Guitarist Thomas Zwijsen has released the new video below, featuring a cover of Metallica's "Enter Sandman", performed on classical acoustic guitar.





Zwijsen previously shared an acoustic guitar cover of Bruce Dickinson's new solo song, "Rain On The Graves". Check it out below:

Doom metal band, Distorted Reflection, have released a lyric video for "Cassandra", featuring Ross "The Boss" Friedman, and featured on the new album, Doom Rules Eternally, out February 9 via Iron Shield Records. Watch below.





Doom Rules Eternally tracklisting:




"Mr. Snake"
"Ring Of Fire"
"Colours"
"Dark Mermaid"
"Twilight Zone"
"Cassandra"
"Victim Of Fate"
"Ghosts Of Mind"
"The Eternal Gate"


"Cassandra" lyric video:

American singer David Reece, who fronted ACCEPT in the late '80s, will release a new solo album, "Baptized By Fire", on March 1, 2024 via El Puerto Records.

The official music video for the LP's first single, "Enemy Is Me", can be seen below.

With "Enemy Is Me", Reece sends a first hint at the musical direction of the new CD — much heavier than its two predecessors. The reviews so far immediately draw comparisons with ACCEPT — which was clear, given his musical history — and other heavy metal heavyweights.

"Enemy Is Me" showcases Reece's new band consisting of three Italians: Riccardo Demarosi, Niccolò and Giovanni Savinelli.

Track list:

01. Enemy Is Me
02. We've Lost The Fight
03. Wrong Move
04. Payback's A Bitch
05. No Rest For The Wicked
06. Twilight of the Gods
07. Seasons Of A Man
08. Closer To God
09. Archbishop Of Anarchy
10. My Heart Burns
11. Acceptance Of Denial
12. Tomorrow Don't Matter Today

Recording lineup:

David Reece - Vocals
Riccardo Demarosi - Bass
Niccolò Savinelli - Guitars
Giovanni Savinelli - Drums

Reece, who is based in Italy, was recruited for ACCEPT's "Eat The Heat" LP in 1989. His higher-pitched delivery was in sharp contrast to original ACCEPT singer Udo Dirkschneider's distinctive style, and overall, the album was a critical and commercial disappointment. Midway through the "Eat The Heat" tour, differences between the band and Reece had come to a head, leading to the altercation between the singer and bassist Peter Baltes in Chicago. By the end of 1989, ACCEPT had hung it up.

Asked by Via Nocturna 2000 YT how he looks back on his time with ACCEPT, Reece said: "Well, I can be blatantly honest — it was super positive and super negative, but I wouldn't be speaking with you right now if I hadn't done that album. The doors were opened; the floodgates happened. The critics hated me. Some loved me. But I have to be honest and say that was an opportunity of a lifetime. I did the best I could. I have no animosity towards those guys. I don't care what they're doing; they don't care what I'm doing; but I'm grateful for the opportunity. It speaks volumes as a singer that I was chosen over 50 people to be the guy. It was a difficult job."

David went on to say that his association with ACCEPT landed him a call from JUDAS PRIEST after the latter band parted ways with Rob Halford. "At that time I could really sing like that," he said. "It was myself, Ralf Scheepers [PRIMAL FEAR] and Ripper Owens; [we] were the top three guys. So they chose Ripper. But they were contacting me six months later: 'Come over to England and let's jam.' So, obviously, it did a lot for me in a positive way."

According to Reece, he looks back on "Eat The Heat" fondly. "I mean, everybody has an album they regret, but if you regret an album, maybe you're not thinking clearly about the personal turmoil that was going on during the album," he explained. "That could affect how you think about it. And I've gotten to my old, mature state where I can go, 'That's pretty damn good.' I still play 'X-T-C' and 'D-Train' and 'Hellhammer' live, and 'Generation Clash', and people go crazy. So those songs are timeless for people."

In January 2021, guitarist Wolf Hoffmann called "Eat The Heat" "a dark time in our history of ACCEPT. I would say that all of the '90s were very difficult and very dark in a way, and I don't even like to think about it so much," he told Hardrock Haven. "If only you journalist guys didn't constantly ask me about it, I would never even think about it. [Laughs] 'Cause it was just a time when heavy metal was going through a very dark period. The traditional sound was out of style and nobody wanted to listen to it, so it was sort of searching for a new direction — especially in the '90s. 'Eat The Heat' came out at the beginning of that era and it was meant to be a new chapter, but it's just never panned out because basically everything went wrong with that album. And it's just something you go through in life. I don't see why I still have to defend myself in a way… People always ask me this question almost in a provocative way, as if I have to defend myself about this album. It's ridiculous… It's almost like people have to apologize that they like it."

He continued: "There's something about this album that rubs a lot of people the wrong way and they have such a strong opinion about it… It's sometimes laughable. In my mind, it had some fantastic songs but it was just never executed properly, and it was not meant to be. But over the years, I've met so many fans who said exactly the same thing, 'Man, I really wanna apologize, but I really like this album… I know nobody likes it, but I think it's great.' And I think that's so bizarre. If you like it, you like it. It's so strange that people are so opinionated about it.

"It's just music," Wolf explained. "You can like it or not, but it's not more than that. In any case, it wasn't the period of time that I like to even think about much, 'cause it was very difficult."

Reece has also played with BONFIRE and BANGALORE CHOIR.

Elusive Disc has launched the pre-order for April 12 released of the super limited edition translucent blue double LP edition of Thin Lizzy's  1983 album, Life Live.


Life Live is absolutely one of the finest rock albums of all time, and one of the best live albums ever recorded. Capturing the band at its very best, Life Live was a stunning farewell to these incredible hard rockers helmed by the late great Phil Lynott, which would ultimately be their final recordings.


This amazing tour masterwork features all of the key members of the band over the years, including stellar guitar performances from charter members Scott Gorham, Brian Robertson, Eric Bell and the late great Gary Moore. Friday Music is very pleased to present Thin Lizzy's Life Live album on striking clear blue vinyl, packaged in the original gatefold cover with photos of the band during this historic final tour.




Produced by Phil Lynott & Thin Lizzy, this amazing masterpiece is also impeccably mastered by Joe Reagoso (Thin Lizzy) from the Warner Records tapes, featuring live performances like "The Boys Are Back in Town," "Waiting for An Alibi," "Don't Believe a Word" and "Holy War."


Pre-order here.


Features


- 40th Anniversary Limited Ediiton
- Double LP
- Translucent Blue Vinyl
- Mastered by Joe Reagoso from the Warner Records Tapes
- Original Gatefold Cover





Tracklisting:


LP1:
"Thunder & Lightning"
"Waiting For An Alibi"
"Jailbreak"
"Baby Please Don't Go"
"Holy War"
"Renegade"
"Hollywood (Down On Your Luck)"
"Got To Give It Up"
"Angel Of Death"
"Are You Ready"


LP2:
"The Boys Are Back In Town"
"Cold Sweat"
"Don't Believe A Word"
"Killer On The Loose"
"The Sun Goes Down"
"Emerald"
"Roisin Dubh (Black Rose) A Rock Legend"
"Still In Love With You"
"The Rocker"

In a new interview with the "Appetite For Distortion" podcast, SAXON frontman Biff Byford was asked what he does to take care of his singing voice while on the road. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't really do any vocal exercises, to tell you the truth. I just sing. I don't go in for the singing in the dressing room and making everybody go nuts. I don't do all that. So I just go out and sing, really. I mean, our music is a vocal exercise on its own, so it's all right."

Regarding how his singing voice has become different over the last five decades, Biff said: "I think my voice has become better over the years, actually. I think I have more power now in the lower register than I used to have before. But, yeah, I don't know why. [I've been] lucky, I suppose."

As for how he keeps himself in physical shape for performing live, Biff said: "Yeah. I sort of try and get my stamina, do bit a bit of exercising. I'm starting to do it now, actually. I just started to exercise more and do more physically, just to get the stamina built up. So, yeah, I've been going on a diet and generally trying to get myself back in shape for the road."

SAXON released its 24th studio album, "Hell, Fire And Damnation", on January 19 via Silver Lining Music.

Produced by Andy Sneap (JUDAS PRIEST, EXODUS, ACCEPT) and Byford, with Sneap mixing and mastering, "Hell, Fire And Damnation" strides the perfect line between confident, current power, and gloriously irreverent flexing of the New Wave Of British Heavy Metal muscle which SAXON co-created.

2024 promises to be a great year for SAXON, with the European tour alongside JUDAS PRIEST and URIAH HEEP kicking off in the U.K. in March, the arrival of the heavy metal masterpiece "Hell, Fire And Damnation" and the recently announced co-headline U.S. tour with URIAH HEEP titled "Hell, Fire & Chaos - The Best Of British Rock & Metal".

Early last year, SAXON guitarist Paul Quinn announced that he was stepping back from touring with the band. As a result of his decision, SAXON canceled its April 2023 South American tour as well as the appearance at the Monsters Of Rock cruise. Quinn has since been replaced on the road by DIAMOND HEAD's Brian Tatler.

Brian has already joined fellow guitarist Doug Scarratt, drummer Nigel Glockler, bassist Tim "Nibbs" Carter and Byford for several European shows but will continue to be a member of DIAMOND HEAD.

Byford and Quinn are the sole remaining original members in SAXON's current lineup.

Originally from South Yorkshire, England, SAXON has gone on to sell about 23 million albums and has produced such classic songs as "Denim And Leather", "Princess Of The Night", "Wheels Of Steel" and "Power And Glory".

In a new interview with AZCentral.com, Sammy Hagar discussed his upcoming summer 2024 tour with bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham that will focus largely on the music of VAN HALEN. Support on "The Best Of All Worlds" trek will come from LOVERBOY. Sammy said: "Well, Michael Anthony and I, you know, we've been doing this [SAMMY HAGAR AND THE] CIRCLE thing. We play about an hour of VAN HALEN and we play about 45 minutes to an hour of my stuff, MONTROSE and everything.

"We're gonna kind of just really go heavy on VAN HALEN," he explained. "Play four or five of Sammy's greatest hits. You know, 'One Way To Rock', 'Heavy Metal', 'I Can't Drive 55', 'Mas Tequila', songs you've gotta play. One MONTROSE, a CHICKENFOOT and a whole lot of VAN HALEN, the whole catalog.

"I mean, we're gonna go back into the early years for three or four songs, sprinkle 'em in there, because I'm calling it not just 'The Best Of All Worlds Tour', I'm calling it the 'Thank You' tour. For me it's thank you. Thank you, Eddie [Van Halen]. Thank you to the fans. Thank you for this wonderful life, being able to do this, because I don't know how much longer I can do it.

"Mike and I, 20 years ago, did a reunion. And it's been 20 years this year. I'm going, I don't have another 20 years to be waiting on Alex Van Halen, who's the only guy left. So he didn't want to do it? You know, he, I guess, just doesn't like playing without his brother. Don't blame him. God bless him. So I'm saying, 'I'm getting Joe Satriani, Michael Anthony and Jason Bonham, who his dad was Alex's hero.' Jason plays just like his dad. So it's pretty much the music is gonna be served as good as it can be served today."

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

Last November, Hagar told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that an attempt was made to see if Alex would be interested in taking part in "The Best Of All Worlds" prior to getting Bonham involved. "A hundred percent," he said. "Jason insisted upon, 'I will not say yes to do this thing until at least you get… Alex says yes or no.' Alex hasn't returned my call for five years. I've called, I've left messages, I've left texts, I've left e-mails.

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

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

Sammy previously talked about the upcoming tour during an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" on November 13, 2023. "It's time. Nobody else is gonna do it," Sammy stated about performing songs from different eras of VAN HALEN. "If Dave [Lee Roth] goes out, he can't sing my stuff. [But] we can do a few of the early VAN HALEN songs. I have no problem with that; I did it when I was in VAN HALEN. This is really a celebration of all that, and we are the only ones who can do it."

Sammy continued: "We're gonna invite every musician in every town. First of all, whenever you play, if there's a guitar player in town, no matter what city it is, they come out to see Joe, just like they used to for Eddie [Van Halen]. So if we've got other guitar players, we'll get them involved, other singers, get them involved. If Alex Van Halen wants to jump up, if David Lee Roth wants to come out and join us, come on, motherfucker. You are welcome. This is about VAN HALEN."

Asked by Howard Stern what the odds are that Alex Van Halen would show up on the tour and "maybe join the celebration of his brother", Hagar said: "I would hope so. I reach out to Al about once a month for about five years now, and he doesn't get back to me… I call, I leave a voice message, I send a text and I send an e-mail. All three things. 'Al, give me a call.' Al's favorite line to me was always, every time he wanted to get back together, he would say, 'You know, Sam, we ain't getting any younger.' So I'd say, 'Hey, Al, we ain't getting any younger. Give me a call. Let me know. What do you wanna do? Come on over. Let's get together. Mike and I'll meet you somewhere.'"

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

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

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

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

Produced by Live Nation, the 28-date "The Best Of All Worlds" tour will commence on July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida and will conclude on August 31 in St. Louis, Missouri.

"We're gonna go deep into the VAN HALEN catalog," Hagar told "The Howard Stern Show". "If you're gonna go deep into the VAN HALEN catalog, you need Joe Satriani."

Although Hagar and Anthony normally play five or six VAN HALEN songs" on the road with THE CIRCLE, Sammy told Stern they are planning to only play "five or six of my songs" alongside VAN HALEN classics and deep cuts.

"When we go out next year in July, it will be almost exactly 20 years since Mike and I did a reunion with Ed and Al in '04," Hagar said. "Mike and I just said, 'We can't wait another 20 years. How long can I even sing these songs? How long can I do this stuff? I just thought it's time to serve the fans."

"There's stuff we're going to do on this next tour that we haven't played since that tour in 2004," Anthony added.

Regarding the challenge of learning legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen's parts, Satriani said: "There are things that are so iconic, you have to nail it. But if you go deep with what he did live, he never played the same thing twice. He kept evolving; he kept pushing. He'd do the recorded version a little bit, but then he moved on.

"It's a daunting task when you do the deep dive into what he did," he continued. "But it's good to start at the beginning, and then you just learn all his little improvs and you get the idea of what he was trying to do. It's thrilling; it's fun."

Photo credit: Timothy Norris

Professionally filmed video of Elegant Weapons's full show at Resurrection Fest on June 29, 2023 in Viveiro, Spain can be viewed below.


Elegant Weapons is comprised of Richie Faulkner (Judas Priest) on guitar, Ronnie Romero (Rainbow, MSG) on vocals, Dave Rimmer (Uriah Heep) on bass, and Christopher Williams (Accept) on drums.


Setlist:




"Do or Die"
"Blind Leading the Blind"
"Horns for a Halo"
"Dirty Pig"
"Downfall Rising"
"Bitter Pill"
"War Pigs" (Black Sabbath)





In May 2023, Elegant Weapons released their debut full-length, Horns For A Halo (produced by Faulkner’s Judas Priest bandmate, Andy Sneap and featuring album performances by Pantera’s Rex Brown and Judas Priest's Scott Travis), via Nuclear Blast Records.


Check out this official interview featuring all four members:





Order the Horns For A Halo album here.





Tracklisting:


"Dead Man Walking"
"Do Or Die"
"Blind Leading The Blind"
"Ghost Of You"
"Bitter Pill"
"Lights Out"
"Horns For A Halo"
"Dirty Pig"
"White Horse"
"Downfall Rising"


"Horns For A Halo" video:





“Do Or Die” video:





"Blind Leading The Blind" video:

For over 30 years, John 5 has been one of the most in-demand guitar players on the planet. As well being as a songwriter/guitarist for hire, John 5 has shared the stage as axe-man for Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson and Rob Halford. He has also worked with an impressive array of names, from all walks of music, including KD Lang, Rod Stewart, David Lee Roth, Alice Cooper, Tina Guo, Lynyrd Skynyrd, Meatloaf, Dolly Parton, and Ricky Martin.


In October 2022, it was announced that John 5 would be joining Mötley Crüe as their guitarist following the announcement that Mick Mars would be retiring. Currently on a solo tourthrough the US, part of John 5's show includes an 8-minute instrumental medley of Mötley Crüe songs. Check out the Las Vegas, NV performance at Count's Vamp'd on January 28th below.







Tour dates:


February
1 - St. Charles, IL - Arcada Theater
2 - Turtle Lake, WI - St. Croix Casino
3 - Green Bay, WI - Epic Events Center
4 - Kansasville, WI - 1175 Event Center
6 - Angola, IN - The Eclectic Room
7 - Harrison, OH - The Blue Note
8 - Cleveland, OH - The Winchester Music Tavern
9 - Flint, MI - Machine Shop
10 - Columbus, OH - The King of Clubs
12 - Pittsburgh, PA - Jergel's Rhythm Grille
13 - Lititz, PA - Mickey's Black Box
14 - Derry, NH - Tupelo Music Hall
15 - NYC, NY - Gramercy Theater
19 - Leesburg, VA - Tally Ho Theater
20 - Greenville, SC - Radio Room
21 - Atlanta, GA - The Loft @ Centerstage
23 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
24 - Dallas, TX - Granada Theater
25 - Tulsa, OK - The Shrine
27 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
28 - Albuquerque, NM - Sunshine Theater
29 - Mesa, AZ - The Nile


March
1 - San Diego, CA - The Observatory North Park


 





 

Speaking exclusively to Rock Candy magazine as part of an in-depth 14-page cover story, founding member and much-loved guitarist Ace Frehley explained to writer Andrew Daly why he never made it on stage one last time with KISS for their final show at Madison Square Garden last December after last leaving the band back in 2002.

"Fans would constantly reach out to me and say, 'Ace, please come back to the band,'" Frehley explained. "So the fans were and are my primary motivators, and I want them to know that I did try, but I couldn't make it happen. They never asked me."

Frehley dismisses the idea that his well-documented troubles with drugs and alcohol could ever have been a reason for former bandmates and KISS leaders Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley not reaching out to him.

"I'm sober, and all my friends and associates will tell you as much," he stated categorically. "I got to the point in life where drugs and alcohol had taken me over, and I'm just so happy to be away from all that."

Despite the much-reported rifts with Simmons and Stanley over many years, nevertheless Frehley insists that he still has affection for both of them.

"I want people to know that I do love Paul and Gene," he said. "I wish things would have been different, but it wasn't to be…" Nor does Frehley hold any animosity towards his replacement Tommy Thayer.

"He's a good guy and deserves a break," Ace said. "He's not me, but he was never going to be me. In a lot of ways, his task was impossible."

With a new solo album, "10,000 Volts", on the way, Frehley is excited about his future away from the band that made him a star.

"My new music will be a smash hit," he insisted. "The checks might not be flying in, but I'm satisfied with what I'm doing musically. I can wake up each day and know that my soul is mine… I got my soul and my music back."

You can read Rock Candy's 14-page Ace Frehley special, together with many other fascinating stories about MEGADETH, FOGHAT, MADAM X, DAMN YANKEES and more in issue 42 of the magazine.

For more details, visit www.rockcandymag.com.

Rock Candy is a 100-page, full-color bi-monthly rock magazine, created in the U.K. It covers the sights, sounds and smells from the greatest era in hard rock music, the '70s and '80s. It is the brainchild of respected U.K. rock journalists Derek Oliver, Howard Johnson and Malcolm Dome — all frontline writers for the legendary Kerrang! magazine in the golden era.

This past November, prior to KISS's final concert, Frehley told Mark Strigl of SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard that he didn't hold a grudge against KISS, despite all the badmouthing that had gone on between him and some of the other original KISS members in recent years.

"I wish KISS the best, all the best on their final shows for the 'End Of The Road' tour," he said. "There's really no hard feelings. We say things sometimes in the heat of passion or sometimes our memory isn't… [we don't] recall things. But I love those guys. We're all getting old, our memory isn't what it used to be, so I just let it roll off my back."

Also in November, Simmons lamented the absence of Frehley and Criss at KISS's final shows, telling 519 Magazine: "I feel sad. I feel sad and angry that both Ace and Peter aren't here. I mean, they're alive, but they're not here to enjoy this unbelievable journey with us. They were there at the beginning and deserve all the credit. And when they look in the mirror, the only reason they're not here with us is themselves.

"Inviting them was as much for the fans as it was for us. KISS has always been about the whole, not the individual. It would've been fitting to have all of us there, one last time."

Last June, Gene was asked by Barbara Caserta of Linea Rock about the possibility of Ace and Peter making guest appearances at the band's last-ever concerts in early December at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He responded: "For the fans — the older, older fans — the ones who've been around for 50 years, they're old, and some of them wanna see Ace and Peter. The newer fans never saw them and they don't know. But the older fans wonder about Ace and Peter. Well, I asked both Ace and Peter a few times: 'Do you wanna come out for the encores? Do you wanna do some shows?' And they both said 'no.' So, I don't know what to say about that… But it's always welcome. But there are many other big stars, superstars, who wanna jump up onstage and play a song. But we're not sure about that. Maybe the best thing to do is to end the way we started: four guys with guitars. No keyboards, no synthesizers — nothing. Just playing."

Nine months ago, Frehley told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was still open to playing with KISS at the band's final shows in New York City. "Money motivates me, just like it motivates them, but I don't put money before God," he explained. "If I got a quarter of a million dollars a night, and I can make half a million dollars for playing three or four songs, five songs, I'd take the money. [I'd] buy a Ferrari… buy a Maserati. [Laughs] I don't really wanna play with those guys ever again after what they've done, but money can change my mind."

Frehley continued: "Look, I'm a capitalist. I grew up in America. But I'd never put money before people's feelings. I like money as much as the next guy does, but money isn't my God, like it is theirs. They're all atheists. Whatever they can do or say, whether it's true or false, as long as it makes them the most amount of money, they're gonna do [it]."

Ace also addressed the issue of whether he would perform with KISS at the band's final concerts while wearing his trademark "Spaceman" makeup — the same makeup his replacement Tommy Thayer has been sporting for more than two decades. "Sure. For a quarter of a million dollars," he said, explaining that "I'm a good-looking guy. I don't need the makeup."

When Trunk pressed Ace about what he thinks the odds were of him playing with KISS at the final concerts in New York, Frehley said: "It all depends on money. If I get a formal invitation with a check, I'll be there. But they've gotta have deep pockets… If they don't wanna pay me, I won't be there, ladies and gentleman."

Ace also once again confirmed that he had never received a formal invitation to join his former bandmates at their last-ever shows. "Absolutely not," he said. "From what I understand, the shows are sold out. The only reason they sold out is they made innuendos that me and Peter were gonna be there, [that] they invited us. I wasn't invited. They lie all the time. Haven't they said, 'We're inviting Ace and Peter to come up and play?' Or at least me? Multiple times. So, people bought the tickets. But I haven't been given a formal invitation or given an offer monetarily. And I'm probably not gonna get one now after this interview. And guess what: I don't give a shit."

Despite everything that has been said between all the parties, Ace claimed that he still looks back fondly on his time with KISS and he doesn't hate his former bandmates.

"Look, the bottom line is this: deep down in my heart, I love those guys, because we created something so special that it will be remembered for years," he said. "When we're all dead and buried, there will still be people listening to KISS music. And I'm overjoyed. But I want my legacy to be cleared of any of this bullshit and lies."

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but had since been extended to late 2023. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".

In a June 2022 interview with Finland's Chaoszine, Simmons was asked if Frehley and Peter would have any involvement in KISS's final concerts. He responded: "We've tried. I keep trying. Paul and I met with Ace, trying to convince him to come back. He said, 'I want this. I want that.' Well, we can't do that. I asked Ace and Peter to be in the documentary ['Biography: KISStory', which premiered on A&E in June 2021]. They said no. They might do it if they have complete control of the edit. I said, 'We can't do that, because even we don't have that. But I won't control what you say; you can say whatever you want.' The answer is no — both of them. I asked Ace and Peter, 'Come out on tour. We'll get you your own room and everything. Come out on the encores.' Ace said, 'No. The only way I'll come out is if I'm the Spaceman and you ask Tommy [Thayer, KISS's current guitarist] to leave.' I go, 'Well, that's not gonna happen.' First of all, I care about Ace, but he's not in shape — he can't play that way and doesn't have the physical stamina to do that…

"Look, we care about them," Gene added. "We started this thing together and they were equally important to the beginning of the band with Paul and I — no question. But as time went on… Not everybody is designed to run a marathon. Some people are designed to be in a band for a year or two, or a few years, and then that's all they can do. And both of them have been in the band three different times. How many chances in life do you get? All I know is when I put my hand in fire the first time, I got burnt; I didn't get a second or third chance.

"So, the answer is the door's always open," Simmons said. "If they wanna jump on stage at any time and do the encores with us, terrific. But no, we're not gonna get rid of Tommy or Eric [Singer, current KISS drummer]. In fact, Tommy and Eric are the best things that happened to us. They gave us new life [and] new appreciation for what we do because they were fans first. And every once in a while, Eric or Tommy will turn around and say, 'Wow! Isn't this great?' And it makes us realize, 'Yeah! Wow! Isn't this great?'"

Gene was also asked if he saw any of the video footage from the May 2022 Creatures Fest in Nashville where Criss, Frehley and fellow former KISS members Vinnie Vincent and Bruce Kulick all performed. He responded: "Somebody showed me about 30 seconds, yeah. It was very sad. I felt sad for Peter… When I called to invite Peter to be in the documentary, his health isn't what it should be. I don't wanna get too specific because it's part of his private life. But no, physically, he wouldn't be able to do it. Neither would Ace."

Judas Priest recently released "Crown Of Horns", the third single from their upcoming Invincible Shield album, due for release on March 8. Check out the official video for the song below.





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




Invincible Shield can be pre-ordered here.





Tracklisting:


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


"Panic Attack" video:





"Trial By Fire" video:





Invincible Shield album trailer:





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


Tour dates:


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


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


* Not a Live Nation Date
^ Festival Performance

Ponte Del Diavolo are blessed with a taste for the dark arts. These Italians weld doom and black metal into a sleek but towering force that's just as cruel as the infamously steep bridge that medieval peasants has to cross on the way to their home country.


The band teased then danced with the devil on their previous two singles. Today, they're pulling back the curtain on the more depraved part of their aesthetic.


Watch the bloody and burbling visualizer for "Nocturnal Veil", which was created by Daniele Brancaccio.




"Nocturnal Veil" billows with gloomy clarinet. But the band's new single really shows off their bad side. Cymbals clank like chains through a pitch-black dungeon, while the riffs crack with the patient speed of a whip or the pointed finger of a siren. 


"Everything is nothing", Erba Del Diavolo chants, calling you into the void. Her croon is bewitching, beguiling and all-too-inviting.


"Let yourself be carried away by a dark mantra that brings with it images of annihilation," says Ponte Del Diavolo. "Immensity overwhelms us, we are null."


Fire Blades From The Tomb is out February 16 via Season Of Mist.


Available formats:


- Digital Download
- Deluxe CD Digipak
- 12" Vinyl Gatefold - Black
- 12" Coloured Vinyl Gatefold - Gold & Black Marbled


Pre-save here, pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Covenant"
"Red As The Sex Of She Who Lives In Death"
"La Razza"
"Nocturnal Veil"
"Zero"
"The Weeping Song"


"Nocturnal Veil" video:





"Covenant" video:





"Demone" video:





Lineup:


Elena Camusso (as Erba Del Diavolo) - Vocals
Alessio Caruso (as Krhura) - Bass
Andrea l'Abbate (as Kratom) - Bass
Stefano Franchina (as Segale Cornuta) - Drums
Rocco Scuzzarella (as Nerium) - Guitars


Guest musicians:


Andrea l'Abbate - Synth on "Covenant"
Lucynine - Theremin on "Covenant"
Vittorio Sabelli - Clarinet on "Covenant", "Red As The Sex Of She Who Lives In Death" & "Nocturnal veil"
Davide Straccione - Vocals on "The Weeping Song"

On January 30, 1973, KISS performed their very first concert at Popcorn (The Coventry) in Queens, NY. The legendary rockers did two sets at the club that night for a crowd of around 10 people.


KISS co-founder Gene Simmons recalls how the show came about on kissonline.com:


“1973 was the beginning.




“Wicked Lester had just finished its album for Epic Records. There were five members in the band, including Paul [Stanley] and myself. Though we had a real recording contract with a major label, and though we had finished an entire album, we were depressed. It just wasn't what we had envisioned.


“So, we started again. We tried firing the other three guys in Wicked Lester, but some wouldn't leave. So, we quit.


“We started again with a vision. 'Let's put together the band we never saw on stage.'


“We got a manager named Lou Linet, who managed JF Murphy And Free Flowing Salt and Diana Marcovitz (or something like that)...and when he heard the newborn baby -- KISS. He thought it was the worst crap he had ever heard. Needless to say, he was gone immediately. So, we were managerless.


“I put together a bio kit, while I worked at the Puerto Rican Interagency Council, as assistant to the Director. Peter's [Criss, original drummer] friend owned a printing press and printed up our invites.


“But, where to play? We didn't have a manager. We didn't have an agent. We never had.


“I made a phone call cold to a place called Popcorn in Queens, NY and on the phone convinced the guy to hire a band, who would soon be changing their name from Wicked Lester to KISS.


“We got the gig -- three nights -- Wednesday, Thursday and Friday for the sum total of $150.


“That was the beginning.”


KISS made the announcement they would continue as digital avatars at the end of their final show, on December 2, 2023 at New York City's Madison Square Garden. Some fans were not impressed.


Speaking exclusively to Ultimate Classic Rock, Paul Stanley wants to assure their fans that the idea still has plenty of kinks to be ironed out.


"One thing that's interesting is people, I think, perhaps even understandably, got the wrong impression initially of the avatars," Paul tells UCR. "Because at the Garden shows, we wanted to give people a glimpse of some of the things, or one of the things, that's to come. But the avatars are really in their infancy. They're far from where they'll end up in terms of look and purpose. The purpose, ultimately, is not that we're being replaced by flying avatars. It's just another way of diversifying what KISS is."


This wasn't the first time that KISS has polarized fans with an announcement. "Quite honestly, many times in the last 50 years, people have scratched their heads about what our plans were," Stanley says. "And nine out of 10 times they've been successful, and other people have followed. So that's nothing really new."


Read more at Ultimate Classic Rock.


Last month, KISS released the short video below, announcing that the first avatar show will take place in 2027.


A message states: "50 years is a long time, and what the future holds is in the making."

AC/DC's "Back In Black" video has officially topped a billion views on YouTube.

The clip, which was uploaded to YouTube in November of 2012, marks AC/DC's second song to reach the milestone, after "Thunderstruck" hit one billion views in 2021.

In December 2019, "Back in Black" was certified by the Recording Industry Association Of America for U.S. shipments of 25 million copies.

"Back in Black" first went platinum in October 1980 and had previously been certified 22 times platinum in December 2007. The RIAA lists "Back In Black" as the fourth biggest-selling album of all time.

On July 25, 1980, AC/DC released "Back In Black" in the U.S., followed by the album's U.K. release on July 31. It was the band's first album without lead singer Bon Scott, who had died a few months earlier after passing out and choking on his own vomit following a long night of drinking.

The group quickly decided to press on and hired Brian Johnson from the band GEORDIE to take over on vocals, and they headed to the Bahamas for about six weeks to do the album. AC/DC had made some serious headway in America before Scott's death, but no one knew how "Back In Black" would be received.

Johnson told The Pulse of Radio that he didn't have a clue how successful "Back In Black" would turn out to be. "I'd just melted me brain in there, and I didn't know if it was good or bad," he said. "That was the first time I'd been in the Bahamas, anyway, or near America, you know, and you (have to) remember, I was just fascinated by the whole culture and all, and I had no idea what the hell I was doing! And (laughs) lucky, really — I was a bit lucky, I think."

"Back In Black" included the singles "You Shook Me All Night Long", which peaked at No. 35 on the Billboard Hot 100, and "Back In Black", which peaked at No. 37.

Despite its massive success, it never got higher than No. 4 on the album charts. The band's next album, "For Those About To Rock", reached No. 1.

"Back In Black" was produced by Robert "Mutt" Lange, who went on to produce DEF LEPPARD, FOREIGNER, THE CARS, and BRYAN ADAMS.

In 2012, "Back In Black" was added to The Recording Academy's legendary Grammy Hall Of Fame collection.

In 2020, AC/DC launched a range of new merchandise to celebrate the 40th anniversary of "Back In Black".

Svalbard have released a video for their track “To Wilt Beneath The Weight”, taken from their breathtaking latest studio album The Weight Of The Mask. The track is a combative clincher to the record, acknowledging the dark reality of personal demons and the fight against them. The video beautifully captures Svalbard's highly-charged performance of the track at Cult Of Luna's Beyond The Redshift festival in London last year.


To celebrate the release of The Weight Of The Mask, Svalbard recently announced a UK and European tour for March, with Norwegian psychedelic proggers Enslaved and American metal band Wayfarer. 







Svalbard's Serena Cherry commented:


"We filmed this live video at The O2 Forum in London, which is the very same place that I saw one of my first ever metal shows! (It was Mudvayne!) The feeling of walking out onto that stage where I have seen so many inspiring metal musicians play was surreal. Truly one of those 'pinch me' moments. To have this wonderful memory of performing at Beyond the Redshift is very special to me, it was one of those awesome festivals where you get to watch and meet so many fantastic artists. 


“‘To Wilt Beneath The Weight’ is about the pressures and sacrifices you make as a touring musician. The lyrics explore the strain it can put on relationships and the challenging times that come with being away so often. This song features my favorite Svalbard lyric, which is "grit your teeth when they've just been broken." Which represents the determination against all odds to keep persevering with your passions.


It also features the lyric I find the most painful, which is: ‘completely at the mercy of every form of insincerity.’ Every time I scream that line on stage I choke up because it feels so raw and real."





Dates:


March
6 - Islington Assembly Hall - London, UK
7 - Brudenell Social Club - Leeds, UK
8 - Club Academy - Manchester, UK
9 - Slay - Glasgow, UK
10 - Opium - Dublin, Ireland
12 - Cacaofabriek - Helmond, Netherlands
13 - La Machine - Paris, France
14 - Geneva PTR/l’ Usine - Geneva, Switzerland
15 - Victoire 2 - Montpellier, France
16 - Legend - Milan, Italy
18 - Futurum - Prague, Czech Republic
19 - Szene - Vienna, Austria
21 - Club Volta - Cologne, Germany
22 - Taubchenthal - Leipzig, Germany
23 - Hole44 - Berlin, Germany
24 - Proxima - Warsaw, Poland

Greta Van Fleet has released a video performing the Starcatcher track “Meeting The Master” live from RCA Studio A.





Greta Van Fleet recently announced the extension of their Starcatcher World Tour with the addition of 12 new dates throughout the US this year.




The 2024 leg, produced by Live Nation, kicks off on Saturday, April 27 in St. Louis, with stops in Kansas City, Austin, Pittsburgh and Milwaukee (full dates below).Tickets are on sale now.





Dates:


April
27 - St. Louis, MO -  Chaifetz Arena#
29 - Lincoln, NE - Pinnacle Bank Arena#


May
1 - Rogers, AR - Walmart Amp#
2 - Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center#
6 - Austin, TX - Moody Center#
8 - Huntsville, AL - Orion Amphitheater#
12 - North Charleston, SC - North Charleston Coliseum#
14 - Duluth, GA - Gas South Arena#
16 - Louisville, KY - KFC Yum! Center#
18 - Pittsburgh, PA - PPG Paints Arena#
19 - Grand Rapids, MI - Van Andel Arena#
21 - Milwaukee, WI - Fiserv Forum#


# with Geese


(Photo - Neil Krug)

Einar Solberg - frontman of Norwegian rock mavericks Leprous – released his debut solo album, 16, earlier this year. But back at the beginning of 2022, he took on an entirely different solo endeavour. For a special livestreamed performance, he reinterpreted the Leprous album, The Congregation in full, just piano and voice. Now that performance will see an official audio release as The Congregation Acoustic on February 16.


Today he is pleased to launch the video for his special performance of the track, "Within My Fence".


Einar comments: "If there's one song from our catalogue I'd make a bet that I'd never release an acoustic version of, it would be ‘Within My Fence’. Nothing about that song implies it would work as an acoustic version. To my big surprise it did, and it gave the song a whole other vibe and maybe also more depth?"







Einar comments on the release of The Congregation Acoustic: “I'm both super excited but also kind of terrified for me to release this live version of The Congregation. It's raw and unedited and exactly how I did it on my livestream. Usually all musicians these days (myself included) are used to fixIng stuff in post-production, but on this one we've done nothing! I think it's cool sometimes to dare to show a more fragile and less "perfect" side of yourself. The Congregation is probably the least suitable album we've ever done to make an acoustic version of, but I think it turned out surprisingly OK!"


The Congregation Acoustic will be released as a limited CD Digipak, Limited Gatefold 180g Black 2LP, and as Digital Album. The cover artwork was shot by Elena Sihida. Pre-order now here.





Tracklisting:


"The Price" (Live)
"Third Law" (Live)
"Rewind" (Live)
"The Flood" (Live)
"Triumphant" (Live)
"Within My Fence" (Live)
"Red" (Live)
"Slave" (Live)
"Moon" (Live)
"Down" (Live)
"Lower" (Live)


"The Flood" video:

HateSphere has released a video for "The Truest Form Of Pain", the fourth single taken from their latest album, Hatred Reborn, released in 2023 through Scarlet Records. Watch below:





Scarlet Records will release the yellow marbled vinyl version (300 copies) of HateSphere's Reduced To Flesh on February 16.




Originally released in 2018, Reduced To Flesh marked the return of the Danish dukes of thrash & death metal to the label that launched their career in the early 00's - a successful partnership recently renewed for the Hatred Reborn killer album - and the first vinyl run (black) went quickly sold out.





Pre-order here.


In February, HateSphere will embark in the Soundtrack Of Hate European tour as co-headliners with the mighty Mercenary. Dates below.





February
2 - Hamburg, Germany - Bambi Galore
3 - Kassel, Germany - Kulturzentrum Färberei
4 - Freiburg, Germany - Crash
5 - München, Germany - Backstage
7 - Vienna, Austria - Escape Metal Corner
8 - Frauenfeld, Switzerland - Eisenwerk
9 - St.Germain en Laye, France - La Clef St Germain en Laye
10 - Osnabrück, Germany - Bastard Club
11 - Diest, Belgium - Hell
13 - Haarlem, Netherlands - Patronaat
14 - Hengelo, Netherlands - Metropool
15 - Essen, Germany - Turock
16 - Heerlen, Netherlands - Nieuwe Nor
17 - Metz, France - Haunting The Chapel


HateSphere are:


Mathias Uldall - vocals
Peter Lyse Karmark - guitar
Kasper Kirkegaard - guitar
Jimmy Nedergaard - bass
Mike Park Nielsen - drums

Notorious and prolific Cleveland cult, Midnight, will unleash its sixth full-length, Hellish Expectations, on March 8 via Metal Blade Records.


One-man-army, Athenar, has been churning out an ungodly racket, dropping countless demos, splits, and EPs for over two decades, ultimately slaying the metal/punk underground with his own, highly addictive brand of lust, grime, and sleaze. Filthy, belligerent, and unapologetically obnoxious, Midnight makes music to start fights to and in 2024 Athenar returns with Hellish Expectations, a ten-track sonic assault of blackened heavy metal nefariousness.


"It’s a knuckle dragger with a fat cutoff,” elaborates Athenar, “Pure testosterone meat. Probably the most concise and straight to the point Midnight album to date, and all written in a weekend. The album was written on pure reaction upon leaving the studio after listening to raw tracks from the previous album Let There Be Witchery. The final mix of that album was good, but at the time of laying it down in the studio, I didn't like what I was hearing and demanded a new leviathan of an album to be written that weekend."




In advance of the official unveiling of Hellish Expectations, Midnight has dropped the record’s first single, album closer “F.O.A.L.” (aka “Fuck Off And Live”), alongside an accompanying video. Proclaims Athenar, "‘Fuck Off And Live’ is an ode to the people who peacefully want to die to escape the realities of life, while they should really live and suffer."


Watch the video below, and pre-order the new album here.





Tracklisting:


"Expect Total Hell"
"Gash Scrape"
"Masked And Deadly"
"Slave To The Blade"
"Dungeon Lust"
"Nuclear Savior"
"Deliver Us To Devil"
"Mercyless Slaughtor"
"Doom Death Desire"
"F.O.A.L."


"F.O.A.L." video: