Multi-platinum hard rock powerhouse FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH will celebrate the 10th anniversary of "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1 & Volume 2" by releasing a limited-edition vinyl 6LP box set, as well as a digital version of the box set, on December 1, 2023.

In 2013, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH launched two albums, "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1" and "Volume 2". "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1" is the fourth studio album by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and the first of two albums released by the band in 2013. It was released on July 30, 2013. The album debuted in the United States Billboard 200 charts at No. 2, their highest chart position in that country, with 113,000 copies sold. "Volume 2" and "Got Your Six" would eventually tie this chart record. The album has been certified platinum for sales in excess of a million copies in the U.S. and was produced by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and Kevin Churko. The album's opening track and lead single is "Lift Me Up" featuring JUDAS PRIEST vocalist Rob Halford. FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH vocalist Ivan Moody remarked that "just to work alongside an icon like Rob Halford, The Metal God, was absolutely surreal." The album's third single was the title track "Wrong Side of Heaven" and became the band's biggest hit to date. The video for "Wrong Side Of Heaven" was released in honor of all those who served and continue to serve, to pay tribute to those who fought and sacrificed for all of us and to raise awareness and to support veterans facing PTSD by partnering with organizations around the country. The official video to the song has now been viewed a staggering 400 million times.

"The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 2" is the fifth studio album by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, and the second of two albums released by the band in 2013, released on November 19, 2013. The album was certified gold by the RIAA and is also produced by FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and Kevin Churko. It debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200 and No. 1 on Top Rock Albums, selling 77,000 copies in its first week. First single "Battle Born" was released on September 10, 2013. The song's given title is a reference to the flag of Nevada, the home state of the band. The second single, a cover of THE ANIMALS classic "House Of The Rising Sun", was released on February 3, 2014.

"The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1 & Volume 2" 10th-anniversary box set:

Vinyl box set includes the following:

* "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1" featuring three bonus tracks (Silver Metallic Color Variant 140g vinyl)
* Purgatory: Tales From The Pit featuring two bonus tracks (Live Album, 140g vinyl)
* "The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 2" (Gold Metallic Color Variant 140g vinyl)
* 43 songs across 3 2LP sets housed in gatefold sleeves
* New album artwork and images of the band
* Includes rare track "Burn MF" featuring Rob Zombie

"The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 1"

Disc One/Side A

01. Lift Me Up (feat. Rob Halford)
02. Watch You Bleed
03. You
04. Wrong Side Of Heaven

Disc One/Side B

01. Burn MF
02. I.M. Sin
03. Anywhere But Here
04. Dot Your Eyes

Disc Two/Side A

01. M.I.N.E (End This Way)
02. Mama Said Knock You Out (Feat. Tech N9ne)
03. Diary Of A Dead Man

Disc Two/Side B

01. I.M. Sin (Feat. Max Cavalera) BONUS TRACK
02. Anywhere But Here (Feat. Maria Brink) BONUS TRACK
03. Dot Your Eyes (Feat. Jamey Jasta) BONUS TRACK
04. Burn MF (Feat. Rob Zombie) BONUS TRACK

Purgatory (Tales From The Pit)

Disc One/Side A

01. Intro
02. Under And Over It
03. Burn It Down
04. American Capitalist
05. Hard To See

Disc One/Side B

01. Coming Down
02. Bad Company
03. White Knuckles

Disc Two/Side A

01. Drum Solo
02. Far From Home
03. Never Enough
04. War Is The Answer
05. Remember Everything

Disc Two/Side B

01. No One Gets Left Behind
02. The Bleeding
03. Burn MF (Mr. Kane And Nikka Bling Remix, Feat. Rob Zombie)

Bonus Track

01. Weight Beneath My Sin (Feat. Ryan Clark)

"The Wrong Side Of Heaven And The Righteous Side Of Hell, Volume 2"

Disc One/Side A

01. Here To Die
02. Weight Beneath My Skin
03. Wrecking Ball

Disc One/Side B

01. Battle Born
02. Cradle To The Grave
03. Matter Of Time

Disc Two/Side A

01. The Agony Of Regret
02. Cold
03. Let This Go

Disc Two/Side B

01. My Heart Lied
02. A Day In My Life
03. House Of The Rising Sun

Photo credit: Hristo Shindov

Having set the rock and metal world alight in September with the announcement of a forthcoming solo album and Latin American tour dates, further details of Bruce Dickinson’s The Mandrake Project were recently revealed.


The first single to be taken from it will be "Afterglow Of Ragnarok", 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 explains. “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 Bruce 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, entitled "Afterglow Of Ragnarok", is included within the vinyl 7” single booklet which accompanies the single of the same name and sets the scene for the story to come. The 7” 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.


Bruce has released the unboxing video below, stating: "Spoiler Alert! If you wish to enjoy unboxing the 'Afterglow of Ragnarok' vinyl yourself then you may want to look away now! If you missed out on a copy of the vinyl at launch, do check again as stocks have been replenished and links to more retailers have been added!"


Pre-order now ahead of the December 1 release.








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


Having already announced Brazilian and Mexican live dates for April and May next year, Bruce Dickinson and his phenomenal band - which features guitarist Roy Z, 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.


The currently confirmed dates are below:


May
18 - Barrowland Ballroom - Glasgow, UK
19 - O2 Academy - Manchester, UK
21 - Arena - Swansea, UK
23 - Rock City - Nottingham, UK
24 - O2 Forum Kentish Town - London, UK
26 - L’Olympia - Paris, France
28 - 013 - Tilburg, Netherlands
29 - De Oosterport - Groningen, Netherlands


June
1 - Barba Negra - Budapest, Hungary
3 - Arenale Romane - Bucharest, Romania
5-8 - Mystic Festival - Gdansk, Poland *
5-8 - Sweden Rock Festival - Solvesborg, Sweden *
9 - Rockefeller - Oslo, Norway
16 - Huxleys Neue Welt - Berlin, Germany
17 - Grosse Freiheit 36 - Hamburg, Germany
19-22 - Copenhell - Copenhagen, Denmark *
24 - Zeltfestival Rhein-Neckar - Mannheim, Germany *
25 - Circus Krone - Munich, Germany
27-30 - Hellfest - Clisson, France *
30 - Rockhal, Esch-Sur-Alzette, Luxembourg


July
3-6 - Rockharz Open Air - Ballenstedt, Germany *
5 - Ippodrome Delle Capannelle, Rock In Rome - Rome, Italy *
6 - Bassano Del Grappa, Metal Park - Vincenza, Italy *
9 - E-Werk - Koln, Germany
13 - Hala - Zagreb, Croatia
16 - Kolodrum Arena - Sofia, Bulgaria
19 - Kucukciftlik Park - Istanbul, Turkey
21 - Plateia Nerou - Athens, Greece (supporting Judas Priest)


* - festival performance


For more information regarding the tour click here.


Dickinson previously revealed, “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.

TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson has revealed that he and drummer Chris Dovas have resumed working on material for the band's next studio album.

Earlier today (Thursday, November 16),Peterson shared a photo of him and Dovas in the studio and he included the following message: "Busy week finished, straight after the Asian tour Chris Dovas and I locked ourselves in the #dragonlair and jammed out 4 new crushing song ideas & crushing #riffs! Super thrashing drums… so stoked New recordings coming soon!"

This past August, Dovas was asked by Pod Scum if it was "unnerving" to step into a group whose list of previous drummers includes such heavyweights as Dave Lombardo and Gene Hoglan. He responded: "It was, especially at first because I knew that a lot of eyes were on me, and also I looked up to the band since I was a kid. Especially Lombardo and Gene — those are two of my favorite drummers right there. So to be put in that situation of taking over for them, I felt like I had a lot of responsibility and a lot of… I felt like I had something to prove a little bit, and I'm still practicing a lot and I just wanna do the best that I can do. Right now I'm not really nervous anymore because I've done two full tours with them now and we're working on the [new TESTAMENT] album and the friendship has been developing now and we all get along super well. They've welcomed me with open arms and it's been great and the fans have been great. I've been putting hours and hours of practice into it to make sure that I can do the best that I could do. And I look up to Dave and I look up to Gene as well, so, yeah, I just wanna play the songs well live and keep making the band sound good."

Asked what his role has been so far in the creative process for TESTAMENT's next album, Chris said: "I don't know exactly what I'm allowed and what I'm not allowed to share yet, but what you've seen publicly, though, right now is that Eric and I have been working on a lot of stuff together. And so it's been really cool to get into their brains, in a way, and how they write stuff. I'm used to people sending me tracks with scratch MIDI drums or programmed drums or something, and I've gotta put my drums to them and then hop on a Zoom call and we can edit things and move stuff around. But with them, Eric and I, he set a timer at one point for, like, 20 minutes and we would just jam random ideas. And then sometimes we'd make mistakes and stuff and that would be cool, and we could take that… It's very organic, though, and it's very involved, I guess. It's a different way of writing and I'm super excited to be a part of that method of writing. And I could see why they're so successful for all these years, now finally being a part of this current writing cycle, I guess."

In July, Peterson said that he and Dovas had spent a few days working on material for TESTAMENT's next studio album. Eric shared a few photos on his Instagram and wrote in an accompanying message: "Had a very productive week with the kid! Mr. @chrisdovas and I worked up new 7 jam ideas ranging from thrash to nwobhm mixed in w/ black thrash to dark heavy hard rock blues…let's see what happens! super stoked so far!"

Dovas shared the same pictures on his social media and he added: "New TESTAMENT material in the works! Eric and I have been working hard all week on new ideas. Stoked so far!"

In June, TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick told Chaoszine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the band's next LP: "There are a few songs, a few ideas. We haven't gotten to the vocals yet, but I would say there's close to half an album's worth of music that is pretty close to having vocals. We still need to write the other half and then get into that process. But it's coming together. We can never rush it. It always takes time."

As for when TESTAMENT fans can expect to see the new LP released, Alex said: "We don't a lot of shows after this tour until September. We're gonna go to Asia, where we haven't been in a long time. And then in between now and then, we're just gonna try to complete the writing, at least as far as the music goes. And then I think by next year, we should be able to go in the studio early in the year and have the record recorded and have it come out next year."

Alex's latest comments were similar to those made by Peterson, who told Loud TV about the group's plans for a new album: "There was a big gap because of COVID. But now we're getting ready — probably after this [European] tour to go start working on new material. So, yeah, I'm looking forward to that. We have about five, six songs written already, and [I'll] probably try to finish it up when I get home. And then hopefully record right after we go on tour to Japan. So '24 should look like a release for TESTAMENT."

Peterson went on to say that the new TESTAMENT material is shaping up to be "fucking killer." He added: "I'm a fan. For me, I wouldn't release anything unless I'm a fan of what I'm doing. I have to get goosebumps. When I hear it, I'm, like, 'Yeah.' And then, of course, I play it for friends. A few of them go, 'Ehh.' But most of them go, 'Fuuuck!' Except Chuck [Billy, TESTAMENT singer] — Chuck goes, 'Eh.' And then four years later, [he goes], 'That's the best song ever. Write more shit like that.' I'm, like, 'Yeah, but four years ago you said that sucked.'"

As for when TESTAMENT will record the new album, Eric said: "Hopefully maybe October, November. If not, probably January, February. But we're shooting for this year — at the end of the year. I think I'll be done writing in September. So we just have to wait for vocals. Which can take a while. But we'll see what happens."

Peterson was also full of praise for Dovas, who officially joined the band earlier this year as the replacement for Lombardo. Eric said: "When we were auditioning for new drummers, his video tape was the number one for me. And then, of course, Dave Lombardo called us, so we just kind of pushed everything aside; we said, 'Okay, we'll try Dave.' And when Dave was, like, 'Oh, I've got this show coming up. I've got this show coming up,' I went back to my [videos], [and I said], 'Oh, yeah, this guy.' I remember the other guys going, 'Let's call Paul Bostaph.' 'Let's call John Tempesta.' And, of course, they would probably do it, but with the stipulation of, like, 'I can only do this date,' 'I can only do this date.' I called Chris. He was, like, 'I'm in. I'll do everything.' And so we tried him, and were just, like, 'What?!' Perfect tempo. Everything correct — bam, bam. Very polite. Really nice guy. I can't say enough good things about him. He's just a really good drummer. He's 24; he's my son's age. Young blood back in TESTAMENT. For me, too, he loves black metal, so he was, like, [into] blast beats. But he also graduated from a school called Berklee. So jazz… He's very fluent. He's not, like, 'Oh, I only know blast beats.' He knows blues… TESTAMENT's really diverse — we have ballads, we have rock songs, we have blast beats. That's just it — when he came to visit me before this tour, we were rehearsing for the tour but we would go back to my house at night, do some Jager really late at night and just start jamming at my house. And the next morning we were, like, 'Woah!' Really cool shit. So I'm excited for the next record. It's gonna be killer."

Lombardo, who was the guest drummer on TESTAMENT's 1999 studio album "The Gathering", formally joined the long-running San Francisco Bay Area act last year. The former SLAYER drummer is currently a member of the MISFITS, MR. BUNGLE, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD and SATANIC PLANET, among others. He also played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES from 2016 up until 2020.

Prior to joining TESTAMENT as a full-time member, Dovas previously filled in for Lombardo on the first six dates of TESTAMENT's summer/fall 2022 leg of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour". Lombardo was unable to make those gigs due to a scheduling conflict with the MISFITS.

Not that long ago after our return from Asia, our own Eric Peterson posted an update... 🤘

"Hope you all are safe &...

Posted by Testament on Thursday, November 16, 2023

Danish thrash legends, Artillery, and their guitarist since 2017, Kræn Meier, have decided to go their separate ways. Kræn Meier started in the band in 2017 as a replacement for the then ill Morten Stützer and became permanent guitarist in 2019 when Morten Stützer passed away.


In a short statement, Kræn Meier states: "It is with a heavy heart that I have to announce my departure from Artillery. Personal differences have made it impossible to move forward together, and I am taking the consequence of that. I am still in music for the love of it, and am now free and more than ready for other bands and projects that need a guitarist with a professional attitude towards playing music.”


Kræn Meier was a big part of Artillery's latest album, the critically acclaimed X (Metal Blade, 2021), for which he wrote 4 songs "In Thrash We Trust", "Beggars In Black Suits", "The Force Indifference" and "Mors Onthologia" and co-wrote the song "Silver Cross" with longtime bass player Peter Thorslund.




Since 2017, time has been dedicated to Artillery, but Kræn Meier has figured on the scene for many years and has played with Sacrificial (Denmark), Nominom (Sweden), Thorium (Denmark), Atomkraft (England), Perracide (Sweden) and shared stage with Michael Denner and Mantas on special occasions.


Kræn adds: "Growing up in Ribe Jutland, one of my favourite bands was Danish Artillery, who together with Metallica, Exodus, Slayer and Testament, to name a few, really spurred my journey into playing guitar. I've travelled the world with Artillery, visiting New Zealand, Australia, Mexico, Columbia, Ukraine, Hungary, Spain and The Philippines and many other countries. There has been a lot of good times travelling, and I aim to keep up the traveling and playing as much as I possibly can in the future.”


(Photo - Asya Warner Photography)

In a new interview with The Messenger, Ozzy Osbourne's son Jack said that his father's days of hitting the road are likely behind him. "I don't think he'll tour again," Jack said. "But he's gunning to do one-off shows — like festivals, gigs, things like that."

"He's not done yet," he added.

Ozzy has Parkinson's disease and previously suffered a nasty fall and dislodged metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003.

This past September, Ozzy opened up about his series of operations in an interview with Metal Hammer as he shared his hopes of making "one more album" and a return to touring.

"I've had all the surgery now, thank God," he said. "I'm feeling okay. It was just dragging on. I thought I'd be back on my feet months ago. I just couldn't get used to this mode of living, constantly having something wrong. I can't walk properly yet, but I'm not in any pain anymore and the surgery on my spine went great."

Osbourne also discussed his plans for next year, saying: "I'm getting myself fit. I've done two albums fairly recently [2020's 'Ordinary Man' and 2022's 'Patient Number 9'], but I want to do one more album and then go back on the road."

This past July, the legendary BLACK SABBATH singer canceled his appearance at the Power Trip festival due to his ongoing physical ailments.

Ozzy's health issues, including catching COVID-19 a year and a half ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

While Osbourne's health issues forced him to scrap most of his live appearances, the musician said he would return if his condition improved.

This past April, the 74-year-old, who has been struggling with his mobility after his 2019 fall that aggravated a decade-old spine injury and his 2020 Parkinson's disease diagnosis, was photographed walking without his cane in Los Angeles. According to Page Six, he looked unbalanced as he walked alongside his carer, who picked up flowers during their daytime stroll around the neighborhood and held them out for Osbourne to take a whiff.

Osbourne's previously announced European tour with guests JUDAS PRIEST, originally set for 2019 and then rescheduled three times, was officially canceled in early February.

Despite his health problems, Osbourne has performed a couple of times in the last year and a half, including at the Commonwealth Games in Birmingham in August 2022 and at the NFL halftime show at the season opener Los Angeles Rams and Buffalo Bills game in September 2022.

Former DREAM THEATER singer Charlie Dominici has died. He was reportedly 72 years old.

The news of Charlie's passing was broken by DREAM THEATER drummer Mike Portnoy, who took to his social media earlier today (Friday, November 17) to share a few photos of DREAM THEATER with Charlie, and he included the following message: "I am devastated to share the news of the passing of former DREAM THEATER singer Charlie Dominici. Charlie was the voice of DT on our debut album 'When Dream And Day Unite', recorded back in 1988. Beyond being a great singer, he also was an incredibly talented songwriter and well rounded musician on both guitar and keyboards.

"While we parted ways with him in late 1989, he always remained a friend…fronting the band that played at mine and [my wife] Marlene's wedding in 1994, reuniting w DT for 'When Dream And Day Unite''s 15th anniversary show in 2004, opening for DT in Europe with his solo band in 2007 and coming to see myself & [John Petrucci] on our tour together in 2022. I was texting with him as recently as a few weeks ago when he texted me to congratulate me on my return to DT on the day of the announcement. He was so happy and excited for us all…

"Charlie's unexpected passing is a tremendous loss to everyone in the DREAM THEATER family, and we wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the Dominici family during this immensely difficult time.

"If you haven't seen it already, there is a documentary on DT's 1988/1989 era that I compiled for the 'When Dream And Day Reunite' DVD called 'I Can Remember When…' that is a great tribute to Charlie and his time in the band.

"#RIPCharlieDominici #WhenDreamAndDayUnite".

DREAM THEATER added in a separate statement: "We are devastated to hear the news of the passing of former DREAM THEATER singer, Charlie Dominici. Charlie was the voice of DT on our debut album, 'When Dream And Day Unite', recorded back in 1988. Beyond being a great singer, he was an incredibly talented songwriter, a well-rounded musician on both guitar and keyboards, and a long-time friend even after his departure from the band.

"Charlie's unexpected passing is a tremendous loss to everyone in the DREAM THEATER family, and we wish to extend our deepest sympathies to the Dominici family during this immensely difficult time."

Dominici was DREAM THEATER's second vocalist, having replaced Chris Collins while the band was called MAJESTY. He was later replaced by James LaBrie. More recently, Dominici fronted his own eponymously named progressive metal band, which had released three albums.

In a 2008 interview with BigMusicGeek.com, Charlie stated about how he originally became involved with DREAM THEATER: "I basically just saw an ad in the paper. They weren't really weren't even DREAM THEATER yet. They were called MAJESTY. There was just something about the way they worded it. I said to myself, 'Either these guys are completely full of shit or they're really good'. So I called up for the audition and I was really busy. I remember I kept postponing the audition. They wanted me to bring a PA system and I was like, 'Yeah, right. Okay, no problem'. It basically turned out like any other audition except that it was for DREAM THEATER. I was doing my best impression of their previous singer and at one point, they were about to say, 'Okay, we'll call you' and I was like, 'Give me something that no one has ever sung before, ya know? Some fresh lyric that doesn't have a melody for it,' because back then my strong point was my creative side. I'm not a high, operatic metal vocalist like [multi-octave QUEENSRŸCHE frontman] Geoff Tate or James LaBrie. I don't sing like that, ya know? It's not my style and I don't wanna sound like everyone else. So my attitude was like, 'Give me something and let me do my thing so we can see if that's what you're looking for.' They handed me the lyrics to 'Killing Hand' [from 1989's 'When Dream And Day Unite'], I looked it over, listened to the music once through and said, 'Okay, let me sing it,' and basically wrote the 'Killing Hand' melody line right there on the spot. About a week later, I got a call informing me that I would get the probationary position. [Laughs] I was, like 'What? Am I going to work for a corporation or something?' So I was basically a hired hand. Anyone that gets to sing for that band is just a hired gun."

Asked at what point he realized his time with DREAM THEATER was coming to an end, Charlie said: "That was a very complicated time. There were a number of issues going on at the time. People who saw that situation from the outside have a very interesting slant on things. It's either 'Charlie was booted out' or 'Charlie quit.' I always like to say that neither of those are true. What happened was that I fired the band. [Laughs] To me, it's funny. I've been in so many bands and have left so many bands for many different reasons. Very few bands have booted me out against my will. The bottom line is that there were a lot of issues that were happening. The record company [Mechanic Records] wasn't behind us they weren't doing the things that they promised. There was gonna be a video, there was gonna be a Japan tour I was at the end of a long period of being in bands and just pluggin' away. These guys were, like, 21. This was their first real experience and I had already been there and done that, ya know? I was burnt out and was like, 'You know, this shit sucks.' I started losin' it. I was out of control at the time. I was still into a lot of craziness, doin' a lot of the wrong stuff all the time. It all piled on top of each other and we all just started going our separate ways. We were getting to the point where we were all going to realize that I wasn't the right singer for them and they weren't the right band for me. When they came to me about it, I was, like, 'Yeah, I agree. I feel the same way', ya know? I was like, 'Thank God'. [Laughs] To this day, believe it or not, I'm happy that I left that band for two reasons. First of all, it was a very difficult thing for me to sing in that band. The vocals were out of my range, I was working for other people it was a slave gig to me. It wasn't enjoyable. I had enough years of music that weren't enjoyable for me to be in a band with guys that were much younger than me. I was the only one who had any experience, I was doing vocals that were out of my range, I was out of control physically with all the shit I was doing I was at a point in my life where I was burned out, I was tired of it, the record company turned us down and just kinda left us out there and I was just like, 'That's it. I'm done.'"

Asked if his departure from DREAM THEATER was the primary catalyst behind his decision to take a "extended break" from the music industry, Charlie said: "Yeah. [Laughs] That's the understatement of the year. Did my frustrations lead to me taking a break? That's like asking if OJ Simpson's frustration with Nicole led to him slashing her throat. Yeah, I think so. [Laughs] I was completely frustrated with the business and again, it's hard for people to realize that because they didn't see me at the end of something, they saw me at the beginning of something. I was at the end of a long period of many bands and many trials and tribulations that never came to much fruition. I wanted to get out of music. I had decided that as much as I had loved it, I didn't love it anymore. If you don't love it anymore, it's like a marriage. Once the love is gone, it's just a matter of going through the steps to wrap things up and tie up the loose ends so you can go your separate ways. For me, it was like getting divorced from my music career. I stayed away a little bit longer than I thought I would. I was beginning to think I was going to stay away forever. I thought that was a part of my life that was finished. I pretty much just started to go work other jobs. I was actually pretty successful in finance in the auto business. I was running Toyota dealerships by myself. I was makin' good money, but I was miserable. [Laughs] I was driving a fancy Mercedes Benz convertible around San Diego and had everything that you could want in my house, but I was totally miserable. I sold it all. When the love for the music came back and I started writing and feeling creative again. I didn't care if I made it. In fact, I was hoping that I wouldn't make it. I just wanted to make music my way without anyone telling me how to do it."

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Mike Portnoy (@mikeportnoy)



View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Dream Theater (@dreamtheaterofficial)

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST have released "Trial By Fire", the second single from their upcoming studio album, "Invincible Shield". You can now watch the official lyric video for the track below.

"Invincible Shield" will arrive on March 8, 2024 via Sony Music. The LP's first single, "Panic Attack", can also be streamed below.

The release date for PRIEST's follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" was announced on October 7 during the band's performance at the Power Trip festival in Indio, California.

After BLACK SABBATH's "War Pigs" played as the intro to PRIEST's set, a graphic was displayed on the video screens announcing "The Invincible Shield".

The cover artwork for the CD and vinyl versions of "Invincible Shield" can be found below.

To pre-order "Invincible Shield", visit shop.judaspriest.com.

This past June, PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner told Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio that the band's new album was "sounding great. I was in Phoenix with [producer and touring guitarist] Andy Sneap and Rob a few weeks ago, putting the vocals down," he said. "And it's always exciting to hear new PRIEST tracks, because they become PRIEST tracks when Rob sings them. It's, like, the world hasn't heard them yet, but there's new PRIEST tracks that we're hearing for the first time. It's really exciting, hearing that characteristic voice that we've heard for decades singing new stuff. It's an incredibly exciting thing, so I can't wait for the world to hear it all."

Elaborating on the musical direction of the new PRIEST material, Faulkner said: "There are definitely a few more twists and turns on this record. There are a few more musical parts. So, there might be a bit of... As I said, there are twists and turns. I've used the word 'progressive' before, and the Internet ripped me a new asshole. But it is progressive in the sense that it's not like verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-finish. It's musical part-verse-musical part. It might do a few twists and turns, musically. It veers from the path of it, a bit like 'Sinner' or 'Tyrant' or something like that. So, it's a bit more '70s PRIEST, which I welcome as a guitar player… It's '70s PRIEST, but it's not a retro album, by any means. It's the influence of '70s PRIEST in the progressive sense, but it sounds like PRIEST in 2023."

He added: "Every PRIEST album has kind of stood on its own, stylistically. It's had that DNA of JUDAS PRIEST, because the characters are so strong. But it's always been a little bit different — retaining that DNA but having its own character. So, this one's no different, really, in the sense that it's obviously JUDAS PRIEST, but it's its own animal; it stands on its own two legs."

Last November, Faulkner told Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules that some PRIEST fans misconstrued his previous comments about the musical direction of the band's upcoming LP. He said: "I think we've used the word 'progressive', and everyone thinks it's gonna become 'Nostradamus' [PRIEST's controversial 2008 symphonic heavy metal concept double album about Nostradamus], or RUSH, which is two different things. I've definitely used the word 'progressive' [to describe the new PRIEST material in previous interviews], purely because it's got a few musical turnarounds that 'Firepower' doesn't have. But that doesn't make it a RUSH record. It just makes it — instead of, like, a verse into a bridge into a chorus, there might be a couple of more musical passages in there to make it a bit more… interesting; might be the wrong word. I don't know. You've gotta be careful with the words you use these days. So it's not 'Firepower 2', but it's the same band a few years later, so there's obvious connections to the last record. But it's not 'Firepower 2' by any means."

Richie continued: "No PRIEST records have sounded the same, but it's got a common DNA. And you always try and make the next one sound a bit better — or whatever 'better' may be; 'better' is subjective. So, is it better written? Are the lyrics better? Does it sound better? And 'better' is always subjective. So it's hard to pinpoint, really. But it's a bit more of a musical adventure than the last one, I'd say. But then again someone might listen to it, when it does come out, and have a totally different interpretation of what it is. So it's always tough to sum up your own music without sounding up your own butt."

In February 2022, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'

"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."

Also in February 2022, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."

Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on."

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and guitarist Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Original guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

Photo credit: James Hodges Photography

CD cover:

Vinyl cover:

In a new interview with Chris Akin Presents, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars was asked if he intentionally tried to incorporate fresh elements into the sound of his upcoming solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars", that he didn't pursue during his four-decade career with the legendary Los Angeles rock act. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "You're exactly right. You hit the nail on the head when you said it was way different from MÖTLEY, which is what I wanted to do. The part that was the scariest part about doing that stuff is because my guitar tone is associated with MÖTLEY's sound. I was kind of concerned about that, so I just played around a little more. I mean, it turned out well for me."

He continued: "I know that a lot of people were expecting probably more of a blues-oriented thing or kind of an extension of MÖTLEY or something like that. And I wanted to go a whole different route and leaning more towards the left instead of the beaten path, I guess. I wanted to go somewhere with it. I didn't know if it would work or not. I just did the stuff and got acquainted with different people, like [fellow musicians and collaborators] Paul Taylor and Jacob Bunton and Brion Gamboa and Ray Luzier, of course."

"The Other Side Of Mars" will be released on February 23, 2024. The effort will be made available via Mick's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Bunton had previously worked with former GUNS N' ROSES drummer Steven Adler and CINDERELLA frontman Tom Keifer, and has songwriting credits with Mariah Carey, Steven Tyler and Smokey Robinson, among others.

Bunton sings lead on all but two of the 12 songs on "The Other Side Of Mars".

Other guests on the LP include the aforementioned WINGER/ALICE COOPER keyboardist Paul Taylor, KORN drummer Ray Luzier, and Brion Gamboa, who handled lead vocals on the songs "Undone" and "Killing Breed".

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.

Last month, Mars shared "Loyal To The Lie", the lead single from "The Other Side Of Mars", along with a music video featuring imagery from classic horror films and pictures of infamous serial killers.

Discussing the title behind the upcoming album, the 72-year-old explained that it refers to the two different sides of his playing style: "the MÖTLEY side and the Mars side."

"I always have a very clear vision of what I want to do," he said, revealing that he plans to release more music beyond the debut album. "There's a lot of ideas that I have that. I don't want to call them 'left,' but they are, you know what I mean? My feeling has always been, I might gain some fans, I might lose some fans. But what they’re hearing, it's all me."

Regarding his motivation to pursue a solo project, Mick said: "I'm trying to keep growing. Because if you stop learning new things, if you stop playing new things, if you close your mind, you're done. You have to keep moving and creating. Next!"

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE in October 2022 as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, he has since filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court, claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx says that he has been stalked and harassed by at least two people in recent years.

The 64-year-old musician, who resides in Wyoming with his wife Courtney Sixx and their daughter Ruby, 4, took to his social media earlier today (Monday, November 13) to write: "Like many other public figures, myself and my family were harassed and threatened by a stalker. A deranged woman from Tennessee, who I have never met or seen before, targeted my wife and child with threats of death and bodily harm. This was not some Internet troll but someone who was convinced that she was somehow connected to me. Her harassment went on for a long time and got progressively more scary, forcing me to go to court several times and obtain restraining orders. She violated the restraining orders multiple times. As a result, the court found the conduct serious enough to hold her in contempt of court and order that she be arrested.

"I want to thank the judge, the court staff and my legal team for protecting my family.

"Now another stalker from a different part of the country started doing the same thing, going so far as to travel to my house and threaten our lives again," he continued. "The FBI is currently investigating.

"It's one thing to threaten my safety but when it comes to serious threats against my wife and children, it just becomes beyond alarming. They do not deserve this.

"Thank you to the FBI, law enforcement, the detectives and the legal and court system for treating these threats with the severity and urgency they require. I will go to any lengths to protect my family."

Thousands of celebrities across the world are occasionally confronted by fanatics who give them intimidating attention.

Earlier this year, research published in the journal PLOS by Idaho State University identified factors that are associated with the tendency to engage in stalking, such as having frequent personal thoughts about a favorite celebrity and being prone to boredom.

Another study showed almost half of the threatening fan letters had writers that believed they already had some kind of personal relationship with the celebrity, perceiving themselves as a friend or acquaintance.

Sixx and his family moved to Wyoming in 2020, leaving Los Angeles, a city he had called home since MÖTLEY CRÜE's earliest days. He later said in an interview that the city was starting to feel overpopulated.

Photo courtesy of Jason Shaltz / SiriusXM

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Nikki Sixx (@nikkisixxpixx)

Before they drop their cutting-edge debut album, Reptilian Warlords, this Friday, uprising death metal unit Plaguemace gear up for the release of their final pre-release single “Carnivore”. The track attacks immediately, as low growls are joined by contrasting screams and bombastic melodies. Watch the official music video for “Carnivore” below and get sucked into its brutal soundscapes.


Hailing from Denmark, Plaguemace is one of the most promising bands of the new generation of old school death metal, and there is no doubt that fans of bands such as Grave, High on Fire, Entombed and Obituary will enjoy their new offering. After winning over live audiences in Scandinavia, as well as in the UK while supporting thrash metal powerhouse Nervosa, Plaguemace are ready to conquer the scene with their first album.







Plaguemace’s thrashy death’n’roll is spiced up with brutal breakdowns and infectious grooves as witnessed on the album opener “Cannibalicious”. The brutal soundscapes on “Rhythmic Demise” impress, before the track fades out into “Warcries from the Crypts”, where trumpet and trombone add to the threatening atmosphere. Catchy title track “Reptilian Warlords” kicks off with metallic soundscapes, with groovy rhythms carrying competent death metal vocals and skillful guitarwork. Closing track “Carnivore” attacks immediately, as low growls are joined by contrasting screams, and bombastic melodies lead the album to its end.


Plaguemace on Reptilian Warlords: “Reptilian Warlords is the first in a series of concept albums taking place in our own fictional universe. The story has been torn apart chronologically, and will be put together throughout this, and the following releases. So stay tuned to find out what happens next. The themes of Reptilian Warlords include ANGER, VENGEANCE, DESIRE, WAR and ENRAGING BLOODTHIRST.”





Reptilian Warlords will be available in the following formats:


- CD Digisleeve                     
- 1LP Gatefold Reptilian Green                  
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Reptilian Warlords tracklisting:


"Cannibalicious"
"Impenetrable Leather"
"Cavedweller’s Solliloquy"
"Rhythmic Demise"
"Warcries From The Crypts"
"Among The Filth"
"Reptilian Warlords"
"Misantropical Breed"
"Ambrosia"
"Carnivore"


"Rhythmic Demise" video:





"Impenetrable Leather" video:





Plaguemace are:


Andreas Truelsen - Vocals
Simon Truelsen - Guitar
Anton Holm Smidstrup - Guitar, Vocals
Ruben Brandt - Bass
Matias Zacho - Drums


(Photo - Malene Vinge)

In a new interview with Dan Savoie of 519 magazine, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke about the band's "End Of The Road" farewell tour, which is scheduled to conclude in early December in New York City. He said: "This tour is the end of the road for the band, not the brand. KISS is a universe of its own — movies, merchandise, maybe even Broadway. The band will end, but the KISS experience… it's immortal." He then clarified: "It's the end of touring."

Simmons went on to detail some of the ways in which the KISS brand will be kept alive.

"KISS will continue," he said. "There's a KISS museum in Las Vegas at the Rio called KISS World, and oh my goodness, we have KISS cruises, a movie coming out, and we're working on a cartoon show, a lot of stuff. And of course, all the fun toys and games that will continue."

As for the future of KISS performances, he said: "The KISS show will live on in different ways. Yes, that's being planned. It'll also be four to ten different travelling shows. So, you'll be able to be in Japan and have Japanese actors, musicians being us, and at the same time you could go to Vegas or New York or London."

Earlier this year, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee said that a biopic based on the band's early years is tentatively scheduled to hit Netflix in 2024. McGhee also said that while Gene and fellow KISS co-founder Paul Stanley are ending KISS as a touring entity, he didn't see it as the end of the brand, which he compared to the Marvel universe. "Will there be other forms of KISS maybe in the future after I'm gone and after they're gone?" he told "The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn" show. "I don't see that KISS goes away."

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".

During an appearance on yesterday's (Wednesday, November 15) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Sammy Hagar discussed 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. Support on "The Best Of All Worlds" trek will come from LOVERBOY.

The 2024 tour will come more than two years after Satriani revealed that he was approached about participating in a VAN HALEN tribute show with David Lee Roth and Alex Van Halen. That project never got off the ground, reportedly because Roth was "holding up" getting everything approved.

Asked by "Trunk Nation" host Eddie Trunk if there was any attempt made to see if Alex would be interested in taking part in "The Best Of All Worlds" prior to getting Bonham involved, Hagar said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A hundred percent. Jason insisted upon, 'I will not say yes to do this thing until at least you get… Alex says yes or no.' Alex hasn't returned my call for five years. I've called, I've left messages, I've left texts, I've left e-mails.

"I don't think Al really wants to go out and play; otherwise they would have did it with Joe when they were thinking about it [back in 2021]," he continued. "And [VAN HALEN's manager] Irving Azoff called me [around that time in 2021] and said, 'Hey, would you do it? Somebody's out of their mind. You and Alex, I've gotta get you guys together.' I said, 'Fine.' He said, 'Reach out one more time.' I reached out one more time. No response.

"Alex never played with anybody ever except his brother," Hagar added. "He never jammed with anybody. The whole time we were in VAN HALEN, Mike and I would be out playing clubs with Eddie [Van Halen], jumping on stage on nights off. And Alex [would be] standing on the side of the stage [and looking on]."

Sammy previously talked about the upcoming tour during an appearance on "The Howard Stern Show" on Tuesday (November 13). "It's time. Nobody else is gonna do it," Sammy stated about performing songs from different eras of VAN HALEN. "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 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."

Asked by Howard Stern what the odds are that Alex Van Halen would show up on the tour and "maybe join the celebration of his brother", Hagar said: "I would hope so. I reach out to Al about once a month for about five years now, and he doesn't get back to me… I call, I leave a voice message, I send a text and I send an e-mail. All three things. 'Al, give me a call.' Al's favorite line to me was always, every time he wanted to get back together, he would say, 'You know, Sam, we ain't getting any younger.' So I'd say, 'Hey, Al, we ain't getting any younger. Give me a call. Let me know. What do you wanna do? Come on over. Let's get together. Mike and I'll meet you somewhere.'"

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.

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.

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."

Photo credit: Leah Steiger

The complete demo version of a never-before-heard collaboration between GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash and late LINKIN PARK singer Chester Bennington can be streamed in the YouTube below, courtesy of the GUNS N' ROSES-centric podcast "Appetite For Distortion". The track, called "Crazy", was intended for Slash's first solo album, although he ended up recording it for the LP under the title "Captain Alibi" with late MOTÖRHEAD frontman Lemmy Kilmister on vocals.

The "Crazy" snippet was made available by music producer Big Chris Flores, who worked on Slash's aforementioned album more than a decade ago. In early 2022, Flores went back to the studio and recruited Matt Starr (MR. BIG) and Doug Pinnick (KING'S X) to play drums and bass, respectively, on the track, which will reportedly be officially released in the not-too-distant future to benefit 320 Changes Direction, the mental health awareness organization launched by Chester's widow Talinda Bennington.

During a 2021 appearance on "Appetite For Distortion", Flores stated about working with Bennington: "We sent him the demo and set up a session. Chester came in for literally probably a few hours, recorded it and was, like, 'Hey, can I hang out for a little bit?' and that was the last of it. It was one or two takes when he got here. There was nothing really to it."

As for why the recording never ended up seeing the light of day, Flores explained: "I think part of the reason it got shelved for so long was out of respect, just waiting for LINKIN PARK to release whatever they were going to release with Chester and then give Talinda and his mom time to figure out if they wanted to do anything with it. Slash hadn't heard anything from them and it just was forgotten about."

Slash discussed his Bennington collaboration in a 2018 interview with Variety. He recalled: "When I was doing my first solo record, I worked with a lot of different people, some of whom, for whatever reason, didn't end up on the record. One was with Chester. We did a song and LINKIN PARK at the time didn't allow it to happen, so I did it with Lemmy. The guy who engineered my demos sent it to me and I sent it to Chester's family."

The guitarist added that the song could be released at some point, saying: "His family has got it, so it would be totally up to them. It was really good. He was awesome. It would be fine with me if they wanted to [release] it. Musically, it's basically the same as the Lemmy song, but the lyrics are really poignant."

The self-titled 2010 project featured a different guest vocalist on each track, including Ozzy Osbourne, Fergie, Chris Cornell, Kid Rock, Myles Kennedy, Iggy Pop, M. Shadows and others. Slash told The Pulse Of Radio at the time how he went about getting all those singers involved: "I compiled, you know, a bunch of songs with a definite idea as to who would sound good on what. Then I had to make a presentable demo, call up the artist and go, 'I've got this song, I'm doing this record with all these different singers on it, and I would love for you to be on it and I have a song I think you would like,' and then send it to them. And then I got positive feedback all the way along the line there."

Slash released his fifth album and fourth with his band SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY AND THE CONSPIRATORS, titled "4", in February 2022.

Disturbed have released a new official live video, filmed on their Take Back Your Life tour. Watch "Just Stop" below:





Disturbed recently announced their 23-date Take Back Your Life 2024 North American tour, which will kick off in Peoria, IL on January 19 (full dates below). The tour will feature support from Falling In Reverse and Plush and is produced by Live Nation.




Tickets here.





Take Back Your Life Tour dates:


January
19 - Peoria, IL at Peoria Civic Center
22 - Grand Rapids, MI at Van Andel Arena
23 - Green Bay, WI at Resch Center
25 - Des Moines, IA at Wells Fargo Arena
27 - Oklahoma City, OK at Paycom Center
29 - Omaha, NE at CHI Health Center Arena
31 - Sioux Falls, SD at Denny Sanford PREMIER Center


February
2 - Kansas City, MO at T-Mobile Center
5 - Evansville, IN at Ford Center
6 - Toledo, OH at Huntington Center
8 - Knoxville, TN at Thompson-Boling Arena at Food City Center
10 - Uncasville, CT at Mohegan Sun Arena^
13 - Baltimore, MD at CFG Bank Arena
15 - Huntington, WV at Mountain Health Arena
17 - Nashville, TN at Bridgestone Arena
19 - Lexington, KY at Rupp Arena
20 - Greenville, SC at Bon Secours Wellness Arena
22 - Savannah, GA at Enmarket Arena
24 - Biloxi, MS at Mississippi Coast Coliseum
26 - Orlando, FL at Amway Center
29 - Austin, TX at Moody Center


March
2 - Phoenix, AZ at Talking Stick Resorts Amphitheatre*
3 - Las Vegas, NV at Bakkt Theater at Planet Hollywood


* Rescheduled date. All previously purchased tickets will be honored for this new date
^ non-Live Nation date

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, legendary German guitarist Uli Jon Roth was asked if there are any plans for him to release a new studio album in the not-too-distant future. He responded: "I've been recording a lot, particularly recently in Cologne [Germany] at the Dierks Studios where we did our SCORPIONS albums — all of them, in my time — and we made really good progress. So there are quite a few tracks in the making. Rather than a complete album, it will probably be chunks of three [songs] at a time that come out. We are already playing three of those tracks on the next tour, on the English tour."

Roth was in the SCORPIONS for five years before leaving the group in 1978, following the release of the live double album "Tokyo Tapes".

In recent years, Roth has revisited the early music of his period with the SCORPIONS, which resulted in the "Scorpions Revisited" double CD and "Tokyo Tapes Revisited" DVD/Blu-ray releases.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players ever, Uli pioneered a unique style of guitar playing which — for the first time — combined complete mastery of the instrument with an intensely melodic and emotional appeal.

From his earliest days onwards, Uli has always been a bold and uncompromising musical innovator of the first order. Being the first guitar player in rock to incorporate complex melodic arpeggio sequences, Uli Jon Roth — in the eyes of many of his peers — practically reinvented modern guitar-technique almost singlehandedly during his SCORPIONS tenure, but even more so during his ELECTRIC SUN days.

Uli recently completed work on a book, "In Search Of The Alpha Law", which is tentatively due before the end of the year.

Regarding the inspiration for "In Search Of The Alpha Law", Uli told Now Spinning magazine: "It's all about a certain way of looking at things, which I started to do many years ago. I started investigating, really, what's — I don't wanna say behind the music, but what's deep inside the music, because it's such a fascinating subject, and I always wonder, why is it that certain notes have a certain vibe that others don't have and they all have their own identity? Why are certain chords resonating in a way with us and what's the reason for it? And I found that there's some underlying laws, which are fascinating to look at, once you start to realize it, because these laws that govern music or the essence of music, they're the same laws that govern us, our minds, our spirits, and not to put too fine a point on it, I think the whole universe. So, 'In Search Of The Alpha Law' is about finding or describing a law that is fundamental to all things. It's like the first law of being, of becoming, and then all the other laws of physical laws in the universe are a variation of that. So once you understand the first thing, then you can branch out and start looking at all the other stuff."

30 years ago a dark presence moved into music history when TYPE O NEGATIVE released their third studio album, "Bloody Kisses", bringing a goth metal voice to the masses. Listed at #53 on Rolling Stone's "Top 100 Greatest Heavy Metal Albums of All Time", "Bloody Kisses" was an instant classic paving the way to the music charts with the incredible vocals by the late Peter Steele, drums by Johnny Kelly, guitars by Kenny Hickey, with keyboards by Josh Silver.

Z2 commemorates the 30th anniversary of "Bloody Kisses" with a stunning volume of art and stories from rock star contributors Andy Biersack, Carla Harvey, Cristina Scabbia and Burton C. Bell — as well as many more. This anthology captures both the haunted edge and the dry satirical humor that defined what many consider to be the definitive gothic metal album. The collection is slated for publication in late spring 2024 and will include, for the first time ever a double-picture disc vinyl set of "Bloody Kisses", featuring art by Alan Robert, LIFE OF AGONY bassist and "The Beauty Of Horror" creator.

"I have a long history with the TYPE O guys since we all grew up in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn," shared Robert. "Josh Silver produced LIFE OF AGONY's initial demos in his home studio and our debut album "River Runs Red" at Systems Two — the same place TYPE O recorded 'Bloody Kisses'. We did several tours together in the early '90s and shared a ton of laughs, so it was truly an honor to be a part of bringing this book to life. I know their music inside and out."

"Type O Negative: Bloody Kisses" is a collection of eleven stories based on tracks from the original release in 1993 along with the song "Suspended In Dusk" from the "Suspended In Dusk" alternative version (1994). Featuring cover art by Robert, an introduction by BIOHAZARD's Billy Graziadei, a collector's card by ANTHRAX/PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante, and inspired stories including "Too Late: Frozen" by founder and frontman for BLACK VEIL BRIDES Andy Biersack with art by Paolo Armitano (DYLAN DOG),"Christian Woman" by author and co-lead vocalist for BUTCHER BABIES Carla Harvey with art by Thomas Tenney (DC, Image),"We Hate Everyone" written and illustrated by Robert ("Pantera: Vulgar Display Of Power"),"Bloody Kisses" by LACUNA COIL frontwoman Cristina Scabbia with art by Seth Adams (Disney, Upper Deck),"Blood & Fire" by Grammy nominee, photographer, producer and FEAR FACTORY co-founder Burton C. Bell with art by Marco Finnegan (Abrams, Image),and "Black No. 1" by NEW YEARS DAY lead singer, actress, and creator Ashley Costello with art by Steve Kurth (Marvel).

When asked why this book is important, editor-in-chief Rantz Hoseley said, "TYPE O NEGATIVE is one of those rare bands that created a musical genre by their very existence, and 'Bloody Kisses' is one of those unexpected glorious releases that flipped the table of what was expected from hard rock and metal bands when it came out. 30 years later, there's no band that can go head-to-head with what they accomplished with that album, and our focus has been celebrating and honoring that spirit in every one of these stories and art pieces."

Z2 and TYPE O NEGATIVE present "Bloody Kisses" in hardcover and as a deluxe edition including the hardcover, double picture disc version of the album on vinyl featuring each of the four members of the band and collector's card by Benante, a super-limited edition including the hardcover, double picture disc version of the album on vinyl featuring each of the four members of the band, and collector's card by Benante — limited to 666 units and finally a very limited number of the rare REPULSION (pre-TYPE O NEGATIVE) demo cassette, thought to be lost forever, and uncovered recently in a Brooklyn attic.

"Type O Negative: Bloody Kisses" will be available in hardcover via Z2 distributed by Simon & Schuster for a list price of $40 (ISBN: 979-8-88656-064-0) at retailers everywhere in spring 2024.

Recently dubbed the "Hottest brand in music" by Forbes, Z2 has quickly become the premier destination for authentic graphic novels, art books and collectibles, created in partnership with top-tier artists, musicians, and pop-culture icons.

Photo courtesy of Z2 Comics