ice water, but they're not gonna get it."

Up until his passing in June 2018, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Dimebag's longtime girlfriend Rita Haney in 2011 called on Vinnie and Philip to settle their differences in honor of Dimebag.

Vinnie, who was Dimebag's brother, and Anselmo had not spoken since PANTERA split in 2003. But the relationship got even more acrimonious when Vinnie suggested that some remarks the vocalist had made about Dimebag in print just weeks earlier might have incited Dimebag's killer.

Haney told the producers of "Behind The Music Remastered: Pantera" that she forgave the singer after they found themselves unexpectedly face to face at a concert in California.

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Amerant Bank Arena presents: opening night with Pantera🤘

Posted by Amerant Bank Arena on Saturday, February 3, 2024

Child Bite, Nest & Snafu will be joining us as the opening acts for our upcoming tour with Lamb of God.

NEST
Feb 3 -...

Posted by Pantera on Tuesday, January 9, 2024

METALLICA was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 66th annual Grammy Awards, which is being held tonight (Sunday, February 4) at the Crypto.com Arena (formerly the Staples Center) in Los Angeles, California. METALLICA was nominated for "72 Seasons", the title track of the band's 2023 album.

METALLICA bassist Robert Trujillo was on hand to accept the award. He said in his speech: "All right. Wow. Incredible.

"I just wanna say that Lars [Ulrich], James [Hetfield] and Kirk [Hammett] could not be here cause they're with their families, and, as you know, families are everything to all of us," he continued. "That comes first. And I live in Southern California, so it's a little easier.

"But we wanna thank Greg Fidelman, our incredible producer, and our recording team. Amazing — one of the best teams ever.

"This is like family," Trujillo added. "When you're making an album like this, you're jamming, you're collaborating — the spirit of '72 seasons', which is your youth — and creating music together.

"Keep those instruments in your hands. Let's keep the youth making music and keeping the dream alive."

METALLICA was also nominated in the "Best Rock Album" (for "72 Seasons") and "Best Rock Performance" (for "Lux Æterna") categories, but did not win those awards.

METALLICA has now won 10 Grammy Awards from a total of 26 nominations.

METALLICA was nominated for the very first "Hard Rock/Metal Performance" Grammy in 1989, but famously lost to JETHRO TULL, a band distinguished mainly by its heavy use of flute. Fans — and even some audience members — were rightly outraged, though TULL's record label tried to make light of the faux pas by placing a Billboard ad that read, "The flute is a heavy, metal instrument."

The Grammy Awards ceremony will air live from 8 p.m. until 11:30 p.m. ET / from 5 p.m. until 8:30 p.m. PT. The event will air live on the CBS television network and stream on Paramount+.

The nominees in the "Best Metal Performance" category were as follows:

* DISTURBED - "Bad Man"
* GHOST - "Phantom Of The Opera"
* METALLICA - "72 Seasons"
* SLIPKNOT - "Hive Mind"
* SPIRITBOX - "Jaded"

The eligibility period for the 66th annual Grammy Awards is October 1, 2022 through September 15, 2023.

The Grammys voting process begins with members and record companies submitting entries, which are then screened for eligibility and category placement. The Online Entry Process (OEP) access period took place from July 17, 2023 to August 31, 2023. First round voting occurred from October 11 to October 20, 2023. Lastly, final round voting spanned December 14, 2023 to January 4, 2024 — and the winners will be announced during Music's Biggest Night on February 4.

The Academy's voting members, all involved in the creative and technical processes of recording, then participate in (1) the nominating process that determines the five finalists in each category; and (2) the final voting process which determines the Grammy winners.

Last year's "Best Metal Performance" Grammy went to Ozzy Osbourne, who was nominated for "Degradation Rules", a track from his 2022 album "Patient Number 9".

SLAYER's Kerry King will release his debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

Joining the 59-year-old guitarist on the LP are DEATH ANGEL singer Mark Osegueda, longtime SLAYER drummer Paul Bostaph, former HELLYEAH bassist Kyle Sanders, and ex-MACHINE HEAD and VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel.

The LP's first single, "Idle Hands", can be streamed below.

"From Hell I Rise" contains 13 tracks that were recorded with longtime LAMB OF GOD producer Josh Wilbur.

King told Rolling Stone that the title track, "From Hell I Rise", is one of two songs — along with "Rage" — on the album that he has carried over from SLAYER's "Repentless" sessions. "It was finished, we recorded it," he says. "I wasn't happy with the performance part of it, so I was like, 'All right, I'll put this in my back pocket until the next SLAYER record.' And that didn't happen, so it's now on my record."

Asked why he decided to call his band KERRY KING, the guitarist said: "I didn't. It was going to be KING'S REIGN for a long time, which is really cool. But even with that one, I went to the guys, like, 'I'm not a vain dude. I don't want my name to be a part of it.' We talked about BLOOD REIGN for a while, but it didn't work. Every time I came up with anything remotely cool, it was taken by some obscure band in Eastern Europe. It became KERRY KING because I love that logo."

Regarding how he put together his solo band, Kerry said: "I knew Paul was going to be with me. My original intent was to have [SLAYER guitarist] Gary Holt but the farther I got away from SLAYER, the more I thought people would call this band "SLAYER Light" or "Baby SLAYER." They're going to say that anyway, so I didn't need to fuel that fire. There was no falling out between me and Gary.

"Demmel came out with SLAYER at the end of 2018 to fill in for Gary for four shows," he continued. "What he did for us, I don't think I could do for any band on the planet. He had basically two days to watch [SLAYER] play so he could know where the pyro was and the tempo of our set. I couldn't do that for JUDAS PRIEST, and I'm a giant PRIEST guy. With this, Bostaph said, 'Hey, what about Demmel [for the new band]?' I texted him. He's like, 'Yeah, I just got done with MACHINE HEAD the day before yesterday.' I went, 'Well, that's kind of perfect.'

As for Osegueda's addition to the band, Kerry said: "With Mark, he was on board early on. I just didn't pull that trigger. I was like, 'Let's see what happens.' Say for instance, [JUDAS PRIEST's] Rob Halford calls me and says, 'Hey, I would love to be your singer,' I'd have to go that way."

King also confirmed that PANTERA's Philip Anselmo was "considered" as a possible singer for his new project. "My management, my promoter, my record label all wanted Phil," Kerry said. "Phil's a good friend of mine, but I always thought he's not the right guy. That has nothing to do with his ability; I just knew he wasn't the right guy. When you hear Mark on this record, you know that's the guy.

"I had to do due diligence, because at the end of the day, had Philip been the guy, we'd be in arenas immediately because we could play new stuff, we could play PANTERA, we could play SLAYER, and fans would've been happy. It ended when the PANTERA thing came up.

"I saw Mark a few years back singing covers of MINOR THREAT and cameo in THE WEDDING BAND with members of METALLICA. It was different from what he does in DEATH ANGEL, and he sounded great. He's super versatile. He took steps to make this different than DEATH ANGEL. I don't touch on probably 50 percent of what he can do on the album.

"Mark knew how I expected the songs to be performed. On my demos, I sing with very good conviction, but I don't have pipes; that's why I don't sing. With 'Residue', he sounded so good I had to ask him, 'Is this sustainable? I don't want you to blow your load on this record and then blow your voice out every third show.' And he swore up and down he could do it. He went on to some of the harder ones and did the same thing on those, so I went, 'Okay.'"

"From Hell I Rise" track listing:

01. Diablo
02. Where I Reign
03. Residue
04. Idle Hands
05. Trophies Of The Tyrant
06. Crucifixation
07. Tension
08. Everything I Hate About You
09. Toxic
10. Two Fists
11. Rage
12. Shrapnel
13. From Hell I Rise

In a recent interview with Consequence, King spoke about his collaboration with Wilbur, who has also worked with such acts as MEGADETH, GOJIRA, TRIVIUM and KORN.

"It's my first time working with [Josh], and we hit it off great," the guitarist said. "Can't wait to work on another one with him, and he feels the same way about the project, so hopefully that gets going sooner rather than later. Super easy to work with. The guy is a wizard on the computer. I mean when we're in there editing stuff or overdubbing anything, I'll do my part, or the singer or whoever is doing their fix or whatever, and he'll just go back and forth on the computer a few times, go 'Here, how's that?' I'm thinking, 'I have no fucking idea where you are dude. He's so quick, so easy to work with. It was spectacular."

Regarding the recording approach for his new album, King said: "It was very similar [to the way we worked in SLAYER]. First and foremost, I wrote most of the last SLAYER record, so people know what I sound like, people know how I write. This one I did one hundred percent of, so if you've ever liked anything I've done in the past, there's going to be something you're going to like on this one, if not the whole thing. I love the whole thing."

Elaborating on the new project's musical direction, Kerry said: "My sound is what we've done on the last, I couldn't tell you how many SLAYER records. And one thing I feel is that Josh really captured probably the closest to my live sound, because my live sound is very hard to get to tape. I think this is the closest it's ever been. So that's very exciting for me. And the rest of it, Paul's playing, so hell yeah, it's going to sound like SLAYER because he's got his own style. You know, screamy vocals — new guy — but you know, it's still definitely got the vibe."

Last month, Kerry told Metal Hammer magazine that the upcoming debut album from his solo project has been "done since June" 2023. Regarding the musical direction of his solo material, the 59-year-old musician said: "If I was ever to try anything different [from SLAYER], I guess that would be the time. But no, I really have no desire to do anything different. If I wasn't in SLAYER, I would be a SLAYER fan. So yes, I think it's an extension of SLAYER, and I think a lot of people will think it might have been the next record. I guess maybe 80% of it would have been, maybe it would have been exactly what I'm putting on this one. In my eyes, I think it's a definite extension, a follow-up to [SLAYER's 2015 final album] 'Repentless' for sure."

He continued: "There's definitely some fast stuff on it. It's not the fastest thing I've ever done, but I've done some pretty fast stuff. There's definitely some Herculean speeds getting achieved on this, but there's heavy stuff. There's punky stuff. There's doomy stuff. Pretty much any aspect of any kind of music we've done in our history, I think you'll find on this record."

Kerry added: "For me, the slowest [song] is similar in vibe to ['Repentless' track] 'When The Stillness Comes'. That one came out really cool and spooky. And then there was one where my entire intention was to write something like the SCORPIONS' 'Animal Magnetism' crossed with the 'chug' of 'Hell Awaits'. That one came together pretty early. I like that song a lot. I mean, I like all of them a lot, but that one, that one's got a different vibe for sure."

Kerry's new band, called simply KERRY KING, has announced two U.S. shows so far: May 9, 2024 at the Welcome To Rockville festival at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida, and May 16, 2024 at the Sonic Temple Art & Music Festival at the Historic Crew Stadium in Columbus, Ohio.

SLAYER's final world tour began on May 10, 2018 with the band's intention to play as many places as possible, to make it easy for the fans to see one last SLAYER show and say goodbye. By the time the 18-month trek wrapped at the Forum, the band had completed seven tour legs plus a series of one-off major summer festivals, performing more than 140 shows in 30 countries and 40 U.S. states.

Van War has issued their new single “Metal On”. The track lyrically pays homage to the greats of heavy metal and hard rock and glides with dual melodic soloing backed by Van War’s strong vocal presence. It’s a song made for the live crowd and should go over well with audiences. 


Metal On by Van War


Head to Bandcamp to stream/download “Metal On”.




Van War is anchored by its founder and singer Rob VanWar. Rob is currently the singer for Toby Knapp's Onward band and formerly of Attika from Florida.


Lineup:
Rob Van War- Vocals
Dave Ulloa- Guitar
Loren Bates- Drums
Paul Van Rijswijk - lead guitar
Charles Heijnen- bass

Get ready to rumble! Striker has a new music video, "Sucks To Suck," produced with Top Talent Wrestling Academy and featuring Harlon "The Healer" Abott and Marisa West. The video celebrates the release of the band's new album ULTRAPOWER, produced with Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Tallah, King 810), which is now available.


"Three days of training, four broken backs, and one trash can to the face. We're out here putting in the work in the name of HEAVY METAL!" adds the band.







ULTRAPOWER is the seventh full-length from Striker and follows their Juno Award-winning self-released record Play To Win (2018) unleashed on their label Record Breaking Records.


With the band writing material since 2018, ULTRAPOWER is a collection of Striker tinkering and exploring new avenues. From the album's opening track "Circle of Evil", a Malmsteen-esque metal banger about secret societies and the evil dealings behind closed doors to their previously released single "Best Of The Best Of The Best" serving up some big riffs and hockey arena vocals to "Blood Magic", which might be one of Striker's most progressive songs, taking cues from bands like King Diamond, with its unconventional structure and punctuated guitar solos. From the band delving into their obsession for late 80s AOR and pop rock with "City Calling", an ode to 1987, and bands like Toto and Kenny Loggins with their hook-powered albums. To fans experiencing the band's first attempt at a synth-wave track with "Live to Fight Another Day", this new offering sees Striker making a shredding love letter to the hard-rocking era of guilty pleasures.


The band comments on the album: "Starting with the album cover, we wanted the artwork to represent how we feel as a band right now. We are an engine that is fired up and ready to roll. We’re made of metal and our circuits gleam! The album itself is an amalgamation of 5 years of writing and exploring music. With influences from AOR to Speed Metal, Hardcore to Hair Metal, Steely Dan to Deathcore, you name it, it made its way into the album. In the end with the help of Josh Schroeder’s guiding hand, we melted it all together to present something uniquely Striker. Lyrically we’ve stuck to the Striker tradition of writing montage songs for movies that don’t exist, songs about our spiraling serfdom, and lyrics about the evils that lurk in the shadows."


Order here.





Tracklisting:


"Circle Of Evil"
"Best Of The Best Of The Best"
"Give it All"
"Blood Magic"
"Sucks To Suck"
"Ready For Anything"
"City Calling"
"Turn The Lights Out"
"Thunderdome"
"Live To Fight Another Day"
"Brawl At The Pub"


"Give It All" video:





"Circle Of Evil" video:





"Best Of The Best Of The Best" video:

One of today's most theatrical rockers, Wicked, has released their newest single and video, "Gorgeous", taken from the group's upcoming full-length, Sunburn.





As part of the band's cross country road trip from NY to California, the video shoot for "Gorgeous" landed singer/guitarist Chad Michael, guitarist Scotty V, bassist Danny, and drummer Gunnar in the LA Barbie dream house owned by Vogue photographer Jaime Nelson. The song touches on the relatable heart string of eternal lasting love after a love-lost break up and all the confusion that goes along with it.




The single can be saved here, while the video can be viewed below.


The clip sees actress/model Megan Davison revisiting boyfriends haunting her from the past and all of their character flaws. Watch and see who was the worst boyfriend and what she does to move on from a love-lost with each member of the band!


"These boys are like working with a pack of squirrels, yet this was the coolest project I've ever done and I'm so happy I stopped at their house and nominated myself to star in the video." - Megan Davison


And all four band members are overjoyed with how "Gorgeous" the video came out…


"I like how our characters are sadistically so similar to our own personalities...can you tell?!" - Danny


"I could just quit it all and stay to be Jamie Nelson's pool boy. God she is incredible." - Chad Michael


"Wait till the haters hear this song! Their heads are going to explode when they realize this isn't another Guns N' Roses wannabe tune. I hope it makes them uncomfortable!" - Gunnar


"Megan says I'm a pain in the ass, but I'm a rockstar! What do you expect? Who is the real star of this show?!" - Scotty V





Also, Wicked just returned from Tampa, FL after playing in front of 400k people at Gasparilla on the Voodoo Chef / Monster Energy Float! "The only thing better than partying at Gasparilla on a sunny 80 degree day in January, is getting to debut our latest single 'Gorgeous' to seas of people along the parade route!" - Chad Michael


Additionally, Wicked will be joining forces with Raven (who were one of the leaders of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement, that also spawned Iron Maiden, Def Leppard, and Saxon)  for a string of dates this spring – of which one of the highlights of their live set will undoubtedly be "Gorgeous".


Raven/Wicked tour dates:


March
24 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Music Hall
29 - Austin, TX - Lost Well
30 - San Antonio, TX - Fitzgerald's


April
2 - Los Angeles, CA - Whisky A Go Go
3 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
14 - Chicago, IL - Reggie's
20 - Toronto, ON - Hard Luck
25 - Sayreville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
30 - Raleigh, NC - Lincoln Theatre


May
4 - Pompano Beach, FL - Piper's Pub

In a recent interview with VRP Rocks, TWISTED SISTER frontman Dee Snider spoke about the creation of the band's classic song "I Wanna Rock", which originally appeared on the 1984 album "Stay Hungry". He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I got in my mind that — this is 1983 I'm writing for the 'Stay Hungry' album, or '82, whatever, 'cause I always wrote it ahead of time — I got in my mind that if I could combine the IRON MAIDEN gallop with an anthem, with an anthemic sing-along song. And SLADE is my inspiration when it comes to anthemic songs. But if I could combine that metallic [gallop] that MAIDEN [is so known for]. I remember with 'I Wanna Rock' sitting there doing the MAIDEN gallop, and all of a sudden I just was off to the races. And I got to the end of that, and I stopped recording for a second to move on to the next song idea. And I go, 'Well, I think that was pretty good.' And then I'd keep moving. Later on, I'd go through maybe 25, 30 ideas that I had recorded in the 45 minutes and sift through. Now we're down to 15, 20, and then the band, we'd demo those, and then the band would vote on which 10 they liked best — the band and the crew and management, everybody would vote. And 'I Wanna Rock' was in that batch."

Snider, who was in a band called DESPERADO with former IRON MAIDEN drummer Clive Burr and ex-GILLAN guitarist Bernie Tormé in the late 1980s, continued: "I told Clive Burr when he was in DESPERADO with me, I said, 'Dude,' I said, 'I've gotta be honest, man. 'I Wanna Rock',' I said, 'That was your groove, man. It was the Clive Burr gallop, what your patent applied for, baby.' He created that sort of feel — him and Steve [Harris, IRON MAIDEN bassist] for IRON MAIDEN — that that defined the band. Poor Clive, he very much felt he didn't get the credit he deserved, 'cause his name wasn't listed as a songwriter. But he would talk about being in the studio in rehearsals and Steve starting to play the groove for 'Run To The Hills' and him very creatively coming up with that very unique, that Indian drum beat, which sort of defined the song. And then it becomes 'Run To The Hills', which is about the American Indians, but it really started with [hums the song's opening riff]. That doesn't sound like an Indian thing until you start putting those drum beats that Clive did. And Clive felt very, very hurt that he wasn't really appreciated."

Dee added: "Nicko [McBrain, current MAIDEN drummer], God love him, great guy, great drummer, basically just continued what Clive… What IRON MAIDEN defined themselves as on those first three records, that just continued on. And you look where Nicko comes from, he wasn't playing that style with Pat Travers. He wasn't playing that style with the bands he was with before; he was a journeyman drummer. But when he joined MAIDEN, and he goes, 'Okay, I gotta be a MAIDEN drummer.' Well, that was the Clive Burr groove, man."

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, guitarist Jay Jay French, guitarist Eddie Ojeda and bassist Mark Mendoza, along with drummer Mike Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of TWISTED's longtime drummer A.J. Pero.

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

Snider's last two solo albums, 2018's "For The Love Of Metal" and 2021's "Leave A Scar", were both released via Napalm Records.

Snider published his first fictional novel, "Frats" last year. He has described the book as "a period piece/coming of age story set on Long Island, NY in 1972/73 inspired by true event." But he quickly clarified: "No it's not my story."

Darryl "DMC" McDaniels of RUN-DMC has confirmed to People magazine that he and his bandmates were initially resistant to the idea of being involved with "Walk This Way", AEROSMITH and RUN-DMC's legendary, groundbreaking mashup that forever changed music.

The original version of "Walk This Way" was released in 1975 on AEROSMITH's "Toys In The Attic" album. A decade later, while recording RUN-DMC's "Raising Hell", producer Rick Rubin pulled out "Toys In The Attic" (an album RUN-DMC had freestyled over) and explained who AEROSMITH were. RUN-DMC had performed with this song before, but only using first few seconds of the song on a loop, not knowing what the full song sounded like, or even hearing the lyrics. While RUN-DMC had no idea who AEROSMITH were at that time, Rubin suggested remaking the song. RUN-DMC didn't want the record to be released as a single, even after recording with AEROSMITH, and was shocked when it was played all over the radio, on both urban and rock stations. The remake version of "Walk This Way" charted higher on the Billboard Hot 100 than the original 1975 version, peaking at No. 4.

Speaking to People, McDaniels said about the "Walk This Way" collaboration: "It was at a time when nobody was branching out of their lane. So when we first did 'Walk This Way', the perception was everybody in hip-hop is going to hate this because people are scared to do something new."

He added: "People are scared to get uncomfortable. People are scared to work and think outside of the box because they're comfortable in that position."

McDaniels said that when he, Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons and the late Jam Master Jay were first presented the idea, they "didn't want to do it."

"Yo, that ain't hip-hop," he recalled telling Rubin. "We thought it was going to ruin our careers."

"Our thing was, 'Ain't nobody going to like this. All the people that like hip-hop is going to be mad at us.' We had no idea that everybody from Red Alert to Grandmaster Flash would say, 'Yo, that's the coolest thing,'" he said. "We didn't know that the black people was going to love it."

Back in February 2021, Geoff Edgers, the national arts reporter for the Washington Post and author of the 2019 book "Walk This Way: Run-DMC, Aerosmith, And The Song That Changed American Music Forever" appeared on the rock podcast "Well Disguised" to discuss the song and major players involved. The conversation with host John Pritchard touched on not only the two bands but also Rick Rubin, John Kalodner, the "other" members of AEROSMITH being left out of the production, and the 1986 song's lasting impact on American culture. Ultimately, Edgers believes that while conventional wisdom is that AEROSMITH helped RUN-DMC break through to a larger audience, AEROSMITH actually benefitted more from the collaboration.

Edgers remarked that he not only found AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler to be a wonderful interview, he was struck by Tyler's loyalty to his band. "He would say things to me that I thought were extremely abrasive or negative about other guys in the band, but if you said it to him, if you asked him a question that he thought was criticizing them, he would strike back at you or get angry or get defensive," he said.

"People might say that he's difficult or a dictator or whatever, but look, if you go see Steven Tyler play a solo show or you go see him with AEROSMITH, few people have actually maintained their talent and ability and voice like he has. That sense of perfectionism and professionalism just comes with all that other stuff."

When Pritchard asked Edgers whether Rick Rubin, the famed producer of the track and founder of Def Jam Records, is overrated or underrated, Edgers said: "You hear people talk about him not doing something or him lying on the couch for a long time…the fact is, you look at the records he's produced [and] it's hard to deny some kind of magical quality."

Edgers also discussed the role former AEROSMITH manager Tim Collins played in getting the band clean and how that contributed to the band later firing him. "At a certain point, the same things that made that effective, the same kinds of controls and 12-step philosophies made the guys in AEROSMITH, who were grown men, feel like they were being controlled," he said.

The Rolling Stones have shared lyric videos for their classic 1983 single, "Undercover Of The Night", from the band's album, Undercover, released on Rolling Stones Records. Watch in English and Spanish, below.










The Rolling Stones and Mercury Studios will release The Rolling Stones Live At The Wiltern on DVD + 2CD; Blu-Ray + 2CD, 2CD, 3LP (3 variants: Black, Gold (D2C Exclusive), and Black & Bronze Swirl (local retail Exclusive) on March 8.


One of the greatest box-office successes of 2002/2003, 117 shows grossing over $300 million, The Rolling Stones’ Licks World Tour - in support of their 40 Licks compilation - celebrated the band’s 40th Anniversary in splendid fashion, highlighted by this intimate November 22 Los Angeles show at The Wiltern. With its 2,000+-seat capacity, it would prove to be a welcome respite from the global stadiums and arenas. Fans knew they were in for something special when gems like “Stray Cat Blues,” “No Expectations” and “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” (complete with the co-author of this 1964 Soul Classic, Soloman Burke) rocked the house.


Over 80 songs were performed on this tour from all eras of the band’s glorious one-of-a-kind history. Mick Jagger played guitar, harmonica and keyboards at various stops. Keith Richards, stellar on guitar and vocals, provided both visual and musical highlights throughout the night. On stage right, Ron Wood’s complimentary guitar work weaves seamlessly with Richards’ playing. Drummer Charlie Watts [1941-2021], as always, was the heart’n’soul backbeat that drove the band forward. A-List musicians bassist Darryl Jones, keyboardist Chuck Leavell, saxophonist Bobby Keys and  backing vocalists Lisa Fischer, Bernard Fowler and Blondie Chaplin added immeasurable flourishes.


With Tom Petty, Neil Young, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Depp, Stephen Stills and Eddie Murphy in the audience, The Rolling Stones proceeded to raise the roof to put on arguably one of their best shows ever.


Ron Wood states “We couldn’t really go through a whole tour doing predictable shows. We’ve got to have songs out of the blue.” Adds Mick Jagger “…it makes it interesting for the audience and the band. I’ve got to think a lot more about set lists than I’ve ever done.” Enthuses Keith Richards: “Sometimes on the road, the weather’s bad and half the band’s down with something, but apart from those obvious blue days, there’s an amazing freshness about these guys.” (From Paul Sexton’s illuminating liner notes.)





3LP tracklisting:


Side A:
"Jumpin’ Jack Flash"
"Live With Me"
"Neighbours"
"Hand Of Fate"


Side B:
"No Expectations"
"Beast Of Burden"
"Stray Cat Blues"


Side C:
"Dance, Part 1"
"Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" (with Solomon Burke)
"That’s How Strong My Love Is"
"Going To A Go-Go"


Side D:
"Thru And Thru"
"You Don’t Have To Mean It"
"Can’t You Hear Me Knocking"


Side E:
"Rock Me Baby"
"Bitch"
"Honky Tonk Women"
"Start Me Up"


Side F:
"Brown Sugar"
"Tumbling Dice"


2CD tracklisting:


CD1:
"Jumpin’ Jack Flash"
"Live With Me"
"Neighbours"
"Hand Of Fate"
"No Expectations"
"Beast Of Burden"
"Stray Cat Blues"
"Dance, Part 1"
"Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" (with Solomon Burke)
"That’s How Strong My Love Is"
"Going To A Go-Go"
Band Introductions


CD2:
"Thru And Thru"
"You Don’t Have To Mean It"
"Can’t You Hear Me Knocking"
"Rock Me Baby"
"Bitch"
"Honky Tonk Women"
"Start Me Up"
"Brown Sugar"
"Tumbling Dice"


DVD & Blu-ray have the same tracklisting as both the 3LP and 2CD.

In anticipation of the 40 Years Of The Apocalypse North American tour with labelmates Vader, Origin is proud to offer fans the single, "Disease Called Man". Originally written for their 2000 self-titled debut album, the single was re-recorded and is now available for the masses.


Origin's Paul Ryan comments, "Excited to present a song that was written 25 years ago with our current lineup of Origin in coordination with our upcoming tours in 2024! The Doomsday Clock ticks closer to the extinction of humanity!"


Stream "Disease Called Man" here, and watch a track video below:







Origin will join headliners Vader, who are celebrating their 40th year as a band, on the 28-date North American tour. The trek kicks off tomorrow in Atlanta and will make stops in Montreal, Chicago, and Portland before ending in Tampa on March 3. Joining the package as openers is Inhuman Condition.





Tour dates:


February
3 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft
4 - Knoxville, TN The Concourse
5 - Greensboro, NC Hangar 1819
6 - Harrisburg, PA Stage on Herr
7 - Brooklyn, NY Monarch
8 - Providence, RI Alchemy
9 - Montreal, QC Le Studio TD
10 - Quebec City, QC La Source de la Martinière
11 - Toronto, ON Lee's Palace
12 - Detroit, MI The Sanctuary
13 - Chicago, IL Reggies
14 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theater - Studio B
15 - Winnipeg, MB - Bull Dogs
16 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
17 - Edmonton, AB Starlite Room
18 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
20 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
21 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
22 - Portland, OR - Bossanova Ballroom
23 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
24 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720
25 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
26 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
27 - El Paso, TX - Rockhouse Bar & Grill
28 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
29 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar


March
2 - Miami, FL - Gramps
3 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum


Origin is:


Mike Flores - Bass & Backing Vocals
Jason Keyser - Lead Vocals
John Longstreth - Drums
Paul Ryan - Guitars & Backing Vocals


(Photo - Rodrigo Fredes)

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's immersive interactive concert, created in collaboration with AmazeVR, the company behind what was billed as the world's first VR concert tour with artist Megan Thee Stallion in 2022, will be released on Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest on February 28.

The band said: "Honored to be one of the first rock artists to participate in this innovative technology."

According to the Los Angeles Times, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's collaboration with AmazeVR "will resemble a cross between a music video, live concert and first-person video game."

AmazeVR's AVENGED SEVENFOLD show will allow viewers to don ski goggle-like VR headsets and revisit the band's performance, which was filmed in September 2023 in a Culver City, California warehouse, from the comfort of their couch.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows told Los Angeles Times that he sees VR music experiences as what Times writer Brian Contreras described as "one more way to reach fans, including those who might not otherwise attend a live concert, while also letting the band experiment with stagecraft and art direction that they couldn't pull off in real life."

M. Shadows said: "When you go play a show, there's something about that that can never be replaced. So it's about fully stepping into what the tech does well, and then fully stepping into what the live show does well."

According to CNN, AmazeVR was founded in 2015, and has raised more than $50 million in the last four years.

"[Virtual reality] is a very big shift," Kyung Kuk Kim, vice president and head of production for AmazeVR, told CNN. "It's a new kind of medium. People are not used to it, but it's very powerful. It really just brings you right [to the] middle of any scene or any situation."

AmazeVR has spent years reimagining music experiences for VR. Their approach incorporates high-definition, hyper-real 3D live-action capture of mesmerizing artists like Megan, with sophisticated computer-generated worlds that spring to life in VR. It's not a concert film via headset or a cartoonish avatar playing music. It's the perfect balance between reality and imagination fans will love.

AmazeVR has a calendar of soon-to-be-released concerts, across a variety of different genres including pop rock, K-pop, hip-hop, rap and more. Upon download, users can access one free song per artist.

The AmazeVR Concerts app is available to download on Meta App Lab, and SteamVR.

AmazeVR is a VR concert platform company that brings fans closer to artists than ever before. Headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Seoul, AmazeVR creates experiences with renowned, bold artists, featuring crystal clarity and unprecedented proximity through live-action 3D footage combined with environments using a proprietary Unreal Engine-based VFX pipeline.

AmazeVR creates VR concerts in fantastical new worlds that are widely accessible to fans, distributing across commercial VR app stores.

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Heavy metal act, Out Of Darkness, is excited to share the first details about its upcoming album. The new effort will be self-titled and its release date is set for February 23.





Out Of Darkness will feature 11 tracks for over 48 minutes of playing time. The album demonstrates the evolution of the band, showcasing a wide variety of styles and dynamics within the metal realm. While playing homage to bands like Iced Earth, Nevermore and Symphony X, the band also forged its own sound. The lyrical content can at times be personal and dark, though the overall message of the band is intended to be positive and uplifting. The intended audience would range from lovers of classic American progressive/power metal to fans of modern metal. The band has put their influences and growth thoroughly on display in their second release.




Watch the video for “Via Dolorosa” below, and pre-order the album Out Of Darkness on the band’s website, here.





Out Of Darkness was formed in 2020 by Brent E. Smedley (former Iced Earth drummer and percussionist) and Eric Barrios, vocals and guitar. They released the debut EP Seize The Day that same year to much critical acclaim and began to grow their following. Playing live shows first in their home state of Florida, then followed up by doing three tours up the East Coast as far as New Jersey and even reaching as far West as Las Vegas. The song "Think Again" reached #23 on The Billboard Rock Indicator chart, #8 on the Foundations Rock Chart Top 10 Greatest Gainers and received substantial airplay on many FM radio stations throughout the United States. The band received over 100,000 views for the "I Surrender" video and has over 16,000 followers on Facebook. This epic metal masterpiece seeks to redefine their sound and broaden the spectrum of true heavy metal. This album features powerfully crafted songs with crushing riffs, catchy vocal melodies, thought provoking lyrics, and powerful rhythms that take the listener on an audio journey through dynamic and colorful musical soundscapes. It is Out Of Darkness's intention to become a legendary metal band like no other.


Out Of Darkness was produced by Stan Martell and Bill Staley. Mixed and mastered by Stan Martell at Martell AVP. Artwork and band photos by Bill Staley. Band logo by David Parrish.


Out Of Darkness is:


Brent Smedley - Drums
Eric Barrios - Vocals, Guitar
Bill Staley - Guitar
Dan Callahan - Bass


(Photo - Bill Staley)

Attorneys for ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer have asked for a delay in sentencing in connection with his role in the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.

Last August, a judge set a February 20, 2024 sentencing date for Schaffer, who had previously "acknowledged he is a founding lifetime member" of the right-wing Oath Keepers extremist group. But on January 26, the 55-year-old musician's lawyers filed a "motion to continue sentencing or in the alternative stay sentencing", in part pending the outcome of the case Joseph W. Fischer v. United States, which the Supreme Court agreed to hear in December. According to Politico, at issue is whether prosecutors and the Department of Justice have been improperly using a 2002 law originally aimed at curbing financial crimes to prosecute a January 6 defendant named Joseph Fischer. Should the court side with Fischer, it would also call into question the use of the law against other January 6 defendants — including Schaffer.

In the Supreme Court case, the only provision of the federal criminal code at issue is 18 U.S.C. 1512(c)(2),which criminalizes any effort to "corruptly" obstruct, influence or impede any official proceeding. Conviction can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

According to NBC News, the provision was enacted in 2002 as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a bill passed in the aftermath of the Enron accounting scandal. As such, defendants say it was never intended to apply to an incident such as January 6.

"The question before the Supreme Court directly relates to and impacts the validity of Mr. Schaffer's plea and conviction, and drives the government's calculation as to his sentencing guideline range," Jon's attorneys wrote in their motion. "If Mr. Schaffer is sentenced to a term of incarceration under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) and the obstruction guidelines, and begins serving his sentence, he will be irreparably harmed as he would lose his gainful employment, uproot his life, and serve time for a felony that may be invalidated by the Fischer outcome. Furthermore, a continuance or stay would also preserve valuable government resources and avoid potential post-conviction relief matters, if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Fischer."

In January 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta granted the U.S. government's request to share sealed materials from the case involving Schaffer's role in the U.S. Capitol riot case as discovery to the three main Oath Keepers cases.

In May 2023, Mehta handed down an 18-year prison sentence for the leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that ended with the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.

As part of his April 2021 plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

According to CNN, prosecutors and Schaffer's attorneys agreed to recommend that he get between three and a half and four and a half years in prison, based on how fruitful his cooperation was with the government.

The government agreed not to oppose Schaffer's release during the sentencing phase.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the "Stop The Steal" rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol's west side. At approximately 2:40 p.m., Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which he exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

Also as part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

The 55-year-old musician was the first Capitol riot defendant to reach a plea deal.

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sold lifetime memberships for $1,200, had not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. In May 2023, Kelly Meggs was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his participation in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and was sentenced to spend 12 years in prison.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January 2021, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.
Trouble in paradise?

Over 3 years after his arrest, Jon Schaffer is asking for a delay in sentencing, in part to wait out SCOTUS on Fischer. It is not a request to which prosecutors consented.

I wonder if prosecutors told him he wasn't getting a 5K?https://t.co/uE2lW57ozVpic.twitter.com/XoPlt0EAb1

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) January 23, 2024

BEASTÖ BLANCÖ, the band comprised of Chuck Garric (longtime ALICE COOPER bassist) on guitars and vocals, Calico Cooper (Alice's daughter) on vocals, Brother Latham on guitar, Jan LeGrow on bass and Sean Sellers on drums, is back in 2024 with a new single, "Run For Your Life", produced by Chris Harms of LORD OF THE LOST. It's the first taste of their forthcoming new album, "Kinetica", coming later this year via COP International Records, that aspires to capture the visuals, energy, love, sex, sweat, robots, and raw animalistic essence that defines the band.

This adrenaline-fueled track "Run For Your Life" kicks things off with a sonic and lyrical call to face fears and trust bestial instincts. In the accompanying music video, BEASTÖ BLANCÖ charges full force into life amid intergalactic chaos, pursuing their cybernetic "Machine Girl" warrior Queen. The epic hunt unfolds, with the band's sound leading the charge. BEASTÖ BLANCÖ refuses to run, embodying the spirit of the less than perfect, the flawed, and the free.

Calico says: "'Run For Your Life' is a track about stamina. The sheer force of will it takes to dig deep and run from any black holes sucking you in. To not be crushed by the destruction. But to run hard and fast… for your life. You have the power to save yourself. And it's worth it."

BEASTÖ BLANCÖ features the electrifying collaboration of Nashville-based shock rockers Garric and high priestess Cooper, delivering an instant knockout blow. With an explosive sound and captivating visuals, "Run For Your Life" is the perfect balance of raw power and infectious melodies that showcases BEASTÖ BLANCÖ's refreshing authenticity as a beacon of genuine, unapologetic rock 'n' roll.

Adds Christian Petke, founder of COP International Records: "I have been working in the industry for over 30 years and I have never represented a band that is this focused and driven. BEASTÖ BLANCÖ's musicianship and professionalism is just mind-blowing. I am absolutely in love with their sound and energy; here is a band that effortlessly combines deep rock 'n' roll roots with 21st century attitude and technology. The icing on the cake is the fact that they are totally fun to work with."

In addition to the new music, BEASTÖ BLANCÖ has been confirmed for appearances at several European festivals this summer, including Wacken Open Air, Ur Rock and Plague Noir, with more dates coming soon.

Photo credit: Jed Williams

Iconic American rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose was saluted by a stellar lineup of rock musicians whose careers were influenced by the legendary and powerful MONTROSE music at "Ronnie Montrose Remembered" on Friday, January 26 at the Grand Theater in Anaheim, California. This celebratory concert, highlighting Montrose's career, featured his greatest hits from early MONTROSE, Edgar Winter, VAN MORRISON, GAMMA and more.

Among the all-star performers who took part in the event were David Ellefson (MEGADETH),Keith St. John (MONTROSE, BURNING RAIN, KINGDOM COME),Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR. BIG),Randy Jackson (ZEBRA),Dave Amato (REO SPEEDWAGON),Lorraine Lewis (VIXEN),Joel Hoekstra (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, WHITESNAKE) and Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER).

The lineup was fronted by event producer St. John, who currently performs at the award-winning "Raiding The Rock Vault" in Las Vegas and recently finished a United Kingdom tour, featuring many MONTROSE hits. St. John shared the stage with Ronnie Montrose for the last 13 years of his life. The band was on top of the charts in the 1970s when Sammy Hagar was vocalist, with tunes like "Rock Candy", "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Rock The Nation". When St. John teamed up with MONTROSE, they continued to entertain until right before his death, filling clubs and performing at festivals around the world. St. John wrote many unreleased tunes with MONTROSE, many performed at concerts throughout the years.

Although it's been eight years since Montrose passed, after a long battle with cancer, his contribution to rock music in the early 1970s was the rock 'n' roll Bible for many of the up-and-coming great American rock guitarists and continues to be so. You can't turn on classic radio without hearing his hits every day.

When the event's performers were first announced last month, St. John said: "I want to give those who appreciate Ronnie the chance to get together in a loving dynamic concert setting where we can all really dig in and enjoy each other through the commonality of Ronnie's music. Our past memorial concerts have been the highlight of many folks NAMM experience, seeing so many top-billed musicians on stage playing and singing songs which shaped their youth."

One of the event's previously featured guitar players, Tracii Guns of L.A GUNS, said this about Montrose: "I grew up listening to Ronnie from a very young age, and I honestly would like to say that in all sincerity the MONTROSE song 'Rock Candy' is approximately one third of my entire style of guitar playing. The very first time I saw him play was on the 'Midnight Special' TV show back in the early '70s. The band's raw energy blew me away. Getting to play that song with Keith St. John, who nails it with an energy magically capturing the vibe created it with in the '70s, was a total thrill and my dream come true as a guitar player."

Montrose's death was ruled a suicide. The 64-year-old had suffered from clinical depression for much of his life. He had been battling prostate cancer and "personal demons," according to Montrose's booking agent Jim Douglas.

TICKETS & INFO HERE:
https://www.PurplePass.com/RMR
GENERAL ADMISSION : $35.00
V . I . P . PACKAGES : $95.00
VIP PACKAGE...

Posted by Ronnie Montrose Remembered on Monday, October 30, 2023

The IFM RAW YouTube channel has uploaded video of STATIC-X's February 2 concert at the Orlando Amphitheater in Orlando, Florida. Check out the clips below.

Although the identity of STATIC-X's touring singer has not been officially revealed, strong rumors suggest that DOPE's Edsel Dope is the anonymous, somewhat ominous new frontman of STATIC-X who is wearing a mask in the likeness of late frontman Wayne Static while performing alongside bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay and guitarist Koichi Fukuda.

In a fall 2023 interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, Campos addressed STATIC-X's reliance on a "masked" vocalist instead of hiring a proper replacement for Wayne, saying: "It's been really cool, man, how people have embraced that idea of having the character up there being the representative of Wayne's vibe and spirit without us being, like, 'Hey, here's STATIC-X with their new singer.' That's not what we wanted to do. So, we were just, like, 'How do we represent Wayne in a cool way?' And I think this is a really cool way to do it."

He continued: "I keep coming back to the IRON MAIDEN analogy — not only was Wayne our Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN singer], but he was also our Eddie [IRON MAIDEN mascot]. He was the mascot for the band. So how do you represent that? And I think the Xer0 character does a good job at it."

When Hall noted that it must be "a pretty powerful experience" for him to be looking over and seeing Xer0 channeling the spirit of Wayne during STATIC-X's live shows, Tony said: "When we first started and I'm up there headbanging doing my thing, out of my peripheral vision, I see that figure with the hair and I'm playing the songs again, it's just like 20 years ago; it was just that vibe again. And having Koichi and, and Kenny up there, it was really cool, man. And especially those first couple of weeks, we'd be done with the show and we'd be back in the dressing room, and we'd all be, like, 'Fuck, Wayne should be here.' But we definitely feel this vibe and presence."

Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner's report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.

Dope recently told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that the reason Xer0's identity has not been officially revealed is that he wants to make sure that STATIC-X is "properly represented, because I would never be interested in looking at a photo of STATIC-X or reading a liner note that mentions me as being the singer of STATIC-X. Edsel Dope has no interest in being the singer of STATIC-X," he clarified. "There's one living, breathing singer of STATIC-X, and that's Wayne Static. And then there's a character, an entity, for lack of better words, that was created in order to allow STATIC-X to have a future and to continue and be the legacy act that they are and tour and perform, and we gave that character a name that is respective to STATIC-X and fits the branding of what STATIC-X is, and that's what the importance is. It's the importance of recognizing the character as opposed to recognizing the person behind the character."

Back in October 2019, a photo was posted online clearly showing that Dope and Xer0 shared the same neck tattoo. However, Edsel later posted a lengthy statement on his band's Facebook page attempting to quash the rumors, implying Xer0's distinctive body ink was in fact a Photoshop job. Dope even provided a photograph of himself supposedly observing a STATIC-X performance sidestage to prove he and Xer0 were not the same person.

STATIC-X's "Project Regeneration Vol. 1" LP came out in July 2020. The first of two volumes, it featured 12 brand new tracks, containing many of the final vocal performances and musical compositions of Wayne Static, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" lineup of Campos, Jay and Fukuda. A follow-up album, "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2", arrived on January 26, 2024. A collection of 14 brand-new songs, the LP was produced by Xer0 and mixed/mastered by longtime collaborator Ulrich Wild.

🕖 Doors open at 5:30PM
🎵 Show starts at 6:15PM
🚗 Parking is $20 cash
🚕 Uber/Lyft drop on site

For a list of allowed/prohibited items, visit the link:
https://orlandoamphitheater.com/venue-info/

Posted by Orlando Amphitheater on Friday, February 2, 2024

Tickets are moving quick! Use presale code MK2024 to get yours! Tickets available at Static-X.com

THE MACHINE KILLER...

Posted by Static-X on Thursday, January 11, 2024