Cemetery Skyline have released their debut single, "Violent Storm", via Century Media Records. Stream/download the single here, and watch a music video below.


Says the band: "Cemetery Skyline. A band crawling out from the Scandinavian nightless nights. Formed somewhere in time in 2020, from the idea to create ageless dark music with respect to our generation’s biggest influencers. This Nordic collaboration was born with the plan to create something which has not been out there before, something different to all the music the band members have ever done. A unique combination of heavy riffs and emotions packed in a dark and deep creative context. You may call it gothic rock, dark rock or even heavy metal. We just call it Nordic Gothic."







In regards to the "Violent Storm" single, the band adds: "This song is highly inspired by the late nightly empty roads of GOTHenburg and their desperate stories of loneliness and getting lost to the unique beautiful misery and sorrow of Nordic gothic. It’s about a built-up frustration and how it can get out of hand, the feeling of helplessness and how it can take over. It’s a simple, rocky song that represents the band perfectly. "





Cemetery Skyline is:


Vocals: Mikael Stanne (Dark Tranquillity, The Halo Effect, Grand Cadaver)
Guitars: Markus Vanhala (Insomnium, Omnium Gatherum, I Am The Night Horde)
Keyboards: Santeri Kallio (Amorphis)
Bass: Victor Brandt (Dimmu Borgir, Witchery, ex-Entombed, ex-Satyricon)
Drums: Vesa Ranta (Sentenced, The Abbey)

In celebration of the upcoming 50th anniversary of the legendary Motörhead, Z2 has gathered a staggering lineup of icons to narrate their personal encounters with the man that came to define the sex, drugs, and rock & roll lifestyle, Lemmy Kilmister.


No Remorse: The Illustrated True Stories Of Lemmy Kilmister And Motörhead kicks off this 176-page tribute with a deeply personal foreword by his dear friend Dave Grohl (Nirvana, Foo Fighters) and a truly touching afterword by his longtime friend and collaborator Ozzy Osbourne.







The book pairs 25 rockstar contributors with 25 acclaimed illustrators to tell the stories of their true and unbelievable personal encounters with the heralded founding father of Motörhead. Recounting their history with Lemmy over the span of his life and career are the greatest living musicians - Ozzy Osbourne, Lars Ulrich, Slash, Chrissie Hynde, Dee Snider, Dave Navarro plus world-class writers Neil Gaiman, Michael Moorcock, pro-wrestling giants Triple H, Corey Graves, TV & Film luminaries including Matt Pinfield, Penelope Spheeris, Riki Rachtman, as well as his bandmates Phil Campbell, Mikkey Dee, and Slim Jim Phantom.


With a gorgeous variety of visual approaches the artists of No Remorse: The Illustrated True Stories Of Lemmy Kilmister And Motörhead; including Dave Chisholm, Bob Fingerman, Jay Jay Jackson, and Jim Mahfood capture the many facets of these incredible true tales of Lemmy Kilmister. The cover art is illustrated and designed by comic book legend Tim Bradstreet (Punisher, Hellblazer) and features the gleam of a holographic coating on Lemmy’s classic aviator specs!


“Anyone who ever crossed paths with Lemmy Kilmister left with a very unique experience and stories to share for a lifetime,” says Josh Bernstein, Z2 President and the book’s co-editor/designer. “The outpouring of those stories from his friends and family, paired with some of underground art’s greatest illustrators, brings Lemmy and Motörhead roaring back to life on every page.”





Like all Z2 collaborations, this book comes in a variety of highly-collectible editions, including the 1:5 “All-Access” Edition which features a framed AAA Artist Pass from Lemmy’s 70th birthday party at the Whisky A Go-Go; and the 1:25 “Backstage” Edition that comes with a framed original 2012-2013 Motörhead tour laminate. All of these artifacts are from the personal collection of Lemmy Kilmister. The “No Remorse” editions of the book will come with an exclusive white vinyl variant of the legendary Motörhead double LP, No Remorse, a poster triptych set by renowned designer Hydro74, and a three-card collectors set presented in a custom frame featuring the art of the iconic thrash-metal painter Ed Repka (Megadeth, Super7).





All collector editions will include the oversized deluxe volume of the No Remorse: The Illustrated True Stories Of Lemmy Kilmister And Motörhead book contained in a metallic foil embossed slipcase, with die cuts that reveal the holographic coating on Lemmy’s classic aviator specs on the cover of the book. All editions available for pre-order now!


From his early years, Lemmy gravitated to the live-fast attitude of rock & roll, starting out as a roadie for Jimi Hendrix, joining the seminal space-rock outfit Hawkwind and famously getting fired from the band for “doing the wrong drugs." Forming Motörhead in 1975 after his dismissal, he set out to kick things up and create an aural assault, the likes of which had not been heard. Lemmy Kilmister became the unequaled standard for the Rock & Roll lifestyle.


Of their first meeting, Dave Grohl recounts, “until then I'd never met what I'd call a real rock 'n' roll hero before. Fuck Elvis and Keith Richards, Lemmy's the king of rock 'n' roll. A living, breathing, drinking, snorting, fucking legend. No one else comes close.” It’s the life of a Rock & Roll legend, and No Remorse: The Illustrated True Stories Of Lemmy Kilmister And Motörhead captures it all.


Story Contributors: Sir Neil Warnock, Wayne Kramer, Michael Moorcock, Ozzy Osbourne, Phil Campbell, Chrissie Hynde, Kim McAuliffe, Slim Jim Phantom, Lars Ulrich, Neil Gaiman, Dee Snider, Slash, Steffan Chirazi, Lita Ford, Riki Rachtman, Penelope Spheeris, Dave Navarro, Mikkey Dee, Mikael Maglieri Jr., Todd Singerman, Lar Frederiksen, Dave Grohl, Paul ‘Triple H’ Levesque, Matt Pinfield, Josh Bernstein, Steve Luna, Corey Graves


Artist Contributors: Piotr Kowalski, Pat Moriarity, John Bergin, Joe Simko, John Bivens, Chris Visions, Fred Harper, Bob Fingerman, Steve Chanks, Dave Chisholm, JayJay Jackson, Felipe Sobreiro, Gideon Kendall, Ron Joseph, Steve Kurth, Shane Patrick White, Jim Mahfood, Luke McGarry, Ryan Dunlavey, Koren Shadmi, Jeff McClelland, Jeff McComskey, Wes Hargis, Brent Engstrom, Erik Rodriguez, Sean Pryor, Josh Bernstein, Frank Powers, Tony Parker, Tim Bradstreet, Ed Repka, Hydro 74


No Remorse: The Illustrated True Stories Of Lemmy Kilmister And Motörhead will be available in hardcover via Z2 (Simon & Schuster) for a list price of $35.00 and at retailers everywhere this summer.

In a new interview with Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com, Rik Emmett of Canadian rock legends TRIUMPH was asked if he think he and his bandmates will ever get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think you're dreaming in Technicolor. And the reason is because — first of all, in Canada… I mean here's the truth about TRIUMPH in Canada: We never won a Juno Award. We did get to go in the Juno Hall Of Fame, but it was really because the Juno, the CARAS [Canadian Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences, which administers the Juno Awards] people kind of went, 'Well, they've stuck around and they lasted so long and they got back together again. And yeah, they did that. And the [Canadian Music] Industry Hall Of Fame took 'em… So, okay, we should give 'em a Hall Of Fame award.' So, we got that, and I think it was literally just for persistence, for living long enough. And the reason for that was because in the Canadian pool, in the early days, it was, like, 'Well, you're not gonna win. RUSH is gonna win.' Of course, RUSH is gonna win. And then it was more, like, the Canadian music business had shifted, and it was, like, 'Well, you're not gonna win. GLASS TIGER is gonna win.' 'You're not gonna win. PLATINUM BLONDE is gonna win.' Things shifted."

He continued: "Years later, I did a thing where I did a tour and I did an album with Pavlo and Oscar Lopez. It was like a guitar trio kind of a project, and we toured the country and we were up for an instrumental Juno of the year. And I said to those guys, I looked at the thing, and I said, 'We're never gonna win.' And they went, 'Oh, Rik, you're so pessimistic.' I go, 'No, I'm not.' I'm actually not. Professionally, I'm known as an optimist. 'The reason that I'm pessimistic about this is,' I go, 'there's a couple of people from ARCADE FIRE that did a little offshoot thing, and they have a voting block of a much larger label than the distributor for ours. We're never gonna even get close. We won't get within sniffing distance politically."

Emmett added: "In the United States, the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame politically… I mean, we were on RCA Records, which was — of the seven major labels, they were number six. And then we sued them, and we lost, and then we moved to MCA, and they were the seventh largest. They were the smallest and they had the least impact of all the labels. Now, once they combined their publishing division with their record division, and then they went on this spree where they bought Motown and they just kept acquiring catalogs and they became — now the only game in town is Universal; most of the other labels don't even exist. But at the time, we were with these small labels — not small, but the weakest ones. So voting-wise, we were never that big, we didn't sell enough records, we didn't have enough of a commercial, industrial kind of impact to have it be that the people go, 'Oh, yeah. Well, I remember when they went quadruple platinum.' We never did go quadruple platinum. We struggled to get gold up to platinum, and it would eventually happen with some of the records, but not very many of them. And then you're in a world where there's JOURNEY. Well, they went, like, seven times platinum, 10 times platinum. Oh, there's FOREIGNER. There's some noise this year about FOREIGNER. I don't think there's probably nothing in their catalog that was under five or six times platinum. They deserve to be in there; they really do. There's a good reason why [Paul] McCartney is swearing [in producer Mark Ronson's compilation of videos from famous friends vocalizing their support for FOREIGNER's induction into the Rock Hall]… They should have been in a long time ago. But there was a huge prejudice that [Rolling Stone co-founder] Jann Wenner, it bled throughout the entire board of that thing, which was, 'No, we're only gonna recognize the truly great, and the thing that defines truly great is what I say is truly great.' And he thought FOREIGNER and RUSH and STYX and TRIUMPH, he thought all that stuff was crap. And he would hire writers to write stuff in Rolling Stone that would say, 'Yeah, these bands are shit. They're terrible. They're crap.' And so that became the sort of the standard thing of, 'Yeah, well, no, we're not gonna put them in the Hall Of Fame. They're shitty.' There you go."

Emmett recently completed radiation treatment for prostate cancer.

Rik, who quit TRIUMPH — acrimoniously, in 1988 — over music and business disputes, went on to pursue a solo career, while TRIUMPH carried on with future BON JOVI guitarist Phil X for one more album, 1992's "Edge Of Excess", before calling it a day the following year.

Emmett was estranged, both personally and professionally, from the two other members of the legendary Canadian classic rock power trio for 18 years before they repaired their relationship.

Rik's memoir, "Lay It On The Line - A Backstage Pass To Rock Star Adventure, Conflict And Triumph", came out last October via ECW Press.

After 20 years apart, Emmett, Gil Moore (drums) and Mike Levine (bass) played at the 2008 editions of the Sweden Rock Festival and Rocklahoma. A DVD of the historic Sweden performance was made available four years later.

As Creed readies to embark on their first headlining shows in over a decade, Craft Recordings celebrates the recently reunited band and their enduring catalog of music with the first wide vinyl release of their multiplatinum-selling Greatest Hits collection.


Originally issued in 2004 as a limited-edition pressing, the 13-track compilation spans the Grammy and American Music Award-winning band’s first three albums (1997’s My Own Prison, 1999’s Human Clay, and 2001’s Weathered) and features such chart-topping singles as “Higher,” “One Last Breath,” “With Arms Wide Open,” and “My Sacrifice.” As a special bonus, the 2-LP set features an etching on Side D that mirrors the cover art.


Arriving May 24 and available for pre-order today, Greatest Hits can also be found in a variety of limited exclusives, including Green Smoke vinyl (via Creed’s official store), Orange Smoke (Craft Recordings), Red Smoke (Target), Gray Smoke (Best Buy), and Blue Smoke (Walmart).The collection is also available to stream/download now.




With over 53 million albums sold worldwide, Creed remains one of modern rock’s most successful acts. Formed in 1994 by the prolific writing team of Scott Stapp (vocals) and Mark Tremonti (guitar), plus bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips, the Tallahassee, FL band skyrocketed to international fame, thanks to their winning combination of anthemic hooks, rousing guitar riffs, and introspective lyricism.


Greatest Hits captures Creed’s unparalleled journey through memorable singles from their first three albums. The collection opens with selections from the band’s 1997 debut, My Own Prison. The album, which was later certified 6x Platinum, introduced Creed with tracks like “One,” “What’s This Life For,” and “My Own Prison” - all of which broke the Top Ten of Billboard’s Alternative and Mainstream Rock charts. With more than 15 million copies sold worldwide, My Own Prison stands among the most successful debuts of all time.


The story continues with 1999’s Human Clay. One of the best-selling albums of all time in the US, the Diamond-certified LP made Creed one of the biggest acts in the world, thanks to such stratospheric hits as “With Arms Wide Open,” which earned a Grammy for Best Rock Song and marked the band’s first No.1 on the Billboard Hot 100, and “Higher,” which spent an astonishing 57 weeks on the US pop chart, where it peaked at No.7. The album, which has sold over 20 million copies worldwide, also includes the fan favorites “What If” (featured in the soundtrack to Scream 3) and “Are You Ready.”


2001’s Weathered - which marked the band’s final studio album until 2009’s Full Circle - found Creed pushing the boundaries of their work through deeply personal lyricism and some of their heaviest material yet, including the Top 10 hits “My Sacrifice” and “One Last Breath,” as well as tracks like “Bullets” and “Weathered.” The album, which sat atop the US charts for a historic consecutive eight-week run, has since been certified 6x Platinum.


Now, 30 years into their incredible journey, Creed are bigger than ever. Late last year, the Texas Rangers made “Higher” their unofficial anthem, as it spurred them to their first World Series win. More recently, the song appeared in a high-profile Paramount+ Super Bowl commercial, while a NASCAR Daytona 500 campaign also incorporates the hit single. Along the way, Creed have gained a new generation of fans, thanks to countless TikTok videos that feature their songs.


In July 2023, after an 11-year hiatus, Creed announced their long-awaited reunion. In the months ahead, fans will have multiple opportunities to see the band live, beginning with a headlining spot on the sold-out Summer of ’99 Cruise. They’ll continue their headlining run on the Summer of ’99 Tour, where they will be joined by such acts as Finger Eleven, 3 Doors Down, Hinder, Fuel, and Daughtry. Later this year, Creed look forward to celebrating the 25th anniversary of Human Clay, while touring North America throughout the end of the year. Visit the band’s official here for tickets and more info.





Creed’s Greatest Hits tracklisting:


Side A:
"Torn"
"My Own Prison"
"What's This Life For"
"One"


Side B:
"Are You Ready?"
"Higher"
"With Arms Wide Open"
"What If"


Side C:
"One Last Breath"
"Don't Stop Dancing"
"Bullets"
"My Sacrifice"
"Weathered"


(Photo - Chuck Brueckmann)







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Featured Video

ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna's JOURNEY tribute band called BEYOND FRONTIERS performed at Keswick Theatre in Glenside, Pennsylvania on Wednesday, March 27. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below, courtesy of the LORDOFTHE80S YouTube channel.

In a recent interview with Ernest Skinner of Canada's Border City Rock Talk, Belladonna was asked if he was serious when he said that he would love to sing with JOURNEY one day. He responded: "I've been around [the JOURNEY] guys, my wife and I.. God, I know Deen [Castronovo, JOURNEY drummer], and I've had dinner with Neal [Schon, JOURNEY guitarist], and soundchecked with the crew. I mean, I'm so far into knowing the whole band and crew that I always would have loved to have done that. 'Cause I just like the music. The music is really appealing to me. I love all the melodic [aspects of it]. I love the musicianship. There's so much there. Without really outright looking for that gig, without asking, you know what I mean? Yeah, I love the music and that's why I put we put BEYOND FRONTIERS together because I've always thought it would be a fun night and I like singing the music."

Joey went on to say that he and rest of BEYOND FRONTIERS are currently working on "studio versions" of their "whole set. And it sounded pretty good," he said. "It just hasn't really been mixed yet to where I want it."

In September 2023, Belladonna was asked point blank by Mike Hsu of the 100 FM The Pike radio station what he would say if he was contacted right now and asked to front JOURNEY. Joey responded: "You know, I would definitely be really interested in doing that. That would be great. Not that I think that that's gonna happen, but, yeah, it would be great. I'd love that challenge. It would be great."

Regarding why he chose to launch a JOURNEY tribute band, Belladonna told 100 FM The Pike: "Well, I've been singing JOURNEY stuff throughout the years, but never had a band that I thought that would be, you know, willing to do it correctly and lengthy like where I could keep it going. I've always liked the music so much. I've owned all the music. I liked JOURNEY long before Steve [Perry] even came. I have all those records, so I was really into the band a lot. But of course, when Steve came along, I was down with singing that live somewhere. And [I] just put it together and said I wanted to do a whole night of it. I just thought it would be fun, and it looked like a blast. And we do have a blast doing it."

Belladonna's JOURNEY tribute also features keyboardist Doug Carter, bassist Paul Arntz, guitarist Matt Basford and drummer Justin Ward.

In an April 2020 interview with SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Belladonna stated about his approach to singing material that was originally written and recorded by Steve Perry: "Obviously, when you do [something like this], there's always open ground for [people to say], 'You didn't do that part, 'You didn't do this.' [But] I didn't wanna copy it note for note. Sometimes I just like to do my own thing with it. Represent it and do what you can, but I love to mess around with things. Not so much to try to be too different, but just make it cool and do it your own way versus trying to get every note. I'm sure some guys study every second of it. Even with ANTHRAX, I do songs different a lot of times. It's just fun that way. To do things off the cuff is fun for me versus trying to follow everything… I can study it all day, but I just don't feel like doing that. I wanna have a little fun doing my own thing with it."

Belladonna's JOURNEY tribute made its live debut in March 2020 at The Beacon Theatre in Hopewell, Virginia.

In a 2005 interview with MusicDish, Belladonna was asked about the rumor that he came to the table with a JOURNEY tune during his 1985 audition for ANTHRAX. "Actually, what happened was I went into the room and they said, 'Just go on in,' and they hadn't heard me sing," he said. "They'd heard of me and they asked me to come in, but we were going in to start tracking and stuff, to get the mic set up and all that and they said, 'Let's get you in there and get you warmed up.' I hit the mic and belted out some JOURNEY… I think it was [the song] 'Lights'. I didn't know what the hell I was getting into in the first place. I just wanted to lay some vocals or something. Just to kinda give an idea and that's what happened. It wasn't really anything more than that. I just kinda belched it out. I think I did 'Oh Sherrie' [written by Steve Perry], too, or something. I dunno why, but I just did. It was something off the top of my head I could do a cappella and it was kinda challenging. I thought maybe in range or something that would be kind of intriguing. It was definitely one they weren't expecting."

ANTHRAX's 2013 EP "Anthems" EP included the band's cover version of JOURNEY's "Keep On Runnin'" alongside classics by RUSH, THIN LIZZY, AC/DC, CHEAP TRICK and BOSTON.

Satanik Royalty Records has issued a new two-track digital single from Seattle, Washington-based dirge trio, Old Iron.


The songs -- “Ahnighito” and “Fractal Storm” -- were originally recorded for Old Iron’s 2014-released Cordyceps full-length with Brandon Ramsey on drums. Reimagined with current drummer Trent McIntyre, these recordings stand as the best documentation of these songs in both performance and fidelity.


Thematically, they serve as bookends to the concept loosely running throughout Cordyceps: that human consciousness was affected by ancient exposure to extraterrestrial fungi by way of meteorites. Ten-thousand years ago the Cape York meteorite broke into three pieces as it hit Greenland. Named after one of these pieces, “Ahnighito” chronicles its descent to earth and the harvesting of its iron. Maybe there was more than just rock and metal in that meteorite!




The exposure inevitably leads to fungal growth inside the host finishing with a psychedelic crescendo. Sit back and relax as the layers of your mind peel away into the “Fractal Storm.”


“Ahnighito” and “Fractal Storm” were recorded by Nicholas Wilbur, mixed by the inimitable Matt Bayles, and mastered by Brad Boatright.


Stream/purchase on Bandcamp.


Old Iron:
Jesse Roberts - vocals, guitar, samples
Jerad Shealey - bass, vocals, samples
Trent McIntyre- drums


(Photo – John Malley)

In a new interview with Appetite For Distortion, ACCEPT guitarist Wolf Hoffmann weighed in on a debate about people using an A.I. (artificial intelligence) music generator as a tool to create melodies, harmonies and rhymes based on artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning (ML) models. Wolf said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the potential good is that, yeah, you can create sometimes… Like, for instance, I tried it for lyrical ideas, and it's scary good, to be honest. You can just say, 'Hey, write me a song lyric' or something, [and] it spits out some pretty amazing stuff. But, of course, you have to say, 'Is this really what I wanted to say? And is it me? Well, then how would I really say it?' So you still have to tweak it and stuff. And we ended up never using any of it, but for songwriting and demoing stuff, I was quite intrigued; I found it intriguing. It gives you a bunch of ideas that you hadn't thought about. And, of course, I've seen some images that were done with A.I. that I thought, 'Whoa.' A designer or a human would have to spend a lot of hours creating that thing, but it spits it out like that."

He continued: "The shadow and downside of this is, of course, that people might lose their jobs over it. And the downside is also that it's not really, truly original. A.I. doesn't really think of this stuff. It just looks at all the other stuff that was created by people and turns it into a different, new version. It uses, in the case of music, for instance, existing songs and creates a new version kind of like it, but it doesn't do it out of the blue sky; it looks at your stuff that somebody created. And there's all kinds of legal issues that come up. So I'm a little concerned about all that, yeah."

Asked if he and the rest of ACCEPT would consider using A.I. in the future to make a music video, Wolf said: "Actually, we are making one right now. It's gonna be released — I don't know — in about a month or so. But you'll see it, and it's interesting. I think it's fantastic just to see it. Of course, we thought, even the first video [for ACCEPT's upcoming album, 'Humanoid'] we made, [for the] 'Humanoid' [title track], has got, in the background — we're performing in front of a gigantic video wall, and the artwork that runs in the background, that was all created by A.I., just because here we are. That's what we're talking about on this album, 'Humanoid', so it seemed to be just a fitting tool to use."

Circling back to the idea that artificial intelligence poses some risks to humanity, Wolf said: "We still haven't quite figured out how this is gonna turn out, how this is gonna pan out in the future. How much of it is good, how much of it is bad. We're still at the infancy."

He added:  "This digital revolution, as they call it, I think it's bigger than the industrial revolution was, and I think it has more far-reaching consequences on society than anything… One thing is for certain: we can't stop it. It's gonna happen whether we want it to or not. It's out, and it's gonna get used. We just have to see how to deal with it. That's what we haven't figured out yet, 'cause technology is so fast. We can't keep up with how society deals with it."

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".

Prepare to be hammered by a sonic force of modern metal. Hailing from Switzerland and formed in 2022, Korrupted - singned to Wormholedeath - explodes onto the scene with their new single and video, "Choices," out now on all digital platforms worldwide.


Mixed and mastered by Raphael Crivelli, "Choices" is a sonic assault that expertly blends infectious melodies with bone-crushing breakdowns. Korrupted always manages to find a way to place some catchy melodies before drowning them in a massive, violent ambiance.


The song's concept centers on urging people to take responsibility for their actions and accept the outcomes. It highlights how many individuals tend to avoid facing the consequences of their choices. The song challenges this mindset, encouraging listeners to confront their decisions, even if it's uncomfortable.




The band teamed up with graphic talent Seam (@sarrowarseam) to craft the video for the single. Check it out below.

Trivium frontman Matt Heafy has shared  a guitar playthrough video for  "A Crisis Of Revelation", which can be viewed below. The song is taken from Trivium's 10th album, In The Court Of The Dragon, released in October 2021.





Bullet For My Valentine recently checked in with the following update:




"We are thrilled to announce that in 2025 we present to you The Poisoned Ascendancy UK Tour, alongside our brothers in Trivium. Both bands will be celebrating the 20th anniversary of their debut albums by playing them in full. Get excited people, it's gonna be special and we can't wait to celebrate with you all."


Trivium, meanwhile, have posted the following message:


"Bullet for My Valentine’s The Poison and Trivium’s Ascendancy are two records whose influence can be heard to this day - in the DNA of modern metal. It’s incredible to think of the impact the albums had when they came out in 2005. They were both like bolts of lightning. Both bands grew up independently of each other in different countries and separately from any movement or scene but both shared a common love of melodic heavy metal at the core; and both had similar meteoric rises right out of the gate. Trivium and BFMV were in such whirlwinds when our respective albums came out that we each never truly got to play together or sit back and celebrate during the maelstrom of constant touring, recording and globetrotting. But that’s what this anniversary tour is. It’s a celebration by the bands to the fans of an important era, and most importantly it’s an invitation to fans come and have an epic night with us and sing and rage and celebrate the awesome power of the music. Tickets on-sale next Friday, March 1."

Tommy's RockTrip, the hard rock outfit surrounding drummer Tommy Clufetos (Ozzy Osbourne, Black Sabbath, Rob Zombie, Alice Cooper, Ted Nugent), played four US shows between March 26th and 29th. Fan-filmed video from the March 28th show at Token Lounge in Westland, MI canbe viewed below.


Clufetos is backed by Max (vocals / guitar), Victor Adriel (guitar) and JT Shea (bass)













Clufetos spoke with The Detroit News about Tommy's Rocktrip, saying "It’s a melding of the styles I enjoy, updated with a youthful rock ‘n’ roll attitude. It is pile-driving hard rock ‘n’ roll. My own tunes are hard rock with a little more blues than what's going on with modern rock radio."


Read more here.


 





 

Former Megadeth guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who was with the band from 2015 - 2023, has shared a new instructional video on open triads and tapping. 





Loureiro, previously shared two videos breaking down the Megadeth song, "Killing Time". Check them out below.

Canada's blistering, serpentine three-piece Adversarial has announced its forthcoming third album, Solitude with the Eternal. The band's first album in nearly 10 years will be out May 31 on CD, vinyl, cassette, and digital formats via Dark Descent Records.


Adversarial has posted a stream of album track "Merging Within the Destroyer." Preorder on Bandcamp.


Artwork for Solitude with the Eternal was done by Nekronikon. The album was recorded and mixed by Vadim Balanyuk, and mastered by Damian Herring at Subterranean Watchtower Studios.




Razor sharp. Slithering. Dual chasms yawn. A Janus-faced entity blinks, looking back and forward through the uncanny gloom. Dual tongues chase each other, slithering past cavities in the broken teeth. Licking against the neck, pulling more offal toward the trough. Each face has a black hole in the iris of each eye. As photons evaporate against the retina on the other side of the event horizon, memory fades. A new knowledge, imbued from the excrement of microorganisms trickles through the throaty slough. Yes, we’ve been here before. Yes, we’ll be here again. 


The entity known as Adversarial has opened the portal to a timeless realm of suffocation and agony once more. As Leviathan doubles back on itself, sulfur rises from the point of crossing, a bouquet of putrid yolk. This foul chemical will sustain nigredo, as metal black as midnight is tempered under atom smashing might.





Tracklisting:


“Beware The Howling Darkness On Thine Left Shoulder”
“Hatred Klin Of Vengeance”
“Witness To The Eternal Light”
“Death Is An Advisor In The Woods Of The Devil”
“Crushed Into The Kingdom Of Darkness”
“Merging Within The Destroyer”
“Fanes At The Engur”
“Endless Maze Of Blackest Dominion”


“Merging Within The Destroyer’:

In a new interview with The Rock N' Roll & Coffee Show, legendary bassist Billy Sheehan (MR. BIG, THE WINERY DOGS, TALAS) was asked how he has been able to adapt to the access-over-ownership business model of streaming music. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Well, it's just different. As you get older, a next generation comes along and does things different. And all the old people complain that 'that's not how we did it. And 'that's not the right way.' But that's kind of standard, but things evolve and change. And there'll come a time when people will look back and say, 'Remember when people used to just download one song. That was ridiculous. How stupid.' It'll always change generation to generation. So I'm not opposed to — as long as they're listening, I think it's good. And music is available everywhere now. I mean, on my phone, I can access anything. Some oddball, obscure bootleg track by [Jimi] Hendrix — I found it. I got it. I found it on YouTube. You can find it anywhere. So it balances out."

He continued: "I've got a hard drive with my iTunes collection, and it's about — I don't know — 2.4 terabytes now of all music that I've collected. I ripped all of my CDs that I'd collected since the CD started, and just got tons and tons and tons of music. And I have a little hard drive. I plug it into my laptop or access it through my iPhone, and everything I've ever wanted is there. So there's advantages to it as well."

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.

According to Euro.DayFr.com, Rammstein is being accused of plagiarism, with the French synthwave duo Ninja Cyborg claiming Rammstein ripped  off the riff from their track, "The Sunny Road", for the song "Deutschland".


Ninja Cyborg initially took legal action against Rammstein in 2021, but their claim was dismissed at first instance, before appealing. French justice finally appointed an independent expert in 2022, at the request of the French duo.


Ninja Cyborg did not plagiarize Rammstein, as fans of the German band claimed. The opposite happened. "The Sunny Road" was released in 2018, and "Deutschland" was released a few months later in 2019. A judicial musical expert, concluded on March 27th that Rammstein "voluntarily borrowed the riff and other melodic elements from 'The Sunny Road' in 'Deutschland'."




The musical expert at the Paris Court of Appeal, Richard Dubugnon, estimated that "no chance meeting" could be accepted due to "too many similarities" and that Rammstein had "without a doubt" committed plagiarism, according to a press release from PHI Avocats.


Read the complete report here.








Photo - Universal Music

Former Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his weekly cover, this time taking on teh 1991 Rednex hit, "Cotton Eye Joe".





Johansson recently announced his departure from Sabaton and issued the following statement:




"My dear friends! After seven glorious years of heavy metal, I have decided to step down as the guitarist of Sabaton. This has been the hardest decision I’ve ever made in my entire life.


As many of you may know, I do a lot of things outside of Sabaton. I play with another band, perform with various artists, and have a career as a singer that I’ve put aside for years to focus on Sabaton. After doing this for seven years, I feel it’s time to start following my heart. This means I will no longer tour with my brothers in Sabaton and will not meet all you lovely Sabaton supporters on the upcoming tours with the band.


I will never quit playing music. I’ll still be touring with Majestica and other projects, but not on the same level as Sabaton, of course. I am sure I will meet you lovely fans on the road again in the future.


My brothers in Sabaton and the best crew in the world will forever be my second family, and I will miss spending time with all these wonderful people. We had so much fun together every day. I’ve come to learn so much about life, about music and about touring that I wouldn’t have learned anywhere else.


A massive thank you to all you lovely Sabaton fans for accepting me as the new guitarist in 2016. I am certain you will accept the person who takes over after me.


All the best to you all and I’ll see you again soon!"

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, have released their latest Sunday Lunch video along with the following message:


"Time for a new Sunday Lunch for you  - and OMG you are going to love this!!"







Check out more Sunday Lunch videos below:

Croatian thrash metallers Krematorium are set to release their highly anticipated second full-length album, Sinister Seduction, this summer.


“Sinister Seduction is our second full-length album. It contains eight tracks in which we tried to deliver an old-school vibe, incorporating ‘80s thrash metal and NWOTHM.


“Both of these genres were our driving forces while writing and recording this album.
The approach we took when we wrote lyrics was quite different than songwriting on our previous releases.




“We didn’t want to release another war and anti-religious themed album. Instead, we opted for writing about themes which are more familiar to us.


“Our inspiration came from movies, people and events surrounding us. Musically speaking, this album has way more traditional heavy metal influences than predecessor Body Bags. At the same time, there’s no lack of speed and explosiveness.


“Sinister Seduction has everything we like- from headbanging mid-tempo tracks and heavy metal melodies to fast-paced songs with harsh screaming vocals. We can’t wait to share it with you!" - says the band.


First single and video for “Moonshine Rider” streaming below:

During an appearance on the "Jim Kerr Rock & Roll Morning Show" on New York City's Q104.3 radio station, Jon Bon Jovi spoke about the upbeat and happy overall tone of BON JOVI's upcoming album, "Forever". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "With our last album, '2020', I released it into what was, in essence, a black hole. It was something the entire world lived at the same moment in time, which was the COVID breakout and then the economic downturn and our all being at home and [so on]. But that record was very topical and by some could be deemed to be dark, but it was narrative and it was truth. With that record, I was just the reporter reporting on what was going on. And I got that out of my system. With the 40th [anniversary of BON JOVI] approaching, with the surgery that I've just recently been through where my vocal cords, with the archiving and the film and the new record, the result of the music on the new record, it exudes joy. I don't know that it exudes necessarily out-and-out optimism, but it's truth. And more importantly, I found joy again — just a simple pleasure of writing a song."

Jon previously said that he had to "work through a lot of dark misery" in order to get to a place where he could experience joy again.

"It's been a decade since I was able to purely feel joy," Jon told Ultimate Classic Rock. "You know, that takes a lot when you think about it, because most of us in this crazy world, you've got your head down and you're focused on your work, your family, making ends meet, doing something productive."

Due on June 7, "Forever" is now available for pre-order where fans can find exclusive colored vinyl options, CDs, cassettes, and limited edition signed copies. An extremely limited run of Ocean Waves colored vinyl will include a one-of-a-kind instant photo of Jon Bon Jovi.

"Forever" features Jon Bon Jovi once again alongside fellow founding BON JOVI members, keyboardist David Bryan and drummer Tico Torres. They are joined by bassist Hugh McDonald and guitarist Phil X.

The LP's first single, "Legendary", sees Jon sing: "Got a fistful of friends That’ll stand up for me / Right where I am / Is where I wanna be / Friday night comes /Around like a song / Sweet Caroline and we all sing along / Got my brown eyed girl / And she believes in me / Legendary."

Jon recently said that he was not sure that he would he will be able to it the road in support of "Forever" after undergoing vocal cord surgery. He told Mix 104.1 Boston: "I don't know about a tour," he said. "It is my desire to do a tour next year, but I'm just still recovering from a major surgery."

According to Jon, he underwent a procedure in 2022 after one of his vocal cords was "atrophying" — with one being "thick as the thumb" and the other vocal cord being "thick as a pinky." He went on to say that he felt like his "craft was being taken from me."

"Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story", the first-ever docuseries on the band's history with full cooperation from all past and present members of BON JOVI, premieres Friday, April 26 on Hulu in the U.S. and coming soon to Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories. Following one of the world's most iconic bands and its frontman, Jon Bon Jovi, the documentary gives us a view behind the music and the man.

The docuseries is a ROS production, the banner of filmmaker Gotham Chopra, and celebrates the band's 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut album which was released on January 21, 1984 via Polygram/Mercury Records, less than a year after forming in their home state of New Jersey.

SIG:AR:TYR and Hammerheart Records presents the new song "Ascending The Stellar Throne", new album Citadel Of Stars and preorders. 


Mastermind Daemonskald has completely outdone himself with the new album Citadel Of Stars. Citadel Of Stars will be released on 2-LP and on 2-CD (with the 2003 demo “The Stranger” as a bonus CD). Preorder here.







Tracklisting:


“Awaiting The Last Dawn”
“Beyond The Stars Unknown”
“The Blood That Came Before You”
“Citadel Of Stars”
“Ascending The Stellar Throne”
“I Sail On, Eternal”
“Who Will Guide Me Now”
“From The Land Of The North”
“Where The Sun Never Sets”


“Ascending The Stellar Throne”:

Finnish metallers Wintersun have finally completed Time II. The album has been in the works since 2012’s Time I and has been delayed multiple times due to various reasons. Wintersun’s last full-length was 2017’s The Forest Seasons. Time II is due out on August 30.


Wintersun is offering the Time Package on Indiegogo.


The Time Package includes:




• Time II (original, Instrumental, Isolated Tracks, Singles, and Dynamic versions)
• Time II high-resolution wide format 8K album booklet
• The Forest Seasons Loud And Modern remaster (includes the Instrumental version as well)
• Completely new remix and master of “Loneliness (Winter)” Acoustic
• Wintersun - Legendary Early Demos, including 5 hours (56 tracks separated into five demo albums) of early unreleased Wintersun music
• April Surprise! In April, the Time Package will expand with a massive addition! Whether you pre-order the Time Package in March or April, you will get everything, and the price will be the same!


The Legendary Early Demos contains 5 hours of early Wintersun music made by Jari and comes with five different hour-long albums. The songs were recorded around 1992-2000 and contain some the first demos of the debut Wintersun album and the first demo of “One With The Shadows” from Time II. All songs have been newly remastered for modern standards and contains 4K booklets for every album crafted by Cameron Gray and Jari Mäenpää.


Wintersun has released new song “The Steel Of The Gods” from the Legendary Early Demos.


"Here's the opener song from the Fantasy Metal Project, part of the Legendary Early Demos collection in the Time Package. I wrote and recorded this song around 2000. Although I had the lyrics for the song, I never recorded vocals until 2024. Yes, check out my fresh, growling vocals (and "spoken vocal") with this remastered demo version of ‘The Steel Of The Gods.’ I think the song is pretty cool, and it would be even better with massive orchestrations and modern production. But I hope you feel the magic of this demo!" - Jari





"This album has been the biggest challenge in my life and I'm still kinda surprised it is finally done." – Jari Mäenpää


“The day finally came: Time II is done!! Couldn’t be happier!” – Jukka Koskinen (bassist)


"I thought this day would never arrive and when Jari sent me a message that Time II was ready I still couldn’t understand that we were finally done after all the obstacles and challenges. I am more than happy now. Cheers!" – Kai Hahto (drummer)


"Whoa, I think Jari surprised us all! I’m happy that after all these years the album is finally ready!" – Teemu Mäntysaari (guitarist)





Time II tracklisting:


“Fields Of Snow”
“The Way Of The Fire”
“One With The Shadows”
“Ominous Clouds”
“Storm”
“Silver Leaves”


Teaser:

Germany's Powerwolf finished recording their new studio album in February. The chart-topping heavy metal force will release the successor to their 2021 album, Call Of The Wild, in the summer 2024. The band has announced the title of the album is Wake Up The Wicked.





Powerwolf is currently preparing for their first ever full North American tour, as well as their biggest European tour to date - the Wolfsnächte 2024 - featuring massive arena shows with top-tier production. Tickets are moving fast Expanding on the experience, Powerwolf has just added a new French show for October 9 in Nantes, in addition to their nearly sold-out Paris show on October 17. Tickets go on sale tomorrow, Thursday, February 22 at 10 AM, CET.




Powerwolf state: "The recordings for our NEW ALBUM are officially DONE! Get ready for an absolute BEAST of an album, coming your way later this year! Next up: mixing and mastering! Stay tuned, because this one's gonna be legendary!"


Powerwolf has conquered countless stages at the world's biggest summer festivals, and their most recent Wolfsnächte headline tours (2019, 2022), as well as their highly anticipated North American debut in early 2023, were almost completely sold out - resulting in a massive triumph. They have performed headlining sets at Wacken and Summer Breeze, as well as held premium slots at genre festival giants such as Hellfest, Graspop, Masters of Rock and many more, captivating enormous audiences. No other German metal band has been able to write a success story even remotely comparable in recent years!


Powerwolf are undoubtedly one of the most celebrated and successful heavy metal bands of the last decade. Multiple #1 album chart entries, Gold and Platinum records, huge sold-out arena shows, as well as headline slots at the biggest festivals have paved their way. In less than 20 years of band history, Powerwolf have made it to the very highest league of heavy metal.





North American dates:


August
29 - Los Angeles, CA - The Hollywood Palladium
31 - Denver, CO - The Ogden Theatre


September
3 - Chicago, IL - The Riviera Theatre
4 - Cleveland, OH - The Agora Theatre
5 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
7 - Tampa, FL - Jannus Landing
8 - Atlanta, GA - The Masquerade
9 - Charlotte, NC - The Fillmore
12 - Philadelphia, PA - The Fillmore
13 - Worcester, MA - The Palladium
14 - New York City, NY - Brooklyn Paramount
15 - Laval, QC - Place Bell





Wolfsnächte 2024 (with HammerFall, Wind Rose)


October
4 - Hamburg, Germany - Barclays Arena            
5 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - AFAS Live   
6 - Antwerp, Belgium - Lotto Arena
9 - Nantes, France - Zenith
10 - Esch Sur Alzette, Luxembourg - Rockhal
11 - Stuttgart, Germany - Schleyerhalle
12 - Frankfurt, Germany - Festhalle
14 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
16 - Zürich, Switzerland - The Hall
17 - Paris, Franc - Zenith
18 - Oberhausen, Germany - Rudolf Weber Arena
19 - Berlin, Germany - Velodrom
21 - Krakow, Poland - Tauron Arena
22 - Budapest, Hungary - MVM Dome
23 - Vienna, Austria - Gasometer
25 - Munich, Germany - Olympiahalle
26 - Prague, Czech Republic - Sportovni Hala Fortuna


Powerwolf are:


Attila Dorn - vocals
Falk Maria Schlegel - organ
Charles Greywolf - guitar
Matthew Greywolf - guitar
Roel van Helden - drums


(Photo - Matteo vDiva Fabbiani)

Fueled by “Jesus Take The Needle” successfully hitting fans earlier this year, US extreme progressive metal quartet Voidgazer have now returned to present yet another track of their forthcoming Reigning Phoenix Music (RPM) label debut titled Dance Of The Undesirables, which is set to be released on June 7, 2024. “Expectations Management” is available on all major streaming platforms and can also be enjoyed in the form of a supporting music video featuring infectious live scenes captured by Louie C. Granados.


Guitarist/Mastermind Manny Watts states, "'Expectations Management' is an old-fashioned diss track, a biting takedown on wanna-be rockers with more opinions than throughput. The type of person who isn't satisfied getting in their own way, they drag everyone else down with them. This tune is our way of telling these hacks they make us sick and Voidgazer will triumph righteously."


Preorder the album in the physical format of your choice, presave it on your favourite DSP or preorder it digitally to receive “Jesus Take The Needle” instantly now here.




Dance Of The Undesirables formats:
- jewelcase CD
- limited edition pink vinyl
- digital





Tracklisting:


“Jesus Take The Needle”
“Dance Of The Undesirables”
“Expectations Management”
“Blast Equalizer”
“Sexual Sadist Serial Slasher”
“Grand Appeasement”
“From Nothing”


"Expectations Management" video:





“Jesus Take The Needle” video:





Voidgazer:
Omar Olivares II - vocals
Manny Watts - guitars
Mitchell Bussone - bass
Kyle Hammer – drums


(Photo – Danny Tilson)

A new Satanic Panic is on its way! Satanic North is what happens when you let two well-known Finnish metal artists stare into the abyss for too long: Petri Lindroos (Ensiferum, Warmen) and Janne Parviainen (Ensiferum) are well-traveled, experienced musicians who have stared into said abyss long enough for the abyss to stare back with interest.


Satanic North will unleash their self-titled debut full-length on April 19, via Reaper Entertainment. In advance of the record’s release, today the band reveals second single, "Behind The Inverted Cross,” with an accompanying video filmed during the dark Winter months in Kouvola, Finland under the direction of Markku Nykänen from Concrete Media.


The band comments, "We are very eager to release our second single with a music video along with it. Your Good Friday will be better with your dead Messiah. Here's ‘Behind The Inverted Cross.’"




Satanic North came together quickly and effortlessly, exorcized, and recorded during an unholy summer. "We kept everything very simple and practical. We didn't want to waste too many takes to keep the songs raw and natural," Lindroos explains. "The mix was completed by the Winter solstice and now this beast lies in wait, ready to be unleashed."


Satanic North, which features cover art by Finntroll guitarist and graphic mastermind, Samuli Ponsimaa, is an album storming towards us in the sign of hell, delivering an unrelenting, extreme approach to a genre that has perhaps become a little soft and tender as of late. Lindroos elaborates, "We all have the same vision of black metal, and that vision is: stop the midtempo, let's bring back the blastbeats."


Satanic North will be released on CD and vinyl formats. Preorder at reaper-entertainment.com.





Tracklisting:


“War”
“Arise”
“Village”
“Hatred And Blasphemy”
“Four Demons”
“Behind The Inverted Cross”
“Vultures”
“Wolf”
“Kohti Kuolemaa”
“Satanic North”


"Behind The Inverted Cross" video:





“War” video:





Satanic North:
Von Occult - vocals
Skomorokh - guitars
IIT Caprae - bass, backing vocals
Abyssir - drums


(Photo – Reaper Entertainment)

Melodic death metal act Rise To Fall has unveiled their latest, powerful single "Fire Haze". The track was originally included as a bonus on the exclusive Japan edition of the group's latest album The Fifth Dimension (2023, Noble Demon) and is now available to listeners worldwide.


“'Fire Haze' has all the elements of Rise To Fall that will make you fall in love," the band comments. "It is a song with a very melodic instrumental intro, it has a memorable Rise To Fall chorus and passages that mix strength and feeling. The break and solo of the song are super melodic and energetic, without a doubt it's a song that you won't be able to get out of your head any time soon, that mix of harmonies takes it to a new level!”







Formed in 2006 in Bilbao in northern Spain, Rise To Fall have established their well-deserved place within the metal scene over the past years. With a constant output and numerous live shows and festival appearances, Rise To Fall have become known for delivering music of the highest level and their devastating live shows. With the release of five studio albums, the band has kept raising the bar, leading not only to numerous tours across Europe, but also headlining tours in Japan and China. The Fifth Dimension is available here.





"Hierophant" video:





“Intruder”:





Rise To Fall are:


Alain “Dalay Tarda” Gutiérrez - Vocals
Hugo Markaida - Guitar
Dann Hoyos - Bass
Javier Martín - Bass
Xabier Del Val - Drums

MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars has praised the actor who played him in the 2019 biopic "The Dirt", saying "he pulled it off pretty well."

Iwan Rheon ("Game Of Thrones") plays Mars in the movie. "The Dirt" also stars Daniel Webber ("The Punisher") as singer Vince Neil, Douglas Booth as bassist Nikki Sixx and Machine Gun Kelly as drummer Tommy Lee.

Speaking to The Power Hour about the film, Mars said about Rheon's portrayal of him: "Yeah, he pulled it off pretty well. For how they wrote the script, he played my parts pretty close. Just mellow and just thinking more about the music than about anything else, really — all the incidents that my brothers got into, all that crap with Ozzy [Osbourne] and so on and all that."

Mick added: "The pool scene, I did, actually — I swear on my life — I was in my leathers, in the shade, under the umbrella. No sun for Mars."

"The Dirt" premiered in March 2019. An adaptation of the book of the same name about the iconic rock band, it had been in the works since 2003. It was previously set up at Paramount and Focus Features before Netflix picked it up in 2017.

The movie charts the rise of four Californian youngsters who channel the punk rage of the 1970s into the so-called "hair metal" genre that defined the 1980s. Jeff Tremaine ("Bad Grandpa") directed.

"The Dirt" currently has a 37% critic score from 75 reviews on Rotten Tomatoes, the online review aggregation service that allows both critics and the public to rate movies. The same site has an 94% audience score for "The Dirt" from more than 5,000 reviews.

In September 2020, Lee praised the actors who played him and his bandmates in "The Dirt", telling Noise11.com: "All the guys who played us in the movie did just a spectacular job — they really nailed each guy so well, it was mindblowing.

"I remember sitting there watching it with Nikki. While filming in New Orleans, watching the band rehearse, it was so bizarre to just sit there and basically watch yourself rehearse. We just looked at each other, like, 'God, this is fucking weird.' And then, of course, there's just endless moments of, 'Woah, this is bizarre.' Everybody did such a great job exactly nailing each guy really, really well where it would give you goosebumps, that kind of thing. Like, 'Wow, that guys moves exactly like Vince' — you know, Daniel. It's pretty crazy. Pretty wild, man."

Four years ago, Lee said that "The Dirt" sparked a renewed interest from younger fans who wanted to see MÖTLEY CRÜE live, contributing to the band's decision to renege on its infamous "cessation of touring" contract.

After vowing in 2015 never to play together again, CRÜE announced in December 2019 that they would be touring with fellow hard rock veterans DEF LEPPARD and POISON. The trek, originally scheduled for 2020, was delayed for two years due to the pandemic.

In April 2023, Mars filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE, alleging his longtime bandmates were trying to kick him out of the group and reduce his ownership stakes because of his illness.

Mars told the band in 2022 he would be unable to tour because of his ongoing battle with degenerative disease ankylosing spondylitis (AS). Ankylosing spondylitis is a type of arthritis that causes inflammation in the spine joints and ligaments and can lead to stiffness over time, according to the National Institute Of Arthritis And Musculoskeletal And Skin Diseases. The guitarist "just could no longer physically handle the rigors of the road," according to his lawsuit. But he said he would be able to perform with them in a "residency situation" and record with the band.

In response to Mick's decision to retire from the road, the lawsuit claimed, MÖTLEY CRÜE announced that Mars was "retiring" from the band and would be replaced by former ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON guitarist John 5. Mars claimed he had no intention of retiring from the group, and accused Sixx of gaslighting Mars by alleging the guitarist had "some sort of cognitive dysfunction."

Mick's debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars", was released on February 23. The effort was made available via Mick's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

The Bigdigs26 YouTube channel has uploaded video of Bret Michaels's entire March 1 "Parti-Gras" performance at The Venue at Thunder Valley Casino Resort in Lincoln, California. Joining the POISON frontman during the show were his pals Mark McGrath (SUGAR RAY) and Steve Augeri (JOURNEY).

As previously reported, Bret has partnered with Live Nation for the second edition of his solo touring festival, "Parti-Gras". The 2024 trek includes appearances by Don Felder, formerly of THE EAGLES, Lou Gramm of FOREIGNER, Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER, and Michaels's good friend and country artist Chris Janson.

Presented by Live Nation, the six-city limited date run of this exact lineup kicks off on July 12 in Noblesville, Indiana, at the Ruoff Music Center, and includes a show Saturday, July 13 in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania, as well as Saturday, August 3 in Alpharetta, Georgia, Friday, August 23 in Clarkston, Michigan, Friday, August 24 in Holmdel, New Jersey, and the tour finale on August 31 in Gilford, New Hampshire, at BankNH Pavilion.

Although the Bret Michaels "Parti-Gras" rolls on in many different forms, it will only be at these six specific Live Nation amphitheaters that fans will see this exact lineup together.

Speaking to Stu of 104.5 WJJK Indy's Classic Hits, Bret stated about "Parti-Gras": "This is a music festival. When I was putting this together, I said this has to be truly a nothing-but-a-good-time, nothing-but-a-good-vibe music festival. I want it to be with people that are my friends. I admire their music. I admire their attitude and character. And this year, think about this lineup."

He continued: "First of all… And I love all kind of music. If you come to any of my 'Parti-Gras', whether it's the soul fire festivals, or we call them the Mad Mountain Michaels Fest, there's different versions of 'Parti-Gras'. This one is 2.0... And this lineup, it all kicks off, first and foremost, with Don Felder of THE EAGLES playing all THE EAGLES hits. This is one of my good friends who helped to write one of the greatest songs in music history with 'Hotel California'. And then 'Life In The Fast Lane', you've got 'Take It Easy'. I mean, the list… I don't even know where to begin. He has so many hits. And then you've got Chris Janson — country sensation, my good friend. We did 'CMT Crossroads' together all this week airing, and he's got the No. 1 song in country music, plus my favorite song, 'Buy Me A Boat'. But he's such a rockin' country guy. His first song he ever learned to play was [POISON's] 'Talk Dirty To Me'. No lie — that was his first song he ever learned to play on guitar and sing. And then you've got joining me on stage, besides Chris and Don Felder, later in the night, you've got Dee Snider of TWISTED SISTER doing his hits with me, you've got Lou Gramm, the original voice of FOREIGNER, who's got so many hits himself. I'm, like, 'Lou, why don't you just do the night yourself?' You mix this with POISON hits, TWISTED SISTER, FOREIGNER, you mix it with Don Felder, you mix it with Chris Janson, I said, 'This is so many hits, it's illegal.'"

"Parti-Gras" 2024 tour dates:

Jul. 12 - Noblesville, IN @ Ruoff Music Center
Jul. 13 – Burgettstown, PA @ The Pavilion at Star Lake
Aug. 03 - Alpharetta, GA @ Ameris Bank Amphitheatre
Aug. 23 - Clarkston, MI @ Pine Knob Music Theatre
Aug. 30 - Holmdel, NJ @ PNC Bank Arts Center
Aug. 31 - Gilford, NH @ BankNH Pavilion

You never know what surprise guests will jump up as friends of Bret Michaels on the stage, whether it's star chef Guy Fieri, the "Impractical Jokers" or the "Pawn Stars", or unbelievable superstar musicians. The "Parti-Gras" is like Jimmy Buffett meets AC/DC meets POISON in a backyard barbecue setting. Michaels has even been known to drag fans up on stage during these arena and amphitheater shows and let them sing along.

Stated Rick Franks, global touring Live Nation: "After watching Bret Michaels bring an unbelievable party to the fans on 'The Stadium Tour' in 2022 and then bringing his nothing but a good vibe, high-energy performing to last year's 'Parti-Gras' tour, I'm excited to partner with him again on 'Parti-Gras 2.0' this summer."

In a statement announcing the tour, Michaels said: "I guarantee these festivals are a modern-day throwback to those epic tailgate bashes, overflowing with good vibes and nothing but positive energy."

Bret continued: "I created the 'Parti-Gras' festivals first and foremost as a fan of music, bringing along friends, bands and hit songs. I love it as a celebration of the music — no ego, just nothing but a good time. I like bringing fans up on the stage to sing…with the tough years we've been through, I wanted to bring the fans a night of having fun, singing big hit music, and I promise you that I really get into the details — all-killer hits, no filler. I want it to be an audiovisual experience. I want it to be a great time from the minute you come through the gates. Let your Mardi Gras flag fly with bandanas and beads. I want it to smell like summertime in the sun. I'm even pouring my own personal coconut rum into the hazers so everything smells good, looks good, sounds good and feels good. And, as the son of a veteran, always dedicating the show and my gratitude to the men and women that have served our country and given us the freedom to rock."

Chris Janson said: "'Parti-Gras' 2024 is gonna be one for the books, just like our 'CMT Crossroads' performance. Couldn't be more excited to announce that I'll be joining forces with one of my heroes and best buddies, Bret Michaels, for a big tour this summer. This is gonna be a helluva great time, with more positivity than you can imagine. It's nothin but a Good Vibe! Wooooo!"

Oh yes! On March 1, 2024 we will be rockin at THUNDER VALLEY CASINO, Lincoln California 🤘😎

#BretMichaels Parti-Gras...

Posted by Marten Andersson on Thursday, February 15, 2024

During an appearance on "Cincy Lifestyle" on WCPO-TV, former JUDAS PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing spoke about the first-ever U.S. tour with his new band KK'S PRIEST, which also features another ex-PRIEST member, singer Tim "Ripper" Owens. K.K. said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been going, like, literally a very, very fast rate — travel every day. But [it's] great to be back in this neck of the woods.

"People tell me I did, in my career, probably about 16 tours of Japan alone," Downing continued. "So you can imagine how many tours I did of America. People, in the early days, might remember we were out there supporting, did a couple of tours with KISS, I think. Did some LED ZEPPELIN stuff, ALICE COOPER, FOGHAT. So, we've had a great run. But it's great to be back."

Regarding the multigenerational appeal of JUDAS PRIEST's music, K.K. said: "Yeah, it's been verging on emotional, I would have to say, to see the people coming for autographs before and after the shows. People of a certain age, and I'm sure that they were fans back in the '70s, and, of course, they've been on the journey with myself and associated bands for most of their lives. And I think that's what music is about — the fans and the dedication. And they come with their — obviously, it's great to see the big bunches of LPs that they bought throughout the decades. So, it's been quite emotional."

Added Owens: "And the ages are just everywhere. It's so great to look out in the audience and see the teenagers. It's funny 'cause some of them are even young or probably [coming with] their grandkids. I mean, it's a whole spectrum of people and a new generation of people that have come into the music."

Continued Downing: "We have become a family kind of institution. 'Cause [we get] uncles and aunts [coming to our shows]. It's a family night out now."

In addition to Downing and Owens, KK'S PRIEST features guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST's first-ever U.S. headlining tour, which features support from L.A. GUNS and BURNING WITCHES, kicked off on March 7 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The tour is the first of at least a two-leg USA run of shows, planned to continue later in 2024.

KK'S PRIEST's sophomore album, "The Sinner Rides Again", came out in September 2023 via the Austrian label Napalm Records.

KK'S PRIEST made its live debut on July 6, 2023 at Downing's KK's Steel Mill in Wolverhampton, United Kingdom.

K.K. formed KK'S PRIEST after JUDAS PRIEST turned down his offer to rejoin the band for their 50th-anniversary tour. It followed a couple of celebrated stage appearances, first with former MANOWAR guitarist Ross The Boss in the summer of 2019, then with a one-off lineup that included former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson and former PRIEST drummer Les Binks later that year.

KK'S PRIEST released its debut album, "Sermons Of The Sinner", in October 2021 via Explorer1 Music Group/EX1 Records.

Downing spent four months writing and recording "Sermons Of The Sinner" and, along with new ideas, he even resurrected a few archived riffs from the 1980s.

Downing was reunited with JUDAS PRIEST for a performance at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in November 2022 at the Microsoft Theater in Los Angeles.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

Downing left PRIEST in 2011 amid claims of band conflict, shoddy management and declining quality of performance. He was replaced by Richie Faulkner, nearly three decades his junior.

In 2019, Downing said that he reached out to JUDAS PRIEST about taking part in the band's 50th-anniversary tour but that their response was that they were not interested in including him in the celebrations.

In 2018, Downing revealed that he sent two resignation letters to his bandmates when he decided to quit JUDAS PRIEST. The first was described as "a graceful exit note, implying a smooth retirement from music," while the second was "angrier, laying out all of his frustrations with specific parties."

Downing later said that he believed the second letter was "a key reason" he wasn't invited to rejoin PRIEST after Glenn Tipton's decision to retire from touring.

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 and recorded two studio albums with the band — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before PRIEST reunited with Rob Halford in 2003.



METAL ICONS KK Downing and Tim "Ripper" Owens of KK's Priest joined Pete Scalia and Michelle Hopkins this morning on Cincy Lifestyle ahead of their show TONIGHT at MegaCorp Pavilion with L.A. GUNS and Burning Witches!🤘

K.K. Downing's Steel Mill Tim Ripper Owens "Official Page" KKsPriest

Posted by Cincy Lifestyle on Tuesday, March 19, 2024

In a new interview with Metal Express Radio, JUDAS PRIEST bassist Ian Hill spoke about the task of coming up with a setlist for the band's tours. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It is difficult. It gets more difficult every time. Obviously, the fans are coming to hear their favorite songs, so you have to be very careful which ones that you replace. You can't just keep adding songs. You'll stand around playing for days. We've got the core songs that the fans expect, as does any band. So, we sort of ring-fence those and then build the rest of the set around those songs. The other older songs, we can swap and change those; we can get away with that. And, obviously, we have to discard some to add the new material. So you can't play much more than three songs from the new album and keep everyone happy. Every new one you're putting in, you're replacing somebody's favorite."

JUDAS PRIEST kicked off its "Invincible Shield" world tour on March 11 at OVO Hydro in Glasgow, United Kingdom. The band's 18-song setlist included three tracks from PRIEST's latest album, "Invincible Shield" — the title track, "Panic Attack" and "Trial By Fire" — along with the first performance of "Love Bites" in nearly a decade.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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