In a recent interview with Mary Anne Hobbs of BBC Radio 6 Music, Corey Taylor was asked a series of either-or questions, including this one: "SLIPKNOT or solo?" He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Interesting. I'm going to say solo, only because I'm starting it right now. And I'm really starting to kind of find myself in it. 'Cause it really essentially started as an experiment. I had all these songs that I wanted to share with people, and I really couldn't give them to either band. So it was, like, 'Okay, well, we're just gonna have to create a third option.'"

He continued: "SLIPKNOT is something that can never be replaced in my heart, can never be replaced in my life, and I sincerely hope that I'm a part of it until I hang the mask up. But the solo thing, there's so much that I can play with, and I'm afforded the freedom and the luxury to be able to create, song-wise, that it's exciting to me every time I think about it. And maybe that's just because I've spent 25, 27 years now, in SLIPKNOT that I am so excited about this shiny new toy or whatever. But I've explored so much in SLIPKNOT and it excites me to think about what's next for SLIPKNOT. But when it comes to this, it can be even more personal than I've allowed myself to be with SLIPKNOT. And it could be just because of my age as well. I've gotten to the point where I've tried almost everything, and yet here I am, 25 years ostensibly after my first real release, and I'm still trying to break new ground musically and doing it in a way that doesn't feel forced, doing it in a way where the song is still king and really try to put my heart into it. And I think my solo career is going to be responsible for that. And I think that's going to inspire me to open up even more in SLIPKNOT down the road. As I get older, I'm less likely to hold things back and more likely to try — and not just to kind of overpower people with it, but to share it. Which is completely different."

Two months ago, Corey, who will turn 50 in December, told Rock Feed that he can't see himself performing with SLIPKNOT into his 60s. "I've already said that physically I maybe have five years left, but at the same time I go out of my way to really try to take care of myself," he said. "Now I have a lot of fucking miles on me. It's hard for me. People don't realize this, but when I walk, I'm almost in constant pain. It's the knees, it's my feet. I have a broken toe on this foot. I have gout across my feet. It gets up into my joints and shit. Yeah, it's tough. I'm not as nimble as I used to be. I'm not 35 anymore. It's hard. But there are ways to do shows that don't require being that crazy now."

Corey continued: "The travel doesn't lend itself to being healthy, because, at that point, it's not like being home. You've got all your stuff. You're kind of at the mercy of what's there for you. So you're gonna eat like shit, you're gonna sleep like shit, you're gonna feel like shit, and nine times out of 10, you're gonna play like shit. We don't want that. So it's tough. Even a guy at my level, it's not always laid-out catering and the best food and the best people. Sometimes it's a soggy sandwich at 12:30 in the morning, and you're looking at it, going, 'If I put this in my body, I'm gonna throw up.' People don't fucking get that. You know why they think that? It's because that's all they see on Instagram, on TikTok, on this and that, and you're seeing the commercials. There have been times we've gotten off stage, we've gone right to the airport, flown out. We don't sleep until seven the next day. And now we're just all [exhausted]. Our crew gets it even worse, 'cause they have to fucking go in, make sure everything's good, and then they can go fucking take a nap. So it's not gravy all the time, man. It's tough. It's hard fucking work. Even at our level, it's hard work."

Taylor previously talked about the possibility of retirement this past June in an interview with Germany's Rock Antenne. At the time, he said: "As long as I can physically do it, and as long as there are people there to see it, man, I'll continue to do it. Now, if the quality starts to fail, then I'll know it's time to hand it in. And I've already thought about it — I've already thought about, maybe I've got another five years left of physically touring like this. I try to take care of myself. I work out when I can. The travel out here [in Europe] is exhausting; the food [on the road] is horrible; so it makes it hard to do that. But as long as I can keep at it, that's at least what I wanna do. So, yeah, it is what it is."

Asked if his bandmates feel the same way about the end of SLIPKNOT as he does, Corey said: "If they wanted to continue and I wanted to retire, I would help them find somebody, to be honest. This band has always been bigger than the sum of its own parts. And it was hard moving on without Paul [Gray, late SLIPKNOT bassist]. It was hard moving on when we had to part ways with Joe [late SLIPKNOT drummer Joey Jordison]. It's always been hard when the original nine ceases to be the original nine, but at the same time, the ones who are here are here because we love it, and we've always gotten something out of it.

"I've said it since day one — if I didn't want to do SLIPKNOT, I wouldn't do it," he continued. "And I think I've proved that. The reason I stick around is because I want to do it. There's still something in my heart and my soul that needs it. I don't know if that's good or bad. Obviously, psychotherapy will help me out with that shit. But at the same time, it's… it's once in a lifetime, man."

Asked if he feels a responsibility to the SLIPKNOT fans to be there with his bandmates, Corey said: "I do. But at the same time, I don't expect them to be there. I mean, there are songs that they love; there are songs they don't love. There are times I love this band; there are times I don't love this band. But I still wanna be here. And when I physically can't do it anymore, that's when I'll hang it up. I might not retire from performing period; maybe that's when I go and I do my acoustic thing. But when I can't go out there and give it at least my one hundred percent, that's when I'll hang it up. And me and Clown [SLIPKNOT percussionist and visual mastermind Shawn Crahan] have talked about this, man. He's older than all of us, and he's broken just as much crap as I have. I mean, Christ, he hit the keg with a baseball [bat] and ripped his bicep clean off the bone, and then went, got surgery and came back.

"We're psychos, dude," Taylor added. "I went out three weeks after my fucking spinal surgery — 'cause I'm a psycho. It's just we don't know our limitations until they catch up with us. So that's what I say. I mean, yes, there's a responsibility to the fans, but there's also a responsibility to me and my family. And I don't wanna be the one trying to pick up my grandkids and my legs don't work. I just don't wanna do that — I refuse to. I want my quality of life to be better than that — at the end."

SLIPKNOT has spent most of the last year and a half touring in support of its latest album, "The End, So Far", which was released in September 2022 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to "We Are Not Your Kind", it is the band's final record with Roadrunner after first signing with the rock and metal label in 1998.

Image courtesy of Resurrection Fest

They played the song together on "Saturday Night Live" last month, and now they're each releasing their own versions: Today FOO FIGHTERS proudly announce the Friday, November 17 digital release of a double A-side single featuring a reinterpretation of "The Glass" by American R&B singer and songwriter H.E.R. alongside the original version from the FOO FIGHTERS' universally acclaimed "But Here We Are".

H.E.R.'s newly recorded solo version of "The Glass" is nothing short of a revelation — a stunning and singular vocal/guitar performance that wrings new sonic and emotional dimensions from the original.

"But Here We Are" was recently nominated for three Grammy Awards ("Best Rock Album", "Best Rock Song" and "Best Rock Performance"). Like "But Here We Are" staples "Rescued", "Under You" and "The Teacher", "The Glass" has quickly become a new highlight of the FOO FIGHTERS live juggernaut — which shows no signs of slowing, with a November 18 "Austin City Limits" TV appearance and a sold-out Australia/New Zealand stadium tour on the immediate horizon, as well as stadium dates and festival headlines across the U.S. and Europe going well into 2024.

Last month, FOO FIGHTERS confirmed a massive run of summer 2024 U.S. stadium dates. The newly announced leg of the "Everything Or Nothing At All" tour will kick off with the band's return to New York's Citi Field for the first time since 2015 for a July 17 and 19 doubleheader and will see FOO FIGHTERS host 12 rock 'n' roll marathons at 10 stadiums, including a pair of shows August 9 and 11 at BMO Stadium in Los Angeles. Support on the various dates will come from PRETENDERS, THE HIVES, MAMMOTH WVH, AMYL AND THE SNIFFERS, ALEX G and L7.

"But Here We Are", unanimously hailed as one of the band's strongest to date, has become its tenth album to break the Top 10 of the US Album chart. "But Here We Are" also marks FOO FIGHTERS' sixth U.K. No. 1, ninth Australian No. 1, with additional No. 1 spots in Switzerland and New Zealand, and Top 5 debuts in nearly a dozen more territories.

Released June 2 on Roswell Records/RCA Records, "But Here We Are" landed at No. 8 in its first week on the Billboard 200, while entering at No. 1 on the Alternative and Hard Rock album sales charts. The new album's Top 10 debut continues a trend that began with the back to back Top 10 positions achieved by "The Colour And The Shape" (1997) and "There Is Nothing Left To Lose" (1999),and has since included the No. 1-charting "Wasting Light" (2011) and "Concrete And Gold" (2017),as well as the Top 3 placings of "One By One" (2002),"In Your Honor" (2005),"Echoes, Silence, Patience & Grace" (2007),"Sonic Highways" (2014) and "Medicine At Midnight" (2021).

FOO FIGHTERS played their first official concert with new touring drummer Josh Freese on May 24 at Bank Of New Hampshire Pavilion At Meadowbrook in Gilford, New Hampshire.

Freese was most recently drumming for Danny Elfman but was recently replaced by Ilan Rubin. Freese was also touring with THE OFFSPRING up until last year, with former SUICIDAL TENDENCIES drummer Brandon Pertzborn stepping in to officially replace him.

Freese replaced longtime FOO FIGHTERS drummer Taylor Hawkins, who tragically passed away in March 2022 at the age of 50.

Freese previously played with the FOO FIGHTERS at the tribute concerts to Hawkins in 2022.

Freese is a veteran session drummer who has performed with GUNS N' ROSES, A PERFECT CIRCLE, PUDDLE OF MUDD, NINE INCH NAILS, WEEZER, PARAMORE, THE REPLACEMENTS, Sting and THE VANDALS, among many others. He has also played more than 300 recordings ranging in genres from pop to rock to country.

BLACK STONE CHERRY drummer John Fred Young found himself in the middle of the pandemonium during a shooting at Oak Park Mall late Sunday afternoon (November 12) in Overland Park, Kansas.

Two suspects were reportedly taken into custody after a single shot was fired during a struggle between three plainclothes officers and two unidentified male suspects who were being apprehended for shoplifting.

Late Sunday, BLACK STONE CHERRY vocalist/guitarist Chris Robertson posted the following message on the band's social media: "We are feeling incredibly extra THANKFUL and BLESSED tonight.

"We were enjoying a day off at Oak Park Mall outside Kansas City. Our days off are always usually at a mall to decompress, walk, and check out the stores. Today was different. One minute you're looking around a shop, the next you hear screaming, chaos, and what sounded like a stampede. There had been shots fired inside. People were running everywhere and you could hear and see panic on every innocent face. It was truly terrifying.

"I texted our band group and told everyone wherever you are, to get out immediately," he continued. "I found a top level parking lot exit and came out and saw people tripping over road cones, parents holding their children while running…just pure chaos. Like a movie.

"John Fred was in lockdown inside a store with about 15 other people. The rest of us that were inside had made it to the bus. We texted with JF back n fourth giving updates. Thankfully, the local PD did a great job and apprehended two suspects and thankfully, nobody was hurt.

"This isn't a post for sympathy for us, but more of a post to say we are just so incredibly thankful. So incredibly blessed.

"This was the first time our group had been in a situation like this while on the road, doing something we do every single day off.
We embraced each other multiple times after this experience. If you've been involved in something similar, we completely sympathize with you.

"We love you all so much. We love each so much. You just never know…take time to tell those you love them. You just never know…

"Wichita, KS and the rest of this tour will be even more special and even more thankful to be able to play.

"We love our families. We love you. We are so thankful this season."

Officials with Oak Park Mall released the following statement regarding the incident on Monday: "We take these situations very seriously. In addition to our full-time third party security provider, we maintain a close working relationship with Overland Park Police Department. Our security program is 24/7 and covers the interior and exterior of the property. We evaluate our protocols on an ongoing basis, making adjustments as necessary.

"The mall was placed on lockdown as a precaution and mall management was in continual communication with stores via our tenant notification system, to advise of the status of the situation as it evolved. Once cleared of the lockdown, the mall did not reopen since it was close to the normal closing time of 6 p.m."

The Overland Park Police Department is asking anyone who was present near the food court and recorded video of the incident to share it with police.

BLACK STONE CHERRY's eighth studio album, "Screamin' At The Sky", came out on September 29 via Mascot Records.

Photo: Jimmy Fontaine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson celebrated his 59th birthday by attending METALLICA's "No Repeat Weekend" shows at Ford Field in Detroit, Michigan.

Earlier today (Monday, November 13), Ellefson shared a few photos of him at the two METALLICA concerts, which were held on Friday and Sunday, and he included the following message: "A heartfelt thanks to my dear friend Lars Ulrich & the METALLICA camp for giving me the wonderful birthday celebration of All Access passes in Detroit. What a great way to celebrate my birthday with great songs and longtime friends!"

He added: "And a huge thanks to everyone for their kind birthday wishes to me as well. Thanks for celebrating another trip around the sun!"

In a recent interview with the Mike Nelson Show, Ellefson was asked about his recent social media post which revealed that he went to see METALLICA play at one of the shows on the "M72" tour. Asked how the concert was, Ellefson said: "I almost wore my METALLICA shirt today. It's cycled up to the bottom of my — you know the black t-shirt pile we all have? Just cycle down, and you go through the shirts. 'Oh, there's a METALLICA shirt. Maybe I should wear this one today.' I'm not in MEGADETH. I can finally wear my METALLICA shirts again.

"Hey, man, I'm a METALLICA fan," he continued. "I mean, talk about gold standards. They're the one for metal. They have gone on to do the impossible. I mean, really, when you think about it in the touring business, there's Taylor Swift, there's METALLICA, maybe Beyonce, GUNS N' ROSES. And thank God, man, they're at the top. We need them to be at the top, because if they're at the top, that means all boats rise to that level. So we want METALLICA to be fucking Apple computer; we need 'em to be for our genre.

"Look, I thought their show… I think the tour now, the show now, this is the best they've been since the Black Album. I think they sound great, they play great, the song selection is great. So, I'm proud of our boys. I'm happy for 'em, and I think it's great that they're out doing it on the level that they're doing. It's one thing to get to that level, it's a whole other thing to maintain that level, which they've been able to do, which is just fucking awesome."

When interviewer Mike Nelson noted that "it must be crazy" because Ellefson probably didn't think 30 years ago that he would ever go see METALLICA show because of MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine's acrimonious departure from the heavy metal giants, David countered with: "No, I've always gone to see METALLICA. I remember going with Dave [Mustaine] to see them when they played with — the 'Kill 'Em All For One' [tour] with RAVEN. And they came through and they played the Country Club in L.A. where we lived at the time and seeing them play. I'm going, 'Fuck. Okay. So this is it.' 'Cause my first introduction was [the] 'No Life 'Til Leather' [demo]. And then I remember when the 'Kill 'Em All' album showed up, and me and [early MEGADETH member] Greg Handevidt and Dave sat in the apartment in sheer silence while the record played and Dave listened to it — studied it and just listened to it. It's, like, 'Yeah, I'm just gonna shut up and sit here and listen.' And I liked it. It was interesting how they slowed things down. In fact, I remember when Doc McGhee managed us for a short period at the in 1988. In one of our early meetings with Doc, he said he had an observation, he said, 'You know, METALLICA aren't really that fast. They just give the illusion that they're fast.' I thought, 'That's a good way to put it.' They slowed the tempos down so that it would work in the big arenas, which we eventually did in the '90s as we got up in the big arenas and played that — our tempos slowed down our songwriting style adjusted a bit as well. And the other thing he said, he goes, 'The name METALLICA is actually bigger than the band.' It's kind of like the name transcends. And we see it now — we see actresses wearing RAMONES t shirts and even MEGADETH t-shirts. They probably don't even have a fucking clue who we are, but they wear a t-shirt anyway, because the t-shirt and the logo is iconic.

"So, look, [METALLICA] broke down the barriers, they led the way," Ellefson explained. "I remember when we were recording 'Countdown To Extinction', I went down to go see METALLICA, I think it was, like, five nights at the Forum in L.A. And I went down to go see 'em. And I remember coming back [to the studio] the next day and [producer] Max Norman was, like, [adopts British accent] 'So how was it, mate?' And I said, 'You know what? I'm not gonna lie. It was fucking awesome.' What I couldn't figure out is I looked around this arena… MEGADETH could fill this arena, and then we would then, on 'Countdown', we'd put that many people in a venue. And I'm going, 'How is it that METALLICA have five times as many of these people as we do? What's the connection?' 'Cause it's the same [audience] — it's you and me, right? With our black t-shirts; we're rockers and we're metalheads, right? 'So where are all these fucking fans that go see METALLICA? How come they don't come and see us?' And I remember I was kind of shy about letting Dave know that I went down to go see METALLICA. And I remember Max was, like, 'You should tell him the truth, mate. You should tell them they're fucking amazing. Like, let's fucking go. Let's be as great as METALLICA,' you know? And I was, like, 'Well, you don't have to be in a band every day. You're just making a record with us.'"

Mustaine, who was the original lead guitarist of METALLICA, was dismissed from the band by drummer Lars Ulrich in 1983. He was replaced by Kirk Hammett and went on to form MEGADETH and achieve worldwide success on his own.

This past March, Ellefson told "I Ask No One With Kevin Re LoVullo" that the multi-platinum success of METALLICA's 1991 self-titled album "broke the doors down. METALLICA were always the leader. They broke all the doors down to every obstacle in the way of heavy metal," he said. "To some degree, IRON MAIDEN, before them, had superseded and became an arena act and done this stuff too, so certainly you've gotta give credit to MAIDEN. And even DEF LEPPARD, to some degree, because they started out as just kind of a grungy little heavy metal band out of Sheffield, and then they [went] on to become essentially almost like a pop act, on some level; I mean, they became that big. Those guys — certainly DEF LEPPARD and MAIDEN — deserve credit for sort of carving the initial path to sort of the big-time mainstream path for heavy metal. But then METALLICA came in, and they just fucking [said], 'We're here. We're coming in.' They really broke through every obstacle with MTV and daytime rotation with their videos and just became a household name. And it's cool, because they have 'metal' in their name, so it's not like there's any 'what is this?' It's, like, come on. It says 'metal' right in it. You know what it is. And they didn't clean it up and pretty it up; they just kept it raw and frickin' grungy and in your face, and it was, again, authentic. So, again, the likes of Lemmy [of MOTÖRHEAD], who influenced Lars [Ulrich, METALLICA drummer] and the guys, that inspiration that stayed true, that, 'We don't have to…' I remember with METALLICA, it was always the thing: 'We do our own thing. We don't play by the rules.' And to a large degree, they didn't. And that's, I think, what made it appealing to the fans, because, let's face it, heavy metal is kind of working man's music, and that's why we look to our heroes, because they're, like, 'God, I wish I could my boss to fuck off and just go do that, 'cause these guys can do whatever they want.' That's the message, right?"

Back in September 2020, Ellefson told Detroit's WRIF radio station that he and Mustaine paid close attention to what METALLICA was doing in the early years of MEGADETH's existence. "I mean, look, we are all just a branch off the METALLICA family tree," he explained at the time. "I mean, let's face it. Especially MEGADETH, with Dave being there, and then me being a branch off of Dave with MEGADETH. So, I mean, look, we owe everything to METALLICA. Those guys broke down the doors for every one of us — ANTHRAX, SLAYER. Bands today — LAMB OF GOD, PANTERA — none of this would have happened without METALLICA being up there as the 800-pound gorilla just carving the path through the jungle that would have never let heavy metal in. The stuff that they able to do and the size and the scope of which they were able to break those doors down, it changed all of our lives — as musicians, as fans, as everything. That's why I think when they did the 'Big Four' [shows] with us in 2010 and '11, that was just such a great olive branch."

The former MEGADETH bassist continued: "As Scott Ian [ANTHRAX] said, it's like we're all brothers of the same family, it's just that one of our brothers went off and became Microsoft [laughs], and that was METALLICA. It's, like, how the hell did you do that? That's amazing. You changed the world. But the fact that they came back and, again, offered that olive branch to us and just said, 'Hey, we were all in this together. Let's celebrate what we did together so many years ago.' And I think that speaks volumes to just how cool METALLICA is."

In 2019, Ellefson said that he got Mustaine's "blessing" to audition for the bassist position in METALLICA after Jason Newsted left the band more than two decades ago. David went on to say that he learned how to play some of METALLICA's songs in preparation for what he thought would be an audition with the group but that the opportunity never materialized.

Back in 2011, Mustaine said that he was relieved that Ellefson wasn't invited to join METALLICA after the tragic death of Cliff Burton.

Burton died on tour in 1986 in a tour bus crash, three years after Mustaine was kicked out of METALLICA and went on to form MEGADETH.

The so-called "Big Four" of 1980s thrash metal — METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER and ANTHRAX — played together for the first time in history on June 16, 2010 in front of 81,000 fans at the Sonisphere festival at Bemowo Airport in Warsaw, Poland and shared a bill again for six more shows as part of the Sonisphere series that same year. They reunited again for several dates in 2011, including the last "Big Four" concert, which was held on September 14, 2011 at Yankee Stadium in New York City. Since then, METALLICA, SLAYER and ANTHRAX have played a number of shows together, including the 2013 Soundwave festival in Australia. They also performed at the 2014 Heavy MTL festival in Montreal, Quebec, Canada.

A heartfelt thanks to my dear friend Lars Ulrich & the Metallica camp for giving me the wonderful birthday celebration...

Posted by David Ellefson on Monday, November 13, 2023

British heavy metal legends JUDAS PRIEST will release "Trial By Fire", the second single from their upcoming studio album, "Invincible Shield", on Friday, November 17. A teaser for the track is available below.

"Invincible Shield" will arrive on March 8, 2024 via Sony Music. The LP's first single, "Panic Attack", can 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
TRIAL BY FIRE. FRIDAY. pic.twitter.com/VLuWjLCirb

— Judas Priest (@judaspriest) November 13, 2023



CD cover:

Vinyl cover:

According to Seiska and Helsingin Sanomat, former STRATOVARIUS guitarist Timo Tolkki has been sentenced in Helsinki District Court to 45 days' suspended imprisonment for fraud and forgery.

The fraud conviction arose when Tolkki wrongfully applied for income support worth more than €3,000 (approximately $3,200) in 2020. Tolkki concealed his income and the funds in his bank account from Kela, the Social Insurance Institution Of Finland. The forgery conviction was based on the fact that Tolkki falsified his bank statements to Kela. Among other things, the guitarist deleted transactions and altered balances on his bank statement to conceal his true income.

Tolkki was ordered to repay to Kela €3,063 in income support. The guitarist will also have to pay a criminal victim surcharge of €80 to the state.

Tolkki failed to appear in court. In a letter to the district court, he argued that he had been living in a "bad time" when the crimes were committed. Tolkki has said that he suffers from bipolar disorder.

Reached by Seiska, Tolkki did not want to comment on the matter.

The judgment is not yet final, according to Seiska.

Tolkki recently reformed the "Dreamspace" lineup of STRATOVARIUS under the moniker TIMO TOLKKI'S STRATO. The musicians — Tolkki (vocals and guitar),Tuomo Lassila (drums) and Antti Ikonen (keyboards) — recorded the classic "Fright Night", "Twilight Time", "Dreamspace" and "Fourth Dimension" albums from STRATOVARIUS.

Tolkki wrote more than 100 songs for the band before leaving the group to embark on a successful solo career back in 2008. He is responsible for writing such power metal anthems like "Black Diamond", "Hunting High And Low", "Speed Of Light", "Paradise", "Forever" and "Destiny". More than four million copies of Tolkki-era STRATOVARIUS albums have been sold.

Seiskan mukaan Timo Tolkki nosti vuonna 2020 perusteettomasti toimeentulotukea yli 3 000 euroa.

Posted by HS – Helsingin Sanomat on Monday, November 13, 2023

Seiskan mukaan Tolkki haki itselleen vuonna 2020 perusteettomasti toimeentulotukea yli 3 000 euron edestä.

Posted by Ilta-Sanomat on Monday, November 13, 2023

Stratovarius-yhtyeestä tunnettu kitaristi Timo Tolkki on saanut tuomion petoksesta ja väärennyksestä..

Posted by Iltalehti on Monday, November 13, 2023

Timo Tolkki, 57, on tuomittu Helsingin käräjäoikeudessa 45 päivän ehdolliseen vankeusrangaistukseen petoksesta ja väärennyksestä.

Posted by MTV Uutiset on Monday, November 13, 2023

Metalville Records recently announced November 24 as the international release date for Trapeze's Lost Tapes Vol. 1. A new lyric video for the song, "Destiny", can be viewed below.


When rock band Trapeze called it a day, they left behind them a series of now-classic albums. Their influence on other groups has been immense, with individual members themselves going on to join heavyweight rock acts such as Deep Purple, Whitesnake, Judas Priest, and Uriah Heep. But their story’s not over, as Trapeze's Lost Tapes Vol. 1 will soon reveal.


These are tracks recorded on tour, and either side of album releases: great songs that were stockpiled but just never released, as the various lineups hit the ground running, playing live relentlessly and honing their craft while rarely seeing home.




However, guitarist Mel Galley did take those tapes to his elder brother Tom’s house. There, they - as co-writers of many of the band’s best-known songs - would review them, making various decisions that felt right at the time. Mel also had the foresight to leave them with Tom for safekeeping, so they didn’t get lost.


“One of Mel’s last wishes, before he passed away, was that I’d get together with Trapeze manager Tony Perry and put all these things together,” said Tom Galley, who went onto produce the celebrated Phenomena album series. “And that’s what we’ve done!”


Lost Tapes Vol. 1 is an opportunity to hear Trapeze with all the primal energy of young men stretching out, demonstrating there was even more untapped potential between the musicians involved than had hitherto been imagined.


Smashing the doors open across America by pioneering a heavy funk rock sound that would later be taken up by The Red Hot Chili Peppers, Extreme, and others, back in the '70s, Glenn Hughes (vocals, bass), Mel Galley (guitar, vocals), and Dave Holland (drums) barely had time to catch their breath while stepping into studios to lay down several unique songs that you’ll find on this collection, as well as tracks later recorded at Garage Studios in the UK during their '90s reformation.


Strident hard rocker "Breakdown" comes from that latter period. “This features Glenn singing - his voice is one of the wonders of the world!” Tom remarked, and it truly is, the song sounding immensely fresh and contemporary even today. From the same period, with "Don’t Let Them Push You," it’s a case of “More cowbell!” and Mel’s guitar weaving tirelessly with him also taking lead vocals.


On the trio’s older tracks, with songs like "Bad Kid From School" and "Enough Is Enough," it’s their classic sound you’ll relish hearing afresh. “I was able to get that funky heavy rock sound out of those old tapes - and that’s what I call the Trapeze style!” With various co-writing tracks from that period recovered, Tom also noted how "Catching Up On You" had "started off as an instrumental, but they decided to add vocals."


These tracks embrace both powder-kegged bravado performances as well as the band’s more nuanced emotional side - with nothing off limits, as the musicians involved can be heard exploring their potential both collectively and as individuals. Powerful with deft time-changes, tinged with subtly or bleeding out ferociously, belting rockers find them surging forward as one only for a propulsive rhythmic heartbeat to take hold over which solos soar.


Initially a five-piece patronized by The Moody Blues, even as that lineup fractured, Galley, Holland, and original keyboard player Terry Rowley went into 10cc’s recording studios, and some of those songs will also see the light of day for the very first time on this record. “'Destiny' and 'Lights Of Tokyo' were songs that were overlooked and never ended up on an album,” recalled Tom. Important pathfinders on the band’s journey, they pre-empt the heavier rock & progressive sounds that the band would find acclaim with, beginning with 1970’s Medusa album.


Following Hughes’ joining Deep Purple, Mel Galley took the helm, both singing and playing guitar, while bringing in bass player Pete Wright and second guitarist Rob Kendrick. This was their 1974 Billboard-charting Hot Wire era, finding them particularly prolific, laying down tracks in studios like Island in the years either side. "Going Home" is a fiery arena-ready alternative rendition of that album’s classic, pinpointing exactly why The Rolling Stones had Trapeze open for them back then.


From a little later, we get "So In Love." "If you listen to 'Chances' on the second self-titled Trapeze album, it’s 'So In Love' with different lyrics, sung by Glenn, and Mel sings this," we’re told of a more melodic number. Likewise, "Lover" finds the guitarist in particularly good form on vocals. Blending funk rock with a little soul, this so should have been a single, back in those days when music crossed the airwaves without fear of genre-boundaries, and only good taste mattered.


When Kendrick joined Budgie, Pete Goalby came forward and stepped up to the mic, oozing impressive vocal charisma and allowing Galley a chance to ease his voice. From that late '70s golden patch, we get the mainstream appeal of "You’ve Got It" and "Who Do You Run To," while on "Cool Water," it’s slick, funky with a blues rock edge that’s sat somewhere in between The James Gang and Little Feat in their prime. “Mel wrote and sang on an original version, but this is a version with him and Pete both singing. It also had Terry Rowley on keyboards,” recalled Tom, noting the ongoing bonds between former members, before astutely noting in conclusion: "This collection of recordings shows not only how good the various line-ups were, but captures the passion and excitement of the creation of the songs themselves."


Never a band who stood still, these recordings are often paths less taken. Had time, circumstances, and other opportunities not proved otherwise, we can only imagine what heights Trapeze would have reached… As listeners will discover, Lost Tapes Vol. 1, features Trapeze songs as classy as any on their previous rock album releases, with some likely to become classics still!





Lost Tapes Vol. 1 tracklisting:


"Cool Water"
"Lover"
"Breakdown"
"Don't Let Them Push You"
"Destiny"
"Lights Of Tokyo"
"So In Love"
"Bad Kid From School"
"Catching Up On You"
"Do You Understand"
"Enough Is Enough"
"You've Got It"
"Who Do You Run To"
"Going Home"


"Destiny" lyric video:





Deko Entertainment is set to release Trapeze’s Medusa and You Are The Music... We're Just The Band albums on vinyl for the first time in over 40 years. Pre-orders are available now with only limited copies of each available.


Originally released in 1970, Medusa was recorded at Morgan Studios, and was produced by the Moody Blues bassist John Lodge. The line- up of Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple), Mel Galley (Whitesnake), and Dave Holland (Judas Priest) recorded this album and the follow up, You Are The Music... We're Just The Band, in 1972 before that lineup disbanded. You Are The Music... We're Just The Band also featured a wide range of guest performers, including guitarist B. J. Cole, pianist Rod Argent, and saxophonist Jimmy Hastings. Now, Deko Entertainment will reissue both albums, fully remastered and repackaged, on February 2, 2024 in the following configurations:


Medusa, not released on vinyl since 1979, has now has been fully remastered on 180-gram vinyl, an awesome gatefold sleeve, in two beautiful versions. The Platinum Edition – comes on transparent, 180-gram amber vinyl with purple, green, and black splatter (limited to 250 copies pressed), featuring a signed 10”x10” band photo by Glenn Hughes (limited to 100 copies). The Standard Edition – comes on gold nugget, 180-gram vinyl (limited to 250 copies pressed).


You Are the Music... We're Just the Band, not released on vinyl since 1978, has now has been fully remastered on 180-gram vinyl, in two beautiful versions.  The Platinum Edition – comes on 180-gram, white, red, and black twist vinyl (limited to 250 copies pressed), featuring a signed 10”x10” band photo by Glenn Hughes (limited to 100 copies).  The Standard Edition – comes on red galaxy, 180-gram vinyl, and handsomely repackaged (limited to 250 copies pressed).


Listen to original version of “Black Cloud” below.


Deko Entertainment president, Bruce Pucciarello, enthuses about Glenn Hughes, "Tremendously influential but not fairly credited with blending funk, rock, and energy together. Trapeze showed us that Glenn Hughes was a monster in rock well before he moved on to Deep Purple.”





Medusa tracklisting:


Side A
1. "Black Cloud"
2. "Jury"
3. "Your Love Is Alright"


Side B
1. "Touch My Life"
2. "Seafull"
3. "Makes You Wanna Cry"
4. "Medusa"


You Are The Music... We're Just The Band tracklisting:


Side A
1. "Keepin' Time"
2. "Coast to Coast"
3. "What Is a Woman's Role"
4. "Way Back to the Bone"


Side B
1. "Feelin' So Much Better Now"
2. "Will Our Love End"
3. "Loser"
4. "You Are the Music"

King Crimson founder Robert Fripp and his wife, Toyah Willcox, paid tribute to veterans for this week's Sunday Lunch video, performing the David Bowie classic, "Heroes". Watch the clip below:





Toyah recently revealed in an interview with eonmusic that a movie of the Sunday Lunch series is in the planning. The phenomenon, which sees Toyah and partner Robert Fripp cover songs from across the rock spectrum, started life during the lockdown, and has grown into a "phenomenon", according to the singer.




Toyah made the revelation while speaking to sonmusic's Eamon O'Neill ahead of her performance at Rewind South in Henley-on-Thames in August.  


Speaking about how Sunday Lunch has taken off; Toyah said; "Well, the Sunday lunch phenomenon, which is a worldwide phenomenon, it's basically, we picked up on classic rock, and our treatment of rock is; if you can teach Mozart and Beethoven in schools, then why can't you teach classic rock? Because that's what it is now; rock from Led Zeppelin, rock from Black Sabbath; it's classic, it's never going to go away. And it's something that I think, kids would really love learning about. That's not that we're going on the road and being educational, but our show kind of goes on a journey with artists we know, artists who visit us in our homes."


Going on to reveal that a movie about Sunday Lunch is on the way, Toyah said; "We have a documentary crew following us, and we have quite a big production company scripting an idea at the moment. Obviously we won't be in it. It's for actors to play, but that's all in the back kind of pool of what do you call pre-production. All of that's going on."


Asked when the movie might see the light of day, she was however, less committal; "I mean, movies take years, you know, for the even scripts to be accepted, so who knows what will happen?"


Read the interview here.