On Sunday, February 23, FOREIGNER members Jeff Pilson (bass, backing vocals),Michael Bluestein (keyboards, backing vocals),Bruce Watson (guitar, backing vocals) and Luis Maldonado (lead vocals) appeared on KTLA 5 Weekend Morning News in Los Angeles to celebrate the band's upcoming 50th anniversary and special "power acoustic" shows in Southern California. They also performed "Feels Like The First Time", "Double Vision" and "I Want To Know What Love Is" live on the show. Video of the performance can be viewed at KTLA.com.

In a November 2024 interview with The Logan Show, Pilson addressed the fact that he and his FOREIGNER bandmates are often dismissed as a glorified cover band, particularly since founding guitarist Mick Jones no longer regularly tours with the act.

The only remaining original member of FOREIGNER, Jones suffered from some health issues beginning in 2011, eventually resulting in heart surgery in 2012. In February 2024, Jones revealed on social media that he was battling Parkinson's disease, which explained his absence from FOREIGNER's live shows since 2022.

Joining Jones and Pilson in FOREIGNER's current lineup are Kelly Hansen on vocals, Bluestein on keyboards, Watson on guitar, Chris Frazier on drums and Maldonado on guitar.

After singer Lou Gramm left FOREIGNER in 2003, Jones took some time off before regrouping a couple years later with an entirely new lineup, featuring Hansen and Pilson, among others.

Regarding the criticism the current FOREIGNER lineup faces for not featuring any original members, Pilson said: "Well, the ticket sales sort of speak for themselves. Listen, I understand where people are coming from. I understand it. But I also know that with FOREIGNER, the songs are really the legacy. And so my job, as musical director, is to make sure that the songs sound and deliver in a way that they should. And I think I'm doing my job because… Yes, there are haters online — of course — but I think there's not as many as you might think. I think their voices are louder than the amount of people doing it, because the ticket sales do speak for themselves and the offers from promoters speak for themselves. We are very well established as FOREIGNER right now. So, again, if people don't wanna come because there's no original members, that's okay. I understand that. But if you wanna come and hear FOREIGNER songs done really, really well, come to our show."

Elaborating on what being FOREIGNER's musical director entails, Jeff said: "Well, yes, I decide the setlist. And, listen, it's an easy job in the respect that everybody's a great musician, everybody listens. I mean, that's how you got to be in the band, is 'cause you were gonna fill that position well. So it's not like I have to ride herd on anybody, but I have to listen and I have to make sure, 'Hey, don't get too carried away doing this' or 'let's keep the vocals tight on this thing.' Yeah, I have to kind of ongoingly do that, but it's a very easy job because we all have the same vision and that's the biggest part of it. So, again, I kind of think of it as an easy job, but I take it very seriously. And it's very important to me that the delivery we give to people is a hundred percent. And I feel like we do that every night. So, I'm very, very confident in what we do."

Pilson also talked about FOREIGNER's announcement that it was extending its farewell tour and including a celebration of the band's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction.

Asked how long he thinks the FOREIGNER farewell tour will continue on, Pilson said: "Well, when we first decided — we did at one point think that this was gonna be the end of the road, and then the pressure just got too great. And then with the Rock Hall, it just became obvious that we had to continue… that maybe we're gonna not do the long nine-and-ten-months-of-the-year road stuff anymore. And that's kind of what we mean by a farewell tour. We always anticipated that in 2025 we'd be doing other things, like perhaps getting some new music out, and we came to the acceptance that we were gonna be doing shows in 2025 during the course of the year; we came to accept that. Now we're realizing, okay, it's gonna be more than we thought. It's not a nine-and-10-month-of-the-year tour, though. So in that sense, the farewell of that has happened. But how long do I see it going? I see it going a while with the momentum that we've established. So, I would not be surprised if we continue well past '25."

FOREIGNER was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame on October 19, 2024. Singer Lou Gramm, keyboardist Al Greenwood and bassist Rick Wills were present to accept the award, while Jones and drummer Dennis Elliott sat out the ceremony. (Jones's daughter, Annabelle Dexter-Jones, was on hand to help accept the award.) Ian McDonald and Ed Gagliardi died in 2022 and 2014, respectively.



Posted by Jacob Burch on Monday, February 24, 2025

In a new interview with Dioses Del Metal, SAXON frontman Biff Byford was asked how he feels about the fact that his band has been cited as a musical influence by so many other major metal acts, including METALLICA. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think it's great that bands come out and say who influenced them. It helps us, because by doing that, some of their fans come to listen to us as well. So we pick up a lot of fans from METALLICA and some of the other bands that have stated their influences. So people are checking us out all the time, especially the younger audience. So I think it's good that people like METALLICA and MACHINE HEAD and some of the other bands say that we influenced them. A lot of the American bands like MÖTLEY CRÜE and some of the '80s rock bands were influenced by SAXON and MOTÖRHEAD and JUDAS PRIEST and IRON MAIDEN. So I think it's good to be in the top five British metal bands, really."

Elsewhere in the chat, Byford spoke about how his band has been able to adapt to the access-over-ownership business model of streaming music. Asked if he thinks the current streaming model, with its low per-stream payouts to creators, has been good or bad for the industry, Biff said: " I think it's both — I think it's good and bad. I think for bands like us, we have to adapt to the new things. I think if you don't adapt, then you die, basically. So I think you have to adapt and have your foot in both the new and the old. We release vinyls, which people like and people buy, and we have big streaming numbers as well. So, we live in both worlds. And I think most of the bands that are successful still from the '80s also live in both worlds. I think bands like MAIDEN and PRIEST — and METALLICA, actually — they use social media a lot. But there are still rock printed papers and there are still vinyls and there are still cassettes and there are still CDs and there's streaming and you can buy things on iTunes. You just have to adapt. I think it's good and bad. I think some things are better for the public, but I think for the business, it's sometimes a lot worse now."

Back in December 2011, Byford joined METALLICA on stage for the first of four intimate shows at the 1,200-capacity Fillmore in San Francisco as part of the week-long celebration of its 30th anniversary as a band for fan club members only. The iconic metal vocalist performed the SAXON classic "Motorcycle Man" with METALLICA.

It wasn't the first time Biff and METALLICA had surprised their fans with a live rendition of the song: in 2009, Byford joined the San Francisco heavy metal giants in Paris, at Palais Omnisport de Bercy.

METALLICA's second-ever gig was opening for SAXON, and Biff has been a longtime friend of the California band; like many other seminal bands of the genre, METALLICA always recognized SAXON as one of their main influences.

When METALLICA played Sheffield Arena on February 28, 2009, they invited as VIP guests former SAXON members Graham Oliver and Steve Dawson.

"In 1982 SAXON played the Whisky a Go-Go on Sunset Boulevard in Hollywood," Graham explained to SouthYorkshireTimes.co.uk. "It was sold out and Steve and me were asked if we would pick out a support band from a pile of cassettes sent in by young metal bands. METALLICA were far and away the best and even though it was only their second-ever gig; we saw their potential and picked them out to play. We have been friends ever since. They have always had a soft spot for us. Over the years, they have cited us as a big influence and we are always welcomed at their gigs around the world. METALLICA have played Sheffield three times and they always treat us as VIPs. At Rock Am Ring — Germany's biggest rock festival — they played part of our song 'Princess Of The Night'. I wrote that riff in a council house in Dryden Road. Back then we were just some kids from Mexborough who once had a dream. To be supported by the band which became one of the biggest in the world, I think that is pretty special. We were sat in the auditorium at Sheffield and they played the old SAXON track 'Heavy Metal Thunder' as their intro track. Kirk Hammett [METALLICA guitarist] told me he loves the solo in that. They played in the round and it was very loud but it was a very pure sound.

"James Hetfield [METALLICA frontman] is a lovely bloke, but their drummer Lars Ulrich is probably the biggest SAXON fan of them all," he continued. "He told us that our 1980 album 'Wheels Of Steel' is his favorite and said it was a benchmark for them. It is hard for someone of my generation to see that. When I meet someone who played at the Woodstock festival, I am enthusiastic about it. I suppose it is the same for them. We were one of the bands to play in the first Donington Festival and METALLICA were a bit in awe and asked us what those days were like."

Appearing on Side Jams With Bryan Reesman, AVANTASIA/EDGUY frontman Tobias Sammet recalled how the first headlining show for EDGUY nearly turned into a disaster. He had wanted to play soccer when he was younger, but music became his career. But music still had its dangerous side.

"When you're doing a sport and you're a touring musician, you have to be careful if you're out on the road and do anything, even if it's recreational, because if you injure yourself then it's going to affect what happens on stage," Sammet told Side Jams. He then recalled an accident that happened when EDGUY headlined the Bang Your Head!!! festival in 2012. "I fell off stage, and I broke my nose and a rib," he said. "Unfortunately, it happened during song number three, and we were booked as a headlining act. As a matter of fact, it was the first time we headlined a show. In advance, of course, there were all the naysayers and haters who said, 'EDGUY's not a proper headliner. They don't have the hits, they don't have the legacy, they don't have a pedigree. Why would you put a young band like that up on that stage to be the headliner?'

"I was on stage and fell off," he continued. "So it can be quite rough and dangerous on a stage, and then you fall off stage and you feel there's blood everywhere. You even hear the sound when your nose cracks, the bone in your nose cracks, and I still remember that sound. I was stopped from hitting the ground by a steel barrier that was just in front there to keep the people back. There was blood everywhere... We finished the show, and I was taken to the hospital. That's when I realized that being in a touring band, and being on stage and running around and doing all these weird moves, it's probably as dangerous as football."

AVANTASIA released its tenth studio album, "Here Be Dragons", on February 28 via Napalm Records.

AVANTASIA's impressive success story has seen nine previous studio albums (including the 2019 offering "Moonglow" that charted at No. 1 in Germany),gold awards, hundreds of millions of streams as well as headline shows at all important metal festivals and worldwide sold-out arena tours with tens of thousands of devoted fans.

In grand AVANTASIA tradition, the new full-length is rich in vivid storytelling and cinematic atmospheres, not to mention the highest level of musicianship.

The 10-track offering was written and composed in its entirety by Sammet himself, produced and recorded by Sammet together with Sascha Paeth, mixed by Sascha Paeth and mastered by Michael Rodenberg. The cover art was once again created by acclaimed British fantasy artist Rodney Matthews.

KORN guitarist Brian "Head" Welch joined FLYLEAF vocalist Lacey Sturm on stage last Friday night (February 28) at Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania's Spirit Hall to perform a snippet of the KORN classic "Blind" as well as FLYLEAF's "I'm So Sick". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

Back in 2021, Welch's LOVE AND DEATH side project released the official music video for "Let Me Love You", a fan-favorite cover of DJ Snake and Justin Bieber's smash hit, featuring Sturm.

Lacey released her sophomore solo album, "Kenotic Metanoia", in November 2023.

FLYLEAF played its first concert with Sturm in 11 years on April 27, 2023 at Schoepf's BBQ in Belton, Texas.

Sturm left FLYLEAF in October 2012. She was replaced by Kristen May, who recorded one album with the group, 2014's "Between The Stars", before exiting.

FLYLEAF hadn't performed live since 2016 prior to the Belton concert.

In an interview with Ned of Iowa's Rock 108 radio station, Lacey spoke about how she ended up reuniting with FLYLEAF for their first live shows together in more than a decade. She said: "Well, actually, my assistant that was on tour with us from the very beginning of FLYLEAF; we were called PASSERBY at that time. We were touring in an '88 Ford Club Wagon van, and we had a bunch of gear in the back with a mattress on top, and you could climb in there and sleep. She actually came on tour with us to be a stylist or a merch person — whatever we needed. She was with us from the beginning. So she got married. And we hadn't seen each other in, like, ten years, nine years, and so we all ended up at the wedding together. And that's how it started."

Sturm went on to say that her reunion with FLYLEAF came together in a "more organic" way than has been the case with some of the other high-profile band reunions in recent years. "I think it had to be that way," she said. "There were some offers for us to get back together, to do reunion shows, but we hadn't seen each other, and everybody has different lives, lots of children. So it didn't really make sense in those times, but because we were already connecting, we figured it out."

Legendary hard rock bassist Rudy Sarzo says that it is "very exciting" for him to be participating in Ozzy Osbourne's farewell concert in Birmingham, United Kingdon.

Taking place on July 5 at Villa Park, the all-star event — billed as "Back To The Beginning" — sold out in less than 10 minutes last month.

The concert will mark the first time that the original lineup of BLACK SABBATH — Osbourne, guitarist Tony Iommi, bassist Geezer Butler and drummer Bill Ward — have played together in 20 years.

Also set to appear at the event are METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, TOOL, SLAYER, PANTERA, GOJIRA, ALICE IN CHAINS, HALESTORM, LAMB OF GOD, ANTHRAX and MASTODON.

In addition, there will be a performance by a "supergroup of musicians" including Duff McKagan and Slash (GUNS 'N' ROSES),Billy Corgan (THE SMASHING PUMPKINS),Fred Durst (LIMP BIZKIT),K.K. Downing (JUDAS PRIEST),Jake E. Lee (OZZY OSBOURNE),Wolfgang Van Halen (VAN HALEN, MAMMOTH WVH),Tom Morello (RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE),Andrew Watt, Chad Smith (RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS),David Ellefson (MEGADETH),Vernon Reid (LIVING COLOUR),Whitfield Crane (UGLY KID JOE),David Draiman (DISTURBED),Frank Bello (ANTHRAX),Jonathan Davis (KORN),Lzzy Hale (HALESTORM),Mike Bordin (FAITH NO MORE),Sammy Hagar, Scott Ian (ANTHRAX),Sleep Token II (SLEEP TOKEN) and Papa V Perpetua (GHOST).

Speaking to Jon Liebman of For Bass Players Only, Rudy, who played bass for Ozzy Osbourne from 1981 to 1982, stated about his involvement in "Back To The Beginning":  "To be there, that's a blessing to me beyond words, to be able to do that. It's just one show, one charity show, with many other bands that were associated not only with the genre, but also they opened up for Ozzy. They got their career breaks opening up for Ozzy on tour and Ozzfest and things like that. So you have METALLICA, ANTHRAX, SLAYER, all the big ones, participating. It is very exciting.

"There's a tendency nowadays for artists to kind of fade out," Rudy continued. "You don't even know that they have quit, they retired, basically. They just fade out. And going out with a bang — you can't fade out if you're somebody like Ozzy who lived his life larger than life. Everything was bigger than life. It's Ozzy. You can't expect him to just quietly go into history. No, he's gotta go out with a huge fricking bang, probably the biggest bang ever. He deserves it. He's gotta do it."

Regarding the other musicians taking part in the concert, Rudy said: "I'm pretty sure they'll be adding on a couple of more, more bands and names. Jake E. Lee has been invited to do it. From what I see on the bill, it says 'Ozzy Osbourne' and then it says 'BLACK SABBATH'. And from what I understand, whether Ozzy is the one who performs Ozzy's solo career music, singing, or if it's other singers — there's gonna be a lot of different singers there, from Billy Corgan to Sammy Hagar through the singer from GHOST; he has like all these names, like Pope something. So there's gonna be plenty of vocalists who take over that, and guitar players."

Ozzy — who hasn't played a full show since late 2018 — announced his last-ever performance on February 5.

Proceeds from the "Back To The Beginning" show will support Cure Parkinson's, the Birmingham Children's Hospital and Acorn Children's Hospice, a Children's Hospice supported by Aston Villa.

The original lineup of BLACK SABBATH last performed in 2005. Since then, SABBATH has played in partial reunions but never in its original lineup.

The legendary BLACK SABBATH frontman was diagnosed in 2003 with Parkin 2 — a very rare genetic form of Parkinson's. During a TV appearance in January 2020, the singer disclosed that he was 'stricken" with the disease which occurs when the nerve cells of the body degenerate and levels of dopamine are reduced. Dopamine is an essential chemical that is produced by these nerve cells which send signals to different parts of the brain to control movements of the body.

Ozzy's health issues, including suffering a nasty fall and dislodging metal rods placed in his spine following a quad-bike accident in 2003, as well as catching COVID-19 three years ago, forced him to cancel some of his previously announced tours.

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

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

In a new interview with VRP Rocks, L.A. GUNS' founding guitarist Tracii Guns spoke about the band's upcoming album, "Leopard Skin", which will be released on April 4. It will mark the first fruit of L.A. GUNS' reunion with Cleopatra Records, a label known for its diverse roster and innovative approach to music production.

Regarding L.A. GUNS' songwriting approach on "Leopard Skin", Tracii said: " Well, L.A. GUNS has always been a mishmash of kind of classic rock, punk rock, metal. We don't do any reggae, unfortunately, We have performed 'The Ballad Of Jayne' in kind of a calypso style live before. But I kind of have the freedom to write whatever styles I'm feeling like at the time of writing any album at any time. And as long as Phil's [Lewis, L.A. GUNS frontman] singing on it, well, it always sounds like L.A. GUNS. So we kind of have that going for us."

He continued: "This album's a little bit different than the last four albums, which had been on the heavier side. And I this album is more what people might consider the classic rock side or the more fun side or more rock and roll, for sure. A little less metal, a little bit more rock and roll. That's the best way I can put it."

Asked why L.A. GUNS is continuing to release new music so frequently when so many of the other 1980s hard rock bands are content to focus on playing their hits on tour, Tracii said: "I think, really, part of what music, for me anyways, and for L.A. GUNS, it's more about being creative all the time, even in a live situation. We take whatever liberties we want when we're playing those songs. Some bands, I guess, they really have a type of hit song kind of thing. They go out there and they play those main songs and that's it. But, man, for me, that's just too boring. That's not what being a musician is about.

"We have these discussions before we go on tour, because usually we're the second slot on a bigger tour and we get between 45 minutes and — the usual headline set is about 90 minutes," he continued. "So we have kind of these powwows of, 'Well, what are we gonna dofor these shows and then these longer shows? And what haven't we done in a long time? What are the new things we're gonna add?' So it keeps it fun. It keeps our brains working and being creative and being as musical as we can.

"I've said it before, we've kind of been on our farewell tour since 1988, you know what I mean?" Tracii added. "So it's just about really going out there and being musical and really bringing it all the time."

Asked if he is still enjoying the creative process as he did all the way back in the 1980s, Guns said: "Well, yeah. I've always had that mentality, 'move forward, move forward, move forward.' I find that it's easier, and obviously we have more control because I produce the records now and engineer, and I have a couple other people I work with. And the workflow's easier and better, so it's easier to go from idea to recording and getting these things done quicker. So the hobby part of it is just getting more and more enjoyable, and as I get more educated and we get more educated, that never ends. So it's just always some kind of a hobby arts and crafts project for us. We're just a bunch of old hippies now trying to live out our hippie dreams. It's like summer camp all the time for L.A. GUNS."

Hot on the heels of 2023's "Black Diamonds" album, "Leopard Skin" is L.A. GUNS' fifth studio effort in seven years, since the core team of guitarist and band founder Guns and singer Lewis reunited in 2017. "Leopard Skin", like the last few L.A. GUNS records, reconvenes the tight-knit lineup of Guns, Lewis, bassist Johnny Martin, guitarist Ace Von Johnson and studio drummer Adam Hamilton.

Last July, Tracii told On The Road To Rock podcast with Clint Switzer about the sound of L.A. GUNS' new LP: "It's different than the other records. That's the thing about L.A. GUNS, is I never know what's gonna come out. I don't know what mood I'm gonna be in or whatever, but I'm really proud of what I was able to record. And all the management and Phil and the guys, they're freaking out, like, 'Where'd this shit come from?' So, yeah, I'm always most excited about L.A. GUNS. It's the complete playground for me. I love it."

"Black Diamonds" came out in April 2023. It was the fourth studio album since the much-welcome reunion of the band's core foundation of Lewis and Guns. It followed the well-received studio albums "The Missing Peace", "The Devil You Know" and "Checkered Past", plus the live release "Made In Milan", and a covers EP "Another Xmas In Hell".

In April 2021, a settlement was reached between drummer Steve Riley and Guns and Lewis over the rights to the L.A. GUNS name. Under the terms of the settlement agreement, Guns and Lewis continue to operate under the L.A. GUNS trademark, while Riley and his bandmates from the other version of L.A. GUNS were allowed to perform and record under the new name RILEY'S L.A. GUNS. Riley died in October 2023 at the age of 67.

L.A. GUNS was formed in 1983 and have sold over six million records, including 1988's "L.A. Guns" and 1990's "Cocked And Loaded", both of which were certified gold. "Cocked And Loaded" contained the hit single "The Ballad Of Jayne" that went to No. 33 on Billboard's Hot 100 and No. 25 on the Mainstream Rock charts. From the mid-'90s to the mid 2000s, L.A. GUNS continued to tour and release new music. Following their successful performance at SiriusXM's Hair Nation festival in September 2016, L.A. GUNS went into the studio to record the critically acclaimed "The Missing Peace", which was the highest-selling release for Frontiers Music Srl in 2017. Their 12th album, "The Devil You Know", was released in 2019 to the same critical acclaim.

Photo by Joe Schaeffer

In a new interview with the RRBG podcast, legendary extreme metal drummer Dave Lombardo (SLAYER, FANTÔMAS, TESTAMENT, MR. BUNGLE, MISFITS, DEAD CROSS) spoke about how the music industry has undergone a dramatic transformation with the advent of digital technology and social media platforms. He said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We all know the negative part of it — obviously, the change we've had to witness But, hey, that's evolution. That's life. We're gonna be viejitos [little old men] if we start complaining about it. It's, like, 'Oh, you know, back in my day,' this and that. It's, like, no — you have to go with the flow.

"I think there's a lot of advantages in today's industry," he continued. "One, you could put music out — anybody could put music out and anybody could record it at home. And there are just so many advantages. The research that you can do online to clear up any questions, if you have an idea, if you have a problem. All those are brilliant advantages. And I think we should embrace those and use them to our benefit. I think also if we sit around and complain about things, you're really missing the point. You've been given all these great tools, and I think it's just better for us all around. Yes, I can go down the path and complain and nitpick all these little things, but, man, I don't view life that way. If something's holding it back, if you fall, get up, brush yourself off, keep moving forward. If something happens, 'Fuck. That hurt. Well, let's go. Come on. So that's just my personality."

Lombardo also weighed in on a debate about people using an A.I. (artificial intelligence) music generator as a tool to create melodies, harmonies and rhymes based on artificial intelligence algorithms and machine learning (M.L.) models. He said: "Actually, I'd like to see A.I. perform it live. The human element, the feeling of having a Marshall stack being played in front of you and some subwoofer and low end from a drummer on a real drum set, there's nothing like that. It could be possible that people will forget, something will come in and take its place and people will forget what that feels like, but hopefully not. That aspect, live music, I think people need that, people need to get out and see and experience that, a live performance, so I don't see that going away. And A.I. definitely can't replace that."

Dave's VENAMORIS project, in which he is joined by his wife Paula, released its sophomore album, "To Cross Or To Burn", on February 28 via Ipecac Recordings.

While Dave drafted the blueprint that would define thrash metal drumming, he's also applied his finesse to solo percussion (2023's "Rites Of Percussion"),hip-hop and classical music, as well as boundary-pushing recordings and performances with everyone from John Zorn's ensembles to punk icons MISFITS and MR. BUNGLE.

Lombardo, who has spent most of the recent years between EMPIRE STATE BASTARD, crossover pioneers SUICIDAL TENDENCIES, horror-punk icons MISFITS, hardcore supergroup DEAD CROSS and MR. BUNGLE, was effectively fired from SLAYER after sitting out the group's Australian tour in February/March 2013 due to a contract dispute with the other bandmembers. He was later replaced by Paul Bostaph, who was previously SLAYER's drummer from 1992 until 2001.

Photo credit: Hannah Verbeuren

HERMAN RAREBELL & FRIENDS' cover version of the Pat Benatarclassic "Love Is A Battlefield" — a song originally written by Holly Knight and Mike Chapman — can be streamed below. The track is taken from the upcoming HERMAN RAREBELL & FRIENDS studio album, "What About Love?", which will be released on April 11 via Metalville Records.

On "What About Love?", HERMAN RAREBELL & FRIENDS take you back to the '80s and together we return to our very time with the greatest music of this powerful decade. Herman has chosen 12 songs to re-record with good friends and great musicians as a tribute to the greatest hits of a time that was a golden age for him personally. Former OZZY OSBOURNE bassist Bob Daisley can be heard on this album, as can Dann Huff, who was a studio musician on some of the greatest albums in pop history, as well as Howard Leese from the legendary U.S. rockers HEART and singer Michael Voss (CASANOVA, MAD MAX, MICHAEL SCHENKER).

Herman says about this time: "I think that more powerful music has never been created before or since. It was the golden age for me. I enjoyed it. We traveled the world with the SCORPIONS, we met people from all cultures. It was one big rush. Anything was possible at any time.

"With this album, I don't just want to bring back memories of the great hits of the '80s. It's not just about the melodies and rhythms that I miss today. Above all, it's about the feeling that these songs convey. The love, the courage, the optimism that is in them. I think a lot of that has been lost. The groove in 'Here I Go Again', the larger-than-life chorus of 'I Love Rock'n'Roll' and the unshakeable power of 'Rock You Like A Hurricane'. The love and longing of 'I Want To Know What Love Is'. It's no wonder that these songs have held a place in people's hearts for four decades.

"For me, the power, the special spirit of the '80s is in every chord of these songs, every hit on the bass drum. Every take we recorded for this album was pure pleasure. Friends who play great music.

"We hope you feel what we've put into these new recordings: Love, power, optimism! For me, that's the power of the '80s! Anyone who was there will remember. And anyone who missed it deserves to relive it, at least in this way.

"With this in mind: Here I am - Rock you like a Hurricane!"

The album was produced by Herman Rarebell and Michael Voss at Kidwood Studios in Münstertal, Black Forest.

The official music video for the "What About Love?" title track can be seen below.

Herman said about this song: "Here is my message to the world: We must return to love again! We have to stop the hate!!! This song should remind you all of love and peace! I am grateful to all my musician friends for helping me with this news!"

"What About Love?" track listing:

01. In The Air Tonight
02. I Want To Know What Love Is
03. Love Is A Battlefield
04. What About Love
05. Every Breath You Take
06. Sweet Child O' Mine
07. Here I Go Again
08. Addicted To Love
09. Passion Rules The Game
10. Rock You Like A Hurricane
12. These Dreams
12. I Love Rock 'N' Roll

Recording lineup:

Herman Rarebell - Drums

Herman's friends:

Michael Voss - Vocals, Guitars
Van De Forst - Vocals, Acoustic Guitars, Keyboards
Dann Huff - Lead Guitars
Howard Leese - Lead Guitars
Bob Daisley - Bass
Neil Carter - Keyboards
Jim Vallance - Keyboards
Eva Von Der Forst - Backing Vocals
Lexus De La Foret - Backing Vocals

Back in September 2021, Rarebell blasted his former SCORPIONS bandmates, calling them "rude" and accusing them of "greed" over their apparent refusal to allow him to rejoin the band. Rarebell, who was a member of the SCORPIONS from 1977 to 1995, discussed the possibility of his return to the group in an interview for Classic Rock magazine. Asked if he was disappointed not to have been invited back into the fold following the 2016 dismissal of longtime drummer James Kottak, Herman said: "I'll tell you how disappointed I am. I sent them a message offering my services, and never even got a reply. I thought that was very rude. Now I hear the SCORPIONS are claiming their new album will be a return to the glory days of the eighties. If they're serious about that, they should get [former bassist] Francis [Buchholz] and me back, and also Dieter Dierks who produced all those classic albums. You know why they won't do that? Greed. It would mean having to share everything five ways and not three."

Rarebell also criticized his former bandmates for seemingly not giving him enough credit for their commercial success in the 1980s. "The band never mention me in interviews, which I find ridiculous," he stated. "But there's a new documentary in the pipeline from ITV on the band. I am being interviewed for this, so I can finally set the record straight on my role."

In an interview with Classic Rock Revisited, Herman stated about the huge commercial success of SCORPIONS' 1982 album "Blackout": "Mercury Records was totally behind us and they believed in us. They wanted us to keep making albums. They wanted us to grow and do better each time out. 'Lovedrive' went gold. 'Animal Magnetism' went gold and then 'Blackout' was the first one to go platinum. [Rudolf] Schenker / [Klaus] Meine / Rarebell was a great songwriting team. You can see that from how many successful albums we had. After I left the band, they didn't have any more hits."

Rarebell also talked about the inspiration for the lyrics to "Rock You Like A Hurricane", which was released as the lead single from SCORPIONS' ninth studio album, 1984's "Love At First Sting". "Those lyrics were very easy to write," he said. "I woke up early in the morning after fucking and doing cocaine all night and I opened up the curtains. 'It's early morning, the sun comes out. Last night was shaking and pretty loud. My cat is purring and she scratches my skin.' She had scratched my back during our lovemaking. I just sat down and wrote it right then and there. It was five in the morning and the girl was still in bed as I was sitting there writing it. The next day, I said to Rudolf, 'I have some great lyrics for that riff you have.'"

JIZZY PEARL'S LOVE/HATE is back with a brand-new music video for the electrifying single "You're Gonna Burn", taken from the band's upcoming album, "Punk Rock Fiesta!", due on March 1 via Kenyon Records. This fast-paced, hard-hitting track now has a visually stunning companion, created by the immensely talented Ashley Miles of Hot Frog Animation, known for his work with former IRON MAIDEN vocalist Blaze Bayley and ex-MOTÖRHEAD guitarist Phil Campbell.

A feast for the senses, the "You're Gonna Burn" video weaves a powerful narrative that brings Jizzy Pearl's storytelling to life. As Pearl describes it: "'You're Gonna Burn' is a cautionary tale of the age-old battle between the conventional 9-to-5 grind and the untamed, gypsy lifestyle of a musician. But this time the musician triumphs, proving that the fire of rock and roll never fades."

Fueled by raw intensity, "You're Gonna Burn" delivers everything fans love about Pearl's signature sound — gritty, rebellious, and unapologetically bold. Featuring blistering guitar work from Darren Householder, hard-hitting drumming from Dave Moreno, and pounding bass by Christian Kimmett, the song is a masterclass in high-energy, no-frills rock and roll.

From the Sunset Strip to stages worldwide, Pearl has made his mark on rock history, selling over 600,000 albums and sharing the stage with AC/DC, OZZY OSBOURNE, SKID ROW and DIO. He currently sings for QUIET RIOT and has recorded and toured with RATT and L.A. GUNS. Now, he delivers a powerhouse collection of songs, capturing the fire and energy of no-frills rock 'n' roll — it's "Punk Rock Fiesta!"

"Punk Rock Fiesta!" is a high-octane ride that leans into the rebellious spirit of classic, streetwise rock. Featuring blistering guitar solos and Jizzy's signature vocals — equal parts grit and soul — the album is a relentless sonic assault.

"Rock and roll should be dangerous, unpredictable, and make you feel something," said Jizzy. "We wanted to bring back that energy that made music exciting in the first place. This record is screaming, loud, and full of old-school rock 'n' roll soul!"

Since 1990, with LOVE/HATE's debut "Blackout In The Red Room" — named "Best Record Of The Year" by Kerrang! and Metal Hammer — Jizzy Pearl has remained a respected force in rock. Whether commanding the stage with multi-platinum bands or pushing his own creative limits, he continues to evolve while staying true to his hard rock roots. With his seventh solo album, Jizzy Pearl is ready to shake up the rock world once again.

"Punk Rock Fiesta!" track listing:

01. You're Gonna Burn
02. Eye For An Eye
03. The Wrath Of Love
04. Over The Edge
05. Didya Think You Could Fall In Love?
06. Can't Be Wrong
07. I'll Be Your Shadow
08. Time To Take Your Pill

Recording lineup:

Jizzy Pearl: Vocals, Guitars, Bass Guitar
Darren Housholder: Guitars
Christian Kimmett: Bass Guitar
Dave Moreno: Drums

Credits:

All songs (words and music) by Jizzy Pearl
Produced by Jizzy Pearl
Executive producer: Brian Kenyon
Mixed by Andy Haller and Jizzy Pearl at Android Audio, Arizona
Mastered by Maor Appelbaum
Guitars recorded by Tim Hofstetter
Drums recorded by Dave Moreno at Doom Room Studios, California
Additional guitars: Andy Haller
Cover art: Jordan Hursch
Layout and design: Michael Wohlberg
Album photos: Christina Pearl

Photo credit: Christina Pearl (courtesy of Kenyon Records)

Polish extreme metal veterans DECAPITATED were joined by MACHINE HEAD frontman Robb Flynn on stage last night (Saturday, March 1) at 1720 in Los Angeles, California for a performance of the SLAYER classic "Raining Blood" and the DECAPITATED song "Iconoclast". Fan-filmed video of his appearance can be seen below.

DECAPITATED guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka joined MACHINE HEAD in time for the 25th-anniversary tour for the latter band's classic debut, "Burn My Eyes", which kicked off in Germany in October 2019. Due to his touring commitments with DECAPITATED, Vogg has since left MACHINE HEAD and was replaced by Reece Alan Scruggs (HAVOK).

During this year's 70000 Tons Of Metal cruise, Vogg was asked by the Brutally Delicious podcast if there are any plans for him and his DECAPITATED bandmates to release new music. He responded: "Yeah, I'm working on it. I'm working on the new songs. I have already, let's say 50%, I guess, of the new DECAPITATED record. And, yeah, after this ['Nihility Across America' 2025] tour I'm gonna continue, because sometimes I've been working [on] new ideas on tour, but I don't really like it, because it's just not a place to focus on ideas. It's a mess — people are running around, it's, like, soundcheck and then you need to go out and look for food. It's not really a place to focus [on writing music]."

Elaborating on how he usually writes music, Vogg said: "I'm working at home. I have my room, so I can separate from the family, from kids. But still I can hear them. So it's not maybe perfect place, but I learned during the years. I already made, I think, four albums at home, with the small kids, with the family life, all these things, which I needed to somehow learn how to take my head out of the [everyday life]. But after the tour I have a plan to just go to our rehearsal space and just work on the material there, to be completely out of everything, separated. And I believe it will work well for that."

Asked if he approaches writing a new album with a theme in mind or a topic or if he just kind of sees where it ends up, Vogg said: "Something like [the latter]. Yeah. Anything can inspire me. And just hunting, fishing for the riff. I just spend time with guitar, playing and listening what's going on. And then suddenly, 'Oh, maybe this is gonna be a good idea.' And then work around this and add new ideas around. It's a long process.

"It's weird, because I'm performing," he continued. "I'm a guitar player, so I'm an instrumental guy. Plus I'm composing the stuff. I'm performing on stage. It's a few things you need to connect. And it's not that easy, and you need to find the time for this, for this. Also, I need to practice a lot to keep in shape myself, and it's not possible. If you play DECAPITATED, you can't stop to practice. You can stop practice for one week, but then you need to practice even more to go on stage and perform this kind of stuff."

Regarding how much time he spends "trying not to rewrite" his previous records, Vogg said: "I don't really think about it. And actually every DECAPITATED record is different… I don't have to [put much effort into making sure they're not the same kind of ideas as what we've done in the past]. Somehow it becomes naturally that it's different.

"I had a moment that I was in trouble because I thought it's, like, this is something like a completely different band right now, and what would be the reaction for the fans? Like how [would] they take it?

"Every record is different, but with 'Blood Mantra', for example, we started to do something really different, something groovy, something thrashy — I don't know," he added. "And [our] new record will be, I think, also bringing in new, fresh ideas, which will be surprising [to fans]. And you know what? It always worked that way. You play traditional kind of classic death metal, and then [come out] with an album which is different — it's modern, it's completely alternative to that. And you can see some kind of voices that, 'This is not the band anymore. I don't like it. I'm quitting to be your fan.' And then after five or eight or ten years, these people are, like, 'Oh, this album is like your classic. It's the best album.' It's like — I don't know — when METALLICA released the 'Load' album, or SEPULTURA released 'Roots Bloody Roots', I was, like, 'That's it. I'm done with this band.' And then right now, it's, like, 'Holy shit. It's a good jam.'"

In January, DECAPITATED released two new performance videos, featuring the tracks "Names" and "Eternity Too Short". The clips were filmed live from the band's rehearsal room.

"Names" and "Eternity Too Short" are both seminal tracks from DECAPITATED's acclaimed album "Nihility", which is being played in its entirety on the current tour.

The tour is covering 23 cities in the United States and Canada, concluding on March 2 in Santa Ana, California. Fans can look forward to an electrifying lineup with DECAPITATED headlining, supported by the formidable talents of INCANTATION and DARKEST HOUR, with EXMORTUS opening each night.

Last October, DECAPITATED announced that it had parted ways with vocalist Rafał "Rasta" Piotrowski and replaced him with Eemeli Bodde of Finnish metallers MORS SUBITA.

Bodde made his live debut with DECAPITATED on November 1, 2024 at Damnation Festival's "A Night Of Salvation" at BEC Arena in Manchester, United Kingdom. Also joining DECAPITATED at the gig for several "classic" tracks was the group's original vocalist Wojciech "Sauron" Wąsowicz, who was previously a member of DECAPITATED between 1996 and 2005.

Across eight studio albums, DECAPITATED grew from the adolescent dream of teenagers from a small Central European town to one of the leaders of the metal genre. Each successive album further expands the band's sound with genre-bending authenticity and integrity. As Metal Injection rightfully observed, "any self-respecting death metalhead knows the name well." Like a rose in the devil's garden, the DECAPITATED story builds triumph from tragedy. The gleeful grotesquery of extreme metal imagery and riff-tastic bludgeoning beckons listeners to uncover broader truths.

Their latest studio album, "Cancer Culture", was released in 2022, with instantly recognizable devastation and deceptively sinister hooks abound. Newly minted DECAPITATED anthems like "Last Supper", "Hello Death", "Just A Cigarette", "No Cure", "Iconoclast" and "Cancer Culture" shimmer with sonically sharp production and unrelenting bombast. There's also a newly increased emphasis on melody, even venturing into darkly romantic territory. JINJER vocalist Tatiana Shmayluk and Flynn make impressive guest appearances. Flynn contributes a hauntingly beautiful vocal to the "Cancer Culture" track "Iconoclast", with Shmayluk, a formidable screamer, going the clean vocal route on track "Hello Death".



Posted by Karen DelCastillo on Sunday, March 2, 2025

Sick ahh flyer design for a sick ahh show! We are only a few days away from this crusher! If you haven't nabbed tickets...

Posted by Daniel Dismal on Thursday, February 27, 2025