MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn was recently interviewed by Gastão Moreira of Brazil's Kazagastão (KZG). When Moreira expressed his surprise at the fact that MACHINE HEAD wasn't named after the classic DEEP PURPLE album, Flynn explained (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): " I loved classic rock, and it wasn't called classic rock back then. [Laughs] It was just rock back then. I was very particular about the classic rock bands that I loved. Like, I was never crazy about LED ZEPPELIN. I didn't really care about LED ZEPPELIN. It wasn't until way later in my life that I truly appreciated LED ZEPPELIN. But at the time all the assholes at school liked LED ZEPPELIN. So I was, like, 'Fuck LED ZEPPELIN.' BLACK SABBATH [was more my thing], because they were way more evil. DEEP PURPLE in California wasn't that popular in the '80s. It was other stuff that was way more popular. So, for lack of a better word, it was just off my radar. And then, of course, later on, obviously, I knew that 'Machine Head' came from DEEP PURPLE. I probably haven't even listened to the record all the way through. I've heard the big songs — 'Space Truckin'', I've heard, obviously, 'Smoke On The Water'."

He continued: "I tell you what, though, I met [DEEP PURPLE singer] Ian Gillan. We were in Liverpool mixing our second record [in 1996] and he was in Liverpool recording a solo album. And we just happened to be at the same studio. And he came over into our studio one night and [was], like, 'Hey, how's it going?' We were, like,' Oh my God.' And I couldn't bring myself to tell him that we weren't named after his band. [Laughs] I'm certain that he thought that we were. But we just hung out. We went to the fucking studio and he was, like, 'Play me some of the new songs.' And so we ended up playing him a bunch of songs. And we played it pretty loud. He was probably almost 60 at this point — [in his] 50s. And he started playing it, and he's, like, 'Oh, I need it louder.' And he just literally turned it up to full blast — I mean, the giant studio speakers. And we were, like, 'Holy shit. All right, let's go.' And he sat there and he listened to the fucking whole record. And he's, like, 'Hey, come over to my studio and listen to my solo album.' And he was kind of going through like a folk phase or whatever. And he came over and he ordered just fucking bottle after bottle of vodka, Jack Daniel's, beer, just chainsmoking cigarettes the whole [time]. I mean, we just had the fucking best night. [He was] telling story after story after story."

Earlier this month, MACHINE HEAD announced leg one of its "Slaughter The Martour North America 2024" tour. Forgoing their "An Evening With…" format for the first time in a decade, MACHINE HEAD will have Los Angeles's cyber-metal masters FEAR FACTORY, Sweden's ORBIT CULTURE and Louisville, Kentucky's GATES TO HELL in tow.

"Slaughter The Martour North America 2024" will kick off with a "hometown" show for MACHINE HEAD, their first since 2020, in San Francisco on January 19. Then the tour heads north with shows in the pacific northwest as well as eight shows in Canada. Other stops include: Chicago, Orlando, and Houston before concluding in Los Angeles on February 24 at The Bellwether.

This past April, MACHINE HEAD canceled its previously announced spring 2023 U.S. tour "due to work visa issues," explaining that "half the band, as well as a handful of key crew members, reside outside of the U.S."

The 18-date "The Electric Happy Hour (Live)" trek was scheduled to kick off on May 15 in Ventura, California and make its way to Des Moines, Fort Wayne, and Detroit before ending in Los Angeles on June 9.

MACHINE HEAD has been touring in support of its latest album, "Of Kingdom And Crown", which came out in August 2022. The follow-up to 2018's "Catharsis" includes the three songs that were featured on the 2021 "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single: "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and "Arrows In Words From The Sky". Much of the new MACHINE HEAD album was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with engineer/producer Zack Ohren.

In November 2020, MACHINE HEAD released a single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.

"My Hands Are Empty" was just one in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February 2020, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June 2020. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

During an appearance on yesterday's (Tuesday, October 31) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars was asked why the songs he recorded back in 2016 with former MÖTLEY CRÜE singer John Corabi are not included on his upcoming debut solo album, "The Other Side Of Mars". Mick said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I felt the songs were just a little — not strong enough. And there is a certain person that kind of interfered with that. And I'm not gonna say his name, but he kind of like messed some things up. The songs were wrong, parts in there that shouldn't be there and blah blah blah. It isn't a long story, but it was kind of like, 'That ain't gonna fly.' So I shelved it."

Asked by host Eddie Trunk to clarify that it was a third party who was involved in the project — not Corabi — who "kind of mucked it up," Mick said: "[I was] kind of duped — that's all I have to say — by a third party. And that's it. That's all. I got rid of him and went on and searched for other people. I mean, look, I found [producer] Michael Wagener after a while. He lives just down the street."

Back in 2016, Mars released snippets of two solo songs, apparently called "Gimme Blood" and "Shake The Cage". The tracks, which were recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, where Mars has lived for about a decade, featured Corabi, who appeared on CRÜE's 1994 self-titled album. Corabi later said that he didn't contribute to the writing process for the two songs, but that he was open to collaborating with Mars on some brand new material.

During a December 2021 Facebook Live session, Corabi was asked about the fate of the material he recorded with Mars. He responded: "A couple of years ago, Mick asked me to sing a couple of songs, and I did it. He put snippets of them out, but he's gone on to do a full record. And as of right now, I have no idea whether or not Mick is using those songs. It's Mick's solo record. He just asked me to sing two tunes. Unfortunately… I wanted to do more, and Mick wanted me to do more, but I wasn't able to, because of my schedule and because of Mick's schedule. So we'll all just have to wait and see. I'm as excited to hear Mick's record as you are. And we'll see. Hopefully he used those songs. Maybe he didn't. I don't know."

Birmingham, Alabama rocker Jacob Bunton collaborated extensively with Mars on "The Other Side Of Mars", which will arrive on February 23, 2024 via Mick's own label 1313, LLC, in partnership with MRI.

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

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

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

Bunton previously fronted the Alabama bands MARS ELECTRIC and LYNAM.

Slipknot played at Resurrection Fest 2023 in Viveiro, Spain on June 30th. Pro-shot video of the band performing "Duality" can be viewed below.


Previously released ideo of "Snuff" from the same show is also available.










Slipknot have released a video for "Hive Mind", a track from the band's 2022 album, The End, So Far. Watch below:





Produced By Slipknot and Joe Barresi, The End, So Far is available to order at slipknot1.com. The End, So Far includes the band’s 2021 surprise single “The Chapeltown Rag” and follows their widely celebrated 2019 album We Are Not Your Kind, which marked Slipknot’s third consecutive #1 on the Billboard 200. The release made a massive global impact with #1 debuts in the Official Album Charts of twelve countries around the world, including the UK, Australia, Canada and Mexico, with Top 5 debuts in an additional twelve countries including Germany, France and Sweden.





Tracklisting:


“Adderall”
“The Dying Song (Time To Sing)”
“The Chapeltown Rag”
“Yen”
“Hive Mind”
“Warranty”
“Medicine For The Dead”
“Acidic”
“Heirloom”
“H377”
“De Sade”
“Finale”


“Adderall”:





“The Dying Song (Time To Sing)” video:





“The Chapeltown Rag” visualizer:





“Yen” video

Earlier today, founding members of THE GUESS WHO — Burton Cummings and Randy Bachman — filed in federal court in Los Angeles a false advertising lawsuit in response to a group of "hired musicians" who have been touring and recording using the band's name. In addition, according to the lawsuit, these "hired musicians" have been using photographs that include Cummings and Bachman to create the false impression that the hired cover band is the original THE GUESS WHO.

Jim Kale (a former bassist who was kicked out of THE GUESS WHO in 1972),and Garry Peterson (the drummer who played with the group until it disbanded in 1975) are being sued for allegedly concocting a deceptive scheme that has falsely led fans into buying tickets for the cover band's live shows and implying that Cummings and Bachman are performing at the shows when in fact they have no affiliation with the "cover band".

The lawsuit also claims that Kale and Peterson have been removing images of Cummings and Bachman from the landing pages of music streaming platforms such as Spotify and Apple Music and replacing them with pictures of the cover band in an effort to boost sales of tickets for live performances. The suit additionally states the defendants have been using songs written by Cummings and Bachman to promote the cover band without obtaining proper licenses.

The "cover band"'s actions are alleged to have impeded both Cummings's and Bachman's own ability to book live performances in the United States and tarnished the band's legacy. The plaintiffs seek in excess of $20 million in damages as well as a court order directing Kale and Peterson to take corrective measures notifying the public and all venues where the cover band is playing with truthful advertising.

"With this lawsuit, Randy and I hope to set the record straight and protect fans from imposters trying to rewrite history," says Cummings. "Even after we're gone, the legacy of THE GUESS WHO will live on, and we want to make sure that legacy is restored and preserved truthfully."

Bachman adds: "Burton and I are the ones who wrote the songs and made the records. It's Burton's voice and my guitar playing on those albums. Anyone presenting and promoting themselves as THE GUESS WHO are clones who are ripping off our fans and tainting the legacy of the band. It's about time for the real story to come out."

Cummings and Bachman are represented by veteran entertainment attorneys Helen Yu and Henry Self of Yu Leseberg and James D. Weinberger of Fross Zelnick.

Image credit: DanLucky11

Goth metal icons, Type O Negative, have announced a 20th Anniversary deluxe vinyl edition of their sixth studio album, Life Is Killing Me, their final recording for Roadrunner Records.


The package will also feature a 3rd LP of bonus tracks (full tracklisting below) and a selection of rare, archival photos from that era of the legendary New York band. The release will be the first time the album has ever been available as a stand-alone vinyl edition, pressed on 140g mixed green & black vinyl and in a deluxe tri-fold package. Pre-order here.


Type O Negative formed in Brooklyn in 1989 by Peter Steele, Kenny Hickey, Josh Silver and Sal Abruscato, who was later replaced by drummer, Johnny Kelly. Affectionately known as the 'Drab Four,' Type O went platinum in the US with 1993’s landmark album Bloody Kisses and gained a rabid and committed fan base throughout the time of their seven studio albums, two 'best-of' compilations and concert DVDs.




Watch the video for the album's only single release, "I Don't Wanna Be Me", below.





Tracklisting:


LP 1


Side A
"Thir13teen"
"I Don’t Wanna Be Me"
"Less Than Zero (<0)"
"Todd’s Ship Gods (Above All Things)"
"I Like Goils"


Side B
"...A Dish Best Served Coldly"
"How Could She?"
"Life Is Killing Me"


LP 2


Side C
"Nettie"
"(We Were) Electrocute"
"IYDKMIGTHTKY (Gimme That)"


Side D
"Angry Inch"
"Anesthesia"
"Drunk In Paris"
"The Dream Is Dead"


LP 3 (bonus tracks)


Side E
"Out Of The Fire (Kane’s Theme)"
"Suspended In Dusk"
"Blood & Fire" (Out Of The Ashes Mix)
"Cinnamon Girl" (Extended Depression Mix)


Side F
"Black Sabbath" (standard version)
"Haunted" (Per Version)

German death / thrash metal band, Burden Of Grief, have released a video for "A Daydream Of Sorrow", the new single from their upcoming eighth studio album, Destination Dystopia, vailable on November 24 via Massacre Records.


Pre-order the album here, and watch the new video below:







On Destination Dystopia, Burden Of Grief focused on their years of experience to combine their strengths and put them into ten riff monsters that are bursting with energy, great melodies and pure heaviness. First and foremost, you'll get the thrash and melodic death treatment, but you'll also find a plethora of elements that go way beyond what these musical drawers are all about. Expect killer grooves, classic twin-guitar solos, as well as the return of the old-school Hammond organ. Kristian "Kohle" Kohlmannslehner and his assistant Daniel Claar took care of the drum recordings, mixing and mastering of the album at the Kohlekeller Studios (Hämatom, Powerwolf, Aborted), and they made sure that Destination Dystopia is the tightest and heaviest album Burden Of Grief has ever released.





Tracklisting:


"World Under Attack"
"A Daydream Of Sorrow"
"Exposed To The Dark"
"Downfall"
"Fevered Dreams"
"The Devil's Bride"
"Mass Murder Society"
"Destination Dystopia"
"Fall Into Oblivion"
"My Suicide"


"Fevered Dreams" video:

In a new interview with Barbara Caserta of Linea Rock, British heavy metal vocalist Blaze Bayley, who fronted IRON MAIDEN more than 20 years ago, was asked where he thinks his place in MAIDEN history will be as it relates to the band's other singers, Bruce Dickinson and Paul Di'Anno. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think Bruce is a wonderful singer. And here's the thing that people don't give the credit for. And that is Bruce Dickinson is one of the most important singers in music — not just in metal, but in music, because he has influenced so many people in different genres that were listening to MAIDEN. Metal was the most important music in the world when MAIDEN were coming up. So it's a different thing.

"Paul is a legend," Blaze continued. "He started. His voice is so distinctive, and it tells its own story of anger and frustration. And there's something wonderful and rich emotionally about the performance of Paul.

"When you get to the Blaze era, it's the progressive era of IRON MAIDEN coming. And so, things take their time a little bit. And they're darker — much darker. So... I think my era and how I will be remembered, my place in IRON MAIDEN is of the dark times and the deep emotions and of a struggle and a rebirth. That's what we were up against.

"We were in Italy playing to 10,000 people a night," Bayley recalled. "In the U.K., the magazines said IRON MAIDEN is dead. It's a frustrating time. 'Grunge, that is the music, man. Heavy metal is dead.' This is what happened when I was in IRON MAIDEN. EMI sold all the factories that made the records. It was just a darkness. And we went, 'If the fans are there, we are there.' And the fans stayed with us. They stayed with me. They gave me a chance. I was so fortunate. I was living my dream. The fans in [Italy] really opened their hearts. 'What's this guy like? Who is this? Let's see what he's like.' And everybody gave me a chance.

"So I think that will be it," Bayley concluded. "But the history of IRON MAIDEN is not finished and it is not written yet. So we shall see. We shall see when the legend is complete, where is my place."

The 60-year-old Bayley fronted IRON MAIDEN from 1994 until 1999. The two MAIDEN albums he appeared on, "The X Factor" and "Virtual XI", sold considerably less than the band's prior releases and were their lowest-charting titles in the group's home country since 1981's "Killers".

Since leaving IRON MAIDEN in 1999, Bayley has released a number of albums, including several under the moniker BLAZE and more than a handful under his own name. He also appeared on 2012's "Wolfsbane Saves The World", the first album of new material by WOLFSBANE since the group's self-titled 1994 effort, and a follow-up LP, 2022's "Genius".

Blaze's latest studio album, "War Within Me", came out in April 2021. The LP was recorded during 2020 with work split between Blaze's studio at home in the West Midlands and Christopher Appleton's studio in Greater Manchester.

Seven months ago, Blaze underwent a quadruple bypass surgery following a heart attack.

Polish heavy metal rockers, Scream Maker, have released a video for "Perpetual Burning", the opening track of their fourth studio album, Land Of Fire, released back in July. Check out the video below, and order/save the new album here.





Tracklisting:




"Perpetual Burning"
"Can't Stop The Rain"
"Everybody Needs Illusions"
"Zombies"
"A Nail In The Head"
"The Rider"
"Dark Side Of Mine"
"Way To The Moon"
"Land Of Fire"
"See The Light"
"Below"


"Perpetual Burning" video:





"Everybody Needs Illusions" video:





"See The Light" video:





"Can't Stop The Rain" video:





Scream Maker are:


Sebastian Stodolak - vocals
Michał Wrona - guitar
Bartosz Ziółkowski - guitar
Jan Radosz - bass
Tomasz Sobieszek - drums

Meshuggah performed "The Abysmal Eye", from their 2022 album Immutable, during their set at Bloodstock Open Air Metal Festival 2023. Watch professionally-filmed footage of the performance below:





Meshuggah recently released the new single, "Neurotica", guaranteed to get the adrenaline pumping for every headbanger. This rendition is the second track to emerge from the remastered 25th anniversary edition of their monumental album, Chaosphere.




Press play and get catapulted into an unrelenting sonic journey as the track kicks off with an extreme, high-energy beat delivered by drummer extraordinaire Tomas Haake. "Neurotica" showcases intricate and complex rhythms, a signature of Meshuggah, demonstrating the band's mastery.


Stream the track here, listen below:





Originally released on November 9, 1998, the band’s third full-length studio album shows the band toning down some of the thrashier sounds of previous releases in favor of the more technical, polyrhythmic, groove-oriented sound they would go to explore on subsequent albums.


To commemorate the album's quarter-century anniversary, Atomic Fire will unleash a sonically updated version of the album on November 10. The re-release of this masterpiece comes in hi-def audio remastered by Thomas Eberger and Sofia von Hage at Stockholm Mastering on all streaming platforms, as well as a jewel case CD edition (incl. 8-page booklet), and stunning new vinyl colors (most are limited worldwide to under 1500 of each color, 180 grams, 2cLP in 5 mm Sleeve incl. 2-page insert), to complete every collector’s dream.





Pre-order here. Listen to the remastered version of "Sane" below.





Meshuggah will return to US and Canadian stages for a nineteen date tour this fall with support provided by special guests In Flames and Whitechapel. Produced by Live Nation, the journey begins on November 21 in San Diego, California and runs through December 16 in Laval, Quebec. The tour marks the first time in five years Meshuggah has played on Canadian soil. The final show will also include the addition of Voivod. Tickets are on sale now.





Dates:


November
21 - Soma - San Diego, CA
22 - Hard Rock Live Sacramento - Wheatland, CA
24 - Paramount Theatre - Seattle, WA
25 - Doug Mitchell Thunderbird Sports Centre - Vancouver, BC
27 - Midway Music Hall - Edmonton, AB
28 - Grey Eagle Event Centre - Calgary, AB
30 - Burton Cummings Theatre - Winnipeg, MB


December
1 - The Fillmore Minneapolis presented by Affinity Plus - Minneapolis, MN
2 - The Sylvee - Madison, WI
3 - GLC Live at 20 Monroe - Grand Rapids, MI
5 - The Hard Rock Live Northern Indiana - Gary, IN
6 - The Andrew J Brady Music Center - Cincinnati, OH
8 - The Paramount - Huntington, NY
9 - MGM Music Hall at Fenway - Boston, MA
10 - The Wellmont Theater - Montclair, NJ
12 - Toyota Oakdale Theater - Wallingford, CT
14 - Wind Creek Event Center - Bethlehem, PA
15 - History - Toronto, ON
16 - Place Bell - Laval, QC - w/ Voivod

German folk rock icons, Subway To Sally, have released their brand new single, "Eisheilige Nacht", alongside a captivating music video. With this, the German chart toppers are heating up the anticipation for their legendary concert series of the same name, with which they and their fans have been closing the year since 2009.


The Eisheilige Nacht has always been considered a set highlight in the calendar. Together with top-class guests, Subway To Sally conjure up a rousing concert experience and impressively underpin their position as one of the most convincing live bands on the scene time and again. This year, Subway To Sally will welcome Fiddler's Green, Letzte Instanz and Manntra to their stage. The Eisheilige Nacht tour starts on December 14 in Pratteln, Switzerland, while the last show traditionally takes place in Potsdam, the band's hometow, on December 30.


Subway To Sally state: "The song 'Eisheilige Nacht' carries a big name. We are fully aware of that and the song absolutely lives up to it. You can expect an anthem in the classic Subway To Sally style, a soundtrack wrapped in black for the cold and dark time of the year, which finds a glowing and warming climax in December: The Eisheilige Nacht! It was clear to us from the beginning that this is no ordinary single, but a piece that will accompany us at every concert for many years to come."







Lineup:


Eric Fish - Vocals, Flutes, Bagpipe
Ally Storch - Violin
Bodenski - Hurdy Gurdy, Acoustic Guitar, Vocals
Simon - Acoustic Guitars, Trumsheit, Vocals
Ingo Hampf - Guitar, Lute
Simon Michael - Drums, Percussion
Sugar Ray - Bass

Technical death metal band, Gory Blister, released their new seventh full-length album, Reborn From Hatred, via Eclipse Records on September 8, and today, the band share a new live video for the song, "Reborn From Hatred", shot last October 7 at the Slaughter Club in Milan.


This live show was the band's first with new bassist Fulvio Manganini, coming from the symphonic death metal band, Nefastis, and bassist in Maiden Heaven (Iron Maiden tribute).


Guitarist Raff Sangiorgio exclaims, “It was an electrifying experience!” as he reflects on the recent endeavour to promote Reborn From Hatred. “The night at the Slaughter club, alongside Extrema, was nothing short of thrilling. We successfully captivated the audience with our music, and their enthusiastic response was truly heartwarming. What added to the magic of the night was witnessing Fulvio's seamless integration into the band. Despite having played together for only three weeks, on stage, it felt like we had been a cohesive unit for an eternity."







The new album was mixed by Ricardo Borges (Sepultura, Kreator, Carcass), and mastered by Peter Brussee (Steve Vai, Yingwie Malmsteen, Michael Bolton).


The brutally-technical full-length release contains eleven masterful songs, with artwork by Augusto Peixoto of Iron Doom Design.


Order / save Reborn From Hatred here.





Tracklisting:


"From Ashes...
"Push Out The Venom"
"Relentless Fear"
"Profound Sedation"
"Unexpected Livings"
"This Blood Is Forever"
"Reborn From Hatred"
"Greedy Existence"
"Signs From Beyond"
"Generation Ship"
"...To Flames"


"Push Out The Venom" lyric video:





"Relentless Fear" video:





"Greedy Existence" video:

Sky Empire, the renowned progressive metal band hailing from the UK, have released their sophomore studio album, The Shifting Tectonic Plates Of Power - Part 1, via Swedish label, ViciSolum Productions.


Stream the entire album here, and below. Order the album here.


Drawing inspiration from legendary bands such as Deep Purple, Rainbow, YES, Rush, and Journey, as well as modern metal and progressive acts like Iron Maiden, Pantera, Dream Theater, and Symphony X, Sky Empire has crafted a unique musical identity that appeals to a wide range of listeners.




Produced by the band's mastermind, Drazic Lecutier, and mastered at the prestigious Abbey Road Studios by Sean Magee (known for his work with Iron Maiden, Rush, The Beatles, Journey, and more), this album is a testament to the band's commitment to delivering a top-notch sonic experience. Featuring Jeff Scott Soto (Yngwie J. Malmsteen, Talisman, Journey) on vocals, the band has succeeded in creating an album that will certainly appeal to fans of the progressive heavy rock/metal of the '70s, '80s and '90s, but also to fans of the new-age equilibrism of prog artists like Tesseract, Haken or Vola.





Tracklisting:


"Prolegomenon: The Encomium Of Creation"
"On The Shores Of Hallowed Haven"
"The Emissary"
"Into My Father's Eyes"
"Wayfarer"
"The Last Days Of Planet Fantasy"
"House Of Cards"


Album stream:


The Shifting Tectonic Plates of Power – Part One by Sky Empire


"Wayfarer" video:





Lineup:


Jeff Scott Soto - Vocals
Daz Lecutier - Guitars
Remi Jalabert - Drums, Percussion
Tom Hobson - Keyboards
Dan Jones – Bass

In a new interview with Chris Akin Presents, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman confirmed that he is working on a new LP of all-original material. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've been recording my upcoming album for almost a year now. And it's gonna be finished by the end of the year, and it's gonna come out in the spring of 2024. And boy, it's an ambitious one. But, of course, I say that every time. But every time I have to top the one that was before it, so the task keeps getting more and more insane. And right now I would say I'm about 75 percent done with that."

As for some of the other projects he is currently involved with, Marty said: "I'm editing my autobiography, which will come out also next year. And also, I just did the most exhaustive instructional video series for TrueFire — the most exhaustive one they've ever done and the most exhaustive one I've ever done by far. It's the deepest dive into just the way I see music, which apparently is not the same as how others see it. Not that it's better or worse, but it's just completely different. So for the first time ever, including any of my other instructional things, for the first time ever, I've really actually worked hard on it and created this thing. And I did it at the end of the tour, the U.S. tour that I did earlier this year, and now it's just about finished. [We're] just putting the last edits on and just about done with that. So, it's kind of a lot of post-production work at this point."

Asked what challenges and motivates him to keep pushing forward with his music, Marty said: "I'm not really so much into trying something that I haven't done for the sake of trying something I haven't done. I'm trying to impress me with something that I've never done before. It's not like I'm gonna suddenly wake up one day and say, 'Okay, I'm gonna be a rapper' or something. I do what I do and I have my musical vision and sound. I just try to do deeper things with it. I try to make more complex emotions, deeper emotions in the music, more interesting, melodic twists and turns, more adventurous things, things that I wasn't deep enough to do last year or two years ago, or five years ago, things that I couldn't hear back then, things that I can only hear because life has given me more experiences since then, and, of course, more musical experiences, and just to consciously be aware of stuff that I've already done and not repeat it. It's a natural challenge that I've been doing forever, and the hardest part is that blank sheet when I just start from zero. It's, like, 'How am I going to top that last thing that I just did? I worked my ass off. I'm completely done. I have nothing left. I've got zero.' And so that's the challenge. But now that I'm about 70, 80 percent done with this new record, I'm pretty confident with it. And I really am looking forward to letting everybody hear it."

This past April, Friedman told Justin Hunt of The Entertainment Outlet he "recorded about half" of his upcoming album in the summer of 2022. "I went over to Italy and I recorded about half of an album."

Regarding what fans can expect from his upcoming LP, Marty said: "I think it's gonna please a lot of people who liked my [1992] album 'Scenes', one of my earlier albums. It's kind of in that vein, but much more modern. And it's got all the things that I've added to my musical — I don't know how to say it — palette, or what I'm trying to do musically. It's basically a grown-up version of 'Scenes', really, so far. But I haven't finished it. It's taking a long time, but, you know, tender love and care. And it's coming along great."

Friedman went on to say that his recent U.S. tour as the support act for QUEENSRŸCHE was a "perfect" way to inspire him to complete his new album. He explained: "This tour I'm playing really my most aggressive music with my most aggressive band. And that is perfect for my mentality for writing stuff like 'Scenes'. That's how 'Scenes' happened in the first place, because I was touring with MEGADETH like a maniac, and I was playing all this really, really heavy stuff every single night, and now I'm doing the exact same thing with my band. And so what I write is the complete opposite. So it's kind of like a really good creative time. And things are moving along really nice."

Marty's latest album, "Tokyo Jukebox 3", came out in April 2021 via The Players Club/Mascot Label Group. The record, which was made available in Japan in October 2020, is the third in a series that began with "Tokyo Jukebox" in 2009, and then "Tokyo Jukebox 2" following in 2011. The trilogy presents Friedman's inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he's chosen to cover.

Marty's presence in the world of music, the world of guitar and Japanese pop culture is mystifying, bizarre, and nothing short of inspiring. His first major impact in music was in the game-changing guitar duo CACOPHONY, which he founded with equally enigmatic and now-legendary guitarist Jason Becker. He then spent 10 years as lead guitarist in the genre-defining thrash metal act MEGADETH before moving to Tokyo due to his love for Japanese music, language, and culture.

Following his move, he landed a starring role for a new TV comedy "Hebimeta-san" ("Mr. Heavy Metal") and its spinoff, "Rock Fujiyama", which ran for six seasons and propelled him into the living rooms of Japan's mainstream. He has since appeared in over 800 TV shows, movies and commercials, including a two-year campaign with Coca-Cola for Fanta, authored two best-selling novels and was the first-ever foreigner to be appointed as an ambassador of Japan heritage and perform at the opening ceremony for the Tokyo Marathon in 2017, 2018, 2019 and 2022.

At the same time, Marty has continued his career in music with several solo albums in addition to writing and performing with the top artists in Japanese music, racking up countless chart hits, including a No. 1 with SMAP, two No. 2 songs with MOMOIRO CLOVER, a No. 2 with SOUND HORIZON — just to name a few.

In a brand new interview with The Mistress Carrie Podcast, Mike Mangini spoke about his departure from DREAM THEATER and the return of the band's original drummer Mike Portnoy. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "A decision was made that I understood. That's all it is. 'Cause when I heard the decision, I understood it. I tried to explain that I understood the parameters of that being a music thing. Anyway, it's as simple as that. And I'm telling you, I was, like, 'Okay, 'I get that.' The situation made sense to me when I heard it in that — I don't know, I guess I just skipped out and thought, 'Oh, that's an original bandmember going back to a band. Oh, I get that. Okay, I get it.' And that's it. I mean, that is literally it."

The 60-year-old Mangini, who joined DREAM THEATER in 2010, added: "I was with the band for 13 years. It was an unbelievable experience."

When Portnoy's return to DREAM THEATER was first announced on October 25, Mangini said in a statement: "I understand DREAM THEATER's decision to get Mike Portnoy back at this time. As was said from Day 1, my place was not to fill all the roles that Mike held in the band. I was to play the drums in order to help the band carry on. My main role of keeping our live show working tightly on a nightly basis was an intense and rewarding experience. Thankfully, I got to experience playing music with these iconic musicians, as well as some fun times laced with humor. I also really enjoyed spending lots of time with the crew. And then there's the Grammy win, which was amazingly satisfying. To the fans: thank you so much for being amazing to me. I cherish the pictures I have of you all losing your minds and having fun. Finally, I really love the band, crew and management and wish them and the entire organization all the best."

Portnoy attended DREAM THEATER's concert in March 2022 at Beacon Theatre in New York City. It was the first time he witnessed his then-former bandmates perform live since his exit from the iconic progressive metal outfit 13 years ago. Two months later, Portnoy told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about what it was like to see another drummer play his parts live with DREAM THEATER: "I've always been the type of drummer that just flies [by] the seat of my pants in the moment. Even with my own drum parts, I don't necessarily stick to them faithfully from show to show, whereas Mangini obviously really studied the drum parts and they had everything programmed out. They're all about the precision, and that's surely their thing. And yeah, he killed it. There's no doubt he's an amazing drummer and he plays my parts incredibly faithfully."

Portnoy continued: "I feel bad for him. He and I joked about it. He's in a horrible situation where he's damned if he does and he's damned if he doesn't. He expressed that frustration to me, and I feel for him; it's definitely a weird position to be put into. I kind of had it a little bit when I played with AVENGED SEVENFOLD and TWISTED SISTER, coming into the throne of two drummers that have passed away, and I tried to learn those parts as faithfully as I could. When I had a hired-gun gig like that, I spent a lot of attention trying to honor the drummer that came before me — it's important. I don't wanna go into a gig like either of those and try to force my style onto it."

Mangini will release his debut solo album, "Invisible Signs", on November 11. Accompanying Mangini on the LP are Tony Dickinson on bass, Ivan Keller on guitar, Gus G. (FIREWIND, OZZY OSBOURNE) on lead guitar and former EVANESCENCE guitarist Jen Majura on vocals.

Mangini has released two singles so far from "Invisible Signs": "Freak Of Nature" and "Not Drowning".

Mangini joined DREAM THEATER in late 2010 through a widely publicized audition following the departure of Portnoy, who co-founded DREAM THEATER 38 years ago. Mangini beat out six other of the world's top drummers — Marco Minnemann, Virgil Donati, Aquiles Priester, Thomas Lang, Peter Wildoer and Derek Roddy — for the gig, a three-day process that was filmed for a documentary-style reality show called "The Spirit Carries On".

Mangini made his name in the hard rock world in the mid-1990s when he played with EXTREME, before landing the gig with guitar legend Steve Vai in 1996. Nearly a decade later, Mangini took up a full-time teaching position at the world-renowned Berklee College Of Music.

German metal queen Doro Pesch was the featured guest on BBC's "The Rock Show With Johnnie Walker" during the "Rock God" segment. Doro picked JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford and stated about her choice (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was a big, big JUDAS PRIEST fan, and I was so lucky to do a nice tour with JUDAS PRIEST in 1986. It was my first big tour and Rob Halford was such a god. He was such a great inspiration. I loved his voice, his style, his attitude and everything about Rob, and he was so metal and I loved it so much.

"Now I can say I'm so grateful and I'm so happy on [my] new album, 'Conqueress – Forever Strong And Proud', there are two duets on it with Rob Halford. One song I chose — it is [JUDAS PRIEST's] 'Living After Midnight', because I liked the 'British Steel' album so much. And Rob said he would like to do a song with me, and I was totally excited and it's a great song. We did a metal version of the song, a great duet. It's 'Total Eclipse Of The Heart', a Jim Steinman production. [Welsh singer] Bonnie Tyler sang [the original], and I love the song and it came out so great.

"I definitely can tell you I still love JUDAS PRIEST and I still adore Rob Halford so much."

The official Mirko Witzki-directed music video for Doro's version of "Total Eclipse Of The Heart" can be seen below.

"Conqueress – Forever Strong And Proud" was released on October 27, one day before Doro's 40th-anniversary concert at the Mitsubishi Electric Halle in Düsseldorf, Germany.

Doro's breakthrough came in August 1986 when WARLOCK played at the Monsters Of Rock festival in Castle Donington, the legendary open air festival where legends like the SCORPIONS, BON JOVI, MOTÖRHEAD, DEF LEPPARD and OZZY OSBOURNE performed.

"We played at Monsters Of Rock, and it really got going right after that," Doro said. "People started giving us a chance. So we got to tour with my heroes JUDAS PRIEST. I quit my job for it and after that everything just went like in a dream. I moved to New York in 1986 where we recorded the album 'Triumph And Agony' which became a huge hit worldwide. I still love the album very much. Playing all these songs feels great; they are for always on our setlist."

Doro continued: "Then we went on tour with DIO, who I admired so much. After that a big, long tour with MEGADETH in the USA followed. The videos were played on MTV and 'Headbanger's Ball', and I miss that so much today. TV was super important. I had also the chance to host 'Headbanger's Ball'. I loved it all. They were absolute highlights of my life."

Like many great metal artists, Doro had to cope with the changing times during the 1990s as grunge became the sound of the decade and the traditional metal experienced a downward slide. Once again, Doro proved her commitment to the music she loves and lives by, delivering albums that played with newer, heavier styles without sacrificing the power and sacrificing the passion that had originally made them so successful.

In 2022, Doro received the Lifetime Achievement Award, having previously received an Echo, the Metal Goddess Legend Award in Las Vegas, the Legend Award in England and Germany, the Angel Of Rock Award in England and awards as "sexiest woman alive", to name just a few. She was also voted Best Female Vocalist in Spain for 30 consecutive years and was inducted into the Hall Of Heavy Metal History in the United States. Doro has played over 3,500 concerts in more than 60 countries and sold over 10 million records worldwide in her long and successful career.

Doro Pesch photo credit: Jochen Rolfes for Nuclear Blast

The YouTube channel of Housecore Records, the record label launched in 2001 by PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo, has uploaded video of the singer going "100% 'balls to the wall' for Halloween with his personal haunted house." The message accompanying the clip invites everyone to "check out the absolute insanity of it all!"

Earlier this week, the Housecore RecordsYouTube channel shared video of Anselmo giving a behind-the-scenes sneak peek of his haunted house in Louisiana as he prepared for Halloween night.

Housecore wrote: "For the past three years, Housecore Records has created a haunted house for family and friends. We were given a guided tour as it was being constructed."

A huge fan of all things horror, Anselmo in 2013 joined forces with internationally renowned, best-selling true crime author Corey Mitchell ("Hollywood Death Scenes", "Dead And Buried") to create Housecore Horror Film & Music Festival, an underground, three-day horror and heavy metal fan event that combined live concerts from some of the biggest bands in metal and hard rock with screenings of horror, true crime, and heavy metal films, music videos, and more — and special guest appearances from some of the world's most revered underground directors of horror.

In a 2010 interview with ARTISTdirect.com, Anselmo talked about when he first became a horror aficionado. "[When I was growing up] we had a black and white TV, and there was the 'Saturday Matinee', which was a horror fest," he said. "As a matter of fact, I was home alone and I saw Mario Bava's 'Black Sabbath', but that's a later memory. There was the afternoon show, and then the Saturday night show had a horror host, 'The Guru.' Honestly, the most impactful one was the 'Sunday Morning Movie' — films like 'Fiend Without A Face' and 'How Awful About Allan'. Believe it or not, those were on TV! Shit like that flipped me out. I would sneak up and beg my mother every night, 'Can I stay up and watch 'Night Gallery'?' [Laughs] I was sneaking out of bed, too, though."

Asked in a 2014 interview with Austin American-Statesman what horror flick first scared the bejesus out of young Anselmo, he said: "I won't say it scared me, because it actually made me cry my eyes out, but 'King Kong' was the first movie that really touched me as a kid. As far as scaring me and giving me the fear when I was a youngster, there was a movie called 'How Awful About Allan' starring Anthony Perkins of 'Psycho' fame. That movie scared me. And of course, there's no denying the power of 'The Exorcist'. In grade school I saw 'Don't Go In The House' at the theater. I saw 'The Changeling' at the theater — which scared the living, flying [crap] out of me! I saw 'Silent Scream' with Barbara Steele and that was insane."

A few years later, a friend invited Anselmo over to watch "The Evil Dead", which had a lasting impact on the musician.

"Man, I will just say it was a long walk home on these empty, desolate streets," Anselmo said. "Oh my God, I was pretty much awake all night. It outdid 'The Exorcist', because at that age you go through this gore phase where the gorier the better. That one hit a nerve, man."

Ozzy and Sharon Osbourne, along with their children Jack and Kelly, have released the eighth episode of their revived podcast. This week, Ozzy, Sharon, Kelly and Jack delve into the heart-pounding history of Ozzfest, reminiscing about its epic beginnings, backstage antics, and unforgettable performances by bands like INCUBUS, TOOL, SYSTEM OF A DOWN, SNOT, DISTURBED, MARILYN MANSON, LIMP BIZKIT and many more. They share stories about what made Ozzfest so special, reveal their favorite memories, and even discuss some wild and chaotic moments that happened on the tour. They touch on the impact Ozzfest had on launching hard rock bands into stardom, share backstage anecdotes about various bands' shenanigans, and explore concert safety in light of recent events. Plus, don't miss their insights on the tragic events at Astroworld and a glimpse into what's coming with the Ozzfest documentary.

Asked why Ozzfest eventually stopped, Sharon said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, it was a very weird beast because all the bands were our mates, but the managers were greedy and for some reason they thought that we were making billions on it and we weren't. We made a profit. But it was not like — we couldn't retire on it. And managers and agents wanted more and more and more, and it just wasn't cost effective anymore. We stopped, because it just wasn't cost effective."

She continued: "Years and years ago, one of the bands — it was the second Ozzfest we did, or the third — wouldn't go on stage until I agreed to give them 10,000 more dollars. And they were holding everything up, and I said, 'Of course, of course I'll give it you.'" Pressed by Jack to name the act in question, Sharon said "Glenn Danzig", to which Jack replied: "Why are you gonna protect that twat?"

Sharon went on to say that she "didn't give them the money" that they were demanding. "They went on and played, and I went, 'Fuck you. You signed a contract, your agent agreed it, and you're just gouging,'" she recalled.

Ozzfest started more than 25 years ago and was the first national music festival of its kind dedicated to hard rock music.

The event has not been a traveling festival in the U.S. since 2007's "free" edition. The show morphed into a one-off event in Dallas in 2008, took 2009 off and played just six cities in 2010.

Over 17,000 concert-goers were in attendance for 2017's all-day Ozzfest, which was headlined by Ozzy, while Rob Zombie closed out the next day's Knotfest bill.

2017 was the second year Ozzy's Ozzfest had merged with SLIPKNOT's Knotfest for a two-day heavy metal juggernaut.

A special one-night-only New Year's Eve Ozzfest took place on December 31, 2018 at The Forum in Los Angeles, California and was attended by 12,465 hard rock and heavy metal fans, according to Pollstar. Ticket sales from the Live Nation-produced concert totaled $1.2 million, with tickets priced from a low of $59.50 to $179.50.

Joining headliner Ozzy Osbourne at the event were Rob Zombie, Marilyn Manson, KORN's Jonathan Davis (playing a solo set) and BODY COUNT. ZAKK SABBATH, the BLACK SABBATH tribute band fronted by Osbourne's guitarist Zakk Wylde, headlined a second stage outside.