Back in May, San Diego, California-based deathgrind behemoths, Cattle Decapitation, released their herculean tenth studio album, Terrasite, via Metal Blade Records. Today, the band unleash their brand new video for "Solastalgia". Watch below.


The video was directed by David Brodsky and vocalist Travis Ryan and produced by Allison Woest for My Good Eye: Music Visuals.







Terrasite, which features the artwork by longtime collaborator Wes Benscoter (Vader, Kreator, Bloodbath, Hypocrisy), was produced by Dave Otero (Cephalic Carnage, Allegaeon) and includes Tony Parker of Midnight Odyssey handling piano and synths. Order here.





Terrasite tracklisting:


"Terrasitic Adaptation"
"We Eat Our Young"
"Scourge Of The Offspring"
"The Insignificants"
"The Storm Upstairs"
"…And The World Will Go On Without You"
"A Photic Doom"
"Dead End Residents"
"Solastalgia"
"Just Another Body"


"Scourge Of The Offspring" video:





"We Eat Our Young" video:





"A Photic Doom" video:





Cattle Decapitation's Terrasitic Infestation North American headlining tour will commence on November 10 in Santa Ana, California and make its way through over two-dozen cities, coming to a close on December 16 on the band's home turf of San Diego. Support will be provided by Immolation, Sanguisugabogg, and Castrator.





Tour dates:


November
10 - The Observatory - Santa Ana, CA
11 - The Nile Theater - Mesa, AZ
12 - Rock House Bar & Grill - El Paso, TX
14 - Diamond Ballroom - Oklahoma City, OK
15 - Granada Theater - Dallas, TX
16 - Vibes Event Center - San Antonio, TX
18 - Chelsea's Live - Baton Rouge, LA
20 - The Masquerade - Atlanta, GA * No Immolation
21 - The Orpheum - Tampa, FL
22 - The Abbey - Orlando, FL
24 - Hanger 1819 - Greensboro, NC
25 - Peabody's Nightclub - Virginia Beach, VA
27 - Baltimore Soundstage - Baltimore, MD
28 - Brooklyn Bowl - Philadelphia, PA
29 - Brighton Music Hall - Boston, MA
30 - Warsaw - Brooklyn, NY


December
1 - Beanfield Theatre - Montreal, QC
2 - Opera House - Toronto, ON
4 - St Andrews Hall - Detroit, MI
5 - House Of Blues - Chicago, IL
6 - Fine Line - Minneapolis, MN
8 - Gothic Theatre - Englewood, CO
9 - Urban Lounge - Salt Lake City, UT
10 - The Shredder - Boise, ID
11 - The Crocodile - Seattle, WA
12 - Hawthorne Theatre - Portland, OR
14 - Goldfield Trading Post - Roseville, CA
15 - The Belasco - Los Angeles, CA
16 - Observatory North Park - San Diego, CA


Cattle Decapitation have announced their first European tour in support of Terrasite. Support comes from Metal Blade labelmates 200 Stab Wounds as well as Signs Of The Swarm and Vomit Forth.


Tickets here.





Dates:


March
1 - Nijmegen, Netherlands - Doornroosje
2 - Zürich, Switzerland - Züri Gmätzlets Fest
3 - Paris, France - Petit Bain
4 - Brighton @ Chalk
5 - Southampton, UK - Engine Rooms
6 - Exeter, UK - Phoenix
8 - London, UK - O2 Academy Islington
9 - Manchester, UK - Rebellion
10 - Glasgow, UK - Cathouse
11 - Newcastle, UK - Reds Bar
13 - Limerick, Ireland - Dolan's Warehouse
14 - Dublin, Ireland - Academy
15 - Leeds, UK - The Key Club
16 - Birmingham, UK - Asylum
17 - Bristol, UK - The Fleece
19 - Wiesbaden, Germany - Schlachthof
20 - Munich, Germany - Backstage
21 - Vienna, Austria - Szene
22 - Budapest, Hungary - Barba Negra
23 - Prague, Czech Republic - MeetFactory
25 - Berlin, Germany - Lido
26 - Copenhagen, Denmark - Pumpehuset
27 - Stockholm, Sweden - Fryhuset Klubben
28 - Oslo, Norway - Inferno Metal Festival
29 - Gothenburg, Sweden - Pustervik
30 - Hamburg, Germany - Logo
31 - Essen, Germany - Turock


(Photo - Nick Van Vidler)

Brooklyn, New York-based sludge metallers Somnuri have issued their new video for “The Way Out.” The stirring track comes by way of the band’s third full-length, Desiderium, released in July via MNRK Heavy.





Recorded at Gojira’s Silver Cord Studios, mixed by Justin Mantooth at Westend Studios, and mastered by Brad Boatright at Audiosiege Mastering, on Desiderium, the band - singer/guitarist Justin Sherrell, drummer/producer Phil SanGiacomo - weaves seamlessly through a variety of tempos and sounds, giving some well-trodden genres new roads to travel. Songs like “Paramnesia'' swing in like a sludgy wrecking ball, calling to mind the likes of Eyehategod and Crowbar in their heaviest moments. Instead of going for all-out mosh parts, the band pulls back, allowing Sherrell to get a few clean vocals in before charging back up on full assault. Sherrell’s voice is insanely versatile, both able to deliver soul-filled clean vocals and some grim screams. It’s the perfect counterpoint to the band’s instrumentals, weaving a ladder between sludge, grunge, psych-rock and more. All of this leads to something like Alice In Chains if they got way into acid and wanted to go full-tilt heavy.




Somnuri will close the year playing with Spotlights and Netherlands at Mercury Lounge in New York City December 1 with a 2024 North American tour to be announced in the weeks to come. Stay alert.


Desiderium features cover art by Alex Eckman-Lawn and is available on CD, LP, cassette, and digital formats. For orders, head here.





"What A Way To Go" video:





Somnuri:
Justin Sherrell – guitar, vocals
Phil SanGiacomo – drums
Mike G – bass
Chris Drapeau – guitar


(Photo - Somnuri)

CHILDREN OF BODOM's final concert, which took place on December 15, 2019 at the Black Box in Helsinki Ice Hall in Helsinki, Finland, will be released as a live album, "A Chapter Called... Children Of Bodom (Final Show In Helsinki Ice Hall 2019)", on December 15, 2023 via Spinefarm.

Released with the blessing of late CHILDREN OF BODOM frontman Alexi Laiho's estate, the concert album completes the legendary band's career which began in Espoo, Finland in 1993 as INEARTHED. Over their career, CHILDREN OF BODOM released ten studio albums, two live albums, two EPs, two compilation albums and one DVD. The final lineup of the group upon their split in 2019 consisted of Alexi Laiho (lead guitar, lead vocals),Jaska Raatikainen (drums),Henkka Seppälä (bass),Janne Wirman (keyboard) and Daniel Freyberg (rhythm guitar).

Freyberg said: "It's great to have that final show transformed into a live album. For those who attended, it's a time travel back to that moment. And for those who didn't, it's an opportunity to experience how the chapter called CHILDREN OF BODOM was closed."

Seppälä stated: "Needless to say that this night was very special. When 'In Your Face' started, the reality hit me and I had to turn away from the audience 'cause I actually started crying. But the beauty is that the memories and Alexi's music will live forever!"

Wirman said: "It felt surreal to be on that stage in Helsinki Ice Hall as I knew that I was probably not gonna play with the guys ever again nor get to perform for the amazing fans anymore. It felt sad but also somewhat relieving. It is great that the last show and its emotional rollercoaster can now be enjoyed by everyone who couldn't make it to the show."

Raatikainen added: "When I got on the stage, I felt calm, probably because I no longer felt the need to prove anything but to enjoy the music and the presence of all the fans. I was just so grateful to have been a part of all this, knowing that our music wouldn't disappear even if we never ever played together again."

"A Chapter Called... Children Of Bodom (Final Show In Helsinki Ice Hall 2019)" track listing:

01. Under The Grass And Clover
02. Platitudes And Barren Words
03. In Your Face
04. Shovel Knockout
05. Bodom Beach Terror
06. Everytime I Die
07. Halo Of Blood
08. Are You Dead Yet?
09. Blooddrunk
10. I Worship Chaos
11. Angels Don't Kill
12. Follow The Reaper
13. Deadnight Warrior
14. Needled 24/7
15. Hate Me
16. Hate Crew Deathroll
17. Lake Bodom
18. Downfall

Laiho passed away in December 2020 due to alcohol-induced degeneration of the liver and pancreas connective tissue. Furthermore, Laiho had a cocktail of painkillers, opioids and insomnia medication in his system. He had suffered from long-term health issues leading up to his death.

In a July 2023 interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET, Wirman opened up about the string of events that led to the band's 2019 demise and the deterioration of Laiho's health.

"Alexi's downfall started in 2016," Janne said. "I don't know what caused him to do that. He told me but didn't tell anyone else in the band — he made sure no one else was in the room — and told me, 'Dude, from now on, I'm going to drink until I die.' I said, 'Fuck, man. You can't say that to me.' He said it another time in 2018. I knew that was what he was doing — he said he wouldn't take any help for his medical issues. He was going to keep drinking. That's what he did, which is fucking crazy."

Janne continued: "A lot of people who haven't had a family friend or work buddy or someone who is sick with alcoholism, a lot of people don't understand you cannot help the person who doesn't want help. He had decided he didn't want help and would keep drinking until he died. That's what he did."

Wirmen then detailed BODOM's final years, beset by infighting largely stemming from Laiho's substance abuse issues. "The last years were pretty bad," he said. "There was a lot of bullshit. It's so crazy because he was in such a good place a couple of years before. He was happy about being sober and on tour, and the shows were good. I don't know what happened to him. Something pushed him over the edge where he decided, 'Fuck it. I'm going to keep drinking.'"

Alexi's ashes were buried in December 2021 — nearly a year after his tragic passing. He was laid to rest at the Malmi Cemetery, a large cemetery located in the Malmi district in Helsinki, Finland.

Alexi and drummer Jaska Raatikainen founded CHILDREN OF BODOM in 1993, and the band was one of the most internationally acclaimed metal acts in Finland up until their very last farewell concert in December of 2019. In 2020, Alexi put together BODOM AFTER MIDNIGHT, which recorded three songs and shot one music video, all of which were released posthumously.

Besides CHILDREN OF BODOM, Laiho had played in such acts as WARMEN, SINERGY, KYLÄHULLUT and THE LOCAL BAND. Awarded with a Metal Hammer Golden God and several other international prizes, the guitarist was also the main star, leading a group of one hundred guitar players at the Helsinki Festival in 2015 in "100 Guitars From Hel" — a massive concert piece he composed.

Last year, Wirman and fellow former CHILDREN OF BODOM members Raatikainen and Henri "Henkka T. Blacksmith" Seppälä discussed publicly for the first time the circumstances that led to the band's split and ultimately Laiho's death. In an interview with Finland's Helsingin Sanomat, the three surviving members of CHILDREN OF BODOM said the real reason for the band's breakup was not that they wanted to stop touring in order to spend more time with their families, which is how Laiho explained it to Helsingin Sanomat in November 2019. Instead, what caused the group to split was Laiho's substance abuse, and that is also what eventually killed him a year after they went their separate ways.

Laiho's addiction began to take a serious toll on CHILDREN OF BODOM in 2008, when the band was the support act on a SLIPKNOT tour. In the ensuing years, Laiho promised his bandmates that he would not drink on the road anymore. Although he kept his word for a few years, Alexi "went into a tailspin again in 2016," according to Wirman. Laiho, who had a substantial income as COB's main songwriter (all other income, from gigs to merchandise, was split equally),repeatedly complained that his income was declining and threatened to pull himself out of the limited liability company, AA & Sewira Consulting Oy, he and the other members formed in 2003.

After CHILDREN OF BODOM's manager brought up Laiho's substance abuse at a business meeting in New York in early 2019, Alexi refused to go into rehabilitation but did agree to see a doctor. He was diagnosed with diabetes, and he began taking medication to treat the condition.

In the summer of 2019, Laiho filed an application with the Finnish Patent And Registration Office to register the CHILDREN OF BODOM name to Laiho. This infuriated his bandmates who saw this as an attempt to hijack the name and brand that was controlled by the group's LLC.

During CHILDREN OF BODOM's tour of Russia in October 2019, Laiho "was hitting the bottle like back in 2008," his bandmates told Helsingin Sanomat.

"I told Alexi that you don't usually drink starting at breakfast before a gig, and now you don't even warm up with the guitar before going on stage like you always do," Raatikainen recalled.

Laiho later apologized and stopped drinking for the last concerts of the tour.

"His hands were shaking for two days, but the gigs in Moscow and St Petersburg went pretty well," Raatikainen said.

Raatikainen, Seppälä and Wirman decided to go with Alexi's wish from a few years back and buy him out of the LLC. Laiho retained the rights to his music and was paid royalties on performances and record sales as before, but sold his part of the LLC that owns the name of the band and the merchandising rights.

According to the trio, Alexi was sober for CHILDREN OF BODOM's entire final tour of Finland in December 2019 and he "exchanged cordial messages" with them even after the start of the pandemic.

Alexi's sister Anna Laiho told Helsingin Sanomat that the three surviving members of CHILDREN OF BODOM "have the full support of our family."

Anna, Alexi's Australian wife Kelli Wright-Laiho and a few close friends attempted to get him professional help in the fall of 2020, but he refused.

"At heart, he was a warm and caring person, always ready to help others. But he had his demons, and he wanted to fight those alone", Alexi's sister said. "He wanted to make his own choices. For better or worse."

On October 19, The Rolling Stones took over New York City club, Racket NYC, to celebrate the release of their new album, Hackney Diamonds, the band's first album of new material in eighteen years.


The Stones have released the official live video for their performance of the album track, "Sweet Sounds Of Heaven", featuring Lady Gaga. Watch below:







The Rolling Stones' Hackney Diamonds is out now. The 12-track album, was recorded in various locations around the world, including Henson Recording Studios, Los Angeles; Metropolis Studios, London; Sanctuary Studios, Nassau, Bahamas; Electric Lady Studios, New York; and The Hit Factory/Germano Studios, also in New York. Late drummer Charlie Watts is featured on two tracks, "Mess It Up" and "Live By The Sword". "Live By The Sword" additionally features bass from former Stones bassist Bill Wyman. "Sweet Sounds Of Heaven" featuring vocals from Lady Gaga and keys & piano from Stevie Wonder, "Get Close" and "Live By The Sword" with piano from Elton John, and "Bite My Head Off" with bass from Paul McCartney.


Hackney Diamonds is their first studio set of new material since 2005's A Bigger Bang. Since then, the Stones have continued to smash box office records on a series of global sell-out tours and released 2016's Grammy Award winning Blue & Lonesome, which featured their brilliant versions of many of the blues tracks that helped shape their sound, and topped album charts around the world. Last year, they thrilled European audiences totalling nearly a quarter of a million on the anniversary Sixty tour. The Rolling Stones have sold over 250 million albums worldwide.


Hackney Diamonds marks The Stones' first album produced by producer and musician Andrew Watt.





Tracklisting:


"Angry"
"Get Close"
"Depending On You"
"Bite My Head Off"
"Whole Wide World"
"Dreamy Skies"
"Mess It Up"
"Live By The Sword"
"Driving Me Too Hard"
"Tell Me Straight"
"Sweet Sounds Of Heaven"
"Rolling Stone Blues"


 "Sweet Sounds of Heaven" lyric video:





"Angry" video:





(Top photo courtesy of Kevin Mazur/Getty Images for The Rolling Stones)

In a new interview with Troy Culpan of May The Rock Be With You, STAIND guitarist Mike Mushok was asked to name the one thing that has remained consistent throughout the band's nearly three-decade existence. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Probably the working relationship I feel like that Aaron [Lewis, STAIND frontman] and I have in that kind of that chemistry. When we get together, I feel like he takes what I have and helps me make it better and really completes what it is and really nails what I'm looking for and having a song. He just does such a great job with the melody and the lyrics."

He continued: "When we got together for the first time trying to work on [STAIND's first album in 12 years, the recently released 'Confessions Of The Fallen'], and you're just, like, 'Oh, what's this gonna be like? We haven't done this in a long time.' It was like we just picked up where we left off."

In an April 2023 interview Jason Bailey of Audacy Check In podcast, Mushok was asked if he has ever had discussions with Lewis about not being so vocal about his political views during STAIND shows. He responded: "There's not really a conversation [about that]. I mean, I do feel like — and even Aaron said, he goes, 'My country career is really where I deal with that. STAIND, not so much.' That's something that he's kind of said. So I mean, listen… People in the audience know who Aaron is and what he says. So sometimes that comes up — certain chants will happen during our shows from time to time. And, you know, whatever."

Last December, Mushok was asked by Loaded Radio podcast how he feels about Lewis publicly voicing his political views. He responded: "Listen, [Aaron is] a very opinionated person. He feels he needs to go out there and say what his opinion is. And listen, he's got the right to do that, right?"

"Confessions Of The Fallen" arrived on September 15 via Alchemy Recordings/BMG. STAIND's first new LP album since 2011 was produced by Erik Ron (GODSMACK, PANIC! AT THE DISCO, BLACK VEIL BRIDES).

STAIND has released eight albums since 1995, including 2011's self-titled effort. The band has had a number of hit songs during its first two decades, including the Top 10 smash "It's Been Awhile" from the No. 1 album "Break The Cycle". Follow-up LPs "14 Shades Of Grey" and "Chapter V" also topped the Billboard chart.

STAIND released its first album in nine years, "Live: It's Been Awhile", in May 2021 via Yap'em/Alchemy Recordings. The "Live: It's Been Awhile" album was accompanied by "The Return Of Staind", a two-part global streaming series in partnership with Danny Wimmer Presents.

STAIND and GODSMACK recently completed a 25-city co-headlining 2023 tour, produced by Live Nation. The trek launched on July 18 at Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre in St. Louis, Missouri, with stops across the U.S. before wrapping up in Austin, Texas at Germania Insurance Amphitheatre on August 31.

Chile death metal veterans Sadism will release their tenth album, Obscurans, on November 24 via Hammerheart Records.


Obscurans is the creation of a work process that started in July 2022, until the album was finished in the studio in February 2023.


Sadism comment:




“It is fair to say that around 1988 it was absolutely crazy to think about recording ten(!!!) albums as a band... and now it is with great pleasure that we can present our tenth studio album Obscurans. The record was made with enough time to regain our strength and hit our brutal and simple roots, and above everything else, to connect with our essence and characteristic style, driven by dark chords and blasphemous lyrics... a logbook to the most gloomy part of human history and the madness that pulls the strings to create our own decadent and miserable existence. We are very proud of this production in every way, a great triumph for us and of course we promise that there will be more than ten albums.”





Tracklisting:


“Exsanguination”
“On Your Knees”
“Diabolution”
“Lower Astral Entities”
“Because We Are Rotten To The Core”
“Freewill Archangels”
“Ars Goetia”
“The Void Devourer”
“Parousia”
“Made Of Sulfur”
“Nyctophile”
“When The Christians Lie”

Legendary Rock And Roll Hall Of Famers KISS are donating a trip with the band onboard their private jet along with an experience at one of their final shows of the "End Of The Road" U.S. tour. Proceeds will benefit Children Of The Rainforest and its mission to protect our pristine natural lands and indigenous cultures. All fans that contribute to the cause will be automatically entered into a sweepstakes for a chance to win.

As KISS embarks on their final tour ever, the iconic quartet has partnered with digital fundraising platform Fandiem to award a lucky fan with the chance to join the band on their legendary private jet as they fly from their Indianapolis, Indiana date to their next show in Chicago, Illinois. The winners will be personally hosted by the band's renowned manager Doc McGhee.

These lucky fans will attend KISS's last show ever in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, November 25, 2023, where they'll enjoy the full VIP experience, including backstage access for a tour of the final stage setup, the opportunity to watch the show and pre-show soundcheck from the Pit area, take a photo with the band, and more.

After the show, the winner's party will continue as they join KISS and go wheels up aboard the band's private jet to Chicago for their concert on Monday, November 27, 2023.

And as bonus prizes for entering, anyone who donates $100 or more will receive a KISS "Shock Me" t-shirt. And every donation entry automatically receives 250 bonus entries on Fandiem towards the digital platform's next KISS fundraising sweepstakes — a KISS signed setlist from their final show at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles, California and a surprise KISS-signed special item.

The fan-sourcing fundraising sweepstakes is running until November 15, 2023 exclusively on Fandiem and fans can "Donate To Win" at www.fandiem.com/kiss.

For as little as $25, participants can "Donate To Win" this prize, which includes:

* A private jet flight for two (2) with KISS on the legendary KISS private jet
* Hang with KISS band members onboard their jet while you fly from their show in Indianapolis, Indiana to their Chicago, Illinois stop on the "End Of The Road" world tour
* You and your guest will be personally hosted by KISS's legendary manager Doc McGhee
* Photo with KISS before they go on stage
* Two (2) KISS Ultimate VIP Packages for the KISS: "End Of The Road" world tour at the Gainbridge Fieldhouse in Indianapolis, Indiana on Saturday, November 25, 2023, including:
* Watch the KISS set from the Ultimate location...the Pit! You'll be in the crew area directly in front of the stage
* You'll also be in the Pit for KISS's four-song pre-show soundcheck and Q&A
* Exclusive access to the final KISS stage with an opportunity to take photos with Gene Simmons, Paul Stanley, Tommy Thayer and Eric Singer's instruments
* One (1) signed, limited-edition KISS 2023 tour poster shipped directly to your house
* Invitation to the KISS Army Captain's Lounge and more

The more fans donate the more chances they have to win – and the more they support the Children Of The Rainforest nonprofit.

About Fandiem: Fandiem is a digital contest fundraising platform that harnesses the power of the fan community to do good in the world. With their donation to a selected nonprofit, fans are entered to win once-in-a-lifetime experiences with their favorite artists, festivals, athletes, and creators. These are the opportunities that were previously available only to a select few but through Fandiem are awarded to the everyday fan at the heart of the community.

The Fandiem Foundation is a project of The Giving Back Fund, a national 501c3 organization that encourages and facilitates charitable giving. The Giving Back Fund grants donation proceeds to each campaign's partner nonprofit.

About Children Of The Rainforest: Children Of The Rainforest (COTR) is led by Isku Kua Yawanawa, the chief of New Hope Village in the Amazon Rainforest. COTR is on a mission to help Yawanawa save their language and protect 500,000 acres of pristine rainforest. COTR believes the most effective way to protect the Amazon is to strengthen Indigenous guardians who care for it. COTR funds and maximizes the impact of Isku Vakehuhu, a school dedicated to cultural reclamation and rainforest preservation. Because, we are all Children Of The Rainforest.



Win TWO seats on our PRIVATE KISS JET and join us as we travel to one of our fianl shows on the KISS: End of the Road World Tour!

You and a guest could be flying on our private jet where you'll be personally hosted by the our manager Doc McGhee PLUS you'll get two Ultimate VIP package tickets to see us play one of our FINAL shows in Indianapolis on Nov. 25.

Donate now to support @ChildrenoftheRainforestFB and indigenous communities in the Amazon rainforest.

Donate To Win at: fandiem.com/kiss

@winwithfandiem

Posted by KISS on Monday, October 23, 2023

Sammy Hagar has once again weighed in on the proposed all-star VAN HALEN tribute concert, saying that he is "so disappointed" that the event never materialized.

No progress has been reported on a possible VAN HALEN tribute show since April 2022 when former METALLICA bassist Jason Newsted revealed to The Palm Beach Post that he was approached by VAN HALEN drummer Alex Van Halen about six months earlier about playing bass for the project. Newsted told the Florida newspaper that he agreed to go to California to jam with Alex and legendary guitarist Joe Satriani and see if it felt right, but he eventually realized that it would be impossible to do justice to VAN HALEN's legacy. "How could you?" Jason said. "There's nobody that can top it, so how do you show it honor? I didn't want it to be viewed as a money grab. And then it kind of just all fizzled."

Asked in a new interview with the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern" podcast if he thinks the VAN HALEN tribute concert will ever happen, Hagar said: "As far as the tribute goes, I'm so disappointed how they've handled everything, including when I left the band, what they did, and that. I don't know — the dysfunction in that band… When I was in the band the first nine years, we got along like fricking brothers and sisters and we were happy together and one big family. Things went wrong. Drugs and alcohol are a bad thing when it turns ugly, and it's just never been the same. And for them not to have done something for Eddie Van Halen, the greatest guitar player in the world, the greatest rock musician, I'm telling you… It's ugly, but it's not my job."

Referencing his band THE CIRCLE, in which he is joined by former VAN HALEN bassist Michael Anthony, Sammy said: "Mike and I are doing our thing and we're gonna go out next year again. I'm gonna do this as long as I can. I don't know how much longer I can sing those songs and sing my own songs and go out and jump around on stage and do a great show, performance. So as long as I can do it, I've gotta keep doing it. But I think we just keep adding more VAN HALEN songs to the set; that's what we're doing. Mikey sang 'Ain't Talkin' 'Bout Love' last night. We're serving the VAN HALEN stuff up pretty good."

Back in September 2022, Sammy was asked in an interview with Rolling Stone if his CHICKENFOOT bandmate Satriani called him up before jamming with Newsted and Alex Van Halen to say that it was happening. Hagar said: "No, because the VAN HALEN camp is 100% secrecy. I bet when he walked through the door, they made him sign something, and I'm dead serious. Alex is a very, very secretive guy. I don't know how he can keep his lips so sealed. I could probably say something horrible about him right now and he wouldn't even respond. Don't take that the wrong way. I have nothing bad to say about him. I'm just talking about how stubborn he is. He does not budge. But Joe told me about it later, after it happened. I knew there was talk of it because [VAN HALEN's manager] Irving Azoff had called me. He said, 'I want to do a residency in Vegas with you and Mike and Al and a superstar guitar player.' And I said 'Like who?' And he said, 'Like Joe Satriani.' I said, 'It just sounds like CHICKENFOOT with Alex Van Halen instead of Chad Smith.' I wasn't much for that, as much as I love Joe. He could do that job best, without a doubt, because he's so friggin' anal about the way he plays, and every single note. I said to Irving, 'I'm going to call Joe.' When I did, he told me what happened. And I said, 'Jason Newsted? What the fuck is going on here, man? Whose idea is this? This must be a Dave [Lee Roth] idea.' And Irving said it was a Dave idea.

"Why would he want anyone but Mike?" he continued. "It's probably because he knows that Mike and I are so close. I would imagine if they would've called Mike, Mike would've said, 'Yes, I'll do it with Sam.' Because without Ed, there is no VAN HALEN to start with. So now, you're going to go out and just play the early songs, and not play the second era? That would be the biggest failure VAN HALEN ever had if they call themselves 'VAN HALEN' if they didn't have Mikey. If it's just Alex with other guys, that's like what Jason Bonham does with LED ZEPPELIN. There's a million bands out there doing that. It would be totally nuts. Also, I'd prefer that nobody attempts to replace Eddie Van Halen. I think that's blasphemy and should be illegal.

"Anyway, I think that Irving boohooed it, and Dave went around him and did it anyway. I'm surprised that Alex went that far, but Alex might have just been his methodical self and said, 'Well, let's see what this is like. Let's see how it feels.'"

Asked if he would be interested in playing with Alex and Mike as part of a Vegas residency, or any kind of tour, Sammy said: "Not a tour, no. I wouldn't leave what I'm doing for that. I would make myself available to have a rehearsal and see which guitar player would work the best. I'm telling you, Joe would be the best. But like I said, then it's just kind of CHICKENFOOT with Alex, which there's a problem there. And I think that's probably what they were thinking when they tried to get a different bass player, but that's stupid, too.

"I would definitely love to play with Alex and Mike with a great guitar player that doesn't try to just mimic Eddie perfectly. There's so many great guitar players. There's Steve Vai. There's frigging John 5, who is a great guitar player."

Pressed about whether he is thinking of merely a one-off tribute show, Sammy said: "I'm thinking of one-off weekend or something where we give the money away to some cause. It can't just be, 'Hey, we're going to grab some money.' I got plenty of money. There's nothing that I would do for money that I just wasn't in love with the idea of doing. And I'm not in love with the idea of being VAN HALEN without Eddie Van Halen. Matter of fact, I'm dead against it. But I would love to play music with Alex and Mike again. I would love to play those songs again. And if we did a residency or a tribute, I would sing 50/50. I would sing half the Dave songs too for the VAN HALEN fans. And those songs are great. I don't mind singing some of them. The lyrics don't fit in my life today, but neither does 'Rock Candy' or 'Bad Motor Scooter'.

"But I just think it's crazy to do anything that's called VAN HALEN without Eddie. I would love it if Dave wanted to do a tribute where he'd sing ten of his songs, and then I'd come out and do ten of mine. That would be great with Alex and Mike and maybe a bunch of different guitar players. Look at what Dave [Grohl] just did for Taylor [Hawkins]. That's one of the greatest events in rock history. That's right up there with the early Farm Aids, and right up there with Live Aid. That was a great event, and that could be done for Ed with everybody playing."

Asked if he has spoken much to Eddie Van Halen's son Wolfgang since he was a kid on VAN HALEN's 2004 tour, Sammy said: "Yes, but not a ton. I really gave him a lot of love when he made his first record, and he gave me some back. It was very cordial, not like, 'Hey, let's get together' and stuff like that. I mean, Wolfie blows my mind. Look what he did over in London for that Taylor thing. When he played Eddie's stuff, man, that was fuckin' really good. He just keeps impressing me with his talent. That song 'Distance' is so soulful. I had no idea he could sing like that. He's really got his pop's talent. It's kind of like Jason and John Bonham. I mean, Jason's just like his dad, man. He plays fuckin' that good. And I think Wolfie, maybe not as innovative because nobody is, but yes, he's definitely doing it right. I praise him for not trying to be Eddie.

"But now, I'll make a statement. If there was ever a situation where there was a VAN HALEN tribute in some kind of way with Alex, Mike, myself, Dave, if he would cooperate, and Wolfie playing Eddie's parts, now that would be worthy of calling 'VAN HALEN,' for a moment. Wolfie would be crazy to drop his life and his creativity and his career to be his dad's mimic. But for a moment, it could be great."

In July 2022, Wolfgang was asked by Rolling Stone to elaborate on what happened to cause plans for the tribute concert to fall apart. He said: "What I can say is that there was an attempt at doing something. But, you know, I don't like to speak negatively about people, but there are some people that make it very difficult to do anything when it comes to VAN HALEN. After being in VAN HALEN for a long time, I really have strived to have an environment where there is no walking on eggshells and there is no personality that you have to deal with. It's just guys having fun making music and just having a good time. But, you know, from my time in VAN HALEN, there was always some stuff that gets in the way from just making music and having a good time. And, I think, that's what happened.

"I would love to just sit here and say everything and say the truth," he continued. "There are plenty of interviews my dad did, where he straight up just said everything. And people hated him for it and thought he was lying. So I could just say shit, but people have already decided how they feel about things, facts or not. So I can say the facts. But that may not align with how certain people feel. I know how VAN HALEN fans get. They are very motivated by which specific people they like in the band. And it's just not worth it. Just, we made an attempt, and some people can be hard to work with, and made it not happen."

Regarding his involvement in the proposed tribute concert, Wolfgang said: "When it comes to VAN HALEN, and decision-making overall and what VAN HALEN does, it's Al, and then I'm there and supportive. You know, I basically help make the decisions that dad would be there to make, because I'm in there in his stead."

Wolfgang went on to say that he "would really like to do something" for his father, but that the tribute concert idea "never even got off the ground."

"Look at anything that's happened with VAN HALEN," he said. "And look how things have fallen apart. You know? The fact that in my tenure, in VAN HALEN, we managed to do three tours, put an album of original material and a live album out is a fucking miracle.

"People love to pin every decision VAN HALEN has ever made on Dad," he continued. "But Al's the brain. Al has been the guy forever. He's the dude. When it comes to VAN HALEN, Dad just wanted to play guitar. But, you know, Al's mentality, and it's the mentality that VAN HALEN took for the entirety of its band, is that there's nothing worth talking about unless it's happening. So the reason that nothing has been talked about from VAN HALEN, the official channels, is because nothing's happened. And I know how that will stir people up and piss them off. But that's how the operation is run."

Asked what he would say if someone were to assume that the main problem was a certain singer with three initials — referring to David Lee Roth — Wolfgang replied: "I would say 'Do your research on the history of VAN HALEN, and come to your conclusions.'"

In June 2022, Anthony confirmed to SiriusXM's Trunk that he was involved in some of the early conversations about the VAN HALEN tribute.

"I haven't spoken to him in a little while, but I have spoken with Alex on occasion," Michael said. "And for the most part, we don't even speak that much about music — more about just family, how we're doing and stuff like that. I know it still pains him a lot as far as Eddie goes and will probably for the rest of his life. But I spoke with him and Dave last year about a possible something, but Dave just starts going [talking really fast] And I'm, like, 'Okay.' And we basically just had kind of a conference call about having a conference call to discuss it, and then that other call didn't happen for whatever reason on their end. I told them that I'd obviously be interested. And it would be more like a celebration of the music rather than putting together something and calling it VAN HALEN because that just wouldn't be right at this point."

Anthony went on to say that he hadn't been aware Newsted was involved in the discussions until Jason disclosed it in The Palm Beach Post interview. "That's the first that I'd even heard about anything like that," Michael said. "And it was kind of interesting because he said he spoke to [Dave and Alex] about a year ago, and that's about the time I was speaking with them. So I don't know. I'm gonna have to call Jason and ask him. [Laughs]"

When Trunk noted that Roth said in his comment about the VAN HALEN tribute that "two of us" would be required "for every position" in the project's lineup, possibly suggesting that more than one guitarist and more than one bassist would be involved in the show, Anthony said: "I was kind of thinking along those lines also, but then one thing made me kind of change my mind and make me think, 'Well, Dave's just kind of being Dave,' and maybe he's just saying that it would take at least two people to be able to duplicate what one person in this band did, and the reason I thought of that was all of a sudden he brought up the name Pink. He was saying that Pink would have to be one of the David Lee Roth characters, or singers, and I'm, like, 'Huh.' That just sounded a little too 'Dave' to me.

"But I don't know," Anthony quickly clarified. "At this point, I've gotta tell you, I don't know if anything will ever happen. 'Cause Alex is — he's really hurting. Him and Edward were so close on all levels — musical levels and personally and whatever. It just seems to me like it might be really hard for Alex to even enter into something to bring back all those memories. I don't know. I could be wrong. I'm the guy that always says, 'Never say never.'"

According to Anthony, the proposed VAN HALEN tribute would likely take the form of a single concert rather than a full-fledged tour.

"What was being talked about was not actually doing a tour," he said. "You take something like this on tour and people are gonna think it's a cashgrab. I'd rather have something, like a memorial-type thing, done at a venue. And there were actually a couple of venues discussed. But do it that way instead of taking it on the road. And make it just a real celebration of the music…

"I actually would not be up for doing a tour right off the bat," Michael continued. "I think holding a celebration of Eddie and the music and the whole VAN HALEN legacy is great. And let's face it — none of us need the money. I don't need the money. I'd rather take the money and throw it in a charity."

Michael once again reiterated that he has no concrete idea whether any VAN HALEN tribute concert will take place. "I think it all really hinges upon Alex," he said. "And he's gotta be the person, really, that wants to do this and give his blessing to the whole thing for it to move forward. And like I said, when we speak, we really don't even speak about doing anything like that at this point. He's still healing. And if it gets to that point, I'm sure Alex will be the first one that'll wanna do something like that."

Asked whether there has been any bad blood between him and Alex and Dave in recent years, Anthony said: "Not at all. I only spoke to Dave that one conversation we had [in 2021] and I couldn't hardly get a word in edgewise, which is… that's typical Dave. But I have spoken to Alex on occasion, and it's great. We'll speak for, like, 45 minutes, an hour. And probably about the first 20 minutes is Alex, sometimes he'll vent to me a bit about all the circumstances around how everything happened with Eddie. But we basically just talk about family and we actually bring up some of the old times on the road, to lighten things up a bit."

In June 2021, Wolfgang, who joined his father in VAN HALEN for the band's 2007 reunion tour with Roth, replacing Anthony, told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" it would be "great" to eventually organize an Eddie Van Halen tribute show. "It's not in the immediate plans, 'cause that's a lot of moving parts that you've gotta corral to get that to happen. But I definitely think it should happen. Absolutely," he said.

Asked how he envisions the tribute concert taking place in terms of which musicians should be involved, Wolfgang said: "I have no idea. All I know is that the focus should a hundred percent be on Pop. While it could be a celebration of VAN HALEN and the band's history, I think more than anything, it should be focused on him… It's a tall ask and a big thing to figure out. But I do think it should happen at some point."

In November 2020, Wolfgang told Entertainment Tonight that proceeds from any tribute show in honor of his father would go toward Eddie's favorite charity, Mr. Holland's Opus, which helps underprivileged students access musical instruments. Proceeds from the debut solo single from Wolfgang's solo band MAMMOTH WVH, "Distance", are also benefiting Mr. Holland's Opus.

Eddie died in October 2020 at the age of 65. The legendary VAN HALEN guitarist passed away at St. John's Hospital in Santa Monica, California.

Photo credit: Leah Steiger (courtesy of Hannah Kampf)

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has teamed up with Vault Comics for a 21st century comic book based on the 1983 cult sword-and-sorcery movie "Deathstalker" produced by Roger Corman. Tim Seeley is writing the comic, with Jim Terry handling art.

A Kickstarter campaign for the new "Deathstalker" has just been launched, with a deluxe, oversized hardcover edition of the comic up for order along with the single-issue comic books and trade paperback release that will arrive in 2024. The "Deathstalker" series will be released in comic shops next year as well.

"I'm excited to be kicking off a new era of 'Deathstalker'," Slash said in a statement. "From Tim Seeley, artist Jim Terry, writer-director-creature FX-wizard Steven Kostanski, and myself, our 'Deathstalker' is a reimagining of that fine specimen of '80s sword and sorcery. With fantasy, you get a little of everything: horror, magic, sex, thrills, blood, guts, swords and weirdness. You know-all those things you can't look away from. And that's what we're bringing. So, please, if you share my love of all things wicked, check it out!"

"We obviously adore sword and sorcery at Vault," said Vault CEO Damian Wassel. "So, when Slash approached us with the opportunity to relaunch a cult classic of the genre together with Steven Kostanski, and our friends at Shout! and Raven Banner, we couldn't say no. The whole idea of this project is to balance nostalgia for the so-bad-it's-good fantasy filmmaking of the 1980s with the storytelling sensibilities of our time. There's no one we could trust more to turn that into a wickedly hilarious, fantastically epic comic than Tim Seeley and Jim Terry."

The original "Deathstalker" movie tells the tale of a mighty warrior tasked to battle the dark forces within a fantastic kingdom. Embarking on a journey to a brutally challenging tournament, Deathstalker seeks its magnificent spoils: the throne of the wicked wizard Munkar, an unstoppable mystical power, and the love of the beautiful Princess Codille. But first, Deathstalker must prove himself worthy of his legacy… with danger and treachery lurking at every turn.

"Deathstalker II" arrived in 1987, while "Deathstalker And The Warriors From Hell" came out a year later in 1988. A fourth film, "Deathstalker IV: Match Of Titans", was released in 1990.

Photo credit: Austin Nelson (courtesy of Libby Coffey / Prime PR Group)

Slash invites you to be part of the Deathstalker legacy. Join the Kickstarter project for exclusive rewards.

https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/vault-comics/slash-presents-deathstalker

Posted by Vault Comics on Friday, September 29, 2023

🤘 It's here, and it's epic! Preorder my FIRST graphic novel, DEATHSTALKER! Teamed up with legends like @jimterryart, @...

Posted by Slash on Wednesday, October 11, 2023

Video of Vinny Appice's October 23 concert at Bolshoi Pub in Goiânia, Brazil can be seen below.

The legendary 66-year-old drummer, who has played with BLACK SABBATH, DIO and HEAVEN & HELL, was backed during the set by Fernando Giovannetti (bass),Nando Fernandes (vocals) and Edu Ardanuy (guitar; ex-DR. SIN).

Featured songs:

01. Turn Up The Night 04:20
02. The Mob Rules 8:47
03. Children Of The Sea 12:48
04. The Last In Line 20:13
05. The Sign Of The Southern Cross 26:46
06. Computer God 35:47
07. Voodoo 42:48
08. Stand Up And Shout 47:53
09. Holy Diver 53:03
10. War Pigs 59:15
11. Neon Knights 1:09:27
12. Heaven And Hell 1:16:02
13. Caught In The Middle 1:29:49
14. We Rock 1:35:01
15. Rainbow In The Dark 1:42:45

This past February, Vinny was asked in an interview with Paul Rogne of the Drumming News Network why he doesn't play double-bass drums. He responded: "Well, because Carmine [Appice, Vinny's brother] went over to double bass; he started on single bass. Then at one point I got another bass drum and I played it, and I guess I didn't like it at that point. And I thought, 'Carmine's doing all this stuff. He's been using it for years now. I'm just gonna stick with one bass drum.' And seeing how some of these drummers with double bass are amazing, I just thought, 'I'm gonna stay with one bass drum and not do the double-bass thing.' And that kept my foot strong. Actually, my right leg, my calf is bigger than the left leg. When I put on tight pants, the right leg, getting it back off, it's harder to get off than the left leg, 'cause the muscle built up so much. It's crazy."

Vinny previously discussed his preference for a single-bass setup during an interview with Metal Edge more than a decade and a half ago. At the time he said: "Both Carmine and I started with a single bass. Then he moved over to double bass, so I thought I'd see if it was for me. It didn't blow me away, so I just kept the single bass. I never used a double pedal either, so I'm known as 'Mr. Single Bass.' The good thing is that with a double bass your foot can't get lazy, so I've got a lot of power with one foot and it's fairly fast from playing with one just bass drum."

Back in December 2021, Vinny spoke to the "All Access Live! With Kevin Rankin" podcast about his unique and powerful drumming style which has anchored the rhythm and power live and in the studio for the music of DIO, BLACK SABBATH, HEAVEN & HELL, LAST IN LINE, AXIS, Rick Derringer, John Lennon and more. He said: "I always say 'I go where no man has gone before' where some of these fills start. See, I play in the song. Whatever I do, I get into the song. I don't play on top of the song. I hear a lot of drummers can play on top of the song and they're just playing the song. I'm inside of that song, and that's the way I hear the stuff. It's kind of like an artist painting pictures, and I'm in there putting the colors in it. And I just hear it like that — fills that could go over the bar, maybe a bar and a half. And they start in an odd place. And luckily, that worked for me with SABBATH. SABBATH, I didn't do quite as much because SABBATH was so legendary, you had to keep that in your mind that this is BLACK SABBATH and there's a certain way to play fills that are a little darker maybe — not so much snare drum; more dark stuff. And then with DIO, anything went. And Ronnie [James Dio] never had a problem with me playing… nor did SABBATH; they never said 'don't play a fill there' or anything like that. And Ronnie, I'd play over his vocal line. We kicked each other in the ass. When I hear him starting to go, I go, 'Woah, dude.' Now something comes out of me that got inspired; he inspired me. We fed off each other, absolutely."

Appice went on to say that his recorded parts change and evolve when he is performing the songs live. "Like one night, [DIO] played 'The Last In Line', and at the third verse, [Ronnie] goes, 'And you never, never, never come home.' And then one night, he kept it going. He went, 'Never, never, never, never, never, never, never, never…' He kept it going. And I just heard that and I followed him," Vinny said. "And we went, 'That was cool, dude.' And we still do that. I'm playing with LAST IN LINE now with Vivian [Campbell, former DIO guitarist]. And we do that. Andy Freeman [LAST IN LINE singer] and I, we worked it out so that part's in there.

"See, I'm always listening," Appice continued. "Drummers, you've gotta listen to what's going on on stage. I don't close my eyes and space out. I look around. I'm scanning the stage. If I'm hearing somebody playing something, maybe I'll jump on it. And that keeps it really exciting. That's why I don't play the same stuff every night. Certain fills are the same. But then I go kick in the ass as much as I could."

Vinny has recorded and co-written songs on several dozen albums and CDs, including many multi-platinum records. Vinny's drumming can also be heard on numerous movie soundtracks, including "Wayne's World 2", "Heavy Metal", "Iron Eagle" and "Bedazzled". Vinny, the author of drum instruction book "Rock Steady" and DVD "Hard Rock Drumming Techniques", has performed incredible powerhouse drum clinics around the globe. Numerous books have been written about BLACK SABBATH and DIO with the authors always mentioned Vinny's drumming style.

Vinny Appice Brazilian Tour.

Posted by Last In Line on Thursday, October 19, 2023

Julien's Auctions proudly presents "The Collection Of Dusty Hill Of ZZ Top", a three-day auction event honoring the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame bass legend of one of the best-selling acts and biggest touring bands of all time, who sold over 50 million albums worldwide. The year-end single artist event culminating Julien's 20th-anniversary celebration will take place on Thursday, December 7, Friday, December 8 and Saturday, December 9, 2023 live at the legendary musician and vocalist's birthplace of Dallas, Texas at the auction venue 915 Slocum and online at Julien's Live.

The auction will feature nearly 1,200 lots showcasing the rock icon's spectacular one-of-a-kind instruments, custom made western style wardrobe worn on stage and in appearances, gear, creative documents, signature style items such as his favorite cowboy hats, boots and buckles, memorabilia and more from his groundbreaking five-decade career coming directly from Dusty Hill's personal collection. A portion of the auction proceeds will benefit MusiCares and their mission to help the humans behind music because music gives so much to the world. Offering preventive, emergency, and recovery programs, MusiCares is a safety net supporting the health and welfare of the music community.

From ZZ TOP's auspicious beginnings in the early 1970s to their breakthrough superstardom and era defining MTV videos in the 1980s and massively successful tours in the 20th to 21st century playing in sold out arenas all over the world, founding member, bassist, vocalist and keyboard player Dusty Hill powered the trio to the rock and roll greatness and pop cultural strata that put the Texas blues rock sound on the map.

Born May 19, 1949 in Dallas, Texas, Joe Michael "Dusty" Hill began singing with his older brother Rocky at the age of 8 and grew up listening to the blues. He switched from playing cello to bass at the age of 13 playing in local bars with various Dallas bands until 1968 when Hill relocated to Houston. There he teamed up with his former bandmate/drummer Frank Beard and guitarist-vocalist Billy Gibbons and the legendary lineup of ZZ TOP was born. In 1971, the band released their debut, "ZZ Top's First Album" and follow up albums "Rio Grande Mud" and "Tres Hombres", which produced their first big hit single "La Grange" and led to their opening act gig for THE ROLLING STONES in Hawaii. Hill sang lead vocal on ZZ TOP's 1975 hit single "Tush" as well as on the singles "Pan Am Highway Blues", "Avalon Hideaway" and "Ten Dollar Man" on their 1976 album "Tejas" as well as on the duet "It's Only Love" with Gibbons. In the late '70s, Hill changed his look by growing matching long beards and wearing sunglasses and hats with Gibbons and the styling trio topped the charts with their hit single "Cheap Sunglasses" from their 1979 "Degüello" album. But it was 1983's "Eliminator" that catapulted ZZ TOP into superstardom with the album's trifecta of monster hits "Sharp Dressed Man", "Gimme All Your Lovin'" and "Legs". The songs dominated the airwaves and television screens with their accompanying iconic music videos featuring ZZ TOP's signature ZZ keychain, video vixens and the red Eliminator Coupe hot rod that captured the MTV generation and cemented Hill and his bandmates as pop culture icons. The RIAA-diamond-certified album sold over 10 million copies and stayed on the Billboard charts for 183 weeks and the songs continue to play in heavy rotation on classic rock radio stations to this day. In their videos and onstage, Hill and Gibbons's matching appearances, playing sensational custom-made guitars that would spin, along with their humorous song lyrics and hard driving live performances charged by Hill's raw bass lines and the band's New Wave flavor with Hill on synthesizer keyboards, became the trio's trademark look, sound and personality that would distinguish them from other rock and roll acts then and now.

During Hill's remarkable 50-year career playing solely with ZZ TOP's original band members, the trio released 15 studio albums, including 1985's "Afterburner" that went platinum five times over and the platinum 1990 album "Recycler" and platinum 1994 album "Antenna". Hill has appeared in the films "Back To The Future Part III" and "Mother Goose Rock 'N' Rhyme" and has played himself on TV's "King Of The Hill" and "The Drew Carey Show". Hill was inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame with ZZ TOP in 2004.

The headlining item of the auction will be one of the most instantly recognizable instruments in pop culture history: Hill's fur bass guitar played on ZZ TOP's iconic "Legs" music video (estimate: $80,000 - $120,000). The 1983 Dean Explorer style bass, in sheepskin finish with ZZ TOP logo painted on the fretboard, was attached to a rig worn around Hill's waist to make it spin. Dean Zelinsky of Dean Guitars, who created the instruments, wrote about them on his web site's blog stating that he received a 3 a.m. phone call from Billy Gibbons while ZZ TOP was on tour in the U.K. At the very end of their conversation, Billy said to Zelinsky, "I'm sending you some sheepskins I purchased while in Scotland, I want you to put them on some guitars." Weeks later, the sheepskins were delivered and Zelinsky made a matching pair of Dean Z guitar and bass, painted them white including the fingerboards with the "Eliminator" album logo down the necks and applied the sheepskins. "I remember we were still gluing the fur on the tuning keys when the FedEx driver showed up to pick up the guitars," said Zelinsky. "He waited while we boxed them up, they had to make it to the video shoot the very next day."

Another incredible offering is Hill's signature 1953 Fender Precision bass guitar, and most played instrument by Hill out of all the guitars in this collection (estimate: $80,000 - $120,000). The bass was heavily used by Hill and served as his go to stage guitar for numerous ZZ TOP live performances and in the studio until Dusty retired the bass in 2012 due to road wear. This instrument in butterscotch finish with black pickguard in all original 7/10 condition, appeared on the cover of ZZ TOP's 1975 album "Fandango!" and comes in its period tweed case with a great deal of wear and an assortment of stickers.

An MTV Moonman award statuette presented to Dusty Hill for "Best Group Video" "Legs" at the inaugural MTV Video Music Awards ceremony held in 1984 ($10,000 - $15,000). ZZ TOP were the first group to ever win "Best Group Video" whose fellow nominees included THE POLICE's "Every Breath You Take", VAN HALEN's "Jump" and HUEY LEWIS AND THE NEWS' "The HeartOf Rock & Roll".

Dusty Hill's bald eagle jacket by Manuel with talons and feather accents down sleeves, accented with prong-set stones, with personalized "Dusty Hill" Manuel label ($6,000 - $8,000). Dusty was photographed in the 1980s wearing this masterwork by Manuel, who worked in Hollywood with Nudie Cohn, of Nudie's Rodeo Tailors, before relocating to Nashville.

Dusty Hill's black leather motorcycle jacket with custom-painted skeleton motif, eagle head pins on lapel, and silver spike embellishments with "Streek Landslide" written on the back, Dusty was photographed wearing the jacket while on tour in 1994 ($1,500 - $2,500).

Dusty Hill's Matt Hackett belt buckle with silver Texas lone star accents and Mexican dos pesos coin on a Justin Boots brown tooled leather belt ($2,000 - $3,000).

A black snap front western style shirt custom made by Manuel with personalized Dusty Hill label and extensive ZZ TOP-themed embroidery, flames and crystal embellishments are also another showstopping highlight ($1,500 - $2,500).

Dusty Hill's stage worn limited edition pair Manuel black and white leather cowboy boots in soft travel case. It is difficult to find a photograph of Dusty on stage from 2007 through 2021 where he is not wearing these boots as they were his go-to footwear for performances for over a decade and they were on the road with him, on his last tour ($2,000 - $3,000).

Dusty Hill's favorite Stetson cowboy hat stage worn and used in the "I Gotsta Get Paid" music video and countless performances ($3,000 - $5,000). Dusty began wearing this Stetson, grey aged beaver hat, with braided horsehair hat band with tassels, in 2010 until his very last show in 2021. Although Hill had cycled through different looks and hats from tour to tour, this hat became an instant favorite. When it was stolen on the road, Hill made an on-air appeal at a local radio station and was able to recover it as it had become his most instantly recognizable performance hat.

Hill's custom sky-blue wool suit jacket with yellow and red embroidered flowers accented with stones by Nudie's Rodeo Tailors worn on the cover of ZZ TOP's 1975 album "Fandango!" ($6,000 - $8,000).

Dusty Hill's 2000s Bolin Precision style bass, in blonde relic finish with Dusty caricature, lavender and green pinstriping on the body, fretboard and headstock ($8,000 - $12,000). The bass was used during ZZ TOP's 2007 live performance in Grand Prairie Texas that was released on their 2008 "Live From Texas" DVD and on tour in 2016.

Dusty Hill's commissioned oil derrick gold nugget ring accented with four circular-cut diamonds ($2,000 - $3,000). As told by his wife Charleen "Chuck" Hill once invested in an oil prospecting scheme which he later referred to as his investment in a dry dirt hole because you guessed it…no oil was found. He commissioned this ring to serve as a reminder to himself to never again try his hand at prospecting and to stick to what he did best, making music.

Dusty Hill's commissioned Richard Luce original oil painting titled "The Alamo – The Cost Of Freedom" ($5,000 - $7,000) displayed in The Alamo Gift Museum in 2004. The painting is accompanied by mounted Texas longhorn steer horns that Hill kept hanging above this painting.

Dusty Hill's Edward H. Bohlin sterling silver and gold buckle featuring a hand-engraved classic Western scroll pattern ($1,000 - $1,500).

Plus, Hill's pink tinted prescription Christian Dior sunglasses, customized .44 magnum Colt Anaconda double action revolvers, "Eliminator"-era jumpsuit, jewelry, stage-worn jackets by Jaime Custom Tailoring, and more.

"Duzzty's Stash" pop store will also be at the exhibition and auction venue 915 Slocum Street in Dallas which will offer T-shirts, posters and other memorabilia that Hill collected personally.

"Chuck" Hill, Dusty Hill's wife, said: "Dusty treasured all of the items in this auction and it means so much to me that the fans, whom he loved, will have an opportunity to own something from his personal collection. He would be so happy to know that this auction will benefit other musicians in need through the efforts of MusiCares.".

"Dusty Hill was ZZ TOP's lightning in a bottle that made them one of the greatest and most iconic American rock/blues bands of all time," said Martin Nolan, executive director and co-founder of Julien's Auctions. "Here are his most famous and legendary guitars that produced his masterful bass lines and the most memorable riffs ever played in the history of rock from ZZ TOP's 'Legs' to 'Sharp Dressed Man', as well as Dusty's instantly recognizable wardrobe and style pieces that demonstrated why he was not only the King of the Bass but the King of Texas style."

Fans will have a chance to view highlights from "The Collection Of Dusty Hill" at Julien's international exhibitions starting October 24 at the Museum Of Style Icons at the Newbridge Silverware Visitor's Centre in Kildare, Ireland then at Hard Rock Cafe in Times Square New York November 20-November 26 before the auction at 915 Slocum Street in Dallas, Texas November 29-December 7.

Julien's Auctions live and online auctions:

The Collection Of Dusty Hill Of ZZ TOP
Thursday, December 7
Session I: 7:00 p.m. Central Time (evening)

The Collection Of Dusty Hill Of ZZ TOP
Friday, December 8
Session II: 10:00 a.m. Central Time (day)

The Collection Of Dusty Hill Of ZZ TOP
Saturday, December 9
Session III: 10:00 a.m. Central Time (day)

For more information, visit JuliensAuctions.com

Image courtesy of Homage PR

TWO TOP EXHIBITIONS OPEN TODAY
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KURT COBAIN AND DUSTY HILL OF ZZ TOP
WORLD EXCLUSIVE FOR THE MUSEUM OF STYLE ICONS
Two...

Posted by Newbridge Silverware on Tuesday, October 24, 2023

In celebration of Halloween this year, AVENGED SEVENFOLD has shared its cover of the classic MISFITS song "Astro Zombies".

Earlier today, the AVENGED SEVENFOLD YouTube channel was updated with an audio clip of guitarist Zacky Vengeance, bassist Johnny Christ and drummer Brooks Wackerman performing "Astro Zombies". The band also included the following message: "It's that time of year where Zacky, Johnny and Brooks transform into fiends to bring you a new take on a classic MISFITS song. Enjoy?"

In 2022, Vengeance, Christ and Wackerman released their version of "Last Caress", while 2021 saw them reworking "Hybrid Moments".

"Astro Zombies" takes its name from the title of the 1968 film "The Astro-Zombies".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD made its first festival appearance in five years on May 19 at Welcome To Rockville at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first concert since June 2018 took place on May 12 at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD has just completed the second leg of its extensive "Life is But A Dream…" North American tour featuring support from FALLING IN REVERSE.

The first leg with support from ALEXISONFIRE and KIM DRACULA included thirteen cities across the U.S. and Canada, such as Mansfield, Québec City, Tinley Park, Calgary, and more.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD is continuing to tour in support of its latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which sold 36,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 13 on the Billboard 200 chart.

Longtime SMASHING PUMPKINS guitarist Jeff Schroeder has announced his departure from the band.

Earlier today, the 49-year-old musician, who has played with SMASHING PUMPKINS for the past 16 years, released the following statement via the band's social media: "It's easy to say now that when I joined THE SMASHING PUMPKINS in 2007 I had no idea what I was getting into. The opportunity seemed to have come out of nowhere. I was at UCLA working on my doctorate in comparative Literature when a close friend messaged me and said THE SMASHING PUMPKINS were looking for a guitar player. Being a huge fan of the band, the audition was something I threw myself into. It was one of the best decisions I've made in my life. The amount of incredible memories created over the last 16 years with the band are almost too numerous to quantify.

"Although it was a very difficult decision to make, I've decided to leave the band to make some space to explore a slightly different path.

"I want to thank Billy, Jimmy, James, and Jack for being both wonderful bandmates and even better friends. I will absolutely miss sharing the stage with you. I wish the band all the success in the future. I will be watching and listening."

Billy Corgan, James Iha and Jimmy Chamberlin commented on Schroeder's departure in a separate statement, writing: "We thank Jeff for his ceaseless dedication to the band and our great fans. Words can not express our gratitude and appreciation for the friend he is, and being there for SP in the good times and the tough times, too."

As stated above, Schroeder had been touring and recording with the SMASHING PUMPKINS since 2006 when a friend texted him that the PUMPKINS were looking for new band members and he quickly abandoned the grad school program he was pursuing at UCLA after landing the gig. Playing in SMASHING PUMPKINS all these years has inspired Schroeder to become "a better technical guitar player," he previously said. "There's things that I hear in my head that I want to be able to play, and so when you reach the kind of technical frontier where you're like, 'Okay, there's certain limitations here,' I just decided, 'Okay, I want to be able to play some things in my head that I can't technically do.'" In recent years, he's also taken jazz guitar lessons during a time when SMASHING PUMPKINS was off the road, and contributed to albums by the shoegaze band RINGO DEATHSTARR and electro-pop act NIGHT DREAMER.

Schroeder released his debut solo single, "Haenim", in July 2021. A fuzzed-out shoegaze-pop cover featuring Korean American vocalist Heeya So, the song was written by Shin Joong Hyun, an influential Korean rock 'n' roll guitarist, and initially appeared on 1973's "Now", a psych-folk LP released by a teenager named Kim Jung Mi.

Photo courtesy of MAD Ink PR
pic.twitter.com/K5BnQDRumG

— The Smashing Pumpkins (@SmashingPumpkin) October 24, 2023

Hachette Books announced today the forthcoming publication of "Down With The System" by Serj Tankian, lead singer of the Grammy Award-winning rock band SYSTEM OF A DOWN, solo artist, composer, activist, painter, poet, and filmmaker. The book will be released on May 14, 2024, with eBook and audio editions also available.

In "Down With The System", Serj explores the myriad influences which shaped both his creative journey and his activism while sharing his unique perspective on the band's unlikely rise to fame. This is a band that redefined the boundaries of music with a sound characterized by wildly aggressive metal riffs, unconventional tempo-twisting rhythms, and Armenian folk melodies. Serj alternately growled, screamed and crooned lyrics that ranged from avant-garde silliness to raging socio-political rants within a single line.

He acknowledges that "it's not easy listening," yet their music struck a chord with millions of fans around the world, leading to more than 40 million album sales and three albums topping the Billboard charts. But this memoir is far more than just a rock 'n' roll fable. It's an immigrant's tale, it's an activist's awakening, and it's a spiritual journey from darkness toward light. Born to Armenian parents in Beirut, Serj grew up hearing bombs drop outside his childhood home during the country's civil war, before moving to Los Angeles at the age of seven. In the heart of SoCal's "Little Armenia," Serj learns about the brutal genocide his ancestors faced while helping his parents adapt to the American Dream's constraints and contradictions.

During a pivotal drive home from an LSAT class, Serj decides to turn away from a promising future in business and law to make music instead — a decision that leads him to touring five continents as the lead singer of a hugely popular rock band. In the years that follow, his uniquely singular story continues, as he
evades glass bottles hurled at a canceled show by angry SLAYER fans, teams up with Tom Morello to push social justice causes on unsuspecting metalheads, argues with LAPD officers over the best way to quell rioting fans, and defines new sounds and singing tactics with Rick Rubin.

Braiding together thought-provoking insight with heartfelt and poetic prose, "Down With The System" retraces Serj's remarkable and unlikely journey, and explores what it's taught him — about music, about art, about activism and about himself. It's an unforgettable ride that will leave readers breathless — and an absolute delight for new fans and old ones alike.

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. Since launching onto the rock scene in 1993, he's performed for millions of fans and sold more than 42 million albums worldwide. He's also a proud Armenian-American and a dedicated activist; along with Tom Morello, Tankian co-founded the non-profit organization Axis Of Justice, which strived to bring together musicians, music fans, and grassroots political organizations to fight for social justice. 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.

Hachette Books publishes meaningful, diverse, and provocative nonfiction across two imprints: Hachette Books and Hachette Go. Hachette Books presents acclaimed writers in narrative nonfiction, including biography, history, pop culture, true crime, sports, and social sciences; and Hachette Go features leading experts in practical nonfiction, including health and wellness, business, self-help, food, and parenting.

Hachette Books is a division of Hachette Book Group, a leading general-interest book publisher based in New York and a division of Hachette Livre, the third largest trade and educational publisher in the world.

Photo credit: Travis Shinn
Boom! - I wrote a new book. I had a blast working on this accidentally hatched philosophical memoir as it’s given me the unique opportunity to deep dive into my family history, my own motivations from a young age and lessons I didn’t know I had learned. Pre-Order Is Available… pic.twitter.com/SBMrnAOWNR

— Serj Tankian-#SanctionAzerbaijan (@serjtankian) October 24, 2023

During a recent appearance on the FeedbackDef podcast, Corey Taylor spoke about the temptations of being "caught up" in the financial rewards of being in a popular band like SLIPKNOT. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET):  "Honestly, in a weird way, we don't make a lot of money. I mean, we make enough to live, obviously, and we can live comfortably, but we've never been offered massive deals. There's a lot of us in the band, and there's a whole crew that we have to pay. There's the production that we have to pay for. There's all of this shit that we need to pay for. So at the end of the day, we are paid pretty much commensurate with what we are worth. We've never been even close to the big paydays that sports people get, actors — all of that shit. So in a weird way, we're kind of — if you adjust for inflation, we're upper middle class, basically. We're not extravagant. We're not rich by any stretch of the means, but we do okay. I can take care of my family. Their educations are good to go. I have insurance for all of my kids. And really, that's it."

Elaborating on why he thinks SLIPKNOT hasn't been able to rake in massive amounts of money despite being one of the biggest metal bands in the world, Corey said: "Maybe it's because we're so reactionary. Maybe it's because we are not palatable for a mass audience. We appeal to our genre and people kind of on the outskirts of our genre, but that's it. We appeal to a lot of them, so we do okay, but we're never gonna see fucking Taylor Swift money, shit like that. So the misconception that all rock stars are just rolling in it, that's not true. There's a reason why we have to tour as much as we do, because that's the only way we can actually pay our fucking bills."

Taylor previously touched upon the financial arrangement in SLIPKNOT while discussing the band's chemistry in a 2019 interview with Vulture. At the time, he said: "The great thing about the business part of it is that because we're from Iowa, it all makes sense. You do the work, you get paid. That's straight-up it. We split merch equally. We split live equally. We do everything equally. And if we're all working toward the same thing, then it just all makes sense.

"We're always taking care of each other," he added. "Even though we're older now, our reasons for making music and continuing to do this are still the same. It's one of those things that, if our reasoning for doing this had changed, the band probably wouldn't have lasted as long as it did. But — and obviously I can't speak for everybody in the band — I know the OGs that are here are all still trying to just make the best music that we can. So we take care of each other."

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

This past June, SLIPKNOT announced the addition of a new keyboardist, two weeks after Taylor and his bandmates revealed the departure of longtime member Craig Jones.

SLIPKNOT played its first show with its new mystery member on June 7 at the Nova Rock festival in Austria. The concert took place hours after the band announced in a social media post that it had parted ways with Jones.

A short time after SLIPKNOT revealed Jones's exit from the group, the band's original post announcing his departure was deleted and a photo was shared of SLIPKNOT's apparent new member. The same unidentified person appeared onstage behind the keyboards at the Nova Rock show and all subsequent SLIPKNOT tour dates.

No reason was given for Jones's departure from SLIPKNOT.

Jones joined SLIPKNOT in early 1996, shortly after the band had finished the recording of its demo album "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." He was initially brought in to replace Donnie Steele, one of the two original guitarists, though he quickly moved on to the role of sampling and keyboards. Following the departure of drummer Joey Jordison in 2013, Jones was the second-longest-serving member in the band.

Image credit: Arin Sarris

Scars And Guitars have shared a massive four hour interview with former Cradle Of Filth backing vocalist, Sarah Jezebel Deva, currently fronting Torn Between Two Worlds. Check it out below.


Scars And Guitars: "Many of you have eagerly awaited an episode featuring the illustrious Sarah Jezebel Deva, easily the most requested guest for the show by a considerable margin, owing to her pivotal role in Cradle of Filth.


The journey with Sarah has been intricate and enduring. At times, it appeared as though she might have moved on, akin to Gian (John), Les, and Robin. Yet, her responses to my messages kept the flame of hope alive that one day, she would unveil insights into her tenure with Cradle and Therion. However, today's conversation delves even deeper.




These discussions serve as a platform for Cradle members to unveil long-held truths concealed for decades. The 'Chronicles Of Filth' has evolved into the premier platform for former members to peel away the layers of stories and narratives, reaching the core of matters or, at the very least, setting the record straight and dispelling falsehoods. 


This conversation delivers everything you've been yearning for. This is Sarah, as you've never heard her before. She delves into her time with Cradle of Filth, candidly sharing her feelings and thoughts on numerous episodes from her noteworthy tenure with the group.


Sarah's musical journey extends beyond her prominent role with Cradle of Filth. In her odyssey, she boldly explored uncharted territory with Torn Between Two Worlds, weaving intricate melodies and evocative lyrics that transcend genre boundaries, leading listeners on a profound emotional voyage. With Chris Rehn, she co-founded Angtoria, a symphonic metal sensation seamlessly blending haunting symphonic, gothic, and classical elements. Their debut album, God Has A Plan for Us All, etched indelible marks with Sarah's commanding vocals and darkly enchanting lyrics."








In June 2022, Torn Between Two Worlds, featuring Sarah Jezebel Deva and Chris Rehn, released a new EP, entitled As If We Never Existed. It is now available via Bandcamp here.





The tracklist is as follows:


"The Beauty Of Deception"
"Transparent"
"The Woman That Never Was"
"All Eyes On Me"
"Hello"


"The Woman That Never Was"





"Transparent"





"The Beauty Of Deception"





"All Eyes On Me"





"Hello"





Back in January 2022, former Cradle of Filth backing vocalist Sarah revealed she was gearing up to release a cover of the Siouxsie And The Banshees classic "Cities In Dust". After a long delay, the track is finally out.


Sarah: "Finally its being released, featuring two amazing musicians: Chris Twiest (I'm not overly sure if he does twist or not), for whom this track never would have been possible for me to ruin, and the amazing Ricardo Amorim (Moonspell) who did a hot guitar solo. Yes, if you know the original, it doesn't have a solo, but life is about taking chances and risks and as musicians, you need to take em!  Thank you for waiting so long to check the track out! And a massive shout out to the lovely deHuisvleermuis for this art/track cover. So very grateful!"


Cities In Dust by Sarah Jezebel Deva


Sarah's musical journey extends beyond her prominent role with Cradle of Filth. In her odyssey, she boldly explored uncharted territory with Torn Between Two Worlds, weaving intricate melodies and evocative lyrics that transcend genre boundaries, leading listeners on a profound emotional voyage. With Chris Rehn, she co-founded Angtoria, a symphonic metal sensation seamlessly blending haunting symphonic, gothic, and classical elements. Their debut album, God Has A Plan for Us All, etched indelible marks with Sarah's commanding vocals and darkly enchanting lyrics."