METALLICA honored Elton John and his songwriting partner Bernie Taupin by performing at a tribute concert at DAR Constitution Hall in Washington, D.C. on March 20.

Elton and Bernie collected the Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize for their contribution to music at the invitation-only event, which included appearances by John and Taupin, was hosted by Billy Porter.

METALLICA opened the show with a rendition of "Funeral For A Friend/Love Lies Bleeding" from John's 1973 double album "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road".

On Monday, April 8, METALLICA shared a snippet of the performance on social media, writing in an accompanying message: "Sir Elton John helped cover 'Nothing Else Matters' on 'The Metallica Blacklist' in 2021, and tonight, you can see us return the favour! Tune in to PBS to catch our rendition of 'Funeral For A Friend' / 'Love Lies Bleeding' at this year's Gershwin Prize for Popular Music, celebrating the achievements of Elton John and his writing partner, Bernie Taupin."

According to People, members of METALLICA told reporters how much John and Taupin's collaborations have meant to them. "They're an inspiration to us," frontman James Hetfield said. Guitarist Kirk Hammett added, "They're responsible for some of the greatest songs of my childhood."

Also appearing at last night's concert were singer-songwriter Joni Mitchell, country singer Garth Brooks, folk singer Brandi Carlile, and Scottish musician and EURYTHMICS star Annie Lennox.

Ahead of the event, METALLICA said in a statement: "We are beyond excited and proud to have been invited to perform at a very special event honoring the legendary songwriting team of Elton John and Bernie Taupin as they are presented with the Library of Congress Gershwin Prize for Popular Song.

"We are traveling to Washington, DC, next month to join Garth Brooks, Annie Lennox, Brandi Carlile, Maren Morris, and others for the tribute concert and award presentation on March 20. PBS stations nationwide will premiere the concert on Monday, April 8, at 8 PM ET (check local listings),available via broadcast and streaming on PBS.org and the PBS app.

"Elton and Bernie have been collaborating for 56 years and counting, and together, they have penned some of our lifetime's most memorable and influential songs. We are thrilled to celebrate this honor with them, and we look forward to an incredible evening of unique performances from their remarkable collection of songs."

The 90-minute program "Elton John & Bernie Taupin: The Library Of Congress Gershwin Prize For Popular Song" honors the longtime singer-songwriter duo as the two iconic artists receive this year's distinguished recognition from the Library Of Congress.

Recording artist Elton John and lyricist Bernie Taupin joined creative forces in 1967 and went on to pen timeless standards such as "Your Song", "Tiny Dancer", "Rocket Man", "Don't Let The Sun Go Down On Me" and "Goodbye Yellow Brick Road". In addition to ballads, the duo created sensational rock hits, including "Bennie And The Jets" and "Crocodile Rock", which became their first No. 1 single in the U.S. in 1973.

Today, John is among the top-selling solo artists of all time, with over 70 Top 40 hits over six decades, including nine No. 1s and 28 Top 10s on the Billboard Hot 100. He has sold more than 300 million records worldwide. John holds the record for the biggest-selling physical single of all time with Taupin's rewritten lyrics for "Candle In The Wind 1997", which sold more than 33 million copies after the sudden death of Princess Diana. In 2018, he was named the most successful male solo artist in Billboard Hot 100 chart history. In America, John holds the record for the longest span between Billboard Top 40 hits at 50 years.

In 1992, John established the Elton John AIDS Foundation, which continues to lead the global fight against HIV/AIDS. The foundation has raised more than $565 million for HIV/AIDS grants that have funded more than 3,000 projects in more than 90 countries to care for patients and provide education for AIDS prevention. His music and charitable service have been honored with a knighthood from Queen Elizabeth II; the Légion d'honneur, France's highest award; and the National Humanities Medal awarded by President Joe Biden at the White House in 2022.

Since launching his first tour in 1970, John has delivered more than 4,000 performances in more than 80 countries. His work has spanned recording studios, stadiums, stages, and screens — always with music that resonates with new generations of audiences. Disney's "The Lion King", carried by John's tunes, continues to be one of Broadway's longest-running shows.

In January 2024, John won an Emmy Award for Outstanding Variety Special for his show "Elton John Live: Farewell From Dodger Stadium", making him just the 19th performer to achieve rare EGOT status, having also won five Grammy awards, two Oscars for his work on "The Lion King" and with Taupin on the movie "Rocketman", and a Tony Award for the score to the Broadway musical "Aida".
Sir Elton John helped cover “Nothing Else Matters” on The Metallica Blacklist in 2021, and tonight, you can see us return the favor!

Tune in to @pbs to catch our rendition of “Funeral for a Friend/Love Lies Bleeding” at this year’s #GershwinPrize for Popular Music, celebrating… pic.twitter.com/Bbo5gzzzUw

— Metallica (@Metallica) April 8, 2024

Earlier this week, ANTHRAX announced that, due to personal reasons, bassist Frank Bello will not be able to accompany the band on its upcoming South American tour, set to kick off April 13 at MXMF The Metal Fest in Mexico City. Filling in on those dates, as well as two U.S. festival shows in May, will be ANTHRAX founding member and original bassist Dan Lilker, marking his first appearance with the band in 40 years. Lilker, who co-wrote and played on ANTHRAX's debut album "Fistful Of Metal", was also a member of STORMTROOPERS OF DEATH with ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante and guitarist Scott Ian.

Asked in a new interview with Metal Mayhem ROC when he was first approached about reuniting with ANTHRAX for the aforementioned shows, Lilker said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was actually contacted, I guess, about a month ago… I had a lot more advance notice than when everybody just found out a couple of days ago. It was just that's when the press release went public. So, yeah, about a month, 'cause I needed some time to learn some of the material, obviously, to play it correctly and play it with authority, too. You don't wanna just learn it; you wanna play it with confidence and look like you're up there being metal and not tentative. So, yeah, you could say late February, early March, something like that."

Pressed about whether there was a reason given as to why Bello isn't able to commit to these shows, Dan said: "Well, we're just saying personal reasons. I am not at liberty to say. But Frank is fine and the picture of health, and it's nothing like that. But [it's] nothing I can go into; it's not my place."

Regarding what his initial reaction was to being asked to play these ANTHRAX shows, Lilker said: "I got a text from Scott when he was in Japan on tour with MR. BUNGLE. And I was actually at work. I work in precision optics [at the Rochester, New York-based company called Sydor Optics], because I've realized that playing the type of music I played for the most part wasn't lucrative enough to not have a job. But point being that, yeah, I was just [having] a little smoke break at work at, like, 8:13 a.m. on a Monday or something, and I got a message from Scott going, 'Do you think yo'd be able to do some shows with us next month?' So, yeah, it would have been the very beginning of March. And it's funny. I just looked at my boss who's also a metalhead — that's that's how I ended up working for the company — and said, 'Hey, I just got asked to be do some ANTHRAX shows next month.' And he goes, 'You'd be fucking crazy not to.' And so I knew it would be cool there. And I said, 'Sure. Sounds like fun.' I looked at the tour dates and said, 'I've never been to Uruguay before,' so I can cross that off the list.' Everybody at [the] company [I work for] has been really super supportive about that. So I'm very lucky in that aspect."

On the topic of how long it took him to accept the invitation, Lilker said: "Oh, I just pretty much said, 'Sure, that sounds cool.' I informed my wife, but I can't imagine that she would have said, 'No, don't do that. That's crazy.' So, I'm pretty sure the order of things was replied and said, 'Yeah, that sounds cool.' And then I went about clearing it with the people I have to talk to here [at home and at work]."

Asked what he is most excited about when it comes to playing with ANTHRAX again, Lilker said: "Well, one thing that's cool is since we haven't done S.O.D. for a while, it was always fun jamming with Scott and Charlie, because the other guys are cool, but remember in 'Fistful Of Metal', that was pre-Joey [Belladonna, current ANTHRAX singer] and everything like that. So we were like the nucleus of the early, early ANTHRAX and, of course, S.O.D., which had one guitar, so in that aspect, jamming with those guys. But also the other dudes — I've never been on stage with Joey or anything like that. And, of course, Jon [Donais], the new [ANTHRAX guitarist], who's been very helpful with showing me riffs. So it'll be that. And also, some of the stuff on [ANTHRAX's third album, 1987's] 'Among The Living', it's real heavy, fast thrash metal — I actually have a couple of riffs I wrote on some of that stuff — so it'll be fun to actually play that stuff too. And, of course, the latter-day stuff from the '90s is fun because it was actually really easy to learn because it was more kind of slow. So, obviously, for me, playing grindcore and death metal and black metal, some of this stuff is going to be nice and easy. I have to make sure I don't start daydreaming."

Regarding what fans can expect from the setlist for the ANTHRAX shows that he will be a part of, Dan said: "I would just say that if you look at recent ANTHRAX setlists, subtract a song or two and add another song or two, that would be pretty close. And as far as subtracting songs, nobody's going to be rapping on stage too much."

After one of the interviewers expressed hope that ANTHRAX will play a "Fistful Of Metal" deep cut like "Subjugator", Dan said: "That's a pretty deep fucking cut, dude. You might get something else that ends with an 'R.'"

Lilker later confirmed that ANTHRAX will perform some material from "Fistful Of Metal" at the upcoming shows. "I mean, that's not many beans to spill there," he said. "They've always played 'Metal Thrashing Mad', and since I already [said] we'll be doing another song that ends in 'R', that would be the song before it ['Deathrider'] on 'Fistful Of Metal'. And, yeah, that's kind of our one thing toward acknowledging me doing the stuff, because that was a pretty primitive album for what ANTHRAX ended up progressing into, some of that having to do with my writing style."

Asked about his current relationship with Scott, Charlie and Frank, having attended Ian's 60th-birthday party this past New Year's Eve in Van Nuys, California, Dan said: "Well, we've always had a relationship. It's just been more kind of like one of those off-on things because you're not traveling in the same circles or whatever; they're out doing something and I'm doing something else. So [at Scott's birthday party], it was more just kind of like getting to see old friends again, catching up with them. Frank, I hadn't seen Frank for a long time; I've seen Scott more recently than that, I believe. And, yeah, it was a really good time going out there with my wife and celebrating his birthday and playing a few tunes."

He added: "But, in general, yeah, I'm looking forward to sharing a stage with those guys, helping them out and having some fun, playing some metal. 'Cause I'm not really playing in bands anymore, which is by choice, and so just getting to do occasional little forays like that are cool with me."

Asked if there are any long-term future plans for him to play with ANTHRAX again, Lilker said: "Well, as far as I know, I'm just doing the 10 shows that I was asked to do — the eight that are in Central and South America and then the two U.S. fests. It's just filling in for Frank — I wanna make sure and stress that. I am not [rejoining] the band, even though I formed it before. This isn't gonna be, 'Finally after 40 years, my plan…' I'm doing my friends a favor. And if that situation changes in the future, it will not have anything to do with me taking any steps to do so, let's put it that way."

Lilker has not been idle over the past four decades, having played in a wide variety of bands. He was the bassist for the thrash/metal band NUCLEAR ASSAULT and the grindcore band BRUTAL TRUTH. He also plays bass for EXIT-13, MALFORMED EARTHBORN, THE RAVENOUS, OVERLORD EXTERMINATOR, VENOMOUS CONCEPT, and more.

With Lilker on bass, dates for ANTHRAX's upcoming tour dates are as follows:

April 13 - MXMF The Metal Fest, Ciudad De México, Mexico
April 15 - Cancha Diamante, San Salvador, El Salvador
April 17 - Pepper's, San Jose, Costa Rica
April 19 - The Metal Fest, Quito, Ecuador
April 21 - The Metal Fest, Santiago, Chile
April 23 - Sala de Museo, Montevideo, Uruguay
April 25 - El Teatro Flores, Buenos Aires, Argentina
April 28 - Summer Breeze Open Air, São Paulo, Brazil
May 09 - Welcome to Rockville, Daytona Beach, FL
May 17 - Sonic Temple Festival, Columbus, OH

To celebrate ANTHRAX's 40th anniversary in 2021, the band's social media accounts offered a series of video testimonials sent in by former bandmembers, fellow musicians, colleagues, and industry veterans sharing behind-the-scenes stories of working with the band and what ANTHRAX's legacy has meant all these years on. These videos honored each album in chronological order beginning with the original release, "Fistful Of Metal". The 11-week series included video contributions from former ANTHRAX bandmembers Lilker, Dan Spitz, John Bush, Neil Turbin and Rob Caggiano.

Lilker, who played bass on "Fistful Of Metal" and wrote most of the music for the record, told Knotfest about ANTHRAX's 40th anniversary: "I'm definitely proud of that whole thing. I think it's great that those guys are still going… That was real good memories back then. I know people go, 'Oh, they fucking threw you out after that,' and blah blah blah. But, obviously, I got over that and formed NUCLEAR ASSAULT. And next year we were doing S.O.D. So I'm not the kind of guy who stays bitter forever. But, yeah, the memories of those times, writing that record and recording it and everything was... 'Cause there was no blueprint or anything; we just had influences and just tried to put our own stamp on 'em back then. So, yeah, it kind of sucks being thrown out three days before [it got] released, but it gave me an excuse to do something else."

When interviewer Daniel Dekay noted that it was "really cool" of ANTHRAX to allow Lilker to tell his side of the story in the above-mentioned documentary series, Dan said: "There was times in the past where I might have been a little neglected on some of the stuff. So I think they wanted to make sure to just have a nice, inclusive vibe and not forget any particular details. Like the fact that I wrote 75 percent of 'Fistful Of Metal'. You know, a minor detail."

A number of years ago, Lilker told Voices From The Darkside that he was fired from ANTHRAX due to "a conflict" with the band's then-vocalist Neil Turbin. "He was an egotist (like most singers, haha) and it bothered him that I was taller than him," Lilker explained. "Also, he had no sense of humor, so if you busted his balls he took it seriously. So, he told the other members, 'I can't take Lilker anymore. It's him or me.' They decided he was more important as a familiar frontman to the fans, so they threw me out, even though I wrote 75 percent of the music on 'Fistful…'. Oh well. He was, of course, thrown out seven months later, and I played with Scott and Charlie in S.O.D. the next year."

In his 2014 autobiography "I'm The Man: The Story Of That Guy From Anthrax", Ian described Lilker's dismissal from ANTHRAX 30 years earlier as "the worst moment for me in the history" of the band. He went on to say that the decision to kick Dan out ANTHRAX was made by Turbin and not the other members of the group.

"The biggest dick move Neil ever pulled was when he fired Danny Lilker behind our backs after 'Fistful…' came out in January 1984," Ian wrote. "The main reason he did it, in my opinion, was because Danny is taller than him. He honestly didn't think someone should be taller than the frontman onstage. He thought it made him look bad, so he tried to stand as far away from Danny as possible, which was hard when we were playing stages the size of ping-pong tables."

In recent years, Ian has voiced his appreciation for the role "Fistful Of Metal" played in giving ANTHRAX its start, telling Metal Hammer: "Let's face it, 'Fistful Of Metal' gave us our career. It got the band some attention, made people all over the world aware of what we could do — and for that reason alone I have to be grateful to everyone involved. The record was vital in launching us, and everything we've done, and become, since stems from that debut record. I may be critical of it in some ways, but I could never do anything other than admit we owe it all to 'Fistful Of Metal'. If that had never happened… well, perhaps you would never have heard of ANTHRAX."

During a lengthy discussion on the latest episode of "The Jasta Show", the podcast hosted by HATEBREED's Jamey Jasta, AS I LAY DYING frontman Tim Lambesis spoke about the departures of longtime members, drummer Jordan Mancino and guitarist Nick Hipa. Both Mancino and Hipa were involved with part of AS I LAY DYING's lineup when the band reunited in 2018 after Lambesis spent time in prison for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

Asked if he sees "a road back" with Mancino and Hipa at some point in the future, Tim said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would never close a door on anything permanently, because I think like concepts like 'always' and 'never' are very immature concepts. But I can just speak matter of factly that I think that sometimes when you've created enough hurt, so the very thought of me or sight of me, to some people, is a traumatic trigger and brings a high, high level of emotion to the surface. And I could say specifically as it relates to Nick — I don't know where he's at now in his life, but I do know that in our interactions, there was just constantly a heightened level of emotion. I mean, I could be trying to do the simplest thing in the world, like, 'Hey, I'm sending these files around to the guys in the band, 'cause I rearranged the song. I think this arrangement might be the better arrangement.' And it's, like, instead of advocating for the song, all of a sudden now we're talking about, 'Well, does Tim have the right to be doing whatever he wants with the song? And is he trying to call the shots again?' I'm not saying that he was even giving me a hard time, but I'm just saying as an example, all of a sudden this weird overthinking comes into everything, 'cause it's, like, 'Does this person have nefarious intentions in every single thing that he does?' And then I still have shortcomings as a human being. So then sometimes, he's looking at me, like, 'See, dude, you still screw up. You're frustrating me.' I'm not pointing the finger. I'm just saying the level of heightened emotions there just made an environment to where even our band therapist was, like, 'This is for the best, collectively.' And that's when everybody else was still in the band. And he wasn't choosing sides; he just was saying, 'Guys, sometimes this is just what you have to accept.' Somebody's creating a situation where everybody constantly feels like emotionally pushed into — whatever this person's emotions are, everybody has to accommodate that person's emotions. And if that's constantly what's happening, maybe it's just sometimes best if that person is not part of the equation. And it wasn't anything personal. Now, from his side, he could feel totally differently — he could have hatred for me. I think, if anything, he probably just kind of feels like neutral, just like, 'Ah, it's just better for my life if I just sort of go forward and don't have this constant trigger in my life.' And I sympathize with that, 'cause it's, like, man, I don't wanna be around somebody every day of my life, trying to live in a van and a bus with them where, every time they see me, they feel terrible about themselves. That sucks."

Regarding the circumstances that led to Mancino's exit from AS I LAY DYING, Tim said: "I truly don't know anything, because he just one day — this isn't just me; this is the entirety of the whole process — he just one day… We were trying to reschedule a tour that had gotten canceled during COVID. And we reached out and said, 'Hey, they finally wanna reschedule it for these dates. Can everybody confirm?' And then nothing. 'Hey, Jordan, what's up? We're trying to figure out what's up. You committed to these days originally. We're just trying to have the new ones.' Nothing. And then months and months go by later, and his attorney reaches out and says, 'Hey, Jordan's asked that only communication comes through me.' And I was just, like, 'Okay, well, what was the fight about?' I mean, I'm not gonna ask, at 400 dollars an hour, what the fight was about. I don't even care at that point. So, that's the mystery right there."

He continued: "If you worked at — I don't know — say you owned a tire shop, and that's it. You're just the owner of a tire shop, not even a band, but you've got five people working at the tire shop and one dude just doesn't show up to work on Monday. You call him, the next Monday comes around, he doesn't show up to work. Sixteen Mondays go by and this dude doesn't show up for work. So it's, like, at that point, you're not the jerk for saying, 'Hey, dude, we've gotta move on without you.' I mean, you're just kind of doing what you've gotta do at that point."

When Jasta pressed Lambesis about Mancino's involvement with AS I LAY DYING, suggesting that the tire-shop analogy was "unfair" because Jordan had "equity" in the band, Tim said: "The band was started by me. Jordan has quit on a couple different occasions back in the day. He was asked to be in the band by me. If he wants to say… I'm not gonna… the legality of it, 'cause some of this stuff just gets insane. If he wants to say, like, 'Oh, I'm owed a portion of ownership of this,' that's totally fine. But the band exists to make music and perform music. So you can't just one day say, 'I don't wanna do those things, but I wanna make money from them.' That's absurd. Any judge in the world is gonna be, like, 'Dude, you're out of your mind.'"

Jamey then noted that "some people get a severance from employment or get a sunset clause, if they had equity,' to which Tim replied: "And that's something we can figure out over time. I think that that's actually the easiest thing in the world to just say, 'Hey dude, here's all the books. You see what we make. There's not one dollar that's hidden from you. What do you think is a fair way to handle this?' And as long as whatever that is is based in some sort of actual reality to where, like, the person's not delusionally thinking, like, 'Hey, I need, I need 20 million dollars to be bought out of this band that I didn't even start.' Once that kind of thinking gets into the equation, it's just, like, 'Hey, dude. I don't even know what to say to this.'"

Jasta went on to say that the other members of AS I LAY DYING's classic lineup lent Tim "a lot of credibility by making the jump" and trusting the singer and vouching for him publicly, which therefore provided value when it came to promoters booking the band. Lambesis said: "I have a lot of feelings about this because I don't really try to go around inserting my version of the story. I do very few interviews. My life is simple. I just wanna play music. I started this band. I was the primary songwriter at that time, on guitar and everything. I just wanna make music. I just wanna perform music. The foundation of the band was, like, we perform music, we play music. And if somebody doesn't wanna do that, that's totally fine. They can leave. But the machine keeps going, 'cause this is what I started, this is the foundation of what I started. And so it takes a certain amount of faith or trust, I guess, is the word or good faith from me toward them to actually ask them to play with me again. And that's one of the things I think has been misunderstood this whole time, is when I first got released from incarceration, every manager I talked to was, like, 'Do not do the band with those guys, because what will happen is' — not all of them, but a couple of them — 'is that you can tell just speaking to them for five minutes, the amount of emotion around this topic, they're gonna be able to get past it for a certain amount of time, and then without proper, actual healing and therapy, dedication to these kinds of things, it will fall apart and they will leave. And then people will think you were the bad guy. You're the reason that they left.' And so I had to actually just say — I said to multiple managers, 'I don't care about that. I just wanna do it anyways. Even if it hurts me in the long run, I just wanna do it.' And I forced a square peg into a round hole for those dudes to all come back together…. The amount of faith for me to say, here's two guys that have never been significant songwriters in the band. Behind the scenes, they've never changed the outcome of an album. And I'm going to go ahead and rebrand them as an integral classic-member lineup that's, like, this band cannot go forward without these guys. And they have the potential ability to go burn me later by them leaving and being, like, 'Oh, it's just not the same as it used to be. And the band just feels different to me now.' And I don't know — whatever comments could be made, they're welcome to have that opinion. But, to me, it's just, like, dude, behind the scenes, nothing changes whether you're in this band or not. Phil [Sgrosso, guitar] and I still just keep writing records like we did since 2004."

Tim went on to say that he "would happily give away half my money, no problem, to just enjoy what I do with my life. So that's what it comes down to. Hey, maybe the public likes a couple of these dudes way more than [they like me] — not maybe. Almost certainly. I'm very self-aware. I'm certain that these people are more likable in a public square. I just kind of, when it comes down to my quality of life going forward, it's just, like, dude, you mean I could just write music, record music and perform music without it being a constant amount of drama and difficulty. That sounds awesome. How much money do I have to give away for that to happen? That's cool with me. And I don't mean that resentfully or angrily. I think what they did was a very sincere effort. Like, 'I think I can make this work.' They tried it. They got into the nitty gritty of, like, 'Wow. I feel triggered every day on a regular basis. This is not sustainable. I probably don't wanna do this, actually.' After a year or 18 months or whatever it was of just trying to push this thing to happen, it is completely understandable that they're, like, 'Man, I don't feel as good about this as I thought I maybe would be able to grow to do.' And, man, I'm super thankful that they like gave it a shot at all, and I knew that it could potentially hurt me, and it did, just as everybody behind the scenes like predicted with me and they said, 'Don't do this 'cause this is exactly what's gonna happen.' All those things happened, and I still don't regret it, 'cause it's, like, you know what? I got a chance to know beyond doubt that I tried my best and they tried their best and now we don't have to wonder, like, 'Oh, I wonder what would happen if we tried to all get back together.'"

Tim and his bandmates recently completed the recording process for their next studio album. The LP will mark the group's first with its new lineup, featuring Lambesis and longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso alongside drummer Nick Pierce (ex-UNEARTH),bassist vocalist Ryan Neff (MISS MAY I) and guitarist Ken Susi (UNEARTH).

In September 2022, Lambesis told Metalshop TV about AS I LAY DYING's recent lineup changes: "I think for our fans, they think that the changes happened all in a very short period of time, but they actually happened over the last two years. The first change was on guitar we invited Ken Susi to fill in for us. And that was about two years ago that we invited him. But then, of course, the pandemic happened and so we had a lot of breaks until we had a tour again. So Ken's been rehearsing with us, or talking about rehearsing with us, for the last couple of years. And on drums we have Nick Pierce, who joined us. Nick Pierce was previously in UNEARTH; Ken is from UNEARTH as well. And Nick stopped playing with UNEARTH and coincidentally at the same time we needed a drummer, because our previous drummer hadn't been communicating with us; he went very isolated once the pandemic hit. And so there wasn't an argument or anything like that; it was just a situation where when the pandemic hit, he decided to take a new direction in life and kind of cut himself off from the rest of us. And we decided we wanted to keep going forward. Phil and I had been the ones writing the songs all these years, so when Nick Pierce left UNEARTH, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have him perform with us. And then Ryan came from MISS MAY I. He was the last guy to come in. And he didn't come in until a couple of months ago. Our bass player, Josh, previously left, and he's with SPIRITBOX now. And when he decided to go perform with SPIRITBOX, we called up Ryan, who was with MISS MAY I. And Ryan Neff was on tour at the time. And then we asked him, 'Can you start touring with us as soon as this tour is over?' And he said, 'Well, I'm only gonna have three days off to rehearse in between tours.' He said, 'If you guys want me to do it, I'll make sure I come prepared.' And he had a lot to learn in three days, but he pulled it together. He's a very, very hard-working guy."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Symphonic metal band, Dragony from Vienna, Austria, is excited to announce their new label deal with Steamhammer/SPV.


After four albums, one EP, and more than 15 years on the international metal scene, the Austrian sextet has signed a new record deal with Steamhammer/SPV in advance of the upcoming release of the band's fifth album.


Dragony states: "As a renowned label with a forty-year history in the metal business, Steamhammer/SPV has seen and done it all, and is still going strong today! Some of our favorite bands are or were signed to SPV, and we've enjoyed their releases greatly over the years, so we are thrilled to write the next chapter in the Dragony story together with SPV. We've got a lot of great things cooking behind the scenes right now, and we can't wait to unleash them upon the metal world in cooperation with SPV!"




Olly Hahn, head of Steamhammer, adds: "Dragony is a hardworking band and has countless fans all over the world. Dedication and persistence are trademarks for this sextet from Austria and we are ready to start the next chapter together with them."


The band's new studio album is scheduled for on October release. First single and video will be released in late-April.


Dragony are:


Chris Auckenthaler: Drums
Herbert Glos: Bass
Manuel Hartleb: Keyboards
Matvei Plekhanov: Guitars
Simon Saito: Guitars
Siegfried Samer: Vocals

Finnish hard rock act, Brother Firetribe, have shared a new single, entitled "Are You Ready?"





About the single, vocalist Pekka Heino had this to say: "It’s always exciting to put out a brand new song after working on it since the first idea. 'Are You Ready' has everything one would expect from this band and we hope it serves as a great soundtrack for the upcoming hot summer. We also can’t wait to play it live on tour! Are you ready? We sure as hell are!"




Listen to "Are You Ready?" here, and below:





Check out the band's short film, Night Drive, here.


Lineup:


Pekka Heino - Vocals
Roope Riihijärvi - Guitar
Tomi NIkulainen - Keys
Jason Flinck - Bass
Hannes Pirilä - Drums


All music by: Roope Riihijärvi, Hannes Pirilä, Pekka Heino, Tomi Nikulainen, Jason Flinck

In an interview with Spotlight Report conducted at this month's Knotfest Australia in Sydney, DISTURBED drummer Mike Wengren spoke about how sometimes fans will come up to him and his bandmates and say that one of their songs has helped them in some way or even saved their life. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we always write songs from the heart and from the experiences that we go through ourselves. It's catharsis for us to be able to sing and perform those songs. And when fans just started to reach out, that they use these songs to help them get through their hardships, it brings the connection together for us. We write it so that we can heal, that we can cope with some of the hardships of life, and it's just a pretty incredible thing to be able to share that with everybody. And we get that message all the time. People say, 'I went through a really hard time of my life. I was divorced' or 'I had an addiction issue I was dealing with, and your song saved my life and helped me get through it.' I mean, that is the biggest compliment of all. It's not just that we get to write and perform music, but we get to touch people's lives. It's emotional. It's an incredible thing that we don't take for granted at all."

Earlier this month, DISTURBED garnered its 19th No. 1 on the Active Rock radio chart with "Don't Tell Me", the band's latest single, which features a guest appearance by Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee and HEART co-founder Ann Wilson. The song is DISTURBED's fourth No. 1 off the band's latest album, "Divisive".

This is the second time DISTURBED has earned four No. 1s on a single record, having previously accomplished the same feat on 2015's "Immortalized". Only nine rock albums since 1992 have been able to secure four No. 1 songs on the Mediabase Rock charts and two of them have been DISTURBED's.

Released in November 2022, "Divisive" was recorded earlier that year with producer Drew Fulk (MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, LIL PEEP, HIGHLY SUSPECT) in Nashville, Tennessee.

"Divisive" sold 26,000 equivalent album units in its first week of release, with 22,000 units via album sales. On the all-format Billboard 200 chart, "Divisive" debuted at No. 13.

DISTURBED has had five No. 1s on the all-genre chart, beginning with "Believe" in 2002.

According to Billboard, DISTURBED's "Take Back Your Life" summer 2023 tour grossed $17.4 million and sold 336,000 tickets.

DISTURBED averaged 11,573 tickets sold per show, up from 6,901 in 2019 and 4,404 in 2016. The average ticket price for the "Take Back Your Life" tour was $51.07.

DISTURBED's biggest headlining concert ever happened on September 2, 2023 at Ruoff Home Mortgage Music Center in Noblesville, Indiana, where the band drew more than 20,000 fans.

In a new interview with Robert Edwards of Talkin' Bout Rock, MR. BIG bassist Billy Sheehan spoke about the band's decision to enlist Michele Luppi (WHITESNAKE) to assist with the lead vocals during MR. BIG's U.K. tour while singer Eric Martin was dealing with an unspecified voice issue. Billy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's tough when you get.. I mean, that's kind of why it's a farewell tour. We could limp over the finish line or run over the finish line, and right now we're planning to run over the finish line. But it's tough. Vocals are tough. We have a tight, tough schedule. So, this gentleman plays in one of the Italian MR. BIG tribute bands. He's got a great voice and [he's] a wonderful guy. So he just comes in… As you get older, not all singers can hit those high notes anymore. And that's not every song or everything like that, but a little help from my friends comes in on the lead vocals. I still do my part as I do. Paul [Gilbert, guitar] and our drummer, Nick [D'Virgilio], is a great singer — really just a really excellent singer."

He continued: "One great thing about [late MR. BIG drummer] Pat Torpey, God rest his soul, was that he was a lead singer also and at a really high range, so we were worried we could never find somebody like that, but we found Nick, and on top of being an amazing drummer, he does Pat's parts perfectly, and they're quite difficult; there's a lot of nuance and finesse, things you need to know."

Elaborating on why it was necessary to bring Luppi into the picture, Billy said: "We're not faking anything, and we never have and never will. But the vocal cords are a little tiny, two little flaps of skin there, and done right, with correct training, you can be Tony Bennett and sing into your 90s. But a lot of singers, to hit a higher note, they just push harder. You can only do that for so long. I was very lucky to get vocal lessons from a [vocal coach] named Ron Anderson. And he was the number one guy… When Bono blows his voice out, they fly Ron Anderson in to fix him. He's the guy. Ozzy [Osbourne], Janet Jackson — his list of singers that he works with is an A list of all the best singers there are, everybody. And I went to him for quite a while and really increased my range, my accuracy, everything. I sang my whole life, but I never — like I played bass my whole life. I don't know what I'm doing, but I play it. Same thing with my singing — I sang my whole life. I didn't know what I was doing. But getting some instruction from Mr. Anderson was just amazing. What a difference it makes. But everybody's different, everybody approaches it a different way, and we're doing our best to keep everything real. So we brought somebody in. We didn't have him behind a curtain. There he is. He's helping the singer sing."

MR. BIG played its first concert with Luppi on March 22 at KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom. Fan-filmed video of the show can be seen below.

MR. BIG's ongoing last worldwide tour is aptly titled "The BIG Finish". Since the band's original drummer and co-founder Pat Torpey lost his battle with Parkinson's disease in 2018, the band now feels it's time to mark the end of this chapter of their legacy. 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. Joining MR. BIG on drums for this special final world tour is longtime friend of the band Nick D'Virgilio (SPOCK'S BEARD, BIG BIG TRAIN),stepping in for Torpey.

MR. BIG's final tour sees the band performing the entirety of its breakthrough platinum-selling 1991 album "Lean Into It" from start to finish as a featured highlight of the live setlist.

MR. BIG recently entered the studio to record a new studio album to coincide with the last shows of the band's farewell tour.

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.

Bleed From Within have had an extraordinary couple of years. In April, they'll be hitting the road for a month-long US and Canada tour with The Ghost Inside, Paleface, and Great American Ghost, and are also looking ahead to a string of summer festival appearances including their Hellfest debut, Download Festival and Graspop, plus a couple of German shows with Shadow Of Intent, The Acacia Strain and Fuming Mouth. Not to mention that they'll be capping off this year in the finest way by playing as special guests to Slipknot across the UK and Europe, for Slipknot's Here Comes The Pain tour celebrating the Iowan's 25th anniversary.


Today, Bleed From Within have released an immense, high-energy video for their track, "Killing Time", made up of some touring highlights from the past few months. "Killing Time" has become a set-list favorite throughout their recent runs, the track coming from their latest studio album Shrine.


Ali Richardson stated: "As we approach the end of the Shrine cycle, we've been looking back at everything that we've achieved with this release. It has been a truly amazing couple of years, taking us thousands of miles around the world. The perfect setup to the next chapter of our band. The lyrics for 'Killing Time' are personal, but I hope that the clear message about making the most of the time we have left will resonate with those reading them. The song always stood out to us and our fans, so it has been great to give it a place in our live set and celebrate it with this video. Shot and edited by our close friend and long-time videographer/photographer Tom Armstrong, we hope you enjoy this montage as much as we do. A true celebration of the band's journey over the last couple of years!"







Find Bleed From Within's tour itinerary here.








Bleed From Within are:


Scott Kennedy - Vocals
Craig Gowans - Lead Guitar
Steven Jones - Rhythm Guitar & Vocals
David Provan - Bass
Ali Richardson - Drums

In a new interview with Reggie Edwards of Front Row Report, BREAKING BENJAMIN guitarist Keith Wallen spoke about the progress of the recording sessions for the band's long-awaited new studio album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're working on tunes. You can't rush it. You really wanna make sure it's great. And I wanna believe the fans can understand that too. You don't wanna just rush something out. I mean, granted, it's been a minute, it's been a while, I know, but we wanna feel good about it and we wanna put our best foot forward and record and release the best music we can. But in the meantime, yeah, I think we've got some tours in the books coming up. We've got some festivals; we just announced a few. And, yeah, I'd say there's probably, maybe some more stuff on the horizon that I'm sure it will all come to light in due time."

Last month, BREAKING BENJAMIN guitarist Jasen Rauch told the FM99 WNOR radio station that he and his bandmates were "definitely recording" new music. "We've been writing for a while," he said. "Our tour schedule keeps things kind of intermittent. So it's hard to get… We'll go on a tour. We're out for quite a while, come home. Everybody wants to go see their family, have some downtime or whatever. And then it may only be a six-week turnaround, a 10-week turnaround, till we've gotta go back out and start prepping for the other thing. Keith and I do some work on the side with other bands, other projects. Keith's got his solo stuff, which is rad… But as far as recording goes, it's been so long since we've had an album out, we feel somewhat precious about it and are just making sure our quality control is there. So we are actually working, we are actually recording. We have songs that are finished, and it's just gonna be about all the business stuff —interfacing with the label and release schedule, what windows are open, that kind of thing, and then as far as us fitting in those recordings around the tour schedule."

Jasen continued: "A lot of bands would go and lock themselves away for three or four months in the studio. We're opting not to do that. We're doing a lot remote and things like that."

Asked by FM99 WNOR if it's easy to work on an album and tour at the same time, Jasen said: "It's almost impossible. I can count maybe three bands, I think, that would be successful at writing [and] recording on the road, because it's very difficult. You can have all the best intentions, but it's hard just squeezing things in between press, any sort of VIP stuff that we have, soundchecks."

Added Keith: "Even just finding a nice quiet place to you know record some vocals or something. And not even just that, but just recording vocals in general, it's, like, when you're on tour, you're using your vocals a lot and there's a fatigue factor there. So you wanna be at your best when you're recording; you don't wanna be just completely cashed from singing three shows in a row."

Jasen concurred, saying: "It's a recording, so it'll live forever, so you want it to be the best, you want it to be perfect, but is that going to be at the expense of the quality of the show suffering as well? So, yeah, it's a difficult line to walk there."

Last July, Keith told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about BREAKING BENJAMIN's next studio LP: "We've always been kind of writing and kind of chronicling some ideas over the past few years — through the pandemic, all that stuff, we've always been writing. But here recently it started to pick up a little bit. So I'm hoping — hoping — there's gonna be some new music out sometime within the next year. That's a nice, safe answer. I could say month, I could say two months, but I'm gonna say year, just 'cause it's been so long. I don't wanna screw ourselves somehow; I don't know."

Keith went on to say that there is quite a bit of new BREAKING BENJAMIN material nearly ready to be released. "We've got some stuff in the works," he said. "We've got a lot of music recorded. Ben [BREAKING BENJAMIN frontman Benjamin Burnley] just posted yesterday — he just tracked some vocals for a song. So, yeah, we're getting there. We move at our own pace here, much to the dismay of a lot of people, I've noticed, online."

He added about the new BREAKING BENJAMIN music: "It's awesome. It's exciting. And man, I can't wait to get it out there finally."

Two months earlier, Rauch told Janna of 97.9 WGRD radio station in Grand Rapids, Michigan about BREAKING BENJAMIN's plan for the follow-up to 2018's "Ember" album: "We are working on music. We've been writing for quite a while. And regardless of whether we were able to record anything or not, we've been writing for a little over a year, I would say. We kind of keep the bar pretty high for ourselves as far as the standard moving forward. We've been experimenting with some things, throwing some things out, started over a couple of times, and are getting to a place where we're pretty happy.

"So, yeah, we've been in the studio," he continued. "We did some in Nashville. We've done a lot of stuff remotely. Ben and I have dozens and dozens of voice memos going back, 'Hey, try this. Try this.' And we'll record something and send it back and forth. But, yeah, we're looking forward to it. And hopefully we'll have something out soon for everybody to hear."

The members of BREAKING BENJAMIN are no strangers to the upper echelons of the rock charts. Since bursting on to the scene with 2002's "Saturate", the band has amassed an impressive string of mainstream rock radio hits, with 10 songs hitting No. 1, numerous platinum and multi-platinum songs and albums, billions of combined streams worldwide and a social imprint of over 6.5 million — a testament to the band's global influence and loyal fan base. Their most recent release, "Aurora", gave BREAKING BENJAMIN their tenth No. 1 song at rock radio with "Far Away ft. Scooter Ward".

BREAKING BENJAMIN's last studio album, "Ember", debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard Top 200 and marked the multiplatinum band's fourth Top 5 debut on the Billboard Top 200, following 2015's No. 1 debut for "Dark Before Dawn" (gold),2009's "Dear Agony" (platinum) at No. 4 and 2006's "Phobia" (platinum) at No. 2. "Ember" spun off two No. 1 hits at Active Rock Radio with "Red Cold River" and "Torn In Two". "Aurora" and "Ember" charted Top 10 across numerous countries worldwide and topping charts across multiple genres, including Top Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums, Top Hard Rock Albums and Top Digital Albums.

"Aurora" was released in January 2020. The disc featured reimagined versions of the band's biggest and most popular songs with special guests including Lacey Sturm (ex-FLYLEAF),Scooter Ward (COLD) and Spencer Chamberlain (UNDEROATH),to name a few.

Legendary Canadian thrash metal quartet, Sacrifice, have completed work on their forthcoming new album. The band's last studio album, The Ones I Condemn, was released in 2009.


Announcing the completion of the band's new album, Sacrifice drummer Gus Pynn took to social media, stating: "Six months later new albums done and our first practice. What do you think it sounds like!? LOL"


Stay tuned for further updates from the band.








(Photo - Kieran Palmerston)

Fan-filmed video of Ace Frehley's entire March 28 concert at Sony Hall in New York City can be seen below (courtesy of JPL Productions).

According to Setlist.fm, Ace's setlist was as follows:

01. Shock Me (KISS song)
02. Rocket Ride (KISS song)
03. 10,000 Volts
04. Rock Soldiers (FREHLEY'S COMET song)
05. Love Gun (KISS song)
06. Parasite (KISS song)
07. God Of Thunder (KISS song) (partial instrumental version)
08. New York Groove (Russ Ballard cover)
09. Rip It Out
10. Detroit Rock City (KISS song)
11. Cold Gin (KISS song)
12. Guitar Solo
13. Strange Ways (KISS song)
14. Shout It Out Loud (KISS song)
15. Deuce (KISS song)

Encore:

16. Rock And Roll All Nite (KISS song)

Ace's new solo album, "10,000 Volts", was released on February 23 via MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music). The 11-track LP was produced by Ace and Steve Brown (TRIXTER).

In a recent interview with VRP Rocks, Ace praised "10,000 Volts", saying: "I'm very happy with the way the record turned out. Now, a lot of times I've recorded records where sometimes you look at three or four songs on the album and you consider them not as good as some of the other ones and you kind of consider them as filler. But I don't think there's any filler on this album. I think every song has merit to it."

He added:  "I think it's one of the best albums I ever did. I mean, I think it's probably as good as my solo album in 1978, which everybody seems to think is my best album to date. But I think this new album is equally as good as my 1978 solo album, and I think there's more than one hit single on the album. So, if I was a KISS fan or an Ace Frehley fan, I'd go out and buy it immediately when it's released on February 23rd, because you're in for a treat."

Ace's new all-original album is the follow-up to "Spaceman", which was released in October 2018 via eOne.

KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons co-wrote two tracks on "Spaceman", "Without You I'm Nothing" and "Your Wish Is My Command", the latter of which also features Gene's bass playing.

Frehley recently revealed that his next release will be a third "Origins" volume, covering songs by artists who influenced him. He will once again work with Brown on the project, which is tentatively due in 2025.

In an interview with Billboard, Frehley said that he is at one of the best points of his career. "Y'know, here I am at age 72 and I'm putting out one of the best records I've ever recorded," he said. "The playing is great and the singing is some of the best vocals I've ever done. It really doesn't make any sense, but I'm the kind of guy that’s always broken rules, y'know?"

HAPPENING THIS WEEK! We're getting BACK IN THE NEW YORK GROOVE! Buy tickets to see me live on stage at Sony Hall on...

Posted by Ace Frehley on Wednesday, March 27, 2024

Legendary rock band HEART performed its classic song "Barracuda" on last night's (Monday, April 8) episode of "The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon". Earlier in the day, HEART also teamed up with host Jimmy Fallon for a performance of Bonnie Tyler's 1980s hit "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" as a tribute to the solar eclipse that was seen by millions across North America.

"We have a special show tonight," Fallon said in introducing the "Total Eclipse" performance. "HEART is our musical guest and today is, obviously, the solar eclipse. So we thought we have to do what we have to do, we have to sing 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart'."

The "Total Eclipse" musical performance was captured from the rooftop at 30 Rockefeller Center in New York City where the total solar eclipse was technically not visible, although residents could see a 90% partial solar eclipse.

For the "Total Eclipse" performance, Fallon wore the special eclipse glasses and a public school uniform from Russell Mulcahy's official music video for "Total Eclipse Of The Heart", which landed on the Billboard charts in 1983.

The current members of HEART feature Nancy Wilson (rhythm, lead and acoustic guitar, backing and lead vocals),Ann Wilson (lead vocals and flute),Ryan Wariner (lead and rhythm guitar),Ryan Waters (guitars),Paul Moak (guitars, keyboards and backing vocals),Tony Lucido (bass and backing vocals) and Sean Lane (drums and bike).

Last December, HEART played its first three concerts in more than four years — in Highland, California, at Greater Palm Springs in Palm Desert, California, and in Seattle, Washington,.

Prior to HEART's December 27, 2023 show in Highland, the band's last performance took place in October 2019 in St. Paul, Minnesota.

HEART will return to the road for the first time in five years this spring on the "Royal Flush" tour. The trek, which will kick off April 20 in Greenville, South Carolina, will feature CHEAP TRICK as support on most of the North American leg, while SQUEEZE will open a handful of HEART's summer European dates. HEART will also join DEF LEPPARD and JOURNEY for summer stadium shows in Cleveland, Toronto and Boston and will make an appearance at the New Orleans Jazz And Heritage Festival on April 28.

In a new interview with Backstage Pass, original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm spoke about his decision to retire after his 2024 tour dates. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've put in a number of decades, and while it's been fun, you've gotta be smart enough to see when it's time to stop. For me, I think traveling is such a hassle these days. We don't do show after show. We do one or two shows a week. So we fly. And I don't have to tell you what flying these days is like — all the hangups at the airports, and you book a seat and you get on the plane and they've switched your seat. No accountability. They kind of just — when they say they rule the skies, they mean inside the plane and outside."

Regarding the setlist for his solo shows, Gramm said: "It's a good blend of songs from my two [solo] albums and the SHADOW KING album as well, and some of the big hits, some of the things I've been involved in writing with Mick [Jones, FOREIGNER founder and guitarist]. We do a bunch of FOREIGNER songs too. And I've gotta tell you that between the two musics, it brings the house down."

Asked if he has had to change the key for certain songs in his catalog in order to accommodate his aging voice, Lou said: "I brought the songs down a half a step about 15 years ago, and I have no problem hitting it… I'm in fantastic vocal shape, and my health is as good as it's been in a number of years."

Gramm also talked about the new studio album he is planning to release this year. He said: "Well, it's gonna be a number of new songs. Some of the songs were from — when you record an album, usually there's 10 songs on the album, but you usually record 13 or 14 and choose either the best 10 or the 10 that are finished. And so I'd been doing that for my two solo albums and the SHADOW KING album, but there are always two or three songs that were really good ideas just without the time to finish them. So I went back and I dug up those ideas, and there's about three or four of them that I finished that are gonna be on this album."

On the topic of the songwriting process for his new songs, Gramm said: "Well, I've been writing with a few other people, but I've been writing myself too. And there's a good selection of brand new, unheard-of-by-the-human-ear songs. And it's been a fun album to put together. I didn't do it with any time schedule in mind, so it's taken a little over two years. But I got it the way I want it, and I'm pleased with the material and the performances. So that's worth waiting for, I think."

According to Lou, the first single from the upcoming album will "possibly" arrive in July, with the full album set to follow "maybe by October".

As for the musicians who were involved in the recording process, Gramm said: "I've got my live band that's with me, the ALL STARS, who is Jeff Jacobs, who used to play with FOREIGNER, on keyboards, my brother Ben [Gramm] on drums, Scott Gilman on rhythm, guitar, and sax. He also played with FOREIGNER. [And we also have] Tony Franklin on bass and Alex Garcia on guitar."

Gramm previously addressed his retirement plans while speaking to Lee Richey. He said: "I've been doing it — Jeez — for almost 50 years, and I would like to turn my attention to my family and my muscle cars and just enjoy myself knowing that when I lay down at night, it'll be in my own bed."

He added: "This is gonna be it. I've been putting it off and putting it off. And I still enjoy performing, but when you've been doing it for as long as I have — the travel is the worst. It really takes its toll. And that's a sign that you're getting old."

Back in December 2018, Gramm announced that he was retiring from performing as a solo artist. But he later clarified that he wasn't completely walking away from performing live.

SHADOW KING was a collaboration between Gramm and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell. The group released a self-titled album in 1991 and performed live only once, at the Astoria Theatre in London, England on December 13, 1991.

By the time Gramm left FOREIGNER for the first time in 1990, he had already released two successful solo albums: the aforementioned "Ready Or Not" and "Long Hard Look". He went on to launch LOU GRAMM BAND, which released an all-Christian rock album in 2009. He followed it up with "My Baby" in 2015.

The now-73-year-old Gramm left FOREIGNER for good in 2002 and has battled health issues in recent years, including the removal of a non-cancerous tumor. He told the Democrat & Chronicle in 2018 that he was planning to retire, but still reunited with FOREIGNER for several shows that year to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary.

Gramm was the voice on FOREIGNER's biggest hits, including "Feels Like The First Time" and "Cold as Ice" from the band's eponymous debut in 1977, and later songs like "Hot Blooded" and "I Want to Know What Love Is".

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Kelly Hansen in 2005. Guitarist Mick Jones, the only remaining original member, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. More recently, Jones revealed that he has been battling Parkinson's disease.

In a new interview with Monica Strut of Knotfest Australia, HALESTORM guitarist Joe Hottinger spoke about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Our goal as a band is may the best song win. So riffs are great and all, but at the day, it comes down to the song. Is it a good song or not? And not only is it, like, good, but it's gotta be great. We have, like, stupid standards. And so really anything goes. If it's a riff and it starts there, a riff and a melody, cool. Lzzy [Hale, HALESTORM frontwoman] writes constantly, so she's always got songs that we're putting together.

"We haven't been in a studio since — I mean, recording for a record — since September," he revealed. "We've been busy. We've been traveling a bit. But we've been writing since then. And while we were at the last one, we just kind of rolled in and wrote a song in the morning and recorded it that night, and it was kind of everything fresh. We started out a few riffs, but, really, the idea was more about being in that moment. I was talking with Lzzy about it while we were in there, and it was, like 'Yeah, it's kind of like we came into the studio with nothing but 20 years of being a band together.' [Laughs] So, we know how to play — we're all players, we can play, we can write. So, like, 'It's a good idea. Cool. Yeah, let's do that. All right, let's record it. Here we go.' And I don't even remember what I played. I haven't listened to those songs in a while. And I vaguely remember any of them because it gets so intense. I think we did, like, 13 of them. Day after day after day after day after day, to the point where you're just, like, 'I don't know anything anymore.'"

Joe also talked about HALESTORM's writing and recording approach with producer Dave Cobb after making three records with Nick Raskulinecz.

"We had a few ideas going in, but we told [Dave] we didn't really… We'd been touring constantly and we didn't get together and put together anything solid," Hottinger said. "And he was, like, 'Great. Even better.' And that was exciting, 'cause we've never really done that before for a record, like just sit in a room and knock out a song a day — just go, go, go. And it was really intense. And I think it's great. And that was just round one, the first volley of songs. We'll see if any of 'em even make it. But we've got just a boatload more songs now. We haven't even gotten together and riffed them all out yet or wrapped our heads around them. We just have these demos. We're, like, 'All right.' Lzzy's writing right now. We love doing that. She'll go and write with friends or other people that she respects, which I think is great, 'cause she gets to bounce ideas off of somebody else, somebody that… Every song is like a puzzle, and she gets to put it together with somebody else who's better at different parts of the puzzle than maybe one of us. And then we grab a hold of it and make it a HALESTORM song."

Earlier in the month, Joe told Niclas Müller-Hansen of RockSverige about HALESTORM's decision to work with Cobb this time around: "We've been a fan of Dave for a long time. He does like everything from country stuff like Chris Stapleton and Jason Isbell to EUROPE and GRETA VAN FLEET, RIVAL SONS and AIRBOURNE. He's a rocker at heart and we needed to switch it up. It's our last record on Atlantic. Luckily, he wanted to work with us."

Lzzy added: "We were seeking him out for a while and the people at our label and everybody was, like, 'No. He's too busy. He's not gonna wanna work with you.' And we were, like, 'Well, just ask him. Just reach out to him. We can take the rejection because we've been doing it our entire life.' It's, like, why be all sensitive now? They went ahead, like, 'Hey, Cobb, there's this band HALESTORM…' and he went, 'Oh my God, I love HALESTORM! What are they doing?' and they told him, 'Well, they're thinking about doing a record…' and he said, 'I wanna do a record with HALESTORM.' He had a whole plan apparently."

Joe continued: "And it's not, like, 'Fuck Nick,' because he's one of our best friends. We talked to him and he went, 'Fuck, yeah. Switch it up.' We made a bunch of records. It's not like we'll never not record again."

Regarding HALESTORM's overall approach to writing and recording with Cobb, Joe said: "We dive in, but it's just like trial by fire and you see what works. 'Oh, somebody's getting a little pissed.' [Laughs] It's fun and spicy, but it's nothing bad. Everyone is good people and we all have the same goal to make some good music.

Lzzy added: "We definitely dive in, like, 'Okay, who's got a riff? Who's got a line? Let's go.'"

Joe continued: "And I love him because he doesn't make demos, so we just start recording. 'Let's put the drums down.' And we're flying by the seat of our pants."

Lzzy said: "He literally wanted us to come in without a plan, which we're not used to. Usually, with every single release, it's, like, 'So, what do you wanna do? What's the vision? What's the idea?' Usually you start out with a vision and then the music tells you what do to half way through.

Joe stated: I was, like, 'Well, let me just work out this guitar part before we get there.' And he was, like, 'Why worry about that? You'll get it.' And it was, like, 'Oh yeah, we've got a new thing now. Time to learn again.'"

This past December, Lzzy told Jorge Botas of Portugal's Metal Global that she and her HALESTORM bandmates "went in with nothing" for their session with Cobb. "We had no songs, no ideas. We had some riffs and choruses, but it wasn't like we came in with these demos. And, to be honest, Dave Cobb didn't want that at all. We walked in and we were almost apologetic, like, 'I'm sorry, but we've been really busy, and I just have bits and pieces of things I think are special.' He was, like, 'Good. I don't want any demos. No plan, no nothing.' So were, like, 'What do you mean, no plan?' And it was amazing."

She continued: "We woke up every single day, we [worked] from 11 a.m. to 11 p. m. on average, every single day. [We'd] wake up, and I'm, like, at my desk and I'm figuring out lyrics from yesterday's demo, and then, 'Okay, but you know what? Scratch that. We're gonna work on a new song right now, and we'll go back to that.' So we were working on, like, four different things at once. We finished, what, like 12 songs in three weeks. So that's the magic of it all, was that we rediscovered how we as a band individually, uniquely operate and we thrive in that chaos."

Lzzy added: "As soon as you start thinking, like, 'Okay, this is the concept, these are the songs, this is what we go in, this is what we do,' it just becomes like an office job and there's no room to create, whereas this is totally not like that. You go in and you're, like, 'Wow. Anything is possible and anything could happen.' And then, as you are writing it and finishing it, you are recording it for real."

Added Joe: "It was cool. We didn't go in with anything but the shirt on our back, except that the shirt is, like, 20 years of being a band."

Continued Lzzy: "Obviously, you go in there with experience. We could have never done that 20 years ago."

Asked by Botas if the songs that were written in that chaotic environment ended up being heavier somehow because of the way they were put together, Joe said: "Yeah, a lot of them got like really weirdly heavy in a cool way. I don't know. It's not necessarily the record. That's what we did in those few weeks. And they're not all keepers, but they're great and they're good fun, and it's a reflection of where we were musically at that time."

Added Lzzy: "Yeah, and I think that comes from, even if it got darker or more intimate, especially I guess, on my end, and lyric-wise… It's a weird balancing act between, 'Okay, I'm comfortable with all of you guys enough to spill my guts because you've seen me at my worst, you've seen me at my best,' so having that experience with people that you trust, it bleeds itself into the music 'cause you're not holding anything back. But at the same time, I didn't have time to overthink either. It's, like, 'Okay, hey, by the way, we're getting a surprise visit from you're a&R guy, and we still have six songs to sing.' And I'm, like, 'Oh my god.' So I finished six songs within a weekend. And so there's a beauty in taking the too much thinking out of it too. So therefore, the song has no choice but to just be what it is, whatever it is at the moment."

In October, HALESTORM bassist Josh Smith revealed to Metal Global that the band was working with Cobb.

"We went down to [Dave's] place and all lived together for three weeks, which is — we live together on tour all the time, yeah, but to be in a creative space, it was incredible," Josh said. "And the music that came out is undeniably HALESTORM. There's going to be a lot of fan favorites."

Describing HALESTORM's recording process with Cobb, Josh said: "What we're doing and how he wants to work, how he's capturing us is what we do on stage. For instance, we're not using a click track; there's no time keep. It's us doing it, and so there's a lot of movement to the music… It's so human."

He continued: "I think naturally when you're even talking, just from building tension to releasing it and how that happens, and sometimes from a verse maybe is building and the tempo feels like it's building, and then the chorus — well, at least on stage — naturally probably bumps up a few BPM [beats per minute] or slows down, depending. And even our transitions or Arejay's [Hale, HALESTORM drummer] fills will push or pull. It's very human."

When Botas noted that it's "always fun to work with new people and create new ideas when someone has a different view from the one you normally have," Smith said: "Yeah, for sure. I mean, that's what you hope for in working [with] a producer. It's this person you really have to vibe with that fits into this, in this case our little world. And that chemistry between a band is so unique to every group. And so for someone to fit in, that's a special trait to have. [It's] essentially [bringing in] a fifth member of the band that can extract the uniqueness of that band. It's big shoes to fill for a producer. And thankfully we've been lucky with it, with [previous HALESTORM producers] Nick and Jay [Joyce], and Howard [Benson] was great. But, yeah, starting with someone new and also someone who has had a very different approach from the previous one, it's really exciting. And he really is bringing out the best of us. So, yeah, it's really exciting to find someone who is so good at their craft… And he just wants to catch what everyone is excited about — lightning in a bottle. And we've been doing that. And we've caught a lot. I can't wait to go back. It's really fun. I can't wait to get back to writing new music."

Cobb has shared in nine Grammy wins, including four for "Best Americana Album" and three for "Best Country Album". He's also been named "Producer Of The Year" by the Country Music Awards, the Americana Music Association (twice) and the Music Row Awards, and has been a Grammy nominee in the category.

Also in October, Hale told TotalRock's "Hobo On The Radio" show about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's follow-up to 2022's "Back From The Dead" album: "We're always working on new music, but we've actually kind of started to buckle down and really kind of write with a purpose as to whatever we wanna kind of put out in the world next. It's kind of an exciting time because I feel like even since the last record, even beyond 'Back From The Dead', I feel like we're kind of shedding our skin in a way that's kind of beautiful where we all kind of feel like different people than who we were when we were writing the last record. So it's time for whatever that next chapter is. So it's very exciting."

She continued: "I've been writing in a lot of subjects that I haven't necessarily touched on before and been kind of exploring those things. And I've become even more of a serial eavesdropper. I will be sitting at a pub or something and I will kind of zone out, and it's amazing the conversations you hear other people talking about. And so sometimes those leech their way into the songs. But, yeah, we'll probably have something by next year."

Lzzy and her brother Arejay (drums) formed HALESTORM in 1998 while in middle school. Hottinger joined the group in 2003, followed by Smith in 2004.

Last May, HALESTORM teamed up with country singer Ashley McBryde for a reimagined version of the band's song "Terrible Things", which was originally featured on "Back From The Dead".

In December 2022, HALESTORM released a deluxe edition of "Back From The Dead". "Back From The Dead: Deluxe Edition" includes seven previously unreleased B-sides, including "Mine", a 1980s-inspired rocker. "Back From The Dead: Deluxe Edition" is available digitally, on CD, and cassette tape, marking the first time that the album has been offered in those physical formats.

The Eclipse YouTube channel has uploaded video of Uli Jon Roth's April 4 concert at Ramona Mainstage in Ramona, California. You can now watch all the clips in the playlist below.

In a recent interview with Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of Rock Interview Series, legendary guitarist Uli Jon Roth spoke about his North American tour, which kicked off on April 2 in Mesa, Arizona. He said: "Well, touring North America has been a thing that I've been doing for many years on a regular basis, because I love doing that and then we've got a lot of audience over there in that neck of the woods. But we haven't been since before COVID. And so we had a 70-date tour booked for North America, including Canada, when COVID hit. And so I did a few shows in Europe. It was also called 'Interstellar Sky Guitar'. It was a solo tour, just with a big screen, an orchestra behind me, and I wrote a lot of music for it, new music. And then, yeah, thanks to COVID, there was no tour. So, forward to 2024, I thought it would be good to pick up that thread. And a lot of people still have tickets from back then, and they're, of course, fully valid, but I thought it might be a nice idea to not only bring the solo show, because after so many years bring the band as well. So we're actually doing a dual kind of show — two shows in one evening. I'm kicking off with one and a half hours of solo, which is called 'An Evening with Uli John Roth', which includes a little TED talk about my new book, 'In Search Of The Alpha Law', which I'm gonna be presenting. And then there's a break and then we're playing a full-on rock show consisting of my earlier material — SCORPIONS, ELECTRIC SUN and then also a little bit of Jimi Hendrix."

Asked when "In Search Of The Alpha Law" will finally be released, Uli said: "The book will be released pretty much during the tour. So we're not gonna have it on the tour. We're a little late. Unfortunately, it was quite complicated to get everything under wraps, but we're gonna have it. So I think what they're gonna do, at the merch, they're gonna sell vouchers, so 10- or 20-dollar vouchers for the book, and then people will be sent the book. Which is a good idea anyways, because you don't want to carry that book around you in the evening… It's quite a tome. It's big and heavy — four kilos. It's got 600 pages with about a thousand pictures and illustrations. I did all the design myself, because I wanted it to also be artistic, and I wanted the text to be one with all the imagery.

"The way this came about was thanks to COVID, actually," he explained. "I'm one of the few people who, actually, I guess, can be thankful to COVID because it was a horrible thing for most people. I was able to spend two years in lockdown writing this book. And this book has quite a history, because I started many years ago writing it. I wrote several versions. I was never quite happy because I wasn't quite sure how to present the book.

"The subject matter is not an easy subject matter. It's quite philosophical. It's about my view of life, and music has a lot to do with it. And I wanted to have a book that also non-musicians can enjoy. And that's not so easy when you're sometimes talking about technical stuff like octaves and fourths, et cetera. How do you explain that to somebody who doesn't know what an octave is?

"So, to cut a long story short, when COVID came and I was at home with all this time, the book just started to pour out and it kind of wrote itself," Roth added. "And the subject matter really goes back 40 years, because I've been always fascinated by these ideas that are described in the book… It's difficult to explain the book in a few words. That's why it's a book and that's why it's big. It's got a lot of facets. And I scripted it a little bit like a movie, so there are many different facets and various storylines, which sometimes drift side by side and then they jell together."

Asked what the most challenging part of writing the book was, Uli said: "The bigness wasn't really the challenge. I could have written a much bigger book. My original intention, back many years when I first started to do 'Sky Academy' in Los Angeles, was to write seven books, because it was a complete kind of philosophical system in itself, kind of. But I went away from that and I thought I'd make it more user friendly. I didn't want a dry something. I wanted something that can touch people that's inspirational rather than academic. And once I figured that out, it kind of started writing itself. And there were really no obstacles. Well, I did have to learn about book design; that's something that I didn't know before, how to do that. I wouldn't say I mastered that craft, but I got by in order to do what I wanted to do. And now I'm very, very happy with it. And it's a good foundation for my 'Sky Academy' also. Whereas before, when we did these 'Sky Academy' seminars, I never really had anything in writing, and now I do. This ties in very much with my musical output, my musical philosophy. Having said that, this book comes with a couple of bonus CDs because I thought it might be nice to bundle it with actual music, not just the visuals. And of all my output, the stuff that I figured was best for this was my 'Metamorphosis' album, which is Vivaldi's Four Seasons with electric guitar and orchestra, and a concerto of my own, 'Metamorphosis Concerto'. So, that's gonna be in here as a newly remastered release. And also half an hour's piano music, which I wrote in the early '90s called 'Aquila Suite', which isn't so well known, but that will also go very well with this book. And they're just other creative angles."

In recent years, Roth has revisited the early music of his period with the SCORPIONS, which resulted in the "Scorpions Revisited" double CD and "Tokyo Tapes Revisited" DVD/Blu-ray releases.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players ever, Uli pioneered a unique style of guitar playing which — for the first time — combined complete mastery of the instrument with an intensely melodic and emotional appeal.

From his earliest days onwards, Uli has always been a bold and uncompromising musical innovator of the first order. Being the first guitar player in rock to incorporate complex melodic arpeggio sequences, Uli Jon Roth — in the eyes of many of his peers — practically reinvented modern guitar technique almost singlehandedly during his SCORPIONS tenure, but even more so during his ELECTRIC SUN days.

In a new interview with Brazil's A Ilha Do Metal, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann reflected on the fact that he is the sole remaining member of the band's classic lineup, having led the legendary German heavy metal outfit for nearly five decades. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I am the last man standing from the original times. I've been in ACCEPT 48 years, if you can believe that. That's crazy. And when you would have asked me as a teenager, I would have thought you're crazy, because I would have never thought except would last this long or that I would one day be the only member. And it's only by default. It's only because all the other members have left. So I feel like I'm the captain of the ship and everybody else has left the ship and I have a new crew on board, if you know what I mean."

Regarding the possibility of ACCEPT celebrating five decades since the band's formation, Wolf said: "We do not have any specific plans for the 50th anniversary, but since many, many fans asked for the same question — they all ask, 'What are you gonna do? What are you going to do? So I think we should do something, maybe a special tour, maybe. I have no answer yet, but I know something will have to happen. But right now I'm focused on the new album, 'Humanoid', on the 'Humanoid' tour, and that's what we wanna promote, obviously. Because this is a great album. I think fans will really enjoy it, once they get to hear everything. Right now, we only have two singles out and the response is phenomenal. And we have two videos, and there's a third video coming."

Due on April 26 via Napalm Records, "Humanoid" was once again produced, recorded, mixed and mastered by critically acclaimed heavy metal producer Andy Sneap.

Fans can immerse themselves in the upcoming album on an interactive web site, where they can reprogram the robot that is featured on the album cover, and discover different parts of the album in the process. Pre-save "Humanoid" now to gain access to the web site here.

ACCEPT recently announced a massive European headline tour, with more than 20 shows across the continent for autumn 2024. This summer, ACCEPT will also return to some of the world’s most important rock and metal festivals, like Wacken Open Air, Hellfest and more, following their South American spring tour.

In February 2022, it was announced that ACCEPT had inked a worldwide deal with Napalm Records.

ACCEPT's latest album, "Too Mean To Die", came out in January 2021 via Nuclear Blast. The LP was the group's first without bassist Peter Baltes, who exited ACCEPT in November 2018. He has since been replaced by Martin Motnik. ACCEPT's lineup has also been expanded with the addition of a third guitarist, the aforementioned Philip Shouse, who originally filled in for Uwe Lulis during 2019's "Symphonic Terror" tour, before being asked to join the band permanently.

"Too Mean To Die" was recorded in Nashville with Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, MEGADETH),who has been responsible for the studio sound of ACCEPT since 2010.

Mark Tornillo joined ACCEPT in 2009 as the replacement for the band's original lead singer, Udo Dirkscheider. He can be heard on ACCEPT's last five studio albums, "Blood Of The Nations" (2010),"Stalingrad" (2012),"Blind Rage" (2014),"The Rise Of Chaos" (2017) and "Too Mean To Die".

JUDAS PRIEST was rejoined by guitarist Glenn Tipton on stage during the band's concert Saturday night (April 6) at Mediolanum Forum in Milan, Italy.

As he has done a number of other times over the course of the last six years, Tipton appeared with PRIEST for the encore, performing "Metal Gods" and "Living After Midnight".

Fan-filmed video of Tipton's appearance can be seen below.

JUDAS PRIEST's setlist for the Milan concert was as follows:

01. Panic Attack
02. You've Got Another Thing Comin'
03. Rapid Fire
04. Breaking The Law
05. Lightning Strike
06. Devil's Child (tour debut)
07. Saints In Hell
08. Crown Of Horns
09. Turbo Lover
10. Invincible Shield
11. Victim Of Changes
12. The Green Manalishi (With The Two Prong Crown) (FLEETWOOD MAC cover)
13. Painkiller

Encore:

14. The Hellion / Electric Eye
15. Hell Bent For Leather
16. Metal Gods (with Glenn Tipton)
17. Living After Midnight (with Glenn Tipton)

Tipton was diagnosed with Parkinson's 10 years ago — after being stricken by the condition at least half a decade earlier — but announced in early 2018 he was going to sit out touring activities in support of JUDAS PRIEST's "Firepower" album. He was replaced by "Firepower" and "Invincible Shield" album producer Andy Sneap, who is also known for his work in NWOBHM revivalists HELL and cult thrash outfit SABBAT.

In a recent interview with Bryan Reesman of The Aquarian, JUDAS PRIEST's Richie Faulkner spoke about Tipton's contributions to the band's new album "Invincible Shield". Asked how many ideas Glenn worked on and how Richie collaborated with him on all the guitar parts, Faulkner said: "We all go away separately after a tour and put down riff ideas and song ideas and melody ideas. He was the same, really, so when we get in a room together — me, Glenn and Rob [Halford, vocals] — we get those ideas out. We put those ideas on the table, we play them back for each other. Glenn did the same. He had a few more ideas that were more developed — 'Sons Of Thunder', 'Escape From Reality', 'Vicious Circle', stuff like that — so we worked on those. It was no different in that regard. He was able to sit in a studio [to] take time and play the ideas that he was putting forward. And when he had an idea and we were together, if he couldn't play it that day, then he would translate it through me and we'd hash it out.

"If Glenn can play it, then he'll play it, and if he can't play it, then I'll take on the workload," Richie explained. "I mean, what's wrong with that? I'm a guitar player and I'm a fan. I love the guys. That's your duty — if something needs to be done, guitar or otherwise, you do it. You step up, you know? That applied to the recording, as well. There are some things on there that he played, and he could write. It was important to us to involve him, and it probably was just as important for him to be involved as much as he could after doing it and being a genre-defining guitar player for the last 50 years."

Asked where Glenn's soloing pops up on "Invincible Shield", Richie said: "Glenn's influence is more than just the solos. There are solos on 'Sons Of Thunder' and 'Vicious Circle', and it goes beyond that. As we said before, the little twists and turns musically… and the vibe. When you play songs and solos by both K.K. Downing and Glenn Tipton on an intimate level for 13 years, I don't think you can help but have that become part of your DNA, as well, so I think you can hear stuff from Glenn in my playing as well as what I've learned from him in the last 13 years. On something like 'Panic Attack', there are some sweep picking stuff that was never part of my repertoire. Playing songs like 'Painkiller' on an intimate level becomes part of your repertoire, so it shows up on the record. So apart from the songwriting ideas he had, the songs he had, some of the solos he had, it's in my playing as well. He's infiltrated my DNA in that sense — along with Ken [K.K.], of course, and along with Zakk [Wylde] and Michael Schenker and people like that. I think [Glenn's] influence can't be overstated either."

In his first interview since revealing his condition in early 2018, Glenn, who turned 76 last October, told Guitar World magazine about his diagnosis: "It was upsetting, but I wasn't really shocked because I sort of thought it was Parkinson's. I probably hoped it wasn't but the doctor said it was."

Regarding being told by the doctor that he had likely already had the disease for between 10 and 15 years, Glenn said: "Hearing that I already had Parkinson's for a long time made me even more determined to fight. I could still play, so I just continued recording and touring."

About a month before the opening date of PRIEST's "Firepower" tour, Tipton realized he could not guarantee that he would be able to execute an energetic, precision performance with the band night after night and "decided that it was really going to be too much for me," he told Guitar World. "With the medication and the time zone changes and everything else, I realized it was time to retire — from touring at least. I don't ever want to compromise JUDAS PRIEST. It's too big a part of my life.”

"Invincible Shield" arrived on March 8 via Sony Music.

SATURDAY 6th APRIL 2024

MEDIOLANUM FORUM - Milan, Italy

Photos: Michele Aldeghi
Stage Clothes: Ray Brown Fashion

Posted by Judas Priest on Monday, April 8, 2024

In a new interview with Audacy Check In, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist Zoltan Bathory spoke about what it's been like for him and his bandmates to support METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2023 and 2024. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That's great. Eighty, ninety thousand people in a stadium, that's massive. And it's one of those things where, obviously, we have a big fanbase that overlaps. So, METALLICA is such a huge band; they had four decades to gain that fanbase, so you're gonna have three generations of people in there. And it's such a big band now that — and in some ways they're growing, believe it or not, METALLICA, still; it's crazy. And so it's such a big band that even if you're not necessarily into metal, you've gotta come; you have to come and see. And so that means there are gonna be a lot of people in that arena that, hearing a band named FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, they're probably not gonna us a chance because they have no idea what that would be. So that means that we are playing to a substantial amount of people who never heard of [us] before. And I can tell that we're turning them, I can tell, especially after the show. You can definitely see it, because we have, obviously, statistics and online we can measure that. After every show, there's a jump in visitors and a jump in downloads and a jump in statistics, so I know that we're hitting a massive amount of people with that."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH played its first show as the support act for METALLICA on the "M72" tour last August at MetLife Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey.

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH was originally supposed to support METALLICA on several European shows in the spring of 2023 but ended up canceling the dates in order to allow singer Ivan Moody to fully recover from his recent hernia surgery.

When FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH played a few shows in Europe as the support act for METALLICA in July 2022, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH shared a video report on the pairing in which Moody said of the experience: "Everyone sets goals, as you should. But you have to understand, for us, this is the apex, this is the climax, this is the top of the fucking hill. And it's amazing to me that we've been on tour for almost 15 years and never crossed paths with this band. And I've gotta tell you, they paved the road for any of us, and anyone that argues that fact is out of their fucking mind. The one and only METALLICA."

Back in 2016, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH bassist Chris Kael told Loudwire that METALLICA's classic third album, "Master Of Puppets", represented a turning point in his music tastes. He recalled: "I went to a place called Disc Jockey Records back in Lexington [Kentucky] and I had in my hand 'Master Of Puppets' and RUN-DMC 'Raising Hell' and I had to make that decision. Which one? I've heard about this band METALLICA through Circus magazine and whatnot, but I haven't heard the music, but I know RUN-DMC."

He continued: "I ended up picking up METALLICA and 'Master Of Puppets', and right from the first notes of 'Battery', hearing that beautiful guitar piece into crushing and everything that Cliff Burton did on that basically shaped me melodic-wise on bass right from the very beginning. So that album is probably one of the most influential in terms of making me want to play bass. I'll never be able to get to the same level talent-wise that Cliff Burton was, but it was a challenge."

In 2015, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's then-drummer Jeremy Spencer said that Lars Ulrich was a huge influence on him as a drummer and credited the METALLICA sticksman for inspiring him to play double bass.

"['Master Of Puppets' is] definitely my favorite, probably, metal album ever," Spencer said. "It's gotta be top two for sure. It's a toss-up between that and… I actually like 'South Of Heaven' by SLAYER too. But when I first heard 'Master Of Puppets', man, the drumming and the double bass, I never heard anything like that before as a young kid. It made such an impression on me that I just kind of wanted to do all things double bass. There's some really fast moments in 'Damage Inc.', and it just stuck with me and made such an impression on me as a drummer when I was younger; I instantly fell in love with it."

Asked what was so special about "Master Of Puppets" in particular, Spencer said: "I think they blended… They kind of had some European melody going on in the guitars, especially in the early records. That was different. But it was just… It was a different beast at that time; nothing sounded like it. There was an energy coming from that, and I think the riffs and the arrangements of the songs, it made such an impression on me and on so many other people."

Regarding how much of an impact Burton's contributions had on the way "Master Of Puppets" turned out, Spencer said: "I really don't know, but, obviously, he had some serious influence on them, 'cause their sound drastically changed [after his death]. But I love it. I think the first three records are incredible, to me."

FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH is continuing to tour in support of its ninth album, "AfterLife" which was released in August 2022 via Better Noise.

This past Friday (April 5),FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH released the digital deluxe edition of "AfterLife", featuring the original 12 tracks recorded with the band's longtime producer Kevin Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE) in addition to four bonus tracks: three acoustic versions of the album's songs "The End", "Judgement Day" and "Thanks For Asking" plus a brand new song, "This Is The Way", featuring the late rapper DMX.

The Danish death-metal veterans, Illdisposed, are embarking on a European tour in September 2024, following the release of their 16th studio-album, In Chambers Of Sonic Disgust, which will be released through Massacre Records in the summer of 2024.
 
The band has gone through a serious amount of hardship, with, amongst others, changes in the line-up, due to disease within the ranks and they have spent the last couple of years, fine-tuning their approach and recording an album that will be sure to please all older fans, but also drag in an even larger, new, crowd with their soaring approach to the genre.
 
Guitarist Jakob Batten comments:
 
"It has been five years since Illdisposed released our last album, Reveal Your Soul For The Dead. This summer, we will be ready with our 16th studio album, In Chambers Of Sonic Disgust. It is the most ambitious and creative Illdisposed album to date, revealing a band that has been going through several crises the past five years. Beginning with the Covid-19 pandemic and all the impact it had on the music industry – leading up to illness of the worst possible character within the band. It is an honest album full of anger and frustration. Crisis and struggle transcribed to music. Come and listen to the new songs live, along with a bunch of classic Illdisposed hits, of course."
 
As special guests on the tour you will meet the rising, Danish black/death act Defacing God, who has recently been joined by Batten as their new lead guitarist.


Two more support acts will be added at a later stage. Tour dates are as follows:


September
12 - Train, Århus, Denmark
13 - tba
14 - tba
15 - Hellraiser - Leipzig, Germany
17 - Rock Café - Prague, Czech Republic
18 - Viper Club - Vienna, Ausria
19 - Backstage - Munich, Germany
20 - Café Central - Weinheim, Germany
21- tba
22 - DVG Club - Kortrijk, Belgium
24 - tba
25 - Podium Duycker - Hoofddorp, Netherlands
26 - tba
27 - Logo - Hamburg, Germany
28 - Tøjhuset, Denmark - Fredericia

Original SLIPKNOT singer Anders Colsefni has recorded an updated version of "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.", the album that set band on its trajectory from underground clubs in Iowa to the biggest stages on the planet.

In a statement released to BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Anders says: "This record is dedicated to [late SLIPKNOT members] Joey [Jordison] and Paul [Gray], my eternal brothers. This project completes their legacy for the original Crowz. This important part of their heritage can now be heard by the Maggot generation of the 'KNOT family. I miss them both deeply every day and I hope that this tribute to them honors their memory and our ever-lasting friendship. Long live the 'KNOT."

On Halloween 1996, 600 copies of "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." were released into the wild. The record has been a thing of myth for 25 years, with countless bootlegs surfacing but the album never officially appearing on streaming platforms.

Before there were Maggots, there were Crowz and the Crowz have been waiting patiently for half their lives for this record to be re-released and now that moment has arrived. This record is the holy grail for the original SLIPKNOT fans.

In October 2023, Colsefni partnered with New Zealand band KAOSIS to hit the road in Australia and New Zealand in a breakneck two-week tour dubbed "Numetal Mayhem". KAOSIS doubled as lead support and Anders's backing band, playing the "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." album in full. This record had not been played live since 1996. It was on this tour that it was decided that the world needed to hear this record on streaming platforms. The re-recording of "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." began immediately after the tour finished.

KAOSIS recorded, produced, and mixed the project in Aotearoa (New Zealand). Anders completed the vocals in Iowa with his son Junior. The recording remains faithful to the original but includes some new arrangements.

Colsefni left SLIPKNOT after the release of "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." to focus on his band PAINFACE. PAINFACE is reissuing its back catalog and releasing a new EP this year.

KAOSIS and Anders will tour Europe this summer.

Due on all the streaming platforms on Friday, March 15, "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." is distributed by Blood Blast Records and Rail Records.

In a 2023 podcast interview with KAOSIS frontman Xen, Colsefni was asked if he would be open to recording a new song with his former band if he was approached about it. He responded: "Yeah, absolutely. If they contacted me and wanted me to do something, yeah, why not?"

Asked to name his favorite SLIPKNOT song since he exited the group, Anders said: "To be honest with you, I'm gonna say 'Wait And Bleed', the very first one that hit right after I left. And it's the one that I would have thought that I would have hated the most, just because of my circumstances. But that song, when I heard it, I'm, like, 'That's it. I couldn't have done that like that. So kudos to you, guys.' So 'Wait And Bleed'."

A short time after the "Numetal Mayhem" tour announcement, SLIPKNOT's longtime singer Corey Taylor took to his Twitter to share a Kerrang! article about the trek, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Really wish I could be there to see these shows, but I know @anderscolsefni is going to crush them."

Colsefni later released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he vowed to perform the "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." material with the "same level of aggression and volatility" as he did when the songs were first written while acknowledging that he has grown as a singer and performer since his early days with SLIPKNOT.

Anders said: "As many of you are aware, I am not big on social media or talking in the press but with the growing amount of interest in my forthcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand, I feel it is time to issue a statement.

"My performances as part of this tour are dedicated to my fallen brothers, [late SLIPKNOT members] Joey [Jordison, drums] and Paul [Gray, bass]. I miss you both dearly. I will be drawing on you both to deliver these songs to our fans with the same level of aggression and volatility that we did together 27 years ago.

"I'd like to acknowledge the vast outpouring of support from my fans all over the world. It has been extremely touching to know how much faith you have had in me for all these years. I will do you all proud.

"I will endeavor to keep the set as authentic to the emotions and sentiments of which they are written but I will deliver them as I am now, not the kid I once was. Since these songs were written almost three decades ago, I have had many great opportunities in various bands to hone my vocal abilities, and stagecraft and to grow as a person.

"In response to Corey's well wishes I'd like to say 'Thank you'. It may come as a surprise to many maggots, but it is actually Corey who I have maintained an ongoing friendship since my departure from the band. There has only ever been a kinship between us. I consider Corey a true brother and he has always had my back, and I his.

"Thank you all again for your adoration and support and I look forward to delivering Australasia 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' for the first time ever. Long live the KNOT."

Colsefni, Gray, Jordison and Shawn "Clown" Crahan first performed under the name SLIPKNOT in April 1996 at the Safari Club in Des Moines. Not long after, Mick Thomson and Craig Jones joined the band and the trajectory of modern metal was changed forever.

SLIPKNOT erupted on the local metal scene and by October 1996 they delivered "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.". This LP became the foundation of what is now SLIPKNOT's twenty-eight-year legacy.

Back in 2019, Colsefni said that he had no interest in rejoining SLIPKNOT.

The prospect of Anders returning to SLIPKNOT was broached by Taylor after a fan suggested on Twitter that SLIPKNOT bring back Anders as the replacement for the then-recently departed percussionist Chris Fehn. Corey replied: "Fuck I would LOVE that."

On March 23, 2019, Colsefni shot down the possibility of a renewed collaboration with his former bandmates, writing on his Facebook page: "I'm going to take away the uncomfortable conversations that SLIPKNOT might have regarding myself and reported band vacancy by saying: I will NOT be rejoining SLIPKNOT.

"It is certainly not for any animosity I have. I simply don't know those guys anymore. I generally give those I don't know the benefit of the doubt.

"I've spent the last 27 years (through each and every band) working concrete construction to support my family but still allow time for my 'real job.'

"After many years of failed bands, failed marriages, and plenty of others, I've settled into an occupation that I can retire from. I'm gonna need the bennies — my body is going to shit!

"As much as I had dreamed of rejoining my creation (shut up — I know it's a different band now!),it is not enough of a dream anymore to risk being homeless when the tour is over!"

Colsefni, one of the founding members of SLIPKNOT alongside percussionist Shawn "The Clown" Crahan, contributed lead vocals to "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.". A short time after leaving the band the following year, Anders went on to form PAINFACE, which later evolved into ON A PALE HORSE.

In a 2011 interview with Dose Of Metal, Colsefni was asked about the reasons for his departure from SLIPKNOT. He explained: "Corey was a much better singer than I, so they brought Corey in to 50/50 the vocals with me (with him being the actual frontman) while I also continued with the drums and percussion. Corey would do the clean singing and I was to add the screaming and yelling. I tried for two months, but after the shock of all this, I couldn't 'feel it' anymore. I just felt like an idiot flopping around onstage with a ridiculous outfit, acting like a caveman. Depression. So, I shaved my eyebrows off before my last show, and announced I was done after we played 'Heartache And A Pair of Scissors' for the closing tune."

Asked what he thinks about his former bandmates labeling "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." just a demo, he said "If the band did not get a record deal, 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' would have been their first official release. Since they had progressed musically since 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' (or steadied the craziness a bit) and got a nice contract advance, they chose the right thing and started fresh. Every album I've ever been on has technically been a 'demo,' so it doesn't bother me a bit. Even the full-length ones. 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' has become somewhat legendary, even with its flaws, so it was one hell of a demo."

Jordinson died "peacefully in his sleep" in July 2021 of an unspecified cause. He was 46 years old.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Gray was found dead in May 2010 after overdosing on drugs in a hotel room in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, where he and SLIPKNOT were based.