MR. BIG's new touring drummer Nick D'Virgilio has shared behind-the-scenes footage from the first-ever concert he played with the band, which took place this past Sunday, July 16 at the Majiao Music Festival in China. Check out the 17-minute clip below.

The band's setlist for the Majiao Music Festival gig was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Addicted To That Rush
02. Take Cover
03. Undertow
04. Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy (THE ELECTRIC DRILL song)
05. Alive And Kickin'
06. Green-Tinted Sixties Mind
07. CDFF-Lucky This Time (Jeff Paris cover) (first time since May 15, 1992)
08. Voodoo Kiss (first time since 2016)
09. Never Say Never
10. Just Take My Heart
11. My Kinda Woman (first time since 1992)
12. A Little Too Loose (first time since 2011)
13. Road To Ruin (first time since 2011)
14. To Be With You
15. Guitar Solo
16. Colorado Bulldog
17. Bass Solo
18. Shy Boy (TALAS cover)
19. Wild World (Cat Stevens cover)
20. 30 Days In The Hole (HUMBLE PIE cover)

Encore

21. Good Lovin' (THE RASCALS cover) (Paul Gilbert on drums, Billy Sheehan on vocals, Eric Martin on bass and Nick D'Virgilio on guitar)

In a April 2023 interview with Border City Rock Talk, D'Virgilio spoke about how he landed the gig as MR. BIG's new touring drummer, five years after the passing of the band's co-founder, Pat Torpey. The 54-year-old Nick, who has spent the last nine years working for the Indiana-based online retailer of music instruments and audio gear Sweetwater, said: "It stemmed through Sweetwater. I've known Paul [Gilbert, MR. BIG guitarist]; Paul was the one guy I knew most. I met Pat, and I met Billy [Sheehan, MR. BIG bassist] — Gosh — at a music trade show back in the day. And I was definitely a fan of the band. I listened to a lot of Pat's drumming way before I ever met him in person. But at Sweetwater, we do a lot of recording workshops and we get artists in to come and people pay to come to the studio and hang in the studio with the artists that come in. Paul does it quite a bit; he's been there a bunch. Billy was there a while back as well, but Paul's been there a number of times. And I've been able to play as his rhythm section for these recording workshops. And I also had Paul play on a song on my solo record called 'Invisible' that I put out in 2020. Through all of this stuff, we got to just jamming some more stuff. And I know Paul through Mike Portnoy and Neal Morse and a lot of circles of musicians. After the last thing we did at Sweetwater, Paul just sent me an e-mail and asked if I would be interested in going on tour with MR. BIG in Asia. Now, this was last July, when he first sent me the e-mail, so nine, 10 months ago or so. And I immediately said 'yes'. I think I said 'fuck yes', all in bold letters… So then I went sort of hog wild here in my studio and I videotaped and multi-tracked my drums. I kind of just went hog wild, sending back these demos of me playing and then singing all the parts. So I sang the lead vocal, and then I sang Pat's parts too. Since [it was an] audition, I figured I'd put my best foot forward. Long story short, they said, 'Yeah, we'd love to do it. And you're in,' basically. So that's kind of how it all happened. It came out of the blue."

D'Virgilio went on to say that he is looking forward to performing with MR. BIG on the band's worldwide tour, aptly titled "The BIG Finish", which will take the band to Japan and Southeast Asia in July and August, while shows in South America, Europe, and the U.S. will launch in early 2024.

"You've been in this music business for a long time. Especially as you get older, the phone doesn't ring as often," he said. "I live in Indiana now. I'm not in California and L.A. where I grew up. So I have a great job, but I'm not where all the action is all the time. So the phone doesn't ring quite like that, maybe like it used to 10, 20 years ago, so it was super exciting to get that e-mail from Paul."

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

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

When D'Virgilio's addition to MR. BIG was first announced in March, Sheehan said in a statement: "We found a wonderful drummer in Nick, and he's got a great voice too. Nick has a vocal range similar to Pat's, and he'll be able to do the parts Pat did with a similar finesse. It's a big relief because MR. BIG has always been heavy on the harmonies. When the band began, we really relied on each other. We knew each guy would do exactly what he needed to do vocally and to do it righteously, on key, and in time. It's difficult to find a drummer who sings in that range, but Nick has the voice we really need onstage."

Gilbert concurred, saying: "Nick gets close to the spirit of Pat Torpey. Billy, Eric [Martin, vocals] and I have been really happy with the music we've already shared back and forth. I'm impressed with Nick's level of musical adaptability and breadth of skill. He and I have done some recording together, and I was blown away with his groove, and how he just played what fit the song. If the song requires him to be more progressive and stand out, he will stand out. But if the song requires him to groove, he will groove. That's actually a rare thing, and it really fits in with what we do in MR. BIG."

Martin added: "I love the fact that Nick was a fan of Pat Torpey and wants to keep our BIG sound intact. When I first saw his audition demo video of the 'Lean Into It' song 'Lucky This Time', Nick was playing drums with those signature Pat snare hits and singing harmonies spot on to what Pat used to do. It gave me goosebumps!! I am so thrilled to have this man who will be filling some mighty BIG shoes join us on our last tour."

MR. BIG's final tour will see the band performing the entirety of its breakthrough platinum-selling 1991 album "Lean Into It" from start to finish as a featured highlight of the live setlist.

"We wanted to do a proper farewell, and this seems like the right way to do it," Sheehan said. Gilbert added: "We're in the process of making sure we come up with a suitably big entertainment extravaganza to go along with our music. And since our music has resonated so wonderfully in places all over the world, we're going to play in as many of those places as we can." Martin stated: "If we were in the movie business, we'd just put it all up in lights and say, 'Welcome to 'The BIG Finish'!' Seriously, I'm glad we're getting a chance to do it all onstage together as MR. BIG again and raise a flag to everything we've done as a band over the years."

Danish heavy metal legend King Diamond was a guest on a recent episode of "The Electric Theater With Clown" Internet show hosted by SLIPKNOT's M. Shawn "Clown" Crahan. You can now listen to the entire chat below.

Speaking about new music that he is working on, King said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "There's a lot in the works right now. I'm writing with Hank [Shermann, guitar] for MERCYFUL FATE and writing with Andy [La Rocque, guitar] for KING DIAMOND and writing on my own for KING DIAMOND. For KING DIAMOND, it's an album that's gonna be called 'The Institute', which is part one of two; there'll be two full albums that will be completing that full story. As the title says, it's gonna be some creepy, weird stuff. And for MERCY, I also have the title, but I'm not giving it out to anybody at the moment. We have the front cover for the new MERCY too. It's very correct, very right for MERCYFUL FATE. It's very back to basics.

"For my part with both MERCY and KING DIAMOND — even more KING DIAMOND, I would say — all vocals are gonna be lead vocals again, like they were in the old days for me," he explained. "It didn't matter if it was a choir singing on the right or the left side or whatever; they would still go in and pick up parts of the lyrics to progress the story and so on. So it's gonna be anything goes with the vocals, for sure — back to the old style. And for MERCY too; it's gonna be very old-fashioned. Hank is writing very much like the old days. And it's nice to feel that we can capture that again.

"So that's the two albums that are being worked on, that will be done by the time we go out on tour again, I'm sure."

This past February, MERCYFUL FATE guitarist Mike Wead told Guitar World magazine about the band's new song "The Jackal Of Salzburg", which MERCYFUL FATE performed live for the first time in June 2022 in Hannover, Germany: "It's one of the more epic songs out of the new ones I've heard. It's kind of bombastic, with a slight touch of doom metal, which is a bit different for MERCY. But then again, MERCY was never a band that stood still, either."

Lyrically, "The Jackal Of Salzburg" is inspired by one of the last major witch hunts, the Zaubererjackl trials in Salzburg, Austria (1675-90). 139 people were executed as the followers of Wizard Jackl or Magician Jackl or Jäckel, who was himself never found.

"It's so grotesque, man," King told Guitar World about the source material. "There was a young man, 20 years old, whose mother was burned alive as a witch in 1675. Two years later they started hunting [the son] based on confessions the mom had made under torture, where she gave up her son as being in league with the devil.

"It's pretty shocking when you think about spearing a child on this horrible thing that goes up your backend and comes out through your mouth, or on a wheel that would pull them apart. Completely insane."

MERCYFUL FATE played the final show of its first North American headlining tour in over two decades on November 16, 2022 at the Tabernacle in Atlanta, Georgia. Stepping in on bass for MERCYFUL FATE at these shows was Becky Baldwin, a British musician who has previously played with FURY, TRIAXIS and CONTROL THE STORM. She filled in for MERCYFUL FATE's regular bassist Joey Vera, who was unable to make the trek due to a scheduling conflict with his longtime band ARMORED SAINT.

In 2019, it was announced Vera would be replacing original MERCYFUL FATE bassist Timi Hansen for the band's summer 2020 European festival appearances due to Hansen's cancer diagnosis. Hansen passed away in November 2019 and MERCYFUL FATE's 2020 summer festival appearances were rescheduled for 2021, and then to 2022.

MERCYFUL FATE's North American tour, which featured support from by KREATOR and MIDNIGHT, followed the band's headlining performance at last year's edition of Psycho Las Vegas.

MERCYFUL FATE was formed in early 1981 in Copenhagen, Denmark by King and Hank. They were later joined by guitarist Michael Denner and bassist Timi Hansen, and soon thereafter drummer Kim Ruzz would join to complete the band lineup. The band recorded two demos in 1981 and later signed with Rave On Records in Holland for the recording of their successful self-titled EP, released in November of 1982. The "Mercyful Fate" EP was soon in heavy rotation around core metal radio stations, launching a new breed of heavy metal with their unique sound.

The band joined Roadrunner Records in 1983 and their debut full-length, "Melissa", was recorded and released that same year. The following year, MERCYFUL FATE returned to the studio to record their now legendary "Don't Break The Oath" full-length, released in September of 1984.

MERCYFUL FATE embarked upon a two-month U.S. tour in support of the record, which took them across the States several times sharing the stage with the likes of MOTÖRHEAD and EXCITER. The shows had created a brush fire within the metal community. The band reaped recognition globally, closing the year with a five-date tour in Germany with MOTÖRHEAD, GIRLSCHOOL, HELIX and TALON.

MERCYFUL FATE's first concert of 1985 was in their hometown of Copenhagen at an old movie theater with a large capacity. The show sold out and their stage show exhibited a new level of distinction. The night was a huge victory and a new highlight for the band. By April of 1985, however, MERCYFUL FATE decided to part ways for each to pursue new challenges. The KING DIAMOND band was born and reaped critical acclaim the following years with five studio albums on Roadrunner Records. KING DIAMOND has since signed with Metal Blade Records and is going stronger than ever before.

In the summer of 1992, MERCYFUL FATE decided to reunite and penned a new deal with Brian Slagel and his label, Metal Blade Records. "In The Shadows" was released in 1993 and was an instant triumph furthered by a sold-out U.S. tour.

MERCYFUL FATE has gone on to release another five studio albums and have toured Europe, the U.S. and South America multiple times. The highlight of 1999 was their critically acclaimed album "9" which was followed by a European tour with METALLICA, where King and Hank joined the band onstage several times for the medley "Mercyful Fate" which METALLICA had recorded on their "Garage Inc." double tribute album the year prior. Tours in the U.S. and in South America followed, marking the band's last live performances for over a decade. MERCYFUL FATE then went on hiatus, but made a brief appearance when members joined METALLICA onstage in 2011 for their 30th-anniversary show in San Francisco, California.

COAL CHAMBER played its first show as the support act for MUDVAYNE last night (Thursday, July 20) at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida. Additional support on the 26-city "The Psychotherapy Sessions" tour, which is produced by Live Nation, is coming from GWAR, NONPOINT and BUTCHER BABIES.

COAL CHAMBER's setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Loco
02. Fiend
03. Big Truck
04. I.O.U. Nothing
05. Rowboat (FLOOD cover)
06. Drove
07. El Cu Cuy
08. Dark Days
09. Oddity
10. Another Nail In The Coffin
11. Something Told Me
12. Sway

Fan-filmed video can be seen below, courtesy of Steve Netzel.

The West Palm Beach concert marked COAL CHAMBER's third show in eight years, following appearances at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas in May and at the Inkcarceration Music And Tattoo Festival in Mansfield, Ohio on July 14.

In a recent interview with the Loaded Radio podcast, COAL CHAMBER frontman Dez Fafara was asked about the possibility of new music from him and his bandmates. He said: "We've been discussing it. [Sigh] I take a sigh right there, and the reason is because I don't wanna rush anything. I actually said to them… We booked [festival appearances at] Inkcarceration, Blue Ridge Rock Fest and Sick New World. That's all we were gonna do this year until MUDVAYNE hit us up [about supporting them on their summer tour]. And I actually said to them about the MUDVAYNE run, 'Let's not do it. I'd rather just stay friends. Let's do a few shows.' But the point is when we're all together, I realized that any problem we've ever had is gone. To think about it as any kind of continuing problem would be wrong. So, okay, cool. Let's go do MUDVAYNE. And now, of course, talking about new music is very exciting for us."

Dez continued: "I happen to feel like if [COAL CHAMBER's last album] 'Rivals', which was released 12 years ago — something like this; 10 [or] 12 years ago — if 'Rivals' would have been released now with where the genre is and where, I would say where nu metal is at this point, that record would be insane. We were 10, 12 years too early getting back together and releasing that record, in my opinion. But I guess it's always good to preempt what's coming down the line, and we surely did with 'Rivals'. So if you're a COAL CHAMBER fan, go check out 'Rivals', if you haven't."

Regarding what it was like returning to the live stage with COAL CHAMBER for the first time in eight years, Dez said: "[It was] unbelievable. We were all backstage. Of course there's a hundred people back there with their cameras on us as we're hugging. But it was amazing. We hit the stage… They were chanting 'COAL CHAMBER', so it was 55, 60 thousand people chanting 'COAL CHAMBER', which just absolute goosebumps on my arms. We came out. We killed it. The set was short — it was only 30, 35 minutes; something like that — so it was in and out. But it was at the height of the day. People were telling us that, 'Your stage was the most packed of the day.' Of course I'm not putting myself up against the bigger bands; I'm just saying that it is what it is. And then when I got off, I said to my wife, 'What's going on? What's going on out there?' And she was, like, 'They're all singing you 'Happy Birthday', dummy.' And I was, like, 'Wow.' So it was a pretty incredible weekend… It was an amazing time, man. And I'm grateful. I'm humbled by everybody who came. And the reception that we got was wonderful."

Four months ago, Fafara told Radioactive MikeZ, host of the 96.7 KCAL-FM program "Wired In The Empire", about how COAL CHAMBER's reunion came about: "Unbelievable turn of events. That actually happened… I was on my way out from COVID. And my wife called [the other members of COAL CHAMBER] and said, 'Hey, you guys may wanna text Dez or call Dez 'cause I don't know if he's gonna make it through the night. He's telling me where he wants to be buried and not to sell his '78 Cadillac.' So they started to call me, they started to text me, and over a period of six, seven, eight months, we didn't talk any business at all. And we realized that, you know, why are we not playing shows? Those guys are totally different people than when we broke up. I have always been the same — I've just been solid as a rock; and I told them, 'I'm solid as a rock. If I come out of this, I would love to do at least one show with you guys.' And that's how this all started — very organically."

Dez added: "COAL CHAMBER is a very unpredictable thing, all the way from its beginning, playing with PANTERA and BLACK SABBATH, to where we were when we put out 'Rivals' to where we are now… But we're gonna take it slow and we're gonna do what's appropriate for the brand and for the band and especially the fans that have been with us for so long."

COAL CHAMBER's tour with MUDVAYNE will make stops across the U.S. in Syracuse, Albuquerque, Phoenix, and more before wrapping up in Englewood, Colorado at Fiddler's Green Amphitheatre on August 26.

COAL CHAMBER existed for ten years before disbanding in 2003 to pursue other musical projects. They reunited in 2011 for touring purposes but it wasn't until 2014 that the band began work on a new studio album of original material, the aforementioned critically acclaimed "Rivals". Several months of touring activity followed before Dez returned to DEVILDRIVER to make a new record, 2016's "Trust No One".

DEVILDRIVER's 2019 co-headlining tour with STATIC-X saw the Fafara-fronted outfit performing material from COAL CHAMBER for the first time.

Fafara painted a bleak picture of COAL CHAMBER's future during a 2016 interview with Revolver magazine. He stated at the time: "I had a lot of fun doing that record and playing shows with them again. But there were some circumstances that were not ideal and that's why that thing is not continuing as of right now. If something comes up and I have time and want to make a record and the members have their shit together, I'll do it. But as of now, there's some deep-seated shit that certain dudes in the band still need to work out. And if they work it out and want to tour or make another record, they can come back and give me a call. But right now, everyone in DEVILDRIVER is stoked. No one's fighting. And I feel lucky to be where I am."

Dez had stated in previous interviews that COAL CHAMBER's original split happened because "I did not want to be around the band's hard drug use and I realized that going onstage every night that the money was feeding their habit, so I walked to save my friends." He added that his COAL CHAMBER bandmates were "clean" as of 2012, which made him realize that "it was the right thing to walk [away from the group back in 2003]."

MUDVAYNE kicked off its first headlining tour in over 14 years, "The Psychotherapy Sessions", last night (Thursday, July 20) at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre in West Palm Beach, Florida. Support on the 26-city trek, which is produced by Live Nation, is coming from COAL CHAMBER, along with GWAR, NONPOINT and BUTCHER BABIES.

MUDVAYNE's setlist was as follows, according to Setlist.fm:

01. Determined
02. Under My Skin
03. Internal Primates Forever
04. World So Cold
05. A New Game
06. Not Falling
07. Prod
08. Nothing To Gein
09. Fish Out Of Water (live debut)
10. Severed
11. Death Blooms
12. King Of Pain (THE POLICE Cover)
13. Dull Boy
14. Dig
15. Happy?

Fan-filmed video can be seen below, courtesy of Steve Netzel.

Previously, MUDVAYNE made waves in 2022 when they embarked on the "Freaks On Parade" tour co-headlined with ROB ZOMBIE. This 2023 tour, however, marks MUDVAYNE's first headlining endeavor since 2009.

MUDVAYNE formed in 1996 and has sold over six million records worldwide, earning gold certification for three albums ("L.D. 50", "The End Of All Things To Come", "Lost And Found"). The band is known for its sonic experimentation, innovative album art, face and body paint, masks and uniforms. MUDVAYNE is Chad Gray (vocals),Greg Tribbett (guitar, backing vocals),Matthew McDonough (drums, synthesizer) and Ryan Martinie (bass).

Gray has spent the past 17 years fronting HELLYEAH, which released its sixth studio album, "Welcome Home", in September 2019 via Eleven Seven Music. The disc marked the group's final effort with drummer Vinnie Paul Abbott, who passed away more than five years ago.

MUDVAYNE did not tour behind its fifth album, which was barely promoted and sold weakly upon release.

This past April, Gray revealed that he spent time in the Dallas-Fort Worth area of Texas recording demos for MUDVAYNE's next studio release. He wrote on his Instagram: "This will be the first music we have released in 14 years! Still not exactly sure when it will release but yeah…it's coming!"

In a fall 2022 interview with Revolver magazine, Gray and McDonough spoke about the possibility of new music from the MUDVAYNE. The reunited metallers haven't released released any new material since 2009, which means we're coming up on nearly a decade and a half without a single fresh MUDVAYNE song.

"That's obviously something we got to cross, right?" Chad said. "There's two ways you can do it. You could go out, and you can go once around the rock and just play catalog. For sure, that's absolutely a possibility. Or you can try to put something together. You can gauge it, you can decide. I'm not going to say because I've been constantly writing, recording touring for the last 12 years with HELLYEAH. So I don't think my well's dry by any means. And I'm excited, I would be excited to write with these guys.

"We've done a little bit of file sharing or whatever. Just some riffs. Greg went into the studio in Texas. He lived in Texas. He went in there and just laid some stuff down, sent it to Matt. Matt put just a really simple metronome drum beat to it. I was working on it. It's pretty rad, different stuff. I've got a few different angles that I'm working with kind of how I want it to be, my parts anyway. But it's cool, it's cool. And obviously we're not going to put something out if I don't feel like it stands up.

"It's going to have to fucking blow my hair back before I would put it out, because I wouldn't want to put anything out and then people are just, like, '[They] can't do it anymore.' You can be your own judge of that. And maybe it's not the first song, maybe it's not the third song, maybe it's the seventh song. That's like, okay, now we're on something, but we'll figure it out, man. We'll figure it out. We'll either do it or we won't. But yeah, I'm down for whatever right now, I'm having fun with it."

As for what a new MUDVAYNE album might sound like, McDonough said: "I can't honestly say. Some of the stuff that we have messed around is heavy. We messed around with some typical [sounds], people wouldn't be terribly shocked, but the opportunity to experiment and given our past success, I think I feel a sense of freedom. There hasn't been any kind of pressure from any professional direction to try to, 'You guys going to write another 'Dig'.' Or 'Not Falling' or whatever; nothing like that. So the headspace and the culture around the band right now is incredibly positive. So I personally just would like to be wide open and excited and positive about it. I want to be surprised."

During an appearance on last Thursday's (July 13) episode of SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk", 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.

"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 — 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 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".

3RD SECRET, the new band featuring SOUNDGARDEN guitarist Kim Thayil, NIRVANA bassist Krist Novoselic and SOUNDGARDEN and PEARL JAM drummer Matt Cameron, has shared a new music video for the song "State Of Mind". The track is taken from 3RD SECRET's second full-length album, "The 2nd 3rd Secret", which came out on June 23.

The group, whose lineup is rounded out by Bubba Dupree, guitarist for D.C. hardcore outfit VOID and alt-metal supergroup HATER (also featuring Cameron),and vocalists Jennifer Johnson and Jillian Raye (Novoselic's bandmate in GIANTS IN THE TREES),surprised-released its self-titled debut album in April 2022, recorded and mixed by longtime Seattle producer Jack Endino, and played its first live show that same month at the Museum Of Pop Culture in Seattle.

"The 2nd 3rd Secret" track listing:

01. Reckless Room
02. Her Disease
03. State Of Mind
04. Climb Aboard
05. So Close
06. Queens
07. Ditch
08. Awaken Ye Sleeper
09. Gift From Above
10. Let It Burn

Novoselic initially hinted at 3RD SECRET's existence in February 2022, writing in a since-deleted tweet: "I am really busy trying to finish a record. In the middle of some hangups — looking for a mid-March release. But it's a secret, so don't tell anybody!"

"3rd Secret" marked Cameron and Thayil's first full-album collaboration following the 2017 death of SOUNDGARDEN singer Chris Cornell.

Thayil recently expressed his hope that he would re-team with his former bandmates on a new project. "I think the three of us have an interest in doing new things," he said of Cameron and SOUNDGARDEN bassist Ben Shepherd. "We certainly like working together."

Photo credit: Mike Hipple for 3RD SECRET

GUNS N' ROSES guitarist Slash has revealed to Yahoo! Entertainment that he is working on his second "solo" album. The follow-up to 2010's "Slash" is described by the 57-year-old axeman as having "a bunch of different singers" and being "sort of similar to my first solo record, which featured Fergie, Adam Levine, Ozzy Osbourne, Dave Grohl, Lemmy Kilmister, Chris Cornell, Nicole Scherzinger and other vocalists, but "more blues-oriented."

According to Slash, the upcoming LP, which will "definitely" come out in 2024, will include a guest appearance by pop superstar Demi Lovato.

"There's not really much more to tell you at this point, but [Lovato and I] definitely recorded something," he said.

In addition to their collaboration for Slash's next solo album, the GN'R guitarist guested on Lovato's rock version of her 2017 song "Sorry Not Sorry", which will appear on her "Revamped" LP, due out in September.

"I told her, Hey, if you ever need me to put some guitar on something, just let me know and I'll do it," he said. "And so she hit me back about two weeks, three weeks later, and said she's got this song that she's doing a remake of and asked if I'd put some guitar on that. [GUNS N’ ROSES] did a show in Norway and I had a day off, so I found a cool engineer and studio in Norway and just put the guitars on there. It's amazing how fast it came out."

Slash added that the two tracks sound "completely different" from each other. "So it's interesting how diverse her voice can be," he said.

Although Slash's upcoming LP will be his second under the "Slash" banner, he has released a handful of albums with his long-running band SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS, in which he is joined by ALTER BRIDGE frontman Myles Kennedy.

Last month, Slash said that he will resume touring with SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS next year.

The GUNS N' ROSES guitarist revealed a timetable for SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' return to the road while discussing his plans for the coming months in an interview with NME. He said: "I'm on tour with GUNS N' ROSES until October, then in January I go out with my other band THE CONSPIRATORS."

SLASH FEATURING MYLES KENNEDY & THE CONSPIRATORS' latest album, "4", was released in February 2022 via Gibson Records in partnership with BMG.

"4" was Slash's fifth solo album and fourth overall with his band featuring Kennedy, Brent Fitz (drums),Todd Kerns (bass, vocals) and Frank Sidoris (guitar, vocals).

Photo credit: Gibson

THROWDOWN will return to Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, this year. The New Wave Of American Heavy Metal band's mainstage set on Friday, September 22 will be their first performance since 2015, first in the United States since 2011, and first with the "Venom & Tears" lineup since 2007.

Earlier this month, THROWDOWN announced plans for a 20th-anniversary edition of "Haymaker", which produced enduring metalcore classics "Forever" and "Never Back Down". Remastered by longtime collaborator Chris "Zeuss" Harris (HATEBREED, ROB ZOMBIE, DEMON HUNTER),the new edition of "Haymaker" will arrive later this year on CD (packaged in long-box format),cassette, and limited colored vinyl LPs.

"Haymaker" (2003),"Vendetta" (2005) and "Venom & Tears" (2007) were added to digital service providers and Bandcamp in recent years via the band's own Pit Viper Records, alongside the "Take Cover" EP (2020),which collects THROWDOWN renditions of classics by SEPULTURA, CROWBAR, PANTERA and MISFITS.

THROWDOWN's 2023 lineup includes frontman Dave Peters, bassist Matt Mentley, guitarist Mark Choiniere (his first appearance with THROWDOWN since 2009),and drummer Ben Dussault (first since 2008).

Revolver magazine declared THROWDOWN part of "The Future Of American Metal" in 2004. Over the years, the band participated in Ozzfest (2004),Sounds Of The Underground (2005) and Vans Warped Tour (2007),and international treks with genre titans including KORN, IN FLAMES, KILLSWITCH ENGAGE, LAMB OF GOD, AS I LAY DYING, MACHINE HEAD, ARCH ENEMY, FEAR FACTORY and CHILDREN OF BODOM.

The band's popularity in the streaming era is a testament to the enduring power of their music, led by songs like "Holy Roller" (from "Venom & Tears"),"This Continuum" (from 2009's "Deathless"),"Burn" (from "Vendetta"),"The Scythe" ("Deathless"),"Forever" and "Burial At Sea" ("Deathless").

THROWDOWN's most recent album, "Intolerance", arrived via MNRK Heavy in 2014.

THROWDOWN previously performed at Furnace Fest in 2002 and again in 2003.

Photo credit (THROWDOWN at 2007 edition of U.K.'s Download festival): Ryan J. Downey

Longtime ALL THAT REMAINS drummer Jason Costa has announced his departure from the band.

Earlier today, the 50-year-old musician, who has been with ALL THAT REMAINS since 2006, released the following statement via social media: "Hi everyone. For the last 17 years I have had an absolute blast writing, touring, creating and partying in this band with people that I love and respect.

"My reasons for leaving are deeply personal and have nothing to do with any drama or anything within the band. I love these guys and consider myself extremely lucky to have been a part of this for so long.

"I won't be quitting music for good so hopefully I'll still see all you friends and acquaintances around the world again in the future! Thank you all so much for countless great shows, energy and incredibly fun times!!"

Jason was the featured drummer on the last six ALL THAT REMAINS albums: "Overcome" (2008),"For We Are Many" (2010),"A War You Cannot Win" (2012),"The Order Of Things" (2015),"Madness" (2017) and "Victim Of The New Disease" (2018). He is notable for being one of the few heavy metal drummers to play solely with the "traditional grip."

Back in March 2022, Costa left ALL THAT REMAINS' U.S. tour in order to "deal with some personal matters." He was temporarily replaced by Anthony Barone, who had previously played with BENEATH THE MASSACRE and SHADOW OF INTENT.

Earlier this year, ALL THAT REMAINS's breakthrough album "The Fall Of Ideals", was certified gold by the Recording Industry Association Of America (RIAA) for sales in excess of 500,000 copies in the United States.

Last year, ALL THAT REMAINS embarked on "The Fall Of Ideals" 15th-anniversary tour.

"The Fall Of Ideals" was reissued in November 2021. The best-selling title features such fan favorites as "This Calling", "Six" and "The Air That I Breathe".

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Italian metal titans LACUNA COIL have released the official lyric video for their recently announced single "Never Dawn". "Never Dawn" showcases LACUNA COIL's signature sound with its haunting melodies, powerful guitar riffs, and the mesmerizing vocal harmonies of Cristina Scabbia and Andrea Ferro. The song delves into the depths of the human spirit, exploring themes of resilience, inner strength, and the eternal struggle between light and darkness.

For "Never Dawn", LACUNA COIL partnered with CMON, the renowned board game publisher behind the popular game "Zombicide". "Never Dawn" is a notable addition to CMON's latest Kickstarter project, "Zombicide: White Death", and was initially used as an instrumental version in a campaign trailer. The game introduces new characters, mechanics, and challenges for players to overcome, and the upcoming "White Death" version features five LACUNA COIL limited-edition survivor tokens.

Cristina comments on the new song: "First presented, in its instrumental version, in the trailer for Zombicide White Death game, and then in its live version, during our last sold-out show in L.A., we're so incredibly thrilled to finally unveil the full version of 'Never Dawn'! This song is a fierce survival journey throughout grotesque and frozen lands, where the power within is the main weapon. Ignite the fire in your heart and enjoy the listening!"

Designed by Nicolas Raoult, one of the designers of the original "Zombicide", along with Jean-Baptiste Lullien and Raphaël Guiton, "Zombicide: White Death" is a sequel to the fantasy spinoff version of "Zombicide" with a new wintery theme. The third installment in this series, it follows "Zombicide: Black Plague", which introduced the concept in 2016, and "Zombicide Green Horde", which came out in 2018.

LACUNA COIL has spent the last few months promoting "Comalies XX", the recently released "deconstructed" and "transported" version of the band's third album, "Comalies".

"Comalies XX" was made available on October 14, 2022 via Century Media Records.

LACUNA COIL celebrated the 20th anniversary of "Comalies", by performing it in its entirety at a one-night-only concert on October 15, 2022 at Fabrique in Milano.

"Comalies" was originally released on October 29, 2002 through Century Media Records. The LP, which featured the band's breakthrough single "Heaven's A Lie", has reportedly gone on to sell over 300,000 copies in the United States alone.

LACUNA COIL played its first show in front of an audience in more than two years on April 7, 2022 as the support act for APOCALYPTICA at the Masquerade in Atlanta, Georgia.

Prior to the Atlanta concert, the last time LACUNA COIL played together was at the group's special September 2020 livestream event where the bandmembers performed their latest album, "Black Anima", in its entirety with no audience in attendance at the Alcatraz Club in Milan, Italy. That show was released as a live album, "Live From The Apocalypse", via Century Media.

LACUNA COIL hadn't played in front of a crowd since the completion of the band's South American tour in February 2020.

Photo credit: Cunene

The Myositis Association has announced its 2023 Patient Ambassador Award recipient is Grammy-winning musician Peter Frampton. This award is presented to a member of the myositis community who has demonstrated extraordinary effort and success raising awareness of myositis diseases within the larger community, raising funds to support TMA and its educational mission, and/or supporting legislative advocacy initiatives for rare diseases, including myositis.

Frampton will be presented the award in person on September 9 during the annual "Heroes In The Fight" awards ceremony in conjunction with TMA's annual patient conference in San Diego, California September 7-10.

Since announcing his diagnosis of inclusion body myositis (IBM) in 2019, Frampton has been actively raising awareness of myositis, a group of rare muscle diseases that cause severe weakness, fatigue, and disability. With his indominable spirit, he is also inspiring others with myositis to live their best life, regardless of their physical limitations.

Frampton is also using his celebrity to raise much-needed funding for research into the cause and treatment of myositis. He established the Peter Frampton Myositis Research Fund at Johns Hopkins where he is being treated. During his 2019 farewell tour, one dollar of every ticket sold, along with proceeds from t-shirt sales, was donated to the fund.

The Myositis Association appreciates Frampton's honesty in sharing his story publicly and his message of inspiration and hope in the face of this progressive, disabling disease. They also appreciate the several times he has provided this motivational messaging directly to those who live with myositis through video presentations for TMA conferences and fundraising events.

"Peter Frampton provides inspiration and hope to the thousands of myositis patients across the country," says John McClun, former chair of TMA's board of directors and an IBM patient himself. "His message — 'It's not life threatening, it's life changing' — is a most powerful antidote for the fear and loss experienced by those who live with this disabling condition that has no treatment and no cure."

While there is still no treatment for IBM, this is an exciting time in IBM research. Scientists are currently recruiting patients for several clinical trials hoping to find an effective therapy. The awareness that Frampton is bringing is especially welcome at this important time.

Frampton is one of the most celebrated artists and guitarists in rock history. In 2007, Frampton won a Grammy for "Best Pop Instrumental Album" for "Fingerprints" and in 2014 was inducted into the Musicians Hall Of Fame. He received the prestigious Les Paul Innovation Award from NAMM's TEC Awards in 2019 and his album "All Blues" was No. 1 for 15 weeks on Billboard's Blues chart. In 2020 Frampton was inducted into the Grammy Hall Of Fame, his autobiography "Do You Feel Like I Do?: A Memoir" debuted on The New York Times Bestsellers list, and his 2021 album "Frampton Forgets The Words" was released to widespread critical acclaim. In November of last year, Frampton performed a sold-out show at London's Royal Albert Hall which was filmed and is currently airing on PBS as part of their Pledge Drive. Most recently, Frampton announced that on July 28 Intervention Records will release "[email protected]", a numbered limited-edition vinyl box set featuring Frampton's essential 1972-1975 studio releases "Wind Of Change", "Frampton's Camel" and "Frampton".

After 47 years, "Frampton Comes Alive!" remains one of the top-selling live records of all time, having sold over 17 million worldwide.

TMA is thrilled to announce that grammy winning guitarist Peter Frampton will be honored as our Patient Ambassador Award...

Posted by The Myositis Association on Friday, May 12, 2023

For nearly two decades, Harm’s Way has evolved from whispered underground favorites to favorite sons with an arsenal of songs that helped shape heavy music’s trajectory – creating a roadmap for legions interested in “reinventing” themselves. Harm’s Way has never stayed complacent and constantly morphed shape– absorbing and reapplying influences in new and creative ways to create some of the most well-executed songs in hardcore punk and metal. And yet, considering the changeling that they and their previous efforts are, Common Suffering is easily the most musically diverse undertaking in their catalog. 


The album beams with incredibly memorable riffs, breakdowns, and impeccable songwriting with subtle melody and point/counter-point which kicks off loud and clear on album opener “Silent Wolf”; released today.


“‘Silent Wolf’ was birthed out of observing a sense of persistent distrust in governing bodies and systems of power in our current cultural climate,” tells vocalist James Pligge. “It speaks on the faith, or lack of faith, many have in these systems and an overall feeling of inertia and paranoia with status quo operations... leading many to the question: 'what is really informing our reality?”




Despite Harm’s Way’s reputation for unrelenting brutality, Common Suffering surprises at several turns with quieter moments of well thought out songwriting that emphasize light and shade. It’s their understanding of how to effectively orchestrate these dynamics that makes an already ironclad record feel infinitely more merciless. This is Harm’s Way at the top of their game – the ambitious sound of a band traversing new ideas. “We really tried not to settle on parts,” recalls guitarist Nick Gauthier. “Sometimes a direction that we could have taken in a song felt too obvious… We would just troubleshoot that until we felt creatively satisfied with the direction we were taking.”


The key to the success may be a shift to recording at Studio 4 in Pennsylvania with producer Will Yip (Turnstile, Code Orange). Going into the recording, the goal was to improve some of the band's processes, examine vocal cadences and experiment during production to gain the best idea from each track. The first change dealt with refocusing members on their specific wheelhouses. While Pligge had previously assisted with riffs, on this effort, his main objective was to ensure the perfect vocal attack– leaning into Yip for advice and letting the remainder of the band take the wheel with their respective parts. The result is each player pushing to the far reaches and creating material that has previously never been colonized by any band, or hardcore writ large, before. 


The title Common Suffering is a clear nod to the collective experiences of the past three years of chaos, misanthropy, paranoia, disorder, confusion and anxiety, with the band exploring themes ranging from personal struggles with mental health, relationships, political upheaval, corruption, and political power. Pligge digs deep into these subjects such as the track “Cyanide,” which examines the expansion of media outlets, the correlative rise of disinformation, and the pervasive impact it has on people’s lives and systems of power. Additional tracks include “Devour,” which examines the impact of toxic people in one’s life, the highly personal “Hollow Cry,” where Pligge explores his own humanity and relationships, and the somewhat improbable “Undertow,” which features the haunting vocals or Kristina Esfandiari--AKA King Woman--who adds a whole new dimension to the record and helps exhibit the band’s willingness to push into uncharted territory.


Common Suffering sees its release September 29 across all digital streaming platforms, vinyl and CD formats via Metal Blade Records.





Variants include: Digipak CD, Grey / Black Marbled Vinyl (US Exclusive), Clear Smoke Vinyl (US Exclusive), Fog Marbled Vinyl (US Exclusive), White / Black Marbled Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 500 copies), Silver Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 500 copies), Crystal Clear w/ Black Dust Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 300 copies), "Black Hole" w/ Red & White Splatter Vinyl (EU Exclusive - Ltd. 300 copies).


Preorder at metalblade.com.





Tracklisting:


“Silent Wolf”
“Denial”
“Hollow Cry”
“Devour”
“Undertow”
“Heaven’s Call”
“Cyanide”
“Terrorizer”
“Sadist Guilt”
“Wanderer”


“Silent Wolf” video:





(Photo – Vanessa Valadez)

Dancing pop-violin sensation Lindsey Stirling has released her cover of LED ZEPPELIN's rock anthem "Kashmir" via Lindseystomp Music. Renowned for her unique blend of hard-hitting violin, electrifying dance, and contemporary beats, Stirling's interpretation of "Kashmir" pays homage to the iconic rock classic while infusing it with her unmistakable style and virtuosity. Combining her signature violin mastery with bold electronic elements and an infectious energy, Stirling's rendition revitalizes the beloved track, giving it a fresh and modern twist.

Lindsey comments: "'Kashmir' has always been one of my favorite rock songs and I'm so excited I got to work with the legendary producers Howard Benson (MOTÖRHEAD, ALL AMERICAN REJECTS) and Neil Sanderson (THREE DAYS GRACE, MY DARKEST DAYS) on imagining a way to bring it to life in my style."

As an artist who has consistently pushed the boundaries of what's possible with the violin, Stirling's "Kashmir" cover serves as a testament to her musical innovation and her ability to seamlessly bridge the gap between genres. Her arrangement captivates listeners with its dynamic range, showcasing her ability to transition from delicate and ethereal moments to explosive crescendos. Lindsey's electric violin folds into the epic melody of the rock classic seamlessly, in a unique take on LED ZEPPELIN's song.

Alongside the song, today, Stirling will make her Lollapalooza Paris debut on the mainstage, just before kicking off her five-week U.S. summer tour. Stirling's live show amazes audiences with a "combination of cutting-edge performances… along with her signature genre-bending, amped-up orchestrations" (Consequence). Stirling has performed for more than 800,000 people on her headline tours, and her run of dates with EVANESCENCE was named one of Live Nation's best-selling amphitheater tours. Multi-platinum pop band WALK OFF THE EARTH will support Stirling on her U.S. tour.

Stirling is an electronic violinist, dancer, and artist who has humbly become one of the 21st century's most innovative stars. Her groundbreaking vision has gained her millions of adoring fans worldwide, four Billboard chart-topping albums, and two Billboard Music Awards, including Top Dance/Electronic Album for her third studio release, "Brave Enough". Her holiday album, "Warmer In Winter", catapulted to the No. 1 spot on Billboard, Amazon and iTunes Holiday Album charts upon release and lead single "Carol Of The Bells" made history as the only instrumental song ever to reach the Top 10 at AC Radio. Lindsey has amassed over 12.5 million subscribers, nearly three billion views on YouTube, three million followers on Tik Tok, and over 500,000 user-generated creations across TikTok and Instagram reels. In addition to this, Forbes placed her at No. 4 on its 2015 World's Top-Earning YouTube Stars list and her fifth-studio album, "Artemis", debuted at No. 1 on the Dance/Electronic Album chart.

Polish guitarist Wacław "Vogg" Kiełtyka (DECAPITATED),who joined MACHINE HEAD's lineup prior to the launch of the band's "Burn My Eyes" 25th-anniversary tour in late 2019, spoke to Oran O'Beirne of Bloodstock TV about how he manages to split his time between the two outfits. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I'm the guitar player of MACHINE HEAD officially. I'm waiting for the plans, for a tour. There's nothing yet announced for MACHINE HEAD — talking about the next U.S. or European or whatever, about the tours."

He continued: "Well, we inform each other about the plans. If there is something on the way with DECAPITATED, I just tell it to Robb [Flynn, MACHINE HEAD frontman]. And if they have any plans, Robb or Joseph [Huston], the manager of MACHINE HEAD, he's sending me plans, and I'm, like, 'Yeah, let's do it.' So we're trying to deal with the situation all the time. And, of course, if there is the situation that, for example, DECAP announced a tour and then there's some kind of single festival with MACHINE HEAD, then Robb is really cool with the situation that he understands I have DECAPITATED, and if I need to have a replacement for one or two shows, then there's no problem. We deal with that this way; that's the solution for us in this situation."

Vogg added: "The MACHINE HEAD guys and Robb and all [of the] team of MACHINE HEAD, they're treating me so well in this case. They understand about that DECAPITATED is my band, it's my child, so there's no problem if I can't [do] one or two shows. There was a few shows that Reece [Alan Scruggs] from HAVOK replaced me. It's really cool. I love the way he's playing the songs. He's a great guitar player. He's a great replacement."

As for how he goes about deciding which musical ideas to use in DECAPITATED and which to give away to MACHINE HEAD, Vogg said: "I have to say that Robb is the main composer in MACHINE HEAD. He's making 95 percent or 98 percent of the riffs. For the last record ['Of Kingdom And Crown', which came out last August via Nuclear Blast/Imperium Recordings], I delivered ideas for two songs, and I recorded my solo parts for, like, six songs. So, yeah, it was like that. If I have some kind of idea for the riffs that I don't know actually how to use it for DECAPITATED and for me it sounds more familiar for MACHINE HEAD style, then I just send it to Robb [and I say], 'Hey, Robb, I have this riff. I have this idea. Tell me what you think. If you like it, use it. Do something with that. If you don't, then… you know, whatever.'"

Back in November 2019, Flynn said that Vogg's audition for MACHINE HEAD "just fucking blew" his "mind — it was so fucking tight and fucking accurate," Robb said. "He sent over [a recording of] 'Imperium' as his first song just as a test. We always had all the dudes do a sound test, just to make sure the levels are good and stuff. I was, like, 'Oh my God! This dude is playing 'Imperium' better than I can right now.' [Laughs] It was crazy. And we ended up talking. Super-nice guy."

In May 2021, Vogg told Finland's Kaaos TV that his addition to MACHINE HEAD's touring lineup was "a big surprise" for him, because he "didn't plan" to play with the band. "It kind of accidentally happened," he said.

"In 2019, when we started the summer festivals with DECAPITATED, I sent an e-mail to Robb Flynn about congratulations, because I heard about the upcoming 'Burn My Eyes' tour," he explained. "Because I'm still a huge fan of the first album, I just wanted to share my happiness about that with Robb. So I sent a message to him. And he replied, saying, 'Thanks, man.' And, 'Maybe you can play with us one song as a guest in Warsaw,' because they planned a Warsaw show. So we started to talk. And then it became a serious talking about the guitar player they were looking for, and I was sending my proposition that maybe I can help with that. So I did an audition. They sent me song requests for the audition, so I did it. And in a few days, I became a new guitar player of MACHINE HEAD. It was really fast. Because I didn't hear about that they were looking for a guitar player. I heard about Phil Demmel, the issues with Phil and the rest of the guys; they quit the band before. But I thought that the 'Burn My Eyes' anniversary tour was only the 'Burn My Eyes' lineup, and then I found out that it's also a second lineup to play [the other] songs. So, it was cool. It was [such] a positive shock for me."

Vogg went on to say that he was "so happy" to have been part of the "Burn My Eyes" anniversary tour "because I'm a huge fan of MACHINE HEAD since I was a kid. And to have the opportunity to go with them as a guitar player on tour which celebrates my favorite [MACHINE HEAD] album, which is probably one of my [favorite] ten albums ever, it was unbelievable," he said. "And it was such a great experience for me seeing a really big band on tour and seeing the pre-production process and traveling with all this huge crew and a few buses and trucks and all this equipment. It was really something new for me. Even [though] I'm an experienced musician, I had a big lesson from those guys and from the crew. It was such a great experience. It was such a great feeling being on stage in front of thousands of people every night. And then, after I finished my set, which includes the best songs from MACHINE HEAD — it takes two hours — then I go to change my clothes and come back to the side of the stage to see 'Burn My Eyes', the whole album, played by the original lineup. It was amazing. I have to say it was one of the best life experiences I had."

The follow-up to 2018's "Catharsis", "Of Kingdom And Crown" includes the three songs that were featured on 2021's "Arrows In Words From The Sky" single: "Become The Firestorm", "Rotten" and "Arrows In Words From The Sky". Much of the new MACHINE HEAD album was recorded at Sharkbite Studios in Oakland, California with engineer/producer Zack Ohren.

In November 2020, MACHINE HEAD released a single, "My Hands Are Empty", via Nuclear Blast. The song marked the first musical collaboration between Flynn and original "Burn My Eyes" guitarist Logan Mader in 24 years.

"My Hands Are Empty" was just one in a line of singles to be released by MACHINE HEAD, which issued "Do Or Die" in October 2019, "Circle The Drain" in February 2020, and the two-song digital single "Civil Unrest", consisting of "Stop The Bleeding" and "Bulletproof", in June 2020. "Stop The Bleeding" featured guest vocals from KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Jesse Leach, and was written and recorded just days after the murders of George Floyd and Ahmaud Arbery.

Ozzy Osbourne, Paul Stanley, Gene Simmons and Richie Sambora are among the rockers who have reacted on social media to the passing of Tony Bennett. The legendary singer died earlier today (Friday, July 21) at age 96, according to his longtime publicist Sylvia Weiner.

In 2016, Bennett was diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease, the most common form of age-related dementia.

He had reportedly been singing and playing piano in the days leading up to his death.

With worldwide record sales in the millions and dozens of platinum and gold albums to his credit, Bennett was a musician who touched the hearts and souls of audiences with his legendary vocals and charming stage presence. His long list of achievements, spanning over 60 years, includes 19 Grammy Awards, including the prestigious Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award, making this artist a true international treasure. His signature tunes, such as "Steppin' Out With My Baby" and "I Left My Heart In San Francisco" form part of the fabric of American music culture.

Bennett's 85th birthday in 2011 marked the release of "Duets II" and made music history by making Tony the oldest artist to ever have a No. 1 CD on the Billboard album charts. "Duets II" followed up "Tony Bennett Duets: An American Classic" CD, released in 2006. 2012 marked the 50th anniversary of the singer's signature song "I Left My Heart in San Francisco", as well as the release of a documentary film, "The Zen Of Bennett", created and conceived by Tony's son and manager Danny Bennett. Bennett also authored his fourth book, "Life Is A Gift", released in 2012 and entered The New York Times Best Seller list. In 2014, Bennett released a collaborative album with Lady Gaga, "Cheek To Cheek", featuring these two legendary artists performing jazz standards. The album debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard Album charts, making Bennett the oldest musical artist, at the age of 88, to have an album top the Billboard 200, and won the Grammy Award in the Best Traditional Pop Album category. Tony Bennett is a Kennedy Center honoree, an NEA Jazz Master, and a recipient of the United Nation’s Humanitarian and Citizen of the World honors. Bennett was also a talented painter. He had exhibited his work in galleries around the world, and three of his original paintings are part of the permanent collection in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, D.C.

Throughout his career, Tony Bennett put his heart and time into supporting humanitarian concerns and joined with Dr. Martin Luther King in the historic Selma march in 1965. His many charitable works include raising millions towards diabetes and lending his artwork to raise funds for the American Cancer Society. In 2007, he was honored by the United Nations. Together with his wife Susan, Tony Bennett established the charitable organization Exploring The Arts (ETA),to support arts education in public high schools. Tony founded Frank Sinatra School Of The Arts, a New York City public high school in his hometown of Astoria, Queens.

He is survived by his wife, Susan Benedetto, his two sons, Danny and Dae Bennett, his daughters Johanna Bennett and Antonia Bennett and nine grandchildren.
RIP Tony Bennett. His gift for melody and his depth of grasping a lyric was without compare. To the end the master. https://t.co/virtdIaJfX

— Paul Stanley (@PaulStanleyLive) July 21, 2023


Rest in peace to best singer in the business...Tony Bennett

— LIPS ANVIL (@LIPSANVIL) July 21, 2023


May you Rest in Peace, Tony Bennett!
Photo from 2015

Photo: J. Bouquet pic.twitter.com/ZYVlktk8tz

— Keith Richards (@officialKeef) July 21, 2023


Very sad to hear about Tony Bennett’s passing. Rest in Peace pic.twitter.com/Q0OTK5OJfC

— Ozzy Osbourne (@OzzyOsbourne) July 21, 2023


Rest in Peace to one of the best to ever grace the stage. I was just saying that the greatest gig I had ever witnessed was Tony Bennett at North Sea Jazz in 2012. It was like dropping a needle on a record. He was the last of the greatest generation of singers and musicians. pic.twitter.com/KAqtyA3ujr

— Joe Bonamassa (Official) (@JBONAMASSA) July 21, 2023


Anthony Dominick Benedetto, one of the GOATS, hands down, who left his heart with all of us just now🙏🏼 RIP #tonybennettpic.twitter.com/L4Dk2z0FZc

— Alex Skolnick (@AlexSkolnick) July 21, 2023


RIP Tony Bennett. A true legend. pic.twitter.com/mrn4SfuqWM

— William Patrick Corgan (@Billy) July 21, 2023


Today we lost an icon of icons. Kind, considerate and as Sinatra was quoted as saying, the best singer of them all. Rest In Peace, Tony Bennett. https://t.co/vUPE9FYy6F

— Gene Simmons (@genesimmons) July 21, 2023


Tony Bennett.
That’s how you do it. Life As Lyric.
Music & Art FULLY Realized. So Hip. So Real. So ALIVE as Long As He Lived. Before orchestras. Before trios. Before the blank canvas.
G.O.A.T. with few peers.
🌹🌹🌹

— Vernon Reid (@vurnt22) July 21, 2023


We’ve just lost one of the greats of all time.. Tony Bennett.. I’m profoundly sad. God bless you brother and thank you.. for all you have shown us and bestowed upon us.. ❤️❤️❤️@TheRealSambora

— RICHIE SAMBORA (@TheRealSambora) July 21, 2023


Tony Bennett was a legend and an inspiration to so many. My thoughts & prayers are with his family and friends today. May you have Godspeed, my friend

— Bret Michaels (@bretmichaels) July 21, 2023


RIP Tony Bennett. One of the greatest voices of all time. @RussDWaRf is pretty good too. RIP 🙏🏻 #EndOfAnErapic.twitter.com/1Uva1FOhME

— Darrell Dwarf Millar (@DarrellDWaRf) July 21, 2023


RIP #TonyBennetthttps://t.co/ERWDJNxw6D

— Slash (@Slash) July 21, 2023

Roger Waters has set October 6, 2023 as the release date for "The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux", an epically ambitious reinterpretation of one of the most famous and acclaimed albums in history, fifty years on from recording the original with PINK FLOYD.

The album's lead single, Waters's reinterpretation of "Money", is out today with accompanying lyric video.

Recorded by PINK FLOYD when Waters was just 29, "The Dark Side Of The Moon" was an extraordinary multidimensional meditation on the human experience, the passage of time, descent into madness, and the abyss.

"The memories of a man in his old age - are the deeds of a man in his prime". As foretold by its opening line, "The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux" sees Waters transcend this half-century void to reinterpret and embellish his original creations with a new perspective gleaned from his own life experience, philosophy, and the wisdom of age, with added emphasis on the philosophical, social and political themes of the original.

Waters's extraordinary vocal performance adds fresh layers of profundity to his classic lyrics, and gravelly wisdom to his philosophical new creations. Waters and Gus Seyffert's production strips back PINK FLOYD's psychedelic orchestrations into something rawer and more delicate, but no less experimentally inventive, exquisitely textured, and rich in musical intertext.

In addition to reimagining each of "The Dark Side Of The Moon"'s original ten tracks — which, like the original, run seamlessly together to create one epic composition — "The Dark Side Of The Moon Redux" LP format will feature a bonus 13-minute original composition inspired by the re-recording as a final track.

Roger said: "The original 'Dark Side Of The Moon' feels in some ways like the lament of an elder being on the human condition. But Dave, Rick, Nick and I were so young when we made it, and when you look at the world around us, clearly the message hasn't stuck. That's why I started to consider what the wisdom of an 80-year-old could bring to a reimagined version.

"When I first mentioned the idea of re-recording 'The Dark Side Of The Moon' to Gus and Sean, we all thought I was mad, but the more we considered it, the more we thought 'isn't that the whole point?'

"I'm immensely proud of what we have created, a work that can sit proudly alongside the original, hand in hand across a half century of time."

Track listing:

CD / Digital

01. Speak To Me
02. Breathe
03. On The Run
04. Time
05. Great Gig In The Sky
06. Money
07. Us And Them
08. Any Colour You Like
09. Brain Damage
10. Eclipse

Vinyl

01. Side One
02. Speak To Me
03. Breathe
04. On The Run
05. Time

Side Two

01. Great Gig In The Sky
02. Money

Side Three

01. Us And Them
02. Any Colour You Like
03. Brain Damage
04. Eclipse

Side Four

01. Original Composition

During a question-and-answer session this past Monday (July 17) at Pitbull Audio in National City, California where he was holding a guitar clinic, EXODUS guitarist Gary Holt was asked if he ever thought about making a solo album. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I've thought about doing a solo record for years, like having different friends play on it and different singers and shit like that. Maybe someday. But I give everything I've got to EXODUS and always have. And when the rest of the band are sitting around doing nothing, like a bunch of lazy fucks they are, and I love 'em to death, I'm writing or I'm doing other shit. But that's okay; that's my role. So I never have time for that kind of shit. Even when I have time… Like right now, with [EXODUS's tour of] Europe being canceled, I've been home doing nothing, but I need to make a new EXODUS record, so I've been working on that, aside from doing some home improvement bullshit and stuff like that."

This past March, Hachette Books announced that it had acquired the upcoming memoir from Holt. "A Fabulous Disaster: From The Garage To Madison Square Garden, The Hard Way" is described in a press release as "a no-holds-barred memoir from the preeminent thrasher's life in metal, from its humble (but not quiet) beginnings in the San Francisco Bay Area through today's current resurgence in worldwide popularity, as he lived big, played fast and crashed hard, written in collaboration with Adem Tepedelen."

Holt shared the news of his upcoming memoir on social media, writing: "Super stoked!!! The announcement in book circles has gone out today, so I'm sharing it in MY circle! The book about my life is under way, from the beginnings of EXODUS and thrash metal, to the drug fueled fall, to the unexpected and tragic circumstances that led me to @slayerbandofficial to the bounce back to Madison Square Garden with and @exodusbandofficial charting at number 20 on the MAIN Billboard charts, all will be told! No holds barred, all the lows and highs will be retold! Been a project very close to me, and I'm stoked to be working with @ademtepedelen_ @lauramazer @bschafer714 @hachettebooks and @wendysherman to make this a reality!"

Holt joined EXODUS in 1981, shortly after the band's formation, and has been the group's main songwriter ever since. Holt has performed on every EXODUS album, and is considered highly influential in the world of thrash metal.

Holt began filling in for SLAYER guitarist Jeff Hanneman at live shows in 2011, and became the band's full-time co-guitarist as of 2013, while remaining a member of EXODUS. Holt played on SLAYER's final album, "Repentless", which came out in 2015.

In a June 2012 interview with Full Metal Jackie's nationally syndicated radio show, SLAYER's Kerry King stated about Holt: "I always regard Gary as the Glenn Tipton of our era — really good, really polished and nobody talks about him. To this day, nobody really references [JUDAS] PRIEST and Tipton that much as guitar players and I feel the same way about Gary. EXODUS have a huge following but a little more overlooked than METALLICA, MEGADETH, SLAYER, ANTHRAX — the 'Big Four,' so to speak, so [it is great] to be able to bring him to the forefront and shove him down people's throats and say, 'Hey, this motherfucker kicks ass. Pay attention.'"

EXODUS's latest album, "Persona Non Grata", came out in November 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP was recorded at a studio in Lake Almanor, California and was engineered by Steve Lagudi and EXODUS. It was produced by EXODUS and was mixed by Andy Sneap. For the third time in the band's history, they returned to Swedish artist Pär Olofsson to create the album artwork.

"Persona Non Grata" was the follow-up to 2014's "Blood In Blood Out", which was the San Francisco Bay Area thrashers' first release since the departure of the group's lead singer of nine years, Rob Dukes, and the return of Steve "Zetro" Souza, who previously fronted EXODUS from 1986 to 1993 and from 2002 to 2004.

German metal legends Blind Guardian performed at Midalidare Rock 2023 in Mogilovo, Bulgaria on July 1st. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Imaginations From the Other Side"
"Welcome to Dying"
"Nightfall"
"Time Stands Still (At the Iron Hill)" 
"The Quest for Tanelorn"
"Born in a Mourning Hall" 
"Violent Shadows" 
"The Bard's Song - In the Forest" 
"Mirror Mirror"
"Valhalla"

Metal Blade Records has announced the signing of the American metal quintet, Wretched, who will release their fifth full-length album with the label - more details will be announced in the coming months so be sure to follow the band to keep up to date on all things Wretched.


The band commented; "It is with great excitement that we announce the official return of Wretched! We've signed on with Metal Blade Records and we're both eager to bring new material to you. Stay tuned."


Check out this video from the band:







Formed in September of 2005, Wretched began their career in Charlotte, North Carolina, gaining their first signing with Victory Records in 2008 and going on to release four full-length studio albums; The Exodus Of Autonomy (2009), Beyond The Gate (2010), Son Of Perdition (2012), and Cannibal (2014). During that timespan, Wretched spent most of their efforts touring North America before eventually spending some time away from the road after 2015. The band continued to write and record music in the years after with those recording sessions still continuing on today.


"We're beyond excited to hit the stage and share all of the new music we've been creating." commented the band. "We've worked on numerous things in the last years and are excited to let this stuff out into the wild. We're currently writing for our debut release on Metal Blade and we can't be more honored to be able to work with some great people, make some fun music and hang with our friends and fans out on the road!"


Lineup:


Billy Powers - vocals
Joel Moore - guitars
Steven Funderburk - guitars
Andrew Grevey - bass
Marshall Wieczorek - drums


(Photo - Marshall Wieczorek)

Enjoy the moment when Brian May of Queen got to unbox the first copy of the Gold Series release of Star Fleet.


This third release in the “Brian May Gold Series” offers an extensively revisited and expanded box set edition of these now legendary sessions. The set is a complete document of the two days, April 21 and 22, 1983 that May spent in the Record Plant, Los Angeles accompanied by top rock music luminaries Edward Van Halen (guitar), Alan Gratzer (drums), Phil Chen (bass) and Fred Mandel (keyboards). The box set includes a spectacular 23-track CD filled with previously unreleased material.







Containing 2 CDs, 1 vinyl LP, and a vinyl single, as well as other collector’s items, Brian May + Friends: Star Fleet Sessions will be launched as a Deluxe Edition box set, worldwide on July 14th.


A separate exclusive 7” double A-side single, also available on CD comes the same day, July 14th, featuring newly mixed single versions of “Star Fleet” and “Let Me Out”. A special red vinyl version will be available exclusively through the official Queen Online Store.





As May writes in his introductory sleeve notes in the box set: “We are going to give you everything. Every take of every song. The things that went wrong, the laughing, the finding new things to do. But it won’t be just a remaster – we’ve rescued everything from the original multitracks, every detail magnificently remixed, and more! You’ll hear every take from the historic 1983 sessions plus fragments of conversations, out-takes and musical experimentation.”


The original 3-track mini album, released October 31,1983, featured a full-length take of “Star Fleet”, May’s hard rock re-imagining of the signature tune from the Japanese-made kids science fiction series of the same name. The programme was compulsive regular viewing for Brian and his 4-year-old son Jimmy on Saturday morning TV, inspiring Brian’s attachment to its title song, written by English musician Paul Bliss. The album also featured "Let Me Out", including extensive opportunities for May and Van Halen to solo, and "Blues Breaker" a 13-minute piece of completely spontaneous improvisation from all members of this  ‘supergroup’ of musicians.


May says: “If Paul hadn’t written a very catchy song as the theme tune for that kid’s TV science fiction drama series, things would have been different. The signature tune began to stick in my head, and I could hear my own arrangement of the tune developing in my mind. But how to record it?”


“So, one morning, I woke up in Los Angeles, on a break from activities with Queen, and made some phone calls. I’ve told the story of what happened next in the material you will find in this box. The outcome was something I will forever treasure.”


“We did a little preparation, on the phone and at home with tiny Rockman amps and earphones. Then we went in. The tapes rolled. My LA neighbour Alan Gratzer beat the Hell out of his kit with the fattest, heaviest drum sticks I had ever seen. Phil Chen, a friend I had met when he played with Rod Stewart, brought his unusual style of funk-orientated rock playing to the party, along with his sunny Caribbean energy and humour. And Fred Mandel, one of the classiest keyboard players I have ever met, tickled both the ivories and some very technical synth patches to bring the spacey riffs to life.  Ed (I can still never call him “Eddie Van Halen” because he more than once told me he found it annoying!) played the guitar as if it were a piano … tapping and snapping, and sliding and skipping around the fingerboard like an electric sprite - always with a cheeky smile. If anything he did was difficult for him, he never showed it.  A total original. Pure joy. What an everlasting privilege to play with him.”


A superlative show of back-to-basics passion and purpose, Star Fleet brims with the freedom of an off-the-cuff break from the day jobs for all involved.


The record emerged on October 20, 1983 as a set of blistering guitar work, rock’n’roll spontaneity and vibrant melody, infused with a palpable chemistry and respect between the players. Spawning a single in the title-track, the mini-album reached No 1 in the British ‘Kerrang’ rock charts.


Now, of course, the record stands in part as a celebration of those we’ve lost: a chance to reconvene with great, much-missed talents. As Brian puts it, “It’s been very exciting to open up the vault to find these tapes where, in the blink of an eye, I’m trading licks with my friends, including the fantastic Ed Van Halen. It’s highly emotional, especially since Ed is sadly no longer around. We have since also lost Phil - so the rest of us cherish these fleeting moments together.”


The troupe also worked on an earlier May song, the bluesy “Let Me Out”, while the set closes with the titanic “Blues Breaker”, almost 13 minutes of scorching guitar interplay between Brian and Edward: not so much duelling as sharing ideas and passions. As Brian explains, “It was inspired by John Mayall’s Blues Breakers, the album with Eric Clapton reading The Beano on the front cover. Edward said, ‘This is great for me, I haven’t played like this in years.  This is where I come from! I didn’t come up doing tapping and all the fireworks. I grew up doing blues, wanting to be like Eric Clapton and do something melodic.”


If that sense of liberation rings out, so does a spirit of shared adventure. “There was a lot of ebullience, a lot of exploration, discovery and astonishment,” says Brian. “And some truly magical moments when everything gelled together - a fusion of energies!”


Across two CDs, a 12” vinyl LP, a 7” vinyl single, the ‘Star Fleet Sessions’ box set houses the proof. Presented in 180g transparent red vinyl, the original LP issue has been treated to a full new mix, executed by Queen sound engineers Justin Shirley-Smith and Kris Fredriksson under Brian’s direction at his Surrey studio from the original multitrack tapes and, says Brian, “cut at half-speed for maximum fidelity”. The single features two tracks. The A-side is an edited version of “Star Fleet”, with brand-new intro guitar harmonies from Brian. The B-side mirrors the original B-side “Son of Star Fleet” which Brian explains “was a way of including the rest of the original long version of the recording on a 7” record; effectively the whole recording is split between the two sides.”


CD1 Star Fleet Project + Beyond features the single version of the title track alongside full-length album versions of “Let Me Out” and “Blues Breaker”. Also included is an interview with Cynthia Fox conducted on Los Angeles radio station KMET in October 1983, on the day of the single release, and a Rockline interview with Bob Coburn. A live version of “Let Me Out” from the Palace Theatre in LA follows, segueing into “We Will Rock You” and a reworking of the same song’s adored fast rendition. The line-up of May, powerhouse drummer Cozy Powell, bassist Neil Murray, guitarist Jamie Moses, keyboardist Spike Edney and backing singers Cathy Porter & Shelley Preston finds The Brian May Band on fire. Finally, CD1 closes with the full LP version of “Star Fleet”, “just as the day it happened,” says Brian, “as if we were in the room.”


CD2 Star Fleet - The Complete Sessions features 23 tracks that go deeper into that room. The disc boasts a newly-created mix from the entire original analogue session tapes, featuring songs in the process of evolution (some with guide vocals) plus discussion, banter, laughs and, says Brian, “some ‘mistakes’, if there are such things”. Amps blow, mics break, strings snap – the results take you as close as it is possible to get to the Record Plant in April 1983.





And Van Halen fans, take note: the “Star Fleet” takes feature eight Edward guitar solos, “never quite treading the same path twice,” says Brian. “Ed was a wonderful soul. Listening to him and me, I feel completely outclassed by him in the studio. But in a very pleasant way – what a joy for me to be around a guy who could do all that. Such a privilege."


“So, you’ll hear us in the studio trading licks,” adds May. “We’ve cleaned up the mix and now EVH’s sound is larger than life. You’ll hear the development of his solo, which I always thought was one of the greatest things he did… a real immortal classic of Ed Van Halen pieces.”


A badge and a booklet featuring extensive liner notes complete the box set. A poster will be exclusive to box set orders placed via QueenOnline.com, where 180g black vinyl, cassette and picture-disc vinyl albums will also be available.


Complete with a digital recreation of the original 1983 source material’s artwork, Star Fleet Sessions doesn’t just gleam anew. Across 136 minutes of audio, the box set takes you behind the curtain, highlighting the electricity that made the project such a special chapter in Brian’s life and career.


“It’s all here. ALL of it ! Every note we played on those two unforgettable, exhilarating days is right here, on show for the first time. Hearing these sessions, especially through the new restoration and mixes we’ve now produced, still sends shivers up my spine,” he says. A time capsule of an unrepeatable moment, this much-anticipated, lovingly curated box set proves why.





Tracklistings:


Star Fleet Sessions Box Set | Format: 2CD + LP (Red Vinyl) + 7” (Black Vinyl)


CD1: Star Fleet Project + Beyond:
"Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (2023 Mix)
"Blues Breaker" (2023 Mix)
Cynthia Fox Release Day Interview 1983
Bob Coburn Rockline Interview 1984
"Let Me Out" (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"We Will Rock You" (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"We Will Rock You" - Fast (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"Star Fleet" (Complete Version / 2023 Mix)


CD2: Star Fleet The Complete Sessions:
"Star Fleet" (Take 1)
"Star Fleet" (Take 2)
"Star Fleet" (Take 3)
"Star Fleet" (Take 4)
"Star Fleet" (Take 5)
Solo Jam
"Star Fleet" (Take 7)
"Star Fleet" (Take 8)
"Star Fleet" (Take 10)
"Star Fleet" (Take 11)
"Star Fleet" (Alternative Overdub EVH Solo)
Jam
"Let Me Out" (Rehearsal 1)
"Let Me Out" (Rehearsal 2)
Boogie Woogie Jam
"Let Me Out" (Take 1)
"Jazz Police"
"Let Me Out" (Take 3)
"Let Me Out" (Take 4)
Jam (Let's Do The Show Right Here)
"Let Me Out" (Take 6)
Funky Jam
"Let Me Out" (Take 7 False Start)


LP: Star Fleet Project (180g Red Vinyl):
"Star Fleet" (2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (2023 Mix)
"Blues Breaker" (2023 Mix)


7” Single "Star Fleet":
"Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
"Son Of Star Fleet" (2023 Mix) – Exclusive to the box set 7”


Star Fleet Project + Beyond CD:
"Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (2023 Mix)
"Blues Breaker" (2023 Mix)
Cynthia Fox Release Day Interview 1983
Bob Coburn Rockline Interview 1984
"Let Me Out" (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"We Will Rock You" (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"We Will Rock You" - Fast (Live at The Palace Theater, LA / 1993)
"Star Fleet" (Complete Version / 2023 Mix)


Star Fleet Project / LP 180g black vinyl / LP picture disc / Cassette:
"Star Fleet" (2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (2023 Mix)
"Blues Breaker" (2023 Mix)





"Star Fleet" / "Let Me Out" - Double A Side Single (7” Vinyl (Red) / CD Single):
"Star Fleet" (Edited Single Version / 2023 Mix)
"Let Me Out" (Single Edit / 2023 Mix) – Only available physically on this 7” Vinyl & CD single





Credits:


- Content supervised by Kris Fredriksson.
- Mixed by Justin Shirley-Smith and Kris Fredriksson, Allerton Hill Studio.
- Mastered by Adam Ayan, Gateway Mastering Studios, Portland, Maine.
- Half Speed vinyl mastering by Miles Showell at Abbey Road Studios.
- Artwork by Richard Gray and Brian May.
- Photography by Phil Chen, James “Motor” Merritt, Elizabeth “Lizard” Frye, Brian May, Ron Galella / Getty Images.


3D unboxing video:





Star Fleet Sessions: How It Began (Episode 1):





Star Fleet Sessions: Meet The Band (Episode 2):





Star Fleet Sessions: In The Studio (Episode 3):





 

Swedish rockers, Sarayasign, will release their sophomore studio album, The Lion's Road, on August 11. Watch a video for the new single, "When All Lights Go Out", below, and pre-order/save The Lion's Road here.


"The new album will take the listener on a new journey for sure,” explains drummer/keyboardist/guitarist Jesper Lindbergh. “There will be places, familiarity and sounds and melodies that you'll recognize, but this time around, we've really found our own DNA as a band and most of the things you'll hear are played out in uncharted territory and with an evolved hunger. Welcome to the darker chapter two, The Lion's Road.”


Sarayasign is a cinematic melodic hard rock band, headquartered in Örebro, Sweden. With guitar driven roots from the late ’70s and the cinematic experience of the 21st Century, layered with strings and storytelling driven, melody-focused songs with an edge, the listener will be in for a treat.




Formed in late 2020, with their debut album, Throne Of Gold, released in May 2022, Sarayasign is a concept driven, cinematic, melodic hard rock band that aims for the same experience often felt through films, for they believe that music can propel a narrative and take the listener into unexplored dreamlike and emotional territory. Through the lens and the voice of the storyteller depicted in their lyrics and the atmospheric music and soundscapes of their world called Saraya, created by drummer/keyboardist/guitarist Jesper Lindbergh, Sarayasign wants you to close your eyes and enjoy the journey they will take you on.


The Lion's Road is the band’s sophomore release, the first for the Frontiers Music s.r.l. label. The songs, or shall we say stories, on the upcoming album are directly connected to and a continuation of the initial eight stories told on Throne Of Gold. Transcending time and space, like a lost treasure in the Swedish melodic hard rock scene, with some of the most outstanding musical visionaries and craftsmen the scene has to offer comes a beautifully crafted trajectory that reaches beyond traditional melodic hard rock. Introducing cinematic soundscapes and with the mesmerizing stories that take place in the land of Saraya, Sarayasign brings something new and fresh to the table.


With stellar guitar riffs and haunting melodies and arrangements from childhood dreams merged with Sarayasign’s own twist of cinematic hard rock, the band is able to offer something new that still has strong liaison with the classic sounds.





The Lion's Road tracklisting:


"When All Lights Go Out"
"Blood From Stone"
"A Way Back"
"The Beginning Of The End"
"Will You Find Me"
"Everdying Night"
"The Lion's Road"
"Love Will Burn"
"Hope And The Sorrow"
"Throne Of Gold Part II – A Heartless Melody"


"When All Lights Go Out" video:





"Everdying Night" video:





Lineup:


Stefan Nykvist - Lead and backing vocals
Jesper Lindbergh - Drums, rhythm guitar, keyboards, loops & soundscapes
Daniel Lykkeklev - Bass, keyboards
Peter Lundin -  Lead and rhythm guitar