In a new interview with "Reckless" Rexx Ruger of Pod Scum, SHADOWS FALL/ex-OVERKILL drummer Jason Bittner was asked what the impetus was for the formation of CATEGORY 7, his new band also featuring former MACHINE HEAD and current KERRY KING guitarist Phil Demmel, ex-ADRENALINE MOB guitarist Mike Orlando, ARMORED SAINT/ex-ANTHRAX singer John Bush and EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson. Jason replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If I'm being frank, the impetus, for me, was my dissatisfaction with my role in OVERKILL. I hadn't been happy in the band for, like, two fucking years. It wasn't a surprise that I quit. I'd been dissatisfied for a long time, but I'm a team player. I don't like to leave things. I love the guys personally. So I just kind of just hung in there, but I was not happy where I was career-wise, let's say, within the confines of that band. I wasn't a bandmember. And that's the main thing for me to keep doing this at this point in my lifetime. That's why for SHADOWS FALL to be back together, I'm 20 percent owner-member. I'm involved in the decisions. I just don't get told what's happening. I hate that. I'm a Capricorn. I can't deal with that shit."

He continued: "For my whole career, for the most part, even like back to the early days, all the bands either I formed or I was instrumental in getting the guys together, or it was always just a one-for-all, all-for-one thing. OVERKILL was the only band I've ever played in where I was a hired gun. The only exception was ANTHRAX, but I was only a touring member with ANTHRAX, and with PRONG — only touring. That's a totally different animal than being, quote-unquote, in the band. Even when I was in FLOTSAM [AND JETSAM], I was a 20 percent member-owner. I was involved in the decisions. So seven and a half years of that was a long time for me.

"I know Blabbermouth is gonna take this and run the wrong way with what I'm trying to talk about," Bittner added. "My point I love the guys, I was a team player, I wasn't leaving, but I was dissatisfied and I was looking for something else.

"My whole career, I had my ears always to the grindstone and I'm always just in the mix to know what's going on, like, 'Oh, hey, someone's looking for something.' Not that I want to be a ship jumper or anything, but I've had a lot of downtime on my hands in the last number of years. So anything I can play on, play with, be a part of, I'm gung-ho to do. But for a while with OVERKILL, I wasn't like that anymore," Jason admitted. "I'm, like, 'All right, this is cool. I'm not looking for anything else.; But after a while, I was, like, 'All right, I need another outlet.'"

When Ruger pressed Bittner about the exact reasons for his dissatisfaction with his role in OVERKILL and whether he wanted "more involvement in the creative process", Jason said: "A little bit. For me, more so it was definitely on just being paid fairly for my time… Like I said, there's no animosity. I just went and saw everybody last Friday. [OVERKILL] just played in my backyard Friday night. I went, I knocked on the bus, Blitz [OVERKILL singer Bobby Ellsworth] opened the door: 'Hey, you coming tonight?' 'Yeah.' 'All right. Come on in.' Gives me a big hug, like I knew he would. I gave his girlfriend a hug. I said hello to a couple of crew people that I knew. I went inside and gave everybody a hug. D.D. [Verni, OVERKILL bassist] came up, slaps me on the back. It's got nothing to do with our personal lives. It's just a business thing."

Bittner added: "For a while it was fine, but I needed to make myself available for the bands that I'm a member of. That's really what it is. I couldn't be tied to OVERKILL anymore to be their drummer and only their drummer and 'this is the schedule for the year and you have to work in whatever you do in this.' Uh-uh.

"And I know that the people are already typing away, 'Yes, but SHADOWS FALL doesn't tour the way that OVERKILL did,' blah blah blah blah. Yes, true — very true. But remember, I have another band, CATEGORY 7. Between the two, we'll be working just as much. But also, the thing to keep in mind here, too, is I can play five shows with SHADOWS FALL and make more money than playing 30 with OVERKILL."

This past September, Verni told Capital Chaos TV about Bittner's departure: "We kind of knew that that was coming. He had told us a while ago that he was just kind of burned out on too many things and had his hands in too many pots. So I think we kind of knew that was coming."

When the interviewer noted that "it's nice to see he left on good terms" and that there wasn't "some sort of drama," D.D. concurred. "Yeah, it was nothing like that," he said. "He didn't leave us hanging. You know, he finished out his commitments with us. He was supposed to do this European tour, but he couldn't; he ended up not being able to do that, which worked out, because we have Jeramie [Kling, formerly of VENOM INC.] now in the band and he's going to do the KING DIAMOND tour with us. And so it it all ended up working out."

Bittner joined OVERKILL in 2017 and played drums on the band's last two studio albums, 2019's "The Wings Of War" and 2023's "Scorched"

When Bittner has announced his departure from OVERKILL on August 5, he said in a statement: "On August 1, 2024, I played the Vagos Metal Fest in Portugal, and it was the last show I will play in the band OVERKILL.

"For a while now I have been juggling a few different bands along with OVERKILL, and I knew at some point something would have to give since I simply can’t be three places at once. Over the course of this last year, my schedule has reached that breaking point.

"At this time SHADOWS FALL is working towards completion of our new material that will take us back out on the road sometime in 2025, as well as our fall shows we have booked for the rest of this year celebrating 20 years of 'The War Within'. Compounded on top of this is my new band, Metal Blade recording artists CATEGORY 7, whose album just hit the shelves last month and will start touring soon through 2025. All of this adds up to something having to 'take a break', so as of today I no longer play drums in OVERKILL so I can concentrate solely on the bands that I am a full member/owner of.

"Now don't worry — they currently have another great drummer already learning the material, and he will be ready to do battle for the upcoming tours.

"I would like to thank EVERYONE in the OVERKILL extended family for 7 1/2 years of laughs, killer shows, and fun around the globe. All our crew members throughout my run, our agents Dolores Lokas and Mike Monterulo, my tech Animal for always having my back (Shake and Bake),as well as all of our crew past and present, the SKULLKRUSHERS (much love Jurgen),and all the fans who supported my tenure in the band, I love you all, thank you, and will miss you on the European and KING DIAMOND tours… but I'll see you out there with SHADOWS FALL and CATEGORY 7."

OVERKILL played its first concert with Kling on August 30 at the Posada Rock festival in Câmpulung Muscel, Romania.

When OVERKILL announced Kling's addition to the band on August 23, the group said in a statement: "We're gearing up for an epic European and North American tour this August through December and are excited to announce a special addition for the tours. Here comes a thunderous old friend, who had done work with us, as well as THE ABSENCE & VENOM INC. Please welcome, with drum sticks in hand, Jeramie Kling!"

Jeramie added: "Words cannot express how stoked I am to share the stage with my good friends in OVERKILL. We will be laying waste to everyone throughout Europe and North America (with KING DIAMOND). Check the dates online and come out to see an unforgettable night of metal \m/".

A founding member of THE ABSENCE, Kling appeared on VENOM INC.'s second album, 2022's "There's Only Black", and has played with such acts as FORE, RIBSPREADER, GOREGÄNG and NECROMANCING THE STONE. He was also briefly affiliated with the reunited Florida death metal band MASSACRE, which led to the formation of INHUMAN CONDITION, alongside Terry Butler (OBITUARY, ex-DEATH) and Taylor Nordberg (DEICIDE). In addition to being a drummer, Kling is a recording engineer, producer and live sound engineer.

Photo credit: Frank White

In a new post on the official Alcatrazz Facebook page, the band's drummer, Larry Paterson, shares his memories of being present during Black Sabbath's Forbidden album, and of late drummer, Cozy Powell.

Says Paterson: "I’m really pleased that Sabbath’s Forbidden album and the whole Tony Martin era (sans-Eternal Idol, which is an excellent record!) is being re-released and rediscovered by people.

"I was lucky enough to be present when they were writing Forbidden at the residential rehearsal room in Wales; can’t remember what it was called. At the time I was good friends with Eddie Naughton, Cozy’s tech, and through him I got to know Cozy pretty well and ultimately ended up in Wales watching this amazing band get stuff together for their new album.

"The first time I had seen Black Sabbath after arriving from New Zealand was on the Headless Cross tour at Hammersmith Odeon. To be honest I wasn’t quite sure what to expect, but they absolutely blew me away. It’s still one of my favourite gigs and one of the best Sabbath shows I have seen, from any of their line-ups. And some years later, there I was…standing in the room while Tony Iommi tried out riffs on everybody.

"It was pretty surreal to be honest, and I vividly remember how everybody was very cool to me, no doubt because Eddie was my mate. That was the first time I met the rest of the band; the two Tonys, Neil Murray, Geoff Nicholls and Tony’s guitar tech Mike Clements who was a truly nice bloke, very warm and welcoming to this star-struck kid that was hanging around. I stayed as far out of the way and inconspicuous as I could as I watched them bat riffs about and song pieces. It was really something else! I didn’t take photos. I didn’t hunt autographs. I just sat and watched and learned (though I photographed the gear when they were away!) At the time I was drumming for the thrash band Arbitrater (of which I was very proud, and whose name Cozy always seemed to find rib-ticklingly amusing) and I remember thinking that even the riffs Tony Iommi junked because they didn’t soar would have been treasure for most other bands.

"The day I arrived with Eddie we were bringing Cozy his new Yamaha drum kit. It was this absolutely spectacular light woodgrain finish with pale gold hardware. I helped unbox it, cringing as Eddie whipped out a drill and started putting holes in it to get it ready for Cozy’s custom set-up. What a kit that was! In the rehearsal room was his gold and black kit already set up and fully miked up for recording demos. The first person I saw when we rolled up was Tony Iommi, walking about taking a break. He had these ankle weights on as he ambled about, I guess to strengthen his legs. I didn’t ask…didn’t want to piss the great man off by being impertinent! Ha ha! It was difficult enough saying my own name when Eddie introduced us. And when we shook hands I did my best not to look at his finger tips!

"Ultimately, I was there for a reason. The band were taking a break for a couple of weeks and were thinking of relocating studios. I remember nobody liked the corn-beefed hash we had for the first lunch I was there for, and the lady in charge seemed to get under Cozy’s skin somehow. Not sure why, but she was a little snooty I thought.

"So, while they were gone, I was baby-sitting their gear that they left all set up and ready to use as soon as they reconvened.

"And that was it really. They toddled off and I stayed with their gear, sleeping in a little room next to the rehearsal area and lounge with pool table and everything. It was fantastic, but again, pretty surreal. Every morning I’d wake up, open the door to my room and be presented with the back of Tony’s Laney stacks with his named stencilled all over them, Awesome! The lady who ran the place was very pissed off at my presence, so I kept out of her way and just spent every evening looking at all the gear and wondering why I had been so lucky.

"So, that was my first brush with Sabbath. I later saw them in the studio in Liverpool as they were finishing the album, and it really didn’t seem a happy band. I know Cozy was pretty pissed off that Ernie C had asked him to play differently, replacing his 26” bass drums with 20” or maybe 22” I seem to recall, which did NOT go down well. As an outside observer, it looked like Cozy would walk soon, and so he did. Bands are a mercurial thing…and sometimes you just have to go.

"One of my prized possessions was a hotel receipt from where I stayed in Liverpool, with my name and the organisation name ‘Black Sabbath’ next to it. It was like a little piece of paper-gold to me…but I don’t know where it is now. Lost in one of my many moves.

"I got to help carry the master tapes to London with Mike Clements. We rode with the gear truck driver who was next going out with Saxon. He was talking about tours he’d done and so was Mike; all the kind of talk that I still find exciting after all these years. The driver and I were joking that the car that was following us through the night on the motorway was probably driven by Sharon Osbourne as she tried to fuck Sabbath up somehow…and I remember Mike raising his eyebrows and saying nothing was impossible. I’d already heard the whole nappy story and few more from some of the band. Strange days eh?

"Anyway, Mike thanked me profusely for my help, not that I really did anything but be star-struck and baby sit the equipment. I had my name in the album as ‘backline security’, though they spelled both my first and last names wrong. Ha ha! But then, it didn’t matter. I didn’t do it for that; I did it because it was an honour to meet all these guys and watch the magic up close.

"I saw Tony Iommi quite a few times after that. Helped him move house and marvelled at all the polaroids from the ‘Born Again’ tour that were upstairs in his garage in Solihull. Took his little practice amp to the Laney factory for repair. The reception barely acknowledged me and kept me waiting for ages. I was just some annoying long-hair with a little amp. Of course, I couldn’t help myself, and said: “it’s not for me, it’s for Tony Iommi.” Suddenly they couldn’t have been nicer... I don’t like that.

"I got to know Cozy quite well over later years and helped him out here and there with stuff, as he helped me as well. A genuinely lovely bloke. I saw the Headless Cross stage set in the Rich Bitch rehearsal studio storage when I was collecting some of Cozy’s drums, and then saw Freddie’s piano and stage gear when I dropped it off at Queen’s warehouse in London (Cozy was out with Brain May).

"I’d bump into Tony Martin here and there and he was always a lovely bloke. Same with Neil Murray and Geoff Nicholls’... Genuinely nice guys and absolutely top of their game musicians. Of course, Geoff is gone now which is a tragedy. As is Cozy. I was working as a diving instructor in Grenada when I heard the news. I’d sent him a couple of postcards, as Cozy was a diver too. I’d also given him all of my books on The Beatles that I’d had since I was a kid, as he was really into them. He had a photo of Keith Richards on his fridge as Cozy was trying to lose weight and seemed to take inspiration from that photo! But it was The Beatles that he liked more.

"Of course, Eddie Naughton is also gone. He was a remarkable guy, truly one of a kind. Through him I found myself hanging out with many of my heroes, and Eddie and I would the toddle off and go diving together. He was an instructor too and always had a plan in the making for some new dive business idea. None of them worked, but he always had a plan.

"I miss Eddie. He was a good mate.

"So, I’ll listen to the new remix of ‘Forbidden’ and wander down memory lane in my head. Thanks to all those guys, who were so nice to me when they could have just ignored my presence. I’ll never forget that."

With the holiday season in full swing, VENAMORIS, the project featuring legendary extreme metal drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, FANTÔMAS, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE, MISFITS, DEAD CROSS) and his wife Paula, has released "Winter's Whispers", a standalone, seasonal single out now via Ipecac Recordings.

"'Winter's Whispers' is a nod to our wavering, romantic love of the many vibes of the season," the pair shared.

In October, VENAMORIS unveiled "Spiderweb", a haunting track and accompanying video conjured just in time for spooky season, giving fans a mesmerizing second glimpse into the spellbinding world created by the couple on their forthcoming album.

In September, VENAMORIS announced that it had signed with Ipecac Recordings, prepping a 2025 sophomore release. Also made available was another new single, "In The Shadows".

Dave said: "VENAMORIS is such an intimate project for the two of us. To have our sophomore album in Ipecac's exceptionally skilled hands is a dream realized. We are estatic to be a part of this audacious label."

VENAMORIS captures the essence of a sound that is alluring and deeply emotional, blending sultry vocals with mesmerizing instrumentation to create an enveloping experience that is as hypnotic as it is emotionally charged. Like a whispered secret, there's something seductive yet provocative about the noir-tinged songs they create. Brooklyn Vegan, describing an earlier single, adeptly said VENAMORIS has "PORTISHEAD-meets-David Lynch vibes."

Founded in 2021 by what can only be called, astral influence, VENAMORIS was launched as a result of some persistent persuasion on Dave's part. The 59-year-old musician, who was in charge of drums and production on VENAMORIS's debut album, 2023's "Drown In Emotion", explained: "Several months after meeting Paula in 2010, she hesitantly shared with me her past decade-long career as the lead backup singer for Wayne Newton. She later played me some of the demos she recorded throughout the years, and I was floored by her sonically soothing, rich tone and natural, instinctive ability to harmonize. I was determined to persuade her to return to her creative self. It's been a deeply gratifying journey witnessing this music come to life."

Canadian-born singer/songwriter Paula Lombardo, who performs vocals and piano for this project, bursts with vulnerability and intimacy, addressing a broad scope of emotion: anger, healing, pain, hope. It's evident that VENAMORIS was founded out of love, passion, communication, respect, and trust. One person thriving in music encouraged the other, who had abandoned music to find their way back. It is the result of many late nights with too much wine, and even more truth laid bare: an aural couple's journaling generously shared with the world.

During a question-and-answer session with the readers of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine, Lombardo was asked if he would play with SLAYER again if the band reunited and wanted him to be part of the lineup. He said: "I don't think that's ever going to happen. But, yeah, I'd listen to whatever it is they had to say. That's it. You can't go any further than that."

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Shortly after his dismissal, Lombardo said that he discovered that 90 percent of SLAYER's tour income was being deducted as expenses, including fees to management, costing the band millions and leaving them with about 10 percent to split four ways. While he and bassist/vocalist Tom Araya hired auditors to figure out what had happened, Lombardo said he was never allowed to see any of the information obtained.

In late September and early October, SLAYER played two reunion concerts — first at the Riot Fest in Chicago and then at the Aftershock festival in Sacramento. Joining Araya and Bostaph in the band's reunited lineup are guitarists Kerry King and Gary Holt.

Former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones has revealed that he and KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz have set BURN ETERNAL as the name of their collaborative project. In addition, Adam has finally finished mixing the project's debut LP, work on which has been ongoing for at least two years.

Earlier today, Howard shared a photo of him and Adam and he included the following message: "Thai food lunch date!

"It's been a busy year for us, but we finally have our album mixed. Our schedules have caused this to take longer than expected, thanks for bearing with us. Back to work.

"We are BURN ETERNAL. See you soon."

Regarding how the project came together, Adam told Ore Bihovsky of TotalRock's "Louder" radio show: "[Howard] just hit me up. He was, like, 'Why don't you write some music for me?' And I was, like, 'Sure.' So yeah, we're working on a record right now."

As for when fans can expect to hear the first music from this new project, Adam said: "I've got so much on my plate right now. It's really hard to schedule anything particularly, like 'it's gonna come out at this point,' 'it's gonna come out at this point,' but we're just almost at a situation where we can maybe release a single. But I think the entire record's gonna take a little bit longer than expected. Because now I have to do double duty and record [the next] KILLSWITCH [album] at the same time. So I'll be doing that."

In August 2023, Jones took to his Instagram to write that "13 demos" were created for the new group, which hoped to put the finishing touches on the record "as soon as possible."

Jones left KILLSWITCH ENGAGE in 2012 and battled manic depression and bipolar disorder before forming a new project, DEVIL YOU KNOW, with guitarist Francesco Artusato (ALL SHALL PERISH) and drummer John Sankey (DEVOLVED). Along with bassist Ryan Wombacher (BLEEDING THROUGH),they recorded and toured behind two well-received albums, 2014's "The Beauty Of Destruction" and 2015's "They Bleed Red". In 2017, the band changed its name to LIGHT THE TORCH.

Jones makes an appearance on KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, 2019's "Atonement", contributing guest vocals to the song "The Signal Fire".

Jones discussed his previous mental health issues in a 2016 interview with Metal Hammer. He said: "For a lot of the time during the whole manic depression thing, I didn't realize how bad I was. I thought the high levels of anxiety I was experiencing was just my lot in life, I didn't realize that there was help on hand for me to be able to deal with that. I thought that I was just meant to feel really nervous around large crowds. Now it's like being a kid again, because I can deal with it, so I've got my passion back and it's great."

Asked what made him get back into music after leaving KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, Howard told Heavy New York: "Honestly, I think it was because I was just kind of tired of doing nothing and I don't do much else other than music. I felt like I needed to venture out because I was basically agoraphobic for three years. It's kind of well known. I went off the grid. I didn't have a cell phone for three years — I was gone. It felt, like, 'Okay, maybe I should dip my toe in. I don't have to do it full time. I don't have to do what I don't want to do.' That's all I was thinking. I started moving, I started doing things. It was definitely a struggle, especially for the first few years. I was, like, 'What am I doing?' There's been few things in my life that has been consistent other than music. I just did it. It just took some time, then all of the sudden, the spark showed up. I fell back in love with what I was doing. I really can't explain it. It just sort of happened."

Current KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach appeared on the band's self-titled debut and sophomore album, "Alive Or Just Breathing", before exiting the group. Jones took over on vocals for "The End Of Heartache", "As Daylight Dies" and the 2009 self-titled set before being dismissed from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE 12 years ago and being replaced by a returning Leach.

In 2012, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio told Boston Globe that the band's split with Jones was necessitated by the singer's struggle with personal issues, including diabetes that had gone untreated for several years. "It became very apparent we had to move on without him," D'Antonio said. "Howard didn't quit."

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David Lee Roth has shared a video of him singing along and dancing to his previously released solo version of the VAN HALEN classic "Panama". According to the Van Halen News Desk, the track, which was originally uploaded to Roth's YouTube channel in September 2022, was laid down on May 3, 2022 during a session at Henson Recording Studio in Hollywood, California. Joining the now-70-year-old Roth in the studio were Al Estrada on guitar, Ryan Wheeler on bass and Francis Valentino on drums. A total of 14 songs were recorded in two hours. The music and the vocals were tracked live with "no samples" and without the pitch-correction technology Auto-Tune.

Two months ago, Alex Van Halen spoke to Rolling Stone about the proposed all-star VAN HALEN tour that never came to fruition, saying that Roth's refusal to pay tribute to the drummer's brother, legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen, prevented such an event from materializing.

According to the article, Roth and Alex had begun rehearsing for the tour with members of the singer's solo band, with plans to fill out the lineup with former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony and Joe Satriani on lead guitar. During those early rehearsals, Alex started feeling numbness in his feet, symptomatic of peripheral neuropathy. He had also been in contact with QUEEN's Brian May about how to properly pay tribute to his late brother during the reunion shows, as QUEEN did with Freddie Mercury.

"The thing that broke the camel's back, and I can be honest about this now," Alex told Rolling Stone, "was I said, 'Dave, at some point, we have to have a very overt — not a bowing — but an acknowledgment of Ed in the gig. If you look at how QUEEN does it, they show old footage.' And the moment I said we gotta acknowledge Ed, Dave fuckin' popped a fuse.… The vitriol that came out was unbelievable."

According to Alex, David simply refused to pay tribute Eddie.

"I'm from the street," Alex said. "'You talk to me like that, motherfucker, I'm gonna beat your fucking brains out. You got it?' And I mean that. And that's how it ended."

Alex added: "It's just, my God. It's like I didn't know him anymore. I have nothing but the utmost respect for his work ethic and all that. But, Dave, you gotta work as a community, motherfucker. It's not you alone anymore."

Alex went on to say that would not have been physically able to do the tour anyway. "It's too bad on one hand, but it's fine on the other," he said. "Because now, in retrospect, playing the old songs is not really paying tribute to anybody. That's just like a jukebox, in my opinion.… To find a replacement for Ed? It's just not the same."

In April 2022, former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted revealed to The Palm Beach Post that he was approached by Alex about six months earlier about playing bass for the project. Newsted told the Florida newspaper that he agreed to go to California to jam with Alex and Joe Satriani and see if it felt right, but he eventually realized that it would be impossible to do justice to VAN HALEN's legacy.

In recent months, Eddie's son Wolfgang Van Halen, who played bass for VAN HALEN at the end of the band's recording and touring career, repeatedly said that "drama" in the VAN HALEN camp has prevented a proposed all-star VAN HALEN tribute project from materializing.

Wolfgang played three VAN HALEN songs over the course of two Taylor Hawkins tribute concerts in September 2022 alongside FOO FIGHTERS members Dave Grohl on bass, Josh Freese on drums and THE DARKNESS's Justin Hawkins on vocals.

Wolfgang, who played "On Fire", "Hot For Teacher" and "Panama" at the Hawkins tribute concerts, told Classic Rock magazine that he was no longer actively interested in pursuing the idea of a standalone Eddie Van Halen tribute event. "I think I already did it with the Taylor Hawkins tributes," he explained. "I feel a lot of closure because my part of the show was a tribute to my father."

"When it comes to VAN HALEN and entities surrounding the band it's unfortunate, certainly compared to FOO FIGHTERS who have their shit together with interpersonal relationships," Wolfgang added.

"I don't know what it is with some bands but certain personalities just can't get over themselves to work collectively for one purpose. That's been the curse of VAN HALEN for its entire career. So my playing at the Taylor shows delivered that catharsis without the stresses of dealing with the VAN HALEN camp, and the players involved. Their camp is very dysfunctional — everyone! Hell, it was difficult to make plans even when the band was active."

Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

Roth canceled a series of Las Vegas residency shows in January 2022 because of the COVID-19 pandemic. Three months earlier, he had announced in an interview with the Las Vegas Review-Journal that he was planning to retire after the residency.

In a new interview with "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern", ex-QUEENSRŸCHE singer Geoff Tate spoke about his recent announcement that he will embark on the "Operation: Mindcrime - The Final Chapter" tour next year. The trek, which will kick off on March 18, 2025 in Tucson, will see the 65-year-old vocalist perform the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album in its entirety for the last time.

Asked why this is the last time he is performing "Operation: Mindcrime" in full, Tate said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, because it's gonna take me a couple of years [to hit all the cities and countries around the world], when I'm almost 70. [Laughs] That's a good reason, I think."

Regarding whether he has had a chance to work on new music in recent years, Geoff said: "Yeah, actually, over the last couple of years of preparing for this upcoming tour, we have quite a few songs written for the album. I guess you don't call 'em albums anymore. I don't know. We're gonna release a song one at a time, but we have a full album's worth of material that we're gonna release over a two-year period. And, yeah, so that's all ready to go. And then in the meantime, I'm finishing up… It's funny — people ask me, 'Are you still on tour?' Yeah, I'm still on tour from the last tour that I started years ago. It takes me about two, two and a half years to get everywhere. It's kind of a slow process. So I'm just finishing up 'The Big Rock Show' tour, which ends in Scandinavia in January. And then I have a little time off before we start up 'The Final Chapter' shows."

Asked if the new music will be released under the Geoff Tate or OPERATION: MINDCRIME name, Tate said: "I haven't decided yet what it's going to be, but we're definitely gonna make a big announcement and have a full photo spread and all that good stuff."

Elsewhere during the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern" chat, Geoff revealed that he was working on the third and final chapter in the band's classic "Operation: Mindcrime" album series.

Originally released in May 1988, QUEENSRŸCHE's third studio album, "Operation: Mindcrime" took the quintet to an entirely new level. The concept, revealed through the songs, revolves around the character of Nikki, a recovering drug addict disillusioned with a corrupt society. Drawn into a cult-like revolutionary group headed by Dr. X (voiced by the late and beloved British actor Anthony Valentine),Nikki is manipulated to assassinate political leaders until his friendship with nun Sister Mary finally opens his eyes to the truth. Regarded as one of the greatest concept metal albums of all time, "Operation: Mindcrime" was certified platinum in 1991 in the U.S. and was ranked in the "Top 100 Metal Albums Of All Time" by both Kerrang! and Billboard magazines. Rolling Stone included it on a similar list, noting that "nearly 30 years after its initial release, 'Mindcrime' feels eerily relevant."

The original "Operation: Mindcrime" album weaved themes of religion, drug abuse and underground, radical politics. By contrast, 2006's "Operation: Mindcrime II" was regarded as an unnecessary sequel that many felt cheapened the original album, despite being a decent record in its own right.

Speaking about the musical direction of his new solo material, Geoff said: "I would say it has more of an early QUEENSRŸCHE feel. [The new songs are] super heavy, and some of 'em are incredibly technical. They're like algebra. [Laughs] You need a calculator when you're listening to the song. [Laughs] And, of course, some of them are very emotional. It's the last chapter in the 'Mindcrime' series. So it's following the exploits of Dr. X and Nikki and Sister Mary, and picks up at a particular point in their story and kind of does the microscope of what is happening at that particular time with them. And I am just in love with it. I am so happy with everything so far, and I can't wait for people to hear it."

Asked if there will once again be "some of those political interplays" within the lyrical themes on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Tate said: "Oh, I think so. Yeah, I think that people will be able to detect little bits of what's happening around them. And it's an interesting time right now — very interesting. Especially next week [after the 2024 U.S. presidential election], it's gonna be really interesting [laughs] what happens. So, we'll see."

Pressed about whether "a familiar voice" will play Dr. X on "Operation: Mindcrime III", Geoff said: "I can't tell you, actually. But thanks for asking. [Laughs]"

In a 2016 interview with East Valley Tribune, Tate said that he looked back fondly on "Operation: Mindcrime II". "I haven't listened to that album since I recorded it," he admitted. "However, it was a new story. Overall, it went down well live with the audience. I have no complaints or regrets about it."

During QUEENSRŸCHE's 2012 legal battle with Tate over the rights to the band's name, guitarist Michael Wilton submitted a sworn declaration in which he said the idea to make "Operation: Mindcrime II" was first brought to the table by Geoff's wife and QUEENSRŸCHE's then-manager Susan Tate. "The band was hesitant and did not want to lessen the original," the guitarist claimed. "But Susan Tate and Geoff Tate hired a budget producer and took control without really any other input. Scott Rockenfield [drums], Eddie Jackson [bass] and I were squeezed out of having any input in the musical direction or business decisions, thus the project suffered. During the initial writing phase, I would show up to bring my input to the creative process only to find that the producer, the new guitar player (who were both staying with the Tates at the time),along with Geoff Tate had been up late the night before or up early that morning and had written the songs without me. I was then told my ideas were not needed as the songs were now done. I could, however, 'bring my own style' in during the recording after learning to play what they wrote for me. In frustration, I gave up on the writing process knowing that I would at least get to make changes in the studio to bring back the QUEENSRŸCHE sound into these songs that we were known for. The final straw was when they refused to let me to be a part of the final recordings and mixes. I was shut out and they had the nerve to replace some of my parts on my songs. They denied me flying to San Francisco to be a part of my band, telling me that everything was ready to go and I was not needed. Had the communication been better, and had I been aware that parts needed to be recorded or rewritten, I would have been there. It was not until years later that I even became aware of the issues during the final recording and mixing of 'Operation: Mindcrime II'. It was all under the control of Geoff and Susan Tate. Call it delusions of grandeur, but they were convinced that this was going to sell three times more than the original, and to date (six years later) this album has sold fewer than 150,000 copies. The original album sold over 500,000 copies within a year."

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012. Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson responded with a countersuit. The settlement included an agreement that Wilton, Rockenfield and Jackson would continue as QUEENSRŸCHE, while Tate would have the sole right to perform "Operation: Mindcrime" and "Operation: Mindcrime II" in their entirety live.

Tate's replacement, Todd La Torre, has released four albums thus far with QUEENSRŸCHE: 2013's "Queensrÿche", 2015's "Condition Hüman", 2019's "The Verdict" and 2022's "Digital Noise Alliance".

Progressive music titans DREAM THEATER have released "A Broken Man", the second single from their upcoming sixteenth studio album, "Parasomnia", due on February 7, 2025 via InsideOut Music. The LP marks the band's first release with drummer Mike Portnoy since 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings".

"A Broken Man" opens with a driving musical barrage that subsides as singer James LaBrie tells the story of a war vet who is experiencing sleep disturbances such as nightmares and insomnia, due to combat experience. The song contains audio from actual vets speaking about their personal horrors and replaying the traumatic events of wartime deployments. A visualizer for the song — created by longtime collaborator Wayne Joyner — that captures the essence of "A Broken Man" can be seen below.

"Parasomnia" was produced by guitarist John Petrucci, engineered by James "Jimmy T" Meslin, and mixed by Andy Sneap. Hugh Syme returns once again to lend his creative vision to the cover art.

From the opening track "In The Arms Of Morpheus" to the closer of "The Shadow Man Incident", DREAM THEATER returns with a collection of songs that showcase what has earned the band a loyal following for four decades. Clocking in at 71 minutes, "Parasomnia" takes the listener on a musical journey that has become synonymous with the band since the beginning of their career. "Parasomnia" is a term for disruptive, sleep-related disturbances including sleepwalking, sleep paralysis, and night terrors. Songs like "A Broken Man", "Dead Asleep", "Midnight Messiah" and "Bend The Clock" all build upon the themes brought on by the album title. The first single, "Night Terror", is a musical thrill ride captured in the just shy of ten minutes listening experience. A music video for the song — directed by Mike Leonard — can be seen below.

The track listing for "Parasomnia" is:

01. In The Arms Of Morpheus (5:22)
02. Night Terror (9:55)
03. A Broken Man (8:30)
04. Dead Asleep (11:06)
05. Midnight Messiah (7:58)
06. Are We Dreaming? (1:28)
07. Bend The Clock (7:24)
08. The Shadow Man Incident (19:32)

Portnoy co-founded DREAM THEATER in 1985 with guitarist John Petrucci and bassist John Myung. Mike played on 10 DREAM THEATER albums over a 20-year period, from 1989's "When Dream And Day Unite" through 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", before exiting the group in 2010.

Mike Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

Asked by Brazil's Marcelo Vieira and Matheus Ribeiro if DREAM THEATER's upcoming LP picks up from where the last DT album he played on, 2009's "Black Clouds & Silver Linings", left off or if it's a different thing entirely, Portnoy said: "If I'm being honest, I think it picks up right where 'Black Clouds' left off, to be honest. There's a certain style that the five of us have when we write together. And if you listen to the album with this lineup from 1999, '[Metropolis Pt. 2:] Scenes From A Memory', through 2009's 'Black Clouds & Silver Linings', if you look at that string of five or six albums, that's the sound and style of these five people. So I think that's a good indication of what you can expect with the new DREAM THEATER album. It definitely sounds like classic DREAM THEATER."

In a recent interview with U.K.'s Devolution magazine, DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess talked about the band's upcoming sixteenth album. Regarding Portnoy's reunion with DREAM THEATER, Rudess said: "I'm really excited because welcoming Mike back is a really emotional, really beautiful thing to his home, where he really should be. He's been so wonderful and very respectful of all of us in terms of — he was gone for a long time. And he has all these skills beyond drumming. So he asks, 'Do you mind if I get involved with this? Is it okay if I get involved with this?' And we're always, like, 'Yeah, man, come on, bring it on. All the stuff that you do, all the Mike Portnoy stuff is important.' And I am so happy because, you know, when I listen back to the music that we've been creating, it's got his stamp on it. You know that some of the stuff is coming from his brain."

Jordan added: "Let's say it kind of like it is. DREAM THEATER survived for 13 years without him. We did fine. We won a Grammy. We wrote a lot of good music. We had a fantastic drummer. All that's good. But he came back, and now you will feel it in the music, you will hear it in the songs, you will see it when we're going out and playing live. It's unmistakable. This guy, he's who he is. He's a big character. He's very, very talented. Great drummer. Really great thinker about all the different elements that go into musical-visual creation. And this album we're working on just emits that. Everyone will know as soon as they hear it. So I'm really super excited about it, and all of it it's great."

In July, Rudess was asked by Chris Akin Presents how the upcoming DREAM THEATER album compares to the rest of the band's discography. Jordan said: "Well, let's put it this way. There's this undeniable, almost unexplainable or inexplainable, whatever the word is, type of thing that happens with drummers. We survived beautifully in the 13 years that Mike Portnoy was not there. Mike Mangini was a supreme drummer, just incredible. And that said, all the albums with Portnoy, all the albums with Mangini, they have different flavors, because there's something about the back beat, if you will, of a band and the drummer that just gives an energy to the whole thing. And a lot of people speak of that. It's kind of hard to pin down. But you really notice it. Like on this new album, I listen to it and I go, 'Okay, I feel the Portnoy energy back there.'

"I would say what I'm hearing personally is classic kind of DREAM THEATER, whatever that means to anybody that's listening," he continued. "You'll have to wait and see. Think of it this way: the core band is back together again. It's classic DREAM THEATER. I also like to point out that we are a bunch of guys that we take what we do very, very seriously. We put every ounce, every bit of effort, energy into everything we do. We care so much about it, each and every one of us.

"The other day, I was talking to John Petrucci in the studio when I was doing my keyboard parts. And we were really deep and working really hard and spending long hours and just getting things to where we feel they're really, really right. And I said to John, I said, 'John, look at what we're doing. We're here late. We're working like crazy. Why? We could have been making pop music. Why are we doing this?' Just to really understand, because a lot of people don't put the kind of effort, I guess, especially these days when there tends to be a different kind of work ethic around, and maybe we're kind of like old school in that way. But to produce a product, to make something that's gonna last, that is gonna be shared with a large number of people, that's just gonna live on, in a way, forever, that, to us, is a really serious thing. And as artists, we're trying to make a statement."

Circling back to Portnoy's influence on the new DREAM THEATER music, Jordan said: "One of the beautiful things is Mike has brought with him all his incredible skills. He's not a guy who just plays the drums really well. He also understands this business. I always like to say that he's got kind of like a film director's mentality, he's looking at everything from a conceptual point of view, and he has skills that the rest of us don't. I mean, yes, we survived fine [without Portnoy], we did really well, we won a Grammy [while he was out of the band] and all that, but there's a magic there that we now have back. It's cool — it's really cool. We're super excited."

On Tuesday, January 14, 2025, original GREAT WHITE singer Jack Russell's longtime friends Lita Ford, Joey Allen (WARRANT) and Jerry Dixon (WARRANT) will perform the GREAT WHITE songs Jack made famous at a special tribute concert at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Comedian/actor Hal Sparks ("Queer As Folk", "Dude Where's My Car") joins the lineup to host the celebration of the life and music of Russell. More friends and special guests will be announced in the coming weeks.

Friends, family, and fans will come together for a special evening of music and memories in honor of Russell's remarkable legacy. This all-star tribute will celebrate Jack's immense contributions to rock and roll and showcase the vibrant spirit and humor that made him unforgettable.

Presale tickets:

* General: $35
* VIP package: $125
* VIP booths: $500 and up, including $100 food/drink credit and more

Show times:

* Doors for VIP 6:00 p.m.
* Doors for GA 7:00 p.m.
* Show 8:00 p.m.

Proceeds from the event will be donated to organizations supporting Lewy body dementia and MSA research, keeping Jack's memory alive through support for those affected by these conditions.

Russell's death was announced by his family in a social media statement on August 15.

The news of Jack's passing came less than a month after he announced that he was retiring from touring following a diagnosis of Lewy body dementia.

Russell was performing with his version of GREAT WHITE when a pyrotechnics display sparked a nightclub fire that killed 100 people at a 2003 concert in Rhode Island. At the time of the fire, the group that was on the road was called JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE. Guitarist Mark Kendall, who founded GREAT WHITE with Russell in 1982, later said he was asked to join Russell and his solo band on the tour to help boost attendance. Guitarist Ty Longley died in the blaze.

Russell exited GREAT WHITE in December 2011 after he was unable to tour with the group due a series of injuries, including a perforated bowel and a shattered pelvis. Jack largely blamed these injuries on his alcohol and painkiller addictions as well as the prednisone drug he was prescribed.

Russell sued his onetime bandmates in 2012 over their continued use of the GREAT WHITE name after Jack had taken a leave of absence from the band for medical reasons. A short time later, Russell was countersued by Kendall, rhythm guitarist/keyboardist Michael Lardie and drummer Audie Desbrow, claiming the vocalist's self-destructive behavior was damaging the GREAT WHITE name (they also alleged he was charging promoters less for his own touring version of GREAT WHITE). The parties settled in July 2013 without going to trial, with Russell most recently performing as JACK RUSSELL'S GREAT WHITE while the others are continuing as GREAT WHITE.

In October 2022, GREAT WHITE officially named Brett Carlisle as its new lead singer. Carlisle joined the band as the replacement for Andrew Freeman, who sang for GREAT WHITE for only five months.

Carlisle made his live debut with GREAT WHITE on September 24, 2022 at the Cannery Casino Hotel in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Russell's autobiography, titled "The True Tale Of Mista Bone: A Rock + Roll Narrative", was released earlier this year via Gatekeeper Press. Penned by author Katelyn Louise "K.L." Doty, it features a sentimental foreword by Lita Ford, with additional commentary from Eric Singer, Eddie Trunk, John Kalodner, Kip Winger and others. The book, with a cover photo by legendary rock photographer Mark Weiss, is available in paperback, hardcover and e-book form.

For more information, visit www.jackrussellbook.com.

Photo courtesy of Frontiers Music Srl

SAVE THE DATE:
We will be honoring our Captain Jack Russell in a Celebration Of Life concert event, being held at the...

Posted by Once Bitten on Friday, November 1, 2024

After eight amazing years, Navigator Games has announced that IRON MAIDEN's Legacy Of The Beast free-to-play mobile game will finally be coming to a close.

Iron Maiden: Legacy Of The Beast first launched in 2016. Players battle as Eddie, MAIDEN's famed undead mascot, in his many forms across amazing worlds inspired by IRON MAIDEN's rich imagery and music. Eddie's quest to gather the pieces of his fragmented soul sees him fighting legions of unrelenting enemies and teaming up with powerful heroes pulled straight from IRON MAIDEN lore. IRON MAIDEN was intimately involved in character creation and story content, ensuring everything lives up to the MAIDEN name and brings their vision to life. The game also featured monthly dungeons and special events where players could participate to earn rare rewards and new characters based on MAIDEN songs or themes. These have included the demon-infested Infernal Dungeon, Halloween Dungeons such as Dracula's Castle, and the foreboding Raven's Altar guarded by the fearsome Raven Witch.

Navigator Games says: "As the band's 2023/24 'The Future Past' tour concludes in Brazil this weekend, we're reminded of this games' incredible achievements — notably having a tour inspired by, and named after, it. Complete with multiple onstage worlds, the IRON MAIDEN 'Legacy Of The Beast' tour played to over three million fans, running from 2018 to 2022, circumnavigating the globe — headlining some of the biggest festivals and stadiums, including Rock In Rio, Hellfest, Download and Wacken Open Air, to name but a few. It was by far the most exciting and ambitious way to promote a video game ever — contributing to its incredible longevity and popularity with over six million players as the greatest heavy metal game ever.

"As far as the future goes, our team is continuing to work on new projects with IRON MAIDEN that we are excited to share with you somewhere down the line. We must, however, bid farewell to this chapter first and to do that we want to celebrate the incredible legacy that we've all built together with you. So now it's time to dust off those flight cases one last time and end with a bang and a momentous end of tour party!

"Come with us on a 4-week celebration of Legacy Of The Beast! Starting today we'll be sharing epic milestones, memories, and honoring the game's impact on the world with our amazing community of players. Additionally, we are celebrating with in-game additions such as exclusive character giveaways, powerful unreleased cosmic talismans, legends characters, and increased soul odds on rare and legendary souls. Read the tuning notes below for further details. Collect your celebration pack in store now!

"We want to thank all of our Troopers for their loyalty, passion and dedication by making this the most legendary celebration of IRON MAIDEN and our game Legacy Of The Beast.

"Here's what you need to know:

"Cash only in-app purchases are removed, free giveaway packs have been added and are available all month.

"All in-game currency should be used by December 31, 2024, as Iron Maiden: Legacy Of The Beast will neither be downloadable nor playable after that date.

"Thank you for your continued commitment and passion for all things IRON MAIDEN."

Founded in 2016, Navigator Games is home to a dynamic and enthusiastic team of video game developers based out of Vancouver, Canada. The studio's mission is to create truly unique and engaging video games that push the boundaries. This talented team is built upon a wealth of experience accumulated from Activision, EA Games, Ubisoft, Microsoft, Disney, GREE, Radical, Hothead, Acronym, Capcom and IUGO.

Even the most incredible journeys come to an end. Today we announce that after 8 amazing years, Iron Maiden Legacy Of...

Posted by Iron Maiden: Legacy of the Beast on Monday, December 2, 2024

MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE has commented on the passing of the band's former drummer Bob Bryar.

Bryar was found dead at his home in Tennessee on November 26. Law enforcement sources told the outlet the 44-year-old musician was last seen alive on Nov. 4.

A medical examiner is investigating the cause and manner of Bryar's death, TMZ reported.

Earlier today (Monday, December 2),MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE released the following statement via social media: "It is with a heavy heart that we say goodbye to Bob Bryar, our former bandmate and an important part of the history of MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE.

"We send our deepest condolences to his friends and family at this time.

"May he rest in peace."

Bryar joined MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE in 2004 as the replacement for the band's original drummer Matt Pelissier. He performed and recorded music with MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE on all of the band's subsequent releases, including the classic album "The Black Parade", until his departure in 2010.

On March 3, 2010, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE guitarist Frank revealed that Bob had left the band. In an official statement on the band's web site, he wrote: "As of 4 weeks ago, MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE and Bob Bryar parted ways.

"This was a painful decision for all of us to make and was not taken lightly. We wish him the best of luck in his future endeavors and expect you all to do the same."

In 2015, Bob opened up about his exit from MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, writing in a social media post: "It's been about five years since I was kicked out of MY CHEM, I became the most depressed, angry, suicidal person ever. Now, I am on so many pills that I feel a bit better, although, it still (b)others me every day. In a recent conversation, I was told I won't be back."

Bryar retired from the music industry in 2014 and pursued a career as an estate agent.

Photo credit: Chapman Baehler

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SHADOWS FALL will release a new single "In The Grey", this Friday, December 6. A teaser for the track's accompanying video is available below.

This past August, SHADOWS FALL frontman Brian Fair told Sh!t Talk Reviews that he and his bandmates had "something locked up" in the way of a record deal for the band's new music. "I don't know if I'm allowed to announce yet, but we definitely have a great partner for the music," he said. "We have a very progressive kind of view. They're gonna let us kind of release it in a way that makes sense. So, yeah, we're very excited that we got kind of the infrastructure."

He continued: "It's very different now. The traditional sort of record deal, it doesn't have to be the way it used to be. There was such an industry standard of, like, record a full-length, tour for a year and a half, record a full-length, tour for a year and a half, that kind of cycle. And it's been totally decimated now, 'cause you don't need to do the… The first-week [sales] numbers don't mean what they used to, all that type of shit. So it's cool. But, yeah, we've got a good partnership that hopefully we can announce soon."

Regarding the progress of the songwriting sessions for the fresh SHADOWS FALL material, Brian said: "I'm very excited to be making new SHADOWS FALL music, which we'd always thought would happen, but didn't know for sure. When we kind of stopped touring, it wasn't 'cause we didn't wanna make music together or didn't want to play. We were so burnt out. Life was taking different turns. People were having kids. Jon [Donais, SHADOWS FALL guitarist] ended up in ANTHRAX, so he was in the 'Big Four' [of 1980s thrash metal] all of a sudden. So once we finally got together to start playing shows again a few years ago, the idea of new music came up almost right away. And Jon just had a stockpile of riffs. And so far we've probably, instrumentally, got, say, seven-ish songs recorded that are pretty done. I know there's gonna be some overdubs and some candy tracks. Vocally, I've recorded two all the way through that are done and then have probably four more that are written that are, I'd say, 90 percent there. There's always changes while we track, like little new ideas that pop up, but it's going along super well.

"We're gonna take our time, 'cause there's really no deadline involved," he explained. "Also, I don't think we're gonna release it all at once. I think now, thankfully, modern ways of doing things, you don't have to just drop a 10-song album. You can do a few just like little chunks here and there. So we're hoping to probably get some music out late fall, I'm hoping, at least a couple songs. And my plan, if it all goes according to me, would be to do that, drop two or three songs every chunk and then put 'em all out on vinyl at the end like as one. So in my world, that's what we're doing. We'll see if it actually happens. But, yeah, getting back with [producer] Zeuss [Chris Harris] is just awesome. We've been working with him, really, since the demos before [2000's] 'Of One Blood' [album]. And we're recording most of it at Matt's [Bachand, SHADOWS FALL guitarist] house as well. So when I get back to Massachusetts, it's super comfortable, just get in his basement and just work on tunes. And it's been a blast… So hopefully things keep moving the way they are and we'll get some new tunes out hopefully before the end of the year. That's if everything goes perfect."

Noting that SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner recently announced his departure from OVERKILL, one of the Sh!t Talk Reviews interviewers then asked if it is "safe to say" that SHADOWS FALL "is back" and is "not going to go anywhere anytime soon." Brian responded: "It's not going anywhere, but I don't think we'll ever be the full-time touring band we were. It's a lot of family stuff and people have just got different things going on. Jon, being in ANTHRAX, that's gonna be kind of his main gig most of the time. Jason, yeah, he left OVERKILL, but he's also got CATEGORY 7 with John Bush and Phil Demmel and all those guys, and that new record's killer. So they'll be busy with that. But we're definitely gonna keep playing shows. We're gonna keep doing festivals. We probably will hopefully do some short tours here and there, especially when new music comes out, but we're gonna kind of pick and choose our battles, which is, again, also a nice place to be in.

"When the band was our full-time job, you couldn't stay at home for too long or there wasn't gonna be a home to come home to," Fair explained. "You've gotta go out and grind. So it's nice to not have that pressure, but also to do it because it's fun again. Each show that we've done have all been blockbusters in our minds because there's just enough time between each one that you get that excited again. It ramps up and then it's just like an explosion.

"Me personally, I was so burnt out by the time we stopped touring in 2015. We'd been on a 15-year run where I hadn't been home for more than a few weeks through that whole thing. And physically, my neck was shot, my back was shot. I was burnt mentally as well, so it was time to come home for a while. But then, now I'm, like, 'Okay, cool. Let's go have some fun.'"

"The only way to survive in a band like us… We're not gonna sell 10 million records and have all that stuff," Brian added. "So you've gotta go out there and stay on the road to keep your name in front of people, keep everything exciting. You've gotta sell t-shirts — that's how you make your money, [by staying] out there on the road. And, yeah, if a label is gonna spend a bunch of money to drop a record and do videos, they're, like, 'You've gotta go promote it now. You've gotta get out there and hit it.'

"What's driving us to record now is that we love the songs we're writing. It's not 'cause there's a deadline. And the shows we're playing is because we're just, like, 'That sounds like a party, man. Let's do it.'"

Elaborating on how he and his SHADOWS FALL bandmates chose their new record-label partner, Brian said: "It's totally changed things where they've kind of realized their best role is as a promotional partner and a manufacturer, if you're doing vinyl or whatever. CDs, they still make 'em, I guess, but not in the numbers they used to. And a lot of them downsized, because they had to. So it's more about partnering with the band and label relationship and finding a way to make it make sense for everyone.

"The old model doesn't work," the 49-year-old singer, who now lives in St. Louis, Missouri with his wife and their two kids, added. "It's broken. You can't just throw money at things and think it's gonna hit. People have too many choices. You can put out music yourself, so there's definitely an oversaturation, unfortunately, as well because of that. So there's just so much content, you've gotta find new and innovative ways to share it and keep it special. And I think the labels that are surviving and thriving are the ones who are flexible, willing to evolve, willing to work with the artists' vision as opposed to just, 'Cool, man. Let's stick to the old method.'"

Fair and his SHADOWS FALL bandmates have played a number of reunion concerts so far, including at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, Virginia, at the Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, and at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

The long-running Massachusetts-based metallers, who were at the forefront of the New Wave Of American Metal scene that dominated the '00s, celebrated the 20th anniversary of their "The War Within" album by playing the LP in its entirety on March 16 at the Starland Ballroom in Sayreville, New Jersey, the site of the band's many classic shows. It also marked the first time the band has performed in the Garden State in a decade.

In a recent interview with the WSOU 89.5 FM radio station, Fair stated about SHADOWS FALL's new music: "You can tell it's SHADOWS FALL, but, man, it's got new vibes, it's got new influences and it's just kind of a very fresh approach.

"When we first started working on it, we were worried," Brian admitted. "We were, like, 'Is this gonna sound like us?' We hadn't written songs together in five to six years, where it's gonna be. And, man, right out of the gate, we were, like, 'This is the SHADS. We're back.'"

Elaborating on the musical direction of the new SHADOWS FALL material, Fair said: "Honestly, it's gonna be everything that we've always done, plus more. And we're probably about — I'd say we've got six or seven songs that are actually songs. They're still gonna get some some tweaks here and there, with a few other ideas still floating around that need to be worked on."

He continued: "But I'm super excited about these songs. I've also been pushing myself as a singer to really expand my range to try new ideas, and having the time to work through that has been really helpful. 'Cause even when SHADOWS FALL was doing downtime, I was doing different projects and trying to really bring some new elements to what I do, and I'm putting all that into this record. So it'll sound like SHADOWS FALL, but there'll definitely be some some new interesting ideas and approaches and stuff. So it's really exciting."

He added: "For us, it's just been great to be back in the room jamming on new material, 'cause when we got together to do these [reunion] shows, when we're rehearsing, we were, like, 'If we're putting this work in, why not see what happens with new music?' And I couldn't be happier with how it's coming out. So, really exciting."

Last December, Fair told RichardMetalFan about SHADOWS FALL's decision to reunite: "We'd wanted to play shows again for a while and we just wanted the time to be right. And once the pandemic kind of hit, we sort of realized, like, 'Why are we waiting around? It's the time.' So we were lucky that we were able to kind of get everyone's schedules together. And it was incredible. As soon as we started jamming together again, it just felt fun, it felt right. So the shows were a blast. We really rehearsed like crazy for it. And we're probably better prepared for that than anything we'd ever been for before that. And we also realized, like, man, we should have been practicing more when we were together. We used to hate practicing. We always were, like, 'Ah, we tour enough. We don't need to.' And then after we practiced a bunch, we were, like, 'All right. Maybe we really should have.' [Laughs] But then also when we started practicing, we figured if we have ideas, why not write new music as well? If we're gonna get together, let's see what we've got. So that started leading to some new stuff. So [I'm] looking forward to seeing where it heads."

Asked if the next SHADOWS FALL release will be stylistically similar to the band's last album, 2012's "Fire From The Sky", or if it will be "a new beginning" for the band, Brian said: "If you heard these songs, you'd be, like, 'Oh, that's SHADOWS FALL.' But no, it doesn't sound like… It's different. It definitely sounds different."

Fair previously discussed SHADOWS FALL's plans for new music during an episode of "Drinks With Johnny", the Internet TV show hosted by AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ. At the time, he said: "We're pretty deep into the process. I'd say I'm kind of a slacker, but I'm really focusing on getting things as good as I can vocally because we have no agenda. We have no time frame. We have no record label pressure. We're just trying to write the best music we can. And it all kind of came about as we started jamming to do the reunion shows. And these guys have — Jon's been playing in ANTHRAX and Jason's been playing in OVERKILL, so their chops are still at top-notch level. But they had riffs, man. And I was, like, 'If we've got riffs and they sound like SHADOWS FALL, if we're gonna get together and jam, let's make some new music.'"

He continued: "It's been a blast, man. It's funny, 'cause the older we've gotten, it's gotten a little more brutal, which was not a surprise, 'cause I just figured that would happen. We're, like, 'If we're gonna do it, we're gonna drop the hammer.' So it's been fun, man. I forgot how much of a riff machine Jon was. And he's just like — ideas are just flying out of him. And also in ANTHRAX, he just gets to solo in the studio. So he's just, like, 'Finally I get to write some riffs.' [Laughs]"

In July 2023, Bittner told the "Nothing Shocking Podcast" about SHADOWS FALL's decision to work with Zeuss again: "[Zeuss] did all of our records except for… Well, he had a hand in all of them except for 'Fire From The Sky'… So he's always been involved with SHADOWS FALL in some way, shape or form. Once this whole reunion thing kind of morphed from being just a one-show thing, we started talking with him, 'cause he still lives two minutes away from Paul [Romanko, bass]. So, it's, like, 'All right. Well, if you guys are getting back together, what's the next step? Are we making another record?' We're, like, 'Well, we don't know.' And he was, like, 'Whatever we're doing, let's get on it.' So kind of, like, we just sort of figured, 'We don't have any money to pay you, because we don't have any money because we don't have a record label or anything.' But he was just, like, 'Well, let's just start doing this and let's do it together.'"

SHADOWS FALL released a statement in August 2014 in which the bandmembers explained that financial difficulties made it virtually impossible for the group to continue as a full-time concern.

In August 2015, SHADOWS FALL played a few reunion shows on the U.S. East Coast, one year after completing what was being billed at the time as the band's "final" European tour.

"Fire From The Sky" was released in May 2012 via Razor & Tie. The CD sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart.

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Modern Drummer magazine's readers have voted former SEPULTURA and current SLIPKNOT drummer Eloy Casagrande as the No. 1 metal drummer in the publication's 2024 Readers' Poll.

Earlier today, Eloy released the following statement via social media: "I'm glad that I was nominated as the best metal drummer of 2024 by Modern Drummer magazine. Thank everyone who voted for me.

"I'd like you to know that I'm not the best one. There is no good or bad in music or in arts, but I'm lucky enough to I have people that support me and who like what I do.

"Thank you, Modern Drummer, for the service you do for the drumming community. Thank you SLIPKNOT and the maggots for trusting me. See you all on the road."

After parting ways with Jay Weinberg in November 2023, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer nine months ago, posting a photo of a single broken drumstick online with the caption "Rehearsal."

The band explained in a statement that the split with Weinberg was a creative decision. Jay followed up with a statement of his own, saying that he was "heartbroken and blindsided" by his dismissal.

Weinberg has since joined SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and INFECTIOUS GROOVES.

Casagrande abruptly quit SEPULTURA 10 months ago, shortly before he was supposed to begin rehearsals for the band's recently launched 40th-anniversary farewell tour.

"February 6th, a few days prior to the first rehearsal, drummer Eloy Casagrande informed the band that he was leaving SEPULTURA to pursue a career in another project," the band said in a statement.

Casagrande joined SEPULTURA more than 13 years ago as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

SLIPKNOT's latest album "The End, So Far", arrived in August 2022. It marked the band's the last full-length LP before the departure of both keyboardist Craig Jones, who left the group in June 2023, and Weinberg.

SLIPKNOT recently completed the North American portion of the "Here Comes The Pain" tour. The band was celebrating the 25th anniversary of its seminal debut album, "Slipknot", which catapulted the band back in 1999. The "Here Comes The Pain" tour, produced by Live Nation, included arena plays nationwide this past summer. Highlights included New York City's Madison Square Garden, Los Angeles's Intuit Dome, Austin's Moody Center and more with direct support from Kentucky's young and vibrant hardcore/metal forerunners KNOCKED LOOSE. ORBIT CULTURE and VENDED also provided support on select dates.

In an interview with Tone-Talk, SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root spoke about how Casagrande came to join SLIPKNOT and his impact on the band's overall sound. He said: "We didn't even try anybody else. Eloy's name came up. He contacted us, actually, about wanting to be a part of it and started sending a bunch of videos in. I think him and our bass player [Alessandro 'Vman' Venturella] might've had a little bit of a relationship before. I think they knew each other. They had mutual friends. And Vman's really in tune with a lot of really great, proggy, heavy musicians that are passionate about their instruments. And it just seemed like a no-brainer. And he's really respectful of the legacy of [SLIPKNOT's original drummer, the late] Joey [Jordison], and Joey was a huge influence on him. And he's so humble. The dude has so much humility. And you could tell he just lives and breathes his craft, to the point where I see his passion and it ignites my passion for my instrument. And Brazilians, South Americans in general, are so passionate about what they do. Our manager told me, he was out to dinner with four or five promoters from South America, and they were all really stoked. They're all, like, 'It's so good you've got a Brazilian drummer in SLIPKNOT now. We kind of feel like we've won the World Cup.' It's a cool feeling. And God, he just fits in so well. I don't know, man. I mean, there's a lot of things I can say about it. I'm just glad it happened when it did. And we're lucky to have him — we are really lucky to have that dude."

For its 2024 gigs so far, SLIPKNOT adopted a classic look, bringing back the 1999 red jumpsuits and elements of their early masks into their modern versions, tying into the fact that SLIPKNOT is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year.

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In a new interview with Shawn Ratches of Laughingmonkeymusic, VENOM INC. bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan weighed in on guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn's announcement that he was not planning to return to the band. Tony said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "For those of you who don't know, and I assume most of you do, but, unfortunately, a few years ago, Jeff took a major heart attack and we lost him. But they managed to bring him back to life; they saved him. Of course, I was next day in Portugal beside his bed, immediately from London, and we got him back up and going again. And I think his mind, it took a hit because it's not every day you die and then come back to life and think, 'What the fuck?' So, yeah, scary, scary, scary, scary stuff. But he got his shit back together and was working through it all. And we ended up back on stage. So everything was going well. And then not last season, but the season before, we went to America. We had two [tour] halves to do. We did part one, and then his wife got diagnosed — got real sick — with something that could have been terminal. So they went into panic mode and, of course, they live in Portugal, and they don't have a lot of friends who live near them who are English. So the focus had to be on looking after her. So we decided, okay, that's the thing to do. We decided to maybe get a dep guitarist in. It was a bit last minute, so he could stay home. So there was an idea to cancel, but, of course, the whole tour had been booked as a single thing and just split into two. So that was going to be a bit complicated. So, I put a call out to Mike Hickey, who, of course, had been in VENOM for 'Calm Before The Storm' and the CRONOS band and was a friend, and said, 'If Jeff couldn't do it, is there any way maybe you could step in just to help us out?' Of course, he said yes straight away. He lives in Boston. So, I put him with Jeff and they worked on some of the material, some of the finer points… So things were good. [Jeff] was getting then ready to do — the first festival we had was in Belgium for the next season. Of course, that was close to home, so him and his partner decided that that would be okay for him to do. The idea was to get him in and get him out as fast as possible, so he didn't have to panic about her being by herself too long. And then we would do a call and three days went by and I hadn't heard from him. And I texted him and he said he was in hospital. And I thought, 'Oh my God. Something's happened to his partner.' So I called straight away and he said no, it was him. And I was, like, 'Why are you in hospital?' He went, 'I had another heart attack.' And it was, like, 'No.' So at that point it was, like, 'Shit.' He was already reeling from the first one. We assumed that was it, [that] it wouldn't happen again because he was on meds and stuff, but it happened again. So his mind just totally went to shit and hit panic and the fear set in"

Tony continued: "If [Jeff] goes, he wants to go on his own in his own slippers. He doesn't wanna be running through an airport somewhere across the other side of the planet. And I totally get that. We're all human. So the idea was to just, 'Take your time. You just take all the time you need. I'll continue with the [VENOM INC.] obligations.' Because when you do a band on this level, you get money from your record label in advance and from your publisher in advance, and they want that money back. And the way you make it back these days is by touring to push the music which sells to pay them back their money. So even if I decided, 'Oh, well, fuck it. I'll not do it either,' we'd be leaving a bit of debt that these people might want back. So I would continue. Fortunately, I used Curran Murphy from 72 LEGIONS, who was happy to come in and dep until Mantas got back fit, so we could do the shores that Mike Hickey wasn't able to come out of America for personal reasons. So, that was it. We were set to do that. And we've never hidden the fact that we've got the door open for Jeff because he's my brother. And we've been through so much together. But I wasn't prepared to try and put him in a headlock or to try and force him into a corner where he had to make a decision because he's sick and he had to take his own time to make his own decision."

Addressing Dunn's social media post in which the guitarist announced his exit from VENOM INC., Dolan said: "I know that yesterday was quite shocking — he made this statement, and everybody's picked up on that — but it may not be forever. He may feel, in a year's time, he feels great and wants to do it again. He will produce music in his studio because that's what he does. And that's his therapy and that's great. And his social media he was doing, that was his therapy. So that was all good. When he stopped doing that, I thought maybe that's not the best thing to do. And as much as, in my heart, I would like him to still be doing the tour and the shows, even through the whole season, we did Indonesia, we did all of South America, Colombia, Chile, Peru, Brazil, Mexico, Romania, Poland — I mean, we did huge shows, half a million people in Poland, 18,000 in Indonesia; I mean, it's huge shows; every night in South America, I think it was three to six thousand people. So we did these incredible things and I wanted him to be there. But you have to feel good about it. And he didn't feel good about it. So he had to sit it out and I had to accept that."

Dunn formed VENOM INC. nearly a decade ago with two other former VENOM members, Dolan and drummer Antony "Abaddon" Bray.

In his announcement that he was leaving VENOM INC., Dunn said that his "health and wellbeing are of paramount importance to myself and my family," but added that "there are also more personal issues which have influenced my decision."

This past May, Dunn revealed that he had suffered another heart attack on the morning of April 17. Despite this frightening event, the swift response from medical professionals at Abrantes UCIC and later in Lisbon ensured he received the necessary care promptly. An angiogram revealed issues with two valves, leading to the immediate placement of two stents.

The 63-year-old British-born musician, who currently resides with his wife in Portugal, previously suffered a heart attack and underwent a double bypass surgery in May 2018.

Mantas sat out VENOM INC.'s fall 2023 U.S. tour after revealing that his wife had been diagnosed with cancer. He was replaced on the trek by Hickey, known for his work with VENOM, CARCASS, CATHEDRAL and CRONOS.

Earlier this year, VENOM INC. recruited Marc "JXN" Jackson as the band's new drummer. Jackson was previously a member of M:PIRE OF EVIL, the group formed in 2010 by Dunn and Dolan.

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the Conrad "Cronos" Lant-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

VENOM's classic lineup trio of Dunn, Lant and drummer Anthony "Abaddon" Bray recorded four studio LPs, "Welcome To Hell" (1981),"Black Metal" (1982),"At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985),and live album, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM is still fronted by Cronos and headlines festivals all over the globe and continues to release new music while Dunn and Dolan had joined forces in the similarly named VENOM INC.

Photo credit: Fernando Serani (courtesy of Nuclear Blast)

In a new interview with Chile's Power Of Metal, DRAGONFORCE guitarist Herman Li spoke about the band's latest addition, bassist/vocalist Alicia Vigil (VIGIL OF WAR). Alicia joined DRAGONFORCE in early 2020 as the replacement for longtime bassist Frédéric Leclercq, who left the band in August 2019.

"Every time there's a change of formation, it had to be done, for the band," Herman explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Our old bass player, Fred — we love Fred, but he wanted to join one of his favorite bands, KREATOR, which is totally cool with us.

"Alicia's been the band for more than four years now, funny enough, so she's well established in the band now," Herman continued. "And we jell really well, we play really well together… But yeah, it's been great so far. I think this is the happiest the band has ever been, actually, together since I remember.

"I would say the happiest time I can remember a band is when they first start early in their career, when they still have that beginning, that dream that is coming alive in them. And right now we're just having a great time," Li added. "I have no complaints. I'm in the happiest time I've ever been."

Li also reflected on DRAGONFORCE's 25-year history, starting in 1999 when the band was formed under the name DRAGONHEART and released its first and only demo, "Valley Of The Damned", independently in 2000.

"Looking back, when we first started the band in 1999 — that was when we were called [DRAGONHEART], when we were making demos — we were just basically a band having fun," Herman said. "No thinking about having a career to do it. And then the first album came out in 2003, which was under [the name] DRAGONFORCE. I would say I've seen a lot throughout the last how many years now. And I think to become — I don't know — respected or legendary or whatever you want to call it… [Laughs] 'Legendary' sounds cool because we're called DRAGONFORCE. I don't think I'm legendary, just so you know. We use that word because it sounds epic. You have to go through the time where you get hated by people when you first come out and become famous. When you break through the scene and become well-known around the world, you have to get your time of getting hated by people, and then afterwards they go away, have kids or don't listen to metal anymore, get on with their lives, then you re-establish yourself as… You do what you do, you're never gonna go away. And we love what we do, and we have our unique way of doing it. That's kind of what you have to do. That's how I feel like. Yeah, you've gotta have ups and downs to know the path, the real path."

This past May, DRAGONFORCE teamed up with "Brawl Stars", a hit multiplayer mobile game with over one billion downloads, to celebrate a brand new character entering the game with a new song, "A Draco Tale", and music video.

DRAGONFORCE's latest album, "Warp Speed Warriors", was released in March via Napalm Records.

On "Warp Speed Warriors", DRAGONFORCE — composed of of guitar virtuosos and founding members Li and Sam Totman, singer Marc Hudson, bassist Alicia Vigil and drummer Gee Anzalone — explore a wider range of varying musical styles than ever before, evolving their sound throughout the exciting musical journey while still staying true to their roots.

"Warp Speed Warriors" was produced, mixed and mastered by Damien Rainaud at Mix Unlimited in Los Angeles, California with Sam Totman and Herman Li.

DRAGONFORCE's platinum-selling single "Through The Fire And Flames" brought the London-based Grammy-nominated extreme power metal group international acclaim and was featured as the most challenging song on "Guitar Hero III".

In March 2019, the "Through The Fire And Flames" music video reached a new milestone: it surpassed one hundred million views on YouTube — DRAGONFORCE's first music video to do so.

"Through The Fire And Flames" is the leadoff track from 2006's "Inhuman Rampage" album, which was officially certified gold in July 2017 by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for sales in excess of half a million copies.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn