Watch Death To All perform “Suicide Machine” live at Graspop Festival 2022, in Diezel, Belgium, dedicated to former Death drummer Sean Reinert, the original drummer for “Suicide Machine” on Death's classic album, Human. Sean Reinert passed away in 2020 (RIP).





Death To All is a unique opportunity for a new generation of metalheads to experience the genius of Death and Chuck Schuldiner first-hand.




Gene Hoglan says, "Death To All is really excited to be hitting the road on The Scream of Perserverance Tour with special guests Cryptopsy. The North American tour will bring three different, special and exciting shows encapsulating the two equally important eras of Death."


The Scream of Perserverance Tour features unique two-night stints in multiple cities, where the first night will be an old-school, brutal night featuring, in its entirety, the album which started the Death legacy, Scream Bloody Gore, as well as classic tunes from Leprosy and Spiritual Healing.


The second night will feature the finishing touch in Death’s history, The Sound of Perseverance, as well as timeless classics from the technical and more melodic era of Death, Human, Individual Thought Patterns and Symbolic.’Also, in certain cities, the sets will be From First To Last, where Death To All play the mightiest bangers from every Death album.


Gene Hoglan adds, "We’ll be joined by our good friends, the legendary Cryptopsy, who have some special plans of their own for this tour. Death To All is extremely pleased to be bringing these special nights to the fans of the one and only Chuck Schuldiner... as only Death To All can... his entire Death legacy! As Chuck liked to say, 'let the Metal flow.' You’ll want to catch every night possible.”


Cryptopsy shares, “Cryptopsy is very much looking forward to sharing the stage with the iconic and symbolic Death To All band! Since the tour will be hitting major US markets two nights back to back, we plan on giving the fans two unique setlists. One that consists of classic old school first generation Cryptopsy tracks and a second that’ll focus more on the newer generation. We are grateful for the opportunity to celebrate Death’s legacy alongside Death To All. We welcome you all to bear witness to this epic tour!”





The Scream Of Perseverance Tour dates:


May
18 - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Metal Fest **
19 - Milwaukee, WI - Milwaukee Metal Fest *
21 - Columbus, OH - The King Of Clubs ***
22 - Philadelphia, PA - Theatre Of Living Arts ***
23 - New York City, NY - Gramercy Theatre *
24 - New York City, NY - Gramercy Theatre **
25 - Boston, MA - The Middle East *
26 - Boston, MA - The Middle East **
28 - Montreal, QC - Le National *
29 - Montreal, QC - Le National **
30 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre *
31 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre **


June
1 - London, ON - London Music Hall ***
2 - Detroit, MI - Magic Stick ***
4 - St. Paul, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Hall *
5 - St. Paul, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Hall **
7 - Lawrence, KS - The Granada ***
8 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater *
9 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater *
11- Salt Lake City, UT - Metro Music Hall ***
13 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre *
14 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre **
15 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile *
16 - Seattle, WA - The Crocodile **
18 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre *
19 - Portland, OR - Hawthorne Theatre **
21- Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone *
22 - Berkeley, CA - Cornerstone **
23 - Santa Cruz, CA - The Catalyst ***
25 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick *
26 - San Diego, CA - Brick By Brick **
27 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theater *
28 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent Theater **
29 - Phoenix, AZ - The Nile Theater ***


* Scream Bloody Gore in its entirety plus old school Death classics from Leprosy and Spiritual Healing
** The Sound Of Perseverance in its entirety plus the new school Death classics from Human, Individual Thought Patterns and Symbolic
*** From First To Last - the Greatest classics from every Death album


VIP upgrades here.





Founded in 1984 by Chuck Schuldiner under the original name of Mantas in Altamonte Springs, Florida, Death was among the more widely known early pioneers of the Death metal sound, along with California’s Possessed. Inspired by Nasty Savage, Death was among the first bands in the Florida Death metal scene. In the late 80s, the band was both a part of and integral in defining the Death metal scene which gained international recognition with the release of albums by a number of area acts.


Death To All operates as a tribute band to the original Death, which dissolved in 2001 following the passing of the group’s founder and frontman Chuck Schuldiner. The backbone of Death To All is singer/guitarist Max Phelps (Exist, Cynic), drummer Gene Hoglan (Dark Angel, Testament, Dethklok), bass beast Steve DiGiorgio (Testament, Sadus) and Bobby Koelble (Death).

The LiveCuttz YouTube channel has uploaded 4K video of QUEENSRŸCHE's entire April 26 concert at Empire Live in Albany, New York. Check out the footage below.

Featured songs:

"Queensrÿche" EP

00:00:00 Queen Of The Reich
00:05:18 Nightrider
00:09:11 Blinded
00:12:25 The Lady Wore Black

"The Warning" album

00:18:46 Warning
00:24:26 En Force
00:28:33 Deliverance
00:33:37 No Sanctuary
00:40:31 NM 156
00:44:59 Todd LaTorre Dialog
00:47:45 Take Hold Of The Flame
00:52:31 Before The Storm
00:58:08 Child Of Fire
01:02:46 Roads To Madness

Encore

01:12:53 Prophecy
01:18:38 Empire

Although QUEENSRŸCHE would score multi-platinum albums and hit singles over their career, their fans have developed an undeniable love for the group's early releases, the 1983 EP and 1984's "The Warning" album, when they helped trailblaze a style of rock that combined elements of metal and prog. And for the first time ever, QUEENSRŸCHE is performing both classic releases in their entirety as part of "The Origins Tour".

Launching on March 22 at the Hell's Heroes festival in Houston, Texas and running until May 12 in Ft. Meyers, Florida, "The Origins Tour" sees QUEENSRŸCHE — singer Todd La Torre, guitarists Michael Wilton and Mike Stone, bassist Eddie Jackson and drummer Casey Grillo — joined on most dates by another highly respected/influential band that also launched in the '80s, ARMORED SAINT.

When "The Origins Tour" was first announced, La Torre said in a statement: "We are thrilled to bring to you 'The Origins Tour'. This will be the first time in QUEENSRŸCHE's history that the EP and 'The Warning' will be performed live in their entirety. And to make this an even more stellar tour, we are so excited that our great friends and legendary metallers ARMORED SAINT will be joining us as direct support. We are all proud to bring you this touring package and we can't wait to see you on the road."

He added: "Join us for this unique and very special experience, as we celebrate the origins of QUEENSRŸCHE. Take hold!"

Early last year, QUEENSRŸCHE completed its 2023 U.S. headlining tour with support from former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman and TRAUMA. On that tour, QUEENSRŸCHE's 18-song set included no less than five songs from the band's sixteenth studio album, "Digital Noise Alliance", which came out in October 2022 via Century Media. The record was once again helmed by Chris "Zeuss" Harris, who previously worked with QUEENSRŸCHE on 2015's "Condition Hüman" and 2019's "The Verdict" LPs.

Stone, who rejoined QUEENSRŸCHE in 2021, contributed guitar solos to the band's new studio album.

Since late May 2021, Stone has been handling second-guitar duties in QUEENSRŸCHE, which announced in July 2021 that longtime guitarist Parker Lundgren was exiting the group to focus on "other business ventures."

Stone originally joined QUEENSRŸCHE for the 2003 album "Tribe" and stayed with the band for six years before leaving the group.

For the past seven years, drummer Casey Grillo has been filling in for original QUEENSRŸCHE drummer Scott Rockenfield, who stepped away from the band's touring activities in early 2017 to spend time with his young son.

In October 2021, Rockenfield filed a lawsuit against guitarist Michael Wilton and bassist Eddie Jackson, alleging, among other things, breach of contract, breach of fiduciary duty and wrongful discharge. A few months later, Wilton and Jackson filed a countersuit against Rockenfield, accusing him of abandoning his position as a member of the band and misappropriating the group's assets to his own personal benefit. That dispute has since been settled out of court.

FOO FIGHTERS paid tribute to Steve Albini Thursday night (may 9) during the band's concert in Charlotte, North Carolina.

Prior to launching into the FOO FIGHTERS hit song "My Hero", the band's frontman Dave Grohl, who worked with the producer on NIRVANA's "In Utero" album, told the crowd: "Tonight, I'd like to dedicate this song to a friend we lost the other day, who I've known for a long, long time. And he left us much too soon. He's touched all of your lives, I'm sure. Talking about Steve Albini. For those of you who know, you know. For those of you who don't know, just remember that name: Steve Albini. So let's sing this one for him."

In a 2013 interview with NPR, Grohl stated about NIRVANA's collaboration with Albini on the follow-up to "Nevermind": "He was one of our heroes, man. That was a big deal to be able to make a record with him. I had BIG BLACK records and I loved 'Surfer Rosa' [the PIXIES album produced by Albini]. To make a record with him was a big deal. And I admit that when we walked in there, I was terrified and intimidated because his reputation was that [he was] really cynical, opinionated — and I heard stories that bands would send them their single and ask him to do their next record and he would smash it and send it back with no letter. Stuff like that. Like, 'Oh my god, he's the [Colonel] Kurtz of the music industry! This is crazy; he's gone too far up the river and he's lost it!' And then we get there, and he's like a pussycat. He's the sweetest person in the world, and we had a blast. He and I got along really well, because we're both kind of goofs."

Grohl and Albini later reunited at Steve's Electrical Audio in Chicago when FOO FIGHTERS recorded the track "Something From Nothing" from the 2014 "Sonic Highways" album at the studio.

Albini died earlier this week of a heart attack. He was 61 years old.

In addition to fronting underground rock acts SHELLAC and BIG BLACK, Albini produced albums by PJ Harvey and Jimmy Page and Robert Plant. He was an aggressive critic of musicians and others who he felt were in it for the money or popularity rather than the music and he famously refused to take royalties from the recordings he produced for other artists.

In 2004, Albini estimated that he had engineered the recording of around 1,500 albums. According to Mix With The Masters, he continued to work almost entirely in the analog domain, being known for recording "live in the studio" as much as possible. He also placed particular emphasis on the selection and use of microphones in achieving a desired sound, and to best capture the ambience.

"A lot of people making records don't have a grasp of the process," he once told Billboard. "They do it thinking that it's some abstract art form that doesn't need to be comprehended on a technical procedural level. [In those cases] you'll end up with a record that isn't formally completed, but that's finished when the bell rings."

In a separate interview with Musician, Albini lamented what he called the industry's assembly-line mentality. "The sound of contemporary rock records, especially those made with big budgets, is so homogeneous," he said. "You hear exactly the same mix balance, the same dynamic, the same production techniques brought to bear on every single band."

Albini also pointed out that the quality of his own records had improved, largely because he had resisted the "fiddling impulse" with the music.

"In quest of a distinctive sound, people endlessly process things," he told Billboard back in 1995. "But because so many people use that method, those sounds have become quite commonplace. In the last few years, I've learned to leave things alone. Now when I set up a microphone and like the way it sounds, I consider the job done."

SHELLAC's first album in a decade, "To All Trains", is scheduled for release next week.

True Norwegian black metal pioneers, Mayhem, will be performing two very special 40th anniversary sets in their hometown of Oslo, Norway at Sentrum Scene on Friday, May 10, and Saturday, May 11, with the first night already entirely sold out. Limited tickets are still available for the Saturday performance, so hurry up and get yours before its too late!


In celebration of this monumental double-header, the band is now sharing the official live video for the song "Deathcrush", which is taken from the band's latest live album, Daemonic Rites. The clip can be seen below:







Fans can also view an in-depth interview with Mayhem about their 40th anniversary and upcoming performances via NRK, here.


In addition, Mayhem has just been added to the 2024 edition of Maryland Deathfest, which will take place in Baltimore, MD from May 23-26.


Lineup:


Necrobutcher - Bass
Hellhammer - Drums
Attila - Vocals
Teloch - Guitar
Ghul - Guitar


(Photo - Vincent Grundke)

Sepultura drummer Greyson Nekrutman has released drum-cam video performing the tracks "Territory" during the band’s recent Brazilian tour.





Sepultura kicked off their Celebrating Life Through Death farewell tour on March 1st at Arena Hall in Belo Horizonte, Brazil. Fan-filmed video from the show, featuring new drummer Greyson Nekrutman (Suicidal Tendencies), can be viewed below.




Setlist:


"Refuse/Resist"
"Territory"
"Slave New World"
"Phantom Self"
"Dusted" 
"Attitude"
"Kairos"
"Means To An End"
"Cut Throat"
"Guardians Of Earth"
"Mind War" 
"False" 
"Choke"
"Escape To The Void" 
"Kaiowas"
"Sepulnation"
"Biotech Is Godzilla" 
"Agony Of Defeat"
"Troops Of Doom"
"Arise"


Encore:
"Ratamahatta"
"Roots Bloody Roots"











Sepultura recently announced the departure of drummer, Eloy Casagrande. He has been replaced by Greyson Nekrutman.


Sepultura issued the following statement:


"The 'Celebrating Life Through Death' tour, a farewell tour over the next 18 months that will celebrate the band's 40th anniversary and also its farewell to the stage.


"Beginning of December the group clearly defined the intention at the announcement, it is a 'conscious and planned death.' As poetic as it sounds, a tour of this magnitude took nearly of year of preparing and planning which would require a lot commitment, ethics and loyalty to their fans, as well as respecting for the band's history, something that is a clear priority to Andreas Kisser, Derrick Green and Paulo Xisto.


"However, on 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 were taken by surprise, without prior warning, he immediately left the band, abandoning everything related to Sepultura.


"Luckily American virtuoso Greyson Nekrutman will take the position of Eloy Casagrande and is welcomed as the band's new drummer for the 'Celebrating Life Through Death' farewell tour."


Greyson comments: "Today I express my heartfelt gratitude for the incredible opportunity to join the legendary ranks of Sepultura for their farewell tour.


"To contribute to this legacy is a privilege that fills me with both honor and excitement. Sepultura's fearless approach to exploring new territories in the metal sphere is something that I have always admired and strived to emulate in my own musical endeavors. I am eagerly looking forward to adding my own spirit and passion to the mix, to connecting with the fans who have supported the band through its evolution, and to the electrifying experiences we'll create together on stage. Here's to the new chapters we'll write together, to the stages we'll conquer, and to the powerful music we'll unleash upon the world."


Sepultura's Celebrating Life Through Death farewell tour itinerary can be found here.

The Silver Stallion Videos YouTube channel has uploaded multi-camera video of JUDAS PRIEST performing the songs "Saints In Hell" and "Crown Of Horns" on May 4 at Wings Event Center in Kalamazoo, Michigan during the band's 2024 "Invincible Shield" U.S. tour. Check out the clip below.

PRIEST's 18-song setlist included three songs from the band's latest album, "Invincible Shield": the title track, "Panic Attack" and "Crown Of Horns".

JUDAS PRIEST kicked off the U.S. leg of the "Invincible Shield" world tour on April 18 at Toyota Oakdale Theatre in Wallingford, Connecticut.

In a recent appearance on The Break Down With Nath & Johnny podcast, JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill was asked who in the band has the final say when it comes to picking a setlist for the PRIEST live shows. He responded: "Well, it is probably Rob [Halford, PRIEST singer], really. But then again, we've got a whole spectrum now. You've got the younger element with Richie [Faulkner, PRIEST guitarist]. He's the same age as my eldest son. And then comes Scott [Travis, PRIEST drummer] and you've got Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist], of course. He can't do it anymore [due to his battle with Parkinson's disease]. [But] he's still sharp as a pin between his ears. Then Andy [Sneap, PRIEST touring guitarist] and Rob and myself. So you've got a full spectrum there of ages. So everybody has their own favorites and their own types of JUDAS PRIEST song. We all sort of [go], 'Yeah, like that. No, don't like that one.' And then we'll go. If someone's adamant that they really don't wanna do something, well, you don't wanna do something, and vice versa — if someone really wants to do a particular track, you do it. Like I say, you've got the ring-fence tracks there that you've gotta do — the 'Breaking The Law's and the 'Living After Midnight's and things like that, that you have to do. It's what brings people to the shows, basically. And then you've got your other sort of classic PRIEST songs, which is a little bit easier because you can swap and change those between — do a month maybe using one song, change it to another one of a similar kind. And then try to get some new stuff in there — three, maybe four maximum is about as much as you can get at any one time. I'm sure there'll be more than that, that we'll go through. And just swap and change as we go."

Asked if there are any songs that he can think of straight off the top of his head, in the PRIEST back catalog that he really loves to play live but never has, Ian said: "Ah, there's one that we have played live that we haven't played for a while and that's 'Dissident Aggressor'. I still say that's probably my all-time favorite song. It's just so raw — it's just pure rock, really. It's one of those songs that, even in the studio, I can remember it being — it's two guitars, bass, drums and vocals. And I think there might be one extra guitar on there through the lead break. Other than that, it's totally raw. It's exactly as it would be on stage. And I love that song, apart from it being a great song. And there's always other things. We've never really done 'Before The Dawn' — from the other point of view, the other end of the spectrum, if there's a quiet part in [the show]. These days people tend to prefer the more upbeat stuff rather than the quieter pieces. But that would be cool to do as well. It's only about two and a half, three minutes long anyway, so it wouldn't take much time. But there's loads in there — there's loads of them. 'Sinner' we haven't done, so it'd be great to do that again. We haven't done that for a while. But we'll see."

In a separate interview with Metal Pilgrim, Halford spoke about the setlist for PRIEST's 2024 tour. He said: "We've had this conversation before as far as trying to put the setlist together. And after 19 studio albums, it's, like, 'Oh my God. Where do we go?' If we didn't play 'Breaking The Law', there'd be a riot. If we didn't play 'Painkiller', there'd be a riot. There are certain songs that you are indebted to your fans to play, because they're part of the fabric of who you are as a band. Without naming names, there are certain bands where you know you wanna hear that song when you go to a show. So there's a portion of the setlist that already writes itself. Having said that, yeah, we are gonna go quite deep, and we found some songs from previous albums that we're gonna work with and we're gonna bring out. So there'll probably be at least two or three deep cuts on this setlist."

Rob continued: "At any given moment, we've got 60 to 70 songs we can play — at any given moment. And then we're gonna add more into the mix. It's fun to see the texts and the e-mails flying through: 'Well, I'll give you this one if you give me that one.' 'Cause you've gotta find a balance. When a band plays on stage, every single bandmember has to agree on the set list. There's no place for, 'Oh, dude, I've gotta play this one.' There's no place for that. You've all gotta be believing in that particular song as you go through the show. And it's gonna be fantastic."

Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Original guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

"Invincible Shield" entered the U.K. chart at No. 2, just behind Ariana Grande's "Eternal Sunshine".

Prior to "Invincible Shield"'s arrival, PRIEST's highest U.K. chart achievement was with 1980's "British Steel", which reached No. 4.

PRIEST's 2018 album "Firepower" entered the chart at No. 5.

"Invincible Shield" is JUDAS PRIEST's fifth Top 10 album, after the aforementioned "British Steel" and "Firepower", as well as 2014's "Redeemer Of Souls" (No. 6) and the 1979 live album "Unleashed In The East" (No. 10).

"Invincible Shield" landed at No. 1 in Germany, Finland, Sweden and Switzerland, as well as No. 5 in France, No. 8 in Italy and No. 16 in Australia.

Annihilator guitarist / founder Jeff Waters has checked in with the following update:


"We've been asked to do this for a long, long time, so we delivered! To add to our celebration of the 35th Anniversary of the giant Alice In hell record, Annihilator and the UK's own Toni Hampstead have teamed up to create the official Alison Hell doll.


Each of these 50 limited edition dolls have been hand-made by Toni, are unique, and come with its own carrier bag and care instructions. 




On your shelf, above the fireplace, swinging from your car or on top of the Xmas tree (haha!), get one of these quick!  


Only available on our official site here."





Waters previously commented: "2024 is THE YEAR OF ALICE: ALICE IN HELL.   


35 years since its release and we will be celebrating with many of you for the year with merch, signature guitars, shows, events, catalogue reissues, etc… and this will lead us into 2025, which is the anniversary of our biggest record: Never, Neverland. Alice will continue on with us, into 2025.   


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


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


Stage? Oh yeah. Let us just start with this: Annihilator will be co-headlining, along with Scorpions and Five Finger Death Punch, at Topfest, Slovakia on June 29, 2024. We will play the entire “Alice” record, along with some other rockin’ tunes.  


This will be an exclusive Europe festival show for 2024, however, we will be announcing lots more, starting January.  


We have NOT forgotten anyone. We will do our best in 2024-2025+ to get to where we should have been playing AND to where we already have!   


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


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


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


Love and Metal to all, Annihilator and Jeff Waters."

In a new interview with George Dionne of KNAC.COM, ARMORED SAINT bassist Joey Vera was asked about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2020's "Punching The Sky" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, we're in the middle of writing. So I would say we're — I don't know — seven songs in. And we've been writing in between all this other stuff and trying to get that done. So we are working towards a new record, ideally sometime in '25. It's realistic. So, we're still forging forward and the writing is always going forward. So, we shall see how that progresses. The touring thing kind of takes us away from it. It's hard for us to continue to write when we're touring. But you never know. Maybe we'll make use of our downtime, 'cause we will have a lot of it."

Earlier in the month, ARMORED SAINT singer John Bush also told The Chill Dude On A Couch that he and his bandmates have been "writing some songs… We've written about five or six that we've demoed," he revealed. "That's kind of our M.O., how we do it. We write something and then we'll try to make this really good-sounding demo. I'll go and sing. I actually try to sing it like I'm singing a record, and we've kept a lot of the original vocals. This goes back to the way we wrote songs back to [2000's] 'Revelation' even. 'Cause sometimes I think you sing something that maybe you'll never sing exactly the same, and so that nuance in your voice or who knows what, your inflection, you can try to mimic it, but maybe you never will mimic it exactly that way. Same with a guitar lead — a certain bend, it may not be exactly how you play it again. So I think those are key things that you try to keep when you're making demos, and that's what we do. So I've gotta get back to doing some work. And we've got more work to do, that's for sure. We certainly don't work at a fast pace; everyone knows that about SAINT. We could try to put a little urgency into this and try to kind of move on it a little quicker without sacrificing quality. I think that's a good idea."

ARMORED SAINT was inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame last July at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. The event was hosted by 95.5 KLOS DJ Marci Wiser, and featured performances by WEAPONS OF ANEW, Sergio Michel and DECONSTRUCT, surprise guest appearances and an all-star jam.

Ten months ago, ARMORED SAINT's long-awaited documentary, Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers", had its world premiere in the band's hometown at the Harmony Gold Theatre in Hollywood, California.

Armored Saint: Band Of Brothers" celebrates the 40-year career of ARMORED SAINT and the 50-year friendship the bandmembers have shared from school in El Sereno, a Los Angeles suburb.

Many friends of the band have given interviews, James Hetfield and Lars Ulrich from METALLICA tell tales of their early days touring, Scott Ian of ANTHRAX talks about seeing ARMORED SAINT in 1985, QUEENSRŸCHE members Eddie Jackson and Todd La Torre talk about the shared history. Key music industry figures and producers, A&R men, roadies, record label executives and family share thoughts and stories about the band's 40-year history.

ARMORED SAINT's eighth full-length album, "Punching The Sky", came out in October 2020 via Metal Blade Records.

ARMORED SAINT released the "Symbol Of Salvation Live" CD/DVD in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. The release came in celebration of the seminal album's 30th anniversary. "Symbol Of Salvation Live" was a combination live album and video of the band playing the album in its entirety at New York City's famed Gramercy Theatre during its 2018 tour.

Godsmack announces Awake, their smash sophomore album, will now be available for the first time ever on 2LP remastered vinyl on May 17.


Following the multi-platinum self-titled debut in 1998, Godsmack returned two years later in 2000 with an album that exceeded expectations as it featured fan favorites “Bad Magick”, “Awake,” and “Greed”. Building on the breakthrough success of their debut, the sophomore album’s title track earned Godsmack their first Billboard #1 hit, and the track “Vampire” earned the band their first Grammy nomination.


Awake is now available for pre-order in a limited-edition green color with a special etched side only on UMusic.com and the Godsmack.com store. Pre-order here.







Tracklisting:


Disc 1:
"Sick Of Life"
"Awake"
"Greed"
"Bad Magick"
"Goin’ Down"
"Mistakes"
"Trippin’"


Disc 2:
"Forgive Me"
"Vampires"
"The Journey"
"Spiral"


Godsmack is currently on their North American Vibez Tour. The full list of shows with more info is available at godsmack.com/tour.

Swedish sleaze metallers, Smoking Snakes, have released a video for "Excited", the latest single from
their debut album, Danger Zone, out now via Frontiers. Order the album here, and watch the clip below:





Smoking Snakes are known for their high-energy performances and a sound that pays homage to the golden era of rock while infusing a contemporary edge. With Danger Zone, the band aims to solidify their place in the sleaze metal genre and captivate audiences around the globe. The album was produced by Jakob Herrmann, known for his work with acclaimed acts such as Anthrax, In Flames, and Machine Head.







Tracklisting:


"Angels Calling"
"Sole Survivors"
"Run For Your Life"
"Lady Luck"
"Excited"
"Restless & Wild"
"Sorrow, Death And Pain"
"There Is No Tomorrow"
"Who Am I"
"We Are Alive"
"Rocking To The Morning Light"


"There Is No Tomorrow" video:





"Angels Calling" video:





"Sole Survivors" video:





Smoking Snakes are:


Brett Martin - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Andy Delarge - bass, backing vocals
Stan Ricci - drums, backing vocals
Leo Razor - lead guitar, backing vocals

Aftermath has unveiled the official lyric video for their single "We Don't Want A Riot," set to release on May 10 via TLG|ZOID through Virgin Music Group. The track originally featured on the album No Time To Waste, which debuted on March 17, 2023.


Charlie Tsiolis, vocalist of Aftermath, shared insights on the single, stating, "Musically, 'We Don't Want A Riot' channels the punk undertones reminiscent of our earlier work, with an infectious riff. Our aim was for the song's message to resonate with that authentic punk energy. We recognize the timely relevance of the song's message, which transcends political divides. It's a plea for peace, devoid of partisan affiliations, urging listeners to transcend the constraints of party politics."







Aftermath unleashed their highly awaited masterpiece, No Time To Waste, through Zoid Entertainment/TLG/INgrooves on March 17, 2023. This release stands as the triumphant conclusion to a powerful trilogy, representing a notable departure from the somber tones of its predecessor.


Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis shared, "We take immense pride in this album, a culmination of a trilogy that commenced with our debut. Crafted during a challenging era in contemporary history, No Time To Waste emerges as an anthem of hope. In contrast to our previous dark conceptual endeavor, we've refined this record. The ten tracks within are both weighty and charged, delivering a potent metal experience coupled with a profound message - that collectively, we can overcome, but time is of the essence."





"We Can Do This Together":





Lineup:


Kyriakos "Charlie" Tsiolis - Vocals
Steve Sacco - Guitar
Ray Schmidt - Drums
George Lagis - Bass

"Portraits Of Gillan", the latest book in the new "Portraits" series from Rufus Publications, is a photographic celebration of Ian Gillan's post-DEEP PURPLE career, published as a brand-new coffee-table book tracing his career with a mixture of well-known, rare and unseen photographs from some of rock's greatest photographers. The book includes an 8,000-word essay from rock journalist and writer John Tucker, tracking Gillan's career through this period. This unofficial book is 230mm square, case-bound, 240 pages, printed on luxury 170gsm matt-coated paper. The book comes with a fold out poster and is presented in a black slipcase with a gold foil logo. The main edition comes in 500 numbered copies and sells for £55 plus shipping.

In addition to this, a much larger, ultra-limited Black Leather and Metal Edition measuring 375mm square and presented in recycled leather and a hand-welded aluminum metal slipcase with a screen printed logo in a run of 50 numbered copies. This edition also comes with a unique lenticular for framing and will sell for £350.

The books will go on sale on Wednesday, April 24 at 3 p.m. U.K. time and will feature a 10% pre-order discount if ordered before April 30. The first 200 orders will also come with a free Gillan enamel badge worth £6.95. The books will ship worldwide at the end of June 2024.

On leaving DEEP PURPLE in June 1973, Gillan seemed to turn his back on music. Instead of joining or forming a new outfit the vocalist instead invested heavily in a number of business projects and to all intents and purposes appeared to have retired.

But there was more to Gillan than just his work with PURPLE, and he'd been singing for over a decade by this time so it was inevitable that he would eventually go back to what he did best — fronting a band and so in September 1975, in Paris, the world was introduced to the IAN GILLAN BAND.

Over the next few years the band expanded and transformed into GILLAN, releasing a batch of successful albums and singles, sell-out tours, headlining the Reading festival, guesting at the third-ever Monsters Of Rock event and playing a final show at Wembley Arena before the band disintegrated. What happened next surprised everyone and in April 1983, Ian Gillan, flanked by Tony Iommi and Geezer Butler, was officially announced as the new singer of BLACK SABBATH.

Fans of classic and blues rock have good reason to rejoice as the legendary Foghat, known for hits like "Slow Ride" and "Fool For The City," unveils a sensational live album titled Slow Ride - Live In Concert.


Capturing the raw essence of Foghat's electrifying stage presence, this album showcases a momentous live performance recorded and filmed in Texas in 1999, just before the tragic passing of Dave Peverett in 2000 at the age of 56.


Slow Ride - Live In Concert presents undistilled Foghat at its finest. The power and drive of their classic songs resonate with unbridled energy, offering listeners a front-row seat to the band's unparalleled talent and enduring musical legacy. This release is not merely a collection of tracks but a testament to Foghat's vision and impact since their explosive debut onto the world stage in 1970.




For a taste of what’s in store, check out the version of the blockbuster “Slow Ride,” released today on all music platforms. Peverett and company have never sounded so good! Watch the video below.


In addition to the CD release, fans are treated to a bonus DVD featuring the entire concert meticulously enhanced to HD quality. This visual experience transports viewers back to the thrilling atmosphere of the live performance, capturing every exhilarating moment and ensuring that the magic of Foghat's stage presence is preserved for generations to come. The full concert will be available everywhere starting April 5.


Order the CD/DVD here; pre-order/pre-save the digital here.





Tracklisting:


"Drivin' Wheel"
"Somebody's Been Sleepin' In My Bed"
"Stone Blue"
"It Hurts Me Too"
"Rock Your House"
"Sweet Home Chicago"
"Angel Of Mercy"
"Fool For The City"
"I Just Want To Make Love To You"
"Slow Ride"


"Slow Ride" video:

In a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann was asked about former ACCEPT bassist Peter Baltes's recent comment that ACCEPT's albums "started to sound the same towards the end" of his tenure with the band. I didn't like it anymore and felt like we were always just doing the same album or concept again and again, only with different lyrics," Peter said. Wolf responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Let me say one thing about all this. Have you ever heard an ex-member of any band say anything other than that? Have you ever heard anybody who has left the band not badmouthing the other band? Have you ever heard him say anything positive about the times that they've spent together? No. It's normal. They leave the band and they start [badmouthing their former bandmates]. So I'm not gonna comment on that.

"I think the albums will have to speak for themselves," he continued. "And here's how we work, actually, as a band. Today is no different from 10 years ago to 30 years ago. We know it's time to make a new album, and we need new songs. And I say to the guys in the band, 'Hey, guys, do you have any ideas? Let me hear the songs. If you have any songs, if you have written any songs, please submit them so we can hear them.' And most guys never submit anything. It's the way it is. On this album [ACCEPT's recently released 'Humanoid'], Uwe Lulis [guitar] has submitted several songs. One of them turned out to be great, 'Frankenstein'. And then Martin Motnik [bass] contributed some lyrics. And yes, it's true, I write the rest of the songs, but somebody has to do it, so it's me. And I'm not complaining. I'm just explaining how it is. And I think it works okay. I mean, the last two albums have been great, I think. So fans will have to be the judge if it's all the same and people don't like it, then I accept that. But I don't let ex-members be the judges. I let the fans tell me what's good or bad."

Last month, Hoffmann was asked by Riff X's "Metal XS" if he misses any of the former members who have left the band at some point during ACCEPT's nearly five-decade career. He responded: "In a way, I miss all of them, to be honest. I have no animosity towards anybody, and especially Peter left a few years ago, and I really miss him as a person, as a friend very much because we had fantastic times together.

"I always find it odd and strange that even though we might not be working together anymore, but why can't we stay friends?" he continued. "But that doesn't seem to be possible; I've never seen that happen, ever. It's a bit of a shame. Once somebody leaves the band, the hateful comments start and there's never anything positive to be said about anything. And I find that very, very sad. I wish it would be different.

"I've never seen anybody, even in another band, leave a band and then say, 'Oh, I guess I could have behaved differently. Maybe it was my mistake, too.' I've never, never heard that," Wolf added. "It's always [negative comments and complaining], and I try not to do that. I cherish the good old times."

Last October, Peter spoke to Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global about his decision to exit ACCEPT in 2018 after spending more than three decades with the Hoffmann-led outfit. He said: "Everybody knows now. I did a lot of interviews, and I really don't wanna talk about it anymore, but basically we used to go up as a band, as friends and stuff, and then these things change business-wise and music-wise. And then it always seems that somebody wants all the influence. Once you're not involved anymore in the decision making, what's the point? I'm not interested in that. So I left."

He added: "In order to be creative and in a good spirit, you have to feel good about what you're doing. That's the number one reason you're doing it in the first place that you started. If you go back, when you were really little and how you started, it was just a love for music. You had no idea how good you were. If you ever had talent, that all didn't matter because you just worked hard on it, and that's where you ended up.

"I had a lot of fans write, 'Why did he leave the mighty ACCEPT and join the little U.D.O.?' And they just don't get it. It doesn't matter — it really does not matter."

In September 2023, former ACCEPT and current U.D.O. frontman Udo Dirkschneider told Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules that he was "not surprised" to see Peter leave ACCEPT. "I knew what was coming up already a long time before it was official," Udo said. "But Peter did already some interviews [where he talked about it]. I don't wanna make any comments about this."

In June 2023, Baltes discussed his departure from ACCEPT in an interview with Rock And A Hard Place. The now-66-year-old bassist said: "I wasn't the happiest person in ACCEPT before. In my life, every day counts. When you reach my age, I wanna enjoy my life and I don't wanna do anything I don't like. I have that right now."

Asked if Udo's exit from ACCEPT was caused by the singer's disagreements with Wolf and Hoffmann's then-wife Gaby Hoffmann, who also managed ACCEPT for several decades, Peter said: "The problem was always between Wolf and his wife and Udo. I never had a problem with Udo. I guess [Udo] wasn't sophisticated enough. He was a blue-collar guy. He was a singer. It never worked out between them. They just hated each other.

"I said that in another interview a while ago, I said here we made the biggest mistake," he continued. "I was asked, actually, by Metal Hammer [what I thought] the worst ACCEPT album [was], and I said it must have been [1989's] 'Eat The Heat' [which featured David Reece on vocals], because we left our true destiny. The singer, which was the sound of the band, is gone, and we try with an American singer to sound like DEF LEPPARD. What a stupid idea there.

"I think in 2005 we did a reunion tour with Udo. But I kept in touch with Stefan [Kaufmann, former ACCEPT drummer], and through him with Udo. Wolf and Gaby always had their [spats with Udo] back and forth in the media, and I kept out of that."

Peter added: "I told the guys in the [later version of ACCEPT], because they all chimed in, 'Eff Udo,' this and that. And I'm thinking, 'Without Udo, you wouldn't be in this band. You're the singer now and you're drummer. You're all humping on Udo. You never met the man, first of all. You never said a word to him. It is so easy to judge somebody. Without him, you would be nowhere.'"

Asked if he felt like he was stuck in the middle between Hoffmann camp and Dirkschneider, Peter said: "Of course. You grow up together, and you have a band. Fans — people who follow a band — for them it's hard to fathom and understand what you're going through, because you spend half a lifetime together or even longer. And you trust people. And then trust is betrayed. And you think, 'Why? What is there to gain? A little bit more money? Power? Is that it?' And I guess that is what it is. Certain people need control; they can't let go. And if they don't have it, they're not happy."

Baltes also reflected on the Mark Tornillo era of ACCEPT, which began with the aforementioned "Blood Of The Nations" album and has produced five more LPs so far.

"In the end, when you mention ACCEPT albums, yeah, the first one was really good because that was stuff that mostly I had accumulated over the years," Peter said. "So Wolf and I wrote that first album together; that was killer. But after that, it was so predictable — it was the same riff; it's the same thing. So we were very divided. One side just wanted… I'll never forget that — he said, 'We can just do this and ride in the sunset together.' And I said, 'I think I have a different sunset in mind,' because I wanna be relevant with my music. I don't wanna just keep my fans happy and don't go anywhere else and just keep doing this. I wanna evolve; I wanna explore things. I come from a progressive background — EMERSON, LAKE & PALMER, things like this. So I was, like, 'This is the same stupid riff again, the same vocal line. Just another word.' I didn't wanna do it. [There were] too many things that were just bad — financial situations, trust issues, musical [ideas]. Everything was wrong. So that's why I left."

Baltes previously discussed his departure from ACCEPT in an interview with Finland's Chaoszine. At the time he said: "Well, it was… maybe the last two years, it started to go down. I didn't like it anymore. And I found out some things — I don't wanna elaborate — but I found out some things that are really not nice. I'd been together with Wolf my whole life, and that wasn't really necessary. Some people have to have all the control, and when it started going into the artistic control, then it really bothered me more. So I really wasn't into it anymore. And I was glad I did it, because it was 2018, and it was the last tour. And then corona happened anyway, so I got to record a lot of different albums. I played on Mick Mars's [MÖTLEY CRÜE] solo album. I did so many different things. And I was writing music for television and radio anyway, so I had two years of working [on] other stuff that I wasn't used to. And then, on the other hand, sitting at home for two years, when Udo called [and asked me to join U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER], that's why I took about five minutes to answer."

Peter's latest comments are similar to those he made in March 2023 in an interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music. At the time, he said about his exit from ACCEPT: "The statement that came from the band literally five minutes after I announced that I'm leaving [back in November 2018], that I wanna spend more time with my family, well, that wasn't true. No, no. I was extremely unhappy. And I found out a few things. I'd been in the band forever, and I found out in the end, in this incarnation of ACCEPT, I wasn't even really a member; I was a hired gun. And it's these things that come out where you don't have any input, insight, and you start getting bitter. And there's no reason to, but somebody else's ego is just so big or whatever — two of 'em — that it just takes them there, and they just need to control everything and have everything and you name it. That's what got Udo out back then, and I think in the end it hit everybody. So I was the last one standing, but I couldn't stand it anymore. I needed happiness in my life, and there was no happiness there. It was just a dead horse. So I left after the tour. And in my case, it was the best I ever could have done."

Baltes also talked about what it was like to play bass for U.D.O., on the group's fall 2022 European tour after U.D.O.'s then-bassist Tilen Hudrap was hospitalized after the band's show in Munich, Germany.

"In retrospect, when I stepped on stage in Berlin [in September 2022] with Udo after so many years — the last time was 2005, I think — it was a moment that I can't even describe it," Peter said. "We went on stage first, and then Udo comes, and he starts singing. And the first note brought me back instantly to our days when we played little clubs. The man is such a legend, and his voice… And it's nothing to do with you're short, you're tall, you're fat, you're skinny, none of that — you're in shape or you're not — none of that matters to me, to him and the audience. [What is important is] when something is authentic. And that's what got me at that moment. I was, like, 'Man, this is the real deal.' I wasn't used to that; I wasn't. I totally forgot. And you can into this where you think, 'We've been doing this all our life.' No, we didn't. We played kind of like it, with people that kind of sound like it. But no. He's the real deal, and the power that comes out of his voice is second to none. Sheer power, meaning volume, power. Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN] has power. When he sings, you can see it — he has power. Some singers, they have power. And Ronnie [James Dio] had power. Udo has power. That's certain power that just captivates you in your ears, in your stomach, and you go with it."

Baltes was replaced in ACCEPT by Martin Motnik.

Three years ago, Hoffmann was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he had had a chance to talk to Peter since his departure from ACCEPT and if he had gotten clarification on why Baltes left the group. Wolf said: "No, man. That's kind of the sad part about it. He kind of made that decision alone, and we never really had a sitdown and a man-to-man talk that I was hoping we'd have. He just announced it to the world, and that was it, and at that point, it was almost too late. I have to respect his decision.

"I miss him very much, and I think he's always gonna be my buddy or whatever," Wolf continued. "But right now, we don't really have much in common. Because when somebody leaves the band, it's usually that we never really see them much again, as sad as it is. I wish we would, and maybe one day we will. But right now, we don't, really. But we didn't have any fights or anything. I can only speculate why he left the band, but I'd rather not."

Hoffmann was also asked if he was surprised to see Baltes working with Udo on some new music in 2020. He responded: "Yeah, I probably shouldn't say much about that. Again, I can only speculate what that was all about. At the end of the day, we do our thing, and everybody has to know for themselves what they wanna do. Yeah, let me not say as much about that as I can, please."

In January 2021, Hoffmann told Australia's Metal Mal that he was "a little bit heartbroken" when Baltes left ACCEPT. "I felt it was not only a sad day for ACCEPT, it was also a sad day for rock and roll, or heavy metal, in general, because I thought we were gonna be doing this until the sun goes down — I don't know; until forever," he said. "But he all of a sudden decided otherwise, and he made that decision, and that was it. And that's sad, but what can you do, man? I decided, along with everybody else, the show must go on, and we continue without him. So this is what we did. And here's the new album — without Peter. But it's still sad. I still miss him sometimes. It's just the way it is."

In November 2019, Hoffmann told Powermetal.cl that he no longer kept in touch with Baltes after the bassist exited the group a year earlier. "Unfortunately, when somebody leaves the band, they're always kind of out of sight, out of mind," Wolf explained. "It's very sad. I wish it wasn't that way, because we've been friends for so long. But the reality is I haven't really heard from him — even though I reached out a couple of times. He's almost like he wants to disappear or he wants to leave the music business altogether. It's sad and I still don't quite understand what really happened. But it is what it is, and we move on."

A new U.D.O. album, "Touchdown", featuring Baltes on bass, was released in August 2023 via Atomic Fire Records.

In a new interview with Tone-Talk, SLIPKNOT guitarist Jim Root reflected on the first two concerts the band played with its new drummer, former SEPULTURA sticksman Eloy Casagrande. The gigs took place on April 25 at Pappy + Harriet's in Pioneertown, California and on April 27 at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. Jim said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We just did two new shows to sort of introduce our new drummer to the world. We did a secret show at Pappy + Harriet's in Pioneertown in the desert, kind of over by Indio, Palm Springs area. And man, that was awesome. I love the desert, and that whole vibe is just cool. And the people there were just so nice, so cool, so accepting. And they had to have a city council meeting for us to do the show there, 'cause they were kind of, like. 'Oooh, SLIPKNOT. This is a small kind of chill, hippie community. Do we want this chaos happening here?' type of thing. But it all turned out really cool and everybody was really accepting and everybody was really respectful. And we raised a bunch of money to donate for no-kill shelters and [generated] a bunch of money to pump back into the economy there in Pioneertown. And stuff like that to me is epic. That's way better than… I don't know. Some of the shit that you can end up doing in this industry for, let's just say, not the greatest causes, but when you can do stuff like that, it just hits harder. And it was something special. And it gave us a chance to do something that we hadn't done in years, if not decades — play for 300 people. That was much fun. I can't even describe it. So we did that to kind of, like, 'Boom, here he is. Yes, you were all right. It's Eloy Casagrande. He's our new dude.' And then — what? — two days later, we did a Sick New World in Vegas. So, we got those under the belt and out of the way, and now it's time to move forward and onward and upward and do a lot more jamming and rehearsing. I need to get myself into writing mode so that we can write music worthy of Eloy's drumming, 'cause that dude is a world-class drummer."

Asked if SLIPKNOT has commenced writing new music and whether Casagrande is involved in the creative process, Jim said: "We haven't really started doing that yet. We will be doing that real soon. Eloy has sent me some drum loops. He e-mailed me some… Eloy does a lot of drum videos on his own and play-alongs in his home studio and stuff like that. So he sent me five or six minute — from a minute long to one that's a couple minutes long of just him playing drums. And I downloaded those on to my computer and I converted them into files that I could import into Pro Tools. And I spent some time kind of trying to write some riffs to them. And it was a little bit difficult because he basically sent me two-minute-long drum solos. And I'm not really good at finding a bit, chopping it out and then looping it to make that, like, 'Okay, this sounds like it could be like an intro riff on the drums. And this sounds like it could be like a verse riff on the drums.' 'Cause the particular ones that he sent me, it's, like, a lot of real stunt drumming and really busy stuff. And I wrote riffs to most all of it. And there's one in particular that I'm thinking about that if it does turn into a song, it's gonna be an awfully chaotic song, which could be really cool. So, yes and no, he's contributing, but we haven't really gotten there yet. We're trying to get these shows under our belt first and then it's time to put our nose to the grindstone and start the creative writing process."

Later in the chat, Root spoke in more general terms 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 both the Pappy + Harriet's and Sick New World gigs, 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 two 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 three 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 announced the North American portion of the "Here Comes The Pain" tour. The band is celebrating the 25th anniversary of its seminal debut album, "Slipknot", which catapulted the band back in 1999.

In addition to recently announced dates across the globe, the "Here Comes The Pain" tour, produced by Live Nation, includes arena plays nationwide this summer. Highlights include 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 are confirmed as support on select dates.

Photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

Former SEPULTURA drummer Eloy Casagrande has opened up about his recent decision to leave the band and join SLIPKNOT. The 33-year-old musician, who was a member of the veteran Brazilian/American metal band for 12 years before exiting the group in February in order to hook up with the Iowa-based masked metallers, told Brazil's Veja São Paulo in a new interview that he was originally approached about auditioning for SLIPKNOT last December by the band's manager, shortly after SEPULTURA had already announced its 40th-anniversary farewell tour. "They asked me to record and send them some videos from right here in Brazil," he explained in comments that were published in his native Portuguese but translated to English by fans on Reddit. "Initially there were three songs, then they asked me for three more, and asked if I had any plans to go to the United States, and I was scheduled to perform there in January with my instrumental music project, CASAGRANDE & HANYSZ. So they moved my flight up a bit, and I spent five days in Palm Springs, rehearsing with the full band. Then they asked me to extend my stay by another five days, so we could record some things. I think that was also part of the audition. They threw new ideas at me to see what my songwriting was like. They wanted to test me in every way."

Asked when he finally got the confirmation that he was the new drummer of SLIPKNOT, Eloy said: "SLIPKNOT is made up of nine musicians, so there are many spheres and layers, and they needed everyone's approval before they gave me the okay. I think it was on February 5th [or February] 6th that I received confirmation that I had passed the test."

Regarding how the actual audition went, Eloy said: "At first, they didn't explain what we were going to do. It was all kind of in the dark. The first thing they sent was a NDA [non-disclosure agreement] document, so I couldn't discuss it with anyone. I learned the setlist, prepared myself and, four days before the trip, they sent me a list of 32 songs that it would be important for me to know. Many of the songs I was learning weren't on that list, so I started looking for sheet music. When I got there (in the United States),they gave me a setlist on the first day, which had some songs I didn't know either, but we went out playing. On the first day, I was very nervous, because the band was complete, and it's quite an impact to see the guys there in front of you. It's a band I've been listening to since I was a teenager and followed on TV. On the first day I was terrible, I didn't like my performance, but from the second day on I improved. Each day they played a different setlist in the morning, so I had a few hours to learn a song or two that was missing. Overall, it was very smooth. I had everyone's support."

On the topic of his decision to leave SEPULTURA, Eloy said: "I received the invitation to audition [for SLIPKNOT] after the [SEPULTURA farewell] tour was announced. The big thing, the reason I agreed to audition, was the end of SEPULTURA. The band was going to break up, and I didn't want to stop playing drums at the age of 33. I had a chat with SLIPKNOT, asked about their schedule and if it would be possible to juggle the two bands, but they said no, it wouldn't be possible, I'd be exclusive. So it was my decision to leave SEPULTURA. It was complicated. I told [SEPULTURA my decision] when I had closed the deal [with SLIPKNOT] on February 5th or 6th. That very day I called a meeting and explained the situation. That was it, an individual decision."

As for whether playing with a mask and make-up presented any big changes for him, Eloy said: "The first big change when wearing a mask is mental. It's another persona in there. The mask has life. If someone else puts it on, it won't be the same. I created it together with Shawn [Crahan, SLIPKNOT percussionist and co-founder] — we worked out the design together — so it's a combination of SLIPKNOT and my personality. But when you put the mask on, something different happens. I can't explain it yet. And the physical aspect of playing is calm, I thought it would be worse. Of course it gets hot, because it's full of foam, so I get very sweaty. But there's a good space to breathe. Before the first performance, I was rehearsing with a mask made for athletes, which simulates altitude. It has several valves and covers the nose and mouth, restricting breathing. This helped me play more calmly."

Casagrande's addition to SLIPKNOT was officially announced on April 30.

SLIPKNOT made its first festival appearance of 2024 on April 27 as one of the headliners of Sick New World in Las Vegas, Nevada. The show marked SLIPKNOT's second performance with Casagrande.

Prior to Sick New World, SLIPKNOT played an intimate show on April 25 at Pappy + Harriet's in Pioneertown, California.

For both the Pappy + Harriet's and Sick New World gigs, 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 nearly two 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 three 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 in 2011 as the replacement for Jean Dolabella.

In February 2020, SEPULTURA singer Derrick Green told Australia's Everblack Media that Casagrande had had "a tremendous impact" on the group since he joined 13 years ago. "It's undeniable because he's such a strong force," he said. "He loves playing metal music. He's one of the most talented drummers I've ever seen, honestly. That power is consistent from beginning to the end. It really has rubbed off on all of us to really push ourselves further. He's such a perfect match for the band. He really is always influencing us in so many ways to really go beyond — above and beyond."

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 photo credit: Jonathan Weiner

In a new interview with Riff X's "Metal XS", SLAYER guitarist Kerry King, who relocated to New York City less than three years ago, spoke about how he is preparing for his upcoming tour with his solo band after not playing any shows since 2019. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "It's funny. The last couple of months, I just started eating less. I looked in the mirror one day and I went, 'I think I lost some weight.' And I lost, like, 10 pounds not even trying. I think New York finally wore off on me, and I didn't have to go eat everything every day. I just had more of a normal diet. And that was just a natural thing. There's a gym in my building. I'll go and do cardio, but I walk everywhere in New York now, too. I sold my cars, so if we've gotta go somewhere far, we take the train, take an Uber [car], whatever, but we walk everywhere. And that has a big reaction in your body. Walking is great. I've been to the gym in the building. I just started playing guitar standing up again for the first time in, like, four years. I did that, like, three weeks ago. So, yeah, I can play standing up now. Yeah, that's it. Just be aware. I'm not young. So, just standing, holding my heavy-ass guitars. My guitars are extremely heavy. And just getting used to it, really. Dumping weight, preparing, doing a little cardio. And the rest will just be natural."

King's solo band played its second show ever last Thursday night (May 9) at the Welcome To Rockville festival in Daytona Beach, Florida.

King's first-ever festival solo appearance came just two days after his solo group made its live debut at Reggies in Chicago, Illinois.

As was the case with Reggies, King's setlist for Welcome To Rockville included SLAYER tracks as well as several of the 13 songs that appear on King's upcoming debut solo album, "From Hell I Rise", which is due on May 17 via Reigning Phoenix Music.

All material for "From Hell I Rise" was written by the 59-year-old SLAYER guitarist, who was accompanied during the recording sessions by the rest of his solo band, consisting of drummer Paul Bostaph (SLAYER),bassist Kyle Sanders (HELLYEAH),guitarist Phil Demmel (formerly of MACHINE HEAD) and Mark Osegueda (DEATH ANGEL) on vocals. Helming the sessions at Henson Recording Studios in Los Angeles last year was producer Josh Wilbur, who has previously worked with KORN, LAMB OF GOD, AVENGED SEVENFOLD and BAD RELIGION, among others.

KERRY KING will be special guest on the upcoming LAMB OF GOD/MASTODON North American "Ashes Of Leviathan" co-headline tour. The six-week run will launch on July 19 in Grand Prairie, Texas and will wrap on August 31 in Omaha, Nebraska.

KERRY KING will next play at the Sonic Temple festival on May 16.

A new video of Tony Martin and Tony Iommi discussing the BLACK SABBATH album "Cross Purposes" can be seen below.

"Cross Purposes" is included in the "Anno Domini 1989-1995" box set of the Martin-era BLACK SABBATH recordings, which will be made available on on May 31 via Rhino.

BLACK SABBATH's history with singers Ozzy Osbourne and Ronnie James Dio has been chronicled extensively through the years in multiple collections. Until now, no boxed set has focused on BLACK SABBATH's time with Martin, the band's second-longest-serving singer.

Rhino explores this prolific period from the godfathers of heavy metal in a new collection that brings four albums back into print after an extended absence. "Anno Domini 1989-1995" will be released in four-LP and four-CD configurations. The set contains newly remastered versions of "Headless Cross" (1989),"Tyr" (1990) and "Cross Purposes" (1994),plus a new version of "Forbidden" (1995) that guitarist Tony Iommi remixed specially for the collection.

Several albums make their vinyl debut in the LP version of "Anno Domini", while the CD version contains three exclusive bonus tracks: the B-side "Cloak & Dagger" and the Japan-only releases "What's The Use" and "Loser Gets It All". A booklet comes with the set featuring photos, artwork, and liner notes by Hugh Gilmour. The collection also contains a "Headless Cross" poster and a replica concert book from the "Headless Cross" tour.

"Anno Domini" picks up BLACK SABBATH's story in 1989, two decades and multiple lineup changes into the band's groundbreaking career as metal originators. At the time, membership had solidified around riffmaster and founding member Tony Iommi, legendary drummer Cozy Powell (JEFF BECK, RAINBOW, WHITESNAKE),singer Tony Martin, and longtime BLACK SABBATH collaborator and keyboardist Geoff Nicholls (QUARTZ, BANDY LEGS).

The group originally released "Headless Cross" in 1989 on I.R.S. Records, the first of four albums SABBATH recorded for the label. Praised by fans and critics alike, the band's 14th studio release produced three singles: "Devil And Daughter", "Call Of The Wild" and the title track. Bassist Neil Murray (WHITESNAKE, GARY MOORE) joined for the "Headless Cross" tour and stayed to record SABBATH's next album, 1990's "Tyr". Named for the Norse god of war, the album explores similar mythological themes in songs like "The Battle Of Tyr" and "Valhalla". On "The Sabbath Stones", the band channels Old Testament fire and brimstone into a classic bruiser.

In 1992, following a successful world tour, this incarnation of BLACK SABBATH was put on hold when the band reunited temporarily with Ronnie James Dio. Two years later, Martin and Nicholls were back in the studio with Iommi to record 1994's "Cross Purposes". The band was completed with the addition of founding SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bobby Rondinelli of RAINBOW.

The "Tyr"-era BLACK SABBATH lineup reunited in 1995 when Powell and Murray returned to record "Forbidden". It was the band's 18th studio album, and its last for nearly 20 years. (In 2013, Iommi, Osbourne and Butler released BLACK SABBATH's final studio album, "13".) "Forbidden", produced by Ernie C of BODY COUNT, the hard rock band fronted by rapper/actor/SABBATH fan Ice-T, who appears on the song "Illusion Of Power". Since its release, sonically improving the album has been one of Iommi's pet projects.

He explains: "I was never happy with the guitar sound, and Cozy was definitely never happy with the drum sound… So, I thought it would be nice to do it for him in a way." He adds, "I just felt that, without changing any of the songs, there was an opportunity to go back and bring out some of the sounds and make it more what people would expect SABBATH to sound like."

Included in the set:

* "Headless Cross", "Tyr" and "Cross Purposes" newly remastered
* "Forbidden" newly remixed by Tony Iommi
* 1989 "Headless Cross" tour replica concert book
* 40-page book with photos, artwork and new liner notes
* Replica color tour poster

Disc 1 – "Headless Cross"

01. The Gates Of Hell (2024 Remaster)
02. Headless Cross (2024 Remaster)
03. Devil & Daughter (2024 Remaster)
04. When Death Calls (2024 Remaster)
05. Kill In The Spirit World (2024 Remaster)
06. Call Of The Wild (2024 Remaster)
07. Black Moon (2024 Remaster)
08. Nightwing (2024 Remaster)
09. Cloak & Dagger (2024 Remaster)

Disc 2 – "Tyr"

01. Anno Mundi (2024 Remaster)
02. The Law Maker (2024 Remaster)
03. Jerusalem (2024 Remaster)
04. The Sabbath Stones (2024 Remaster)
05. The Battle Of Tyr (2024 Remaster)
06. Odin's Court (2024 Remaster)
07. Valhalla (2024 Remaster)
08. Feels Good To Me (2024 Remaster)
09. Heaven In Black (2024 Remaster)

Disc 3 – "Cross Purposes"

01. I Witness (2024 Remaster)
02. Cross Of Thorns (2024 Remaster)
03. Psychophobia (2024 Remaster)
04. Virtual Death (2024 Remaster)
05. Immaculate Deception (2024 Remaster)
06. Dying For Love (2024 Remaster)
07. Back To Eden (2024 Remaster)
08. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (2024 Remaster)
09. Cardinal Sin (2024 Remaster)
10. Evil Eye (2024 Remaster)
11. What's The Use (2024 Remaster)

Disc 4 – "Forbidden" remix

01. Illusion Of Power
02. Get A Grip
03. Can't Get Close Enough
04. Shaking Off The Chains
05. I Won't Cry For You
06. Guilty As Hell
07. Sick And Tired
08. Rusty Angels
09. Forbidden
10. Kiss Of Death
11. Loser Gets It All

Vinyl:

LP 1 – Side A

01. The Gates Of Hell (2024 Remaster)
02. Headless Cross (2024 Remaster)
03. Devil & Daughter (2024 Remaster)
04. When Death Calls (2024 Remaster)

LP 1 – Side B

01. Kill In The Spirit World (2024 Remaster)
02. Call Of The Wild (2024 Remaster)
03. Black Moon (2024 Remaster)
04. Nightwing (2024 Remaster)

LP 2 – Side A

01. Anno Mundi (2024 Remaster)
02. The Law Maker (2024 Remaster)
03. Jerusalem (2024 Remaster)
04. The Sabbath Stones (2024 Remaster)

LP 2 – Side B

01. The Battle Of Tyr (2024 Remaster)
02. Odin's Court (2024 Remaster)
03. Valhalla (2024 Remaster)
04. Feels Good To Me (2024 Remaster)
05. Heaven In Black (2024 Remaster)

LP 3 – Side A

01. I Witness (2024 Remaster)
02. Cross Of Thorns (2024 Remaster)
03. Psychophobia (2024 Remaster)
04. Virtual Death (2024 Remaster)
05. Immaculate Deception (2024 Remaster)

LP 3 – Side B

01. Dying For Love (2024 Remaster)
02. Back To Eden (2024 Remaster)
03. The Hand That Rocks The Cradle (2024 Remaster)
04. Cardinal Sin (2024 Remaster)
05. Evil Eye (2024 Remaster)

LP 4 – Side A

01. Illusion Of Power
02. Get A Grip
03. Can't Get Close Enough
04. Shaking Off The Chains
05. I Won't Cry For You

LP 4 – Side B

01. Guilty As Hell
02. Sick And Tired
03. Rusty Angels
04. Forbidden
05. Kiss Of Death

In the summer of 2022, Martin told "The Rock And Metal Profs: The History And Philosophy Of Rock And Metal" podcast that "two record labels" were going to re-release the albums he recorded with SABBATH. "I don't know when, and I don't know what it's gonna look like," he said. "There was some suggestion a while back that we might be able to put extra tracks and stuff on it. I did offer, and I went to see Tony Iommi and offered some things. And then he said we can't use anything new 'cause nothing new can be released under the BLACK SABBATH name. It can only be stuff that's got the original four members on it.

"I'm expecting it to be a remixed version of whatever the original was; that's what I'm expecting," Tony added. "So I await as you do to find out. Let me know if you hear it first."

When the interviewer expressed hope that the box set will include some live recordings from the Martin era of SABBATH, either in audio or video format, Tony said: "I recorded the writing session with… Eddie Van Halen came over and helped us write one of the tracks [for 1994's 'Cross Purposes' album]. And I had an eight-track recorder at the time in the 1980s, and I used to take it everywhere, this thing. I've got all of the writing sessions and rehearsals recorded. So I sent [Iommi] this, and he went, 'Wow! That's fucking great.' And I said, 'Well, you're welcome to use it, if you wanna put that on.' So, I don't know… Maybe you'll get that on there."

Martin added: "It's great to hear Eddie play."

BLACK SABBATH released six albums with Martin on vocals: "The Eternal Idol" (1987),"Headless Cross" (1989),"Tyr" (1990),"Cross Purposes" (1994),"Cross Purposes Live" (1995) and "Forbidden" (1995). Eventually, Martin and his "Forbidden"-era bandmates were ousted when Iommi reunited with SABBATH's fellow original members.

In January 2022, Martin reflected on his time with SABBATH during an appearance on "The Ron Keel Podcast", saying: "It doesn't haunt me. It's not a bad thing. I've got a lot to be grateful for. SABBATH is the reason why you, and the world, knows about my voice. So there are things to be grateful for. It was hard work for me. I'm 12 years younger than the rest of the guys, so even just circle of friends was different — they're hanging out with Ian Gillan and Brian May, and my best friend is Dave down the road. So that was a gap. And also the experience — they were way ahead of me in experience, at least 12 years further up the road from me, and I never could quite catch them up; they will always have that much more experience than me. So that was hard work."

He continued: "When I first got the gig, it was actually 1986 that I was put on standby when they were with Glenn Hughes on the 'Seventh Star' album. And I don't know what the issues were, but something went wrong with Glenn and they put me on standby. That scared me to death, 'cause it's Glenn Hughes. I can't sing like Glenn Hughes; nobody can sing like Glenn Hughes. Only Glenn Hughes can sing like Glenn Hughes. So that was really scary. Then they got Ray Gillen in. Then he left — he left to join BLUE MURDER with John Sykes, so they called me again and said, 'You'd better come down to the studio and try this out.' And they gave me one song, which was 'The Shining' off 'Eternal Idol', and then two days later said, 'Okay. You've got the job. You've got a week to finish the album.' So right from the start it was scary — it was huge; suddenly being the frontman of BLACK SABBATH was just ridiculous. And yeah, the whole association with me and my voice lasted 11 years."

Seven years ago, Iommi told I Heart Guitar that "it's a shame" that "it took a lot for people to accept" Martin as SABBATH's vocalist. "It's taken all these years later for people to say, 'Oh blimey, that was a good band with good singing.' So it took a long time to get people to really realize how good it was."

In 2018, Iommi spent time in the studio remixing "Forbidden" for a future release. The LP, which features Martin, drummer Cozy Powell and bassist Neil Murray, is often regarded as SABBATH's worst studio recording.

In a 2012 interview with Über Röck, Martin said that he was "surprised" to see Iommi criticizing him in the guitarist's "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath" book (referring to the Martin period, especially the touring phase following the release of "Cross Purposes" in 1994, Iommi lambasted his former singer as "unprofessional" and having "no stage presence"). Martin said: "I mean, they never said anything to me. Surely, if you've got a problem, the first person you should say something to is the person that's in the band with you... It sounds like a really stupid thing to say, as they didn't say anything to my face — and, if that's the case, then more fool them for not saying anything, because, you know, we could have fixed it. I said to them, endlessly, that if there was anything they wanted changed, done differently, just to say and we could fix it, but clearly, they didn't, they hadn't got the guts to, obviously, and to write about it in a book afterwards seems a bit daft to me. I'm not bitter about it, but it is surprising... It seems a bit stupid to say that after the event."

Professor Reggie Almeida of the Renzo Gracie TN Brazilian jiu-jitsu school in Tennessee, who has been traveling with MEGADETH on the band's recent tours, has uploaded behind-the-scenes video from MEGADETH's April 11 concert at Jockey Club in Asunción, Paraguay. Check out the footage below.

As previously reported, MEGADETH appears on the latest Pollstar's Live75 chart, which tracks active tours by the average tickets sold for shows that happened over the past 30 days.

According to Pollstar, five of the 12 MEGADETH concerts from the band's just-completed Latin American "Crush The World" tour moved a total of 73,372 sold tickets and grossed $4 million to enter the Live75 at No. 6. The shows include the April 9 performance at Movistar Arena in Santiago, Chile (14,828 tickets sold),the April 21-22 two-night stint at Bogotá, Colombia's Movistar Arena (21,074 sold tickets for a $1.4 million gross),the April 25 concert at Arena CDMX in Mexico City, Mexico (18,706 tickets sold) and the April 27 show at Arena Monterrey in Monterrey, Mexico (18,764 tickets sold).

The day before the final show of MEGADETH's Latin American tour, which took place on April 30 in San Salvador, El Salvador, the band's leader Dave Mustaine took to his social media to write: "We have had the most righteous time down here in Latin America. The fans have been insanely loud. Every city has had a different set list, and we've practiced our fingers off on this tour! We hope that the fans got to hear their favorite songs, as well as some deeper tracks that we haven't play for some time.

"Fast forward to today. I was looking down at some papers on the hotel suite desk. and noticed something different about the rooming list. It stated that we are going home from here and I always feel melancholy when we do.

"The four of us have become such good friends, and we are all thriving together in MEGADETH. If I may elaborate...

"Dirk [Verbeuren] is an amazing drummer, and I often wonder how I got so fortunate to play with him (he is a lot like [late MEGADETH drummer] Gar [Samuelson]),he is a wonderful, humble man who I've learned a lot from.

"James [LoMenzo, bass] has been our anchor and my mentor for singing out here. He is a killer bassist, who sings so confidently that I can easily accept direction and criticism from him. He has learned every song we play live, note for note, and I love seeing him every morning out here.

"I can't say enough about Teemu [Mäntysaari, guitar], and I don't have to, because you have no doubt seen footage of us together. He is a mad scientist on guitar, he plays ALL previous guitarists parts effortlessly with finesse, and the utmost respect for his predecessor.

"The four of us play, and go over songs every day, reviewing, perfecting, and building up our repertoire to play for you. By the time we reach Europe this summer, we will have even more songs added, to provide the variety to our playlists of songs played in concert.

"Well, that's it for now. I have to get some rest for my body. Tomorrow we are going to take back the night in San Salvador! Mother Nature tried stopping us last time, with insane wind and sideways torrential rain, but the sun is out and we're back!

"Hasta mañana chicos!"

MEGADETH recently announced a North American tour "Destroy All Enemies", produced by Live Nation. Support on the 33-city trek, which includes stops in Los Angeles, Las Vegas, Boston and St. Louis, will come from MUDVAYNE and ALL THAT REMAINS. The tour begins in Rogers, Arkansas on August 2 and runs throughout the month before wrapping in Nashville, Tennessee on September 28.

Finnish guitarist Mäntysaari joined MEGADETH last September after the band's longtime axeman Kiko Loureiro, announced earlier that month 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. It was later revealed that Mäntysaari would continue to play guitar for MEGADETH for the foreseeable future, with Loureiro seemingly having no plans to return.

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.

MEGADETH played its first concert with Mäntysaari on September 6, 2023 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

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

Since its inception in 1983, MEGADETH has ascended from its raw thrash metal roots to become an unstoppable force in the heavy metal world. With founder Dave Mustaine at the helm, MEGADETH's journey has been marked by a penchant for pushing the boundaries of speed, technicality, and complexity in their music. Their groundbreaking album "Rust In Peace", released in 1990, is frequently cited as a seminal work in the thrash metal genre. Along with the critically acclaimed "Peace Sells... But Who's Buying?", it cemented MEGADETH's place in the annals of metal history.

Over four decades, the band's discography has earned numerous certifications, including platinum and multi-platinum awards, with albums like "Countdown To Extinction" and "Youthanasia" achieving widespread critical acclaim. 2016's "Dystopia" not only marked a high point with their first Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" after twelve nominations but also set the stage for their latest triumph, "The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!" in 2022. MEGADETH's status as part of the "Big Four" of thrash metal underscores their trailblazing role in the genre, laying the groundwork for countless bands and musicians who have followed in their wake.

In a new interview with Kyle Meredith, ex-SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach was asked if he wanted to give the fans what they want on his new solo album, "Child Within The Man", by incorporating sounds that harken back to his former band. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the sound of my voice harkens back. I was gonna be the singer of VELVET REVOLVER before Scott Weiland. You can Google interviews with Duff [McKagan, VELVET REVOLVER bassist] and he'll tell you, 'We wanted Sebastian, but the problem with Sebastian is that you just think of SKID ROW when you hear his voice.' And I didn't take that as an insult, 'cause it's true. That's the way it is.

"But do you give them what they want? I don't think the audience knows what they want," he continued. "I give the audience what I want [laughs], and I'm a son of a bitch, getting stuff the way I want to get it. And for 'What Do I Got To Lose?', the first song and video, I wanted fun. I wanted F-U-N. I wanted a video like WHITESNAKE or VAN HALEN or RATT where Nikki Sixx and Tommy Lee play the cops and Bobby Blotzer arrests them and throws them in jail. That's, to me, fun. I wanna put a smile on people's face when everything is so fucking miserable. I want people to laugh and have fun, and that's what I want. Even the second video, which is a tough subject, because I wrote it about losing my home in a hurricane, and then the record company [said], 'But we want a video.' And I was, like, 'That's not very fun.' [Laughs] But I turned it around and I made it about the Maxell tape commercial, which is fun. And in the end, I'm watching all the footage of my house being destroyed and climate change, and I turn off the news and I put on my new record and start rocking out. And so that's still fun."

Bach added: "It's my mission to bring back the fun of rock and roll, which I find sorely lacking. I can't find fun on the Internet. No matter how hard I try, I can't find it. It's all negative fighting. This guy said this about this guy. That's not rock. Rock is supposed to be coming together, and that's what it always was before it all went to the Internet and now it's all clickbait and fighting and bickering. So I'm trying to just bring back the fun. That's it. That's all I'm trying to do."

"Child Within The Man" is being released today (Friday, May 10) via Reigning Phoenix Music. The LP was recorded in Orlando, Florida; produced and mixed by Michael "Elvis" Baskette; engineered by Jef Moll, assistant engineered by Josh Saldate and mastered by Robert Ludwig of Gateway Mastering. Bach wrote or co-wrote all the album's 11 tracks and sang all lead and backing vocals.

"Child Within The Man" features guest appearances from John 5 (MÖTLEY CRÜE, ROB ZOMBIE, MARILYN MANSON),Steve Stevens (BILLY IDOL) and Orianthi (ALICE COOPER, MICHAEL JACKSON) — who all co-wrote their respective tracks with Bach — and two tracks co-written with ALTER BRIDGE's Myles Kennedy ("What Do I Got to Lose?" and "To Live Again"). Devin Bronson (guitars),Todd Kerns (bass) and Jeremy Colson (drums) round out the players on the album. The album is available on jewelcase CD, cassette, and double LP in a variety of color options.

In an interview with "Whiplash", the KLOS radio show hosted by Full Metal Jackie, Sebastian spoke about the inspiration for the "Child Within The Man" title. He said: "Well, my wife calls me man-child. That's kind of been a theme for me my whole career. I bring a youthful energy to the stage when I get up there. People are smiling and excited and hooting and hollering. But the line 'child within the man' is a line of one of the songs on the record. And I scream it like bloody murder. And it kept haunting me. "

Sebastian also talked about the "Child Within The Man" artwork, which holds special meaning since it was designed by Bach's father, noted visual artist David Bierk.

"I have a lot of my dad's artwork," Bach said. "He's no longer alive. And we all, all of his kids, we got a lot of his art when he passed away. And I unrolled a roll of paintings that I knew had the SKID ROW 'Subhuman Race' painting in it, and I wanna take care of it and make sure it's preserved. But in that roll was this painting that I remember my dad doing of me when I was 10 in a field next to this beat-up old Cadillac car in the field and then behind the car, it's Jesus ascending into heaven, and I'm running next to the car. It looks like an album cover. And then he also did a painting of me from Circus magazine, the first centerfold of me on stage at Giants Stadium. He did a gigantic painting of that, like 12 feet high. And so the cover is gonna be me running as a child into me on stage as a man, and it's child within the man. And it just reminds me of the '70s, like child in time, and it just reminds me of a good '70s album cover. And the fact that I can bring back a painting from the year 1978 and make it into artwork in 2023, 2024, that's really mind-blowing to me."

Bach's "What Do I Got To Lose?" tour is a mix of solo gigs and festival appearances. The stateside tour gets underway May 10 in Jefferson, Louisiana before wrapping June 29 in San Diego, California.

Bach performed "What Do I Got To Lose?" live for the first time during his February 24 concert at Palace Theatre in St. Paul, Minnesota.

Bach released the official music video for "What Do I Got To Lose?" in December. The clip was directed by Jim Louvau and Tony Aguilera. For the video, which shows Bach cruising through the desert in a convertible and performing with a full band, Sebastian was joined by his former SKID ROW bandmate, drummer Rob Affuso. The clip also features an appearance by actor and comedian Craig Gass and Sebastian's wife Suzanne, who plays a scantily clad car wash attendant.

Prior to the arrival of "Child Within The Man", Bach hadn't released a full-length disc since "Give 'Em Hell", which came out in March 2014. Like its predecessor, 2011's "Kicking & Screaming", the disc was released through Frontiers Music Srl, the Italian label which specializes in what's commonly called AOR, a term that once signified a popular radio format ("album-oriented rock") but nowadays applies to acts whose airplay is marginal.

The Tom deBlonk YouTube channel has uploaded video of MR. BIG performing the entire 1991 album "Lean Into It" on Saturday, May 11 at Rock & Brews in Highland, California. Check out the footage below.

Featured songs:

00:00 Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy
04:05 Alive And Kickin'
09:38 Green-Tinted Sixties Mind
13:08 CDFF - Lucky This Time
17:26 Voodoo Kiss
21:36 Never Say Never
25:36 Just Take My Heart
30:02 My Kinda Woman
34:45 A Little Too Loose
39:45 Road To Ruin
44:13 Band Intros
46:34 To Be With You

In a recent interview with Brazil's Rádio Kiss FM radio station, MR. BIG frontman Eric Martin confirmed that the group's ongoing "The BIG Finish" farewell will in fact mark the last time he and his bandmates hit the road together.

"When we say 'The BIG Finish', it's not, like — hey, more power to MÖTLEY CRÜE or when KISS kept going. We really are men of our words," he explained. "It's gonna be it. We're not touring anymore. That's it. We are putting out a new record. We're not even gonna tour on it. We'll play some songs from it as the tour progresses. I mean, it will end in August. And we've got a live album coming out. But that's it. That's it."

He added: "I would like to… I'm stuttering right now. I'm nervous because I don't wanna say the wrong thing, because I don't know what the rest of the guys plan, but it'd be great to do a couple one-off gigs here and there, like special shows. I'm keeping my fingers crossed for that. But no more touring. It's not gonna happen, I promise you."

MR. BIG will release its tenth studio album, "Ten", on July 12. The LP features 11 new original tracks written by Martin and guitarist Paul Gilbert, along with André Pessis and Tony Fanucchi. In a tribute to their late drummer Pat Torpey, Martin, Gilbert and bassist Billy Sheehan have enlisted the exceptional talents of Nick D'Virgilio on drums for "Ten", which was produced by Jay Ruston and MR. BIG.

MR. BIG recently completed the European leg of "The BIG Finish", which sees the veteran band performing "Lean Into It" in full, along with other cuts from the group's history.

When MR. BIG announced "The BIG Finish" tour last year, the bandmembers said that it was "time to mark the end of this chapter of their legacy" after Torpey lost his battle with Parkinson's disease in 2018. The first leg kicked off in Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August 2023, where the band performed for hundreds of thousands of loyal fans at 11 sold-out shows including Budokan in Tokyo, Japan.

As a session musician and touring artist, Nick has worked with many different kinds of artists and bands, from TEARS FOR FEARS, Sheryl Crow and Kevin Gilbert to Peter Gabriel and Eric Burdon and the ANIMALS. In 1996, Nick took Phil Collins's place in GENESIS and played on their "Calling All Stations" album. He has also carved out a major presence in the progressive rock world with his bands, SPOCK'S BEARD and BIG BIG TRAIN.

Before joining the Sweetwater team, Nick spent almost five years touring with Cirque Du Soleil's "Totem" as drummer, vocalist, and assistant bandleader.

The Crosscut Films YouTube Channel has shared a superscaled to 4K version of Van Halen's official video for "Poundcake". Check it out below.


"Poundcake" is the opening track on Van Halen's 1991 album, For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge. It was the first song to be released as a single from the record, reaching #1 on the US Billboard Album Rock Tracks chart 







Sammy Hagar will be joined by rock heavyweights and longtime bandmates Michael Anthony (bass, backing vocals), Jason Bonham (drums) and Joe Satriani (guitar) on The Best Of All Worlds 2024 Tour.


Produced by Live Nation and featuring special guests Loverboy, the 28-date The Best Of All Worlds tour will commence on July 13 in West Palm Beach, FL and will conclude on August 31 in St. Louis, MO. For tickets and more details, go to RedRocker.com.


The tour follows on the heels of the chart-topping success of The Collection II, the box set released in October 2023, featuring newly remastered versions of the four consecutive #1 albums released during the Hagar era of Van Halen: 5150 (1986), OU812 (1988),  For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge  (1991), and Balance (1995). A reminder to fans of the arsenal of hits, many which haven’t been played live since the band’s 2004 reunion tour. Collectively, Anthony, Satriani and Bonham have played together in nearly every phase of Hagar’s career including Van Halen, Chickenfoot and The Circle, so fans can expect a setlist which draws from some of the biggest rock anthems of the last 4-decades, including, "Finish What Ya Started", "5150", "Your Love is Driving Me Crazy", "Best of Both Worlds", "Poundcake", "Sexy Little Thing", "One Way To Rock", "Right Now", "Good Enough", "Eagles Fly" and more. They’ve also enlisted legendary Australian musician, Rai Thistlethwayte on keyboard and backing vocals. The tour represents a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to see this band of brothers deliver one of the most legendary hits-packed live shows of their career.


“It’s crazy to think that it’ll be 20 years since Mikey and I played these songs with Van Halen on the 04’ Best of Both Worlds Tour,” said Hagar. “With Joe on board, we can take a deeper dive into those years. We’re going to touch on some hits from my entire career but seeing fans old and new really embrace the new collection set off something in Mikey and I. We were at my Birthday Bash in Cabo for my 76th and looked at each other and high fived, like ‘let’s do it.’ We pulled out a couple of them and it was an instant lovefest with the fans from our first riffs. The music we created is going to outlive us all. They deserve to be heard so it's time we go out and serve the fans that music, while we still can."





Tour dates:


July
13 - West Palm Beach, FL - iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre
14 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre          
16 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre                                   
19 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
20 - Bristow, VA - Jiffy Lube Live
22 - Saratoga Springs, NY - Broadview Stage at SPAC  
24 - Bridgeport, CT - Hartford HealthCare Amphitheater                       
26 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
27 - Holmdel, NJ - PNC Bank Arts Center                                
29 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center                                
31 - Toronto, ON - Budweiser Stage                             


August
2 - Clarkston, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
3 - Tinley Park, IL - Credit Union 1 Amphitheatre
9 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena                         
11 - Morrison, CO - Red Rocks Amphitheatre               
13 - Spokane, WA - Airway Heights, WA BECU Live at Northern Quest
14 - Ridgefield, WA - RV Inn Style Resort Amphitheater            
16 - Wheatland, CA - Toyota Amphitheatre
17 - Concord, CA - Toyota Pavilion at Concord            
19 - Los Angeles, CA - Kia Forum
20 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resorts Amphitheatre           
22 - Dallas, TX - Dos Equis Pavilion
23 - Houston, TX - Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion   
25 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP                      
27 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverbend Music Center
28 - Nashville, TN - Bridgestone Arena                          
30 - Noblesville, IN - Ruoff Music Center
31 - St. Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre

The first professionally filmed 4K 50fps video of PANTERA's current lineup has been published online. The footage, which can be seen below, consists of reunited PANTERA members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with Zakk Wylde (guitar) and Charlie Benante (drums),performing the songs "A New Level", "This Love", "Walk" and "Cowboys From Hell" live at last year's edition of the Resurrection Fest on June 29, 2023 in Viveiro, Lugo, Spain.

In a recent interview with Sweetwater, Brown spoke about the decision to tour with a reformed version of PANTERA. The lineup has reportedly been given a green light by the estates of PANTERA's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. Rex said: "The last show, man, I had a creepy, like a cold — something came by me. It felt like there was a cold feeling. And I've gotten this a couple of times before. When we were down recording with Charlie — me and Charlie just went down [in late 2022], put up eighty to a hundred hours of tape before Zakk [started rehearsing with us]. Zakk was still on the road. So we wanted to get the bass and the drum real tight, and we had this scratch guitar player. I felt that same chill. And, to me, they're angels. And I think you know who they are. Those guys, I think they're looking down, or they're looking around us, with us, and I think they're digging what they're seeing, man. I really do. And that's the only kind of way I can look at it, and get as close as we can with Charlie and Zakk. And God, it's getting really, really good. And there's so much more potential to get even tighter."

Speaking about the opportunity to perform PANTERA's music to new generations of fans who never saw the band before, Rex said: "There's a lot of memories in this band that are hard to put down. And losing the brothers, I just never in a million years thought that something like that would happen. Here we are 22 years later, and to see these new fans' faces. You've got one kid sitting there, or man, woman or child crying, and you have this other guy just going, 'You did it right.' It's just amazing."

Earlier last month, Rex spoke to American Musical Supply about how touring with PANTERA in 2024 is different from how it was in the band's heyday. He said: "This is a completely different thing, man. We have Charlie and Zakk now, and they're just — number one, they've been great friends of ours for all these years. We get along extra super cool. Charlie and I went down, probably put about eighty, hundred hours on tape of all the songs we were gonna do for the set, and others that we would want to do. Charlie and I worked on this for six months before we ever got into a rehearsal room. That's just how good friends we are. Charlie has been one of my best friends for years. So, this is another band. It's hard to fill the shoes of the brothers. At the same time, this has become a really tight unit. And Zakk just puts the extra… Dime was a very unique guitar player, and he was my best friend, and it's good to see those boys up on the screens and with us. And that's what this is about tonight, for me."

Regarding how he and the rest of the current PANTERA lineup have balanced honoring the band's legacy with any new creative goals they might have, Rex said: "There's many ways that we wanna keep this legacy alive, 'cause the music is still played all over. We have a whole new generation of fans that, they probably wouldn't have heard this stuff if we weren't playing out here playing these shows. And so, that generation of fans — let's say the 15-to-18-year-old kids that come out — they'll shortly have children, and that keeps that new generation alive. And Phillip even says it in the set, the parents of the '90s, which I'm a parent of the '90s, it's a very important statement in the set because it's about the gratitude.

"We're not doing this for ourselves; we're doing it for the name and the brand PANTERA," he continued. "And by God, this music needs to be heard again. It does. It needed to for a long fucking time. And that's what we're here doing tonight… It's just wonderful to be able to do this and pay homage to my music, the riffs that I wrote, or the riffs that Dime wrote, or the patterns that Vinnie played, and for what Phil came up with — tremendous impact on this music."

Last month, Rex told Rolling Stone Australia about performing with PANTERA in 2024: "Two of our beloved brothers that just aren't here anymore man, that's life, you know? They're just not with us man. That's just fate; it's the way the ball rolls, dude."

He added: "This is no tribute band — Philip and I get to play these songs of ours that we haven't played in 23 years. And to be able to do that and connect with the enormity of what's happened is just extraordinarily fucking insane, you know?"

Regarding PANTERA's latest additions, Rex said: "We knew who would fit and who wouldn't. We knew what the obstacles were in front of us, and we knew after… I'll put it this way — Charlie and I came down in September [2022] before we played that [first] show in December [2022], and we have probably one hundred hours of tape of us playing every fucking PANTERA song that I could remember. And so, you know, me and Charlie lockin' in like that… the drummer and the bass player, that's your foundation. So when Zakk came in, there were certain things we had to go over and over and over, to get tight. And today, this band is about as tight and about as badass as I fucking want. You know what I mean, and that's all I'm gonna say on that."

"But, man, this band is on fuckin' fire, and I couldn't be happier, man," he added. "I just can't explain that as much as I need to, I could not be happier."

Rex previously told AndrewHaug.com that he was "absolutely" open to writing new music with the reformed version of PANTERA. "Yeah, I could tell you more but I'm not going to," he teased.

Earlier in the chat, Brown talked about what is has been like to go out and perform as PANTERA to a whole new generation of fans.

"You can't see it on the YouTube. You can't feel that vibe until you actually come to the show," he explained. "And we haven't been doing interviews just for the fact we want people just to come to the show. It's not about anything prior past or present that I wanna talk about today — just the show tonight.

"We're pinching ourselves over these new fans that have never seen this before, and it's a whole another generation that we either didn't know a) that were out there, b) that were still listening to us, and the turnout has just been unbelievable," Rex continued. "Of course, at first you had the naysayers and all that stuff, and as we played gig by gig, it's made us tighter. And I've been trying to rehearse this band as much as I can within schedules, and we'll just go down for no fucking reason and just jam. That's what makes a band tight."

The reformed PANTERA is headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of its own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.

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

Asked how it feels playing those "timeless" songs again, Rex told AndrewHaug.com: "You just said it — they're timeless. So getting to play them again is a… These were a big part of Philip and I's songs too. Of course, respect to the brothers. I think that looking down on us and giving us a big — and they're with us. It's just uncanny. That's the glue. Those guys are hanging around with us.

"Look, I'm not some crazy old man, man. I know that we're here for reasons," Rex added. "And this time he gave us a heavy load, and we have come through in spades. And I'm very proud of Charlie and Zakk and Phillip for stepping up… All of us [were very close back in the day]. We were intertwined. There was a close-knit family of friends — Jerry Cantrell and all those guys, ALICE IN CHAINS. We were all brothers and we all had each other's backs — even as fucked up as we got. We're fine now, I'll put it that way. But it's just such a different time and we're older men and can appreciate this more. And I feel 25 years younger, man. It's just insane."

Addressing complaints from some fans that Brown and Anselmo are going out and touring under the PANTERA name even though Dimebag and Vinnie Paul are not involved, Rex said: "I don't call it anything. I call it PANTERA. The show itself is a celebration of the lives of all four of us. Two are sadly not with us, and we cannot bring them back. God, do I want them back. But that's just not possible. So we're doing the best thing that we can to keep our music alive. And I think they're smiling down and saying, 'You guys are doing all right, man.' And they're with us. And I'm not shittin' you."

Asked what his initial thoughts were when he was first approached about relaunching PANTERA as a touring act, Rex said: "Philip and I talked for several months before. He got on the phone and said, 'Hey, man, you wanna do it? I didn't have — maybe a six-second… not a hesitation, but just to wrap my head around the full gravity of the enormity of it. I went, 'Okay, I've got a couple of questions.' And, man, ever since that call we've worked really, really hard to get this thing going. And we've jumped over a lot of mountains."

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

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

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

TWISTED SISTER's Dee Snider joined POISON's Bret Michaels on stage last night (Sunday, May 5) at the M3 Rock Festival at the Merriweather Post Pavilion in Columbia, Maryland to perform four songs: TWISTED SISTER's "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock", AC/DC's "Highway To Hell" and POISON's "Nothin' But A Good Time". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Nearly a year and a half after TWISTED SISTER's one-off onstage reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California, Snider was asked by "The Hook Rocks!" podcast if he and the rest of the band would consider coming back together for special performances. The singer said: "As a result of all the bands retiring and dying, the offers get bigger and bigger for the holdouts to come back. And we retired in 2016, I think it was. So we're on eight years now of not playing, with no intention of coming back. But — my father, he says, 'Everything before the word 'but' is bullshit — but at some point, you've gotta say, 'Well, how can I say no to that?'"

He continued: "Is it there yet? No. Is it getting close? Yeah. Is there talk amongst us, like, 'Well, in the event that the numbers do get there, and they sure as hell seem to be going in that direction, how are we gonna do this?' So there's a little bit of that conversation. And that's both physically how we're gonna do it and on a number of other levels. And that's a recent occurrence, that the conversation has gone from 'never' to 'in the event that they make as an offer we can't refuse, what's the plan?' And there's some very general discussion on that, involving personal trainers [laughs], diets, hair extensions. And that's the first time in eight years that the conversation has changed."

Snider added: "We're all friends, by the way. The surviving guys, we all talk and we're all friends and we love each other. And that was one of the great things that came out of getting back together the first time is that we managed to fix the friendships and be friends and that, to me, is really why I wanted to do it in the first place, getting back [together] last time… So, anyway, we'll see what happens."

Last December, Snider confirmed to Canada's The Metal Voice that TWISTED SISTER will likely come back together in 2024 for special performances at different political rallies that need the band's support. He said: "Well, I won't be surprised if we're reuniting this election year to champion some important causes. We're all on the same page — pretty much all of us are on the same page — and I could see us helping fight the good fight. 'Cause this is a big-picture election, and with things like women's right to choose, that's a big-picture thing. That's gonna hurt the other side. I said 'the other side', because I'm not on that side, [on the side of] Mr. Trump.

"You can't roll back the clock," Dee explained. "We're not going back in time. We're going forward. The fact that my granddaughter does not have the right to choose just blows my mind. So these are important, important issues. It'll be less about the politicians and more about the parties they represent and what they represent. [Issues like] gun control. By the way, I'm the weird… I'm gunned up, man. But I am for intelligent gun control. I'm gunned up. I'm the moderate. I'm that person. I drive a Teslaand an H2 Hummer. I'm an environmentalist and I ride motorcycles.

"When Al Gore said to me, 'Oh, is Sick Mother-Fuckers [TWISTED SISTER's fanbase], is that a Christian organization?' And I said, 'Christianity and profanity have nothing to do with each other.' There's no 'thou shalt not curse', the 11th commandment that apparently was dropped or lost. No — those motherfuckers are cursing too. So everybody's cursing — like I just did. Sorry. I'm losing it now."

Snider added: "People say, 'What's a moderate? What is a moderate?' I tell people the middle, the vast middle, need to speak up, because right now the extreme left [and] extreme right are both. They're steering the ship, they're the loudest voices in the room, they're making the most noise, and the vast middle is sitting too silently. And they'll say, 'Well, what's a moderate these days?' I said, 'What's a moderate? If you're willing to discuss something and consider a compromise, you're a moderate.' Because the people on the extreme left and extreme right, they will not give one inch. They won't talk about it. They will not compromise under any circumstance. So there's a lot of us in the middle who may be more right leaning or left leaning. That's fine. But you need to speak up if you're willing to have a discussion on a subject and you're willing to consider compromising on something, 'cause those are the voices that need to be steering the ship, not the unrelenting, unyielding extremes on both sides."

Dee previously brought up the possibility of TWISTED SISTED becoming active at political events in 2024 during an interview in past April 2023 with Yahoo! Entertainment. At the time, he said: "We were all in favor of gonna go down to support Beto [O'Rourke], but we couldn't schedule it. You know, the band has a concern that the [classic TWISTED SISTER] song ['We're Not Gonna Take It'] is being co-opted by the extreme right… and we want to make sure that people still know it's a song for everybody and it does not represent that selfish micro group. It is really for the mass people, the moderate people, the people that just want to live their lives, be themselves, and not have people tell 'em they can't be themselves. So, I think you'll see us at political rallies and stuff like that. We'll be out there next year."

In January 2023, Snider told Eonmusic that there were no additional TWISTED SISTER reunion performances in the works. "A hard 'no plans'," he said at the time. "No plans at all to do that."

Going on to reference both OZZY OSBOURNE and MÖTLEY CRÜE's retirement and returns, he added: "You know, I've said when people retire, they should leave the stage, and all those bands, I'm tired of buying 'No More Tours' shirts and seeing people signing contracts in blood and then they show up three years later. I don't believe in that bullshit, so I don't think it's going to happen."

In March 2023, TWISTED SISTER guitarist Jay Jay French told The Metal Voice that the Metal Hall Of Fame performance shouldn't give fans the impression that there will be more TWISTED SISTER performances to follow.

"There's no reunion to speak of," he said. "I'm not gonna be so cynical and say that it couldn't lead to conversations, but we never had a single conversation about a reunion prior to this. Not one.

"People always go, 'When are you guys getting back together?' I say, 'Well, we talk all the time, but we never talk about playing. But we talk about business,'" Jay Jay added. "Why do we talk about business? Because 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock' are the most licensed songs in the history of the music business; they're in more TV commercials, movie soundtracks… So we do licensing deals all day long. It's really what we do. I'm in the business of music licensing, which is a business I didn't know existed."

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

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

Judas Priest frontman Rob halford is featured in a new interview with Metal Pilgrim. Check it out below.


Metal Pilgrim: "This interview episode's guest is nobody else but Metal God himself, Rob Halford, who speaks about the new Judas Priest album Invincible Shield, which comes out on March 8, 2024. Rob also discusses the lyrical themes of Invincible Shield, the first singles and why the band has chosen those to represent Invincible Shield and of course the Invincible Shield artwork and its concept.


In addition, hetalks about the upcoming 2024 Judas Priest live tour together with Saxon and Uriah Heep, and which songs Judas Priest will play live this time. And of course, also addresses the fact that he and Bruce Dickinson will be playing several shows at the same festivals in 2024, answering the question about a possibility of a duet. Rob Halford also shares some news about his new book and much much more. Enjoy!"




Halford on the possibility of performing "The One You Love To Hate" with Bruce Dickinson:


"That's in the lap of the gods. I don't know. I never say never to these kinds of things. I haven't spoken to Bruce in forever, I haven't spoken to Roy Z in forever; I'm just really excited to see the guys and get the group hug because between the three of us we've done so many things in metal. We have a great friendship, a great relationship, so yeah, anything's possible. I never say no to any possibilty or ideas."








Over the past 50 years Judas Priest have sold over 50 million albums worldwide and headlined the world’s biggest stages. With their evolving music and live performances also came a powerful unique identity, a look which has both defined the group and influenced future generations of metal bands the world over. With each year, the Judas Priest legend continues to grow; 2022 saw them inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame and complete a sold-out rescheduled world tour in support of their 50th Anniversary. As we roll into 2024, Judas Priest continue to retain their crown as one of the biggest and best British bands in the world.


Invincible Shield can be pre-ordered here.





Tracklisting:


"Panic Attack"
"The Serpent And The King"
"Invincible Shield"
"Devil In Disguise"
"Crown Of Horns"
"As God Is My Witness"
"Trial By Fire"
"Escape From Reality"
"Sons Of Thunder"
"Giants In The Sky"


"Crown Of Horns" video:





"Panic Attack" video:





"Trial By Fire" video:





Invincible Shield album trailer:





Judas Priest will also delight fans with a world tour this year, the UK leg kicks off in Glasgow on March 11 before taking on North America in April and May.  See below for full North American tour routing and head to judaspriestinvincibleshield.com for tickets.


Tour dates:


April
18 - Wallingford, CT - Toyota Oakdale Theatre
9 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
21 - Reading, PA - Santander Arena
24 - Bangor, ME - Cross Insurance Center
25 - Boston, MA - MGM Music Hall at Fenway
27 - Youngstown, OH - Covelli Center*
28 - Indianapolis, IN - Everwise Amphitheater at White River


May
1 - Rosemont, IL - Rosemont Theatre
2 - Minneapolis, MN - The Armory
4 - Kalamazoo, MI - Wings Event Center*
5 - Maryland Heights, MO - St Louis Music Park
7 - Huntsville, AL - VBC Propst Arena*
9 - Daytona, FL - Welcome to Rockville^
11 - Alpharetta, GA - Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
12 - Mobile, AL - Mobile Civic Center Arena*
14 - Charlotte, NC - PNC Music Pavilion
16 - Columbus, OH - Historic Crew Stadium ^
17 - Evansville, IN - Ford Center*
19 - Washington, DC -The Theater at MGM National Harbor
21 - Albany, NY - MVP Arena
22 - Syracuse, NY - Empower FCU Amphitheater at Lakeview


* Not a Live Nation Date
^ Festival Performance

Today, doom metallers Patriarchs In Black reveal the new track "What Do They Know? (For The Champions)", the first single from their third album, Visioning, set for international release on July 19th via Metalville Records.


Says guitarist Dan Lorenzo about the song, "I hope everybody loves this song as much as we do. I wrote the music, and Mark Sunshine wrote the lyrics and melody. When I wrote the music, I wrote the verse and the chorus simultaneously, and I knew I needed a third part for the song. So, what I do is I play along with the click track and I just do what comes naturally. The third part of the song was so simplistic, and I wondered why I wrote something that wouldn’t be that interesting. Then I decided to try some harmonies and add those to the notes, and I feel like I came up with something that I’ve never done before - multiple guitar harmonies. Of course, Johnny Kelly is on drums, and on bass guitar is Iron Lou, who is really big in the Maryland doom scene. Lou has been a really big Hades and Non-Fiction fan for many years, and he told me he can now die a happy man after playing on one of my songs. Sunshine did his usual incredible original lyrics and melody line, and I’m so happy with this."







Former Type O Negative / Danzig drummer Johnny Kelly and guitarist / riff writer Dan Lorenzo (Hades, Non-Fiction) formed Patriarchs In Black at the end of 2021. The project included well-known guests on vocals and bass, including Karl Agell (COC Blind / Lie Heavy) , Jimmy Gnecco, Dewey Bragg ( Kill Devil Hill / Bill Ward) among others. Their debut single "Demon Of Regret" came out in January 2022, and the debut album Reach For The Scars was released on July 1, 2022. Their second album, My Veneration, was released on October 6, 2023 with multiple guest vocalists and bassists.


For the forthcoming third studio album, Visioning, Dan Lorenzo has written 12 new songs. Beside drummer Johnny Kelly, it features again a bunch of great singers and bass players, like Dave Neabore (Dog Eat Dog), Karl Agell (Corrosion Of Conformity), Eric Morgan (A Pale Horse Named Death), Mark Sunshine (Riotgod), Jason McMaster (Watchtower), Kyle Thomas (Exhorder), and many more.


The songs on Visioning combine elements of classic doom metal with modern sounds as well as excursions into hardcore / crossover. The album was mixed and mastered at JROD Productions by Jon Cioicari.


"It's SO fun and not putting too much pressure on singers to come up with one or two amazing lyrics and melodies a year. I write a LOT of riffs/music. Our third album came together very easily. FUN FUN FUN," says Dan. Cover and tracklisting are as follows:





"Entry"
"What Do They Know? (For The Champions)"
"Before I Go"
"Heart Of Spite"
"Low Price"
"Welcome To Hell Again"
"Whiskey On My Mind"
"Empty Cup"
"Curse My Name"
"A Few Good Men"
"Birth"
"Visioning"


 

A new book of murder mysteries inspired by the iconic AC/DC album Back In Black is set to be released on July 16, reports Consequence.


The anthology has 10 short stories based on each song title from 10 different authors, including a brand-new Jack Reacher story by Andrew Child.


The book, titled Back In Black: An Anthology Of New Mystery Short Stories, is coming out via Blackstone Publishing. It’s curated by Don Bruns as part of his “Music and Murder Mystery Series,” which has previously featured anthologies based on Michael Jackson’s Thriller and The Eagles’ Hotel California.




One of the stories, “You Shook Me All Night Long,” features the character Jack Reacher, popularized by the series of Lee Child books, as well as the Tom Cruise movies and the current Prime Video series Reacher starring Alan Ritchson. It’s written by Andrew Child, who recently took over the Jack Reacher book series from his brother Lee.


According to the publisher, "The third in the collection of the Music and Murder Mystery Series, Back in Black features one story for each song from the seminal hard rock album of the same name. This book showcases ten brilliant mystery writers at the top of their game, including Reed Farrel Coleman, Heather Graham, Tori Eldridge, Ward Larsen, and Andrew Child, among others. Chilling and unexpected, Back in Black has a mystery for everyone."


Pre-order here.

Lausanne-based instrumental psych-rock act, Monkey3, have released a visualizer for "Ignition", the opening track of their new studio album, Welcome To The Machine, out now on Napalm Records. Watch below:





The Welcome To The Machine album was recorded and mixed by Raphaël Bovey at Blend Studio and MyRoom Studio, and was mastered by Lad Agabekov at Caduceus Studios in Switzerland. The incredible cover artwork was created by Sebastian Jerke.




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Welcome To The Machine tracklisting:


"Ignition"
"Collision"
"Kali Yuga"
"Rackman"
"Collapse"


"Kali Yuga" video:





"Rackman" visualizer:





Monkey3 is:


Walter - Drums
Jalil - Bass
Boris - Guitars
dB - Keys and Sounds


(Photo - Giuseppe Aufiero)

KittiePIG is the brainchild of South African-born, Grammy-featured producer, songwriter, entrepreneur and WE ARE PIGS frontwoman Esjay Jones, who has partnered with Morgan Lander and her all-female heavy metal band KITTIE. The partnership grew organically out of a musical collaboration between WE ARE PIGS and KITTIE in the form of the absolute rager "MOOT".

KittiePIG was born out of a passion for heavy music and a desire to provide alternative beverage options at shows and music festivals.

"I'm so excited for the metal masses to try KittiePIG!," says Lander. "Brewing our own NA beverage is new and uncharted territory for us, but I think we've really created something delicious and decadent without the usual regret. With an homage to our Canadian roots thrown in for good measure with the added Saskatoon berry flavor, it's certainly a unique taste experience beer aficionados and casual drinkers alike will love."

Jones comments: "We identified a gap in the market for non-alcoholic beverages that cater to music fans and health-conscious individuals alike. Market research showed that consumers have been leaning towards healthy alternatives, seeking out low-sugar and non-alcoholic options. KittiePIG's aim is to fill this gap by offering a product that is not only desirable and delicious, but that also caters to fans as well as their wants and needs."

KittiePIG is the brand's first offering — a non-alcoholic blonde ale crafted for rock and metal fans who desire all the fun — minus the buzz.

The product is responsibility sourced and sustainability prioritized. It's sourced from breweries that care about the environment.

KittiePIG not only looks fierce, but it pairs beautifully with festival foods including burgers, chips, tacos, ice cream, headbanging and heavy music!

KittiePIG is vegan and women-and-LGBTQ+ owned and operated.

Last fall, KITTIE spent time in the studio working on a new album with acclaimed hard rock and heavy metal producer Nick Raskulinecz.

Raskulinecz, who moved to Nashville from Los Angeles around 15 years ago, has previously worked with such acts as RUSH, ALICE IN CHAINS, KORN, RISE AGAINST, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, SKID ROW and the DEFTONES.

At some of its recent shows, KITTIE has been performing a brand new song called "Vultures".

KITTIE played its first concert in five years in September 2022 at the Blue Ridge Rock Festival at the Virginia International Raceway in Alton, Virginia.

Joining Morgan and Mercedes in KITTIE's current lineup guitarist Tara McLeod and bassist Ivana "Ivy" Vujic.

Prior to Blue Ridge, KITTIE had not performed since its reunion show at London Music Hall in the band's native London, Ontario in 2017, celebrating the group's documentary "Kittie: Origins/Evolutions".

Vujic joined KITTIE in 2008 and appeared on the band's fifth studio CD, 2009's "In The Black". She also wrote and recorded bass for KITTIE's sixth album, 2011's "I've Failed You".

In January 2022, the original lineup of KITTIE — Morgan, Mercedes, Fallon Bowman (guitar) and Tanya Candler (bass) — reunited for an online chat to celebrate the 22nd anniversary of its gold-certified 2000 debut album, "Spit".

Candler left KITTIE after the release of "Spit" in order to finish high school and was replaced by Talena Atfield.

Bowman exited KITTIE in 2001 and started her own industrial/electronic project, AMPHIBIOUS ASSAULT.

After KITTIE completed the touring cycle for 2011's "I've Failed You" album, the band entered a long period of inactivity during which Morgan focused on a marketing job for a chain of fitness clubs while Mercedes worked in real estate and more recently at a software company. The group also began work on a career-spanning documentary, "Origins/Evolutions", which finally saw the light of day in 2018 via Lightyear Entertainment in North America.

"I've Failed You" sold 3,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 178 on The Billboard 200 chart.

Photo credit: Whitney South