Video of ex-IRON MAIDEN guitarist Dennis Stratton's December 5 concert at Bolshoi Pub in Goiânia, Brazil can be seen below.

Of all the albums Iron Maiden issued from 1980 up to the present day, there was only one instance when a member lasted for a single album – guitarist Dennis Stratton. But it was not any ordinary old Maiden album, as it was the one that got the whole train a-rollin' – their classic 1980 self-titled debut. Considered to be one of metal's all-time great debuts, it captured the band – who in addition to Stratton, consisted of singer Paul Di'Anno, guitarist Dave Murray, bassist Steve Harris, and drummer Clive Burr – and their explosive, youthful energy splendidly.


The album contained some of Maiden's most punk-y moments (namely "Prowler," "Running Free," "Charlotte The Harlot," "Iron Maiden"), as well as more tranquil fare ("Remember Tomorrow," "Strange World"), and a nod to their future prog-y direction ("Phantom Of the Opera," "Transylvania"). And with the album peaking at an impressive #4 on the UK album charts, Maiden became an instant concert attraction - resulting in a performance at the Reading Festival that summer, as well as opening much of an entire European tour for Kiss.




In my 2015 book, Iron Maiden: '80 '81, Stratton looked back upon this era and admitted sensing that not all was rosy during the KISS dates. "With KISS, we were told by Rod [Smallwood, Maiden's manager] not to talk to KISS. Rod, as I said, had gotten very sort of paranoid about losing control of the band. I always got on with headlining bands. I got on very well with Gene Simmons and Paul Stanley. They took me out on my birthday in Stockholm [on October 9th], and I used to hang around with them quite a lot.


"I thoroughly enjoyed it. And the crew. I find hanging around with the crew better than the band, because you have more of a laugh. It was a shame because on the KISS tour was when Rod started talking about the sort of music I listened to. We had constant arguments about what I listened to in my hotel room, and it was a shame because it started to affect his thinking about me in the band."


Stratton also explained why Maiden did not support KISS during their UK dates on that tour. "They were frightened that we had so much fanbase - so many fans. Even in Europe and Scandinavia, we had thousands of fans there, which I was very surprised at. You saw so many Maiden t-shirts on the KISS tour. We stayed in Italy while they came to the UK, because I think basically they were a bit concerned because our fanbase was so huge in England that we would end up being on level peggings rather than being the support band. So that's why we didn't open the shows in the UK."


But after the final date supporting KISS on October 13, Stratton knew his days were numbered in Maiden. "The last show of KISS in Norway [at the Drammenshallen], I remember it very well because we spent about 24 hours on a ferry, and that was when I knew Rod was fed up with me listening to other lighter sort of material, like the Eagles and easy-listening stuff – Steely Dan, Foreigner, and Journey. They were some of my favorite bands, and he didn't like the idea of me listening to it, so I think I knew then that it was coming to the end."


Shortly thereafter, a meeting was arranged. "I went to the office and had a long conversation with Rod," Stratton recalled. "Basically, it was to do with me listening to not 'heavy metal songs.' It's no secret. It's out there – I've said it many, many times. It's no secret the music I listened to. But it never affected my work. So yeah, I had a long chat with Rod – face-to-face – in his office. And Steve was there, as well, so we had a long chat about it."

Stratton was a member of MAIDEN for less than a year, but he nonetheless made a vital contribution to the band's classic first album, 1980's "Iron Maiden".

In a March 2023 interview with Brazil's Rock Mania, Stratton was asked about his memories of the making "Iron Maiden". He said: "It was recorded very quickly. There was not a lot of thought that went into pre-production, because all the songs were already written. All they needed doing was the guitars added and then work out what we were gonna do between me and Dave [Murray, MAIDEN guitarist] to make the songs bigger and work on the harmony guitars and who's doing solos. And that was easy. But the album was recorded very quickly. Whether people like it or not, the production [was handled by] Wil Malone. Me personally, it's amazing because I feel so honored that I was part of that epic album. But at the time, 'cause we were very young and it was done very quickly, you didn't expect it to do what it did. Forty-odd years later, it's still amazing. It's such an honor to be part of that, and it always will be, 'cause it's stood the test of time. I'm just very proud to be part of it."

Asked to name his "best memories" from his time with MAIDEN, Dennis said: "Well, just the touring — the fans. Wherever we went on the KISS tour, JUDAS PRIEST tour, we were just astounded by the amount of support for this band that's only been together six, nine months. We had a big fanbase no matter where we went. But being away with KISS for all them big shows, it reminded me of being away with STATUS QUO back in the '70s, but being on tour with KISS with all the fans and the crowds and the big stadiums, yeah, [it was] unbelievable. Just seeing all the IRON MAIDEN shirts as you're driving up to a football stadium and you look out the window of the car or the bus or the coach or whatever, and you see all these IRON MAIDEN t-shirts, you go… We were a support band, so that was lovely."

IRON MAIDEN was among the nominees for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame's Class Of 2023.

According to the Hall Of Fame, the IRON MAIDEN members that would get inducted include the current lineup of singer Bruce Dickinson, bassist Steve Harris, drummer Nicko McBrain, and guitarists Adrian Smith, Dave Murray and Janick Gers, along with Stratton, former singer Paul Di'Anno and former drummer Clive Burr.

Two years ago, when MAIDEN was nominated for the first time, Stratton told the "Uncle Steve's Iron Maiden Zone" podcast that he was "a bit shocked" by the exclusion from the nomination of the band's former singer Blaze Bayley, who fronted MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999 and appeared on two albums, "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI". "It was weird. Why? Why wasn't he?" he said. "Now, I know for a fact he was with them for five years and two albums, and he contributed a hell of a lot to them two albums. But people told me that it's something to do with the committee that run this Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame. It has to be certain years, involved with so many years. So I don't actually know. Someone would have to read the rules to me. But I definitely think it's heartbreaking not to be included."

Stratton went on to say that for him to be nominated for the Rock Hall is "one of the biggest honors" of his career. He added: "Now, I didn't know Bruce had said anything [negative] about the Hall Of Fame. Someone told me that he had said a few things about the Hall Of Fame. I don't know what he said. But I know that he said something. Now, personally for me, I was blowing my own trumpet, saying, 'Please vote.' 'Cause this is a big honor for me; it means the world to me. But I'm not speaking for the band; this is me personally. Now, if the band and the management don't fancy it or it's not their scene and they're not interested, then so be it. You have to respect the band or the management's decision."

Dennis Stratton performs IRON MAIDEN Classics 🤘

Former IRON MAIDEN guitarist Dennis Stratton performed at Bolshoi Pub on December 5 in Goiânia, GO, Brazil.
Watch the full show https://youtu.be/xv_1kB65Uo8

Posted by Aki Far East on Thursday, December 14, 2023

After their amazing return to the live stage, on Friday, October 13, Phear has premiered the first video title track from their new studio album, Save Our Souls, through BraveWords! 


The album is set for release in spring of 2024. Phear has been recording this album over the last three years, mostly due to Covid restrictions. But now it’s time for these Canuck Metal heads to unleash the heaviest tracks so far in the Phear Catalogue!







2024 will be all about performing these new songs live. If you have ever seen Phear in concert, you know that they deliver an arena show in a club. As stated by the band; “You haven’t seen anything yet!”


Fans can stay up-to-date on Save Our Souls release details by joining their email list here.


Save Our Souls is expected to be nine songs.


Tracklisting:


“Save Our Souls”
“Snake”
“Aftershock”
“Lease On Life”
“Narcosynthesis”
“Bleed”
“On Thin Ice”
“New World Error”
“Delusions” (Live / Bonus track)

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner is featured in the latest episode of "String Theory", a web series from Ernie Ball that explores the sonic origins of some of music's most innovative players. You can watch the entire 20-minute episode below.

Speaking about performing live with PRIEST, Faulkner said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "On stage with PRIEST, the first couple of songs, the curtain goes down and the amps come on and you're playing and the crowd goes up and you're getting into your stuff, and then there's a moment where you kind of sit back a little bit and you take it in and you survey the audience and you see who's around and you see what everyone's doing.

"You watch YouTube videos and stuff like that, but you always remember when you were at a PRIEST gig or a [IRON] MAIDEN show, or whatever, and you were down the front, and [MAIDEN bassist] Steve Harris had his bass in your face and he was singing the words and you were singing back at him," he continued. "And you can't recreate that stuff. Especially in Europe, we have young teenagers at the shows singing 'Electric Eye' or 'Tyrant', old like deep cuts and stuff, and you remember what it feels like really to be at those shows with that connection with those — I call them artists, but they're more than that. They're like — I don't know — they're artists, they're friends, they shape your life in a way, they teach you how to write songs, they show you how to play guitar or whatever instrument it is, and there they are, and you're interacting with them. So it's always like a conscious thing, really, to interact with them the way that they interacted with you when you were at a gig, and will be at a gig. It's a special thing. You can't recreate that online, you can't recreate that on YouTube, whatever. It's the magic of being at a live show."

In a June 2023 interview with the YouTube channel of Brazilian music journalist Igor Miranda, Richie was asked how he finds his role within the JUDAS PRIEST legacy and what he hopes to leave as a lasting contribution to the band. He responded: "That's a good question, man. I don't know, really. I can't answer that. I try and bring the best I can bring and whatever I think is the best I can give in terms of creativity, performance, songwriting, representation of who I am as part of JUDAS PRIEST. That's all I can do, really. When you're a part of that legacy… I haven't been there very long, but even if you've been there for two weeks, you're representing a legacy that's been there for 50 years, and that's a big thing. So all you can do is bring the best you can bring and represent what's been there for 50 years before you and be grateful for the fans that put the band there for 50 years. That's all you can do. And hopefully you do the right thing."

Faulkner joined JUDAS PRIEST in 2011 as the replacement for the band's founding guitarist K.K. Downing.

In September 2021, Faulkner suffered an acute cardiac aortic dissection during PRIEST's performance at the Louder Than Life festival, just a short distance from Rudd Heart and Lung Center at UofL Health - Jewish Hospital in Louisville, Kentucky. It took the hospital's cardiothoracic surgery team, led by Dr. Siddharth Pahwa and also including Drs. Brian Ganzel and Mark Slaughter, approximately 10 hours to complete the surgery, an aortic valve and ascending aorta replacement with hemiarch replacement.

After Louder Than Life, JUDAS PRIEST postponed the remainder of the U.S. dates on its 50th-anniversary tour, dubbed "50 Heavy Metal Years". The shows were rescheduled for March and April 2022.

In September 2022, Faulkner revealed that he underwent a second heart surgery in early August 2022 to fix "a hole in the repair." He added: "There was a leak — I'd basically sprung a leak in there — and it was causing a sack to form around my heart. So they found it just before the European leg [of PRIEST's 2022 tour]."

Faulkner spent part of 2023 promoting "Horns For A Halo", the debut album from ELEGANT WEAPONS, his project also featuring singer Ronnie Romero (RAINBOW, MSG). The LP, which was released on May 26 via Nuclear Blast, was recorded with bassist Rex Brown (PANTERA, DOWN) and drummer Scott Travis (JUDAS PRIEST) and was helmed by acclaimed British producer Andy Sneap, who has previously worked with JUDAS PRIEST, ACCEPT, EXODUS and MEGADETH, among many others.

ELEGANT WEAPONS, which is rounded out by Dave Rimmer (URIAH HEEP) on bass and Christopher Williams (ACCEPT) on drums, played a number of shows in Europe this past summer.

Los Angeles’ Anubis have released a bass playthrough video for their recent single, "Devour". Find the clip below.


Anubis have been building quite a reputation for the past five years. The outfit has been doing it the traditional way by playing shows all over Southern California, self-releasing a consistent handful of EPs & singles and promoting themselves organically not only online but actually getting out there and meeting people. Now armed with a powerful new album Anubis have teamed up with M-Theory Audio to take things to the next level.


“M-Theory is not only home to bands that I’ve been listening to and influenced by my entire life like Into Eternity, Hecate Enthroned, etc., but to some of the greatest up-and-coming bands pushing the genre forward, like Silver Talon, Vintersea, Toxic Ruin, Hazzerd, and too many others to name. It’s a total honor to join this roster,” states singer Devin Reiche.




Devin Reiche may be a familiar name to fans of thrash and underground metal as he’s also the bassist in Bay Area thrashers Hatchet, but Devin actually lives in L.A. and power metal has always been his first love and calling. Working diligently Devin has developed his vocal abilities and become quite the commanding frontman.


Joining Devin in Anubis are guitarists Eleazar Llerenas (Delusional Fate) and Justin Escamilla (Tower Guard), bassist Will Buckley and drummer Robin Salazar, all musicians who’ve been cutting their teeth in the L.A. music scene. Anubis has opened for bands like Raven, Rhapsody of Fire, Warbringer, Heathen, Tim ‘Ripper’ Owens, Allegaeon, Hammerfall, Metal Church, Exmortus, Hatriot, and placing at the Wacken Metal Battle US final.


The band released the first single, "Devour", alongside a lyric video from Scott Rudd (Hammerfall, Opeth) which enhances the song and can be seen below.





“’Devour’ is one of our earliest songs. It’s been around since Anubis was essentially a solo project, and has seen many different versions of the band come and go,” explains Devin. “This recording not only showcases the skills of the current lineup, but it’s also evolved to reflect our songwriting ethos of making songs shorter, punchier, faster, and heavier. Special shout out to David Ainsworth (Our Dying World) for killing it on the growls.”


Oddly, “Devour” is the only older song from the new album recording but it’s such a catchy and impactful track that showcases the group’s growth and development from their humble origins and brings new and old fans together until next year’s album filled with grade-A turn of the century European power metal influence with a solid and current American filter.

In a new interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music, German metal queen Doro Pesch was asked if she is married or she has a "partner". She responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "What you see is what you get. Usually I'm always on tour or in the studio. That's definitely my world. And I never thought of settling down or getting married or having kids. Maybe another lifetime, but it's not much to it. I have a friend — yeah, he's kind of a boyfriend — and have many friends. I never felt the urge to get married and [have] kids."

She continued: "I made up my mind when I was 24. I was one day waking up. I was living in New York City, which I love so much, New York. And then I woke up and I thought, 'Okay, today I will choose my priorities.' And then I thought, what do I really want? And then it was clear. I wanna do music and I wanna make people happy, empower people. And I wanna do it for the fans as long as I live. And that is my life. I don't have many hobbies as well. It's only studio, working on songs, going on tour, rehearsing, doing stuff for the fans. And yeah, that's about it."

Pesch added: "I wouldn't wanna have another life. When I was younger, I was a graphic artist, which that was actually cool because I could always work together with the graphic artists or with the painters. So that always helped, when we did the visuals for us."

Back in 2007, Doro told FourteenG.net webzine that starting a family wasn't something she was ever interested in. "Actually, I made a conscious decision a couple of years ago, maybe it was like five, six years ago, and I really thought what I wanted to do in the future and then I thought I definitely wanted to dedicate my life to music. And then in our band everybody was starting to think about maybe getting married and stuff… and then I thought, 'Maybe that's not for me.' Maybe in another lifetime. Right now I'm totally happy."

She continued: "I don't miss it at all; I love kids and you know when I was growing up I always thought I would love to have 10 kids. But now in the past couple of years I know it's probably impossible with the lifestyle and the tour bus and doing what we do. I made a decision and that's good; it definitely makes me happy even [though] it never worked out that I settled down or get married… Sometimes it came close to somebody, where I thought, 'Ah, it could work,' and one year later I was on tour and that was the end of the relationship. I'm not unhappy about having a family, it's just it's different. I feel like the fans are my family. It's a little bit different, but yeah… I feel so close to them that I don't miss anything at all. It's cool."

Doro's latest album, "Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud", was released on October 27 via Nuclear Blast.

The 20-song "Conqueress – Forever Strong And Proud" LP is described in a press release as "the result of intensive hard work that took the incomparable singer and songwriter back to studios in Miami, New York and Hamburg, amongst others. The album presents Doro at the height of her creative powers."

This past June, Doro released "Time For Justice", the first single from "Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud", along with a "Mad Max"-style video. The clip was filmed with director Mirko Witzki.

"Conqueress - Forever Strong And Proud" arrived one day before Doro's 40th-anniversary concert at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Photo credit: Jochen Rolfes

Psychlona have set their signatures under a multi-album deal with Magnetic Eye Records, with the British desert rockers planning to release their fourth album via the label later in 2024.


In celebration of joining Magnetic Eye, Psychlona also release a new video single today. 


"We are stoked to be joining Magnetic Eye,” guitarist and singer Phil Hey writes on behalf of the band. "We had a few offers on the table but we all knew that this label was the way we wanted to go. We have already worked with label director Jadd Shickler under various guises over the past few years and he has become a trusted confidant and friend. That was probably our primary reason, very closely followed by the fact that Magnetic Eye has a great roster including Greenleaf, who are one of my all-time favourite bands. It made perfect sense. We're looking forward to a long relationship with Jadd and the guys!"




Jadd Shickler welcomes Psychlona: "I've been working with Psychlona for several years in different capacities, and admire the fast leaps forward they've taken in a short time", the Magnetic Eye director explains. "In 2020, they gave even Lowrider and Elephant Tree some tough competition for a lot of folks' favorite record that year. Then they played back to back at Psycho Las Vegas, and I saw people go crazy for them firsthand. I dig their effortless desert vibe despite the guys being as British as it gets, and I love the dynamic they bring to our carefully curated roster of driven, sonically unique acts. I can hardly wait to hear what they'll do on their first full album for us next year!"

M-Theory Audio’s latest collaboration is with Amiensus, the US progressive black metal band, whose previous album 2020’s Abreaction was met with a tremendous amount of fan adoration.  The first effort of the new union is the release of “Reverie” the first taste of new music appearing on next year’s spring album release. “Reverie” can be heard on all streaming/download platforms, or take in the visuals of its corresponding video.


"‘Reverie’ was one of the first tracks written immediately following the release of our third LP, ‘Abreaction.’ Following in the footsteps of track two on that album, ‘Divinity,’ we composed the joyous and celebratory companion song ‘Reverie’ as a way to thank our friends and followers for over a decade of support,” explains vocalist/guitarist James Benson. “Lyrically exploring the love of nature, the story concerns following your dreams and obtaining confidence. Of course, we included a longtime friend, and musician, Eric Wing of Morke.”







James Benson may sound like a familiar name to fans of the label as James also fronts Midwest post-black metal operatives Chrome Waves, and hence the personal introduction needed to cement future work with Amiensus. In addition to James, Amiensus includes Ghost Bath drummer Chris Piette plus guitarists Alec Rozsa, Kelsey Roe and bassist Todd Farnham.


As you’ll hear on “Reverie,” Amiensus continue their unique and progressive take on traditional black metal by incorporating epic and emotional elements.

In a new interview with NPR's "World Café", RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee was asked to explain the term "post-production blues" as it relates to the album-making process, something he discusses in his recently released memoir "My Effin' Life". Geddy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, the comparable I make is when [director/actor] Woody Allen is talking, I think, in [the 1977 American satirical romantic comedy-drama film] 'Annie Hall' and he says, 'Marriage is the death of hope.' And I always took that expression and applied it to music where I always felt mixing is the death of hope. Because when you're making a record, it's full of possibility — I mean, it really is a wondrous process; it's like magic. And so when you come to the mixing part, which is the final, you have to review everything that's on the tracks and make some very hard decisions about how they need to be placed. And some of the things, maybe the nuances you've fallen in love with, maybe there's no room for them anymore. And I find that very painful process."

Lee continued: "At the end, it's a compromise between your dream and the reality of what actually ended up on the tracks. And I find that very disheartening. And so when we finish a record, I'm left with what we didn't accomplish more than celebrating what we did accomplish. And I will get there. It takes me a bit. Some weeks later, when I've been away from it and I hear it fresh, I go, 'Okay, that's not bad.'"

Elsewhere in the interview, Geddy said that RUSH almost trashed its biggest song, "Tom Sawyer", due to mixing issues.

"There were all these technical problems because we were using one of the first computerized mixing consoles in North America at the time," he said. "Nothing was working and, at one point, I thought, 'Maybe we just forget this song and move on'."

Geddy previously discussed the problems RUSH encountered while making "Tom Sawyer" in an interview with Classic Rock magazine looking back at RUSH 1981 breakthrough album "Moving Pictures". Lee said: "When we were working on 'Tom Sawyer', actually for the longest time it was the worst song on the record. We had more trouble with that song than almost any other song. I had real doubt about whether the song was working at all. I remember when we came to do the solo, and we're having a lot of trouble getting a sound that [guitarist Alex Lifeson was] happy with. All of a sudden, [album engineer] Paul Northfield kind of jumped into action and came up with this idea of mic-ing the stereo speakers and doing [Alex's] solo in a stereo spread. Then it gave it that kind of tubular sound. And then it finally came to life."

Geddy continued: "But when we finished and were even mixing the song, we'd had problems with the computer that was running the mix, so we all had our hands on different parts of the console, operating it manually because we didn't trust the fucking thing…. Then when we heard it back in full, it was like: 'Holy fuck!' when those bass pedals came in. It was, like, 'Okay, this works.' But up until that point, there was a lot of doubt about that song."

Lifeson added: "It went from being this immovable thing to being the obvious candidate to open the record — that opening and then Neil's [Peart] drums. But I do remember it being a real relief to tick off the chalkboard."

Back in 1996, Lee told Huh magazine that he and his RUSH bandmates had "a really good time making albums. That sounds bullshitty and hokey, but it's not," he said. "We really have a lot of fun. It's the weird little relationship that we have — it's very humorous and very creative and very…democratic. I'm not saying it's perfect — there's certainly bumps in the road, and we do argue — but I think it keeps us going. I think the vibe when we're hanging and all the stupid jokes and weird lexicon of words…I think every band is like that. Most bands are like that — they have their own language, their own words. It's like being in a little club."

"My Effin' Life" was released on November 14 on HarperCollins. The book, which was edited Noah Eaker, is 512 pages and is available as a hardcover or as an e-book.

KnuckleBonz has announced that their KISS Destroyer Limited Edition Collectible Statues are available for pre-order.


Hand-crafted collectibles feature The Demon, The Starchild, The Spaceman and The Catman from the iconic 1976 Destroyer Tour. 1/9 scale, hand-cast, painted and numbered; only 3,000 of each are made.


Order as a set of four, or individually. Limited time pre-order special offer, discounted bundle. Collect yours while you can!




Ships in summer 2024. Pre-order here.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released a video recap of the second leg of the "Life is But A Dream…" North American tour featuring support from FALLING IN REVERSE. The 13-minute clip, which was filmed and edited by Rafa Alcantara, can be seen below.

Produced by Live Nation, the second leg of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's North American tour kicked off on September 16 in West Palm Beach and included stops in Nashville, Denver, Austin, and more before concluding at Fort Worth's Dickies Arena on October 15.

The first leg of AVENGED SEVENFOLD's North American tour included thirteen cities across the U.S. and Canada, such as Mansfield, Québec City, Tinley Park, Calgary, and more. The run kicked off with two U.S. shows in Camden, New Jersey on July 18 and Mansfield, Massachusetts on July 18. They then played Quebec City's Videotron Centre on July 21, Montreal's Bell Centre on July 22 and Ottawa's Canadian Tire Centre on July 24 before returning stateside for another couple dates. Then AVENGED SEVENFOLD and ALEXISONFIRE finished the trek back in Canada, playing Winnipeg, Saskatoon, Edmonton and Calgary ahead of wrapping things up at Vancouver's Rogers Arena on August 7.

Last month, AVENGED SEVENFOLD announced the third leg of its "Life Is But A Dream…" North American tour, featuring support from POPPY and SULLIVAN KING. The trek begins March 6, 2024 in Buffalo, New York, with stops in Toronto, Ontario; Raleigh, North Carolina; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania and more before concluding in Newark, New Jersey on March 31, 2024.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD made its first festival appearance in five years on May 19 at Welcome To Rockville at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first concert since June 2018 took place on May 12 at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

To date, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has sold over 10 million albums worldwide and earned two consecutive No. 1 albums on Billboard's Top 200 Albums chart (2010's "Nightmare" and 2013's "Hail To The King") to go along with over a billion video views and a billion-plus Spotify streams, as well as multiple No. 1 singles on rock radio.

In a new interview with Kerrang! magazine, SLIPKNOT co-founder and percussionist M. Shawn Crahan (a.k.a. Clown) was asked if he and his bandmates are planning to perform their entire debut album on tour next year to celebrate the LP's 25th anniversary. He responded: "Are you joking right now? You're talking about the anniversary of one of the greatest metal albums to ever release in the thought process known as reality, and you think this 54-year-old man who just told you 'I'm going out the way I came in', you think for one moment that this album isn't going to be played in its entirety in front of, like, a hundred people, 200 people, 300 people, 50,000 people.

"I'm not going to live forever, man," he continued. "Neither is everybody else. Things are changing very quickly. I ain't got no more time to fuck around. That is the vehicle of my soul, and the remembrance, the memories, the heartache of lost brothers and even sisters — all these people that are gone and we're still doing it.

"Yeah, we're going to play that album from beginning to end," Clown confirmed. "But I sure as hell am not going to just succumb to the corporate world and give all those people what they want. They're going to get it. But you know what we're going to get? We're going to have fun, too. So that means small shows and you won't know until you hear it. And if you heard it, you're already too late and you're not going to see it. So you better open up your soul, because then you'll feel it and you won't have to hear it, because I'm being very serious."

"Slipknot" arrived in 1999 via Roadrunner Records and was eventually certified double platinum by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA). Although it is considered by many to be SLIPKNOT's official debut, it was preceded by the independently released "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." in 1996, an effort which was recorded prior to singer Corey Taylor's addition to the band.

Back in 2011, readers of the British metal magazine Metal Hammer voted "Slipknot" the best debut of the past 25 years. Over 16,000 fans voted in Metal Hammer's special 25th-anniversary poll, with "Slipknot" managing to grab almost a third of all votes cast, beating off competition from the likes of GUNS N' ROSES, KORN, MACHINE HEAD and PANTERA.

The special-edition CD/DVD reissue of SLIPKNOT's self-titled debut album came out in September 2009. The set commemorated the tenth anniversary of the LP and featured 25 tracks, including the original album as well as rare demos, remixes, rare B-sides and more.

In a 2019 interview with Vulture, when "Slipknot" was celebrating its 20th anniversary, Taylor was asked if he envisioned SLIPKNOT lasting more than two decades when he and his bandmates released their first album. He laughed and said: "You gotta remember, dude, we talked about breaking the band up before the first album even came out. We were, like, 'We're gonna do one and done. We're gonna SEX PISTOLS it and say fuck it.' Ruin the world. And then we gave in to selfishness and decided to keep going. The crazy thing is that years ago I didn't think this band could sustain itself because of how fucking gnarly it is, how dark it is, how much physicality goes into this music and this band and this live shit and the creativity, just how exhausting it is to max yourself out every time by trying to attain perfection. I wasn't sure that this could be sustained for that long. I'm pleasantly surprised that I was wrong. Like I've said in the past, nobody's more surprised by our success than we are. On June 29, 1999, if you'd have told me that we'd be 20 years in, dropping a new album and bigger than we've ever been, I'd have fucking laughed at you."

Asked if there is anything he would do differently, in retrospect, over the past two decades, Taylor said: "Oh, man. There's so many fucking things, but it's all from my standpoint. As far as the band goes, though, I think it had to be this way. Obviously, I would want Paul [Gray, late SLIPKNOT bassist] back. But … now you're talking about people’s personal lives, and as much as I miss him, his health was always an issue. So it's almost bittersweet. But from a professional point of view, musically, no. I think we had to take those steps to get here. We had to go through that roller coaster and that kind of self-discovery to realize there was so much more that we had to give, and so much more that we could give, and so many different band dynamics that it was inevitable to get here."

Thundering riffs and searing solos meet anthemic melodies in Intranced, an LA-based metal/hard rock band featuring singer James-Paul Luna (Holy Grail, White Wizzard) guitarist Fili Bibiano (Fortress), bassist Nico Staub (The Fae), and drummer Ben Richardson (Wild Eyes). Building on their celebrated musical pasts, the band was united by the goal of mining the deep, rich seams of classic ‘70s and ‘80s heavy metal, with a premium on songwriting and a focus on the epic themes of real life: triumph, tragedy, and heartbreak.


The band has just signed a deal with High Roller Records to release the debut full-length album in May 2024. Tracking for the album is completed, and it is currently being mixed by Herbrand Larsen (Audrey Horne, Enslaved, Immortal). More info will follow soon - stay tuned.


Along with the album, High Roller Records will also reissue an enhanced edition of the Intranced self-titled EP that will include the two songs from the "Rogue Warrior" single, which the band released in June 2023. 




This reissue will be available in March to coincide with the band's appearance at the notorious Hell's Heroes festival in Houston, TX, March 21-23, 2024.

Today, Atomic Fire Records welcomes St. Louis metal powerhouse, Voidgazer, to their label family.


"Voidgazer is beyond fired up to join the roster of Atomic Fire Records, and stand shoulder to shoulder not only with bands that defined entire genres, but also other up and comers also out to prove something to the world. We think we are in the right place at the right time to help rewrite the rules the way our predecessors did. With their DNA pumping through our veins, and the global vision of Atomic Fire Records behind us, Voidgazer is ready to write our own chapter in heavy metal history," comment the band about the signing.


Founded in late 2015 by mastermind Manny Watts, extreme prog merchants Voidgazer released their debut EP Years Of Exile the following year. The band jammed around the Midwest over the next three years, naturally evolving the music and band until the current lineup. Although they first jammed together in 2019, the covid pandemic forced them put their live performances on ice as well as hit pause on release of their second EP, Dance Of The Undesirables. Initially planning a large release campaign, the band pressed up only enough copies to cover their last few scheduled live performances. It was during this down time that Atomic Fire Records took interest in Voidgazer's vision and offered them an international recording contract.




To seal the deal, the group's debut album Dance Of The Undesirables (including additional new material) will be released early next year. Stay tuned for more details.





Voidgazer are:


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


(Photo - Danny Tilson)

Morta Skuld will release their new album, Creation Undone, on February 23 via Peaceville Records. The album will be released on LP, limited edition Green LP, CD and digital. Pre-order the album here, and check out a promo video for the first single, "We Rise We Fall", below.


Scaling new heights of brutality for the longstanding US death metal veterans, Creation Undone is the latest work of inspired extremity from frontman and mastermind Dave Gregor and co. In a time when the band’s iconic and celebrated debut Dying Remains reaches its thirty year milestone, and with recent live activity on both sides of the Atlantic seeing the quartet performing to a ravenous fanbase of metalheads both old and new, Morta Skuld now returns with a ten track opus of pure death metal in their unrelenting and unwavering pursuit of heaviness, still going strong after three decades, as the band unleashes their successor to 2020’s Suffer For Nothing.


With themes exploring an increasingly savage, corrupt and destructive state of the world in present times, and executed with a razor-sharp precision, with ferocious and hook-laden compositions to match and even exceed any of their highly regarded early output, Creation Undone was recorded and mixed at Belle City Sound Studios by Chris Djuricic, with mastering work conducted at Flatline Audio with Dave Otero.




Morta Skuld formed in Milwaukee in 1990, quickly producing two demos before going on to release three albums on Peaceville Records (initially via legendary sub-label Deaf Records) in the early-mid 90's. Many years later, and with a new lineup, founder and main-man David Gregor then reunited with Peaceville for the opuses Wounds Deeper Than Time, and Suffer For Nothing, showing that none of the brutal & inspired magic of the band's former years had been lost.





Tracklisting:


"We Rise We Fall"
"The End Of Reason"
"Painful Conflict"
"Unforeseen Obstacles"
"Perfect Prey"
"Soul Piercing Sorrow"
"Into Temptation"
"Self Destructive Emotions"
"Oblivion"
"By Design"


"We Rise We Fall" video:

Smoking Snakes, the electrifying sleaze metallers hailing from Gothenburg, Sweden, have officially inked a deal with Frontiers Music. The band is set to unleash their debut album, Danger Zone, on February 9. Today marks the release of the first single and accompanying video for the track "Sole Survivors". Watch the clip below.


Smoking Snakes are known for their high-energy performances and a sound that pays homage to the golden era of rock while infusing a contemporary edge. With their upcoming debut album, Danger Zone, the band aims to solidify their place in the sleaze metal genre and captivate audiences around the globe.


The band states: "It's our aim to start writing a new chapter for the music we love. We aren't trying to reinvent the wheel, but at the same time, we are using our own experiences and passion for the sleaze genre and are committed to keeping it alive"




Produced by Jakob Herrmann, known for his work with acclaimed acts such as Anthrax, In Flames, and Machine Head, Danger Zone promises to be a sleaze metal masterpiece. Herrmann, who honed his skills with Hardcore Superstar, lends his signature touch to the album.


In 2022, Smoking Snakes made a thunderous entrance onto the music scene, grabbing attention with a self-released demo that cranked up the volume to 11. Their distinctive blend of powerful old-school rock with a modern edge garnered acclaim, drawing inspiration from iconic artists such as W.A.S.P., Ratt, Dokken, and KISS. Recognizing their potential, Frontiers Music eagerly welcomed Smoking Snakes onto their roster.


With a perfect blend of raw energy, infectious melodies, and a commitment to the essence of sleaze, Smoking Snakes are poised to make a significant impact on the global music scene with Danger Zone.


Pre-order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"Angels Calling"
"Sole Survivors"
"Run For Your Life"
"Lady Lucky"
"Excited"
"Restless And Wild"
"Sorrow, Death And Pain"
"There Is No Tomorrow"
"Who Am I"
"We Are Alive"
"Rocking To The Morning Light"


"Sole Survivors" video:





Smoking Snakes are:


Brett Martin - lead vocals, rhythm guitar
Andy Delarge - bass, backing vocals
Stan Ricci - drums, backing vocals
Leo Razor - lead guitar, backing vocals

Arch Enemy performed at the Rock Am Ring in Nürburgring, Germany omn June 4th, 2023. Pro-shot video of the band's entire set has been released by festival organizers and can be viewed below.


Setlist:


"Deceiver, Deceiver"
"War Eternal"
"House of Mirrors"
"My Apocalypse"
"The Watcher"
"The Eagle Flies Alone"
"Handshake With Hell"
"Sunset Over the Empire"
"As the Pages Burn"
"Nemesis"







Three of Sweden's most iconic metal bands - In Flames, Arch Enemy and Soilwork - are teaming up for a European co-headline tour dubbed the Rising From The North. The tour promises an unforgettable night of Swedish metal mayhem.


Anders Fridén from In Flames: "Couldn’t be more excited to announce this tour. It’s been a long time coming and we are finally back together again on stage with our friends in Arch Enemy and Soilwork. We plan to bring you an unforgettable night of melody and mayhem! This is some of Sweden's finest - a tour you simply should not miss!!!"


Michael Amott from Arch Enemy adds: “What an insane Swedish Metal extravaganza across Europe in 2024! We share a lot of history with In Flames and Soilwork, going all the way back to the very early days of Arch Enemy. We’re extremely stoked to be doing this special tour with our Swedish comrades - let’s go!!!”


Björn Strid from Soilwork states: "Finally we can release the great news of one of the greatest tour line ups to hit the streets in at least a decade! We are super excited and we are pretty damn sure that this is a tour that a lot of people have been longing for. We go way back with both Arch Enemy and In Flames, so prepare yourself for an absolute legendary Swedish melodic metal assault!"


 The general on sale for the tour starts on Friday, November 24th, 10AM CET. Exclusive pre-sale starts on Wednesday, November 22nd, 10AM CET. Fans are encouraged to secure their tickets early to ensure they don't miss out on this historic gathering of metal giants.


Tour dates:


October
3 - Glasgow, UK – O2 Academy
4 - Manchester, UK – Manchester Academy
5 - Birmingham, UK - O2 Academy
6 - London, UK - Eventim Apollo Hammersmith
8 - Paris, France – Olympia
9 - Esch-sur-Alzette, Luxembourg – Rockhal
11 - Hamburg, Germany – Sporthalle
12 - Düsseldorf, Germany – Mitsubishi Electric Hall
13 - Den Bosch, Netherlands - Mainstage
15 - Zurich, Switzerland – The Hall
16 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz
18 - Stuttgart, Germany – Schleyer-Halle
19 - Frankfurt, Germany - Jahrhunderthalle
20 - Munich, Germany – Zenith
22 - Vienna, Austria – Gasometer
23 - Budapest, Hungary – Barba Negra
25 - Prague, Czech Republic – Sportovni Hala Fortuna
26 - Dresden, Germany – Messe
27 - Berlin, Germany – Columbiahalle
29 - Oslo, Norway – Spektrum
31 - Malmö, Sweden – Malmö Arena


November
1 - Gothenburg, Sweden – Scandinavium
2 - Stockhom, Sweden – Hovet
3 - Sundsvall, Sweden – Nordichallen
5 - Helsinki, Finland – Ice Hall

In a brand new interview with Justin Young of Monsters, Madness And Magic, Don Dokken was asked if he and his DOKKEN bandmates will continue performing live even though he has publicly stated that the group's recently released 13th studio album, "Heaven Comes Down", will be DOKKEN's last. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We'll keep touring. I've done a lot of interviews. I've been doing interviews when I'm off the road, and I tell them this is our last record, and that's true, but we're not gonna stop touring. I mean, there's nothing I can do.

"I'm hoping the surgeon that screwed my life up will get ran over by a bus… He really screwed me up," Don continued, referencing the complications from his November 2019 neck and spinal surgery. "It took a year for me to be able to raise my hand above my head… So I was depressed, obviously. I came home. I was in a walker. I'm in a cane, and yeah, it sucked, man. But the bottom line is I would love to keep going as DOKKEN, but I can't write any more songs. I'm screwed. I took my Steinway piano and shipped it to Los Angeles 'cause my daughter is a concert trained pianist. She was happy to get that. But I don't know how I can write another record."

Dokken added: "I was talking to [DOKKEN guitarist] Jon Levin the other day. I said, 'If this album is successful, you wanna do another one?' And he said, 'I don't know if I have it in me.' I'm the writer, I'm the singer, just like I was in [the classic lineup of] DOKKEN. I'm not throwing my old guys under the bus, but I was the main writer. I wrote the hits — 'In My Dreams' and 'It's Not Love' and 'Alone Again' and 'The Hunter'. Even though when you look at the record credits and it says 'Don Dokken, George Lynch, Jeff Pilson, Mick Brown,' they didn't write those songs. And everybody knows in my camp that I wrote the songs — the guitar and the lyrics. Those other three guys were in Orange County with an ounce of cocaine trying to come up some good songs. And that's why I couldn't write with them, because I don't do drugs. Never did."

After DOKKEN's previous studio album, 2012's "Broken Bones", failed to meet his expectations commercially, Don publicly questioned whether the band should or would make another record. He was also ruthlessly criticized by fans after radiation treatments from a bout with stomach cancer and eventual vocal-cord surgery hurt his performances.

He told the Bradenton Herald that he took a year or so off after "Broken Bones" to regroup and reassess the band's place in the rock marketplace.

"Heaven Comes Down" came out on October 27 via Silver Lining Music. The follow-up to "Broken Bones" was produced by Bill Palmer and Don Dokken and was mixed by Kevin Shirley (AEROSMITH, IRON MAIDEN).

Following Live at Freak Valley in 2017 and their latest album, Sphere (2019), instrumental psych rock frontrunners Monkey3 will herald 2024 with a true album highlight of the new year: The Lausanne-based four-piece has announced a brand new, cosmic studio offering, entitled Welcome To The Machine, set for release on February 23 via Napalm Records.


Once again, Monkey3 envelops listeners in their unique, cosmic auditory haze. Welcome To The Machine not only marks their seventh and most epic, dark and captivating record to date, but will also clearly prove why they are one of the most exciting instrumental rock bands in the modern stoner and psychedelic rock scene.


Today, Monkey3 has premiered a music video for their first album single "Rackman”. "Welcome To The Machine is a reflection on the future of humanity through the duality of man and machine,“ the band explains. About the new single, they comment: "Are human beings becoming machines or machines becoming human beings?"




Watch the visualizer for “Rackman” below.


Welcome To The Machine’s musical themes are inspired by movies such as 2001: A Space Odyssey, The Matrix, Sunshine, Solaris and 1984, while unveiling an intense mankind vs. machines story that instantly launches the listener into deep space. Right from its first tones, the album immediately emerges as a perfect soundtrack to a journey into the unknown. Tracks such as "Rackman" perfectly showcase how Monkey3, who formed in 2001, are one of only a few instrumental bands that know how to tell an enthralling story. Welcome To The Machine explores as much as it poses questions. It is dark and menacing; evoking melancholic destruction while somehow bursting with hope at the same time, moving between haunting passages and progressive breaks, mesmerizing grooves and colossal riffs.


The album was recorded and mixed by Raphaël Bovey at Blend Studio and MyRoom Studio, and was mastered by Lad Agabekov at Caduceus Studios in Switzerland. The incredible cover artwork was created by Sebastian Jerke.





Welcome To The Machine will be available in the following formats:


- Digipak
- 1 Vinyl Gatefold Black
- 1 Vinyl Gatefold Clear Orange
- 1-Vinyl Gatefold Crystal Clear Deluxe Version (incl. Slipmat & Art Print )
- Digital


Pre-order here.





Welcome To The Machine tracklisting:


"Ignition"
"Collision"
"Kali Yuga"
"Rackman"
"Collapse"


"Rackman" visualizer:





Monkey3 is:


Walter - Drums
Jalil - Bass
Boris - Guitars
dB - Keys and Sounds


(Photo - Giuseppe Aufiero)

In a new interview with The SDR Show, Dave Mustaine was asked how many MEGADETH albums he thinks he has left in him. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was talking about that the other day. If it takes two years between an album — let's just say it does, if I'm able to put them out fast — it'll probably be three years, but let's just say it's two years. And I put an album out. We've still got about a year left on this one [2022's 'The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!'], at least. So that'll take us into '25. We've got all kinds of anniversary tours that we are planning right now. 'Rust In Peace' is gonna be 25 years old, I think, or 30 years old next year, and all kinds of shit like that. And then if we get ready to go into the studio, let's just say it takes a year to do that. That's '26. Another two years, that's '27, '28. And then we go back into the studio. Again, we do two more records. I'll be 70 by the time '31 comes around now."

The 62-year-old musician continued: "Now, do I think I'll be able to continue making music? Because of the advancement of modern medicine right now — stuff like medbeds," apparently referencing the conspiracy theory that secret beds exist that can miraculously heal humans and extend life, "and all of the crazy new developments that they've made for people with different chronic illnesses, me with chronic pain and with the cancer… It's in remission. I don't act like, 'Oh, poor me.' 'Cause it's not 'poor me', man. I won. I fucking won. I beat cancer, and I'm gonna keep fighting to keep it outside the door. Say I do three records, and that's nine years. It's gonna be a while from now. I'm realistically thinking, what kind of shape am I gonna be in in my 70s? And I've gotta tell you, I feel really good right now. I'm still rolling and still training and still doing my cardio and eating well, hardly drinking at all and just taking really good care of myself. So I think, unless something really wrong happens, I see myself living till I'm in my 80s or maybe 90s, if I'm lucky."

Mustaine revealed his throat cancer battle in June 2019 on social media, saying the doctors had given him a 90 percent chance of beating the illness.

He later shared that he went through 51 radiation treatments and nine chemotherapy treatments, determined to overcome the disease so he could continue to play music.

MEGADETH played its first concert with new guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The 36-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Mäntysaari stepped into MEGADETH as the replacement for the band's longtime axeman Kiko Loureiro, who announced in September that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

In addition to Mustaine and Mäntysaari, MEGADETH's current lineup includes former SOILWORK drummer Dirk Verbeuren and bassist James LoMenzo.

In September 2022, MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", debuted at the top of the charts during its first week of sales, taking the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 as well as number ones on Top Album Sales, Top Current Albums Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was the highest-charting MEGADETH album of all time around the world, notching No. 1 In Finland, No. 2 in australia, poland, Switzerland, and Scotland, No. 3 in the U.K., and more.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

MEGADETH received its thirteenth Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" for the song "We'll Be Back" from "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!".

MEGADETH won the 2017 Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the title track of the band's 2016 album "Dystopia". This marked the group's twelfth Grammy nomination in this category (including nominations in the discontinued "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category).

Finnish folk metallers KORPIKLAANI will release their new studio album, "Rankarumpu", on April 5, 2024 via Nuclear Blast.

KORPIKLAANI's twelfth studio LP is once again full of tasty folk metal and its different flavors, but it also offers new spices. Perhaps the ancient gods of joyful music have decided to bless their own sons with some new miraculous extracts?

"Whenever I start writing something new, the material always finds its own path without any forcing — that stuff just comes from somewhere deep inside me, completely naturally", states KORPIKLAANI's Jonne Järvelä.

"Anyway, when I started to come up with the material for 'Rankarumpu', I set myself a goal. A couple of previous records, especially 'Kulkija' (2018),were a bit slower as a whole, so this time I wanted to benefit from a bit faster tempos — a bit like the old KORPIKLAANI."

This is exactly what "Rankarumpu" is all about. Of course, KORPIKLAANI sometimes slows down and gets seriously emotional, but for the most part "Rankarumpu" — as a whole, probably the band's catchiest album to date — rushes forward at a faster pace.

One of the most wonderful features of "Rankarumpu" is related to the folk instruments. Although KORPIKLAANI has done one or maybe even a couple of unforgettable things in the realm of folk metal, this time new permanent member Olli Vänskä's violin and Sami Perttula's accordion may surprise even die-hard fans.

"Rankarumpu", like the two previous records, was executed with recording/mixing engineer and producer Janne Saksa. It seems that the collaboration between the band and Saksa has reached a whole new level with "Rankarumpu".

In other news, KORPIKLAANI has revealed its massive touring plans for 2024, starting with an extensive U.K. tour with ALESTORM and HEIDEVOLK in February and March, two album release shows in Mexico on April 5 and April 6, followed by a North American tour with VISIONS OF ATLANTIS and ILLUMISHADE (featuring members of ELUVEITIE) in April and May, a good number of big European summer festivals and a European tour towards the end of the year.

Photo by Peero Lakanen / edited by Jan Yrlund

As the holiday season unfolds, the legendary blues-rock guitarist Joe Bonamassa extends a special musical offering to his fans worldwide. His digital Christmas compilation album, Merry Christmas, Baby, is set to bring the festive spirit to homes, available for a limited time as a free download.


This compilation is a unique blend of holiday classics reimagined through Bonamassa's blues lens, along with original tracks that resonate with his signature style. The 2023 edition is particularly special, as it includes three new tracks, adding fresh vibrancy to this yuletide collection. Stream the entire album now.


The release of Merry Christmas, Baby follows the successful conclusion of Bonamassa's 2023 tour, a testament to his enduring presence in the world of blues and rock. This tour was a journey of musical excellence, spanning 88 shows over 180 days. Joe and his band traveled a remarkable 65,500 miles, crossing the Pacific twice and the Atlantic six times, delivering unforgettable performances across the globe. The tour not only showcased Bonamassa's unparalleled guitar skills and soulful vocals but also highlighted songs from his latest studio album, Blues Deluxe Vol. 2, a tribute to his blues roots and two decades of musical mastery. The album debuted at #1 on the Billboard Blues Chart, marking Bonamassa’s 27th #1.




In Merry Christmas, Baby, listeners are treated to a diverse range of holiday songs. The album opens with an alternate take on the title track, offering a new perspective on this festive favourite. The Irish rendition of “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen” and the orchestral version of “O Holy Night” showcase Bonamassa's ability to blend traditional holiday melodies with his unique blues-rock flair. These new additions are accompanied by beloved tracks from previous years, including the soulful “Lonesome Christmas” and the rhythmic “Christmas Boogie (One Little Kiss).” The inclusion of Dion's "Hello Christmas," featuring Amy Grant, and “You Know It’s Christmas,” a collaboration with Bonamassa, adds a joyful spirit to the album.


Aside from his musical endeavours, Bonamassa continues to make significant contributions through his Keeping The Blues Alive Foundation (KTBA). This year, the foundation has been instrumental in supporting musicians and music education, hosting a range of initiatives including fundraising auctions and the KTBA at Sea IX Cruise Sweepstakes. These efforts have not only helped preserve the blues genre but also ensured that the next generation of musicians receives the support and opportunities they need to thrive.


As 2023 draws to a close, Merry Christmas, Baby stands as a reflection of Joe Bonamassa's commitment to his craft and his fans. This compilation is more than just a holiday album; it's a celebration of the joy, warmth, and spirit of the season, delivered through the strings of one of the most revered guitarists in the blues-rock arena. Fans and music enthusiasts are encouraged to download and share this festive gift and immerse themselves in the rich, blues-infused renditions of holiday classics.


Looking ahead to 2024, Bonamassa fans have much to look forward to as the artist announces his upcoming tour dates. The spring US tour will see Joe performing at a series of iconic venues, starting on February 19th in Louisville, KY, and continuing through key cities across the US. The tour promises to bring Joe's unique blend of blues and rock to an eager audience, culminating with a special Keeping the Blues Alive at Sea IX cruise. In April, Bonamassa will head to the UK, performing at the prestigious Royal Albert Hall in London. These performances showcase Bonamassa's continued evolution as a musician and his unwavering dedication to the blues genre.


For more information on Joe Bonamassa, his latest releases, and his philanthropic work with KTBA, visit his official website here. The free download of Merry Christmas, Baby is available for a limited time, inviting listeners to experience the magic of the holidays through the lens of a blues legend.





Tracklisting:


"Merry Christmas, Baby" – Alternate Take (New Track)
"Christmas Boogie (One Little Kiss)"
"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen" - Irish Rendition (New Track)
"Lonesome Christmas"
"O Holy Night" - Orchestra Rendition (New Track)
"Hello Christmas" (Dion feat. Amy Grant)
"Santa Claus Is Back In Town"
"Bring Back My Cadillac"
"Christmas Date Blues"
"God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen"
"You Know It’s Christmas" (Dion feat. Joe Bonamassa)
"O Holy Night"
"Christmas Comes But Once A Year"
"Merry Christmas, Baby"





(Photo - Adam Kennedy)

DEF LEPPARD has shared a professionally filmed video of the band's "Pour Some Sugar On Me" performance from November 11 at Giants Stadium in Sydney during the Australian leg of LEPPARD's "The World Tour" with MÖTLEY CRÜE. Check out the clip below.

DEF LEPPARD and JOURNEY will join forces for a summer 2024 North American tour. The 23-date trek will begin on July 6 in St. Louis, Missouri and hit cities including Orlando, Atlanta, Chicago, Toronto, Boston, Houston, Phoenix, Los Angeles and more before wrapping in Denver on September 8. Openers include STEVE MILLER BAND, HEART and CHEAP TRICK, which will vary by city.

DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE have completed several legs of "The World Tour", which included U.S. dates with Alice Cooper.

DEF LEPPARD's latest album, "Diamond Star Halos", sold 34,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release in May 2022 to land at position No. 10 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marked the band's eighth top 10 LP.

Of "Diamond Star Halos"' 34,000 units earned for the week, album sales comprised 32,000, SEA units comprised 2,000 (equaling 2.7 million on-demand official streams of the album’s songs) and TEA units comprised less than 500 units.

DEF LEPPARD's previous Top 10 albums included "Pyromania" (which peaked at No. 2 in 1983),"Hysteria" (No. 1 for six weeks in 1988),"Adrenalize" (No. 1 for five weeks in 1992),"Retro Active" (No. 9; 1983),"Rock Of Ages: The Definitive Collection" (No. 10; 2005),"Songs From The Sparkle Lounge" (No. 5; 2008) and "Def Leppard" (No. 10; 2015).