With the 2023 Christmas season in full swing, music fans are on the hunt for new versions of the Holiday songs they love and adore. Spirits have been lifted as word about two new Christmas metal compilations have begun to spread, A Very Metal Christmas Vols. 1 & 2. Both compilations offer refreshing and energetic versions of seasonal favorites by the likes of Rainbow's Graham Bonnet, Megadeth's Chris Poland, King's X's Ty Tabor, George Lynch, Great White's Jack Russell, Vixen's Janet Gardner, Angel's Frank DiMino and many more.


Today, a new single from the second volume is made available on all digital music platforms - an absolutely breathtaking version of the Judy Garland beloved ballad “Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas”. Performed by legendary guitar virtuoso, formerly of metal giants Megadeth, Marty Friedman proves that music doesn’t need to have walls of distortion or endless solos to be powerful. Instead, Friedman’s take on the song mixes acoustic and electric guitars with nary a distortion pedal in sight. His playing is both passionate and effortless, expressing the hope-amidst-sorrow emotion of the song perfectly. With a stellar guest appearance by Friedman’s life partner and frequent collaborator, Japanese cellist Hiyori Okuda, this track is sure to bring the warmth of the Christmas spirit to any home.


Stream/download the single here, listen below:







A Very Metal Christmas and A Very Metal Christmas II can be ordered via the links below:


A Very Metal Christmas:


- CD
- Vinyl
- Digital


A Very Metal Christmas II:


- CD
- Vinyl
- Digital





A Very Metal Christmas tracklisting:


"All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Tim "Ripper" Owens, Ron "Bumblefoot" Thal, David Ellefson
"Rockin' Around The Christmas Tree" - Cherie Currie, Tracii Guns
"Feliz Navidad" - Stephen Pearcy, Vinnie Moore    
"Carol Of The Bells" - Chris Poland
"Last Christmas" - Graham Bonnet, Mick Box        
"Please Come Home For Christmas" - Carmine Appice, Ty Tabor, Paul Shortino, Phil Soussan    
"White Christmas" - Bulletboys       
"Christmas Eve/Sarajevo 12/2"4 - George Lynch    
"Merry Xmas Everybody" - Kim McAuliffe & Cliff Evans
"Santa Claus Is Comin' To Town" - Paul Dianno   
"Happy Holiday" - Enuff Z'nuff     
"Little Saint Nick" - L.A. Guns      
"Donner & Blitzen" (Achim Koehler Mix) - Thor








A Very Metal Christmas II tracklisting:


"O Holy Night" - Glenn Hughes       
"Blue Christmas" - Jack Russell, Chris Holmes       
"Winter Wonderland" - Fast Eddie Clarke, Steve Overland
"All I Want For Christmas Is You" - Janet Gardner  
"Another Rock And Roll Christmas" - Paul Dianno, Paul Samson
"Have Yourself A Merry Little Christmas" - Marty Friedman         
"It's A Wonderful Life" - George Lynch & Jeff Pilson         
"Father Christmas" - Pretty Boy Floyd         
"Santa Claus Is Comin' to Town" - Gilby Clarke     
"Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer" - Helix           
"Run, Rudolph Run" - Faster Pussycat       
"Silent Night" - Frank DiMino, Tracii Guns          
"What Child Is This?" - Glen Drover

In a new interview with Katie Daryl of AXS TV's "Now Listen", Duff McKagan was asked to name his favorite GUNS N' ROSES songs to perform at various points of his life, including in 1987, in 2016 and in 2023. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "My favorite song [to play in 1987 was] 'Rocket Queen', just because we found this groove and we found all these cool connector parts that put that song together. Axl [Rose, GUNS N' ROSES singer] wrote a really cool lyric for it, and it became this soaring kind of song. [GUNS N' ROSES; 1987 debut album] 'Appetite [For Distortion]' was this little record we made that was gonna be for us and our friends and some rocker people that [were into us]… We were just going in and recording the songs that we wrote for ourselves and that some people in clubs really dug. So 'Rocket Queen' seemed this kind of next step, sort of next-level song, to me. So then you flash forward to 2016… I've always loved playing 'November Rain', 'cause it's just such a moment. Axl gets to sit down and you see all the lighters come out and Slash's solo is such a larger-than-life thing. [And now] I do like playing the few new songs we have — 'Hard Skool' and 'Absurd' and 'The General' and 'Perhaps'."

As previously reported, Duff will celebrate his recently released solo album "Lighthouse" by performing on December 8 at Easy Street Records in Seattle, Washington.

GUNS N' ROSES performed "The General" live for the first time on November 2 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.

"The General" was the B-side of GUNS N' ROSES' recently released limited-edition seven-inch vinyl single titled "Perhaps", out now via Geffen Records.

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

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

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

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

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

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

This past July, PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante was interviewed by Danny Wimmer Presents' "Paranormal Prison" at Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio prior to the band's performance at the Inkcarceration Music & Tattoo Festival. Check out the report below.

Built in 1886, the Ohio State Reformatory served for 94 years as a working prison, housing more than 154,000 prisoners and setting the scene for major motion pictures, including "The Shawshank Redemption", "Air Force One" and others. Listed on the National Register Of Historic Places, the prison boasts the world's largest free-standing steel cellblock and is known as the ultimate place to ghost hunt.

By the 1920s, Ohio State Reformatory went from a prison used to reform small-time criminals to a full-fledged maximum security prison. It was eventually closed due to unsuitable conditions and overcrowding.

According to some estimates, 25,000 prisoners, including several corrections officers, lost their lives inside the prison walls.

"The Shawshank Redemption" was filmed at Ohio State Reformatory and central Ohio in June, July and August 1993.

Fan-filmed video of HELMET's November 12 concert at Slaktkyrkan in Stockholm, Sweden can be seen below.

HELMET is touring in support of its latest studio album, "Left", which was released on November 10 via earMUSIC. The trek is making stops in Germany, Scandinavia, Italy, Spain, Netherlands, Belgium and France before concluding on December 13 in London, United Kingdom.

For a complete list of tour dates, visit HelmetMusic.com.

After the critically acclaimed "Dead To The World" in 2016, HELMET is back with their signature blend of heavy, riff-loaded rock and evocative lyrics that have resonated with fans worldwide for over three decades. "Time for your holiday serial murder / How time slips away", resonate the opening lines of "Holiday". HELMET take no prisoners in their direct and unfiltered expression, leaving listeners with a lasting impact and a sense of urgency to examine the world around them.

"Left" sees HELMET — comprising frontman Page Hamilton, drummer Kyle Stevenson, guitarist Dan Beeman and bassist Dave Case — carve out a musical landscape that is taut, muscular, and direct. Hamilton's lead guitar lines feel like everything from downed power lines arcing to exploding resistors in shortwave radios. On "Left", every snare crack hits like gunfire, every solo seemingly a manifestation of rabies-induced psychosis.

Guided by Hamilton alongside co-producers Jim Kaufman and Mark Renk, and mastered by Howie Weinberg, the 11 songs on the new album are leaner and meaner in their execution than previous aural throwdowns. "Left" is powered by unbridled determination, a renewed sense of purpose and a desire to create more new dialects within the musical language Hamilton invented via his use of drop-D tuning.

In December 2021, Hamilton confirmed to the "Thunder Underground" podcast that he had begun working on material for HELMET's first album in more than six years.

HELMET's first official live album, "Live And Rare", was released in November 2021 via earMUSIC. It was made available on heavyweight black vinyl as well as a CD digipak edition and digital.

Although HELMET disbanded in 1997, Hamilton revived the band in 2004, and the group has continued to tour and record.

"Dead To The World" was released in October 2016 via earMUSIC. The effort was produced by Hamilton and mixed by Jay Baumgardner.

In 2021, HELMET released a cover of GANG OF FOUR's 1981 song "Into The Ditch". The track was recorded for a tribute album to GANG OF FOUR's guitarist Andy Gill, "The Problem Of Leisure: A Celebration Of Andy Gill And Gang Of Four".

Having cut his teeth playing with avant-garde guitar icon Glenn Branca and indie stalwarts BAND OF SUSANS, Hamilton launched HELMET in 1989, and the band released its debut album, "Strap It On", on the independent Amphetamine Reptile label the following year. HELMET soon became the subject of an unprecedented major-label bidding war, ultimately signing with Interscope and releasing "Meantime" in June 1992.

Even while the band was absent from the spotlight, HELMET continued to exercise considerable influence on multiple generations of bands. Their songs have been covered by the likes of CHEVELLE, DEFTONES, FAITH NO MORE, PIG DESTROYER and SOULFLY, and the band inspired a 2016 HELMET tribute album titled "Meantime Redux". HELMET has also been cited as a key influence on such bands as GODSMACK, KORN, MARILYN MANSON, MASTODON, PANTERA, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE, SEPULTURA, SLIPKNOT, STAIND, SYSTEM OF A DOWN and TOOL.

Platinum-selling rock juggernaut P.O.D. — Sonny Sandoval (vocals),Marcos Curiel (guitar) and Traa Daniels (bass) — kicked off the fall with the video for their new single "Drop", which features a vicious vocal cameo from LAMB OF GOD singer Randy Blythe. It earned quick press accolades from Metal Injection, Consequence, Revolver, Idioteq, The Pit, Yahoo! and Knotfest.

Today, P.O.D. is back with another blast and is sharing the video for the equally eruptive single "Afraid To Die", featuring JINJER vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk.

It's an anthemic song with an edge — and the collaboration was born of P.O.D. and JINJER's fall 2022 tour.

"'Afraid To Die' is a combination of cryptic and triumphant melodies," says Curiel. "It has storytelling rhymes and chugged verses, and a wide open, melodic yet semi-morbid, chorus. It's anthemic In every sense of the word."

He continues: "Our dear friend Tatiana Shmayluk offers her unique approach and we had incredible musical chemistry with her. This is P.O.D. hitting the human core of our existence and dealing with love, fear, integrity, and most of all, family and friends. It's ultimately an abundance of love and life."

"Afraid To Die" and "Drop" are taken from P.O.D.'s upcoming studio album, "Veritas", which will arrive next spring via Mascot.

In a recent interview with Ethan Jackson of Topeka's rock radio station KDVV/V100 conducted at this year's Rocklahoma festival, Curiel said about the "Veritas" album title: "It's the old Latin dialect. You know, the old one that the priests are laying down when people are demonly possessed. It stands for truth. It's our truth because we wrote this record during the pandemic. Individually and collectively, it's our truth as a band, what we've been through, what we've all been through during that time, dude.

"I can't wait for you guys to hear it, man," the guitarist added. "It's pretty cool. We also got Tatiana from JINJER on a track. And we have Cove Reber. He sang for SCARY KIDS [SCARING KIDS] and SAOSIN. And he also sings in a new band called DEAD AMERICAN. He's on a track."

This past August, Sandoval told "The Jesea Lee Show" about the progress of the songwriting and recording sessions for the three-time Grammy Award-nominated rock quartet's next studio album: "It's been a long progress, just because of COVID and everything. Once COVID hit, everybody thought, 'Well, we can make records and get everything out and get it ready to go.' But it was kind of a difficult thing for us because we're used to being together and writing together. So, it was a different process for us, but now it's mixed, mastered, ready to go, but we aren't releasing it till next year, because, you know, the way labels work. But it's cool, 'cause they're gonna waterfall like a bunch of different singles and stuff like that. So it should be cool. So hopefully by… The plan is by the time the record comes out, you would have already seen three videos or [heard] four or five songs."

Asked if the next P.O.D. album will see him and his bandmates returning to their "old-school" sound or if it will represent "a whole new era" for the group. Sonny said: "All we know how to do is be ourselves. But I think this album is definitely more rocking. The last album, 'Circles', was a little bit more on the alternative side and a little bit of all the elements of our styles and flavors. But this one, it's just kind of rock, you know what I mean? But I dig it. I think it's kind of the album that we needed. Not everybody gets all the different flavors and styles and the soulfulness of P.O.D. Sometimes I compare it to… I don't eat McDonald's, but they're the number one food chain for a reason. People, they know what they get, they know what to expect. I'm more of a foodie, so I like a great burger or maybe a steak. But people love their McDonald's, so sometimes you just kind of give 'em what they want."

P.O.D.'s latest album, "Circles", was released in November 2018 via Mascot Label Group. The disc saw the band collaborating with the Los Angeles-based production duo called the Heavy (Jason Bell and Jordan Miller),who ensured the album is contemporary sounding without losing any of the band's core sonic signifiers.

P.O.D. dropped "Satellite: 20th Anniversary Edition" as a double-CD and digitally in September 2021 through Rhino. Released a few days before the album's official anniversary, the 27-song collection introduced a newly remastered version of the original album, plus a selection of rarities, remixes, and four previously unreleased demos, including "Alive (Semi-Acoustic Version)". A few weeks later, "Satellite: 20th Anniversary Edition" was released on vinyl as a double-LP as a part of Rhino's Rocktober campaign.

After debuting at No. 6 on the Billboard 200, "Satellite" went on to sell more than seven million copies worldwide, including three million in the U.S. The record generated four singles: the title track, "Alive", "Youth Of The Nation" and "Boom". In addition to its commercial success, "Satellite" earned P.O.D. three Grammy nominations for "Alive" ("Best Hard Rock Performance", 2002),"Portrait" ("Best Metal Performance", 2003) and "Youth Of The Nation" ("Best Hard Rock Performance", 2003).

"Satellite: 20th Anniversary Edition" has a bonus disc that includes B-sides like "Critic" and "Sabbath" that were initially released in Europe, plus remixes for "Boom" by THE CRYSTAL METHOD and "Youth Of The Nation" by Mike$Ki.

Photo credit: Spencer Peck (@peckafilm) (courtesy of Atom Splitter PR)

In a new interview with CTV Morning Live, Geddy Lee was asked about the possibility of working with his former RUSH bandmate Alex Lifeson again. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If I say anything about working with Alex, people run to the conclusion that RUSH is starting up again. That is not the case. Yes, Alex and I like each other a lot, still. We hang around with each other a lot. And we both have a desire to try to write songs together. We don't know whether that will bear fruit or not. If it does bear fruit, great. Then we might release some songs. If — that's always an 'if' there. But when people publish articles about that, they leave the 'if' out. So, yeah, I plan to get together with Al, and we plan to write some songs, but we don't know if they'll be any damn good, so we'll see what happens."

Earlier this month, Geddy, who is currently promoting his upcoming memoir "My Effin' Life", told Los Angeles Times that he he misses RUSH "enormously. It was hard for me when Neil [Peart, late RUSH drummer] announced he was going to retire, which is a word I refused to hear, la la la," he admitted. "Do I miss the adulation? No. But I miss the sound of the crowd a little bit. When I go see my friends on tour, I am jealous. They're still enjoying it."

He continued: "It's been eight years since the last RUSH gig. To start the whole thing up again takes an incredible amount of koyech [Yiddish for strength]. Would I do it again? [pauses] It's possible. Will I do something else musically? It's possible. Now that I've turned myself into a farkakte [Yiddish for lousy] writer, I have to get this out of the way first."

Asked if there could ever be another RUSH show, Geddy said: "There could be a show that paid tribute to the songs of RUSH. I would never say there will never be another RUSH show. We get approached all the time."

Pressed about whether drummers ever say, "If you continue without Neil, I'm available", Geddy said: "Again, all the time. At the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert [in September 2022], Alex and I played with Dave Grohl and a bunch of other drummers. Neil would have loved it. I know he was looking down at us — or looking up at us [laughs] — and thinking, 'Fuck, that would have been fun.'"

Lee previously discussed the possibility of making new music in a separate interview with Long Island Weekly. During that chat, he said: "I recently discovered a couple of songs that had been left off my solo album [2000's 'My Favourite Headache'). Listening to them was really quite fun and I decided that I wanted to see about fixing those up and just breathing some fresh air into them. And that experience reminded me of how much fun I have in the studio. So of course, my lifelong buddy and bandmate Alex and I would like to get back into the studio together and see what might happen. I have ideas that I'd like to flesh out on my own too. Once I finish all this crazy crap that I agreed to do — the book tour and the TV show and find some space for myself — I'd certainly like to start playing something. But I can't tell you right now because I'm just book touring it until I drop. And then I'll see where I land after I have a nice holiday with my wife and we'll go from there. I don't like to plan too far ahead anymore. I was scheduled up the wazoo with my partners in RUSH for over 45 years. Now, I have to prioritize other things."

To date, Lee has only released one solo album, the aforementioned "My Favourite Headache". The disc was recorded during a time when RUSH's future was uncertain. The band was in the midst of what would be a five-year break from the road following the tragic deaths of drummer Neil Peart's daughter and wife in 1997 and 1998, respectively.

In a separate interview with The Washington Post, Lee spoke about reuniting with Lifeson for last year's star-studded tribute concerts — one in London, one in Los Angeles — to pay tribute to late FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins. They enlisted a few drummers — TOOL's Danny Carey, Omar Hakim, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Chad Smith and Dave Grohl — to join them at the gigs. At the after-party, Paul McCartney congratulated them and urged them to get back on the road.

"It had been a taboo subject, and playing those songs again with a third person was the elephant in the room, and that kind of disappeared," Lee told The Washington Post. "It was nice to know that if we decide to go out, Alex and I, whether we went out as part of a new thing, or whether we just wanted to go out and play RUSH as RUSH, we could do that now."

Geddy also revealed that in October 2022, for the first time in years, Lee and Lifeson went down into Lee's home studio and jammed.

Although Lifeson was "excited as offers rolled in after the Hawkins shows," he ended up undergoing surgery in July for his long-standing stomach problems.

Asked if he plans on nudging his pal to get back onstage, Lee told The Washington Post: "He needs to feel good and feel healthy and strong. And then maybe we have a discussion."

A year and a half ago, Lifeson told Guitar World in an interview that he hadn't ruled out making new music with Lee. "We're not putting any pressure on it or anything," he said. "We had a lot of good years together and we still love each other very much. I talk to Geddy every other day — we're best friends. There's more to our life together than just writing music. So if it happens, it happens. And it'll happen when it happens."

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.
Lead vocalist, bassist & keyboardist of @rushtheband, Geddy Lee tells CTV Morning Live all about the behind-the-scenes moments of his infamous music career featured in his new memoir! 📖🎶https://t.co/zmaB0DLlpa

— CTV Morning Live (@CTVMorningLive) November 27, 2023

Australian metalcore trailblazers The Amity Affliction — Joel Birch [vocals], Ahren Stringer [vocals, bass], Dan Brown [lead guitar], and Joe Longobardi [drums] — dropped their new album Not Without My Ghosts, earlier this year via Pure Noise. Order at the Pure Nosise Pure Noise webshop.


Today, the band has shared the Prblm Chld remix for "Show Me Your God."


"When I first listened to this mix, I was instantly so happy with it," states Brown. "We've had things remixed or reimagined in the past and they've all been great to listen to. But generally, it takes time to warm up to them. This version of 'Show Me Your God' hooked me in straight away."







The Amity Affliction just wrapped a super successful U.S. tour supporting Parkway Drive and a sold-out tour of Australia. The band will be embarking on its biggest-ever European headline tour starting next week and running through December.


Not Without My Ghosts boasts multiple features — something the band has not incorporated into a release in quite some time — including late New Zealand rapper Louie Knuxx, who passed away in 2021, as well as Comeback Kid's Andrew Neufeld, The Plot in You's Landon Tewers, and Phem.

In a new interview with Sweetwater's Nick Bowcott, Lita Ford, who got her start in THE RUNAWAYS at age 16 and stepped into her own as a solo artist in the 1980s, spoke about the evolution of her guitar playing. She said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I have a, a tendency to write riffs and solos that kind of are melodic, and you can come away from them and you can sing them. Like, for instance, the solo in 'Close My Eyes Forever'… It's just a melodic piece, and you become pretty good at it over a period of time; you can kind of throw those melodic riffs in anywhere."

She continued: "The whole structure of guitar playing has changed so much since the early days of my favorite guitar players, like Ritchie Blackmore and Tony Iommi, and, of course, Michael Shenker, who was just badass. But a lot of their playing, you can almost hum it and you come away from it and you can sing it again. And each note means something. It's not just a bunch of notes rattled off."

Lita added: "Working with [producer] Mike [Chapman on 1988's 'Lita' album], he had said to me while we were recording, 'There's a beginning, a middle and an ending to the solos and to the songs. And so when you start a solo, make sure that you're starting the solo.' Like, it has to pick up from the lead vocals and almost carries on the melody of the song. And then there's the middle. And then the ending. And the ending has got to resolve, either on a nice sustaining note or something insane… Make every note count."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Brazilian metal powerhouse Armored Dawn is back with a vengeance, releasing their latest single and accompanying music video, "Enough." The band's relentless commitment to delivering powerful and impactful metal experiences is evident in this final single off of their newly released album, Brand New Way.


"Enough" is a sonic declaration of resilience and strength, a metal anthem that resonates with the band's signature sound while exploring new dimensions. With thunderous riffs, blistering solos, and commanding vocals, Armored Dawn takes listeners on a journey through the highs and lows of the human experience. which is only amplified through the official music video, filmed and directed by Leo Liberti of Libertà Films (Angra, Megadeth).


The music video for "Enough" is a visual feast, complementing the intensity of the track with striking imagery and a narrative that adds depth to the song's themes. The video captures the essence of Armored Dawn's raw and emotive performance, creating a visual experience that enhances the impact of the music.







With an unwavering commitment to delivering epic and anthemic metal, Armored Dawn has crafted an album in Brand New Way that seamlessly blends their trademark sound with innovative elements, taking listeners on a sonic journey through intricate melodies, thunderous rhythms, and thought-provoking lyrics. Recorded at Dharma Studios, in São Paulo, Brand New Way was produced by renowned musicians and producers Rodrigo Oliveira and Heros Trench--the latter being the band's bassist and veteran producer with more than 200 bands and a Latin Grammy on his resume. Mixing was handled by Chris Lord Alge (Muse, Green Day, Nickleback)--with mastering by Ted Jensen (Bring Me The Horizon, Evanescence, Metallica).


Five of the 10 tracks were previously released, with the acoustic ballad “Stronger Together” unveiled during the pandemic, with subsequent singles “S.O.S.”, “Tides”, “Brand New Way”, and “No Regrets” preparing the ground for the new album, all of which were met with both fan and critical acclamation. Innovating expansively, the band creates songs with different themes from each other, but always addressing feelings that are inescapable experiences of human life, spanning depression, melancholy, optimism, friendship, anger, and more.


Brand New Way showcases the band's evolution and maturity, featuring a diverse range of tracks that explore new territories while staying true to their metal roots. From the soaring vocals to the face-melting guitar solos and precision drumming, Brand New Way is a testament to Armored Dawn's dedication to pushing the boundaries of their craft.


"No Regrets":





"Brand New Way":





"Tides":





"S.O.S.":

Following two successful advance screenings in Los Angeles and Las Vegas, Glenn Danzig's second feature film - the Vampire Spaghetti-Western, Death Rider In The House Of Vampires, opened across the US at 200+ screens in select theatres on Friday, August 27, 2021.


Danzig has checked in with the following update:


"Finally..."Death Rider In The House Of Vampires" is available on Blu-Ray and DVD. And Check out the Limited Editions for Count Holliday, Carmilla Joe, Bad Bathory, Drac Cassidy and Bela Latigo, all with Embossed Slipcovers!"




Follow this link to order.





In Death Rider In The House Of Vampires, the mysterious “Death Rider” - clad all in black - travels thru the desert on horseback. His destination…Vampire Sanctuary. The entrance fee... one Female Virgin. Once inside he encounters Count Holliday, Vampire Lord of Sanctuary who warns him against any transgressions. Blood & Guns action follow as Death Rider tangles with some of the Vampires of Sanctuary like the smouldering Carmilla Joe with her sidekick Mina Belle and Vampire Gunslingers Drac Cassidy, Bad Bathory, Kid Vlad & Duke VonWayne.


Death Rider In The House Of Vampires stars Danny Trejo (Machete, From Dusk Till Dawn), Julian Sands (The Killing Fields, Boxing Helena, Warlock), Devon Sawa (Final Destination, Idle Hands), Kim Director (The Deuce, Blair Witch 2) and Eli Roth (Inglorius Basterds, Cabin Fever) & writer/director Glenn Danzig in a supporting role as Vampire Gunslinger Bad Bathory.

In a new interview with Real Music With Gary Stuckey, Michael Sweet of Christian rockers STRYPER spoke about his upcoming partial thyroidectomy, the surgery to remove part of his thyroid gland. It is the most common surgery for thyroid cancer. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The highest risk with this particular surgery is damage to the vocal nerve. I'm a singer, so I'm going into the surgery with a high risk of vocal nerve damage, which could alter my voice for the rest of my life. I am in the best hands, Mass Eye And Ear [in Boston]. I've found a specialist who specializes in singers and professionals and not damaging the nerve. The risk is much lower with this particular doctor because he uses this monitoring system to bring that risk way down from 25 or [2]6 percent down to one percent. So, I feel that I'm in good hands. They're gonna remove half of my thyroid and leave the other half, because this side has not grown large enough to biopsy; this did and it wound up being cancer. And they're gonna remove that side. It's a slow-growing cancer. I'm at a good stage right now, so it should be okay."

He added: "We'll see how that goes. I've gotta sleep sitting up for a while and get through whatever pain there is to endure and take some Tylenols and call 'em in the morning — you know, that whole thing. And I'm hoping that my voice is better when it's over and done with."

Asked how he thinks his cancer battle will affect his songwriting, Sweet said: "I'm gonna start writing. I was gonna start about a week ago, but I was just so busy doing this little acoustic run. And then now we have Thanksgiving and the Christmas show. So I'm gonna take the weekend off and next Monday, I'm gonna start writing the STRYPER album. I'm gonna write a song every day and I'll work on 'em and tweak 'em as much as I can. My surgery prep is [December] 14th and then surgery on the 15th. So I'll have that perfect window to get it done. After I'm done with the surgery, I'll be working on lyrics and melodies and whatnot as best I can. He said I should be able to sing within two months, but I think it's gonna definitely affect my writing. I'm gonna be thinking and certainly locking in mentally to all sorts of things going through my head, 'cause it changes your outlook on life."

He continued: "When you hear the 'C' word and it applies to you, no matter what kind it is or how serious it is, it's continually going through your head, your own mortality. And are you gonna be around longer or shorter —all these thoughts go through your head. And it puts things in perspective in terms of what's important and what's not — real fast."

STRYPER is the first overtly Christian metal band to go mainstream. The group's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

Formed in 1983 as ROXX REGIME, STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "Even The Devil Believes" and the band's latest effort, "The Final Battle".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitars) and Perry Richardson (bass).

Bruce Dickinson has released the official music video for his new solo single, "Afterglow Of Ragnarok". The Ryan Mackfall-directed motion picture short is based on the graphic novel written by Dickinson and Tony Lee and features original artwork by Staz Johnson.

"Afterglow Of Ragnarok" is the first single from the IRON MAIDEN singer's upcoming solo album, "The Mandrake Project", which will arrive in early 2024 via BMG.

"Afterglow Of Ragnarok" is a dramatic and epic track that introduces the world not just to the music of the album but to the compelling narrative that forms the basis of "The Mandrake Project".

"It was important to set the tone of the project with this track," Dickinson explained. "As befitting its title, it's a heavy song and there's a great big riff driving it… but there's also a real melody in the chorus that displays the light and shade that the rest of the album brings… and just wait until you see the video!"

"The Mandrake Project" is a dark, adult story of power, abuse and a struggle for identity, set against the backdrop of scientific and occult genius. Created by Dickinson, scripted by Tony Lee and stunningly illustrated by Staz Johnson for Z2 Comics, the series features 12 episodes that collect into three graphic novels and will be launched in 2024.

An eight-page comic prequel to "The Mandrake Project", titled "Afterglow Of Ragnarok", is included within the vinyl seven-inch single booklet which accompanies the single of the same name and sets the scene for the story to come. The seven-inch single also features Dickinson's original solo demo version of the song "If Eternity Should Fail", which first appeared on IRON MAIDEN's album "The Book Of Souls" in 2015.

More details regarding "The Mandrake Project" will be revealed when Dickinson appears as the keynote speaker on the opening day of CCXP23, Brazil's huge Comic-Con event in São Paulo, on November 30.

Having initially announced Brazilian and Mexican live dates for April and May next year, Dickinson and his phenomenal band — which features guitarist Roy "Z" Ramirez, drummer Dave Moreno, bass player Tanya O'Callaghan and keyboard maestro Mistheria — will continue their touring with a run of European shows, alongside a number of festival appearances in Europe.

Dickinson previously stated about "The Mandrake Project": "This album has been a very personal journey for me and I am extremely proud of it. Roy Z and I have been planning, writing and recording it for years, and I am very excited for people to finally hear it. I'm even more excited at the prospect of getting out on the road with this amazing band that we have put together, to be able to bring it to life. As you can see, we're playing as many shows as we can, in as many places as possible, for as many people as we can!"

"The Mandrake Project" will be Dickinson's seventh solo album and his first since "Tyranny Of Souls" in 2005. It will be released via BMG worldwide on multiple formats.

Back in December 2017, Dickinson said that his next solo LP would likely include a reworked version of "If Eternity Should Fail", the opening track on IRON MAIDEN's 2015 disc "The Book Of Souls". At the time, he said that he had about "half" of his seventh record already written and he also confirmed that "If Eternity Should Fail" was originally penned as a Dickinson solo track.

He told Finland's Kaaos TV that the original plan was for his next solo record to be "a whole concept album, which was gonna be called 'If Eternity Should Fail'. And 'If Eternity Should Fail' was the title track to my new solo album," he said. "And a bit like [Dickinson's 1989 solo song] 'Bring Your Daughter To The Slaughter' [laughs], it got commandeered for IRON MAIDEN. So if I did do another solo album, which I think I will, I might just stick to my original plan and have that as the title track. I mean, I did write it — it was the first track that I wrote for it. So, yeah, I'd probably still include that song. But it would be… the feel would be slightly different — not very much, though — from the MAIDEN version."

In 2015, Dickinson told France's Hard Force magazine that "If Eternity Should Fail" ended up being used by IRON MAIDEN after bassist Steve Harris heard the demos that Bruce was working on for what was supposed to be his next solo album. "And [Steve] went, 'That's a really cool song. Can we use that? That's gonna be the opening song on the album,'" he recalled. "And I went, 'Yeah, okay.' And he was already writing, I think… He was already thinking of 'The Book Of Souls' as being the title, so he told me about the Mayan thing. And I'm, like, 'Yeah, that's cool. Okay. Yeah, I see where you're going.' But in my case, that song was written as part of a story. So the spoken word at the end is the beginning of a story that goes through the whole album. And one of the characters is Dr. Necropolis; he's the bad guy. And the good guy is Professor Lazarus; he raises people from the dead. So that introduces Necropolis in the spoken-word thing. And I asked Steve… I said, 'Look. Okay. I get having the song…' 'Cause it opens up with, 'Here is the soul of a man.' 'Yup. Get that. But what about the end?' I said, 'Will people understand what this is about? Because this is nothing to do with the Mayans or anything. This is to do with… I'd come up with a concept album that doesn't happen.' [Laughs] And he [went], 'No, no, no. It's just talking about souls and everything, and it sounds great.' I went, 'Okay.' [Laughs]"

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

In a new interview with Mark Strigl of SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard, original KISS guitarist Ace Frehley was asked if there is any chance that he will make an appearance at the band's last concert ever, which is scheduled to take place this Saturday, December 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "No. You know what it is? Those guys use my name and Peter's [Criss, original KISS drummer] name months ago. They said that they invited us to perform at that show. I never got a phone call. Peter never got a phone call. They just said that to sell tickets. And recently, [KISS guitarist/vocalist] Paul Stanley has made negative statements about me and Peter. For example, I think the last negative statement he said, when people asked him, 'Is Peter and Ace gonna perform at the Garden?' he said, oh, we would mar the show if we got up and play — which is really insulting."

He continued: "I've been touring without KISS for years. I mean, KISS hasn't put out an album in what, nine years; I've put out five or six. And [my upcoming] album ['10,000 Volts'] I think is gonna really turn heads. I know Gene's [Simmons, KISS bassist/vocalist[] gonna really like it and tell the press he does like it. I have no idea what Paul Stanley's gonna say. He usually holds back on any deep praise for me because he's jealous of me."

Despite all the badmouthing that has gone on between him and some of the other original KISS members in recent years, Frehley insists that he doesn't hold a grudge against them.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Ace Frehley photo credit: Jay Gilbert (courtesy of Entertainment One)

Echoes Of Light is the newest album by Germany’s Chapel Of Disease and is the outcome of an even deeper dive into the possibilities as a band when set free from any musical or genre-based boundaries. 


Recorded from October 2022 up to January 2023 at Q7 Studios with Michael Zech (The Ruins Of Beverast, Secret Of The Moon) by the three founding members (Laurent T., Cedric T. and David D.), the outcome is a record that plays with many different moods and becomes a whole through uniting contrasts and forming them into one individual landscape of sound. Consisting of six songs, this album wants to take you on a journey to chase light, only to ultimately destroy it…


Echoes Of Light is out February 9 via Van Records. Preorder at van-records.com.







Tracklisting:


“Echoes Of Light”
“A Death Though No Loss”
“Shallow Nights”
“Selenophile”
“Gold / Dust”
“An Ode To The Conqueror”


“A Death Though No Loss”:

During the question-and-answer portion of his November 15 "My Effin' Life In Conversation" appearance at The Met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, RUSH bassist/vocalist Geddy Lee spoke about reuniting with his longtime bandmate Alex Lifeson for last year's star-studded tribute concerts — one in London, one in Los Angeles — to pay tribute to late FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins. They enlisted a few drummers — TOOL's Danny Carey, Omar Hakim, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS' Chad Smith and FOO FIGHTERS' Dave Grohl — to join them at the gigs, the second of which took place at L.A.'s Forum, the same venue where RUSH played its final concert in August 2015.

"That was an incredible couple of days," Geddy said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "It was very emotional for obvious reasons. And so you're looking at, first of all, two events to celebrate the life, and sadly the passing, of a great person, Taylor Hawkins, who was an amazing human being. He was a great drummer, of course, a great rocker, but he was a lovely and expressive guy. And I had just gotten an e-mail from him. He was like that. Every once in a while, he would send a note and just check in. 'Hey, dude, what are you doing? How come you're not out there playing, man? Come on, get the fuck off your ass. Get out there.' That was the kind of guy he was. So, just being a part of that was important to us to do."

He continued: "Dave Grohl is the most incredible human being I've ever met in my life. He understood how difficult it would be for Alex and I to come back and play without [late RUSH drummer] Neil [Peart]. And yet he said, 'You were so important to Taylor. I can't imagine doing this without you there.' So I said, 'Yes, of course,' immediately. But he was very aware of how difficult it would be. And so he said, 'One thing you cannot do is play with one drummer. 'Cause then everyone's just gonna say, 'That's the new RUSH. So let's divide it up amongst all these drummers. I don't wanna play the really hard ones. You can get someone else to do it.' [Laughs] But anyway, so it was a great event. We paid tribute to him, and I got a chance to pay tribute to Neil. And because we were at the Forum, it was a cathartic moment for me. And in a way, we were able to reclaim those songs for ourselves again and feel good about playing the songs, whether Neil was with us or not. And that's important for us to move on."

Lee previously talked about his participation in the Hawkins tribute concerts in the latest issue of Classic Rock magazine. He said: "Those two shows were really unusual for very different reasons. The show in London was perhaps the most joyous celebration of loss that I could ever imagine. I've never seen so many musicians in one place, and the atmosphere backstage was profoundly positive… In some ways, it was maybe the greatest gig of my life. The whole atmosphere was like nothing I'd ever experienced. But when we got to L.A. for the second show, things were a little different because of what that venue symbolizes to me. Being back at the Forum, where my band had played for the last time, it felt like I was returning to the scene of the crime. So I tried to be as joyous as I was in London, but I couldn't find that same headspace. I was much more withdrawn backstage at that show, thinking about things. But I walked away from it feeling that at least we had done justice to Taylor, and, in a small way, justice to Neil."

Geddy recently told The Washington Post that taking part in the Hawkins tribute shows opened the door for future performances from him and Alex.

"It had been a taboo subject, and playing those songs again with a third person was the elephant in the room, and that kind of disappeared," Lee said. "It was nice to know that if we decide to go out, Alex and I, whether we went out as part of a new thing, or whether we just wanted to go out and play RUSH as RUSH, we could do that now."

Geddy also revealed that in October 2022, for the first time in years, Lee and Lifeson went down into Lee's home studio and jammed.

Although Lifeson was "excited as offers rolled in after the Hawkins shows," he ended up undergoing surgery in July for his long-standing stomach problems.

Asked if he plans on nudging his pal to get back onstage, Lee told The Washington Post: "He needs to feel good and feel healthy and strong. And then maybe we have a discussion."

At the London Hawkins tribute concert on September 27, 2022, Lee and Lifeson performed three classic RUSH tracks. After an introduction by Jack Black, the RUSH portion of the evening kicked off with "2112 Part I: Overture", the first movement of the 1976 prog-rock epic, with Grohl on drums and THE BIRD AND THE BEE's Greg Kurstin on keyboards. Grohl was then replaced by Smith behind the kit for a rendition of "Working Man". After that, Lee addressed the crowd, saying, "I'd just like to cast back to a moment in time, 2008, when we were contacted by the FOO FIGHTERS to see if we would go down to the Air Canada Centre in Toronto and play Taylor Hawkins favorite song with him onstage. That was the beginning of quite a beautiful friendship. So in honor of that and in honor of our own lost brother, we'd like to bring out Danny Carey to play 'YYZ'."

Lee and Lifeson previously played the same three tracks at the first Hawkins tribute concert on September 3, 2022 at London's Wembley Stadium. Grohl and Omar Hakim handled the drums for that performance.

AfterRUSH's final concert in Los Angeles, Peart indicated that he wanted to retire while he was still able to play well, along with a desire to spend more time at home with his young daughter.

Peart died in January 2020 after a three-year battle with glioblastoma, an aggressive form of brain cancer. He was 67 years old.

RUSH waited three days to announce Peart's passing, setting off shockwaves and an outpouring of grief from fans and musicians all over the world.

In a new interview with Belgian Jasper, AMARANTHE guitarist Olof Mörck spoke about the lyrical themes covered on the band's upcoming album, "The Catalyst", which will see the light of day on February 23, 2024, via Nuclear Blast Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I would say that the themes are more mature and they're a little bit more 'on the nose' now than they used to be. But instead of saying that that's a new development, it's a continuation of what we already did with [2020's] 'Manifest'. But I would say if there's any kind of a theme for this album, 'The Catalyst', it's kind of self-evident in the title that it's about change, and it's about the catalyst… I mean, it can be on a macro perspective, [and] it can also be on a micro perspective in the sense that, let's say that it can be a key points in relationships to other people, or it can be about your own creativity, for example, and how you want to change that and how you want to develop. But it can also be, on a really big perspective, what kind of changes is the world going through, for example."

He continued: "I think it's also an age thing. I mean, when you're a teenager or in your mid-20s, the world is self-evident to you, but once you've lived a few decades, then you have a different perspective on things. You have seen the world go from one thing to something where it's recognizably different. And I think dealing with those kinds of changes is always interesting because a lot of our focus tends to be on the negative aspects because that's who we are as human beings. We're programmed to be scared of change, obviously. But I come to find that a lot of the changes that the world has gone through have been vastly for the positive as well. And I will not go mention details because these things can tend to sound a little bit political and whatever, but if you want to focus on things that everybody can agree on, like much less starvation, education levels are higher in the whole world than they used to be, et cetera, et cetera. And then there are also some not-good things, and we deal with those as well."

Olof added: "But I think at the end of the day, one of the many things that I try to do, which makes us unique, is to have a positive spin on it. Because you literally have thousands of bands who are dealing with more depressing topics, I'd say. And while we do that, we try to put a positive spin on it, try to be uplifting. And it also matches the sound of our music at the end of the day. We're here to lift people up and also to entertain, which is also important. But I feel like the lyrics are more on the nose on this album, and it's gonna be pretty evident what we're trying to say."

"The Catalyst" is the most conceptually coherent piece of work in AMARANTHE's storied history. Dedicated to notions of transformation and revelation, it delves deeper than any previous album, as Mörck previously explained.

"We've done these things before, but we've never been as theatrical as we have this time," he says. "In fact, we all questioned whether we went too far this time, but I also figured that this band was always this way. Literally the first seconds of our first video was a big explosion! But yes, 'The Catalyst' is more theatrical than ever. We've never really been symphonic or orchestral before, but this time we just thought why not? Because we can! The key to this album is that we let go of the boundaries and decided to do something even more adventurous."

AMARANTHE has spent more than a decade establishing itself as a formidable, positive and fervently melodic force for metallic good. From their explosive self-titled debut in 2011 to the more sophisticated, streamlined likes of 2014's "Massive Addictive" and its immaculate follow-up "Maximalism" (2016),AMARANTHE have masterfully blurred the lines between melodic metal, crushing brutality, cinematic sweep and futuristic sparkle.

Led by the endlessly ingenious songwriting of guitarist Mörck and powerhouse vocalist Elize Ryd, their rise to prominence has been a joy to behold.

Widely acclaimed as a dazzling live act, the Swedes reached a new peak of creativity on 2018's hugely successful "Helix", an album that pushed the band’s vision to new heights, breadths and depths, while showcasing the brilliance of Elize and her co-vocalist, recent recruit Nils Molin.

Not just a glorious return but a wholesale upgrade for their exuberant sound, their latest offering, 2020's "Manifest", was the most daring, dynamic and unforgettable album that AMARANTHE had released to date.

AMARANTHE 2023 is:

Elize Ryd - vocals
Mikael Sehlin - growls
Olof Mörck - guitars, keyboards
Johan Andreassen - bass
Morten Løwe Sørensen - drums
Nils Molin - vocals