In a new interview with Rodrigo Altaf of Sonic Perspectives, SABATON frontman Joakim Brodén was asked if he and his bandmates are bothered by the fact that not many people are paying for music nowadays and whether it affects their mindset while working on new albums. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Nah, not really. Well, yeah, I agree in that sense — it's a shame that nobody values… There's a lot of people who value music, but the general public, in many cases, see it as background noise today. However, in the metal scene, I think there are enough people who care about it. And we don't wanna be a band who's living off what we did 20 years ago. We're still young and sharp enough to be able to produce decent tracks every now and then. So, we figured for as long as we can and want to, we wanna keep this going. I mean, it's not like it's something bad. We enjoy recording music. We enjoy writing music. We enjoy touring. And if we can make a living out of that, we're gonna keep doing it."

After Altaf suggested that bands like SABATON have to find new ways to generate revenue that doesn't involve sale of their music, Joakim concurred. "Yeah, absolutely," he said. "I mean, in a sense, it's a big part of the income that's gone. The days of a really high fees for shows, they're still there, but there's so many people in between squeezing there, and there's a percentage on the merchandise to be paid, so I know a lot of a lot of tours these days wouldn't be economically viable if it wasn't for VIP experiences. It could be people who want early access, special seating, stuff like that. Unfortunately, I think it's a shame, but it's the way it is. We can't run the business. We can only accept the facts and deal with it, unfortunately."

Back in December 2022, Brodén spoke to AndrewHaug.com about the realities of post-pandemic touring, including increased travel expenses — gas, tour buses, hotels and flight costs. He said: "It's tricky in a sense… A lot of us — not only us, but a lot of bands — have tours with tickets sold a long time ago that have been postponed. And those tickets are sold with a special calculation in mind, that these are our costs, and that's what we need to be able to make. So there's the reason as well for a lot of bands that even if they sold out a show, they're gonna lose money because of the increased costs. So it is a bit of a struggle for a lot of bands. Luckily enough, we're not in danger of becoming bankrupt, so for us it's more of a situation — luckily enough — that we aren't really making much money but we aren't, on the other hand, on the brink of extinction either."

SABATON recently announced that over 700 cinemas spanning 26 territories are taking part in the global premiere of their explosive concert film "Sabaton - The Tour To End All Tours" in Europe. The event will also land in nearly 500 North American cinemas for two nights only — October 30 and October 31. Go here to find the cinema and screening location nearest you and to purchase tickets.

Other participating countries include Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Romania, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, and the U.K.

The "Sabaton - The Tour To End All Tours" concert film was recorded at the sold-out Ziggo Dome in Amsterdam, where 16,000 fans gathered to watch the band during their 2023 European tour.

SABATON is currently serving as main support to JUDAS PRIEST on the legendary heavy metal band's fall 2024 North American tour.

In the more than two decades since their launch, SABATON have achieved quadruple-platinum sales, headlined major festivals and sold-out arena concerts across the globe, and earned a legion of loyal fans by carving out a reputation as one of the hardest working bands in rock. SABATON combines standout stage design and production with epic concept albums, linking real-life historical war events with classic kick-ass metal. To date, the band has released ten studio albums, amassed six gold, two platinum and one four-times-platinum awards, seen eight of its albums score Top 10 international chart status, and six claim the Top 5. The band has earned eight Metal Hammer/Golden Gods Awards nominations, taking home the award for "Breakthrough Artist" in 2011 and "Best Live Band" in three different years, and a Grammis nomination (Swedish equivalent to the U.S. Grammy) as "Best Heavy Metal" band. SABATON has also accumulated more than two billion streams across all streaming platforms.

Pestilent Scars is a five-piece melodic death metal band from Oulu, Finland. All members are between 18 and 19 years old, and he band's central themes focus on melodic songwriting, pure emotion, tight gigs and overall the old school way of getting around.


The band will release their debut album, Meadows Of Misfortune, on January 17th, 2025 via Inverse Records. The second single, "A Reaching Hand" is out today and it's available on all essential streaming services here.


Guitarist / songwriter Elias Vierimaa comments:




"Mostly my writing comes straight from the heart. When I write music it has to come naturally. Melodies are very important to me and that's why we have lot of melodic riffs in our songs. It tells you a story, it's not basic death metal. I feel like I can show much more about myself with melodies. It's something that I do. I don't think a lot about which bands have inspired me, but i have to say that gothenburg's melodic death metal scene from 90's has inspired me a lot. But our music still has that Finnish melancholy. Both Finnish and Swedish melodic death metal is very important to me."





Pestilent Scars was born in the winter of 2022 / 2023. The

A sonic evolution is about to being – moments come that mark the dawn of a renaissance, a rebirth through frames of raw sound and throbbing industrial pulse. Today, such a moment unfurls as Season Of Mist welcomes Your Inland Empire, the entity once known as Crown, into its revered fold.

Forged in the crucible of shadow and light, Your Inland Empire arises an an exemplification of eternal transformation. The renown they garnered as Crown was but a harbinger of what is to come. Their last album, The End Of All Things, was a symphony, breathing fragility and ferocity in equal measure, whispering the promise of a revolution. The transition to Your Inland Empire is not just a name change; it is the phoenix rising, a bold venture into uncharted sonic territories where artistry knows no borders.

Stéphane Azam and David Husser, the architects of this boundless empire, have chiseled their vision from the sonic bedrock. Together, their eight-stringed guitars and digital pulses concoct an alchemical sound, a mechanized heart pulsing with human vulnerability.

Their forthcoming album promises a duality that captures the very essence of our existence. Your Inland Empire thrives on introspection, shedding light on our internal conflicts while their melodies traverse realms of bright, inviting tenderness. Each track is a journey through a landscape fraught with tenebrous hopes, where intricate craftsmanship and unyielding drive coalesce.

Slipknot/ex-Sepultura drummer, Eloy Casagrande, has shared drum-cam video from the band's performance of "No Life", filmed at Louder Than Life festival in Louisville, Kentucky on September 26. Check it out below:





Returning for the third time, Slipknot's Knotfest tour will hit Australia in early 2025. Dates are as follows:




February
28 - Flemington Racecourse - Melbourne


March
2 - Brisbane Showground - Brisbane
8 - Centennial Park - Sydney


Go to the official Knotfest Australia 2025 website here to sign up for early access pre-sale tickets.


 




 

 

An official documentary about late IRON MAIDEN singer Paul Di'Anno will be released in 2025. The film is being helmed by Wes Orshoski, co-director and producer of the acclaimed 2010 film "Lemmy" about the MOTÖRHEAD icon, and 2015's "The Damned: Don't You Wish That We Were Dead", about punk rock legends THE DAMNED.

Earlier today (Monday, October 21),Wes took to his Instagram to share more than a dozen photos of Paul, and he included the following message: "R.I.P. Paul. Just learned that Paul Di'Anno has passed. Don't have many details yet. Very sad day.

"As many know, I've been working on a documentary about Paul for the past several years, as he has been fighting to get back on his feet --- literally, emotionally and professionally. It's obviously quite sad that it has ended this way.

"I'm very thankful for the experiences and opportunities I had with Paul, and because of Paul. And I learned a lot from him.

"The film will be out next year, and details will be forthcoming — the hope is for it to debut at film festivals in early 2025. I'm very excited for the MAIDEN faithful to see it. Once it is released you will see just how tough his life has been over the past decade and how hard he fought to change it. Maybe he's finally found some peace.

"Say hi to Clive for us, legend!!! #pauldianno #ironmaiden #killers #wrathchild #cliveburr #runningfree".

This past August, Di'Anno discussed the status of the documentary in an interview with George Dionne of KNAC.COM. Paul said: "Wes is a good mate of ours. He'd done the MOTÖRHEAD rockumentary. He'd done THE DAMNED [one] as well. And he's a great guy. We've had this in the pipeline for a couple of years now. The unfortunate part about it is we had to take our time in between when he can come over and do this. But the unfortunate thing is I'm sitting in a fucking wheelchair, which is a pain in the ass, but what are you gonna do?"

Asked by Dionne if the documentary will focus on a particular portion of Di'Anno's life or if it will cover everything from beginning to end, Paul said: "Everything. But you'll see the determination sometimes and the despair. And it goes through the whole lot of emotions and stuff. It's a bit strange."

Di'Anno added: "I trust Wes. He's got me in all sorts of weird situations. He even wanted to come in and fucking film the operation. And they said, 'No.'"

Di'Anno, whose real name was Paul Andrews, passed away at his home in Salisbury at the age of 66.

Born in Chingford, East London on May 17, 1958, Paul first came to prominence as lead singer of English heavy metal band IRON MAIDEN between 1978 and 1981. He sang on their groundbreaking debut album "Iron Maiden" and the influential follow-up release, "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN, Paul Di'Anno had a long and eventful recording career with BATTLEZONE and KILLERS as well as numerous solo releases and guest appearances.

Despite being troubled by severe health issues in recent years that restricted him to performing in a wheelchair, Paul continued to entertain his fans around the world, racking up well over 100 shows since 2023.

His first career retrospective album, "The Book Of The Beast", was released in September 2024 and featured highlights of his recordings since leaving IRON MAIDEN.

In December 2022, Di'Anno spent time in Split, Croatia recording an album with his new project called WARHORSE. The band was formed earlier that year by Di'Anno and two guitarists/authors, Hrvoje Madiraca and Ante "Pupi" Pupačić. The resulting LP was made available in July 2024 under the PAUL DI'ANNO'S WARHORSE banner.

WARHORSE previously recorded three songs, two of which — "Stop The War" and "The Doubt Within" — were released in May 2022 as a special DVD single along with Paul's video message to all fans who bought the single and thus helped raise funds for his knee operation.

The WARHORSE single marked Di'Anno's first music release after a seven-year hiatus due to severe health issues.

Di'Anno, who finally underwent his knee surgery in September 2022, played the first show since the operation on October 1, 2022 at the Keep It True Rising II festival in Würzburg, Germany.

In May 2022, Di'Anno came face to face with MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris for the first time in three decades before the band's concert in Croatia.

Also in May 2022, Paul played his first full solo concert in seven years at the Bikers Beer Factory in Zagreb. The show was filmed and parts of it will be included in the upcoming documentary.

British extreme metal veterans CRADLE OF FILTH have released a new single. "Malignant Perfection" arrives just in time for the Halloween season, haunting with eerie keys, vampiric atmosphere, intricate riffs and revered frontman Dani Filth's iconic soaring vocals. The track is accompanied by a deliciously dark new official music video, which promises to be only the first of several upcoming visual delights brought to you by CRADLE OF FILTH as they creep closer to the release of their 14th full-length album and Napalm Records studio debut.

Dani Filth divulges about the track and video: "Our new single and video, 'Malignant Perfection', is our horrific homage to All Hallows Eve, as embodied by the female deification of evil. It is a perfect musical accompaniment to the spirit of the witching season; invoking dark, Autumnal splendor and celebrating the time when the thin line between life and death is at its most tenuous and the denizens of the otherworld seek to break the veil into ours.

"The video, directed by the imitable Vicente Cordero and featuring the creative masterstrokes of one Missy Munster, is a playground of seductive darkness rife with malicious monsters and cryptid creations, all vying voraciously for the viewer's eternal soul.

"This comes at a perfect juncture for the Halloween period and our 'By Order Of The Dragon' U.K./European Autumn tour. It also arrives on the back of a sensational collaboration with massive fashion label Vetement and also Blackcraft Clothing, and in the fiery wake of a successful sold-out Australian tour."

In a recent interview with Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global, Dani said that "Malignant Perfection" is "the first of a few singles before the [new CRADLE OF FILTH] album drops at the end of March, beginning of April."

Regarding how he thinks fans will react to the new CRADLE OF FILTH material, Dani said: "I think they're gonna love it. It's just part of the evolution of CRADLE. I mean, people ask me to describe it and it's very hard to describe it. I'm not gonna say, 'You know what? This is our 'Cold Lake'," referencing CELTIC FROST's much-maligned 1988 album. "It's just the next evolutionary step for CRADLE. It's got everything. There's a lot of things that hark back atmospherically and indeed musically in places to early CRADLE stuff. But then there's a lot of very modern CRADLE. It's got everything."

Asked if it is still important for him and his CRADLE OF FILTH bandmates to make new music to challenge themselves, Dani said: "I don't think it's about challenging ourselves. It's just finding an outlet for all this pent-up emotion. We're not gonna be stopping with this record. The reason this record and the last record were slightly delayed was obviously because we had that fucking great pandemic happen. We're actually writing new material now. We're trying to speed up the process. So we'll have a new record in '27, beginning of '27, if not sooner. But, obviously, there are events and especially milestones as well. So it's very important not to overcook the pudding and do too much and dilute. And everything we do, we wanna make it as good as possible. We don't release an album until we're happy with it."

Dani continued: "People are gonna love the production on this record. The production is fucking amazing. And it's got everything. It's got some really catchy songs. It's got some really — well, even the songs that are catchy have really fucking heavy parts in them. And catchy doesn't necessarily mean not extreme. So, yeah, it's another CRADLE OF FILTH record, but it's more than just another CRADLE OF FILTH record. It's another milestone."

This past May, Filth told Australia's Heavy about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's follow-up to 2021's "Existence Is Futile" album: "We've already done our [collaborative] track with [pop superstar and noted CRADLE OF FILTH fan] Ed Sheeran, although that'll be probably coming out on the special edition of the new album, but I can't really talk much more about that, all legalities and what have you."

He continued: "The album we started [in] July [2023], and our record company was, like, 'Why are you taking so long?' It's, like, 'Well, because we're on tour.' We started the album [and then] we literally went off on tour for two months. So, yeah, we've been very, very busy."

Asked about the musical direction of the new CRADLE OF FILTH material, Dani said: "It's a step on from the last record. Same production values, same producer, although we always approach it from a different way, so it does sound a lot different. I can't go too much into it because no matter what I say, it's not really gonna justify or do do justice to the tracks on there. It's very hard to explain. It's got [elements of] 'Dusk... And Her Embrace' vibe-wise. Vocally, it's a bit of everything. It's an aggressive record. It's a very catchy record. Yeah, it's just something that's gonna really please our fans. We've worked very hard on it. And the last record was received really well, 'Existence Is Futile'. It's an advancement from that. But it's not because I'm being told, 'Keep it calm. You can't talk about the record yet.' It's very difficult to talk about something that's got so much in it."

Last year, CRADLE OF FILTH released its first live album in over 20 years, "Trouble And Their Double Lives", via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during the band's "Cryptoriana" world tour and dates following. Produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios, with recording captured by Danny B, the effort not only featured a slew of fan favorites encompassing the band's discography but also two bonus tracks and two entirely brand new songs, "She Is A Fire" and "Demon Prince Regent".

Asked in an interview with Decibel if the two new songs on the record indicate what the next CRADLE OF FILTH album will sound like, Dani said: "Maybe a little bit but no. It's pretty hard to explain, I can't really talk about it. The new album has a 'Dusk… And Her Embrace' vibe to it. But no, we moved on from that. We started writing as a collective after that, these were stopgap songs that originally were intended toward a new album but because of the pandemic, it delayed everything and they found themselves out there. We just thought it was best to put them on the new record."

He added: "A record takes up so much of your time. It's a monument to a band's career, a lot of effort gone into it, a lot of time gone into it. It deserves its own sort of place and each album will have its own unique identity that's in place due to whatever outside due influence is happening at the time. People in the band, when they recorded, there's so many things that determine what an album's about. Of course each and every one is hopefully going to have a very strong and different identity to the previous one and also the future one."

In May 2023, Dani was asked by BLABBERMOUTH.NET if he envisions the next CRADLE OF FILTH studio album staying in the same vein as "Cryptoriana" or "Existence Is Futile". He responded: "It's not going to be a million miles away from that. I've been working on some of the material today. We're putting the finishing touches on the songs we're going to record, whether all of them make the grade or not. It has a 'Dusk… And Her Embrace' vibe to them. Musically, it plays across 'Dusk' and 'Midian', but lyrically, and the vibe of it, it has a 'Dusk… And Her Embrace' feel to it. I don't know why. History repeats itself. Maybe it's because we wrote 'Dusk' around this particular time of year, but it has that vibe. It sounds great, but I would say that, wouldn't I?"

Photo credit: Roberto Diaz

Rock legend Glenn Hughes is featured in a new interview with The Rockpit out of Australia. he looks back on his career with Deep Purple and discusses his current tour, 50 Years Of Burn. Following is an excerpt.


Q: When it comes to joining Deep Purple back in late 1973, with the departure of Ian Gillan and Roger Glover from the band, did you have any idea what Deep Purple would look like in that incarnation?


Glenn: "I joined before David (Coverdale), and it was weird for me that they were looking for another singer as well, because I was singing Trapeze. You’re too young to know that, but I was a lead singer myself. So, for me to actually join a band where they were going to be getting another lead singer, it was a bit weird for me, but I went, 'You know, there’s something to this that might be good.' And sure enough, when David joined, David and I, we shared a lot of vocals together, shared a lot of songs together. We had a great partnership singing."




Q: Working with a young unknown at that stage in David Coverdale, what was that like? What did you find that he brought to the band and especially Burn?


Glenn: "When he passed the audition they didn’t tell him for like two weeks. They kept him waiting. When they did get a hold of him, David came down to see me at my house and we became very fast friends, as we were going to be singing these songs together, so my friendship has been very good with him from all these years ago. He’s got a great voice, he is a funny guy, and I think the vocal arrangement and the partnership we had vocally on the Burn album, Stormbringer and Come Taste The Band is exceptional."


Read the complete interview here.


Black Sabbath legend, Tony Iommi, will reissue the two albums he recorded with Glenn Hughes - The 1996 The Dep Sessions and Fused, on October 4 via BMG. This will be the first time the albums are available on vinyl.


You can order the titles here, and listen to the official audio for Fused track, "Saviour Of The Real", below.








The 1996 Dep Sessions tracklisting:


"Gone"
"From Another World"
"Don’t You Tell Me"
"Don’t Drag The River"
"Fine"
"Time Is the Healer"
"I’m Not the Same Man"

Legendary Danish band, Fate, share their new single, “Hold On”, taken from their new studio album, Reconnect ‘N Ignite, which was released on October 18 via Frontiers Music Srl. Watch the official visualizer video below, and pre-order Reconnect ‘N Ignite here.


Guitarist Torben Enevoldsen expressed his excitement for the new album, by saying: “We are very much looking forward to “Reconnect 'N Ignite”, and can't wait for everyone to hear the new songs. We are all very excited about the new material and are anxious to present it to our fans, old and new ones alike!”







Originally formed in late '84 in Copenhagen by Hank Sherman following his departure from Mercyful Fate, the band got their first record deal with the Danish EMI, releasing their self-titled debut album in 1985.


1988 saw the first line-up change in the history of Fate, as Hank Sherman left the combo and the band entered a difficult period of their career, until the release of Scratch N Sniff, in 1990, when the guys returned to their initial strongest sound and becoming a more mature band, this also thanks to the new powerhouse singer Peer Johansson.


Peer's powerful voice was the major addition to the sound of the band and his input on Scratch N Sniff was tremendous. After several tours in 1990/91, Fate was joined by a new guitarist: the talented Søren Hoff and they started to record new demos before to split up.


In 2006 Fate released V, after getting together to perform at the prestigious Deep Impact Festival in Germany in 2005. The band got so many good responses from fans and media that they decided to continue.


In the beginning of 2011 Danish guitar hero Torben Enevoldsen (Section A/ Fatal Force) replaced Søren Hoff, and the band recorded Ghost From The Past and later in 2013 If Not For The Devil.


V, Ghost From The Past and If Not For The Devil were reissued digita

In a new interview with Rockin' 101's "The Johnny Rock Show", SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo discussed the circumstances that led to the band's split with Swedish singer Erik Grönwall earlier this year. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Erik did 'The Gang's All Here' record, and then Erik was able to spend almost three years in the band. But whether you know or not, Erik's a cancer survivor, and he had a bone marrow transplant in order to put him in remission. And he immediately, once he was in remission and started getting some energy back, he immediately wanted to get back out and start singing again. And so we called him up and said, 'Hey, man, we just recorded a record and we'd love for you to sing on it.' And we sent him the music, and he did. Then all of a sudden we started touring. We could see early on that his health was still not there yet, and he knew it too. And so we did the best that we could with his situation, and he gave us all that he could, but it got to a point where it just was too much for his body at that particular point. And the way we tour, it's tough, it's a grind, and we attempted to compromise and come up with a situation where it would benefit his health. But after speaking with his doctors and him and his family and stuff, it turned out to be that we just wouldn't be able to work it out from a health perspective for him and from a sort of an economic standpoint for the band. We didn't wanna go and go in and have to go postpone more shows and things like that and then have to make them up later on down the road. It wasn't good for him and it wasn't good for the band and stuff. But we're thankful for the time that we got to spend with them. He's a great singer. And we were able to do two records that we're really, really proud of — 'The Gang's All Here', which we're extremely proud of, we all are. And then the live record."

Sabo also talked about "Live In London", SKID ROW's first official live album and concert film. earMUSIC released the concert — which took place on October 24, 2022, at London's O2 Forum Kentish Town — as a 2LP set and CD/DVD digipack worldwide on September 20.

"We had been toying with the idea forever of doing a live record, but it never felt right," Snake explained. "And then this situation, with going to London to play at the Forum, which is one of our favorite venues, and the way the band was hitting on all cylinders at that particular time and it just felt like, 'Yeah, let's capture this, 'cause we never know when we'll have an opportunity to do this again.' And it turns out that I'm so thankful that we did, because of Erik's health situation and where we are now. But it's a great representation of our time with him and the band and also a celebration of the music that we've created over the past 35 years."

Grönwall, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021, said in a video message that "the main reason" he decided to leave SKID ROW was "because it's been very hard and it's proved very challenging to prioritize my health and full recovery being the lead singer of the band. And it's not like I woke up yesterday and decided to go, 'Ooh. That's a horrible idea. What time?' This is something I've been considering for a long time. The first time I brought it up and requested a better balance in the touring was in 2022."

He added: "There's a lot of people that are relying on making a living from SKID ROW. And being on the road is mainly where the money is nowadays. So, I totally understand that people have to keep touring… But when I got sick on the road, we had to cancel, reschedule shows, and, honestly, it's not a fun position to be in. So, wait? All of this is happening because of me? It's not good for the band, it's not good for the crew, it's not good for the fans, it's not good for the promoters, it's not good for the SKID ROW team. All of that also made it less fun for me. I didn't really enjoy myself out there.

"I love singing," Erik concluded. "I love being an artist. I love touring, but I wasn't happy. I understand and respect that SKID ROW is a touring band, but like I told the guys, if I can't prioritize my health, then I'm not the right guy for the job."

SKID ROW's longtime friend Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM) handled lead vocals for the band's four concerts in late May and early June.

Grönwall, who was a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T. for nearly a decade before exiting the group in October 2020, announced in September 2021 that he was cancer free after receiving a bone marrow transplant one month earlier.

Grönwall sang on four H.E.A.T. studio albums — "Address The Nation" (2012),"Tearing Down The Walls" (2014),"Into The Great Unknown" (2017) and "H.E.A.T II" (2020).

In September 2021, just four months before he joined SKID ROW, Grönwall released his new cover version of "18 And Life" via all streaming platforms.

In 2018, Grönwall debuted in the U.S. for 10 million viewers in NBC's live broadcast of Andrew Lloyd Webber's and Tim Rice's musical "Jesus Christ Superstar". Along with John Legend, Alice Cooper, Sara Bareilles and others, Erik played the key role of Simon Zealotes.

In late March 2022, SKID ROW released its first single with Grönwall, "The Gang's All Here". The song was the title track of the band's latest album, which arrived in October 2022 via earMUSIC.

SKID ROW played its first show with Grönwall on March 26, 2022 at Zappos Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada as the support act on the rescheduled dates for SCORPIONS' "Sin City Nights" residency.

Eloy Casagrande performed with SLIPKNOT in his home country of Brazil for the first time last night (Saturday, October 19) at Knotfest Brasil 2024 at Allianz Parque in São Paulo, Brazil. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

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.

After parting ways with Jay Weinberg last November, SLIPKNOT teased fans with a hint about a new drummer more than seven 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 six 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 nearly 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 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.

Com Eloy Casagrande ovacionado, Slipknot termina seu primeiro show no Knotfest Brasil. Amanhã (20) tem mais! Vídeo de Thiago Zuma em cobertura para o site IgorMiranda .com .br.

Com Eloy Casagrande ovacionado, Slipknot termina seu primeiro show no Knotfest Brasil. Amanhã (20) tem mais! Vídeo de Thiago Zuma em cobertura para o site IgorMiranda .com .br.

Posted by Igor Miranda Igormirandasite on Saturday, October 19, 2024

FOREIGNER was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on Saturday night (October 19). Original singer Lou Gramm, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Rick Wills were present to accept the award, while Mick Jones and Dennis Elliott sat out the ceremony. (Jones's daughter, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, was on hand to help accept the award.) Ian McDonald and Ed Gagliardi died in 2022 and 2014, respectively.

Sammy Hagar inducted FOREIGNER into the Rock Hall, telling the crowd: "I'm really sad [Jones] is not here tonight. Mick, we love and miss you and congratulations." Sammy went on to call FOREIGNER's "Jukebox Hero" "one of the greatest rock vocal performances ever."

In his acceptance speech, Gramm said: "First, I'd like to thank all of my former bandmates: Mick Jones, Ian McDonald, Al Greenwood, Dennis Elliott, Ed Gagliardi and Rick Wills for 30-plus years of great music and a wild ride. Now, right from the start, Mick and I hit it off in our first songwriting session. The chemistry for many of our biggest hits was the Jones-Gramm collaboration. Although the band went through some changes as time went on, I believe the original band encompassed what FOREIGNER was all about. As I think back about those times, I'm convinced that Ian McDonald and Ed Gagliardi, who have passed on to a better place, were pivotal players and personalities in FOREIGNER's early success. Lastly, I'd like to close by thanking my friend and songwriting partner Mick Jones. Along with the many triumphs and accolades, we didn't always agree about FOREIGNER's musical directions, but all told we were very fortunate to have been in FOREIGNER together, and our music continues to stand the test of time."

Wills said: "I love these guys and I love the guys who are doing what we did — and they're still doing it today, 47 years later. It's amazing. So, I want to thank you all, and thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for giving us this opportunity to finally be Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame people. Thank you!"

Greenwood added: "Wow, and a very, very special thanks to Mick Jones, the founder, the visionary and the creative force behind FOREIGNER. We wish that you were here with us tonight. And to all of our fans who have been with us for 47 years, spanning generations: We love you all and we thank you."

There was also an all-star performance of FOREIGNER music featuring Hagar, Slash, Chad Smith, Demi Lovato and Kelly Clarkson. Lovato, Slash, Smith and FOREIGNER's current touring lineup played "Feels Like The First Time", with Hagar joining in for "Hot Blooded". Lovato took over the lead vocal for "Feels Like The First Time", followed by "Hot Blooded" with Hagar singing while being assisted by current FOREIGNER singer Kelly Hansen. Clarkson and Gramm then sang a duet of "I Want To Know What Love Is".

This past February, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

The induction ceremony was held at the Rocket Mortgage Fieldhouse in Cleveland, Ohio. It aired live on Disney+. An edited three-hour prime-time special will follow, premiering on New Year's Day on ABC, and become available for streaming the following day on Hulu and Disney+.

In an interview with News 8 WROC, Gramm stated about learning that he will be one of Rock Hall class of 2024 inductees: "It was a relief, because we have been eligible for a good long time. And we were wondering if we'd ever be in the Rock Hall Of Fame. We've aspired to be part of it, and it's very satisfying now that we're voted in. And I don't think I don't think we could be any happier."

Shortly after FOREIGNER's Rock Hall induction was first announced, Jones told Billboard that he would have no problems reuniting at the induction ceremony with Gramm, with whom he was inducted into the Songwriters Hall Of Fame with in 2013.

"On a personal level, I have no hard feelings toward Lou," Jones said. "We did perform together at the 40th-anniversary concert. It has been so many years now since Lou left FOREIGNER; I like to think that those ill feelings are in the past. There is power in letting go of hard feelings and getting on with your life. Why carry the burden of hard feelings? It serves nothing in the long run.

When FOREIGNER was first nominated for the Rock Hall in February, Gramm released a video message expressing his gratitude. In the one-minute clip, which was posted to Lou's social media, the 74-year-old singer said: "I'd like to thank the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame for the honor of nomination. And I'd like to acknowledge Mick Jones for his courage as he faces Parkinson's. I'd like to thank my friends in the music and the acting industry for their support, especially over the last two or three weeks in helping us to receive the nomination. Now I've seen a lot of the videos and I've definitely been feeling the buzz. It's really exciting and it means a lot. It means a lot to me and all the guys in the band. Now [multi-instrumentalist] Ian McDonald and [bassist] Ed Gagliardi were vital contributing members of the early FOREIGNER, and I know they're somewhere in the hereafter fist pumping and cheering for this nomination."

Earlier that same month, Jones's stepson, Oscar-nominated producer/songwriter Mark Ronson enlisted Dave Grohl, Jack Black, Slash, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS drummer Chad Smith and QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Josh Homme (along with Ronson himself) to create a video campaigning for FOREIGNER's Rock Hall bid.

"Yes, Mick is my stepdad and I love him more than anything," Ronson wrote in a message accompanying the video. "But I'm also a MEGA fan just like Dave, Jack, Slash, Chad and Josh… Enjoy this video and VOTE BABY VOTE!"

In the clip, Homme said: "You want to know what love is? Love is putting FOREIGNER in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame." Smith added: "I can't believe they’re not in already — oh my God."

"I've loved FOREIGNER since I got their debut record," Grohl said. "There's one drum riff that I have used in more than a few songs."

Black sang parts of FOREIGNER's "I Want To Know What Love Is" before pleading, "Hey, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, open the door! FOREIGNER's waiting outside. Let 'em in."

In his Instagram message, Ronson shared a brief history of FOREIGNER's influence, writing: "Everything that made me want to be a record producer came from being in the studio watching FOREIGNER make records. I'm still completely in awe of the sound of those first five albums. Guitars with swagger and bite. Heavy drums that groove like a mutha with the bass. Wide layers of synths. And then there’s that voice. And those songs. It's really crazy. It's also kind of crazy that this is the first time they've ever been on the ballot for the Rock N Roll Hall Of Fame — after 20 years of eligibility."

He added: "Fun Facts: FOREIGNER are the most played band on classic rock radio to not be in the hall of fame. They've been sung by our fave characters from the Simpsons, The Office, I, Tonya, Stranger Things and Wet Hot American Summer. They've been covered by Diana Ross and Mariah Carey (what the rock band can boast that??). They were sampled and turned into HOT FIRE by M.O.P. (remember that Cold As Ice joint?) and Tone-Loc who used them to concoct some Funky Cold Medina."

To be eligible for this year's ballot, each nominee's first single or album had to have been released in 1999 or earlier.

Eligible since 2002, FOREIGNER has had a huge number of rock hits, including "Cold As Ice", "Double Vision", "Hot Blooded", "I Want To Know What Love Is", "Juke Box Hero" and "Urgent", and has been nominated for three Grammy Awards, with no wins.



Kelly Clarkson joins Foreigner frontman Lou Gramm for a stellar performance of "I Want to Know What Love Is." Tune in NOW on Disney+ to watch the 2024 Rock & Roll Hall of Fame Induction Ceremony. #RockHall2024

Posted by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 19, 2024



An eclectic all-star group of musicians, including Demi Lovato, Slash, and Chad Smith pay tribute to Foreigner covering their smash hit "Feels Like the First Time" at the 2024 RRHOF Induction. Tune in NOW on Disney+ to watch the 2024 Induction. #RockHall2024

Posted by Rock & Roll Hall of Fame on Saturday, October 19, 2024



It’s about time!!!!! FOREIGNER in the Rock hall!!!!

Posted by Chris Blaine on Saturday, October 19, 2024

AS I LAY DYING bassist/vocalist Ryan Neff has announced his departure from the band.

On Friday (October 18),Neff, who joined AS I LAY DYING in the spring of 2022, took to his Instagram to write: "As of today, I have made the decision to leave AS I LAY DYING. This choice comes after much reflection, and I believe it is the right step for my personal and professional journey.

"I am grateful for the experiences and connections I've made during my time with the band.

"Thank you to all the fans for your support."

AS I LAY DYING is preparing to kick off a massive European tour, "Through Storms Ahead", featuring support from CALIBAN, DECAPITATED and OV SULFUR, on November 15 in Würzburg, Germany.

AS I LAY DYING's eighth full-length studio album, "Through Storms Ahead", will be released on November 15 via Napalm Records. The LP features the critically acclaimed new tracks "Burden", "The Cave We Fear To Enter", and the recently revealed "We Are The Dead" featuring guest vocalists Alex Terrible (SLAUGHTER TO PREVAIL) and Tom Barber (CHELSEA GRIN, DARKO).

"Through Storms Ahead" was producted by guitarist Phil Sgrosso and Hiram Hernandez, mixed by Aaron Chaparian, mastered Ted Jensen and album art once again created by Corey Meyers.

In June 2022, drummer Jordan Mancino announced that he would sit out AS I LAY DYING's tour due to "a number of ongoing internal issues" that "have not yet been resolved."

Mancino's announcement came less than a month after bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert revealed that he was leaving the band. In a statement, the remaining members of AS I LAY DYING said that Gilbert "decided to exit" the group "to pursue other musical opportunities."

Josh was the second AS I LAY DYING member to leave the band in less than a year. In August 2021, guitarist Nick Hipa confirmed his exit from AS I LAY DYING, explaining that he could no longer justify being part of "a superficial pursuit" of the "story and meaning" that the band's 2018 reunion was built upon.

AS I LAY DYING singer Tim Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

In September 2021, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "Roots Below" which was originally a B-side leftover from when the sessions for "Shaped By Fire".

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Former CRO-MAGS frontman John Joseph McGowan, a pioneer of the punk rock and New York hardcore (NYHC) music genre, says that he will "never" be involved in a reunion of the band's classic lineup.

On Thursday (October 17),John took to his Facebook page to write: "2025 is the 40th anniversary of [CRO-MAGS'] 'The Age Of Quarrel' cassette - 2026 the anniversary of the album release on Profile Records. And still haven't seen a single dime.

"Lol -- I've had multiple promoters and fans hit me up about doing the OG line-up. So let me put this out there - I will NEVER be involved. I've even had promoters say, 'You're leaving a lot of money on the table.' I ain't in this sh*t for the money. I play music for the vibes, with people who respect each other and are honest. That being said BLOODCLOT (formed in 1981) are releasing some new music and even gigging a bit next year. But music isn't my only love - I just finished writing a short film I will be directing next summer in NYC, I'm doing a spoken word tour, releasing two more books, coaching and competing in IRONMAN Texas to raise money for Tunnel [To] Towers [foundation].

"There is a reason none of us want to be involved and it's not 'our egos' as recently claimed. It's because we learned our lesson dealing with people who steal money repeatedly from tours and record deals, treat other band members like shit, snitch to cops and lie repeatedly in the media, trashing former members. There is no beef to squash because I dont give a sh*t enough to care. So if you got to see the original line-up back in the day - hope there are good memories for you. For the rest... the 'real' cro-mags are out there - enjoy. Peace and Veggie Grease."

Back in July 2022, CRO-MAGS founder Harley Flanagan, who in 2018 filed a suit against his former Joseph and Mackie Jayson regarding ownership of the CRO-MAGS name, said that he has repeatedly reached out to Joseph and Jayson about a possible reunion of the group's classic lineup.

"Those of you who have been following my social media for any period of time, you'll see that I have made a lot of attempts over the years to try to get all those fucking guys to come to the table and have some sort of a conversation," he told Erin Micklow in an interview.

"The truth is everybody in that band got fucked; we all got stiffed. That's a lot of the reason why everybody kind of started turning on each other. When you have nothing and you're getting ripped off and robbed and fucked over, it's, like, desperation makes people desperate. You start fighting over crumbs; you start thinking everybody's getting over.

"I tried to get these guys to come to the table, see if maybe we could have done some sort of shows or at least come to terms with each other and maybe try to fight the legal battle together to try to get the albums back or this and that," he continued. "And you know what? It just got to a place where none of these guys wanted to try; nobody really wanted to put in the effort or to even try to be friendly.

"I've tried. I can't force other people to get along. And me, I just wanna play music; I wanna tour. This is what I do. And if those guys don't wanna fucking be involved, I can't force 'em. And after a while, it's kind of insulting, when you're offering people an olive branch over and over again. They're, like, 'Fuck you.' It's, like, 'You know what? Fuck you, man. I'm done. I'm actually quite happy without you. I feel like my life has been better since you've been gone.' So it's, like, 'Fine. Don't let the door hit you in the ass.'"

Harley also touched upon the July 2012 incident when he was arrested in New York City on charges of attacking several members of the CRO-MAGS during the CBGB Festival. Flanagan, who had been a panelist at one of the event's seminars, allegedly attempted to attend the concert of his former band. The brawl saw Flanagan stabbed and arrested after being jumped at Webster Hall. This led to charges of felony assault and criminal possession of a weapon, along with a brief stay at New York City's most notorious prison Rikers Island before those charges were dropped.

"They invite me backstage and have these fucking fake thugs, like seven of 'em, jump me," Harley said. " I wound up putting three of them in the hospital. I fucking got stabbed. I had, like, 40-something stitches. And then they tried to sue me for fuckin' 'em up. And then fuckin' John, my buddy John, goes in the newspaper and says, 'He's a skinhead. He's a Nazi. He hates black people. He's a snitch.' That motherfucker's, like, putting a target on me. I'm, like, 'Dude, I'm in motherfuckin' Rikers Island. You're basically saying, 'Hello everybody. Go get this guy.'' So I've got this black dude, Smoke, he comes in my cell, he hands me a newspaper with me in it, and says, 'That's you?' And I'm, like, 'Yeah.' And I'm reading all this shit. I'm, like, 'Damn, John. Not only did you have these jerkoffs fucking jump me because you were too much of a chickenshit to fucking put your hands on me yourself. Then now, that shit failed, and you wanna try to get some rando fuckin' con to fuckin' put a hit on me so that they can have a little bit of clout?'"

Asked what happened during his stay at Rikers Island, Harley said: "Nothing happened. I was respected. Everybody knew what I did. Everybody saw me on the news. They were, like, 'This guy fucked three dudes up. He got jumped.' I was respected."

In April 2019, Joseph and Jayson reached an agreement with Flanagan over the rights to the CRO-MAGS name. At the time, it was announced that going forward, Joseph and Jayson would perform as CRO-MAGS JM while Flanagan would get to use the CRO-MAGS name for his own version of the band.

When Flanagan, who founded the CRO-MAGS at the age of 14 and toured with the band for some 20 years, sued members of the group for allegedly using the CRO-MAGS name without his permission, he claimed that CRO-MAGS was his idea when he formed it back in 1981. Flanagan filed a lawsuit against the then-most recent lineup of the group — including Joseph — in part for copyright infringement, saying he trademarked the "Cro-Mag" name for recording in 2010 and for merchandise in 2009 and then again in 2017.

According to the New York Post, Harley claimed in the lawsuit that the other members of the CRO-MAGS took over the band around 2002 when "Flanagan's first son was about to be born… and Flanagan had to stop touring to help with the baby."

Back in 2012, Joseph told the New York Post he and Flanagan started the band together in the early '80s, but Flanagan continually took all the credit for himself. McGowan claimed the situation got so bad, Flanagan pocketed every cent from their 1986 tour. "That caused me to lose my apartment and be homeless in 1987," John said. "I lived hand to mouth."

In a separate interview with The New York Times, Joseph said that Flanagan "has been a negative thorn in the side of this band forever."

2025 is the 40th anniversary of the Age of Quarrel cassette - 2026 the anniversary of the album release on Profile...

Posted by John Joseph on Thursday, October 17, 2024

Live Rock Music Concerts has uploaded video of Jerry Cantrell's entire October 17 "I Want Blood" record-release concert at Pappy + Harriet's in Pioneertown, California. Check it out below.

Featured songs:

06:23 Vilified
11:08 Off The Rails
17:16 Psychotic Break
21:31 Them Bones
24:44 Atone
30:13 Had To Know
36:21 Afterglow
41:31 I Want Blood
46:25 Cut You In
50:11 My Song
55:28 Angel Eyes
1:01:11 Would?
1:05:13 Held Your Tongue
1:10:47 Echoes Of Laughter
1:17:17 Rooster
1:24:49 Brighten
1:30:09 It Comes

To celebrate "I Want Blood"'s arrival, the iconic ALICE IN CHAINS guitarist/vocalist has announced a North American tour of the same name.

The trek kicks off on January 31 in Niagara Falls and makes its way across the country, concluding in Cantrell's home state of Washington.

Ahead of the album's release, Cantrell has been featured on the cover of Revolver, participated in a career-spanning conversation with Rick Beato, and has received widespread praise album for the collection's heavier sound. Metal Hammer described "I Want Blood" as having an "iconic sound, sludgy guitars and soulful vocals."

"I Want Blood", co-produced by Cantrell and Joe Barresi (TOOL, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, MELVINS),was recorded at Barresi's JHOC Studio in Pasadena, California. The album features contributions from bass heavyweights Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES) and Robert Trujillo (METALLICA),drummers Gil Sharone (TEAM SLEEP, STOLEN BABIES) and Mike Bordin (FAITH NO MORE),and backing vocals from Lola Colette and Greg Puciato (BETTER LOVERS, ex-THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN).

In a recent interview with Australia's Heavy, Cantrell was asked about his previous comment that "there's a confidence to this album". He said: "Well, I would hope that most artists would feel pretty confident about their new record. If you don't, you probably shouldn't put it out. Making an album, it's a real commitment, and it's also a real special opportunity that not everybody gets to do. So I take it really seriously. I also have a lot of fun with it, too, and enjoy the process, 'cause it's a long ride to demoing it and writing it and then recording it and then taking it out on tour. So, you're looking at a two-to-three-year commitment there. And you wanna be marching out of the studio with something you feel pretty strongly about. And I think 'I Want Blood', it's the best record I could have made at that time. And I'd stand it up against any work I've done in my career. So, I have that confidence about it, but I make music for me first, and if it satisfies me, I've been really lucky that it seems to do the same for a lot of people who've been interested in work that I've been involved in. Rock and roll's not for everybody, but it finds its people, so it's time to throw it out there and see who grabs on to it."

Regarding his remark that "I Want Blood" is completely unlike his last solo album "Brighten", Cantrell said: "Yeah, well, I mean, it's a different record. It's new songs. It was made in a different time. I've made four [solo albums] now — 'Boggy Depot', 'Degradation Trip', 'Brighten' and 'I Want Blood' — and I dare you to say any one of those records sounds like the other one. They're all supposed to be unique, and they shouldn't sound like your other records. You can count on your musical fingerprint being there, so it should sound like you. I guess what I was talking about earlier is I'm pretty lucky that I can go into a lot of different fields and zones as far as songwriting, and people seem to have followed me when I've gone to those places. And so there's a lot of turf to play around on. What you wanna do is feel like you're standing on some fresh turf when you do a record, that you've done something new, maybe you've stepped up a little bit, hopefully you're getting better at your craft, and it's another one you can throw out to everybody and share with the world. And I definitely feel that way about this record."

Last month, Jerry told Sylvia of the Las Vegas radio station KOMP 92.3 about the songwriting process for "I Want Blood": "Well, I think you have to start each record the same way. There are habits that I instilled in myself and also by being a member of ALICE. We never pulled any punches. We didn't varnish anything. We didn't sand any rough edges off — 'warts and all' was our approach. And so I kind of carry that wherever I go. But the main ethos, if you will, I guess, that I carry within and outside the band, is you have to start from an absolute zero. It doesn't matter what you did before. You did that record, you wrote those songs, so it's gotta be something completely new. And so that's kind of a daunting task, but it's necessary. 'Okay. It's a blank chalkboard, blank piece of paper, absolute zero. What am I gonna do now?' If you're starting from that and not really relying or trying to compete with your past work, it's kind of a freeing thing. You also have the experience of having made some great records and wrote some great songs and been part of some really amazing collectives of people, musicians to make those records. So, I had a pretty good group of folks together to make this one, too — Gil Sharone, Mike Bordin, Robert Trujillo, Duff McKagan, Vincent Jones, Lola Colette and Greg Puciato and Tyler Bates and Joe Barresi. And that's a pretty good group of folks right there. So, you start from a zero and you just go and see where you end up."

Cantrell's tour with BUSH concluded last month, with the North American outing wrapping up at the iconic Greek Theatre in Los Angeles on September 15.

"Brighten" came out in October 2021. The LP was Jerry's first project without ALICE IN CHAINS in 19 years.

Jerry's career outside of ALICE IN CHAINS has consisted of two other solo albums and contributions to major film soundtracks. Cantrell's first solo album, "Boggy Depot", was released in 1998, followed by his second album, "Degradation Trip". In addition to his solo artist work, Jerry has released music on soundtracks for several films, including "Spider-Man", "The Cable Guy", "John Wick 2", "Last Action Hero" and "The Punisher".

ALICE IN CHAINS regrouped in 2006 with William DuVall joining the band, and released its third LP with DuVall in the lineup, "Rainier Fog", in August 2018.

AN EVENING WITH JERRY CANTRELL

Join us for his record release:
“I WANT BLOOD.”

🩸SOLD OUT THANK YOU🩸

Presented by...

Posted by Pappy + Harriet's on Monday, September 23, 2024

CANNIBAL CORPSE guitarist Erik Rutan says that "90% of everything" he and his family own in St. Petersburg, Florida was decimated in Hurricane Helene on September 26 and Hurricane Milton, which hit the beleaguered region two weeks later on October 9.

Hurricane Helene made landfall in Florida's Big Bend region as a Category 4 storm and as one of the deadliest hurricanes in the United States in the past 50 years.

Category 3 Hurricane Milton directly targeted the Sarasota area, just south of Tampa Bay, bringing high winds and torrential rains to the Tampa Bay area while making landfall 75 miles south in Siesta Key.

Rutan, who left CANNIBAL CORPSE's European tour on September 28 to be with his wife, took to his social media on Friday (October 18) to write: "We are so grateful for all the love and support that has come our way. The positive words, messages, texts and phone calls have meant so much to us. We feel so blessed to know that so many people care.

"Hurricane Helene and Milton decimated so many homes and lives and ours was one of them. 90% of everything we own including personal and family belongings, photos, things that can never be replaced as well as musical and studio gear was either severely damaged or completely destroyed.

"This experience has been difficult beyond words. Almost 3 weeks ago I left the CANNIBAL CORPSE tour to fly home to be with my wife, only to see our home and all our belongings in ruin. This has been one of the most difficult times of our lives. Right now, we, as well as many are suffering beyond measure. We worked so hard our entire lives to achieve what we have only to see it all taken away in a fleeting moment.

"I have no idea how we will overcome all of this, but anyone that knows us knows that we will fight our way back through sheer will and determination to hopefully one day reclaim some kind of normalcy. As we try to pick up the pieces of our lives, please send all the positive strength and energy you can. I will give further updates when time allows. Eternal Gratitude."

CANNIBAL CORPSE's European tour with MUNICIPAL WASTE, IMMOLATION and SCHIZOPHRENIA kicked off on September 20 in Oberhausen, Germany and is scheduled to end on October 20 in Frankfurt, Germany.

Rutan was named a permanent member of CANNIBAL CORPSE in 2021. He joined the band as the replacement for CANNIBAL's longtime guitarist Pat O'Brien.

Rutan, one of the death metal's most acclaimed guitarists, is known for his time as part of MORBID ANGEL throughout the 1990s and early 2000s, as well as handling vocals/guitars for HATE ETERNAL. He is also an acclaimed producer, working mostly out of his Mana Recording facility in St. Petersburg.

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NYMPHS frontwoman Inger Lorre has died at the age of 61.

The news of the singer's passing was confirmed in a statement released by her label, Kitten Robot Records.

"We are saddened to say goodbye to our beloved friend and artist Inger Lorre," the label wrote. "Inger, born Lori Ann Wening, passed on October 16 from complications due to recently diagnosed cancer. Her mother, Lois Wening, had also passed on October 4; both are confirmed by Jen Wening, Inger's sister.

"Inger was an accomplished singer, songwriter, recording artist, painter and a lover of animals. A singularly unique artist, both visually and musically, Inger first came to national attention with her band NYMPHS, whose self-titled LP was released by Geffen Records in 1991.

"Her career as a solo artist began with 'Transcendental Medication' released by Triple X in 1999. Kitten Robot released her final album, 'Gloryland', just last year.

"Our condolences go out to Jen and her family and to her many friends and fans."

Often seen as a musician's musician, Inger has worked with the likes of Iggy Pop, Jeff Buckley and Henry Rollins; her notoriety has frequently eclipsed her darkly beautiful music.

Inger's legacy remains haunted by the infamy of a band (the NYMPHS) that burned brightly all too briefly before imploding in a devastation of bereavement and misguided record company dealings.

In 1991, Inger famously climbed up on the desk of A&R man Tom Zutaut, hitched up her skirt and pissed on the paperwork and personal effects laid out on it. She later told LA Weekly that she felt Zutaut had been playing mind games for months, he'd put her first album on hold and hadn't allowed her to play for two years, and she was spiraling down in a depression that was both soothed and seduced by drugs. "So one day, I got really, really drunk," she recounted, "and I said to Jeff, our guitar player, 'You know, he's such a fucker. I should just walk in there and piss on his desk.' Jeff laughed — and I hadn't seen him laugh in months, we were so depressed. He said, 'You'd be my hero if you did.' So I drank a lot of beer and got totally inebriated so I would have the guts and a lot of pee in me… So when Zutaut said, 'Okay, send her in,' I was just like, fuck this, and I jumped up on his desk and was like, 'You fucked me over, you fucked my band, you're a fucker, how dare you keep me on hold,' and I pissed on his Rolodex, his phone, the photo of his wife, everything. But instead of screaming at me, he started to cry."

Her cult following remains loyal. While her releases are scarce, they are cherished. Infamous '80s new wave musician Josie Cotton signed Lorre to her boutique label, Kitten Robot Records.

Jeff Buckley once called Inger Lorre the "patron saint of fucked over musicians."

Photo credit: Yuko Ishii (courtesy of Reybee, Inc.)

We are saddened to say goodbye to our beloved friend and artist Inger Lorre. Inger, born Lori Anne Wening, passed on...

Posted by Kitten Robot Records on Friday, October 18, 2024

In a new interview with Rock Feed, M. Shadows spoke about AVENGED SEVENFOLD's special throwback show featuring a setlist composed of songs from the band's breakout 2003 album, "Waking The Fallen", and its 2005 follow-up, "City Of Evil". Headlining the October 25 concert at Santa Ana, California's Observatory venue will be the long-running Southern California hardcore punk band DEATH BY STEREO.

The AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman, whose real name is Matt Sanders, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, we're playing a show for about a thousand people. We're gonna be playing only stuff from 'Waking The Fallen' and 'City Of Evil'.

"We're just not a band that wants to go take an old record on tour right now — it's doesn't interest us, it doesn't excite us, but one night does," he explained. "And it really isn't shots fired, 'cause everyone's doing those tours. Just for us, personally, it doesn't wanna make us get out of bed and go do that. But one night seems really fun to us."

Tickets to the show were made available in August exclusively for members of the Deathbats Club, a next-generation fan club and community built around AVENGED SEVENFOLD, priced at $25 each.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD and DEATH BY STEREO have a long history together, having toured together two decades ago. In addition, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows contributed guest vocals to two songs — "Entombed We Collide" and "This Is Not The End" — on DEATH BY STEREO's 2005 album "Death For Life".

This past June, AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Zacky Vengeance told NME that he and his bandmates were making plans to celebrate the anniversaries of their albums "City Of Evil" and "Nightmare", which are turning 20 and 15 in 2025, respectively. He said: "I think those albums are really monumental and fans have grown with them. They've meant a certain thing to people at a certain place in their life, so I think it's important that we do something."

Explaining that he didn't want AVENGED SEVENFOLD to be a "nostalgia act", Vengeance added: "I've always wanted to be as proud of whatever we put out today as I was when we put out those albums." But, he said, "I'm totally cool with celebrating those albums because it was such a great place and time. Plus, it's actually fun to relive and play those songs and get those reactions. To bank our entire career off past successes, we can't do it, but we'll definitely do something to celebrate those albums though. For us, the most exciting thing about looking back is recalling where our heads were at when we were young and writing them. Remembering that they're part of who we are."

"City Of Evil", AVENGED SEVENFOLD's third album, produced the singles "Bat Country" and "Beast And The Harlot", while "Nightmare", the band's fifth studio LP, debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 in the United States. Both records have since been certified platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America) for shipments in excess of a million copies in the U.S. alone.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has spent much of the past year touring in support of its most recent album, 2023's "Life Is But A Dream…"

$25 for 25 years.
Deathbats Club presents Death By Stereo with special guests Avenged Sevenfold (playing their two new...

Posted by Avenged Sevenfold on Monday, August 12, 2024

KORN frontman Jonathan Davis has collaborated with his son Nathan on a new single called "Dark Fantasy".

The 29-year-old Nathan, who makes electronic music under the name HI I'M GHOST, shared the song via social media earlier today, writing in an accompanying message: "Hi it's my birthday :) and for my birthday I want you to stream dad & son dubstep 100 times."

Jonathan posted in an Instagram story earlier today that he "had so much fun making this song with my son."

Nathan is Jonathan's son from his first marriage to his high school sweetheart Renee Perez.

Jonathan's second wife, Deven Davis, died in August 2018 at age 39. According to legal documents obtained by TMZ, Deven ingested a lethal combination of five different drugs. A report from her autopsy showed heroin, clonazepam, topiramate and fluoxetine in her body when she died. The death was ruled an accident by medical examiners.

Jonathan and Deven married in Hawaii in 2004 and welcomed their first son together, Pirate, in 2005. The couple had another child together in 2007 — a boy named Zeppelin.

In celebration of their milestone 30th anniversary, KORN performed a once-in-a-lifetime show at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles on Saturday, October 5. This one-night-only performance featured special guests EVANESCENCE, GOJIRA, DARON MALAKIAN AND SCARS ON BROADWAY, SPIRITBOX and VENDED.

KORN kicked off its summer/fall 2024 North American tour on September 12 at MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheatre in Tampa, Florida. The band's 18-song setlist, which is celebrating the 30th anniversary of the release of KORN's debut album, included "Oildale" off the band's 2010 LP "Korn III: Remember Who You Are" and "Hey Daddy", a track from KORN's 1999 album "Issues" which had only ever previously been performed almost 25 years ago.

The rock cultural icons' 25-date Live Nation-produced trek featuring special guests, Grammy-nominated band GOJIRA and Canadian heavy metal group SPIRITBOX, will wrap up in St. Paul, Minnesota at Xcel Energy Center on October 27.

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Melodic / power thrashers Among These Ashes will release their new album, Embers Of Elysium, on December 6th via Alone Records. The album features 12 new tracks, plus a bonus song, from the band.


A lyric video for new single, "Serpents Among Rats", is available now:







"It's very hard for me to pick a favorite track of ours because I have to love the track in order for it to make it on one of our albums," explains guitarist Richard Clark. "That said, 'Serpents Among Rats' is exceptionally memorable for me because it embodies all of my favorite elements of metal. It's melodic, heavy, and aggressive; the lyrics are clever, the vocals are delivered beautifully, and the band is crushing. Lyrically, this track is about how the societal elite, particularly politicians, manipulate and fuel division among the people. The lyrics encourage seeing through that behavior and unifying to rise above it."


As for the forthcoming album, Embers Of Elysium, Clark goes on to say that it "is quite the leap for us in every aspect from Dominion Enthroned. Where Dominion was a full concept album

The full 6-minute version of "Unfinished", the final song that Edward and Alex Van Halen wrote together is now available for download at Van-Halen.com.


The song is featured in the audiobook version of Alex Van Halen's new memoir, Brothers. It's due out October 22, but you can pre-order the book and audiobook now. Listen to "Unfinished" below:







Alex recently shared a clip from the audiobook edition of Brothers. The 4:30 clip can be found at Spotify, and features Alex reading a section of his memoir,  titled "Overture".


Alex says in part: "I watched you take your last breath. In that moment, all the stuff you did or made in this world, you can’t take it with you. Since you’ve been gone, I catch myself talking to you, yelling at you, in my head or sometimes out loud. I still have trouble believing you’re gone, and probably for me you never will be. Outliving my little brother? This just wasn’t the plan. As the older brother, I was supposed to die first. Same as always, Ed, butting in line.


"I’ve watched, sometimes with anger, sometimes with grief, and other times with pride, as the world has mourned your passing, and other people have claimed to tell your story. But I was with you from day one. We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800 sq. ft. house, a mom and a dad, and a work ethic.


"Later, we shared the back of tour bus, the experience of becoming successful, becoming fathers and uncles, of alcoholism and spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people could only hope to achieve. We shared a last name, and we shared a band.”


Alex recently announced two signing events and a live conversation event in support of his upcoming book.





Alex Van Halen’s deeply candid and insightful book, Brothers, is not like any rock & roll memoir you’ve ever read. Alex Van Halen shares his story of family, camaraderie, immigration, music, and loss, and offers a remarkable tribute to his late little brother and bandmate, Edward, a once-in-a-generation talent and transformed our understanding of what it's possible to do with a guitar.


“I was with him from day one,” Alex writes. “We shared the experience of coming to this country and figuring out how to fit in. We shared a record player, an 800 square foot house, a mom and dad, and a work ethic. Later, we shared the back of a tour bus, alcoholism, the experience of becoming successful, of becoming fathers and uncles, and of spending more hours in the studio than I’ve spent doing anything else in this life. We shared a depth of understanding that most people can only hope to achieve in a lifetime.”


Tickets for the book signing and live conversation events, as well as book pre-orders, are available now via Van-Halen.com.


Dates:


Monday, October 21

Alex Van Halen has explained his refusal to participate in this past summer's "The Best Of All Worlds" that focused largely on the music of VAN HALEN. The trek featured former VAN HALEN singer Sammy Hagar and bassist Michael Anthony, along with guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham.

The 2024 tour came more than two years after Satriani revealed that he was approached about participating in a VAN HALEN tribute show with Alex and David Lee Roth. That project never got off the ground, reportedly because Roth was "holding up" getting everything approved.

In a new interview with Billboard, Alex said about why he was not responsive when Hagar and Anthony reached out about him taking part in some way in "The Best Of All Worlds": "I'm not interested. They're not doing the band justice. They can do what they want to do. That's not my business."

Alex is promoting his upcoming memoir "Brothers", which largely ignores Hagar's stint with VAN HALEN, as well as that of EXTREME vocalist Gary Cherone, and even VAN HALEN's reunion with Roth that started in 2007.

"What happened after Dave left is not the same band," Alex told Billboard. "I'm not saying it was better or worse or any of that. The fact is Ed [legendary VAN HALEN guitarist and Alex's brother Eddie Van Halen] and I did our best work whenever we played. We always gave it our best shot. But the magic was in the first years, when we didn't know what we were doing, when we were willing to try anything."

In a separate interview with Rolling Stone, Alex didn't even utter Hagar's name. "The heart and the soul and the creativity and the magic was Dave, Ed, Mike and me," he said. In the book, his only acknowledgment of the "Van Hagar" era reportedly came in the line, "We had a lot of other singers over the years."

This past August, Hagar confirmed to Las Vegas Review-Journal that he attempted to see if Alex would be interested in taking part in "The Best Of All Worlds" prior to getting Bonham involved. Sammy said: "I reached out to Alex a dozen times, before this tour was announced, and got no response. I mean, I've asked him to meet me under any conditions, any circumstances, anytime, anyplace, anywhere. It's not like, 'Well, let me think about it.' It's like, no answer. Zero."

According to Hagar, he was willing to offer Van Halen the spotlight "to just play a couple of songs, or if you want to be the drummer the whole night, or be the executive producer. [Laughs] What do you want to do?"

Hagar went on to say that Alex's autobiography may have something to do with the drummer's lack of communication about a possible appearance on the tour.

"I'm sure when he made his book deal, they said, 'You cannot talk to Dave, and you cannot talk to Hagar," Sammy said. "I guarantee you, that that was part of the deal."

In July, Hagar told Ultimate Classic Rock that he and Anthony "reached out to Alex before we did [the tour]. We reached out to him a dozen times before this tour, in every way. E-mail, text message, phone call, message on the machine, okay? No response. No response. I mean, we made every offer to get together or to just talk or to have breakfast, lunch or dinner. Go to the studio and play. Come to my house or I'll come to your house. Go ride horses, go sit on the beach. What do you want to do? Let's just do something. Let's get together. And nothing."

Explaining that he and Alex Van Halen "don't have a relationship," Hagar added: "When the tour came, the first person we called and left all of the messages, sent all of emails, it was Alex Van Halen. Mike and I said, 'We're wanting to do this thing.' Alex's famous line to me [was], 'Sammy, we ain't getting any younger.' Mike and I said, 'Alex, we ain't getting any younger. We're going out and playing for the people. We're going to go honor the VAN HALEN catalog. Let's just get together and let's talk about it. Mike and I, we're going out, we're going to do this, Alex. Please join us. Let's be friends, let's bury the hatchet, whatever.' There was no response. I was saying, 'He'll come to a show, he's got to — in L.A. or something. I'm sure he'll come.' But no, no, he sold all of his equipment. That was his statement. That was like, 'ah, I ain't coming nowhere.'"

Hagar previously discussed the possibility of Alex taking part in "The Best Of All Worlds" last November during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, he said: "Jason insisted upon, 'I will not say yes to do this thing until at least you get… Alex says yes or no.' Alex hasn't returned my call for five years. I've called, I've left messages, I've left texts, I've left e-mails.

"I don't think Al really wants to go out and play; otherwise they would have did it with Joe when they were thinking about it [back in 2021]," he continued. "And [VAN HALEN's manager] Irving Azoff called me [around that time in 2021] and said, 'Hey, would you do it? Somebody's out of their mind. You and Alex, I've gotta get you guys together.' I said, 'Fine.' He said, 'Reach out one more time.' I reached out one more time. No response.

"Alex never played with anybody ever except his brother," Hagar added. "He never jammed with anybody. The whole time we were in VAN HALEN, Mike and I would be out playing clubs with Eddie [Van Halen], jumping on stage on nights off. And Alex [would be] standing on the side of the stage [and looking on]."

Hagar and Anthony previously worked with Satriani in the supergroup CHICKENFOOT. They recorded two albums between 2009 and 2011 and toured across America but never performed any VAN HALEN material. More recently, Hagar and Anthony have played some of the VAN HALEN catalog with guitarist Vic Johnson and Bonham in SAMMY HAGAR AND THE CIRCLE.

Hagar mended his relationship with Eddie Van Halen months prior to the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's October 2020 passing.

Hagar replaced Roth in VAN HALEN in 1985 and recorded four studio albums with the band — "5150", "OU812", "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Balance" — all of which topped the U.S. chart.

Sammy, Eddie, Alex and Michael last teamed up in 2004 for a U.S. summer tour. In exchange for taking part in the tour, Anthony reportedly had to agree to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the band name and logo.

In a new interview with Guitar World magazine, MÖTLEY CRÜE's Nikki Sixx discussed the band's decision to hire guitarist John 5 as Mick Mars's replacement following the latter's decision to no longer tour with the legendary rock act. Nikki said: "Listen, we were forced. Guy's gotta choose: you want to break up? Do you want to fuck over [tour promoter] Live Nation? You want to screw [tourmates] DEF LEPPARD? All those tickets, all that planning that we'd done because one of your bandmembers is too ill to perform live?"

He continued: "We really had to think about it, bro. Like, do you think we wanted to take the grief we took, and end up in a lawsuit? But what were we supposed to do? Go home and fucking mow the lawn? It's like your fucking football team; if one of your guys can't play anymore, they bring in another guy."

Earlier this month, Sixx told Classic Rock magazine that "it was becoming harder and harder and harder to get anything done with Mick because of his memory problems and just his physical ailments. And we have a lot of empathy for that."

The bassist continued: "When Mick left the band, we had to make a choice. And we made the right choice with John. We wish Mick nothing but the best."

Addressing the fact that MÖTLEY CRÜE opted to carry on without the band's founding guitarist, much to the dismay of some fans, Sixx said: "I run this band with an iron fist and nobody can get in and fuck with our band, legally, marketing-wise." He went on to say that MÖTLEY CRÜE had to make "a self-sufficient decision" regarding how to continue without Mars, which he insisted was "the right thing to do". "But doing the right thing isn't always fucking fun," Sixx added, "[with] fans believing we did something we didn't do."

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE in the summer of 2022 that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, in early April 2023 the now-73-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

Mars said that when he refused to sign the papers reducing his share of touring royalties to only 5%, the band commenced an arbitration. His original filing said the group took it to arbitration "rather than a public lawsuit so that the public would not be aware of the deplorable manner in which they treated their 'brother' of 41 years."

This past April, Sixx told Angi Taylor of Chicago's Rock 95.5 radio station about Mars's departure from MÖTLEY CRÜE: "We didn't see this coming. We were out doing our stadium tour, and Mick had decided to leave. And we really had to sit down and go, 'Well, what do we do? Do we fold? Do we fold on the fans and [concert promoter] Live Nation [and 2022 and 203 tourmates] DEF LEPPARD?' John, we've all known John. I've worked with John. We kind of talked about it. And if we had to move on, it's moved on in a such a beautiful way. It's been great."

In August 2023, Nikki told Guitar World magazine about CRÜE's decision to hire John 5: "We never saw it coming that Mick wasn't going to be able to tour and was going to have to quit the band. In the middle — not even the middle — of a huge tour, we had to ask ourselves, 'Do we want to let the fans down? Do we want to let [concert promoters] Live Nation down? Do we want to let [tourmates] DEF LEPPARD down? Do we want to let ourselves down because an original member of our band can't tour anymore?' We had to have a deep, deep look into what we were going to do."

Sixx went on to say that John 5 was the obvious choice to step in for Mars in MÖTLEY CRÜE. He added: "[With John] knowing all the members of the band, and me having this relationship with him writing and as friends, and even being in the studio with him writing stuff with the band for [the soundtrack to] 'The Dirt', it felt like a no-brainer in a horrible situation something we did not ask for or want. And then it was just kind of obvious. If there was 'the guy', John was the guy. Like I said, we didn't choose this, but since we had to be put in this position, we're very happy with where we're at right now."

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

Although Sixx is responsible for penning the lion's share of the band's material, Mars did have a hand in co-writing some of the group's most famous tracks, including "Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)", "Girls, Girls, Girls" and "Dr. Feelgood".

The only credit Mars has on the first two MÖTLEY CRÜE albums is the instrumental "God Bless The Children Of The Beast" on 1983's "Shout At The Devil".

Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, best known for his work with MEGADETH and ANGRA, has made his entire new solo album, "Theory Of Mind", available for streaming in the YouTube video below.

Featured songs:

00:01 Borderliner
04:33 Out Of Nothing
08:35 Mind Rise
12:41 Talking Dreams
17:01 Blindfolded
21:26 Point Of No Return
25:57 Raveled
29:56 Lost In Seconds
34:20 The Other Side Of Fear
38:17 The Barefoot Queen
42:53 Finitude

The "Theory Of Mind" physical product is available for pre-order at kikoloureirostore.com. Products will be shipped on November 10.

Kiko commented: "When I set out to write this album, 'Theory Of Mind', it felt more like an exploration than a project. Music, for me, has always been about uncovering the hidden layers of thought and emotion, and this album took me into new territories — ones where psychology and technology intersect with the core of what makes us human. But this wasn't just a conceptual or intellectual exercise for me. I had personal experiences that led me to create this music, experiences that reshaped how I see the world and how we understand each other.

"The concept of 'theory of mind' isn't new. It's a psychological term, first developed to describe the unique human ability to recognize and interpret the mental states of others. We use it every day, often unconsciously, to navigate the social world, to empathize, to predict what others might feel or think. It becomes even more profound when applied to those who experience life differently for whom 'theory of mind' may not come naturally. In them, the gaps in understanding can be bridges to deeper ways of seeing the world. This album seeks to capture that complexity — the struggle, the beauty, and the unknown that comes with interpreting the minds of others. I've seen this first-hand, both in my own life and through people close to me. Watching someone struggle to connect with others on an intuitive level or seeing how people are often misunderstood because they process the world differently — it all started to shape my thinking. How do we understand those whose minds work in ways we can't immediately grasp? How do they understand us? These questions weighed heavily on me and became a driving force behind this album. I wanted to reflect on those personal experiences musically, creating an emotional landscape where the listener could step inside that journey, even if just for a moment.
But there's another layer to this album that extends beyond psychology and into the future of technology.

"We are on the verge of a new era where machines — artificial intelligence — are approaching what scientists refer to as 'theory of mind'. This marks the moment when AI not only calculates and processes information but begins to perceive, empathize, and interact as humans do. What intrigued me is how AI, now convincingly mimic human understanding of mental states, even outperforming humans in 'theory of mind' tests. It's one thing to create music that evokes human emotion, but what does it mean when a machine can understand and resonate with those emotions too? Imagine a world where technology not only responds but feels.

"Each track on the album is a chapter in this story, and I hope listeners feel the evolution. The opening song begins with an intricate awakening motif, almost like the first realization of self-awareness, like when a child first grasps that other people have thoughts, emotions, and experiences separate from their own. The music builds from there, layering with complexity, much like how we learn to navigate the minds of others — tentative at first, and then more certain, with moments of tension and harmony.
There's a rhythmic pulse throughout the album. It represents that shared essence we all have the need to connect, to feel understood. I incorporated melodies and counter-melodies, verses and choruses, peaceful and aggressive, dissonant or consonant that mirror the interplay of thoughts in dialogue, where communication is imperfect but still profound. The tension and release echo the internal conflicts we all experience—wondering if we truly understand others or if we're just projecting our own thoughts onto them.

"There's a vulnerability in the tracks' melodies, a fragile but fierce will to connect. In a way, it's a meditation on empathy, on the effort it can take to truly see someone for who they are.
The use of AI as an inspiration for some of the album's themes might seem abstract. As I wrote and composed, I kept coming back to the question: What happens when machines learn to understand us on an emotional level? When we teach them to interpret our mental states? Does it make them more human, or does it reveal more about what it means to be human ourselves? Should I let AI start making all the music, what about me, how can I express myself?

"'Theory Of Mind' isn't just about understanding — it's about the desire to understand. Whether it's a person who feels misunderstood, or a future AI learning to perceive our emotions, the album is an invitation to explore that space. To sit with the complexities, to feel the tension, and ultimately, to wonder — where do we go from here?"

Kiko previously stated about the song "Mind Rise", which was released in late September: "After years of playing in massive arenas and headlining festivals, there's something refreshing about focusing on the fundamentals. The new song taps into that, where catchy, straightforward guitar riffs take center stage, using a deep, lower-register pentatonic scale to immediately engage the listener. In my mind, the verse goes: Carlos Santana meets Jeff Beck, with sinuous, curvy lines where slight variations in playing the same note make a huge impact on the theme. As the saying goes, 'The devil is in the details,' and here those details shape the entire vibe of the track."

He continued: "The song kicks off in E minor, one of the most commonly used keys in rock guitar. But just when it feels familiar, it shifts into G major, its relative key, lifting the track and creating a sense of elevation. The dynamics between these two bring energy and keep the listener's attention without overcomplicating the composition. In this way, the song avoids relying only on a traditional chorus. Instead, it uses a strong, recurring guitar riff as its focal point. And then there's the suspense. The kind that lingers in the air like a shadow in the corner of a smoky bar, where a figure waits, watching, calculating the perfect moment to strike. That's the moment when the Neapolitan chord slips in, a classical technique thrown into the mix to build tension. The anticipation of the solo creeps in with echoes of the main melody, but this time under the command of a different chord progression. But as with any music tale, repetition is the thread that binds it all together. The riff and chorus-like sections repeat, reinforcing that music doesn't need to be overly complicated. Sometimes, it's the simple — like a direct riff — that leaves the strongest impression.

"Listen closely, and you'll hear it. Let me know what you feel when listening to the song."

Earlier in September, Kiko released another new solo single, "Out Of Nothing". He said of the track at the time: "My new single 'Out Of Nothing' emerges not from a plan but from the mystery of creation itself. When I compose, I do not think, nor do I theorize — I let my hands glide over the fretboard, as if they already know the way, discovering paths, rejecting others, always searching for the feeling that satisfies, even for a moment.

"'Out Of Nothing' kicks off with a bold tritone interval — 'Diabolus In Musica,' that notorious interval known for its tension. It's a simple, direct statement that immediately shifts the key, setting up a dynamic riff alternating between A and D with their tritones. The intensity ramps up with 16th notes that launch the track into high gear.

"The verse is simple, almost baroque in its harmony. A Tonic and Dominant, Am to E7, arpeggiated with hybrid picking over the rhythm of Baião, a syncopation from the northeastern reaches of Brazil. The original music from this area also incorporates many arpeggiated themes from European heritage. And then, bringing contrast, the chromatic lines arrive to challenge this basic cadence, introducing the mediant progression—Am to Fm—
For the chorus, I take things up a notch, moving to the fifth degree and playing with the tension between E major and minor, As I didn't feel the chorus should be completely happy and uplifting.

"In the middle of the song, I let the existing elements repeat, develop, and transform, as one might do in a symphony or a sonata. The arpeggios return, expanding the baroque spirit, and then, unexpectedly, nylon strings echo from a distant past. Before long, the tritone chord progression returns, but now with more complex lines and a mix of techniques.

"But I will not leave you lost. The verse and chorus return, as familiar as old friends. For in this song, though I take you far, I am careful never to lose you entirely."

In November 2023, Kiko announced his decision to "extend" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, explaining that he didn't want to "hinder any of the band's plans or the hard work of all the incredible people involved in the tour."

Kiko revealed in September 2023 that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

One day after Kiko's announcement that he was "extending" his absence from MEGADETH's touring activities, band leader Dave Mustaine released a statement in which he said that he loves Loureiro and respects and fully supports Kiko's decision. He described Kiko as "a top-notch professional, a maestro" and thanked the guitarist "for his dedication and hard work these past nine years, helping us to achieve a Grammy on 'Dystopia' and the additional awards we have received on this latest record 'The Sick... The Dying...And The Dead'." Mustaine added: "I could not have done this without Kiko Loureiro."

MEGADETH played its first concert with Kiko's replacement, Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The 37-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

In a recent interview with Japan's Young Guitar, Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro was asked about the possibility of a future guest appearance with ANGRA. He responded: "In the last two albums from ANGRA, not being in the band, I did record a guest solo. I was touring a lot and I have small kids, so I didn't wanna travel more to do a guest appearance. It might be in the future. I'm friends of everybody. I have a great history with ANGRA. Same goes with MEGADETH. I'm still friends of everybody, and I don't wanna burn bridges."

He continued: "I'm proud of all the albums I recorded with ANGRA. I'm proud of the albums that I recorded with MEGADETH, the two albums I recorded with MEGADETH, all the concerts and tours we did together. So, guest appearances, recording a solo, helping somehow or just hanging, I'm happy to do it, because I like all those people as friends and family, because I shared so many great moments of my life with the guys from ANGRA, of course, many, many years, and also almost nine years in MEGADETH as well."

Dorothy, the raven-haired rock dynamo from Los Angeles, returned to prominence over the summer. She shared the first taste of new music from her forthcoming fourth album in the form of explosive and unforgettable new single "Mud". The track was produced by Scott Stevens (HALESTORM, SHINEDOWN, NOTHING MORE).

Today, the raven-haired rocker has shared an absolutely explosive performance video of the song, something her legion of fans has been eager to see and hear. Watch it below.

The performance captures Dorothy in her most natural habitat — onstage. It crackles and smolders with the intensity and heat that only Dorothy can bring. Cloaked in black leather, Dorothy schools the crowd on the undeniable chemistry that is alive and well amongst metal and rock loyalists and country badasses. She remains a musical outlaw through and through. Dorothy isn't afraid to get, well, dirty. The song boasts a hearty mix of the blues-infused rock her previous albums have been known for, but adds a countrified twist, as can be offered up by only an artist of Dorothy's caliber.

"The 'Mud' live performance video was shot at two shows we played opening for GODSMACK," the singer states. "I want to thank them for having us and I hope the fans enjoy the footage!"

Dorothy has also dropped alternative versions of "Mud" for fans, including the "Rodeo Remix".

Overall, "Mud" is a display of raw, full-bodied vocal power complimented by heavy-hitting instrumentation and riffs galore. The song is currently parked in the Top 5 at rock radio and it's gaining momentum.

In other Dorothy news, she will be performing with CREED's Scott Stapp at the legendary Grand Ole Opry in Nashville on October 23. It will be the first-ever live performance of their duet "If These Walls Could Talk", an acoustic ballad that delivers two Grammy-worthy vocal performances that escalate to soaring climax as they depict the experience of suffering in silence. It is Dorothy's first time performing at this historic venue.

The details of Dororthy's forthcoming fourth studio album will be announced in due course. Dorothy's discography thus far includes "Gifts From The Holy Ghost" (2022),which was inspired by a spiritual awakening, as well as "ROCKISDEAD" (2016),which inspired Roc Nation to sign the artist to the label, and "28 Days In The Valley" (2018). The Budapest, Hungary-born stunner has enjoyed over one billion global streams combined across her career and has participated in high-profile collaborations with everyone from STAIND to Slash of GUNS N' ROSES to Scott Stapp of CREED to Alice Cooper guitarist Nita Strauss, earning and ultimately cementing her place among the hard rock elite.