In a new interview with Ernest Skinner of Canada's Border City Rock Talk, DOKKEN frontman Don Dokken offered his views on the current political situation in America, particularly as it pertains to the upcoming presidential election. The 70-year-old singer, who moved to New Mexico several years ago after living in Los Angeles much of his life, said in part (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I used to watch our local [television] station. And, of course, there was always the battle between Fox News and CNN. Fox News was, like, 'Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump.' And then CNN was more liberal. And now I can't turn it on. Every five minutes, 'Trump, Trump, Trump, Trump.' Trump must be laughing his ass off 'cause he's getting millions and millions of dollars in free press. This guy's got, like — what? — 29 felonies against him, and he's running for president. But if one of those he gets convicted of, you can't be a president with a felony. He's trying to push it all back till after the election. But then I look and it says that there's eight people running [for president] in America. [Their support is] 2%, 3%, 4%, 5%, Trump 49 [percent], Biden 50 [percent]. So it looks like it's going to come down to our senile president or Trump. And if Trump wins, I'm moving. I'm going to France… And I'm serious. I've been looking. I'm gonna buy a home in France and get the hell out of here."

Don also addressed the fact that Congress is steadily getting older, with the average age of lawmakers steadily increasing over the last four decades in particular.

"Our laws should be changed," he said. "When you see the Congress and senators and congressmen, they're all 80 years old. No — there should be a term limit of four years or something like that.

"We have a channel here in America, and you can watch the Congress and you can see all these people. And you see the camera pan around. It looks like they're all ready to drop dead any minute, and they can't talk without a teleprompter.

"We have to amend our Constitution and amend the laws," he continued. "I don't think anybody 80 years old should be passing laws about abortion — pro life, against life, it's not right. Everybody should have their own decision, not some geezer that's suffering from Alzheimer's."

Dokken went on to speak in more detail about access to the procedure since the Supreme Court overturned Roe v. Wade. "I said, well, what happens if a woman gets raped by five guys and she's 18? She is forced to have that baby and raise that baby the rest of… Her life is ruined — ruined," Don said. "She's raped. She doesn't know what the father is. And now we've all banned it in America and over 40 states that no more abortion. And I'm, like, who would have thought that would happen? And they have to drive to another state that's still legal or to go into an alley and get an underground doctor. It's not right… But you have the Bible thumpers and the hardcore right and the Christians saying, 'God decides. You can't terminate a baby.' And I'm, like, 'She was raped. And she's 16. Her life is ruined. She has the right to get an abortion.'"

Don added: "These are the things that upset me. But I realize maybe I am to blame somewhat because I just dropped out and moved out of L.A. I live up in the mountain in the middle of nowhere and no neighbors. I'm just watching the world unravel."

Dokken also discussed his need to use his voice to speak out on political issues in a polarized society where a political stance can alienate half the fanbase.

"I have a half million followers on Facebook," he said. "So what I say some people take the heart. But I'm not trying to change the world. Everybody has to make up their own mind. And then [when I say something] political, I get attacked because you've got half the United States [that] love Donald Trump. So if I say anything negative against him, then I've got half a million of people to say, 'Screw you.' I don't know what to say."

He added: "We talked about it on the road. I say, sometimes I feel like I'm overeducated because I know what's going on."

Back in June 2020, Don told Myglobalmind that DOKKEN's upcoming follow-up to 2012's "Broken Bones" album would include a song he wrote about Trump.

"We are about halfway done with the record, and a lot of my lyrics are about what is going on now," he said at the time. "Whether you are a fan of Trump or not, I see him as a little unhinged and trying to take over the planet, so I wrote a song called 'Hail To The King' about him. He has a king mentality.

"I'm not a political person at all — I don't get involved in politics — but when you see the craziness of the government and the guy firing his people daily, like the attorney general and the prosecutor, it's bizarre," he laughed. "I wrote a tongue-in-cheek song about a guy who is running the country and feels he has no limitations or rules. That he can do whatever he wants like a king."

DOKKEN will release its 13th studio album, "Heaven Comes Down", on October 27 via Silver Lining Music. The LP was produced by Bill Palmer and Don Dokken and was mixed by Kevin Shirley (AEROSMITH, IRON MAIDEN).

Chris Robertson of Kentucky rockers BLACK STONE CHERRY has weighed in on bands who rely heavily on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances.

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

Speaking to the Jeff Gaudiosi of MisplacedStraws.com, Chris stated about acts who rely on pre-recorded tracks in part: "I am not gonna just turn a blind eye and say 'fuck all bands that use tracks' 'cause that's unfair. Because in today's production, there are a lot of bands that 50 percent of their song — even FALLING IN REVERSE, for example; Ronnie Radke will be the first to tell you that 50 to 70 percent of some of their songs are a track that the band plays with. Now, do I think that makes it okay to cancel the show because your track machine is down? Absolutely not. I think that at the core of it, the band should be able to perform their songs as the band. And if you can't, then you should have some kind of clause or something to dispel that. But I have no problem with bands using stuff, because who can expect a band to hire out an orchestra every night? If they If they truly think that sound is detrimental to a song, right? What band — I don't care who you are, you can't afford to hire out a 40-piece orchestra to tour with you to play one song a night. Bands can't do that."

He continued: So, it's a fine line, man — for me, it's a really fine line. The way I look at it is it's a fine line, but it's actually pretty simple. The integral band should never be tracked. The guy playing drums, the guy playing guitar, the guy playing bass, the people playing the fucking instruments and the vocals should be doing their job. Additional stuff? If you're doing that, then I understand, man. Do your thing. Or if you're a band where you've got one guy that sings and he puts on harmonies on a chorus in the studio and nobody else in the band can physically sing, and he sings the lead vocal but they've got the harmonies brought up, then so be it, man. Whatever. I personally wouldn't, but I get it. I understand why, because at the end of the day, 95 percent of the bands that run tracks aren't doing it because they can't play the stuff or because they don't wanna play the stuff; they're doing it because they're so afraid to play a version of that song that the people haven't heard on the radio. And we just have a different mindset, man. We have a mindset that the live show is the live show, and the album is the album. And that's the difference. And there's no right or wrong answer to it, man. In today's society, there's no right or wrong answer to 'yes tracks' [or] 'no tracks,' in my personal opinion. As far as BLACK STONE CHERRY goes, we won't use it. The only thing we ever do is if we see videos of us getting a song really, really fast sometimes, every now and then we'll play it one night to a metronome, just a cowbell to start the song tempo so it doesn't get so fast that I can't sing it. And then if we play it one night to a metronome, then we're right back locked in the groove and we don't use it anymore."

Chris added: "I can promise you, if you come see BLACK STONE CHERRY, anything you're hearing that is an instrument or vocal, if you're hearing it during our show, it's one of us playing it. And if it's bongos, it's J.F. [drummer John Fred Young] coming out from behind the drum riser playing the bongos. We don't use any kind of backing track whatsoever. We never have [and] never will. We're much like HALESTORM in that regard. They're another great friends of ours that — same thing. They don't use any kind of backing track — nothing. They just go out there and do their thing."

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

BLACK STONE CHERRY will release its eighth studio album, "Screamin' At The Sky", on September 29 via Mascot Records.

Chris Robertson (lead vocals/guitar),Ben Wells (guitar/backing vox) and John-Fred Young (drums/backing vox) are joined for the first time on an album recording by "new" bassist Steve Jewell Jr. (ex-OTIS). The band's fanbase will be more than familiar with Steve, as he has been touring with BLACK STONE CHERRY in 2021.

Photo credit: Jimmy Fontaine

OTEP, the band led by singer, poet, illustrator, author and activist Otep Shamaya, released a new studio album, "The God Slayer", on September 15 via Cleopatra. The follow-up to 2018's "Kult 45" offers up a mix of inspired original tracks as well as transformative takes on chart-topping hits from a variety of influences, including pop, rap and grunge, by such artists as Eminem, Billie Eilish, SLIPKNOT, Lil Peep and Olivia Rodrigo.

Asked in a new interview with Belgian Jasper what inspired her to return to making music five years after the release of her previous album, Otep said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I think you really have to love music, you have to love creating music and you have to love performing music to be in the industry of music. And since my last album, a lot of things have happened in my personal life — my oldest brother died, everybody worldwide had the big plague where we couldn't trust the air we breathe. So there was a lot going on at the time, and we were in quarantine here in the States and this label reached out to me and said, 'Hey, would you like to do a cover album?' I thought, 'Uh, do I really?' And then I'm thinking, 'Okay, it's quarantine. Nothing's open. Nothing's happening. I'm in the house. Why not?' It just kind of came back to that. I missed it. I missed creating music and I missed that outlet. And I missed performing. Because I hadn't played on U.S. soil since 2018. And so that's what brought me back around. In symbolic terms, nine is the last single digit. So it is the last; it represents the last. I don't know if I'll make another record. But I had a really marvelous time creating this one with the people that I worked with… I mean, to me, this is probably my favorite sounding album, sonically. And I've been booming it in my car."

"The God Slayer" track listing:

01. My Violent Appetites
02. Ostracized
03. Good 4 U
04. Exit Wounds
05. You Should See Me In A Crown
06. The Way I Am
07. California Girls
08. Pet
09. Territorial Pissings
10. Star Shopping
11. Purity
12. God Slayer

Not only is Shamaya a revered musical figure, known for her intrepid blending of metal genres and hip-hop, as exemplified on her notorious 2002 debut album "Sevas Tra", but she's also amassed an enormous following based on her fearless performances and confrontational, spiritually tinged lyrics. It's that combination of radical artistry and galvanizing message that the world desperately needs now more than ever, and OTEP is ready to answer the call.

Throughout the span of her career, Shamaya has been an undeniable force in bringing awareness via various acclaimed mediums to social and political injustices felt by various communities and subcultures. For years, publications such as Revolver magazine have lauded Shamaya for "following in the footsteps of outspoken musicians from folk singer Woody Guthrie to RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE's Zach de la Rocha, dubbing her "one of music's catalysts for social change".

Shinedown singer Brent Smith recently appeared on Audacy Check In, hosted by Jason Bailey, and talked about the meaning behind the song “A Symptom Of Being Human”, touring with Papa Roach and Spiritbox, how their acoustic set at Blue Ridge Rock Festival happened, and more. An excerpt has been transcribed as follows:


Brent on “A Symptom Of Being Human” and talking about mental health: “It's a very interesting song because it's also a part of a very interesting record. You know, Planet Zero, the album was written in the midst of a pandemic when people were just confused and afraid and scared, and kind of didn't know what tomorrow was gonna bring and what have you. So like, when we finally got into the room together during that time, I think the biggest focus that I looked at and the band looked at was how do we present something that is pure awareness of the fact that listen, we're all human beings and we're all a work in progress, and we're a band that's been talking about mental health for the better part of two decades before it was necessarily in the media, or that it was in you know, certain headlines and what have you. And thankfully, now it's talked about much more. And ‘A Symptom Of Being Human’ is exactly that.”







This past summer, Shinedown gave new life to "A Symptom Of Being Human", a song from their 2022 album, Planet Zero, by releasing an unplugged version.


According to the band, "'A Symptom Of Being Human' is a song that we feel so deeply connected to. In an effort to honor it we just dropped a brand new, stripped-back acoustic rendition. 'A Symptom Of Being Human' is a reminder that we’re all writing our own stories and that’s what makes us human."





Here's the original video for "A Symptom Of Being Human", which has been viewed 3.4 million times on YouTube:





In live news, Shinedown is currently on tour across The United States with special guests Papa Roach and Spiritbox. Remaining dates are as listed: 


September
29 - Tampa, FL - MidFlorida Credit Union Amphitheater
30 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live


October
3 - Franklin, TN - FirstBank Amphitheater
5 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
6 - Allen, TX - Credit Union of Texas Event Center
8 - Houston, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9 - San Antonio, TX - Freeman Coliseum
12 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
13 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
15 - Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheatre
17 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheater
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
20 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena





(Photo - Sanjay Parikh)


 

British guitar sensation Sophie Lloyd has dropped her brand new single, "Imposter Syndrome", featuring Lzzy Hale from Halestorm. Stream the song now at this location. The video for "Imposter Syndrome" will debut next Friday, October 6th.





Imposter Syndrome is also the title of Sophie Lloyd's new solo album, set for release on November 10th. Pre-orders can be placed here. The cover art and tracklisting are as follows:







"Do Or Die" (feat. Nathan James)
"Pressure" (feat. Brandon Saller)
"Imposter Syndrome" (feat. Lzzy Hale)
"Let It Hurt" (feat. Chris Robertson)
"Runaway" (feat. Michael Starr)
"Fall Of Man" (feat. Matthew K. Heafy)
"Lost" (feat. Cole Rolland)
"Hanging On" (feat. Lauren Babic)
"Avalanche" (feat. Trevor McNevan)
"Won't You Come" (feat. Marisa Rodriguez)
"Judge And Jury" (feat. Tyler Connolly)


"Runaway" featuring Michael Starr of Steel Panther:





"Lost" featuring Cole Rolland:





"Hanging On" featuring Lauren Babic:





"Fall Of Man" featuring Matthew K. Heafy of Trivium:





 

With the release of the crushing "A Circular Pattern", the epic "Sanatorium 51" and their own version of Iced Earth's "Burning Times", heavy metallers Veil Of The Serpent kicked off the year with an absolute bang, slashing their way to critical acclaim and love from the fans. In keeping with their Halloween tradition, the band now announced the release of a brand new EP, entitled Gallery Of Sin II, which will be hitting streaming services on October 27.


Gallery Of Sin II is the sequel to the murderous horror story, started with the Gallery Of Sin EP back in 2022.


The band comments: "The first EP was about a detective hunting down a serial killer that makes paintings, using the blood of his victims, to exhibit them in the gallery of sin. In this next part of the story the gallery of sin was destroyed. The detective caught the killer and became a hero. A curious reporter steps into the spotlight and questions the case. Will the city's new guardian angel save the city or will the reporter unveil a twisted conspiracy? You will find out soon!"




While still inducing the crashing sounds of heavy guitars and shattering drums, on their newest extended play the band is diving deeper into the gloomy side of metal, mixing galloping rhythms with dark guitar melodies that heightens the darkness that surrounds the horror movie style of the EP. Topped off by haunting vocals and epic songwriting, Gallery Of Sin II makes the ultimate soundtrack to spice up every heavy Halloween party!


The EP contains three brand new tracks, written and recorded in 2023.





Tracklisting:


"Acquiesce And Ignore"
"Absolution"
"Becoming Ascendant"


Veil Of The Serpent is a multi-national heavy metal band that was founded in 2021 by guitarist Gene and his son Felix. The two mooted the idea of working together in 2020. One year later they found a very talented singer in JD Stafford who completed the band’s lineup.


Veil Of The Serpent is:


JD Stafford - Vocals
Gene - Guitars
Felix - Drums

Frontiers Music Srl is pleased to present Inception, the captivating debut album from Hugo's Voyage. The first single from the album, “Don’t Wanna Live Without Your Love,” is out today accompanied by a music video. Watch the clip below.


Hailing from New York and Boston, Hugo's Voyage is a dynamic AOR rock band with soaring melodies and anthemic soundscapes. With an irresistible blend of powerful vocals, melodic keyboards, hard-hitting guitars and captivating lyrics, they evoke a nostalgic spirit reminiscent of the legendary band, Journey. On that note, it comes as no surprise that Hugo's Voyage was formed in 2005 as a Journey tribute band and have been the most successful touring Journey tribute band in the US, attracting a dedicated following of fans.


Featuring former Valentine and Open Skyz singer Hugo, Robby Hoffman (guitar), Greg Smith (bass), Dana Spellman (drums) and Lance Millard (keyboards) - Hugo's Voyage have now set out on a musical journey of their own, crafting a signature sound of original music with their debut album, Inception, paying homage to their influences while carving out a unique and vibrant identity of their own.




“For me, it was a natural progression for us to follow our inspiration and come out with an album of original songs. This one's for all the AOR fans out there,” says Hugo.


Hugo’s voice, with its incredible range, captivating tone, and unparalleled emotional depth, has the ability to translate personal experiences into timeless melodies and lyrics. Inception is a testament to his songwriting prowess and his commitment to creating music that resonates with all people. The compositions explore universal themes of love, hope, loss and self-discovery, accompanied by infectious melodies that linger in the minds of listeners long after the final note fades away.


From epic ballads such as “In My Heart” that make hearts swell with emotion to high-octane rockers such as “I’ll Be Around” that can ignite a stadium, the songs possess an uncanny ability to transport audiences to another time and place. Robby’s guitar playing effortlessly conjures up iconic riffs and blistering solos, creating a magical synergy with the pulsating rhythm section that fuels the band’s relentless energy and infectious melodies.


While their sound may evoke nostalgia for the golden era of rock, Hugo's Voyage have redefined the boundaries of classic rock, infusing their music with a contemporary edge and a fresh perspective that sets them apart from their peers. Their music possesses a timeless quality, bridging generations and proving that great rock music transcends time.


Get ready to embark on a thrilling sonic adventure with Hugo's Voyage as they remind you why the power of music is truly unparalleled.


Pre-order Inception here.





Inception tracklisting:


"Inception" (instrumental)
"Crazy What Love Can Do"
"Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love"
"Sound Of A Broken Heart"
"Goin’ Away"
"A Friend Like You"
"How Many Times"
"I’ll Be Around"
"In My Heart"
"September Love"
"The Voyage"
"When Heaven Makes An Angel"


"Don't Wanna Live Without Your Love" video:





Hugo's Voyage are:


Hugo Valenti - Vocals
Robby Hoffman - Guitars
Lance Millard - Keyboards
Greg Smith - Bass
Dana Spellman - Drums


(Photo - Lisa_Boehm)

Black Stone Cherry have released a video for "When The Pain Comes", featured on their new album, Screamin' At The Sky, out Friday, September 29. Watch the new clip below:





Black Stone Cherry will release a special digital edition of Screamin' At The Sky, featuring two rarities and a previously unreleased track, available for this and this week only!




They put their southern rock muscle on to the Elvis Presley hit, "Burnin' Love", making it brim with a Saturday night in Kentucky flavour, and the Black Stone Cherry original, "Love Someone", a reflective and gritty roof-raiser. Both songs were previously only featured on the physical Walmart special edition of Family Tree in the US and never before available in the UK and rest of the world. And, are you sitting comfortably? Kentucky's favourite sons pay homage to not only the UK's greatest ever rock 'n' roll band but the World's greatest rock 'n' roll band, The Rolling Stones, on their iconic 1968 hit, "Jumpin' Jack Flash" - never heard before and never released before - until now.


This bundle is available at the special price of £ 4.99 / $ 5.99 / € 5.99 - available from September 27 to midnight on October 5. You can order it here.





Screamin’ At The Sky features all-new material written collaboratively while on tour, but when it came time to record, BSC decided to try something it’s always dreamed of doing: tracking an album at The Plaza Theater in Glasgow, Kentucky - a legendary 1020-seat venue built in 1934 that boasts meticulous acoustics. “Every time we played the Plaza we wondered what it would sound like to record drums there. We finally decided to put all our eggs in one basket,” Chris says.  In June of 2022, the band rented the whole place, brought in all its recording equipment and its trusty engineer, Jordan Westfall.  They set up the basement as the control room and the stage as the live drum room.  Time between recording sessions and incredible room ambience have resulted in a career high watermark for BSC.





Screamin’ At The Sky tracklisting:


"Out Of Pocket"
"Screamin’ At The Sky"
"Nervous"
"When The Pain Comes"
"Show Me What It Feels Like"
"R.O.A.R"
"Smile, World"
"The Mess You Made"
"Who Are You Today?"
"Not Afraid"
"Here’s To The Hopeless"
"You Can Have It All"


"Smile, World" fan video:





"Screamin’ At The Sky" lyric video:





"Nervous" video:





"Out Of Pocket" video:





In other BSC news, the band recently announced US fall tour dates, stating, "We’re hitting the road with the awesome Giovannie & The Hired Guns, and it’s going to be a wild time."


Get tickets here.





Dates:


November
2 - Ft. Wayne, IN - Piere's
3 - West Peoria, IL - Crusens
4 - Minneapolis, MN - Amsterdam Bar & Grill
6 - Fargo, ND - Sanctuary Events Center
7 - Billings, MT - Pub Station
8 - Fort Collins, CO - The Aggie
10 - Denver, CO - Oriental Theater
11 - Sioux City, IA - Hard Rock Sioux City
13 - Wichita, KS - The Cotillion
14 - Lincoln, NE - Bourbon Theatre
15 - St. Louis, MO - Delmar Hall
17 - Davenport, IA - The Capitol Theater
18 - Columbia, MO - Blue Note
19 - Cincinnati, OH - Riverfront Live


(Photo - Jimmy Fontaine)

Formed in 2011 as Gyze, “Samurai Metal” band Ryujin deftly deliver heavy metal from Japan to the international masses with their self-titled Napalm Records debut, Ryujin, out January 12. Blending both Japanese and English lyricism and featuring production and several guest features by Matthew Kiichi Heafy (Trivium), the band's high speed riffs and breakneck guitar descents pair with traditional Japanese elements, delivering a sound influenced by everything from ancient orchestral Gagaku to even modern anime themes.


After releasing four highly acclaimed albums and appearing at major festivals worldwide, Ryujin have developed their own identity, expressed with accents of tasteful traditional Japanese instrumentation (i.e. Shamisen, Dragon Flute, Erhu, Taiko), and lead guitar god Ryoji Shinomoto's incredible shredding technique and ripping vocals.


The band launched their new album announcement alongside a brand new single, entitled “Raijin & Fujin”, accompanied by a high-energy music video. The track is an epic power metal storm featuring guest vocal contributions from Matthew Kiichi Heafy, shifting into a swirling tornado of rattling double bass and catapulting solos.




Watch a new playthrough video for “Raijin & Fujin”:





Ryujin mastermind Ryoji Shinomoto says about the album and single: "This is the first album of the evolution from Gyze to Ryujin. We want everyone to enjoy Samurai Metal from the Far East. Produced by Matthew, it opens new doors for us and we are honored to release it on the legendary Napalm Records."


Featured guest Matthew Kiichi Heafy adds: "Ryujin delivers music unlike anyone else on the planet. It was their original sound that initially grasped my attention and left me needing to have more and more of what they do. I am humbled and honored to have been able to contribute to this upcoming masterpiece… this opus. This is the album the world needs."


Watch the official music video for “Raijin & Fujin” below.


Ryujin features production by Matthew Kiichi Heafy and mixing/mastering by Mark Lewis, with guest appearances by Heafy (vocals and conducting on various tracks) and Mukai Wataru of the Kansai Philharmonic Orchestra (cello). Blending both Japanese and English lyricism, Ryujin’s tracks feature titles based on the words of the Ainu people of Hokkaido (Ryujin’s home region), as well as famous Japanese paintings and idioms.


Opening instrumental track “Hajimari” sets an ominous stage for blistering burner “Gekokujo” - a tastefully thrash-ified death metal riff-fest colliding with expressive folk-inspired passages and head-spinning technique. Ryoji’s blazing leads are met instantly with the peerless skills of drummer Shuji Shinomoto and bassist Aruta Watanabe. First single “Raijin & Fujin” is an epic power metal storm featuring guest vocal contributions from Matthew Kiichi Heafy, shifting into a swirling tornado of rattling double bass and catapulting solos, while “The Rainbow Song” also features soaring clean vocals by Heafy blended between modern melodic heavy metal and power metal innovation. Tracks like “Dragon, Fly Free” and “Kunnecup” invite the listener to sing-along with Ryujin as they paint musical canvases of adventure and positivity. “Scream of the Dragon” returns to extreme influences amid uplifting choruses and a story blending English and Japanese lyrics, before “Gekirin” ventures into darker death metal influences - cascading into nautically-inspired melodies (as “Ryujin” is a dragon god of the sea in Japanese mythology, these oceanic musical themes weave seamlessly throughout the album).


The album nears the end with three heart-gripping, primarily Japanese-language opuses - the rock-opera-like ballad “Saigo No Hoshi”, the powerfully victorious and traditionally-inspired “Ryujin” and a cover of Linked Horizon’s “Guren No Yumiya” - widely known as an opening theme of popular anime series Attack On Titan. The album finishes with a bonus English-language version of “Saigo No Hoshi”, with vocals once again performed by Matthew Kiichi Heafy.


Ryujin illustrates an exotic sonic experience that will transport music lovers to a world of fantastic adventure and technical extravagance.





Ryujin will be available in the following formats:


- CD Digisleeve
- Gatefold Clear Orange Vinyl
- Digital Album


Pre-order Ryujin here.





Ryujin tracklisting:


"Hajimari"
"Gekokujo"
"Dragon, Fly Free"
"Raijin & Fujin"
"The Rainbow Song"
"Kunnecup"
"Scream Of The Dragon"
"Gekirin"
"Saigo No Hoshi"
"Ryujin"
"Guren No Yumiya"
"Saigo No Hoshi" (feat. Matthew K. Heafy) (Single Edit)


"Raijin & Fujin" video:





Ryujin will be supporting Pain on their European tour.





Ryujin is:


Ryoji Shinomoto - Guitar, Vocals, Shamisen, Erhu, Dragon Flute & Orchestration
Shuji Shinomoto - Drums, Vocals
Aruta Watanabe - Bass, Vocals


(Photo - Litch)

Join Chris Akin on this captivating edition of "Chris Akin Presents..." as he delves deep into the world of legendary guitarist Adrian Vandenberg.


In the following excerpt, Adrian reveals why he parted ways with Ronnie Romero and went with Mats Leven for his new SIN album.


"Like everybody else, everyone's life got thrown upside down with COVID. Ronnie (Romero) lives in Romania. In that part of the world, they were allowed quite a lot earlier than we were here in Holland, Germany, France and England to start doing shows again. Ronnie lives for his music, of course. Obviously, he does, like, a zillion projects. So he started earlier putting stuff in his agenda. And then, when we were finally allowed to tour again, our agendas didn't match anymore. So, I didn't want to wait another 10 months, because I've been sitting on my ass touring-wise for almost three years. For that time, it was impossible to tour. So we parted ways. 'Sorry man, I really want to tour but you are already doing shows. I want to do shows too.' I couldn't wait. That's when I decided I needed to find another singer."




Discover the secrets behind Vandenberg's electrifying comeback with SIN, and unravel the intriguing parallels between painting and music creation.


Get the inside scoop on the band's journey, the fate of Ronnie Romero, and so much more. Don't miss this exclusive interview with a rock icon. Watch below.





Vandenberg and Mascot Records / Mascot Label Group released the band's new studio album, SIN, on August 25. Order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"Thunder And Lightning"
"House On Fire"
"Sin"
"Light It Up"
"Walking On Water"
"Burning Skies"
"Hit The Ground Running"
"Baby You’ve Changed"
"Out Of The Shadows"
"Light It Up" lyric video:





"Sin" lyric video:





"House On Fire" lyric video:





(Photo - HP van Velthoven)

Lightbulb Film Distribution has announced that "Welcome To The Darkness", a warts-and-all feature-length documentary about British rockers THE DARKNESS, is coming to cinemas on November 9 for one night only, plus encores. It will also be available on digital download and Blu-ray from December 4. A first look clip from the documentary has been released alongside the official poster.

In 2003, British rockers THE DARKNESS took the world by storm with their smash hit single "I Believe In A Thing Called Love" and the award-winning, chart-topping, multi-platinum debut album "Permission To Land". Then, at the height of their fame in 2006, the band split up and fell off the music radar.

Nine years later, director, and renowned celebrity portrait and beauty photographer Simon Emmett ("Underhill") followed THE DARKNESS on their long, rocky and hilarious comeback trail. From a small pub gig in the middle of nowhere with the ambition of performing at packed arena shows once again, "Welcome To The Darkness" shows the stark reality of a "cult band" struggling to recapture former glory.

20 years on from their platinum-selling debut, Justin Hawkins, his brother Dan Hawkins, eccentric bassist Frankie Poullain and new drummer Rufus Taylor tell their story, in their own words of THE DARKNESS's comeback tale.

With unprecedented access, unseen archive footage, and intimate interviews filmed over six years, "Welcome To The Darkness" is a tongue-in-cheek reflection on fame, failure, friendship and forgiveness. At its heart, this is a unique account of a band of brothers who are still haunted by the demons that ripped them apart. A band who can defiantly laugh in the face of adversities in their ultimate quest for happiness and redemption.

Ahead of the documentary release there is also a very special expanded "Permission To Land" deluxe album release out on October 6 via Warner Music. It comes as a five-LP package, a four-CD+DVD package, a double-CD package and of course it will also be across all of your digital streaming platforms in its full glory.

"Permission To Land" was originally released in 2003 via Atlantic Records and stormed to the top of the U.K. Albums chart, where it remained for four weeks, and spent 53 weeks in the Top 100. It achieved the band three BRIT Awards, including "British Album Of The Year", "British Group" and "British Rock Act", where they fended off competition from the likes of BLUR, RADIOHEAD, SUGABABES, MUSE, PRIMAL SCREAM and more. The record has sold over 3.5 million copies to date, with 1.8 million in the U.K. alone.

The celebratory year is topped off with a sold-out tour of the U.K. in December, part of the "Permission To Land" anniversary world tour which kicks off next week in the United States.

Photo credit: Simon Emmett

Dave Mustaine stopped MEGADETH's concert in Bloomington, Illinois last night (Wednesday, September 27) to defend a fan who had been "bullied" by security.

Toward the end of "Symphony Of Destruction", which was the second-to-last song of MEGADETH's set at Grossinger Motors Arena, the MEGADETH frontman berated several security guards mid-song to protect a fan in the crowd.

"I'm not gonna play anymore until those guys are escorted out of the building, so just hang on a second," Mustaine told the audience after he and his bandmates stopped playing. Addressing the security guards directly, he continued: "That was so fuckin' unnecessary. That was so fuckin' unnecessary, you guys. You're supposed to make… What's on the back of your shirt? Safety? It should say, 'No Fuckin Safety', because you guys are punks, and you shouldn't have fuckin hit that guy. Four of you on one guy. What a bunch of pussies… Get 'em out of here or I'm leaving. I don't wanna fucking hear that they're in the back. I want them out of here."

After the security guards in question were apparently escorted out of the venue, Mustaine returned to the mic and said: "These motherfuckers wrecked my song," before adding, "Sorry, that stuff just makes me so mad. I hate bullies. I fucking hate bullies."

MEGADETH went on to play one more song, "Holy Wars… The Punishment Due", to finish out the set.

This is not the first time Mustaine has admonished an overzealous security guard at one of MEGADETH's gigs. Back in May 2022, he got mad at a guard who began climbing on the barricade to direct fans to stop when there were some bodies bouncing around the pit as MEGADETH played. Dave directly called out the guard from the stage before launching into "She-Wolf", saying: "Hey, mister security dude. You there. Stop interfering with our show. Okay? You don't need to go up on the fucking barricade and point at people. Everybody's having fun. Cool it or I'll ask for you to be taken out of the pit. Do you understand me? Do we have a fucking understanding here? Don't do it again."

MEGADETH played its first concert with new touring guitarist Teemu Mäntysaari on September 6 at Revel in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Teemu is filling in for the band's longtime axeman Kiko Loureiro, who announced earlier this month that he would sit out the next leg of MEGADETH's "Crush The World" tour in order to stay home with his children back in Finland.

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

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

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



I saw Megadeth in Bloomington last night and this happened. Mustaine to the rescue!

Posted by Waldo Wares on Thursday, September 28, 2023

MR. BIG recently completed the Asian leg of its farewell tour, dubbed "The BIG Finish", which sees the veteran band — singer Eric Martin, guitarist Paul Gilbert and bassist Billy Sheehan, along with drummer Nick D'Virgilio, who has taken over for deceased original member Pat Torpey — performing MR. BIG's 1991 album, "Lean into It", in full, along with other cuts from the group's history.

Martin discussed D'Virgilio's addition to MR. BIG during an appearance on today's (Wednesday, September 27) edition of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". Asked how the 54-year-old Nick is working out, Eric said: "He's great. He came in and he really picked up Pat Torpey's sound and tone on drums, but he sings just as good as Pat, if — I'm not gonna say 'if not better.' Pat used to have this Paul McCartney thing, and so does Nick. And he kind of emulates me too. There's a lot of times where I was on the road singing these… I go, 'Why the hell am I singing these choruses? This guy can do it for me.' I'm kind of cheating a little bit… I go, why am I busting my hump right now? He kind of emulated my voice and he took a lot of my lead vocal parts for choruses. Yeah, he's a really good guy. I'm so glad we got him. I didn't know of him before, but Paul Gilbert told me that he played with Paul, and then learning about him over these years, he played with TEARS FOR FEARS for a bunch of years and GENESIS. And he's just a really great asset to this band."

Pressed by host Eddie Trunk about why he and his MR. BIG bandmates are still insisting on calling it quits if everything is going so well with Nick, Eric said: "I kind of had to be talked into it a little bit. In the beginning, I kept saying, 'I don't wanna do this.' I didn't wanna end it for a long, long time. I didn't wanna call it quits. I always wanted things to be open-ended. Why quit? I mean, years and years from now, we could possibly get back."

However, Martin says that there will definitely be no more MR. BIG touring after 2024. "This is it. The fat lady will sing," he said. "We're gonna continue to do some records and do some projects, but we're not gonna tour anymore. MR. BIG is gonna be done… January, February, March, April, May, we've got USA, Europe. We're gonna go back to the USA, and then we play South America in May, and that's it. No more touring. That's it."

The first leg of "The BIG Finish" kicked off in Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August, where the band performed for hundreds of thousands of loyal fans at 11 sold-out shows, including Budokan in Tokyo, Japan. Now MR. BIG is ready to bring "The BIG Finish" to South America, Europe, and the U.S. The first batch of shows throughout the States will start January 12, 2024 in Houston, Texas at the Rise Rooftop.

In an April 2023 interview with Border City Rock Talk, D'Virgilio spoke about how he landed the gig as MR. BIG's new touring drummer, five years after the passing of Torpey. Nick, who has spent the last nine years working for the Indiana-based online retailer of music instruments and audio gear Sweetwater, said: "It stemmed through Sweetwater. I've known Paul [Gilbert, MR. BIG guitarist]; Paul was the one guy I knew most. I met Pat, and I met Billy [Sheehan, MR. BIG bassist] — Gosh — at a music trade show back in the day. And I was definitely a fan of the band. I listened to a lot of Pat's drumming way before I ever met him in person. But at Sweetwater, we do a lot of recording workshops and we get artists in to come and people pay to come to the studio and hang in the studio with the artists that come in. Paul does it quite a bit; he's been there a bunch. Billy was there a while back as well, but Paul's been there a number of times. And I've been able to play as his rhythm section for these recording workshops. And I also had Paul play on a song on my solo record called 'Invisible' that I put out in 2020. Through all of this stuff, we got to just jamming some more stuff. And I know Paul through Mike Portnoy and Neal Morse and a lot of circles of musicians. After the last thing we did at Sweetwater, Paul just sent me an e-mail and asked if I would be interested in going on tour with MR. BIG in Asia. Now, this was last July, when he first sent me the e-mail, so nine, 10 months ago or so. And I immediately said 'yes'. I think I said 'fuck yes', all in bold letters… So then I went sort of hog wild here in my studio and I videotaped and multi-tracked my drums. I kind of just went hog wild, sending back these demos of me playing and then singing all the parts. So I sang the lead vocal, and then I sang Pat's parts too. Since [it was an] audition, I figured I'd put my best foot forward. Long story short, they said, 'Yeah, we'd love to do it. And you're in,' basically. So that's kind of how it all happened. It came out of the blue."

As a session musician and touring artist, Nick has worked with many different kinds of artists and bands, from TEARS FOR FEARS, Sheryl Crow and Kevin Gilbert to Peter Gabriel and Eric Burdon and the ANIMALS. In 1996, Nick took Phil Collins's place in GENESIS and played on their "Calling All Stations" album. He has also carved out a major presence in the progressive rock world with his bands, SPOCK'S BEARD and BIG BIG TRAIN.

Before joining the Sweetwater team, Nick spent almost five years touring with Cirque Du Soleil's "Totem" as drummer, vocalist, and assistant bandleader.