KISS's last-ever concert, set to take place on Saturday, December 2 at Madison Square Garden in New York City, will be streamed worldwide, live on pay-per-view, exclusively on PPV.com. It will also be available on PPV via cable and satellite operators in the U.S. and Canada. The live show begins at 8 p.m. EST / 5:00 p.m. PST.

PPV.com, which does not require a subscription, will offer the concert for $39.99 in the U.S. and Canada ($14.99 outside North America). iNDEMAND, the parent company of ppv.com, will also carry the event through its network of cable, satellite and telco operators in the U.S. and Canada via providers including Xfinity, Spectrum, Contour, Optimum, Fios, DirecTV, DISH, Rogers and Telus.

iNDEMAND is an innovative partnership between three of the leading cable companies in the U.S. — Charter Communications, Comcast Cable and Cox Communications. iNDEMAND is a company of trusted content aggregators and licensing experts, with unparalleled technical expertise and long-standing relationships with MVPDs, major sports leagues, Hollywood studios, and other entertainment and sports companies across North America. iNDEMAND delivers great content to more than 80 million cable homes and has distribution deals with more than 150 companies.

In December 2021, iNDEMAND launched PPV.com, an innovative streaming PPV service and the first of its kind to offer interactive fan engagement during live-action sports. With the addition of PPV.com to its existing cable PPV infrastructure, iNDEMAND has consolidated all forms of PPV distribution under one roof, making the company the only provider of turn-key PPV solutions for both industry partners and consumers.

KISS's final runs of shows will wrap up with a massive concert in the city where it all began for the legendary rock act. New York City has been a part of the band's ethos and storyline for more than four decades, so they felt it fitting to culminate an iconic Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame-worthy career on stage at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.

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

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

In September, KISS frontman Paul Stanley told Australia's "The Project" about "End Of The Road": "Well, it's interesting because we can see the end now. When we started to plan this, it was probably about five years ago and the pandemic came into play and we lost a few years. We've done 250 shows on this 'End Of The Road' tour, because it's a long road, and they kept paving more road. But this is it for us. And intellectually, yeah, we go, we can't continue doing this. We're in our 70s; hard to believe. But for us, it's just reached a point where we realize we can't do this indefinitely. We're really at the top of our game still. And now's the time to do a victory lap and go out there with our heads held high and say thank you to everybody and do a show that really encapsulates and really pays tribute not only to us but to the fans."

KISS's current lineup consists of original members Stanley (guitar, vocals) and Gene Simmons (bass, vocals),alongside later band additions, guitarist Tommy Thayer (since 2002) and drummer Eric Singer (on and off since 1991).

Formed in 1973 by Stanley, Simmons, Peter Criss and Ace Frehley, KISS staged its first "farewell" tour in 2000, the last to feature the group's original lineup.

In a separate interview with Gulf News, Stanley addressed the fact that he and his bandmates have never allowed their concert theatrics to overshadow the music.

"I always say this: a crappy band with a big show is a crappy band," he explained. "We didn't start as a band with everything. We started as a band making music we listened to. When I was young, I saw LED ZEPPELIN, I saw Jimi Hendrix twice and I saw all the greats. They inspired me. And it was never about being a part of a band with make-up and [fireworks] … Our music doesn't need intellectualizing or philosophizing."

Stanley added: "I know there are entertainers right now who can draw bigger crowds, but I don't know if they are going to in the next 50 years. We have done that. Our devoted fan base is almost like a tribe … We don't make art that is intellectual; we make art that's emotional … That's why people remember their first KISS concert, their first KISS song, and they remember when KISS first came on the radio. It's a powerful connection."

Two years ago, Stanley told Classic Rock magazine that "one of the best things about early KISS songs is that they really were uninhibited and very much from the gut: we had nothing to live up to, except doing what turned us on."

"Over time you can learn too much: you might become a better songwriter, but sometimes it's the freedom of naivety that makes for the best result," he concluded.

Corey Taylor kicked off his fall 2023 European tour last night (Wednesday, November 8) at the O2 Academy in Leeds, United Kingdom. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

The setlist was as follows:

01. Post Traumatic Blues
02. Tumult (STONE SOUR song)
03. Black Eyes Blue
04. We Are the Rest
05. Song #3 (STONE SOUR song)
06. Beyond
07. Before I Forget (SLIPKNOT song)
08. SpongeBob SquarePants Theme (Painty The Pirate & Kids cover)
09. Snuff (SLIPKNOT song)
10. 30/30-150 (STONE SOUR song)
11. Talk Sick
12. Midnight (live debut)
13. Through Glass (STONE SOUR song)

Encore:

14. Duality (SLIPKNOT song)
15. Fairies Wear Boots (BLACK SABBATH cover)

Taylor recently completed a 28-city U.S. tour. The trek kicked off on August 25 at Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, making stops across the U.S in Detroit, Orlando, Dallas and more before the final headline show in Los Angeles at The Wiltern on October 5. Support on the tour came from WARGASM, OXYMORRONS and LUNA AURA on select dates.

In a recent interview with Rock Sound, the SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR frontman spoke about the solo album of covers and acoustic recordings, titled "CMFB…Sides", that he released last year via Roadrunner Records. "CMFB…Sides" comprised nine previously unreleased B-sides, covers of tunes that influenced Taylor, acoustic renditions, and live versions. Asked if he used "CMFB…Sides" as an opportunity to tip his hat to artists that had inspired him growing up, Corey said: "Oh, absolutely. I mean, there are so many people I have not had the chance to nod to, to acknowledge, to thank. Let's not forget music kept me alive. Music was the only source of happiness for me for the longest time, from when I was a kid all the way up until even into my twenties, for God's sakes. Music was the only thing that made me feel something other than horrible about myself. So there were so many voices in my head and so many people kind of holding me up that I am just really scratching the surface. Obviously, I've had a chance to show my respect over the years — 'cause of SLIPKNOT and STONE SOUR, I've been able to kind of talk about my influences, whatnot — but there's still so many out there that I really want to acknowledge. And the cool thing about doing the B-side stuff is getting to show those little hints and bursts of — doing everything from 'Lunatic Fringe' [RED RIDER cover] to 'Shakin'' [Eddie Money cover]."

He continued: "The B-sides that we have for this album [Corey's recently released sophomore solo LP, 'CMF2'], people are gonna freak out. We've got everything from Alice Cooper to ECHO & THE BUNNYMEN. I mean, it's that level of fucking radness. And I also have a band who can play anything, and I'm really, really, really spoiled when it comes to that. So I'm really looking forward to putting that out next year. It's one of those things that I want the audience to kind of get to the point where they expect that, just like, 'Oh, man, this album is great. There's also going to be this album that comes out next year with like all the B-side stuff.' And the cool thing with this is that in addition to the covers — it's not just acoustic versions, it's actually leftover originals that didn't make this album. So it's changed up even more from that side of stuff, so it's evolving. And it just feels great. It's everything that I've ever wanted to do. It's everything I've tried to do with SLIPKNOTandSTONE SOUR, and I'm finally getting to do it now because I'm the boss and I get to fucking make the decisions."

"CMF2" was released on September 15. Taylor's first album for BMG and the first on his own label imprint, Decibel Cooper Recordings, was produced by Jay Ruston (ANTHRAX, STEEL PANTHER, AMON AMARTH),who also helmed STONE SOUR's 2017 LP "Hydrograd" as well as 2020's "CMFT".

Throughout "CMF2", Taylor sings, plays lead and rhythm guitar, piano, and mandolin.

The 13-track opus packs the energy, experimentation, and forthrightness that's defined a career which has seen him sell more than 12 million albums with his Grammy-winning band SLIPKNOT and several million with chart-toppers STONE SOUR.

Taylor began tracking the follow-up to 2020's "CMFT" LP in early January at The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with Ruston. Joining Corey in the studio was the rest of his solo band — bassist Eliot Lorango, drummer Dustin Robert, along with guitarists Christian Martucci and Zach Throne.

Twenty-six songs were recorded for "CMF2", including "Beyond" and "Post Traumatic Blues".

"CMFT" featured the No. 1 Billboard mainstream rock single "Black Eyes Blue" and streaming sensation "CMFT Must Be Stopped" (feat. Tech N9ne and Kid Bookie). The LP hit No. 6 on Billboard's U.S. Top Rock Albums chart.

For their ninth release as a duo, Gravelle-Perinbam raised their performances to a whole new level, taking on Canadian prog rock icons Rush's 1985 masterpiece about the WWII project that created the first atomic bomb, "Manhattan Project".





This choice fits in perfectly with the duo's style, which incorporates rock, progressive music and classic metal. Rob Gravelle made his bass debut and took care of all guitars and keyboards. John Perinbam plays drums and performs all of the vocals. It follows the original, "Beyond The Cage Of Silence", which was launched this past January. A video for "Manhattan Project" is currently in the works.




Listen to "Manhattan Project" via here, and below:


Credits:


John Perinbam: vocals, drums
Rob Gravelle: guitars, bass, keys


- Mastered by Roland Marckwort of Violentene.
- Artwork by Marc Gravelle





About Gravelle-Perinbam:


Gravelle-Perinbam is a Canadian recording duo whose musical style embraces elements of rock, progressive, and metal. The duo is based in Ottawa and is comprised of producer / guitarist Rob Gravelle and producer / vocalist / multi-instrumentalist John Perinbam.


Gravelle and Perinbam also recorded the Knightfall CD with Annihilator’s Jeff Waters in 2009 and have released several albums with their band Ivory Knight.


The prodigious vocal and instrumental talents of the duo have helped their songs and videos garner tens of thousands of streams, downloads and views.


In recent years, Gravelle-Perinbam songs have been popping up on various music charts around the globe, including Viberate's YouTube Video Views in Metal in Canada and Soundcloud Plays in Metal in Canada, as well as Spotify's 360 Best of Indie Music Playlist.

Swedish heavy metal band, Lion's Share, has made their new song, "Life On Mars?", available on streaming services and digital service providers. Stream the song here, and watch a music video below.





Lion's Share has meticulously crafted a rendition of "Life On Mars?" that pays homage to David Bowie's genius, while infusing it with the raw energy and adrenaline-pumping power of hard rock.




Lion's Share singer Nils Patrik Johansson commented: "We feel It's the perfect blend of nostalgia and freshness that hopefully will appeal to fans across generations."


Lion's Share guitarist Lars Chriss adds: "We actually started working on it years ago, but had to figure out a way to capture the essence of the original, while adding a new layer of intensity and passion."


"Life On Mars?" is a song by the English singer-songwriter David Bowie, first released on his 1971 album, Hunky Dory. The lyrics are about a girl who goes to a cinema to escape reality, and include surreal images that reflect optimism and the effects of Hollywood.

Bassist Kyle Christner has filed a lawsuit against LINKIN PARK, claiming he didn't receive credit or royalties from the 1999 "Hybrid Theory" EP that he appeared on.

In the lawsuit, which was filed in U.S. District Court for the Central District Of California on Wednesday (November 8), Christner calls himself "a former member of LINKIN PARK" who "collaborated on and recorded numerous songs with the band." He says that the 20th-anniversary box set edition of LINKIN PARK's landmark studio album "Hybrid Theory", which was made available in 2020, contains "many tracks" of which he was "a joint creator of," including "Could Have Been", a" song that had never previously been released in any form and now has nearly a million views on YouTube alone."

According to Christner, he "has never been paid a penny for his work with LINKIN PARK, nor has he been properly credited, even as [his former bandmates] have benefitted from his creative efforts."

Kyle's lawsuit, which was first reported by Bloomberg Law and Rolling Stone, alleges that his name was "removed" from the "Hybrid Theory" EP when it was reissued in 2001 as "a fan club edition." He also claims that the aforementioned "Hybrid Theory" 20th-anniversary box set includes a reissue of the original EP.

"Though Christner was once under the misimpression that his bass parts were re-recorded on the EP after he left the band, he has, upon closer review, identified his bass playing on the edition of the EP included in the box set", the lawsuit states.

The box set, which does not credit Christner for his work on the EP, includes, among other things, rare and previously unreleased tracks on three collections (presented as compact disks in the physical edition) respectively titled "Forgotten Demos", "B-Side Rarities" and "LPU Rarities". Christner says he performed on "many of these recordings", such as a demo of "Could Have Been", a song released for the very first time in connection with the box set.

In a Twitch stream, LINKIN PARK's Mike Shinoda noted that Christner played on "Could Have Been" and described his bass solo on the track as "gnarly."

As of the day the lawsuit was filed, the recording of "Could Have Been" featuring Christner had been streamed more than 948,000 times on YouTube alone.

Christner says he played on other tracks included in the CDs in the box set, such as "She Couldn't", "Chair" and "Step Up". In fact, according to the lawsuit, Christner appears to have played on at least tracks 2, 3, 4, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11, and 12 of "Forgotten Demos", tracks 1, 2, 7, 13, 14, 16, 17 of "LPU Rarities", and track 7 of "B-Side Rarities", as well as the "Hybrid Theory" EP.
Christner's presence on various tracks is evidenced by, among other things, the fact that singer Chester Bennington, who joined the band after Christner, is on vocals.

One or more tracks in the box set on which Bennington sings and Christner plays, including "Blue", appears to have been mistakenly dated 1998, before Bennington or Christner joined the band.

In addition to performing on the sound recordings, Christner claims that he also helped compose songs and versions of songs included in the box set.

In an online interview, Shinoda discussed the band's songwriting process, which often involved all of its members. Commenting on the massively popular song "In The End", Shinoda stated: "I came up with the piano and the chorus music and chorus lyrics. Then Brad [Delson, guitar] came up with the guitar in the verse and we worked on the bassline and composition. From there, I think everybody in the band began chipping in and adding their parts and critiquing each other's parts."

Nonparty Jeff Blue, who worked closely with LINKIN PARK when they were recording the EP and various demos, said of one track recorded with Christner, "The bass line is sick," and of another, "Even the bass line is perfect."

The words "Additional Bass by Kyle Christner" appear on "Forgotten Demos". However, there is no other attribution to Christner in the box set, even though he says he plays on recordings on all three CDs and the EP.

Christner was not contacted before the box set was released.

Christner first discovered that his work was included in the box set approximately two months after its release. Subsequently, Christner also learned of several earlier compilations of demos and rarities that had been released to LINKIN PARK's fan club under the series title "LP Underground". He also subsequently learned of the fan club reissue of the EP.

Before he learned of the box set, Christner says he had no reason to know that his former bandmates had been publishing and profiting from the EP and various demos on which he had played.

Christner says that he was contacted by a member of the LINKIN PARK management team in or around April 2023. The management representative said to Christner in writing, "I would like to discuss some royalties due from the 'Hybrid Theory' 20th Anniversary release." The representative later told Christner in writing, "You get mechanical royalties for 3 demos and the 6-song 'Hybrid Theory' EP that you performed on." Christner inquired about the basis for the royalties, stating, "I would like to know what you are offering before signing anything."

On a Zoom call in June 2023, Christner reiterated his request for the basis of the royalty calculation and noted that he believed he was entitled to royalties on more tracks than the management representative had acknowledged. Christner followed up with a letter to the management outlining the results of his own initial review, which listed more than twenty songs. The letter stated that Christner wanted credit for his work. Christner's letter added, "If you do not believe I deserve writing credits on these songs, please state your reasons for that in your response."

Subsequently, upon being contacted by Christner's attorney, LINKIN PARK's management denied that Christner's work appeared anywhere in the box set, with only the "possible exception" of performing on "Could Have Been".

Kyle's lawsuit adds: "In other words, after admitting that Christner played on at least some tracks included in the box set and admitting that Christner was entitled to at least some 'mechanical' royalties, which are royalties paid for compositions, Defendants repudiated Christner's co-authorship and co-ownership of the works at issue."

Christner is asking the court to determine who authored and owns the disputed songs and an accounting of all the profits generated by the works. Christner also requested payment for back royalties, interest, and attorney's fees.

"It would be unjust for defendants to retain such benefit without paying plaintiff his fair share," the lawsuit added.

LINKIN PARK members Shinoda, Delson, Rob Bourdon and Joseph Hahn are listed as defendants alongside the band's management company, Machine Shop, and record label, Warner Records.

Portuguese goth overlords Moonspell have announced to team up with the prestigious orchestra Sinfonietta de Lisboa for their first-ever symphonic show headlining the biggest live arena in Portugal, the Altice Arena in Lisbon, Portugal’s capitol city.


Vocalist Fernando Ribeiro comments: “We had to wait long and hard, but the time is now, that we get our songs the true symphonic makeover with 45 musicians on stage, rocking to our legacy! It’s going to be as epic as it gets!”


The band will revisit their classics and their bombastic album 1755, bringing together the power of Heavy Metal and Classical music in a one-off, exclusive show, no Moonspell fan anywhere in the world can afford to lose!




Moonspell invites their fans to support them on their biggest adventure so far: This is a great chance to visit beautiful Portugal and witness Moonspell reaching their peak after more than 30 years together as a band.


Save the date: October 26, 2024. All ways lead to Lisbon!


Tickets are now on sale at this location.

Hard rock juggernaut Saint Asonia — comprised of heavy hitters Adam Gontier (former Three Days Grace frontman) and Mike Mushok (Staind guitarist / founding member), along with Cole Gontier (bass) and Cody Watkins (drums) — have shared the lyric video for the new version of their song "Wolf". This version features guest vocals from Skillet's John Cooper; the original appears on the Introvert/Extrovert album.


"We're super fired up to share this new version of 'Wolf' with all of you," says Gontier. "We are absolutely honored to have our good friend John Cooper from Skillet guest on this one; he is such an amazing person and an incredibly talented artist. Hope you all enjoy it!"







The collaboration makes perfect sense, since Saint Asonia have spent most of 2023 on the road alongside Skillet. They appeared on the first leg of the Rock Resurrection tour back in the spring and are currently touring with the band on the second leg, which runs through mid-December and features fellow rock titans Theory Of A Deadman. All dates are below.


Tour dates:


November
10— Minneapolis, MN — The Armory
11 — Brookings, SD — Dacotah Bank Center
12 — Waukee, IA — Vibrant Music Hall
14 — Grand Rapids, MI — Van Andel Arena
15 — Peoria, IL — Peoria Civic Center
17 — Youngstown, OH — Covelli Centre
18 — Johnstown, PA — 1st Summit Arena at Cambria County War Memorial
19 — Mashantucket, CT — Foxwoods Resort Casino
21 — Norfolk, VA — Chartway Arena
22 — Salem, VA — Salem Civic Center
24 — Jacksonville, FL — Daily's Place Amphitheater
25 — Orlando, FL — Orlando Amphitheater
28 — Mobile, AL — Mobile Civic Center Theatre
30 — Huntsville, AL — Propst Arena Von Braun Center


December
1 — Spartanburg, SC — Spartanburg Memorial Auditorium
2 — Johnson City TN — Freedom Hall Civic Center
5 — Fort Wayne, IN — Allen County War Mem. Coliseum
6 — Evansville, IN — Ford Center
8 — North Little Rock, AR — Simmons Bank Arena
9 — Wichita, KS — Hartman Arena

Serbian heavy / speed / thrash band Jenner has just revealed the cover art and advance single for their second album Prove Them Wrong, which will be released on January 24, 2024 through Fighter Records on CD and Digital formats.


Check out the title track, "Prove Them Wrong":







Prove Them Wrong artwork and tracklisting:





"No Time For Prayer"
"Prove Them Wrong"
"Born For Something More"
"Down In The Pit"
"Not Even You"
"Eye For an Eye"
"I Saw It All Clear"
"Never Say Die"
"Laws Of The Weak"


For further details, visit Jenner on Facebook.


 

On Wednesday, November 8th, Dirty Honey brought their Can't Find The Brakes Tour to the Danforth Music Hall in Toronto, Ontario.


During their set, vocalist Marc LaBelle, guitarist John Notto, bassist Justin Smolian, and drummer Jaydon Bean surprised the audience with an acoustic cover of the Rolling Stones classic, "Honky Tonk Women". Fan-filmed footage can be seen below.







Remaining dates on Dirty Honey's Can't Find The Brakes Tour are as listed:


November
10 - The Vogue - Indianapolis, IN
12 - Bogart’s - Cincinnati, OH
13 - Concord Music Hall - Chicago, IL
15 - Liberty Hall - Lawrence, KS
16 - Summit - Denver, CO
17 - The Depot - Salt Lake City, UT
19 - The Sand Dollar Downtown - Las Vegas, NV
20 - The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA
24 - Knitting Factory - Spokane, WA
25 - Roseland Theater - Portland, OR
26 - The Showbox - Seattle, WA
28 - Knitting Factory - Boise, ID


December
1 - Bourbon Theatre - Lincoln, NE
2 - Uptown Theater - Minneapolis, MN
4 - The Rave II - Milwaukee, WI
5 - The Castle Theatre - Bloomington, IL
7 - Saint Andrew’s Hall - Detroit, MI
8 - Elevation - Grand Rapids, MI
9 - House Of Blues - Cleveland, OH
11 - The Bluestone - Columbus, OH
13 - Brooklyn Bowl - Nashville, TN
14 - Mercury Ballroom - Louisville, KY
15 - The Hawthorn - St. Louis, MO


Dirty Honey released their second album, Can't Find The Brakes, on November 3rd. The artwork and tracklisting are as follows:





Tracklisting:


"Don't Put Out The Fire"
"Won't Take Me Alive"
"Dirty Mind"
"Roam"
"Get A Little High"
"Coming Home (Ballad Of The Shire)"
"Can't Find The Brakes"
"Satisfied"
"Ride On"
"You Make It All Right"
"Rebel Son"


“Coming Home":





“Won’t Take Me Alive” video:





"Can't Find The Brakes":





 

In a new interview with Revolver, SYSTEM OF A DOWN frontman Serj Tankian addressed his comment from a year ago that he wasn't interested in touring due to some health issues. Asked if those issues are still affecting him, Serj said: "Some of my back stuff is a lot better, in terms of health, which is cool. I have some other things I'm dealing with right now, which may or may not be affected by travel or touring.

"It wasn't just a health-related decision as far as cutting down on touring, but also a lifestyle decision," he explained. "Based on family and vision.

"I've been touring for 20-something years, on and off, of course. Not every year. And it's fun, it's profitable, it makes a lot of people happy in terms of being out there and sharing the music and [seeing] the reaction, and people really enjoying it and getting that feedback. But after years of doing it and the travel that's involved, it's one of those things where it's not the top priority on my list in life."

Asked if that means that he wants to spend more time with his son, Serj said: "Travel takes you out of… you could take your family with you if you're doing a small tour, I guess. And that's something that we have done, even when our son was really young. But it's just about prioritizing life and what you really want to do.

"Some people like to tour until they're ready to go from this plane, and that's not how I see myself going," he explained. "To me, doing different things in measured form allows me to be more creative than to take something that's repetitious and do it for a long period of time. And that includes everything that I do."

As previously reported, Serj's memoir, "Down With The System", will be released on May 14, 2024 via
Hachette Books.

Tankian is best known as the lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN, but he is also a solo artist, composer, activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker. He's also a proud Armenian-American and a dedicated activist. He has composed scores for many films and television series, had his paintings exhibited in galleries in the U.S. and New Zealand, and released two books of his own poetry. He has also been an executive producer on multiple documentaries, including "I Am Not Alone", which tells the story of Armenia's 2018 revolution and which won awards at the Toronto International Film Festival, DOC NYC, American Film Institute Festival, and the Palm Springs International Film Festival, among others. Tankian lives with his wife and his son, splitting their time between Los Angeles and New Zealand.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn

As first published in 2020, BraveWords caught up with legendary guitarist Jake E. Lee (Red Dragon Cartel, Ozzy Osbourne, Badlands) to reminisce about the past when he was living on the Sunset Strip with Mötley Crüe and Ratt, while embracing the world's most coveted guitar position - replacing the late Randy Rhoads in Ozzy’s skyrocketing solo band in 1982. In part one of our series, he talks about working with the Prince Of Darkness for five years in the glammed-out ‘80s, madly riffing on two albums that deserve more attention, Bark At The Moon and The Ultimate Sin. 



BraveWords: I’ve always found it strange that Ozzy rarely plays songs from your era. I love those two records, they really are superb and have aged beautifully over time. Are you still happy with them? 


Lee: “Yeah, I was happy with them. I do agree with him that maybe The Ultimate Sin should be remixed because it was a bit of a poppy mix at the time and he wanted to increase his fan base at the time - (Ron Nevison) gave it more of a poppy thing, but it’s a heavy record, so I think it should be remixed. Let’s have an alternate mix of that. I would hope he’d invite me to it.”




BraveWords: Just hope that Sharon keeps your guitar on there! 


Lee: “Sharon … Sharon can be so vindictive. Why be that way? I don’t understand it. It seems like it takes a lot of energy. She spends a lot of energy to be mad and to get back at people who she thinks have wronged her or Ozzy.”


BraveWords: I think she’s taught a lot of people, particularly women, to be more of a bitch because it’s always been a man’s game. I’m not justifying some of the really evil things that she’s done, but I think she’s done some good by being that force and face. 


Lee: “Yeah. She was probably the first woman manager to probably command her staff, and be feared.”


BraveWords: She wanted to be more of a tyrant than her father Don. 


Lee: “Well, that’s a hard job to do, from what I’ve heard. She’s told me stories about him. He was a scary guy. But yeah, she has done good, but she takes it a little too personally and takes it a little too far sometimes. She has a problem with me and I have no problem with her.”



BraveWords: There were rumours about you possibly getting the Ozzy gig again. Is that something you would consider?


Lee: “It would be fun. It would be fun to play with Ozzy again. It would be fun to do another record with him. But Zakk (Wylde) did some good shit too. Up through No More Tears I think Ozzy’s catalogue was good. I wanted… what’s the one with ‘Miracle Man’ and ‘Crazy Babies’?”


BraveWords: No Rest For The Wicked.


Lee: “Yeah! I wanted it to suck, you know?”


BraveWords: You wanted it to suck?


Lee: “I wanted it to suck a little bit, you know, because I got fired and I didn’t want the next thing to be good. But it was a good record. I remember hearing it and going, ‘Oh shit. Oh well, all right, he’s happy.’ But I think through No More Tears he had a good catalogue and was putting out good records. And then I don’t know, he got soft. I think he got lazy. He started letting other people write his shit. There used to be a definite Ozzy sound. And it was that sound with Randy (Rhoads). It was that sound with me - still the same vein but still a little bit different sound, even then the first couple with Zakk still sounded like Ozzy and then it quit sounding like Ozzy.”

Stay tuned for more as Lee talks about touring with Metallica and travelling on some badlands with Ray Gillen, Eric Singer and Greg Chaisson! 



All photos courtesy of Mark "Weissguy" Weiss. Check out his best-selling new book, The Decade That Rocked, now at this location!

Japanese metal quintet Nemophila celebrate the bands that shaped their sound while pointing towards new — but still plenty loud — sonic territory on covers EP The Initial Impulse, out now on all streaming platforms worldwide. By taking a swing at works created by some of the most beloved heavy groups ever, Nemophila pay tribute to the past while also declaring that the all-women outfit’s era has just begun. Listen here.


The EP finds Nemophila tackling a varied set of songs from four heavy legends. The five-piece project matches the surging energy of Slipknot’s “(sic)” while vocalist Mayu delivers a guttural scream-sing style that would make Corey Taylor proud. The band replicates the slow-burning intensity of Metallica’s “Master Of Puppets,” while capturing the intensity of System Of A Down on their interpretation of “Sugar.” Nemophila also try out a new, rap-indebted delivery highlighting its dexterity on their take of Limp Bizkit’s “Stuck,” featuring a vocal assist from members of Japanese rockers Rottengraffty.


Out now, the EP shows the rising Japanese metal group showcasing their global influences while highlighting their own perspective on the genre. It’s not just a celebration of the classics, but instead a showcase of Nemophila’s skill and variety.




“We had never seen a recording booth that big before, it was a very unique situation,” vocalist Mayu says. “We hope the passion we brought to recording in that big booth comes through to listeners…and that they enjoy the EP!”


The EP arrives at a time where Nemophila are prepping for a nationwide tour of Japan, building up to their first ever concert at Tokyo’s historic Nippon Budokan…a venue where many of their metal legends have played in decades past.


Five-piece metal band Nemophila represents a new era of heavy music in Japan. Formed in Tokyo in 2019, the quintet shot to attention early on by opening for celebrated groups such as Loudness and Hammerfall. They’ve developed a strong following at home and abroad, bringing a fresh attitude to the genre via pounding original numbers and high-energy covers. They’ve toured around the world, while also performing in some of Japan’s biggest and most beloved venues.





Tracklisting:


“Master Of Puppets” (Metallica)
“Sugar” (System Of A Down)
“(Sic)” (Slipknot)
“Stuck” (Limp Bizkit)


"Stuck":





“Master Of Puppets”:

Veteran hard rock producer Tom Werman has once again fired back at Dee Snider over the TWISTED SISTER singer's comments regarding their collaboration on the triple-platinum "Stay Hungry" album.

Werman, who is promoting his new book "Turn It Up! My Time Making Hit Records In The Glory Days Of Rock Music", discussed his fractured relationship with Snider in a new interview with Barry Robinson of Classic Album Review. Asked what he did to upset Dee, Tom responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I existed. He was one person for the entire project. He approved the mix. I had every band approve mixes in order to safeguard, to protect my reputation and to avoid exactly what happened years later. But with Dee Snider, it was a day later. I mean, he walked out of the studio and started trash-talking me in a way that nobody ever has. And I had no idea what was going on. Eventually I kind of assumed that because he had put so much work into his band for so many years, and they hadn't really done anything significant in the American market that he did not want to share credit for this big hit record. And this made their lives; this made the band's life. He eviscerated me for suggesting that they do a SAXON song, that they cover a song. And he was outraged at that: 'We toured with SAXON. We don't wanna cover a song. We know that song.' He was very angry that I thought more of a SAXON song than I did of 'We're Not Gonna Take It'. And then what did he do? The next record, they used Dieter Dierks to produce it, and their first single was 'Leader Of The Pack' — it's kind of a decent pop song from the early '60s, I guess. It was a cover [of the American girl group THE SHANGRI-LAS]. And the hypocrisy was pretty outstanding."

Tom continued: "I don't know. At this point, I don't care very much what he says. He's said it all. He said in a book of his, I think that the exact quote is, 'I think that Tom Werman personally destroyed our album.' And he went on… In the book, I quote him as saying in several interviews how great the album was. [Laughs] I don't get it."

During a 2020 appearance on "The Jasta Show", the Internet program hosted by HATEBREED frontman Jamey Jasta, Snider said he had "begged" Werman to put the songs "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" on the "Stay Hungry" LP. "[Tom] didn't want those two tracks on the record," Dee said. "I was on my knees in front of him… I wasn't begging on my knees, but because he was sitting and there was noise going on… And he's going, 'Eh, 'We're Not Gonna Take It', it's a little [hums melody mockingly]' I go, 'Trust me. It's gonna be edgier when we do it. That's the thing. It's catchy.' And his answer was, 'All right, if you really want it.' Okay, that was 'We're Not Gonna Take It'. And 'I Wanna Rock', he goes, 'Eh, I've done that thing already with MOLLY HATCHET. [hums galloping rhythm]' He was mocking my song. He actually presented me with SAXON songs to put on the 'Stay Hungry' album from [SAXON's] 'Strong Arm of The Law'. He goes, 'Check this out.' I go, 'Yeah, it's SAXON.' He goes, 'It's really good.' I said, 'Yeah, it's SAXON.' He goes, 'Nobody really knows them.' I said, 'We've toured with them. It's SAXON.' … He wanted us to cover SAXON songs. And I love SAXON, but in my community, it was current. It was their album that came out last. And he had this attitude, like, they were European, they weren't really big."

After Snider's comments were published on BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Werman spoke to Full In Bloom about Dee's criticism, accusing the singer of "embellishing" the facts and denying that he had the power to singlehandedly pick the songs that were going to be include on the album.

Tom said: "It's kind of a mystery [as to why Dee is complaining about it now]. Here it is 36 years since we made that record. There are several things he's ignoring or avoiding [or] omitting. One is that no producer — maybe Quincy Jones — could have that kind of influence, that kind of power.

"When an independent producer is hired by a label or a band, he is not given the authority to decide which songs are recorded," he continued. "It's a cooperative venture, Now, there's probably a very good chance that when they played me the demos of 'We're Not Gonna Take It', I said, 'Well, it sounds a little bit like a nursery rhyme.' Definitely catchy. But I probably needed a little bit of convincing. Getting down on his knees and begging? No. No.

"It's the dramatization and the embroidering and the embellishment of the actual facts — that's really sleazy, and it's very Trumpian. That's the way he operates.

"Dee Snider was there for the mixes. Dee Snider approved every single mix. So, really, if he doesn't like the album, it's just as much his fault as it might be fine. So, he blames somebody else…

"Who else blames somebody else for everything that's happening? Dee seems like a Trump disciple. He does everything that Donald Trump does that's despicable. Well, not everything, but there you go.

"There's no question that my approach to recording music was more pop, but that's what worked," Werman explained. "That's what got people on the radio. That's why [CHEAP TRICK's] 'Surrender' was a hit. That's why [Ted Nugent's] 'Cat Scratch Fever' was a hit. That's why I made hit singles. That was the only way to sell millions of albums, which would have been confined or restriced to FM play only.

"He's got one of the most licensed songs in the history of recorded music probably, and he's bitching and bitching and bitching… It is mysterious to me."

Tom also addressed Dee's claim that Werman suggested having TWISTED SISTER cover a SAXON song on the LP.

"I committed the terrible crime of saying, 'Hey, I like this song. Maybe you could do it,'" Tom said. "[Dee] said, 'Woah, it's SAXON.' 'That's right. That's right. It's SAXON. I really like this.' And I think it was 'Strong Arm Of The Law' or something like that. SAXON was a good band. He said, 'We've toured with them. We know them.' But the way he put it, it was, like, 'What, in God's name, is a producer doing, suggesting to me, Dee Snider, who writes songs, that I should do a song that somebody else wrote?' We do it all the time. I've done cover songs with everybody. MÖTLEY CRÜE did 'Smokin' In The Boys Room'. POISON did 'Your Mama Don't Dance' — a Top 10 single. So I said it, I recommended it. And he goes nuts: 'He wanted me to do a SAXON song, for God's sake.' That's right, Dee. I wanted you to do that. And he said no. Did I force you to do it? No. Because I can't.

"If I had the power to keep one of Dee's songs off the album, then I would have had the power — the same power — to force him to put another song on the album. Obviously, I don't have that power as a producer, and I never did, nor do many other producers. The producer is a hired gun; you fire him if you don't like him. In their case, [Dee] was pissed because he was forced to work with me by Doug Morris, who was a fairly successful record guy, songwriter, number two or three guy in the recorded music history, behind Clive [Davis] and Ahmet [Ertegun]. And he called me up and he said, 'Tom, you are the only producer I can think of who I think can make a hit with this band. And I really want this band to break a million in the United States.' So, of course, I said yes, and, of course, I knew that my job was to make them a commercial success.

"I really don't know what I could have done different to satisfy this guy," he added, referring to Dee. "I mean, the record that he made with the band, the re-record [of 'Stay Hungry'], that he said, 'That's the way we should have sounded,' I don't know who marketed it, but I understood that in the beginning, after it was released, it sold about 25 thousand records. CHEAP TRICK did the same thing.

"Years later, you're not so good. But at the time, you're great. They're selling millions of records — we love you. We love you, Tom. You're the best. And then, 20 years later, nah, he didn't get our sound right. He wasn't focused. He barely gave a damn about us. He tried to keep our best songs off the record. Whatever you like. It's just, like, I think I'll revise history here a little bit."

In a 2004 press release announcing the release of the re-recorded and expanded version of the classic 1984 album — under the new title "Still Hungry" — guitarist Jay Jay French said, "'Still Hungry' is 'Stay Hungry - The Way It Ought to Be'. It has an ultra-heavy sound, which is the way we wanted 'Stay Hungry' in the first place. But at that time rock records had a thin, very midrange kind of sound and so 'Stay Hungry' was recorded very lightly. We battled Atlantic Records and producer Tom Werman about it, but we lost. These re-recordings are faithful to the original arrangements but they sound much heavier."

"Turn It Up! My Time Making Hit Records In The Glory Days Of Rock Music" will arrive on November 21 via Jawbone Press.

Edge Of Forever have released a lyric video for "Water Be My Path", featured on their sixth studio album, Ritual. Watch the clip below, and order/save Ritual here.





Ritual tracklisting:




"Where Are You?"
"Water Be My Path"
"Freeing My Will"
"The Last One"
"Love Is the Only Answer"
"Forever’s Unfolding"
"Ritual Pt. I"
"Ritual Pt. II Revert Destiny"
"Ritual Pt. III Taunting Souls"
"Ritual Pt. IV Baptized in Fire"
"Ritual Pt. V Ride the Wings of Hope"
"Ritual Pt. VI Cross My Eyes"
"Ritual Pt. VII Reconciliation"


"Water Be My Path" lyric video:





"Freeing My Will" video:





"Ritual Pt. I" video:





Lineup:


Alessandro Del Vecchio - Vocals, keyboards
Aldo Lonobile - Guitars
Nik Mazzucconi - Bass
Marco Di Salvia - Drums

VAN HALEN frontman David Lee Roth has released his solo song titled "Hi-Fashion Girl" via YouTube. The track, which can be streamed below, was reportedly recorded in 2007 with guitarist John 5 for an album that has yet to see the light of day. Other songs recorded during the same sessions include "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill", "Low-Rez Sunset", "Giddy-Up!", "Alligator Pants", "Pointing At The Moon", "Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then", "Manda Bala" and "The Shit That Killed Elvis".

During a recent appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", John 5 stated about his 2007 collaboration with Roth: "I think what's magical about those songs is it's just me and Dave — it's just me and Dave playing and recording live," John 5 continued. "And I think that's what you don't really hear a lot today.

"Whenever I hear this stuff, I can visualize it. And it's pretty magical that way, 'cause it's, like, 'Okay.' It reminds me of back in the day when they were recording and the records were spinning and they were making the record as it was recording because you can't mess up. And especially you don't wanna mess up around David Lee Roth. So it's really cool that way. I could just visualize just me and Dave going through these songs and recording 'em that way."

Asked if Dave notifies him every time he releases one of the songs from the 2007 album or if he just finds out about it once they have already been made available, John 5 said: "I just find out. And I'm, like, 'Oh, rad.' But I really think the greatest song that just broke my heart, too, was 'Nothing Could Have Stopped Us Back Then Anyway'. And that is the one with the video, with the VAN HALEN video, and it's about Dave and the band and Eddie [Van Halen] and things like that. That one really is something special to me."

John 5 went on to say that he would like to rework some of the songs from the 2007 sessions "'Fair Warning' style — heavy, distorted guitars and riffs and solos and all that cool stuff. But I don't know. We'll see."

Roth mentioned "The Shit That Killed Elvis" when he discussed his unreleased John 5 album in a Rolling Stone interview back in 2013. Asked if he wanted to take those songs with John 5 to the stage, Roth said: "Absolutely. That's what it's aimed at. It's autobiographic. 'Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill' is the opening theme song, and it's about an Indiana kid who goes to sleep — think the Wizard Of Oz — and the characters in his life, the butcher, the baker and the newspaper guy, pop out of posters and sing him a song called 'Giddy-Up!' And he finds his way to all the good things in life, having discovered rock in the '60s, and there's a song titled 'Alligator Pants' — yes, I own a pair, I wore them for the last two tours. And things go horribly left-of-center wrong, of course, when you sell your soul to the devil, and one of the tunes is called 'The Shit That Killed Elvis'. So yeah, it's pretty stellar material."

In 2020, Roth included five previously unreleased songs in The Roth Project, an online comic narrated by the legendary VAN HALEN singer, with music from John 5 on guitar and bass, Gregg Bissonette on drums, Brett Tuggle on keyboards, and Luis Conte on percussion. "Manda Bala", "Giddy-Up!", "Somewhere Over The Rainbow Bar And Grill", "Alligator Pants" and "Lo-Rez Sunset" — were recorded at Henson Recording Studios in Hollywood, California.

John 5 previously spoke about the recording sessions for the unreleased Roth record in an interview with the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz", saying: "We had a great time. We had a blast — a lot of laughs, a lot of fun. I'm just so happy that I had that cool working vibe with Dave that we can just jump into the studio anytime and knock out some songs. And I'm very lucky 'cause not a lot of people get a chance to do that with Dave.

He added: "We were all in there together — I remember we were just all in there together. And that's how it was. We were all just doing it together — kind of like the old days, and he wanted to do it like that. And it really was a lot of fun. We had so much fun doing it. And it's one of my fondest memories."

In August 2021, John 5 told AL.com that the rest of the unreleased Roth record is in the same vein as the songs that have come out, which have a singer/songwriter sound. "[Dave] wanted to do this kind of a more California sessions type of thing," the guitarist explained. "And he's such an artist, I was, like, 'Whatever you want to do, I'm there for you.' So it is that kind of vibe. But there's a lot of multi tracks and different acoustic parts that all work together. It's kind of orchestrated, if you will."

John 5 got his first big break playing on Roth's solo album, "DLR Band", before landing stints with Marilyn Manson and now Rob Zombie. His latest sessions with the iconic VAN HALEN frontman apparently took place a decade and a half ago, with John 5 unveiling a snippet of the album during an interview with Masters Of Shred back in May 2019.

Four years ago, Roth was asked by Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF if his LP with John 5 will be made available at some point. He responded: "It will. There's been a revision of things, and I can start making real plans and start marching into the future. And, of course, you'll start hearing that material. This is material that we wrote variously for me solo and for VAN HALEN, and it's quite a bank of stuff."

Back in 2015, John 5 told Guitar Player magazine that the sessions for his unreleased Roth album were remarkably relaxed. "I would just go to his house and I'd write these songs with him, and he would say, 'Let's go into the studio,'" John 5 explained. "So he would go to Henson studio and record these songs. They came out… They're so good. They're so good. And we've got Gregg Bissonette playing drums on it, and I played the bass, and they're really great songs."

The guitarist said that Roth's vocals on the album sound "like nothing you've ever heard. It's old VAN HALEN — sounds like 'Could This Be Magic?' or anything like that. It's just that sound, that tone."

In a 2014 interview, John 5 described the LP as "11 of the greatest songs you'll ever hear, and it's just me and Dave, and we had Gregg Bissonette play drums on it. And it's unbelievable," he said. "You know, just great, great songs."

Drummer Jeramie Kling has announced his departure from VENOM INC. after a five-year run with the band.

Kling, who is also a member of INHUMAN CONDITION, previously sat out VENOM INC.'s 2022 summer festival appearances at Alcatraz festival in Belgium and Bloodstock Open Air festival in the U.K. He was replaced at those shows by legendary British extreme metal drummer Nick Barker.

On Wednesday (November 8),Kling released the following statement via social media: "I have decided to part ways with VENOM INC. due to logistical reasons.

"This has been an incredible journey that has taken me around the world! I have seen countries I had never been too, met wonderful friends and had a blast doing it! I am proud of what we created on 'There's Only Black' as well as the countless shows we have played over the years.

"Very special thanks to all of the VENOM fans that have accepted and welcomed me into the legacy. I will forever cherish your support."

When one person noted in the comments that the Florida-based Kling was "a little far from the rest of the band" — referring to guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn, who lives in Portugal, and bassist/vocalist Tony Dolan, who lives in the U.K. — Jeramie responded: "I didn't mind the traveling."

Back in 2018, VENOM INC. recruited Kling to fill in for Anthony "Abaddon" Bray on a European tour while Abaddon stayed home to spend time with his newborn daughter.

Kling made his recording debut with VENOM INC. on the band's sophomore album, the aforementioned "There's Only Black", which was released in September 2022 via Nuclear Blast Records. The follow-up to 2017's "Avé" marked the second recording under the name VENOM INC., while Dunn and Dolan have a long history as recording artists together in VENOM, M:PIRE OF EVIL and Mantas solo projects.

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the Conrad "Cronos" Lant-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

Posted by Jeramie Kling on Wednesday, November 8, 2023

A thrilling collision of sound and vision dubbed "a masterclass" by USA Today, the QUEEN + ADAM LAMBERT "Rhapsody" show opens with the juddering industrial beat and vocal harmonies of "Machines (Or Back To Humans)" — a new reworking of the cult favorite track that opened the second side of "The Works" album in 1984.

While immersive staging pulls the audience into a dystopian world of spinning cogs and hissing pistons, a battalion of CGI robots march across the giant video screens to the sound of "Machines" and look down on the crowd with unforgiving brimstone eyes — only to be vanquished with the assistance of a virtual Freddie Mercury vocal, the band then launching into a techo-infused but highly human "Radio Ga Ga", which kicks off a two-hours-plus roller coaster of the band's legacy catalogue.

In the opening of the new "Rhapsody" production, the audience hears Freddie Mercury and Brian May's dueting lead vocals from behind, raising the alarm (originally in 1984!) that the Machines are about to take over. Set against this, the robotic voices are provided by Roger Taylor's vocoded vocals advocating the Machines' point of view. The theme of this conflict bursts back in at various points later in the set.

May, co-creator (with Taylor) of the "Machines" song, and advocate of the new theme, says: "The Robot Horde provide a narrative thread to our new show. In these days of artificial intelligence beginning to invade our whole lives, these mechanical guys personify robotic insurgence. In our still-developing current show, 'Back To Humans' is the soundtrack to us as humans reclaiming our control. 'Machines' and 'Radio Ga Ga' actually have a common ancestor, the beginnings of a collaboration between myself and Roger in the sessions for 'The Works' album in 1984. But we had different ideas of how it should develop, and the track split into two songs going in opposite directions … Roger piloting 'Radio Ga Ga' to completion and into a world-wide hit, and me taking the route of making 'Machines' into a kind of unending battle. Putting the new show together, it hit me that 'Machines' was more relevant than ever. So the idea came about of theming the show with a 21st century version of this battle — and, incidentally, bringing 'Ga Ga' and 'Machines' fittingly back together once again. And this stands very well with our long-standing belief that a rock show should be live and dangerous rather than performed to clicks and electronic backings."

Adds Taylor: "'Machines' was born out of the electronica we originally explored on 'Radio Ga Ga' to create this sense of the battle between the electric side and the human side. Now at a time when it's increasingly becoming a machines world and we're all just trying to keep up, we felt it the perfect time to revive this idea of basically going back to humans."

Reintroduced to the QUEEN setlist for the band's current U.S. tour, the feverish live reaction to "Machines (Or Back To Humans)" has now prompted the band to release the original track as a digital single becoming available November 10.

Taylor says: "Basically, it starts off where everything is electronic — electronic drums, everything, And what you have is the 'human' rock band sort of crashing in. What you wind up with is a battle between the two."

Originally written by Brian and Roger almost 40 years ago and today holding a core position in the band's current spectacular live production, "Machines" is undisputedly now even more of its time than ever.

In a new interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, W.A.S.P. frontman Blackie Lawless was once again asked about complaints from some of the band's fans about the use of backing tracks during the group's live performances. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "The conclusion that I came to was this. Up until about five years ago, we did everything — it was literally a four-piece band; what you heard is what you got. And I came to the conclusion that we did the anniversary tour for 'The Crimson Idol'. We then brought in all that orchestration. And I stood in the middle of the room and I listened to that in rehearsal for the first time. It was like an out-of-body experience. I mean, it was unbelievable. And I remember thinking, 'I've never heard this sound like this other than the record.' And I thought, 'this is what I wanna do from now on. I want it to sound exactly like the record.'"

He continued: "When you listen to a record like 'Live At Leeds' [from] THE WHO, that's a rock band doing a three-piece musical version of 'Tommy' or some of the other earlier songs. It's great for what it is, but it doesn't sound like 'Tommy'. What they do now with all the pieces that they take out, those performances sound like the record. And so you have to make a decision as an artist: what do you want that performance to sound like?"

Lawless added: "Now as a singer, I take a lot of pride in what I do. When you've been given a gift like I've been given, most singers I know wanna show that thing off, and I'm no different. So, yeah, that's me singing out there. But as far as any other orchestra tracks or backing vocal tracks, I'm sorry, there's just not enough of us on stage to make it sound like that record — it's impossible. So, again, the artist, the individual artist has to make the decision of what do they wanna sound like when they go out. And from that first time, like I said, I stood in the middle of the room, and I listened to that orchestration, it blew me away. And I thought, 'This is what I'm doing from here on out. Now I know why THE WHO do it, or other bands like that. They want them to sound like the record."

Blackie previously addressed W.A.S.P.'s alleged reliance on backing tracks during a May 2023 appearance on SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". At the time, he said: "About 10, 12 years ago, we did 'The Crimson Idol' the first time in its entirety with orchestration. Now, prior to that, we had just done — I call it the 'Live At Leeds' version… Because if you look at what THE WHO did with the 'Live At Leeds', which we all thought was live at the time, and we now realize there are overdubs on those as well, like most live records. We would take the bare-bones approach to doing it. Well, we decided to take an approach where we tried to make it sound exactly like the record. And we had never used orchestration or anything like that. So we went in the studio, we took all the tracks off the record as far as the orchestration, we took the background vocal tracks, we took doubles on leads — we did everything. And we took it and we tried to make it sound as much like the record as we could. I stood in the middle of the room that first night in rehearsal, and I swear to you it was like an out-of-body experience. I had never heard anything sound like that before. I had never played with a live orchestra before. And so this was the closest thing you would get to doing something like that.

"Listen, I understand both sides of the argument on it," he continued. "For me personally, when I'm up there, I'm singing my ass off. But what's wrong with having enhancement to make something sound exactly like the record? Because you're not gonna get a band like QUEEN or any other band that does big productions like that… Four guys cannot go out there and reproduce that record. It's impossible. It won't happen. So do you want it to sound like the record or do you want it to be just a general live performance? And that's a question of taste.

"If you're gonna start making records where you have a lot of orchestration and things like that going, it is impossible to make it sound like that record unless you have that," Lawless added. "And you can also make the argument, which has been going on Broadway for the last 20 years, the musicians' union has been fighting this fiercely but technology rolls on and it's not gonna stop, where they no longer have live music in Broadway productions. And the musicians' union has had a fit over that. Well, even before that happened, when you had keyboards introduced that had entire orchestras in them, you've got one guy now replacing a hundred and twenty different people. So where do you draw the line?

"Like I said, I understand if somebody wants a true, organic experience, but from my perspective, I looked at it and I said… Once I heard it sound exactly like the record, I thought, 'I cannot go back to this again.' I mentioned THE WHO a second ago, the 'Live At Leeds' approach. THE WHO used tapes for years until they started hiring all these other guys to go out with them. But even still, a lot of the keyboard stuff — 'Won't Get Fooled Again', things like that — that's all on tape."

"When I go out on that stage, I take a lot of pride in this gift that God's given me," Blackie added. "And I like to show it off; I'll just be flat-out honest with you. But I think people wanna see that or they wanna hear it. So I don't think there's anything wrong with it. If you've got a guitar player that is really, really good, people are going there to see that. But again, when I went into rehearsals that one night and I heard what it sounded like when it sounded like the record, I thought, 'I can never go back.' Like I said, it was a flat-out out-of-body experience."

Asked what percentage of the vocals during W.A.S.P.'s live concerts are on tape, Blackie said: "You mean from my lead vocals? For my lead vocals, I would encourage people to go… We did five shows where I was sitting. Go look at those last couple. You're gonna hear it loud and clear. 'Cause when we were in Sofia, I cracked a couple of times, which I normally don't do. But it was getting towards the end of the tour. I mean, it wasn't anything catastrophic, but for me, I don't normally crack. But it happens. It's part of the live experience. But when we start doing the choruses and things like that, myself and Mike Duda and Doug Blair, we're all out there singing, but we're using backups behind that too. Because when we did it in the studio, we were using three and four tracks at a time to create that. You cannot make those choruses sound huge like that with just individual vocals creating that, because when you're doing it in the studio, you double and triple tracks. I mentioned QUEEN a while ago — they were using 24 tracks of vocals to create those sounds. You cannot create those chorus sounds by two or three guys doing that. It is impossible… Unless there's 20 guys in that room doing that, it ain't gonna sound like that… If you're doing 24 tracks of vocals to create that chorus effect, a handful of guys cannot do that, even with electronic doublers. And then you can get into that argument — okay, you're using mechanical effects to enhance one guy out there. I mean, where do we draw the line with this now?"

W.A.S.P. has been criticized for the group's supposed use of backing tracks, including for Blackie's lead vocals, for at least several years, as Metal Sludge pointed out in 2019 after Lawless and his bandmates performed at the Helgeåfestivalen in Sweden.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

This past March, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

Fresh off the heels of a wildly successful 2023 international tour across Europe, Canada and the United States, iconic thrash metal pioneer MEGADETH has announced new dates on the "Crush The World" tour set for 2024. The band will make their triumphant return to Latin America for 10 shows, with the first stop in Lima, Peru on Saturday, April 6. In addition to Peru, upcoming stops include Chile, Uruguay, Argentina, Brazil and México. Tickets for select dates will be available for fan-club members beginning Saturday, November 11 at 10 a.m. local time at www.megadeth.com/tour. Public on-sale for select dates will be at 10 a.m. local venue time on November 13.

MEGADETH frontman Dave Mustaine said: "April of 2024 MEGADETH returns to South America to support our latest record, 'The Sick, The Dying... And The Dead!', and I always get excited because there is something truly different about South America. I don't know what it is... but whatever IT is, they come by it naturally. We are also planning a really big surprise for where 'Aguante Megadeth' all started in Buenos Aires, too! So... if you can, DO NOT MISS THAT SHOW!"

"Crush The World" Latin American tour 2024 dates:

April 06 - Lima, Peru @ Arena 1
April 09 - Santiago, Chile  @ Movistar Arena
April 11 - Montevideo, Uruguay @ Arena Antel
April 13 - Buenos Aires, Argentina @ Movistar Arena
April 16 - Asuncion, Paraguay @ Jockey Club
April 18 - São Paulo, Brazil @ Espaco Unimed
April 21 - Bogota, Colombia @ Movistar Arena
April 23 - San Salvador, El Salvador @ Complejo Cuscatlan
April 25 - Ciudad de México, México @ Arena Ciudad de México
April 27 - Monterrey, México @ Arena Monterrey

Last month, Mustaine talked to Greg Prato of Ultimate Guitar about the addition of new touring guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari (WINTERSUN, SMACKBOUND). Teemu has been filling in for the band's longtime axeman Kiko Loureiro, who announced in September that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

Speaking about Kiko's absence from MEGADETH's recent tour, Dave said: "I love [Kiko] and I want him to get whatever he's going through worked out. And fortunately, he had mentioned the name of a guy, Teemu Mäntysaari. Teemu came out, and he was prepared.

"I don't know when Kiko is coming back," Mustaine continued. "He won't be back for this run [of tour dates]. He's at home, and he's soldiering on — for lack of a better term — and working through whatever it is he needs to get through. Out of respect for him, I didn't pry and ask what exactly it was — because it's really none of my business unless he tells me. But I think for any of the fans that are going to say, 'How's it going to sound? What's it going to be like?' Don't worry. I've picked good guitar players in the past, and I train them well. Teemu is very capable of playing these songs. In fact, we're adding new songs to the set. That is really exciting, too."

Dave added: "I wish Kiko the very best. I love him, and I hope to get some good news from him soon."

Last month, Mustaine told Shaggy of the 94.9 and 104.5 The Pick radio station in Idaho Falls, Idaho about Teemu's addition to MEGADETH: "People are losing their minds over how things are going right now 'cause we have a really good chemistry together.'

According to Mustaine, MEGADETH has been able to change up its setlist a bit as a result of the guitarist switch. "We've got a bunch of songs from our catalog that we're playing, a bunch of new songs too," he said. "We've been able to add a bunch of songs to the set because Teemu was a metal fan. Kiko did not grow up baptized in metal… Like the show we did a couple of nights ago, we opened with 'Hangar [18]' and then we followed it up with 'Mechanix'. We've never done that before, so it's a pretty heavy beginning. And we've added a second track off of the new album with 'Soldier On!', and we're getting ready to add a third."

He continued: "But [this] tour is going to be ending in a couple days, and the next thing, obviously, is preparing for next year. We have another really good run in the States [coming up]."

In September, Mustaine was equally full of praise for Mäntysaari, telling Wes Styles in a separate interview: "He's really great. And I'm super excited with what Teemu has brought. And it's uncanny because he plays a lot like [former MEGADETH guitarist] Marty [Friedman]. And it's really exciting. At certain times I just close my eyes during the set and I just hear these songs played, whether like Kiko in the past or Teemu now, it just sounds really magic because these guys have learned these songs and they're not just going out there and just banging their guitar around; they actually learned the solos from some of the virtuosos that I've played with over my career."

MEGADETH played its first concert with Mäntysaari on September 6 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The 36-year-old Mäntysaari was born in Tampere, Finland and began playing guitar at the age of 12. In 2004, he joined the band WINTERSUN. He has also been a member of SMACKBOUND since 2015.

Loureiro officially joined MEGADETH in April 2015, about five months after Chris Broderick's exit from the group.

In addition to Mustaine andLoureiro, MEGADETH's current lineup includes former SOILWORK drummer Dirk Verbeuren and bassist James LoMenzo.