Rockin’ Engine’s new EP, Altered By Evil, is not only a solid dose of full-throttled rock, but it’s also a homage to some of the best horror characters and events. The third single from the recently released record is “Carnival Of Evil”, presented now in video form. Inspired by the works of Rob Zombie, they went all out in the production of this video with the help of Joe Lyko of Dark Moon Productions and Light is Art Studio. Vocalist and guitarist Steve O Leff enthusiastically shares details about it:


“Having spent almost our entire budget on the production of our EP and music video for 'Monsters Under Your Bed', we only had enough money left to shoot one more music video. So, we had to go out big, and with a bang! When we started brainstorming for the concept of our video, we came up with some absolutely crazy, and even disturbing ideas… so we decided to create them all! From a wheel of torture to a magician box, from fake silicone limbs to a rusty butcher cleaver, we built everything from scratch. Even the fake blood is corn syrup and water-based."


The music for this song was written by lead guitarist Ste Vy Leff. At that time, vocalist Steve O Leff was watching Rob Zombie’s Devil’s Rejects and it occurred to him that Captain Spaulding, the evil clown character in the movie, would be absolutely perfect for the track’s subject matter. He draws a similarity between the traveling circus of the movie and Rockin’ Engine. "They are ruthless yet charismatic, and they will stop at nothing to deliver a performance to die for!"







Altered By Evil artwork and tracklisting:





"Carnival Of Evil" 
"Day Of Wrath" 
"Liber Ex-Mortis" 
"Monsters Under Your Bed" 
"Psycho Path" 
"Room 185" (ft. guest vocals by Stef Jomphe of Insurrection)








For further details, visit Rockin' Engine on Facebook.


 

ANTHRAX guitarist Scott Ian, his 12-year-old son Revel, and LAMB OF GOD members Randy Blythe (vocals) and Art Cruz (drums) joined PANTERA on stage last night (Saturday, August 26) at the North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre in Chula Vista, California to perform the Philip Anselmo-fronted band's classic song "Walk". Fan-filmed video of their appearance can be seen below.

The reformed PANTERA kicked off its U.S. headlining tour with LAMB OF GOD on July 28 at The Pavilion at Star Lake in Burgettstown, Pennsylvania.

PANTERA's current setlist includes two songs which hadn't been performed live since the band's comeback last year: "Slaughtered", from PANTERA's 1994 album "Far Beyond Driven", widely considered the heaviest metal record to ever reach No. 1 on the Billboard 200 chart; and "Revolution Is My Name" from PANTERA's final studio album, 2000's "Reinventing The Steel".

PANTERA's 2023 lineup includes two surviving members from the band's classic formation, Philip Anselmo (vocals) and Rex Brown (bass),along with guitarist Zakk Wylde (OZZY OSBOURNE, BLACK LABEL SOCIETY) and drummer Charlie Benante (ANTHRAX).

Anselmo and Brown, along with Wylde and Benante, are headlining a number of major festivals across South America, Asia, North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive North American stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

According to Billboard, the lineup has been given a green light by the estates of the band's founders, drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott and guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott, as well as Brown, who in 2021 said Wylde wouldn't tour with PANTERA if a reunion were to happen. It's unclear what changed his mind.

This past March, PANTERA headlined the 2023 "comeback" edition of Japan's Loud Park festival. The two-day "limited" event took place on March 25 at Intex Osaka in Osaka and March 26 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City near Tokyo.

In December, PANTERA played seven shows in Mexico and South America.

Brown was forced to leave PANTERA's Latin American tour after testing positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him at some of the shows was CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR.

Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

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On August 24th, Ministry performed at Dos Equis Pavilion in Dallas, TX, and during their show they performed the song "Revenge" live for the first time since 1984. Check out the fan-filmed video below.


The song is taken from the band's 1983 debut album, With Sympathy. Post-Punk.com has shared an overview of the album and song, speculating why it hasn't been perform in four decades.


"In the sprawling landscape of industrial music, few acts have been as influential and irreverent as Ministry. Their recent live rendition of 'Revenge' on August 24th, 2023, has sent shockwaves through the music community, marking the first time the song has been played live since December 31, 1984, a gap of almost four decades.




But why has 'Revenge', arguably one of Ministry’s most fan-beloved songs been shelved for so long?


Al Jourgensen’s relationship with With Sympathy is layered. The album, while poppy and loveable, is an essential 1980s dark synthpop record. Tracks like 'Revenge' resonate with both new wave and goth dance floors. The album’s cover, featuring a black-clawed hand, roses, and a marble background, is iconic in its own right.


Jourgensen’s main contention has been with the major label, Arista, which he felt forced the album’s pop direction. He’s been quoted saying, 'I did not write that fucking record,' emphasizing the label’s heavy-handed influence. Despite his vocal disdain for the album, Jourgensen has shown signs of softening. He’s acknowledged that without With Sympathy, he might not have become the 'maniac douchebagÄ he is today. In many ways, the album was a catalyst, pushing him towards the industrial version of Ministry that fans have come to love or hate, for better or worse."


Read the complete report here.








As the world continues hanging on by a thread through pandemics, wildfires, climate change, social-political chaos and social media-fueled conspiracy theories, at least there’s Ministry to get us through. Industrial provocateur Al Jourgensen is ready to unleash his latest missives with Ministry’s groundbreaking 16th album, HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES, slated for release March 1 via Nuclear Blast Records.


Today, the six-time Gammy Award-nominated multiplatinum act gives the first taste of the new material with the official release of “Goddamn White Trash,” featuring Pepper Keenan, a song that made its debut on Ministry’s headline tour earlier this year. Watch the clip below.


Over the course of 9 tracks, Jourgensen is righteously cantankerous as ever about a f***ed up world ripe for a boot up its ass. Like always, he's merely looking around at the same dumpster fire we all are, but he's got a microphone and uses it well to rage on about the state of the world.


“Just like you or anybody else, I’m simply a passenger in this lifetime,” says Jourgensen. “I’m watching social changes, political changes, and economic changes, and I comment on them because I do have a First Amendment right. A lot of people say artists and athletes should shut up and play ball. No, I’m on this trip too. If I see something, I say something. That reflects on where each album goes. Instead of staying sedentary and singing about broken relationships, inner turmoil, or whatever is hurting this week, I comment on what’s going on from the perspective of a fellow passenger.”


Joined by Ministry’s current frontline of musicians - John Bechdel (keyboards), Monte Pittman and Cesar Soto (guitars), Roy Mayorga (drums) and Paul D’Amour (bass) - HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES also has a slew of special guest contributors including Gogol Bordello’s Eugene Hutz, long-time collaborator and Lard companion Jello Biafra and Corrosion Of Conformity frontman Pepper Keenan.


HOPIUMFORTHEMASSES will be available in three vinyl variants, a CD jewelcase and digital/streaming platforms. The vinyl variants include: green with yellow splatter (in stores everywhere); blue with pink splatter (nuclear blast exclusive); red with white splatter (band/tour exclusive).


Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"B.D.E."
"Goddamn White Trash" ***
"Just Stop Oil"
"Aryan Embarrassment" **
"TV Song 1/6 Edition"
"New Religion"
"It’s Not Pretty"
"Cult of Suffering" *
"Ricky’s Hand"


* Featuring Eugene Hütz (Gogol Bordello)
** Featuring Jello Biafra
*** Featuring Pepper Keenan


"Goddamn White Trash" video:

EVANESCENCE is celebrating the 20th anniversary of its classic debut album, "Fallen", on an Australian tour, which kicked off last Thursday night (August 24) in Brisbane. The five-date trek marks the band's first Australian tour since their sublime run with local symphony orchestras in 2018.

Fan-filmed video of the Brisbane concert at the Riverstage can be seen below.

The setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Broken Pieces Shine
02. What You Want
03. Going Under
04. Take Cover
05. Lose Control / Part Of Me / Never Go Back
06. Call Me When You're Sober
07. Lithium
08. Far From Heaven
09. Better Without You
10. Imaginary
11. Wasted On You
12. End Of The Dream
13. Haunted / My Last Breath / Cloud Nine / Everybody's Fool / Weight Of The World / Whisper
14. Use My Voice
15. Blind Belief
16. My Immortal
17. Bring Me To Life

Starting life when EVANESCENCE vocalist Amy Lee and co-founder Ben Moody began writing and recording songs in the mid-1990s, 2003's "Fallen" would go on to score five nominations at the 2004 Grammy Awards, winning "Best Hard Rock Performance" and "Best New Artist", with the album's symphonic and delicate ballad "My Immortal" also scoring an additional nomination at the Grammy Awards the following year.

Hitting the top 10 charts in multiple countries upon its release, including Australia and a No. 1 in the U.K., "Fallen" sold 10 million copies in the U.S. alone, with over 17 million copies sold worldwide and officially reaching diamond certification in late 2022.

"Fallen"'s lush and gloomy beauty memorably blended symphonic elements with goth, rock, metal and hooks aplenty, while also garnering significant attention for lead singles "Bring Me To Life", "Going Under", "My Immortal" and "Everybody's Fool". And while the album has gone on to be included in the likes of Rolling Stone's "The 100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time" and praise lauded for Lee's macabre tinge that set the band apart from their nu metal contemporaries at the time, "Fallen" also ultimately set the scene for a long-term legacy from the Arkansas-hailing group, who are now in command of five studio albums including 2021's powerful and intimate outing "The Bitter Truth" which debuted at No. 3 on the ARIA chart, which marked the band's highest debut in 15 years.

Following multiple worldwide tours, "The Open Door" followed "Fallen"'s footsteps, going on to sell more than five million copies, before the self-titled "Evanescence" in 2011 debuted at No. 1 on the ARIA album chart and Billboard chart. EVANESCENCE went down both very new and familiar paths for their fourth and most ambitious release to date, "Synthesis", in 2017 alongside a worldwide "Synthesis Live" tour combining their intense live performances and timeless songwriting with a powerful live orchestra, before unveiling "The Bitter Truth" in 2021, hitting the top 10 of multiple international album charts and marking itself on multiple "Best Of 2021" release lists worldwide.

Remaining tour dates:

Aug. 28 - AEC Theatre, Adelaide
Aug. 30 - Rod Laver Arena, Melbourne
Sep. 02 - Red Hill Auditorium, Perth

Asked in a 2022 interview with Rock Sound if there were any plans for EVANESCENCE to commemorate "Fallen"'s 20th anniversary in 2023, Lee said: "I do have an idea. It's gonna take a little bit of work. But I think it probably won't be what everybody expects. I think everybody just is, 'Oh, why don't you do a show that's, like, [playing] the album front to back?' We've been playing so many shows, I would rather do something that, to me… I don't know. I don't wanna give it away, in case it doesn't work out. Maybe I'll do nothing. Expect nothing, and then if I do something, you'll be really, really grateful. [Laughs]"

Amy also talked about the fact that "Bring Me To Life" experienced a resurgence last summer, 19 years after its original release. The song, which initially reached No. 5 on the U.S. Billboard Hot 100 and was EVANESCENCE's first U.K. No. 1 single, reached No. 1 on the U.S. iTunes chart in August 2022.

"It is satisfying," Lee said about the track's renewed popularity. "And it's cool now, because I remember a lot of the feeling in the beginning. It was so much about, like, 'What's next?' And, 'Are we gonna be able to make it?' And, 'Are we gonna be able to survive?' And, 'Are people gonna listen to our next song?' And, 'What about the next record?' And just getting to the next place always.

"There is an element to a song like 'Bring Me To Life' that didn't exist before, which is this nostalgia," she explained. "The song has grown live. It's something that we've added to. But part of how it's grown is with its history and with what it means to everybody in the room. It's not something new; it's just something that you already have known for so long that has a place in your heart. It's just able to be more than it would have been then. So I, in a lot of ways, love it more than I did."

The success of "Fallen" led to turmoil within the group, as Moody left in late 2003, leaving Lee as the only original member of the band.

Lee continued with new members, and EVANESCENCE issued "The Open Door" in 2006. While a hit, it did not equal the sales of "Fallen". Lee told The Pulse Of Radio at the time that she wasn't concerned about matching the previous album's success. "I just haven't ever looked at it that way," she said. "'Fallen' is a great record, but I don't think you can try to match the success of another body of work. I think that's only gonna frustrate you. And if, honestly if what you really care about is record sales and money, there's no way you're gonna make a great piece of art, because then you're just gonna get all confused and make something ingenuine."

In February 2022, EVANESCENCE's music video for "Bring Me To Life" — which featured guest vocals from Paul McCoy of 12 STONES — surpassed one billion views on YouTube. The Philipp Stölzl-directed clip, which was uploaded to YouTube in December of 2009, was filmed in Romania in January 2003. It features Lee in a night gown and barefoot, in her room, inside a tall building in the city at night. The rest of the band is playing on a higher floor of the building.

In March 2021, Lee told Alternative Press that EVANESCENCE's original record label Wind Up threatened not to release "Fallen" if she and her bandmates didn't add a male voice to lead single "Bring Me To Life" to make it more palatable for radio.

Florida death metal legends, Obituary, performed at Summer Breeze 2023 in Dinkelsbühl, Germany on August 17th. Pro-shot video of the band's entire show can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Redneck Stomp"
"Sentence Day"
"A Lesson In Vengeance"
"Visions In My Head"
"The Wrong Time"
"Barely Alive"
"Slow Death"
"Find The Arise"
"My Will To Live"
"Chopped In Half / Turned Inside Out"
"War"
"Dying Of Everything"
Slowly We Rot"







Obituary are gearing up for the Barely Alive UK & IE summer headline tour dates. The late August/early September tour follows Obituary's EU festival appearances. A full list of tour dates is available below.


Obituary comment: “It has been way too long since we’ve had the opportunity to invade England & Ireland properly and we could NOT be any more excited about this announcement. Finally a tour that brings us to so many cool towns and cities across the UK that allows us to get up close & personal with our fans and a true “grass roots” run! Hang on to your Ass..this is going to be epic!!”





Tour dates:


August
22 - Brighton, UK - Concorde 2
23 - Portsmouth, UK - Wedgewood Rooms
24 - Nottingham, UK  - Rescue Rooms
25 - Bristol, UK - Thekla
26 - Birmingham, UK - The Asylum
28 - Colchester, UK - Arts Centre
29 - Norwich, UK - Epic Studios
30 - Leeds, UK - Stylus
31 - Glasgow, UK - The Garage


September
1 - Newcastle, UK - New Castle University Students’ Union
3 - Belfast, UK - Limelight 2
4 - Dublin, IE - The Academy
5 - Limerick, IE - Dolan's Warehouse
7 - Liverpool, UK - 02 Academy2
8 - Oxford, UK - 02 Academy
9 - Sheffield, UK - 02 Academy2
10 - Manchester, UK - Club Academy
11 - Stoke-on-Trent, UK - The Sugarmill


Obituary recently released a new spatial audio version of Dying Of Everything. The album, available as a new Dolby Atmos mix, is streaming everywhere that supports spatial audio and compatible devices including Apple Music, Tidal & Amazon Music. In a new step forward for unforgiving death metal, Dying of Everything's spatial audio mix allows for more immersion, providing an advanced surround sound experience.





Regarding the new mix, which was developed at Morrisound by Tom and Jim Morris, Obituary comments: “We were so excited to get the call and have the opportunity to go back to Morrisound and work with Tom and Jim Morris for these mixes and very proud that we are one of the first metal bands to offer this modern technology to our fans with Dying of Everything. It’s hard to even describe the Atmos mixes of the new album. It’s really just something you have to experience for yourself to understand the technology and the amazing, epic sound it gives the songs. This is new technology that we know not everybody has access to but it is something we are super excited about and hope that fans are able to check it out and enjoy it. It is unbelievable!"


Dying Of Everything is available on LP/CD/CS/Digital via Relapse Records. Order the album here.





Tracklisting:


"Barely Alive"
"The Wrong Time"
"Without A Conscience"
"War"
"Dying Of Everything"
"My Will To Live"
"By The Dawn"
"Weaponize The Hate"
"Torn Apart"
"Be Warned"


“Dying Of Everything” video:





“My Will To Live" lyric video:





"The Wrong Time" video:





Album stream:

Def Leppard have released the video below, stating: "Join the 13th episode of Behind The World Tour as Def Leppard takes the stage in Sturgis & Fargo. The guys rock the rally, Sav takes you behind his pedal board and how he creates all of the different sounds and textures, and more!"





Def Leppard and Mötley Crüe continue their 2023 co-headline The World Tour with the recent announcement of three exclusive Australian dates. In anticipation of the tour, 60 Minutes Australia has shared a feature segment on both bands. Check it out below.




60 Minutes Australia: "For Australian fans of heavy metal music, there’s no better news than the announcement that iconic bands Def Leppard and Mӧtley Crüe have joined forces and will be touring the country later in the year. In anticipation of their visit, Tara Brown travelled to London for exclusive interviews with both groups. Brown discovered that despite their shared rock legend status, and the stage they share, Def Leppard and Mӧtley Crüe are two very different bands. Together though, they’re proving there’s enormous worldwide demand for the hugely enthusiastic racket they make."





Produced by Live Nation and presented by Triple M, Mötley Crüe and Def Leppard will bring their electrifying stage shows to Australia, commencing with Brisbane’s Suncorp Stadium on November 8, Giants Stadium Sydney on November 11, and Melbourne’s Marvel Stadium on November 14.


“After getting back on the road this past summer, we’re beyond thrilled to bring this massive tour to a global audience including some special dates in Australia!” said Joe Elliott of Def Leppard.


“We had an incredible time playing The Stadium Tour in North America and we truly can’t wait to continue taking the show around the globe with The WORLD Tour in 2023. Crüeheads get ready because we have a few amazing Australian dates set for you!” Mötley Crüe said in a joint statement.





Australian dates:


November
8 - Brisbane - Suncorp Stadium
11 - Sydney - Giants Stadium
14 - Melbourne - Marvel Stadium

In a new interview with Robert Cavuoto of MyGlobalMind, ex-JUDAS PRIEST single Tim "Ripper" Owens was asked if there was ever any consideration to have him come up on stage and perform with his former bandmates during their induction into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame last November. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't know. They never called me, thanked me. The only time JUDAS PRIEST calls me is to say they're gonna sue me or something. But no one reached out. I'm glad Ken [original PRIEST guitarist K.K. Downing] went in. I'm happy for K.K. Yeah, I was just shocked that I didn't even get a mention, a call from the band. [I was in the band for] almost 10 years and [we got] a Grammy nomination [during my time with the band] and all that. I would've liked to have heard a 'thank you' or maybe on stage a 'thank you', but it's not shocking. And that's what happens."

Owens continued: "They erased my part of the JUDAS PRIEST history, so it's not shocking. It is really great for Ken, other than after it was all said and done, the management threw him under the bus and said bad things about him in the press. But Ken had nothing but great things to say about it. He said he had a blast, and it was great seeing the guys. And I like Ken's perspective on it. When we talked about it, he said how great it was, and I'm just really happy for him. I'm happy for all the guys. I love 'em to death, and Glenn [Tipton] and Ian [Hill] and Scott [Travis] and Rob [Halford]. [It's] well deserved."

Tim added: "I love the fact that even though I've been erased, I still call 'em friends and family, including Rob. I love, whenever I see Rob somewhere and we talk, and I love watching him and I love that his voice is sounding so great again. It's a shame that I've been erased, but it doesn't change the fact that I love the guys and it was a great time."

Owens joined PRIEST in 1996 after being discovered when the band's drummer was given a videotape of him performing with the PRIEST cover band BRITISH STEEL. JUDAS PRIEST at the time was seeking a replacement for Halford, who has since rejoined the band.

Owens recorded two studio albums with JUDAS PRIEST — 1997's "Jugulator" and 2001's "Demolition" — before Halford's return to the group.

PRIEST received the Musical Excellence Award at the 2022 Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame event, which honored Eminem, Dolly Parton, DURAN DURAN, Lionel Richie, Pat Benatar, EURYTHMICS and Carly Simon in the Performers category.

The JUDAS PRIEST members that got inducted include current members Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis, along with former members Downing, Les Binks (drums) and late drummer Dave Holland.

At the Rock Hall induction, Halford, Hill, Tipton and Travis were joined by Binks, Downing and current guitarist Richie Faulkner for a three-song medley performance consisting of "You've Got Another Thing Comin'", "Breaking The Law" and "Living After Midnight".

The award for Musical Excellence — which was originally titled the "Sidemen" category when it debuted — is given to artists, musicians, songwriters and producers whose originality and influence creating music have had a dramatic impact on music.

Owens previously discussed his exclusion from PRIEST's Hall Of Fame induction in a July 2022 interview as part of Rolling Stone's "King For A Day" series. He said: "It's a shame that [the Hall Of Fame] can't bring in members that were in the band almost 10 years and had a Grammy nomination, two studio records, two live records, a DVD. It's a shame that they can't do it. What gets me more than anything is that I haven't even gotten a call from JUDAS PRIEST on it. I did get a call that an Australian agent was using the name 'Metal Gods' [for my tour with ex-AC/DC and DIO drummer Simon Wright]. [They told me,] 'We'll let it slip this time, but in the future you can't let them use it.'

"That's your phone call? How about the guys in the band getting into the Hall Of Fame that deserve it?" Owens continued. "There's never been a call saying, 'You were a big part of this. Here's the reasons you're not being inducted, but you were a big part of us and you're a big part of the family.' There wasn't even a phone call. Not getting in, whatever.

"Here's how I look at it: I'm in the Hall Of Fame. I was in the band for almost 10 years. When someone says that JUDAS PRIEST is in the Hall Of Fame, I sang for JUDAS PRIEST, so I'm basically in the Hall Of Fame.

"It just would have been nice to get an e-mail or a call," Owens added. "The only e-mails I ever get are threats. It's a shame because we're friends. It's a shame that's all management is worried about, instead of, 'We should probably send a letter to Tim or a bottle of champagne to thank him for his years in the band.'"

Owens and Downing are currently members of KK'S PRIEST, in which they are joined by guitarist A.J. Mills (HOSTILE),bassist Tony Newton (VOODOO SIX) and drummer Sean Elg (DEATHRIDERS, CAGE).

KK'S PRIEST's second album, "The Sinner Rides Again", will be released on September 29 via the Austrian rock and metal empire Napalm Records. The nine-song effort was produced and written by Downing and mixed/mastered by Jacob Hansen.

In an interview on the Illinois radio station 95 WIIL Rock on Friday morning (August 25),former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach said that his appearance at the Taylor Hawkins tribute concert at the Kia Forum in Los Angeles, California last September was one of the "coolest" moments of his career. Sebastian was joined at the event by BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, Dave Grohl and some of Dave's FOO FIGHTERS bandmates for a performance of two classic SABBATH songs: "Paranoid" and "Supernaut".

Bach said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I was fortunate enough and honored to play the Taylor Hawkins tribute at the L.A. Forum with Dave Grohl and the FOO FIGHTERS as my band and Lars Ulrich on drums and Geezer Butler on bass. Unfortunately, that was fairly recent. That was 'cause Taylor Hawkins was my friend and my buddy, and they asked me to sing with them at the tribute. So I couldn't believe [it]."

He added: "You know, they all say, 'Oh, NIRVANA's ended rock,' or whatever. Well, NIRVANA asked me to sing with them at the Forum. So, thank you. Thank you very much. That was the last time I played L.A.

Bach fronted SKID ROW until 1996, when he was fired. Instead of throwing in the towel, the remaining members took a hiatus and went on to play briefly in a band called OZONE MONDAY. In 1999, SKID ROW reformed and, after a bit of shuffling over the years, featured a lineup consisting of bassist Rachel Bolan, guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo and guitarist Scotti Hill, alongside drummer Rob Hammersmith and singer Johnny Solinger. SKID ROW fired Solinger over the phone in April 2015, a few hours before announcing ex-TNT vocalist Tony Harnell as his replacement. Eight months later, Harnell exited the band and was replaced by South African-born, British-based singer ZP Theart, who previously fronted DRAGONFORCE, TANK and I AM I. Theart was fired from SKID ROW in February 2022 and was replaced by Erik Grönwall, who was previously a member of the Swedish hard rock band H.E.A.T.

During an appearance on a December 2022 episode of the "I Am All In With Scott Patterson" podcast, Bach was asked if there has been any talk of a reunion of SKID ROW's classic lineup. He responded: "There was texting and a little talking. But there needs to be more talking."

When interviewer Scott Patterson pointed out that some of the other 1980s rock bands have been able to play stadiums in recent years, Bach concurred, saying: "Absolutely. POISON and Joan Jett, MÖTLEY CRÜE, DEF LEPPARD… Yeah."

Asked "what is wrong" with the SKID ROW guys that they won't agree to reunite with Bach, Sebastian said: "Well, I have a manager named Rick Sales, and he protects my interests. So they've gotta deal with the business side of things, and they would rather maybe not deal with that, as far as I can tell — just not deal with that. But there's always a number. I mean, we're all still alive."

In 2021, Bach told Florida's 98.7 The Gater radio station that "there's no reason" for the classic SKID ROW not to reunite. "When those guys [in SKID ROW] try to say [about me], 'He's difficult to work with,' let me just say this one more time. We have not been in the same room together since the year 1996," he said. "Shut the eff up about you thinking you know what I'm like. You don't know anything about what I'm like. And the 'Gilmore Girls' think I'm okay to work with; Broadway thinks I'm okay to work with; the 'Trailer Park Boys' think I'm okay; GUNS N' ROSES think I'm pretty cool. We're not getting any younger."

Sebastian went on to say that a SKID ROW reunion "should" happen "for the fans. And we are absolutely running out of bands — bands that can play in sheds," he said. "The fact that we are all still alive and we are all in our 50s — some closer to 60 than others — but that, to me, is selfish that we're not together.

"I can play with anyone. I do play with everyone [laughs] — except for them."

Four years ago, Bach was asked by Rolling Stone what it would take for SKID ROW to be reunited. He responded: "It would take those guys to realize that I have a lifetime manager. His name is Rick Sales. I've been with him since 2006. They don't want to deal with a guy like that. They want to give some singer who doesn't have a manager $700 to $800 bucks a week. I've got a team that's worked with me and don't allow me to get fucked around. I didn't have that team when I was 19 years old."

In 2021, Bach completed a U.S. tour during which he celebrated the 30th anniversary of SKID ROW's sophomore album, "Slave To The Grind".

The JD's Live Music YouTube channel has uploaded video of Yngwie Malmsteen's August 25 performance at The King Of Clubs in Columbus, Ohio. Check out the clips below.

During an appearance on the August 16 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", Malmsteen was asked if he has thought about working on a follow-up to his 2021 album "Parabellum". He responded: "Yeah. I'm in the studio all the time, so I've got a whole crapload of things that I've been working on. But I'm very, very pleased with that record. It's one of these albums that I feel it really came together. So I'm not rushing to put something out right this second. But, yeah, for sure. I've already talked to the label and I've already been in the studio. I probably have like 40, 50 things already recorded. But, as I said, I'm not rushing to put anything out yet. And plus my whole year now is booked with touring."

On August 18, Yngwie and Glenn Hughes kicked off a co-headlining tour of the U.S. Malmsteen is performing his "greatest hits" while Hughes is playing a set of classic DEEP PURPLE songs celebrating the 50th anniversary of the "Burn" album.

"Parabellum" was released in July 2021 via Music Theories Recordings/Mascot Label Group. Only four of the songs on the LP feature vocals. The album title is Latin, translating as "Prepare For War".

After working with some of the top hard singers of the past four decades, Yngwie now handles much of the lead vocals himself in his own band, backed by a lineup that includes keyboardist Nick Marino, bassist Emilio Martinez and drummer Brian Wilson.

Back in 2021, Yngwie joked to the Beaver County Times about the mountainous wall of Marshall amplifiers and loudspeakers that he uses during his live performances: "They're the biggest Marshall stacks on earth. If you're at the International Space Station you can see two manmade objects — The Great Wall of China and my Marshall stacks."

Just Announced! TKOC Proudly Presents: 2 Legends - 1 night only! Official Yngwie Malmsteen w/ Glenn Hughes & The Midnight Devils on Fri, August 25th.

Tickets available NOW at tkoc.live

Posted by The KING of CLUBS on Thursday, May 11, 2023

SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor kicked off his U.S. solo tour last night (Friday, August 25) at the Fillmore Auditorium in Denver, Colorado. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of the Rock & Metal From The Front Row YouTube channel).

Corey's setlist was as follows (according to Setlist.fm):

01. Post Traumatic Blues
02. Tumult (STONE SOUR song)
03. Black Eyes Blue
04. We Are The Rest
05. Song #3 (STONE SOUR song)
06. Beyond
07. Before I Forget (SLIPKNOT song)
08. SpongeBob SquarePants Theme (PAINTY THE PIRATE & KIDS cover)
09. Snuff (SLIPKNOT song)
10. Absolute Zero (STONE SOUR song)
11. Talk Sick
12. Bother (STONE SOUR song)
13. Through Glass (STONE SOUR song)

Encore:

14. Duality (SLIPKNOT song)
15. Ace Of Spades (MOTÖRHEAD cover)

Taylor's 2023 tour features special guests WARGASM, OXYMORRONS and LUNA AURA on select dates. Produced by Live Nation, the 28-city trek will make 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.

Corey is touring in support of his sophomore solo studio album, "CMF2", which will be released on September 15.

"CMF2", 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".

"Together we have great ideas, great energy, and are quick to try everything," Taylor says of his studio collaborator. "We're not afraid to tell each other if it's a good idea, or also a bad one; we have that kind of trust. It's rad."

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

The 13-track opus packs the energy, experimentation, and forthrightness that's defined a career which has seen him sell more than 12 million albums with his Grammy-winning band SLIPKNOT and several million with chart-toppers STONE SOUR.

In a recent interview with Tommy Carroll of the WGRD 97.9 radio station, Taylor was asked to back up his previous claim that "CMF2" will be "the best rock album of this year and the next." He said: "Dude, this album's got everything, man. I mean, it doesn't sound like everything else, which apparently is contagious in this industry. It's not produced like everything else. It feels alive. The songs are incredible. The production, the performances… I mean, this album chews up the first album and spits it out. It's probably one of the best things that I've ever done, and I'm really, really proud of it, man. I'm proud of the work that me and [producer] Jay [Ruston] did. And people are going to… Even if it is a slow burner out of the gate, people are gonna remember this album."

Taylor began tracking the follow-up to "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".

The official video for "Beyond", as premiered by Rolling Stone, was shot at a remote location within California's Mojave Desert. Captured through the lens of director Dale "Rage" Resteghini (HATEBREED, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH, TRIVIUM),the video finds Taylor trudging around the desert as a musing Uncle Sam intermingling with members of the band and the CHERRY BOMBS, the all-girl dance group featuring Taylor's wife Alicia Taylor, all the while being surrounded by different versions of himself from through the years — before culminating as a live performance for a mass of fans in the round.

The song "Beyond" harkens back to 2006 in some shape or form. Taylor knew the song was special, but never found the time to bring the tune to its potential.

"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.

BEARTOOTH has shared the music video for the song "Doubt Me". The track is taken from the band's fifth album, "The Surface", which will arrive on October 13 via Red Bull Records.

Like its predecessors, "The Surface" is an intensely personal and powerful journey for singer Caleb Shomo, who has never shied away from sharing his demons in his music and with his fans. However, the frontman has turned a corner with a more optimistic outlook and demonstrates exceptional growth as both an artist and a human being through the songs that comprise the album.

The "Doubt Me" video captures BEARTOOTH in their most natural state — performing live and unleashed on their instruments with ferocious abandon.

"We all have our own struggles that we deal with quietly," says Shomo. "Sometimes, it can be hard to explain to the people around you what you're dealing with. What may be perceived by others as weakness is actually a battle with yourself that you know will be conquered. Being in the thick of serious change is never easy, and being brought down by those who don't understand can add to the weight. Know that when you're in those moments, sometimes you need to just put your head down and fight with all you have, regardless of whatever people say you're capable of at the moment."

The first single "Might Love Myself" has stormed out the gates and is proving itself to be a hit, as the fastest-moving song on the active rock radio charts in the band's history, landing in the Top 20 within three weeks. Additionally, all previously released tracks — "Riptide", "Sunshine!" and "Might Love Myself" — have tallied nearly 50 million total streams thus far.

"The Surface" track listing:

01. The Surface
02. Riptide
03. Doubt Me
04. The Better Me (feat. Hardy)
05. Might Love Myself
06. Sunshine!
07. What’s Killing You
08. Look The Other Way
09. What Are You Waiting For
10. My New Reality
11. I Was Alive

Shomo first turned the pain of his struggle with mental health and self-image into music in 2013. BEARTOOTH began as a living document, a diary, a journal of repressed rage and depression. Alone in his basement studio, screaming and singing, playing all the instruments, and self-producing a batch of furious but melodic songs filled with reflection and confession, the Ohio native stared into the abyss, initially with no intention of returning to the heavy music world that burned him as a teen. A decade later, the different pieces of his body of work connect in title, sound, and spirit. As the frontman hits 30, BEARTOOTH's fifth album, "The Surface", completes this era in 2023. Even more importantly, it kicks off a new chapter filled with surprising optimism and just as honest. Depression is a sick, disgusting, aggressive disease below the surface. Shomo stands ready to bask in the light.

Like NINE INCH NAILS, BEARTOOTH remains a one-person band in the studio. On the heels of the introductory "Sick" EP (2013),"Disgusting" (2014) produced the band's first gold single, "In Between". "Aggressive" (2016) and "Disease" (2018) expanded on the desperation and pain, each a step closer to a balance between the blood and tears of classic recordings and the shimmer of modernity.

Rolling Stone heralded BEARTOOTH as one of 10 Artists You Need to Know. The rabid response to Shomo's music demonstrated how many people related to his struggle for self-acceptance. "Below" (2021) topped the Rock and Alternative charts and several Best Rock/Metal Albums Of The Year lists. As of 2023, the BEARTOOTH catalog boasts more than one billion streams across all platforms.

BEARTOOTH began as both bomb and balm, an outright refusal to suffer in silence, weaponizing radio-ready bombast, delivering raw emotion mixed with noise-rock chaos. Other bands play the "devastating riffs and catchy hooks" game, but this music is the difference between life and death, and now, a sort of life after death while still here. The band Forbes sees "inching towards a tipping point of becoming the latest arena headliner" is now one step closer.

Actors John Travolta, Jason Momoa and Adria Arjona, along with "Vanderpump Rules" cast member Tom Sandoval, attended METALLICA's concert at SoFi Stadium last night (Friday, August 25). PANTERA and MAMMOTH WVH served as the support acts at the first of two METALLICA shows at SoFi, with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH and ICE NINE KILLS set to open the concert on Sunday (August 27).

Earlier today, PANTERA drummer Charlie Benante shared a few backstage photos from last night's show, and he included the following message: "@metallica @panteraofficial at @sofistadium last night was a Blast! Never in my wildest dreams would I have thought that I'd play there? But it gets better. Talking to @johntravolta about folding 2 slices of pizza together while walking and eating was hilarious. If you've seen the opening of #saturdaynightfever you'll understand. Seeing Jason @prideofgypsies in the pit tearing it up was a highlight for me , made me work harder for sure- I [love] him. I can't wait for season 2 of @andorofficial - @adriaarjona will be back as #bixcaleen , was nice to meet her. I need to rewatch season 1 again . Seeing my buds @john5official , @robcaggiano @johntempesta @mike_temp @tomsandoval1 is always fun . the next season of @pumprules @bravotv should be another exciting season . Anyway…I had a great time! I thought the show was great last night, so much energy. We will see you tonight in #chulavista for another round of PANTERA hits #greaseistheword #vinnybarbarino #aquaman @motleycrue @tomsandovalandthemostextras".

In the past, Momoa has said that he listened to a lot of PANTERA, METALLICA and MUDVAYNE to get himself into the right frame of mind for playing a warrior like Conan in Marcus Nispel's remake of the classic Arnold Schwarzenegger action adventure "Conan The Barbarian". More recently, the Hawaiian-born actor, who is perhaps best-known for his role as Khal Drogo in HBO fantasy epic "Game Of Thrones", tapped vocalist Oli Peters of the Canadian death metal band ARCHSPIRE to coach him on how to mimic his distinct vocal style for the early troop rallying scene in the Apple TV+ sci-fi series "See".

In 2018, Momoa revealed that METALLICA and TOOL served as inspiration for his character in "Aquaman", telling Metal Hammer in an interview: "Aquaman's pretty metal. I know no one thinks that, but Aquaman's metal."

He singled out METALLICA's debut album, "Kill 'Em All", and the TOOL song "Ticks And Leeches" as two pieces of music that influenced his portrayal of Arthur Curry's alter-ego.

METALLICA's "M72" world tour launched in late April in Amsterdam.

Other opening acts include ARCHITECTS, GRETA VAN FLEET, VOLBEAT, EPICA and Floor Jansen.

A portion of proceeds from the shows go to METALLICA's All Within My Hands foundation, which seeks to assist and enrich the lives of members of the communities who have supported the band and combat food insecurity; provides disaster relief; and bestows scholarships.

According to Billboard, METALLICA's production travels in 87 trucks — 45 for the band and its setup, plus two groups of 21 each for the steel stage and towers. There are 130 people in the band's crew, plus 40 steelworkers, local hires and truck drivers.

METALLICA's manager Cliff Burnstein told Billboard that between 80% and 90% of fans at each concert will attend both shows.

METALLICA's two-night stand at AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas earlire this month was livestreamed to movie theaters across the globe. It marked METALLICA's first appearance in Texas since November 2021, when the band played before, during and after a Triad Combat event at Globe Life Field.



Jason Momoa in the Pantera Pit at Metallica 🤘🤘🤘

Credits @thefarpost @rasharasha8066

Posted by Anne Dare on Saturday, August 26, 2023

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A post shared by Charlie Benante (@charbenante)

The bus carrying the members of KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and their crew collided with an elk Thursday morning (August 24) en route to the band's appearance at IN FLAMES' Dalhalla Brinner festival in Rättvik, Sweden.

Earlier today, KILLSWITCH singer Jesse Leach shared video of the band's bus after the collision and he revealed that he and his bandmates escaped without serious injury, although their bus driver Tom "sustained some torn ligaments and was shaken up" by the incident.

Leach wrote: "You never know what tomorrow holds take nothing for granted.

"This is the scene I woke up to yesterday morning around 6am. Thankfully no one was seriously injured. Our driver Tom sustained some torn ligaments and was shaken up for sure but he is ok. The majestic Moose (*correction an ELK) that collided with our bus however did not fair so well sadly.

"I don't carry fear with me when I travel as it would do me no good. However seeing this definitely put some fear in me, not so much for my safety but thought of losing some one I love (or someone being injured seriously). It washed over me as we pulled away in a passenger bus. I felt the tears fall on my face as I thought about the 'what could've been.'

"I think of all the bands that have had to deal with loss or injury because of these types of accidents. I think of my friends out here who do this and the hardworking crews who are out here away from family and loved ones. Sleeping in a vehicle on highways of the world. The cost can be high when living this life. The moments of beauty and triumph can be suddenly interrupted by suffering and loss.

"We miss moments, first times, birthdays, anniversaries the list goes on. The ones we leave at home carry the weight as well wondering at times if the ones they love are safe. It's a constant balance of trust, hope and keeping anxieties at bay.

"What a way to live, some will never know what that's like.

"We carry on somehow, someway and we count our losses with our gains and we make it all make sense so we can do what we do out here on the road.

"Grateful for my friends and chosen family out here. Grateful we are all ok and able to continue on.

"Next time you meet a band member or crew member of a band remember this, we live a different life and it isn't always easy.

"Rock n Roll can take its toll and often times it comes to collect when you least expect it.

"My deepest sympathies to anyone who's lost a loved one or had to suffer because the road came to collect.

"I prayed and sat with my fear yesterday. Just so grateful it wasn't worse than it could've been.

"Don't take life for granted you never know what tomorrow holds for you.

"Last show tonight in Dalhalla!"

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE's latest album, "Atonement", was released in August 2019 via Metal Blade Records in the U.S. and Sony Music Entertainment in the rest of the world. The disc featured guest appearances by former KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Howard Jones and TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy. It marked the band's third full-length release since the return of Leach, who rejoined the group in 2012.

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A post shared by J E S S E L E A C H (@jesse_d_leach)

In a new Guitar World exclusive, British guitar sensation Sophie Lloyd takes you behind her rhythm and lead techniques on her single, "Do Or Die", and shares her tips on how to hone your skills. Following is an excerpt from the feature, check out the video below.


Sophie: "In writing 'Do Or Die', I was looking to create an ’80s-style classic rock song. I love that kind of music, so I knew I wanted to go in that direction. Nathan is one of my favorite vocalists and I had him specifically in mind for this song. The mindset for the style and direction of the song was along the lines of Iron Maiden, with some gallop-y palm mutes in the rhythm part." 


Read more and check out the guitar tabs here.










Lloyd recently dropped her brand new single and video for "Runaway" (Feat. Michael Starr). Teaming up with the Steel Panther frontman, the collaboration tells the story of a young girl born to rock and her metalhead parents, who goes on to pursue her destiny as a shred superstar.


Watch the music video below, and stream the single here.





“'Runaway' is one of my favourite songs of this album,” declares Sophie. “It’s inspired by all the high energy, super fun 80s rock that I absolutely love. Eddie Van Halen was an especially big influence for the guitar work throughout the song. And to have Michael Starr feature on the song is such a ‘pinch me’ moment. I’ve loved Steel Panther so much growing up and they were such a big influence on my playing style. He really is a rock legend and I’m so honoured he wanted to collaborate in this. I absolutely love the story he tells in this song and I can relate to it a lot myself, and I had so much fun recording guitar lines to go along with the lyrics and help tell the story.”


“What a killer experience getting to work with Sophie,” comments Michael Starr. “She’s a great guitar player and loves metal just like me. This song came out awesome. Enjoy!”


The song is accompanied by a colourful, sexy video that brings the spirit of the song to life in a vivid and powerful way.


“The music video was probably one of the craziest days I’ve ever had!,” says Sophie. “We wanted to have that 80s nostalgia in the video, however this time it’s the girls taking the power back and showing that you can be a powerful, sexy boss babe! We invited loads of people down to a local rock bar in London and things got crazy, everyone was so into it and just having so much fun and I think this really translates in the video. It was inspired by one of my favourite movies, Coyote Ugly, and follows the story of a dive bar where the staff are also the in-house band. Michael applies for a job but is pretty useless at the tasks he’s given! However when the staff overhear him singing, this leads to Michael being brought on stage and wowing the audience. Loki films did an incredible job at bringing our ideas to life and capturing the energy of the whole day. We are so grateful to everyone can came down to be in this video, it was amazing to unite a bunch of rockers together from all different walks of life and have an amazing day.”





 

E-Force – featuring former Voivod vocalist Eric Forrest – are currently on their Canadian tour, dubbed “Voivod Revisited”. They performed at the Piranha Bar in Montreal, Quebec on August 25th and were joined by Voivod members Away (drums) and Chewy (guitar, playing bass) for a cover of the Venom classic "In League With Satan". Video courtesy of Team Montreal Metal  can be viewed below.





Remaining dates:




August
26 – Ottawa, ON


September
1 – St. John’s NB
2 – Halifax, NS

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared a new and different cover via his official YouTube channel. He explains below.


Johansson: "This is a mix between the soundtrack version from the epic and absolutely fantastic Seth McFarlane movie, A Million Ways To Die In The West (2014), and the original written by Stephen Foster back in 1864. Thanks to Reginald Pikedevant for the inspiration."


Originally performed by Amick Byram







Johansson, who has become known for his weekly covers of '80s classics, has released a seven song compilation of fan favourites from his catalogue. It is now available on digital platforms. 





The tracklist is as follows: 


"Africa" (Toto)
"Headless Cross" (Black Sabbath)
"18 And Life" (Skid Row)
"You're The Voice" (John Farnham)
"The Price" (Twisted Sister)
"Alone" (Heart)
"I'm Still Standing" (Elton John) 

On August 25th, Mahine Head's Robb Flynn and Jared MacEachern marked the first anniversary of  their Øf Kingdøm And Crøwn album in fine Electric Happy Hour style with a ripping full album playthrough. Check it out below.


Setlist:


Welcome and Beers Up
"Imperium"
"Struck a Nerve"
"Take My Scars"
"Locust"
"Beautiful Mourning" 
"Sail Into the Black"




Øf Kingdøm And Crøwn 


"Slaughter The Martyr"
"Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate"
"Become The Firestorm"
"My Hands Are Empty"
"Unhallowed"
"Assimilate"
"Kill Thy Enemies"
"No Gods, No Masters"
"Bloodshot"
"Rotten"
"Arrows In Words From The Sky"








Tracklist:


"Slaughter The Martyr"
"Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate"
"Become The Firestorm"
"Overdose"
"My Hands Are Empty"
"Unhallowed"
"Assimilate"
"Kill Thy Enemies"
"No Gods, No Masters"
"Bloodshot"
"Rotten"
"Terminus"
"Arrows In Words From The Sky"


"Unhalløwed" video:





"Choke On The Ashes Of Your Hate" video:

Canada’s new power thrash metal gods, Triskelyon, will be unleashing their sophomore album, Artificial Insanity - mixed and mastered by Michael Small (Winterhearth, Triskelyon, Artach -  on September 8th via Moribund Records.


The band has unveiled their next single, "TekTyranny", featuring guest vocals from Infrared's Armin Kamal with a lyric video that can be seen and heard below. 


Guitarist Geoff Waye adds about the single:




"The album's opening track, this one is a thrasher of a song that kind of came out a little like Megadeth with a mixture of some tremolo picking almost black metal-esque guitar parts. It features Armin Kamal from the Canadian thrash band, Infrared. Their first run was back in the mid to late 80s, then they went on a long hiatus until they came back in 2014. Armin is another person who I didn't know personally, but I admired what he was doing with his band. So in keeping with the theme of looking for Canadian vocalists to help out with the vocals, I reached out to him to see if he'd be interested in singing a song on the album and luckily he was! I sent a rough mix of the song and my lyrics and let him do his thing. Armin does some amazing vocals on here. Listen for the high screams in the chorus, especially at the end of the song, which enters into the realms of Rob Halford and King Diamond. The mixture of that and his more gruff thrash vocals really stand out."





Founded in 2021 by guitarist Geoff Waye, of the popular true metal band Category VI, Triskelyon released one self-titled EP and was promptly signed to Moribund Records for their radio chart-topping debut album, Downfall (2022).


With Artificial Insanity, Triskelyon returns with a varied yet blistering thrash/power metal classic, bringing back the 1980’s glory days, while maintaining a fresh and modern sound. To close the album Triskelyon surprises all with an incredible female-fronted power metal rendition of the hit song, "It Doesn't Really Matter", by Canadian rockers Platinum Blonde.


Guitarist and band leader Geoff Waye has enlisted the following talent from (mostly) the vast Canadian metal scene to realize his vision this time around:


Guest Vocalists:
Amanda Jackman (Category VI)
Armin Kamal (Infrared)
Cara McCutchen (Mortillery, Naitaka)
Dale Drew (Sea Dogs)
Des Mason
Ellim
Pete Healey
Raúl Álvarez (Dark Order)
Tim Tymo (Tymo).


Percussion:
Raul Marques (Burning Torment)
Alexander Raykov


Bass:
Dwayne Pike
Keith Jackman (Category VI)
Darrin Pope





Tracklist:


"Tektyranny"
"At War With Demons"
"Bringers of Chaos"
"Is Hope Still Alive?"
"Obsolescence"
"One Blood"
"Visionaries"
"Beyond The Past"
"Celtic Creatures"
"Why Burn?"
"It Doesn't Really Matter" (Platinum Blonde)


"Visionairies"

Progressive death metal rising stars Kallias have shared their brand new single and video, "Irrational Fear," which features guitarist Jeff Loomis (Arch Enemy, Nevermore).


Kallias will be digitally releasing its brand new album, First Ascent, on August 25, 2023, via AISA Distribution. In celebration of the new release, Kallias will be also be kicking off a run of West Coast tour dates in support of Cyborg Octopus. The full itinerary can be found below.


Kallias guitarist and vocalist Nicole Papastavrou comments, "'Irrational Fear’ showcases the iconic Jeff Loomis, who has been a big influence to us since the beginning. The song kicks off our new album, First Ascent, which releases August 25. Our approach with 'Irrational Fear' was to incorporate a more melodic feel, compiled over heavier layers and more traditional song structure. We hope you all enjoy this opener to the new record!"







Kallias U.S. Tour Dates:


August
25 - Fullerton, CA - Programme
26 - San Diego, CA - Til Two Club
27 - Cupertino, CA - XBar
29 - Las Vegas, NV - The Griffin
30 - Fresno, CA - Destructive Warehouse


The 3D cover artwork of First Ascent was created by Francesco Artusato (Light The Torch, All Shall Perish) and can be found below along with the tracklisting. The album can be saved on all streaming services here.





Tracklisting:


"The Approach" 
"Irrational Fear" (Ft. Jeff Loomis)
"Disembodied Existence"
"Matter Eater" (Ft. Colin Cook)
"The Dark Machine"
"21 Grams" (Ft. Rafael Trujillo)
"Nine In Time" (Ft. Greg Burgess)
"Lungta I: The Path:
"Lungta II: Everlasting" 





Kallias is comprised of players who are masters of their craft. Nicole Papastavrou's solid history of songwriting and tight rhythms paired with Colin Cook's jazzy and technical leads are the perfect compliment. JP Andrade's undeniably precise percussion serves the music on every level, from jazz-influenced melodic sections to satisfyingly odd rhythms for the eager prog-loving ear. Beautifully woven bass lines by Chris Marrone provide an indomitable structure and embrace for each instrument — never overpowering, yet always highlighting.


For modern day prog and metal fans, Kallias can be compared to bands such as Opeth, Meshuggah, and Decapitated. The quartet holds a musical chemistry that is few and far between and that will keep you in the foreground from the beginning with bone-chilling introductions. This is by no means background music. Kallias creates their own genre for a panoramic audio experience that demands the listener's undivided attention to focus and feel.


For further details, visit Kallias on Facebook.

Germany's Electric Callboy have released an official video for the song "Parasite", taken from their Tekkno (Tour Edition) album. Check it out below.





Electric Callboy's Tekkno (Tour Edition) is available to order in the following formats:




- Ltd. 180g. ultra clear-red splattered Vinyl (limited to 1.000 copies / band exclusive)
- Ltd. 180g. yellow-black marbled Vinyl (limited to 500 copies / band exclusive and CM Distro)
- Ltd. 180g transp. light blue-lilac marbled Vinyl (available at all outlets)
- Standard CD Jewelcase





Tracklist:


"Pump It"
"We Got The Moves"
"Fuckboi" (feat. Conquer Divide)
"Spaceman" (feat. Finch)
"Mindreader"
"Arrow Of Love"
"Parasite"
"Tekkno Train"
"Hurrikan"
"Neon"
"Pump It" (Live)
"Hate/Love" (Live)
"Spaceman" (Live)
"We Got The Moves" (Live)
"Hypa Hypa" (Live)

In a new interview with Marci Wiser of the 95.5 KLOS radio station, Carmine Appice was asked what he thinks it is about his playing style that influenced so many other legendary rock drummers, including Neil Peart, Roger Taylor, Phil Collins and John Bohnam. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, basically, I've been around longer than those guys. And back in the day, when it was, like, '67, there were no monitor systems, there was no P.A.s hardly, so I used to have to really beat the drums to get the sound out. And then I said, 'I'm gonna get a big bass drum,' 'cause the bigger, the louder. So I got the bigger bass drum. Then THE RASCALS had Dino Danelli, who was kind of an influence on me… [And I thought], 'I'm gonna outdo him. I'm gonna get a 26-inch bass drum that I bought in the pawn shop. That was very loud. So when I got an endorsement, I got all big drums, very all oversized drums, and I had to hit 'em harder to get the sound best. I was playing harder than most drummers of the day. And by doing that, I had my own sound. It was a big fat drum sound played very heavy, very hard. And I did that outta necessity. I didn't sit down and go, 'I'm gonna create a new drum sound,' you know? And I did that outta necessity, and then people followed me to do that, like John Bonham. And then, as it went on, after CACTUS and BECK, BOGERT & APPICE, other people followed it."

He continued: "I saw an interview, a YouTube thing all about VAN HALEN's '1984', and Eddie [Van Halen] said, his favorite [CACTUS] song 'Parchman Farm' was the template for their song 'Hot For Teacher'. I've heard that before — Alex [Van Halen] told me — but I'd never seen it written down or shown in the video, and they showed the band, they played the song and they put what Eddie said on there, [his] comment. So that was pretty nice. It's just stuff like that. 'Cause we were pioneers. I was a pioneer in the drums. That song was the fastest double-bass drum shuffle that was recorded up to that date."

Back in November 2021, Appice once again repeated the claim that one of Bonham's licks, a triplet bass drum motif used most prominently on "Good Times, Bad Times", the opening track on the first LED ZEPPELIN album, was inspired by something Carmine did on either the first VANILLA FUDGE LP or the "Renaissance" record. Carmine told the "Musicians On Couches Drinking Coffee" podcast: "What it was I heard [LED ZEPPELIN's debut] album. [LED ZEPPELIN and VANILLA FUDGE] had the same attorney, and they were on the same label. And my manager was connected to their manager, Peter Grant; they were both heavyweights. So when that album came out — before it came out — they gave us a copy and they said, 'We wanna put Jimmy Page's new band on with you guys.' We knew Jimmy Page; we used to do gigs with THE YARDBIRDS. So when I heard the record and I heard the triplet on 'Good Times, Bad Times', I said, 'Woah! What a foot on this guy. It's pretty amazing.' So on the very first gig that they played with us, I said to John, before the gig, I said, 'I love your foot on the record. It's unbelievable.' And he said, 'Thanks. I got that from you.' I said, 'You did. I don't remember doing that.' He said, 'Yeah, it's right on your VANILLA FUDGE record.' I said, 'Where is that?' Because in those days — still today, I don't play what I rehearse; I play whatever comes to me when I'm doing it. So I had done it somewhere on a record, so he pointed it out — I think it was on the 'Renaissance' record… And he said, 'So I just got that concept from what you did and then did what I did.' And I said, 'Wow.'"

Appice went on to say that he didn't feel comfortable bringing up his influence on Bonham in interviews for a long time due to the way the LED ZEPPELIN legend is credited with being an innovator who brought an unprecedented level of power, speed, and control to rock music, thereby setting the bar for all drummers coming after him.

"There was a time I couldn't really talk about this because ZEPPELIN was so big and people envisioned John Bonham like he was 'it,' he was God, and you can't talk about that he got something from you, 'cause he was God — God doesn't get anything from anybody," Carmine said. "And when I said it, people would say that I was crazy, I was egoing out, this and that. Then there was a book that came out called '[John Bonham:] A Thunder Of Drums'. When that came out, it told these stories and it told about when John Bonham came back from playing with VANILLA FUDGE, how gaga he was about meeting me. And he was hanging out with Cozy Powell, telling him the stories about hanging out with me. And they were both gaga about hanging out with me. I didn't know anything about that until this book came out. After that book came out, it told, with that being said, that he actually did listen to me and that I was an influence on him."

A 2017 blog post by Rain City Drummer, a blog dedicated to the art of drumming, attempted to get to the bottom of Appice's claim that Bonham lifted the lick from Carmine, apparently without any success.

Carmine previously said that Bonham took the bass drum triplets from the VANILLA FUDGE song "Ticket To Ride", telling Classic Rock Revisited in a 2006 interview: "When I first heard John Bonham do that triplet thing on the bass drum, I went up to him and said, 'John, that is amazing. I have to admit that I took that from you.' He looked at me and said, 'What are you talking about? I took that from you!' I replied, 'I don't do that. You couldn't have taken it from me.' He proceeded to tell me where I did actually do that on the first VANILLA FUDGE record and he was right. I only did it for a moment on that album and he took it and made something bigger and better out of it."

Back in 2014, Carmine said that he would love to play with a reunited LED ZEPPELIN, claiming that he is a better fit to replace Bonham than John's son Jason.

"Everybody in that band there is legendary… They're old school and legendary. Jason isn't legendary, and he's not old school," Appice explained to the "Totally Driven Radio" podcast. "He's John Bonham's son, but he don't play like John Bonham. He plays more… He plays like him. He's not John. He's got that name, but he's not John Bonham. I'm not John Bonham either, but I think my style might be close, 'cause I came first, and John listened to stuff I did and did it his own way. And we took 'em on their first tour. It's very close-sounding stuff in feel."

VANILLA FUDGE released a collection of LED ZEPPELIN covers, "Vanilla Zeppelin", digitally last September via Golden Robot Records.

In a new interview with Mike Hsu of the 100 FM The Pike radio station, former QUEENSRŸCHE frontman Geoff Tate was asked if he was "close to finishing" writing his autobiography after working on it "for quite a few years". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I thought I was, and I sent it back to my publisher and he sent it back to me with cryptic notes. So I'm on the second round of writing for it right now, which I've actually come to terms that it's very difficult to do this."

He continued: "It's one thing to write a song. Maybe just 'cause I've had a lot of experience doing that, I find it easier to do. But when you write a book, especially about your life story, I think I expect it to be a lot more detailed in your presentation, and I was sort of taking some broad strokes. I have a lot of stories. Luckily, I've been a journaler all my life, so I keep notes about just about everything.

This past June, Tate told Tony González of Spain's Made In Metal about writing his autobiography: "It's a lot of work to be a book writer, I find. It's different with songs. For example, you might spend one month per song — writing the music and writing the lyrics — and then it's finished. But books can take years to write. Every chapter has to be so in-depth. It depends on what kind of book. In my case, writing an autobiography is a little easier because I know my subject very well. [Laughs] And I've been a journaler for years — I've always kept a diary and a journal — so I have a lot of source material to reference. Like where I was on a certain date, what happened, roughly. So I have a lot of ability to go back and read what I lived."

Tate previously discussed his autobiography last fall in an interview with Keysmash magazine. At the time, he said: "Over the last close to a year, I've been working on my book, my autobiography. And I'm just finishing it up now; I'm kind of in the proofreading stage. And actually reading it through, I'm kind of shocked at how much life I've had. [Laughs] I've done a lot of stuff, and a lot of interesting things. I've done a lot of traveling. I've been to 67 countries in the world. I've been a lot of places, done a lot of things, played a lot of shows, made a lot of friends. I've lost a lot of friends along the way. [I've had] a crazy, crazy life."

In a March 2021 interview with Sonic Perspectives, Tate said that he had "a lot of stuff written already" for his autobiography. "I'm kind of a journal writer, keeping track of everything, 'cause, honestly, the older I get, I can't remember all the stuff," he explained. "I go back and read what I wrote to remember dates and places. 'Cause I've played so many shows — thousands of shows — in different places around the world, and honestly, you just sort of forget, unless you keep track of it and write it down. You forget where you were, or you remember there was something that happened there and maybe you can remember the situation, but you don't know where you were. So it really helps to write it down and keep track of it. I have a lot of things written down — probably eight or nine hundred pages of information. It's pretty much organized by date."

Geoff celebrated his 64th birthday on January 14 during his concert at Amaturo Theater in Fort Lauderdale, Florida.

In April 2014, Tate and QUEENSRŸCHE announced that a settlement had been reached after a nearly two-year legal battle where the singer sued over the rights to the QUEENSRŸCHE name after being fired in 2012.

Tate was replaced in QUEENSRŸCHE by former CRIMSON GLORY singer Todd La Torre.

Geoff is currently celebrating the 35th anniversary of QUEENSRŸCHE's classic album "Operation: Mindcrime".

In the summer of 2022, Tate underwent an aortic valve replacement at the Universitäts-Herzzentrum Freiburg-Bad Krozingen (University Heart Center Freiburg) in Bad Krozingen, Germany.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's "Hail To The King" single was certified triple platinum by the RIAA (Recording Industry Association Of America) on August 23 for accumulating three million certified units. According to the RIAA, one equivalent song unit is equal to a single digital song sale, or 150 on-demand audio and/or video streams.

"Hail To The King" was previously certified double platinum in May 2021.

Elsewhere, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's "This Means War" track, which is also taken from 2013's "Hail To The King" album, was certified gold on August 23 for accumulating half a million certified units.

When it first came out in August 2013, the "Hail To The King" album sold 159,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 1 on The Billboard 200 chart. The band's fifth album, "Nightmare", also landed at the top of the chart after selling 162,500 units back in August 2010.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's self-titled fourth album registered a first-week tally of 94,000 copies in November 2007, nearly three times what its 2005 effort, "City Of Evil", sold in its biggest week on the chart.

"Hail To The King" was AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first full album written and recorded without drummer and charter member James "The Rev" Sullivan, who died in December 2009 during the early stages of writing for "Nightmare".

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…", reportedly 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 recently completed the first part of its "Life Is But A Dream…" North American tour. As was the case with AVENGED SEVENFOLD's concerts in Los Angeles and New York in June, the group's 16-song set included five songs from AVENGED SEVENFOLD's latest album, "Life Is But A Dream…": "Game Over", "Mattel", "We Love You", "Nobody" and the three-track run of "G", "(O)rdinary" and "(D)eath". The latter has been described in one review as by far the most left-field sounding part of the LP, ranging in style from metal/country ["G"], to full-blown DAFT PUNK impersonation ["(O)rdinary"] to lounge jazz ["(D)eath"].

Written and recorded over the span of four years, "Life Is But A Dream…" was produced by Joe Barresi and AVENGED SEVENFOLD in Los Angeles and mixed by Andy Wallace in the Poconos, Pennsylvania.

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.

Guitarist Jason Hook is storming out of the gates with his new band FLAT BLACK. The former FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH guitarist has recruited a trio of young and talented turks, and the band has signed with Fearless Records for its debut album, the details of which have not yet been announced. The album, produced by Hook, was recorded at both Hook's home studio and The Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas.

FLAT BLACK has just shared its first two songs, "It's Your Lack of Respect" and "Halo". "It's Your Lack of Respect" has a raging, gnarly fire in its belly. With its percussive thrust, chunky riffs, shreddy guitars, and sheer attitude, the song will ignite mosh pits from the first note. The alternately snarled and sung vocal add a hefty dose of dynamics to a song that's already got plenty of grit and girth. It has a defiant energy — and what's more rock 'n' roll than that?

"I didn't want to play it safe with the first release," says Hook. "Sure, there are other songs on the album that are more geared towards radio, but to me, 'It's Your Lack of Respect' makes a statement. It's unapologetically defiant, which is how I feel as a songwriter and we feel as band in today's seemingly homogenized rock landscape."

"Halo" is a mid-tempo rock anthem that demonstrates all of FLAT BLACK's hallmarks. You're in for rapid fire riffing, soaring and thickly layered choruses with emotive clean vocals, and searing solos. The band doesn't scrimp on deep grooves, as the song is teeming with them.

"I love 'Halo' because the song sets a dark, sinister mood," Hook explains. "'Its charm is all about the contrast between the piano part and the guitar riff, not to mention the big chorus and guitar solo. To me, that's the FLAT BLACK sound."

Despite having reached a commercial summit with his prior band, thanks to multiple platinum certifications, sold-out arena shows, and a string of No. 1 singles, Hook remains as hungry for musical blood and thunder as the day he first picked up a guitar at the age of six. He is eager to not only replicate but to surpass his past successes with his new band.

"I feel like FLAT BLACK is a secret I've been keeping for three years," Hook says. "It's finally time to unleash this band on the world. I'm grateful to Sully [Erna] from GODSMACK for giving us the chance to get out on the road and play for such an amazing group of fans."

Having left his prior band in February 2020, which was right before COVID-19 put the entire world on pause, Hook wanted to assume creative control and let his musical free spirit soar in a project that was truly his. He opted to gamble on himself. With great risk comes great reward and the decision to form FLAT BLACK clearly worked out in his favor.

"As a musician, I crave freedom and I wasn't ready to stop creating," Hook shares.

"Life is short," he continues. "We all want to feel satisfied and happy with what we are trying to accomplish in life."

The pandemic shutdown allowed him the opportunity to assemble the right musicians and carefully craft their debut album. FLAT BLACK is armed with an arsenal of riffs that'll rattle your teeth loose from your gums, stadium-sized hooks, arena-ready anthems, and choruses that are guaranteed to touch a nerve. All of those factors combined make FLAT BLACK poised for success.

The origin stories of the rest of the players are indicative of a lifelong love of music and plenty of road-worn experience. The desire to play courses through their veins and propels them forward, which is why they all meshed so well with Hook.

Singer Wes Horton was introduced to music at age 13, thanks to his sister and Guitar Hero. He honed his vocal chops by playing in local bands and making online videos. Various music industry friends and acquaintances would become the connective tissue between himself and Hook. Horton knew he wanted to be a frontman, and FLAT BLACK afforded him that opportunity. Wes loves the fact that his bandmates prioritize songcraft — and that allows him to be the singer he has always wanted to be.

Bassist Nick Diltz, who was born and raised in Los Angeles, is the son of a legendary rock music photographer who brought him to concerts during his formative years. He recalls being inspired by watching a VHS video of U2 performing at legendary venue Red Rocks. Seeing fans clamoring for a piece of Bono in the footage is a vision that never left his head. This first exposure to the power of a true rock icon solidified Nick's destiny as a live performer.

Drummer Rob Pierce hails from Nashville, a.k.a. Music City. His dad was a race car driver and his grandfather was a pastor. He grew up racing go karts and at first, wanted to follow in his dad's footsteps until he joined the fourth grade band and was bitten by the music bug. He chose the snare drum over the saxophone and from that moment on, music was the only thing that mattered. Rob got his first drum kit at age 11, which he set up in his dad's car shop. He learned to play his instrument next to 1,000 horsepower engines, which influences his highly energetic style to this day.

The chemistry between the players in FLAT BLACK is palpable. And while FLAT BLACK's songs are built to take up real estate in the brains of fans for weeks at a time, the true nature of the band's material is meant to be experienced live. FLAT BLACK are now ready to hit the road and bring these brutal bangers to the masses live and in the flesh.

FLAT BLACK made its live debut last night (Thursday, August 24) at the FivePoint Amphitheatre in Irvine, California as the support act for GODSMACK. Fan-filmed video of that performance can be seen below.

Remaining FLAT BLACK tour dates with GODSMACK:

Aug. 26 - Las Vegas, NV - Bakk
Aug. 27 - San Diego, CA - North Island Credit Union Amphitheatre
Aug. 31 - Austin, TX - Germania Insurance Amphitheater
Sep. 03 - Baton Rouge, LA - Raising Cane's River Center
Sep. 05 - Pensacola, FL - Pensacola Bay Center
Sep. 06 - Jacksonville, FL - Daily's Place
Sep. 07 - Charleston, SC - Charleston Coliseum & Convention Center
Sep. 09 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheatre
Sep. 10 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live
Sep. 24 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
Sep. 26 - Green Bay, WI - Resch Center
Sep. 28 - Moline, IL - Vibrant Arena
Sep. 29 - Omaha, NE - Baxter Arena
Oct. 01 - Rapid City, SD - Summit Arena at The Monument
Oct. 03 - Salt Lake City, UT - Maverik Center
Oct. 04 - Nampa, ID - Ford Idaho Center Amphitheater
Oct. 08 - Kent, WA - Accesso ShoWare Center
Oct. 10 - Abbostford, BC - Abbotsford Centre
Oct. 12 - Edmonton, AB - Rogers Place
Oct. 13 - Calgary, AB - Scotiabank Saddledome
Oct. 15 - Saskatoon, SK - SaskTel Centre
Oct. 16 - Winnipeg, MB - Canada Life Centre
Oct. 19 - London, ON - Budweiser Gardens
Oct. 21 - Laval, QC - Place Bell
Oct. 22 - Quebec City, QC - Videotron Centre

FLAT BLACK is:

Jason Hook - Guitar
Wes Horton - Vocals
Rob Pierce - Drums
Nicholas Diltz - Bass

In October 2020, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH confirmed that it had officially parted ways with Hook eight months earlier during the band's sold-out European arena tour. He has since been replaced by renowned British virtuoso Andy James, who made his recording debut with FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH on "Broken World", a song that was included on the second installment of the group's greatest-hits collection, "A Decade Of Destruction - Volume 2".

After his recovery from emergency gallbladder surgery at the end of 2019, Hook had to leave midway from FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH's tour of Europe to address further complications.

Jason, who joined FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH in 2009, said about his exit from the band: "As for the reason I'm leaving… well, there really isn't just one. I've been in bands my entire life and I feel like I've done all the good that I can here. It's time to pass the baton and move on to new challenges."

In October 2021, Hook spoke to the "Making Waves" podcast about his new project for which he had been writing music for much of the past four years. He said: "That's been the only agenda I've had, really, since leaving DEATH PUNCH. I just went right to work writing songs. I've got 30, 35 songs. Where I'm getting stuck is I've had many singers come through and I'm just really trying to be patient to pick the right guy. [People on my team] were, like, 'Don't be in a hurry to pick your singer. Make sure you find the right guy.' And I don't disagree with that because it really is the make-or-break element. So, that's top priority right now."

He continued: "I've done my work. I've got all the material prepared; some are completed songs, some are just music. But I really wanna find a co-writer, a partner, somebody that I have that chemistry with and that we're both on the same page musically. I've got the facility. That's the only element that's missing."

Asked what kind of singer he was looking for, Hook said at the time: "I like heavy music, but I also like melodic music. And I think that's one of the things that [FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH singer] Ivan Moody was fantastic with, is that he sells his lyrics, he can sing really well, and he can get heavy but you can still decipher what he's talking about; you can follow the storyline. It's not like that guttural [death metal-style vocal]; you can really understand what he's saying even when he's singing with his heavy voice. And Ivan Moodys don't just grow on trees [laughs]; it's hard to find.

"I like guys like Dave Grohl," he added. "I certainly like Corey Taylor. I always loved Adam Gontier's voice, from THREE DAYS GRACE; those early records and the power and the grit of his voice. But most importantly, I'm just looking for somebody that has something above and beyond, something that's magic. There's a lot of good guys out there — I've certainly had them over here — but I'm looking for something that's magic, not just good."

Hook went on to say that he was not trying to simply launch another version of his former band. "I'm not necessarily looking to recreate FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH," he said. "That band is an anomaly, and I think it would be foolish to try to clone it. The music will have familiar sounds and elements from what they sound like, but that's only because I had a pretty decent hand at writing that music. So it's inevitable that I'm gonna take me over here, and it's gonna have some familiarity, obviously. But as far as a singer goes, it's kind of like when Tom Morello found Chris Cornell, you've got two guys that are extremely good at their role; that was destined to succeed. Now, when Eddie Van Halen had Sammy Hagar, they got very lucky 'cause that clicked, that worked. But when they got Gary Cherone — not so cool."

A new trailer for "Carlos", a feature-length documentary film about legendary guitarist and global icon Carlos Santana, directed by Emmy Award-winning filmmaker Rudy Valdez, can be seen below. Celebrating the life of one of music's greatest icons, 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation Santana, this special documentary will launch in theaters with a three-day premiere event, "Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere" via Sony Picture Classics and Trafalgar Releasing. On Saturday, September 23, Sunday, September 24, and Wednesday, September 27 only, screenings include the "Carlos" documentary plus exclusive introductory content featuring Santana and two-time Emmy-winning director Valdez ("The Sentence", "We Are: The Brooklyn Saints"). Following the "Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere" screenings, "Carlos"'s general theatrical release begins September 29.

Premiering earlier this year at the Tribeca Festival, "Carlos" combines new interviews with Santana and his family; extraordinary, never-before-seen archival footage, including home videos recorded by Santana himself; concert footage; behind-the-scenes moments; interviews with music industry luminaries and collaborators, such as Clive Davis, Rob Thomas and more.

Tickets for "Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere" go on sale beginning Thursday, August 24 at www.carlosfilm.com. "Carlos: The Santana Journey Global Premiere" is presented in select cinemas worldwide by Trafalgar Releasing and Sony Pictures Classics. Visit the event web site for the most up-to-date information about ticketing and participating theaters globally.

Kymberli Frueh, SVP of programming and content acquisitions for Trafalgar Releasing said: "Carlos Santana is among the elite musicians who has transcended decades and generations. From his performance at Woodstock to his '90s epic album 'Supernatural' —this documentary delves into his journey of becoming one of our greatest guitar legends. We are thrilled to be a part of this global moment in cinemas where fans can experience his life story and music together.”

With "Carlos", Valdez creates an intimate, rich documentary about a man whose sound casts a spell on fans who love — as one of Santana's famous titles says — "how his rhythm goes."

A music industry legend for 50 years and a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation, Santana continues to be one of the music world's premiere artists, blending jazz, blues, and the Mariachi sound with a rock 'n' roll spirituality and a sense of connection to music's primal connection to our deepest emotions.

Jointly financed by Sony Music Entertainment and Imagine Documentaries, "Carlos" is produced by Sara Bernstein and Justin Wilkes along with Lizz Morhaim and executive produced by Academy Award-winning producers Brian Grazer and Ron Howard for Imagine Documentaries. Leopoldo Gout, Ashley Kahn and Sam Pollard also serve as producers. Meredith Kaulfers is the co-executive producer for Imagine Documentaries and Michael Vrionis serves as an executive producer. Tom Mackay and Richard Story are executive producers for Sony Music Entertainment.



We are thrilled to partner with Sony Pictures Classics to present the special global premiere of CARLOS, an electric new documentary chronicling Carlos Santana's life from a 14-year-old street musician to a 10-time Grammy-winning global sensation.

Be among the first to see the film when “CARLOS: The Santana Journey Global Premiere” comes to cinemas worldwide on Sep 23, 24 and 27, along with an exclusive introduction featuring Santana and director Rudy Valdez.

Tickets on sale on Aug 24, sign up for more information at www.carlosfilm.com

Posted by Trafalgar Releasing on Thursday, August 17, 2023

In a new interview with Keefy of Ghost Cult, FILTER frontman Richard Patrick touched upon the state of American politics while discussing the inspiration for the title of his band's upcoming album, "The Algorithm". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's so much disinformation online and in the world now. American politics has turned into just an absolute shit show as far as truth and facts and everything like that. One side seems to have the facts and the other side just wants to lie. And it's terrible, and we have to deal with it as Americans, but I hope that our country does the right thing and votes in the right people."

Patrick has been very vocal with his political views in recent years as an outspoken opponent of the Republican Party's hard-line stance on social issues.

Back in March 2019, FILTER's concert in El Paso, Texas was canceled after Richard posted an anti-Donald Trump video on Facebook.

At the time, Patrick said the venue informed FILTER that it "didn't like" the Facebook comments and said it had received threatening phone calls over the anti-Trump post. The venue also claimed that it was "illegal" to display the American flag upside down, which the band had planned to do during the show.

In a statement to Billboard, the venue confirmed what it told Patrick about the threatening phone calls in response to FILTER's Facebook video about Trump. The venue's general manager also noted that his staff was uncomfortable with FILTER's plan to display the American flag upside down and turn the concert into what he called a "political rally."

In October 2020, FILTER released the official music video for its then-new single, "Murica", featuring a character that Patrick told Alternative Press was "a Trump-supporting, gun-loving, unmedicated, super-freak 'merican unhinged and at his wits' end. And he's trying to take control of something that is not out of control." He said. "And he's afraid. He's the super-afraid white male. The Trump-supporting nutbag that I hope I can reach. These guys that are so far right that they think CNN, NBC, ABC, MSNBC [and] BBC are all out to get 'our President Trump.' Like they're all in a conspiracy to be super-left-wing, crazy liars. I'm trying to make an attempt to show them what they look like. These are the guys that can only listen to Fox News and Breitbart and that type of news outlet. They believe every fucking thing that the Rush Limbaughs, the Alex Joneses [say] and listen to only the right wing, 'the truth, man.' They do their 'own research' and believe 9/11 was an inside job, President Obama wasn't a real citizen and the lunar landings were faked. Hillary Clinton personally went out and killed people in Benghazi and it's her fault, she's [a] criminal and 'lock her up.' It's those people that I'm portraying in the video."

"The Algorithm" will arrive on August 25 via Golden Robot Records.

The hard rock band Steel Rhino has shared a new single, entitled “Ignoring Gravity”, taken from the upcoming album In Rhino We Trust out on October 21 via GMR Music.


Steel Rhino’s founder Mikael Rosengren stated about the new song:


“The album needed an epic ending, a song that got the speed and the singalong parts that give people the urge to continue playing the album again and again. It's about letting go, and just going for it. Follow your dreams, everything is possible.”




In Rhino We Trust continues the identifiable Steel Rhino sound that served the band so well and appealed to all people who love classic hard rock. 


The founder Mikael Rosengren stated: “We could not leave the fans with just one album, so we continued the saga of Steel Rhino. I think this album is more raw and powerful. We have taken our arena rock sound to the next level and the songs have been maturing to become our best material to date.”


Once again Jacob Hansen (Dynazty, Volbeat, Evergrey, Amaranthe) has been in charge of the mixing and mastering.


Tracklisting:


“Stand Up And Shout”
“Strike”
“Blades”
“We Rise”
“Final Stand”
“In Rhino We Trust”
“Judgement Day”
“Dr Jekyll Mr Hyde”
“Time To Be King”
“Ignoring Gravity”


“Ignoring Gravity”:





Line-Up:
Mikael Rosengren – Drums
Herbie Langhans – Vocals
Filip Vilhelmsson – Guitar, Bass

Los Angeles-based quartet Pattern-Seeking Animals (PS-A) is once again poised to redefine the progressive rock landscape with their upcoming album, Spooky Action At A Distance, out on InsideOutMusic on October 27.


The album's first single, "Window To The World," immediately captivates with its high-energy, up-tempo art-rock infused with elements of ska and reggae. Demonstrating the band's fearless approach to experimentation, the single introduces listeners to a sonic universe that is both innovative and nostalgic.







Spooky Action At A Distance finds Pattern-Seeking Animals more confident than ever, approaching new soundscapes and topics, showcasing their evolution, and commitment to pushing their own creative boundaries.


John Boegehold explains, “Because this is our fourth release in less than five years, my intention was to shift gears and not go over ground that's already been covered. In addition to using different sounds, textures and musical styles, we approached the vocals, especially backing vocals from a fairly different angle. In addition, the album was recorded, mixed and mastered at a different studio with a different engineer than our previous three releases.”


The different approach is not only noticeable in production and sounds, but in the lyrics as well. “The subject matter of the lyrics include a Norse king contemplating life while being conquered, an aging seeker on the path toward enlightenment, aliens hunting down humans trying to evade capture, the life of a conflicted soldier before and after WW1, a pregnant teenager leaving a bad situation at home, a reluctant hero victorious in her final battle and a guy’s girlfriend who leaves him because of his conspiracy theories.”


Spooky Action at a Distance is available in the following formats:


• Limited 2CD Digipak*
• Digital album*
• 2LP Gatefold vinyl 180g**
*including 3 live bonus tracks from ProgStock 2022
**including 2 live bonus tracks from ProgStock 2022


Preorder here.





Tracklisting:


CD1
“The Man Made Of Stone”
“Window To The World”
“What Awaits Me”
“He Once Was”
“Underneath The Orphan Moon”
“Clouds That Never Rain”
“Bulletproof”
“Somewhere North Of Nowhere”
“Summoned From Afar”
“Love is Still The Light”


CD2
“There Goes My Baby”
“Orphans Of The Universe” (Live At ProgStock 2022)
“Elegant Vampires” (Live At ProgStock 2022)
“Time Has A Way” (Live At ProgStock 2022) *


*CD and digital album only


“Window To The World” video:

Cosmetics company Vampyre Cosmetics has canceled its partnership with Alice Cooper after the legendary rocker called gender-affirming care "a fad" and claimed that discourse surrounding the trans community has "gone now to the point of absurdity."

Less than two weeks after Cooper signed a deal with Vampyre Cosmetics — which markets spooky and gothic-themed makeup, lipsticks, palettes and lashes — the 75-year-old singer was dropped by the company over his comments in an interview with the site Stereogum.

"In light of recent statements by Alice Cooper we will no longer be doing a makeup collaboration," the company wrote on Instagram in announcing it was cutting ties with Cooper.

"We stand with all members of the LGBTQIA+ community and believe everyone should have access to healthcare. All pre-order sales will be refunded."

In the aforementioned interview, Alice said: "I'm understanding that there are cases of transgender, but I’m afraid that it's also a fad. I find it wrong when you've got a six-year-old kid who has no idea. He just wants to play, and you're confusing him telling him, 'Yeah, you're a boy, but you could be a girl if you want to be.'"

Cooper also echoed false claims proliferated by anti-trans politicians and activists online that kids these days are identifying as cats and using litter boxes.

"I think that's so confusing to a kid. It's even confusing to a teenager," he said. "You're still trying to find your identity, and yet here's this thing going on, saying, 'Yeah, but you can be anything you want. You can be a cat if you want to be.' I mean, if you identify as a tree… And I'm going, 'Come on! What are we in, a Kurt Vonnegut novel?' It's so absurd, that it's gone now to the point of absurdity."

Alice went on to repeat the false belief that transgender women pose a threat to cis women and girls in public restrooms.

"I can see somebody really taking advantage of this, though," Cooper said. "A guy can walk into a woman's bathroom at any time and just say, 'I just feel like I'm a woman today' and have the time of his life in there, and he's not in the least bit… He's just taking advantage of that situation. Well, that's going to happen. Somebody's going to get raped, and the guy's going to say, 'Well, I felt like a girl that day, and then I felt like a guy.' Where do you draw this line?"

Cooper also blasted "the whole woke thing," wondering: "Who's making the rules? Is there a building somewhere in New York where people sit down every day and say, 'Okay, we can't say 'mother' now. We have to say 'birthing person.' Get that out on the wire right now?' Who is this person that’s making these rules? I don't get it," Alice said, adding: "I'm not being old school about it. I'm being logical about it."

Vampyre Cosmetics describes itself as a "proudly women owned, disabled owned and LGBT+ owned" company whose "products are vegan, cruelty free and talc free."

"We are queer, disabled, and proudly neurodiverse women working round the clock to bring you cosmetics so uniquely packaged… you exclaim 'Holy Crap!' when you see it," Karen Holton, the managing owner of the company, said.

Earlier this week, Carlos Santana apologized for his "insensitive" comments about the trans community. The 76-year-old musician faced criticism when a video of him making anti-transgender comments during a concert in New Jersey in July resurfaced on social media.

"When God made you and me, before we came out of the womb, you know who you are and what you are," the guitarist is seen saying in the clip.

He continued: "Later on when you grow up, and you see things and you start believing that you could be something that sounds good but you know it ain't right, because a woman is a woman and a man is a man — that's it.”

"Whatever you wanna do in the closet, that's your business, I'm okay with that," Santana added, before referencing his friendship with his "brother Dave Chapelle," who also faced criticism for anti-LGBTQ comments made in his 2021 Netflix comedy special "The Closer".

The criticism Santana faced after the video went viral prompted him to release a statement on his Facebook page, where he wrote: "I am sorry for my insensitive comments. They don't reflect that I want to honor and respect all person’s ideals and beliefs. I realize that what I said hurt people and that was not my intent. I sincerely apologize to the transgender community and everyone I offended."

KISS frontman Paul Stanley has been criticized for describing gender-affirming care for kids as a "sad and dangerous fad" and TWISTED SISTER's Dee Snider was consequently dropped off of the lineup for San Francisco Pride for seemingly agreeing with Paul.

Photo credit: Jenny Risher

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