During a new appearance on BBC Radio 4's "Loose Ends" program, BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi was asked if he remembered writing the guitar riff to the band's classic song "Paranoid". He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can remember that one for sure. We were in the studio doing 'Paranoid' album, and the producer said… The other guys went out for something to eat, and I sat in the studio, and he said, 'We need another song. We haven't got enough songs on the album. Can you put one together?' I went, 'Well, no.' We were only in there for a couple of days, you see. And I said, 'Well, I don't know. I've never written a three-minute song.' SABBATH's always [written songs that were] five minutes or six minutes [long]. So I came up with this idea and waited till the others came back from the pub. And then I played them the idea. And, basically, we'd done it there and then."

Two years ago, Iommi told Planet Rock that "Paranoid" was "done as a filler. We had never done a three-minute song before … and it's amazing what it did."

Widely regarded as one of the greatest heavy metal songs of all time, "Paranoid" reached No. 4 on the U.K. singles chart and number 61 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100.

"The only thing in them days for us with 'Paranoid' was it attracted a different audience to what we were used to," Iommi told Planet Rock. "We saw a lot of screaming girls and things, which we weren't used to at the gigs. And we were doing [the U.K. TV show] 'Top Of The Pops' and stuff like that. It was attracting a different audience to what we were expecting, and people would come in to hear the band play, who didn't know us. They only heard 'Paranoid' on TV and thought, 'Well, let's go and see them.' And of course, they ended hearing 'Iron Man' and all of the rest and thought, 'Oh my God. What's all of this?'"

In a 2004 interview with Guitar World magazine, BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler said that the "Paranoid" album was recorded "in about two or three days, live in the studio. The song 'Paranoid' was written as an afterthought. We basically needed a three-minute filler for the album, and Tony came up with the riff. I quickly did the lyrics, and Ozzy [Osbourne] was reading them as he was singing.

In the liner notes to SABBATH's "Reunion" album, Butler said that the music to the "Paranoid" title track was written "in five minutes, then I sat down and wrote the lyrics as quickly as I could. It was all done in about two hours."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "Paranoid", Butler said: "['Paranoid' is] about depression, because I didn't really know the difference between depression and paranoia. It's a drug thing; when you're smoking a joint, you get totally paranoid about people. You can't relate to people. There's that crossover between the paranoia you get when you're smoking dope and the depression afterwards."

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi — who was diagnosed with lymphoma in late 2011 — can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Iommi revealed his cancer diagnosis in early 2012, shortly after SABBATH announced a reunion tour and album. He underwent treatment throughout the recording of the disc, titled "13", and the subsequent tour to promote it.

The BLACK SABBATH guitarist successfully underwent an operation in January 2017 to remove a noncancerous lump from his throat.

"13" was the first album in 35 years to feature Iommi, Osbourne and Butler all playing together.

Bill Ward was on board for the SABBATH reunion when it was first announced 11 years ago, but backed out soon after. The drummer later claimed that he sat out the recording and touring sessions because of unfair contractual terms, although the members of SABBATH have hinted in other interviews that he wasn't physically up to the task.

All four original members of SABBATH were present when the band announced its final reunion in late 2011. But Ward split from the group in 2012, citing an "unsignable" contract, and Osbourne, Iommi and Butler carried on with their Rick Rubin–produced "13" LP and extensive international touring without him.

In a recent interview with My Weekly Mixtape, TESLA guitarist Frank Hannon was asked if he and his bandmates received any pressure from their record company, Geffen, in the 1980s to compete with the so-called "hair metal" bands that were popular at the time or if Geffen was "100 percent" in TESLA's corner during that period. Frank responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I would say it was both. There was some songs that we had to fight for, but we were always being directed by the people that we worked with to write the best songs we could possibly write and not have any filler material or cheesy garbage material on an album. They always insisted that the entire album be good, not just have one song on it that was good and the rest of it be junk. And when I'm talking about [Q Prime management's] Cliff Burnstein and Peter Mensch and [Geffen A&R executive] Tom Zutaut, they were directing us at the time and they were responsible for RUSH, DEF LEPPARD, METALLICA, AC/DC and DOKKEN, and so they were involved with some really high-caliber kick-ass bands that had integrity. So we were very lucky to be getting advice from them to try to write real songs that were gritty and from the heart and not cheesy. And they put a lot of high expectations on us because we were, again, in the company of bands like METALLICA and RUSH and AC/DC, SCORPIONS, DEF LEPPARD. We weren't trying to compete with the glam bands and the trendy stuff. We were trying to be ourselves. And luckily we weren't having pressure put on us to be glam metal We were having more pressure on us to be ourselves and to write the best songs that we could for ourselves."

Last month, Frank weighed in on the never-ending debate about how the rise of grunge in the early 1990s forced most hard rock bands off the radio and MTV, with album and tour sales plummeting. Asked in an interview with Real Music With Gary Stuckey how he and his bandmates were affected by the downfall of the 1980s glam metal scene, Frank said: "Well, the '90s were definitely a harder period for us. But really, it wasn't grunge; it was our own fault. [TESLA's fourth studio album, 1994's] 'Bust A Nut' is a great album, but we were already internally having problems. So the external stuff you're talking about — grunge — it didn't really matter for us and our fans, 'cause we were never really the poster child [for '80s rock] anyway. Even during the glam days, we weren't on the cover of all the magazines as being a glam band. So, when grunge came out, and NIRVANA and PEARL JAM and all the style changed, it didn't matter, because we weren't really affected by those trends anyway."

He added: "So, I don't blame grunge — for us. [For bands that] were really cheesy or whatever, then maybe grunge kind of killed those bands. But for us, it was more our own fault. We were burnt out and partying too much and had problems."

In a 2015 interview with Southeast Of Heaven, TESLA singer Jeff Keith said that he and his bandmates "never really relied on image which is probably why we survived when grunge came along. Our fans knew we didn't rely on image so they had no problem keeping us around," he explained. "A lot of bands who were heavily reliant on image just didn't make it and they were out unless they were so huge. Bands that were at our level that relied more on image than anything just didn't make it. I mean, we had a stylist putting Aqua Net in our hair for our first video but we didn't know what we were doing. [Laughs] We didn't stick with that and we didn't rely on image. We relied on the music and our fans know that."

TESLA hasn't released a studio album since 2019's "Shock", which was produced and co-written by DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen.

In August 2022, TESLA released a standalone single, "Time To Rock!" A year earlier, the band issued another new track called "Cold Blue Steel".

In September, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived this past May. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

THE BLACK CROWES frontman Chris Robinson joined DIRTY HONEY on stage this past Monday (November 20) at the band's concert at the Belasco Theatre in Los Angeles, California to perform a cover of AC/DC's "Rock N' Roll Damnation". Professionally filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

The DIRTY HONEY concert at the Belasco was streamed live as a pay-per-view event on Veeps.

DIRTY HONEY's latest album, "Can't Find The Brakes", was released on November 3. Both the album's title track, "Can't Find The Brakes", and "Won't Take Me Alive" were made available as instant-grat tracks when you pre-saved/pre-add/pre-ordered the album.

With lyrics by vocalist Marc LaBelle, "Won't Take Me Alive" draws a non-negotiable line in the sand of integrity and self-determination on one side, and potentially dire consequences on the other. Lyrically, inspiration was taken from the bravery and defiance found today in the people of Ukraine, as well as from a conversation LaBelle had with a fellow traveler he met while visiting the Berlin Wall. The gentleman had grown up in Cold War Germany, so he resonated with those forced to live under autocratic rule. Musically, the song is a literal, take-no-prisoners-balls-out-rocker. The music video for "Won't Take Me Alive", released today, follows suit.

Written and directed by George Gallardo Kattah, the video centers on Ava, a private school student who is told by Helga, the school's principal, that she has to conform to the rules, wear the school uniform, no tongue piercing, no listening to rock music. But Ava is defiant; she won't submit, and instead, she continues to break down the walls of conformity that are important to establishing who she is and will be for the rest of her life. She finds solace in her attic bedroom, where she can listen to and play the music that releases her frustrations. She keeps track on a chalkboard of every day that she's in school, another day in prison. And she is desperately looking for an exit, any exit, which she finds as the story unfolds. This is "Won't Take Me Alive".

"This song made me feel like a teenager, and we had lots of fun channeling our frustrations from back in the day by doing this video," said Gallardo. "Bringing Ava and Helga to life was quite a process and a highlight of this year so far."

This past April, DIRTY HONEY — Marc LaBelle (vocals),John Notto (guitar),Justin Smolian (bass),and new drummer Jaydon Bean — headed to Australia to record the new album with longtime producer Nick DiDia. Unlike the band's self-titled, full-length 2019 debut, which, due to the pandemic, had to be recorded via Zoom with the band in Los Angeles and DiDia in Australia, DIRTY HONEY spent an entire month in the studio with DiDia.

LaBelle said: "Just physically being together in the studio with our producer made for a very creative environment; we got into such a groove, we were very focused, and not rushed, so it was great for all of us.

"We decided to call the album 'Can't Find The Brakes' because the title was almost a time capsule of our lives right now. We're constantly on the move and living each day city by city. Sometimes being a touring musician can feel like you're on a train going full speed, and even if you could find the brakes, would you really want to?"

"Having Jayden in the band has made a huge difference," said Justin. "He's an a capella singer with a background in vocal harmonies. So having him contribute, especially to the harmonies, has really added to our sound and has helped us grow a lot.

Marc added: "Jaydon's got a great approach to songwriting, and he's willing to take the ride with a song without judgment. There's a great Ed Sheeran quote that I love: 'Dare to suck. You never know what's going to happen, so just dare to suck.' Or, as Jayden puts it, 'You've just got to be open to infinity, man, you're a vessel for infinity!'"

"'Coming Home', 'Don't Put Out The Fire', 'You Make It Alright' and 'Rebel Son' are all standouts," said John. "'Won't Take Me Alive' is the most kick-ass, aggressive, badass rock song we've ever written. All of these songs widen our lane in a real energetic way."

The album cover art for "Can't Find The Brakes" was hand-painted by the world-renowned, Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Kelly "RISK" Gravel, who has been synonymous with the L.A. art scene for over 30 years. He was the first on the west coast to paint freight trains, freeway overpasses and signs, and the first artist in 400 years invited to paint in Michelangelo's studio.

"There really hasn't been a good band out of L.A. that got me pumped up," said RISK, "but DIRTY HONEY did. Their rock vibe, kind of like organized chaos, I wanted the artwork to say that."

After a busy period of numerous shows in South America, promoting "Antichrist Reborn" (2022),THE TROOPS OF DOOM, the Brazilian band featuring former SEPULTURA guitarist Jairo "Tormentor" Guedz, took a break for a great reason: the preparation for the highly anticipated second full-length album of the group, which has been confirmed as one of the attractions at the Summer Breeze Open Air Brasil festival in 2024.

Since the release of "Antichrist Reborn", Guedz, Alex Kafer (vocals and bass),Marcelo Vasco (guitar) and Alexandre Oliveira (drums) have performed shows throughout Brazil and the rest of South America. "These were very important shows, such as the Abril Pro Rock festival in Recife, Sesc Belenzinho (SP),which was actually our first complete show and sold out," commented Jairo. "We played alongside CAVALERA, which were historic shows, and we toured various cities in Brazil and countries like Argentina, Chile, and Peru alongside I AM MORBID, featuring David Vincent (ex-MORBID ANGEL). It was a tumultuous period, in a good way, and I already miss that life on the road, but we decided to take a break for a very plausible reason, which is our new album."

Recently, THE TROOPS OF DOOM renewed its contract with the Portuguese label Alma Mater Records, co-owned by Fernando Ribeiro (MOONSPELL). There is no release date yet, but the plans are for the first semester of 2024.

"Fernando and Pedro from Alma Mater Records are not sparing any effort and truly believe in our potential," stated Oliveira. "They are incredible people, very professional, and support us in all decisions, working in the right way to make everything happen smoothly. We are happy to have renewed the contract with them."

Regarding the new compositions, Vasco reveals that "things are taking shape". "Jairo and I were together in October where I live, in the Serra Gaúcha, working on the pre-production of the album, which is practically ready," he said. "We are now working on the lyrics and vocal arrangements. The album title has already been chosen, and there is a lot of awesome stuff being planned. We are preparing something truly special. You can trust us!"

Check out the first report below.

The chosen producer, André Moraes, is a musician, composer of soundtracks for cinema, theater, and television, as well as a director of films and music videos. He has been nominated for a Latin Grammy and an MTV Video Music Brazil. He worked as the producer of SEPULTURA's album "Dante XXI" and was responsible for the soundtrack of the film "Lisbela e o Prisioneiro".

"Marcelo, André, and I have been friends for a long time and haven't seen each other in person for over 20 years. This reunion, and for the reason it is, will be fantastic for all of us," said Kafer.

"The new album further captures the essence of old-school death metal from the '80s and early '90s. It will have meticulous care in production, recording, mixing, and mastering, emphasizing the return of that true organic and 'vintage' sound of the time, not to mention the aesthetic aspect. In short, everything is being carefully chosen so that the result is impressive," he added.

Guedz concluded: "We are giving birth to material that makes us very proud! The work is intense, and we are focused on every detail, so that the experience this album conveys is unforgettable, especially for fans of old-school metal, fans of the first SEPULTURA albums in which I participated, as well as other influences of the time, which are part of THE TROOPS' sound, like SLAYER, CELTIC FROST, KREATOR... But, of course, all of this with our own special touch."

SEPULTURA was formed in 1984 in Belo Horizonte, the capital city of Minas Gerais. Jairo joined the group the following year and played on the band's first two releases, 1985's "Bestial Devastation" EP and their 1986 full-length debut, "Morbid Visions". He also participated in the early songwriting sessions for 1987's "Schizophrenia".

In early 1987, Jairo quit SEPULTURA and was replaced by São Paulo-based guitarist Andreas Kisser.

"I Stand Alone: The Sully Erna Story", a film based on GODSMACK frontman Sully Erna's life story, has been made available via Apple TV+ and Amazon Prime Video.

The 98-minute documentary was written and produced by Erna, with additional writing, production and editing by Noah Berlow and writing, production and directing by Troy Smith.

Earlier today (Tuesday, November 21),Erna shared a poster for the film on his social media and he wrote in an accompanying message: "I am so excited to FINALLY announce the release of my new feature Documentary, 'I Stand Alone'.

"Based on my memoir 'The Paths We Choose', Myself, along with Director @troysmith323 and lead Editor @noahberlow have been working on this for almost 6 years now. So I won't babble long here.

"I just want to say thank you to my family, friends and loved ones that have helped shape me to be the man I've become today. For always believing in me and my vision to become the best I can be. And for your love and support along the way.
Thank you for being a part of my incredible journey. I wouldn't change a thing even if I could.

"For the rest of you, I hope you all enjoy this film and it inspires you to always find that inner strength to push you forward when life seems to knock you down.

"Get early access now on AppleTV and Amazon Prime and of course links available on Godsmack.com by searching the title 'I Stand Alone, The Sully Erna Story'.

"More networks coming soon!"

A trailer for "I Stand Alone: The Sully Erna Story" can be seen at this location.

For more information, visit thesullyernastory.com.

Back in May 2019, Erna confirmed to the "TODDCast Podcast" that while a documentary about GODSMACK was on the back burner, he was prepping a film based on his own life story. Erna explained: "I am fan of rock documentaries, and just recently I've been getting into 'em. I though the FOO FIGHTERS did a great job. I've watched a bunch of them. It's not even rock — sometimes it's just real documentaries on artists. The Amy Winehouse one was great; Whitney Houston's newest one was really good. I got into the story of Kurt Cobain, and then the FOO FIGHTERS was great. METALLICA's 'Some Kind Of Monster' was amazing. I like a lot of that stuff too."

Erna continued: "As far as us, we're not doing a proper GODSMACK documentary right now — we think it's just a little bit early for that — but I am releasing a documentary on my life story, from zero until we get a record deal, to show people the path that I took and the struggles I faced and things like that. So we're working on that now."

Erna previously told Tampa, Florida radio station WXTB/98 Rock that his documentary would be "kind of based on my book that has a lot of GODSMACK elements in it as it gets toward the tail end of it, because it goes from the time I was born and it's all the struggles I went through up until I got a record deal and it kind of ends there."

Erna's memoir, "The Paths We Choose", came out in 2007. At the time, he described it as "a snapshot of the first 30 years of my life." He told The Pulse Of Radio back then that it happened almost accidentally. "I never planned on writing a book," he said. "It was one of those things that just became a hobby. When I was on the road, I would be writing stories out as I talked to my friends on the phone and realized that some of these stories were so insane, I'm not sure if I would have believed some of them unless they had happened to me. And then the more I wrote out these stories, I started organizing them in the order of dates, and the more I did that, I started realizing I was writing a book."

Photo credit: Chris Bradshaw

I am so excited to FINALLY announce the release of my new feature Documentary, “I Stand Alone”. Based on my memoir “The...

Posted by Sully Erna on Tuesday, November 21, 2023

Sammy Hagar says that there is "no fucking way" David Lee Roth will take part in all of his upcoming summer 2024 tour with bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham that will focus largely on the music of VAN HALEN.

During an appearance on the November 14 episode of "The Howard Stern Show", Hagar discussed his decision to embark on "The Best Of All Worlds" trek, saying: "It's time. Nobody else is gonna do it. If Dave [Lee Roth] goes out, he can't sing my stuff. [But] we can do a few of the early VAN HALEN songs. I have no problem with that; I did it when I was in VAN HALEN. This is really a celebration of all that, and we are the only ones who can do it."

Sammy continued: "We're gonna invite every musician in every town. First of all, whenever you play, if there's a guitar player in town, no matter what city it is, they come out to see Joe, just like they used to for Eddie [Van Halen]. So if we've got other guitar players, we'll get them involved, other singers, get them involved. If [VAN HALEN drummer] Alex Van Halen wants to jump up, if David Lee Roth wants to come out and join us, come on, motherfucker. You are welcome. This is about VAN HALEN."

Roth responded in a statement to Van Halen News Desk, apparently accepting the invitation. "I'm ready to go. Let's do this," he wrote.

But Hagar has now seemingly shot down the possibility of Roth joining him on the entire "The Best Of All Worlds" tour. When asked by a fan on social media about Roth's response, Sammy said: "He can come out and sing a song on a show or two, if he can remember the words. He's not invited on the tour NOOO F;()$(.g way. It was to sing a song with us somewhere like a lot of singers guitarist ect are going to do on this tour. I know better than to have him on tour again. Been there done that." Hagar added in a separate comment: "He ain't coming out with me again. Maybe 1 show a song or 2 if he remembers the words".

Hagar and Anthony previously worked with Satriani in the supergroup CHICKENFOOT. They recorded two albums between 2009 and 2011 and toured across America but never performed any VAN HALEN material. More recently, Hagar and Anthony have played some of the VAN HALEN catalog with guitarist Vic Johnson and Bonham in SAMMY HAGAR AND THE CIRCLE.

Hagar mended his relationship with Eddie Van Halen months prior to the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's October 2020 passing.

Sammy, Eddie, Alex and Michael last teamed up in 2004 for a U.S. summer tour. In exchange for taking part in the tour, Anthony reportedly had to agree to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the band name and logo.

Produced by Live Nation, the 28-date "The Best Of All Worlds" tour will commence on July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida and will conclude on August 31 in St. Louis, Missouri.

"We're gonna go deep into the VAN HALEN catalog," Hagar told "The Howard Stern Show". "If you're gonna go deep into the VAN HALEN catalog, you need Joe Satriani."

Although Hagar and Anthony normally play five or six VAN HALEN songs" on the road with THE CIRCLE, Sammy told Stern they are planning to only play "five or six of my songs" alongside VAN HALEN classics and deep cuts.

"When we go out next year in July, it will be almost exactly 20 years since Mike and I did a reunion with Ed and Al in '04," Hagar said. "Mike and I just said, 'We can't wait another 20 years. How long can I even sing these songs? How long can I do this stuff? I just thought it's time to serve the fans."

"There's stuff we're going to do on this next tour that we haven't played since that tour in 2004," Anthony added.

Regarding the challenge of learning legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen's parts, Satriani said: "There are things that are so iconic, you have to nail it. But if you go deep with what he did live, he never played the same thing twice. He kept evolving; he kept pushing. He'd do the recorded version a little bit, but then he moved on.

"It's a daunting task when you do the deep dive into what he did," he continued. "But it's good to start at the beginning, and then you just learn all his little improvs and you get the idea of what he was trying to do. It's thrilling; it's fun."

This past April, Hagar, who, along with Roth, spent the summer of 2002 co-headlining the laboriously titled "Sammy Hagar And David Lee Roth Tour 2002: Song For Song, The Heavyweight Champs Of Rock And Roll", once again dissed Diamond Dave's oversize ego and deteriorating singing voice.

Hagar reflected on the 2002 run of shows during an appearance on Steve-O's "Wild Ride!" podcast. He said: "At that time [Roth] didn't have a solo career, really. I mean, he did, but he wasn't selling out. I was selling out arenas. I was selling out amphitheaters as Sammy Hagar with the WABOS. And I had a solo career.

"Ask Mick Jagger. Ask Robert Plant. You can be the biggest band in the world and you can't necessarily have a solo career," he continued. "But I had a solo career. So when I joined the big band, I went back to my solo career, I'm good. I still sell a lot of tickets. Dave, he had that sort of a big album, one kind of a big album, but he didn't have a solo career. He was playing small places. So when he came in with me, he was making, like, 25 grand a night, I was making 150 grand a night, and they said, 'Oh, you guys are gonna make the same money. Dave gets to make 150.' I said, 'He ain't fucking made 150 in his life except in VAN HALEN.' But I said, 'I've gotta do this.' So I bent over backwards. And he still always tried to fuck with the rules. He's not a fun guy. He doesn't play well with others. I'm not sure what his problem is… He just always is about, 'How can I make this guy look bad?' And not just me — in life. He's a chest-beating motherfucker. And God bless him, 'cause the early stuff is frickin' great. I personally, I've tried to say… [I thought] he'd be a fun guy to know. But he ain't like that. He ain't like his persona. When you get around him, he ain't that guy. He's some other cat. [Laughs]"

Hagar went on to praise Roth's skills as an entertainer, saying: "He's a showman. Hey, listen, I'm a showman too. But that's his gig. He doesn't care about singing. If he did, he'd take care of his voice or he'd take voice lessons and get warmed up and do something. 'Cause the guy sang so bad last time he was doing shows, it was embarrassing… But he's a showman. Everything's show, show, show, show, show, show, show. And he doesn't care about his voice, which drives me nuts, man. I care more about my voice than I do my dick. If my dick didn't work a couple of times, I'd be okay with it — I'd be bummed out — but if my voice fucks up onstage, I'm fucking bummed, man."

Hagar replaced Roth in VAN HALEN in 1985 and recorded four studio albums with the band — "5150", "OU812", "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Balance" — all of which topped the U.S. chart. The highest-charting Roth-led VAN HALEN album was a No. 2, and it took until "1984" to achieve that. (2012's "A Different Kind Of Truth" also landed at No. 2.)

Back in October 2021, Hagar said that he had "no problem" with Roth, telling "The Mike & Carla Morning Show" on the 96.3 KKLZ radio station: "Him and I don't even have a feud. To be honest with you, I have no problem with Dave. I don't know what he's got going with me, but I think he always feels competitive. I think he feels like he has to raise his flag, like, 'I'm VAN HALEN.' 'Cause I had a solo career before VAN HALEN. I was in MONTROSE before VAN HALEN. I've had CHICKENFOOT. Dave has got VAN HALEN, so I think he has to hold on to that kind of tight. But I don't care about that. If someone said, 'Oh, I never knew you [were] in VAN HALEN,' I'd say, 'Eh…'"

In June 2021, Hagar blasted Roth, saying his voice "hasn't aged well" and describing the original VAN HALEN singer's onstage persona as "totally bullshit." He told Brazil's "Inside With Paulo Baron" Internet show: "[David is] a real character. He's a showman. He's all show. I enjoy him. But you talk about cringing. I can't imagine how he feels when he looks at some of them old videos, the way he was dancing and moving, and the way he was singing live sometimes. I don't know how he feels about all that, but I don't think he cares. The difference between him and I [is] I sincerely care — I care about everything I do and I care how it affects people and I care what they think. I care that it touches them and it makes them happy. And what is important to me is enlightening and elevating people spiritually and making them happy and making them have big dreams, making them want to be better themselves. And that's my goal with everything I do — is to bring that to people and change their life, if I can. I don't think he cares about anything like that. And that's the difference between our presence. He's very much into himself, very much into being a showman and doesn't really care. I don't know what he cares about; I really don't. I don't know him. I have no idea who that guy is; I don't think anyone does. But he entertains me. I enjoy watching him do stupid shit."

Asked what he thinks when he sees the way David presents himself to the public, Sammy said: "Well, the first thing I'd say is I look at him and I think, 'Wow. He's a strange person. He's a strange character.' He's not what he's saying he is; he's pretending. He's totally bullshit. Everything he does is thought up and it's an image. It's nothing to do with who he is; he's not exposing who and what he is. And I know this for a fact. I knew that the first time I saw him. I said, 'This guy, he's putting on an image, putting on a show.' He goes back home and goes in his house, and he's a whole different guy — nothing to do with that guy [you see on stage]. He's not honest about his image and his performance. That's what I see when I see him; that's how I feel. But I tried to be friends."

Referring to the time when he and Roth teamed up for the co-headlining tour in 2002, Sammy continued: "When we did our together, I thought it was gonna be so much fun. I thought, 'If he's anything like he claims to be, we're gonna have a good time.' But he wasn't. He was the worst guy to be around. He wasn't ever around. He hides out. You never see him. He puts on this whole big front and comes out, 'I'm here. David Lee Roth is here,' and then he goes and hides again. I don't think he's happy. He's never been married; never had a relationship; never had children. It's, like, man, how do you live like that? I don't know. I'm a family man. And I love women — I love women and children… He hasn't aged well — his voice. [Laughs] I don't know. It's hard."

According to Hagar, he has tried a number of times to be respectful to Roth, particularly because of David's immeasurable contribution to VAN HALEN's legacy.

"I used to not wanna cause trouble," he said. "First, in the old days, before I was in VAN HALEN, I ripped him through the fucking coals when I [did] the press, before I ever was in that band. And then when I joined the band, I tried to be nice. And then when I left the band, I tried to be nice about him. And then we did our together, and then I fucking said, 'Fuck this guy. He's an asshole. You can't get along with him. He's no fun. He's full of shit.' And then now, after [VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie's [Van Halen] death, I feel, once again, he's part of the VAN HALEN legacy and he's important. So I wouldn't wanna ruin anything to do with what he brought to that legacy. I want VAN HALEN to go down as one of the greatest rock bands of all time — but not just my [era]; Dave's era [as well]. I want Eddie to be the legend and get the respect that he deserves, and the only way to preserve that is by being kind about the past. And, like in my [2011's autobiography, 'Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock'], like I said, that's the only thing I would probably [change in the book if I was writing it now is I would] soften it up [as it relates to Eddie]. But it's too late — it is what it is. And it's honest. So I'm not lying, I'm not backpedaling — nope, nope. It's all true. But God rest his soul. He brought a lot to this planet, to this business of rock and roll, Eddie Van Halen did. And Dave was a part of it. It's too bad what he's become. [Laughs] But that's different. It's not VAN HALEN anymore."

In November 2020, Eddie's son Wolfgang revealed that his father had contemplated a "kitchen-sink tour" that would have included classic-era bassist Michael Anthony, as well as vocal turns from both Hagar and Roth. There was even talk about bringing back Gary Cherone, who sang with VAN HALEN on one poorly received album, 1998's "Van Halen III".

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Sammy Hagar photo credit: Leah Steiger
Sammy Hagar was asked by fans today in the comments of his latest IG post about DLR’s interest in participating in the 2024 Tour. Here’s what he wrote … 🤨 pic.twitter.com/8QMNdkzgvk

— Greg Renoff (@GregRenoff) November 22, 2023

David Lee Roth says that he is "ready" to take part in Sammy Hagar's upcoming summer 2024 tour with bassist Michael Anthony, guitarist Joe Satriani and drummer Jason Bonham that will focus largely on the music of VAN HALEN. Support on "The Best Of All Worlds" trek will come from LOVERBOY.

During an appearance on the November 14 episode of "The Howard Stern Show", Hagar discussed his decision to embark on "The Best Of All Worlds" trek, saying: "It's time. Nobody else is gonna do it. If Dave [Lee Roth] goes out, he can't sing my stuff. [But] we can do a few of the early VAN HALEN songs. I have no problem with that; I did it when I was in VAN HALEN. This is really a celebration of all that, and we are the only ones who can do it."

Sammy continued: "We're gonna invite every musician in every town. First of all, whenever you play, if there's a guitar player in town, no matter what city it is, they come out to see Joe, just like they used to for Eddie [Van Halen]. So if we've got other guitar players, we'll get them involved, other singers, get them involved. If [VAN HALEN drummer] Alex Van Halen wants to jump up, if David Lee Roth wants to come out and join us, come on, motherfucker. You are welcome. This is about VAN HALEN."

In a new statement provided to Van Halen News Desk about Hagar's invite, Roth said simply: "I'm ready to go. Let's do this."

Hagar and Anthony previously worked with Satriani in the supergroup CHICKENFOOT. They recorded two albums between 2009 and 2011 and toured across America but never performed any VAN HALEN material. More recently, Hagar and Anthony have played some of the VAN HALEN catalog with guitarist Vic Johnson and Bonham in SAMMY HAGAR AND THE CIRCLE.

Hagar mended his relationship with Eddie Van Halen months prior to the legendary VAN HALEN guitarist's October 2020 passing.

Sammy, Eddie, Alex and Michael last teamed up in 2004 for a U.S. summer tour. In exchange for taking part in the tour, Anthony reportedly had to agree to take a pay cut and sign away his rights to the band name and logo.

Produced by Live Nation, the 28-date "The Best Of All Worlds" tour will commence on July 13 in West Palm Beach, Florida and will conclude on August 31 in St. Louis, Missouri.

"We're gonna go deep into the VAN HALEN catalog," Hagar told "The Howard Stern Show". "If you're gonna go deep into the VAN HALEN catalog, you need Joe Satriani."

Although Hagar and Anthony normally play five or six VAN HALEN songs" on the road with THE CIRCLE, Sammy told Stern they are planning to only play "five or six of my songs" alongside VAN HALEN classics and deep cuts.

"When we go out next year in July, it will be almost exactly 20 years since Mike and I did a reunion with Ed and Al in '04," Hagar said. "Mike and I just said, 'We can't wait another 20 years. How long can I even sing these songs? How long can I do this stuff? I just thought it's time to serve the fans."

"There's stuff we're going to do on this next tour that we haven't played since that tour in 2004," Anthony added.

Regarding the challenge of learning legendary VAN HALEN guitarist Eddie Van Halen's parts, Satriani said: "There are things that are so iconic, you have to nail it. But if you go deep with what he did live, he never played the same thing twice. He kept evolving; he kept pushing. He'd do the recorded version a little bit, but then he moved on.

"It's a daunting task when you do the deep dive into what he did," he continued. "But it's good to start at the beginning, and then you just learn all his little improvs and you get the idea of what he was trying to do. It's thrilling; it's fun."

This past April, Hagar, who, along with Roth, spent the summer of 2002 co-headlining the laboriously titled "Sammy Hagar And David Lee Roth Tour 2002: Song For Song, The Heavyweight Champs Of Rock And Roll", once again dissed Diamond Dave's oversize ego and deteriorating singing voice.

Hagar reflected on the 2002 run of shows during an appearance on Steve-O's "Wild Ride!" podcast. He said: "At that time [Roth] didn't have a solo career, really. I mean, he did, but he wasn't selling out. I was selling out arenas. I was selling out amphitheaters as Sammy Hagar with the WABOS. And I had a solo career.

"Ask Mick Jagger. Ask Robert Plant. You can be the biggest band in the world and you can't necessarily have a solo career," he continued. "But I had a solo career. So when I joined the big band, I went back to my solo career, I'm good. I still sell a lot of tickets. Dave, he had that sort of a big album, one kind of a big album, but he didn't have a solo career. He was playing small places. So when he came in with me, he was making, like, 25 grand a night, I was making 150 grand a night, and they said, 'Oh, you guys are gonna make the same money. Dave gets to make 150.' I said, 'He ain't fucking made 150 in his life except in VAN HALEN.' But I said, 'I've gotta do this.' So I bent over backwards. And he still always tried to fuck with the rules. He's not a fun guy. He doesn't play well with others. I'm not sure what his problem is… He just always is about, 'How can I make this guy look bad?' And not just me — in life. He's a chest-beating motherfucker. And God bless him, 'cause the early stuff is frickin' great. I personally, I've tried to say… [I thought] he'd be a fun guy to know. But he ain't like that. He ain't like his persona. When you get around him, he ain't that guy. He's some other cat. [Laughs]"

Hagar went on to praise Roth's skills as an entertainer, saying: "He's a showman. Hey, listen, I'm a showman too. But that's his gig. He doesn't care about singing. If he did, he'd take care of his voice or he'd take voice lessons and get warmed up and do something. 'Cause the guy sang so bad last time he was doing shows, it was embarrassing… But he's a showman. Everything's show, show, show, show, show, show, show. And he doesn't care about his voice, which drives me nuts, man. I care more about my voice than I do my dick. If my dick didn't work a couple of times, I'd be okay with it — I'd be bummed out — but if my voice fucks up onstage, I'm fucking bummed, man."

Hagar replaced Roth in VAN HALEN in 1985 and recorded four studio albums with the band — "5150", "OU812", "For Unlawful Carnal Knowledge" and "Balance" — all of which topped the U.S. chart. The highest-charting Roth-led VAN HALEN album was a No. 2, and it took until "1984" to achieve that. (2012's "A Different Kind Of Truth" also landed at No. 2.)

Back in October 2021, Hagar said that he had "no problem" with Roth, telling "The Mike & Carla Morning Show" on the 96.3 KKLZ radio station: "Him and I don't even have a feud. To be honest with you, I have no problem with Dave. I don't know what he's got going with me, but I think he always feels competitive. I think he feels like he has to raise his flag, like, 'I'm VAN HALEN.' 'Cause I had a solo career before VAN HALEN. I was in MONTROSE before VAN HALEN. I've had CHICKENFOOT. Dave has got VAN HALEN, so I think he has to hold on to that kind of tight. But I don't care about that. If someone said, 'Oh, I never knew you [were] in VAN HALEN,' I'd say, 'Eh…'"

In June 2021, Hagar blasted Roth, saying his voice "hasn't aged well" and describing the original VAN HALEN singer's onstage persona as "totally bullshit." He told Brazil's "Inside With Paulo Baron" Internet show: "[David is] a real character. He's a showman. He's all show. I enjoy him. But you talk about cringing. I can't imagine how he feels when he looks at some of them old videos, the way he was dancing and moving, and the way he was singing live sometimes. I don't know how he feels about all that, but I don't think he cares. The difference between him and I [is] I sincerely care — I care about everything I do and I care how it affects people and I care what they think. I care that it touches them and it makes them happy. And what is important to me is enlightening and elevating people spiritually and making them happy and making them have big dreams, making them want to be better themselves. And that's my goal with everything I do — is to bring that to people and change their life, if I can. I don't think he cares about anything like that. And that's the difference between our presence. He's very much into himself, very much into being a showman and doesn't really care. I don't know what he cares about; I really don't. I don't know him. I have no idea who that guy is; I don't think anyone does. But he entertains me. I enjoy watching him do stupid shit."

Asked what he thinks when he sees the way David presents himself to the public, Sammy said: "Well, the first thing I'd say is I look at him and I think, 'Wow. He's a strange person. He's a strange character.' He's not what he's saying he is; he's pretending. He's totally bullshit. Everything he does is thought up and it's an image. It's nothing to do with who he is; he's not exposing who and what he is. And I know this for a fact. I knew that the first time I saw him. I said, 'This guy, he's putting on an image, putting on a show.' He goes back home and goes in his house, and he's a whole different guy — nothing to do with that guy [you see on stage]. He's not honest about his image and his performance. That's what I see when I see him; that's how I feel. But I tried to be friends."

Referring to the time when he and Roth teamed up for the co-headlining tour in 2002, Sammy continued: "When we did our together, I thought it was gonna be so much fun. I thought, 'If he's anything like he claims to be, we're gonna have a good time.' But he wasn't. He was the worst guy to be around. He wasn't ever around. He hides out. You never see him. He puts on this whole big front and comes out, 'I'm here. David Lee Roth is here,' and then he goes and hides again. I don't think he's happy. He's never been married; never had a relationship; never had children. It's, like, man, how do you live like that? I don't know. I'm a family man. And I love women — I love women and children… He hasn't aged well — his voice. [Laughs] I don't know. It's hard."

According to Hagar, he has tried a number of times to be respectful to Roth, particularly because of David's immeasurable contribution to VAN HALEN's legacy.

"I used to not wanna cause trouble," he said. "First, in the old days, before I was in VAN HALEN, I ripped him through the fucking coals when I [did] the press, before I ever was in that band. And then when I joined the band, I tried to be nice. And then when I left the band, I tried to be nice about him. And then we did our together, and then I fucking said, 'Fuck this guy. He's an asshole. You can't get along with him. He's no fun. He's full of shit.' And then now, after [VAN HALEN guitarist] Eddie's [Van Halen] death, I feel, once again, he's part of the VAN HALEN legacy and he's important. So I wouldn't wanna ruin anything to do with what he brought to that legacy. I want VAN HALEN to go down as one of the greatest rock bands of all time — but not just my [era]; Dave's era [as well]. I want Eddie to be the legend and get the respect that he deserves, and the only way to preserve that is by being kind about the past. And, like in my [2011's autobiography, 'Red: My Uncensored Life In Rock'], like I said, that's the only thing I would probably [change in the book if I was writing it now is I would] soften it up [as it relates to Eddie]. But it's too late — it is what it is. And it's honest. So I'm not lying, I'm not backpedaling — nope, nope. It's all true. But God rest his soul. He brought a lot to this planet, to this business of rock and roll, Eddie Van Halen did. And Dave was a part of it. It's too bad what he's become. [Laughs] But that's different. It's not VAN HALEN anymore."

In November 2020, Eddie's son Wolfgang revealed that his father had contemplated a "kitchen-sink tour" that would have included classic-era bassist Michael Anthony, as well as vocal turns from both Hagar and Roth. There was even talk about bringing back Gary Cherone, who sang with VAN HALEN on one poorly received album, 1998's "Van Halen III".

Eddie died in October 2020 at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California. The iconic VAN HALEN axeman passed away from complications due to cancer, his son confirmed.

Sammy Hagar photo credit: Leah Steiger

In a new interview with SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk to promote Dolly Parton's rock album "Rockstar", the country icon discussed her duet with JUDAS PRIEST's Rob Halford on a song called "Bygones".

On "Bygones", Dolly and Rob sing about apologizing to an unnamed party who refuses to forgive them and "let bygones be bygones." Along with vocals from the JUDAS PRIEST frontman, the song features contributions from MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx and guitarist John 5.

After Trunk jokingly asked Dolly if we might get a metal record from her next, she laughed and said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't think so." Trunk then said, "You came close on that [song]," to which she replied: "Did I? I didn't realize, but I did love Rob Halford. We got to talk a lot 'cause he went in the [Rock And Roll] Hall Of Fame when I did. And so I got to visit a lot of these people that are on the record … that were put in the Hall Of Fame at the same time I was. And so when I talked to Rob, I asked him if he would be willing to sing on my record if I called on him. He said, 'I sure would, 'cause my mom, my grandma, my kids, we've all loved you through the years.' And so when I got ready to do that, as you mentioned, [Nashville producer] Kent [Wells] and I wrote that one — it's another original — and then we got the boys on it, 'cause Kent got the musicians on it. And so, it just turned out to be something really, really special, I thought. It was a really a good piece of music, I thought."

Trunk also asked Parton about Halford joining her as part of a climactic, all-star performance of her classic song "Jolene" at last year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction ceremony. The "super jam" performance also featured P!nk (who inducted Dolly into the Hall Of Fame),Brandi Carlile, Simon Lebon of DURAN DURAN, Sheryl Crow, Annie Lennox of EURYTHMICS, and Pat Benatar and Neil Giraldo. Describing Parton and Halford sharing the microphone at Rock Hall as "one of the most mindblowing metal moments ever," Trunk said that Rob was clearly "so happy and excited," to which Dolly replied: "He was loving it. He was loving it. He was so nice. I just loved him. But anyway, he said that, kind of like some of the others, they had watched me since they were kids growing up. I had heard they'd been listening to my music. So that made me feel good."

In a recent interview with Classic Rock magazine, Halford said that he had been a Parton fan for as long as he can remember. "My first recollections of Dolly go all the way back," he said. "I think everybody on the planet knew of this remarkable woman. I remember her being on British television and just being so engaging. When she performs, even if you're not a country fan, there's something about her personality that draws you in. Not only as a musician, but as a humanitarian, a staunch supporter of LGBTQ+ people, right from day one — even when you didn't talk about that. And visually she's as unique as Lemmy."

Asked what he thought when he first heard "Bygones", Halford said: "When they sent me the demo, it was just immediate. It was in my world — it wasn't metal, but it was a tough song, and when you crank it up, it's roaring. And it's a wonderful lyric. She's talking about overcoming the past and how love is stronger than yelling at each other — although I think people that are in love do yell at each other, and that's a healthy relationship. It's this great message that love always rises and wins. But the words of her songs have a tremendous reach beyond the initial subject matter. You could also put that song on the world stage — y'know, it could be about politics, government, war, anything."

Back in November 2022, just a couple of weeks after the Rock Hall ceremony, Halford spoke to the San Antonio Current about what it was like to briefly share the microphone with Dolly. He said: "I knew that there was going to be an opportunity a few weeks before the event. Again, it was just kind of floating around that she was going to do this song at the end of the show and bring all of her friends onstage with her. And I didn't realize that we were going to be so connected. I sang one chorus with Dolly Parton and the world's gone nuts. And I can appreciate that now. I didn't understand it at first. And now these days have gone by, and people are going, 'Where's the album with Dolly and The Metal God?'

"I'll tell you something about her: she's been here forever, a bit like Her Majesty the Queen, who left us recently," he continued. "What I mean by that is when Dolly walks into the room, you feel this regal presence. She's just got this aura about her personality. She's a genuinely beautiful light of love and caring and philanthropy and humanity. It's all real, man. It's all very real. There are some people who are very different on and off stage. Well, no, not with Dolly. That's Dolly's thing. So, for me to have that opportunity, I was just blessed and honored and thrilled. I know her work because I've lived as long as Dolly, and I was aware of Dolly as a young person growing up and seeing her on British television. She'd come over and do these British variety shows. And here I am, this kid from a public housing estate in the West Midlands in England, and I'm standing next to Dolly fucking Parton, who is now a rock chick."

Halford had previously revealed he was a huge fan of Dolly, and had planned to take a photo with her at the ceremony.

"I'm going to force her to, even if she doesn't know who I am," he told Metal Crypt in June 2022. "I'm going to see what table she is sitting at. I'm just going to run to the table and do the devil's horns thing. Tongue out, horns up, behind Dolly Parton's head. It's the only way to do it. I can't smile sweetly. I've got to stick my tongue out and my horns up."

Halford told Rolling Stone last year that he had no issues with Dolly being inducted into the Rock Hall.

"If you look at everyone in the Hall, it makes perfect sense to have Dolly Parton in there," he said. "I think it's just this 'rock and roll' thing. Should it be called the Music Hall Of Fame? I don't know. It started out with rock and roll, and roll and roll is everything and anything. It's just a phraseology."

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the Rock Hall event, which honored Eminem, Parton, DURAN DURAN, Richie, Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

The JUDAS PRIEST members that got inducted include current members Halford, Ian Hill (bass),Glenn Tipton (guitar) and Scott Travis (drums),along with former members K.K. Downing (guitar),Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

Earlier in the evening, Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis were joined by Binks, Downing and current guitarist Richie Faulkner for three-song medley consisting of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

Judas Priest frontman, Rob Halford, performed alongside Dolly Parton when she was inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall Of Fame last year.


When approached with the offer to perform alongside her during the ceremony, Halford was stunned, reports Woman's World. “I’m like, ‘Let me sit down for a minute,’” he told Total Rock’s Dawn Osborne of the unforgettable moment that led to him being asked to contribute to the country queen’s Rockstar album, which dropped on November 17.


“I was over the top, cause I was all over [her] like a rash. I was, like, a total fanboy,” Halford shared of his heady state following their group performance, which also featured Pat Benatar, Sheryl Crow, P!nk and Annie Lennox.




Things got even more surreal for the rocker when he was approached to collaborate on Rockstar, which was just in its planning stages at that point. He, of course, jumped at the offer and “Bygones,” one of the CD’s nine original tracks, was born.


Read more at Woman's World, and check out the above-mentioned "Bygones" below:

In a recent interview with Bobby Dee Presents, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES frontman Mike Muir was asked if fans can expect to hear new music from him and his bandmates soon. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think we go about it differently than a lot of people. Especially, I think, when the COVID happened, you realize — as my dad would call it, he called it the panicky people. And you don't do things because you're panicking; you do things because it's something you feel in your heart. And so when that happened, [some] people [said], 'Oh, we're recording all these songs. We're doing this. Ain't got nothing else to do.' And I go, 'That's not what music's about. It's not about, you got nothing better to do.' You should have things better. If you don't, then you better spend some time trying to figure out what you need to be doing. But there's a lot of music that we've always recorded that we love, that means stuff to us. And then there's stuff you realize that, like — I go back to the first record. One of my best friends said, he goes, 'Man, Mike, listen to radio. You can do that. What you're doing ain't music.' And I go, 'I don't like what's on the radio, so I don't wanna do that. I just wanna do my thing, whether people like it or not.' He goes, 'You don't think people like it?' I go, 'I don't care if people like it. It's what I wanna do.'"

He added: "And so I think right now we've been recording a lot of stuff and [it's] completely different and to the point where I go, 'Yeah, people won't like this. So it's probably what I should do.'"

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES' latest album, "Still Cyco Punk After All These Years", was released in 2018 via Suicidal Records. A reworking of Muir's 1996 solo outing "Lost My Brain! (Once Again)", "Still Cyco Punk" featured founding SLAYER drummer Dave Lombardo.

SUICIDAL TENDENCIES recently celebrated the 40th anniversary of their debut album on a number of shows in the fall, including in New York City (October 15 at Terminal 5),Silver Spring, Maryland (October 12 at The Fillmore),Worcester, Massachusetts (October 13 at The Palladium),and Berkeley, California (October 19 and 20 at The UC Theatre). SUICIDAL TENDENCIES also celebrated the 40th anniversary of the LP on a tour of Australia.

The 2023 lineup of SUICIDAL TENDENCIES includes founding member Muir alongside guitarists Ben Weinman (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN) and Dean Pleasants, bassist Tye Trujillo (son of Robert Trujillo),as well as the band's latest addition, drummer Greyson Nekrutman.

An announcement that will set the metalcore community ablaze, Bleed The Sky has officially commenced the recording process for their long-anticipated fourth studio album. The band, renowned for their ferocious sound and unwavering stage presence, has entered the studio with a mission to create a sonic masterpiece that will undoubtedly redefine the genre.


Known for their previous chart-topping releases and electrifying live performances, Bleed The Sky is poised to raise the bar even higher with this upcoming album. Fans around the globe have been eagerly awaiting new material, and the band is primed to deliver an experience that transcends expectations.


The as-yet-untitled album is scheduled for release in the summer of 2024, promising a soundtrack that encapsulates the raw energy and uncompromising spirit for which Bleed The Sky is known for. With their signature blend of relentless riffs, thunderous percussion, and evocative lyrics, the band aims to leave an indelible mark on the metalcore landscape.




Hailing from the musical breeding grounds of Orange County, CA, metalcore band Bleed The Sky began in 2003 with vocalist Noah Robinson, guitarists Kyle Moorman and Wayne Miller, bassist Casey Kulek, sampler Luke Andersen and drummer Austin D’Amond. Merely two months later and ready to dive into the music scene, the group performed their first show to a sold out crowd in an opening spot for Opeth and their second headlining the world famous Whisky A Go Go.


Early the following year their first EP, Bleed The Sky, was produced by Ben Schigel, known for his work engineering and mixing great music with groups such as Ringworm, Chimaira, and Walls of Jericho. The band sold over 1,000 copies on their own before signing a deal with Nuclear Blast Records in the fall of 2004. Their April of 2005 debut for the label, Paradigm in Entropy (2005), featured a futuristic, industrial, and melody-infused take on nu-metal’s dissonant riffs and aggressive vocals.


The album cemented the band as a forerunner in the New Wave of American Heavy Metal movement of the mid 2000’s and allowed for many opportunities and shows, including a consistent rotation on MTV’s Headbanger’s Ball. Their major success allowed them to tour with the likes of Hatebreed, Soulfly, Napalm Death, Red Chord, Agnostic Front, Disturbed, Diecast, and ILL Nino, only further promoting their albums and musical talent over the years.


Following the release of two well received albums with Nuclear Blast Records, Paradigm in Entropy (2005), and Murder the Dance (2008), they once again aimed to redefine who they are with a new label, Art Is War Records. The releases of This Way Lies Madness (2020) and the single "The Devil Will See You Now" (2020) started to gain the band massive online attention with the single reaching over a million streams on Spotify.


Not letting the pandemic keep them down for long, Bleed The Sky has returned with the same intensity that fans of their previous albums will be familiar with, as well as a new brutality that they are excited to share with the metal community. In 2022, Monte Barnard joined the group as the new frontman and was eager to bring his talent and experience to an already versatile group.


Getting his start in Northern California’s Death Metal scene, Monte Barnard joined Alterbeast in 2014 and continued his work touring and filling in on vocals with such bands as Thy Art Is Murder, The Kennedy Veil, and Fallujah. He still also fronts Emberthrone on Seek & Strike Records, as well as Lesser Animal.


The group is currently composed of Monte Barnard on Vocals, Kevin Garcia on Guitar, Wayne Miller on Guitar, David Culbert on Bass and Austin D’Amond on Drums.








(Photo – Erica Vincent)

The new album, No Turning Back - In Memory Of Dan McCafferty is set to be released on December 7 via ROAR! Rock Of Angels Records. The previously unreleased track, "Children’s Eyes", is out now as digital single and lyric video. Watch below:





Dan McCafferty’s name will not be forgotten, his memorable songs continue to play on countless rock radio stations around the world. Now the public is learning that undiscovered treasures were stored in McCafferty's private archives. Some of them can now be found on the posthumous homage: No Turning Back - In Memory Of Dan McCafferty.




The previously unreleased songs "Occident" and "No Turning Back" are original recordings from the late 1990s that McCafferty made with German director, composer and music producer Christoph Busse. The previously unreleased track "Children's Eyes" comes from a cooperation with the composer and producer Detlef Wiedeke. All three titles were tailor-made for McCafferty and show the stylistically enormous range of his rough rock voice.


With "Into The Ring", "Starry Eyes" and "Sunny Island", three more pieces worth listening to follow from a particularly eventful career phase of the Scottish musician. Written by McCafferty himself, the songs were released on his now long-out-of-print solo album Into The Ring in 1987. The album was created between the two Nazareth classics Cinema (1986) and Snakes'n'Ladders (1989) and shows how imaginative the exceptional singer also acted outside of his band.


No Turning Back - In Memory Of Dan McCafferty is rounded off with "Going Home" from 1993 and from the eponymous album by the short-lived project Seasons, with partly original Scottish and Irish bagpipes, fiddles, flutes and percussion instruments. The song is based on the piece "Largo" from the 9th symphony "From The New World" by Antonín Dvořák.


There are also two current cover versions of the Nazareth evergreens "Love Hurts" (watch a video below) and "Dream On" as bonus tracks, sung by the Greek Panos Kalifis, whose vocal color is remarkably similar to McCafferty's. The songs were recorded and mixed by the renowned sound engineer Bob Katsionis (Firewind, Kamelot, etc.).


Last but not least: The album cover features a photo of young Dan McCafferty, while the twelve pencil and charcoal illustrations in the atmospheric booklet are by Welsh artist Martyn Dunn and reflect the respective songs and lyrics. So No Turning Back - In Memory Of Dan McCafferty is both a musical and visual treat for any McCafferty/Nazareth fan!


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"Children’s Eyes" (previously unreleased)
"Into The Ring"
"Starry Eyes"
"Sunny Island"
"Occident" (previously unreleased)
"No Turning Back" (previously unreleased)
"Going Home"
"Love Hurts" (Sung by Panos Kalifis)
"Dream On" (Sung by Panos Kalifis)


"Love Hurts" video:





Executive producer: Ritchie Kück-Michelmann

Tom Gabriel Warrior's Triumph Of Death have released a video for "Messiah", featured on the band's debut album, out now.


Hellhammer's "Messiah" marks the earliest collaboration between the band's founder, Tom Gabriel Warrior, and his then new friend (and future Hellhammer bassist) Martin Eric Ain, in late 1983. While Warrior wrote the music, Ain and Warrior co-wrote the lyrics. The song reflects a generation's perennial foreboding of an impending terminal nuclear escalation in West Europe during the Cold War. Which, remarkably, makes it as topical today as it was when it was first created.


Triumph Of Death's performance of "Messiah" is taken from the group's Resurrection Of The Flesh live album, and the accompanying video clip was filmed during the group's concert at Dark Easter Metal Meeting in Munich, Germany, in April of 2023.







Triumph Of Death’s debut live release, Resurrection Of The Flesh, is the culmination of three concerts. Recorded in the spring of 2023 at Hell’s Heroes Festival in Houston, Texas, Dark Easter Metal Meeting in Munich, Germany and SWR Barroselas Metal Fest in Portugal, the album was produced by Tom Gabriel Warrior and Triptykon's V. Santura. The record captures the band at their primeval finest; raw, foreboding and heavy. The songs may date back four decades but here they are revealed to be still just as vital today as when they were written in the band’s infamous rehearsal bunker in the rural village of Birchwil, Switzerland in the early 1980s. From the thunderous opening chords of "Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation)" to the malevolent, morbid feedback of set closer "Triumph Of Death", this album is a sixty minute document of the overwhelming power of the live performance of Triumph Of Death, and it captures the spirit and intensity of these historic songs that have transcended decades to become revered and timeless.


Warrior: "This album is, most importantly, testament to the unique connection that exists between the audience and this band. Hellhammer's music was an underground token in 1982 to 1984, often ridiculed and shunned, and we owe the fact that we are now able to perform it all across the globe entirely to grace, openness, and enthusiasm of those who make exactly these concerts possible. They give us as much as we given them, and my gratitude to them knows no limits."


For special orders and exclusive merch bundles, head here.





Tracklisting:


"The Third Of The Storms (Evoked Damnation)"
"Massacra"
"Maniac"
"Blood Insanity"
"Decapitator"
"Crucifixion"
"Reaper"
"Horus/Aggressor"
"Revelations Of Doom"
"Messiah"
"Visions Of Mortality"
"Triumph Of Death"


Bonus 7” song (Super deluxe edition only):
"Decapitator" (Live In Houston)


"Massacra" video:





Triumph Of Death lineup:


Tom Gabriel Warrior - voice/guitar
André Mathieu - guitar/vocals
Jamie Lee Cussigh - bass
Tim Iso Wey – drums

In 2001, Canada’s Strigampire emerged onto the music scene, captivating audiences with their eloquence and delivering electrifying live performances. Over the years, their intense energy has earned them recognition and opportunities to share the stage with renowned international bands, as well as playing the Wacken stage this year after being crowned Metal Battle Canada champs. They are rounding off this year by releasing a second single “Sold Our Soul” off their third album All To Dominate, which is being released this coming December. Vocalist Steve DC shares his thoughts on the single:


“It talks about our passion for heavy metal music. I explain that we dedicate our lives to music, even if it means making sacrifices. I reference the idea of selling our soul to the devil for the love of heavy and rock music! I elaborate that, in my opinion, it’s important to sometimes stop fixating on the horizon and thinking about the destination, and instead take the time to appreciate the wonders that surround us in this wild adventure along the path of life.”


Musically, “Sold Our Soul” is a true heavy metal anthem, the atmosphere surrounding it is electrifying and incredibly badass. However, at times, it delves into a more mystical and less in-your-face ambiance, with a guitar melody that gradually evolves to culminate in an epic solo, emblematic of the rock 'n roll spirit. This song embodies a remarkable fusion of rock’s fervour and the extravagance of metal.




The high-energy elements seamlessly blend with introspective moments, creating a striking balance. In essence, “Sold Our Soul” is a true reflection of Strigampire’s identity as an extreme rock band, and celebrates the roots of heavy metal while capturing the raw energy and melodic finesse that characterize their music. 





All To Dominate is due out on December 15, 2023, and is available for pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


“Liberty”
“Dominate Them All”
“Sold Our Soul”
“In The Maze Of The Lost”
“Where I Belong”
“Basking In Paradise”
“Death Silence”
“The Day I’ll Join You”
“Brave The Tempest”
“TNT” (AC/DC cover)





 

The new album from the Finnish powerhouse Warmen featuring Janne Wirman (Children Of Bodom), Here For None, was released worldwide August 18 via Reaper Entertainment. They announced three album release shows for Finland in Tampere and Helsinki respectively, which took place from November 17th - 19th.


Fan-filmed video from the Tampere show at Olympia-Kortteli on November 17th show, which saw the band cover some Children Of Bodom classics, can be viewed below.


Setlist:




"Warmen Are Here for None"
"The Driving Force"
"A World of Pain" (live debut)
"Too Much, Too Late"
"The End of the Line" (live debut)
"Suck My Attitude"
"Sixpounder" (Children of Bodom)
"Everytime I Die" (Children of Bodom)
"Night Terrors"
"Death's On Its Way" (live debut)
"The Cold Unknown" (live debut)


Encore:
"In Your Face" (Children of Bodom)
"Hell on Four Wheels"
"Somebody's Watching Me" (Rockwell)














Warmen recently released a new single, "Hell On Four Wheels". Check out the official video below.


Bassist Jyri Helko: "'Hell On Four Wheels' is a fast and furious combination of the new, heavier Warmen and the melodic style of the older albums, including the epic solo battle of the Wirman brothers! We also shot Warmen's first real music video for this song. The camera was operated by Petri Inkinen / Guilty Visuals, and the director was of course none other than Ykä Järvinen, who is responsible for Children of Bodom's classic videos 'Downfall' and 'Sixpounder', among others."





Here For None heralds a new era. True to the motto, "The king is dead, long live the king," Warmen is not only headed towards heavier shores musically due to the band’s updated lineup, but it can also be said with justification that Warmen is taking on the musical legacy of Wirman's former band in a spectacular way.


“I will always be Janne from Bodom. That's okay with me. I'm happy about it and I don't have to hide my past. I also see that as a positive thing for Warmen,” Wirman notes of his good reputation and the attention he gets within the metal scene. Together with his brother Antti Wirman and longtime friend Jyri Helko, the trio has recuited Seppo Tarvainen on drums as well as Petri Lindroos (Ensiferum) on vocals to make Here For None a true masterpiece of melodic death metal.





Tracklisting:


“Warmen Are Here For None”
“The Driving Force”
“A World Of Pain”
“Too Much, Too Late”
“Night Terrors”
“Hell On Four Wheels”
“The End Of The Line”
“Death’s On Its Way”
“The Cold Unknown”
“Dancing With Tears In My Eyes”


“Warmen Are Here For None”





Warmen:
Janne Wirman - keyboards
Petri Lindroos - vocals
Antti Wirman - guitar
Jyri Helko - bass
Seppo Tarvainen – drums

Death metal overlords, Dying Fetus, brought their "Make Them Beg For Death" tour to Water Street Music Hall in Rochester, NY on November 15. Watch drum-cam footage of Trey Williams performing "Unbridled Fury", "Grotesque Impalement", and "Feast Of Ashes" below:





Dying Fetus released their new album, Make Them Beg For Death, earlier this year. Recorded in Baltimore with longtime producer Steve Wright and mixed by Mark Lewis (Cannibal Corpse), Make Them Beg For Death contains every Dying Fetus hallmark. The veteran death metal band’s ninth album is fast, intense, and brimming with unstoppable grooves. Find a full album audio stream below.




Order the new album here.





Make Them Beg for Death tracklisting:


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


Album stream:





“Raised In Victory / Razed In Defeat” visualizer:





"Feast Of Ashes" video: