Darryl "DMC" McDaniels of RUN-DMC has confirmed to People magazine that he and his bandmates were initially resistant to the idea of being involved with "Walk This Way", AEROSMITH and RUN-DMC's legendary, groundbreaking mashup that forever changed music.

The original version of "Walk This Way" was released in 1975 on AEROSMITH's "Toys In The Attic" album. A decade later, while recording RUN-DMC's "Raising Hell", producer Rick Rubin pulled out "Toys In The Attic" (an album RUN-DMC had freestyled over) and explained who AEROSMITH were. RUN-DMC had performed with this song before, but only using first few seconds of the song on a loop, not knowing what the full song sounded like, or even hearing the lyrics. While RUN-DMC had no idea who AEROSMITH were at that time, Rubin suggested remaking the song. RUN-DMC didn't want the record to be released as a single, even after recording with AEROSMITH, and was shocked when it was played all over the radio, on both urban and rock stations. The remake version of "Walk This Way" charted higher on the Billboard Hot 100 than the original 1975 version, peaking at No. 4.

Speaking to People, McDaniels said about the "Walk This Way" collaboration: "It was at a time when nobody was branching out of their lane. So when we first did 'Walk This Way', the perception was everybody in hip-hop is going to hate this because people are scared to do something new."

He added: "People are scared to get uncomfortable. People are scared to work and think outside of the box because they're comfortable in that position."

McDaniels said that when he, Joseph "Rev Run" Simmons and the late Jam Master Jay were first presented the idea, they "didn't want to do it."

"Yo, that ain't hip-hop," he recalled telling Rubin. "We thought it was going to ruin our careers."

"Our thing was, 'Ain't nobody going to like this. All the people that like hip-hop is going to be mad at us.' We had no idea that everybody from Red Alert to Grandmaster Flash would say, 'Yo, that's the coolest thing,'" he said. "We didn't know that the black people was going to love it."

Back in February 2021, Geoff Edgers, the national arts reporter for the Washington Post and author of the 2019 book "Walk This Way: Run-DMC, Aerosmith, And The Song That Changed American Music Forever" appeared on the rock podcast "Well Disguised" to discuss the song and major players involved. The conversation with host John Pritchard touched on not only the two bands but also Rick Rubin, John Kalodner, the "other" members of AEROSMITH being left out of the production, and the 1986 song's lasting impact on American culture. Ultimately, Edgers believes that while conventional wisdom is that AEROSMITH helped RUN-DMC break through to a larger audience, AEROSMITH actually benefitted more from the collaboration.

Edgers remarked that he not only found AEROSMITH frontman Steven Tyler to be a wonderful interview, he was struck by Tyler's loyalty to his band. "He would say things to me that I thought were extremely abrasive or negative about other guys in the band, but if you said it to him, if you asked him a question that he thought was criticizing them, he would strike back at you or get angry or get defensive," he said.

"People might say that he's difficult or a dictator or whatever, but look, if you go see Steven Tyler play a solo show or you go see him with AEROSMITH, few people have actually maintained their talent and ability and voice like he has. That sense of perfectionism and professionalism just comes with all that other stuff."

When Pritchard asked Edgers whether Rick Rubin, the famed producer of the track and founder of Def Jam Records, is overrated or underrated, Edgers said: "You hear people talk about him not doing something or him lying on the couch for a long time…the fact is, you look at the records he's produced [and] it's hard to deny some kind of magical quality."

Edgers also discussed the role former AEROSMITH manager Tim Collins played in getting the band clean and how that contributed to the band later firing him. "At a certain point, the same things that made that effective, the same kinds of controls and 12-step philosophies made the guys in AEROSMITH, who were grown men, feel like they were being controlled," he said.

The Rolling Stones have shared lyric videos for their classic 1983 single, "Undercover Of The Night", from the band's album, Undercover, released on Rolling Stones Records. Watch in English and Spanish, below.










The Rolling Stones and Mercury Studios will release The Rolling Stones Live At The Wiltern on DVD + 2CD; Blu-Ray + 2CD, 2CD, 3LP (3 variants: Black, Gold (D2C Exclusive), and Black & Bronze Swirl (local retail Exclusive) on March 8.


One of the greatest box-office successes of 2002/2003, 117 shows grossing over $300 million, The Rolling Stones’ Licks World Tour - in support of their 40 Licks compilation - celebrated the band’s 40th Anniversary in splendid fashion, highlighted by this intimate November 22 Los Angeles show at The Wiltern. With its 2,000+-seat capacity, it would prove to be a welcome respite from the global stadiums and arenas. Fans knew they were in for something special when gems like “Stray Cat Blues,” “No Expectations” and “Everybody Needs Somebody To Love” (complete with the co-author of this 1964 Soul Classic, Soloman Burke) rocked the house.


Over 80 songs were performed on this tour from all eras of the band’s glorious one-of-a-kind history. Mick Jagger played guitar, harmonica and keyboards at various stops. Keith Richards, stellar on guitar and vocals, provided both visual and musical highlights throughout the night. On stage right, Ron Wood’s complimentary guitar work weaves seamlessly with Richards’ playing. Drummer Charlie Watts [1941-2021], as always, was the heart’n’soul backbeat that drove the band forward. A-List musicians bassist Darryl Jones, keyboardist Chuck Leavell, saxophonist Bobby Keys and  backing vocalists Lisa Fischer, Bernard Fowler and Blondie Chaplin added immeasurable flourishes.


With Tom Petty, Neil Young, Sheryl Crow, Johnny Depp, Stephen Stills and Eddie Murphy in the audience, The Rolling Stones proceeded to raise the roof to put on arguably one of their best shows ever.


Ron Wood states “We couldn’t really go through a whole tour doing predictable shows. We’ve got to have songs out of the blue.” Adds Mick Jagger “…it makes it interesting for the audience and the band. I’ve got to think a lot more about set lists than I’ve ever done.” Enthuses Keith Richards: “Sometimes on the road, the weather’s bad and half the band’s down with something, but apart from those obvious blue days, there’s an amazing freshness about these guys.” (From Paul Sexton’s illuminating liner notes.)





3LP tracklisting:


Side A:
"Jumpin’ Jack Flash"
"Live With Me"
"Neighbours"
"Hand Of Fate"


Side B:
"No Expectations"
"Beast Of Burden"
"Stray Cat Blues"


Side C:
"Dance, Part 1"
"Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" (with Solomon Burke)
"That’s How Strong My Love Is"
"Going To A Go-Go"


Side D:
"Thru And Thru"
"You Don’t Have To Mean It"
"Can’t You Hear Me Knocking"


Side E:
"Rock Me Baby"
"Bitch"
"Honky Tonk Women"
"Start Me Up"


Side F:
"Brown Sugar"
"Tumbling Dice"


2CD tracklisting:


CD1:
"Jumpin’ Jack Flash"
"Live With Me"
"Neighbours"
"Hand Of Fate"
"No Expectations"
"Beast Of Burden"
"Stray Cat Blues"
"Dance, Part 1"
"Everybody Needs Somebody To Love" (with Solomon Burke)
"That’s How Strong My Love Is"
"Going To A Go-Go"
Band Introductions


CD2:
"Thru And Thru"
"You Don’t Have To Mean It"
"Can’t You Hear Me Knocking"
"Rock Me Baby"
"Bitch"
"Honky Tonk Women"
"Start Me Up"
"Brown Sugar"
"Tumbling Dice"


DVD & Blu-ray have the same tracklisting as both the 3LP and 2CD.

In anticipation of the 40 Years Of The Apocalypse North American tour with labelmates Vader, Origin is proud to offer fans the single, "Disease Called Man". Originally written for their 2000 self-titled debut album, the single was re-recorded and is now available for the masses.


Origin's Paul Ryan comments, "Excited to present a song that was written 25 years ago with our current lineup of Origin in coordination with our upcoming tours in 2024! The Doomsday Clock ticks closer to the extinction of humanity!"


Stream "Disease Called Man" here, and watch a track video below:







Origin will join headliners Vader, who are celebrating their 40th year as a band, on the 28-date North American tour. The trek kicks off tomorrow in Atlanta and will make stops in Montreal, Chicago, and Portland before ending in Tampa on March 3. Joining the package as openers is Inhuman Condition.





Tour dates:


February
3 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft
4 - Knoxville, TN The Concourse
5 - Greensboro, NC Hangar 1819
6 - Harrisburg, PA Stage on Herr
7 - Brooklyn, NY Monarch
8 - Providence, RI Alchemy
9 - Montreal, QC Le Studio TD
10 - Quebec City, QC La Source de la Martinière
11 - Toronto, ON Lee's Palace
12 - Detroit, MI The Sanctuary
13 - Chicago, IL Reggies
14 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theater - Studio B
15 - Winnipeg, MB - Bull Dogs
16 - Regina, SK - The Exchange
17 - Edmonton, AB Starlite Room
18 - Calgary, AB - Dickens
20 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theater
21 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
22 - Portland, OR - Bossanova Ballroom
23 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
24 - Los Angeles, CA - 1720
25 - San Diego, CA - Brick by Brick
26 - Mesa, AZ - Nile Theater
27 - El Paso, TX - Rockhouse Bar & Grill
28 - Austin, TX - Come And Take It Live
29 - Houston, TX - Scout Bar


March
2 - Miami, FL - Gramps
3 - Tampa, FL - The Orpheum


Origin is:


Mike Flores - Bass & Backing Vocals
Jason Keyser - Lead Vocals
John Longstreth - Drums
Paul Ryan - Guitars & Backing Vocals


(Photo - Rodrigo Fredes)

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's immersive interactive concert, created in collaboration with AmazeVR, the company behind what was billed as the world's first VR concert tour with artist Megan Thee Stallion in 2022, will be released on Apple Vision Pro and Meta Quest on February 28.

The band said: "Honored to be one of the first rock artists to participate in this innovative technology."

According to the Los Angeles Times, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's collaboration with AmazeVR "will resemble a cross between a music video, live concert and first-person video game."

AmazeVR's AVENGED SEVENFOLD show will allow viewers to don ski goggle-like VR headsets and revisit the band's performance, which was filmed in September 2023 in a Culver City, California warehouse, from the comfort of their couch.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD frontman M. Shadows told Los Angeles Times that he sees VR music experiences as what Times writer Brian Contreras described as "one more way to reach fans, including those who might not otherwise attend a live concert, while also letting the band experiment with stagecraft and art direction that they couldn't pull off in real life."

M. Shadows said: "When you go play a show, there's something about that that can never be replaced. So it's about fully stepping into what the tech does well, and then fully stepping into what the live show does well."

According to CNN, AmazeVR was founded in 2015, and has raised more than $50 million in the last four years.

"[Virtual reality] is a very big shift," Kyung Kuk Kim, vice president and head of production for AmazeVR, told CNN. "It's a new kind of medium. People are not used to it, but it's very powerful. It really just brings you right [to the] middle of any scene or any situation."

AmazeVR has spent years reimagining music experiences for VR. Their approach incorporates high-definition, hyper-real 3D live-action capture of mesmerizing artists like Megan, with sophisticated computer-generated worlds that spring to life in VR. It's not a concert film via headset or a cartoonish avatar playing music. It's the perfect balance between reality and imagination fans will love.

AmazeVR has a calendar of soon-to-be-released concerts, across a variety of different genres including pop rock, K-pop, hip-hop, rap and more. Upon download, users can access one free song per artist.

The AmazeVR Concerts app is available to download on Meta App Lab, and SteamVR.

AmazeVR is a VR concert platform company that brings fans closer to artists than ever before. Headquartered in Los Angeles, with offices in Seoul, AmazeVR creates experiences with renowned, bold artists, featuring crystal clarity and unprecedented proximity through live-action 3D footage combined with environments using a proprietary Unreal Engine-based VFX pipeline.

AmazeVR creates VR concerts in fantastical new worlds that are widely accessible to fans, distributing across commercial VR app stores.

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Heavy metal act, Out Of Darkness, is excited to share the first details about its upcoming album. The new effort will be self-titled and its release date is set for February 23.





Out Of Darkness will feature 11 tracks for over 48 minutes of playing time. The album demonstrates the evolution of the band, showcasing a wide variety of styles and dynamics within the metal realm. While playing homage to bands like Iced Earth, Nevermore and Symphony X, the band also forged its own sound. The lyrical content can at times be personal and dark, though the overall message of the band is intended to be positive and uplifting. The intended audience would range from lovers of classic American progressive/power metal to fans of modern metal. The band has put their influences and growth thoroughly on display in their second release.




Watch the video for “Via Dolorosa” below, and pre-order the album Out Of Darkness on the band’s website, here.





Out Of Darkness was formed in 2020 by Brent E. Smedley (former Iced Earth drummer and percussionist) and Eric Barrios, vocals and guitar. They released the debut EP Seize The Day that same year to much critical acclaim and began to grow their following. Playing live shows first in their home state of Florida, then followed up by doing three tours up the East Coast as far as New Jersey and even reaching as far West as Las Vegas. The song "Think Again" reached #23 on The Billboard Rock Indicator chart, #8 on the Foundations Rock Chart Top 10 Greatest Gainers and received substantial airplay on many FM radio stations throughout the United States. The band received over 100,000 views for the "I Surrender" video and has over 16,000 followers on Facebook. This epic metal masterpiece seeks to redefine their sound and broaden the spectrum of true heavy metal. This album features powerfully crafted songs with crushing riffs, catchy vocal melodies, thought provoking lyrics, and powerful rhythms that take the listener on an audio journey through dynamic and colorful musical soundscapes. It is Out Of Darkness's intention to become a legendary metal band like no other.


Out Of Darkness was produced by Stan Martell and Bill Staley. Mixed and mastered by Stan Martell at Martell AVP. Artwork and band photos by Bill Staley. Band logo by David Parrish.


Out Of Darkness is:


Brent Smedley - Drums
Eric Barrios - Vocals, Guitar
Bill Staley - Guitar
Dan Callahan - Bass


(Photo - Bill Staley)

Attorneys for ICED EARTH guitarist Jon Schaffer have asked for a delay in sentencing in connection with his role in the January 6, 2021 U.S. Capitol riot.

Last August, a judge set a February 20, 2024 sentencing date for Schaffer, who had previously "acknowledged he is a founding lifetime member" of the right-wing Oath Keepers extremist group. But on January 26, the 55-year-old musician's lawyers filed a "motion to continue sentencing or in the alternative stay sentencing", in part pending the outcome of the case Joseph W. Fischer v. United States, which the Supreme Court agreed to hear in December. According to Politico, at issue is whether prosecutors and the Department of Justice have been improperly using a 2002 law originally aimed at curbing financial crimes to prosecute a January 6 defendant named Joseph Fischer. Should the court side with Fischer, it would also call into question the use of the law against other January 6 defendants — including Schaffer.

In the Supreme Court case, the only provision of the federal criminal code at issue is 18 U.S.C. 1512(c)(2),which criminalizes any effort to "corruptly" obstruct, influence or impede any official proceeding. Conviction can result in a prison sentence of up to 20 years.

According to NBC News, the provision was enacted in 2002 as part of the Sarbanes-Oxley Act, a bill passed in the aftermath of the Enron accounting scandal. As such, defendants say it was never intended to apply to an incident such as January 6.

"The question before the Supreme Court directly relates to and impacts the validity of Mr. Schaffer's plea and conviction, and drives the government's calculation as to his sentencing guideline range," Jon's attorneys wrote in their motion. "If Mr. Schaffer is sentenced to a term of incarceration under 18 U.S.C. § 1512(c) and the obstruction guidelines, and begins serving his sentence, he will be irreparably harmed as he would lose his gainful employment, uproot his life, and serve time for a felony that may be invalidated by the Fischer outcome. Furthermore, a continuance or stay would also preserve valuable government resources and avoid potential post-conviction relief matters, if the Supreme Court rules in favor of Fischer."

In January 2022, U.S. District Court Judge Amit Mehta granted the U.S. government's request to share sealed materials from the case involving Schaffer's role in the U.S. Capitol riot case as discovery to the three main Oath Keepers cases.

In May 2023, Mehta handed down an 18-year prison sentence for the leader of the Oath Keepers, Stewart Rhodes, for his efforts to overturn the 2020 election that ended with the violent attack on the U.S. Capitol.

As part of his April 2021 plea deal, Jon entered into a cooperation agreement with the government.

According to CNN, prosecutors and Schaffer's attorneys agreed to recommend that he get between three and a half and four and a half years in prison, based on how fruitful his cooperation was with the government.

The government agreed not to oppose Schaffer's release during the sentencing phase.

Although Schaffer was initially charged with six crimes, including engaging in an act of physical violence and targeting police with bear spray, he pleaded guilty to only two charges: obstruction of an official proceeding of Congress; and trespassing on restricted grounds of the Capitol while armed with a deadly or dangerous weapon. The first charge is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, while the second carries up to a 10-year prison term.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer acknowledged that on January 6, 2021 he was in Washington to attend the "Stop The Steal" rally at the Ellipse in Washington, D.C. to protest the results of the presidential election, which he believed were fraudulent. Schaffer wore a tactical vest and carried bear spray, a dangerous weapon and chemical irritant used to ward off bears. When the rally finished, Schaffer joined a large crowd that marched from the Ellipse to the Capitol, where a joint session of Congress, presided over by Vice President Michael Pence, was in session to certify the electoral college vote results. Shortly after 2:00 p.m., members of the mob forced entry into the Capitol building, disrupting the joint session and causing members of Congress and the Vice President to be evacuated from the House and Senate chambers.

In his plea agreement, Schaffer admitted that after arriving on Capitol grounds, he walked past barriers intended to restrict access to the public and to a set of locked doors on the Capitol's west side. At approximately 2:40 p.m., Schaffer positioned himself at the front of a crowd that broke open a set of doors being guarded by four U.S. Capitol Police (USCP) officers wearing riot gear. Schaffer admitted to being among the first individuals to push past the damaged doors and into the Capitol building, forcing officers to retreat. Schaffer and others advanced toward five or six backpedaling USCP officers while members of the mob swelled inside of the Capitol and overwhelmed the officers. The officers ultimately deployed a chemical irritant to disperse the mob. Schaffer was among the people who were sprayed in the face, after which he exited while holding his own bear spray in his hands.

As part of the plea deal, Schaffer agreed to cooperate with investigators and potentially testify in related criminal cases, according to CNN. In return for Schaffer's assistance, the Justice Department might later urge the judge to show leniency during his sentencing.

Also as part of the agreement, the Justice Department has offered to sponsor Schaffer for the witness protection program.

The 55-year-old musician was the first Capitol riot defendant to reach a plea deal.

The Indiana chapter of the Oath Keepers distanced itself from Schaffer after his arrest, claiming he was not a member of the local group. But the national organization, which sold lifetime memberships for $1,200, had not commented on his alleged affiliation with the group.

At a November 2020 Donald Trump rally in Washington, D.C., Schaffer was videotaped walking behind a Florida couple, Kelly Meggs and Connie Meggs, who were accused of being among 10 members of the Oath Keepers to have played a leading role in the Capitol assault. In May 2023, Kelly Meggs was convicted of seditious conspiracy for his participation in the January 6, 2021 attack on the Capitol and was sentenced to spend 12 years in prison.

Following the initial reports that Schaffer was involved in the riot, his ICED EARTH bandmates distanced themselves from his actions. Singer Stu Block and bassist Luke Appleton later posted separate statements on social media announcing their resignations. BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch also quit DEMONS & WIZARDS, his long-running project with Schaffer. The allegations also apparently affected Schaffer's relationship with his longtime record label Century Media, which had released albums from both ICED EARTH and DEMONS & WIZARDS. As of mid-January 2021, the Century Media artist roster page did not list either band.
Trouble in paradise?

Over 3 years after his arrest, Jon Schaffer is asking for a delay in sentencing, in part to wait out SCOTUS on Fischer. It is not a request to which prosecutors consented.

I wonder if prosecutors told him he wasn't getting a 5K?https://t.co/uE2lW57ozVpic.twitter.com/XoPlt0EAb1

— emptywheel (@emptywheel) January 23, 2024

BEASTÖ BLANCÖ, the band comprised of Chuck Garric (longtime ALICE COOPER bassist) on guitars and vocals, Calico Cooper (Alice's daughter) on vocals, Brother Latham on guitar, Jan LeGrow on bass and Sean Sellers on drums, is back in 2024 with a new single, "Run For Your Life", produced by Chris Harms of LORD OF THE LOST. It's the first taste of their forthcoming new album, "Kinetica", coming later this year via COP International Records, that aspires to capture the visuals, energy, love, sex, sweat, robots, and raw animalistic essence that defines the band.

This adrenaline-fueled track "Run For Your Life" kicks things off with a sonic and lyrical call to face fears and trust bestial instincts. In the accompanying music video, BEASTÖ BLANCÖ charges full force into life amid intergalactic chaos, pursuing their cybernetic "Machine Girl" warrior Queen. The epic hunt unfolds, with the band's sound leading the charge. BEASTÖ BLANCÖ refuses to run, embodying the spirit of the less than perfect, the flawed, and the free.

Calico says: "'Run For Your Life' is a track about stamina. The sheer force of will it takes to dig deep and run from any black holes sucking you in. To not be crushed by the destruction. But to run hard and fast… for your life. You have the power to save yourself. And it's worth it."

BEASTÖ BLANCÖ features the electrifying collaboration of Nashville-based shock rockers Garric and high priestess Cooper, delivering an instant knockout blow. With an explosive sound and captivating visuals, "Run For Your Life" is the perfect balance of raw power and infectious melodies that showcases BEASTÖ BLANCÖ's refreshing authenticity as a beacon of genuine, unapologetic rock 'n' roll.

Adds Christian Petke, founder of COP International Records: "I have been working in the industry for over 30 years and I have never represented a band that is this focused and driven. BEASTÖ BLANCÖ's musicianship and professionalism is just mind-blowing. I am absolutely in love with their sound and energy; here is a band that effortlessly combines deep rock 'n' roll roots with 21st century attitude and technology. The icing on the cake is the fact that they are totally fun to work with."

In addition to the new music, BEASTÖ BLANCÖ has been confirmed for appearances at several European festivals this summer, including Wacken Open Air, Ur Rock and Plague Noir, with more dates coming soon.

Photo credit: Jed Williams

Iconic American rock guitarist Ronnie Montrose was saluted by a stellar lineup of rock musicians whose careers were influenced by the legendary and powerful MONTROSE music at "Ronnie Montrose Remembered" on Friday, January 26 at the Grand Theater in Anaheim, California. This celebratory concert, highlighting Montrose's career, featured his greatest hits from early MONTROSE, Edgar Winter, VAN MORRISON, GAMMA and more.

Among the all-star performers who took part in the event were David Ellefson (MEGADETH),Keith St. John (MONTROSE, BURNING RAIN, KINGDOM COME),Matt Starr (ACE FREHLEY, MR. BIG),Randy Jackson (ZEBRA),Dave Amato (REO SPEEDWAGON),Lorraine Lewis (VIXEN),Joel Hoekstra (TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA, WHITESNAKE) and Blas Elias (SLAUGHTER).

The lineup was fronted by event producer St. John, who currently performs at the award-winning "Raiding The Rock Vault" in Las Vegas and recently finished a United Kingdom tour, featuring many MONTROSE hits. St. John shared the stage with Ronnie Montrose for the last 13 years of his life. The band was on top of the charts in the 1970s when Sammy Hagar was vocalist, with tunes like "Rock Candy", "Bad Motor Scooter" and "Rock The Nation". When St. John teamed up with MONTROSE, they continued to entertain until right before his death, filling clubs and performing at festivals around the world. St. John wrote many unreleased tunes with MONTROSE, many performed at concerts throughout the years.

Although it's been eight years since Montrose passed, after a long battle with cancer, his contribution to rock music in the early 1970s was the rock 'n' roll Bible for many of the up-and-coming great American rock guitarists and continues to be so. You can't turn on classic radio without hearing his hits every day.

When the event's performers were first announced last month, St. John said: "I want to give those who appreciate Ronnie the chance to get together in a loving dynamic concert setting where we can all really dig in and enjoy each other through the commonality of Ronnie's music. Our past memorial concerts have been the highlight of many folks NAMM experience, seeing so many top-billed musicians on stage playing and singing songs which shaped their youth."

One of the event's previously featured guitar players, Tracii Guns of L.A GUNS, said this about Montrose: "I grew up listening to Ronnie from a very young age, and I honestly would like to say that in all sincerity the MONTROSE song 'Rock Candy' is approximately one third of my entire style of guitar playing. The very first time I saw him play was on the 'Midnight Special' TV show back in the early '70s. The band's raw energy blew me away. Getting to play that song with Keith St. John, who nails it with an energy magically capturing the vibe created it with in the '70s, was a total thrill and my dream come true as a guitar player."

Montrose's death was ruled a suicide. The 64-year-old had suffered from clinical depression for much of his life. He had been battling prostate cancer and "personal demons," according to Montrose's booking agent Jim Douglas.

TICKETS & INFO HERE:
https://www.PurplePass.com/RMR
GENERAL ADMISSION : $35.00
V . I . P . PACKAGES : $95.00
VIP PACKAGE...

Posted by Ronnie Montrose Remembered on Monday, October 30, 2023

The IFM RAW YouTube channel has uploaded video of STATIC-X's February 2 concert at the Orlando Amphitheater in Orlando, Florida. Check out the clips below.

Although the identity of STATIC-X's touring singer has not been officially revealed, strong rumors suggest that DOPE's Edsel Dope is the anonymous, somewhat ominous new frontman of STATIC-X who is wearing a mask in the likeness of late frontman Wayne Static while performing alongside bassist Tony Campos, drummer Ken Jay and guitarist Koichi Fukuda.

In a fall 2023 interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, Campos addressed STATIC-X's reliance on a "masked" vocalist instead of hiring a proper replacement for Wayne, saying: "It's been really cool, man, how people have embraced that idea of having the character up there being the representative of Wayne's vibe and spirit without us being, like, 'Hey, here's STATIC-X with their new singer.' That's not what we wanted to do. So, we were just, like, 'How do we represent Wayne in a cool way?' And I think this is a really cool way to do it."

He continued: "I keep coming back to the IRON MAIDEN analogy — not only was Wayne our Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN singer], but he was also our Eddie [IRON MAIDEN mascot]. He was the mascot for the band. So how do you represent that? And I think the Xer0 character does a good job at it."

When Hall noted that it must be "a pretty powerful experience" for him to be looking over and seeing Xer0 channeling the spirit of Wayne during STATIC-X's live shows, Tony said: "When we first started and I'm up there headbanging doing my thing, out of my peripheral vision, I see that figure with the hair and I'm playing the songs again, it's just like 20 years ago; it was just that vibe again. And having Koichi and, and Kenny up there, it was really cool, man. And especially those first couple of weeks, we'd be done with the show and we'd be back in the dressing room, and we'd all be, like, 'Fuck, Wayne should be here.' But we definitely feel this vibe and presence."

Static died after mixing Xanax and other powerful prescription drugs with alcohol, according to the coroner's report. The 48-year-old, whose real name was Wayne Richard Wells, was found dead in his Landers, California home on November 1, 2014.

Static founded STATIC-X in 1994 and achieved commercial success with "Wisconsin Death Trip", which included the rock radio hit "Push It".

The group issued five more studio albums before disbanding permanently in June 2013. Static had been pursuing a solo career at the time of his death.

Dope recently told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that the reason Xer0's identity has not been officially revealed is that he wants to make sure that STATIC-X is "properly represented, because I would never be interested in looking at a photo of STATIC-X or reading a liner note that mentions me as being the singer of STATIC-X. Edsel Dope has no interest in being the singer of STATIC-X," he clarified. "There's one living, breathing singer of STATIC-X, and that's Wayne Static. And then there's a character, an entity, for lack of better words, that was created in order to allow STATIC-X to have a future and to continue and be the legacy act that they are and tour and perform, and we gave that character a name that is respective to STATIC-X and fits the branding of what STATIC-X is, and that's what the importance is. It's the importance of recognizing the character as opposed to recognizing the person behind the character."

Back in October 2019, a photo was posted online clearly showing that Dope and Xer0 shared the same neck tattoo. However, Edsel later posted a lengthy statement on his band's Facebook page attempting to quash the rumors, implying Xer0's distinctive body ink was in fact a Photoshop job. Dope even provided a photograph of himself supposedly observing a STATIC-X performance sidestage to prove he and Xer0 were not the same person.

STATIC-X's "Project Regeneration Vol. 1" LP came out in July 2020. The first of two volumes, it featured 12 brand new tracks, containing many of the final vocal performances and musical compositions of Wayne Static, along with the original "Wisconsin Death Trip" lineup of Campos, Jay and Fukuda. A follow-up album, "Project Regeneration: Vol. 2", arrived on January 26, 2024. A collection of 14 brand-new songs, the LP was produced by Xer0 and mixed/mastered by longtime collaborator Ulrich Wild.

🕖 Doors open at 5:30PM
🎵 Show starts at 6:15PM
🚗 Parking is $20 cash
🚕 Uber/Lyft drop on site

For a list of allowed/prohibited items, visit the link:
https://orlandoamphitheater.com/venue-info/

Posted by Orlando Amphitheater on Friday, February 2, 2024

Tickets are moving quick! Use presale code MK2024 to get yours! Tickets available at Static-X.com

THE MACHINE KILLER...

Posted by Static-X on Thursday, January 11, 2024

Glenn Hughes was joined by his BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION bandmates Joe Bonamassa and Derek Sherinian on stage for a performance of the DEEP PURPLE classic "Burn" during his headlining appearance last night (February 2) at the Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California. Bonamassa also played the DEEP PURPLE song "Mistreated" with Hughes earlier in the set. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, the supergroup featuring Hughes, Bonamassa, Sherinian and drummer Jason Bonham (LED ZEPPELIN),will release its long-awaited fifth album in June.

The timetable for the arrival of BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's first LP in seven years was revealed by SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk, who shared on social media that he spent "some time" on January 26 in Los Angeles filming an interview to promote the album. Trunk added in his post: "Had a chance to listen to them play today live and have heard the album. Killer 100% real live kick ass rock! Loved these guys since day 1."

During an appearance on an August 2023 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Hughes stated about the musical direction of the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION material: "It sounds like BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION. There's not too many left turns, there's nothing happening that's weirdly different. We followed a vibe of the first four albums, so it it's an extension, but it's really a progression, if you can call it a progression. Everybody's playing out of their skin. The vibe in the camp has never been so friendly and fun. It's a really, really great vibe in the band. And we had a great time at Sunset Sound [studios] in Hollywood. And I can't wait for you to hear it."

As for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's touring plans, the former DEEP PURPLE bassist/vocalist said: "If you go back 10 years when I wanted to… well, we all wanted to play more shows. And Joe has been very busy from the get-go of his career. What I want you to know, and I want everybody to know, that, of course, we want to play with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNITY, but Joe's schedule is crazy busy, and we all get it. Unfortunately, that's the way it is. So my priority is playing my own music with my own band and doing what I need to do to have fun on my own."

He continued: "Would I like to play some shows with Joe, Derek and Jason? Of course I would. I think everybody would like that. But what I can't do is say we're gonna do this, this, and that… I've done it before and it didn't happen, so I won't… I'm glad Joe has [said in a recent interview] he wants to do something like that, because I think we all wanna set some time out to do that, and we're hoping that we can play in North America [in 2024]."

Earlier that same month, Bonamassa told "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION album: "The thing about BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, whether you like the way we sound or not, when we all get together, it has a very specific thing that it does. Everybody brings a very specific thing to the table, and it's a special band."

According to Joe, he brought the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION members back together to make the follow-up to "BCCIV", which was released in September 2017 and marked BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's first studio effort since 2013's "Afterglow". "I was the one that kind of initiated the text, be, like, 'Hey, is there anybody interested in doing a fifth one?'" he said. "And Derek got back to me. Jason got back to me pretty quickly. And Glenn called me and said, 'I can't do anything until this DEAD DAISIES situation goes one way or the next.' And I said, 'Fair enough.' So when Glenn left THE DEAD DAISIES [in 2022], that was kind of the green light for us to get back together."

Regarding the songwriting process for BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's fifth album and how it compared to that on the band's previous efforts, Joe said: "This was the same. I went over to Glenn's house about six times and we hashed out some ideas — pretty rough, loose ideas. Nothing in stone. And so I had a playlist on my phone, voice memos, BCC 1 through 10. And that was it. So, so day one, we just [said], 'Okay, let's start with BCC 1.' And we sat in the courtyard at Sunset Sound — they have this really nice courtyard with a bunch of chairs — and we sat out there with an acoustic guitar and a couple of things and we just bashed out the arrangement. We were, like, 'Okay, that's cool.' We went in, played it three or four times and that was it. Nobody charted anything; we just kind of memorized it and did it. And we would go into the control room, listen a little bit, maybe tweak something, but once it fired up and after the second day, we really hit our stride, going, 'Okay, the band's back.' 'Cause we hadn't played together in six years."

As for the recording process for the new BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION disc, Joe said: "There's not a lot of overdubs. I rarely double the guitars, 'cause Glenn's bass sound is so big and distorted, you know what I mean? It's, like, why do I need to double the guitar? Same thing with Derek. It's almost like playing in the band FREE. All of the sound comes from the four of us. And Jason takes up a huge amount of bandwidth; he's such a big drummer."

Bonamassa went on to say that he is looking forward to performing with BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION again. "I'd like to do some live shows with 'em [in 2024]," he said. "I think it would be really fun… Scheduling is the hardest thing, because of what everybody's got [coming up]… [My solo band is] booked almost two years out. But next year, I really wanna at least set aside a week, maybe two weeks, where we can go out and do selected shows, do a couple here in the U.S., go to Europe, do a couple there. 'Cause it is fun."

Last year it was announced that BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION will perform on the 2024 edition of Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea IX cruise, sailing from Miami, Florida to Cozumel, Mexico on March 18-22.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's most recent performance took place in February 2018 at the fourth edition of the Keeping The Blues Alive At Sea, which benefits the Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation, Bonamassa's non-profit organization dedicated to providing students, teachers, and musicians with the resources and tools needed to further their music education.

In a September 2022 interview with Andy Hall of the Des Moines, Iowa radio station Lazer 103.3, Bonamassa stated about what it is about a "band situation" that appeals to him, considering he has spent most of his career as a solo artist: "I like nothing more than to be a member of a band and playing guitar. I don't have to front it; I don't have to sing all the time. And it's a lot less pressure than being the front person. Being the person in front is a special skillset. You have to be an entertainer. You can't just sit up there and stare at your guitar and go, 'Wow. Look, I can play guitar pretty good.' That's not gonna fill the theater. You have to put on a show. And to put on a show requires being an entertainer. So being in a band, the sum of the parts is greater than the single entity. So this thing where Glenn co-fronts BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION, I can just sit back and play rhythm guitar and watch him do his thing. He's a legend. And then conversely, Glenn doesn't have to sing all night; I'll sing three or four [songs]. So we kind of spread out the whole workload a little bit."

Just like its four predecessors, BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's new album is being overseen by producer Kevin Shirley, who originally had the idea of putting Hughes and Bonamassa in a band after seeing them jamming together onstage in Los Angeles back in November 2009.

BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION's inception took place when Hughes and Bonamassa fused their styles on stage in Los Angeles for an explosive performance at Guitar Center's King Of The Blues event. With the help and guidance of Shirley, they further added to their rock lineage by recruiting Bonham and Sherinian.

In a 2017 interview, Hughes talked about the chemistry between the BLACK COUNTRY COMMUNION members, especially since all the musicians have had successful careers prior to launching the group.

"This band was meant to be," Glenn said. "It was formed out of a friendship with Joe and I. We got the [other] guys to come in, and it's always been a strong brotherhood. And we're just very lucky and fortunate to have met. I've known Jason since he was [a kid]. I just think that these four guys in this band are the right guys to play in the band."

USA 🇺🇸 let's turn up the 🔥 on these Winter shows ⚡️

Can't wait to be with you 💜

Tickets and VIP UPGRADE available via...

Posted by Glenn Hughes on Wednesday, January 3, 2024

In a new interview with The Logan Show, Joel Hoekstra spoke about how he was recruited to play guitar for ACCEPT for all of the band's European festival appearances in 2024 and the South American tour in May. Hoekstra will be standing in for Phil Shouse, who will remain with the band as their permanent live guitarist for all other gigs.

Joel said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it all clicked. It happened so quickly. And Wolf [Hoffmann, ACCEPT guitarist and leader] is just a real bright, sharp, super-friendly guy as well as being a great player.

"Sometimes you have people make those intros," Joel explained. "[Michael Cartellone from DAMN YANKEES and LYNYRD SKYNYRD] connected us. First, Michael hit me and said, 'Hey, I'm with Wolf Hoffmann.' Sometimes the next thing is, like, 'Well, I'll connect you guys via text.' And maybe that means a week later or maybe that means two weeks later or something, via e-mail or whatever. But it was literally five minutes later — not even; it was like a minute later. He said, 'Okay, Wolf, here's Joel.' 'Joel, [here's] Wolf.' And Wolf was, like, 'Great.' And I said, 'Well, I'm in Nashville in a couple of days [with TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA]. Let's have coffee.' It was two days later or something like that, that we were all set and ready to go with this, because it made sense for both of us. They needed somebody to fill in for Phil Shouse, and I needed something to get out this year and play some of the bigger shows, be able to do the European festivals."

Regarding how he feels about the prospect of performing with a veteran metal act like ACCEPT, Joel said: "They're a great live band. They sound great. Wolf is a great guitarist [with] a killer tone. And they're a well-oiled machine live. All the YouTube footage I've been watching is very impressive and I'm looking forward to being a part of it.

"It's just gonna be, I think, something that's good for everybody," he continued. "It's kind of a fun little window for the fans to see me hop in and play with them. And it works out great for me because I would obviously prefer that to sitting on my couch at home or something like that, or, for that matter, playing smaller shows. So having the opportunity to get out and be seen and play with a great-sounding live band like ACCEPT, it makes a lot of sense and it just worked out great, like it was meant to be in a way."

New York-based Joel Hoekstra is best known to fans as a current member of the legendary band WHITESNAKE and is part of TRANS-SIBERIAN ORCHESTRA. He has also played with Cher, NIGHT RANGER and FOREIGNER, to name just a few of his numerous collaborations.

When Hoekstra's addition to ACCEPT's touring lineup was first announced last month, Hoffmann said in a statement: "It is a great honor for us to be on stage with Joel Hoekstra. Joel is an exceptional guitarist and I have huge respect for him. The whole band is really looking forward to playing with this string magician."

ACCEPT recently completed work on a new studio album for a 2024 release via the band's new record label home, Napalm Records.

In the fall of 2022, ACCEPT completed a North American tour with support from NARCOTIC WASTELAND. The band played a career-spanning set of new and classic tracks, including mega-hits "Balls To The Wall", "Princess Of The Dawn", "Fast As A Shark" and many more.

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".

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

Photo courtesy of Frontiers Music Srl / REVOLUTION SAINTS

David Lee Roth has continued taking jabs at Wolfgang Van Halen, apparently in response to the latter's claim that the singer was the reason VAN HALEN's final album, "A Different Kind Of Truth", is not available on streaming sites.

Last October, Wolfgang told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that VAN HALEN's 2012 LP — the band's only record Wolfgang played on — does not appear on streaming platforms because of "some people involved" who "do not like that record".

"The contract ran out on putting it up on streaming services," Wolfgang said. "So we've been working on getting it back, but there are some people involved who do not like that record and are not making it easy to get it back up."

Asked if these "people" who are making things difficult "were involved in the record," Wolfgang confirmed: "Yeah." When host Eddie Trunk prompted, "Might that person commonly be known by three initials?", apparently referring to Roth, Wolfgang replied, "Probably. I mean, yeah, you can put it together.

"I hate to say it, because people will think I'm making stuff up, but it's, like, man, I'd love to have the record back up there, but [Roth] doesn't like it and he's not working with us to get it back up there," Wolfgang explained. "So I hope people who like it have a physical version of it. [Laughs]"

A week after blasting Wolfgang for allegedly "throwing out" some of Roth's invited guests at a couple of the concerts during VAN HALEN's final tour, David has shared a new YouTube video titled "Family Therapy.." in which he starts off by mock-apologizing for "upset[ting] some people" and insisting that he "loves" his "old rock band" and misses VAN HALEN's late guitarist Eddie Van Halen, who was Wolfgang's father. He then proceeds to hold a mock therapy session between Wolfgang and a therapist in which Wolfgang complains that he has been unable to get any "streams" for his LP, presumably referring to "A Different Kind Of Truth", with the therapist telling the former VAN HALEN bassist that his album was "DOA (dead on arrival)", "KTC (kicked to the curb) and "a complete FP (faceplant)." The therapist tells Wolfgang: "Son, commercially speaking, you got your ass handed to you." Roth then proceeds to imply that he and VAN HALEN drummer Alex Van Halen do not want to spend a lot of money on attorney fees to negotiate a better deal with the record company and streaming platforms for an album that is not one of the band's finest moments.

"Do you remember Leon Spinks? How about Larry Holmes or Trevor Berbick?" the mock therapist asks "Wolfgang" in Roth's video. "Well, these were the last couple of Muhammad Ali's fights, and nobody wants to remember them because they were no fun… And your albums with VAN HALEN are a lot like those last two fights."

With Wolfgang on bass, VAN HALEN embarked on lengthy tours in 2007, 2012 and 2015. The band's final run of shows took place in the summer and fall of 2015. The North American trek included 41 concerts beginning on July 5, 2015 and ending on October 4, 2015.

Back in December 2021, Wolfgang, who joined his father Eddie Van Halen in VAN HALEN at the age of 16 for the band's 2007 reunion tour with Roth, replacing Michael Anthony, was asked about David's retirement in an interview with Consequence. He said: "Dave is a… he's very much a one-of-a-kind [chuckles] sort of guy. We don't really talk, if ever. We were always cordial on tour together, but it's not like I've spoken to him at all in the last six years. But, I mean, he's fucking David Lee Roth. I'm so happy for him and for everything that he's accomplished. And he's just a phenomenal… He'll always be one of the best."

In November 2020, Wolfgang told Rolling Stone about his relationship with Roth: "We're cordial. But it was very business-related. You know, we were always cool, but we really only ever saw each other onstage."

In 2022, Wolfgang implied in an interview that David Lee Roth was largely to blame for a proposed Eddie Van Halen tribute concert never materializing. He told Rolling Stone at the time: "What I can say is that there was an attempt at doing something. But, you know, I don't like to speak negatively about people, but there are some people that make it very difficult to do anything when it comes to VAN HALEN. After being in VAN HALEN for a long time, I really have strived to have an environment where there is no walking on eggshells and there is no personality that you have to deal with. It's just guys having fun making music and just having a good time. But, you know, from my time in VAN HALEN, there was always some stuff that gets in the way from just making music and having a good time. And, I think, that's what happened.

"I would love to just sit here and say everything and say the truth," he continued. "There are plenty of interviews my dad did, where he straight up just said everything. And people hated him for it and thought he was lying. So I could just say shit, but people have already decided how they feel about things, facts or not. So I can say the facts. But that may not align with how certain people feel. I know how VAN HALEN fans get. They are very motivated by which specific people they like in the band. And it's just not worth it. Just, we made an attempt, and some people can be hard to work with, and made it not happen."

Wolfgang went on to say that he "would really like to do something" for his father, but that the tribute concert idea "never even got off the ground."

"Look at anything that's happened with VAN HALEN," he said. "And look how things have fallen apart. You know? The fact that in my tenure, in VAN HALEN, we managed to do three tours, put an album of original material and a live album out is a fucking miracle.

"People love to pin every decision VAN HALEN has ever made on Dad," he continued. "But Al's [drummer Alex Van Halen] the brain. Al has been the guy forever. He's the dude. When it comes to VAN HALEN, Dad just wanted to play guitar. But, you know, Al's mentality, and it's the mentality that VAN HALEN took for the entirety of its band, is that there's nothing worth talking about unless it's happening. So the reason that nothing has been talked about from VAN HALEN, the official channels, is because nothing's happened. And I know how that will stir people up and piss them off. But that's how the operation is run."

Asked what he would say if someone were to assume that the main problem was a certain singer with three initials — referring to David Lee Roth — Wolfgang replied: "I would say 'Do your research on the history of VAN HALEN, and come to your conclusions.'"

Eddie passed away in October 2020 at the age of 65. He had been battling throat cancer and died surrounded by friends and family at a Santa Monica, California hospital.

VAN HALEN had been inactive since it completed its U.S. tour more than eight years ago.

In early 2019, rumors were rampant that the classic-era lineup of VAN HALEN would reunite for the first time since 1984. It has since been revealed that a health setback involving Eddie was responsible for the tour not materializing.

Sammy Hagar and Orianthi performed a cover version of BON JOVI's "You Give Love A Bad Name" at MusiCares Person Of The Year benefit gala honoring Grammy Award winner, 11-time nominee and founding BON JOVI member Jon Bon Jovi on Friday (February 2),two days before the Grammy Awards telecast. The 33rd annual benefit gala was hosted by Grammy-nominated comedian Jim Gaffigan. Joining the evening's host were presenters Gayle King and Grammy Award-winning musician Kylie Minogue.

Also performing at last night's event were MAMMOTH WVH, the brainchild of former VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, who covered BON JOVI's "Have A Nice Day", Melissa Etheridge, Jason Isbell, Bruce Springsteen and Shania Twain, along with Grammy Award nominees Brandy Clark, Damiano David of MÅNESKIN, GOO GOO DOLLS, Jelly Roll, Marcus King, THE WAR AND TREATY and Lainey Wilson.

This year's tribute was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and included a cocktail reception, followed by a dinner and tribute concert. Performers paid tribute to Bon Jovi's legacy and his impact on rock and roll since the 1983 inception of his eponymous band.

When MusiCares's Jon Bon Jovi tribute was first announced, Laura Segura, executive director of MusiCares, said in a statement: "Jon Bon Jovi is a rock and roll trailblazer, influencing countless artists over the years. MusiCares is honored to pay tribute to him as our 2024 Person Of The Year. Bon Jovi has also lent his life's work to philanthropic efforts that align with the health and human services mission of MusiCares, forever changing the lives of those in need. The goal of the Person Of The Year gala is to raise funds for MusiCares' vital services throughout the year and to celebrate the philanthropy and impact of music legends."

"I am so proud of the work our MusiCares team is doing to support artists in need, whether its access to health care, mental health services, or replacing a stolen guitar," said Harvey Mason Jr. , CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares. "I can't wait to celebrate this impactful work, and to honor Jon Bon Jovi, a true music icon, and someone who represents the goodness of our music community."

Since 1991, money raised from this gala has gone toward providing essential support for MusiCares programs and services assisting the music community in times of need, including physical and mental health, addiction recovery, preventive clinics, unforeseen personal emergencies, and disaster relief.

Jon Bon Jovi joined an impressive list of recent MusiCares honorees including Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, Joni Mitchell, FLEETWOOD MAC and Dolly Parton.

The event was again produced by live event broadcast outfit Lewis & Clark, made up of Joe Lewis and R.A. Clark. Rob Mathes joined the special evening as musical director.

MAMMOTH WVH, the brainchild of former VAN HALEN bassist Wolfgang Van Halen, performed a cover version of BON JOVI's "Have A Nice Day" at MusiCares Person Of The Year benefit gala honoring Grammy Award winner, 11-time nominee and founding BON JOVI member Jon Bon Jovi on Friday (February 2),two days before the Grammy Awards telecast. The 33rd annual benefit gala was hosted by Grammy-nominated comedian Jim Gaffigan. Joining the evening's host were presenters Gayle King and Grammy Award-winning musician Kylie Minogue.

Prior to taking the stage at last night's event, Wolfgang told KCAL on the red carpet about taking part in the festivities: "It's one thing to just cover a song, but to cover a song for them, that's a whole new level of nerves I don't think I was prepared for."

Also performing at last night's event were Sammy Hagar and Orianthi, who covered BON JOVI's "You Give Love A Bad Name", Melissa Etheridge, Jason Isbell, Bruce Springsteen and Shania Twain, along with Grammy Award nominees Brandy Clark, Damiano David of MÅNESKIN, GOO GOO DOLLS, Jelly Roll, Marcus King, THE WAR AND TREATY and Lainey Wilson.

This year's tribute was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center and included a cocktail reception, followed by a dinner and tribute concert. Performers paid tribute to Bon Jovi's legacy and his impact on rock and roll since the 1983 inception of his eponymous band.

When MusiCares's Jon Bon Jovi tribute was first announced, Laura Segura, executive director of MusiCares, said in a statement: "Jon Bon Jovi is a rock and roll trailblazer, influencing countless artists over the years. MusiCares is honored to pay tribute to him as our 2024 Person Of The Year. Bon Jovi has also lent his life's work to philanthropic efforts that align with the health and human services mission of MusiCares, forever changing the lives of those in need. The goal of the Person Of The Year gala is to raise funds for MusiCares' vital services throughout the year and to celebrate the philanthropy and impact of music legends."

"I am so proud of the work our MusiCares team is doing to support artists in need, whether its access to health care, mental health services, or replacing a stolen guitar," said Harvey Mason Jr. , CEO of the Recording Academy and MusiCares. "I can't wait to celebrate this impactful work, and to honor Jon Bon Jovi, a true music icon, and someone who represents the goodness of our music community."

Since 1991, money raised from this gala has gone toward providing essential support for MusiCares programs and services assisting the music community in times of need, including physical and mental health, addiction recovery, preventive clinics, unforeseen personal emergencies, and disaster relief.

Jon Bon Jovi joined an impressive list of recent MusiCares honorees including Berry Gordy and Smokey Robinson, Joni Mitchell, FLEETWOOD MAC and Dolly Parton.

The event was again produced by live event broadcast outfit Lewis & Clark, made up of Joe Lewis and R.A. Clark. Rob Mathes joined the special evening as musical director.

MusiCares helps the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community. Founded by the Recording Academy in 1989 as a U.S.-based 501©(3) charity, MusiCares safeguards the well-being of all music people through direct financial grant programs, networks of support resources, and tailored crisis relief efforts.



316 - Wolf Van Halen - MammothWVH MusiCares Jon Bon Jon Bon Jovi

Posted by Brian Baumwoll on Friday, February 2, 2024

According to People.com, Richie Sambora missed Jon Bon Jovi's 2024 MusiCares Person Of The Year ceremony on Friday (February 2) in order to take care of his ailing mother.

A source told the magazine that the 64-year-old former BON JOVI guitarist has been caring for his 89-year-old mom in New Jersey after she "tripped on her carpet" last week, causing her to fall and break her hip.

"She's been in rehab and recovering, and he went through the whole house and renovated it. He bought her smaller furniture to make it easier for her," the source told People.

"She didn't want to stay in the hospital, so he got her 24-hour care. He's an only child and a devoted son," the source added. "They're first-generation immigrants, so family is very important to him."

Last November, Richie told People that there was "talking" taking place about his possible return to BON JOVI. Speaking to the magazine at the Breeders' Cup, the musician said: "There's a documentary that's being done about the band and stuff that I've participated in, and people want to come see us play, and it's going to make everybody happy. I mean, essentially, that's why you do it at this point."

Sambora continued: "I think that we wrote a lot of songs that changed a lot of people's lives just by letting them have a good time. I know that's what music did to me … kept me company. And I hope that I can reflect that in what I do.

"So yeah, it definitely could happen," he added of a reunion. "It's just a question of when everybody's ready to go do it. It will be a big, massive kind of undertaking."

As for when the BON JOVI reunion could happen, Richie said: "I'm not sure. It's up to peoples, it's got to be right. That's all.

"It's time to do it, though," he added. "This is our 40th anniversary, but I feel younger than ever. I'm having a ball."

Sambora previously talked about the chances of his return to BON JOVI earlier last year during an appearance on "Shred With Shifty", the podcast hosted by Chris Shiflett of the FOO FIGHTERS. At the time, he said: "We're talking about it." Pressed about what "talking about it" looks like and if it involves him and Jon Bon Jovi speaking to each other "on the phone," Richie said: "Yeah, it's that. It's… There's a demand out there for it, you know — especially outside of the USA."

Last June, Sambora painted a different picture when he was asked about his possible return to BON JOVI at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame's 52nd annual induction and awards gala in New York City. Asked by United Stations Radio Networks if plans were still in place for him to play with his former bandmates again, Richie said: "Naaaah! No, not even close. Nobody asked me yet — but I could do it tomorrow if they asked me."

Richie's comments on "Shred With Shifty" were similar to those he made in February 2023 when he told Absolute Radio that he was planning to join forces with BON JOVI again following his performance with them at their Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction in 2018. "We're talking about it," he said at the time. "I don't think there's any reason not to at this point."

He added: "Jon was having a hard time with his voice a little bit there and he needed to take a little bit of a breather.

"I don't know when Jon's going to get his voice together and [when the BON JOVI reunion is] going to happen, but we have to get out there and do it for the fans, really. I feel a second obligation."

Asked if he would write new music with BON JOVI, Richie said: Oh, if he doesn't let me, he's crazy. I'm on a tear.

"Actually, I did write that other [BON JOVI] stuff, too. It's a misnomer when people go just because his name [Jon Bon Jovi] is on [the band] that's the name. We just couldn't think of anything else really. People think that I just come up with the guitar parts and something like that. But songwriting is conceptual. You have to have a concept. It's a story. And it can sometimes just come from looking out the window and observing and a lot of times it comes from your own life and for the most part of BON JOVI, my life was a lot [more] colorful than everybody else's in the band."

Richie went on to say that he has remained on good terms with Jon in the decade since his departure, explaining: "You know what, there's no malice. I mean, we did something… there's not a lot of bands that did what we did. I mean, obviously, bands like THE ROLLING STONES, PINK FLOYD and U2 [have]."

Four years ago, Sambora opened up about his controversial decision to leave BON JOVI in 2013 in an interview with People magazine, saying that he wanted to spend more time with his daughter Ava, now 26.

"It wasn't a popular decision by any means, obviously, but there was really almost no choice about it. I had a lot of conscious work to do around [my personal life]," the guitarist said.

"We've been through a lot of things together. That was a time of psychological maintenance for the family. You know, I ain't no angel. But I realized, Ava needed me to be around at that point in time. Family had to come first, and that's what happened."

Sambora, who spent time in rehab in 2007 and 2011 for alcohol and prescription drug abuse, added that the rock and roll lifestyle eventually took its toll.

"My lord, when I look back and start to list the tours ... 18-and-a-half months of being on the road, 52 countries," he said. "It's like, Wow. It was really time for a break. We did that 14 times over a 31-year period."

Two months earlier, Sambora told U.K.'s Daily Mail that he wasn't opposed to one day rejoining BON JOVI, provided that the circumstances were right. "It would have to be a special situation for me to go back, but I'm certainly not counting it out," he said. "I have no malice toward that band."

Richie's comments came just a couple of weeks after Jon Bon Jovi told Germany's Rock Antenne that "there's not a day that goes by that I don't wish that Richie had his life together and was still in the band. And yet, in a weird way, it's because of his inability to get it together anymore that we went on and wrote 'This House Is Not For Sale'."

Addressing Jon's remarks directly, Richie told Daily Mail: "When people say I don't have my life together — are you kidding me? I'm the happiest dude on the block."

Sambora, who joined BON JOVI in 1983 and co-wrote most of the group's iconic hits over the following three decades, hasn't performed a full show with the band since he left the "Because We Can" tour 11 years ago. He later said he thought BON JOVI "should have made more strides to become a band" and not turn into "Jon being the front guy and nothing else." Jon, in turn, claimed Sambora's "choices" had "led him astray."

Sambora rejoined BON JOVI on stage in April 2018 at the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony in Cleveland, marking his first performance with the band in five years. Also appearing with the group was bassist Alec John Such, who hadn't played with BON JOVI since a one-off performance in 2001. They performed several crowd favorites, including "Livin' On A Prayer", "You Give Love A Bad Name" and "It's My Life".

BON JOVI's latest album, "2020", was released in October 2020 via Island Records.

Former SKID ROW and current TNT singer Tony Harnell celebrated the sixth anniversary of his getting sober on January 30. Harnell took to his Instagram to write: "Just realized that I am 6 years alcohol-free today! Crazy. So glad to be free of that powerful, deceptive poison and all that came with it. There are always challenges in life, but it's so much easier to navigate them without the negative effects of alcohol. I'm deeply grateful for all the beautiful souls who've been there for me on this journey and for the life and love I've been blessed with as a result."

Harnell previously said that his drinking was partly responsible for him quitting SKID ROW via social media, explaining that it was "a really dumb" and "very unprofessional" thing to do.

Harnell joined SKID ROW in April 2015 as the replacement for Johnny Solinger, who was the band's frontman for fifteen years. Tony quit the group only eight months later, writing in a Facebook post that "being ignored and disrespected isn't my thing."

Tony later said in an interview with "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" that he made his exit official after going through was he described as "one of the most difficult times" in his life. "And the climax of it was the end of 2015, and I was in a bar, drinking way too much, was pissed off at the world, and did a stupid thing," he said. "And that was it. And it was very unprofessional. I've never done anything like that before, and I haven't done anything like that since. And I'm not proud of it."

Harnell went on to confirm that his drinking "played a role" in the way he went about quitting SKID ROW. "And a lot of people that know me would be, like, 'What? We never saw the guy drunk,'" he said. "It was my little private thing that a lot of people weren't really aware of — not even some people that were very close to me. So that definitely played a role. I wouldn't say that it was the only thing that was 'wrong' at the time, but it did play a role in the whole scenario."

Tony also claimed that he has since "apologized to both the band and the fans." He added: "It was a really dumb thing to do. That's basically all there is to it."

SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo told the "Trunk Nation" show that things fell apart so quickly with Harnell because "some things just aren't meant to work… they just don't work together. Knowing him before and then working with him, it was two separate… it really was two different things," he explained. "A lot of conflict, a lot of butting heads, and it just… it never meshed, it was never right. We knew him for a long time, [but we] never worked with him — never worked in a band situation, in a band environment with him. And you know what — for better or for worse, this is our band; it belongs to us. And so if someone is gonna come in and work with us, we have a certain way that we do things, and that may not work for some people. It didn't work for him. Look, [he's] a talented guy; it just wasn't right for us."

Harnell was replaced in SKID ROW by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. In January 2022, Theart was replaced by Erik Grönwall, who auditioned for the competition show "Swedish Idol" back in 2009 by singing a cover of SKID ROW's "18 And Life".

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Pink Floyd will release a Collector’s Edition of The Dark Side Of The Moon on crystal clear vinyl. This will be a 2x180g single sided LP set, featuring UV artwork print on the non-groove side.


Originally released over 50 years ago, and becoming one of the most iconic and influential albums ever, Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon continues to find new audiences globally. The famous sleeve, which depicts a prism spectrum, was designed by Storm Thorgerson of Hipgnosis and drawn by George Hardie. The Dark Side Of The Moon has sold over 50 million copies worldwide.


This new edition of the album will feature the prism spectrum seen through the playable side of the vinyl whilst maintaining the best quality sound that fans will expect. It will be packaged in a slipcased gatefold sleeve, with an exclusive poster.




This is the first time that Pink Floyd has used this pioneering UV printing process on vinyl. The images are printed with a high end UV printer, using UV-Led light to dry the permanent ink on the side without audio on which the image is printed. This combination of one-sided audio and the UV print (on the side without audio) combines the best of both worlds: perfect audio and a beautiful image to enjoy.


Pink Floyd’s The Dark Side Of The Moon 50th Anniversary crystal clear vinyl Collector’s Edition with UV printed art is available to pre-order here, and follows the 2023 release of the remastered album on CD, LP and Blu-ray, first available as part of The Dark Side Of The Moon 50th Anniversary Box Set.





The Dark Side Of The Moon tracklisting:


"Speak To Me"
"Breathe (In The Air)"
"On The Run"
"Time"
"The Great Gig In The Sky"
"Money"
"Us And Them"
"Any Colour You Like"
"Brain Damage"
"Eclipse"

Ayreon played live again in Tilburg, Holland at 013 on September 15th, 16th and 17th, 2023, performing the album 01011001 in full. Mastermind Arjen Lucassen announced in October 2023 that a live Blu-Ray and CD was in the works, and he has checked in with the following update:


"Hi all, the pre-order for Ayreon 01011001 Live Beneath The Waves have started! Watch this hippie on the video for more info on the release date and some of the formats you can find. To give you a taste, watch the first video from the Ayreon live release, 'The Sixth Extinction'.







01011001 - Live Beneath The Waves formats.
- Artbook (Webshop only) - 2CD+2DVD + Bluray incl. Behind The Scenes (BTS)
- 3LP - Green vinyl
- 2CD+DVD: Full show on 2CD and DVD
- Blu-ray: Full show + BTS


Release date: May 17, 2024.


Pre-order here.





01011001 - Live Beneath The Waves features the following performers:


Original 01011001 cast:


Hansi Kürsch
Tom Englund
Daniel Gildenlow
Jonas Renkse
Anneke van Giersbergen
Simone Simons
Wudstik
Marjan Welman
Liselotte Hegt
Maggy Luyten
Phideaux Xavier
Arjen Lucassen (yeah, sorry for that)


Special guests:


Damian Wilson
Brittney Slayes
Michael Mills
John Jaycee Cuijpers


Backing vocals:


Marcela Bovio
Irene Jansen
Jan Willem Ketelaers


Band:


Marcel Coenen - guitar
Timo Somers - guitar
Johan van Stratum - bass
Joost van den Broek - keys
Ed Warby - drums


Ensemble:


Ben Mathot - violin
Jurriaan Westerveld - cello
Jeroen Goossens - woodwinds

Greg Prato, reporting for Ultimate-Guitar.com:


During Steve Hackett's recent interview with Ultimate Guitar, a wide variety of topics were covered - including his reaction to extreme metal and pioneering two-hand tapping. Also, he was up for discussing his work with Genesis - and, in particular, what it was like working with Peter Gabriel, especially just prior to the singer's 1975 exit from the band.


"I would say working with Peter Gabriel was somewhat easier in the earlier stages of Genesis' development. And I think we did some wonderful albums together - Foxtrot and Selling England By The Pound, I think, are phenomenal albums. I don't think there's a weak track on either of those albums. And that's the strength of the collective songwriting team bringing that together.




"By the time it was The Lamb Lies Down On Broadway - Peter's final album with Genesis - the band was beginning to fragment into factions. It was obvious Peter wasn't going to stay. There seemed to be a competition between Peter and Tony [Banks] - to see how much audio space they could fill. And it means you've got very busy, crowded virtuosic keyboard work and very busy narrative-driven lyrics from Peter. And these two paths seemed to be at loggerheads to a large degree. It became more difficult to define what the other instruments can do – because there was less 'breathing space,' as a result of this."


Read more at Ultimate-Guitar.com.


Hackett will release his new studio album, The Circus And The Nightwhale, on February 16 via InsideOut Music. A rite-of-passage concept album with a young character called Travla at the centre of it, The Circus And The Nightwhales’ 13 tracks have an autobiographical angle for the musician who says about his 30th solo release: “I love this album. It says the things I’ve been wanting to say for a very long time.”


Hackett discusses the album in Part 1 of an interview series, below:





The Circus And The Nightwhale is Steve’s first new music in over two years. It follows the beautiful acoustic LP Under A Mediterranean Sky from January 2021 - which rose to #2 in the UK Classical chart - and, in September of that year, his metallic masterpiece Surrender Of Silence, which hit the UK Top 40. His 2023 live album, Foxtrot At Fifty + Hackett Highlights: Live in Brighton, reached #2 in the Rock & Metal Chart. Steve’s new LP promises ballads, blues, blistering progressive rock… and healthy measures of theatre and fantasia.


Recorded between tours in 2022 and 2023 at Siren studio in the UK - with guest parts beamed in from Sweden, Austria, the US, Azerbaijan and Denmark, the lineup for The Circus And The Nightwhale includes some familiar faces alongside Steve on electric and acoustic guitars, 12-string, mandolin, harmonica, percussion, bass and vocals. Roger King (keyboards, programming and orchestral arrangements), Rob Townsend (sax), Jonas Reingold (bass), Nad Sylvan (vocals), Craig Blundell (drums) and Amanda Lehmann on vocals. Nick D’Virgilio and Hugo Degenhardt return as guests on the drumstool, engineer extraordinaire Benedict Fenner appears on keyboards and Malik Mansurov is back with the tar. Finally, Steve’s brother John Hackett is present once more on flute.


The new album is available to pre-order on several different formats, including a Limited CD+Blu-ray mediabook (including 5.1 Surround Sound & 24bit high resolution stereo mixes), Standard CD Jewelcase, Gatefold 180g Vinyl LP & as Digital Album. All feature the stunning cover painting by Denise Marsh. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"People Of The Smoke"
"These Passing Clouds"
"Taking You Down"
"Found And Lost"
"Enter The Ring"
"Get Me Out!"
"Ghost Moon And Living Love"
"Circo Inferno"
"Breakout"
"All At Sea"
"Into The Nightwhale"
"Wherever You Are"
"White Dove"


"People Of The Smoke" video:





Summing up The Circus And The Nightwhale, Steve says: “It’s a lovely journey that starts dirty, scratchy and smoky and becomes heavenly and divine. How can you resist it?”


In 2024, Steve will tour the world extensively, including a brand new UK tour under the name Genesis Greats, Lamb Highlights & Solo (that will see him return to the legendary Royal Albert Hall), as well as a return to the US for additional Foxtrot At Fifty shows from March 1 through April 13. For the full list of dates, head here.

Slash (GUNS N' ROSES), Duff McKagan (GUNS N' ROSES), Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE), William DuVall (ALICE IN CHAINS), Ted Nugent and Alice Cooper are among the musicians who have reacted on social media to the passing of Wayne Kramer, co-founder, guitarist, and singer of the influential Detroit rock band MC5.

Kramer's passing was announced on Friday (February 2) in a post shared to Instagram. A simple black-and-white photo of the rocker was posted with the caption: "Wayne S. Kramer 'PEACE BE WITH YOU' April 30, 1948 – February 2, 2024."

Kramer died at Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, according to Jason Heath, a close friend and executive director of Kramer's nonprofit Jail Guitar Doors. Heath said the cause of death was pancreatic cancer.

MC5's sonic thunder continues to reverberate a half-century after they first stormed the rock world with 1969's "Kick Out The Jams", the galvanizing live document that introduced a major voice of late '60s counterculture and proved incomparably influential on metal, punk, stoner rock and almost every other form of loud, boundary pushing music that would follow. The original MC5 lineup recorded two more albums before imploding: 1970's "Back In The USA", produced by rock critic (and future Bruce Springsteen manager) Jon Landau, and their 1971 creative zenith, "High Time". The last days of 1972 also marked the final performance of the original MC5 lineup, thereby ending a turbulent existence marked by their anti-establishment political stance, mainstream radio banishment, FBI harassment, and lots of uncompromising, unequaled rock and roll fury.

Kramer is preceded in death by his MC5 bandmates Rob Tyner, Fred Smith and Michael Davis. Drummer Dennis Thompson is the sole surviving member of the original band.

In 2018, Kramer released his memoir "The Hard Stuff: Dope, Crime, The MC5, And My Life Of Impossibilities", which won him a Michigan's Notable Book Award.

Kramer was a well-respected and prolific film ("Talladega Nights", HBO's "Hacking Democracy") and television (HBO's "East Bound And Down") composer. He was recognized by Rolling Stone magazine as one of the "100 Greatest Guitar Players of All Time".

In a new interview with Revolver magazine, TOOL bassist Justin Chancellor and drummer Danny Carey talked about a possible follow-up to the band's 2019 album "Fear Inoculum". Addressing the fact that "Fear Inoculum" marked the band's first full-length effort in 13 years, due to creative, personal, and legal issues bandmembers encountered since the release of 2006's "10,000 Days", Justin said: "It'll be different this time. Everyone's life is different, and everyone's expectations are different. Time is precious now, so you try and look for ways to be more efficient with the process. We've had a lot of discussion about that and how we can bring a new record to fruition in a slightly different way."

Speaking about the TOOL songwriting process, Danny said: "Our filter system is pretty intense. If it gets by the four of us in the band, then we figure it's going to work. It's a really painstaking process that we go through to finish [an album], and get it where we are all completely convinced. It pays off in the long run because we never really get tired of performing our songs. It gives rise to a vehicle that we can all believe in."

As for a possible musical direction for TOOL's next LP, Carey said: "Who knows? It could flip-flop and we could just go back to doing an 'Undertow' [type of] record" of shorter songs. "That's kind of appealing to me. I always like change, whatever direction it goes."

Another possibility is a new EP rather a full-length release. The songwriting process has already begun, according to Carey, and "it's going well so far."

"We're free agents now," he added. "We aren't signed to a label anymore. We are free to do whatever we want."

Quite possibly the era's most highly anticipated album, "Fear Inoculum" arrived in August of 2019. Debuting at No. 1 on Billboard's Top 200, the album earned heaps of critical praise with NPR saying, "'Fear Inoculum' was worth the 13-year wait," Revolver proclaiming the album "a masterpiece to be dissected for years to come" and Consequence saying the release finds "TOOL in peak performance."

In 2022, TOOL released "Opiate2", a re-imagined and extended version of the 1992 EP's title track and an accompanying short film, marking the band's first new video in 15 years. The band also unveiled the first incarnation of "Fear Inoculum" vinyl, dubbed the Ultra Deluxe edition, the limited offering included five 180-gram vinyl discs emblazoned with a unique etching and accompanied by an elaborate pictorial booklet including never-before-seen artwork.

TOOL formed in 1990, releasing five studio albums: "Undertow" (1993),"Ænima" (1996),"Lateralus" (2001),"10,000 Days" (2006) and "Fear Inoculum" (2019); two EPs: "72826" (1991) and "Opiate" (1992),and the limited-edition boxset "Salival" (2000). The band has won four Grammy Awards: "Best Metal Performance" (1998, "Ænima"),"Best Metal Performance" (2002, "Schism"),"Best Recording Package" (2007, "10,000 Days") and "Best Metal Performance" (2020, "7empest").

TOOL is Danny Carey (drums),Justin Chancellor (bass),Adam Jones (guitar) and Maynard James Keenan (vocals).

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

In a recent interview with Australia's "Everblack" podcast, HELMET frontman Page Hamilton spoke about how the world events of the last few years — including the global pandemic and political unrest — have provided him with the inspiration to create some of the songs on the band's latest album "Left".

"We seem to be descending into chaos," Page said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Each century of humankind has been more violent than the next, and the 20th century managed to murder millions of people. And here we are listening to a presidential candidate in the United States talk about putting kid children in cages, anchor babies, meaning babies that were born in the United States but from immigrant parents.

"We've got some issues," he continued. "And it's where we have to get back on track. The GOP, the Republican party, right wing, whatever you wanna call it, in this country is a minority, and our system is broken, and that's why we've had — since Nixon, we've had these presidents that don't deserve to be president, because they haven't won the popular vote. One of them did; I can't remember which one. They won the electoral college. And so as a nation, the majority is being subjected to policies that we disagree with. And that's not democracy. Democracy is, I get two votes, you get one, I win — my side wins. And the pandemic hit and we saw what a shit show Donald Trump's White House was, and the thought that this guy could win re-election to me is horrifying. And it should horrify everyone, not just Americans."

Page also touched upon the Israel-Hamas war and the growing concern over humanitarian conditions in Gaza as Israel continues its offensive in retaliation for the worst Hamas attack on civilians in Israel's 75-year-old history.

"Look at [Israeli prime minister Benjamin] Netanyahu," Hamilton said. "He's a fucking scumbag and he's a fucking lying cheat. Hamas sees the weakness. There were protests every weekend in Israel before all this went down and people see that, the enemies see that. It feels like we're about to embark upon World War III. I mean, we're already bombing Iran, shooting down drones. They're talking about annihilating Gaza, as if they're animals. I've been reading and listening to the minister of defense in Israel, and these people, they're referring to them as animals. These are human beings. It's like we didn't learn anything from World War II."

Circling back to the lyrical inspiration for "Left", Page said: "I think part of this, like in this album, as I've gotten older, and I never really cared what anyone thought, but I was never wanting to stand on a soapbox. We're not RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. And I admire those guys on many levels, but at the same time, they pick specific causes that they stood behind and those were not necessarily global causes, they were individual causes. And I have a hard time with that because I don't know the facts 'cause I wasn't there, for Leonard Peltier [an imprisoned Native American leader] in 1975 or whenever, so it's really hard to stand behind something that I don't know everything about. But these global issues are pretty obvious and we need to make changes. And I think that the right wing, they always scream and yell and think that they can scream and yell louder than we can. And I'm, like, I sing in one of the loudest motherfucking bands in the world, motherfucker. I can sing pretty loud."

Hamilton previously discussed how the global political situation inspired "Left" in an interview this past October with Kevin McKay of Florida's 99ROCK WKSM radio station.

"I feel like there are so many destructive forces politically in our country," Page said at the time. "And I have every right to express my opinion. I pay taxes.

"I wanted a bike at the age of 10 years old, and my dear dad, may he rest in peace, and mom and dad, brother [and] sister, all Republicans, dad was, like, 'Oh, you want a bike? Oh, well, we'd better get you a job.' And he taught me how to do my taxes and everything at the age of 10, 11 years old.

"We always have to be able to discuss things," Page continued. "Discourse is so healthy. And when did this divisive tone develop?

"Anybody that disagrees with [former U.S. president Donald Trump] is a terrible person that should be… General [Mark] Milley should be hung for treason. Come on, man. This guy serves our country, U.S. military. [Editor's note: In September, Trump wrote on his social-media network, Truth Social, that Milley's phone call to reassure China in the aftermath of the storming of the U.S. Capitol on January 6, 2021, was "an act so egregious that, in times gone by, the punishment would have been DEATH."]

"The Republicans [in Congress], I don't know what they're doing, but it's dangerous right now — it's really dangerous," Hamilton added. "We need to get it together, man. I feel like there's a huge contingent that they just want… It's probably a pretty cushy job. You got a half-million-dollar-a-year travel budget, and people in your office, in an office, and you make all this money. And it's like a good job, so they don't wanna lose their jobs. So they're doing what they think will help them keep their jobs. Well, that's not what we pay you for. We pay you to govern and to make sure that the citizens of our country, myself included are taken care of. 'Cause I don't know how to pave roads or do stomach surgery or whatever.

"I believe that we outnumber people that don't believe in the country — I honestly do… So as a singer in a quote-unquote heavy metal band or hardcore, post-hardcore, whatever we're called, indie rock, I can sing pretty loud."

Earlier in October, Page told 518Scene.com that the changes in the political climate in the U.S. inspired some of the lyrics on "Left".

"I can't speak for other countries — I know Hungary has a fascist guy too, and there are neo-Nazis popping up and they've always been around — but they were a little more underground before Orange Douche Face made it okay to be a racist douchebag," he said, apparently referencing Trump. "That stuff really had an effect on me. I have a trans godson, for example. I have nieces and nephews. I have two other godsons. I would like to leave a better world behind when I go for them, than the current state of divisive, caustic [beliefs] and whatever is going on in this country."

Hamilton also discussed the song "Gun Fluf", which specifically targets the gun lobby. He said: "I feel I have a right to express myself. I'm happy to sit down and have a conversation with any gun owner. I own guns. I grew up owning guns. I grew up in southern Oregon. I got a 12-gauge shotgun when I turned 12 from Grandpa Bones, and I hunted. I'm all for it, but I'm not all for there not being tighter restrictions on who can purchase a gun.

"Automatic weapons are unnecessary for a citizen population," he explained. "They're not for hunting; they're not for recreation. They are for killing human beings.

"Every time there's another mass murderer shooting, it affects me deeply. That's just heartbreaking. What we are saying is, yes, we have the right to bear arms, but we also have children who have a right to go to school and not fear for their lives, or go grocery shopping — as in Buffalo — and not worry that somebody's going to come in with an automatic weapon that can shoot 200 rounds in however many minutes. So that song poured out of me. It makes me angry that people are not more responsible."

"Left" was released on November 10 via earMUSIC.

To coincide with "Left"'s release, HELMET embarked on a European tour the same month. The trek kicked off on November 8 in Prague, Czech Republic and made stops in Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium and France before concluding on December 13 in London, United Kingdom.

Although HELMET disbanded in 1997, Hamilton revived the band in 2004, and the group has continued to tour and record.

The reunited all-female band MEANSTREAK — comprised of guitarists Marlene Portnoy (wife of DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy) and Rena Sands Petrucci (wife of DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci),vocalist Bettina France, bassist Martens Myung (wife of DREAM THEATER bassist John Myung) and drummer Yael Rallis — has just released a new EP, "Blood Moon", via Step Off Records distributed through ONErpm. The official lyric video for the EP's second single, "The Dark Gift", can be seen below.

MEANSTREAK is an all-female metal band from New York, formed in 1985 by Marlene and Rena, who, along with bandmates Bettina, Martens and Yael, forged their way into male-dominated territory, becoming one of the first all-female thrash metal bands. With influences such as IRON MAIDEN, JUDAS PRIEST and METALLICA, they were true pioneers for women in metal and recorded an album with legendary producer Alex Perialas (TESTAMENT, OVERKILL, FLOTSAM AND JETSAM, NUCLEAR ASSAULT, S.O.D., M.O.D., CARNIVORE) at Pyramid Sound in Ithaca, New York.

MEANSTREAK's 1988 release, "Roadkill", put them on the metal charts and landed them spots as the supporting act to nationally touring bands such as OVERKILL, MANOWAR, ANTHRAX, MOTÖRHEAD and others. They headlined shows at legendary clubs such as L'Amour, Cat Club, Limelight, CBGB and China Club in New York City, as well as many other famed venues. They disbanded in the early 1990s and recently reunited, bringing back their hard-hitting, melodic, heavy metal blend to the studio and stage. In the fall of 2022, MEANSTREAK concluded a U.S. tour in support of John Petrucci's successful solo tour and reunion with Mike Portnoy.

Marlene says: "The MEANSTREAK reunion has been nothing short of incredible!! It's been almost 30 years and once we were together, it felt like not a day had passed. Making music with these talented ladies has been the highlight of my life and I'm so excited to see what the future holds for all of us."

Rena adds: "We realized this MEANSTREAK reunion had to happen when we had a Zoom party during the pandemic. We weren't sure if it would go over after 28 years apart but during a two-month U.S. tour, the crowds were overwhelmingly supportive and gave us the strength and determination to finish our 'Blood Moon' EP and continue our never-ending journey. We can't wait to get on the road again and share our new material with our amazing fans!!!"

Says Bettina: "MEANSTREAK as a band is kind of a Gestalt philosophy. I mean, MEANSTREAK has lasted so long because we all perceive ourselves as one sound. The five of us are the sum of its parts. That is, we all bring different attributes that are uniquely ourselves but playing together as a band makes us the one. No one else sounds like us when we are all together. I am she as you are he as you are me — 'Goo goo g'joob'."

Yael says: "I always thought we had something unique and special. The chemistry and energy is undeniable to witness between the band on and off stage with all the shows and road stories of metal under our belts…We laugh…a lot ! The music! It all comes right back. (So many reunions of bands we align with since Covid hit.) Our two-month tour of USA and Canada proved metal horns and fists in the air are alive and well. Our first international appearance and a blast! Would love to get across the big pond, hit Japan, Australia, U.K., Europe with my MEANSTREAK girls. Hell — let's open for MAIDEN, KING DIAMOND, ANTHRAX and DREAM THEATER all over again! Passports Ready LFG!"

Martens states: "MEANSTREAK musically is heavy, melodic, and fun, like hanging out with your besties head banging, singing, and screaming at the top of your lungs on your way to a great concert. So proud of our new music and can't wait for the world to hear!!!"

MEANSTREAK is:

Bettina France - Vocals
Martens Myung - Bass
Yael Rallis - Drums
Marlene Portnoy - Guitar
Rena Sands Petrucci - Guitar

Photo credit: Marissa Ann (courtesy of Adrenaline PR)

Blackened master distiller and blender Rob Dietrich and METALLICA have launched an exclusive series of conversations titled "The Blending Sessions" in which they reveal what goes into making music and whiskey. Tune in to learn more about their creative process, shared passions and the artistry behind every sip and riff.

Blackened Whiskey is born from METALLICA's spirit of innovation, steeped in science, and honed by seasoned experts. This award-winning whiskey is a blend of the finest straight bourbon and rye whiskeys and uniquely finished and sonically enhanced in brandy casks, using the Black Noise process to extract more flavor from the wood. The original recipe was envisioned by Blackened's founding master distiller Dave Pickerell. Blackened is now crafted and propelled onward by category disruptor and master distiller and blender Rob Dietrich. The result is a magnificently balanced whiskey ideal for sipping neat, on the rocks, or enjoyed in a classic signature cocktail.

Pickerell died suddenly in November 2018 in San Francisco where he was scheduled to take part in the annual WhiskyFest event.

Dietrich also has a connection to the music industry on his resume, with experience as a concert promoter and tour manager.

"When we needed to begin searching for our next master distiller, it was a priority to find someone who could honor and continue the magic that Dave started," METALLICA said in 2019 when Dietrich's addition to the Blackened team was announced. "Rob shares a great respect for craftsmanship that Dave had and that we have for Blackened and our music."

Blackened's whiskey has won numerous accolades, including Double Gold at the SIP Awards (2021),Double Gold at the PR%F Awards (2021),Gold at the San Francisco World Spirits Competition (2020),Platinum at the Ascot Awards (2021) and Gold at the John Barleycorn Awards (2022). The band's limited-edition releases, including Rye The Lightning and Blackened's Masters Of Whiskey Series: Willett, have also taken home a number of Gold and Double Gold honors.

Formed in 1981 by vocalist/guitarist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, METALLICA has become one of the most influential and successful rock bands in history, selling nearly 120 million albums worldwide and generating more than 15 billion streams while playing to millions of fans on all seven continents. METALLICA's catalog of multi-platinum studio albums includes "Kill 'Em All", "Ride The Lightning", "Master Of Puppets", "… And Justice For All", "Metallica" (commonly referred to as The Black Album),"Load", "Reload", "St. Anger", "Death Magnetic", "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" and the new "72 Seasons", released April 14, 2023, on the band's own Blackened Recordings label. METALLICA's awards and accolades include nine Grammy Awards, two American Music Awards, multiple MTV Video Music Awards, a 2009 induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and Sweden's Polar Music Prize. In 2017, METALLICA established its charitable foundation, All Within My Hands, to give back to communities that have supported the band. To date, All Within My Hands and METALLICA have provided nearly $16 million in grants to career and technical education programs, organizations combating food insecurity, and critical local services and disaster relief efforts.

Michael Sweet of Christian hard rockers STRYPER has praised JUDAS PRIEST for having the "courage" to "write a song about Jesus".

Earlier today (Friday, February 2),the 60-year-old Sweet, who was born in California but resides in Massachusetts, shared the cover art for PRIEST's new single, "Crown Of Horns", and he wrote in an accompanying message: "This is why @judaspriest is my favorite metal band of all time. Consistency. Talent. Songs. And, they have the courage to write a song about Jesus. That takes guts.

"I'm very proud to be a fan.

"A PRIEST & STRYPER Tour would be ridiculous! Just sayin'….."

Back in 2014, Halford, who has been clean and sober since January of 1986, credited his belief in a higher power for helping him in his recovery.

"I'm a different guy to when I was 20," Halford said during an appearance on HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta's podcast "The Jasta Show". "I've been able to look at the world and see the world and find out what really is the most important and valuable thing, to me, as I live from day to day."

He continued: "When I got clean and sober, that was a major change in my life. And part of my recovery is just having this higher-power belief. And it works. It works, man. It really, really is important."

Halford added: "There probably will be people listening to [this] podcast who don't have anything like that in their life, and that's great; it's all about acceptance. But I always say to people, if you're thinking about it, the simplest thing I do is I pray. I pray quite a bit, actually. And even if you don't believe in prayer, just have a go. Pray for a good day, or just pray for your friend, or whatever it might be. And it's amazing, man, 'cause it absolutely works. I guarantee, it genuinely does work. And now I'm sounding like [American evangelical Christian evangelist] Billy Graham, but I'm just trying to express some of the things that are important to me on a day-to-day basis that make me able to walk out on that stage each night and do my work."

A few years ago, Sweet told Metal Edge magazine that Halford was his "favorite metal vocalist of all time, as he is I'm sure most people who like metal. He's the biggest influence on me," he explained. "I mean, Rob Halford really changed me as a vocalist. I didn't use to scream, I didn't use to hit high notes until I heard Rob. And the first song I heard was [JUDAS PRIEST's cover of the Joan Baez folk song] 'Diamonds And Rust' from [1979 PRIEST live album] 'Unleashed In The East' on the radio. My sister was taking me to school and dropped me off and I heard that and I'm, like, 'What in the world is this?' After school, I went out and found the album bought it, listened to it. And it changed me as a vocalist. I started practicing high notes. I developed my upper register on my own. I didn't go to a vocal coach for that. And I used to do techniques and try different things and I eventually built up and developed my lung capacity. And that was based on Halford, and I have him to thank for that. Eventually, I took a few vocal lessons, but for the most part Rob Halford really shaped me as a singer. And I don't know if he would want to hear that or not, although Rob's always been gracious to us."

STRYPER derives its name from the Biblical passage Isaiah 53:5, which equates the torment of Christ with salvation: "With his stripes we are healed." The cover of the band's 1986 album "To Hell With The Devil" depicts muscle-bound angels casting Satan down into a chasm of fire.

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Original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley has shared the music video for the song "Walkin' On The Moon" from his upcoming solo album, "10,000 Volts". The clip was filmed last month with Wreck'd Productions at the company's studio in Tinton Falls, New Jersey. The entertaining visualizer was directed by Alex Kouvatsos from Black Wolf Imaging.

On "Walkin' On The Moon", Ace's voice rings out between towering distortion as a lovestruck hook echoes, "When I wake up, you're all I see. You got me walkin' on the moon!" His string bends practically engage in a call-and-response with the refrain while another celestial solo resounds.

The 11-track "10,000 Volts" LP was produced by Ace and Steve Brown (TRIXTER) and will be released on February 23, 2024 via MNRK Music Group (formerly eOne Music).

On January 21, Ace shared a short "behind-the-scenes" look at the video shoot for "Walkin' On The Moon", and he included the following message: "CALLING ALL ALIENS!! Here's a snippet and first look behind-the-scenes of the shooting of the 'Walkin' On The Moon' music video. Can't wait to share this one with you! Thanks to Wreck'd Productions for the hospitality! #acefrehley #10Kvolts #walkinonthemoon #musicvideo #newmusic".

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 released the single "10,000 Volts" on November 28. The track's music video — directed by Alex Kouvatsos from Black Wolf Imaging — has garnered 850,000 views on YouTube.

"10,000 Volts" track listing:

01. 10,000 Volts
02. Walkin' On The Moon
03. Cosmic Heart
04. Cherry Medicine
05. Back Into My Arms Again
06. Fightin' For Life
07. Blinded
08. Constantly Cute
09. Life Of A Stranger
10. Up In The Sky
11. Stratosphere

In October, Frehley told Jeff Napier of Nuvo about "10,000 Volts": "It's probably the best record I've ever done. I'm very excited about it. It's the fIrst time I ended up writing most of these songs with a good friend of mine, Steve Brown. He used to play in TRIXTER and has a group called RUBIX KUBE. Anyway, we live 40 minutes from each other, and my fiancée Lara hooked us up. I'd met him several times over the years, but just briefly, but she knew him when she was in her twenties, and she said, 'You've gotta get together with Steve.' He's a great songwriter and guitar player. He sent me a song, and there was one line that just jumped out from his chorus, and it was 'Walkin' On The Moon'. So I said, 'Listen, let's get together and rewrite this song, and the hook will be 'Walkin' On The Moon',' because it wasn't the end of the chorus he had prepared. So, we rewrote the song, and it came out great. We were actually gonna call the album 'Walkin' On The Moon' until we recorded a song called '10,000 Volts', which came out amazing. I got Anton Fig, my old drummer, who played on my original '78 solo album and most of my solo stuff, to play drums on that. So, working with Steve has made a huge difference in my playing and writing because when he and I put our heads together, it just clicks. If I'm at a loss for a chord or a verse or a line, he comes up with it and vice versa, and within three or four hours, we write a song.

"So that's how the record's been going," Ace added. "Then, once you record the basic track, you gotta do the overdubs and double and triple the vocals, harmonies, and stuff. He's an excellent engineer. So I didn't have to pay an engineer to engineer this record. So I saved money on that, working with Steve as well, which is nice."

Asked if making "Origins Vol. 2", the sequel to his 2016 collection of cover songs that inspired the former KISS guitarist, affected the way he put together the new record, Frehley said: "It's one thing doing an 'Origins' record because you don't have to write the songs. Basically, I was picking songs that influenced me that were written by other people. So it's a lot easier to do than when you do a regular studio record where all the songs are original. On this record, all the songs are original except for one. I did one cover of a song called 'Life Of A Stranger', written by a gal named Nadia. When she did the song, it was Europop, and it was very sparsely recorded. I listened to it and loved the melody, and I loved the lyrics. I played it for Steve, and he said, 'We could kill this song with heavy drums and power chords and stuff and keyboards even.' It came out great. All the other songs did as well. There's really not a weak song on the record. Most people do a record, and they concentrate on three or four songs that they think might be singles, and then the rest of it is a lot of filler. But every song on this album I can hear on the radio. I hope DJs agree with me."

Frehley previously spoke about the recording process for his new album in March 2023 during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, the 72-year-old rocker marveled at the amount of material he was able to complete, saying: "Within six days I had written and recorded five new songs, which is unprecedented for me."

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

"Origins Vol. 2" featured cover versions of THE BEATLES' "I'm Down", DEEP PURPLE's "Space Truckin'", LED ZEPPELIN's "Good Times Bad Times", THE ROLLING STONES' "Jumpin' Jack Flash", THE KINKS' "Lola" and THE JIMI HENDRIX EXPERIENCE's "Manic Depression", among others. A cover of the 1975 KISS tune "She" also appeared as a bonus track. Guests on the set included CHEAP TRICK's Robin Zander, Lita Ford and former KISS guitarist Bruce Kulick.

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.

Goldin, the leading collectibles marketplace, has announced that its January Pop Culture Elite Auction will include a rare piece of rock and roll history with the sale of a BLACK SABBATH maple mahogany drum set. The set was used by Tommy Clufetos during the BLACK SABBATH reunion tour and has been called one of the most impressive stage-used drum kits in all of rock history. The nearly 30-piece kit, with bass drums that adorn the iconic BLACK SABBATH logo, also includes two 19-inch China cymbals and a 22-inch heavy ride.

Other unique items from musical legends include signed guitars by Slash, FOO FIGHTERS, WEEZER, GREEN DAY and dozens of others, and a Gene Simmons "God Of Thunder" stage-played, signed, inscribed Axe bass with the original signed carrying case, used at the Nutter Center in Dayton, Ohio, during KISS's 2016 "Freedom To Rock" tour.

The January Pop Culture Elite Auction is currently open and the items will be available for bidding through February 17.

Goldin is the leading marketplace for trading cards, collectibles and memorabilia. Founder Ken Goldin has sold more than $1.5 billion in memorabilia from many of the biggest names in sports, history, and pop culture. The company routinely sets records for the most expensive trading cards and other memorabilia ever sold. Lifelong collectors and new hobbyists alike trust Goldin because the company professionally authenticates everything it sells.

Goldin is the official auction partner of the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall Of Fame, The Major League Baseball Players Alumni Association and the Babe Ruth Birthplace And Museum.

Learn more at Goldin.com.

Clufetos worked with such rock icons as Ted Nugent, Alice Cooper and Rob Zombie before joining Ozzy Osbourne in 2010. That led to a spot as the drummer on BLACK SABBATH's last two world tours.

In a 2021 interview with Jason Saulnier, Clufetos was asked if he ever finds himself looking back on the fact that he played drums for BLACK SABBATH on the legendary heavy metal band's final tour. "I always feel blessed that I was lucky, I was honored to play with those guys 'cause they're a great musicians," he said. "But I don't look at it as — I was never a member. Once a gig's over, a gig's over. So I don't really live in the past concerning that; I always have to plow forward — as does everybody. I can't look back. I can appreciate it — that's not saying I don't appreciate it — but I'm also not gonna dwell on I played with BLACK SABBATH one time, because then you're living in the past. I've got many more years to move forward to continue my career and pay my bills. It doesn't mean that I don't love what I do, but it is my job, and it's my craft, and it's an ongoing thing to me. So that was that gig, and that ended, and now it's, what do you do next? It's always that."

He continued: "Every tour ends; every band ends eventually… To me, it's work. To, that works to me. And I'm working to be better, and I'm working to get better. Hopefully I'm a better drummer than [I was] then. And it's always been the process; I'm always chipping away at the stone. And my drums are right there. And after I get done with these interviews, I will go right there and play and see what else comes out of me going right there and playing. 'Cause everything has come out of me sitting at the drums trying to be the best that I can be."

Clufetos did not play on the SABBATH reunion album, "13", a role that was filled by RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE drummer Brad Wilk. Ozzy Osbourne told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that Clufetos was gong to play on the record until producer Rick Rubin stepped in.

Although original BLACK SABBATH drummer Bill Ward was initially announced as part of the reunion in late 2011, he dropped out within a couple of months, saying he was offered an "unsignable" contract.

The members of SABBATH were reportedly concerned that Ward's health would not hold up on the road and allegedly asked him to accept the use of a second drummer on tour, which he refused.

InsideOut Music has announce the signing of legendary DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess for a brand-new solo album to be released later in 2024. This announcement coincides with an exciting new collaboration between Jordan and Moises, an immersive AI-powered creation tool for musicians.

Jordan is currently putting the finishing touches to the album, which features renowned drummer Darby Todd (DEVIN TOWNSEND, THE DARKNESS) as well as classically trained vocalist Joe Payne (voted "Best Male Vocalist" two years running in the Prog magazine readers' poll) and is expected to release it in September 2024.

Jordan comments on the signing and forthcoming album: "I knew I was going to have some time off after the last DREAM THEATER tour ended. Enough time to, hopefully, complete a new solo album. I wanted this album to push me to evolve a new compositional perspective. So, this album is my inaugural voyage into crafting a solo album with a dedicated vocalist in mind. Joe Payne's vocals inspired me from the first time I heard him and drummer, Darby Todd, has infused each track with his distinctive style. I'm also stepping into uncharted instrumental territory, playing guitar on a few tracks. Another first, my daughter, Ariana, has penned all the lyrics for this album. We've worked closely together, ensuring that each lyric weaves a story and allows Joe's beautiful voice to soar. Proud Dad here. All around this album is a testament to collaboration and personal growth."

InsideOut Music label head Thomas Waber adds: "Having worked alongside Jordan with DREAM THEATER for several years now, we are extremely pleased to be releasing his forthcoming new solo album. Jordan is an artist always at the cutting edge of technology, and we look forward to exploring that with his new music."

As mentioned, this announcement coincides with an exciting new collaboration between Jordan Rudess and Moises under an ongoing series titled "Moises Jam Sessions". From today, users of the platform can hear the first taste of brand new music in the form of the track "Embers". Fans can use the app to remix the song, using the apps AI-powered tools like stem separation.

Jordan comments: "My passion for pushing boundaries in music and technology has always been fierce. It's this very passion that brought me to the incredible team at Moises. Their groundbreaking tools have become the cornerstone of my musical journey, powering my performances on stage and my in-studio explorations."

The track features Jordan alongside the aforementioned Darby Todd and Joe Payne, as well as a guest guitar solo by Bastian Martinez. Fans can expect to hear the track hit streaming services next month.

Renowned as the "Best Keyboardist Of All Time" by Music Radar magazine, Rudess stands out as the extraordinary keyboardist and multi-instrumentalist for the platinum-selling, Grammy Award-winning progressive rock band DREAM THEATER. Embarking on his musical journey as a classical prodigy, Jordan initiated his studies at the illustrious Juilliard School Of Music at the age of 9, laying the foundation for a career marked by a distinctive fusion of classical and rock influences.

Beyond his role in DREAM THEATER and the power group LIQUID TENSION EXPERIMENT, Jordan's musical prowess has resonated across a diverse spectrum of collaborations. From DEEP PURPLE and David Bowie to Steven Wilson and Jan Hammer, he has left an indelible mark on the industry. Notable projects such as LMR (his side venture with Tony Levin and Marco Minneman),Steven Wilson's BLACKFIELD, guest appearances with DEEP PURPLE and THE DIXIE DREGS and collaborations with artists like Enrique Iglesias, THE PAUL WINTER CONSORT, Annie Haslam, and many others, underscore the breadth of his musical reach.

Venturing into the realm of cutting-edge technology, Jordan has emerged as a pioneer with a focus on state-of-the-art keyboard controllers and music apps. As the owner of the highly successful iOS app development company Wizdom Music, he has spearheaded the creation of award-winning apps, including GeoShred, MorphWiz, SampleWiz, Vythm, Polywave, Jam With Jordan and SampleWiz 2. GeoShred, Wizdom Music's latest triumph, was a collaborative effort with moForte, founding members of Stanford University's Sondius team. Rudess is currently working on an AI interactive project as Visiting Artist at MIT's Media Lab in the Responsive Environments group.