Horror Pain Gore Death Productions are set to unleash the previously unreleased album from Florida's alternative/grunge/rock act, FLO. Long Way Down is up now for pre-order and will be released August 18 on CD and digital formats along with merch.


FLO disbanded back in 2004 and featured veteran Rick 'Rozz' DeLillo (Death, Left To Die, Massacre) on guitar. Below is the official description:


Horror Pain Gore Death Productions is proud to unearth the previously unreleased FLO album, Long Way Down. Established in Orlando, Florida in 1999, FLO disbanded in 2004 before releasing their debut album which finally sees the light of day. Long Way Down is a hidden Florida gem of the alternative/grunge/rock genre and features veteran Rick 'Rozz' DeLillo (Death, Left To Die, Massacre) on guitar. FLO were on the radar of Dave Mustaine before disbanding in 2004 and Long Way Down showcases 14 tracks clocking in at over 57 minutes of finely crafted memorable songs. For fans of Alice In Chains, Black Sabbath, Corrosion Of Conformity, Led Zeppelin, Mad Season, Pearl Jam, Stone Temple Pilots, Soundgarden, Temple Of The Dog and Tool.




Pre-order the album here, and listen to the single "Yesterday" below.





Tracklisting:


"Pull Myself Up"
"Everytime"
"Numb"
"High Again"
"Alone"
"Disaster"
"I Know"
"Follow"
"Yesterday"
"Again"
"Noose"
"Walk The Talk"
"Black Moon"
"Long Way Down"


"Yesterday":

"We hope you're all having a great summer so far," begins an update from Swedish death metal icons, The Crown. It continues:


"We're enjoying every second of it and we will soon start with rehearsals both on new songs as well as for upcoming shows. Is there a better place than a sweaty rehearsal room with shitty AC when the sun is shining outside? Anyway, we're slowly building up the next album here. Gonna be a good one. That's a promise."


"Next two shows happen in September. (Storm Crusher Festival in Germany, and Musikens Hus in Sweden). We hope to see a lot of you death metal maniacs out there so see you soon. We have a killer setlist prepared. Cheers."




The aforementioned, as yet untitled album from The Crown will serve as the follow-up to Royal Destroyer, released in 2021 via Metal Blade Records. 





 

According to SIX FEET UNDER singer Chris Barnes, drummer Marco Pitruzzella has finished recording the drum parts for the band's next studio album. SIX FEET UNDER guitarist Jack Owen "will be tracking rhythm guitar in a couple weeks," Chrisrevealed.

Barnes added: "Things are coming together awesome! Some real killer songs on this album. It will definitely satisfy all our SFU Fans appetite. #pureDEATHMETAL'"

Chris previously said the material for the next SIX FEET UNDER LP was shaping up to be "incredibly fucking heavy."

SIX FEET UNDER's 17th full-length album, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed", was released in October 2020 via Metal Blade Records.

Comprised of 12 tracks, "Nightmares Of The Decomposed" was tracked at various studios, including Criteria Studios in Miami, Florida, which over the years has played host to the likes of AC/DC, BLACK SABBATH and AEROSMITH, among others. It was produced, engineered and mixed by Chris Carroll, while the album's mastering was handled by Chaz Najjar at Badlands Recording in Denver, Colorado. The finished product came packaged in artwork by Luke Hunter.

Barnes exited CANNIBAL CORPSE in 1995, one year after the release of the band's "The Bleeding" album. Six years ago, he told "The Chainsaw Symphony" radio program about his departure: "I just didn't like being around them, because I was being ridiculed, and I just didn't feel comfortable being in the same room with people that weren't very nice to me personally. And I was part of that too, so we had all of our own type of differences, personally, and I don't think it was gonna be able to be worked out. You know, mutual respect goes a far way when it comes to being in close quarters with people."

Owen left CANNIBAL CORPSE in 2004, explaining in a statement that his "heart just wasn't in it anymore, and it was reflected in my appearance on stage. Times change, and I just don't enjoy the music as much as I used to, and the only thing keeping me in the band was steady work, and the pay," he said. "These things makes it unfair to myself, my band members, and especially the fans."

After Barnes left CANNIBAL CORPSE to form SIX FEET UNDER, he was replaced in the former band by George "Corpsegrinder" Fisher.

Photo credit: Gustavo Abdiel Torres

Living Dead Girl will release the deluxe edition of their Exorcism album on October 6. Preorder at distrokid.com. New single and video for “Dysfunctional” is streaming below.





"'Dysfunctional' is a song I wrote knowing everyone can relate to it in some way; we all have been in a rocky relationship, or have one specific person in our families that we will always butt heads with. 'Dysfunctional' is expressing the frustration of having to deal with that person, but the song is fun and upbeat, making light that we have all been there. The music video was such a blast to film, it follows the different 'dysfunctional' scenarios that happen every day, and we show them throughout a huge party in a mansion. Everyone is at the party having fun, but at the same time everyone's got their own problems going on." - Molly Rennick




Molly Rennick says, "Our debut record, Exorcism, was released in June of 2021, and it still feels as new and exciting to me now as it did then. We're passing that feeling onto you now, re-releasing Exorcism with six new tracks added onto it, including our new single, 'Dysfunctional'. We reimagined all the artwork and CD design to expand the world of Exorcism."





Living Dead Girl dates:


August (headline)
3 – Lafayette, LA – Freetown Boom Boom Room
4 – Houston, TX – Acadia Bar & Grill
5 – Dallas, TX – Reno’s Chop Shop
6 – Oklahoma City, OK – Grand Royale
10 – Colorado Springs, CO – Sunshine Studios Live
11 – Casper, WY – Oil City Beer Company


August (supporting Raven Black)
12 – Salt Lake City, UT – Leatherheads Sports Bar
13 – Denver, CO – Herman’s Hideaway 
15 – Kansas City, KS – Vivo
16 – Springfield, MO – Kiss Bar & Grill
17 – Chicago, IL – The WC Social Club
18 – Dayton, OH – Oddbody’s
19 – Elkhart, IN – Daj (headline date)
20 – Braidwood, IL – Top Fuel Saloon
21 – Knoxville, TN – The Concourse
22 – Nashville, TN – The Cobra
23 – Birmingham, AL – The Nick
24 – Ft. Walton Beach, FL – Downtown Music Hall
25 – Tallahassee, FL – Legacy (headline date)


October (Fall Tour)
20 – West Palm Beach, FL – Respectable Street
21 – Celebration, FL – Vettes For Vets Car Show
22 – Jacksonville, FL – Jack Rabbits*
25 – Tampa, FL – Brass Mug*
26 – Satellite Beach, FL – Wynfield’s*
27 – Tallahassee, FL – Legacy*
28 – Winter Park, FL – Conduit***


*with The SoapGirls
***with Icon For Hire 


(Photo – Christian Maravelis)

Melbourne-based blackened deathcore group, Mélancolia, have released a video for "HissThroughRottenTeeth", the title track of their debut album, out now and streaming everywhere via Greyscale Records and Nuclear Blast Records. Watch the clip below.


“The song has always made us feel low, dreary and woeful - not quite awake and not quite dreaming, stuck in a horrible limbo somewhere between," tells vocalist Alex Hill.


"The video represents that visually with low lighting and moody red hotel scenery, like a comedown from the worst night of your life. The title track is the breaking point for the album's main character and the realization there is nowhere to go but low.”







Mélancolia’s debut album, HissThroughRottenTeeth immerses listeners in a torturous tale of birth, life and death. HissThroughRottenTeeth follows a fallen deity, cast down from a godly realm and met with the punishment of reincarnating as a human with a wealth of knowledge yet stripped entirely of power.


“Essentially the album is about the pain of existence and how we get no say in coming into this world,” says vocalist and songwriter Alex Hill.





Tracklisting:


"Horror_Ethereal"
"Dread Will Follow"
"God Tongue"
"When Shovels Drag On Concrete"
"The Hands That Tied The Noose"
"(Inure)"
"HissThroughRottenTeeth"
"…A Cold Static Eulogy"


"God Tongue" video:





"Horror_Ethereal" video:





(Photo: Karl Steller)

Heavy metal quintet U.D.O. - fronted by legendary singer Udo Dirkschneider and officially completed by former Accept bassist Peter Baltes in April - recently announced their new studio album, Touchdown, due out on August 25 via Atomic Fire Records. It features 13 tracks which cement the fact that the group surely belongs to the all-star team of the scene.


U.D.O. have released a guitar playthrough video for the single, "Forever Free". Watch Andrey Smirnov perform the song below:







Pre-order Touchdown in the physical format of your choice, pre-save it on your favourite DSP or pre-order it digitally to receive "Forever Free" instantly now, here.





Tracklisting:


"Isolation Man"
"The Flood"
"The Double Dealer's Club"
"Fight For The Right"
"Forever Free"
"Punchline"
"Sad Man's Show"
"The Betrayer"
"Heroes Of Freedom"
"Better Start To Run"
"The Battle Understood"
"Living Hell"
"Touchdown"


"Forever Free" lyric video:





U.D.O. / Dirkschneider live:


July
21 - Pförring, Germany - Open Air Pförring


August
12 - Villena, Spain - Leyendas del Rock*
17 - Moravský Krumlov, Czech Republic - Rock Castle Open Air
20 - Vallamand (VD), Switzerland - Rock The Lakes


September
16 - Tuttlingen, Germany - Beast of Rocks @ Stadthalle


October
7 - Würzburg, Germany - Keep It True Rising III @ Posthalle*
22 - Linz, Austria - Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Tabakfabrik
29 - Salzburg, Austria - Wildstyle & Tattoo @ Messezentrum


* as Dirkschneider


Get tickets here.


U.D.O. / Dirkschneider are:


Udo Dirkschneider - vocals
Andrey Smirnov - guitar
Sven Dirkschneider - drums
Fabian Dee Dammers - guitar
Peter Baltes - bass


(Photo - Martin Häusler)

Always uncompromising in their creative vision, today the twice Grammy-nominated band, Code Orange, announce their new album The Above, set for release on September 29 via Blue Grape Music. The first new studio album since their 2020 record Underneath, it is self-produced by the band's Jami Morgan and Eric “Shade” Balderose with engineering by Steve Albini.


The band also share the brand new track "Take Shape" and it's official video. The song features unmistakable guest vocals from Smashing Pumpkins' Billy Corgan, and is a throwback to when music videos were at peak importance, combining nostalgia with a modern twist.


Inspired by an era where film was at its peak quality, but beginning to give way to the digital era, “Take Shape” picks up where “Grooming My Replacement” left off. The protagonist, played by Morgan, escapes his captives, arriving in a technicolour, Truman Show-esque stage play of reality. Incredible cinematography brings the video through a number of sets and stages arriving at a Vanilla Sky-inspired roof scene. The video was co-directed by frequent collaborator Max Moore (Vein.FM, Knocked Loose, Coheed and Cambria, etc.) and Jami Morgan, marking Morgan’s directorial debut.




Morgan notes of the process, “I have been working on the concept for this video, and others to come, for about a year and a half. I am so thankful to have been able to sit under the learning tree of Max Moore and our DP Eric Robbins. They allowed me to sit in on every minute of this process from hiring to scouting, all the way to final colouring. Being that deep was a revelation and I have found a new love along the way. I couldn’t be prouder of the result.”


Watch the official video below.


As heavy an album as the Pittsburgh six-piece has ever produced, The Above is a giant sonic leap full of twists and turns that only Code Orange are capable of achieving. A composite of seamless sounds, the band blends heavy music, grunge, trip hop, hip hop, and more throughout the 14 tracks.


Morgan elaborates, “We wanted the album to be able to wash over you with melody, aggression, and joy, but it was of equal importance that the closer you look, the more you are rewarded. It was to feel rooted in the “analogue” world, but with threads of digital reality binding things together. We wanted the sound and even the recording process itself to reflect that edict, so we enlisted Steve Albini at Electrical Audio to get the most real and raw version of the band possible, even recording us all at once in a room together for the first time in our career.”


The album is available for pre-order now on digital, CD, and several vinyl variants, including exclusives via the band’s webstore and the Blue Grape Music store here.  





The Above tracklisting:


"Never Far Apart"
"Theatre Of Cruelty"
"Take Shape" (feat. Billy Corgan)
"The Mask Of Sanity Slips"
"Mirror"
"A Drone Opting Out Of The Hive"
"I Fly"
"Splinter The Soul"
"The Game"
"Grooming My Replacement"
"Snapshot"
"Circle Through"
"But A Dream…"
"The Above"


"Take Shape" video:





"The Game" visualizer:





"Grooming My Replacement" visualizer:





Having just obliterated Manchester with a ferocious set at the UK's Outbreak festival to rave reviews, the band also recently announced their own first-ever music festival, Code's World, which will act as their hometown album release show. The US festival will feature hand-picked favourites of the band, including Madball, E-Town Concrete, Vein.FM, 200 Stab Wounds, Pain Of Truth and many more. Full info and tickets can be found here.


(Photo - Tim Saccenti)

This year, Skindred celebrate their 25th anniversary with the release of their brand new album, Smile, their eighth long-player and their first for Earache Records.


Today, the band release a video for the new single, "Unstoppable". Check it out below:







From the hard-hitting "Gimme That Boom" to the pop-reggae triumph of "L.O.V.E. (Smile Please)", these two sides of the album, ranging from joy to rage and love to fury, suggest that Smile is going to be hailed as the band's masterpiece; an album that brings together all facets of Skindred's music - from reggae to metal, rock to pop, dub to electro - into the most mind-expanding and potent collection of songs, designed to melt stereos around the world when it's released summer 2023.


Due on August 4, you can pre-order the album here. Check out a visualizer for the single "If I Could" below.





Tracklisting:


"Our Religion"
"Gimme That Boom"
"Set Fazers"
"Life That's Free"
"If I Could"
"L.O.V.E. (Smile Please)"
"This Appointed Love"
"Black Stars"
"State Of The Union"
"Addicted"
"Mama"
"Unstoppable"


"If I Could" visualizer:





"Set Fazers" video:

Finnish cello metal band, Apocalyptica, have released a deluxe box edition of their 7th Symphony album. A message from the band follows...


"Hello everyone! Some of you are quite the sherlocks and already figured it out - a part of the band is now back from a trip to L.A, where we worked on some magical music. Always great to be abroad meeting other musicians, producers, music nerds!


While we were hiding behind thick walls in studios and enjoyed the L.A. sun, there's been a lot going on around us! The new ApocalypTEAca collection has launched, we have some upcoming concerts in Finland and Portugal to look foward to... and had a crazy idea about a 7th Symphony Deluxe Box that we finally made happen!




We took our old backdrop from those days and used pieces of it to make 300 unique shirts. They are part of our special fanbox that also includes the 7th Symphony blue double-vinyl. 100 of these 300 boxes also include socks designed in the style of the artwork! We will not make these boxes again - only 300 are available!"








The band add: "We recently released a brand new edition of our 7th Symphony album featuring the classics 'Not Strong Enough' feat. Brent Smith (Shinedown), 'Broken Pieces' feat. Lacey (Flyleaf) and 'End Of Me' feat. Gavin Rossdale (Bush). The album has been remastered for vinyl and also offers a transparent blue double LP with a special etching on the D side! Now, you can order this special box. In addition to the vinyl, it includes a T-Shirt with a piece of the original tour backdrop woven into it. There are two types of boxes: With or without socks! Watch us doing an unboxing like real influencers."


Order here.

Keanu Reeves's 1990s and early 2000s grunge band DOGSTAR will release its first album in two decades, "Somewhere Between The Power Lines And Palm Trees", on October 6 via the group's own label Dillon Street Records (distributed through ADA). The band also has a newly signed management deal with Q Prime. The official music video for the LP's first single, "Everything Turns Around", can be seen below.

"We couldn't think of a better song to re-introduce DOGSTAR than 'Everything Turns Around' and hope everyone loves it as much as we do. It's catchy and poppy, has a chorus that rocks, a bridge with an indie sensibility and is completed with lyrics that tell an honest yet uplifting story," DOGSTAR says of the track. "It's one of our favorite songs to play live and we can't wait to take it out on the road."

"Somewhere Between the Power Lines and Palm Trees" track listing:

01. Blonde
02. How The Story Ends
03. Everything Turns Around
04. Overhang
05. Dillon St.
06. Lily
07. Lust
08. Glimmer
09. Sunrise
10. Sleep
11. Upside
12. Breach

This summer, DOGSTAR will kick off a 25-plus-city headline "Somewhere Between The Power Lines And Palm Trees" tour. Beginning August 11 in Phoenix, Arizona with a run of West Coast dates across cities like Las Vegas, Salt Lake City and Denver through the end of the month, they will then take their live show overseas for three dates in Japan in early September. They will resume their North American dates in December in cities like Chicago, Toronto, New York City, Boston, Philadelphia, DC and Atlanta before concluding on December 20 in Nashville, Tennessee. Tickets for all North American shows go on sale Friday, July 21 at 10 a.m. local time. For all dates and details, please visit www.dogstarofficial.com.

Of the upcoming tour, DOGSTAR added: "When creating this record, we were so excited about the idea of playing it live so we are thrilled to finally announce the 'Somewhere Between The Power Lines And Palm Trees' tour and to soon play for our fans all over North America and Japan."

Last night, DOGSTAR took over the Sunset Strip with an intimate, high-energy show at the iconic Roxy Theatre to usher in the release of the new single and album announcement. The show sold out in minutes upon being announced last week. Throughout their 90-minute set, lucky fans got a sneak peek into their new era of music and live show.

DOGSTAR is composed of guitarist/vocalist Bret Domrose, drummer Rob Mailhouse and bassist Keanu Reeves.

"Somewhere Between The Power Lines And Palm Trees" 2023 tour dates:

Aug. 10 - Hermosa Beach, CA - Saint Rocke
Aug. 11 - Phoenix, AZ - Crescent Ballroom
Aug. 12 - Las Vegas, NV - Brooklyn Bowl
Aug. 15 - Salt Lake City, UT - Complex
Aug. 17 - Denver, CO - Marquis Theatre
Aug. 19 - Aspen, CO - Belly Up
Aug. 22 - Napa, CA - Uptown Theatre
Aug. 23 - Menlo Park, CA - Guild Theatre
Aug. 24 - San Luis Obispo, CA - Fremont Theater
Aug. 26 - Ventura, CA - Ventura Music Hall
Aug. 27 - Solana Beach, CA - Belly Up
Aug. 28 - Santa Ana, CA - The Observatory
Sep. 05 - Osaka, JPN - Zepp Namba
Sep. 06 - Yokohama, JPN - KT Zepp
Sep. 07 - Yokohama, JPN - KT Zepp
Nov. 30 - Los Angeles, CA - Troubadour
Dec. 03 - San Francisco, CA - The Great American Music Hall
Dec. 05 - Sacramento, CA - Crest Theatre
Dec. 07 - Chicago, IL - Thalia Hall
Dec. 08 - Detroit, MI - The Majestic Theatre
Dec. 09 - Toronto, ON - Lee's Palace
Dec. 11 - Brooklyn, NY - Music Hall of Williamsburg
Dec. 12 - Boston, MA - Paradise Rock Club
Dec. 14 - Philadelphia, PA - Underground Arts
Dec. 15 - Washington, DC - The Howard
Dec. 16 - Norfolk, VA - NorVa
Dec. 18 - Charlotte, NC - The Underground
Dec. 19 - Atlanta, GA - Center Stage
Dec. 20 - Nashville, TN - Brooklyn Bowl

DOGSTAR played its first concert following a two-decade-long hiatus on May 27 at the BottleRock music festival in Napa Valley, California. Reeves and his bandmates debuted new music from the upcoming album, including the song "Glimmer".

DOGSTAR, which hadn't performed live since October 2002, announced its return on Instagram last summer and has been posting regular updates on the progress of its recording sessions.

Regarding DOGSTAR's new album, Reeves told Billboard ahead of the BottleRock show: "I think all three of us just said, 'Well, if we're going to do this, let's make a record.'" Domrose added: "We just knew that there was 'X' amount of time, and we needed to make the most of it. We just locked on as wanting to make this record, and it happened pretty quickly."

DOGSTAR's upcoming LP was helmed by producer Dave Trumfio (WILCO, BUILT TO SPILL). "[Dave] understood where we were coming from," said Mailhouse, "and worked really well with Bret, layering guitars and doing lots of different sounds and ambient things — things that weren't just hard rock, in-your-face music, [but] a little more textural."

DOGSTAR's next release will be the band's first collection of new music since its 2000 sophomore effort "Happy Ending".

Reeves co-founded DOGSTAR in 1991, and the band subsequently released two albums, toured with BON JOVI and opened a show for David Bowie. Keanu handled bass and backing vocals for DOGSTAR, but eventually his increasing fame made it difficult to find time for the project, and the band broke up in 2002. He later played in the spinoff group BECKY with DOGSTAR drummer, co-founder and actor Robert Mailhouse, but he left that band after just a year.

In a 2019 interview with GQ, Reeves shared a fond memory from when DOGSTAR was inexplicably booked at the 1992 Milwaukee Metal Fest, alongside acts like AGNOSTIC FRONT, CANNIBAL CORPSE, OBITUARY and DEICIDE.

"We played Milwaukee Metal Fest. Got killed. I think we played close to [New York hardcore punk legends] MURPHY'S LAW. Imagine," Reeves told GQ. "So we played a GRATEFUL DEAD cover, at Milwaukee Metal Fest. We were, like, 'They hate us. What are we doing here? What can we do? Let's do THE GRATEFUL DEAD cover…They were just like, Fuck you, you suck. I had the biggest grin on my face, man."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD officially kicked off the first part of its "Life Is But A Dream…" North American tour last night (Tuesday, July 18) at Freedom Mortgage Pavilion, Camden, New Jersey. Fan-filmed video of the entire show can be seen below.

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

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's setlist for the Freedom Mortgage Pavilion concert was as follows:

01. Game Over
02. Mattel
03. Afterlife
04. Hail To The King
05. We Love You
06. Buried Alive
07. The Stage
08. So Far Away
09. Nobody
10. Nightmare
11. Bat Country
12. Unholy Confessions
13. A Little Piece Of Heaven
14. G
15. (O)rdinary
16. (D)eath

In a recent interview with Lou Brutus of HardDrive Radio, AVENGED SEVENFOLD singer M. Shadows discussed the experimental nature of "Life Is But A Dream…" Written and recorded over the span of four years, it was produced by Joe Barresi and AVENGED SEVENFOLD in Los Angeles and mixed by Andy Wallace in the Poconos, Pennsylvania. The album is a journey through an existential crisis; a very personal exploration into the meaning, purpose and value of human existence with the anxiety of death always looming.

"We were just looking for really bold moments — in life, in art, in film," M. Shadows explained. "Things that we could sort of wrap our minds around an audio representation of how we were feeling about certain things.

"At this point, playing around with melody, playing around with tones, playing around with left turns, curveballs was really appealing to us.

"I think we've proven to everyone, whether they like the band or not, that we kind of know the rules of music, and this record, we were able to just go break all the rules," he continued.

"Mike Shinoda [of LINKIN PARK] put it to me really perfectly — I love his insight on a lot of things — and he said, 'This record is like you guys throwing paint at the wall, but if a fourth-grader was doing it, you'd say that's just paint on the wall. But because of everything you've done before, we all know you know how to make a beautiful painting, so this record is actually really special because it's not just paint on the wall. You guys have broken all the rules and done things in an abstract way. But we wanna listen and pay attention because we know what you guys have done before.' And I thought it was an interesting way of putting it, 'cause those [LINKIN PARK] guys — Dave ['Phoenix' Farrell] and Mike — have been big fans of this record. And I think that was a cool way of putting it."

The singer, whose real name is Matt Sanders, added: "We kind of just really wanted to push the boundaries — the musical boundaries, the lyrical boundaries, the themes — and we didn't want anything on the record to sound generic or phoned in or not exciting. We wanted to redo everything we've ever done, where even the song lengths and the way we kind of put these little pieces of ear candy, but we get away from it quick. Or staying away from three choruses, or if there is three choruses, they're all vastly different. And really thinking about turning the traditional landscape of how you would normally put a song together on its head, but do it in an interesting way — not just to do it, but just to do it in a way that we think people will enjoy and give them sort of a reason to get to the end of songs or get to the next song on the record. And I think that was just a mindset this time, was just a little different — really looking at those things."

AVENGED SEVENFOLD made its first festival appearance in five years on May 19 at Welcome To Rockville at Daytona International Speedway in Daytona Beach, Florida.

AVENGED SEVENFOLD's first concert since June 2018 took place on May 12 at AREA15 in Las Vegas, Nevada.

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

The first leg with support from ALEXISONFIRE and KIM DRACULA includes thirteen cities across the U.S. and Canada, such as Mansfield, Québec City, Tinley Park, Calgary, and more.

CREED has announced its long-awaited return with "Summer Of '99" — an immersive rock 'n' roll celebration at sea highlighted by the Grammy Award-winning band's first public live performances in more than a decade. Presented by Sixthman, the leader in festivals and music cruises for more than two decades, "Summer Of '99" sails April 18-22, 2024 from Miami, Florida to Nassau, Bahamas aboard Norwegian Pearl. Pre-sale signups are available now through July 26 at 11:59 p.m. ET. Pre-sales (early booking times) will be available July 25-27, with some late signups available on the morning of July 28. The first 500 cabins to book will secure a cabin photo opportunity with CREED. Public on-sales begin July 28 at 2:00 p.m. ET, exclusively at summerof99cruise.com. Three different payment options will be available, with automated monthly billing allowing for a deposit as low as $200 per person through September 18 (while supplies last).

Heralded last week with a series of viral teasers that lit up social media, "Summer Of '99" cruise will see CREED —– the band comprised of Scott Stapp, Mark Tremonti, Brian Marshall and Scott Phillips — reuniting for the first time since 2012 for two unique live performances under the Caribbean stars on Norwegian Pearl's Pool Deck stage. The once-in-a-lifetime festival cruise will further showcase an explosive lineup that includes very special guest 3 DOORS DOWN alongside a stacked all-star bill featuring BUCKCHERRY, TONIC, VERTICAL HORIZON, FUEL, THE VERVE PIPE, TANTRIC, DISHWALLA, Louise Post (of VERUCA SALT),NINE DAYS, and hosted by Eddie Trunk and the stars of AXS TV's "Power Hour" (Matt Pinfield, Caity Babs and Josh Bernstein). "Summer Of '99" cruise will also feature an exclusive live Q&A with CREED open to all guests, activities with bands and podcast hosts, panels, autograph sessions, and a very special Y2K Countdown theme party. As if that weren't enough, all guests will receive an autographed commemorative item signed by CREED prior to the event.

"Summer Of '99" cruise guests will enjoy all the incredible amenities available aboard Norwegian Pearl, including fully stocked bars at (almost) every corner, tasty dining options, the pool deck (with multiple hot tubs),the Pearl Club casino, Mandara spa, Body Waves fitness center, sports court, and much more.

Beyond the onboard experience, guests will have the chance to enjoy a shore excursion to Nassau, Bahamas — the ultimate vacationer's paradise with its laid-back vibes and perfect white-sand beaches, palm trees covered in coconuts, and refreshing, crystal-clear waters. Please note: Shore excursions will not be available until 4-6 weeks prior to sailing. Cruisers will be able to book excursions upon receipt of their official booking number.

CREED's enormous success is largely due to the prolific writing team of singer Scott Stapp and guitarist Mark Tremonti, who founded the band together in 1993. Their winning combination of driving guitar riffs, rousing hooks and introspective lyrics earned them legions of loyal fans around the world. Following the release of their first two albums, the four-piece — which also included bassist Brian Marshall and drummer Scott Phillips — became the first band ever to have seven consecutive No. 1 singles on Billboard's Hot Mainstream Rock Tracks. CREED's third album, "Weathered" (2001),also debuted at No. 1, and produced several popular singles, including Top Ten hits "My Sacrifice" and "One Last Breath". Though CREED announced its breakup in 2004, the band briefly reunited in 2009 to release "Full Circle". Heavier than their previous albums, "Full Circle" debuted at No. 2 on the Billboard 200, proving the incredible staying power of the band.

This past March, Tremonti spoke about the possibility of a CREED reunion an interview with Rock 100.5 The KATT's Cameron Buchholtz. He said: "It's just a matter of timing for everybody. Everybody's juggling so many projects, we would just have to find a window where it made sense.

"There's always people talking," he continued. "We always get calls from people that are interested in putting a show together. But it's tough to get a band that hasn't toured in 10 years to just do a show. We would have to put it all together. We would have to put weeks into preparing the production and weeks into doing the rehearsals. And it's a big production. You can't just do one show."

Tremonti's March 2023 comments were similar to those he made last fall when he spoke to The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn. At the time, he stated about the possibility of a CREED reunion: "It's just a matter of timing. We're all so busy running around the world doing our things, we would just have to have the time where it made sense. I don't think we need to rush into it, because I don't think CREED fans are going anywhere. I think whenever we decide to do something, I think it's gonna be a safe time to do it. It's just gonna be when it makes sense for everybody. You don't wanna derail a whole album cycle by jumping into doing CREED. It would just have to make sense."

In September 2021, Tremonti told The Rock Experience With Mike Brunn that constantly being associated with CREED — more than 10 years after the band completed a tour in support of its fourth album, 2009's "Full Circle" — was "definitely both a blessing and a curse. It's a blessing because I wouldn't be sitting here talking to you right now if it weren't for CREED; I wouldn't have this career, this long career," he said. "But at the same time, for my entire life, I will be that guy from the band CREED, which is good and band. 'Cause certain people loved CREED, certain people hated CREED. So no matter what I do artistically, I'm gonna be the guy who was in CREED that was, at certain points critics liked to come after us. So I've kind of lived in both worlds — I was in a band that sold lots of records but got some critical attacks, but I also got to be in a band that didn't sell as many records but got critical praise. So I got to see both sides of it. It would be great to have it all in one. But it's tough."

CREED disbanded in 2004 but reunited five years later for the aforementioned "Full Circle" LP and an extensive tour. Stapp has since toured and recorded as a solo artist, although he suffered a drug-related mental breakdown in 2014 and spent several years recovering from that.

In 2019, Tremonti said in an interview on Jamey Jasta's podcast that he was sitting on an album's worth of material for CREED. Asked whether CREED could reunite again, Tremonti said, "People say, 'Is it done? Is it over? Is there new music coming out?' I'm sitting on an entire CREED album... When we were together doing the reunion tour, we put a lot of music together and I have like really sketchy little demos of probably 13 songs. I listened to them maybe a year ago and they're good songs."

Tremonti added: "It's just, there's no time. Is it good enough for me to put everything on the back burner that I've been working on for the past 14 years? No. Is it good enough to maybe 10 years from now or seven years from now... or some big resurgence happens or there's an anniversary where everybody's like, 'We want to see CREED and the world demands it like they used to.' I wouldn't say no."

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman was at Haneda Airport's international Terminal 3 in Tokyo, Japan all afternoon this past Monday (July 17) playing, talking and signing exclusive new merchandise.

On Monday, Friedman shared photos and video of his performance at Haneda Airport and he included the following message: "An absolutely breathtaking day at Tokyo Haneda Airport. My 'Japan Heritage Theme Song' is being used for a campaign from now through September at the airport, and my music video for the song can be continuously seen on screens all throughout the international terminal. You cannot miss it, welcoming visitors from all over the world!"

In a recent interview with Greg Prato of Consequence, Friedman, who has been living and recording music in Japan since 2003, was asked what it is about Japan that drew him there in the first place. He responded: "It was definitely the music. I wanted to make Japanese music, and the only way to do that is to be here and be completely immersed in it. When I came here, I got very lucky and I joined the band of one of my favorite Japanese singers, Aikawa Nanase. So, I was doing exactly what I wanted to do, pretty much as soon as I got here — six or eight months or something. And that just put my foot right where I wanted to be in J-pop music. I started to work with all of my favorite artists and all of my favorite producers playing live and recording and writing music. And then once I branched into doing television, the whole world really opened."

Friedman also talked about his status as a popular television personality in Japan. He said: "I didn't start off wanting to do that at all, actually. Like I said, I joined the band of one of my favorite J-pop singers when I first got here, and when you do that, people start seeing you. That kind of started a lot of new eyes coming on me, and one of the new eyes was a television production company that put me on a new show. I was initially not really into doing it, because I wanted to just focus on playing music — J-pop music. J-pop, when I say the word 'pop,' it's really very heavy metal. There's a lot of heavy metal influence. People get scared when they hear the word pop, but there's guitar going crazy in it. I was loving it. I wanted to concentrate on that, but they said, 'Just try this TV thing. Your Japanese is very good, and you have a very interesting viewpoint. Just give it a try.' And the first thing out of the box was a really big hit. It was a show called 'Heavymeta-san', which turned into 'Rock Fujiyama'. It lasted for six seasons. For a new show, it's unheard of. So, other offers came up, and my management over here started filling things up, and the next thing you know, more people know me from television than music. And it's still the case. Actually, doing this Budokan show [guest appearance with MEGADETH on February 27], when a lot of it was published on Yahoo! News and things like that, 'He's the guy from TV, but this is what he really does' was like the headline for that thing. Doing television has facilitated the fact that I can leave for two months and tour America with my own music — and not have any problems with that. It's allowed me to live the exact life that I want to do. It's given me a lot of freedom. Of course, you never know when people come up to you, what they know me from. But my real gig is making music, and I love making music more than anything else."

Back in November 2021, Friedman was asked if he experiences culture shock when he returns to his former home country of America. Marty said: "When I moved to Japan, I completely was encompassed by Japanese culture. No one I worked with spoke English. No one around me spoke English. The only time I spoke English was when I was doing international promotion or international tours or international interviews. So 24/7, it was all Japanese. And when that goes on for years and years, you start to dream in Japanese. My wife's Japanese, and we speak only Japanese. So, cultural things also become a part of you, because when you live somewhere, you become a part of the culture. And the things that matter in Japan are not the things that matter in America. Or the things that matter in Europe are not the things that matter in South America. So things that matter on a day-to-day basis are different. So culture 'shock' is kind of a shocking word, so I don't really feel shocked. But I feel like I'm very blessed, because when I go to America, I'm an American, so I can feel all the great things about being American. But I've lived in Japan for almost 20 years, and before I came here, I've been in so many Japanese situations that there's a definite part of me that is really a part of the Japanese culture so I can really feel both of them.

"You should never think that you're trying to belong," he continued. "Because it doesn't matter how perfect my Japanese is — and it's not perfect — but I'm never, ever gonna be Japanese. I feel a part of me is definitely influenced by Japan very much, but if your goal is to belong in another society, I think you're gonna be let down very, very much. Because as hard as you try, Japan is a one-race society and you just look different and you're born in a different place and you have different things in you. So the goal is not belonging; the goal is to add what you have to Japan. If you're trying to belong to something like that, I think you're gonna be let down. But it's not a letdown. You only really belong to yourself. And belonging to something is overrated. So I think you'll enjoy your Japan experience a whole lot more if you celebrate your differences while understanding Japan and enjoying the great things that you're able to enjoy about Japan. And don't be let down when sometimes people are not necessarily so friendly to foreigners. This happens to every country. You just have to let it be; it's just the way it is, especially with older generations. They're, like, 'Oh, the world is changing. Now there's English in the taxicabs. Oh my God.' People fear change. But you can't let that bother you. It's never bothered me once. I'm completely fine being a gaijin [a Japanese word for foreigners and non-Japanese citizens in Japan, specifically non-East Asian foreigners such as white and black people]; it hasn't stopped me from anything. So culture shock, it's not really as bad as people think it is. I enjoy being in America, and I enjoy being in Japan because both things have given me a lot of great things in my life. So learning English — English is the language of the world, so that's helped me everywhere. But in Japan, it's the opposite — in Japan, Japanese is the language, so it's a must. So culture shock is not really that big of a thing."

Friedman played his first U.S. show in four years on March 3 at The Plaza Live in Orlando, Florida as support act for QUEENSRŸCHE. Marty performed on more than two dozen dates with QUEENSRŸCHE, running through April 16, where the tour wrapped up in St. Petersburg, Florida.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Marty Friedman Official (@martyfriedman)



An absolutely breathtaking day at Tokyo Haneda Airport. My “Japan Heritage Theme Song” is being used for a campaign from...

Posted by Marty Friedman on Monday, July 17, 2023

MR. BIG played its first concert with new touring drummer Nick D'Virgilio this past Sunday, July 16 at the Majiao Music Festival in China.

The band's setlist 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)

Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below (courtesy of the Chinese video platform Bilibili).

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."

It's been almost four decades since the mighty KING KOBRA first burst on to the melodic metal scene. Pulled together by superstar drummer and mastermind Carmine Appice (CACTUS, VANILLA FUDGE),KING KOBRA quickly became a worldwide fan favorite with a deadly mix of stellar musicianship, killer metal hooks, and, of course, a whole lot of teased up hair.

Now, a new lineup of KING KOBRA, perhaps their strongest gathering yet, is ready to announce the release of "We Are Warriors", the band's hard-hitting seventh studio album. KING KOBRA founder Appice is joined once again by longtime bassist Johnny Rod and ex-QUIET RIOT and ROUGH CUTT vocalist Paul Shortino, who welcome to the den the newest vipers, ex-QUIET RIOT/RATT guitarist Carlos Cavazo and former DIO guitarist Rowan Robertson. With these two talented virtuosos aboard, "We Are Warriors" is bound to be one of the band's most celebrated albums.

Check out the first single, the supercharged title track, which is being released today on all digital platforms. The band even recorded a captivating performance music video that proves these veteran rockers still have what it takes to bring the rock.

Cavazo declares that the new single "is the anthem of how our lives were in the '80s," while Shortino looks forward to the release of the entire album, saying, "We put a lot of love into this record." And finally, Appice says, "The album has some great moments in playing, singing and songwriting…it meets the standard of KK….it ROCKS!!"

The full release of "We Are Warriors" is set for August 11 and will be available on digital, CD and a gorgeous silver/black splatter vinyl.

"We Are Warriors" track listing:

01. Music Is A Piece Of Art
02. Turn Up The Music
03. Secrets And Lies
04. Drownin'
05. One More Night
06. Love Hurts
07. Dance
08. Darkness
09. We Are Warriors
10. Drive Like Lightning
11. Trouble (CD only)
12. Side By Side (CD only)