Radiance Gifts, a Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada-based leading North American online metaphysical store and Orianthi, the world-renowned guitarist, singer, songwriter, have announced their collaborative launch of the Orianthi Crystal Jewelry Collection.

The crystal pieces in this collection have been chosen by Orianthi, a crystal enthusiast, and Lisa Tjaden, a certified crystal healer with Radiance Gifts. Each carefully designed piece uses authentic crystals that are meant to complement each other and to provide creativity, wisdom, protection, and discernment. The collection includes Orianthi's exclusive Illuminate Mala and three different bracelets with more pieces to follow.

The Orianthi Illuminate Mala features 108 gemstone beads, carefully hand knotted between each bead with a love guru bead and silk tassel. This special edition Mala combines the energy of Citrine, Amethyst, Turquoise and Shungite. Turquoise is grounding and protective. It improves meditation and aids in healing the spirit, bringing a soothing energy. Amethyst is a "stone of spirituality and contentment." It conducts the energy of calm and peacefulness. Shungite, "the miracle stone", has the ability to purify, charge, protect, stabilize and heal. Malas, or Japamalas are a type of prayer or meditation tool, similar to a rosary that has been used in various spiritual and religious practices. Meditation practitioners use the 108 mala beads to keep track of their mantra or affirmation repetitions. Each bead may represent an intention or affirmation, and the mala itself can serve as a reminder of one's spiritual path or goals. Additionally, certain gemstones are believed to possess specific qualities and energies, so people often choose a mala based on their desired intention or the properties associated with the materials used.

Many people will wear mala beads as a reminder to stay mindful and present throughout the day. "Like playing the strings of a guitar, these pieces create a symphony within the soul," said Orianthi. "Each bead is a note, each repetition a balanced chord resonating with the universe, and embracing the interconnection of all things."

The crystals featured in Orianthi's Illuminate Mala are also in her Illuminate Bracelet. Amethyst, turquoise and shungite beads are woven in a copper chain link and utilizes a brass Lotus button as the closure, similar to the Lotus design on her PRS guitar. What makes these pieces truly extraordinary is Orianthi's profound commitment and connection with spreading love and light, meditation and mindfulness which was the inspiration behind the creation of these pieces, making them a cherished symbol of positive energy and self-discovery.

"Creating with Ori has been a magical experience," said Tjaden. "When you listen to her music, we can feel the energy of her love and talent. Now we're both excited that people can carry that same energy with them and look awesome at the same time."

Pieces of the Orianthi collection have already been extremely popular, finding their way all over the world including the U.K., Australia, Spain, Japan, Korea and Singapore.

The entire Orianthi collection can be purchased online at radiancegifts.com or at the merchandise table at upcoming select Orianthi shows.

Since 1995, Radiance Gifts has been North America's most comprehensive "metaphysical superstore," offering a broad spectrum of resources from humanity's spiritual, healing, and earth wisdom traditions. Radiance Gifts is an oasis of ancient and current discoveries and syntheses.

Orianthi Panagaris, known simply as Orianthi, is an Australian guitarist, singer and songwriter who rehearsed in 2009 with Michael Jackson in preparation for his "This Is It" concert series and performed with Cooper's touring band. Her 2009 debut single "According To You" peaked at No. 3 in Japan, No. 8 in Australia and No. 17 in the U.S.; her second album, "Believe", received a worldwide release in late 2009. The same year, she was named one of the "12 Greatest Female Electric Guitarists" by Elle magazine. She also won the "2010 Breakthrough Guitarist Of The Year" award hosted by Guitar International magazine.
Head over to @radiance_gifts new things added to my crystal healing jewelry line 📿✨✨✨💛❤️💛 pic.twitter.com/sClQTNjsLL

— orianthi (@orianthi) August 14, 2023


Yay for summer .. so excited about my new crystal jewelry line through @radiance_gifts and all the dates coming up .. I'm slightly sunburned but happy as that means my studio tan will be departing shortly ✌🏻❤️✨✨☀️🧘‍♀️ pic.twitter.com/BxGFXWZARd

— orianthi (@orianthi) June 30, 2023

Frontiers Music Srl has shared the first teaser for the upcoming LYNCH MOB studio album, "Babylon", which tentatively due in the fall.

Earlier today, the Italian record label posted what appears to be behind-the-scenes footage from a video shoot for LYNCH MOB's upcoming single, and included the following message: "LYNCH MOB fans prepare yourself for some epic news with explosive, high energy, hard rock vibes! Stay tuned!!! #LynchMob #GeorgeLynch #newmusic #outnow #listennow #newalbum #newrecord #frontiersmusic".

LYNCH MOB currently includes legendary DOKKEN axeman George Lynch, drummer Jimmy D'Anda (BULLETBOYS),TANTRIC bassist Jaron Gulino and singer Gabriel Colon.

At most of its recent shows, LYNCH MOB has been performing a new song called "The Synner", which is expected to appear on "Babylon". Fan-filmed video of one such performance, on August 5 at Smugglers Run in Wyandotte, Michigan, can be seen below.

For much of 2021 and 2022, George had played dates around the U.S. under the name ELECTRIC FREEDOM, which he previously said was the new name of his "touring entity" after deciding to retire the LYNCH MOB band name in 2020. However, ten months ago, it was reported that Lynch was once again playing shows under the LYNCH MOB moniker.

Lynch discussed his change of heart in an interview with Full In Bloom. He said: "[LYNCH MOB is] just a brand I'd established for decades, obviously — over three decades. Nothing's perfect, and I've gotta just live with the fact that it has some negative connotations that I probably have to continue explaining for the rest of my life, and I don't mind doing that. But it is a brand that I built, and I'm just gonna stick with it. As far as a marketing thing and a brand thing and a business thing and a working thing, and it keeps my band guys working and it keeps the fans happy, it makes sense.

"I really felt, when I adopted ELECTRIC FREEDOM, that I was really going against the grain more than keeping the old name," he laughed. "I really felt a lot more resistance than I'd ever felt having LYNCH MOB; that was actually the reality of it. Nobody really liked it. And I didn't like living with that; it was just kind of uncomfortable. It's, like, 'Okay, well, we've just gotta put up with George's decision here to do this, but nobody agrees with it. We're not comfortable with it.' It has a sort of disingenuous ring to it. As much as my motives were pure — I felt honest — it just never caught on, on all kinds of levels."

Asked if he had gotten any negative comments from fans over the LYNCH MOB name, George said: "I may have had a few in the 35 years it's been around, but I'd say probably the most negative criticism I've had of it came from me. So I was my own worst critic with the name, especially in later years. I got a lot more criticism with ELECTRIC FREEDOM.

"It's a brand," George explained. "I mean, nobody wants Coke to change their recipe. Just stay the same, and that's what you built over the years. Why would you…? 'Why would you change it' is a rhetorical question. Why I'm probably not more successful in some ways in my career is because I followed my aspirations musically rather than sometimes be smart about just sticking to the plan. [Laughs]"

The news of LYNCH MOB's return was first reported by the Metal Sludge web site on October 1, 2022.

In August 2020, Lynch announced that he was ending LYNCH MOB due to the racial insensitivity of the moniker, saying he would no longer record or perform under that name.

A few months later, Lynch offered a lengthy explanation for why he was ending LYNCH MOB during an interview with George Dionne of Metal Express Radio. Addressing questions about why it took him three decades to call it quits with LYNCH MOB, George said: "When we first formed the band in '89, the name had sort of already been around. While I was in DOKKEN, it's what I called our little group of guitar fans — I had picks made; it was kind of a little subculture within DOKKEN. When we started working on developing and building the band after DOKKEN broke up, that was just the name that we always thought we'd use, 'cause it was a perfect fit — it's my name, and it describes it pretty well. And, of course, the negative connotations were always there, and I was aware of 'em, but not as aware as I probably should have been. [Laughs]

"I had made numerous attempts over the decades to kind of let that name go and had walked that back for multiple reasons — usually because of business considerations," he continued. "For instance, if you try to go out on a tour and not use the name, promoters aren't gonna be happy with you changing it. People aren't gonna know who you are. They're not gonna show up, because what's THE GEORGE LYNCH EXPERIENCE, or whatever you call it. Or record labels are not interested, because it's a brand that they can count on and sell a certain many albums or whatever.

"For instance, the LYNCH MOB record 'Smoke This' that came out, I think, in '99 or 2000, that was not supposed to be a LYNCH MOB record; that really wasn't anything to do with LYNCH MOB. At the end of the day, after the record was done and we were delivering it to the label, they insisted on using that name as insurance. And if I hadn't agreed to that, we wouldn't have had a record. That's the kind of pressure I'm talking about.

"But then, with the onset of everything that's happened in the last year, I didn't have that kind of pressure anymore," George added. "I could take it or leave it at this point. And I didn't really feel comfortable with it; I didn't feel comfortable with the name. 'Cause I'm a very progressive person politically, and it just so flies in the face of everything I believe in, and it makes it hard. It makes it hard to have relationships with people and explain yourself, and I got tired of rationalizing it. I think the music is bigger than that, and it's had a great run.

"Another reason, too, is the band fell apart again. The band has fallen apart so many times, I can't even count. And it was just, like, 'No more Oni [Logan, vocals], no more Brian Tichy [drums], no more this guy, no more that guy. Oh, great. Now what do I do?' It's, like, 'Okay, build another band from scratch, call it LYNCH MOB?' No. How about just build something new? It gives me a lot more freedom to basically play anything I want live… I can go out and play everything from my catalog — new, old, covers, jams, you name it, and go deep and have fun and change it up every night."

Oni first hooked up with LYNCH MOB in 1990, but exited the group after the release of its first album, only to rejoin the outfit in the late 2000s.

Logan is featured on five of LYNCH MOB's eight albums, including 1990's "Wicked Sensation", as well as 2009's "Smoke And Mirrors", 2014's "Sun Red Sun", 2015's "Rebel" and 2017's "The Brotherhood".

In August 2021, LYNCH MOB celebrated the 30th anniversary of "Wicked Sensation" with a special limited print/deluxe edition of the album. "Wicked Sensation Reimagined" features re-worked and re-recorded versions of the LP's classic songs, and was made available via Rat Pak Records.



Lynch Mob fans prepare yourself for some epic news with explosive, high energy, hard rock vibes!
Stay tuned!!!

#LynchMob #GeorgeLynch #newmusic #outnow #listennow #newalbum #newrecord #frontiersmusic

Posted by Frontiers Music srl on Wednesday, August 16, 2023

VENERA, a newly formed experimental electronic outfit featuring James "Munky" Shaffer (KORN) and Atlanta-based composer/filmmaker Chris Hunt, will release its self-titled debut album on October 13 via Ipecac Recordings.

VENERA enigmatically launched its debut song "Swarm" late last month. No information, no pre-sale, simply the three-minute single released in tandem with a mysterious screed and a pulsating black-and-white video directed by EFFIXX.

Today, the pair step out from the shadows, revealing who and what VENERA is, as well as releasing their first single, and video, for the track "Hologram", a song that features guest vocals/piano from Rizz of VOWWS.

In a joint statement from Shaffer and Hunt, they explain: "'Hologram' emerged quickly from our first session together. A nearly unchanging drum machine pattern nested in warbling guitars. We don't interact much with holograms but they seem to offer an image of an alluring emptiness and light, which resonates well with the universe we are driven to explore."

Several guests join Hunt and Shaffer on VENERA. Drummer Deantoni Parks (THE MARS VOLTA, JOHN CALE) plays on "Erosion" and "Disintegration", HEALTH's Jacob Duzsik contributes vocals on "Ochre" and Alain Johannes lends his voice to "Triangle".

Album pre-orders are available now, with "Venera" available digitally, as well as physically on CD, and an assortment of vinyl, including limited-edition red, snowy white and skull gold variants.

"Venera" track listing:

01. Alignment
02. Erosion (ft. Deantoni Parks)
03. Ochre (ft. HEALTH)
04. Swarm
05. Disintegration (ft. Deantoni Parks)
06. Hologram (ft. VOWWS)
07. Surrender
08. Triangle (ft. Alain Johannes)
09. Helium

Los Angeles-based James Shaffer and Atlanta-based Chris Hunt converged in early 2022 in downtown Los Angeles while working on songs for singer Xhoana X. Their kindred interest and backgrounds in dramatic texture, electronics and experimentation inspired an improvisation-based recording process which seeks to explore a sonic universe defined by evolving atmosphere, cinematic noise and select collaborations with other artists.

Photo credit: Rizz

During a recent appearance on QFM96's "Torg & Elliott" radio show, outspoken conservative rocker Ted Nugent was asked who his best friend in rock is who "leans left" politically. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, you know, Tom Morello [of RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE] is a dear friend of mine, but when you really examine his pragmatic priorities, he's a hard worker. So am I. He loves his family and protects and provides for his family. So do I. He puts his heart and soul into his craft. So do I. But anybody, with all due respect, anybody that would wear a Che Guevara shirt has lost their mind," Ted added, referencing the Argentine Marxist revolutionary, physician, author, guerrilla leader, diplomat and military theorist. "Che Guevara would've killed Carlos Santana and Tom Morello first. So we have to be smart and be co cognizant of real historical truisms, facts and evidence.

"When think that you rage against the machine — and I love the guys; I love their piss and vinegar — but let's examine it, shall we, gentlemen?" Nugent continued. "Are they raging against the machine that built their concert facility? Are they raging against the airline industry that flies them to the concert? Are they raging against the machine that built their guitars and drums? Are they raging against the machine that built the hotels they stay in? Gimme a break.

"And I love those guys — I do love them," Ted repeated. "They're like the MC5 meets BLUE CHEER. I love that band."

Morello, who is a member one of the most militant left-wing rap/rock/metal bands of all time, previously discussed his relationship with Nugent during a March 2021 appearance on "The Howard Stern Show". Speaking about how he struck up a friendship with the otspoken conservative rocker, Tom said: "For his 60th birthday, someone reached out to me and said, 'We're making a video, and we're asking guitar players [to say a few kind words]. At the time, the Ted Nugent which was sort of known in the world in general was this kind of more right-wing caricature — people were not thinking of him, first and foremost, as the guy who shredded on 'Stranglehold'. But then I had to think, 'What is the video that I'm going to make for Ted's birthday?' And I put some thought into it, and I said, 'It's gonna be about two things. One, it's gonna be things that Tom Morello and Ted Nugent have in common,' and I went down this long list of [things like] free-speech advocates, our love of rock and roll, our respect for black artists who created rock and roll. And then the second was things that Ted Nugent taught an adolescent Tom Morello about sex. And then I went through 'Cat Scratch Fever' — these strange words, like the lyrics to the song 'Cat Scratch Fever', the lyrics to the song 'Wang Dang Sweet Poontang', which were utterly foreign to me, and I had to ask about on the playground. Anyway, so Ted called me up after that. And while we certainly have differences, I consider him a friend."

During a 2017 interview with The Guardian, Morello stated about Nugent: "We have very similar views on freedom of speech. His libertarian edge and my anarchist edge overlap considerably. Sometimes, if he says something outrageous that will fire up his racist base, I'll text him to say, 'Dude. What are you on about?' We're able to talk about it as friends as opposed to people on the opposite sides of the barricade."

Nugent, an avid supporter of former U.S. president Donald Trump, has repeatedly said that the 2020 presidential election was a fraud, insisting that "hundreds of thousands of dead people" voted and claiming that machines were "rigged" to give a Donald Trump vote to Joe Biden.

Leading up to the election, Nugent teamed up with Donald Trump Jr. on the campaign trail.

Ted has called Trump "the greatest president in our lifetime," and believes the billionaire real estate mogul represents "the heart and soul of the best American families out there."

Four years ago, Morello referred to Trump as an "orange-faced demagogue."

During an appearance on the latest episode of "Nu Pod", the Knotfest podcast hosted by Joshua Toomey and Ro Kohli, Brendon Small, co-creator of "Metalocalypse", the hit animated series on Adult Swim featuring the fictitious metal band DETHKLOK, spoke about how he drew inspiration from METALLICA's 2004 documentary "Metallica: Some Kind Of Monster". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That documentary was an important part of the genesis of 'Metalocalypse', because it came out around the time when we were developing it anyway, and heavy metal was seeing this kind of major resurgence, or at least I was seeing it from where I was sitting. And that movie showed something that was really important."

He continued: "Preparing to make a show like 'Metalocalypse', I tried to do as much research as I could; I tried to find every rock and roll, heavy metal documentary about creativity and musicians. I think that's one of the best ones. And you get to see how this record [METALLICA's 2003 album 'St. Anger'] — love it or hate it — was made and what the trajectory was and the crazy maze of logic that got us to this place. And you also got to see a band that was incredibly famous. And it's hard to have a reason to make a record, I think — even after your first one. You've got enough material for your first one, and the rest of 'em is, like, 'What are we gonna do now? How are we gonna make any of this stuff work?' And you got to see METALLICA go through all that stuff and have to audition a new way of communicating with their own band. Or they were all gonna lose each other, because [then-METALLICA bassist] Jason Newsted walked out and they were a little confining and, I'd say, jealous of any other projects. But they came back and they're still together and they found Robert Trujillo, and Robert Trujillo is a monster. And Jason Newsted gave so much to METALLICA as well. But it's brutally honest, and I think that takes guts — just crazy guts."

Small went on to speak in more general terms about the way METALLICA inspired his mindset while initially developing "Metalocalypse".

"METALLICA is such a monumental band to me because they were inventing their own genre as they went," he said. "And when I think about the ultimate METALLICA, [I think about] 'Master Of Puppets' and '…And Justice For All' because that's the age that I was when I was discovering heavy metal — '…And Justice' had just come out. And so I could not believe this through-composed, non-repeating kind of maze of riffs that were just all one compelling idea or ideology of one riff to an iteration of another, to another, to another, to another. And that, to me, is some of the coolest and such creative and melodic and brutal and tumultuous thrash, epic metal all in one place. And then the 'Black Album' comes out. And the 'Black Album''s, like, 'Okay, let's bring this to everybody'. So METALLICA, without a doubt, is a huge influence to the sheer notion of DETHKLOK and 'Metalocalypse'."

Originally intended to be a promotional video paid for by Elektra Records to document the members of METALLICA going back into the studio for the first time in five years, "Some Kind Of Monster" ended up following METALLICA through the three most turbulent years of their long career, during which they battled through addiction, lineup changes, fan backlash, personal turmoil and the near-disintegration of the group during the making of their "St. Anger" album.

While initially helping METALLICA towards restoring band harmony, "Some Kind Of Monster" shows "performance coach" Phil Towle, a former psychotherapist who was brought into the picture in January 2001 to help James Hetfield, Kirk Hammett and Lars Ulrich repair their relationship with Newsted, attempting to increasingly insert himself into the band's creative process, submitting lyrics for the album and even attempting to join them on the road.

"Some Kind Of Monster" also documented Hetfield's spiral into alcoholism and decision to check himself into a rehab facility. Hetfield's re-emergence from rehab is when the film really gets into gear, with the chief worry in his mind whether or not he could do METALLICA sober.

The new "Metalocalypse" movie, "Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar", will be available to purchase digitally and on Blu-ray August 22, the same date that DETHKLOK's long-awaited "Dethalbum IV" is set to be released. "Metalocalypse: Army Of The Doomstar (Original Motion Picture Soundtrack)" will follow on August 25.

In a new interview with AXS TV, MÖTLEY CRÜE singer Vince Neil reveals which albums he’d be willing to listen to in perpetuity if he found himself stranded and alone on an island. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If I was stranded on an island with just a tape deck or something, my five albums I would take with me… Number one, 'Back In Black' by AC/DC, 'cause there's nothing but hits on that record. And I love AC/DC. We've toured with 'em before, and they're great guys. They're a lot of fun. And I like remembering those memories. Number two, I would take AEROSMITH 'Rocks'. The 'Rocks' album has a lot of great hits on it. A lot of people don't know that album very well, but I listen to it all the time. I remember going surfing down the beach where I lived in California and listening to that album all the way to the beach and all the way back. Number three would be 'Cosmo's Factory' [by] CREEDENCE CLEARWATER REVIVAL. I love CREEDENCE; I always have. My dad turned me on to 'em, and I love those guys. John Fogerty's a great singer and they're a lot of fun to listen to. And let's see. [Number] four. I would take one of the JOURNEY albums. Any one of them is… they're all amazing. I mean, JOURNEY never put out a bad album, so I would take any one of those. [And number five] I would take the BEACH BOYS' 'Endless Summer', 'cause if I'm laying on the beach somewhere by myself, I'm gonna listen to 'Endless Summer'."

MÖTLEY CRÜE recently went into the studio with longtime producer Bob Rock and recorded three new songs, including "Dogs Of War" and a cover of BEASTIE BOYS' "(You Gotta) Fight For Your Right (To Party!)".

CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD kicked off the European leg of their "The World Tour" on May 22 in Sheffield. The European trek concluded on July 6 in Glasgow.

LEPPARD and CRÜE have teamed up with Alice Cooper for a U.S. mini-tour this summer. The trek kicked off on August 5 in Syracuse, New York and include stops in the Midwest before concluding in El Paso, Texas on August 18. Shows in Japan and Australia will follow in the fall.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's setlist for the 2023 "The World Tour" has remained very similar to the one from last year's "The Stadium Tour", with "Wild Side" opening the show before Neil and his bandmates run through a 15-song set that includes other classics like "Shout At The Devil", "Home Sweet Home", "Dr. Feelgood" and the closing number "Kickstart My Heart".

In June, Neil confirmed to The Music Universe that MÖTLEY CRÜE will embark on another stadium tour in 2024. "We're not sure who's gonna be on it, but there'll be another tour," he said.

John 5 joined MÖTLEY CRÜE last fall as the replacement for the band's co-founding guitarist Mick Mars. Mick announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE last October as a result of worsening health issues.

On November 22, 1993, Eyehategod from New Orleans, Louisiana issued their second album, Take As Needed For Pain, via Century Media Records. 2023 marks 30 years since its release. To celebrate this milestone, Austin Woods of The Pitch spokek with EHG vocalist Mike IX Williams. An excerpt reads:


The Pitch: How does Take As Needed For Pain sound to you 30 years later?


Williams: "It still sounds great to me. It’s the album where we found our sound. We did an album before that, which is recorded pretty crazy-sounding. It’s really primitive. Not that Take As Needed For Pain is some well-produced thing, but we found our sound. We were learning how to write songs better, and we found what Eyehategod is supposed to be. There are always things, when you look back on album, that you could change, but I really wouldn’t change anything on any record, because our albums are like photographs of an era, of the band at that time."







The Pitch: You’ve said before that you don’t see Eyehategod as a metal band. Why do you think that label has stuck?


Williams: "Because journalists would call us that in the past, and because of our association with Pantera. We toured with them back in the ‘90s, and Phil Anselmo has always been a fan and a friend. But I think it’s just laziness on journalists’ parts. We’re not metal, but we’re not punk either. My part in the band leans more toward the punk rock side. I got into punk in 1978. I was a twelve-year-old boy getting into the Sex Pistols, so that’s still with me. I still love that stuff."


The Pitch: Eyehategod is known for its nonstop touring. How has constantly being on the move informed your perspective on life?


Williams: "Traveling, to me, is knowledge. I wouldn’t be the person I am today if I hadn’t traveled as much as we have, and I still love it. I don’t see myself settling down at any point in the near future. We want to keep doing this band until we can’t anymore. We’ve always said we’d do it until it wasn’t fun, but we’re still having fun."


The complete interview can be found at this location.


This fall, EyeHateGod will hit the road in the US for their "30 Years Of Take As Needed For Pain" tour, featuring support from Goatwhore, and Concert Christ on select dates. The trek launches on August 31 in Austin, Texas, and wraps on September 23 in Lafayette, Louisiana. Confirmed venues are as listed:


August
31 - Austin, TX - The Mohawk  


September
1 - Oklahoma City, OK - 89th Street
2 - Albuquerque, NM - Launchpad
3 - El Paso, TX - Rock House  
4 - Phoenix, AZ - The Nile
5 - Palmdale, CA - Transplant Brewery
6 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
7 - Los Angeles, CA - The Regent   
8 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Theater
9 - San Francisco, CA - DNA Lounge
10 - Santa Cruz, CA - Vets Hall
12 - Portland, OR - Dantes
13 - Seattle, WA - El Corazon
14 - Boise, ID - Knitting Factory
15 - Salt Lake City, UT - Aces High
16 - Cheyenne, WY - Ernie’s November
17 - Denver, CO - Bluebird Theater
18 - Kansas City, MO - Record Bar
19 - Dallas, TX - Trees
20 - Shreveport, LA - Bears
21 - Houston, TX - White Oak Music Hall
22 - New Orleans, LA - Southport Hall
23 - Lafayette, LA - Feed n Seed





 

In a new interview with Meltdown of Detroit's WRIF radio station, vocalist Oliver "Oli" Sykes of British rockers BRING ME THE HORIZON reflected on his participation in LINKIN PARK's tribute concert to the band's late frontman Chester Bennington. The performance took place on October 27, 2017 at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles and saw LINKIN PARK return to the stage for the first time since Bennington took his own life in July of that year.

"I guess the best way to describe it would be bittersweet," Sykes said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "Obviously [it was] just an unreal experience for me, but just under the worst possible circumstances. So, yeah, it's… I don't know. I think it's hard to process things like that.

"I never really say much when famous people die that you don't really know but meant a lot to you because part of me is, like, what right do I have to talk about this person?" Sykes continued. "I didn't know them. Just because their musical, whatever they did, did so much for me… It's weird. I get it's kind of like imposter syndrome. I feel like a piece of me has died, but also like I didn't really know this person. So it's a really hard thing to process.

"I definitely felt like a part of my childhood died when [Chester] died, of my innocence," Oli added. "I don't know. But I didn't cry because I didn't know him as a person. [I felt] a kind of disbelief, I guess. And the same when we played the gig. It was almost like you're not doing what you're actually doing; you're not actually thinking about it like what it really is. Like I'm here, stood up… It's basically his funeral; I'm playing his funeral. You don't think about it like that. You just do it. I don't know. Grief's weird."

Sykes sang LINKIN PARK's song "Crawling" at the 2017 concert, which was billed as "Linkin Park And Friends Celebrate Life In Honor Of Chester Bennington". Proceeds from the event went to Music For Relief's One More Light Fund in memory of Bennington.

Among the other artists who appeared at the show were Jonathan Davis of KORN, M. Shadows and Synyster Gates from AVENGED SEVENFOLD, all the members of SYSTEM OF A DOWN except Serj Tankian, members of BLINK-182, Machine Gun Kelly, ex-YELLOWCARD singer Ryan Key, pop singer and LINKIN PARK collaborator Kiiara and more.

Bennington's passing was ruled a suicide soon after his body was found in July 2017 at his home in Palos Verdes Estates, California.

Chester had been candid about mental-health battles in numerous interviews over the years, saying he grappled with depression, anxiety, suicidal thoughts and substance abuse. His struggles with drugs and alcohol landed him in rehab twice around 2006.

LINKIN PARK released a concert album titled "One More Light Live" in December 2017.

In a recent interview with Danny Wimmer Presents's "Power Hour", SLIPKNOT drummer Jay Weinberg reflected on his first concert with the band, which took place in October 2014 at the Knotfest in San Bernardino, California. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I had joined the band about a year before our first show together, so we made a record and we were jamming. And we had that kind of a runway before our first show. But yeah, man, nothing — I've said it before, but it's like nothing…. I could have had years and years and years to prepare for my first SLIPKNOT show. There was truly nothing that could prepare for that first moment when the curtain goes up, we're in our masks, we're in our outfits, everybody's there. That was like the turnkey moment. Especially after a year of knowing. I'm waiting for that moment, what's gonna happen for this first show? What's it going to smell like? What's it gonna feel like? All this stuff, and just trying to best prepare myself for that moment. And there was no preparing for that moment. It really was, as the guys had described to me, every night is, like, you're just dropped out of an airplane and you just have to figure it out. And so that first night certainly was special in that regard. And I feel like we've just built it over the last 10 years."

Jay discovered SLIPKNOT when he was a pre-teen, through his father Max, of Bruce Springsteen's E STREET BAND, and leader of the house band on Conan O'Brien's talk show. He was hooked immediately and was a huge fan of SLIPKNOT by the time he was invited to Los Angeles to try out as replacement for Joey Jordison in 2013.

For the first few months after the release of 2014's ".5: The Gray Chapter", the members of SLIPKNOT had declined to name the musicians who were playing drums and bass on their tour, despite the fact that their identities were revealed as Weinberg and bassist Alessandro "Vman" Venturella by a disgruntled former drumtech for SLIPKNOT who posted a picture of a backstage call sheet on Instagram.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Jordison passed away "peacefully in his sleep" in July 2021 of an unspecified cause. He was 46 years old.

Prior to joining SLIPKNOT, Weinberg was a member of AGAINST ME!, having played with the Florida-based act from November 2010 until December 2012.

Weinberg joined AGAINST ME! shortly after he was ousted from MADBALL and following the departure of AGAINST ME!'s previous sticksman, George Rebelo.

In May 2013, Weinberg filled in for KVELERTAK drummer Kjetil Gjermundrod during the band's North American tour because Gjermundrod had to bow out of the run after experiencing significant pain in his arm.

Chris Daughtry says that he was one of the singers who were approached about singing for AEROSMITH when the rest of the band fell out with Tyler in 2009 after a canceled tour and Tyler's stated intention to work for two years on a solo project. Tyler subsequently entered rehab for an addiction to painkillers.

Both sides maintained that Tyler never officially left AEROSMITH, and his management and attorneys threatened legal action if the band went forward with finding a new singer for touring purposes.

The former "American Idol" contestant discussed his near-collaboration with AEROSMITH during an appearance on the latest episode of "The Dave Rickards Podcast". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I get this random call from [AEROSMITH guitarist] Joe Perry. Joe Perry and Steven were apparently at odds with each other. It was all in the news; this isn't private information. I think this was right when Steven Tyler was going on 'American Idol' and they weren't touring together. I think it was like a public breakup sort of thing. Joe Perry calls me. I'm, like, 'First of all, I didn't know Joe Perry had my number. This is incredible.' I thought it was a joke at first, but he didn't even take time to, like, 'How're you doing?' He just went into his reason for calling me. 'And I don't know what Steven's doing, but we wanna work. How would you feel about hitting the road with us? You've got some cool songs we could play too.' And I was, like, 'Uh…' I was speechless. First of all, I don't consider myself any caliber of singer that Steven Tyler is as far as I would not be able to tackle those songs the way Steven Tyler tackles him. He is irreplaceable, in my mind. Furthermore, Steven Tyler's alive. This whole fear of pissing off one of my heroes was just looming, and I was, like, 'There's no way I can do this, Joe.'"

Chris went on to say that singing for AEROSMITH "was a terrifying concept, the moment the words left [Joe's] mouth." But he conceded that "it is a story that I will hold near and dear for the rest of my life, for sure."

Asked if he can sing AEROSMITH's classic power ballad "Dream On", Daughtry said: "On a good day, where I'm not beat up, I can nail that high part at the end, but that is like one out of every five times. And then there's other times where I would just bail."

Classic Rock magazine reported a few years ago that Perry had also approached Paul Rodgers, Chris Cornell and Billy Idol about singing with the band, while representatives for Sammy Hagar denied that he had been offered the gig.

Despite threats by Perry and the other members of the group in 2009 to find another vocalist while Tyler pursued an announced solo career, Perry later said that Tyler "didn't really leave the band ... The press kind of twisted it around to sell papers but you know the bottom line is I just knew things were just going to work themselves out."

Perry added that Tyler "made it very clear" that he had no intention of leaving AEROSMITH while working on a solo project.

Daughtry rose to fame in 2006 as a contestant on the fifth season of "American Idol", ultimately finishing fourth. He and his band DAUGHTRY released their debut album on RCA Records later that year. The LP sold more than one million copies after just five weeks of release, becoming the fastest-selling debut rock album of all time. The song "It's Not Over" is the band's top-charting single, reaching No. 4 in 2007. Other hits include "Home", "No Surprise" and "What About Now".

In a new interview with "Paltrocast" host Darren Paltrowitz, CANDLEBOX frontman Kevin Martin spoke about his decision to retire after the 30th anniversary of the release of the band's debut album in 2023. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been a great career and I'm just so grateful that our music has lasted for 30 years. It's a strange feeling. It's bittersweet knowing that I'm saying goodbye to this and I'm not sure how I'm gonna feel at that last strum of the guitar chords. But I made this decision and I discussed it with my wife and my son, and I discussed it with the guys in the band. And I think it's the right decision and it's the right time. And I'll find plenty of things to keep me busy, that's for sure. I love fishing, so I'm gonna do a lot of that."

Asked how long ago he first started thinking about retiring from the road, Kevin said: "I started talking about it in 2020 with my wife during COVID. I said, 'If this doesn't turn around too quickly, and I'm gonna be home for a little bit, what are your thoughts about me being home for a lot of bit?' And we just really started talking about when would be the right time. And then also talking to the guys in the band about it. I wanted to make sure that they understood where I was coming from. I didn't want them to feel like they didn't have anything down the road. So I made sure [to tell them], 'Listen, in three years, this is where we're going to be. So I want you to start establishing yourselves and letting other bands know that you're gonna be available.' Because my band, anybody that gets Brian [Quinn, guitar], Island [Styles, guitar], BJ [Kerwin, drums] or Adam [Kury, bass] is going to be the luckiest band in the world because they're four of the most incredible musicians I've ever had the opportunity of playing with and I want nothing but the best for them. So I'm putting the word out in all these interviews that you've got a band that's coming your way. If you're looking for somebody to fill in, these guys are the guys that you're gonna wanna reach out to, because I can't think of better musicians for anybody than the guys that I play with."

Kevin previously discussed his decision to retire during an appearance on the July 13 episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk". "During COVID, I had a great awakening, being home with my wife and my son and realizing that maybe I had put far too much emphasis on the wrong syllable," he said, referencing a classic line from the 2003 Mike Myers/Gwyneth Paltrow movie "View From The Top". "My music career had become so encompassing of my time and my emotion and my energy and all this stuff that I realized that I had not given my family what they actually needed from me, which was me. And being home and being a dad and a teacher and a husband, and learning how to bake bread and realizing, 'God, man, I've missed a lot of things in my life that I enjoy,' I said, 'I need to figure out when I can wrap this up.'"

He continued: "I love music and it is a part of my life and I love playing live and I love performing and I love the fans. And that is something that I never take for granted. But I knew that I didn't love it the way I did when I started. And so I said to my wife, I said, 'I think I wanna make one last record and I wanna do it in 2023 when the 30th anniversary of the debut comes out, and then I wanna just put a nice little bow on this thing and wrap it up at the end of the year. And how do you feel about that?' And she said, 'I would love that, but only if you're ready.' And it took me from 2020 to 2022 to realize that I was."

Kevin added: "I don't ever wanna be a performer that phones it in on stage. I've been to those shows, I've seen those shows. I don't wanna do that. And I would hate to become that person. If this is my top, where I'm at, and I'm going out on it, and I'm in the best shape ever and my voice is in the best shape ever, and the music that I'm making, the shows that we're playing are fantastic, and we're having an absolute blast, then what better way to go?"

Martin also talked about how he and his CANDLEBOX bandmates handled their early multi-platinum success three decades ago, saying: "We didn't do well. We got caught up in the whole, 'We've gotta get in the studio, make the next record. Let's make the record different.' You get pushed and pulled in all sorts of directions. Whatever little drug habits you had that you could barely afford before, now you can afford as much cocaine as you want, which is ridiculous. And the alcohol intake is more, and you start buying dumb cars and stupid houses and all sorts of dumb shit. You fall into that trap. But we had a good manager; we were managed by Lindy Goetz, who managed the RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS at the time as well. And as good as he was and tried his best to keep us focused as a band — I think he actually convinced my guitar player to go to rehab — we were not prepared at all. It was a very strange thing. I remember waking up one morning to go out to get my paper in Seattle and there were people sitting outside my gate, waiting for me to come out. And I'd never experienced anything like that. I thought that was the strangest thing in the world. 'Cause it's not something I would ever do. So I just was taken aback by that. I was, like, 'Why are you here?' And they're, like, 'Oh, can you sign this stuff?' And I said, 'This is my house. Get outta my house.' It was a strange thing— a very strange thing."

CANDLEBOX's final studio album, "The Long Goodbye", will arrive August 25 via Round Hill Records. The LP's first single, "Punks", is a cautionary message to young bands that they won't be the hot new thing forever.

In addition to "Punks", the 10-track collection, which was produced by Don Miggs, includes the sneering statement of independence "What Do You Need", co-written by Nick Brown of the alt-rock band MONA, who also appears on the track, and the moody, atmospheric "Elegante", where Kevin dives headlong into creative wordplay as Miggs and the band mimic a synth-pop vibe with guitars and drums. Elsewhere is the acoustic "Maze" and "Cellphone Jesus", where Kevin allows some of his worldview to seep in as he searches for a sign from above for a damaged society.

CANDLEBOX is currently on the road on their farewell tour, crossing the country until early fall with fellow rockers 3 DOORS DOWN as direct support on their massive "Away From The Sun" amphitheater tour in addition to various headlining shows.

Emerging from Seattle's burgeoning mid-1990s grunge scene, CANDLEBOX quickly found mainstream success with their deep, lyrically driven melodies and big radio hooks, as evidenced by their massive hits "Far Behind", "You" and "Cover Me" that propelled their self-titled debut album, a defining record of the decade, to sell more than four million copies worldwide. Their follow-up album, "Lucy", earned a platinum certification and solidified CANDLEBOX as a tour de force in the thriving alt-rock scene. While the commercial success of the first album played a pivotal role in the band's trajectory to the top, it was their raw and unapologetically honest live performances that ultimately solidified their place among Seattle's elite. In 1998, CANDLEBOX released "Happy Pills", which would be their last album before going on hiatus from 2000 to 2006. In 2008, the band reformed and released their fourth album, "Into The Sun", and hit the road for the first time in 10 years, touring extensively and releasing "Alive In Seattle", a live album that included tracks from every era of their career. 2016 marked the triumphant return of CANDLEBOX with the release of "Disappearing In Airports", a more classic rock-tinged album hailed by many critics and fans as their best work in years. Singles "Vexatious" and "Supernova" drove the album to debut at No. 9 on the Billboard chart and spurred multiple U.S. and international tours, including major festival appearances at Carolina Rebellion, Welcome To Rockville and Lollapalooza Chile. These iconic rockers have been blazing full steam since, releasing their album "Wolves" in 2021, and recently issuing a live, acoustic album, "Live At The Neptune".

Vampyre Cosmetics, the luxury beauty disruptor brand known for its vegan and cruelty free makeup, has announced a collaboration with the undisputed Godfather of shock rock and the original makeup disruptor, Alice Cooper. The Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame inductee is no stranger to breaking barriers over his five-decade career where he pioneered a theatrical form of hard rock music performance. Alice's use of makeup during his stage shows, christened him one of the first male artists to show the art form of face makeup wasn't a gender-specific product in an era where this was controversial.

Through a unique collaboration with Cooper, the licensing agent Global Merchandising and the design team at Vampyre Cosmetics comes an exclusive collection celebrating the distinctive look and style of Alice Cooper. This collection will exude Alice's style and feature guitar and amp shaped makeup palettes, microphone styled lipsticks and a major highlight for Alice Cooper and makeup fans to look forward to is a new version of Alice Cooper's iconic Whiplash mascara. A unisex product originally created to "Liberate Your Eyes."

Pre-sales of an exclusive collection of the Vampyre Cosmetics x Alice Cooper collection will begin on August 14 on www.vampyrecosmetics.com. Fans and makeup enthusiasts alike are encouraged to get their orders in before this highly anticipated limited edition sells out!

Vampyre Cosmetics is a brand for the people mainstream brands leave behind. Members of the Vampyre Cosmetics team have worked closely with the music industry, pinup, burlesque, and horror communities. As a result, they have first-hand experience and knowledge of the needs of these subcultures and performers. Vampyre Cosmetics makeup formulations have the pigmentation and longevity necessary for stage and screen. Vampyre Cosmetics believes no one should have to choose between unique, inspired packaging and high quality, ethical cosmetics, so they are all in one. Vampyre Cosmetics is proudly women-owned, disabled-owned and LGBTQ-owned. All of their products are vegan, cruelty free, and talc free.

Alice's new album "Road", will be released on August 25 via earMUSIC. Produced by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin, the LP was written, composed and recorded with Alice's trusted, longtime bandmates — Ryan Roxie (guitar),Chuck Garric (bass),Tommy Henrikson (guitar),Glen Sobel (drums) and Nita Strauss (guitar).

"Road" is going to be released in a wide variety of formats and limited vinyl colors. Complementing the album's theme, the bonus DVD/Blu-ray comes with Alice Cooper's 2022 full live show at Hellfest and includes all the classics and rarely played gems.

Cooper recently announced the extension of his 2023 North America tour, adding shows through the month of October. The shows October 3-23 will be "An Evening With," and he closes out the month October 25, 26 and 28 with three co-headlining "Halloween Hootenanny" shows with Rob Zombie. This follows his six shows with MÖTLEY CRÜE and DEF LEPPARD, along with six of his own "Evening With" shows August 5-22, followed by a monthlong co-headline "Freaks On Parade" tour with Rob Zombie August 24-September 24.

Cooper's 2021-2022 "Detroit Muscle" tour, following the 2021 release of his "Detroit Stories" album, covered 113 shows in 34 states, 17 countries and one Caribbean cruise between September 2021 and October 2022.

The Carlos Live Metal TV YouTube channel has uploaded video of Cherie Currie's August 12 performance at the Houston Horror Film Fest in Houston, Texas.

In a message accompanying the YouTube release of the video, Carlos Live Metal TV wrote: "There was no live band so Cherie with a karaoke-style song playing on the background. It was great to see her perform still."

This past April, Cherie once again said that a full reunion of iconic 1970s rockers THE RUNAWAYS will now probably never happen. Speaking to Marko Syrjälä of Metal Rules and SySi Media, Currie outlined her relationships with fellow former bandmates Joan Jett, Lita Ford, Jackie Fox and Sandy West and the previous attempts to get the band back together.

"I played with all the girls," she said. "I played with Lita… And just in the last decade. Lita, Joan… I always played with Sandy [who died of lung cancer in 2006 at the age of 47], God rest her soul. Jackie… I played with every member of THE RUNAWAYS individually. And even Lita will say, 'Oh, I can work with Cherie.' I mean, I'm easy to work with. I just wanna have fun. But they… Lita hates [Joan's longtime manager] Kenny Laguna; that's never gonna change."

Cherie explained that the chances of THE RUNAWAYS reuniting are very slim "because Lita and Joan don't see eye to eye." She added: "I really hoped it would happen, but now I absolutely believe it will not… Unless there's a miracle on Joan and Lita's side, which I doubt. But I can't control people. And it's too bad because it could have been great."

Currie reflected on the one time that a RUNAWAYS reunion almost happened more than 25 years ago, saying: Joan wanted to do it. Lita approached me and Sandy back in 1997 and had us get Joan on board, and Joan said, 'Okay. Let's do it.' And Kenny went out of his way, got a record deal; we were gonna book a tour. And then the first telephone conversation with all of us, Lita just went completely off the rails and said, 'Nah, I'm not doing this,' because she hates Kenny so much. And then they made me call Lita, and Lita just said, 'I'm a household name. I don't need this bullshit.' I said, 'Please do it for Sandy West, Lita. Do it for Sandy.' And she wouldn't. And for that I will never forgive Lita. Because Sandy really, really could have used a boost. But people are selfish in this life. I don't know why people are so self-consumed and so selfish. But Lita was very selfish when she did that and did not consider Sandy whatsoever. And here we lost her just seven years later."

When Syrjälä told Currie that Ford said in a previous interview that it was Jett who ultimately decided against a RUNAWAYS reunion, Cherie said: "No, she's wrong. It was [Lita who decided against it] first. She brought it all together. She stopped it. And then Joan didn't wanna do it [when it was brought up again later]. It's, like, you know what, Lita… Lita was the one that started the whole thing. She should have followed through, but she didn't. And so she can't blame Joan for that. Even though I'm not a hundred percent on the 'rah-rah, Joan' fan club anymore, I call it the way it is. And Lita really… She started it. We were there. And she walked. So she has no right to say anything anymore."

Six months ago, Currie told "Waste Some Time With Jason Green" about the possibility of a RUNAWAYS reunion: "Joan uses the excuse that we're not teenagers anymore, we're not THE RUNAWAYS anymore [as to why she doesn't want to do it]. But to me, I think it's incredibly selfish. You do things for the fans, and when you start thinking that you're doing things for yourself after all these years of being successful in this business… I really think that both Lita and Joan owe it to the fans. But that's just me."

Cherie went on to say that she has "always been ready" to take part in a RUNAWAYS reunion. "But I didn't even consider such a thing until Lita reached out to me in '97 and asked me and Sandy to talk Joan into it," she explained. "And we did. And then right when we had the record deal and the tour and everything that Kenny had put together, Lita walked. Just from one conversation. We had a conference call with me and Sandy and Joan and Lita and Kenny, and Lita just couldn't stand hearing the sound of Kenny's voice, and she just said, 'You know what? I'm out.' And that was it. And then she came back again after THE RUNAWAYS movie, [and then] Joan says, 'No. I don't wanna do it.' And it's just crazy, because it's the same bullshit that I went through with these girls when I was a teenager. It's just kind of, like, 'Wow.' I don't know what to say; I just don't. It's frustrating because I know it would have been amazing to do. And it's frustrating. You can't make people do something they don't wanna do."

Currie added: "I have stood on that stage as an adult in my late 50s… with Lita, and with Joan as well, and it was really like time had stopped every time I had gotten on stage with those two. It's just too bad we could never have done it together, 'cause it would have absolutely been amazing."

The first true girl band of the 1970s, THE RUNAWAYS toured internationally and made a dent in the charts before calling it quits at the end of that decade.

In November 2018, Ford told the Daily Mail that a reunion of THE RUNAWAYS will probably never happen. She explained: "Joan Jett is very much in 'Joan Jett land,' I guess you could say. Will she ever come out of Joan Jett land? I don't think so. I think her manager controls that and it's really up to him and her. It seems to me like Joan Jett's manager just runs her life in every way, shape, or form. He's very controlling and he has a real problem with me. He has a real issue with me. He sees me as a threat, which is ridiculous, because she's like my sister and I love Joan. It's ridiculous, it's uncalled for, and it's caused a little bit of rivalry between her and I, which is totally uncalled for. It's his fault."

Ford claimed that Jett's manager has prevented her from even talking about a RUNAWAYS reunion with Jett.

"The hard part is just trying to communicate with Joan without her manager involved," she added.

"We had dinner a couple of years ago, what was supposed to be a girl's night out, and she brought her manager with her.

"So it's like, "Dude, answer the question. I'm trying to ask you a question. Are you interested in putting THE RUNAWAYS back together?' She never answered the question."

In a 2015 interview with the WHMH (Rockin' 101) radio station, Lita explained that she decided against a possible RUNAWAYS reunion in the early '90s because "NIRVANA was just kicking in, and it was really bad timing; it wouldn't have worked. People would have just turned their nose up at it."

A movie about THE RUNAWAYS' brief history, starring Dakota Fanning as Currie and Kristin Stewart as Jett, came out in 2010.



Well it's not every day you get to see Cherie Currie sing Cherry Bomb up close and live! Amazing.

Posted by Jim Ferguson on Sunday, August 13, 2023



RAVE TO THE GRAVE! (Houston Horror Film Fest - AFTER PARTY (Saturday) Cherie Currie LIVE!

Posted by Houston Horror Film Festival on Saturday, August 12, 2023

Meeting Cherie Currie of The Runaways at the Houston Horror Film Festival. I originally saw her perform alongside Joan...

Posted by David Welling on Sunday, August 13, 2023

Cherie Currie of the Runnaways!🥰l🍒 And she said i was fucking gorgeous😳
Im about to faint🤣 #cherrybomb #Houston Horror Film festival

Posted by Julie Ann Campos on Friday, August 11, 2023

RAVE TO THE GRAVE! (Houston Horror Film Fest - AFTER PARTY (Saturday)

NIGHT 2
SATURDAY, AUGUST 12th, 2023
9pm...

Posted by Houston Horror Film Festival on Saturday, June 17, 2023

The Houston Horror Film Fest - (August 11th - 13th, 2023) STARTS TODAY!

Event Info:

EVENT HOURS:
Vendor & Celebrity...

Posted by Houston Horror Film Festival on Friday, August 11, 2023

Seattle rock band CANDLEBOX will release its final studio album, "The Long Goodbye", on Friday, August 25 via Round Hill Records. The LP's latest single, "What Do You Need", co-written by Nick Brown of the alt-rock band MONA, who also appears on the track, can be streamed below.

Celebrating 30 years of success, CANDLEBOX is capping off their long and influential career with "The Long Goodbye". The new 10-track collection, produced by Don Miggs, finds the group taking stock of evolving maturity, fleeting time, and lasting love, all while kicking a lot of ass. In addition to the hard-rocking lead single "Punks", "The Long Goodbye" includes the moody, atmospheric "Elegante", where frontman and songwriter Kevin Martin dives headlong into creative wordplay as Miggs and the band mimic a synth-pop vibe with guitars and drums. Elsewhere is the acoustic "Maze" and "Cellphone Jesus", where Kevin allows some of his worldview to seep in as he searches for a sign from above for a damaged society.

CANDLEBOX — Kevin Martin (lead vocals),Adam Kury (bass),Brian Quinn (guitar),Island Styles (guitar),BJ Kerwin (drums) — is currently on the road on their farewell tour, crossing the country until early fall with fellow rockers 3 DOORS DOWN as direct support on their massive "Away From The Sun" amphitheater tour in addition to various headlining shows.

Emerging from Seattle's burgeoning mid-1990s grunge scene, CANDLEBOX quickly found mainstream success with their deep, lyrically driven melodies and big radio hooks, as evidenced by their massive hits "Far Behind", "You" and "Cover Me" that propelled their self-titled debut album, a defining record of the decade, to sell more than four million copies worldwide. Their follow-up album, "Lucy", earned a platinum certification and solidified CANDLEBOX as a tour de force in the thriving alt-rock scene. While the commercial success of the first album played a pivotal role in the band's trajectory to the top, it was their raw and unapologetically honest live performances that ultimately solidified their place among Seattle's elite. In 1998, CANDLEBOX released "Happy Pills", which would be their last album before going on hiatus from 2000 to 2006. In 2008, the band reformed and released their fourth album, "Into The Sun", and hit the road for the first time in 10 years, touring extensively and releasing "Alive In Seattle", a live album that included tracks from every era of their career. 2016 marked the triumphant return of CANDLEBOX with the release of "Disappearing In Airports", a more classic rock-tinged album hailed by many critics and fans as their best work in years. Singles "Vexatious" and "Supernova" drove the album to debut at #9 on the Billboard charts and spurred multiple U.S. and international tours, including major festival appearances at Carolina Rebellion, Welcome To Rockville and Lollapalooza Chile. While these iconic rockers have been blazing full steam since, releasing their album "Wolves" in 2021, and recently issuing a live, acoustic album, "Live At The Neptune", Kevin and CANDLEBOX are calling it quits in 2023, but they're not going quietly.

"The Long Goodbye" is ultimately a statement record, a document of a band that somehow survived an era that tragically proved too seductive for some of their peers to remain not only successful, but relevant. And after CANDLEBOX wraps it all up at the end of the year, the hits will still live on, along with a legacy that serves to inspire the young punks who come after them.

"The Long Goodbye" track listing:

01. Punks
02. What Do You Need (featuring Mona)
03. Elegante
04. I Should Be Happy
05. Nails On A Chalkboard
06. Ugly
07. Maze
08. Cellphone Jesus
09. Foxy
10. Hourglass

Photo credit: Graham Fielder

GRETA VAN FLEET singer Josh Kiszka has told Rolling Stone in a new interview that he was apprehensive about the reaction he might get to his heartfelt Instagram post about the "loving, same-sex relationship" he's been in for eight years. "I was really concerned. I felt like, 'Well, I'm going to have a target on my back,'" he said. "You really feel that way, which is unfortunate, but it's true."

Much to his delight, "Everything had been met with love and acceptance and humility and respect, and that was a huge wave of reassurance that things are moving in the right direction," Kiszka added. "As a performer and as an entertainer, a huge weight was lifted. Because ultimately as an artist or just as a person, we all want to be understood to some degree."

Josh also addressed the fact that during GRETA VAN FLEET's July 24 performance at the Bridgestone Arena in the band's adopted hometown of Nashville, rainbow lights flashed across the stage and the crowd began wildly waving their Pride flags in support of the singer.

"The fact that that many people could communicate and coordinate to make that happen was extraordinary," he said. "It was really difficult for me to keep it together, and this sounds very deep, but the song took on new meaning in that moment. I explained to the audience that I hope that maybe one day it'll be irrelevant when [I'm singing] 'Hate bound by fear will unwind.' When you say words like that, you realize that you're in the middle of a movement."

More than 525 anti-LGBTQ bills have been introduced in 41 states so far in 2023 and more than 75 signed into law.

Most of the anti-LGBTQ policies are concentrated in the southern U.S., including in such states as Texas, Florida, Tennessee, Alabama, South Dakota and Montana.

Tennessee governor Bill Lee in February had signed the bill passed by the state's assembly that aimed to restrict drag performances. The bill restricted "adult cabaret performances" in public or in the presence of children, and banned them from occurring within 1,000 feet of schools, public parks, or places of worship.

Permuted Press has announced Jimi And Me: The Experience Of A Lifetime, a remarkable memoir by a confidant of Jimi Hendrix who has never shared the details of their special collaborative relationship until now, to be published on December 5. Pre-order here.





As an aspiring writer in the late 1960s, Stathakis found himself collaborating with Jimi Hendrix on a film script, forging a unique bond that would forever change his life. Through their friendship, Stathakis became a fly on the wall, privy to Hendrix's most intimate moments and conversations. Now, for the first time ever, Stathakis shares his extraordinary experiences in "Jimi And Me," offering readers an exclusive glimpse into the private world of this iconic artist.




Jimi And Me: The Experience Of A Lifetime is a must-read for music enthusiasts, Hendrix fans, and anyone seeking a deeper understanding of the man behind the legend. Stathakis's vivid storytelling, combined with the never-before-seen photographs, offers a fresh and authentic perspective on Hendrix's life, his struggles, and his enduring legacy.

In a new interview with Bloodstock TV's Oran O'Beirne, guitarist Mårten Hagström of Swedish experimental extreme metallers MESHUGGAH was asked if it's true that he has two or three albums' worth of material written for a possible solo project. The guitarist said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That doesn't cut it. I've got more. But censorship aside though, if I wanted to really boil it down to something, I don't know how much was gonna be left."

Asked why he has yet to make a solo album, Mårten said: "I'm a coward. Fredrik [Thordendal, guitar] and all the other guys — Dick's [Lövgren, bass] got his own stuff and Fred's doing his own stuff and even Jens [Kidman, vocals] released the CALIPASH demo stuff. I've never done stuff like that, and I'm intrigued."

Elaborating on his reasons for not pursuing any projects outside his main band, Hagström said: "MESHUGGAH takes a lot of time. I mean, I wrote most of the last album [2022's 'Immutable'], so I didn't have a lot of time to [work on anything else].

"It's exhausting to pour your emotions into music and then have it judged by other people," he explained. "And having to do it on your own? I'm 52. I don't give a fuck anymore. I can like just do it for fun, but I wanted to make it proper. And I wanted to make it so that it doesn't come as a Mårten Hagström solo album thing. I wanna just [do it when it feels right]."

MESHUGGAH will return to U.S. and Canadian stages for a nineteen-date tour this fall. Produced by Live Nation, the journey will commence on November 21 in San Diego, California and run through December 16 in Laval, Quebec. The tour marks the first time in five years that the band has played Canadian soil. Support will be provided by special guests IN FLAMES and WHITECHAPEL. The final show will also include the addition of VOIVOD.

MESHUGGAH's ninth studio album, "Immutable", was released in May 2022 via Atomic Fire. The follow-up to 2016's "The Violent Sleep Of Reason" was recorded at Sweetspot Studios in Halmstad, Sweden; mixed by Rickard Bengtsson and Staffan Karlsson; and mastered by multiple Grammy Award winner Vlado Meller (METALLICA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE, RED HOT CHILI PEPPERS, SYSTEM OF A DOWN). Visionary artist Luminokaya once again created the stunning cover artwork.

MESHUGGAH completed its first pandemic-era U.S. tour in September and October 2022.

One of the finest-ever British metal vocalists, GRIM REAPER frontman Steve Grimmett, tragically passed away on August 15, 2022. He was 62 years young. To celebrate Steve's life, a group of his friends got together and recorded a new version of "See You In Hell". The players are renowned YouTuber Steve Stine (who also made the GRIMSTINE album with Grimmett) on guitar; Brian Hollenbeck (HAIRBALL) on bass; Joel Stevenett (a top session player) on drums; GRIM REAPER founder, riff writer and guitarist Nick Bowcott on guitar; and Tim "Ripper" Owens (JUDAS PRIEST, ICED EARTH, KK'S PRIEST) on vocals. It also features Steve's son and daughter, Russ and Sami Grimmett, on backing vocals.

"This no-brainer idea was hatched by Steve Stine and myself shortly after our mutual friends tragic passing," recalls Bowcott. "It was the obvious tribute to Steve Grimmett's incredible voice and legacy. Recruiting Brian and Joel as the rhythm section was also a no-brainer; not only are they great players, they'd also already played with the us on several 'Quarantine Jams' with Steve Grimmett singing — including a cover of 'Heaven And Hell' which has earned over 680,000 views on Facebook thus far. As far as vocals? Tim was my first and only call. Not only was he a good friend of Mr. Grimmett's (they did a THREE TREMORS tour together),he also possesses the same incredible levels of power, tone and vocal range that Steve had. In fact, the first time I played with Tim reminded me of the first time I jammed with Steve G — I was so blown away with what I heard that I nearly stopped playing! Thankfully, Ripper was only too happy to do it and boy did he deliver…. the goods (sorry, couldn't resist!)."

Nick continued: "We all recorded and filmed our part remotely in different parts of America and then a rough mix was sent over to England for Sami and Russ to record their backing vocals. Then, after Steve Stine mixed it, we spent a long time gathering up photos of Steve G that would make up the bulk of the celebration/tribute video. Having done that, the whole thing was expertly edited together by Ryan Sanders. We then decided to sit on it and unleash it on the first anniversary of our dear friend's passing, as both a celebration and a tribute.

"When Steve and myself co-wrote 'See You In Hell' over 40 years ago, we had no idea that it would change our lives to the extent it did. We also couldn't have imagined in even our wildest dreams that it would still resonate with so many people over four decades later. I sincerely hope that this heartfelt effort does Steve's legacy justice as he was not only a great singer — he also happened to be a wonderful father, son, and husband. He was a great friend to many too: in fact, he was one of the kindest, gentlest, and modest men I've ever been fortunate enough to meet. And, as an added bonus, he was funny too!

"Rest in peace, Steve, my friend…and thank you. Your memory, music and mirth will always live on."

Steve's passing came five years after he had his right leg partially amputated when an infected wound on his foot spread to the bones in his leg partway through his South American tour.

Grimmett's life-saving surgery in 2017 was carried out in Ecuador and the frontman was in hospital for just over a month while fans raised $14,000 to bring him home after his insurance company refused to pay because of the type of work he was doing.

GRIM REAPER's story began in 1979 after successfully fighting off hundreds of bands in a local Battle Of The Bands competition. This win, combined with an already sizeable following, aroused the interest of Ebony Records. Signing with the small U.K. label, GRIM REAPER released three albums in rapid succession to international acclaim. Due to legal turmoil with Ebony, GRIM REAPER would disband in 1988. Grimmett would go on to record with ONSLAUGHT, LIONSHEART and more recently THE SANITY DAYS. His renowed vocal range remains one of metal's most identifiable with loyal fans turning out in numbers to hear him perform.

GRIM REAPER was part of the "Hell On Wheels" tour which crossed the States in 1987, alongside ARMORED SAINT and HELLOWEEN.

Grimmett reformed GRIM REAPER in 2006 as STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER following an amicable decision between the singer and Bowcott, who both agreed that using the original name minus the other members of the classic lineup wouldn't be a proper reunion.

STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER released two studio albums, 2016's "Walking In The Shadows" and 2019's "At The Gates".

Since 2006, STEVE GRIMMETT'S GRIM REAPER had made a number of European festival appearances and toured all around the world.

Early last year, Steve told VWMusic that he had "no regrets whatsoever" about how his career panned out. "I should by rights be a millionaire, but I haven't got a penny to my name," he revealed. "I'm on welfare at the moment because of COVID, and a lot of people do think that I am a millionaire, but I can tell you now, I'm not. I've never received a penny — not one penny — from GRIM REAPER, so that says it all, doesn't it? But still, no regrets. I still love getting up there and playing. I still love watching the smiling faces in front of me. That says it all and does it all for me."

In a new podcast interview with KAOSIS frontman Xen, original SLIPKNOT singer Anders Colsefni was asked if he would be open to recording a new song with his former band if he was approached about it. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, absolutely. If they contacted me and wanted me to do something, yeah, why not?"

Asked to name his favorite SLIPKNOT song since he exited the group, Anders said: "To be honest with you, I'm gonna say 'Wait And Bleed', the very first one that hit right after I left. And it's the one that I would have thought that I would have hated the most, just because of my circumstances. But that song, when I heard it, I'm, like, 'That's it. I couldn't have done that like that. So kudos to you, guys.' So 'Wait And Bleed'."

This past June, it was announced that Colsefni will perform SLIPKNOT's independently released debut effort "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." in full on tour this year.

Anders will team up with former MUSHROOMHEAD vocalist Waylon Reavis for the co-headline "Numetal Mayhem" trek, set to take place in Australia and New Zealand in October.

Asked by Xen if there are any plans to take the tour to other parts of the world, including the U.S. and Europe, Anders said: "Nothing planned yet, but I'm not gonna say nothing will happen because I really hope something will."

A short time after the "Numetal Mayhem" tour announcement, SLIPKNOT's longtime singer Corey Taylor took to his Twitter to share a Kerrang! article about the trek, and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Really wish I could be there to see these shows, but I know @anderscolsefni is going to crush them."

Colsefni later released a statement to BLABBERMOUTH.NET in which he vowed to perform the "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." material with the "same level of aggression and volatility" as he did when the songs were first written while acknowledging that he has grown as a singer and performer since his early days with SLIPKNOT.

Anders said: "As many of you are aware, I am not big on social media or talking in the press but with the growing amount of interest in my forthcoming tour of Australia and New Zealand, I feel it is time to issue a statement.

"My performances as part of this tour are dedicated to my fallen brothers, [late SLIPKNOT members] Joey [Jordison, drums] and Paul [Gray, bass]. I miss you both dearly. I will be drawing on you both to deliver these songs to our fans with the same level of aggression and volatility that we did together 27 years ago.

"I'd like to acknowledge the vast outpouring of support from my fans all over the world. It has been extremely touching to know how much faith you have had in me for all these years. I will do you all proud.

"I will endeavor to keep the set as authentic to the emotions and sentiments of which they are written but I will deliver them as I am now, not the kid I once was. Since these songs were written almost three decades ago, I have had many great opportunities in various bands to hone my vocal abilities, and stagecraft and to grow as a person.

"In response to Corey's well wishes I'd like to say 'Thank you'. It may come as a surprise to many maggots, but it is actually Corey who I have maintained an ongoing friendship since my departure from the band. There has only ever been a kinship between us. I consider Corey a true brother and he has always had my back, and I his.

"Thank you all again for your adoration and support and I look forward to delivering Australasia 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' for the first time ever. Long live the KNOT."

Colsefni, Gray, Jordison and Shawn "Clown" Crahan first performed under the name SLIPKNOT in April 1996 at the Safari Club in Des Moines. Not long after, Mick Thomson and Craig Jones joined the band and the trajectory of modern metal was changed forever.

SLIPKNOT erupted on the local metal scene and by October 1996 they delivered "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.". This LP became the foundation of what in now SLIPKNOT's twenty-five-year legacy.

Anders will deliver the entire "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." record from start to finish. This is the first time this record has been heard live in 27 years and it may be the only time it will ever get played live again.

In his original statement announcing the tour, Colsefni said: "Ever since Xen [KAOSIS singer] called me and let me know we were on for the tour, I have been training every day, not just vocals but kickboxing and cardio. I am fit, strong and ready to tear Australasia apart! I am psyched to pull this record out of the crypt and deliver it again... probably for the last time ever."

Anders has compiled a heavy-as-hell backing band he has dubbed THE FEEDERS.

Back in 2019, Colsefni said that he had no interest in rejoining SLIPKNOT.

The prospect of Anders returning to SLIPKNOT was broached by Taylor after a fan suggested on Twitter that SLIPKNOT bring back Anders as the replacement for the then-recently departed percussionist Chris Fehn. Corey replied: "Fuck I would LOVE that."

On March 23, 2019, Colsefni shot down the possibility of a renewed collaboration with his former bandmates, writing on his Facebook page: "I'm going to take away the uncomfortable conversations that SLIPKNOT might have regarding myself and reported band vacancy by saying: I will NOT be rejoining SLIPKNOT.

"It is certainly not for any animosity I have. I simply don't know those guys anymore. I generally give those I don't know the benefit of the doubt.

"I've spent the last 27 years (through each and every band) working concrete construction to support my family but still allow time for my 'real job.'

"After many years of failed bands, failed marriages, and plenty of others, I've settled into an occupation that I can retire from. I'm gonna need the bennies — my body is going to shit!

"As much as I had dreamed of rejoining my creation (shut up — I know it's a different band now!),it is not enough of a dream anymore to risk being homeless when the tour is over!"

Colsefni, one of the founding members of SLIPKNOT alongside percussionist Shawn "The Clown" Crahan, contributed lead vocals to "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.". A short time after leaving the band the following year, Anders went on to form PAINFACE, which later evolved into ON A PALE HORSE.

In a 2011 interview with Dose Of Metal, Colsefni was asked about the reasons for his departure from SLIPKNOT. He explained: "Corey was a much better singer than I, so they brought Corey in to 50/50 the vocals with me (with him being the actual frontman) while I also continued with the drums and percussion. Corey would do the clean singing and I was to add the screaming and yelling. I tried for two months, but after the shock of all this, I couldn't 'feel it' anymore. I just felt like an idiot flopping around onstage with a ridiculous outfit, acting like a caveman. Depression. So, I shaved my eyebrows off before my last show, and announced I was done after we played 'Heartache And A Pair of Scissors' for the closing tune."

Asked what he thinks about his former bandmates labeling "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." just a demo, he said "If the band did not get a record deal, 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' would have been their first official release. Since they had progressed musically since 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' (or steadied the craziness a bit) and got a nice contract advance, they chose the right thing and started fresh. Every album I've ever been on has technically been a 'demo,' so it doesn't bother me a bit. Even the full-length ones. 'Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat.' has become somewhat legendary, even with its flaws, so it was one hell of a demo."

Jordinson died "peacefully in his sleep" in July 2021 of an unspecified cause. He was 46 years old.

SLIPKNOT announced its split with Jordison in December 2013 but did not disclose the reasons for his exit. The drummer subsequently issued a statement saying that he did not quit the group.

Gray was found dead in May 2010 after overdosing on drugs in a hotel room in a suburb of Des Moines, Iowa, where he and SLIPKNOT were based.

Anders Colsefni image courtesy of "The Endless" video / Ravenscape Photo And Design

Marty Friedman rejoined MEGADETH on stage for the second time in six months on August 4 at the Wacken Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany. The guitarist performed four songs with his former band: "Trust", "Tornado Of Souls", "Symphony Of Destruction" and "Holy Wars... The Punishment Due".

Earlier today (Tuesday, August 15),MEGADETH guitarist Kiko Loureiro shared a new 10-minute video on his YouTube channel featuring behind-the-scenes footage from Marty's latest reunion with MEGADETH. Check it out below.

MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine teased Friedman's appearance ahead of the Wacken performance, writing on social media: "Wacken! Make sure to head over to the faster stage. We have a special surprise for you. You're not going to want to miss it."

Prior to this year's Wacken, Friedman's most recent appearance with MEGADETH took place in late February during the band's first-ever gig at Tokyo, Japan's famed Budokan. Friedman came up on stage for three songs toward the end of MEGADETH's main set: "Countdown To Extinction", "Tornado Of Souls" and "Symphony Of Destruction".

Asked in a recent interview with The Aquarian Weekly what it was like to play with MEGADETH again, Marty said: "It was wonderful. What I think is great about MEGADETH is that being a legacy act, there's also new kids discovering them, and then they discover you and look to see what you're doing now, so they get that experience of Marty Friedman as well.

"I've always been rooting for MEGADETH and they really did great," he continued. "A lot of the things that they did in my absence led them to a very, very good place, and a lot because of Dave's effort and the bandmembers' efforts. When they made it to Budokan, I was just so glad to hear that. Then they offered me to play and it was just the cherry on top. I had such a great time playing with them. It was something that the fans enjoyed as much as I did."

Marty also reflected on the experience of performing with MEGADETH at Bodokan in a separate interview with The Entertainment Outlet. He said about sharing the stage with Mustaine again: "It was great. It was something that Dave and I both wanted from day one, and we got it. There was just a lot of good feelings in that building that night — not just between us, but you could see in the audience, there was just something different about it. People were screaming, they were crying, they were smiling. It was a little bit different reaction from a normal show. And it was a great moment, I think."

In late February, Marty hinted at another potential MEGADETH performance, telling Guitar World: "We [MEGADETH and Friedman] are both playing at Wacken Open Air festival in Germany this summer, so you never know."

Friedman also revealed that the biggest challenge he faced during his Budokan appearance with MEGADETH was performing his guitar solos the same way fans remember from his original stint with the band.

"If there was any challenge at all, I guess it would be playing the solos the way the fans remember them, which is something I wanted to do," Friedman noted. "My playing has evolved so much since those songs came out, and there are so many nuances I would naturally do differently now. I had to resist the urge to play it like I would in 2023 and stick to the original way. For example, in a couple of those songs, I entered the solo on the downbeat, with the first note being the root of the chord. I would definitely avoid both of those things now, but apparently, I was fine with it back then."

A couple of days before the Guitar World interview, Marty was asked by Consequence if he would be open to playing with MEGADETH again, either onstage or in the studio. "Yeah, man, the door's open," he said. "I think the door has always been open. It's really just a matter of doing something that has meaning to it. Meaning for them and meaning for me. So, Budokan is sort of a no-brainer. But if something were to come up that would be a good thing for them and a good thing for me, and add value to it, then I'm all for it. As far as I'm concerned, their band is just kicking so much ass right now, I can't imagine them needing me for anything. [Laughs] But Budokan was wonderful. There's other things in the future. My door's open and we're on great terms, and I love all the guys in the band. It's very casual."

As death metal icons, Incantation, prepare the masses for their new album, Unholy Deification, set for release via Relapse Records on August 25, today the band shares the record’s third single, “Invocation (Chthonic Merge) X”, and its accompanying video. Watch below:





Edified over three-plus decades of experience, Unholy Deification is Incantation’s thirteenth full-length album. Validated by peers seasoned and new, Incantation is more vital than ever. The lineup, featuring founding guitarist/vocalist John McEntee, drummer Kyle Severn, bassist Chuck Sherwood, and guitarist Luke Shively, displays death metal know-how and the power of determination.




Lyrically, Unholy Deification originates with Sherwood. An avid reader and occult logician, the Incantation bassist wanted to capture a fully realized concept of evolution through enlightenment. Expect thought-provoking, historically derived intellection. The mortal-to-deity narrative interacts with the merciless musical conflagration of hard-hitting tracks such as "Concordat (The Pact) I," "Homunculus (Spirit Made Flesh) IX," and "Invocation (Chthonic Merge) X". Make no mistake - the ferocious new album, featuring guests Jeff Beccera (Possessed), Henry Veggian (ex-Revenant), and Dan Vadim Von (Morbid Angel), is pure death metal.


Incantation's sepulchral pandemonium is visually enhanced by award-winning artist and longstanding collaborator Eliran Kantor (Immolation, Kreator, Cavalera, and more.) The end result is an interpretation of Italian Renaissance masters but thrust into Incantation's cauldron of chromatic malice.


Physical Unholy Deification pre-orders are available via Relapse.com here. Digital downloads/streaming are available here.





Unholy Deification tracklisting:


"Offerings (The Swarm) IV"
"Concordat (The Pact) I"
"Chalice (Vessel Consanguineous) VIII"
"Homunculus (Spirit Made Flesh) IX"
"Invocation (Chthonic Merge) X"
"Megaron (Sunken Chamber) VI"
"Convulse (Words Of Power) III"
"Altar (Unify In Carnage) V"
"Exile (Defy The False) II"
"Circle (Eye of Ascension) VII"


“Homunculus (Spirit Made Flesh) IX” lyric video:





"Concordat (The Pact) I" video:





(Photo - Scott Kinkade)

Alice Cooper's new album, Road, will be released on August 25 via earMUSIC in a wide variety of formats and limited vinyl colours. Complementing the album’s theme, the bonus DVD/Blu-ray comes with Alice Cooper’s full live show at Hellfest 2022 and includes all the classics and rarely played gems. Check out "School's Out" from the set, below:





Produced by longtime collaborator Bob Ezrin, Road was written, composed and recorded with Alice's trusted, longtime bandmates - Ryan Roxie [guitar], Chuck Garric [bass], Tommy Henrikson [guitar], Glen Sobel [drums], and Nita Strauss [guitar]. Road channels the spirit of old school Alice with instantly recognizable grit and plenty of gusto. It’s everything you’d hope for from him and more.




“For Road, I wanted the band to be involved in the foundation of all the songs,” says Alice. “I only see these guys when we’re on the road. So, I wanted them to be as tight as they are for the show but on all new material. When you have a band this good, I believe in showing it off, and this is my way of doing so.”


The album opener and first single, “I’m Alice”, sets the tone for the album with its driving drumbeat as guitars wail in the distance. Alice’s instantly recognizable rasp takes hold, “I know you’re looking for a real good time. So, let me introduce you to a friend of mine. I’m Alice. I’m the Master of Madness; the Sultan of Surprise...so don’t be afraid, just look into my eyes.”


Pre-order your copy of Road at AliceCooper.com.





Road tracklisting:


"I'm Alice"
"Welcome To The Show"
"All Over The World"
"Dead Don't Dance"
"Go Away"
"White Line Frankenstein"
"Big Boots"
"Rules Of The Road"
"The Big Goodbye"
"Road Rats Forever"
"Baby Please Don't Go"
"100 More Miles"


"Welcome To The Show":





"White Line Frankenstein" video:





"I'm Alice" video:





Rock City Music Company, earMusic, WCSX / WRIF and Alice Cooper are teaming up to bring his new album, Road, to life with an exclusive in-store signing set for 4 PM ON September 4. Fans will have the chance to meet Alice Cooper and have their copy of Road signed in person.


Alice Cooper - "I’m coming to Detroit, and of course, that’s my hometown and the home of hard rock,  so, with the Road album just released the week before, I can’t think of a better place to  do an in-store album signing than the Motor City! So, all of you Detroiters come out and  see me and we’ll rock a little bit together!"


Alice will only be signing copies of Road and a ticket must be purchased to participate in the signing event. Due to time constraints, there will be no photos permitted with Alice. Tickets are available to purchase at RockCityMusicCo.com via Eventbrite.

Multi-platinum hard rock icons Extreme - Gary Cherone (vocals), Nuno Bettencourt (guitar), Pat Badger (bass), and Kevin Figueiredo (drums) - have released a static video for "Small Town Beautiful", a track from their new album, SIX, out now via earMusic. Check it out below:





SIX was recorded at Nuno Bettencourt’s home studio in Los Angeles. The album swings between unapologetic fits of fret-burning hard rock and intimately introspective balladry. Order SIX here.







SIX tracklisting:


"Rise"
"#Rebel"
"Banshee"
"Other Side of the Rainbow"
"Small Town Beautiful"
"The Mask"
"Thicker Than Blood"
"Save Me"
"Hurricane"
"X Out"
"Beautiful Girls"
"Here's To The Losers"


“Other Side Of The Rainbow” video:





"Banshee" video:





"#Rebel" video:





"Rise" video:





Extreme's headlining “Thicker Than Blood” world tour kicked off in the US earlier this month. It will be followed by stops in Australia and Japan in September and has already sold-out dates in cities including Detroit, Hampton Beach, Tokyo and Yokohama. The band also announced an additional jaunt beginning November 27 in Newcastle, UK and wrapping December 16 in Milan, IT.


Special guests Living Colour (who will also be supporting Extreme on their US and Australian shows) will appear on the UK leg and The Last Internationale will appear across Europe. Tickets  at extreme-band.com.





Tour dates:


August
15 - Milwaukee, WI - Pabst Theater #
17 - Gary, IN - Hard Rock Live #
18 - Minneapolis, MN - Skyway Theatre #
19 - Cedar Rapids, IA - The Paramount #
21 - Denver, CO - The Ogden #
22 - Albuquerque, NM - Revel Entertainment Center #
24 - Anaheim, CA - House of Blues #
26 - San Francisco, CA - The Regency #
28 - Portland, OR - TBD #
29 - Seattle, WA - The Showbox #


September
6 - Perth, AU - Regal Theatre #
8 - Adelaide, AU - Hindley Street Music Hall #
10 - Melbourne, AU - Forum #
12 - Sydney, AU - Enmore Theatre #
13 - Brisbane, AU - Fortitude Music Hall #
17 - Sendai, JP - Sendai Gigs
19 - Yokohama, JP - KT Zepp Yokohama
21 - Tokyo, JP - Hitomi Memorial Hall
25 - Nagoya, JP - Shimin Kaikan Hall
26 - Osaka, JP - Zepp Namba





November
27 - Newcastle, UK - O2 City Hall #
28 - Glasgow, UK - O2 Academy #
30 - Manchester, UK - O2 Academy #


December
1 - Wolverhampton, UK - Civic Hall #
3 - Bristol, UK - O2 Academy #
4 - London, UK - O2 Forum #
8 - Pratteln, Switzerland - Z7 Konzertfabrik *
10 - Berlin, Germany - Huxleys *
11 - Cologne, Germany - Live Music Hall *
12 - Amsterdam, Netherlands - Melkweg Max *
14 - Antwerp, Belgium - Trix *
16 - Milan, Italy - Alcatraz *


# with Living Colour
* with The Last Internationale

Australia's extreme metal titans, Thy Art Is Murder, have revealed turbulent new single, "Blood Throne", taken from the band's forthcoming album, Godlike, out September 15 via Human Warfare. Pre-order Godlike here, and watch the video below.


"AND SO THEY ROT!!" growls a menacing CJ McMahon as he ushers in "Blood Throne" with a maniacal glint in his eye. From here, Thy Art Is Murder blast open the ninth circle of hell with a potent mix of mayhem and force designed to galvanize us into overthrowing the evil that reigns on the Blood Throne.


Guitarist Andy Marsh offers, "As we started work on 'Blood Throne,' we aimed to harness the same visceral energy that drove 'Death Squad Anthem' while pushing our boundaries to craft something unique. Kicking things off with a break beat groove, we wanted to set the tone with a jolt to the system preparing everyone for the chaos ahead. 'Blood Throne' embodies our attempt at creative anthemic power and groove spiraling into a reflection of oppressive organizations and regimes that profit and thrive on the toil and pain of the marginalized. Throughout our career, we have confronted these themes head on with the aim of igniting a fire within each listener and inspiring the collective strength to challenge the dominion of those who perpetuate suffering."







Thy Art Is Murder ascended the ranks of extreme metal's top-tier bands with a meteoric underground rise as explosive as humankind's seemingly inevitable descent into doom and death. With their new album, Godlike, Australia's most harrowingly brutal export since George Miller's Mad Max franchise invites audiences worldwide to join them in a fresh Armageddon.


The sixth explosive album in the band's arsenal, Godlike cements Thy Art Is Murder as death metal's modern torchbearers. A soundtrack to a divisive post-modern dystopia, Godlike sees Thy Art Is Murder explore new depths and dynamics without sacrificing an ounce of intensity or urgency the band have staked their career on.


Recorded with their longtime producer and mixer, Will Putney, across the album’s 10 nihilistic tracks Thy Art are masters of their craft as they deliver sharp stabs, guttural descents and groove with muscular athleticism and confidence. Frontman CJ McMahon gives his strongest performance ever as he belts through lyrics that thematically confront how cycles of violence continue over time and feelings of separation in a hyper-polarized world.


Thy Art Is Murder’s thinking-person’s blackened death metal has challenged, provoked and inspired audiences around the world. Through relentless hard work, Thy Art have become one of the most successful extreme metal bands Australia has ever produced, making history on their own terms. Backed by an uncompromising discography, the two-time ARIA-Award nominees have smashed chart records in their native country, becoming the first homegrown extreme metal act to debut in the Top 5 with 2017's Dear Desolation.


Their electrifying and incendiary performances have seen the band do countless laps of the globe, becoming tourmates with genre-titans like Cannibal Corpse, Slayer, Kreator, Lamb Of God, Killswitch Engage, and Parkway Drive, alongside playing crucial festivals like Summer Breeze, Download, Graspop, and Wacken.


Join Thy Art Is Murder when they enter Godlike mode this coming September.





Godlike tracklisting:


"Destroyer Of Dreams"
"Blood Throne"
"Join Me In Armageddon"
"Keres"
"Everything Unwanted"
"Lesson in Pain"
"Godlike"
"Corrosion"
"Anathema"
"Bermuda"


"Keres" video:





"Join Me In Armageddon" video:





(Photo - Third Eye Visuals)

In a recent interview with Finland's Chaoszine, GOJIRA frontman Joseph Duplantier was asked if there are specific foods or drinks that he wouldn't have before a show that he feels affect his vocal cords, and on the opposite side, something that he thinks helps him with singing. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm sure I can discover more things about that. But I feel what I need before a show and… For example, before this interview I was just slicing some avocado, 'cause avocado helps. It's healthy fats, and I like to eat a little bit of that or a banana or something that sort of sticks to your pipes. Definitely I'm not eating for three hours before a show."

He continued: "There's a lot to say about food, of course, and it's notorious that dairy is not really good before singing, for example. I don't do dairies for a long time now; I'm a vegan. I remember struggling before being vegan to manage my energy on stage. The energy level was good at first, and then the first time I screamed, I would almost pass out sometimes because I'm still digesting. Because at the beginning of our career, we were opening a lot, so we would eat and then go on stage, for example. This is very dangerous, because your body is trying to process the food, and if you wanna use your entire body to sing, as you should if you're a singer, there's gonna be a lot of things in the way and the body gets confused. And I almost fell passed out on stage multiple times because I was not done digesting.

"Also, I wanna say this on a side note, but since I quit animal products and I eat plant-based [foods] only, my energy increased by ten or a hundred," Joseph added. "I don't know, because how would I know? Every time we finish a show, I'm still full of energy and I keep going. I can keep going and going and going. And back in the day, before I changed my diet, at the end of the show, I was at the end of my life. And I was young; I was 20[-something]… Dude, I should be the opposite, right? But then I changed my diet, and now I can go anytime. Even if I eat in this three-hour window, it's gonna be super light, so it's gonna be acceptable. But if I would eat cheese or meat or heavy things, it's impossible.

"So I think although I don't have the healthiest lifestyle — I drink a few beers after the show; I'm a night owl, so I don't sleep a lot. I try to catch up on sleep in naps. But I do drink a lot of water and try to sleep as much as possible. These are my secrets — that are not secrets; everybody knows it [laughs], even for non-singers. But yeah, the diet change was crucial in my life."

Earlier this year, Joseph spoke to U.K.'s Kerrang! magazine about some of his favorite snacks on tour. He said: "Being vegan on tour used to be difficult, but it's easier these days now that I get to ask for whatever I want. [Laughs] A few years ago, when we were a little less important, I'd always have to make sure that I had olive oil and bread, so that if worst came to worst I could put some olive oil in a bowl with salt and bread. Olive oil is very important to me — I can feel it go into my joints and muscles and bones, which I really need to survive on tour. Aside from that, I eat a lot of quinoa and avocado. Maybe that's the most hipster answer ever, but it is such a healthy fat. The problem is that it doesn't grow where I live. Also, I need my coffee. I'm not a super-healthy eater. I like a lot of junk food. First and foremost, I'm vegan for the animals, but I do notice how much better it makes me feel."

Last October, GOJIRA released a new song titled "Our Time Is Now". The track appears on the soundtrack to EA Sports' long-running NHL video game franchise "NHL 23".

GOJIRA's latest album, "Fortitude", came out in April 2021 via Roadrunner Records. The follow-up to 2016's "Magma" was recorded and produced by Joseph at Silver Cord Studio — GOJIRA's Ridgewood, Queens, headquarters — and mixed by Andy Wallace (NIRVANA, RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE).

GOJIRA initially laid the foundation for "Fortitude" in 2020 with the surprise release of the single "Another World".

GOJIRA and MASTODON recently completed the first leg of "The Mega-Monsters Tour", a massive co-headline run across North America in 2023 along with special guests LORNA SHORE on all dates. The trek resumed with a second leg from August 9 through September 2.

In a new interview with Metal Edge, former MEGADETH guitarist Jeff Young spoke about his new band KINGS OF THRASH in which he is joined by another former MEGADETH member, David Ellefson (bass). KINGS OF THRASH recently completed a couple of tours during which it performed MEGADETH's classic albums "Killing Is My Business… And Business Is Good!" and "So Far, So Good… So What!" A live CD/DVD package called "Best Of The West…Live At The Whisky A Go Go" was recorded and filmed live at the legendary Whisky A Go Go in West Hollywood, California on October 15, 2022 and was released this past March via Cleopatra Records. The DVD, which was directed by Michael Sarna for Inmotion Entertainment, includes an appearance by another former MEGADETH member, Chris Poland (guitar).

"Let me put it this way: What's happening now is a win for all of us — Dave [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] included," Young told Metal Edge. "He gets to make money off the publishing from the MEGADETH songs we play. Dave knows that, so he's very aware of us."

Young continued: "He hates what KINGS OF THRASH is doing. But it doesn't matter because, eventually, we'll delete a lot of the MEGADETH from our set, and we'll keep writing new stuff. But Dave is feeling the heat because we're getting attention, and the KINGS OF THRASH album will be better than anything MEGADETH has done recently. And we're playing all the MEGADETH songs better than he has in years. It's not just me saying that — read the reviews."

This past January, Young told Ultimate Guitar that he and Ellefson had not received any feedback from Mustaine about their new band or their recent live shows. "We couldn't care less… and it's a win-win for him," Jeff said. "Because all the publishing, for example, on the 'Best Of The West', he's getting all that money. We're making him money and he doesn't have to do anything. So, we're performing the songs because they're part of our history and the fans want to hear them and we will benefit from that, and so will he, so it's a win-win. How much cooler can anything be than that? So, if he has something to say about it… I wouldn't imagine it would be very objective… not that anything he's ever said has been objective."

Jeff's recent comments were similar to those he made last year when he told Thomas S. Orwat, Jr. of the Rock Interview Series that he and Ellefson were "really not concerned" about Mustaine's reaction to KINGS OF THRASH. "I don't pay attention," he said. "I haven't really paid attention or followed MEGADETH since, I think, I heard the 'Rust In Peace' album a couple of times, and then what you might hear on the radio or in the press.

"For us, this isn't about any spite or retaliation; it's a celebration of the music that we were all a part of, that we helped create," he explained. "And it's fun for us to do this.

"People said, 'You should do this.' And we said, 'Hey, yeah, you're right. We should do this.' It's a win-win — it's a win for us, and it's a win for [Mustaine], because any performance royalties, anything… If we did include live tracks, he would make money off that. It's promoting albums that hopefully fans will go back and buy, which is putting money right in his pocket. Especially 'Killing Is My Business', I think a lot of people are gonna go back and wanna rediscover that album after this tour.

"For us, it's all about positivity," Young added. "We're all in this moment — we're living in the moment, and we're not looking beyond. We're not reading any of the comments on Blabbermouth or any of the stuff. Because we know what our intent is, and intent is everything. And our intent's positive. We like playing together. We know we're crafting original music. We're not relying on this; we don't need to ride the coattails of this. This is just something that the fans wanted, and you wanna give fans what they want."

Ellefson told Yes! You CAN Play Guitar! that the intention behind KINGS OF THRASH is not to stick it to his former bandmates. "This is a celebration, not a retaliation," he explained. "This is a good moment. This is a happy moment, to celebrate these songs and these tracks and these records. So we go at it with just fun… It's, like, 'Wow. Wouldn't it be fun if we went out and played these records?' And we're doing it. So it's meant to be this celebration and bringing people together. And honestly, that was kind of always my role in MEGADETH. Dave [Mustaine] always called me 'The Ambassador', and I was always that guy, and I am that guy. So it's, like, let me just continue that role in our community and have one of good will."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH more than two years ago after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

David was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

In 2004, Ellefson filed an $18.5-million lawsuit against Mustaine, alleging the MEGADETH leader shortchanged him on profits and backed out of a deal to turn Megadeth Inc. over to him when the band broke up in 2002. The lawsuit was eventually dismissed and Ellefson rejoined MEGADETH in 2010.

Young's entire career with MEGADETH was spent recording and touring in support of the band's 1988 platinum-selling album "So Far, So Good...So What!"

Jeff made headlines in December 2009 for accusing Mustaine of, among other things, "dissing, exaggerating and just plain lying on some level about nearly every talented musician that has passed through his dysfunctional little ensemble." He also disputed Mustaine's claim in an interview that Young's drug problem led to MEGADETH's 1988 Australian tour being called off and the group being "banned" from performing in the country.

In some recent interviews, Ellefson suggested that the upcoming original material from KINGS OF THRASH, which also includes drummer Fred Aching as well as guitarist/vocalist Chaz Leon, may be released under a different moniker. "Because, look, it doesn't have to be thrash," he told KNAC.COM. "It doesn't even have to be from a MEGADETH origin, really. Even though that was kind of the origin story, it doesn't have to sound like that. It should be us, who we are now today, I think. So, we've decided KINGS OF THRASH, for sure, is this [touring project] playing the music of yesterday. And then we're just deciding now, okay, this new music, to fit within that, should it be Jeff Young and David Ellefson doing something together? You know — ELLEFSON-YOUNG."

Fan-filmed video of PANTERA's August 12 concert at the Budweiser Stage in Toronto, Ontario, Canada can be seen below.

The band's setlist was as follows:

01. A New Level
02. Mouth For War
03. Strength Beyond Strength
04. Becoming
05. I'm Broken
06. Suicide Note Pt. II
07. 5 Minutes Alone
08. This Love
09. Fucking Hostile
10. Planet Caravan (BLACK SABBATH cover)
11. Walk
12. Domination / Hollow
13. Cowboys From Hell

Encore:

14. Slaughtered
15. Revolution Is My Name

Encore 2:

16. Yesterday Don't Mean Shit

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.

In a new interview with The Razor's Edge conducted at this past weekend's Bloodstock Open Air festival in the United Kingdom, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach was asked how important it is to him to stay true to the band's sound and style when writing new music while still adding something fresh for the fans and for the bandmembers themselves. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think it's super important. We do our best. You kind of wanna give people what they want, but you also wanna be satisfied as an artist. And I think with this record we're working on currently, 15, 14 demos in, and we're gonna be tossing out, like, four or five of them already to redo some stuff and to rethink some stuff just to make sure that everybody in the band feels like we're doing the best we can, and it does sound fresh yet familiar. So it's a challenge… You wanna please your fans, but you also wanna please yourself as an artist and as a band. So we're focusing on us first. And then my hope is that the fans will in turn be pleased with what we're doing because we are putting the effort in to ensure that it's something that isn't just a remake of something we've done before."

Also at this year's Bloodstock Open Air, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE drummer Justin Foley told Forever Loud about the status of the band's upcoming studio LP: "Yeah, we're still working on that record. Hopefully we can start getting some of it tracked fairly soon. We're just trying to do all the before work as much as possible, so when we get to the other work, it's as easy as it can possibly be. So, yeah, hopefully that will be done soon enough. And then next time we're back out here [in the U.K.], we'll have some new stuff to play."

Asked if KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist Adam Dutkiewicz will once again be in charge of the production of the band's new LP, Justin said: "Yeah. We're pretty sure that we're gonna do it with Adam and Adam's gonna be the producer. I mean, it just makes sense. He knows what we're doing. We know how to work with him. We all know how to work with each other real well, and he obviously gets the band and what we're trying to go for. So it just makes too much sense not to do."

Last week, Adam told Kerrang! magazine about the progress of the songwriting sessions for the follow-up to 2019's "Atonement" album: "We've been writing for quite some time now. Jesse has been working out some lyric ideas and demos for the last few days, actually. We've got a lot of songs kind of rolling around right now. I'm thinking about getting back into the studio after this tour and getting to work, and I'm hoping we'd like to have the record done by the end of the year. But it might take a bit longer than that, so I would assume new music next year, for sure."

Last month, Leach told Oran O'Beirne of Bloodstock TV about the band's next album: "I think we made some headway. Definitely some good ideas, some good demos. I'm revisiting some ideas. We had a great little meeting where all of us got together and listened and talked, which, to me, has been a great process. And I think it's gonna make this album a lot different than what we've done in the past, 'cause everyone sort of has their voice. We're taking more time with it. So, yeah, it is taking a bit longer but it gives me hope that the end result will be that much better because it is taking a little bit more time to do it. But I'm stoked, for sure. There's some bangers on there already."

During the same chat, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE bassist Mike D'Antonio revealed that he wasn't feeling very inspired in the early days of the coronavirus downtime. "During the pandemic, for me, I kind of wasn't able to do much at all," he said. "You'd think that that would be the best writing process, to be nervous about your future and not sure what's gonna happen next. But I was just locked in some sort of a mode where I couldn't even do graphic design; for about six to eight months, I didn't do anything. But I think after that, it definitely seemed to start flowing. Especially when we did the live gig at the Palladium [in Worcester, Massachusetts], the livestream that we did [in August 2021], that kind of helped make the juices work a little bit more. We learned a lot of songs from 'Atonement' that we actually never played live together before, so that was an experience. And I think that's what kind of jarred us into, 'Okay, let's get this thing moving again.'"

In June, Leach told Pete Bailey of Primordial Radio that the new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE album was "taking a lot longer than, I think, any of us anticipated, because there's a lot of quality control going on. And making sure that it's fresh; we're not repeating ourselves," he explained. "So that process has been a little arduous but I think necessary because we don't wanna put out something that people are gonna go, 'Oh, yeah. Another KILLSWITCH record. Whatever.'"

Regarding where he and his KILLSWITCH ENGAGE are right now with respect to the writing process, Jesse said: "We're solidifying a lot, but there's still some back-and-forth and looking at parts and rewriting the music. And then I'm revisiting a lot of the lyrics. I've actually rewritten a bunch of stuff. 'Cause we all got together and had a meeting, and all of us just kind of gave our input on everything, and I took notes. It's the first time, really, I think we've done that. But, again, I do believe that it's necessary at our stage in our career to really just kind of get all of our heads together to make sure that this record is gonna be what we all feel is a good representation of who we are right now."

On the topic of the lyrical inspiration for the new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE material, Jesse said: "Initially, for me, I really wanted to put out something that was healing, something that could help people cope. But it's kind of turned into anger, it's kind of turned into frustration, it's kind of turned into seeing the greater deceptions of everything that's going on, the struggles of humanity. So I've kind of taken a turn for a little bit more of a darker topic than I initially had hoped for, but I think it's necessary. I think once I really sort of dug into myself, I realized that there was a lot that I was not tapping in to. And when I got honest with myself, I [said], 'You know what? There is a lot to be pissed off about.' And maybe that's the route; maybe that's the good therapeutic way to deal with it. You don't always have to sugarcoat things and let people know there's gonna be hope. Maybe it's just time to get your hands dirty and talk about some of the harder-to-deal-with topics, and that's kind of what I've been doing lately."

Back in June 2022, Leach told Australia's Heavy that he and his bandmates would try to get the new KILLSWITCH ENGAGE LP "wrapped up and done quickly, because we want it to be a record that's not gonna take a lot of time to create. We want that raw, fresh feeling, so a lot of these demos I'm trying to [get] through quickly just to get the energy and then we'll sort of dissect them as new get into the studio," he explained. "So I think there's a real spirit within us to put out new material and then tour on that new record come next year, hopefully. So that's kind of what we're all thinking."

Elaborating on the time table for the completion of the next KILLSWITCH ENGAGE LP, Leach told Heavy: "I'm personally setting goals for me to create quick, very emotional, raw stuff for the demos and then probably taking a little more time, once we get to the studio, to polish that up and make it sound really good. Some of these demos I'm getting ready to send to the guys, if you would listen to them, most people would probably laugh 'cause they're just me going nuts, just trying to get the idea out quick and then we'll worry about re-recording it and polishing it and sort of making it sound KILLSWITCH-y.

"I've always been really hard on myself — a perfectionist, if you will — and I think it's hindered me in the demo-making process," he explained. "So my approach to this record is I wake up in the morning and I write lyrics out of the sleep. I listen to the music. It's moving very quickly for me, and it just feels fresh; it feels new. And then us getting into a room and jamming on that shit together, which we haven't done in years, that's the vibe we're going for. We kind of wanna bring that live feeling, that live sound to this next record… I want that energy to be there.

"Live music shouldn't be perfect," Leach added. "I don't like the studio fixes, I don't like the tuning — I hate all that shit. So the less that can happen, I'm into it. I'd rather keep it raw. It's rock and roll, man — it shouldn't be perfect. I think metal, over the years, has become very compressed and very manufactured. To me, I'm all about pushing away from that. So I think this next record will be a push-and-pull, 'cause [KILLSWITCH ENGAGE guitarist and producer] Adam [Dutkiewicz] is very much a perfectionist with the way he likes things to sound. So it should be interesting. He's on board of that too — sort of getting more of a live feel to what we're doing. I think it comes across. When you come see a band live like us, it is a little different than a record. But it should be."

"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.

In July 2021, Leach and Dutkiewicz released the second album from their TIMES OF GRACE project, "Songs Of Loss And Separation", via the band's own imprint label, Wicked Good Records, distributed by ADA Worldwide.

Singer Maria Brink and guitarist Chris Howorth of IN THIS MOMENT spoke to Meltdown of the Detroit radio station WRIF about the band's upcoming eighth studio album, "Godmode", which will be released on October 27 via BMG. Chris said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's different from all of our other albums in a lot of ways. One way is the fact that instead of getting off of a tour and having, like, three months to get it together, go into the studio and make a new one, we had several years to do it. And we used a different producer — we used Kane Churko instead of his father, Kevin. Kevin has done all of our records except for one. So he's done six IN THIS MOMENT albums; Kane's done this newest one. And honestly, working with him brought a whole new level of intensity to the project and the change and the time we had to make it kind of made us a little bit more — I don't know — powerful and aggressive, and the whole thing has an intensity to it that's, that's different for us. Because it was a whole fresh new vibe— the whole thing."

Regarding the musical direction of the new IN THIS MOMENT material, Maria said: "It's very visceral. I mean, we came out of the pandemic and just the three years and all these building up things in us, so it's a little darker than we normally maybe tend to be. I like to always kind of have some inspirational moments and things like that, and there's some of that in there, but it is a lot of purging, kind of a lot of built up, like, things that have… I guess we felt trapped for three years, and just so many, so many things going on and everybody at each other's throat. So there is a lot of kind of visceral releasing in there, let's say. It's heavier. There's different time signatures than we've ever done and a lot new experimental things. And I'm excited for it. I really am. I think people are gonna like it."

On the topic of the more progressive nature of some of the new IN THIS MOMENT songs, Maria said: "I love all that off-time signature stuff. I'm obsessed with how people take two parts, and the one part's going one way and then this other part comes in, but it really doesn't go with this part, and then, all of a sudden, they all start going together. And so I kept telling [Chris] I really wanted to start bringing in a lot of this. He loves all that. He's, like, 'Hell yeah.' And we just started creating. It was a really natural flow for us."

She added: "We've bumped heads before in the past. And IN THIS MOMENT really does wind up always having its sound because of us two collaborating. If it was just me, it'd be very one way. If it was just Chris, it'd be very one way. IN THIS MOMENTisIN THIS MOMENT because of like how we collide. But we were just flowing on this one. I was so impressed with every single thing he was bringing to the table. He was loving what I was bringing to the table. There was no fighting. It was just like — 'flow like a river,' we were calling it, 'cause it was beautiful."

Asked to clarify if "Godmode" is "more proggy" than some of IN THIS MOMENT's previous records, Chris said: "It definitely is. And heavier and there's more riffs, kind of, but in a way that works with the song. I think the time that we had to make it, the unintentional time with the pandemic and everything, made it so that it's just better, because the pressure of having to just come up with a bunch of new stuff on the spot, it made me check out a lot on some of the previous albums on — you know, the feeling of creativity — whereas this one, it all felt more flowy, like she said."

Last month, IN THIS MOMENT released the first single from "Godmode", a song called "The Purge", along with an official music video directed by Jensen Noen (ICE NINE KILLS, FALLING IN REVERSE, HOLLYWOOD UNDEAD).

When the track was first released, Maria said in a statement: "We are thrilled to unveil 'The Purge' to everyone. I am so grateful for how everything flowed to bring this song to life, both sonically and visually. Kane Churko and Jensen Noen helped to create this musical and cinematic experience with us and we could not have done it without them. The underlying message of the song is to not fall too deeply into the rabbit hole, everything is about finding balance. I had a lot of emotions building within me when I approached the song for the first time and after years of holding it all in I finally got to let it out!"

Howorth added: "This song came from our time in lockdown. We all had our own personal experiences during the pandemic, and we all saw the social unrest unfolding daily tearing us apart. It was such a crazy time. Our band, like everything else, was stopped in its tracks. During the lockdown I was sending Maria musical ideas I was working on, and this one really resonated with her. She even said, 'This is gonna be our first single.' Fast forward a couple years and all the pent-up frustration and angst came pouring out in Maria's lyrics and performance, creating this crazy visceral song."

"Godmode" was recorded at Hideout Recording Studio in Las Vegas, Nevada with producers Kane Churko (OZZY OSBOURNE, PAPA ROACH, FIVE FINGER DEATH PUNCH) and Tyler Bates ("John Wick" movies, Jerry Cantrell, BUSH).

"Godmode" track listing:

01. Godmode
02. The Purge
03. Army Of Me
04. Sacrifice
05. Skyburner
06. Sanctify Me
07. Everything Starts And Ends With You
08. Damaged (feat. Spencer Charnas)
09. Fate Bringer
10. I Would Die For You

IN THIS MOMENT debuted "Sacrifice" and "The Purge" at the opening concert of "The Dark Horizon Tour" on July 8 at Mohegan Sun Arena in Uncasville, Connecticut.

"I Would Die For You" previously appeared on the soundtrack for "John Wick: Chapter 4".

IN THIS MOMENT is joined on "The Dark Horizon Tour" by co-headliners MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, along with special guests FIT FOR A KING and FROM ASHES TO NEW. The trek, which sees IN THIS MOMENT and MOTIONLESS IN WHITE alternating closing sets each night, will continue through an August 19 performance at MVP Arena in Albany, New York.

In support of the new album, IN THIS MOMENT will embark on a 2023 co-headline "Kiss Of Death" tour with ICE NINE KILLS. The 20-date tour kicks off on November 3 at Hard Rock Live in Gary, Indiana making stops across the U.S. in Cincinnati, Atlanta, Orlando and more before the final show in Washington, D.C. at The Anthem on November 28.

Last October, IN THIS MOMENT released an EP called "Blood 1983". The effort commemorated the tenth anniversary of IN THIS MOMENT's gold-certified album "Blood" (2012) and was made available digitally across all digital service providers as well as CD via BMG.

"Blood 1983" was co-produced by Tyler Bates and Dan Haigh, and mixed by Zakk Cervini.

IN THIS MOMENT is Brink, Howorth, Travis Johnson (bass),Randy Weitzel (rhythm guitar),Kent Dimmel (drums).

In a new interview with Brazil's Heavy Talk, BLIND GUARDIAN frontman Hansi Kürsch was asked why he and his bandmates seemingly don't have any tattoos. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We're in no way typical. I mean, what we're doing we're doing with passion, and [tattoos] never appealed to any one of us. We're not against tattoos, but it won't suit me. I have very thin arms, for example, so the tattoo would fall off, so there's no need for it. And the other guys, they always thought the same way. But again, it's also a question of region where you come from. I don't identify myself with tattoos. I see a lot of people wearing tattoos, and I'm just, like, 'Okay, it's a fashion.' That's not what tattoos are supposed to be. And this is why I'm not keen [on] getting a tattoo because it's not my ideology, it's not my way of thinking."

BLIND GUARDIAN's latest album, "The God Machine", was released last September via Nuclear Blast. The cover artwork for the CD was designed by Peter Mohrbacher.

Prior to "The God Machine"'s arrival, BLIND GUARDIAN's latest release was the all-orchestral album "Twilight Orchestra: Legacy Of The Dark Lands", which came out in November 2019 via Nuclear Blast. To create the concept, lead guitarist André Olbrich and Kürsch worked alongside German bestselling author Markus Heitz, whose novel "Die Dunklen Lande" was released in March 2019. The book is set in 1629 and contains the prequel to "Legacy Of The Dark Lands".

BLIND GUARDIAN's previous "regular" studio album, "Beyond The Red Mirror", was issued in 2015. It was the band's first LP since 2010's "At The Edge Of Time", marking the longest gap between two studio albums in BLIND GUARDIAN's career. It was also the group's first album without bassist Oliver Holzwarth since 1995's "Imaginations From The Other Side".

BLIND GUARDIAN's core trio consists of Kürsch, lead guitarist André Olbrich and rhythm guitarist Marcus Siepen. Drummer Frederik Ehmke has been with the group since 2005.

Drummer Thomen Stauch played on BLIND GUARDIAN's first seven albums before being replaced by Ehmke. Frederik made his recording debut with BLIND GUARDIAN on 2006's "A Twist In The Myth".