Bassist Rob van der Loo of Dutch symphonic metallers EPICA spoke to Louder Noise about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2014's "The Quantum Enigma" album. He said (see video below): "So far, I must say — of course, I can't spoil too much the new album — but we kind of… One of the biggest changes, of course, is not just me being the new member of the band, but also we changed… [On 'The Quantum Enigma'] we started working with Joost van den Broek, who used to be the old keyboard player from AFTER FOREVER, the band where Mark [Jansen, guitar/vocals] used to play as well. And we recorded it in a completely new studio, a completely new setting. I guess this is also the first album that we worked with a complete orchestra, 'cause normally we use a lot of software. We always add some real strings, of course. I mean, it still has to sound organic, of course. But I can already spoil that with this new album, we're actually gonna record it with a bigger orchestra — even bigger than the last one — with a bigger choir. We're also gonna have a brass section on it as well. And we just came out of the studio. We already recorded the drums. I just finished bass last week. Isaac [Delahaye] did the rhythm guitars already. And we also did it with a new sound setting as well. We actually kind of stripped our sound to make it sound a little bit more aggressive than the last album, to be honest."

Mark Jansen recently told Metal Wani about EPICA's next album: "We are in a luxurious position that we have way too many songs, so we can really select the top quality of the songs. And that will be a hard choice, because everybody will have, of course, slightly different opinions and preferences. But I'm pretty sure we're gonna manage, because there's already some tracks that really stand out and they are better than the others, and they, for sure, are gonna be the framework of the album. Now we have to see which other tracks fit best to the best tracks. 'Cause sometimes there's a track [that is] really good, but not fitting on an album. Now we have the luxurious position to leave them out and put a track that really fits the flow of the album. So we can really [make] a very balanced album. Like a good football team, there's always two options for every position. We have that now for every song — two options."

Regarding the musical direction of the new EPICA material, Jansen said: "I think we experimented quite a bit with 'The Quantum Enigma', 'cause some fans… Ninety percent of the fans said, 'Great! Now you sound how I always wanted you to sound.' Some fans said, 'Ooh, it's a bit heavier.' But I think this is the line we want to keep. So the next album will be in the line of 'The Quantum Enigma'. We will put a little bit different emphasis here and there, but that will be the line. And song-wise, we try to make it an even better one than 'The Quantum Enigma', even though that got very good reviews. We always have the desire to create something better than we've done before. And as long as you feel such a desire, I think then the flame is burning."

EPICA's next album is tentatively due in September.

EPICA has just returned to North America for its rescheduled "Enigma" tour. Support on the trek is coming from MOONSPELL and STARKILL.

EPICA's fall 2015 run was supposed to mark the band's long-awaited return to North America after their tour with MACHINE HEAD in late 2014 got canceled. It was also to be the band's first North American trek in support of "The Quantum Enigma", which hit the charts all over Europe and beyond.

Grammy-winning rock band WOLFMOTHER has premiered "Victorious", the kitschy sci-fi companion video to the group's lead single. The clip, which was shot in Los Angeles and directed by Brother Willis (BEIRUT), can be viewed below. "Victorious" is the title track to WOLFMOTHER's upcoming album, which is set for a February 19 release through Universal Music Enterprises.

Over the course of the past few weeks, the band has been giving fans a sneak preview of the album, starting with the Zane Lowe/Beats 1 radio show debut of "Victorious" and "City Lights", which was followed by the Vice/Live Nation premiere of "Gypsy Caravan".

Fans can get all three songs as instant downloads by pre-ordering "Victorious" on iTunes. The CD is also available for pre-order through Amazon and pre-orders and exclusive merch bundles are also available at WOLFMOTHER's webshop. WOLFMOTHER recently teamed with popular enhanced coloring book app Recolor to give fans the opportunity to create their own colorized version of the "Victorious" album art. Recolor was created by premium photo app developer Sumoing. WOLFMOTHER will be including songs from "Victorious" on its much-anticipated headline tour of North America, set to kick off February 24 at First Avenue in Minneapolis. The follow-up to 2009's "Cosmic Egg" and 2014's "New Crown", the much-anticipated "Victorious" is an electrifying testament to the range and depth of songwriter/vocalist/guitarist Andrew Stockdale's artistry. Recorded at Henson Studios in Los Angeles with two-time-Grammy-winning producer Brendan O'Brien (PEARL JAM, AC/DC, CHRIS CORNELL, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN), the songs are edgy, inventive and uncompromising and rank among the band's best ever. In addition to vocals, Stockdale played guitar and bass and brought in Josh Freese (NINE INCH NAILS, BRUCE SPRINGSTEEN, A PERFECT CIRCLE) and Joey Waronker (AIR, BECK, REM) to split drum duties.

Split Heaven will release their new album Death Rider on March 25 via Pure Steel Records. The band has released a new video for “Speed Of The Hawk” and have also launched a brand new website at SplitHeaven.net.

Split Heaven is back with a vengeance with their new album Death Rider. They have formed an alliance with their new singer Jason Conde-Houston, from Seattle, the frontman of US metal band Skelator. He is strongly influenced by high pitched legends like Helstar’s James Rivera and Primal Fear’s Ralf Scheepers. As always Split Heaven is keeping it true, this time with Painkiller style double bass drumming, Thundersteel style guitar melodies, and glorious NWOBHM style solos. This album features an up-tempo smasher “Speed Of The Hawk”, the Spanish fist pumper “Descarga Letal” as well as the striking opener “Death Rider”. The explosive, crushing, Death Rider will take the hearts of many metal maniacs by storm. Split Heaven returns stronger than ever.

Tracklisting:

“Death Rider”
“Awaken The Tyrant”
“Battle Axe”
“To The Fallen”
“Speed Of The Hawk”
“Ghost Of Desire”
“Sacrifice”
“Talking With The Devil”
“Descarga Letal”
“Destructor” 

“Speed Of The Hawk” video:



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Cult doom/sludge unit, Graves At Sea, have unveiled the details for their debut full-length, The Curse That Is, a tour-de-force of incredible magnitude almost fifteen years in the making. The album will see a worldwide release on April 1st via Relapse Records and is available for preorder on CD/2xLP/digitally at this location. The title track, “The Curse That Is”, is streaming below.

After issuing a series of highly-regarded demos and splits, the quartet has re-emerged, having recently cut their teeth performing on mainstages at Maryland Deathfest, Roadburn and numerous other festivals. Now, Graves At Sea unleashes their strongest, most ear-shattering material to date. Engineered by Greg Wilkinson (Noothgrush, Brainoil) and mastered by Brad Boatright (Sleep, Yob, Old Man Gloom), The Curse That Is effortlessly fuses colossal walls of feedback-laden sound with gargantuan riffs that crush and crawl with the weight of mountains alongside thunderous rhythms meant to tear a hole in this dying earth. Coupled with self-loathing lyrics of torment and demise, the listener is engulfed in wave upon wave of aural misery throughout the over seventy-minute ride through Hell.

The Curse That Is tracklisting:

“The Curse That Is”
“Dead Eyes”
“Tempest”
“The Ashes Made Her Beautiful”
“This Mental Sentence”
“Waco 177”
“Luna Lupus Venator”
“Minimum Slave”

“The Curse That Is”:

Additionally, Graves At Sea will be embarking on a two week-long US tour in support of The Curse That Is. A full list of dates is available below; venues and more info will be announced shortly.

Tour dates:

April
11 - Atlanta, GA
12 - Ashville, NC
13 - Savannah, GA
14 - Richmond, VA
15 - Baltimore, MD
16 - Philly, PA
17 - Brooklyn, NY
18 - Boston, MA
19 - Pittsburgh, PA
20 - Columbus, OH
21 - Detroit, MI
22 - Milwaukee, WI
23 - Rock Island, IL
24 - Chicago, IL



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Germany’s Ketzer will release their brand new album, Starless, on January, 29th via Metal Blade Records. The band has launched a full album stream for you to check out.

Comments Ketzer: "Finally, we can present you the album Starless in its entirety. It feels good yet a bit strange to share these tunes that have followed us for so long and mean the world to us. Take your time and listen on maximum volume!"

Surf over to metalblade.com/ketzer where you can listen to the entire album. You can also pre-order your copies of the album through the landing page.

In the summer of 2015, Ketzer entered the studio for the first time in four years. After two months of intense work the band finished recording it's third album - Starless.

"It is just now that we are realizing what we have done during this summer: We recorded an album which is very free from any boundaries and pre-conceived notions that you can find ever so often within the genre of heavy metal. From sounds of raging fury, to the echoes of calm and cleansing waves - Starless is an album that will take you on a journey that is unexpected, yet familiar at the same time. Starless is going to explore the crack between religion and reality. Is there a truth in between? Centuries ago, humankind looked up into the star filled night skies, questioning the universe and their lives within it. In order to find answers, mythology was born. But religion and myths cannot connect to the world we live in today. They have blinded the night skies - hence, we have become "starless". Join us to sing songs of the universe and play tunes of the spheres!"

Starless tracklisting:

“Starless”
“When Milk Runs Dry”
“Godface”
“Count To Ten”
“The Hunger”
“White Eyes”
“Shaman's Dance”
“Silence And Sound”
“Earthborn”
“Limbo”

“When Milk Runs Dry”:

“Starless”:

Behind-the-scenes videos:

Part 1:

Part 2:

(Photo - Alina Cuerten)

 



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In October of 2015, Children Of Bocom released their latest album, I Worship Chaos, via Nuclear Blast. Today the band has released a brand new lyric video for the song “Horns” taken from I Worship Chaos. Watch below:

Children Of Bodom recently announce the addition of Daniel Freyberg (pictured below) on guitars. Says the band: “Look for him on all upcoming tours!”

Following a trip on the high seas as part of the 70,000 Tons of Metal Cruise (February 4th - 8th), Children Of Bodom will start a headline run of North America on February 9th in Tampa, FL, which will run through February 19th in Austin, TX. The following night February 20th, Children Of Bodom will join up with Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies and Havok in Houston, TX as part of the Dystopia World Tour.

In addition to the shows with Megadeth, COB will also play select headline dates. Havok will provide direct support to COB on their headline dates.  A complete list of all shows can be found below. Tickets for the headline shows will go on sale this Friday at 10 AM, local time. Tickets for the shows with Megadeth are on sale now.

COB headline dates:

February
9 - Tampa, FL - Orpheum
10 - Jacksonville, FL - 1904
11 - Birmingham, AL - Saturn
12 - Nashville, TN - Exit/In
13 - Memphis, TN - New Daisy Theatre
15 - St. Louis, MO - The Ready Room
16 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada
18 - Corpus Christi, TX - House of Rock
19 - Austin, TX - Scoot Inn

Tour dates with Megadeth, Suicidal Tendencies and Havok:

February
20 - Dallas, TX - South Side Ballroom
21 - Houston, TX - Bayou Music Center
23 - Denver, CO - The Fillmore Auditorium
24 - Salt Lake City, UT - The Complex
26 - Las Vegas, NV - The Pearl
27 - Phoenix, AZ - Comerica Theatre
28 - Los Angeles, CA - Hollywood Palladium
29 - San Francisco, CA - The Warfield

March
5 - Penticton, BC - South Okanagan Events Centre
6 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Resort
8 - Dawson Creek, BC - Encana Events Centre
9 - Edmonton, AB - Rexall Place
10 - Moose Jaw, SK - Mosaic Place
13 - Chicago, IL - Aragon Ballroom
15 - Niagara Falls, NY - The Rapids Theatre
16 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
17 - New York, NY - Terminal 5
19 - Bethlehem, PA - Sands Bethlehem Event Center
20 - Philadelphia, PA - Electric Factory
21 - Boston, MA - House Of Blues
23 - Bangor, ME - Cross Insurance Center
24 - Quebec, QC - Centre Videotron
26 - Sioux Falls, SD - Badlands Pawn

(Photo - Daniel Freyberg Facebook)



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Set to unleash their new album, Stand In The Fire, via their own Record Breaking Records label on February 5th, Canadian metallers Striker are streaming the new track “Out For Blood”. Listen below:

Stand In The Fire is Striker's most uncompromising record to date. A record packed with incredible riffs and colossal anthems, all laced together with epic harmonies. Inspired by legendary bands like Iron Maiden, Striker wear their hearts firmly on their battle jackets, soaking up the power and influence of classic rock and metal.

The band; Dan Clearly (vocals) Tim Brown (lead/rhythm guitars) William Wallace (bass) Adam Brown (drums) recorded the album themselves with the help of Randy Black (who filled in on drums while Adam was away…) and mixing genius Frederik Nordstrom (Bring Me The Horizon, In Flames, Opeth) giving them not only the time and space needed but the freedom to set up the release direct to fans worldwide.

“We’re so excited about having our music, our ideas, and our future in our own hands – ushering in a new era for the band of decisive action, dedication and forward thinking. Live life by one rule: No Limits!” – Tim Brown

Tracklisting:

“Phoenix Lights”
“Out For Blood”
“Too Late”
“Stand In The Fire”
“The Iron Never Lies”
“Escape From Shred City”
“Outlaw”
“Locked In”
“United”
“Better Times”
“One Life”

“Too Late” video:

“Too Late” playthrough:

Striker will be hitting the road with Primal Fear across Europe in February.

Tour dates:

February
5 - Barcelona, Spain - Razzmatazz 2
6 - Madrid, Spain - Arena
7 - Murcia, Spain - Garaje
10 - Paris, France - Divan du Monde
11 - Siegburg, Germany - Kubana
12 - Prague, Czech Republic - Nova Chelmice
13 - Cham, Germany - L.A. Cafe
14 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo
16 - Hannover, Germany - Musikzentrum
17 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
18 - Stuttgart, Germany - LKA
19 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7
20 - München, Germany - Backstage/Heavy Metal´s Calling
21 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra Music Club
23 - Wien, Austria - Szene
24 - Cracov, Poland - TBC
25 - Berlin, Germany - K17
26 - Würzburg, Germany - Posthalle
27 - Essen, Germany - Turock
28 - Vosselaar, Belgium - Biebob

 



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Formed in Barcelona, Spain in 2008, Crisix have gone from fearsome youthful talented thrash metallers winning the Wacken Metal Battle contest in 2009, being voted as best Spanish upcoming band in Rock Zone magazine for their debut album The Menace (2011), to one of the most revered new European powerhouse in the thrash metal genre.

The band’s new album, From Blue To Black, showcases the band's catchiest, most powerful, devastating material. Although not celebrating a multifaceted metal, Crisix inject such crisp ,velocity and entertainment that it results in a departure from a well worn thrash metal format. Check out a new album teaser video below.

From Blue To Black tracklisting:

“Conspiranoia”
“Journey Through The Fire”
“G.M.M. (The Great Metal Motherfucker)”
“T-Terror Era”
“Psycho Crisix World”
“From Blue To Black”
“Strange”
“Five As One”
“Fallen”

Teaser:

From Blue To Black will be released on March 18th via Listenable Records.



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Quality fan-filmed video footage of BLACK SABBATH's January 22 performance at United Center in Chicago, Illinois can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. Black Sabbath02. Fairies Wear Boots03. After Forever (first live performance since 2005)04. Into The Void05. Snowblind06. War Pigs07. Behind The Wall Of Sleep08. N.I.B.09. Hand Of Doom10. Rat Salad (with drum solo)11. Iron Man12. God Is Dead?13. Under The Sun/Every Day Comes And Goes14. Dirty Women15. Paranoid

Encore:

16. Children Of The Grave

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler told Radio.com in a recent interview that the band was planning to ditch some of the newer songs to bring back some classics for "The End" tour. "We're going back to do almost all of the 'Paranoid' album, apart from 'Planet Caravan'," he said, explaining that "We could do it, but it wouldn't work live. It would sound weird during a SABBATH set. It works on an album, but it isn't great live. There's a couple of other songs that we haven't done for a long time."

Asked which songs they were referring to, singer Ozzy Osbourne said: "'After Forever' and a few others. People have written in and asked us for other songs. The one thing about having a lot of records is not everybody likes the same songs. If we did what everybody suggested we do in the set, we'd be there for fucking three weeks!"

The first U.S. leg of "The End" tour will end on February 27 in New York City. Dates in Australia and New Zealand have been confirmed for April, with European festival shows taking place during the summer.

Regarding "The End" being SABBATH's final tour, guitarist Tony Iommi said: "It's gonna hard at the end to sort of suddenly say, 'That's it,' but it has to come one day. But we're gonna enjoy it until then."

BLACK SABBATH recently revealed that it is selling a new limited-edition CD titled "The End" at the shows on its farewell tour. The disc features four previously unheard studio tracks left off the band's 2013 reunion album, "13", as well as live versions of four songs from the world tour the band did in support of that disc.

The four studio cuts are "Season Of The Dead", "Cry All Night", "Take Me Home" and "Isolated Man". They feature drums by Brad Wilk.

The live tracks, with drumming from Tommy Clufetos, are "God Is Dead?", "Under The Sun", "End Of The Beginning" and "Age Of Reason". The live cuts were recorded in Sydney, Australia, Auckland, New Zealand and Hamilton, Ontario.

Wilk and Clufetos had to get involved after founding SABBATH drummer Bill Ward withdrew from the reunion after initially agreeing to participate in it.

"13", the first SABBATH full-length studio album in 35 years to feature original members Butler, Iommi and Osbourne, also became SABBATH's first No. 1 album in the U.S. when it was released in June 2013. The band abandoned plans for a follow-up after deciding that the current trek would be its last.

Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will release their seventh album, "Incarnate", on March 11 via Roadrunner.

The track listing for the CD is as follows:

01. Alone I Stand02. Hate By Design03. Cut Me Loose04. Strength Of The Mind05. Just Let Go06. Embrace The Journey… Upraised07. Quiet Distress08. Until The Day09. It Falls On Me10. The Great Distress11. We Carry On12. Ascension

Bonus tracks:

13. Reignite14. Triumph Through Tragedy15. Loyalty

The song "Hate By Design" will make its online debut on Friday, January 29.

Pre-orders for "Incarnate" will be available at iTunes and KillswitchEngage.com on January 29.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE will embark on a North American headline tour shortly after the new album's release. They will be joined by MEMPHIS MAY FIRE and 36 CRAZYFISTS for the trek, with an opening act to be named shortly. The tour runs from March 16 in San Antonio, Texas to April 24 near Charleston, South Carolina.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist and producer Adam Dutkiewicz recently told Revolver magazine that the band's lead singer, Jesse Leach, "hit a wall with ideas" during the songwriting process for "Incarnate" after completing the first three or four songs in the studio. "He couldn't find lyrics he was really stoked on," Adam explained. "But Jesse's a great lyricist and a great songwriter, so I just told him, 'Keep writing, and when you hit on something that inspires you, bring it to me.'"

Leach, for his part, admitted that he struggled for a bit. "It did take me a little longer," he said. "But we're at this stage now with our band where we can't be phoning it in. If you really care about your music and you care about your career and your fans, you've gotta give 'em everything you've got. And so I came to a point where this album literally drove me crazy. My wife can attest to that. There were a good couple of weeks where I wasn't myself. I just got lost in the process, because I wanted this record to be everything it could be. I was losing sleep, not sleeping at all, and waking up in the middle of the night and sitting down and writing pages and pages and pages of words. By the time all was said and done, I probably had 80 pages of lyrics. I just wanted to give it everything I could, vocally and lyrically."

The "Strength Of Mind" video can be seen below. The clip was filmed with the direction team of Ian McFarland and Mike Pecci (MESHUGGAH, FEAR FACTORY).

Leach told Revolver about the "Incarnate" title: "The definition of incarnate is 'in the flesh.' And this record is who we are right now. Whereas [2013's] 'Disarm The Descent' was sort of my 'comeback' album, and was about us feeling out the new vibe. But now, after spending a few years traveling the world together, I think we're all in a really comfortable place. We definitely have a strong sense of self as to who we are as a band."

Bay Area thrash legends Death Angel have checked in with some good news for the fans:

"We are pleased to announce... our new album is done! Just listened to the final mastered cut and couldn't be more satisfied. Ted Jensen at Sterling Sound in NY did an AMAZING job as usual. We absolutely cannot wait to lay it on you! Time for a celebration. Cheers!"

Check out some photos from the studio below.

In addition:

"A lot of people have been asking when are we reissuing these albums. The time is now. The Ultra Violence, Frolic Through The Park and Fall From Grace are now available."

Go to this location for re-issue details.



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Sebastian Bach (SKID ROW), Brian Tichy (WHITESNAKE, FOREIGNER), Ray Luzier (KORN), Jason Bittner (SHADOWS FALL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM), Michael Devin (WHITESNAKE) and Rudy Sarzo (OZZY OSBOURNE, QUIET RIOT, DIO) are among the musicians who took part in "Hurry - A Celebration Of Rush Music" on Thursday, January 21 at M3 Live in Anaheim, California.

"Hurry - A Celebration Of Rush Music" was part of the three-day "Bashfest: 3 Days Of Music And Madness", which also included the "Bonzo Bash" and "Randy Rhoads Remembered" events.

Regarding "Hurry - A Celebration Of Rush Music", "Bonzo Bash" co-founder Brian Tichy said: "We love doing this. Bach got married at the Rockbar in San Jose and THE MOBY DICKS, my [LED] ZEPPELIN band that we do, the 'Bonzo Bash' house band… They wanted us to come up and play at Sebastian's bachelor party. I was, like, 'Okay.' He loves RUSH, and our guitar player Brent is in Sebastian's band, so we thought he could pick a few songs and we could do a small RUSH set. James Lorenzo and Brent and I had the name from when we were goofing around a few years ago. We were talking about the perfect name for a RUSH tribute. I said we should call it HURRY and we just cracked up. Brent made the Starman logo for us… but it's the Running Man. We did this like two years ago and this was a really good excuse to try to this out. We booked a Vegas gig and we played a couple of months ago and then we played Vegas last weekend again. Bach gets up there for about half the show. He knows his RUSH. It is cool because there is nowhere else you can go see Sebastian getting up and doing something like this. His voice works great in RUSH. It is a nice blend. It is not going to see him doing his solo stuff or his SKID ROW stuff. This is a unique thing that he's never done. We are all buds and it works out good. It is fun. Why not, man? We think we will do more of it and we will see what happens."

In 2005 interview, Bach stated about RUSH: "Their time signatures fascinated me! I couldn't understand the tempos of songs such as 'Cygnus-X1' and 'Hemispheres'. It was music like nothing else I had ever heard. But being a young Canadian whippersnapper, I was geographically programmed to worship RUSH like the rest of my fellow Canadians."

He continued: "I was the second ever member of the 'Rush Backstage Club of Toronto', the RUSH fan club put together by their longtime photographer, Andrew MacNaughton. Andrew was the cousin of my school roommate, George Jeffries at Lakefield College School in Canada. He was the first member of Andrew's 'club' which we joined in 1981."

Bach added: "RUSH was a magical sound to me and showed me that music could be challenging and entertaining at the same time... Few musicians on the planet can boast the longevity of RUSH, especially in a band context. Rock bands are a fragile organism and RUSH's career demonstrates that there are exceptions to the 'Behind The Music' scenario of 'band makes it big, band breaks up, band reunites for Japanese tour.' Their work ethic and constant reinvention is an inspiration to each and every musician."

Dominion Of Misery is the impending new album from Oregon-based technical death metal outfit, Omnihility.The follow-up to 2014's Deathscapes Of The Subconscious, Dominion Of Misery was again captured at Castle Ultimate with famed producer Zack Ohren (Animosity, Suffocation, All Shall Perish) who continues to lead the charge by pushing the recorded boundaries in extreme music.

In advance of the February 26th release day, second track "Psychotic Annihilation" has been made available for communal disorientation.

Omnihility - named for the absolute belief in nothingness - manifests intense, brutal and technical death metal. A nod to the old-school past combined with the immense speed and accuracy of death metal present, all while subconsciously channeling energy from arcane sources to destroy the minds of the multitude, with the band's third release and second for extreme metal powerhouse Unique Leader Records, Omnihility ups the stakes with sheer technical prowess.

Tracklisting:  

"Morte Aeterna"
"Psychotic Annihilation"
"Immaculate Deception"
"Dementia Praedox"
"Dead Eden"
"Within Shadows"
"Reflections In Blood"
"Parasitic Existence"
"Necrotic. Consumption. Obsession"
"Dominion Of Misery"

Dominion Of Misery pre-orders can be placed now at this location.

 



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It was 2012 on the dark wilderness of Vancouver, British Columbia where lost youths teemed in search of the true power of rock; three men chosen by occult forces too sinister to name rose up in answer to that dire and baleful call. La Chinga was born!

With their electric black magic unleashed and in full flight, they bonded with the children of the forest over Cro-Magnon riffery, pounding drums, banshee wails, bell bottoms, boogie vans and the sweet miracle of tequila. Through sheer stupidity, brutality, violence and volume they honed their primordial craft into a sonic axe of stone, opening skulls with deadly precision for as far as the pterodactyl flew. They would meet regularly, when the moon was full, filling their bellies with intoxicating wild berries, their faces wet with lizard blood as they summoned an unholy frenzy of orgiastic riffage, bashing out pagan odes to long forgotten Bronze Age deities.

Through their music the La Chinga collective traveled back in time to year UR, where they became wild and their manes grew shaggier. And through this transmogrification their vision became clear, the seas of bullshit parted before them and they were free to shuffle off the chains of modern society and raise a stubby and musk-tinged middle finger to the craven new world.

Their name became their war cry: La Chinga! Their mission: to vanquish all foes. A righteous weapon in the battle against mediocrity, their first album arrived from the ether in 2013 under their own banner and 2016 brings the second wave of their attack - Freewheelin'!

Recorded and produced by drummer Jay Solyom in his home studio with "K. I .W." and "Right On" captured by Eric Neilson and mastered by Chris Goosman (Acid King, Dixie Witch, Solace), the ten-track Freewheelin' will see release via Small Stone Recordings on March 25th on CD, digitally and limited edition vinyl with preorders available at this location.

Tracklisting:

"Gone Gypsy"
"Mother Of All Snakeheads"
"White Witchy Black Magic"
"Stoned Grease White Lightnin'"
"Faded Angel"
"Mountain Momma"
"War Cry"
"K. I .W."
"Right On"
"The Dawn Of Man"

Expect conquests across North America and Europe as La Chinga ascends to new heights of rock and roll supremacy, distorting minds and guitars alike as they once more hand-deliver audiences their own collective ass. Enjoy the video for "White Witchy Black Magic":

 



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NICKELBACK had a rough 2015 and it appears that the Canadian act intends to put the last 12 months in the rearview mirror by getting to work on a new record. According to The Pulse Of Radio, frontman Chad Kroeger tweeted on Monday (January 25) that the band is working on new tunes — although he jokingly added, "Bad news for us: (Kanye West's) Swish will be the best album of all time." The highly anticipated new album from West is due out on February 11.

Kroeger told The Pulse Of Radio a while back that making each new record different is what keeps things interesting for NICKELBACK. "When we get in the studio to take on the daunting task of making a NICKELBACK record, all the band members have such diverse tastes in music that it's a lot about keeping us happy," he said. "We don't want to get onstage and play the same kind of music for two hours. We like to make sure that everybody in the band is happy and that seems to be keeping the fans happy."

Last June, NICKELBACK canceled the majority of its tour dates in support of the band's eighth album, "No Fixed Address", so that Kroeger could recover from surgery to remove a cyst on his vocal cords.

NICKELBACK filed a $13 million insurance claim with Lloyd's of London after scrapping the tour. But Lloyd's sued to cancel the singer's insurance, alleging that Kroeger already had the throat condition and failed to disclose it before taking out the policy.

Earlier this month, NICKELBACK countersued Lloyd's, claiming that the firm is making false allegations about the band so that it doesn't have to pay out the claim.

"No Fixed Address" debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart in November 2014.

Good news: we're working on new music. Bad news for us: @kanyewest 'Swish' will be the best album of all time. #SWISH #Kanye

— Nickelback (@Nickelback) January 25, 2016

Finland's Nightwish present the following video, full of "happy memories from the wonderfully special cruise last summer."

Catch Nightwish on tour across North America; confirmed shows are as listed:

February
19 - Starland Ballroom - Sayreville, NJ      
20 - The Webster - Hartford, CT     
21 - Metropolis - Montreal, QC - SOLD OUT 
22 - London Music Hall - London, ON      
24 - Carnegie Music Hall - Pittsburgh, PA    
25 - LC Pavilion - Columbus, OH    
26 - Royal Oak Music Theatre - Royal Oak, MI     
27 - The Rave - Milwaukee, WI   
29 - First Avenue - Minneapolis, MN    

March 
1 - Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg, MB     
2 - O'Brians Event Centre - Saskatoon, SK     
3 - Winspear Center - Edmonton, AB    
5 - MacEwan Hall - Calgary, AB    
6 - The Wilma Theatre - Missoula, MT     
7 - Showbox SoDo - Seattle, WA    
8 - Knitting Factory - Boise, ID   
10 - Knitting Factory Concert House - Reno, NV     
11 - City National Civic - San Jose, CA     
12 - City National Grove - Anaheim, CA    
13 - The Rialto Theatre - Tucson, AZ    
15 - City Auditorium - Colorado Springs, CO    
16 - Uptown Theater - Kansas City, MO     
18 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK      
19 - Aztec Theatre - San Antonio, TX      
20 - Civic Theatre - New Orleans, LA    
21 - Iron City - Birmingham, AL    
23 - The Ritz Ybor - Tampa, FL

 

 

 



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In October 2015, With The Dead released their self-titled debut album via Rise Above Records. The doom trio was comprised of Cathedral vocalist Lee Dorrian, along with the founding rhythm section of occultist overloads Electric Wizard: guitarist/bassist Tim Bagshaw and drummer Mark Greening

Earlier today, the following update from the crypt was issued: "Just to confirm - due to personal and political reasons, With The Dead will no longer be working with Mark Greening. As far as we’re concerned, it is not worth wasting any more time on the matter. The band will continue, with UK dates and a new lineup to be announced very shortly."

Check out the video for “Crown Of Burning Stars”:

 

 



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Guitarist Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal has teamed up with fellow vocalist/guitarist Milan Polak to release the single “Devil On My Shoulder”. The song features bassist David Ellefson (Megadeth) and drummer Thomas Lang. A new lyric video for the track can be found below.

The song is available worldwide on Amazon and other digital retailers (iTunes), with proceeds being donated to Road Recovery, a non-profit organization dedicated to helping young people battle addiction and other adversities by harnessing the influence of entertainment professionals who have confronted similar crises and now wish to share their experience, knowledge, and resources. In 2014 Bumblefoot spent time with the group in NYC jamming and sharing each other’s' personal stories on overcoming challenges.

“The song is about battling your daily demons that could be anything from procrastination to depression to drug abuse, and anything in between.” says Milan, who had seen a video Ron made for You Rock Foundation about battling depression, and the two began writing the song together via Skype sessions.

Ron and Milan have appeared side-by-side on multiple guitar comp and tribute albums since 1993. In 2011 Ron laid a guest solo on Milan's song “End Of Time” for the Japan disaster relief benefit album “Embrace The Sun".

“Milan is a super-talented singer, songwriter, guitarist and producer” says Ron. “Dave and Thomas really brought the song to life...”



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On January 29th, West Virginian dark occult rockers Brimstone Coven will release their debut full-length, Black Magic, via Metal Blade Records. The album is streaming in full ahead of it’s release at this location.

Formed only four short years ago in Wheeling, West Virginia, Brimstone Coven self-released Brimstone Coven and its follow-up II in 2013, before Metal Blade inked a deal and packaged both releases as a single set, entitled Brimstone Coven (2014). Inspired by the Appalachian's darkness and mysticism (such as the Mothman, a winged creature that emerged in the '60s; Screaming Jenny; and the Phantom Of Flatwoods), the quartet's heavy rock also pushes the atmospheric envelope when the mood fits.

Brimstone Coven explains, "What sets Black Magic apart to me is the genuinely eerie aura it invokes. We strove for a sound that makes you feel like you're wandering through a shroud of mist, unable to see your own hand in front of your face. We want you to feel equally excited and creeped out, letting your imagination run wild and get the best of you."

Tracklisting:

“Black Magic”
“Black Unicorn”
“Beyond The Astral”
“As We Fall”
“Upon The Mountain”
“Slow Death”
“The Seers”
“The Plague”
“Forsaken”
“The Eldest Tree”

“Slow Death”:

“Beyond The Astral”:

London-based tech-metal quartet, Derange, have announced the release date for “Echo”, the next single from their album The Awakening.

“Echo” is arguably the hardest hitting track from The Awakening but still shot-through with melody. It is a glorious burst of tech-metal, showcasing not only the band’s intricate musicianship but also singer Cat Pereira’s incredible vocal range. The band recently filmed a video for “Echo” which will be released the same day as the single is released, February 15th.

Check out the band’s previous video for  “The Thinker”, the first single fromThe Awakening, below:

Formed in London in 2012, Derange have been slowly building up to the release of their debut album, The Awakening.

Produced by the legendary Russ Russell (Dimmu Borgir, Napalm Death, Sikth, Amorphis, Evile etc.) The Awakening is a glorious tech-metal affair, referencing forward thinking bands like Karnivool, TesseracT and Periphery, all topped off by the haunting and powerful vocals of Cat Pereira. Described by Russell; “one of the best vocalists I've ever come across”, Pereira is a formidable talent, bringing equal parts aggression and melody to  Derange’s complex and powerful music.

Band lineup:

Cat Pereira - vocals
Nick Crosby - guitar
Joe Macpherson - bass
Warren de Melo - drums

(Photo - Marianne Harris)

 



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Kscope has released the first solo album from Bruce Soord, the frontman and creative force behind The Pineapple Thief. The self-titled album was recorded during the summer of 2015 at Bruce Soord's UK studio. All the tracks were written and performed by Soord with Darran Charles (Godsticks) playing additional guitar. The first track "Familiar Patterns" is streaming below.

Having wanted to make a solo album for many years, Soord found himself taking surprising paths to create this record; here he has explored the softer, dreamier side of his song-writing - more acoustic in nature, while retaining depth in its arrangement. Revisiting his life to find inspiration for the songs, this record is a celebration of the past as much as it is an epitaph of times past. While the songs describe a sense of the past that has been lost, it is also a celebration of Soord's wonderful and artistically decaying childhood town.

Tracklisting:

“Black Smoke”
“Buried Here”
“The Odds”
“A Thousand Daggers”
“Willow Tree”
“Born In Dilusion”
“Field Day Part 1”
“Field Day Part 2”
“Familiar Patterns”
“Leaves Leave Me”

“Familiar Patterns”:

Soord's mainstay band The Pineapple Thief, which he founded in 1999, has continued to evolve and refine its sound and is seen by many as one of the most interesting and innovative rock bands the UK has produced in recent years. Albums like Magnolia (2014), All the Wars (2012) and Someone Here Is Missing (2010) have made the band's reputation and fan base stronger, gathering interest from a wider spectrum of alternative rock followers. Bruce Soord also collaborates with other Kscope artists, joining forces with Katatonia's Jonas Renkse on the 2013 Wisdom Of Crowds project and joining Katatonia on its Dethroned & Uncrowned Unplugged acoustic European tour. Soord is also working on various other projects creating 5.1 mixes, including the new TesseracT album Polaris and remixing Opeth's album Deliverance.

 



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Machine Head frontman Robb Flynn has updated his Facebook blog, The General Journals: Diary Of A Frontman, with a tribute to Eagles guitarist/vocalist Glenn Frey here. Frey passed away on January 18th at the age of 67; he succumbed to complications from Rheumatoid Arthritis, Acute Ulcerative Colitis and Pneumonia.

"I love The Eagles.

LOOOOOOOOVE The Eagles.

While I’ve never really followed them in any sense, i.e. never seen them live (which is a huge bummer), never collected their stuff or really kept tabs on the band, I grew up in California and their music was almost like second nature to me. It was a constant during my 'growing years.' About three years ago I watched their documentary on Showtime (it’s also on Netflix – watch it!) which was A-MA-ZING! It reminded me that this is a band that has managed to hold my musical affection now for several decades. I still listen to them regularly on tour, sometimes after the show to relax, sometimes to kick the party up a notch!

Don Henley’s voice is magical, completely other-worldly… but Glenn Frey sang some of my favorite tunes by them as well. 'Take It Easy', 'Heartache Tonight', and 'New Kid In Town'. Funny enough, I was just standing in Winslow, Arizona checking out the Meteor Crater, and I had 'Take It Easy' playing through my head 'Well, I'm a standing on a corner in Winslow, Arizona and such a fine sight to see…'

A good part of the reason I think the song 'New Kid In Town' is so awesome is the subject matter, it's lyrics are based on a conversation held at Dan Tana's restaurant in LA that Henley and Frey had after seeing a young-Bruce Springsteen blow the roof off of The Roxy in '74 and realizing that their time was about to pass! That the torch was about to go to someone else. And with a little bit of mocking, and little bit insecurity, they lay it out in a tune.
How’s THAT for honesty??!! How’s THAT for self-awareness? And then they tie into something every guy could relate to; the rage and insecurity you feel when you realize your girlfriend / wife has moved on, except instead of girlfriend / wife it’s your fanbase.

'But after a while she’s looking the other way
It’s those restless hearts that never mend'

Can you imagine a band writing a song about that subject matter these days? It just wouldn’t happen. Everyone’s a winner these days, a conqueror, or at least singing about how they think they are.

But it’s the song 'Heartache Tonight' that I have the fondest memories of. It reminds me of drinking wine with Genevra sometime in the mid-90’s. We were living in our old apartment in Berkeley and her talking me into dancing in our cramped-ass living room. There I’d be doing my 'dumb-guy-dance,' and we'd just laugh and dance and not give a shit about anything outside of those four walls. Of course when the 'whooooo - hoooooo' part comes in at the end of the song (and I always get it wrong!) we would both howl at the moon with laughter.

Glenn Frey, 67, not old, but sounds like the dude lived a very full life.

Thank you for the music and the memories, Glenn Frey."



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SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor has paid tribute to Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, saying that the iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman and his band leave behind a great musical legacy that goes way beyond "Ace Of Spades".

During a December 29 appearance on Ozzy's Boneyard (SiriusXM channel 38), Taylor said about Lemmy: "The first time I met him, I was actually sitting at the touch-screen video game at the Rainbow [Bar And Grill in West Hollywood] playing it, because I knew that he played that game. And I'd had a few, so I'm kind of zoning. I've got that letterbox widescreen thing and I can't really see on my peripherals and shit. And all of a sudden, from behind me, I hear, 'Ah, it's a hell of a score.' And I looked around, and there's Lemmy just standing there. I was, like, 'Oh! Dude. Your machine. Here you go.' And we got to talking, and we were friends ever since."

Taylor also recalled his introduction to MOTÖRHEAD's music. He said: "The first time I ever saw MOTÖRHEAD was on [the U.K. TV series] 'The Young Ones', when they did 'Ace Of Spades'. And that was, like, my favorite show at the time, and I lost my mind. 'Cause usually, it was kind of weird on there, but then here was this band. I was just, like, 'What in the hell is this?' And then I'd found out it was MOTÖRHEAD, and I was instantly in."

Remembering his initial MOTÖRHEAD live experience, Taylor said: "The first time I saw them live was… It was after I had already been out on the road for a while [with SLIPKNOT]. Because, living in Iowa, MOTÖRHEAD didn't come around a lot, let's put it that way. And I can't blame them, to be honest. We just happened to be on the same festivals, and I can remember [thinking], 'Oh, they're playing right before us.' So I remember running out. I had my black makeup on, I had my coveralls on, but there was no way I was gonna miss MOTÖRHEAD. It was England, I think, but I might be wrong. And I can remember running from the dressing rooms all the way to the stage. And I didn't even have my passes on me, and I didn't even care. I ran up the stairs, and they were getting ready to play 'The Chase Is Better Than The Catch'. And it was everything I wanted it to be. It was so loud that I could have stayed at the dressing room and listened to it, but I wanted to see it for myself."

Corey praised MOTÖRHEAD's musical output, explaining: "The thing about MOTÖRHEAD is that 'Ace Of Spades' was just the tip of the iceberg. They had so many great songs that the deeper you got into it, it was just… Their whole catalog is just so good. I mean, my favorite song is a B-side that was on the 'Rock 'N' Roll' album. It was 'Cradle To The Grave', which is such a great jam. I mean, it's almost like the perfect rock and roll tune; it's so good."

Taylor also talked the fact that MOTÖRHEAD appealed to both punks and headbanging metalheads. He said: "[Lemmy] would be the first to argue with you that they were a metal band. And I think that was one of the reasons why, for years, he would go on stage and be, like, 'We are MOTÖRHEAD, and we play rock and roll.' And he was absolutely right. But there was just enough aggression that punk kids got into it, like me; metalheads got into it; obviously, hard rock fans, rock and roll fans… He was just across the board. I know he had a big problem with [being called] 'the grandfather of thrash,' and in a lot of ways, it's true."

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24), learned two days later that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28, at his home in Los Angeles.

Lemmy had dealt with several health issues over the past few years, including heart trouble, forcing him to cut back on his famous smoking and Jack Daniels habits.

The band was forced to cancel a number of shows last year, although they did manage to complete one final European tour on December 11.

Former PANTERA bassist Rex Brown has paid tribute to Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, saying that the iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman was the epitome of rock and roll.

During a December 29 appearance on Ozzy's Boneyard (SiriusXM channel 38), Brown said about Lemmy (hear audio below): "We lost a true legend, man. I was just with him about… I don't know… About eight weeks ago, we did a tribute to… He won a [Bass Player Lifetime Achievement Award at the Bass Player Live! concert in Los Angeles], and I really got to spend a lot of quality time with him, and I'm glad I did."

He continued: "Lemmy is the reason that we're… As far as my generation… He was the epitome of rock and roll, man, as far as I consider it. It's terrible loss, but at the same time, what a hell of a… He died with his boots on, man."

Asked which album was his introduction to MOTÖRHEAD's music, Brown said: "'Ace Of Spades', my friend, in 1980 or 1981. That changed it all for me. I was coming out of high school, or still in high school, and that record changed the whole game for me."

Brown also talked about the times that PANTERA and MOTÖRHEAD shared the stage. He said: "Countless. I couldn't even count how many times I played and watched them destroy a crowd of just… Their fans are… they were as rabid as ours were. I mean, just incredible. I can't say enough about the man, the legend and the leader of our generation. It's sad."

Asked if Lemmy appeared to be in bad health when he last saw him at the Bass Player Live! concert in early November, Rex said: "Well, I don't wanna get into it, because you know what? He's Lemmy, man. Lemmy's Lemmy. Lemmy was always… Look, it was ugly fucking rock and roll, man; that's what it's all about. It's not about the pent-up glamor. Was he a little frail? Absolutely. At that age, we're all gonna be that frail. But he still had the spirit of rock and roll. He had every ounce of that in his system, and he poured it out."

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24), learned two days later that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28, at his home in Los Angeles.

Lemmy had dealt with several health issues over the past few years, including heart trouble, forcing him to cut back on his famous smoking and Jack Daniels habits.

The band was forced to cancel a number of shows last year, although they did manage to complete one final European tour on December 11.

Members of American metal bands TKO and THE RODS recently teamed up to record a high-octane version of the MOTÖRHEAD classic "Ace Of Spades" as a tribute to Lemmy.

Immediately following Lemmy's death, the surviving members of MOTÖRHEAD reached out to their fans and simply requested that they "play Lemmy's music loud. Have a drink or few. Share stories. Celebrate the LIFE of this lovely, wonderful man celebrated so vibrantly himself."

Former members of TKO gathered together to follow those instructions on a dreary Saturday while tuning into the live broadcast of Lemmy's "Celebration Of Life." Brad Sinsel, frontman for TKO, WARBABIES and ANGELS OF DRESDEN, took things a step deeper in his search for closure in the matter. Speaking with guitarist Rick Pierce, bassist Evan Sheeley, guitarist Brynn Arens, Sinsel asked with a grin, "How 'bout we go in and record some MOTÖRHEAD? Who's game?" Immediate reaction from everyone was "Hell yeah!" Sinsel's next call was to Carl Canedy, drummer for THE RODS. Sinsel said: "I couldn't think of anyone more fitting to do this with."

As part of "The Lemmy Sessions," TKO entered the studio in celebration of what they viewed as a rock 'n' roll life well lived. Although the plan was never to release the recordings to the public, the final decision was made to issue "Ace Of Spades" as a loving tribute to Lemmy. All proceeds will go to the Ronnie James Dio Stand Up And Shout Cancer Fund.

Canedy has checked in to share his favorite memory of Lemmy: "When THE RODS opened for MOTÖRHEAD at the Calderone Concert Hall in Hempstead, Long Island, New York, we were in the middle of recording our 'Live' album for Combat Records. It was a crazy time for us and I remember having been called to the back of the venue during MOTÖRHEAD's set. They were so loud that even outside we had to yell to each other to be heard. MOTÖRHEAD was so loud, I couldn't believe it. As we'd been called the 'American MOTÖRHEAD' in the first Sounds review by Geoff Barton, I was eager to see them live. They didn't disappoint. It was truly one of the loudest shows I've ever seen.

"After the show, Lemmy hung out with us at the back of the venue. I remember him being a really good guy. He had his arm around me chatting and offering me his seemingly 'never-ending' beer. He was patient and kind to the fans. The nicest and most unpretentious guy I'd met in the music business. A true metal icon!"

Kaaos TV conducted an interview with vocalist Mike Muir of the long-running Venice Beach, California thrash/punk band SUICIDAL TENDENCIES before the band's January 18 concert at the Hartwall Areena in Helsinki, Finland as the support act for SLIPKNOT. You can now watch the chat below.

Asked for his feelings about the recent passing of iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, Muir said: "Well, we just did… [MOTÖRHEAD] did that Motörboat cruise [last September/October], and we were just on it, and [Lemmy] didn't look good.

"A lot of people will sit there and say, 'Oh, I love this person.' I wasn't a big metal person, and so I wasn't really familiar… I was like a lot of people — I knew 'Ace Of Spades', but I wasn't really into a lot of those music. I got into music through punk rock, and that motivated me, because there was a couple of punk rock bands I liked and a whole bunch I did not like."

He continued: "When someone dies, you're supposed to say good things, but it was sad on [Motörboat], 'cause [Lemmy] shouldn't have been there. And I think there's people that… There's something to be said going out the way you want, but you know what? He wasn't healthy, hadn't been for a while; they'd been canceling shows. And as a person, that's not [how] someone that was in family I'd want them to be treated. So… People won't like it, but I shouldn't say anything, but that's what I feel like, you know…"

Muir added: "I appreciate anybody, on the good side, that spent so much of their time and their life to do music and do good things for other people. But I think there's also, as I was saying earlier [in the interview] about SLIPKNOT and their crew and all the other stuff around, I think there's people that around [Lemmy] that probably should feel pretty bad, 'cause they didn't handle it right."

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24), learned two days later that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28, at his home in Los Angeles.

Lemmy's manager, Todd Singerman, told Rolling Stone that when doctors told the singer that he had two to six months to live following the discovery of tumors on his brain and neck, he said, "Oh, only two months, huh?" The doctor responded, "There's nothing anyone can do. I would be lying to you if I told you there was a chance."

Singerman was going to keep it private, but Lemmy told him to make it public, adding that he wanted people to know. The plan was to put out the release after family and friends were contacted, but the end came sooner than anyone thought. "Here's the shocker for me and everyone else," said Singerman. "He's been to a thousand doctors and hospitals throughout the world, but nobody caught this. To be told you have terminal cancer with all the blood tests he's taken in his life and everything else? It's very hard to grasp that. It's not like he had a chance here. This was outright: 'You got no more than six months.'"

Singerman and members of the band's organization had noticed in the days prior to Lemmy's death that he was having trouble speaking and seemed completely exhausted.

Lemmy had dealt with several health issues over the past few years, including heart trouble, forcing him to cut back on his famous smoking and Jack Daniels habits.

MOTÖRHEAD was forced to cancel a number of shows last year, although they did manage to complete one final European tour on December 11.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons has paid tribute to Ian "Lemmy" Kilmister, saying that the iconic MOTÖRHEAD frontman was "a special kind of a guy" who "deserves a lot more kudos than he's gotten."

During a December 29 appearance on Ozzy's Boneyard (SiriusXM channel 38), Simmons said about Lemmy (hear audio below): "Although most people wanna mourn Lemmy's death, and rightfully so, maybe a brighter thing to do is to celebrate his life. Because our history with Lemmy goes all the way back to HAWKWIND. KISS took HAWKWIND out way in the early days when Stacia was a dancer with the band. In fact, Stacy and I used to hang and just talk, and she always used to talk about Lemmy. And then, slowly but surely, I got to know Lemmy through the years."

He continued: "The guy that knew, that I was lucky enough and proud enough to know, may be a different kind of a guy than what fans may think of him. You think of him as a badass, won't take any crap from anybody… That's all true. But I will tell you as a guy that's known him for decades, he's always been a marshmallow, a softie on the inside, always putting a helping hand out to anybody. [He] treated fans the best. This badass guy who always looked out, cared so much about the fans and would always give a helping hand to new bands. [He] hardly ever said anything bad about anybody for press's sake. If he didn't like you, he'd tell you to your face, not behind your back. A gentleman with a kind heart, dressed in armor, like most nights were. He was a special kind of a guy and he deserves a lot more kudos than he's gotten, unfortunately."

Gene also talked about Lemmy's wit, honesty and undying devotion to his friends. He said: "Lemmy, and Ozzy has this too, this kind of… If they like something, it doesn't matter if it's from the same genre. Ozzy will point his finger at THE BEATLES, whereas lots of other guys who turn up the guitar — whether you call it hard rock or heavy metal or thrash or take you pick — are afraid to actually say, 'Yeah, I like ABBA.' Lemmy was honest through and through. His insides, his heart and his mouth and his mind were connected. And truth is a hard thing to find, 'cause everybody is trying to negotiate: 'How do I negotiate these streets to have people think I'm cool?' He didn't give a squat. He basically took a very individual kind of… 'Hey, this is who I am. I don't care if it's popular to be a hair band or [wear] lipstick. I'm Lemmy. That's who I am.' And maybe we should all learn something from that."

Lemmy, who celebrated his 70th birthday on Christmas Eve (December 24), learned two days later that he was afflicted with an aggressive form of cancer. He died two days later, on December 28, at his home in Los Angeles.

Lemmy had dealt with several health issues over the past few years, including heart trouble, forcing him to cut back on his famous smoking and Jack Daniels habits.

The band was forced to cancel a number of shows last year, although they did manage to complete one final European tour on December 11.

Michael Schenker says that he was asked by Lemmy to join MOTÖRHEAD as the band's first guitarist but claims that he declined because he "just couldn't see how it would work."

Asked in a new interview with Metal Talk about the passing of Lemmy and whether he had any connection with the MOTÖRHEAD leader over the years, the German axeman said: "Yes, when he first put MOTÖRHEAD together, Lemmy asked me to be the guitarist. It was many years ago, but we toured together when he was in HAWKWIND and I was with UFO. We toured the States together, and I saw Lemmy every day, but later when he started to put MOTÖRHEAD together, he approached me to be his lead guitarist but I wasn't interested… I couldn't see that it would be something for me. I declined. I just couldn't see how it would work."

Schenker also reportedly turned down opportunities to join AEROSMITH as Joe Perry's replacement in 1979 and Ozzy Osbourne's group after the death of Randy Rhoads. He told The Bigfoot Diaries in a 2011 interview: "In '79, I believe, it was [manager] Peter Mensch who asked me if I would want to jam with AEROSMITH to see if I liked joining them. I went to New York but everything was pretty much out of order. So we never got to play, but later when Steven [Tyler] got sick, I rehearsed with Joe Kramer and Tom Hamilton for my solo album."

He continued: "In around '81, Ozzy Osbourne called me up in the middle of the night telling me that Randy had just died and asked if I could help out. I was in the middle of pre-production with Cozy Powell and Graham Bonnet. It was bad timing, but on the other hand, AEROSMITH, Ozzy Osbourne or any other band with history was not good for me. It would always mean that I would have to learn other guitarist's riffs. And that was not what I wanted. I was born to create and invent."