On December 5, RUSH's Geddy Lee was interviewed by PRIMUS's Les Claypool as part of a virtual event to promote the release of Lee's memoir, "My Effin' Life". Asked by Les why it was important for him to talk in the book about how much it annoyed him and his RUSH bandmates when they were dismissed by some music critics as "pretentious", Geddy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Neil [Peart, RUSH drummer] and I would talk about this. We would talk about, what the fuck does that word ['pretentious'] mean? Who's pretending here? When you're playing to your ability and you're striving for more and you're not faking it… It's real, it's a real desire to get better. And so we didn't understand when people would call us pretentious. Just because our reach perhaps exceeded our grasp, that didn't mean that it wasn't an honest effort to grab the rein. It's not like we were doing it to acquire some sort of glory; we were doing it to acquire a better handle on our music and to break down barriers to our musicianship and improve. So it always bugged us when some writer would just toss us off as some pretentious three-piece band from Canada with progressive ideals and all that stuff."

He continued: "And so I just thought it was interesting to review, in the full spectrum of my career and where we've gone and where we came from, and try to understand why that is such an easy word to toss at a band that has high ambitions. So that's kind of what I was getting at in the book, to discuss it. And I think it's helpful to examine bad criticism, because I was as skeptical of bad reviews as I was of overly good reviews. You know what it's like — some person waxing on about how great you are, you go, 'That guy didn't hear all the bad shit we played last night.'"

"My Effin' Life" was released on November 14 on HarperCollins.

As previously reported, Claypool is featured in Lee's new docuseries which sets out to answer one question: Are bass players human, too? Geddy visits Claypool and other fellow bass players Melissa Auf Der Maur of HOLE, Robert Trujillo of METALLICA and Krist Novoselic of NIRVANA to explore their expansive worlds beyond music.

"Geddy Lee Asks: Are Bass Players Human Too?" is available to stream exclusively on Paramount+.

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

In a recent interview with the Toronto Star, Lee was asked if he has any regrets. He replied: "I do have regrets. I regret how much time I spent away from my son. I regret what I put my wife through and how much she had to carry. And that plays into where I'm at now. I will not do anything without her consideration. Our time together is untouchable."

As for career regrets, Geddy said he didn't have any. "I was the luckiest effin' guy to be able to work with the greatest partners and play the exact kind of music we wanted to play and get away with it for over 40 years," he explained.

Photo credit: Andrew MacNaughtan (2011 press photo courtesy of Atlantic Records)

Don't miss this very special virtual event with Geddy Lee of RUSH. For more details: https://bit.ly/GeddyLeeVirtualEvent

Politics and Prose Bookstore, Books & Books, BookPeople, Left Bank Books, Warwick's

Posted by Harper Books on Tuesday, November 28, 2023

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN will celebrate 25 years of its acclaimed 1999 debut album "Calculating Infinity" with a reunion show on June 21, 2024 in Brooklyn, New York at the legendary Brooklyn Paramount. The band will play the album in its entirety for the first time ever with co-founder and original vocalist Dimitri Minakakis. Backing Minakakis will be founding guitarist Ben Weinman, as well as bassist Liam Wilson and drummer Billy Rymer. Tickets are on sale Friday, December 15 at 10 a.m. ET.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN, renowned for their mind-bending musical compositions and legendary high-energy live shows, officially disbanded in 2017 following three unforgettable final performances at Terminal 5 in New York City. After years of unwavering fan support, an incessant barrage of reunion appeals, and numerous reissues, the band will return, honoring the album that initiated their groundbreaking journey. With its distinctive fusion of hardcore punk, progressive metal, and jazz, which left both fans and critics in awe, "Calculating Infinity" not only defined their sound but also revolutionized the game from the outset.

"It's been a long time coming for this opportunity to perform in a project I helped create over 25 years ago," said Minakakis. "Having the chance to celebrate 25 years of 'Calculating Infinity' with my closest friends in life is just a dream turned real. I'm looking forward to seeing all the old faces, as well as all the new ones. THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN has always been more than just a band. We were a force of nature. This reunion show is our way of thanking the fans who have stood by us and the album we made in a small basement in NJ all those years ago."

Liam Wilson who shared the stage with Dimitri soon after the release of "Calculating Infinity" and continued to share the stage with Weinman until the band farewell shows in 2017 had this to say: "Amped to go party like it's 1999 again and give this album the birthday party it deserves! These songs are still unfuckwithable and as a musician, it's rad to have the opportunity to get back under the hood of this album and revisit my salad days, this time with more seasoning. Dimitri always had such a menacing presence and venomous voice, it's gonna be killer to rip these songs with him up there with us!"

"Dimitri has remained one of my longest and closest friends," added Weinman. "Even after leaving the band, his support and contributions through his work on our first albums have kept an everlasting spark in my heart for what we did together. I remember the first day we met. He was the new guy in school and I drove by him and gave him the finger. Then I reversed the car and asked him if he wanted to hang out and make a band. I said, you look like a singer dude. " We could have never imagined what an impact that moment would have."

He continued: "While we are all very happy with the resolve of the band in 2017 with Greg, something still feels unsaid as far as the Dimitri era of the band and with so many people talking about the album and after performing a handful of first album performances with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, it just all made sense. This needed to happen!"

For many fans, the chance to experience the sonic atomic blast of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN performing "Calculating Infinity" live with Minakakis at the helm is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. This reunion show offers fans not only the chance to witness the magic that sparked the band's meteoric rise over the past 25 years, but to experience the album that started it all performed right in front of them.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's mastery of their craft is unparalleled. Their live shows are an explosive spectacle of precision and passion. This reunion show promises to be no different. Prepare for an unforgettable night as they revisit the album that defined a genre and marked the beginning of their legendary career.

THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN is a globally celebrated American metal powerhouse, recognized for their groundbreaking and uniquely intense contributions to the heavy music scene. "Calculating Infinity" stands as a genre-defining masterpiece, marking a pivotal moment not only for the band but for the entire genre. It landed on countless "Best Of The Year" lists the year it dropped including Best Metal Album of the Year by Revolver magazine. It was later listed among the Top 10 Metal Albums of All Time by Metal Injection. Loudwire has since placed the record third on their list of "25 Best Metalcore Albums Of All-Time" with writer Stephen Hill stating that "the influence of THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN is present at every major rock festival in the shape of any forward-thinking, heavy band and even in the current metalcore or tech-metal production line (who have aped elements of their sound in the most piss-weak and desperate way). But the fact that these bands are here at all and able to appeal to a wider audience is in no small part due to the trail blazed by "Calculating Infinity" and its utter contempt for compromise and uniformity." In 2017 Rolling Stone called the LP "one of the greatest metal albums of all time" and despite disbanding that same year, THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN's legacy continues to inspire musicians and fans alike.

In a new interview with SPIN magazine, Ozzy Osbourne was asked how he the rock and metal worlds have changed over the decades since he first launched his music career. He responded: "Well, I've never felt comfortable about that title that they put on me – 'metal.' Because Ozzy Osbourne plays heavy, but the bands that are [considered metal] are really heavy, and we're all put in the same category. When you get pigeonholed with a certain [genre], it can be very difficult to do something a bit lighter or an acoustic track or whatever you want to do. Back in the day, it was always just rock music. It's still just rock music."

Ozzy previously discussed his dislike for the term "heavy metal" this past June in an interview with CNN. At the time, the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer said: "I have never, ever, ever been able to attach myself to the word 'heavy metal' — it has no musical connotations. If it was heavy rock, I could get that," he explained, saying that the hard rock and heavy metal genres have gone through a lot of changes over the years.

"The '70s was kind of like a bluesy thing, the '80s was kind of bubblegum-frosted hair, multicolored clothes and the '90s was kind of grungy," Osbourne noted. "People come up to me and say, 'Your SABBATH work was a big influence on me.' I could go, 'Oh, yeah, I can see that.' But other bands ... what part of that is inspired by us? Some of it is just angry people screaming down a microphone."

Ozzy's SABBATH bandmate Tony Iommi has expressed a different viewpoint about being considered a "heavy metal" band, telling BBC in a 2011 interview: "I wasn't familiar with [the term 'heavy metal'] for quite a few years. I mean, I always looked at what we did as heavy rock. And when that term was first mentioned to me Somebody said, 'Oh, you play heavy metal.' And I said, 'What? What's that?' And this was a journalist from a well-known magazine. He said, 'Well, that's what you play it's heavy metal.' And I'd been in America for quite awhile, so when I came back and I heard this term, I'd never heard it. And, of course, ever since that, that's been non-stop. I still think we're heavy rock, but you are put into a bag, and I'm quite proud of it now."

Earlier this year, BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" how he feels about being considered one of the originators of the heavy metal genre. He replied: "I got used to it. It's just a term, like any other. People try and classify all kinds of music — try to put it in a bag or whatever and they come up with all these different things to call it.

"I think they called us heavy metal because we were a lot heavier than most hard rock bands that were around at the time," he explained. "We'd gone one step heavier than anybody else, so they couldn't call it 'heavy rock'; they called it heavy metal."

The 75-year-old Ozzy announced in February that his touring career was over as he is no longer "physically capable" of hitting the road after suffering several health setbacks. In July, he withdrew from an appearance at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

Osbourne damaged his spine in a major accident nearly five years ago and has since undergone multiple surgeries. He also revealed his Parkinson's diagnosis in January 2020.

In a new interview with Barry Robinson of Classic Album Review, SAXON frontman Biff Byford was asked to weigh in on KISS's announcement that the legendary rockers will continue as digital avatars. The technology, originally developed for ABBA's "Voyage" show in London, will allow KISS to stay "on the road" in retirement.

Byford said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think they should do it. I think it works for ABBA because ABBA's been defunct for years and years and years, and ABBA, they're a pop act; they're not rock. [But] if people wanna go see an avatar show of them, then fair enough.

"I've not seen the ABBA one," he continued. "I've been told that it's absolutely fantastic. But [it's cost] millions and millions to develop this thing. And they built their own theater. I don't know if KISS is gonna do that. I think it probably works better when it's in a place that's been sort of built and equipped for it rather than touring. Because I've seen some touring things with Ronnie, with [Ronnie James] Dio. It was all right, but it wasn't perfect. Wherever you were sat in the room, sometimes you wouldn't see [the hologram from the right angle]. It just wasn't perfect. But I suppose if you build a purpose-built theater for it and you can see all from every different seat and every different angle and it's all different… But I think it's a curiosity thing as well."

When Robinson raised the possibility of other artists, such as THE BEATLES and THE DOORS, getting their own avatar shows in the future, Biff said: "To do it properly, you have to have somebody that's… I mean, you don't have to have the original artist moving around [while hooked up to the motion capture technology that helps generate the avatars]. As far as ABBA goes, it was actually them that did all the moves, and they sort of just used that for the avatar. But I don't know. I really don't know. To tell you the truth, I don't really give a shit whether they do or they don't — BEATLES or KISS. I probably won't go. I might go see the ABBA one, if they invite me."

The KISS avatars were created by Industrial Light & Magic (ILM) and were financed and produced by the Swedish company Pophouse Entertainment, which is behind "ABBA Voyage".

Unlike the "ABBA Voyage" show, which recreates a 1970s-era ABBA concert in a custom-built London arena, KISS's avatars that appeared at the band's final concert in New York earlier this month will not be as grounded in reality as ABBA's digital replicas. According to BBC News, the KISS avatars were eight feet tall, breathing fire and shooting electricity from their fingers, while floating above the audience.

No details have been announced yet for KISS's plan with the band's avatars. "We're going to figure it out after the tour," Pophouse CEO Per Sundin said prior to the final show at Madison Square Garden. "Is it a KISS concert in the future? Is it a rock opera? Is it a musical? A story, an adventure? These four individuals already have superpowers. We want to be as open as possible."

The avatars will now be available for live shows around the world and in digital online settings, which some people collectively refer to as the metaverse.

KISS will reportedly become the first American band to go fully virtual and stage its own avatar show.

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


"It's a Sunday trip to the archives with a revisit of the classic Sunday Lunch from December 2020, when the kitchen smelled a little like Teen Spirit."







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.

David Coverdale is celebrating the 50th anniversary of his Deep Purple debut this year with a special version of The Purple Album, Whitesnake’s tribute to his three-year tenure with the legendary group.


Check out "Lady Double Dealer" (Official Video 2023 Remix) below:







The Purple Album: Special Gold Edition is out now as a 2-CD/Blu-ray set and a 2-LP set on resplendent gold vinyl. Order both versions here.





Coverdale recorded The Purple Album with guitarist Reb Beach, bassist Michael Devin, guitarist Joel Hoekstra (on his first Whitesnake album), and drummer Tommy Aldridge, reappearing on a Whitesnake studio album for the first time since 1989’s Slip Of The Tongue. The band cherry-picked gems from Burn (1974), Stormbringer (1974), and Come Taste The Band (1975), delivering inspired takes on fan favorites like “Lay Down Stay Down,” “Lady Double Dealer,” and “You Keep On Moving.”


The 2-CD/Blu-ray version of The Purple Album: Special Gold Edition goes beyond the original with the addition of live recordings and concert videos from The Purple Tour (“The Gypsy,” “Mistreated”), official music videos (“Sail Away,” “You Fool No One”), and an assortment of previously unreleased material, including six alternate mixes of album tracks. The Blu-ray also offers a behind-the-scenes look at the album’s making and a song-by-song commentary by Coverdale.





An exciting addition to the upcoming collection is the four-song demo Coverdale submitted to Deep Purple, hoping to become the band’s next singer. Recorded in 1972 with his former band, The Fabulosa Brothers, the reel-to-reel tape was extensively restored after Coverdale stumbled upon it among his late mother’s belongings. In the album’s liner notes, Coverdale says: “I had no idea my Mam had the tape…For me, to open my Mam’s trunk of personal items, 30 years after her passing, was a gift from Heaven.” The collection also features several demos Coverdale recorded while working on songs for Deep Purple’s 1974 album Stormbringer.





2-CD/Blu-ray tracklisting:


CD1: 2023 Remix


“Burn”
“Lay Down, Stay Down”
“Love Child”
“Holy Man”
“The Gypsy”
“Lady Double Dealer”
“Might Just Take Your Life”
“Mistreated”
“Stormbringer”
“Sail Away” (Interpolating “Elegy For Jon”)
“You Keep On Moving” – featuring the Hook City Strings
“Lady Luck”
“Coming Home”
“You Fool No One” (Interpolating “Itchy Fingers”) Dedicated in loving memory to Jeff Beck
“Soldier Of Fortune”


CD2: The Purple Tour Five Live


“Burn”
“The Gypsy”
“Mistreated”
“You Fool No One”
“Soldier Of Fortune”


Alternative Mixes:


“Holy Man” (Unzipped) *
“Stormbringer” (Punch In The Nuts Mix) *
“Love Child” (Alternate Mix) *
“Soldier Of Fortune” – featuring Joel Hoekstra & The Hook City Strings *
“Soldier Of Fortune” – featuring The Hook City Strings *
“Soldier Of Fortune” (Instrumental) – featuring The Hook City Strings *


The 1972 DC Purple Audition Tape Featuring The Fabulosa Brothers:


“Everybody’s Talkin’” *
“Get Ready” *
“Lonely Town, Lonely Street” *
“Dancing In The Street” *
1974 DC Demo Ideas For The Stormbringer Album *


Blu-ray:


Purple Music Videos:


“Lady Double Dealer”
“Stormbringer”
“Sail Away”
“Soldier Of Fortune”
“The Gypsy”
“Soldier Of Fortune” – featuring Joel Hoekstra & The Hook City Strings*
“Soldier Of Fortune” – featuring The Hook City Strings*


Purplesnake Videos:


“Lay Down, Stay Down”*
“Holy Man”*
“You Keep On Moving”*
“You Fool No One”*


Live Clips:


“Burn” – Live “Atlantis” Video
“Burn/Stormbringer” – Live In The Still Of The Night
“Soldier Of Fortune” – Starkers In Tokyo


The Purple Tour Five Live:


“Burn”
“The Gypsy”
“Mistreated”
“You Fool No One”
“Soldier Of Fortune”


The Purple Album: Behind The Scenes*
The Purple Album: Song-By-Song*


* Previously Unreleased


2-LP Track Listing


LP1:


Side One
“Burn”
“Lay Down, Stay Down”
“Love Child”
“Holy Man”


Side Two
“The Gypsy”
“Lady Double Dealer”
“Might Just Take Your Life”
“Coming Home”


LP2:


Side One
“Stormbringer”
“Sail Away” (Interpolating “Elegy For Jon”)
“You Keep On Moving”
“Lady Luck”


Side Two
“Mistreated”
“You Fool No One” (Interpolating “Itchy Fingers”) Dedicated in loving memory to Jeff Beck
“Soldier Of Fortune”


The Purple Album: Special Gold Edition unboxing video:





"Soldier Of Fortune" (DC & Hook City Strings - Official Video 2023 Remix):





"You Fool No One" 2023 Remix video:





"Stormbringer" 2023 Remix video:





"Soldier Of Fortune" 2023 Remix video:





"Lay Down, Stay Down" 2023 Remix video:





"Burn" (Live) 2023 Remix video:

American death metal legends MASSACRE (established in 1984) have signed a record deal with Agonia Records for the release of the band’s 5th studio album, which is currently being worked on by frontman/vocalist Kam Lee (ex-Mantas, ex-Death, Bone Gnawer, The Grotesquery), original bassist Mike Borders, returning guitarists Rogga Johansson (Paganizer, Rib Spreader, Megascavanger) & Jonny Pettersson (Wombbath, Heads for The Dead) and new drummer Jon Rudin (Just Before Dawn, Heads for The Dead, Dehumanaut).

MASSACRE mastermind Kam Lee commented: “I have to say it’s pretty cool to be signing with Agonia Records. The same label that bands like Pestilence, Rebaelliun, Demonical, Pathology, plus so many other killer Death and Black Metal bands call home. Looking at their roster you can see this is a label that’s dedicated to keeping to the core of pure underground metal bands and acts. In my opinion this is a refreshing reminder that you can remain true to the spirit of underground metal music and not rely on catering to trends in be relevant. This opinion is one that also resonates in my own philosophy about Massacre, one that keeps me on point at keeping the band focused on remaining true to the style and sound that is pure OSDM (old school death metal), and I personally think that Agonia Records is the perfect choice of a label that shall allow Massacre a place to maintain that status. I look forward to the future together, and I am excited for the fans to be able to look forwards to the upcoming new album to be released by the label.”

Formed in 1984, MASSACRE started out as a heavy/power metal band, but changed its style to death metal with the joining of Allen West and Kam Lee; the latter is often credited for inventing the “death growl” – first heard on the band’s 1986 demo “Aggressive Tyrant” – and is considered an influential pioneer as far as the death metal genre is concerned. The group went through several personnel shifts and disbandments over the years, with its early line-up toggling between MASSACRE, Mantas (early Death) and Death. Their 1991 debut album “From Beyond” was recorded at the famed Morrisound Studio and featured amongst “The 500 Greatest Rock & Metal Albums of All Time” by Rock Hard Magazine in 2005.

MASSACRE recorded three more albums to date, including 1996’s “Promise”, 2014’s “Back From Beyond” and – most recently – their 2021’s triumphant return album, aptly named “Resurgence”. They were released on Earache, Century Media and Nuclear Blast records, respectively. The band continued their comeback with the follow-up “Mythos” EP, their self released collection album “Corpus Umbra” (consisting of previously self released single tracks), and the unavoidable digital-only release of live tracks called “Submergence: Live Beyond 2019”.

The present-day line-up features original starting members Kam Lee and Mike Borders, alongside previously mentioned Rogga Johansson, Jonny Pettersson and Jon Rudin; jointly considered by Kam as the recording line-up, who is directly creating and writing new material. The band also features a separate session line-up (for live performances only), which consists of Carlos Gonzalez (Grim Reality) on guitars, Elden Santos (Druid Lord) on drums and, until recently, Tony Blakk (Druid Lord) on bass. “I refuse to be pigeon holed into what some people may perceive a band to be. As long as the members are productive musicians willing to do their part and perform their duties then I am fine with having revolving door line ups.” – Kam has been noted saying.

Kam is once again working together with his writing partners to bring new MASSACRE material to the forefront of the band for an all new album and new releases to come.

For the final time as a collective, Grammy-nominated band SUM 41 has announced an upcoming double album, "Heaven :x: Hell", expected for release on March 29, 2024 via Rise Records. "Heaven :x: Hell" is the most ambitious album from SUM 41 yet — "Heaven" is 10 tracks of snarling high energy pop punk, while "Hell" consists of ten heavy metal anthems spiked with fret-burning solos, thrashing riffs, and fist-pumping hooks. The band has been straddling the line of pop-punk and metal for their entire career, and "Heaven :x: Hell" is a testament to their innovative sound and unmatched skill, proving them as pioneers 27 years after the bands inception.

On the new album, vocalist Deryck Whibley says: "Once I heard the music, I was confident enough to say, 'This is the record I'd like to go out on.' We've made a double album of pop punk and metal, and it makes sense. It took a long time for us to pave this lane for ourselves, but we did, and it's unique to us."

"Heaven :x: Hell" track listing:

Heaven

01. Waiting On A Twist Of Fate
02. Landmines
03. I Can't Wait
04. Time Won't Wait
05. Future Primitive
06. Dopamine
07. Not Quite Myself
08. Bad Mistake
09. Johnny Libertine
10. Radio Silence

Hell

01. Preparasi A Salire
02. Rise Up
03. Stranger In These Times
04. I Don't Need Anyone
05. Over The Edge
06. House Of Liars
07. You Wanted War
08. Paint It Black
09. It's All Me
10. How The End Begins

Alongside the announcement, SUM 41 has released a new single and music video, "Rise Up". The first offering from the upcoming album's metal-filled "Hell" side, "Rise Up" opens with a flurry of guitar riffs and pounding drums fit for a mosh pit straight out of the band's early years. "Writing 'Rise Up', I felt the way I did when I first got signed," says Deryck. "I felt the pressure and the need to create something great, but I felt so excited at the same time."

Previously, SUM 41 shared "Landmines", from "Heaven :x: Hell"'s pop-punk "Heaven" portion. The track, with an anthemic chorus and ground-shaking drunk hits, was released alongside a nostalgic music video. The track gained the attention of notable outlets such as Entertainment Tonight, Consequence, NME, Exclaim!, Brooklyn Vegan, Alternative Press, Knotfest, and countless others.

Earlier this year, SUM 41 announced their breakup after 27 years of making music together. "Heaven :x: Hell" is aiming for nothing short of greatness, a perfect parting gift from the band to the fans that have supported them endlessly.

"I love SUM 41, what we've achieved, endured, and stuck together through, which is why I want to call it quits," Deryck leaves off. "There were so many times we could've broken up. For some reason, we kept sticking it out. I'm proud of that. It's the right time to walk away from it. I'm putting all of my energy into what's ahead. This is going to be the biggest tour of our lives, and I want to make it the best show we've ever done. That's it."

Speaking to CJAY 92 's Jesse and JD about the upcoming album, Whibley said: "The intention was with this new record — it's a double record, 'Heaven :x: Hell', and the 'Heaven' side is 10 songs of what would be old-school SUM 41 pop punk, and the 'Hell' side is the newer sort of heavier metal side that we've done for about 16, 17 years now — maybe even longer. But anyway, yeah, I think that song does have the spirit of, say, [2001's] 'All Killer No Filler' and [2002's] 'Does This Look Infected?', but played by a band that's been playing for 30 years now."

Asked how much pressure was there for him and his bandmates to make this final album exactly how they wanted it, Deryck said: "There was no pressure, because we didn't really know that we were going to make this the last record. When I started writing songs for this record, I didn't even know I was writing songs for SUM 41. I thought I was writing for other people, because at the beginning of the pandemic, I was getting asked by managers and record labels if I'd work with some of their artists. They were looking for pop-punk stuff. And so I just started writing songs, and I just happened to like them and I didn't wanna give them away. So I kept them. And I didn't even know we were making a double album. I didn't even know it was going to be what it became. It wasn't until all the music was just written. I was just writing for the sake of writing, and when I listened to it all back, it just kind of spoke to me."

Regarding the decision to put SUM 41 to rest after the upcoming LP and tour, Deryck said: "I'm a big believer in that the music tells you what to do, and it just told me this should be a double album. Once that album was finished, I'd realized, and I'd been thinking this for a while, that I felt like after all these years with my 1,000% focus on SUM 41 all day, every day, I felt like I don't have much more of that in me to continue past this record. I've been in this band since I was in tenth grade, and I just... I'm getting to a point where I'm thinking, I'd like to put some focus and energy into something else. And I felt this is probably the best record we've ever made. And I think this version of the band is the best we've ever been live. And I thought, what a way to just go out on this one."

Whibley previously talked about "Heaven :x: Hell" last month in an interview with TheresaRockFace of the Houston, Texas radio station 94.5 The Buzz. At the time, he said: "It's two totally different records. It's 10 songs each side. I would call like early SUM 41 pop punk, and the 'Hell' side is like newer, heavier SUM 41 that we've kind of done the past couple of records, that sort of style. I don't wanna call it metal, but it's our version of what we do that's heavy and metal influenced."

He explained: "Over the years, we've done both sort of styles. We've had more heavy music than pop-punk music, but since we started with that on those first two records, it's kind of like you're labeled that for the rest of your life. But there are fans of ours that don't really care for any of the pop-punk stuff and only like the heavier stuff, and vice versa."

According to Whibley, "There are no guests" on "Heaven :x: Hell". "There was some talk about it," he said. "We've never really done that. And as the record starts moving along, it just gets finished, and we're, like, 'Well, I guess we've done the record now.' Those ideas come up early on, and then once the songs are done, we're, like, 'I don't know. Maybe we'll just leave it as is.'"

Whibley also talked about the songwriting process for "Heaven :x: Hell" and how it came to turn into a double album. He said: "It wasn't really that fast [to make], but it also wasn't intentional. There was no thought or idea to make a double album. The music just kind of came out that way. And I'm always a believer in the music tells you what to do. So I didn't have this idea of, like, 'I'm gonna write a bunch of pop-punk songs and write a bunch of heavy songs.' I was just writing stuff and collecting music, and I didn't know what it was for. And one day I just decided, 'Okay, I've got all these songs. I'm gonna put 'em on a disc and go drive around in the car and listen to just see what I have.' And once I listened to it all, it kind of spoke to me. It was just, like, 'This needs to be a double album, 'cause they're two separate albums.' There was no thought of it. And even with the band, I didn't tell them, 'Hey, I think this is a double album.' I just sent them the music and said, 'Listen to everything that I've been working on. Tell me what you think.' And one by one, each guy came back and said, 'What do you think about doing a double album?' So the music spoke to all of us."

SUM 41's storied 24-plus-year career includes over 15 million records sold worldwide, multiple Billboard-charting releases, a Grammy Award nomination, two Juno Awards (seven nominations),a Kerrang! Award in 2002, as well as multiple Alternative Press Music Awards.

In September, Whibley was discharged from a hospital after being treated for pneumonia.

Back in 2014, Deryck collapsed in his kitchen and was rushed to the hospital, before doctors revealed his liver and kidneys had failed. He was placed in a coma for a week to help his body detox from alcohol and went on to get sober and lead a healthier lifestyle.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

Drummer Hayley Cramer has announced her departure from POP EVIL.

The U.K.-based musician, who joined the Michigan rockers in 2016, announced her exit from POP EVIL in a social media post earlier today.

She wrote: "Dear fans of POP EVIL, the time has come for me to part ways with POP EVIL. It is not a decision that I have made lightly. I have reached a point where I want to branch out and find new paths and adventures - into the unknown!

"My time with the band has been one of the best chapters of my life so far and I have made incredible memories. All of the band members, crew, and management have helped me grow, not only as a musician, but as a person. I am so thankful to everyone involved that has pushed me, elevated me, and cheered me on. That said, I feel there are new and exciting challenges, lessons to learn, songs and stages to be played.

"To the fans, thank you. Thank you for the energy you have brought to shows. POP EVIL fans sure know how to bring amazing energy! I've given my all to you each show and would never want to give you less. My decision to move on is because I would be doing the fans and my fellow bandmates a disservice by continuing with a feeling of needing a change.

"I wish POP EVIL all the best with continued happiness and success.

"Much love x Hayley".

Cramer joined POP EVIL in May 2016 as the replacement for Josh "Chachi" Marunde, who exited the group in April that year.

Regarding how she came to be part of POP EVIL, Cramer told Modern Drummer magazine in a 2017 interview: "It's been crazy. It came about at the end of [2015] through a mutual friend of ours, who knew that I wanted to get back to the States. I was stepping in and out of bands in England and throughout Europe, and I felt like I couldn't find anything. I was like, 'You know what? I'd really like to go back to the States, so if you hear of anything, let me know.' He called me a couple of months later and said, 'POP EVIL are looking for a drummer. You should apply.' So I applied, and through various FaceTime and other online conversations, they took the chance and flew me out. We had one rehearsal and then went straight out on the road. I wasn't playing the shows — the previous drummer was, and I was playing the soundchecks. And I spent a couple of weeks watching the shows and hanging out with them. It was pretty obvious that we hit it off straight away. It just felt really good for all of us. Chachi sort of said, 'You know what, Hayley, it's yours now. I can see that the rest of POP EVIL are happy and you seem happy, so take over.' That was at the beginning of the DISTURBED and ROB ZOMBIE tour, which had some of the biggest shows for both the band and me. So they were pretty important shows, and it was important to do a good job. I'm a great a believer in diving into the deep end and either sinking or swimming. And usually I swim! [Laughs]"

Regarding what she was doing before she joined POP EVIL, Hayley said: "My first real band was called MCQUEEN, and that's were I got to tour Europe and Australia. We did okay, but it kind of ran its course, and we all got sick of each other. I kind of stepped away from original bands for a while because I wasn't ready to commit to one thing. I love so many different types of music, and I love playing with different people. So I was just in and out of bands, and I did quite a bit of teaching. [In 2015] I started feeling that I might want to find a band to commit to. I was sick of being the new guy all the time and thinking at every show, Oh, God. Am I going to remember this song? That's when I started to look to America. I've toured Europe quite a lot and I wanted some new scenery, new people, and new cultures again. And that's when POP EVIL happened."

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Pete Townshend says that it's time for him and Roger Daltrey to plot THE WHO's next move.

The 78-year-old guitarist addressed the iconic band's future more than three months after he and Daltrey played the final date of their orchestral tour date at the Sandringham Estate in Norfolk.

Pete told Record Collector: "I think it's time for Roger and I to go to lunch and have a chat about what happens next. Because Sandringham shouldn't feel like the end of anything, but it feels like the end of an era."

He added: "It's a question of, really, what is feasible, what would be lucrative, what would be fun? So, I wrote to Roger and said, 'Come on. Let's have a chat and see what's there.'"

Pete recently revealed that he is working on the musical score for his hit 2019 novel "The Age Of Anxiety".

"The Age Of Anxiety" was released in November 2019. The book was published by Coronet/Hachette Books and is available in hardcover and audio read by British actor Michael Jayston.

In "The Age Of Anxiety", Pete explores the anxiety of modern life and madness in a story that stretches across two generations of a London family, their lovers, collaborators, and friends.

THE WHO's "Tommy" musical will make its way back to Broadway in the spring of 2024. It was announced in October that the critically acclaimed production that premiered at Chicago's Goodman Theatre earlier this year will open at the Nederlander Theatre.

In October 2022, THE WHO released a new version of the 2019 album "Who" featuring an updated version of "Beads On One String" newly remixed by Pete Townshend and acoustic tracks from the band's only live shows of 2020.

The songs on the deluxe version of "Who" were recorded in Kingston on Valentine's Day this year exactly 50 years to the day since THE WHO's seminal show at Leeds which became the infamous live album "Live At Leeds".

In December 2019, "Who" entered the U.K. chart at position No. 3, becoming the band's highest-charting U.K. LP in 38 years.

Former SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg has reflected on his time with the band, saying that he "wouldn't trade for the world" his memories and experiences as a member of the long-running extreme metal outfit.

Earlier today (Sunday, December 10),Weinberg shared a photo of the four masks he wore during his time in SLIPKNOT and he included the following message: "For 19 years, my goals in music and art have always centered around maintaining some sort of forward motion. It feels a bit paradoxical at times to look in the rearview mirror, but some moments and milestones are significant enough to take pause and reflect.

"Today marks the 10th anniversary of becoming a part of something I grew up believing in. I don't hold onto many mementos, but to me these represent a decade of focused and impassioned dedication to that forward movement. Throughout that time, I learned much about application, tenacity, and the satisfaction of committing to breaking through creative thresholds; reaching those artistic goals through constant, concentrated hard work — all fueled by true love of the music.

"In some respects, the person who wore the mask on the right and the person who wore the mask on the left feel like two completely different individuals — separated only by experience gained, miles traveled, friendships created, and a connection to the instrument strengthened and deepened so far beyond what I thought was possible.

"The memories and experiences that these four masks represent, I wouldn't trade for the world. And I'm honored that you all have been there, every step of the way.

"So — here's to you, the last 10 years, and wherever the next 10 years bring us."

On November 5, SLIPKNOT released a statement via social media in which it said it had "decided to make a creative decision and to part ways with Jay."

Six days later, Weinberg, who replaced Joey Jordison, SLIPKNOT's original drummer, in 2013, shared on Instagram that he "was heartbroken and blindsided to receive the phone call", "the news of which, most of you learned shortly after."

"This is not the ending to the journey I'd dreamt of, and committed myself to seeing through – not by a long shot," he wrote. "But, despite the confusion and sadness, there is something that's provided an equal amount of comfort. For many of you reading this: 10 years ago, we weren't yet acquainted. And now, we are. For that, I'm thankful in ways I'll never be able to fully express."

Jay played his final show with SLIPKNOT on November 3 at the Hell & Heaven festival in Toluca, Mexico.

When SLIPKNOT announced Weinberg's departure, the band thanked Jay "for his dedication and passion over the past ten years." The group added: "No one can ever replace Joey Jordison's original sound, style or energy, but Jay honored Joey's parts and contributed to the last three albums and we, the band, and the fans appreciate it. But as ever, SLIPKNOT is intent on evolving. We wish Jay all the best and are very excited for what the future holds."

The now-33-year-old Jay discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father, Max Weinberg, of Bruce Springsteen's E STREET BAND, and leader of the house band on Conan O'Brien's talk show. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Joey Jordison in 2013.

For the first few months after the release of 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter", the members of SLIPKNOT had declined to name the musicians who were playing drums and bass on their tour, despite the fact that their identities were revealed as Weinberg and bassist Alessandro "Vman" Venturella by a disgruntled former drumtech for SLIPKNOT who posted a picture of a backstage call sheet on Instagram.

".5: The Gray Chapter" went on to score a trio of Grammy nominations, including two for "Best Metal Performance" and a nomination for "Best Rock Album".

Weinberg also played on 2019's "We Are Not Your Kind" and 2022's "The End, So Far", both of which topped Billboard's rock albums chart.

Prior to joining SLIPKNOT, Weinberg was a member of AGAINST ME!, having played with the Florida-based act from November 2010 until December 2012.

Weinberg joined AGAINST ME! shortly after he was ousted from MADBALL and following the departure of AGAINST ME!'s previous sticksman, George Rebelo.

In May 2013, Weinberg filled in for KVELERTAK drummer Kjetil Gjermundrod during the band's North American tour because Gjermundrod had to bow out of the run after experiencing significant pain in his arm.

Last month, Weinberg underwent an outpatient procedure to repair the torn labrum of his left hip and shave down a misshapen part of his femur.

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