Rammstein frontman Till Lindemann kicked off his European solo tour for his new album, Zunge, on November 8th in Leipzig, Germany. He performed at OVO Arena Wembley in London, England on December 12th and fan-filmed video of the entire show, courtesy of Room With Mirrors, can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"Zunge" 
"Schweiss" 
"Fat"
"Altes Fleisch"
"Allesfresser"
"Golden Shower
"Tanzlehrerin" 
"Ich Weiß Es Nicht"
"Sport Frei" 
"Blut"
"Praise Abort"
"Platz Eins"
"Fish On"
"Gummi"
"Steh Auf"




Encore:
"Knebel"
"Ich Hasse Kinder"
"Skills In Pills





Two shows of the tour remain:


December
18 - Munich, Germany - Zenith
20 - Paris, France - Accor Arena

Tony Clarkin, guitarist, mastermind and main songwriter of the U.K. prog/pomp/AOR rock band MAGNUM, has been diagnosed with a rare and incurable spinal condition. As a result of his diagnosis, MAGNUM has canceled its previously announced spring 2024 tour.

Earlier today (Monday, December 18),Clarkin released the following message via social media: "I'm afraid I have some bad news for you guys. Over the past year or so I've been bothered by increasingly bad pains in my neck and head. For a long time the docs couldn't work out why, but now they've found out and it's gonna mean some changes.

"I have developed a rare spinal condition. It's not life-limiting, but it can be degenerative in some people, and sadly it's not curable. There are treatments that may help but we don't know how good they'll be.

"With the nature of touring and the weight of electric guitars this means there's no way I would be able to play the scheduled shows in the spring. We've taken the decision to cancel the tour, rather than mess anyone around trying to postpone in the hope things might get better in the short term. Bob [Catley, vocals] didn't feel it would be right doing it with a dep at this time.

"This is not gonna be the end of MAGNUM, but the future might have to be a bit different, so please bear with us while we try and figure out what I can and can't do moving forward.

"I'm really sorry for everyone who'd already bought tickets, it goes without saying that I'm absolutely gutted that I'm not gonna be able to play for you.

"Cheers and I hope I'll be able to see you all again soon."

The rest of MAGNUM added in a separate statement: "We are obviously all extremely upset at this development, especially so close to Christmas. We can't thank you all enough for your support over the years and hope you'll stick with us through this too. We really hope you're all going to love the new album 'Here Comes The Rain' out on the 12th January 2024 and this won't spoil it for you.

"Please everyone contact your ticket reseller for a refund. We'll be back…"

Formed in Birmingham over 50 years ago by Catley and Clarkin, MAGNUM have cemented themselves as one of the U.K.'s finest hard rock exports, a largely American dominated genre.

With their unique melodic skill and tasteful instrumentation, the group have released 22 studio albums over the years, with their most recent, "The Monster Roars", arriving last year to great critical acclaim.

MAGNUM's current lineup consists of Catley, Clarkin, Rick Benton (keys),Dennis Ward (bass) and Lee Morris (drums).

A message from Tony Clarkin

“I'm afraid I have some bad news for you guys. Over the past year or so I've been bothered...

Posted by MAGNUM on Monday, December 18, 2023

Former Sodom guitarist Andy Brings, who now fronts Double Crush Syndrome, has released a new Andy Brings & Band single, "Das Herz Und Die Seele". Check out the official video below.





"Das Herz Und Die Seele" is the follow-up to the Andy Brings & Band album, Süden, released in June 2022.







Tracklist:


"Armee der Mädchen"
"Rette Mir"
"Schlaflos"
"Tik Tak"
"Tut Mir Leid"
"Anker"
"Monster"
"Lass Das Licht Noch An"
"Wildes Mädchen"
"Raumschiff Nach Hawaii"
"Rock 'n' Roll"





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Trivium frontman Matt Heafy has shared live video of the band performing "Pull Harder On The Strings Of Your Martyr" in Newcastle, UK during Summer 2023. It is taken from the band's  2005 album, Ascendancy.





Heafy recently shared live video of the band performing "Torn Between Scylla And Charybdis" on tour, taken from the Shogun record.

Guitarist Gary Holt of San Francisco Bay Area thrashers EXODUS, who completed their fall 2023 U.S. tour on December 16 in Salt Lake City, Utah, has shared the following message via his social media: "And that's a wrap!! What a tour. What a year. Two years.

"This year has been the hardest I've ever dealt with yet massively rewarding. The most injured I've ever been on tour.

"Started the year with a horrible fall off the bus, slipping on an icy step, thought I broke my pelvis. No break. Worst pain ever. For weeks. Keep playing. Had to rescue my brother from an Italian hospital after a horrible accident. Mass turmoil, drama and stress. Had to cancel Europe for my own mental well being. Sucked. Fuck my neck up at Blue Ridge rock fest. Still fucked up four months later. Find a way to do what I gotta do, even if banging my head harder than all was not on the table. But also. Made amazing new friends in my tour mates. Played shows that told all of @exodusbandofficial that something really cool is happening with this band. We are driven. We care about nothing but crushing you. Fans. Other bands. No matter. We will destroy all.

"[EXODUS's latest album] 'Persona Non Grata' was a milestone for us. Time to crush it.

"To all who say they're about to make the metal record of the year? Hold my NA beer!

"Thank you to everyone, most of all our band management and crew. Family time. Then time to finish the songs for this next record! The work to deliver the beatings continues."

This past May, EXODUS canceled its previously announced summer 2023 European tour so that Holt could "tend to his family" after his brother was hospitalized in Italy.

Holt joined EXODUS in 1981, shortly after the band's formation, and has been the group's main songwriter ever since. Holt has performed on every EXODUS album, and is considered highly influential in the world of thrash metal.

Holt began filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at live shows in 2011, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS. Holt played on SLAYER's final album, "Repentless", which came out in 2015.

"Persona Non Grata" came out in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" was the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

Nine months ago, Hachette Books announced that it had acquired Gary's upcoming memoir. "A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage To Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way" is described in a press release as "a no-holds-barred memoir from the preeminent thrasher's life in metal, from its humble (but not quiet) beginnings in the San Francisco Bay Area through today's current resurgence in worldwide popularity, as he lived big, played fast and crashed hard, written in collaboration with Adem Tepedelen."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Gary Holt (@garyholt_official)

Frontiers Music Srl has welcomed powerhouse vocalist James Durbin back for a multi-album deal under the moniker DURBIN.

The Santa Cruz, California native is set to unleash his latest heavy metal opus, "Screaming Steel", on February 16, 2024 and today, DURBIN shares the title track along with a killer new video.

Durbin's signature vocal prowess and commanding stage presence have earned him praise from rock and metal legends such as Steven Tyler, Sammy Hagar and Rob Halford. With four full-length albums to his name, Durbin continues to evolve as an artist, pushing the boundaries of heavy metal while staying true to its roots.

Now, with the upcoming release of "Screaming Steel", James Durbin is poised to deliver another sonic assault. If you're a fan of the classic sounds of JUDAS PRIEST, early DIO, '80s BLACK SABBATH and timeless U.S. heavy metal, brace yourself for an intense musical experience. "Screaming Steel" promises to resonate with heavy metal enthusiasts, drawing inspiration from the genre's rich heritage while maintaining a contemporary edge.

Following the success of his label debut "The Beast Awakens", which was released on February 12, 2021, Durbin has solidified his place as a force to be reckoned with in the heavy metal scene. "The Beast Awakens" showcased pure, unadulterated, headbanging heavy metal, drawing influences from classic '80s heavy metal while forging a path uniquely his own. The album received acclaim from fans of the genre and marked a triumphant return for DURBIN.

James Durbin's journey into the music industry gained widespread attention during his appearance on Season 10 of "American Idol", where he fearlessly championed heavy metal. On the finale, he shared the stage with legendary metal icons JUDAS PRIEST for unforgettable renditions of "Livin' After Midnight" and "Breaking The Law".

Throughout his career, Durbin has collaborated with an impressive array of musicians, including Stevie Wonder, Don Was, Zakk Wylde, Sheryl Crow, Tom Jones, Mick Mars of MÖTLEY CRÜE, Bob Babbitt of THE FUNK BROTHERS and STEEL PANTHER, among others.

Fans of heavy metal revivalists and classic heavy metal aficionados alike are in for a treat as Durbin continues to unleash his metal prowess upon the world.

"Screaming Steel" track list:

01. Made Of Metal
02. Screaming Steel
03. Where They Stand
04. Hallows
05. Power Of The Reaper
06. Blazing High
07. Beyond The Night
08. The Worshipper - 1897
09. Tear Them Down
10. Rebirth

Total Time: 41:15

Produced by: Aldo Lonobile
Recorded by: Aldo Lonobile, Eric J. Peterson & James Durbin
Mixed by: Aldo Lonobile
Mastered by: Aldo Lonobile

Band members:

Vocals - James Durbin (USA)
Guitars - Aldo Lonobile (Italy)
Guitars - Luca Birotto (Italy)
Bass - Mike Roberts (USA)
Drums - Marco Sacchetto (Italy)

Solos:

"Blazing High" and "Hallows" - Jadran "Conan" Gonzales (USA)
"Tear Them Down" - Taylor Washington (USA)
"Power Of The Reaper" - Jon Yadon Jr. (USA)
"Screaming Steel" and "Made Of Metal" - Dylan Rose (USA)
"Blazing High" and "Beyond The Night" – MOKSHA (USA)
"Where They Stand" - Aldo Lonobile (Italy)

The DeadMike.com YouTube channel has shared video of Lita Ford's December 16 concert at the Smart Financial Centre in Sugar Land, Texas. You can check out the clips below.

In a recent interview with Robert Miguel of Uvalde Radio Rocks, Lita spoke about the delay in releasing her long-awaited new studio album. She said: "Well, I just did an interview a little while ago and I was just saying that there's a lot of pieces of the puzzle in moving forward with things, especially now in the music industry, there's so many moving parts and stuff. So I just need to have all my ducks in a row before I try to release this record. And I think just recently, I wanna say just over the last couple of weeks, the missing link and the biggest pieces of the puzzle, besides me, have been found. And we're gonna be moving forward real soon with this record. Of course, the holidays always throw a wrench in the spokes. And so we've gotta kind of wait for the holidays to get over with. And then we get on with the rock and roll."

She continued: "I think we're gonna have a new Lita record in '24. I was hoping for '23, but I didn't find those missing pieces of the puzzle. So this year we found them, this Thanksgiving. So we're on. We're moving up."

Ford's upcoming follow-up to 2012's "Living Like A Runaway" was once again helmed by guitarist/producer Gary Hoey, who contributes some guitar playing to the disc, alongside the rest of Lita's longtime backing band, consisting of guitarist Patrick Kennison, drummer Bobby Rock and bassist Marty O'Brien.

In May 2022, bassist Marten Andersson (STEELHEART, LIZZY BORDEN, LYNCH MOB) officially joined Lita's touring band. Andersson replaced O'Brien who became the touring bassist for DAUGHTRY.

In a separate interview with "THAT Rocks!", the weekly YouTube series hosted by Eddie Trunk, Jim Florentine and Don Jamieson, Lita stated about her next LP: "The problem is we've had so many things happen over the last few years. Our manager died; George Marshall died a year ago, [in] '22. And then my songwriting partner died. And it's just been devastation. But we take all that pain and everything and we just put it right back into the album. And then we recorded the drum tracks in Minneapolis during Black Lives Matter and COVID. Everything was locked down and the place was boarded up and the guys had shotguns and Rottweilers. And then we went in and did drum tracks. And it was awesome. Just memories of just pure badassery And so the record is almost done. [There are] a couple things I have to fix and change. And it looks like we might be signing with Frontiers [Music Srl]. But they've gotta to do me right before I put pen to paper. And they're pretty cool over there. So, we're talking March release. 2024, March release."

Regarding what her plans are for live shows in support of her upcoming LP, Lita said: "Well, what I would like to do is put together a theatrical show, sort of like a rock guitar opera kind of thing. It's been done before and different bands have done it before, but I think in this case, it might be a little different and just to bring the whole show not to life just for audio, but for visual reasons also. So we're going to go into rehearsals mid-November and start putting that together for 2024, the Lita Ford rock guitar rock opera. I'd love to have Hoey with me too, if I can get Gary Hoey to [do] the tour."

In January 2021, Lita told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" that her new album contains "some of the best guitar playing" she has heard "in decades." She added: "And I'm not blowing smoke up my own ass, but Gary and I just nailed it with the guitar playing on this record.

"I'm a huge fan of people like Dick Wagner and Steve Hunter from Alice Cooper's 'Welcome To My Nightmare'. I mean, there's some really great duo guitar players — [JUDAS PRIEST's] Glenn Tipton, K.K. Downing… Those guitar players don't exist anymore — they just don't exist. If you wanna hear them, you have to go back in time a little bit and dig them up into your favorite library, favorite music catalog. But I think Gary and I really nailed it on this next record. It's, like, oh my God. I'm crying — I'm just, like, crying listening to this stuff. It's so badass."

Ford's last release was 2016's "Time Capsule", a collection of songs that were recorded by Lita in the past, but never before made available.

Seven years ago, Lita released an autobiography, "Living Like A Runaway: A Memoir", via Dey Street Books (formerly It Books),an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers.

Tonight December 16, 2023
#WARRANT, #WINGER, #LITAFORD, #STEELHEART

Smart Financial Centre at Sugar Land
18111 Lexington Blvd
Sugar Land, TX

Tickets at: smartfinancialcentre.net

Posted by Marten Andersson on Saturday, December 16, 2023

On December 16, Grammy Award-winning musician, producer, author as well as founding member of hard rock bands ALTER BRIDGE, CREED and TREMONTI, Mark Tremonti performed at Walt Disney Theater At Dr. Phillips Center in Orlando, Florida as part of his "Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra: Christmas Special". Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

This past October, Tremonti released his first-ever Christmas album, "Christmas Classics New & Old".

"Christmas Classics New & Old" is Mark's interpretation of nine holiday classics and one original penned song from the acclaimed songwriter himself. After the success of his interpretation of songs Frank Sinatra made famous on his album "Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra", Mark decided to partner up with the orchestra from that album to work on the holiday album.

From the opening horns of "The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year" to the slow fade of the Donny Hathaway classic "This Christmas", Tremonti showcases the music that was the bedrock of his childhood holidays. Mark's interpretations of songs like "Jingle Bells", "The First Noel" and "Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" find their place among the many great versions that preceded them. "O Holy Night" is one of Mark's personal favorites and finds new life in the inspired arrangement by producer Carey Deadman. Mark also took the time to create his own holiday composition called "Christmas Morning". Piano twinkles as a marching band drum roll picks up the momentum. As if changing from black-and-white to technicolor, horns herald a wonderfully warm picture on the track's finale, "My lady and me will make sure our children believe in the glory of Christmas morning."

"Christmas Classics New & Old" will sit alongside the most cherished holiday albums and continues to showcase the musical diversity inside Tremonti.

As a Grammy Award-winning multiplatinum musician, Tremonti's dynamic musical career spans influential bands from ALTER BRIDGE and CREED to his own TREMONTI, leaving an indelible imprint on hard rock with over 40 million albums sold, chart-topping debuts, countless television appearances and magazine covers, sold out arenas everywhere, and dozens of other accolades. To say he broadened his horizons with 2022's "Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra" might just be the understatement of the century though. He paid homage to 14 Sinatra classics backed by surviving members of Ol Blue Eyes' band in addition to a cadre of A-list session players. Right out of the gate, it incited widespread audience and tastemaker applause. Beyond features from Billboard, CBS New York, Washington Post and many more, Carson Daly spotlighted the project on "Today" and raved, "Bar none the best Frank Sinatra cover I've ever heard." Donating 100% of the album's proceeds to the National Down Syndrome Society (NDSS) as part of his Take A Chance For Charity organization, NDSS notably honored Mark and his family at its annual gala and auction in 2023. Moreover, the album hit No. 1 on the Billboard Top Jazz Albums chart, and he would go on to play a handful of sold-out shows in support of the album. However, he has yet to musically contribute to the happiest season of all — until now. Just in time for the holidays, he delivers "Christmas Classics New & Old" with nine renditions of holiday anthems and one original tailor made to "put a smile on your face, make you feel good, and get you into the Christmas spirit," according to Mark.

Image credit: Dustin Tyler Geisler / ALTER BRIDGE fan group on Facebook

Tonight is the big holiday concert for charity 🎄🎅

Posted by Michael Tremonti on Saturday, December 16, 2023

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says that "people get too worked up" about which artists get inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame.

Despite the fact that artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE (which has been eligible since 2006) and IRON MAIDEN have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

CRÜE won the 2019 "Voice Your Choice" in-museum Rock Hall fan vote but failed to make the list of nominees for the Class Of 2020. The band saw its votes surge when its biopic "The Dirt", premiered on Netfix in March 2019.

On Sunday (December 17),Sixx took to his account on X, the platform formerly known as Twitter, to write: "I think people get too worked up about the RRHF. If you get in that's cool and if not, it's not a big deal. It's not some elite club that defines you. It's an award. None of us hopefully make music just for awards. I do like the idea of jamming with other musicians at the ceremony."

In an October 2020 interview with "CLE Rocks" podcast, CRÜE drummer Tommy Lee was asked about Sixx's previous assertion that he would "probably decline" the Rock Hall nomination. Tommy said: "I get Nikki's, like, you know what? There's a bunch of people that are in there that he doesn't agree with, and, yeah, I might not agree with that either. And it seems like just fucking anybody's in there now. I get his disappointment with that. But at the end of the day, for me, dude, it would be a fucking honor regardless. Because there is a bunch of people that deserve to be there. I wouldn't kick it out of bed, you know? [Laughs]"

In 2019, Sixx said that CRÜE was told by the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame that it would never be inducted into the institution because of how he and his bandmates "acted." Tommy, for his part, told "CLE Rocks" that he didn't believe the band's exclusion had anything to do with CRÜE's notorious 1980s partying lifestyle.

"MÖTLEY's always been that kind of band that just, (a) won't go away, and (b) with some of those kind of people, we've always butted heads with that kind of stuff," Lee explained. "People sometimes don't think that we're the fucking real deal, I guess. I don't know what their deal is. Who knows, bro? Who knows?"

Back in 2015, Sixx said that if his band was ever honored into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, he would "probably decline" the nomination, explaining that the Rock Hall "has lost touch with art, songwriting craft, lyrics and influential music." He explained: "It's a fixed old-boy network that has lost touch with art, songwriting craft, lyrics and influential music and usually has other agendas at hand. Young bands tell me it's a joke, and these bands are the future."

Three months later, CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars told Rolling Stone that he didn't think the band would ever get the Rock Hall nod. "We were there when the thing was being built; we had to wear hard hats while we were walking around the building site. They were like, 'One of these days, you guys will be in here!' Right. [Laughs] I'd have to say, 80 percent no, 20 percent yeah. But it's like when you're a kid in kindergarten, and you take a nap and get a gold star as a reward. I don't need a few handful of people to say that I got a gold star, because I already got it from my fans. I see the crowds, I see the enthusiasm, I see all that stuff, and that's already satisfying enough for me."

Lee told Rolling Stone that he was somewhat torn on the question of even wanting to be in the Hall in the first place. "I do give a shit about it, because it's a time-stamp, it's the acknowledgement of your peers and fans and the music industry," he explained. "But then again, there's a part of me that goes, 'If we don't, that's fucking cool, too!' In my heart, I know that we came, we saw, we kicked its fucking ass; I don't need a pat on the back, or an induction, or another platinum album or two. Maybe I'm just not good with compliments."

Singer Vince Neil chimed in: "We'll probably go in at some point, but we might not all be alive when it happens. Our grandkids will probably have to pick up the awards."
I think people get too worked up about the RRHF. If you get in that’s cool and if not,it’s not a big deal. It’s not some elite club that defines you. It’s an award.None of us hopefully make music just for awards.I do like the idea of jamming with other musicians at the ceremony.

— 📷 (@NikkiSixx) December 18, 2023

The Rolling Stones have released an official live video for their classic hit, "Jumpin' Jack Flash", filmed at the New York launch show for their new album, Hackney Diamonds. Watch below:





The Stones previously released "Whole Wide World" (Live at Racket, NYC), from the brand new Hackney Diamonds Live Deluxe, featuring the iconic launch show. Available on 2CD & to stream/download here.







The Stones recently announced they are going back on the road with a brand-new tour performing in 16 cities across the US and Canada.


Fans can expect to experience Mick Jagger, Keith Richards and Ronnie Wood play their most popular hits ranging from “Start Me Up,” “Gimme Shelter,” “Jumpin’ Jack Flash,” “Satisfaction” and more, as well as fan favourite deep cuts and music from their new album, Hackney Diamonds.


The legendary rockers will be returning to the road following the success of their history-making and chart-topping studio album Hackney Diamonds, which has just received a Grammy nomination for the projects lead single, "Angry". Showcasing a new stage and high energy that only the Stones can bring as one of the worlds most iconic artists ever, this tour will guarantee a show to remember. The United States last hosted the rock n roll giants during their critically acclaimed No Filter tour in 2021, which sold out stadiums across the country while becoming one of the highest-grossing concert tours of all time.


The tour is set to kick off April 28, 2024 at NRG Stadium in Houston, Texas, with stops in Las Vegas, Glendale, East Rutherford, Seattle, Foxboro, Orlando, Atlanta, Philadelphia, Cleveland, Denver, Chicago, Vancouver, Los Angeles and Santa Clara. The Stones will also make a stop at this years New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival for a special performance on May 2. Full tour routing is below.





Confirmed dates:


April
28 - NRG Stadium - Houston, TX


May
2 - Jazz Fest - New Orleans, LA
7 - State Farm Stadium - Glendale, AZ
11 - Allegiant Stadium - Las Vegas, NV
15 - Lumen Field - Seattle, WA
23 - Metlife Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ
26 - Metlife Stadium - East Rutherford, NJ
30 - Gillette Stadium - Foxboro, MA


June
3 - Camping World Stadium - Orlando, FL
7 - Mercedes-Benz Stadium - Atlanta, GA
11 - Lincoln Financial Field - Philadelphia, PA
15 - Cleveland Browns Stadium - Cleavland, OH
20 - Empower Field at Mile High - Denver, CO
27 - Soldier Field - Chicago, IL


July
5 - BC Place - Vancouver, BC
10 - SoFi Stadium - Los Angeles, CA
17 - Levi’s ® Stadium - Santa Clara, CA

Classically-trained vocal powerhouse, Kobra Paige, is best known for her time as founder, lead singer and songwriter of double Juno-nominated hard rock outfit Kobra And The Lotus. Over the course of six albums and one EP, the band charted several songs at rock radio and garnered over 46 million streams across various platforms (Spotify, YouTube, etc.). Kobra And The Lotus have played over 800 shows worldwide in 20+ countries and have performed for tens of thousands at some of the world’s biggest music festivals (Rock Am Ring, Hellfest, Download, Wacken and more).


Kobra has released her new solo single, "Thank You". Check it out below.







Kobra's previous single, “Under One Sun”, had its worldwide premiere on AXS TV’s Power Hour. Check out the epic video that depicts the power of nature, healing and the divine feminine below.


Of “Under One Sun,” Kobra Paige commented, “This song is incredibly symbolic for me as it was the very first one ever written for this album. Co-written on an acoustic in Nashville alongside producer Nick Raskulinecz (Foo Fighters, Alice In Chains, Evanescence), the song was formally recorded and produced by Brian Howes (Skillet, Chris Cornell, Mother Mother). Brian played all the various guitar layers and together with engineer Karl Dicaire, we elevated it to the global sound the messaging called for. ‘UOS’ speaks to our resilience and capacity to heal as human beings. It serves as a reminder that we can heal enough to coexist with the things in life that wound us the most. I hope this song and video bring grace into your darkest crevices of pain, grief, traumas and suffering you have endured.”





"Under One Sun" and "Thank You" are featured on Kobra Paige’s forthcoming debut solo album, the title of which has now been revealed; Like No Other is due out April 5. It is produced by Grammy Award winner Brian Howes (Skillet, Linkin Park, Simple Plan). The first single from Like No Other", “Love What I Hate” is chartbound, added to over thirty Active Rock radio stations.

Earlier tonight (Thursday, December 14),CHILDREN OF BODOM members Henkka Seppälä (bass) and Janne Wirman (keyboards) hosted a listening party for the band's new live album, "A Chapter Called... Children Of Bodom (Final Show In Helsinki Ice Hall 2019)", at the Bodom Bar & Sauna in Espoo, Finland. The LP, which was recorded at CHILDREN OF BODOM's final concert on December 15, 2019 at the Black Box in Helsinki Ice Hall in Helsinki, Finland, will be made available tomorrow via Spinefarm.

During the question-and-answer portion of today's event, Wirman and Seppälä discussed their mindset going into CHILDREN OF BODOM's final concert, which took place a year before the band's frontman Alexi Laiho passed away due to alcohol-induced degeneration of the liver and pancreas connective tissue. Furthermore, Laiho had a cocktail of painkillers, opioids and insomnia medication in his system. He had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

Janne said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I felt a sense of relief onstage [at the final concert] 'cause I was very tired of Alexi's problems and constant problems with one guy. And then this guy who was our best friend and who wrote all the music, all of a sudden from 2016 on, just became someone I didn't recognize anymore. He was a different person, and he was so overcome with his disease and problems and it got to the point in 2019 we decided that this can't go on anymore. And then this was the last show. It was short notice, and we [originally] had so much better plans for how to say goodbye to all the international fans, how to do a proper farewell around-the-world tour [during 2020-2022] and whatever. But now, something we did not know, was [that] the pandemic [would happen], obviously, and that would have canceled all of those plans anyway."

Added Henkka: "So it was kind of, like, in a way we are lucky that we had this confrontation within the band that made us decide to drop [the group] earlier than we were supposed to and have this final show that was recorded. Because if you would have kept on the original plan with Alexi that let's do a farewell tour until 2022, I think it was, so then the pandemic would have ruined everything. And we probably would have never had this kind of last proper souvenir."

Asked if it ever entered their minds that they could take a long break away from each other and then maybe regroup at a later date, Henkka quipped: "That would have been like a mature way of dealing with it." Janne said: "Our manager at the time, Steve, did ask me that, at the eve of the last show, Steve asked me that, 'Are you ever gonna play with Alexi again?' And I said, 'I would only [play with him] if he would seek help and become fully sober.' And I knew that wasn't an option, that he had decided at that point, unfortunately, that he's just gonna die by his addictions, which is horrible. And it's very sad, but I knew him well enough that there was no way that he's gonna get better. And then that's why somehow it was also a relief for me at the last show. I realized that I need to let go."

Added Henkka: "The problems were pretty bad — I mean, within the band, all the relations. And I don't think anybody could see a future anymore. So [putting the band to rest] was the only option at the time. I'm sure that Steve, our manager, had some hopes of a reunion show within some years, of course, because he's a businessman [laughs], but it didn't even cross my mind at that time."

Continued Janne: "That's why I said that at the time I said that I will never play again with Alexi, 'cause I knew that he will not get sober, he will not get help for his problems. And then it would've been a totally different opinion. If somehow any of us would've felt that, 'Okay, Alexi is gonna get help. He's gonna get better,' all of us would've been, like, 'Okay, fine. Let's give him a couple of years and then let's get back together.' But that was not foreseeable at the time."

Added Henkka: "At the time it was, it was an impossible point."

Released with the blessing of Laiho's estate, the concert album completes the legendary band's career which began in Espoo, Finland in 1993 as INEARTHED. Over their career, CHILDREN OF BODOM released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD. The final lineup of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Laiho (lead guitar, lead vocals),Jaska Raatikainen (drums),Seppälä (bass),Wirman (keyboards) and Daniel Freyberg (rhythm guitar).

In a July 2023 interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Wirman opened up about the string of events that led to the band's 2019 demise and the deterioration of Laiho's health.

"Alexi's downfall started in 2016," Janne said. "I don't know what caused him to do that. He told me but didn't tell anyone else in the band — he made sure no one else was in the room — and told me, 'Dude, from now on, I'm going to drink until I die.' I said, 'Fuck, man. You can't say that to me.' He said it another time in 2018. I knew that was what he was doing — he said he wouldn't take any help for his medical issues. He was going to keep drinking. That's what he did, which is fucking crazy."

Janne continued: "A lot of people who haven't had a family friend or work buddy or someone who is sick with alcoholism, a lot of people don't understand you cannot help the person who doesn't want help. He had decided he didn't want help and would keep drinking until he died. That's what he did."

Wirmen then detailed BODOM's final years, beset by infighting largely stemming from Laiho's substance abuse issues. "The last years were pretty bad," he said. "There was a lot of bullshit. It's so crazy because he was in such a good place a couple of years before. He was happy about being sober and on tour, and the shows were good. I don't know what happened to him. Something pushed him over the edge where he decided, 'Fuck it. I'm going to keep drinking.'"

Alexi's ashes were buried in December 2021 — nearly a year after his tragic passing. He was laid to rest at the Malmi Cemetery, a large cemetery located in the Malmi district in Helsinki, Finland.

Alexi and Jaska founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert. In 2020, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, all of which were released posthumously.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.

Last year, Wirman, Raatikainen and Seppälä discussed publicly for the first time the circumstances that led to the band's split and ultimately Laiho's death. In an interview with Finland's Helsingin Sanomat, the three surviving members of CHILDREN OF BODOM said the real reason for the band's breakup was not that they wanted to stop touring in order to spend more time with their families, which is how Laiho explained it to Helsingin Sanomat in November 2019. Instead, what caused the group to split was Laiho's substance abuse, and that is also what eventually killed him a year after they went their separate ways.

Laiho's addiction began to take a serious toll on CHILDREN OF BODOM in 2008, when the band was the support act on a SLIPKNOT tour. In the ensuing years, Laiho promised his bandmates that he would not drink on the road anymore. Although he kept his word for a few years, Alexi "went into a tailspin again in 2016," according to Wirman. Laiho, who had a substantial income as COB's main songwriter (all other income, from gigs to merchandise, was split equally),repeatedly complained that his income was declining and threatened to pull himself out of the limited liability company, AA & Sewira Consulting Oy, he and the other members formed in 2003.

After CHILDREN OF BODOM's manager brought up Laiho's substance abuse at a business meeting in New York in early 2019, Alexi refused to go into rehabilitation but did agree to see a doctor. He was diagnosed with diabetes, and he began taking medication to treat the condition.

In the summer of 2019, Laiho filed an application with the Finnish Patent And Registration Office to register the CHILDREN OF BODOM name to Laiho. This infuriated his bandmates who saw this as an attempt to hijack the name and brand that was controlled by the group's LLC.

During CHILDREN OF BODOM's tour of Russia in October 2019, Laiho "was hitting the bottle like back in 2008," his bandmates told Helsingin Sanomat.

"I told Alexi that you don't usually drink starting at breakfast before a gig, and now you don't even warm up with the guitar before going on stage like you always do," Raatikainen recalled.

Laiho later apologized and stopped drinking for the last concerts of the tour.

"His hands were shaking for two days, but the gigs in Moscow and St Petersburg went pretty well," Raatikainen said.

Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman decided to go with Alexi's wish from a few years back and buy him out of the LLC. Laiho retained the rights to his music and was paid royalties on performances and record sales as before, but sold his part of the LLC that owns the name of the band and the merchandising rights.

According to the trio, Alexi was sober for CHILDREN OF BODOM's entire final tour of Finland in December 2019 and he "exchanged cordial messages" with them even after the start of the pandemic.

Alexi's sister Anna Laiho told Helsingin Sanomat that the three surviving members of CHILDREN OF BODOM "have the full support of our family."

Anna, Alexi's Australian wife Kelli Wright-Laiho and a few close friends attempted to get him professional help in the fall of 2020, but he refused.

"At heart, he was a warm and caring person, always ready to help others. But he had his demons, and he wanted to fight those alone", Alexi's sister said. "He wanted to make his own choices. For better or worse."

A Chapter Called Children Of Bodom - Official Pre-Listening Party at Bodom Bar!

On December 15th 2019, we held our...

Posted by Children Of Bodom on Tuesday, December 5, 2023

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


"Merry Christmas from the Sunday Lunch team! This week is a true gem! Enjoy!"







Toyah recently revealed in an interview with eonmusic that a movie of the Sunday Lunch series is in the planning. The weekly event, which sees Toyah and partner Robert Fripp cover songs from across the rock spectrum, started during the lockdown of 2020, and has grown into a "phenomenon," according to the singer.


Toyah made the revelation while speaking to eonmusic's Eamon O'Neill ahead of her performance at Rewind South in Henley-on-Thames in August.  


Speaking about how Sunday Lunch has taken off; Toyah said; "Well, the Sunday lunch phenomenon, which is a worldwide phenomenon, it's basically, we picked up on classic rock, and our treatment of rock is; if you can teach Mozart and Beethoven in schools, then why can't you teach classic rock? Because that's what it is now; rock from Led Zeppelin, rock from Black Sabbath; it's classic, it's never going to go away. And it's something that I think, kids would really love learning about. That's not that we're going on the road and being educational, but our show kind of goes on a journey with artists we know, artists who visit us in our homes."


Going on to reveal that a movie about Sunday Lunch is on the way, Toyah said; "We have a documentary crew following us, and we have quite a big production company scripting an idea at the moment. Obviously we won't be in it. It's for actors to play, but that's all in the back kind of pool of what do you call pre-production. All of that's going on."


Asked when the movie might see the light of day, she was however, less committal; "I mean, movies take years, you know, for the even scripts to be accepted, so who knows what will happen?"


Read the interview here.

Edge Of Paradise have released an alternate version of their Smashing Pumpkins cover of “Disarm”.


The band says: “Hello friends, we hope you enjoy our take on Disarm, this is our version in collaboration with Judge & Jury Records, an alternate to what was previously released that featured Caleb Hyles. And we had some fun with AI.”







Edge Of Paradise,  known for their electrifying sound and captivating performances, are thrilled to announce the release of their latest album, a daring odyssey that will transport listeners to extraordinary dimensions. Hologram showcases the band's cinematic, yet heavier sound and pushes the boundaries of their genre-defying artistry. Teaming up once again, with a renowned production team of Mike Plotnikoff, who co-produced and engineered Hologram and Jacob Hansen, who mixed and mastered the album.


Listen to Hologram here.


Margarita Monet states: "We're so excited to finally unveil Hologram and introduce the story of pursuit, relentless perseverance, sacrifice and hope. The larger than life setting of the album, mirrors the real life journey and heart of the band, vulnerable strength and unstoppable spirit! We are so grateful for the amazing reviews Hologram is receiving from the critics, and are inspired by the reception from our wonderful fans! And most of all, we can’t wait to bring this music live this fall!”





"Basilisk" video:





"Soldiers Of Danger" lyric video:





"Hologram" video:

By Mark Gromen


It is with sadness that I learned Ken Erb left us, all too suddenly and out-of-the-blue, this week. I'd know Ken for almost 40 years. In addition to being the driving force for Shok Paris' music (alongside singer Vic Hix), during that time, had many opportunities to hang and interact with a jovial man, who had an impish, fun loving sense of humor. In '87, when Auburn Records asked me (fresh faced, 23 years old, with no experience) to take the band on their inaugural US tour, alongside Savatage, I worked with Ken almost daily, out of his family home, on the logistics of the tour. Still remember the West Coast manager insisting the band tour in a station wagon: five guys + me, including three six-footers? Not a pretty picture! Seems like Ken was always positioned stage left, with a Flying V, legs tightly pressed together, as he played. Seemed an unstable pedestal for his physique. On the last night of the aforementioned tour, at the Metro, in Chicago, as is customary, there's the comedic, tour finale hi jinks. The Savs came onstage and duct taped Ken's legs together! I was tasked with freeing him, as he played on. More of the same, when accompanying Shok Paris with Lizzy Borden. Smile seemingly etched on his face, frequent cigarette hanging from his lip, Ken was a prankster, who playfully enjoyed making my job a little more difficult. At one point, he claimed to have microwaved my prized battle/vest/jacket, a ruse he liked to recall, every time we met, even decades later. Unlike the other guys, Ken worked as a driver, when not on the road, so he'd take a turn behind the wheel of our RV, as we amassed nearly 20,000 miles. The crew and I appreciated the extra effort. 



Although I left Cleveland in the early Nineties, still ran into the band/members on trips back and in '04, the guys played the second Brave Words 6-Pack weekend, in Cleveland. It helped us establish the event, locally, as much as it gave them a (inter)national platform. A month later, we all reconvened at Bang Your Head, in Germany. Throughout their history, Shok Paris has remained a revered name in Northeast Ohio, and beyond. Some members would be replaced, Ken even drafting his brother, Donovan Kenaga, in on drums, for the most recent incarnations of the band. In the new millennium caught them opening for the likes of Accept and Night Demon, then they'd head overseas for Headbangers Open Air and/or Up The Hammers, the rest of the world privy to what some of us had known for decades: these are great people, producing world class metal. In 2012, it was time to celebrate Auburn CEO Bill Peters' 30 years on college radio, Shok Paris were handpicked to be one of the performers. Was honored to write the extensive liner notes for the Steel & Starlight: The Auburn Sessions reissue. Gave us a chance to reminisce. While he embraced the major label heyday, once the 80s limelight dimmed, felt Ken was happy, just to play without the distractions/expectations (label committments, interviews, band politics, etc.) or just head out to a show/bar and discuss music (especially his 70s influences) or sports, over a pint.Not sure what will happen, moving forward, just glad to have been a small fly on the wall, in the course of Ken Erb's musical life. I'd say "career," but music really was his life blood. Hope he knew how much joy his compositions brought to people around the Cuyahoga River, but also across vast oceans. Thanks, Ken.





BraveWords would like to express condolences to Donovan, sister Kristen,  friends/family and all who loved his music.

 

It will once again underline the band's singularity and their persistence to follow an unconventional way for more than 30 years against all resistance. 


Disbelief have grown into a very experienced band that has always kept an open minded spirit, yet remote from any mainstream connection, in order to further sharpen their death metal style with implacable conviction and dedication. 


A colossal, destroying, atmospheric, yet subtle wall of sound was conceived with this new album. The band invited two of the most unique singers in the German metal scene on Killing Karma: Michelle Darkness (End Of Green) and Joschi Baschin (Undertow) to perform on the songs “The Scream That Slowly Disappeared”, “Flash Of Inspiration” and the epic “Reborn”.




Disbelief captivates the listener further with a special rendition of Killing Joke classic “Millenium”, shaping it into a very memorable remake which will surprise a lot of fans out there.


Lyric wise, Disbelief vocalist Karsten ‘Jagger’ comments: "Killing Karma is a declaration of war to desperation, grief and helplessness, an unbelievable musical journey through the human soul threatening to break under the weight of life."


Killing Karma is a diversified, captivating, strength giving, crushing death metal monster.





Tracklisting:


“Reborn”
“Killing Karma”
“The Scream That Slowly Disappeared”
“With Deep Regret”
“A Leap In The Dark”
“Inhuman Whore”
“Morbid Man”
“Condemnation”
“Flash Of Inspiration”
“The End Of Gods”
“This Last Order”
“Millenium” (Killing Joke cover)
“Fragile Aeon” (bonus track)


Disbelief lineup:
Timo Claas (drums)
Marius Pack (guitars)
Dave Renner (guitars)
Joe Trunk (bass) 
Jagger (vocals)

Renowned for their transcendent fusion of progressive metal and world music, Myrath take center stage once again with their latest single, "Let It Go." Myrath will release their new album Karma on February 2 via earMUSIC. Preorder here. 


The Tunisian powerhouse band invites listeners on a mesmerizing journey through soundscapes that seamlessly blend cultural influences with raw, emotive energy.


"Let It Go" is a soul-stirring anthem, charged with profound reflections on the human experience. With evocative lyrics, the song addresses the inevitability of time's passage, acknowledging life's unfair twist and turns. Myrath encourage listeners to release the weight of unfulfilled dreams and hopes, emphasizing the transformative power of letting go. Amidst the struggles portrayed, the chorus emerges as a rallying cry, urging individuals not to doubt their faith and to embark on a journey of self-discovery and healing. 




This powerful message aligns seamlessly with Myrath signature sound, blending progressive metal with oriental influences. 


"Let It Go" serves as an anthem of resilience, reminding audiences that, despite life's challenges, there is strength in embracing change, finding solace, and, ultimately, letting go of the past. Myrath's ability to weave intricate musical arrangements with profound lyrical themes solidifies their status as an international music force, captivating audiences worldwide.


"Myrath from Tunisia might just be the most underrated band ever. Their new album really excites me – they have something fresh and back it up with a great stage show. They played a tiny stage at Wacken where nobody brings more than guitars and amps and brought a two-truck production. It was amazing!" – Pär Sundström, Sabaton


As the sands of time continued to shape their journey, Myrath's relentless dedication led to the creation Karma, which will arrive as a limited transparent red LP, black LP, and Digipak. The forthcoming opus promises to be a testament to their evolution, delivering a sonic tapestry woven from passion and innovation.


Myrath offer a powerful and captivating blend of Eastern melodies and Western heavy metal. From the epic opening track "To The Stars" to the hauntingly beautiful "Child Of Prophecy", this album will take you on a theatrical journey through a world of myth and legend.


Featuring soaring vocals, intricate guitar riffs, and complex percussion, Karma showcases the virtuosity and creativity that have made Myrath one of the most exciting and innovative bands in the genre. With its stunning production and lush soundscapes, this album is sure to be a classic for years to come.





Tracklisting:


“To The Stars”
“Into The Light”
“Candles Cry”
“Let It Go”
“Words Are Failing”
“The Wheel Of Time”
“Temple Walls”
“Child Of Prophecy”
“The Empire”
“Heroes”
“Carry On”


"Let It Go":





"Child Of Prophecy" video:





“Heroes” video:

After the release of their self-titled album Beyond The Black, which was released in January 2023, the band now shares the brand new piano version of the song, "Wide Awake". The piano version of "Wide Awake" is the perfect song to start the pre-Christmas time and gets you in the right mood. Their Dancing In The Dark tour starts in April 2024. All tour dates are listed below.


Jennifer Haben comments: "The piano version of 'Wide Awake' is something very special, because the song's creation process began with piano and vocals. I love that this pure, almost naked version, as it originally was, can now be heard by everyone. The song couldn't feel more personal to me."


Stream 'Wide Awake' here, and below:







Dancing In The Dark Tour 2024:


April
5 - Munich, Germany - TonHalle
6 - Memmingen, Germany - Kaminwerk
7 - Brno, Czech Republic - Sono Centrum
9 - Vienna, Austria - Arena Wien (big hall)
10 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra Blue Stage
12 - Geiselwind, Germany - Music Hall
13 - Hannover, Germany - Capitol
14 - Haarlem, Netherlands - Patronaat
16 - Paris, France - Trabendo
17 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
19 - Zurich, Switzerland - Komplex 457
20 - Stuttgart, Germany - Wagenhallen
21 - Saarbrücken, Germany - Garage
23 - Krakow, Poland - Kamienna12
24 - Berlin, Germany - Astra Kulturhaus
26 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix
27 - Oberhausen, Germany - Turbinenhalle





(Photo - Heilemania)

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 2024 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


(Photo - Julia Nikiforova - JN Lightning Photography)

Queen have released the 44th episode in their series, The Greatest Live. Watch below.


A message reveals: "Brian May's foot stamping and hand clapping classic never fails to galvanize the whole audience into joining in, as it's now legendary beat is too compelling to ignore. However, as we see in this montage of some of Queen's live shows, an added flourish from Freddie ensured the song's unifying effect stretched beyond those in the crowd."







IMAX and Pathé Live in partnership with Mercury Studios and Queen Films recently announced that, for the very first time, one of the world’s biggest bands will perform on cinema’s biggest screens with the global release of Queen Rock Montreal, exclusively in IMAX beginning January 18, 2024.


This exhilarating live concert from 1981 is a window into Queen in their most unalloyed form, giving audiences a larger-than-life, front-row immersive experience. The film was digitally re-mastered for the first time into the image and sound quality of The IMAX Experience®, including 12-channel surround sound, crystal-clear images, and IMAX’s customized theatre geometry.


Rock & roll royalty Freddie Mercury, Brian May, Roger Taylor, and John Deacon take to the stage in a historic and exhilarating performance of their greatest hits including “We Will Rock You,” “Somebody To Love,” “Under Pressure,” Bohemian Rhapsody,” “Another One Bites The Dust,” “We Are The Champions,” and additional songs from popular album The Game including “Dragon Attack,” “Play The Game,” and more. Executive producers include Geoff Kempin and Alice Webb for Mercury Studios and Jim Beach and Matilda Beach for Queen Films.


“I don’t think we quite realized it at the time, but this film has preserved one of the highest peaks in Queen’s touring life, on stage in the old glory days.  The director was very much focussed on Freddie, and this now stands as probably the most precious intimate capture ever of Mr. Mercury at his full awesome power,” said Brian May.  Added Roger Taylor, “Enjoy. We were young!”





Queen Rock Montreal will be released in over 400 IMAX theatres globally for four days beginning January 18.  Participating territories include the United States, Canada, United Kingdom, France, Germany, South Africa, Australia, Brazil, and Mexico, to name a few. For a list of theatres and to purchase tickets, visit queeninimax.com/.


Queen Rock Montreal captures a pivotal moment in the band’s history.  When Queen returned for the fourth time to Montreal’s 18,000-seat Forum in November 1981, where this concert was recorded, it was after a 15-month absence during which they became the biggest band in the world.  Fueled by the release of The Game album, their smash single “Under Pressure,” and extensive touring, Queen now dominated the charts in every major territory across the globe.


The two shows that took place in Montreal – November 24 and 25, 1981 – were arranged specifically to set Queen up for another first: shooting a full-length concert film to properly document their live show, highlighting the state-of-the-art sound recording.  Having spent almost two years on the road, the group was ready for such a challenge and hit Montreal in top form for what would end up being two consecutive sold-out, legendary nights.


Queen Rock Montreal not only delivers Queen in their rawest form but captures the unparalleled musicianship and vocal talents of Freddie, Brian, Roger and John performing together.  Showcasing the group in their pre-Hot Space album era, before keyboards would find a place in the band’s touring lineup, this classic concert film shows these talented musicians in total cohesion while finding space to demonstrate their individual strengths. Directed by Saul Swimmer, “Queen Rock Montreal” marks the first concert captured on film of this legendary and groundbreaking band.

During an appearance on the "Life In The Stocks" podcast, UGLY KID JOE singer Whitfield Crane reflected on the time legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen gave him a pair of his socks right off his feet. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[We were on the road in Europe in 1995, and] the tour was awesome. It was soccer stadiums and it was mainly UGLY KID JOE, VAN HALEN and BON JOVI who was selling the tickets. And sometimes they would have THE PRETENDERS on it, sometimes Slash would be there. It was just a trippy, awesome tour. And we had a record out from 1995, it was called 'Menace To Sobriety', and we were that, and we were dangerous and fun. It was right before everything was gonna go bad; it was when it was still good. And we're out there, and the tour is cool. Eddie Van Halen's the greatest. Those guys were so fucking cool. It was great. Ed was sober, but we weren't. And during like Ed's solos — remember, I had posters of this dude on my wall plastered with Eddie Van Halen. And so during the shows, during Eddie's ripping leads, Michael Anthony would go like this, 'Come here,' be on the bass cab. And I don't drink whiskey, 'cause it's not a good idea, but Michael Anthony would be all [chugging it down], and I'd be all, 'Right on.' There's the whole 80,000 people, but Eddie Van Halen would walk and look at you and go, [imitates guitar noodling], and do this rad shit. And I'd be, like, 'Wow.' And this was every day. I have no documentation of it — sadly — but it happened, and it was awesome.

"Now BON JOVI had this great woman named Spanky, I believe her name was, and she was the wardrobe gal," he continued. "So if you could make friends with her, you could get clean clothes. That was my main mission. So I made friends with her, and she was super rad. I'm all, 'Good. I've got some clean clothes.' 'Cause that's the dream on tour. Just so you know, your dream on tour is clean socks, clean clothes and get going. On club tours, like just in normal club things, there's a thing called a rider. You could get Skittles, you could get beers, you could get bread, you could get vegan food or you could get whatever you want. But one of the things I've gotten over the years, 'cause I was told by some of my friends that I consider smart — socks. Socks are an incredible thing to have. Because if you're just feeling disgusting and you put on a nice pair of clean socks, you feel awesome. You're, like, 'All right. This is radical. I'm almost clean.' No, but I'm serious. Socks are awesome. I like clean socks. Everybody does. Think about it…"

Crane added: "[Jon] Bon Jovi is a fucking super-cool dude. He took us on this great tour. We're not gonna be able to do soccer stadiums [on our own]. Jesus Christ. It was awesome. But anyway, on the rider, I put 'socks'. And guess what wasn't on the rider when we got backstage. Socks. And I was, like, 'Fuck, man. No socks.' It's not that big an ask. We're not asking for like some crazy thing. We want socks. Nobody really wants socks but me, by the way. No one cares about it. They're all, 'Shut up with your sock shit.' I'm, like, 'These motherfuckers should give us socks.' And everybody was, like, 'Shut up.' I'm all 'socks, socks, socks.' It's true. I was insane. Anyway, on that tour, we played [Germany's] Rock Am Ring and Rock Im Park [festivals], which there was a bunch of bands on those shows, but all the bands that we were friends with were there — VAN HALEN was there, BON JOVI was there, whatever. And Eddie Van Halen would come hang out, and his brother would come hang out, and we would just kind of hang out. We're hanging out backstage, and I'm still whinging about socks. Eddie sits next to me. He has his guitar and he's dicking around his guitar. He's, like, 'How's it going, guys?' And I'm all… No one wants to hear me say socks one more time, but I'm gonna fucking be relentless. And I'm all, 'Fucking Bon Jovi.' And Eddie's, like, 'What happened? What did he do?' And I'm, like, 'He won't give me socks.' And Ed goes, 'What? He won't give you socks?' 'No, man. I asked on the rider. Guess what, Ed?' He said, 'What?' I'm, like, 'No socks.' And he goes, 'Fuck that', and jumps up on the table, takes off his shoes, pulls his socks off and gives me his socks. And I proceed to take my shoes off, put on Eddie Van Halen's socks, strap in and go play a rock show."

As previously reported, UGLY KID JOE will support SCORPIONS on the legendary German band's 2024 Las Vegas residency. Promoted by Live Nation and Caesars Entertainment, "Scorpions - Love At First Sting Las Vegas" kicks off on Thursday, April 11, 2024 at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood Resort & Casino.

This past spring, UGLY KID JOE completed its first U.S. tour in 27 years.

UGLY KID JOE is continuing to tour in support of its latest studio album, "Rad Wings Of Destiny", which came out in October 2022.

"Rad Wings Of Destiny" saw UGLY KID JOE re-teaming producer Mark Dodson who was behind the desk for the band's debut album, "America's Least Wanted", which celebrated its 30th anniversary last year.

After a 15-year hiatus, UGLY KID JOE reformed in 2012 and has toured extensively throughout Europe and the rest of the world.

The band released the EP "Stairway To Hell" in 2012 and the full-length "Uglier Than They Used Ta Be" in 2015.

Image courtesy of UGLY KID JOE's YouTube channel

Fan-filmed video of EXODUS's December 12 concert at The Machine Shop in Flint, Michigan can be seen below.

EXODUS bassist Jack Gibson sat out the last four dates of the band's U.S. tour due to "a family emergency". Filling in for him at all the shows was Mike Schleibaum of support act DARKEST HOUR.

When Gibson's absence was first announced on December 11, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt said in a social media post: "In case people were wondering where our brother Jack Gibson was last night, he had to leave the tour for a family emergency, family first.

"We have his back all ways and always. So last night as well as the remaining three shows the low end is being handled by our brother @theriffdojo , who has been studying like a madman these last few days to learn the set. He did a killer job last night and it'll be heavy as fuck , like always.

"There's no replacing Jack, he's one of one. But for the remainder he is where he needs to be. Our thoughts and hearts are with our brother now. Send your positive vibes his way".

EXODUS is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Persona Non Grata", which arrived in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast.

"Persona Non Grata" was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" was the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

A week away, we get to see Exodus at The Machine Shop.

Posted by Jeff Stepanski on Monday, December 4, 2023

In a new interview with Andrew Treadwell of Hear 2 Zen Magazine, CANDLEBOX frontman Kevin Martin spoke about his decision to retire after the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's debut album in 2023. Asked what "retirement" looks like for him, Kevin said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I'm releasing a bourbon. I'm releasing a tequila. I'm releasing a whiskey. I'm releasing a rye. I've got a company called Lost Marbles, which I'm doing with a buddy of mine named Nick — Nick, who's in a band called MONA. I don't know if you've ever heard of MONA, but they're fantastic, if you haven't. And then I've got my foundation, which is called Riptide Society, which is for at-risk youth and young adults in the foster care system here in the United States. That's just basically making money available to them for college, art school, supplies, living expenses, anything like that, for somebody who's growing up in the foster care system. So that'll take up a lot of my time. And then my wife has a clothing line, which I'm involved with the men's side of that. So just a lot of stuff going on that will keep me busy."

Treadwell noted that a lot of celebrities are putting their names on alcohol at the moment and asked Martin what will make his different. Kevin responded: "Well, it's easy right now. You can actually purchase bourbons online and stuff and create a label. We're actually doing the mixing and the blending process and the tasting. So we're hands on in the in the environment of the Kentucky bourbons specific. So we wanna stay as true to that as we possibly can. We won't be one of those 20-dollar-price-point bottles of bourbon; we will be in the 80, 90 dollars. It will be single barrel selects. We're launching a four-year as our first, and then our second release is a seven-year. It will be specific to people who have a palette for that type of bourbon."

He continued: "We're not looking to become a multi-billion-dollar organization that sells for 10 billion dollars or something like that. We both love bourbon. We love smoking cigars and drinking bourbon. And if it happens and blows up and becomes successful, that's great. But really, it's just about an opportunity for me to expand upon the things that I love. And that's one of the things that I really, really love is, is great delicious bourbon. I mean, if I showed you my bar, you'd be, like, 'Wow, that's some nice stuff there.' It's one of those things that I've had a passion for for a long time."

Martin previously discussed his decision to retire this past July during an appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". He said at the time: "During COVID, I had a great awakening, being home with my wife and my son and realizing that maybe I had put far too much emphasis on the wrong syllable," he said, referencing a classic line from the 2003 Mike Myers/Gwyneth Paltrow movie "View From The Top". "My music career had become so encompassing of my time and my emotion and my energy and all this stuff that I realized that I had not given my family what they actually needed from me, which was me. And being home and being a dad and a teacher and a husband, and learning how to bake bread and realizing, 'God, man, I've missed a lot of things in my life that I enjoy,' I said, 'I need to figure out when I can wrap this up.'"

He continued: "I love music and it is a part of my life and I love playing live and I love performing and I love the fans. And that is something that I never take for granted. But I knew that I didn't love it the way I did when I started. And so I said to my wife, I said, 'I think I wanna make one last record and I wanna do it in 2023 when the 30th anniversary of the debut comes out, and then I wanna just put a nice little bow on this thing and wrap it up at the end of the year. And how do you feel about that?' And she said, 'I would love that, but only if you're ready.' And it took me from 2020 to 2022 to realize that I was."

Kevin added: "I don't ever wanna be a performer that phones it in on stage. I've been to those shows, I've seen those shows. I don't wanna do that. And I would hate to become that person. If this is my top, where I'm at, and I'm going out on it, and I'm in the best shape ever and my voice is in the best shape ever, and the music that I'm making, the shows that we're playing are fantastic, and we're having an absolute blast, then what better way to go?"

CANDLEBOX's final studio album, "The Long Goodbye", arrived on August 25 via Round Hill Records. The LP's first single, "Punks", is a cautionary message to young bands that they won't be the hot new thing forever.

CANDLEBOX — Kevin Martin (lead vocals),Adam Kury (bass),Brian Quinn (guitar),Island Styles (guitar),BJ Kerwin (drums) — recently completed a U.S. farewell tour, crossing the country with fellow rockers 3 DOORS DOWN as direct support on their massive "Away From The Sun" amphitheater tour in addition to various headlining shows.