Arizona death-crusters, Go Ahead And Die, will deliver their caustic sophomore album, Unhealthy Mechanisms, on October 20 via Nuclear Blast Records. A torrential whirlwind born from the livid minds of Igor Amadeus Cavalera (Healing Magic) and Max Cavalera (Soulfly, Cavalera Conspiracy). This new instalment to the band's dystopian catalog is a fresh dive into the madness of society and the pollution that ravages our minds.


"Desert Carnage" is the pummeling opener to Unhealthy Mechanisms. Brainchild of Igor Amadeus Cavalera, this track takes listeners on a fiery journey through an apocalyptic desert inspired by their home state of Arizona. Check out the frantic single that encompasses some of Igor's best riffs on the album.


Igor Amadeus Cavalera comments, "'Desert Carnage' is a blistering fast song that is as scorching hot as the Sonoran desert itself. The barbaric theme of the song stems from the cruelness and inhospitable terrain of the desert, as desolate and unkind as a place can be."




Stream the single here, watch the video, created by Costin Chioreanu, below:





Unhealthy Mechanisms was produced by Igor Amadeus Cavalera while John Aquilino handled the recording in his Platinum Underground Studio steeped in the mystic ambiance of the Superstition Mountains’ foothills. The mixing and mastering were once again handled by Arthur Rizk (Cavalera, Soulfly, Turnstile ).


For the artwork, the band enlisted Santiago Jaramillo of Triple Seis Design to create the unnerving design that fits with the album title. Go Ahead And Die's newest record is a testament to declining mental health around the world, and a reminder that we are not alone in our pain. The mind is lost. The fuse is lit. Time to set everything ablaze.





Unhealthy Mechanisms will be available digitally and in the following formats:


- CD Jewel
- Red Cassette (Limited to 400)
- Vinyl
* Red with Black Splatter
* White with Black Splatter


Pre-order/pre-save Unhealthy Mechanisms here.





Unhealthy Mechanisms tracklisting:


"Desert Carnage"
"Split Scalp"
"Tumors"
"Drug-O-Cop"
"No Easy Way Out"
"M.D.A. (Most Dangerous Animal)"
"Chasm"
"Cyber Slavery"
"Blast Zone"
"Unhealthy Mechanisms"


"Tumors" video:





Go Ahead And Die is:


Max Cavalera - Vocals, Guitar
Igor Amadeus Cavalera - Vocals, Guitar, Bass
Johnny Valles - Drums


(Photo - Kevin Estrada)

Metallica have released the official live video below for "Fade To Black", filmed at the State Farm Stadium in Glendale, AZ, on September 1.


The full audio recording of the above mentioned concert is now available for pre-order here. Expected availability is November 24, 2023.







Tracklisting:


"Creeping Death"
"Harvester Of Sorrow"
"Holier Than Thou"
"King Nothing"
"Lux Æterna"
"Too Far Gone?"
"Fade To Black"
"Shadows Follow"
"Orion"
"Nothing Else Matters"
"Sad But True"
"Hardwired"
"Fuel"
"Seek & Destroy"








In other news, James Hetfield’s own Master Core signature guitar strings are now available in a limited edition yellow tin to celebrate the release of 72 Seasons. Get your hands on this new three-pack now exclusively in The Metallica Store or at GuitarCenter.com.

Today, Finnish melancholic dark metal legends, Amorphis, unveil the second digital single taken from their upcoming live album, Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021), which is set to be released on October 13 via Atomic Fire - just in time to celebrate the Halo European Tour 2023.


Guitarist Esa Holopainen comments: "We shot a video for the song once back in the day when the Queen Of Time album was released originally. An interesting anecdote is that Tomi Joutsen and Pekka Kainulainen [also known as the band's lyricist] both travelled to Norwegian Lapland to film the landscape shots. But in the end you could only see Pekka in the video. Poor Tomi had to travel and to spend a couple of days in Norway for nothing. The very nice video was directed by Sentenced drummer Vesa Ranta, but you can now also witness the live version of the track and I hope you enjoy it as much as we do."


Watch the official "Wrong Direction" live performance video below, and stream/purchase the song here.







Pre-order Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021) in the physical format of your choice, pre-save it on your favourite DSP or pre-order it digitally to receive "Amongst Stars" feat. Anneke van Giersbergen instantly now, here.


Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021) will be available in the following formats:


- CD-digipak + Blu-ray (EU)
- jewelcase CD + Blu-ray (US)
- 2LP in gatefold (green marbled)
- 2LP in gatefold (red marbled; exclusively available at Atomic Fire Records)
- digital





Queen Of Time (Live At Tavastia 2021) trackisting:


"The Bee"
"Message In The Amber"
"Daughter Of Hate"
"The Golden Elk"
"Wrong Direction"
"Heart Of The Giant"
"We Accursed"
"Grain Of Sand"
"Amongst Stars" [feat. Anneke van Giersbergen]
"Pyres On The Coast"


"Amongst Stars" video:





Find the band's tour itinerary and ticket links here.


Amorphis lineup:


Tomi Joutsen - vocals
Esa Holopainen - guitars
Tomi Koivusaari - guitars
Olli-Pekka Laine - bass
Santeri Kallio - keyboards
Jan Rechberger - drums


(Photo - Jaakko Manninen)

West coast-based metal unit Death Dealer Union - featuring Elena Cataraga (aka Lena Scissorhands of modern metal leaders Infected Rain) - will release their debut album, Initiation, this Friday, September 22, via Napalm Records.


Following recent singles "The Vow Of Silence" and "The Integument", today, the band has released a third single - the dynamic "Ill Fated". The track juxtaposes 80s-influenced clean guitars and sinister metallic riffs as Lena displays her soaring trademark vocal delivery and introspective wordplay. The video features eye-catching imagery, sets and costumes, making for a striking viewing experience.


Says the band: “We wanted to present something a little different with this video - everything from the fantastic Cherry Bombs dance troupe to the actors involved. We sought to do something not usually done in heavy metal videos. Enjoy!”







In 2019, metal musicians CC McKenna (drums) and Doug Weiand (lead guitars) set forth on a dark musical path - aligning diverse metal influences with otherworldly channelings of alchemy, the occult and all things esoteric. Little did they know, the final ingredient of their impending amalgamation was on the horizon, set to emerge as Death Dealer Union.


After meeting acclaimed frontwoman Elena Cataraga, a musical pact was instantly formed - propelling the band into the studio with producer Valentin Voluta (also recognized for his work with Infected Rain). Now, with two new members - Hunter Havok (rhythm and lead guitars) and Jonny Heinz (bass) - in tow, the band is set to unleash their very first sacrificial offering to the masses, Initiation. The album brings forth the huge sound and exciting visuals fans experienced with the band’s debut offerings, plus an entire new trove of musical and lyrical elements. While no track is the replicant of another, they all weave a common thread of compelling essence that will have listeners clamoring to heed the word of Death Dealer Union.


Initiation kicks off with its instrumental title track, droning deeply into electronic flourishes and spine-tingling organs. The track flows into first album single “The Vow of Silence” - a fast-paced burner featuring aggressive verses and a catchy chorus that fully showcases the album’s immense production, once again helmed by Valentin Voluta. “Ill Fated” juxtaposes 80s-influenced clean guitars and sinister metallic riffs as Elena Cataraga displays her dynamic trademark vocal delivery and introspective wordplay, while later, “The Integument” - which features a sizzling music video accented by heavy metal dance troupe Cherry Bombs - turns the pace all the way up with traditional power metal flavor before transforming into a ghostly, hypnotizing soundscape. Tracks such as “Ekphrasis” and “Mythos” - the latter boasting one of the album’s most heart-stopping guitar solos - are rife with chunky 90s heavy metal and even nu-metal-inspired riffage. “The Big Blue”, “Back To Me”, “The Downfall” and “Anew” dance with metal styles ranging from symphonic power to progressive, showcasing the band’s diverse macrocosm of musical skill, before potent, heavy ballad “Love Me When I’m Ugly” provides heartfelt lyrics and melodies. Initiation ends with “Beyond Heaven”, an opus of expansive harmonies and eerie embellishments, closing the album with its most theatrical cut.


Not only does Initiation offer fans the chance to witness Elena Cataraga’s alter ego on raw display, it introduces the band as an intriguing force to be reckoned with. Find your own power within Death Dealer Union - your Initiation is only the beginning.





Initiation will be available in the following formats:


- 1CD Digipak
- 2LP Gatefold Purple - available only via Napalm Records Mail Order and Death Dealer Union, limited to 300
- Digital Album


Pre-order here.





Initiation tracklisting:


"Initiation"
"The Vow Of Silence"
"Ill Fated"
"Ekphrasis"
"The Integument"
"Mythos"
"The Big Blue"
"Back To Me"
"The Downfall"
" Love Me When I'm Ugly"
"Anew"
"Beyond Heaven"


"The Integument" video:





"The Vow Of Silence" behind the scenes:





"The Vow Of Silence" video:





Death Dealer Union is:


Elena Cataraga - Vocals
CC McKenna - Percussion
Doug Weiand - Lead Guitars
Hunter Havok - Rhythm & Lead Guitars
Jonny Heinz - Bass


(Photo - Jeremy Saffer)

A historic agreement between British hard rock icons UFO and Los Angeles-based indie giant Cleopatra Records has resulted in a bountiful harvest of incredible and highly sought after live recordings from the last three decades of the 20th century. 


The first of these arrived last month with the monumental Hollywood ’76, an explosive vintage performance drawn largely from the band’s momentous Force It album. That will be followed by Live In Vienna 1998, the first of several highly treasured reunion shows that saw guitar god Michael Schenker rejoin the UFO fold, and One Night Lights Out ’77, featuring vintage Schenker. 







And if you thought that was it, get ready for a whole lot more including Hot N’ Ready In Texas 1979, Lights Out In Babenhausen 1993, Makin’ Moves In Chicago 1981, Live At The Oxford Apollo 1985, Lights Out Chicago (1980), Too Hot In Tokyo 1994, California At The Edge 1995, and Landing In St. Louis - Live 1982.


Fans of UFO have long known that the stage is where vocalist Phil Mogg, bassist Pete Way, guitar giant Michael Schenker, and their heralded helpers truly shined the brightest. Classic rock radio staples like “Lights Out,” “Doctor Doctor,” and “Too Hot To Handle,” sound somehow even more transcendent than their studio counterparts while lesser known gems such as “Shoot Shoot,” “Love To Love,” and “This Kid’s” come roaring to life in ways never thought possible. Each of these magnificent concert recordings have been digitally remastered and packaged with vibrant artwork and rare photos for both CD and vinyl.


Order the albums at cleorecs.com.

Germany's Endseeker are back with their fourth full-length album, Global Worming, which will be released via Metal Blade Records on October 27. The album contains 9 new tracks and will be made available across all Digital platforms, on CD Digipak, Vinyl (variants listed below), and as a limited Box-Set that will include the album on vinyl, exclusive 2-track 7-inch vinyl single, 4p. newspaper, sticker, beer cozy, and 3 buttons in hand printed box* (limited to 500 copies - available in Europe only).


Here's what the band has to say about their first single off of the upcoming album, "Violence Is Gold": "This is a song about actual physical violence. Either in an environment of competition or combat. Two people fighting each other. No more words needed. Time for action. Without judgment though. Just the plain and simple aesthetics of physical confrontation of two individuals when there's nothing left to say. It's hard, it's raw and it's brutal."


Check out the video for "Violence Is Gold" below, and pre-order the album here.







Vinyl Variants


Worldwide:
Green/Black Marbled (700 copies)


Europe:
180g Black
Clear Blackdust (300 copies)
Red/White Marbled with 7-Inch (Boxset - 500 copies)





Global Worming tracklisting:


"Global Worming"
"Hell Is Here"
"Violence Is Gold"
"Wheel Of Torture"
"C.B.V."
"Terror"
"Hanging Gardens"
"Our Only Life"
"Nemesis"


"Violence Is Gold" video:





Death metal is the great undead of subgenres: rising, again and again, to take revenge on the living with maximum violence. Servants of the zombie code and masters of old school brutality, Germany's Endseeker have made their intent to kill again more than apparent over the last nine years. Formed in Hamburg in 2014, the quintet have swiftly built a reputation as one of European death metal's most dynamic wrecking crews.


From the aspirational evisceration of first full-length Flesh Hammer Prophecy, to Metal Blade debut The Harvest in 2019, and the widely acclaimed Mount Carcass two years later, Endseeker have cooked up such a formidable formula that their rise to glory seems almost inevitable. But like everyone else, they were stopped in their tracks by the Covid pandemic and its aftermath. As that global horrorshow fades in the rear-view, Endseeker are poised to return with their most crushing and charismatic album to date: Global Worming. As guitarist Ben explains, overcoming a host of new obstacles eventually led to a fruitful return to the studio.


"We played some intense, weird, strange, funny and bizarre shows during the Covid pandemic and enjoyed some almost 'normal' touring when Covid started to fade out," he recalls. "But the number of shows we could do was still quite limited, touring changed a lot, and became more expensive, and bookings were harder due to a bazillion bands trying to tour at the same time! So we slowly began to start writing new songs every now and then."


After the effusive reception received by Mount Carcass, Endseeker began the writing process for their fourth album with plenty of confidence. Before long, the creative juices began to flow to such an extent that a more formal plan of attack was required.


"At one point we decided that we need to take some time off from playing shows and completely focus on songwriting like we did for Mount Carcass," Ben notes. "So after we played our last show on October 1st 2022, in our hometown Hamburg, we totally dived into the songwriting and pre-production to make sure we had everything set for our studio time in 2023. We wanted to be as well prepared as possible."


Working once again with esteemed engineer and mixing maestro Eike Freese, Endseeker hit the studio like a nailbomb in a graveyard. The result is Global Worming - both the Germans' finest creation to date and a pulverizing new template for old school death metal. These nine new songs remain rooted in Endseeker's beloved bedrock of DISMEMBER-style savagery, but from the slithering monstrosity of the opening title track and the ultra-catchy stab 'n' stomp of Hell Is Here, to the neck-wrecking madness of Our Only Life and the epic grandiloquence of closer Nemesis, Global Worming is an unusually vivid and versatile piece of work.


"I guess our main goal was to write a record that was at least as good as Mount Carcass and to follow the path we have set with that record even further," says Ben. "We wanted the songwriting to be more on point while at the same time to be a bit wider when it comes to the boundaries of the death metal genre. We wanted the songs not only to be heavy and brutal but also to have a certain atmosphere to give them real depth."


To match the punishing splendor of Global Worming's monstrous production, Ben and his bandmates - guitarist Jury, bassist Torsten, drummer Andre and vocalist Lenny - have conjured some new tales of torment. An album that determinedly reflects the horrors of the world back at us, Endseeker's new opus is unflinching in its duty to the darkness.


"Global Worming revolves around a dystopian future where zombie worms overrun our planet and eat us all until we go extinct," states Ben. "All that's left is this enormous amount of slimy, nasty, undead worms and bugs, nesting inside empty skulls and other human remains, and living their best undead life. It's the kind of classic end-of-the-world story we have in death metal! Phonetic similarities between the song title and possible real life future events that threaten our very existence are totally by chance and unintentional!"


Aside from the impending onslaught of undead invertebrates, Global Worming also delves into the relentless upheavals and pointless polarisations of the modern world. Songs like the grotesque and grinding Wheel Of Torture and the aptly-named Terror revel in the harrowing darkness of real world conflict and catastrophe. Put simply, the human race is pretty fucked up right now and Endseeker have composed the soundtrack.


"We were inspired by all sorts of shit that's going on in the world. I mean, take a look around!" Ben laughs. "There's a deep cut ripping right through our society. People are angry beyond reason. They turn towards hate and fascist ideologies. They choose the path of destruction and denial. We have a war going on in Europe. Obvious boneheads get elected. Scientists tell us for decades that we're heading straight into drastic climate change and nobody seems to care. It's wild! You can't make this crap up!"


Death metal is a serious business and Global Worming is Endseeker's most focused and sophisticated offering to date. Nonetheless, there is always room in the underground sewers for a brain-eating monster or two, and fans of zombie-centric death metal will be more than satisfied with the new album's brilliant, bloody contents.


"Not everything about this album is deadly serious!" Ben grins. "We like to goof around a lot and we love to throw around some funny clichés, and have songs about zombies and whatnot. Adulthood ends at the doorstep of the tour bus!Some of our lyrics, like C.B.V. for example, have their origin in tour bus bullshit talk after endless hours of being crammed into a fucking van and getting cooked by the sun in an awful traffic jam on the Autobahn. It all comes from those moments where you're just one tiny step away from insanity!"


Consumed in its belligerent entirety, Global Worming soon emits the acrid stench of a future classic. Endseeker have stayed true to their deathly roots, while also writing some of the most imaginative songs in their history. Supremely catchy but as brutal and ugly as the arcane gods demand, Global Worming promises to burrow under the world's skin with maximum force.


"All our albums are unique and mark a certain era in our history," Ben concludes. "Global Worming is no exception. It's probably our darkest and heaviest album. It probably just reflects the era we're living in. I guess we just process all of this through the music and try to turn the world's shit into something we and hopefully a lot of other people can enjoy. We're definitely super excited to see where Global Worming will carry us and what lies ahead!"


Lineup:


Lenny - Vocals
Ben - Guitars
Jury - Guitars
Kummer - Drums
Eggert - Bass


(Photo - Anabell Ganske)

Canadian shredders, Striker, have launched a Kickstarter campaign for their forthcoming seventh album and fourth independent release, ULTRAPOWER, offering fans exclusive merch and rewards.


Back in 2016, after early collaborations with record labels, Striker decided to become an independent band and after three successful self-released albums, countless tours, and festival appearances around the world they are back with a fresh slab of heavy metal.


Vocalist Dan Cleary explains further: “We are stoked to be back with our 7th full-length album ULTRAPOWER! This time we have launched a Kickstarter to help us release the album independently with some excellent exclusive merch and rewards. What makes ULTRAPOWER different? After 3 self-produced albums, we decided it was time to try something new. Talking NEW NEW. Like, why not go record with a deathcore producer? Yeah but who? Why Josh Schroeder of course. Isn't that the guy who did Lorna Shore? Why would you go to him, isn't that too heavy for you guys?' you say. Guess you'll find out!”




Entering the studio to work on their full-length with producer Josh Schroeder (Lorna Shore, Tallah, King 810) this past March was a big deal for the band but it all adds up and Striker is looking to fans to help successfully launch ULTRAPOWER. In return for Kickstarter exclusive special edition CDs, Vinyl, and merch, your support will help them recoup what they have spent to record the album along with upcoming physical production, marketing, and artwork. Ultimately, supporting the Kickstarter will give Striker the ability to continue as an independent band.


Fans can check out the exclusive offers for ULTRAPOWER, due out on January 19, here.


ULTRAPOWER follows their Juno Award-winning self-released full-length Play To Win (2018) released on their own label Record Breaking Records and features the band's latest lineup addition of long-time friend and guitarist John Simon Fallon (The Order of Chaos).





In addition to announcing the release of ULTRAPOWER, Striker is revealing their latest single "Best Of The Best Of The Best", accompanied by a music video.


"It's mullets, it's jet skis, it's shredding. What more do you want?," adds Cleary.


Stream the track on Spotify, and watch the video below:





(Photo - Dana Zuk)

LYNYRD SKYNYRD's Johnny Van Zant spoke to Goldmine for the band's cover feature in the magazine's fall 2023 issue. In the interview, the vocalist — who is the younger brother of original LYNYRD singer Ronnie Van Zant — explained the significance of continuing the SKYNYRD legacy after founding guitarist Gary Rossington's passing in March 2023.

Asked if there will be a new LYNYRD SKYNYRD studio album in the near future, Johnny said: "We had all intentions of going in and making a record and doing it with Gary. But he got sick and so it just never happened. But there are songs out there that we could record in his honor. So who knows? We'll see what happens in the future."

If a new LYNYRD SKYNYRD album materializes, it will be the group's first since 2012's "Last Of A Dyin' Breed". The band released a single, "Last Of The Street Survivors", in 2020.

"Last Of The Street Survivors" — which shares its name with what was the time of the song's release supposed to be LYNYRD SKYNYRD's farewell tour — was penned by Rossington alongside Van Zant, guitarist Ricky Medlocke and songwriter Tom Hambridge, and found the Southern rockers reminiscing about their career and the bandmates they lost.

After four SKYNYRD members were killed in an October 1977 plane crash, Rossington recruited Johnny to fill his brother's shoes a decade later.

Medlocke, who played drums in SKYNYRD in 1970-71 before leaving to lead his own band BLACKFOOT and coming back to SKYNYRD in 1996, defended LYNYRD SKYNYRD's decision to carry on, telling Cleveland.com this past May: "People have beat us up over the years: 'Ah, you guys ain't nothin' but a freakin' tribute band' and blah, blah, blah.

"There's a lot of tribute bands out there to LYNYRD SKYNYRD, but none of them holds it as dear to their hearts as the guys who have been there as long as we have," he explained. "We have the history; I played on the first (recording) sessions. We just know that we have to portray the music with the integrity and the sound and the love as close as we can to when it was originally created."

Rossington was the last surviving founding member of LYNYRD SKYNYRD. On March 5, his bandmates announced the news of his death in a statement shared on their social media.

The guitarist had previously dealt with various heart problems throughout the years, including emergency heart surgery in 2021.

LYNYRD SKYNYRD's co-headlining tour with ZZ TOP, "Sharp Dressed Simple Man", staged performances in North America this summer, with special guest UNCLE KRACKER. Produced by Live Nation, the tour kicked off on July 21 at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida and wrapped in Camden, New Jersey at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion on September 17.

In the latest installment of Kerrang! Radio Konfidential, SLIPKNOT's Corey Taylor answered several random questions about strange Internet rumors, picking his nose and the weirdest fan gift SLIPKNOT ever received.

Asked which film he has watched more than any other, Corey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Oh my god, it has to be [John Carpenter's] 'Halloween' '78. I've watched that movie more than I've looked at the faces of my own children. And that's really sad, when you think about it. It's fine — some of my kids aren't that old, so it's all good.

"'Halloween' '78 was the movie that made me love horror," Corey continued. "I saw the trailer when I was very young. They had stuck it at the beginning of the disco space movie 'Buck Rogers [In The 25th Century]', and my mom thought I would really like that movie, so she took me to see it. 'It's just like 'Star Wars'.' I remember seeing the trailer for 'Halloween' and going, 'I suddenly don't care about 'Buck Rogers'. I just wanna see that movie.' And when I eventually got to see it, it was it was everything that I wanted it to be. It was super scary. It wasn't super gory. As a young kid, I didn't really go for gore. I liked the scare, I liked the thrill, I liked the suspense, man. It pulls you to the edge of your seat. And also, Michael Myers, albeit a serial killer, looks like a superhero, man. Like, it's not my fault. He just looks rad. And then you wonder why I joined SLIPKNOT."

A longtime fan of horror films, Taylor was featured prominently in the "In Search Of Darkness" documentary, which came out in 2019.

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

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

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

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

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

In support of his new album, Taylor recently embarked on his 2023 tour featuring special guests WARGASM, OXYMORRONS and LUNA AURA on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 28-city tour kicked off on August 25 at Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, making stops across the U.S in Detroit, Orlando, Dallas and more before the final headline show in Los Angeles at The Wiltern on October 5.

In a new interview with Finnegan "Finn" McKenty of The Punk Rock MBA, OF MICE & MEN bassist/vocalist Aaron Pauley spoke about the musical direction of the band's upcoming album "Tether", which is due on October 6 via SharpTone. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think there's some material that's maybe touching on things we haven't done, but I think largely what we wanted to do was sort of take our sound or what we feel like our best qualities and distill that into our eighth album. I think it sort of presents itself with a unique challenge of how do we offer the audience something new but with familiar flavors and with a familiar history. So when you listen to it, it still has a very sort of nostalgic feeling to it, I think. And I think it had that for us creating it. It reminded us, sort of, of being back in the 2013 studio where it's, like, 'All right, let's figure out what we're doing now,' like working on [2014's] 'Restoring Force' or whatnot. And I think there's a lot of stuff that's going to excite fans that have been with us for a long time."

Asked if that means that fans can expect something super heavy from the "Tether" album, Aaron responded: "There are moments that get super heavy. It's interesting, 'cause I feel like I see that a lot, but then we'll release something that's not super heavy that focuses more on like the emotional aspect of the song and that seems to resonate way more with people that listen to it in higher numbers, but that don't necessarily take their time to tweet me about it. So it's super interesting. I'd say of all the records, it's probably closest to 'Restoring Force'. That'd be my guess. If I took myself out of it and just objectively looked at all of our other albums and said, 'Oh, which is this most like?' I think it's most like that one. Truthfully."

Pauley mixed and mastered "Tether" while drummer Valentino Arteaga designed and painted the album's artwork.

"With this one, we weren't really focused on how it sounded as much as we focused on how it felt," Pauley explained in a press release. "And that's a weird thing to do when all you're working with is sound. But that was really the goal. And we walked away from making it, feeling like we've accomplished that."

In a separate interview with Outburn, Pauley elaborated on OF MICE & MEN's mindset while writing "Tether", saying: "I honestly think it's chasing the exciting moments when we are collaborating and writing music. It becomes easy, especially as you achieve some success. It's very easy to choose that as a model, but you end up getting too formulaic with things. Whereas we try to focus on the excitement factor when we're writing together, and not always just writing exciting sounding songs, but chasing those little moments where a spark of creativity happens where two people's ideas combined become greater than the sum of both.”

"We wholeheartedly love to create music," Arteaga added. "We are all musicians at the start of the day, and I believe we all admire and respect each other's artistic integrity since we are able to be in a creative group or band together. For us, being creative musicians is what keeps us going and the fact that we can bounce ideas off each other. It may not be the most amazing concept, but the exciting part is sharing it and witnessing someone else's excitement. Then we extrapolate and fall down a few rabbit holes to develop something we never thought was possible. That has been the case since the beginning. Whenever we are writing music or creating something, we use each other as a barometer for excitement."

OF MICE & MEN will hit the road this fall with BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and VENDED.

DIRTY HONEY, one of rock's hottest young bands, will release a new album, "Can't Find The Brakes", on November 3. Both the album's title track, "Can't Find The Brakes", and "Won't Take Me Alive" are now available as instant-grat tracks when you pre-save/pre-add/pre-order the album.

With lyrics by vocalist Marc LaBelle, "Won't Take Me Alive" draws a non-negotiable line in the sand of integrity and self-determination on one side, and potentially dire consequences on the other. Lyrically, inspiration was taken from the bravery and defiance found today in the people of Ukraine, as well as from a conversation LaBelle had with a fellow traveler he met while visiting the Berlin Wall. The gentleman had grown up in Cold War Germany, so he resonated with those forced to live under autocratic rule. Musically, the song is a literal, take-no-prisoners-balls-out-rocker. The music video for "Won't Take Me Alive", released today, follows suit.

Written and directed by George Gallardo Kattah, the video centers on Ava, a private school student who is told by Helga, the school's principal, that she has to conform to the rules, wear the school uniform, no tongue piercing, no listening to rock music. But Ava is defiant; she won't submit, and instead, she continues to break down the walls of conformity that are important to establishing who she is and will be for the rest of her life. She finds solace in her attic bedroom, where she can listen to and play the music that releases her frustrations. She keeps track on a chalkboard of every day that she's in school, another day in prison. And she is desperately looking for an exit, any exit, which she finds as the story unfolds. This is "Won't Take Me Alive".

"This song made me feel like a teenager, and we had lots of fun channeling our frustrations from back in the day by doing this video," said Gallardo. "Bringing Ava and Helga to life was quite a process and a highlight of this year so far."

This past April, DIRTY HONEY — Marc LaBelle (vocals),John Notto (guitar),Justin Smolian (bass),and new drummer Jaydon Bean — headed to Australia to record the new album with longtime producer Nick DiDia. Unlike the band's self-titled, full-length 2019 debut, which, due to the pandemic, had to be recorded via Zoom with the band in Los Angeles and DiDia in Australia, DIRTY HONEY spent an entire month in the studio with DiDia.

LaBelle said: "Just physically being together in the studio with our producer made for a very creative environment; we got into such a groove, we were very focused, and not rushed, so it was great for all of us.

"We decided to call the album 'Can't Find The Brakes' because the title was almost a time capsule of our lives right now. We're constantly on the move and living each day city by city. Sometimes being a touring musician can feel like you're on a train going full speed, and even if you could find the brakes, would you really want to?"

"Having Jayden in the band has made a huge difference," said Justin. "He's an a capella singer with a background in vocal harmonies. So having him contribute, especially to the harmonies, has really added to our sound and has helped us grow a lot.

Marc added: "Jaydon's got a great approach to songwriting, and he's willing to take the ride with a song without judgment. There's a great Ed Sheeran quote that I love: 'Dare to suck. You never know what's going to happen, so just dare to suck.' Or, as Jayden puts it, 'You've just got to be open to infinity, man, you're a vessel for infinity!'"

"'Coming Home', 'Don't Put Out The Fire', 'You Make It Alright' and 'Rebel Son' are all standouts," said John. "'Won't Take Me Alive' is the most kick-ass, aggressive, badass rock song we've ever written. All of these songs widen our lane in a real energetic way."

The album cover art for "Can't Find The Brakes" was hand-painted by the world-renowned, Los Angeles-based graffiti artist Kelly "RISK" Gravel, who has been synonymous with the L.A. art scene for over 30 years. He was the first on the west coast to paint freight trains, freeway overpasses and signs, and the first artist in 400 years invited to paint in Michelangelo's studio.

"There really hasn't been a good band out of L.A. that got me pumped up," said RISK, "but DIRTY HONEY did. Their rock vibe, kind of like organized chaos, I wanted the artwork to say that."

"Can't Find The Brakes" track listing:

01. Don't Put Out The Fire
02. Won't Take Me Alive
03. Dirty Mind
04. Roam
05. Get A Little High
06. Coming Home (Ballad Of The Shire)
07. Can't Find The Brakes
08. Satisfied
09. Ride On
10. You Make It All Right
11. Rebel Son

DIRTY HONEY's 2023 North American "Can't Find The Brakes" North American headline tour launches on October 18,

Photo credit: Katarina Benzova

Just days after KIX played its final gig, singer Jeff Keith of fellow veteran rockers TESLA was asked by Dawn Osborne of TotalRock if there are any plans for him and his bandmates to eventually retire. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Hey, as long as my voice is holding up and everybody's doing good, we're gonna keep it up and go as long as we can.

"I was sad to hear about KIX throwing in the towel or whatever you wanna call it, hanging the boots up, but TESLA, we're these boots were made for walking, and that's just what we'll do — rocking. [Laughs] Not walking, rocking."

He added: "You never know how long things are gonna go. We're just having fun making records, writing songs from the heart. And you just don't think about how long is it gonna last. And it's still working. We're still having a blast. And so we're very fortunate for that."

Asked if the songwriting process in TESLA is still the same as it was when the band first started four decades ago, Jeff said: "Yeah, it's still writing songs from the heart. For me, I think about, 'Yeah, make sure — on my vocal range, make sure it's in the right key.' Because back in the day, in the late '80s and stuff, in the early '90s, sometimes I'd get my melody up there, and then next you know, when we play live, I've gotta tune down a little bit. So I try to keep things more in my vocal range but still having fun writing from the heart."

Earlier this month, TESLA released the official music video for its cover of AEROSMITH's "S.O.S. (Too Bad)". The song is a bonus track on TESLA's live album, "Full Throttle Live!", which arrived this past May. The LP includes the band's "Time To Rock!" single, plus other songs, all recorded in August 2022 at Full Throttle Saloon in Sturgis, South Dakota.

In September 2021, TESLA drummer Troy Luccketta announced that he would "take a little time from the road" to spend with family and friends. He has since been replaced at TESLA's gigs by Steve Brown, the younger brother of former DOKKEN drummer Mick Brown.

Due to overwhelming demand, TESLA recently added five shows to its residency at House Of Blues at Mandalay Bay Resort And Casino in Las Vegas, Nevada. The new dates will begin on Friday, September 29.

TESLA 2023 is:

Frank Hannon - guitar
Brian Wheat - bass
Jeff Keith - lead vocals
Dave Rude - guitar
Steve Brown - drums

Press photo courtesy of Jeff Klein / Atomic City PR

In a new interview with "The Jeremy White Show", founding JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Kenneth "K.K." Downing spoke about the 33rd anniversary of the band's classic "Painkiller" album. Addressing how the addition of then-new drummer Scott Travis affected PRIEST's sound and songwriting, Downing said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think with the addition of Scott, because we knew his capabilities from his former band, RACER X, which were a great band… After so many years, having Scott in the band with those double kicks again, it just opened doors for myself and Glenn [Tipton, PRIEST guitarist] to write rhythmically and musically. And we knew that Scott could play anything that we could — as fast as we could play on guitar, we knew he could match us on the kit, which helped a lot, really, because it meant we could expand writing after so many years, really, in respect of the faster side of metal, if you like."

PRIEST's 12th album, "Painkiller" was recorded at Miraval Studios in Brignoles, France, and was mixed at Wisseloord Studios in Hilversum, the Netherlands. It was the first LP to feature Travis following the departure of Dave Holland.

Last year, Travis spoke to "Drumtalk", the video podcast by German drummer and videographer Philipp Koch, about the fact that the intro to the title track of "Painkiller" has become one of the most iconic drum intros of all time. He said: "Me personally, I always loved the drum intro of certain songs. We all know 'Rock And Roll' by LED ZEPPELIN and 'Walk This Way' by AEROSMITH, and, of course, 'Hot For Teacher', which is VAN HALEN. So, anyways, I grew up like that, always understanding that, 'Man, if ever I could come up with a signature drum intro — no guitars; just drums — and make it really impactful.' And sometimes I get emotional, now that I've been playing for so long, that I was able to come up with something."

He continued: "[I recently saw a video featuring] 'Top 15 drum intros'. And, of course, it's subjective. I don't know who made the list; I think it was some rock magazine. So, naturally, I watch it, and it had 'Where Eagles Dare' [by IRON MAIDEN], it had 'Rock And Roll', and number two was 'Painkiller'. And I was, like, 'Oh my God. Thank you so much.' And number one, which I'm happy to take a backseat, was 'Hot For Teacher' — Sir Alex Van Halen. If I'm second place to old Alex, then, man, that's fantastic. Again, that's one opinion and one little something someone made up. But nonetheless, I didn't make it, so I'm happy that people appreciate 'Painkiller' and it has become a signature JUDAS PRIEST song, which I never in a million years would have imagined that."

Back in 2020, Travis told Invisible Oranges that he wrote the "Painkiller" intro at Miraval Studios in early 1990 as producer Chris Tsangarides and engineer Patrice Roullion were testing microphone placements.

"We were set up at the studio… Studio Miraval in Nice, France," Travis recalled. "The drums are all set up and they're in a big room and then, of course, the control room is at the other end of the studio. I used to just go and warm up first thing in the morning and just work on the next song we were gonna do the next day, and just start playing it with my own headphones on. It was just a cool place — very comfortable to just go and play whatever you wanted. I knew we were gonna be working on the 'Painkiller' song and it was meant to be a fast-paced upbeat song. And I was just messing around doing the intro type stuff."

He continued: "I don't know what those notes I play with my feet [are called]… between my feet and my hands. Technically, it's four with the feet, one with the hand. So it's not a quad but I don't know, septuplet, quintuplet... Shows you how educated I am on drumming, right? [I was] just out there messing around, doing a flurry of things like that, exercises and whatnot. I had the 'Painkiller' idea in my head and they really liked what I was doing and they said, 'Hey, just do some more of that, some stuff like that.' And I just kind of whipped it up…

"As a young drummer or just as a drummer, period, I always… I don't wanna say dreamt because that sounds corny, but I always was hoping that I could come up with a signature drum intro, and I think every drummer wants that. Rarely does a drummer get to do an intro and especially one that really sticks. Given the fact that it exists now, I'm kind of blown away. It's cool."

Scott's long and very influential drumming career has also included acclaimed work with FIGHT.

Photo credit: Mind Art Visual

STRYPER will enter the studio in early 2024 to begin recording the follow-up to 2022's "The Final Battle" album.

Earlier today, STRYPER frontman Michael Sweet, who is responsible for almost all of the songwriting in the band, took to his social media to write: "I plan to start writing the next @stryper album this week.

"We want to branch out a bit and try some new things and I also want to get back to some 'pop metal' on a few tracks as well."

Sweet continued: "The new album will be recorded in January/February and then I will finish vocals/solos and we will mix it when we return from The Holy Land Tour in Late February/March.

"What do you (the fans) want to hear on the next album. What have you been missing and wanting to hear us do?

"I would love to hear from everyone, worldwide. Take a moment and let me know your thoughts".

A few months ago, Michael shot down speculation that "The Final Battle" marked the swan song for the veteran Christian hard rock band.

"A lot of people assume that because of the title of the album that it's our last album and that this is our last tour," Sweet told The Spokesman-Review in May. "But it's not our final anything."

"The Final Battle", was released in October 2022 via Frontiers Music Srl, is about Armageddon. "The material is about something much bigger than our band," Sweet explained. "We don't plan to hang it up. When the time comes, we'll announce that it's our last tour and when we announce that, it will be our final tour. We won't be like other bands who claim it's their last tour when it's not."

The follow-up to 2020's "Even The Devil Believes", "The Final Battle" was produced by Sweet and was once again recorded at SpiritHouse Recording Studios in Northampton, Massachusetts.

Formed 40 years ago, STRYPER's name comes from Isaiah 53:5, which states: "But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities: the chastisement of our peace was upon him; and with his stripes we are healed."

STRYPER's albums include "To Hell With The Devil", "Second Coming", "No More Hell To Pay", "Fallen", "God Damn Evil" and the aforementioned "Even The Devil Believes" and "The Final Battle".

Michael is joined in STRYPER by his brother Robert Sweet (drums),Oz Fox (guitar) and Perry Richardson (bass).

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AVENGED SEVENFOLD has released the official Zoe Katz-directed music video for the song "Mattel". The track is taken from the band's latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", which came out in June. Written and recorded over the span of four years, it was produced by Joe Barresi and AVENGED SEVENFOLD in Los Angeles and mixed by Andy Wallace in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. The album is a journey through an existential crisis; a very personal exploration into the meaning, purpose and value of human existence with the anxiety of death always looming.

The album opener, "Game Over", indicts the mundanity of everyday life, particularly one without purpose or fulfilment. "Mattel" goes on the offensive about the Barbie-girl-on-steroids artificiality of cities and suburbs, from fake pleasantries to fake grass. The lead single, "Nobody", explores the ego death sought by mystics and shamans for millennia, the recognition that the self is an illusion, that we are everything and nothing at once. "We Love You" decries the rat race and "Cosmic" celebrates love traversing time, space, and evolution. "Beautiful Morning", by contrast, is a darker existential crisis, giving false relief by the empty promises found in "Easier". Tracks eight, nine, and ten form a triptych of sorts — "G", "(O)rdinary" and "(D)eath", or "GOD". People wrap themselves in The Secret, manifestation, or religion, but God? God sees them all as obsessive fans who missed the point and simply hit reset. The robot that follows ponders the nature of consciousness. Following "(D)eath", the title track is a piano number tickling toward sweet oblivion.

Far from nihilistic despair, the expansive themes and existentialist exploration of "Life Is But A Dream..." offer more of a celebration and liberation of life while exploring the possible illusion of free will and determinism. The aim is for the audience to aspire, in life, to what AVENGED SEVENFOLD aspires to in art. Confrontation, reinvention, acceptance, surrender, struggle, and the courage to fail, on our own terms, with integrity.

"There are no rules. It doesn't matter what anyone thinks," singer M. Shadows points out. "One day, we'll all be gone, and eventually we're all forgotten. So, once you find your own purpose, go for it."

"Life Is But A Dream…" 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. AVENGED SEVENFOLD's previous LP, "The Stage", debuted at No. 4 on The Billboard 200 album chart in November 2016. The surprise release of "The Stage" earned the lowest sales of an AVENGED SEVENFOLD album in eleven years. It sold 76,000 copies in its first week, less than half the tally of its previous two efforts.

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.

In April, AVENGED SEVENFOLD announced the second leg of its extensive "Life is But A Dream…" North American tour featuring support from FALLING IN REVERSE. Produced by Live Nation, leg two includes stops in Nashville, Denver, Austin, and more before concluding at Fort Worth's Dickies Arena on October 15.

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.

Canadian rock band NICKELBACK has shared the official Timothy Hiehle-directed music video for the song "High Time" from the band's tenth studio album and first release in five years, "Get Rollin'", which arrived last November via BMG.

According to a press release, "'High Time' takes listeners on a hazy cross-country road trip that reminds us that it's always 4:20 somewhere."

"High Time" was the third single to be made available from "Get Rollin'", following the LP's first two singles, "San Quentin", which was released in September 2022, and "Those Days", which arrived a month later.

"Get Rollin'" debuted at No. 2 across the Current Rock, Alternative, Hard Music and Digital Album charts. The record also landed on the ARIA Album Chart at No. 3 and in the Top 10 in the U.K., Canada, Germany, Australia and Austria. Additionally, "Get Rollin'" debuted at No. 1 in Switzerland, a career first for the band.

With the new record, NICKELBACK continues its legacy as "one of rock's biggest-ever bands," as noted by Kerrang!

The group recently celebrated another career milestone at the 2023 Juno Awards where they were inducted into the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame.

NICKELBACK was named the "most successful rock band of the decade" by Billboard in 2009. Globally celebrated for its career defining and award-winning hits "How You Remind Me", "Photograph", "Far Away", "Rockstar" and more, the four-piece comprised of Chad Kroeger, Ryan Peake, Mike Kroeger and Daniel Adair is one of the most commercially viable and important acts of the past two decades. Their success includes worldwide sales of more than 50 million units, solidifying their status as one of the top-selling acts of all time and the second best-selling foreign act in the U.S., in the 2000s decade, behind only THE BEATLES. Their inescapable and irresistible smash "How You Remind Me" was named Billboard's "Top Rock Song Of The Decade" and was the number one most played song on U.S. radio (any format) in the 2000s, according to Nielsen SoundScan, with over 1.2 million spins.

Amongst all of these accolades, they've also been named Billboard's "Top Rock Group Of The Decade" and received nine Grammy Award nominations, three American Music Awards, a World Music Award, a People's Choice Award, twelve Juno Awards, seven MuchMusic Video Awards, and have been inducted into Canada's Walk Of Fame (2007) and the Canadian Music Hall Of Fame (2023). With more than 23 chart-topping singles and fans spanning the globe, NICKELBACK boasts more than twelve consecutive sold-out world tours, playing to well over 10 million diehard and adoring fans.

In a recent interview with Guitar Interactive magazine, former DIO and current DEF LEPPARD guitarist Vivian Campbell looked back on his involvement with "Stars", the 1985 charity single for famine relief released under the HEAR 'N AID banner.

On May 20 and May 21, 1985, 40 artists from the metal community gathered at A&M Records Studios in Hollywood, California to participate in the making of a record called "Stars" as a part of a very special fundraising project spearheaded by Ronnie James Dio known as HEAR 'N AID. The "Stars" single and a video documentary on the making of the record was used to raise money for famine relief efforts in Africa and around the world. These 40 artists — including members of MÖTLEY CRÜE, JUDAS PRIEST, IRON MAIDEN, QUIET RIOT, TWISTED SISTER, BLUE ÖYSTER CULT and even SPINAL TAP — along with hundreds of other volunteers, donated their time and talent over four months to make HEAR 'N AID a reality. "Stars" was a plea for unity in the fight against world hunger.

Speaking about his experience recording "Stars", Campbell told Guitar Interactive (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When we did that, we were at Rumbo Recorders in L.A. recording the [DIO] 'Sacred Heart' album. And it was a really dark time for Ronnie and for the band. I mean, nobody wanted to be around Ronnie. Ronnie and [his wife and manager] Wendy had split up. They weren't getting divorced, but they were living separate lives. And Ronnie's mood was really, really dark. And the big difference between the 'Sacred Heart' album and [the first two DIO albums] 'Holy Diver' and 'The Last In Line' is that when we did 'Holy Diver' and 'The Last In Line', everyone was in the studio all the time. We were all there offering encouragement. There was a really good vibe. And then nobody went home early. Everyone was waiting for everything and excited by every little development in those records. When we were doing the 'Sacred Heart' album, nobody wanted to hang around. We cut the tracks and it was, like, 'Oh, okay. I'm gonna go. You done with me?' And it was just left Ronnie and Angelo [Arcuri], our engineer, and it was because of that energy, that vibe that was coming from Ronnie at that time. So it was really, really difficult to make. I'm not saying it's a bad record, but it was really difficult for [then-DIO drummer] Vinny [Appice] and [then-DIO bassist] Jimmy [Bain] and myself, and obviously for Ronnie, to make it."

He continued: "So, at that time, that 'We Are The World' thing had come out, with Michael Jackson and all the pop stars that made this great record. And Jimmy and I, who were roommates at the time — we were living in an apartment together — we happened to do an interview for a station called KLOS in Los Angeles, and the DJ asked us, he said, 'How come nobody from the hard rock world was invited to participate in that?' And we thought, 'You know, you're absolutely right.' And this was an era when hard rock was really sort of shunned. I mean, it never got nominated for a Grammy or anything. There was no real industry recognition, even though it was a very, very popular cultural force and sold in multi-millions. But the industry was yet to really fully recognize it as being legit. And so anyway, we were joking about this, and it was Jimmy who — he was a funny guy — and Jimmy right off the bat said, 'Yeah, we should do one. We should call it HEAR 'N AID.' We were all, like, 'Hahaha'; we fell off our stools. And then we went back to our apartment and Jimmy said, 'Well, do you wanna actually do this?' [And I said] 'Really? I mean, do we have time for this?' And he said, 'Yeah.' So Jimmy and I wrote the song. We didn't write the lyrics. We put the music together. We thought, 'We're not gonna get this off the ground without Ronnie. We need some clout. We need the name.' So we went in the studio the next day As I said, we're in the middle of doing the 'Sacred Heart' album. Ronnie's in a real dark spot. We offer it, and we say, 'Ronnie, what about this?' He immediately shuts it down. No interest. So, we keep pushing it on him for a couple of weeks, and then eventually he came back to us and said, 'You know what? Yeah. I'll get on board with this.' So he wrote the lyric for it."

Regarding how they ended up recruiting so many big names for the project, Vivian said: "I, with the help of a publicist we were working with at the time, went to the office every day with a publicist. She let me go through her Rolodex — this is how old school this is; her Rolodex — and look up names. I'd go, 'Oh, Jon Bon Jovi.' I'd literally be cold calling people that I didn't know… [I was] trying to explain, 'We're making this charity record. And we'll cover expenses. We'll get some sponsorship.' So that was my life for weeks, every day going into a whole different world for me, just getting on the phone and calling people. 'Hi, Neal Schon. Love your JOURNEY stuff. Is there any chance you could…?' 'Who else is doing it?' And the same old thing — nobody wants to commit until [other big names are involved]. But I was able to throw Ronnie's name there. I said, 'Well, Ronnie's doing it.' 'Oh, okay.' And calling up studios, like A&M studios, 'Hey, is it possible we can get a day free in the studio? It's for charity.' 'Hey, American Airlines, is there any way we can…?' 'Hey, Holiday Inn, can you…?' It was something I'd never done before, but I spent weeks and weeks and weeks doing it. And so it all came together, and it was just bonkers that it did.

"I remember the day we were doing it at A&M, with a film crew in there, and the guys from SPINAL TAP even showed up. And that made it great because that brought a little much-needed humor to the whole situation. And all these great guitar players — we had Yngwie [Malmsteen] there and George Lynch and Neal Schon, guys who were blazing guitar [players]. And I just remember I was so busy making sure that everyone had a limo ride, had a flight, had a hotel room, had something to eat. And then, at the end of the day, it's, like, 'Okay, now you've gotta play guitar.' It's, like, 'What?'"

Due to contract differences with the labels, the "Stars" song and album weren't released until New Year's Day, 1986, and were only ever made available on vinyl and cassette. But Ronnie's wife and manager Wendy Dio has said in recent years that she is continuing her efforts to correct that.

Wendy previously revealed that one of the reasons the HEAR 'N AID reissue was taking so long to come out was the "legal stuff" that needed to be taken care of. "You can always get the bands to do something, but it's the legal licensing of talking with the record labels they're on and the management and so on, to get something off the ground," she said. "So we're hoping to do that."

Veteran hardcore band SCREAM will release a new album, "DC Special", on November 10 via Dischord. The LP's first preview track, "DC Special Sha La La", can be streamed below.

SCREAM formed in 1979. Drummer Kent Stacks, bassist Skeeter Enoch Thompson and the brothers Pete and Franz Stahl attended school together in Bailey's Crossroads, Virginia, when they began to discover the punk and new wave scene in Washington, D.C. and the provocative power of making music. Like most of the punk bands in D.C., they were influenced by the BAD BRAINS, but their rock and roll sensibilities set them apart. In 1982, they went into Inner Ear Studio with Ian MacKaye and Eddie Janney to record Dischord's first full-length album, "Still Screaming".

SCREAM followed this with a second full length album, "This Side Up", in 1984. The band toured throughout the U.S. and were one of the first American hardcore bands to tour Europe. In 1987, they released "Banging The Drum", which was recorded at both Southern Studios in London and Inner Ear. In 1988, "No More Censorship" was released on reggae label RAS Records. SCREAM returned to Dischord to release "Fumble" in 1993.

They made a few lineup changes along the way, including the addition of their friend Harley Davidson on second guitar, and, when Kent Stacks left the band to start a family, they asked a young local drummer, Dave Grohl, to take over. After a number of years with "the SCREAM team", Dave went on to join NIRVANA and form the FOO FIGHTERS. In 1996, at a Christmas reunion show, Kent Stacks returned as SCREAM's drummer; the show was recorded and released as the CD "Live At The Black Cat". Over the next few years, everyone branched out in different directions — Franz joined the FOO FIGHTERS for a short period and Pete played with GOATSNAKE and EARTHLINGS? The band returned as a unit, with Clint Walsh on second guitar, in 2011 to record the "Complete Control Sessions", which was released as an EP on Side One Dummy and was, until now, the band's most recent release.

For "DC Special", the band invited their extensive music community to help create a unique project that weaves the history of music in Washington, D.C. into the story of the band. Recorded by Don Zientara just weeks before his studio was evicted from its longtime location, the record is rich with both the sounds of Inner Ear and those of friends and musicians who influenced SCREAM and who shaped D.C. music over the past six decades. "DC Special" embodies the same sense of community and politics that inspired SCREAM from the start and is a truly special collection of new music that speaks to the present and also tells the story of D.C. music, SCREAM, and the influences that shaped them.

"DC Special" includes contributions from Jerry Busher, Amy Pickering, Mark Cisneros, Dave Grohl, Onam Emmett, Ian MacKaye, Joe Lally, Bob Berberich, John Goetchius and more voices from SCREAM's longtime community.

Photo credit: Joel Dowling

One of the most prominent hard rock acts on MTV during the late '80s and early '90s was WINGER, a band who had it all — expert chops, chart success, arena tours, etc. And now for the first time ever, the band's best-selling albums will be compiled together in the new box set, "Chapter One: Atlantic Years 1988-1993", which will be released on November 17, 2023 via Atlantic/BMG, and will be available as both vinyl and CD versions.

Included will be the band's self-titled debut from 1988 (which spawned the hits "Madalaine", "Seventeen" and "Headed For A Heartbreak"),"In The Heart Of The Young" from 1990 (which gave us "I Can't Get Enuff", "Miles Away" and "Easy Come Easy Go"),and "Pull" from 1993 (which contained "Down Incognito").

And longtime fans of the band — whose classic lineup was, and still is, comprised of singer/bassist Kip Winger, guitarists Reb Beach and Paul Taylor and drummer Rod Morgenstein — will probably be most intrigued by the inclusion of the fourth disc, "Demo Anthology", which contains original demo versions of WINGER's biggest hits. Additionally, the set will be newly remastered by Ted Jensen — with the remaster process overseen by Kip Winger.

Kip says: "I'm very proud of this box set. It captures an unforgettable era for the band and these are the only remasters I officially endorse."

WINGER is still rocking to this day — the band issued its seventh studio effort overall in 2023, the appropriately titled "Seven". Kip is also a respected and successful symphonic composer, having issued recordings under the name C.F. Kip Winger, while Reb has been a member of WHITESNAKE since 2002, and Rod has served as a professor at Berklee College Of Music (in addition to playing in a variety of other more jazz-fusion-based projects).

Track listing:

"Winger" (1988)

01. Madalaine
02. Hungry
03. Seventeen
04. Without The Night
05. Purple Haze
06. State Of Emergency
07. Time To Surrender
08. Poison Angel
09. Hangin' On
10. Headed For A Heartbreak

"Winger II: In The Heart Of The Young" (1990)

01. Can't Get Enuff
02. Loosen Up
03. Miles Away
04. Easy Come Easy Go
05. Rainbow In The Rose
06. In The Day We'll Never See
07. Under One Condition
08. Little Dirty Blonde
09. Baptized By Fire
10. You Are The Saint, I Am The Sinner
11. In The Heart Of The Young

"Pull" (1993)

01. Blind Revolution Mad
02. Down Incognito
03. Spell I'm Under
04. In My Veins
05. Junkyard Dog (Tears On Stone)
06. The Lucky One
07. In For The Kill
08. No Man's Land
09. Like A Ritual
10. Who's The One

"Demo Anthology" (2023)

01. Madalaine
02. Hungry
03. Seventeen
04. Headed For A Heartbreak
05. Can't Get Enuff
06. Easy Come Easy Go
07. Miles Away
08. Blind Revolution Mad
09. Down Incognito
10. Who's The One

In a new interview with Vintage Rock Pod, legendary German guitarist Uli Jon Roth spoke about his decision to leave SCORPIONS four and a half decades ago after making five albums with the group. He said: "I handed in my notice a year before [the live double album 'Tokyo Tapes' was released], [in] 1977. And the reason was not personal; it was just purely artistic. It was because I started to write music like 'Earthquake' and other songs, which I knew had no place whatsoever in SCORPIONS. It would have kind of really not resonated with any of the other stuff. So in 1977, I led a little bit of a dual existence. I wrote some of the songs for SCORPIONS like 'The Sails Of Charon' and 'Your Light' and 'I've Got To Be Free' and then some other stuff. But I also already wrote this music for ELECTRIC SUN, which was very different. And because I was not so success-driven… I mean, the band, obviously, we all knew that we were getting more successful every year. We already had our first gold albums by then, and it was kind of inevitable almost. But, to me, that wasn't really so much the thing that interested me. I was more interested in exploring music in a way that was more free and in a band like that, I guess I had taken it as far as I could at that point. And had I stayed on, for all the other albums, I would have continued in the same vein as 'Tokyo Tapes'. But the ELECTRIC SUN stuff would have never been made."

Asked if any part of him regrets leaving SCORPIONS when he did, Uli said: "No. I would've gone mad had I stayed, because I had so many other things to say, and they needed saying. It was an easy decision and it had to come and I had to make it. It was just a natural progression."

The 68-year-old went on to say that he still has a friendship with his former bandmates. "We're very much on friendly terms," he said. "Nothing has ever changed in that, even though we were a great unit when I was in the band. And to this day there's a family feeling whenever we meet. And I guess that will never change."

Pressed about whether there will ever be a full tour with him and the SCORPIONS again, Uli said: "It's very late in the day. I don't know what their plans are. I mean, I would be open to anything, but I would say it's probably unlikely at this point in time."

In recent years, Roth has revisited the early music of his period with the SCORPIONS, which resulted in the "Scorpions Revisited" double CD and "Tokyo Tapes Revisited" DVD/Blu-ray releases.

Widely regarded as one of the greatest guitar players ever, Uli pioneered a unique style of guitar playing which — for the first time — combined complete mastery of the instrument with an intensely melodic and emotional appeal.

From his earliest days onwards, Uli has always been a bold and uncompromising musical innovator of the first order. Being the first guitar player in rock to incorporate complex melodic arpeggio sequences, Uli Jon Roth — in the eyes of many of his peers — practically reinvented modern guitar technique almost singlehandedly during his SCORPIONS tenure, but even more so during his ELECTRIC SUN days.

This past July, it was announced that Roth was forced to postpone his previously announced North American tour due to health reasons. The trek was scheduled to launch on September 6 in West Hollywood, California and conclude on October 1 in New York City. According to a statement on Roth's social media, he recently underwent a "successful kidney removal operation" and "is fit to play, but has been advised not to embark on a full-scale major tour just yet. Uli will be performing at selected shows in continental Europe during his recovery period."

This past April, Roth told Canada's The Metal Voice that he used the downtime during the coronavirus pandemic to write a book called "In Search Of The Alpha Law". He added that the book "is not about myself — it's not about my life on the road or my life. It is about my — well, my philosophy of life."