GUNS N' ROSES unveiled the music video for their brand-new single "The General". The cinematic clip notably stands out as the band's first-ever artificial intelligence-powered music video.

The video for "The General" intercuts 20 live vignettes with an A.I.-animated psychedelic visual trip. Between the concert footage, it dives into the subconscious of a young boy who stares down the monsters of dark childhood memories, blurring worlds in the process. The result is unlike anything the band has done before and continues a longstanding historic tradition of bold visuals from GUNS N' ROSES.

To bring this vision to life, GUNS N' ROSES collaborated with Dan Potter — creative director of London-based creative studio Creative Works. This was a collaboration between real designers and artificial designers, and the inspiration came from within the band.

"The General" is the B-side of GUNS N' ROSES' limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single titled "Perhaps", which was made available for pre-order in August 2023.

GUNS N' ROSES performed "The General" live for the first time on November 2, 2023 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles. The track was introduced by singer Axl Rose as a song they hadn't played before and that "it could be very interesting."

Like "Perhaps", "The General" was written during the sessions for GUNS N' ROSES' "Chinese Democracy" album. It was previously talked about by ex-GN'R drummer Bryan "Brain" Mantia, who reportedly wrote some of the song's music and gave it its title, and former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach.

In a 2008 interview with Rolling Stone, Sebastian said that Axl told him that "The General", which was described as "a slow, grinding track," is the sequel to "Use Your Illusion II"'s "Estranged", that goes to the parable that Del James wrote of the trilogy. (James penned the short story that inspired the "November Rain" video).

Bach told Metal Edge magazine back in 2007: "One of my favorite songs is this song called 'The General', which is so... it's by far the heaviest metal tune I think I've ever heard Axl do, this slow, grinding riff with these high, piercing vocals, screaming vocals."

Like GUNS N' ROSES' 2021 singles "Hard Skool" and "Absurd", "Perhaps" was originally written and recorded during the sessions for "Chinese Democracy", and a rough demo version of the song had previously been leaked and uploaded to YouTube.

GUNS N' ROSES released a four-song EP, "Hard Skool", in February 2022. The effort, which was exclusive to the GUNS N' ROSES' official store, contained the two new songs the band released in 2021 — the title track and "Absurd" (stylized as "ABSUЯD") — as well as live versions of "Don't Cry" and "You're Crazy".

In September 2021, the guitarist and his bandmates dropped "Hard Skool", which came more than a month after their performance and subsequent official release of "Absurd", a reworking of GUNS N' ROSES previously unreleased "Silkworms".

According to Slash, several other older GUNS N' ROSES tracks have also been reworked during the pandemic. "There's a handful of those songs that we actually fixed up and did when we were in lockdown," he explained to "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "So those have yet to be released. So those are gonna come out. They're really good, too. So I'm excited for those. We're just gonna put out like one or two songs, and another one or two songs. And I think that's gonna be pretty much all of 'em. I'm not sure exactly how many we did in total."

When host Eddie Trunk noted that "Hard Skool" in particular was a strong cut, Slash said: "These other ones, they don't have the same kind of amount of history, 'cause I know 'Hard Skool' seriously has… [it] goes way back. But there's a couple of epic ones coming out, so I'm excited about that."

If and when it happens, the new GUNS N' ROSES studio album will be the first under the GUNS banner since "Chinese Democracy" and the first to feature Slash, Rose and bassist Duff McKagan since 1993.

Slash previously spoke about "Hard Skool", one of the first two songs he recorded with GUNS N' ROSES in more than 25 years, in February 2023 in an interview with Rolling Stone. At the time he said: "'Hard Skool', in essence, was a completed song when I was first introduced to it. And Duff and I went in and redid the bass and the guitars. It's a simple song, so it didn't take a hell of a lot of thought and analysis. I think it was a lot of fun just because it was part and parcel of a bunch of stuff that we were working on that was all sort of new — at least to Duff and I — so we had a good time."

In October 2021, Slash told Audacy Check In host Remy Maxwell that GUNS N' ROSES had yet to begin writing new material after releasing the two reworked songs from the "Chinese Democracy"-era sessions.

"As far as new GUNS is concerned, we haven't even gotten to that point of really in earnest sitting down and writing," Slash said. "We've been doing a lot of material that's been sort of sitting around for a while. So that will be a whole focused endeavor unto itself."

As for how "Hard Skool" and "Absurd" came about, Slash said: "They both have a lot of history. What happened was Axl has all these songs that he recorded at some point along the way. And so Duff and I went in and re-did them, basically… Like, I wrote my own kind of parts to what else is going on, and [we] just sort of took the drums and re-did everything else."

Written by Rose and co-produced by Rose and Caram Costanzo, "Hard Skool", which had the working title "Jackie Chan", was originally recorded during GN'R's "Chinese Democracy" era but was eventually omitted from that album. Short clips of the song were later posted online and a full version was leaked in August 2019.

On "Hard Skool", Axl sings: "But you had to play it cool, had to do it your way/Had to be a fool, had to throw it all away/Too hard school and you thought you were here to stay/ If that were true, it wouldn't matter anyway."

"Absurd" came out on August 6, 2021, three days after GUNS N' ROSES performed the tune live for the first time during its concert at Boston's Fenway Park.

GUNS N' ROSES last performed "Silkworms", which was also reportedly written during the "Chinese Democracy" sessions, in 2001.

Photo courtesy of The Oriel Company

Toxic misogyny, violence against women and incels are the latest target MINISTRY frontman Al Jourgensen takes aim at in the song "B.D.E." (a.k.a. "Big Dick Energy") out today, including a spellbinding music video that draws the line on the poisonous behavior seen in both politics and everyday life in 2024.

The song's whiplash riffs, barreling drums, punchy keys, and pummeling bass all come to a head in the thrash breakdown mid-song, putting the aggressive talents of Jourgensen and the full MINISTRY band — John Bechdel (keyboards),Monte Pittman and Cesar Soto (guitars),Roy Mayorga (drums) and Paul D'Amour (bass) — on full display.

Jourgensen says of the track: "The incel subsect and general misogynistic tendencies in our society are dangerous yet seem to fly under the radar so we figured it's time to shine a light on it. In true MINISTRY fashion, we battle it with sarcasm."

"B.D.E." follows the release of earlier singles "Just Stop Oil" and "Goddamn White Trash", which are taken from MINISTRY's upcoming album "Hopiumforthemasses", due on March 1 via Nuclear Blast Records. The three songs give a preview of the state of mind of Jourgensen who is cantankerous as ever about a fucked-up world ripe for a boot up its ass. Like always, he's merely looking around at the same dumpster fire we all are, but he's got a microphone and uses it well to rage on about the state of the world.

"Hopiumforthemasses" also has a slew of special guest contributors, including GOGOL BORDELLO's Eugene Hutz, longtime collaborator and LARD companion Jello Biafra and CORROSION OF CONFORMITY frontman Pepper Keenan.

"Just like you or anybody else, I'm simply a passenger in this lifetime," said Jourgensen. "I'm watching social changes, political changes, and economic changes, and I comment on them because I do have a First Amendment right. A lot of people say artists and athletes should shut up and play ball. No, I'm on this trip too. If I see something, I say something. That reflects on where each album goes. Instead of staying sedentary and singing about broken relationships, inner turmoil, or whatever is hurting this week, I comment on what's going on from the perspective of a fellow passenger."

"Hopiumforthemasses" track listing:

01. B.D.E.
02. Goddamn White Trash***
03. Just Stop Oil
04. Aryan Embarrassment**
05. TV Song 1/6 Edition
06. New Religion
07. It's Not Pretty
08. Cult of Suffering*
09. Ricky's Hand

* Featuring Eugene Hütz (GOGOL BORDELLO)
** Featuring Jello Biafra
***Featuring Pepper Keenan

"Hopiumforthemasses" will be available in three vinyl variants, a CD jewelcase and digital/streaming platforms. The vinyl variants include: green with yellow splatter (in stores everywhere); blue with pink splatter (nuclear blast exclusive); red with white splatter (band/tour exclusive).

Last June, Jourgensen told Yahoo! Entertainment 's Lyndsey Parker that he was close to putting MINISTRY to bed, more than 40 years after he launched the band in his former hometown of Chicago.

"My career is winding down with MINISTRY," Jourgensen said. "I'm gonna stop MINISTRY in an album or two. I have to. I have other things I wanna do."

He continued: "My public and my band are all in agreement that we are being shackled by… We are taking our genre to the farthest limits it can go, and we're happy with that. And we'll stop when it's time instead of keep going and trying to just recreate the same stuff. We keep trying to push further. So, I figure there's only maybe one more MINISTRY album to go. Maybe two, but probably one."

Jourgensen added: "I have other things to do. I have projects that I'm working on with various people. I have film scores. And MINISTRY, now we're being held to the standard of this new MINISTRY of, okay, either push further or do the most popular stuff over and over and over and over, which we have with 'Psalm 69' or something like that. I'm tired of that. We're all tired of that. Well, we are. The fans aren't. So I think this next year or two is gonna be really transformative in the sense that I'm wrapping a bow on my entire career and saying, 'Drop mic. Thank you. Thank you for buying our t-shirts… Good night. And now I hope you follow me on my next journey."

Al revealed that one of MINISTRY's final recordings might be a 'remake" of the band's first album, "With Sympathy", which he claims he had little control over, with the record company at the time dictating its direction. According to Jourgensen, a new version of "With Sympathy" would "tie a bow on the whole thing, and just say, 'Drop mic. Good night. I'm outta here.'"

The MINISTRY mastermind said that he and his bandmates are heading into the studio to commence work on a new recording of "Revenge", one of three singles from "With Sympathy", with the possibility that they will re-record three of the album's other cuts: "Effigy", "Work For Love" and "Here We Go". As for when fans might hear these new versions, Al said: "I think it's going to be sooner than you think."

This is not the first time Jourgensen has vowed to make a "final" MINISTRY album. 2007's "The Last Sucker" was supposed to be the band's last-ever LP. Then, while working on other projects, inspiring riffs were born that would eventually become 2012's "Relapse". Later that year, Jourgensen began work on yet another MINISTRY album with longtime guitarist and collaborator Mike Scaccia. Three days after leaving the MINISTRY sessions in El Paso, in the early hours of December 23, 2012, Scaccia suffered heart failure onstage while performing with his other band, RIGOR MORTIS, and was pronounced dead on arrival at the hospital. Scaccia's death both devastated and motivated Jourgensen to return the studio to put the final touches on what they had started in memory of his best friend. The result was 2013's "From Beer To Eternity". Two more albums followed, 2018's "AmeriKKKant" and 2021's "Moral Hygiene".

Photo credit: Derick Smith / Nuclear Blast

In a new interview with Sense Music Media, COAL CHAMBER and DEVILDRIVER frontman Dez Fafara was asked if he would be "open to playing shows with the new iteration of PANTERA," referencing the latter band's current lineup, which consists of surviving members Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass) alongside Zakk Wylde (BLACK LABEL SOCIETY, OZZY OSBOURNE) on guitar and Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX) on drums. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh, I talk to Philip all the time. He's writing the foreword to my autobiography right now. I love that band and I love what they're doing for the brothers, and for people who never got to see it, they get to see it now.

"I mean, for me, people will say METALLICA, but PANTERA is the best heavy metal band on earth. End of story. And I know he's [Philip] got a sordid past and he said some things and this and that, and don't get me caught up in any of that," Dez continued, apparently alluding to the incident eight years ago when Anselmo made a Nazi-style salute when he performed at the January 2016 "Dimebash" event at the Lucky Strike Live in Hollywood in honor of late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott. "I follow the music and that's what I follow. And then again, I toured the world with him for fucking three and a half, four years and multiple times, and I lived at Anselmo's house for years. Whenever I didn't have a home and I came home, I didn't have a home, I either went to a hotel in L.A. or went to his house. So that being said, I'm glad that they're out and people should go check it out."

Fafara added: "I took my wife — our first date was PANTERA and BLACK SABBATH at the Forum [in Los Angeles], my wife and I. She disappeared with fucking Sharon Osbourne [who managed COAL CHAMBER for a period] for like three hours. And then she comes back, and Sharon told me, 'She's the one,' and I was, like, 'Of course, I know she's the one, but you took her for three hours. So where the fuck did you guys go?'"

"So, yeah, if [PANTERA] comes to [play near] you, you should definitely go see that."

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across North America, South America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They are also supporting METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

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

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

A few days after Vinnie Paul's death, Dez told Inquisitr: "It's the fucking worst, you know? I don't like burying friends, I don't like burying legends and I don't like burying guys that gave me my start in the business. It's the worst. I feel for his family and for his girl right now, and for the whole heavy metal community. That guy had a light and a fucking smile that nobody else had. He never had a backstabbing moment in his fucking life. He helped everybody around him."

He continued: "So it's the fucking worst, man, but it's a physical passing. He left music. He left a lot of memories and so he'll live on, and that's what it's about in life: making a scar, so when your physical presence leaves, you leave some kind of fucking memory, y'know? Maybe you helped a local high school, maybe you built a bridge, maybe you wrote music, maybe ran a good fucking good company, maybe you helped something out."

Dez added: "We have to remember the person that he was, the smile that he had, the things that he left. I was very fortunate to tour around the world with PANTERA for years. Vinnie was the one who always spun. I mean, me and Philip were very close; I lived in Philip's house. We still are very close friends."

DEVILDRIVER was reportedly dubbed "the next PANTERA" by Anselmo, who had been friends with Fafara since the mid-'90s. When asked about Anselmo's stamp of approval in a 2007 interview with "Rebel Access" TV, Dez replied, "Phil is by far the best frontman out there, and everyone knows we've been friends for a long time. We first heard that comment when we were at a press conference in Europe. That comment kinda humbles you, and you don't know what to really say to that. There will never be another [PANTERA] — no one is trying to do that, we can never hold a candle to that band. All the things you have to say just to humble yourself for a comment like that makes you say, 'Thanks bro.' After all that, you just say, 'Thanks, man, I'll do a shot of whiskey for you saying that.' Every single member of that band is an ultimate player and we can't hold a candle to that, so we say thank you and leave it at that."

Uprising death metal unit, Plaguemace, have released a playthrough video for "Among The Filth", a track from the band's debut album, Reptilian Warlords, out now via Napalm Records. Watch below:





Hailing from Denmark, Plaguemace is one of the most promising bands of the new generation of old school death metal, and there is no doubt that fans of bands such as Grave, High On Fire, Entombed and Obituary will enjoy their new offering. After winning over live audiences in Scandinavia, as well as in the UK while supporting thrash metal powerhouse Nervosa, Plaguemace are ready to conquer the scene with their first album.




Order here.





Reptilian Warlords tracklisting:


"Cannibalicious"
"Impenetrable Leather"
"Cavedweller’s Solliloquy"
"Rhythmic Demise"
"Warcries From The Crypts"
"Among The Filth"
"Reptilian Warlords"
"Misantropical Breed"
"Ambrosia"
"Carnivore"


"Carnivore" video:





"Rhythmic Demise" video:





"Impenetrable Leather" video:





Plaguemace are:


Andreas Truelsen - Vocals
Simon Truelsen - Guitar
Anton Holm Smidstrup - Guitar, Vocals
Ruben Brandt - Bass
Matias Zacho - Drums

Legendary hard rock band, Quiet Riot, kicked off their 2024 tour year this past Saturday (January 20) at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, CT as part of the “80s Rock Invasion” along with Stephen Pearcy of Ratt, Vixen, and Riley’s LA Guns.


Watch video below:







The band has also announced the first batch of 2024 tour dates. States Rudy Sarzo: “We are honored to continue to celebrate the 40th anniversary of Quiet Riot’s landmark record Metal Health on tour with all the Head Bangers around the world into 2024 & beyond, this year is shaping up to be our busiest yet.”


In addition to Sarzo, Quiet Riot’s current lineup includes longtime guitarist Alex Grossi, vocalist Jizzy Pearl and drummer Johnny Kelly.


Tour dates:


January
27 - Dania Beach, FL - The Casino at Dania Beach


February
10 - Highland, CA - Yaamava Casino
22 - Calgary, AB - Grey Eagle Casino
23 - Enoch, AB - River Cree Casino
24 - Vancouver, BC - Great Canadian Casino


March
2 - Miami, Jamaica, Bahamas - Monsters Of Rock Cruise
3  - Miami, Jamaica, Bahamas - Monsters Of Rock Cruise
4 - Miami, Jamaica, Bahamas - Monsters Of Rock Cruise
5 - Miami, Jamaica, Bahamas - Monsters Of Rock Cruise
6 - Miami, Jamaica, Bahamas - Monsters Of Rock Cruise
9 - Great Yarmouth, UK - Hard Rock Hell Festival
10 - London, UK - O2 Academy Islington
15 - Newton, NC - Newton Performing Arts Center
22 - Mahnomen, MN - Shooting Star Casino
29 - Carlton, MN - Black Bear Casino
30 - Bloomington, IL - Grossington Motor Arena


April
26 - Houston, TX - Rise Rooftop


May
24 - Moses Lake, WA - Moses Lake Summer Festival


July
6 - Hays, KS - Wild West Festival


August
10 - Uncasville, CT - Mohegan Sun Casino
23-25 - Gatlinburg, TN - The Mountain Music Festival


(Photo - Julie Bergonz)

Bloodstock Festivals has released professionally-filmed video of Killswitch Engage performing "The Signal Fire" at the 2023 edition of the festival. Previously released footage of the band performing "The Signal Fire" at the same show can also be viewed below.


A message states: "2023 was a landmark year for Killswitch Engage, marking their first time headlining at the Bloodstock Festival. This performance was not only their UK festival headlining debut but also a significant moment for the band and their fans."










Killswitch Engage's next live performance is scheduled for April 18-19 at The Metal Fest Ecuador 2024 in Quito, Ecuador. Find the band's complete tour itinerary here.

In the December 30 episode of his "Spirit Campfire" podcast, outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent seemingly rejected the idea that climate change is happening, saying that "you have to have shit for brains to believe this global warming bullshit."

As the Earth's temperature continues to rise, fueling more intense storms and extreme weather, scientists are calling for immediate action to address climate change, including using more renewable energy. However, climate change appears to be a low priority for Ted, who touched upon the issue while discussing the current political situation in America. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "These are the best of the days. These are the worst of the days, but if you improvise, adapt and overcome and take good care of yourself, these can still be the best days… God, family, country, patriotism to the original founding fathers' vision, not the current horror story that is the United States of America. It's a horror story. [U.S. president] Joe Biden is the devil. He has dismantled the American Dream."

Ted continued: "Electric vehicles are a scam. You have to be mentally ill to believe in electric vehicles. You have to be a numbnut to believe that wind turbines are better than coal or oil or natural gas or propane. You have to have shit for brains to believe this global warming bullshit. If you believe it, you have shit for brains. While you were sleeping, someone opened your skull and took a dump in your skull. You have shit for brains."

Nugent added: "The EV move is the rape of the environment. The wind turbines are the rape of the environment and the rape of our tax dollars. The solar panels are the rape of agriculture, the rape of the environment, the rape of our tax dollars. If you believe the electric vehicle is the answer, you're a rapist of the environment and of the American Dream."

Back in 2014, Ted wrote an opinion piece for Newsmax in which he said that "the whole global warming lie is a giant, international environmental scam and hoax designed to control people by instigating fear and panic."

The recent provisional State Of The Global Climate report by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) confirmed that 2023 was the warmest year on record. Data until the end of October 2023 showed that the year was about 1.4 degrees Celsius above the pre-industrial 1850-1900 baseline. The past nine years, 2015 to 2023, were also the warmest on record.

"Greenhouse gas levels are record high. Global temperatures are record high. Sea level rise is record high. Antarctic sea ice is record low. It's a deafening cacophony of broken records," said WMO secretary-general Petteri Taalas.

In August 2022, Ted blasted pop superstar Taylor Swift for her "hypocrisy" after she topped a list of celebrities whose private jets had produced the highest amount of carbon dioxide so far that year.

"I've got a hell of a carbon footprint because I fly private every night too," Ted admitted on "The Nightly Nuge". "But the thing is I'm flying over Texas every night where we have more energy reserves than all of Saudi Arabia and Africa combined.

"[World Economic Forum founder] Klaus Schwab and the World Econonic punks, as they're going into their limousines and their private jets and they've got drivers and they've got Mercedeses and they've got the Rolls-Royces, they're gonna tell us we can't own a pick-up truck. The hypocrisy is toxic."

NIGHTWISH drummer Kai Hahto says "it looks like" the band won't play any shows in the next two or three years.

The 50-year-old Finnish-born musician touched upon NIGHTWISH's touring plans in a new interview with Chaoszine promoting his upcoming solo concert in Helsinki on February 3 where he will perform songs from the bands he has played with, including NIGHTWISH, WINTERSUN, SWALLOW THE SUN and AURI.

Asked if he plans on playing more solo shows in the future or if the Helsinki gig will be a one-off, Kai said: "I have been thinking about it, but let's play this upcoming show first and then see if there is demand for me to play more. We will most likely be filming the show to check it out ourselves afterward to see how it went. If it [goes] well, I could play a couple more during this year. It would be nice, as the next NIGHTWISH album comes out later this year, to play maybe a couple of new songs from that album live as well because, at the moment, it looks like there won't be any new NIGHTWISH shows in the next two or three years."

In April 2023, NIGHTWISH surprised fans by announcing that the band was not going to be playing any live shows for the foreseeable future and would be not be touring in support of the group's next studio album, which is tentatively due in late 2024.

NIGHTWISH's statement read as follows: "As the 'Human :ll: Nature - World Tour' is drawing to a close, we feel now is the time to tell you of our plans for the next phase in our journey.

"After the planned shows for June 2023 we will be 'hanging up our spurs' for an indeterminate time, as far as live concert performances go, and won't be touring the next album.

"The reasons for this decision are personal, but, we all agree, vital to the wellbeing and future of the band. Be assured that we still love working together, and this decision has nothing to do with Floor's pregnancy or our other individual projects.

"However, an album of 12 new songs will see bright daylight in 2024, as will 3 music videos! The band is positively hyped beyond words over this new upcoming musical adventure."

In December 2022, NIGHTWISH keyboardist and main songwriter Tuomas Holopainen said the band's upcoming follow-up to "Human. :II: Nature." will be the third part of a trilogy that began with 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" album. He told Metal Hammer: "I immediately knew after getting that album ['Endless Forms Most Beautiful'] done that, 'Okay, we have to do more songs about this, because there's so much more to explore and tell the world. We're not done with this.' And the same thing happened after 'Human. :II: Nature.'; we're still not done. So let's do one more. At least one more.

"In a way, [the next album] is the third part of a trilogy, which started with 'Endless Forms…' and then 'Human. :II: Nature.' There are some major surprises there again, but it feels like a natural continuation to 'Human. :II: Nature.'"

According to Tuomas, NIGHTWISH's next LP will cover previously uncharted ground while continuing in the more cinematic style that has characterized some of the band's recent efforts.

In September 2022, Tuomas was asked if NIGHTWISH's upcoming LP will once again be an exploration of evolutionary science, as was the case with the previous two releases. Tuomas said: "Yes and no. It sails on the same waters, but there's some new surprises there as well."

In August 2022, Tuomas told Rock Sverige that he spent "about a year" working on the music and lyrics for the next NIGHTWISH album.

Asked if he got any kind of inspiration from the pandemic, Tuomas said: "Yeah, lyrically there's a couple of things that reflects the pandemic, but not in the way you would expect."

"Human. :II: Nature." was released in April 2020. The follow-up to 2015's "Endless Forms Most Beautiful" was a double album containing nine tracks on the main CD and one long track, divided into eight chapters, on CD 2.

In August 2022, NIGHTWISH announced the addition of Jukka Koskinen (WINTERSUN) as an official member of the band. Koskinen, who made his live debut with NIGHTWISH in May 2021 at the band's two interactive experiences, had spent the previous year touring with NIGHTWISH as a session musician.

In November 2022, singer Floor Jansen revealed that she was "cancer free" after recently undergoing surgery to have a tumor removed following a breast cancer diagnosis.

This past October, Floor and SABATON drummer Hannes Van Dahl welcomed their second child, a daughter named Lucy. Jansen and Van Dahl already have a six-year-old daughter named Freja, who was born on March 15, 2017.

Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame band BON JOVI commemorates the 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut with the digital release of "Bon Jovi Deluxe Edition" on all streaming platforms today via Island/UMR with a special 40th-anniversary trailer. Additionally, the Grammy Award-winning band has announced the release of an exclusive limited-edition ruby color vinyl LP on March 24 and limited-edition cassette on April 5.

"Bon Jovi Deluxe Edition" consists of the remastered original album in addition to a total of nine bonus tracks, including previously unreleased studio recordings and four rare live cuts. Jon Bon Jovi co-produced "Bon Jovi Deluxe Edition" alongside longtime sound engineer Obie O'Brien who also mixed the bonus material.

This expanded version showcases the evolution of "Runaway" — from Jon's original cassette writing demo, the band's early run-through and a full alternate take, to an extended version of the band's first hit with a ripping second guitar lead. It also features an early incarnation of "Come Back" where Jon sings his idea for a guitar solo.

The live tracks were recorded during the group's 1985 shows in Tokyo, which were first available on the CD release "Bon Jovi: Special Edition" in 2010. The live tracks have been newly mixed for "Bon Jovi Deluxe Edition" and will be available on DSPs for the first time.

Remastered from the original tapes, the limited-edition ruby color vinyl of the band's original nine-track LP boasts an alternate cover design, high-end tip-on jacket, and an exclusive lithograph of an early Ross Halfin photo session.

Finally, the limited-edition cassette features all of the original album tracks with an enhanced design that now includes lyrics and the original band photo from the LP's inner sleeve, elements missing from the original U.S. cassette release.

Exactly forty years ago, "Bon Jovi" was released on January 24, 1984, introducing the band to the masses, and kickstarting their storied career. The record went double-platinum and housed such classics as "She Don't Know Me" and "Runaway". A signature hit, the latter has amassed nearly half-a-billion streams and counting.

"Bon Jovi: Deluxe Edition" track listing:

Original Album

01. Runaway
02. Roulette
03. She Don't Know Me
04. Shot Through The Heart
05. Love Lies
06. Breakout
07. Burning For Love
08. Come Back
09. Get Ready

Bonus Tracks

10. Runaway (cassette writing demo) 2:14
11. Runaway (pre-production studio demo) 4:08
12. Runaway (alternate version) 4:18
13. Runaway (extended version-2024 mix) 4:42
14. Come Back (reference vocal version) 4:15
15. Roulette (Tokyo Live '85-Obie O'Brien mix) 5:38
16. Breakout (Tokyo Live '85-Obie O'Brien mix) 7:06
17. Runaway (Tokyo Live '85-Obie O'Brien mix) 5:17
18. Get Ready (Tokyo Live '85-Obie O'Brien mix) 7:03

Over an illustrious career spanning more than three decades since their formation in 1983, BON JOVI has earned their place among global rock royalty and was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame as well as the Songwriters Hall Of Fame. With over 130 million albums sold worldwide, and extensive catalog of hit anthems, thousands of concerts performed in more than 50 countries for more than 35 million fans, and ticket grosses well over $1 billion around the world in the last decade alone, BON JOVI is the consummate rock and roll band.

Emerging Swedish rock band, The Gems, gear up for the release of their debut album Phoenix, out this Friday, January 26, by revealing their fifth single, "Fruits Of My Labor". The trio consisting of three ex-Thundermother members, Guernica Mancini, Emlee Johansson, and Mona “Demona” Lindgren, caught the attention of the music industry even before they had a name, and started playing live internationally when they only had one standalone single out, already receiving significant airplay chart success in Germany.


The members of The Gems hit #6 on the Official German Album Charts twice with their previous band and performed at many huge international festivals such as Wacken, Sweden Rock, and Alcatraz, as well as provided tour support for the iconic rock band Scorpions. With their debut album, Phoenix, The Gems rise from the ashes, ready to take over the rock scene. Check out the lyric video for “Fruits Of My Labor” below.


Says the band: “This song is about overcoming and appreciating the struggles on the way to making your dreams come true.♥”







Captivating, chanting intro track “Aurora” allows vocalist Guernica Mancini's distinctive, strong and bluesy vocals shine, and sets the scene before the catchy rock’n’roll anthem “Queens” roars as a celebration of feminine power. Standing up for oneself, fighting back and rising above are some of the main lyrical themes of Phoenix, which “Send Me To The Wolves” is an outstanding example of. The song’s storyline champions overcoming and not giving in to oppressors, before “Domino” takes The Gems’ grooviness to the level of legendary classic rock bands of the 70s.


With emotional tracks like “Undiscovered Paths” and “Fruits Of My Labor”, The Gems bring significant depth and variety to the album, distancing themselves from their history. Stunning interlude “Maria's Song”, featuring violinist Maria Jern, fades into the touching ballad “Ease Your Pain” - giving extra space to the exceptional guitar work of Mona “Demona” Lindgren. Following track “Running” shines as a surefire future hit with more impressive guitar work and Emlee Johansson’s hard hitting drums, before the beautifully stripped down acoustic version of “Like A Phoenix” - backed with acoustic guitar by producer Johan Randén - wraps up The Gems’ debut album.


Phoenix was mastered by Plec Johannsons (Soilwork, Hank von Hell, Firewind) and its artwork was created by ex-Thundermother member Giorgia Carteri (Soilwork, The Nightflight Orchestra).


It is clear that the seasoned musicians of The Gems won’t settle in the shadows of their prior successes. With their fresh, convincing debut offering, The Gems take a stand and leave the past behind. Make no mistake - with Phoenix, The Gems will conquer the international rock scene in a heartbeat.


The Gems on Phoenix: “Phoenix marks the beginning, the rise of The Gems. This album takes you on a journey through one of our toughest times. Through this creative process we were able to really dig deep and let go of a lot of emotional baggage, and find true happiness in music again. The new found freedom our band has been given us shines through on this album. We couldn't be prouder of what we've accomplished, and the true Rock n Roll Sisterhood and community we've built through these few months of our existence. Phoenix is the perfect album for anyone going through a tough time, having the rug pulled out under you and somehow finding the strength to rebuild. You'll get the full range of emotions, masterfully produced by our dear friend Johan Randén, who we also wrote some of the songs with. We hope people will love Phoenix and really enjoy the epic ride this album will take you on.”





Phoenix will be available in the following formats:


- 1 CD Digisleeve
- 1 LP Gatefold Vinyl Black
- 1 LP Gatefold Vinyl Violet
- 1 LP Gatefold Vinyl Blue
- Deluxe Box, 1 LP Gatefold Vinyl Orange, Red Marbled (incl Slipmat, 16p booklet, cotton bag (38x42cm)
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Phoenix tracklisting:


"Aurora" - Interlude
"Queens"
"Send Me To The Wolves"
"Domino"
"Silver Tongue"
"Undiscovered Paths"
"Maria's Song" - Interlude
"Ease Your Pain"
"Running"
"Renaissance" - Interlude
"Like A Phoenix"
"P.S.Y.C.H.O"
"Kiss it Goodbye"
"Force Of Nature"
"Fruits Of My Labor"
"Like A Phoenix" - Acoustic Version


“Undiscovered Paths” video:





"P.S.Y.C.H.O" video:





"Send Me To The Wolves" video:





"Like A Phoenix" video:





The Gems are:


Guernica Mancini - Vocals
Emlee Johansson - Drums
Mona “Demona” Lindgren - Guitar, Bass


(Photo - Gustaf Sandholm Andersson)

Death metal overlords, Dying Fetus, are stoked to announce a spring tour starting April 25 in Silver Spring, MD and finishing up May 26 in Nashville, TN. Tour support will come from Full Of Hell (4/25 - 5/19), 200 Stab Wounds, Kruelty and Psycho-Frame (5/22 - 5/26).


Tickets go on Friday, January 26, starting at 10 AM, local time. Knotfest pre-sale begins Tuesday, January 23 at 12 PM, EST with password: DFDEATH24. A full list of tour dates is available below.


To celebrate the tour announcement and the recent release of Make Them Beg For Death, the band has shared a new single, appropriately titled, "Throw Them In The Van," and it is accompanied by a new music video. Find the clip below.







Tour dates:


April
25 - Silver Spring, MD - The Fillmore
26 - Sayerville, NJ - Starland Ballroom
27 - Syracuse, NY - The Song & Dance
28 - Albany, NY - Empire Live
30 - Quebec City, PQ - Theatre Capitole


May
1 - Montréal, PQ - Beanfield Theatre
2 - Ottawa, ON - The Brass Monkey
3 - London, ON - London Music Hall
4 - Toronto, ON - Phoenix Concert Theatre
5 - Buffalo, NY - Electric City
7 - Pontiac, MI - The Crofoot Ballroom
8 - Columbus, OH - The King of Clubs
10 - Milwaukee, WI - The Rave
12 - Winnipeg, MB - Park Theatre
13 - Saskatoon, SK - Louis
14 - Edmonton, AB - The Starlite Room
15 - Calgary, AB - The Palace Theatre
17 - Vancouver, BC - Rickshaw Theatre
18 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
19 - Portland, OR - Roseland Theater
20 - Spokane, WA - Knitting Factory
22 - Colorado Springs, CO - The Black Sheep
23 - Des Moines, IA - Wooly's
24 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
25 - Louisville, KY - Portal
26 - Nashville, TN - Eastside Bowl


- with Full of Hell (4/25 - 5/29)
- with 200 Stab Wounds, Kruelty & Psycho-Frame (5/22 - 5/26)


Order the Make Them Beg For Death album here.





Make Them Beg for Death tracklisting:


"Enlighten Through Agony"
"Compulsion For Cruelty"
"Feast Of Ashes"
"Throw Them In The Van"
"Unbridled Fury"
"When The Trend Ends"
"Undulating Carnage"
"Raised In Victory / Razed In Defeat"
"Hero’s Grave"
"Subterfuge"


"Throw Them In The Van" video:





“Raised In Victory / Razed In Defeat” visualizer:





"Feast Of Ashes" video:

The concertsrock YouTube channel has uploaded video of original FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm performing some of the band's classic songs last night (Friday, January 19) at the RokIsland Fest 2024 in Key West, Florida. You can now check out the clips below.

In October 2022, Gramm was asked during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk what he thinks of the band's current frontman, Kelly Hansen, who has been in the group for nearly two decades. "I think he's a good singer," Lou said. "And he sings those songs okay; he sings them good. But he mimics my style right down to the ad-libs, and I'm offended by that… I just think that if he's gonna sing the songs, he could sing the melodies that are familiar, but when it comes to the ad-libs and all the little things that set me aside as a vocalist when I sing them, he should make his own up. He should have his own ad-libs that are his own; he doesn't have to mimic me."

Gramm's comments were similar to those he made a little over two months earlier when he told John Beaudin of RockHistoryMusic.com about Hansen: "Kelly is all right. He's a good singer. But I think Mick [Jones, FOREIGNER's founding guitarist and leader] really told Kelly, when he first got in the band, that he had to study me, because he sings those songs with the same musical innuendos and vocal licks and ad-libs as I have. He's mimicking me. His voice doesn't sound like me, but he's singing the songs the way I would sing them.

"Some people say, 'Well, take it as a compliment, Lou.' I don't take it as a compliment," Gramm continued. "You're a singer with a big band like that — use your voice and your style. Don't hang your coat on my hook.

"I don't think he should sing the songs verbatim like me," Lou added. "Maybe sing a couple of parts. But let his own influences show — show the fans that he's the new singer now, not me."

Asked what it was like to share the stage with Hansen and other members of the current and original FOREIGNER lineup in 2017 and 2018 to celebrate the band's 40th anniversary, Lou told RockHistoryMusic.com: "It was okay. [Kelly] was bouncing off the walls. He couldn't stand still or sit still. After a song ended, I couldn't even get a word to thank the audience or tell 'em that I was happy to be part of the reunion. At the end of the song, the last song hit, and there wasn't a quarter of a second of space before he was yapping away to the audience… It was, like, 'Jeez, will you quiet down for a minute?'"

Pressed about whether it is "over now" for him and FOREIGNER, Lou said: "I think so, yeah. I don't wanna be a part of it. Well, Ian [McDonald, guitar] has passed away and Ed Gagliardi [bass] passed away, even though he wasn't part of the reunions. Two original members of the six are now gone. And Mick is in very poor health. I think when the new FOREIGNER plays, I've heard that he comes on for one song and then waves and goes offstage. [In the recent past] he would play the whole last half of the set. But then he was in the hospital again for weeks. He had some heart problems and his recovery time was very long and tedious. And I heard that he comes out for one song now — when he comes on. Most of the time FOREIGNER has no original FOREIGNER members in it."

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

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

FOREIGNER replaced Gramm with Hansen in 2005. Jones, the only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012.

Gramm and Jones's June 2013 performance of "I Want To Know What Love Is" and "Juke Box Hero" at the Songwriters Hall Of Fame in New York City marked the first time the pair performed together in a decade after Gramm left FOREIGNER for a second time. Hansen has fronted the group for the past 19 years.

Kickin' off the our 25th Anniversary year in style THIS WEEKEND at RokIsland Fest in Key West!! No better way to get...

Posted by RokIsland Fest on Tuesday, January 16, 2024

Actor and TENACIOUS D singer Jack Black joined FOO FIGHTERS on stage on Saturday (January 20) at Auckland, New Zealand's Mount Smart Stadium to perform a cover of the AC/DC classic "Big Balls". Also appearing with Black, who is currently in New Zealand filming the "Minecraft" movie, and the FOO FIGHTERS was the band's drum tech Fiona who shared lead vocals for the performance with Jack.

Black has made a number of appearances with the FOO FIGHTERS in the past to cover classic songs from LED ZEPPELIN, RUSH and AC/DC, among others.

FOO FIGHTERS frontman Dave Grohl played guitar and drums on the debut TENACIOUS D album in 2001 and also cameoed as Satan in the TENACIOUS D movie.

FOO FIGHTERS recently announced a massive run of summer 2024 U.S. stadium dates. The "Everything Or Nothing At All" tour will kick off with the band's return to New York's Citi Field for the first time since 2015 for a July 17 and July 19 doubleheader and will see FOO FIGHTERS host more than a dozen rock 'n' roll marathons at stadiums, including a pair of shows August 9 and August 11 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles.

FOO FIGHTERS' 2024 stadium dates will mark the band's biggest U.S. headline shows since the June 2023 release of the band's latest album, "But Here We Are". Support on the various dates will come from PRETENDERS, THE HIVES, MAMMOTH WVH, AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS, ALEX G and L7.

"But Here We Are" was the first FOO FIGHTERS album following the death of drummer Taylor Hawkins and addition of Josh Freese. The band, including bassist Nate Mendel, guitarists Chris Shiflett and Pat Smear and keyboardist Rami Jaffee, spent most of 2023 playing sold-out headlining stadium shows and festival dates.

Multi-platinum band SHINEDOWN has topped the charts once again with their current single "A Symptom Of Being Human" officially landing at No. 1 at Active Rock. This marks SHINEDOWN's record-breaking 21st No. 1 song on the Mediabase Active Rock chart and extends their record for the most No. 1s in the history of Billboard's Mainstream Rock Airplay chart with 19 total. The crossover hit is also moving up the Alternative charts, currently sitting at No. 12, and now impacting at Top 40 radio nationwide, all following its Top 15 run at Hot AC in 2023.

To commemorate their status as the greatest rock band in history, Mediabase presented SHINEDOWN with an award for the most No. 1s, Top 5s and Top 10s in Mediabase Active Rock chart history. The band has also earned multiple nominations at this year's iHeartRadio Music Awards with nods for "Rock Artist Of The Year" and "Rock Song Of The Year" for their previous No. 1 "Dead Don't Die". SHINEDOWN's official photographer Sanjay Parikh is also up for "Favorite Tour Photographer", a fan-voted award, for the band's massively successful "Revolutions Live" tour.

"We are beyond grateful, and truly astonished and humbled, to be given this incredible record-breaking title," shares SHINEDOWN frontman Brent Smith. "Thank you everyone at Mediabase, Active Rock Radio, and all of the program directors across America.

"I have said it before and I will say it again, in SHINEDOWN we only have one boss…it just happens to be everyone in the audience. We love you Shinedown Nation!!! Long live terrestrial radio."

SHINEDOWN has always believed that music is universal and doesn't have to be put in a genre box, as evidenced by "A Symptom Of Being Human" resonating with all listeners with its uplifting and important message about how we are all a work in progress. The band's exploration of the resilience of the human spirit, experiences with mental health, and the importance of empathy shine through in the track reminding us that we are more similar than we are different. Collectively, "A Symptom Of Being Human", the fourth No. 1 single from the band's acclaimed seventh studio album "Planet Zero" (Atlantic Records),has amassed over 40 million streams across all versions of the song including a pop remix, acoustic version, and piano version.

In other exciting news, WME has announced signing SHINEDOWN for worldwide representation. In addition to working with long-standing agent Ron Opaleski in the United States and Canada, the WME global partnership now includes Lucy Dickins and her international team. Along with their outstanding chart success, SHINEDOWN is also a top touring act, selling out countless amphitheaters and arenas and headlining every major rock festival across North America with their electrifying and acclaimed live show.

SHINEDOWN recently took the Internet by storm with a viral moment featuring elder super fan/grandma Lauri Norris rocking out front row at one of their shows on 2023's "Revolutions Live" tour. The official video, posted by Sanjay, has amassed over 15 million views on TikTok and Instagram Reels combined with additional tens of millions of views across both platforms by fans and other accounts who are sharing it with inspiring, positive reaction videos and comments. The overwhelming response sent SHINEDOWN's 2008 platinum single "Sound Of Madness" back to the top of the iTunes Rock chart and top 10 on the iTunes all songs chart.

Photo above: SHINEDOWN (left to right: Brent Smith, Barry Kerch, Eric Bass, Zach Myers) with iHeartRadio's Alissa Pollack, EVP global music marketing and strategy

Photo credit: Sanjay Parikh

Bloodstock Festival organizers have released professionally-filmed footage from American heavy metal band King 810's performance at Bloodstock 2023.


A message states: "Experience the raw power and intensity of King 810 as they dominate the Sophie Lancaster stage at Bloodstock Open Air Metal Festival 2023! Watch their electrifying performance of 'Brains Of The Asphalt', captured live on August 11th. This track is a testament to the band's unique blend of heavy metal ferocity and lyrical depth.


"Set against the backdrop of the iconic Bloodstock Festival, King 810's show is a must-see for metal enthusiasts. The band's presence on the Sophie Lancaster Stage adds a layer of unforgettable energy to the festival's atmosphere."

In a new interview with Cassius Morris, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon was asked why he thinks Eddie Van Halen's death has been so hard for rock music fans around the world to grapple with. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, Eddie Van Halen was very charismatic. His personality, his smile, his energy, his personality and his approach to the guitar and his innovativeness was very unique. And on one hand, he seemed like a very friendly guy. And on the other hand, he played this amazing guitar, innovative groundbreaking guitar that was like from another planet. So, yeah, I think people really gravitated towards those things. And he'll go down in history as the Mozart of rock and roll guitar. And the same with Jimi Hendrix. I mean, Jimi Hendrix was so photogenic and had such a personality and a vibe that you can walk into Target and see a Jimi Hendrix t-shirt with his face on it and instantly recognize, 'Oh, there's Jimmy.'"

Asked if it is "possible to overstate Eddie Van Halen's influence on the guitar", Frank said: "Well, yeah, it's a possibility, because I've ran into a lot of people who don't like his style of playing, believe it or not — people that are blues purists or people who don't really like the hammer-ons and that kind of playing. But no, it is not possible to overstate the impact he had in the '80s and the late '70s when I remember coming home from Tower Records with 'Van Halen I' and putting it on my Kmart turntable and hearing the intro of the album, 'Runnin' With The Devil' with the sirens coming down and then that guitar, and then out of that straight into 'Eruption' and then into 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love'. The sound of the guitar, it was just mindblowing. And then everything he did after that, on the second album with 'Spanish Fly' and 'Somebody Get Me A Doctor', for those first four albums that VAN HALEN put out, you can't understate the impact that he had on the guitar player and people that were going to music stores and buying guitars. All of a sudden, Gibson guitars weren't popular anymore and it was guitars with stripes on them that were popular."

When Morris noted that the classic VAN HALEN albums still hold up production-wise nearly 50 years later, Frank said: "Well, they were underproduced. They weren't overproduced with a lot of overdubs. Basically, those records are live in the studio. And then they colored them up with a couple of little colors here and there, but the energy that they captured live on those first VAN HALEN albums is so real and powerful and high energy that that'll last forever… Plus they had great songs, and the songwriting. That's the difference between any band, is the songs, really. And 'Little Dreamer' and 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' on that first album. And then on the next album, 'Dance The Night Away' is a great, well-written song, all the way to 'Unchained' and 'And The Cradle Will Rock…'. The list goes on and on — the songwriting. And then even when they had Sammy Hagar in the band — 'Right Now', 'Hot Summer Nights', 'Why Can't This Be Love?'. The songwriting really sets them apart."

This is not the first time that Eddie Van Halen has been compared to one of history's greatest composers, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart. Back in November 2020, Wolfgang Van Halen told "Entertainment Tonight" about his father's legacy: "I think he's the Mozart of our generation. I think the way we look back at people like Mozart and Beethoven, from how far we are removed from them, you put that amount of time ahead of us, and I think people will still be looking back at him."

In October 2020, former ROB ZOMBIE and current MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist John 5 said: "Eddie Van Halen was a modern-day Mozart, and it is just so sad to see him go. He was so young. He is immortal and will live on forever. He was an inventor and the greatest guitar player of all time... The thing is, he took guitar to such new places that no one has done before, and he was just such an incredible player. And on top of all of that, he was an incredible songwriter too."

Eddie Van Halen died in October 2020 at Providence Saint John's Health Center in Santa Monica, California. Following his death, fans left flowers at his childhood home on Las Lunas Street in Pasadena, California. Additional flowers, candles and fan mementos were placed on Allen Avenue where Eddie and his brother, VAN HALEN drummer Alex, scratched their band's name into the wet cement of a sidewalk when they were teenagers.

After Eddie was diagnosed with stage four lung cancer, he began flying to Germany for treatments. Eventually, the cancer spread to Eddie's spine and brain. Just a few months later, Eddie died at age 65.

A new version of "Billion Dollar Babies" is on the way as Alice Cooper's delightfully subversive sixth album returns in all its snakeskin glory for an extended 50th-anniversary celebration. After hitting No. 1 on the album charts in America and the U.K. in 1973, the record remains a highwater mark for the original lineup, featuring hits like "No More Mr. Nice Guy" and "Elected".

"Billion Dollar Babies: Trillion Dollar Deluxe Edition" will be available from Rhino on March 8 on 3-LP and 2-CD. Both feature a newly remastered version of the original album, along with bonus material, including studio outtakes, single mixes, and an electrifying 1973 concert recording. In the vinyl edition, the gatefold cover faithfully replicates the original's textured snakeskin wallet design and comes complete with a $1 billion dollar bill tucked inside.

The single version of "Elected" from the upcoming set is available today digitally.

An instant smash when it was released in March 1973, "Billion Dollar Babies" delivered a theatrical mix of hard rock and glam laced with macabre lyrics that explored wealth, decadence, and fame's darker side. Newly remastered, the platinum-certified album sounds better than ever. The set also features outtakes ("Coal Black Model T"),single mixes ("Mary Ann"),and "Slick Black Limousine", which originally came out on flexi-disc within an issue of the British rock paper New Musical Express.

The "Trillion Dollar Deluxe Edition" also features a live show recorded in Texas in April of 1973, during the "Billion Dollar Babies" tour. The powerful performance includes live versions of many of the album's tracks, highlights including "Elected" and "Hello Hooray", along with several of the band's earlier hits, including "I'm Eighteen" and "School's Out".

The LP and CD versions both come with an oral history of the album and the bonus tracks by the surviving band members — Alice Cooper, Dennis Dunaway, Michael Bruce and Neal Smith — and Bob Ezrin, who produced the album. (Sadly, guitarist Glen Buxton died in 1997)

In the notes, Cooper recalls writing "I Love The Dead" and "Sick Things". He says: "We were writing those songs looking at each other, and every time we'd write a line I'd say, 'Oh, this is gonna kill them. Oh, they're gonna hate us on this one.' But at the same time, it was almost like an Edgar Allan Poe short story when you listen to 'I Love The Dead'. I tried to write that the way Vincent Price would sing it."

"Billion Dollar Babies: Trillion Dollar Deluxe Edition" LP track listing:

LP One

Side One

01. Hello Hooray
02. Raped And Freezin'
03. Elected
04. Billion Dollar Babies
05. Unfinished Sweet

Side Two

01. No More Mr. Nice Guy
02. Generation Landslide
03. Sick Things
04. Mary Ann
05. I Love The Dead

LP Two

Side One

01. Hello Hooray - Live, 1973
02. Billion Dollar Babies - Live, 1973
03. Elected - Live, 1973
04. I'm Eighteen - Live, 1973
05. Raped And Freezin' - Live, 1973
06. No More Mr. Nice Guy - Live, 1973

Side Two

01. My Stars - Live, 1973
02. Unfinished Sweet - Live, 1973
03. Sick Things - Live, 1973
04. Dead Babies - Live, 1973
05. I Love The Dead - Live, 1973

LP Three

Side One

01. School's Out - Live, 1973
02. Under My Wheels - Live, 1973
03. Coal Black Model T - Outtake
04. Son Of Billion Dollar Babies (Generation Landslide) - Outtake

Side Two

01. Hello Hooray - Single Version
02. Billion Dollar Babies - Single Version
03. Elected - Single Version
04. Mary Ann - Single Version
05. Slick Black Limousine

CD Track Listing

CD One

01. Hello Hooray
02. Raped And Freezin'
03. Elected
04. Billion Dollar Babies
05. Unfinished Sweet
06. No More Mr. Nice Guy
07. Generation Landslide
08. Sick Things
09. Mary Ann
10. I Love The Dead

CD Two

01. Hello Hooray - Live, 1973
02. Billion Dollar Babies - Live, 1973
03. Elected - Live, 1973
04. I'm Eighteen - Live, 1973
05. Raped And Freezin' - Live, 1973
06. No More Mr. Nice Guy - Live, 1973
07. My Stars - Live, 1973
08. Unfinished Sweet - Live, 1973
09. Sick Things - Live, 1973
10. Dead Babies - Live, 1973
11. I Love The Dead - Live, 1973
12. School's Out - Live, 1973
13. Under My Wheels - Live, 1973
14. Coal Black Model T - Outtake
15. Son Of Billion Dollar Babies (Generation Landslide) - Outtake
16. Hello Hooray - Single Version
17. Billion Dollar Babies - Single Version
18. Elected - Single Version
19. Mary Ann - Single Version
20. Slick Black Limousine

Photo credit: Jenny Risher

Sharon Osbourne has revealed that she attempted suicide after she found out about one of her husband Ozzy Osbourne's previous affairs.

Speaking on stage at her show "Sharon Osbourne: Cut The Crap", in London on Sunday, the 71-year-old, who also manages Ozzy's career, said that she wanted to take her own life after learning of the singer's infidelity.

"He always, always had groupies and I was so used to that," Sharon said, according to U.K. newspaper Mirror. "But when he knows the name of the person, where they live and where they work… it is a whole different thing as you are emotionally invested. I took I don't know how many pills."

Sharon, who shares daughters Aimée, 40, and Kelly, 39, and son Jack, 38, with Ozzy, went on: "I just thought, 'My kids are older. They are fine and can take care of themselves.' So I took an overdose and locked myself in the bedroom. The maid tried to come in to clean the room and saw me."

In 2020, Ozzy said that he was "terrified" Sharon would leave him after she learned of his extramarital affairs eight years ago.

After Ozzy's affair with celebrity hairstylist Michelle Pugh was made public in May 2016, he underwent therapy for sex addiction. Sharon and Ozzy later reconciled and they even renewed their vows.

Asked in an interview with "Good Morning Britain" if he was amazed he and Sharon were still together, Ozzy replied: "I am. I've been a bad boy at times."

Sharon added: "It's like a Shakespearean play, our love story. Ozzy's has been a right old [expletive] with women."

Pressed about whether he feared Sharon would leave him the last time he was caught cheating, Ozzy said: "Oh, absolutely. I was terrified."

Asked if he is addicted to sex, Ozzy said: "I think it's another fix. If you're a junkie, like I was, anything that alters your mind, you've gotta find it. I didn't love any of these people. I've learned a lesson."

As for how close she came to kicking Ozzy out, Sharon said: "I was just really broken in every sense.

"I said to Ozzy, 'If you ever do this to me again, I'm gonna cut your hair off or I'm gonna cut all your clothes.'"

Ozzy chimed in: "I wish I hadn't done this stupid thing that I did, and that's the truth, because you never know what you had until you've lost it. And I thought I'd lost it, big time."

Back in 2017, Sharon told the British paper The Telegraph that Ozzy wasn't cheating with just one woman. "There were six of them," she said. "Some fucking Russian teenager... then a masseuse in England... our masseuse out here in Los Angeles... and then our cook. He had women in different countries. Basically, if you're a woman giving Ozzy either a back rub or a trolley of food, God help you."

Sharon talked about how she learned of his affairs. "We were sitting on the couch watching telly; Ozzy on one couch and me on the other," she said. "And suddenly, he sends me this e-mail. 'Why did you send me this stupid e-mail?' I asked, and when Ozzy told me that he hadn't sent me anything, I grabbed his phone and said, 'Look!' And, of course, it was a message meant for one of his bloody women."

In October 2021, Variety reported that Ozzy and Sharon had partnered with Sony Pictures and Polygram Entertainment for their upcoming biopic. The as-yet-untitled film, which will focus on the love story between the BLACK SABBATH frontman and his wife and manager, will be scripted by Lee Hall, who previously worked on Elton John's "Rocketman". The film is being produced by Sharon and her children Jack and Aimée Osbourne via their label Osbourne Media (which was also behind the Showtime documentary "God Bless Ozzy Osbourne" and A&E's "Biography: The Nine Lives Of Ozzy Osbourne"),alongside Michele Anthony and David Blackman on behalf of Polygram Entertainment. Andrea Giannetti is overseeing development for Sony.

In 2020, Ozzy stated about the biopic: "From what I understand, it's about Sharon and I and our relationship. It's how we met, fell in love, and how we married. She's my other half. She grew up a lot with me, and I grew up a lot with her."

"I hope it will be a story that everybody can relate to," Sharon said. "You don't have to be a fan of the music, because it's a story about a survivor. No matter what life throws at you, you pick yourself up and you start again. It's just an amazing story of overcoming everything that's thrown at you in your life."

Sharon added that the film will be "a lot more real" than the QUEEN biopic "Bohemian Rhapsody". "We don't want it to be squeaky, shiny clean and all of that," she said. "We're not making it for kids. It's an adult movie for adults."

Sharon's father, former music mogul Don Arden, became known as the "Al Capone of pop" and the "English Godfather" for his tough-guy business practices while overseeing the careers of acts ranging from ELECTRIC LIGHT ORCHESTRA to BLACK SABBATH. Arden and his daughter became estranged in 1982 after she took over the management of Ozzy's solo career, also marrying the singer. Father and daughter were not on good terms for nearly 20 years until reconciling in 2002.

Sharon had to pay her father $1 million in a court settlement after she gained control of Ozzy's affairs.

MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars is featured in an episode of AXS TV's original music series "Life In Six Strings With Kylie Olsson". In the episode, Mick shows award-winning music journalist, author, presenter and director Kylie Olsson around his house and she gets to play and look at his incredible collection.

The full episode is currently airing on AXS TV.

"Life In Six Strings With Kylie Olsson" is the brainchild of Olsson, an accomplished personality who has interviewed and worked with industry trailblazers such as KISS, THE ROLLING STONES, DEF LEPPARD, and more; and has notably served as host of the Download festival's virtual event during lockdown; produced celebrated rock docs for the BBC; and penned "The Art Of Metal" and "Rock, A Life Story". She is also on the voting committee for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Originally conceived during the lockdown, "Life In Six Strings" began as a popular YouTube series capturing Olsson's journey to make her lifelong dream of learning the guitar a reality. Talking to some of rock's top pickers, she gleaned invaluable tips and tricks while digging deep into the guitar's incredible influence and impact on their lives and careers. Now, on AXS TV, the series finds the aspiring guitarist continuing her journey to learn the instrument, as she travels across the United States to meet a slate of axe-wielding icons at their homes and haunting grounds — touring through childhood towns, beloved shops, and more; providing an intimate glimpse into each artists' origins, both sonically and geographically, and shedding a light on the people behind the larger-than-life rock personas.

"This series is deeply personal for me," Olsson said. "What started as a portrait of my own quest to learn the guitar has transformed into something far bigger. It's a celebration — not just of this incredible instrument, but also its unique impact on the lives of some of rock's most influential musicians. This is their story as much as it is mine, and I am so proud to be able to share it with AXS TV's audience of fellow music enthusiasts."

AXS TV is a leading multi-platform music and entertainment digital platform and television company owned and operated by Anthem Sports & Entertainment, Inc.

Mick's debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars", will be released on February 23, 2024. The effort will be made available via Mick's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Bunton had previously worked with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, and has songwriting credits with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson, among others.

Bunton sings lead on all but two of the 12 songs on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Other guests on the LP include WINGER/ALICE COOPER keyboardist Paul Taylor, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, and Brion Gamboa, who handled lead vocals on the songs "Undone" and "Killing Breed".

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.

Mick Mars has released two songs from "The Other Side Of Mars" so far: "Loyal To The Lie" and "Right Side Of Wrong".

In a recent interview with Chris Akin Presents, Mars was asked if he intentionally tried to incorporate fresh elements into the sound of "The Other Side Of Mars" that he didn't pursue during his four-decade career with MÖTLEY CRÜE. He responded: "You're exactly right. You hit the nail on the head when you said it was way different from MÖTLEY, which is what I wanted to do. The part that was the scariest part about doing that stuff is because my guitar tone is associated with MÖTLEY's sound. I was kind of concerned about that, so I just played around a little more. I mean, it turned out well for me."

He continued: "I know that a lot of people were expecting probably more of a blues-oriented thing or kind of an extension of MÖTLEY or something like that. And I wanted to go a whole different route and leaning more towards the left instead of the beaten path, I guess. I wanted to go somewhere with it. I didn't know if it would work or not. I just did the stuff and got acquainted with different people, like [fellow musicians and collaborators] Paul Taylor and Jacob Bunton and Brion Gamboa and Ray Luzier, of course."

Discussing the title behind the upcoming album, the 72-year-old explained that it refers to the two different sides of his playing style: "the MÖTLEY side and the Mars side."

"I always have a very clear vision of what I want to do," he said, revealing that he plans to release more music beyond the debut album. "There's a lot of ideas that I have that. I don't want to call them 'left,' but they are, you know what I mean? My feeling has always been, I might gain some fans, I might lose some fans. But what they're hearing, it's all me."

Regarding his motivation to pursue a solo project, Mick said: "I'm trying to keep growing. Because if you stop learning new things, if you stop playing new things, if you close your mind, you're done. You have to keep moving and creating. Next!"

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, he has since filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court, claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

On December 2, METALLICA guitarist Kirk Hammett and bassist Robert Trujillo made a special appearance at Costco in Livermore, California to autograph bottles of the band's whiskey brand, Blackened. Video and photos of their appearance can be found below (video uploaded to YouTube by Ed Collects).

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.

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.

Went to check out Kirk Hammett and Rob Trujillo signing their Blackened Whiskey at Costco. Got a bottle but sadly even...

Posted by Steve Seitz on Saturday, December 2, 2023

Had the pleasure of meeting Kirk Hammett and Robert Trujillo of Metallica at the Costco in Livermore. Got their...

Posted by Mike Bottarini on Saturday, December 2, 2023

California fans - DON'T MISS OUT! Join us on Saturday, December 2 at Costco in Livermore, CA and Danville, CA to meet...

Posted by Republic National Distributing Company on Wednesday, November 29, 2023

Hulu has announced its acquisition of "Thank You, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story", the first-ever docuseries on the band's history with full cooperation from all past and present members of BON JOVI. The docuseries is a ROS production, the banner of filmmaker Gotham Chopra, and celebrates the band's 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut album which was released on January 21, 1984 via Polygram/Mercury Records, less than a year after forming in their home state of New Jersey.

The four-part, all-access series chronicling four decades of the iconic rock band BON JOVI premieres Friday, April 26 on Hulu in the U.S. and coming soon to Star+ in Latin America and Disney+ in all other territories. Following one of the world's most iconic bands and its frontman, Jon Bon Jovi, the documentary gives us a view behind the music and the man.

As thrilling as the story of a once-in-a-lifetime talent is, it is even more rare that a legend like Jon Bon Jovi lets the world into his most vulnerable moments while he's still living them. Forty years of personal videos, unreleased early demos, original lyrics and never-before-seen photos that chronicle the journey from Jersey Shore clubs to the biggest stages on the planet. The series relives the triumphs and setbacks, greatest hits, biggest disappointments and most public moments of friction.

"Thank you, Goodnight: The Bon Jovi Story" is directed and executive produced by multiple Emmy Award winner Gotham Chopra ("Kobe Bryant's Muse", "Man In The Arena", "Tom vs. Time"). The film is also executive produced by Giselle Parets and Ameeth Sankaran for ROS, and it is produced and edited by Alex Trudeau Viriato, who played a critical, creative role in shaping the series.

In a new interview with Raul Amador of Bass Musician Magazine, FOREIGNER bassist Jeff Pilson spoke about the band's ongoing two-year farewell tour which will include a 2024 run with STYX as well as a two-part "Feels Like The Last Time Farewell Tour" residency at The Venetian Theatre inside The Venetian Resort Las Vegas. Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.BET): "There may be something going on in '25; we just haven't heard yet. But what I will tell you is at the end of '24 will be the end of our doing long tours. That's really what we mean by this farewell tour. We're not gonna do the long tours anymore. No more nine months of the year on the road. That will end at the show in Vegas. There may be some other things happening in '25. We'll see. It's all kind of to be determined, but the gist of it is that we don't want to do those long tours anymore, and that's what's going by the wayside."

Regarding why now is the right time for FOREIGNER to call it quits, Pilson said: "It's traveling. It's family. It's all that stuff combined. We're not that young So, there is all that. And basically we wanna have a life; it would be nice to have more of a life. I mean, my daughter is in college now. I've missed a lot of stuff with her, and so I wouldn't mind going home and spending a little more time in my studio 'cause, boy, do I love to record in my studio. [Laughs]"

Earlier in the month, FOREIGNER frontman Kelly Hansen spoke to Guy "Favazz" Favazza of the St. Louis, Missouri radio station KSHE 95 about the "Renegades & Juke Box Heroes" trek with STYX, which will visit venues across North America starting June 11, 2024 in Michigan. After Favazza suggested to Hansen that FOREIGNER extended its farewell tour in order to take in the STYX dates, Kelly insisted that this is not the case. "I've been saying constantly, in every interview, on stage during the show, at the meet-and-greets, everywhere I can, that this has always been a two-year farewell, because we couldn't get everywhere in one year," he explained. "I've been saying it all over the place. Listen, of course, I can't exactly repeat everything, every day, everywhere, all the time, but I've been saying it constantly. So if someone has not looked more than one inch in front of their face, then I can't help them. I've been saying it, so it's always been the plan to do this for 2023 and 2024. The days of touring nine months a year is over after 2024… And that is over, and I'm sure there's gonna be certain appearances or shows or something maybe along the way after that, but the days of doing this nine-months-a-year thing is over."

Kelly continued: "I am not one to go out there and say, 'It's just gonna be for two weeks,' and then 10 years later I'm saying the same thing. That's not who I am, that's never who I've been, and I've never portrayed myself like that. And so if you didn't hear it any other time during the year last year, I'm sorry, but I have been saying it constantly that it's gonna be a two-year thing."

Joining Hansen, Pilson and founding FOREIGNER guitarist Mick Jones in the band's current lineup are keyboardist Michael Bluestein, guitarist Bruce Watson, drummer Chris Frazier and guitarist Luis Maldonado.

In July, Hansen was asked by Mike Hsu of 100 FM The Pike if he and his FOREIGNER bandmates already know where and when the final show of the farewell tour will take place. Hansen said: "We're just starting to kind of wrap our brains around what that might be. And listen, there's a lot of pressure from a lot of different areas to get me to continue to do this. And I can't see that I'm gonna continue to do this. So we're now looking… 'Cause when you're a band like FOREIGNER, you're already booking a year in advance. So we're already deeply into 2024. But we haven't decided yet where the last show's gonna be."

The only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, Jones suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. Ever since, it is never announced whether he will be appearing with the band for specific shows — it just depends how he is feeling.

Hansen told 100 FM The Pike about Jones: "He's with us whenever he's able to be with us. And he is still the architect of this band. And he and I have worked closely for many years. And the great thing about it is that we've always been very simpatico about our ideas and about how we think things should be done. So, yeah, whenever he can be with us, he is."

After singer Lou Gramm left FOREIGNER in 2003, Jones took some time off before regrouping a couple years later with an entirely new lineup, featuring Hansen and Pilson, among others.

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

RILEY'S L.A. GUNS played its first concert without founding drummer Steve Riley this past Saturday (January 20) at the Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut. Also appearing on the bill were Stephen Pearcy of RATT, QUIET RIOT and VIXEN. Fan-filmed video of RILEY'S L.A. GUNS's performance, which was booked prior to Steve's tragic death this past October, can be seen below (courtesy of Laughingmonkeymusic).

RILEY'S L.A. GUNS has just released its sophomore album, "The Dark Horse", via Golden Robot Records. The effort arrived more than two months after the death of Riley who would have celebrated his 68th birthday on January 22, the day of "The Dark Horse"'s release.

In addition to Riley, RILEY'S L.A. GUNS' most recent lineup featured Orlando, Florida-based guitarist/vocalist Kurt Frohlich, bassist Kelly Nickels (a member of L.A. GUNS' "classic" incarnation) and guitarist Scott Griffin, who played bass for L.A. GUNS from 2007 until 2009, and then again from 2011 to 2014.

In September 2023, RILEY'S L.A. GUNS released "The Dark Horse" title track via Golden Robot Records. The track came seven months after RILEY'S L.A. GUNS issued another new song, "Rewind", digitally via Golden Robot. In October 2022, RILEY'S L.A. GUNS released a single called "Overdrive".

"The Dark Horse" track listing:

01. Overdrive
02. Rewind
03. The Dark Horse
04. Somebody Save Me
05. Sweet Summer Girl (Florida)
06. The Truth
07. Changing Lights
08. It's The World
09. Downday Drag
10. While I'm Away

Riley died on October 24, 2023 at the age of 67. Prior to his passing, Steve had been battling a severe case of pneumonia for several weeks. His wife Mary Louise and son Cole were by his side in his final moments.

Riley was the drummer for W.A.S.P. on the band's second and third albums — 1985's "The Last Command" and 1986's "Inside The Electric Circus" — and world tours from 1984 to 1987. After leaving W.A.S.P., Riley joined L.A. GUNS and played on that group's most commercially successful LPs.

In 2016, singer Phil Lewis and guitarist Tracii Guns reunited in a new version of L.A. GUNS that didn't include Riley. Steve later launched his own version of L.A. GUNS, which played its debut concert at the M3 Rock Festival in Maryland in May 2019.

In April 2021, an out-of-court resolution was reached between Riley and Guns and Lewis over the rights to the band's name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Tracii and Phil continued to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS carried on under the new name RILEY'S L.A. GUNS.

In January 2020, Riley was sued by Lewis and Guns in California District Court. Joining Riley as defendants in the case were the three musicians who performed in his rival version of L.A. GUNS; that group's manager, booking agent and merchandiser; and Golden Robot Records. The complaint, which requested a trial by jury, alleged that Riley's version of L.A. GUNS (referred to in the case docket as "the infringing L.A. GUNS") was creating "unfair competition" through its unauthorized usage of the L.A. GUNS trademark. In addition, Guns and Lewis were seeking relief from and/or against false advertising, breach of contract and unauthorized usage of their likenesses.

Coming up this Saturday!

January 20th - 2024
80’s Rock Invasion Tour
Mohegan Sun Arena - Uncasville, CT
Stephen Pearcy...

Posted by Johnny Kelly on Tuesday, January 16, 2024

In a new interview with Gareth Williams of Australia's Wall Of Sound, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson revealed that the song "Shadow Of The Gods" from his upcoming solo album "The Mandrake Project" was originally composed specifically for the proposed THE THREE TREMORS project, also featuring JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford and QUEENSRŸCHE's Geoff Tate. Dickinson said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "'Shadow Of The Gods' was written at the time of [the title track of my 2005 solo album] 'Tyranny of Souls' or shortly afterwards. Because Roy [Bruce's longtime collaborator Roy 'Z' Ramirez] and I were… There was an idea to do a project called THE THREE TREMORS, which was gonna be me, Rob Halford and Ronnie James Dio doing an album together and then going out on tour. Well, that never happened 'cause Ronnie, unfortunately, passed away. The idea was maybe to get Geoff Tate involved and that kind of didn't work out. But in the meantime, we were busy trying to write songs that would feature three singers. When the project didn't happen, we'd done two of them. One of them was 'Tyranny Of Souls', which, if you notice, the opening lines to 'Tyranny Of Souls' is the 'three witches' speech from 'Macbeth'. And, of course, if there were three singers, you'd have them all on stage going, [singing] 'When shall we three meet again?' And, in fact, the first three lines would have been sung by me and then Rob and then Geoff Tate. So, on the demo version of it, you know, I was, like, 'When shall we three meet again?' And then I'll do the Rob voice, [singing more aggressively] 'In thunder, lightning, or in rain?' Then you get, [singing in clean, high-pitched voice] 'When the hurlyburly's done?' And then the chorus is all three of us, 'A tyranny of souls.' Anyway, that never happened. So I said, 'Well, screw it. I'll just do all the bits myself and make it more like my style of singing.'"

He continued: "'Shadow Of The Gods' was written for the same project. And, basically, the same thing happened with 'Shadow Of The Gods', So, when the heavy riff happens two thirds of the way through the tune, people go, 'Wow, that sounds like vintage PRIEST.' I went, 'Yeah, well, guess who was supposed to be singing [that bit].'"

Dickinson previously talked about the aborted THE THREE TREMORS project during the question-and-answer portion of his March 2022 spoken-word show at the Orpheum Theatre in Los Angeles, California. At the time, he said: "We were gonna do this thing with three metal singers — myself, Ronnie James Dio and Rob Halford. However, for reasons that [didn't make much sense] — managerial bullshit or whatever — there was some opposition, not from me, to having Ronnie there, which I thought was crazy. So the suggestion was that we would have Geoff Tate instead. So Roy and I wrote a tune. We thought we'd have a go at writing an album that would be sung by three singers. We only got as far as one song, and that song was 'Tyranny Of Souls'. And the idea was that had we done the project, the chorus would have been all three singers [singing together], but the beginning of it would have been kind of one line me, one line Geoff, one line Rob, and so on, through the song. And each line would have been written so it would suit the delivery, it would suit the vocal characteristic of whoever was singing it. So it was quite a tall order. It [would have been] quite difficult to do. I thought, 'Shit, it's gonna be pretty difficult to do a whole album of this stuff.' And of course, we never did. But 'Tyranny Of Souls', the demo of it was designed to illustrate how that would have worked."

Seven years ago, Dickinson told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that he was reluctant to pursue THE THREE TREMORS project if Dio wasn't involved. "I was, like, 'I am not gonna do this without Ronnie,'" he recalled. "And Rod [Smallwood, IRON MAIDEN's longtime manager] was, like, 'I don't wanna use Ronnie. He's too old.' I said, 'What do you mean too old? Are you kidding me?' I said, 'He's a legend.' He said, 'No. We should use Geoff Tate.' And then we had a meeting with Geoff Tate, and then I said, 'No. It's not gonna work.' And so that was that."

According to Dickinson, concert promoters showed great interest in booking THE THREE TREMORS before a single note had even been recorded. "I could see the money in their eyes, thinking, 'Oh, this would be great. We could sell this every which way all over the place as a package,'" Dickinson said. "And I went, 'Yeah, you could, but what are we actually gonna do? There's gonna be three of us on stage. What are we gonna do that's actually different that's really cool?'"

Before Dickinson's proposed collaboration with Halford and Tate was officially scrapped, the name THE THREE TREMORS was changed to TRINITY because "we figured they would sue our ass if we called it THE THREE TREMORS," Bruce explained in an interview several years ago.

Dickinson previously said that he and Roy wrote "about three songs" for THE THREE TREMORS during a session in Los Angeles before he "realized it was going to take us a lot longer than three weeks to write a project with three singers that would work."

He explained: "We wanted to make each song designed to be sung by three different characters as an integral part of the song, not something like, 'You sing the first verse, I'll sing the second verse, and he'll sing the chorus.' That would be a crap way to do it."

Dickinson added: "It's a bloody difficult thing to do, to try to make a song with three different voices to get the full benefit out of it. And it takes longer than three weeks, and we didn't have longer than that to do it, so I canned it in the end.

"It's a great idea; everybody loves the idea… We had marketing people salivating about the idea of a TRINITY project," he said. "But the bottom line is, the thing that is gonna sink it is if the music sucks. So I thought we should can the idea for now since we don't have time to do it. Rob was in the studio doing his album ['Crucible'] and Geoff was writing a new QUEENSRŸCHE album, so that was it. It is an interesting idea, and I'm sure the live show would be really interesting."

In 2000, Tate and Dickinson joined Halford onstage at the latter's concert in London for a rendition of "One You Love To Hate", a song written by Halford, Dickinson and Ramirez that was featured on Halford's "Resurrection" album.

"The Mandrake Project" will be released on March 1 via BMG. Bruce and Roy recorded the LP largely at Los Angeles's Doom Room, with Roy Z doubling up as both guitarist and bassist. The recording lineup for "The Mandrake Project" was rounded out by keyboard maestro Mistheria and drummer Dave Moreno, both of whom also featured on Bruce's last solo studio album, "Tyranny Of Souls", in 2005.

Bruce Dickinson and his phenomenal band will bring the music of "The Mandrake Project" to life with a major headline tour next spring and summer.

Bruce's touring band features guitarist Roy Z, drummer Dave Moreno, bass player Tanya O'Callaghan and keyboard maestro Mistheria.

Dickinson made his recording debut with IRON MAIDEN on the "Number Of The Beast" album in 1982. He quit the band in 1993 in order to pursue his solo career and was replaced by Blaze Bayley, who had previously been the lead singer of the metal band WOLFSBANE. After releasing two traditional metal albums with former MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith, Dickinson rejoined the band in 1999 along with Smith. Since then, Dickinson has only released one more solo album (the aforementioned "Tyranny Of Souls") but has previously said that his solo career is not over.