During an appearance on a recent episode of the "Kidd Chris - Off Air" podcast, SLIPKNOT frontman Corey Taylor was asked what he thought about METALLICA's decision to launch legal action against Napster in 2000. Although the case was settled out of court, 300,000 users were banned from the pioneering music file-sharing service as a result and METALLICA's image took a tremendous beating in the eyes of music fans. Corey said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I completely backed [METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich, who spearheaded the Napster battle], man. We're seeing the aftermath of it, to be honest. I mean, obviously, I have to work with streaming, DSPs and whatnot, but it doesn't mean I like it. The odds are so stacked against the artist that less and less people are able to make a living at this, man — unless you hit the jackpot. And even when you hit the jackpot, you're paid peanuts. And it's revolting in a lot of ways. I'm still waiting for the legislation to actually go into effect, but it's been appealed so many times by all of the DSPs that we may never see the right way. And honestly, it's one of the things why I'm kind of gratified by the fact that physical copies are actually coming back more and more, especially in our genre. So that, at least, is keeping us afloat. But it's hard. And this is somebody who is just getting by. What about the younger bands who can't make it? What about the younger bands who, they're tied to the old system, and the only thing that they can do is hope and pray that something breaks through. But then you have to stream billions to make [any real money]. It's ridiculous. The math doesn't work. And I'm tired of talking to people about it because the math doesn't work. They're paid even less than the old radio structure. At least you could make a goddamn living [back then]… That's why I commend these younger bands that are bypassing the label structure, period. And they're going, 'I'm not gonna let them collect everything.' Honestly, it's the only way to make DSPs work in your favor, is to cut out the middle man, because that's where all the money is going."

Taylor went on to describe the difficult conditions most struggling musicians have to work under, saying: "It's hard for people to get medical insurance, for Christ's sake — I mean, something that is just basic. Unless you have made it to the upper echelon and you can afford it and you can provide it not only for the people who are in a band with you and their families but you can offer a smaller version of that to your crew. But at the same time, because crew is even more temporary, it's hard to do that, because they're not technically employees; they are temps. So it's a difficult industry to really kind of prolong. And you're talking to somebody who can't believe that he's gone as long as he has. So when you look at… At the end of the day, the stuff that should be working for me when I can't tour as much doesn't anymore because of the way that the percentages are worked out. And that's one of the reasons why people are so up in arms about it.

"A lot of the people who are super popular right now, they don't say anything because they're super popular right now," Taylor continued. "They're, like, 'Ah, I'm making mine.' But what happens when you're not? What happens when you're just the latest trend to be put on the shelf again? What happens when that stuff doesn't make anything for you anymore?"

"Listen, I'm gonna come off like an asshole, because it's just the way it is," Corey added. "I think if more people realized how badly artists were paid, they might say something or they might try to do something. But a lot of people are selfish as well, and rightfully so, because at the end of the day, if you're not looking out for yourself, who the hell is looking out for you? But it still doesn't mean that the artist isn't getting fucked."

METALLICA sued Napster after the band discovered that a leaked demo version of its song "I Disappear" was circulating on the pioneering music file-sharing service before it was released.

In May 2000, Ulrich famously delivered a literal truckload of paper to Napster Inc., listing hundreds of thousands of people who allegedly used the company's software to share unauthorized MP3s of METALLICA's songs.

METALLICA representatives compiled the more than 60,000-page list of 335,435 Napster user IDs over one weekend in response to Napster's promise to terminate the accounts of users who trade material without permission. Real names were not included in the list.

In later years, METALLICA embraced digital music: in December 2012, the band made all of its studio albums, as well as various live material, singles, remixes and collaborations, available on Spotify.

Corey previously discussed METALLICA's Napster battle during an appearance on an April 2021 episode of the "Wild Ride! With Steve-O" podcast. Aked if he had a preferred way that people could consume music from his various projects, Taylor responded: "Obviously, I'm gonna say the old-school way — buy the album, look at the artwork, read the lyrics.

"It's kind of weird, it's kind of hard, because in this day and age, it's really hard to know which ones of the fucking streaming services actually compensate the artists that they're ripping off," he continued. "It's more important for me that people listen to the music. At this point, I've kind of made peace with the fact that there are various services who are just kind of screwing us, and until the legislation is actually enforced, which they passed under Trump — which I couldn't fucking believe — they'll keep charging us at that rate. But they've appealed that legislation. I don't think the appeals will actually go through. They will raise the rates, and musicians will be able to make a living off their recordings again."

Corey went on to praise Ulrich over his Napster stance, saying: "I remember everyone giving him so much shit 'cause of that, and he was so right on so many fucking levels, dude. It's scary. And I wonder how many people look back and eat a little crow because of that… 'Cause he knew — he knew that this was the direction we were going."

Corey will release his second solo album, "CMF2", on September 15. "CMF2" is Taylor's first album for BMG and the first on his own label imprint, Decibel Cooper Recordings.

Released in May, the first single from "CMF2", "Beyond", entered the Top 15 at Rock Radio in just six weeks and was the cover and No. 1 spot of the Rock Hard playlist on Spotify.

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

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

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

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

During a new appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored", KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was asked if he is "excited or worried about artificial intelligence, particularly [as it relates to] the music business." He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Music business aside, I am concerned about the lack of legislation. When you enter a new, let's say a new planet, you're about to land on a new [planet], well, clearly there's opportunity there, there are minerals and things — all kinds of opportunities. Without rules of the game… It's like playing sports without rules. Who's gonna do what? You need some rules that are kind and beneficial to mankind, womankind, transkind, all kinds of kinds. Okay, does that cover everybody?"

He continued: "The problem with AI is not… AI is here, whether you like it or not. So let's look at it smartly and let's pass legislation. AI creates a song using my voice, or what sounds like my voice, with a new song, and it sounds just like me and it definitely sounds like that kind of a thing. So when you buy it, who owns the copyright and the publishing, if AI did that? So, is it me, because it sounds like me? You could swear it was me. So these are uncharted [territories]."

Asked if he cares if AI uses his voice to create a new song, Gene said: "We can make a deal."

This past April, Universal Music had a song called "Heart On My Sleeve", which used deep-faked vocals from their artists Drake and The Weeknd, removed from the streaming services, claiming in a statement that "the training of generative AI using our artists' music" was "a violation of copyright law".

Pop singer Grimes, whose real name is Claire Boucher, recently said she would "split 50% royalties on any successful AI-generated song that uses my voice". "Same deal as I would with any artist I collab[orate] with. Feel free to use my voice without penalty," she tweeted.

Simmons is not the only hard rock or heavy metal musician who has expressed his concern and/or excitement about the potential risks, challenges and benefits associated with the widespread adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) technologies. In a recent interview with Canada's The Metal Voice, VOIVOD drummer Michel "Away" Langevin said: "Technology, I will always try to use it as much as I can, [including] for my visuals and all that. AI videos, I'm jealous because it would take me three thousand years to do it frame by frame. But what I'm most afraid of, really, is AI controlling high-tech weaponry; that's my main fear. And it's funny because in the '70s, as a kid, I saw a movie called 'Colossus[: The Forbin Project]' about that — about a giant super computer in the USA teaming up with a giant super computer in Russia. They take control of the nuclear weapons and enslave humanity."

Earlier this month, , AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows spoke about artificial intelligence during an appearance on an episode of Doc Coyle's (GOD FORBID, BAD WOLVES) "The Ex Man" podcast. He said in part: "I think when you look back at all the things of the past. If I had to be a 41-year-old singer right now thinking about the things of the past, of music, so many of my favorite artists slapped me in the face and challenged me with records. I had expectations, and then something came out that I was heartbroken; I couldn't believe it. And when I look back, I needed that, and I needed to be taught that. And I have so much respect for these artists that did that to me. There was a lot that gave me the same thing — the names escape me right now — but there was so many things that challenged me that broke my heart at the time. Like going from the first MR. BUNGLE record, and then going to 'Disco Volante', Mike Patton's not even singing; he's murmuring the whole time. And then they do 'California'… I remember Brian [Haner, Jr., a.k.a. AVENGED SEVENFOLD guitarist Synyster Gates] was literally in a depression when that record came out because of how grand that first record was. And then it becomes your favorite thing 'cause you're, like, 'These motherfuckers are crazy. They don't care.'"

The singer, whose real name is Matt Sanders, continued: "But what I think is interesting about AI. 'Cause if you think of what AI is at this point, AI is an accumulation of everything it's known before. So if you were to say, 'Make an AVENGED SEVENFOLD song,' AI doesn't know how to go outside of the box and actually create what [we] would do. But it knows how to take what we've already done and mix and match it in a different way. So what I think is awesome is imagine you're, like, 'This new AVENGED record is trash. I fucking don't get it. I'm so over this crap they're trying to do. Give me a record like…' And then let AI make it. Then there you go — you've got your new AVENGED record. You have a mix and match of everything that we've done, but different choruses, different cool stuff. I think it could be really fucking interesting. And then the real guys like us, we kind of push forward on what we're doing. I think it's a fucking really weird future that we're in for, where people can just be, like, 'Eh, give me more of that.' So, who knows?"

In a May 2023 discussion on Decrypt's "gm" podcast about the music industry's reaction to a spate of AI songs trained on artists' voices, M. Shadows said that he was enthused about the possibilities, saying that "AI can be incredibly useful" for songwriters.

"If you're looking at purely this data brick of taking information and regurgitating it to us in some way, whether it's through music or art or novels, literature — whatever it is — you're basically taking everything humans have ever done or discovered and you're giving it to this thing that can distribute it to you quicker and in a different way, can mix it up and do it in a different way," he explained.

"I think if you actually look at music, most fans aren't mad that all the drums are already being resampled and replaced," he continued. "Pro Tools already will quantize your albums and make it perfect. You can Auto-Tune your voice to do all these other things. But for some reason, they have a problem… And by the way, if you think about it, how you write music, it's like you're going into your own database of 'I've listened to Bach, I've listened to The Weeknd, I've listened to Kanye, I've listened to all these things, and now I'm gonna regurgitate it in this way and spew out my own version of that.' AI can be incredibly useful if you have AI doing some of that work for you. 'Give me 20 versions of this chord change,' or, 'I wanna hear a different top line there,' and you take a little thing that interests you and you go somewhere with it. So now you're using AI to not only spark ideas but you're using it in a much quicker way to kind of get to some of these cool little nuggets of gold that you kind of are, like, 'Oh, that's cool. Let me see where I can take that.' So that's not really AI writing a song for you; it's kind of giving you this kind of jumping-off point of, 'Now where can I be creative with it?' And I think that will be the next step."

M. Shadows went on to say that AI also opens up the possibility of fans using the work of their favorite acts as a machine learning library to create their own songs.

"What I think is cool is that… Listen, there's a lot of fans that don't wanna hear new AVENGED SEVENFOLD," he said. "We're 40 years old now and we're going places that are much more eccentric than they want — some of 'em. They might want another version of 'Waking The Fallen' or 'City Of Evil', which are our old records. Now, what's wrong with someone throwing in a prompt and saying, 'Listen to these two records and send me a new record with 11 songs.' And if I was to give up my voice and say, 'Take my voice,' and AI create an album that kind of sounds like that. I think that's incredibly cool. I think it would be really cool if people can prompt their own versions of what AVENGED SEVENFOLD sounds like. You get the sounds you want, you get all these things, but now you're getting different versions of albums that you like. So I think there's something really cool there and nothing that crazy or wrong about it. I back it. I think it'd be cool. As a human, I'm gonna be going my own way and making my own stuff that I feel is kind of breaking the mold or pushing things forward. I'm giving the AI more data for the future, wherever I'm gonna take it. But I think it's kind of cool. And I would love to give up my voice to where people can create their own versions of our songs or whatever they feel would be cool."

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The Mistress Carrie Podcast", AVENGED SEVENFOLD bassist Johnny Christ praised QUEEN's 1975 classic "Bohemian Rhapsody", which embraces a lot of musical styles within its six distinct sections without a chorus — an intro, a ballad segment, a guitar solo an operatic passage, a hard rock part, and a reflective outro coda — all within six short minutes. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "That song, it takes you on such a journey. Let's just start with the structure — when you break it down, the structure of the song is so unique that when you listen to it, you think it's this long 10-minute song because it takes you through such a journey and such a path, when you look back, it's only been about four and a half minutes. And that's not that long of a song, in my opinion, for how much it goes around and has so many extreme changes but are seamless. You've got the rock parts, you've got the choir parts, you've got the piano parts, and these are three different sections. It starts out as a ballad, and then it gets into all these things. It's a musical masterpiece for songwriting. And then let's not even get into the melodies on top of everything — not just the structure, [but] the melodies, the choir work that they recorded themselves on top of it. It's a perfectly written song, in my opinion."

This past December, "Bohemian Rhapsody" crossed the threshold of two billion streams on Spotify. The news came less than two years after the QUEEN classic was officially certified diamond by the Recording Industry Association of America (RIAA),representing 10 million or more in sales and stream equivalents in the United States.

QUEEN was the first British band in music history to earn the diamond song award.

This was the latest in a long line of extraordinary achievements for "Bohemian Rhapsody", which was QUEEN's first Top 10 hit in the U.S. In the U.K., it went to No. 1 for 9 consecutive weeks, a record at the time, before returning to the top of the charts again in 1991. It was named the most-streamed song of the 20th century and its companion video passed one billion views on YouTube, making history as the first pre-1990s video to reach one billion views on the platform. In 2004, the song was inducted into the Grammy Hall of Fame and Freddie Mercury's vocal performance was named by the readers of Rolling Stone magazine as the best in rock history.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" is also one of the many QUEEN hits featured on the band's blockbuster compilation "Platinum Collection, Vol. 1-3", which was certified five times platinum. This blockbuster compendium, which hit No. 6 on the Billboard 200, features tracks like "Another One Bites The Dust", "Killer Queen", "Under Pressure", "We Will Rock You", "We Are The Champions" and so many more.

QUEEN remains one of the most popular groups in the world today, transcending multiple generations of fans, a position further buoyed by the phenomenal global success of their Academy Award-winning 2018 biographical film "Bohemian Rhapsody", which tells the incredible story of the band's historic career and quickly became the highest grossing music biopic in history.

"Bohemian Rhapsody" was first released as a single on October 31, 1975. Despite its unconventional structure and exorbitant length for a single, it became QUEEN's first Top 10 hit in the U.S. In the U.K., it went to No. 1 for nine consecutive weeks, a record at the time. The song revisited the charts 16 years later, when it appeared in the 1992 comedy "Wayne's World", starring Mike Myers and Dana Carvey.

Long-running Massachusetts-based band SHADOWS FALL entered the studio last month with producer Chris "Zeuss" Harris to begin recording some of its new material. Speaking to the "Nothing Shocking Podcast" about the band's decision to work with Zeuss again, SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[Zeuss] did all of our records except for… Well, he had a hand in all of them except for [2012's] 'Fire From The Sky'… So he's always been involved with SHADOWS FALL in some way, shape or form. Once this whole reunion thing kind of morphed from being just a one-show thing, we started talking with him, 'cause he still lives two minutes away from Paul [Romanko, bass]. So, it's, like, 'All right. Well, if you guys are getting back together, what's the next step? Are we making another record?' We're, like, 'Well, we don't know.' And he was, like, 'Whatever we're doing, let's get on it.' So kind of, like, we just sort of figured, 'We don't have any money to pay you, because we don't have any money because we don't have a record label or anything.' But he was just, like, 'Well, let's just start doing this and let's do it together.' So that's pretty much where we're at right now. We're just gonna start recording some material that we have and we're gonna keep working at that as the year goes on."

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The Jasta Show" podcast, SHADOWS FALL singer Brian Fair spoke about the possibility of new music from him and his bandmates. He said: "I will finally say there are riffs that are turning into skeletons that might become songs. Now, what happens with them, where they go, we'll see. But once we started jamming [for the recent reunion shows], we were, like, 'What's the point of doing this without writing new riffs?' And we had to make sure they were gonna sound like SHADOWS FALL; we didn't wanna come out of nowhere with something different, out of left field. But so far, they're coming together, man, and I'm stoked on what I'm hearing. So hopefully that'll continue, that'll continue on. But as far as dropping a whole record… Who knows? These days it's different anyway. Shit, we can just drop a few random singles and then see where it goes. But I'm excited that we're writing, that we're doing things. And so far what I've heard has been amazing… I haven't really committed, but we are finally getting our shit together and getting some riffs together."

Fair went on to say that SHADOWS FALL is not currently signed to any record label. "We're free and clear," he explained. "We were luckily free and clear for a while, so even our last couple of records were done kind of on our own terms."

SHADOWS FALL played its first reunion show in December 2021 at The Palladium in Worcester in the band's native Massachusetts. Fair and his bandmates also performed at Blue Ridge Rock Festival in Alton, Virginia, at the Furnace Fest in Birmingham, Alabama, and at the Milwaukee Metal Fest in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

Asked by host Jamey Jasta if SHADOWS FALL would be open to going out on a more extensive tour, possibly as the support act for an arena band, Fair said: "We're not averse to that. It takes a lot of logistics now, with the rest of my guys being in legendary thrash bands, like ANTHRAX and OVERKILL and whatnot. But if we can do it, we would love to. Right now, festivals have been something we can pull off. But I would love to do short tours or even a month-long tour. Or at least some long weekends where we hit each coast or do New England and then Midwest and then a West Coast thing. But we'll see. We're not saying 'no' to anything. We're gonna listen. So we'll see, if things make sense and if we can make it work."

He added: "I've been in dad mode, just working nine to five for a while, so getting back on the pirate ship is pretty enticing at this point."

SHADOWS FALL released a statement in August 2014 in which the bandmembers explained that financial difficulties made it virtually impossible for the group to continue as a full-time concern.

In August 2015, SHADOWS FALL played a few reunion shows on the U.S. East Coast, one year after completing what was being billed at the time as the band's "final" European tour.

SHADOWS FALL's latest album, "Fire From The Sky", was released in May 2012 via Razor & Tie. The CD sold around 10,000 copies in the United States in its first week of release to debut at position No. 38 on The Billboard 200 chart.

SHADOWS FALL drummer Jason Bittner is currently playing with OVERKILL, while guitarist Jon Donais is a member of ANTHRAX.

Donais and SHADOWS FALL guitarist Matt Bachand recently launched a new project called LIVING WRECKAGE, in which they are joined by guitarist Matt LeBreton (DOWNPOUR),drummer Jon Morency (LET US PREY) and vocalist Jeff GardDEATH RAY VISION.

Los Angeles-born guitar hero Nita Strauss released her sophomore solo album "The Call of the The Void", on July 7 via Sumerian Records. The LP is a star-studded affair featuring guest vocals from DISTURBED's David Draiman, ARCH ENEMY's Alissa White-Gluz, HALESTORM's Lzzy Hale, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE's Chris Motionless, IN FLAMES' Anders Fridén, Hungarian-born vocalist/writer Dorothy Martin, Alice Cooper and Lilith Czar.

Asked in a new interview with Katie Daryl of AXS TV if she knew all the singers personally before she approached them about appearing on the record or if there were certain musicians that she had to "cold call", Nita said: "The only person I didn't actually have any direct connection to was Anders Fridén from my favorite band IN FLAMES. And that was one that sort of a cold reachout from an engineer that had worked on their records and worked on my first record. [He was], like, 'Hey, I don't know if you're familiar with Nita Stauss.' And crazily enough, he was. And he made my little song into an IN FLAMES song. It was just mindblowing."

Pressed about whether she "fangirled out" at the experience of working with the singer of her favorite band, Strauss said: "Oh, I fangirled out to the max, like to the extreme. It was my rock-star moment. It was my… If you work hard enough and you want it badly enough, you can be a kid that grows up with pictures of these artists on their walls, and one day you get to write a song and hear their voice on it. It was mindblowing — truly, as a fan first, a mindblowing experience."

Nita released 2018's "Controlled Chaos" to mass acclaim from fans and media alike, with Metal Injection calling it "a great debut that — as its creator intended — leaves no doubt", and Guitar World stating "'Controlled Chaos' is a panoramic view of Nita Strauss's many strengths".

In March, it was announced that Nita would return to Alice's band for his 2023 tour.

The Alice Cooper North American tour, with an all-new show dubbed "Too Close For Comfort", kicked off in late April in Michigan and will continue through late September, including a handful of August stadium shows with DEF LEPPARD and MÖTLEY CRÜE, followed by a co-headlining late summer "Freaks On Parade" tour with Rob Zombie.

Nita spent eight years playing with Alice before joining Demi Lovato's band last summer,

Strauss played her first full live show with Demi in August 2022 at the Grandstand at the Illinois State Fair in Springfield, Illinois.

Nita made her live debut with Demi in July 2022 with a performance of "Substance" on ABC's Emmy Award-winning late-night show "Jimmy Kimmel Live!".

Strauss had been playing with Cooper since 2014 when she replaced Australian musician and former Michael Jackson player Orianthi. She joined Alice in time for a mammoth MÖTLEY CRÜE tour. She was recommended to Cooper by the legendary rocker's former bass player and WINGER frontman Kip Winger.

Photo courtesy of Atom Splitter PR

Former MEGADETH and current KINGS OF THRASH guitarist Jeff Young has weighed in on bands who rely heavily on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Speaking to the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel about some rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks, Jeff said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "[I'm] not a big fan — not a big fan at all. Maybe if you need it for some extraneous, extra orchestral parts or a huge choir. Think of QUEEN when they did 'Bohemian Rhapsody' live back on the 'News Of The World' tour. They would leave the stage during that middle part and let a tape roll and then they'd come out for [the rest of the song]. That's the way to do it. But if you're getting out there MILLI VANILLI-style and lip syncing your vocal, I don't consider that artistry; it's a little more akin to 'con artistry.'"

KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

This past March, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

Swedish hard rock veterans EUROPE have entered Atlantis Studios in Stockholm with producer Klas Åhlund (GHOST, ROBYN) to begin working on a new song titled "Hold Your Head Up". The track, which is described by the band as "a punchy uptempo rocker with reminiscent elements of early EUROPE," will be released as a single on September 15. "Hold Your Head Up" will be mixed by Stefan Glaumann (RAMMSTEIN, DEF LEPPARD),who also mixed EUROPE's "Secret Society" album, and will serve as a precursor to EUROPE's twelfth studio album, to be recorded in 2024 and released in late 2024 or early 2025.

In other news, EUROPE is putting the finishing touches on a brand new documentary film with producer/director Craig Hooper (DEEP PURPLE, SAXON) for Coolhead Productions with the working title "Europe - The Movie". The film will tell the story of the band, from formation until present day, including EUROPE's rise to success in the mid-1980s through hard times and heartache to coming back in the millennium and the current successes the group has achieved. An early 2024 release is expected.

In a recent interview with Mark Jeeves of Planet Rock's "My Planet Rocks", EUROPE singer Joey Tempest spoke about the band's plans to work on the long-awaited follow-up to 2017's "Walk The Earth" album. He said: "We're becoming interested and inspired again now. It's taken a while.

"This period with the world made me go back to the roots and write a lot again," he continued. "So I have loads and loads of ideas, but not necessarily all of 'em for EUROPE. So it's been very creative, but it sort of a few gigs last year for us to start — because we're friends from teenage years — but we started connecting again. And we started sending stuff to each other, and we have a few really good ideas now. And that's always great.

"I remember when we did 'Out Of This World' after 'The Final Countdown', and I managed to come up with 'Superstitious'. And I [was, like], 'Thank goodness.' You need something to kick things off, and I think we have one of those tracks brewing. So it's always nice to get going with something really cool."

Tempest also talked about the fact that EUROPE is celebrating the 40th anniversary of its self-titled debut album this year.

"It feels impossible — with the same guys around, actually," he said. "We met when we were teenagers. I saw [guitarist] John Norum play — he was 14; I was 15 — and I thought, 'It would be great to start a band with him.' And here we are. It's incredible. Eleven albums. I wouldn't say that's loads of albums, but it's still fairly okay. We've done six albums since we started again and five in the first era. So we're kind of proud. And we get on now. The egos are sort of put aside and we sort of feel lucky that we have this job. So doing this tour this year, the 40th-anniversary tour, it's a pleasure. And we can dig even deeper; we can play some tracks we haven't played. So it could be fun as well."

Back in July 2019, Tempest told Finland's Kaaos TV that he and his bandmates don't "write so much on the road". He explained: "We've never been like that. We're a soundcheck band as well. So we always soundcheck. We soundcheck whenever we can. Festivals is more difficult, as you know. But it's possible sometimes — you can go in the morning and do it.

"What happens to us is usually we write for six months when the touring has come to an end on an album," he continued. "So it takes us about four to six months to write, to get everything together, get 75 to 80 percent ready, music and lyrics. Then we go into the studio and then we work fast — record everything live in two weeks. This is how we've done it on 'Bag Of Bones' [2012], 'War Of Kings' [2015] and 'Walk The Earth'. The last three EUROPE albums were recorded fast, because those fast decisions are amazing in the studio — everybody's there; everybody's on fire. That's how those great albums were made in the '70s — on the spot, when that glow and that fire is there."

While stressing the importance of improvisation in the studio, Tempest said that "you should be prepared. You don't wanna waste time in the studio and waste anybody's time. So if you're 75 percent ready, the last bit the producer can help out with or the circumstances, or whatever happens happens in the studio. But we've been so lucky working with Dave Cobb — a great musician and producer and a great guy to just hang with. He's now part of the band. Like he works with RIVAL SONS, he also works with us. He's part of the band when we're in the studio with him. He writes with us. He comes up with great ideas. He sits and plays the songs with us in a circle in the studio before we record it, and then we just slam it down live, three or four takes, and pick the best takes to work on and to finish up. And the nerve is there, the decisions were made right there, and that's how you make great rock records."

"Walk The Earth" was released in October 2017 via Hell & Back Recordings (Silver Lining Music). It was recorded at famed Abbey Road Studios in London with the aforementioned Grammy Award-winning producer Dave Cobb (RIVAL SONS, Shooter Jennings, Jason Isbell, Chris Stapleton).

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Just got some great news we want to share with you all!

We are currently in Atlantis Studios in Stockholm with...

Posted by Europe on Monday, July 17, 2023

In an interview with Knotfest.com conducted at this past March's Knotfest Australia, MEGADETH's Dirk Verbeuren was asked if he thinks the metal scene "is going somewhere positive" after the pandemic. The Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based drummer, who had played with SOILWORK for more than a decade before joining MEGADETH, replied (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Yeah, I think so. Other than this renewed sense of appreciation of what we have, I think the metal scene is really in a good place, and there are a lot of younger bands that I think will go places, and are starting to go places. I think of a band like GOJIRA that I personally sort of grew up with, 'cause I lived in France for many years and I saw them at their very beginning, and to see them now being at the level where they are and still growing. They just played Bercy [Accor Arena] in Paris, which is like the biggest venue, basically. I mean, that's super cool to see. That shows kind of them and a bunch of other bands that the metal scene is healthy and there's still a lot to come."

MEGADETH's current lineup includes Verbeuren, guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who was previously best known for his work with ANGRA, and bassist James LoMenzo. James was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and stepped back in as a touring member for the 2021 leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". In May 2022, it was announced that Lomenzo was officially rejoining the MEGADETH family.

Last September, MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", debuted at the top of the charts during its first week of sales, taking the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 as well as number ones on Top Album Sales, Top Current Albums Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was the highest-charting MEGADETH album of all time around the world, notching No. 1 In Finland, No. 2 in australia, poland, Switzerland, and Scotland, No. 3 in the U.K., and more.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

MEGADETH recently received its thirteenth Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" for the song "We'll Be Back" from "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!".

MEGADETH won the 2017 Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the title track of the band's 2016 album "Dystopia". This marked the group's twelfth Grammy nomination in this category (including nominations in the discontinued "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category).

On Friday, July 14, Mark Tremonti — guitarist/singer-songwriter/founding member of the rock bands CREED, ALTER BRIDGE and TREMONTI — performed a set of Frank Sinatra classics with members of Frank's orchestra at the North Shore Center For The Performing Arts in Skokie, Illinois. Video and photos of the concert are available below.

In May 2022, Tremonti released a collection of Sinatra covers to support NDSS (National Down Syndrome Society). "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" was made available as part of a new charity initiative created by Tremonti called Take A Chance For Charity. Proceeds from the album will go to support NDSS and the work they do to advocate for and support individuals with Down syndrome and their families. Mark and his family were blessed to welcome their first daughter Stella in March 2021 — who was born with Down syndrome — and the idea for the project was born.

In an interview with Guitar Interactive at this past June's Download festival in the United Kingdom, Tremonti stated about "Tremonti Sings Sinatra": "The Sinatra record was probably one of the most satisfying records I've ever done. We've raised over a million dollars with it. I've gotten to see firsthand what it does. And I actually love it. I'm doing another show on July 15th in Chicago. Every show is raising further money for the charity. I'm trying to get other artists to do something similar to keep on raising funds. So if anybody is watching this…"

Asked if there is any chance of him recording a follow-up record to "Tremonti Sings Sinatra", Mark said: "Yeah. A month or so ago I went to Nashville and I sang for the grand opening of the Sinatra Bar & [Lounge] in Nashville. And I sang for [Frank's daughter] Tina Sinatra and Charles Pigone, who runs the Sinatra estate. So when I was singing… I sang 'My Way', and my wife's about 20 feet ahead of me, and Tina Sinatra comes over and holds her hand, 'cause I'm singing 'My Way'. And I'm, like, 'This is amazing.' So, after the show, I was speaking with Charles Pigone, who runs the family business. And he's, like, 'Pretty much reach out to me when it's time for volume two.' And I was talking with Trisha Yearwood, who was there, and she was also wanting to do a volume two," he said, referencing the fact that Trisha released her own album of Frank Sinatra covers, "Let's Be Frank", in early 2019. "So hopefully we can collaborate on something."

When "Tremonti Sings Sinatra" was first announced, Tremonti said in a statement: "For years, I've loved singing along to Frank's songs. One night, I found an old video of him performing 'The Song Is You' from 1944. It made me want to dive into his vocal approach. I was all in and I wanted to do something with it. When we found out about our daughter Stella's Down syndrome diagnosis, the stars aligned. My obsession with Sinatra had its reason. Frank Sinatra raised more than a billion dollars for charity and that is a fact I wish the public the public knew more about. Beneath his cool and calm persona, he had a big heart. Doing this charity in his name was another way the stars had aligned. I decided to do this record to raise funds for families and individuals with Down syndrome. This project is the start of a new purpose that I will have for the rest of my life."

Tremonti came together with surviving members of Frank Sinatra's orchestra, creating new takes on some of the classics and some deeper cuts from Frank's catalog. From the opening horns and piano of "I've Got You Under My Skin" to final vocal outro of "All Or Nothing At All", Tremonti showcases the signature vocal approach and exemplary musicianship that made Sinatra's work timeless. To see his vision through, Mark reached out to Sinatra's musical director Mike Smith who collected as many remaining members as possible of Frank's touring band to record the music for "Tremonti Sings Sinatra". Popular standards like "I've Got The World On A String", "My Way" and "That's Life" find new life in the hands of these incredible musicians. Tremonti — known for his guitar work that has won him countless accolades — leaves the instrument behind and just sings on the 14-track album. The artwork on the album cover is an original painting that Tremonti created especially for this project.
Thanks for putting this video together, Johnny Rabenda! Last night was everything I could have hoped for. The atmosphere was incredible and it was all for a good cause. Thanks to everyone who came out and I can’t wait to do it again! pic.twitter.com/yTCue3lyR1

— Mark Tremonti (@MarkTremonti) July 15, 2023



Scenes from last night's "Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra" concert at the North Shore Center for the Performing Arts...

Posted by Roger Ingram on Saturday, July 15, 2023



Mark Tremonti sings Frank Sinatra…
I have been a HUGE fan of this man for decades! From Creed, to his solo band, and Alter Bridge, I have seen him perform so many times and he’s always just incredible. Last night’s intimate setting, perfect, yet humble execution, personal interaction with the audience, and bringing most of the actual musicians that played these songs on the original recordings and live tours with Mr. Sinatra himself, was such an amazing experience. I love this music! To share it with my love, was a perfect and needed night out! There was such a huge range of people and ages attending in the audience and enthralled by this show, for an amazing cause, that it proves once again, MUSIC is our common denominator! Weather be damned, we made it through “The Summer Wind” and rain!!!! We’ll see you in December for the next one too!!!!

#honeysmoothvocals
#pureclass
#iloveahornsection

Posted by Ric Cwiak on Saturday, July 15, 2023

Thank you, Toinette for treating us to a most amazing night. Got to see one of my favorite guitarists, Mark Tremonti,...

Posted by Neil Thomas on Friday, July 14, 2023

Can't wait for tonight!

Posted by North Shore Center for the Performing Arts in Skokie on Friday, July 14, 2023

In a new interview with The Meista - Brews & Tunes, TESTAMENT's new drummer Chris Dovas spoke about how he landed the gig with the veteran San Francisco Bay Area thrashers.

Dovas became an official member of TESTAMENT in April as the replacement for Dave Lombardo, who had lasted less than a year after formally joining the long-running metal act in March 2022. The former SLAYER drummer is currently a member of the MISFITS, MR. BUNGLE, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD and SATANIC PLANET, among others. He also played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES from 2016 up until 2020.

Dovas told The Meista - Brews & Tunes: "I sent [TESTAMENT] some videos a while ago. Eric [Peterson, TESTAMENT guitarist] then called me because Dave had some MISFITS dates. And so I filled in for a week and a half or two in September of 2022 on 'The Bay Strikes Back' tour. And then Dave's schedule just got really crazy, as you saw Dave's statement and everything, and I got the callback, which was super cool. So Eric was, like, 'You already know all the songs. Can you do these tours?' And that's what happened. And now I'm here to stay, which is super cool. It's an honor to be a part of it too, 'cause I grew up listening to TESTAMENT… If you told the middle school me or something that I would be doing this now, I wouldn't have believed it. But, yeah, it's an honor and I'm super happy to be a part of it."

Asked if there is new TESTAMENT music in the works, Dovas said: "Everything's in the early stages. Me and Eric are working on some stuff, as you've probably seen some of the interviews with Eric and stuff. Just from what the band's publicly announced and everything, there's some songs in the works, and we're working on that now, and it's coming out really cool. I don't know what I'm allowed or what I'm not allowed to say yet, so I'll just kind of keep it at that, 'cause that's what I've seen them mention publicly. It's gonna be cool, though. I can say it's sounding really great."

This past May, TESTAMENT singer Chuck Billy threw shade at Lombardo while introducing Dovas at the group's May 2 show at the Teatro Royal Center in Bogotá, Colombia. Before launching into "D.N.R. (Do Not Resuscitate)", which originally appeared on the sole TESTAMENT album Lombardo played on, 1999's "The Gathering", Chuck presented the band's new drummer to the audience, saying: "Stand up and take a bow. Give it up for Mr. Chris Dovas. Lombardo who? Yeah. That's Chris Dovas right there. Don't forget it."

In April, Lombardo revealed in an interview with BLABBERMOUTH.NET that he would sit out the remainder of TESTAMENT's 2023 shows, with no guarantee that he will return to the band.

A few days after Dave's interview was published, Peterson said that Dovas's addition to the group had turned out to be "a blessing in disguise" after Lombardo's "short-lived return".

Dovas, who is also a member of SEVEN SPIRES, previously filled in for Lombardo on the first six dates of TESTAMENT's summer/fall 2022 leg of "The Bay Strikes Back Tour". Lombardo was unable to make those gigs due to a scheduling conflict with the MISFITS.

On April 17, Peterson shared a video of Dovas performing with TESTAMENT and he wrote in an accompanying message: "What can I say? Things sometimes just happen for a reason, I mean just when everything seems to go ok BAM! Nope! but then something opens up… @chrisdovas happened.

"Chris replaced Dave on our last North American run cause of over booked scheduled from Dave, but it was a blessing in disguise. Chris has turned out to be totally unbelievably amazing and a very kind and awesome brilliant drummer."

The guitarist continued: "We are more than thrilled for our fans to experience his more than meets the eye capabilities with our South American and European tours coming up, also in this last minute situation we've connected on a killer spree, working on new ideas this last week has become more than promising, I am stoked to say it's gonna be KILLER peeps!

"Anyway rest assure Chris will push the envelope so to speak and make TESTAMENT heavier and more precise than before! More to come!!!!! W00t!

"I have to add it was a pleasure and a great time to have Dave back in his short lived return again".

Lombardo told BLABBERMOUTH.NET that he was unsure as to whether would play with TESTAMENT again in the foreseeable future, including performing on the band's next studio album. "I don't know, because everything is starting to snowball with MR. BUNGLE and EMPIRE STATE BASTARD and the MISFITS," he said. "I've been with the MISFITS since 2016. TESTAMENT is a well-oiled machine. They're always touring and releasing albums. To try to find that space or that time to release something… I don't know."

When asked whether this meant his status with TESTAMENT was "uncertain," Lombardo replied, "Yes. It's wait-and-see. I can't guarantee anything because of my commitments. I did fulfill my contractual commitment for 2022, which was quite extensive. We did one of the longest tours I have done. It was like seven weeks in Europe, which was great. I really needed to get out there and build my chops after the pandemic. That was a lifesaver. We'll see. The relationship is good. The doors are open. The communication is there. I told them that I was seeing some clashes coming up. This was in the first week of January when I reached out to Eric and told him. This has been brewing for a while. Actually, I saw it in November/December of last year. I started seeing, 'Oh no. This is going to happen. This is not going to happen.' It's very tricky."

BODY COUNT, the metal band fronted by hip-hop legend, actor and director Ice-T, has is mixing its new album, "Merciless". The follow-up to 2020's "Carnivore" is tentatively due later this year via Century Media.

Earlier today (Saturday, July 15),Ice-T tweeted: "The New @BodyCountBand album is being Mixed as we speak 'MERCILESS'".

This past February, Ice-T told Metal Hammer magazine about the musical direction of "Merciless": "I think we are staying in the same direction. [2014's] 'Manslaughter' was a reintroduction to BODY COUNT, not to just our old fans, but to a whole new group. [2017's] 'Bloodlust' was even better than 'Manslaughter', and 'Carnivore' was better than 'Bloodlust'. We're going to stay in the same vein, sound and production, but make better and better records."

Last October, Ice-T told Darren Paltrowitz, host of the "Paltrocast With Darren Paltrowitz", about the upcoming BODY COUNT LP: "Will Putney's producing again. We've had three consecutive great albums working with Will; he understands. I call him 'the Dr. Dre of metal,' because he has the ability to produce different groups but make them sound like themselves, but just better.

"We did 'Carnivore', and right [when] our first date of touring was supposed to start, COVID hit," he continued. "COVID hit, shut down all the stateside tour; 35 European festivals shut down; and we didn't really get to really perform the album; we didn't get to go out, and that kind of sucks.

"You make albums to perform 'em; you don't make 'em just [to sit at home]. And we won a Grammy on that one. That was great; that was a great accolade. It kind of took the sting out of dropping an album to a dead scene; it took the sting out of it. But then the label's, like, 'Okay, we'll do another album.' And I'm, like, 'Wait a minute. We didn't even really get this one out good."

Regarding how he goes about recording vocals for a new BODY COUNT album, Ice-T said: "Usually when I do songs, I'll do the songs but I don't complete 'em. Like, if there's gonna be three verses, I'll sing two and then I kind of live with them, and maybe that way I can think about how I wanna end the song and how I wanna change it up.

"I'm at a point now… When I first used to do albums, I would do, like, 20 songs and then try to pick 12. Now I'm very difficult to find the music, so by the time I pick 12, those are the 12 songs. I'm not doing a whole bunch of recording just to find that… I know what I'm doing. I'm like that photographer that knows how to just wait until the right moment to take the picture: 'Okay, that's one… two.' Versus the guy [who takes a bunch of pictures one after the other]. I don't need to do that.

"So the 'Merciless' album is sounding pretty hard, though," Ice-T added. "We named the motherfucker 'Merciless'."

"Carnivore" continued the path of its uncompromising and critically acclaimed predecessors, "Bloodlust" and "Manslaugther", in pairing Ice-T's impassioned and socio-critical lyrics with thick guitar riffs and nods to metal and hardcore greats like SLAYER, METALLICA, PANTERA, SUICIDAL TENDENCIES and RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE. Guest musicians on the LP included Amy Lee (EVANESCENCE),Dave Lombardo (ex-SLAYER),Jamey Jasta (HATEBREED) and Riley Gale (POWER TRIP).

BODY COUNT was honored with a Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category in the pre-telecast ceremony at the 63rd annual Grammy Awards, which was held in March 2021 in Los Angeles. BODY COUNT was nominated for "Bum-Rush", a track from "Carnivore".
In other News.. The New @BodyCountBand album is being Mixed as we speak ‘MERCILESS’ … I’m also dropping a Triple Vinyl Collectors Album ‘The Legend of Ice T’ ‘CRIME STORIES’ All the Story raps from my 8 HipHop albums with 5 unreleased tracks.. Thats coming real soon! 💥 I’ll… pic.twitter.com/mV2yMsfyrn

— ICE T (@FINALLEVEL) July 15, 2023

Resurrected San Francisco Bay Area thrash metal veterans played a "secret" show last night (Sunday, July 16) at Baltic Kiss in Richmond, California under the TWISTED INTO EVIL banner. The concert marked FORBIDDEN's first live appearance featuring the band's revamped lineup, consisting of Craig Locicero (guitar),Matt Camacho (bass) and Steve Smyth (guitar),alongside the group's latest additions, Norman Skinner (vocals) and Chris Kontos (drums).

FORBIDDEN first and only European appearance this year will take place this August at Belgium's Alcatraz Metal Festival. The band will also support DEATH ANGEL at two Christmas shows on December 21 and December 22 at the Great American Music Hall in San Francisco.

When FORBIDDEN's "rebirth" was first announced in April, Locicero said in a statement: "First off, I did NOT see this coming. When FORBIDDEN quietly disbanded the second time in 2012, I figured it was over. While I always apply the 'never say never' mantra to my life, Russ [Anderson, vocals] made it clear that he was completely finished with touring. My wingman and main dude from the conception of FORBIDDEN EVIL, Russ was my mentor and the guy who bought me beer when I was 15! I couldn't imagine FORBIDDEN without him, so I had little hope of a future with FORBIDDEN. Today Russ is happily retired and living the sober life. I have nothing but love for that and him. Everyone needs to respect his wishes like we do.

"So then ….. fast forward 11 years after our last show, Bay Area vocal talent Norman Skinner walks in to help us rehearse and sing a few thrash classics for the BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL set at Dynamo MetalFest 2022. WHAMMO! That's when it all happened by accident. Truly. Then it happens AGAIN when Norman sings 'Chalice Of Blood' onstage alongside WARBRINGER at the one Bay Area show of BAY AREA INTERTHRASHIONAL. Holy fuck! We will go into detail thoroughly in the upcoming weeks. It's an amazing and organic progression story to tell.

"I now can announce that alongside my brothers Matt Camacho (bass) and Steve Smyth (guitar) we are officially introducing Norman Skinner (vocals) and Chris Kontos (drums) to the FORBIDDEN family. As far as Kontos goes, he's well known as one of the Bay's very best and most respected drummers. Chris's work in MACHINE HEAD and ATTITUDE ADJUSTMENT alone are legendary. Historically he's sat behind the kit in with EXODUS, DEATH ANGEL, and TESTAMENT to name few. I've been lucky enough to play music with Chris in the past and present as well most recently with punk legends THE BONELESS ONES. We work amazingly well together and have remained great friends for over 30 years. In a long line of amazing drummers… Bostaph, Jacobs, Hoglan, Hernandez and Horn… Kontos is the perfect fit for FORBIDDEN. Having 5 people all moving the same direction with enthusiasm and positivity. It's all I've ever wanted with FORBIDDEN. Making the seemingly impossible, possible.

"This is not a reunion, it's a rebirth."

Originally founded in 1985 as FORBIDDEN EVIL by Anderson, guitarists Locicero and Robb Flynn, basses John Tegio and drummer Jim Pittman, the quintet started playing house parties and Bay Area clubs such as the legendary Ruthie's Inn soon after. After a couple of lineup changes (Paul Bostaph on drums and Matt Camacho on bass) in '86, the band quickly rose through the ranks of Bay Area thrash to gain a massive following and worldwide notoriety. In 1986, the band added Glen Alvelais as the second guitarist. It was this lineup that cemented itself into the Bay Area scene and soon after recorded 1988 release "Forbidden Evil" for Combat Records, changing the band's name to simply FORBIDDEN. In May of '89 while on a European tour with SACRED REICH, FORBIDDEN made their first appearance at the legendary Dynamo Open Air in Eindhoven, Netherlands. It was here that FORBIDDEN made their European mark and recorded the "Raw Evil" EP. The band returned Stateside and replaced Alvelais with Tim Calvert. Calvert was a missing ingredient that brought the band closer together as a team. They continued to tour the U.S. first with EXODUS and then again with SACRED REICH with Calvert on second guitar. The band went on to release "Twisted Into Form" in 1990, "Distortion" in 1994 and "Green" in 1996. However, the band, having gone though many lineup changes, disbanded in 1997.

In 2008 Craig being inspired at a screening of the movie "Get Thrashed", called the other members of the band and suggested getting back on stage to see if they could reignite the FORBIDDEN machine. With Anderson, Locicero, Camacho back in the mix along with new additions Glen Alvelais and Gene Hoglan they played two sold-out DEATH ANGEL shows in San Francisco. Steve Smyth came into the mix in place of Alvelais and Mark Hernandez took Hoglan's place. The band then released "Omega Wave", the fifth in the catalog and went on a U.S. tour with OVERKILL. European festivals were next but afterwards Hernandez had to walk away due to personal reasons leading to a tour cancelation. Sasha Horn was the answer to fill the drummer's spot.

After playing "Bonded By Baloff" with EXODUS and one Bay Area show, FORBIDDEN embarked for Chile to play the Metal Fest in Santiago. It was on this flight back home that Russ informed the band that he couldn't tour anymore because of the physical toll it was taking on him. With that, the band dissolved once again for 11 years.

Fast forward to 2023. The once improbable and impossible happened. FORBIDDEN is reforming with new blood! Locicero, Camacho and Smyth remain from the "Omega Wave" lineup.

New vocalist Norman Skinner will take the elite position that belonged to Russ Anderson. Norman shocked everyone who witnessed his performance of "Chalice Of Blood" with Los Angeles thrashers WARBRINGER accompanying him as the band. It was undeniable to all in attendance. Norman grew up in the Bay Area. His first thrash metal show was seeing FORBIDDEN at the Omni. Russ would point to Norman at shows and call him "Little Russ" on the mic. It could ONLY be Norman Skinner that fronts the band.

Same post but this one is just the poster. You MUST look at my last post because the promo vid is just too good......

Posted by Norman L Skinner III on Friday, July 14, 2023

Shinedown is breathing new life into "A Symptom Of Being Human", a song from their 2022 album, Planet Zero, by releasing an unplugged version.


Accroding to the band, "'A Symptom Of Being Human' is a song that we feel so deeply connected to. In an effort to honor it we just dropped a brand new, stripped-back acoustic rendition. 'A Symptom Of Being Human' is a reminder that we’re all writing our own stories and that’s what makes us human."







In live news, Shinedown have announced a string of US dates in September and October, with special guests Papa Roach and Spiritbox. Tickets are on sale now.





Tour dates:


September
3 - St Louis, MO - Hollywood Casino Amphitheatre
4 - Kansas City, MO - T-Mobile Center
6 - Cuyahoga Falls, OH - Blossom Music Center
8 - Burgettstown, PA - The Pavilion at Star Lake
9 - Blue Ridge Rock Festival - The Virginia International Raceway
12 - Detroit, MI - Pine Knob Music Theatre
13 - Syracuse, NY - St. Joseph's Health Amphitheater at Lakeview
15 - Ocean City, MD - Ocean City Bike Fest
16 - Camden, NJ - Freedom Mortgage Pavilion
19 - Gilford, NH - Bank of New Hampshire Pavilion
21 - Bangor, ME - Maine Savings Amphitheater
23 - Mansfield, MA - Xfinity Center
24 - Newark, NJ - Prudential Center
26 - Simpsonville, SC - CCNB Amphitheatre at Heritage Park
27 - Atlanta, GA - Lakewood Amphitheatre
29 - Tampa, FL - MIDFLORIDA Credit Union Amphitheater
30 - Hollywood, FL - Hard Rock Live


October
3 - Franklin, TN - FirstBank Amphitheater
5 - Rogers, AR - Walmart AMP
6 - Allen, TX - Credit Union of Texas Event Center
8 - Houston, TX - The Cynthia Woods Mitchell Pavilion
9 - San Antonio, TX - Freeman Coliseum
12 - Phoenix, AZ - Talking Stick Resort Amphitheatre
13 - Las Vegas, NV - MGM Grand Garden Arena
15 - Irvine, CA - FivePoint Amphitheatre
17 - Salt Lake City, UT - USANA Amphitheater
19 - Albuquerque, NM - Isleta Amphitheater
20 - Denver, CO - Ball Arena





(Photo - Sanjay Parikh)


 

Florida’s death-dealers Inhuman Condition are back with another right-hook single; a high-octane cover of the Blue Oyster Cult classic, “Godzilla”. The video for the second single from their upcoming EP, Panic Prayer, features the ever popular reptilian wreaking havoc on a city, while singing about his misadventures. The video was filmed and edited by Daniel Wahlström at Heavy Groove Media, who previously worked with the band on “I’m Now The Monster” and “Caustic Vomit Reveries”.





Set for a July 21st release on Listenable Insanity Records, Panic Prayer is the band’s third release since the their inception in early 2021.  With members of Obituary, Deicide, and Venom Inc, the trio is no stranger to extreme music, blending a mix of groovy death metal and thrash, with a pinch of hardcore.




The group have once again enlisted the help of art-extraordinaire Dan “Babe Ruth” Goldsworthy (Cradle Of Filth, Accept, Hakan, Alestorm) for the cover art for the EP. Goldsworthy’s third album cover for the band features the bands “unofficial mascot,” sometimes referred to as “The Rat God”, who was on the group’s 2021 debut Rat God, as well as 2022’s follow-up album Fearsick.





Panic Prayer tracklisting:


"Civilized Holocaust"
"Final Credits"
"Panic Prayer"
"Godzilla"
"The Mold Testament" (live)
"Recycled Hate" (live)
"Euphoriphobia" (live)
"The Neck Step" (live)





Inhuman Condition is:


Jeramie Kling - vocals / drums
Terry Butler - bass
Taylor Nordberg - guitar


 

Kick Axe, from Regina, Saskatchewan, has released a new single / video, "Blackout Crazy".


According to the band, "It is dedicated to all the people who partied hard with us in the early '80s. The song was recorded live off the floor in 2022 and the video is a compilation of recent live footage."







Catch Kick Axe live at Rockin The Fields Of Minnedosa in Manitoba, Canada on August 4th alongside Sebastian Bach, L.A. Guns, and Killer Dwarfs.


 

In a new interview with Greg Prato of Consequence, MEGADETH leader Dave Mustaine was asked how he is feeling about the band's current lineup after all the personnel changes the group has gone through over the years. He responded: "There hasn't been that many when you think about how many some of these bands go through. A lot of popular bands will go through lineup changes and sometimes it's really bad for the band. Other times, it's necessary. So, I try not to hold it against guys that are in bands when they have personnel issues. Sometimes, you just end up having a different perspective, and when you guys start off doing stuff, it's very much like a marriage, and you want to have the same vision — but it doesn't always stay that way. So, compared to some bands, yeah, we've had several lineup changes, but not as many as others have. And the lineup that we have right now, I think is magic."

He continued: "I can tell you at any given time, we may have had a period where there was a more popular person on drums or a more popular person on bass or a more popular person on lead guitar. But the magic that the band is operating under right now is so different. I mean, it's literally mesmerizing for me to take a step back from the microphone and look over and see things like Kiko [Loureiro, current MEGADETH guitarist] playing with Marty [Friedman, former MEGADETH guitarist, who made a guest appearance with the band in Tokyo in February]. And James [LoMenzo, current MEGADETH bassist] floating around the stage like a sage with his craft, and going up to the microphone and singing as good as I do — or better. And we've never been a band that was strong in the singing department. All of the background vocals we've ever had have always been the person at the time that was doing the least amount of playing or whatnot, if they could even sing the parts would go and sing. And to hear the difference between someone who actually is a singer versus someone like myself who is, is… I don't know, for lack of a better term, a 'vocalizer' — that has made me a better singer. And that was one of the things I was hearing every night out on the tour: 'Man, you're really singing so much better.' When we would see our friends that would come out and visit us – 'Wow, Dave, you're singing great. Your voice sounds great.' And I'd like to think I'm not doing anything different. But the truth remains your vocal box is a muscle just like anything else, and you have to take care of it."

Mustaine added: "I have to be careful when I eat or drink or if I'm around anybody smoking. That was one of the things that with smoking and drinking and everything, that gravelly voice — like Janis Joplin — works for some people. And then when you start having your voice clear out and get a little bit cleaner, and you start really hearing your voice — you have a choice. You can either say, 'Now I sound like a guy that can't sing' and stop smoking, or, you end up saying, 'I can do this and I know I can take baby steps and get my voice stronger, and take care of myself health-wise.'

"I'm almost 62 years old and I've got a handful of friends that are my age and they look like shit. I even question if they could do a week out on the road with us because of the grind that we're under. But it doesn't mean I don't love them; I'm just talking about the fact that I think we are out on the road working at such a high level — this lineup. And our outlook being so congruent that when we get done playing, it's like 'heavy metal calisthenics' every night for 90 minutes. You get back into the dressing room and cool off, and you don't realize, 'Man, I just sweat off four or five billion calories, and I'm really doing good for where I'm at in my life, where I'm at with my playing, where I'm at with my career.'

"MEGADETH's been around for a long time, and a lot of bands when they become successful and they start going off into that 'legendary status stuff,' they kind of get a little complacent. And I think that happens with a lot of bands, and it's not something you can cover up with a fancy leather jacket — if you're out of shape and you look disgusting, you're out of shape and you look disgusting. I think that if you're going to take care of yourself, then share that and talk about it. I've always talked about my health and my fitness."

Read the entire interview at Consequence.

MEGADETH's recently completed "Crush The World" tour kicked off in British Columbia, with shows in Abbotsford and Kelowna on April 28 and 29, respectively, before making stops in Edmonton, Calgary, Saskatoon, Winnipeg, Hamilton, Ottawa, Quebec City, Montreal and Moncton, and wrapping up on May 15 in Halifax. BULLET FOR MY VALENTINE and ONI provided support on the tour.

MEGADETH's current lineup includes guitarist/vocalist Dave Mustaine, Belgian-born-and-now-Los-Angeles-based drummer Dirk Verbeuren, who had played with SOILWORK for more than a decade before joining MEGADETH, Brazilian guitarist Kiko Loureiro, who was previously best known for his work with ANGRA, and bassist James LoMenzo. James was MEGADETH's bass player in the mid-2000s and stepped back in as a touring member for the 2021 leg of "The Metal Tour Of The Year". In May 2022, it was announced that Lomenzo was officially rejoining the MEGADETH family.

Last September, MEGADETH's latest album, "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!", debuted at the top of the charts during its first week of sales, taking the No. 3 spot on the Billboard 200 as well as number ones on Top Album Sales, Top Current Albums Sales, Top Rock & Alternative Albums, Top Rock Albums and Top Hard Rock Albums. "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!" was the highest-charting MEGADETH album of all time around the world, notching No. 1 In Finland, No. 2 in australia, poland, Switzerland, and Scotland, No. 3 in the U.K., and more.

MEGADETH's previous top 10 entries on the Billboard 200 were "Countdown to Extinction" (No. 2, 1992),"Youthanasia" (No. 4, 1994),"Cryptic Writings" (No. 10, 1997),"United Abominations" (No. 8, 2007),"Endgame" (No. 9, 2009),"Super Collider" (No. 6, 2013) and "Dystopia" (No. 3, 2016).

MEGADETH recently received its thirteenth Grammy nomination for "Best Metal Performance" for the song "We'll Be Back" from "The Sick, The Dying… And The Dead!".

MEGADETH won the 2017 Grammy Award for "Best Metal Performance" for the title track of the band's 2016 album "Dystopia". This marked the group's twelfth Grammy nomination in this category (including nominations in the discontinued "Best Hard Rock/Metal Performance" category).

SMASHING PUMPKINS frontman Billy Corgan has clarified his recent comments about NIRVANA's Kurt Cobain and has denied that there was ever a rivalry between the two bands.

In a recent interview with Zane Lowe, Corgan seemingly equated himself with Cobain as the best songwriters of their generation, saying that once Cobain died, "I looked around, and I was, like, 'All right. Well, I could beat the rest of them for sure.'" He went on to say that he cried after Kurt's passing "because I lost my greatest opponent. I want to beat the best," he explained.

Corgan addressed his Zane Lowe comments during a new appearance on the "Brian & Kenzie" show, which airs on the Q101 radio station in Chicago. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I said some things in some recent interviews… We live in this clickbait world. And what I was trying to say was Kurt was this incredible artist. And when he was alive and we were both in our, whatever, our mid-20s, well, both bands were competing for the same spot. So people take that and they suddenly turn it into something that it isn't.

"I think if we look back now, we can see that amongst the '90s bands, the PUMPKINS and NIRVANA and NINE INCH NAILS and SOUNDGARDEN and STONE TEMPLE PILOTS, there were a lot of bands competing for the top spot," he continued. "There's nothing wrong with that. People try to turn it into this weird thing, like somehow it was something dark. No — it's just good competition. Like, you got a [Chicago] Bulls jersey on your wall. I mean, why do we go to the games? 'Cause we want our team to win. There's nothing wrong with that.

"I've been doing these interviews saying Kurt was by far the most talented person of our generation. So I'm waving the white flag and saying he won in the talent pool. But I dare put myself in the conversation. So then people get mad about that, like I don't have any right. But my band was one of the biggest bands of the era, and still a big band. I'm not some delusional guy up in Highland Park talking about what happened 30 years ago — only. Didn't we just play the United Center and sell it out?

"It's this weird thing where people wanna play this weird game with what you have a right to say and not say," Corgan added. "I think I have every right, knowing everybody involved, having played with NIRVANA, knowing Kurt a little bit personally. I've been very transparent about what it was and what it wasn't. And somehow it gets turned into this thing that it's like a rivalry. There's no rivalry; it's just all love and respect.

"Here's the one thing I would say, and I'm requoting myself: I wish Kurt was still alive, because I want to compete against the best, and he was the best. So how's that a rivalry, if I want the guy that I respected to still be here writing great songs? It's such a strange thing to say. Why would people twist that?

"We lost a lot of great music and a lot of great inspiration that Kurt provided for a lot of people when he died. So why is it a bad thing to say I wish he was still here, 'cause I wanna compete against him? But people would twist that even. There's no hate there. Only respect. Or awe.

"I saw NIRVANA play [at the Metro in Chicago] in 1990 on the 'Bleach' tour with the original drummer," Billy said. "They were unbelievable. It wasn't even sold out; there was about five, six hundred people there. So imagine me in 1990. I'm a nobody. I'm in the crowd. I'm watching this band on their first album, and I'm going, 'Oh my God. That's the guy.' So I started there. I didn't start after '[Smells Like] Teen Spirit'; I was there in the beginning.

"My biggest issue is we live in an environment where people are afraid to just speak their heart. And when you speak your heart, it doesn't always come out perfect."

SMASHING PUMPKINS' debut studio album, "Gish", arrived in 1991, a few months before NIRVANA released its smash hit "Nevermind". In July 1993, the PUMPKINS released "Siamese Dream", with NIRVANA's "In Utero" arriving in September of that same year. NIRVANA and SMASHING PUMPKINS also briefly toured together in 1991. Corgan briefly dated Cobain's widow, HOLE singer Courtney Love, before her 1992 marriage to Kurt, and they reportedly dated again after Cobain's death.

Vocalist Jeff Scott Soto (Sons Of Apollo, Trans-Siberian Irchestra) has shared the following message via social media:


"Every day I'm on the treadmill for an extended amount of time and I find myself revisiting what I feel are the 'perfect albums'. I wanna take the next 10 days to present my Soup To Nuts - All Killer, No Filler series for ya.


Now, this is MY list, I don't expect anyone to agree or want to dispute. This is for fun and, if anything, might explain what makes me tick as an artist.




Today’s Soup To Nuts pays homage to Saigon Kick - S/T


Coming up career wise through the '80s, it was unclear where I would fit into the '90s, as I didn’t find much to chew on the whole Grunge scene but knew a new era was upon us. Having done what I considered would be the only Talisman tour in 1990, we all went home to collect our thoughts while Jason Bieler dove head first into his own agenda!


Were they a product of the '80s, alternative, the future of Rock, a hidden gem, etc.,? Well, all of the above!


Armed with his merry men, the first Saigon Kick album showed you can have it all without abandoning or choosing one lane… and this album took me by surprise when it launched!


Now I may be biased for a number of reasons, including singing backgrounds on a few songs and having a budding brotherhood with Jason and the guys, but regardless, this album spent a lot of time in my car!


From top to bottom, every note and beat count, all killer, no filler."

On July 10th, Winger performed at  The Machine Shop in Flint, MI. High quality single-cam video courtesy of Jordan's Rock Vault can be viewed below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Stick The Knife In And Twist"
"Seventeen"
"Can't Get Enuff"
"Down Incognito"
- guitar solo - (Howie Simon)
"Hungry"
"Proud Desperado"
"Junkyard Dog (Tears On Stone)"
"Miles Away"
"Rainbow In The Rose"
- guitar solo - (Reb Beach)
"Pull Me Under"
"Time To Surrender"
- drum Solo - (Rod Morgenstein)
"Headed For A Heartbreak"
"Easy Come Easy Go"
"Madalaine"



















Winger's new album, Seven, was produced by Kip Winger and recorded in Nashville, distributed worldwide by Frontiers Records.Order on CD/LP/Digital here.





Seven tracklisting:


"Proud Desperado"
"Heaven’s Falling"
"Tears Of Blood"
"Resurrect Me"
"Voodoo Fire"
"Broken Glass"
"It’s Okay"
"Stick The Knife In And Twist"
"One Light To Burn"
"Do Or Die"
"Time Bomb"
"It All Comes Back Around"


"It All Comes Back Around" video:





"Proud Desperado" video:





Winger are one of the only bands formed during the late '80s that still features all original members - Kip Winger, Reb Beach, Rod Morgenstein, and Paul Taylor. Guitarist John Roth was added in 1992.


Tour dates, tickets, and VIPs are available for all shows at wingertheband.com/.

SAXON drummer Nigel Glockler has weighed in on bands who rely heavily on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances.

In recent years, more and more artists have been given a pass for relying on pre-recorded tracks, drum triggers and other assorted technology that makes concerts more synthetic but also more consistent. For better or worse, pre-recorded tracks are becoming increasingly common for touring artists of all levels and genres and they're not just used in pop music — many rock artists utilize playback tracks to varying degrees.

Speaking to the Syncin' Stanley YouTube channel about SAXON's and other rock acts' reliance on pre-recorded tracks, Nigel said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We [SAXON] did use [backing tracks] once, at Wacken [Open Air festival in Wacken, Germany], 'cause we did an orchestral set, so we had a keyboard player with us, a percussionist. I think there was either four or six girl violinists with us, but there was extra stuff — orchestral stuff. Obviously, we couldn't have a full orchestra with us. So that time there was some extra stuff put on a backing track. I had to play to a click. I think we did it for about three songs… But we have done it just that one time. Generally we wouldn't do it. Because when we record, we try to think of… Later on, after we've done the recording and we're rehearsing for the live thing, we think, 'How can we do this? Do we cut things out? Do we think certain things have to change?'"

Glockler continued: "All these bands that are being caught [using backing tracks], I think, is absolutely ridiculous. I mean, lead vocals — lead vocals being tracked, so basically the singer is miming, I think, is out of order.

"I once went and saw a band in Dallas. I was looking at the bass player, who was doing great backing vocals, and I looked over there, and he was nowhere near the microphone. So it was on track. And then I later found out the lead vocals were all mimed, so they were on track. And I just think that's wrong. There's a German band I've heard of and they use something like 26 backing tracks. I mean, really? Can't they play it live or maybe get an extra keyboard player or something? And that I don't think is acceptable at all — unless the audience is told, unless it's on the ticket. In fact, I think it was probably about 20 years ago — people like Britney Spears and Madonna , I think, had to have something on their ticket saying certain parts of the shows are mimed, because the way they dance, I mean, there's no way you can singing dancing like that. So I think if the audience is told that some of it's mimed, then, okay, it's acceptable in things like that. But generally putting lead vocals and stuff [on tape] and just miming the vocal, I think, is just ridiculous."

Nigel added: "In the studio, I always use a click track when I'm doing drum tracks, but I think that's a different thing. But lip syncing what is supposed to be a live concert, to me, is just totally unacceptable."

KISS frontman Paul Stanley, who has been struggling to hit the high notes in many of the band's classic songs for a number of years, has been accused of singing to a backing tape on KISS's ongoing "End Of The Road" tour.

Back in 2015, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons slammed bands who used backing tapes for not being honest enough to include that fact on their concert tickets.

"I have a problem when you charge $100 to see a live show and the artist uses backing tracks," Simmons said. "It's like the ingredients in food. If the first ingredient on the label is sugar, that's at least honest. It should be on every ticket — you're paying $100, 30 to 50 percent of the show is [on] backing tracks and they'll sing sometimes, sometimes they'll lip sync. At least be honest. It's not about backing tracks, it's about dishonesty.

"There's nobody with a synthesizer on our stage, there's no samples on the drums, there's nothing," Gene continued. "There's very few bands who do that now — AC/DC, METALLICA, us. I can't even say that about U2 or THE [ROLLING] STONES. There's very few bands who don't use [backing] tracks."

This past March, KISS's longtime manager Doc McGhee defended Stanley's vocal performance on "End Of The Road", explaining that the "Star Child" "fully sings to every song" at every concert. He explained: It's enhanced. It's just part of the process to make sure that everybody hears the songs the way they should be sang to begin with. Nobody wants to hear people do stuff that's not real, that's not what they came to hear."

When McGhee was asked to clarify if he was "actually saying there are backing tracks that [Paul is] singing to," Doc said: "He'll sing to tracks. It's all part of a process. Because everybody wants to hear everybody sing. But he fully sings to every song."

In March 2020, SHINEDOWN guitarist Zach Myers said that "90 percent" of rock artists use at least some pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. He told Rock Feed: "It bothers me that it bothers people. I'm, like, 'Why does this bother you?' It's the way it is. People have been doing this since the '80s. And we want the sound to be the best it can be. Could we go up there, just the four of us, and put on the best rock show ever? Of course. But that's not how we wanna do it."

Former SKID ROW singer Sebastian Bach has previously said that he is "one of the last people" who are still not using pre-recorded tracks at their live shows. "I don't know how much longer I can say to you that I don't use tapes onstage, because I don't, and I never have," he told Consequence Of Sound. "And I still don't. When I have opening bands, and they're using tapes, and then I come out and I don't use tapes… sometimes, it makes me feel stupid, because I'm like, 'What am I doing, when all these kids half my age can come onstage and do all of my moves, but they don't have to warm up for an hour before the show, or weeks, before the first show?' Sometimes, I'm like, 'Why do I even bother, if the public is so used to this other way?' It's becoming very rare to come see a good band that's actually a real band — that's not miming or doing silly moves while a tape is running. It just becomes more rare as the years go on."

In 2019, IRON MAIDEN guitarist Adrian Smith said that he doesn't "agree" with certain rock artists relying on pre-recorded tracks during their live performances. "I tell you what, I see it with a lot of younger bands, and I don't think it's a good thing at all," he told the New York Post. "I mean, the music is getting too technical now. You have computerized recording systems, which we use, but I think we use them more for convenience than because we need to. We've toured with a couple bands that use tapes — it's not real. You're supposed to play live; it should be live. I don't agree with using tapes … I think it's a real shame."

One musician who has been open about his band's use of taped vocals during live performances is MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx, who said: "We've used technology since '87." He added the group employed "sequencers, sub tones, background vox tracks, plus background singers and us. [MÖTLEY CRÜE also taped] stuff we can't tour with, like cello parts in ballads, etc.... We love it and don't hide it. It's a great tool to fill out the sound."

In a 2014 interview, MÖTLEY CRÜE guitarist Mick Mars admitted that he wasn't comfortable with the fact that his band used pre-recorded backing vocals in its live shows, claiming that he preferred to watch groups whose performances are delivered entirely live. "I don't like it," he said. "I think a band like ours… I have to say '60s bands were my favorite — '60s and '70s bands — because they were real, like, three-piece bands or four-piece bands, and they just got up there and kicked it up. Made a mistake? So what? Sounded a little bit empty here or there? So what? It's the bigness and the rawness and the people that developed and wrote the songs and made them and presented them. To me, that's what I really like. I mean, I could put on a MÖTLEY CD and play with it all day long. I don't wanna do that."

The reunited COAL CHAMBER played its second show in eight years on Friday, July 14 at the Inkcarceration Music And Tattoo Festival at Ohio State Reformatory in Mansfield, Ohio. Fan-filmed video of the concert can be seen below.

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, who played their first show in eight years this past May at the Sick New World festival in Las Vegas, Nevada. 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 will support MUDVAYNE on "The Psychotherapy Sessions" tour this summer. Produced by Live Nation, the 26-city trek kicks off on July 20 in West Palm Beach at iTHINK Financial Amphitheatre, making 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]."

Inkmates.. It’s rare to get enough yard time to see Coal Chamber live, let alone their second show since 2015 🤯

Horns in the chat 🤘🤘

#Ink23 #Inkcarceration

📸: @stvthrasher

Posted by Inkcarceration Festival on Friday, July 14, 2023

Former FEAR FACTORY singer Burton C. Bell has released his cover version of the RAMMSTEIN classic "Du Hast". The track, which features Paul Ferguson (KILLING JOKE) on drums and guitars, mix and production by Mark Gemini Thwaite, will appear on the upcoming "A Tribute To Rammstein" album, to be released on August 25 via Cleopatra Records.

Earlier today (Monday, July 17),Bell shared the cover art for his version of "Du Hast" on Instagram, and he included the following message: "TODAY IS THE DAY that my #breakout #debut #singletrack of #duhast is released! Thank you to everyone @cleopatrarecords for bringing me, @markgeminithwaite and @bigpaulferguson together to produce this energized version of @rammsteinofficial #iconic song. I've only just begun. #burtoncbell #drylungvocalmartyr #annhilisticautomoton".

According to Cleopatra, "A Tribute To Rammstein" will include "vicious cover versions" of RAMMSTEIN classics by "new-school industrial acts such as PRIEST, MANNTRA and JULIEN-K", along with "vanguard veterans FRONTLINE ASSEMBLY, LAIBACH, SKOLD and more".

"A Tribute To Rammstein" track listing:

01. Du Hast - BURTON C. BELL, PAUL FERGUSON & MGT
02. Deutschland - FRONT LINE ASSEMBLY
03. Sonne - SKOLD
04. Engel - PRIEST
05. Amerika - LAIBACH
06. Feuer Frei! - THE 69 EYES
07. Ausländer - JAH WOBBLE & JON KLEIN
08. Radio - JULIEN-K
09. Ich Will - STONEMAN
10. Keine Lust - LACRIMAS PROFUNDERE
11. Links 2 3 4 - MANNTRA

Bonus tracks

12. Mein Teil - ORIGINAL GOD
13. Du Hast - LEÆTHER STRIP

The 54-year-old Bell has been largely inactive on the musical front since officially announcing his departure from FEAR FACTORY in September 2020. At the time he said that he could not "align" himself with someone whom he did not trust or respect, an apparent reference to FEAR FACTORY founding guitarist Dino Cazares.

During an appearance on a May 2023 episode of the "Home Is Where The Dark Is" podcast, Bell reflected on his musical journey so far, saying: "I've had a lot of incredible ups in my career, a lot of incredible high points. I've had some devastatingly low points. But for me, this is all I wanna do.

"I consider myself an artist — multifaceted, but first and foremost I'm a musician; I'm a singer. So I wanna keep continuing that," he explained.

"I love performing on stage. I love being out in front of the crowd. I love the energy of the audience, and I miss it completely.

"I am making plans — I'm making steps to get back onstage."

At the end of the chat, when host Alex Crescioni thanked Bell for his "inspiring" musical output over the years, including that with FEAR FACTORY and ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS, Burton said: "People will hear those again. When I get back on the road, I'll be playing… I'm proud of 99 percent of the songs we did [with] FEAR FACTORY. Not every song is a winner, but I'm proud of all the work I did with FEAR FACTORY, THE WATCHERS, GZR, CITY OF FIRE, MINISTRY, HATEFACE. There's all these bands I've been part of. So when I go on the road, I will be playing music from all of these bands. Obviously, a lot from FEAR FACTORY, 'cause I got 30 years of that. But it's not gonna be all about FEAR FACTORY. It's gonna be FEAR FACTORY, WATCHERS, classic GZR, CITY OF FIRE — just do all of it. It's gonna be fun. And I'm jamming with some guys right now. We're working on it and making those steps to make that happen."

This past March, Bell was asked by Joshua Toomey of the "Talk Toomey" podcast how it felt to see FEAR FACTORY going out on tour with someone else singing the parts he originally wrote and recorded with the band. He responded: "It doesn't affect me at all. To be honest, I haven't been this happy in a long time. More power to them, but I'm just moving forward in my own life, my own career, and I'm just trying to make a name for myself."

Asked if he has checked out any of the videos on YouTube of FEAR FACTORY performing with his replacement, the Italian-born singer Milo Silvestro, Bell said: "No, I don't. I don't care to."

Burton went on to say that he doesn't mind being asked about FEAR FACTORY despite the fact that he is no longer in the band. "FEAR FACTORY, it's what I'm known for," he explained. "And the 30 years I had with FEAR FACTORY were some of the proudest moments of my career. And everything I've ever done in FEAR FACTORY I'm very proud of. Even some of the questionable things I've done in FEAR FACTORY I'm still proud of. It was a great legacy."

During an April 2022 appearance on an episode of "The Ex-Man" podcast hosted by Doc Coyle (BAD WOLVES),Bell touched upon FEAR FACTORY's latest album, "Aggression Continuum", which was released in June 2021 via Nuclear Blast Records. The LP, which was recorded primarily in 2017, features Bell and fellow original FF member Dino Cazares (guitar) alongside drummer Mike Heller.

"I was just happy that record finally came out," Burton said. "We finished that record in 2017. By the time it came out, I'd forgotten all about it. 'Oh, yeah, I remember that song. Oh yeah.'

"There's some good songs on that record. The song 'Collapse' is a good song. The title track 'Monolith' is a good song," he added, referencing the LP's original working title, before it was changed by Cazares.

When Coyle noted that the mix on "Aggression Continuum" is "great," Bell hesitated for a couple of seconds before reluctantly agreeing. "I guess," he said. "When I finished the record [in 2017], the record was done and agreed upon and then further work was done without my say."

Elsewhere in the chat, Burton said admitted that "it was difficult" for him to leave FEAR FACTORY. "Stepping away from FEAR FACTORY was not an easy decision by [any] means," he said. "But what I experienced for the 10 years before that, the lawsuits, the acrimony, that was the one that killed me. And I just had to step away to realize, you know, they can take all this stuff from me — they can take the money, they can take the royalties, they can take the trademark away from me — and I realized that didn't define me. They can take that, but I'm still Burton C. Bell, motherfucker, and whatever I have they can't take. So I'm just kind of moving forward and doing new things."

According to Bell, hardship is par for the course for most musicians, who often find themselves victims of bad contracts, unscrupulous management and, all too often, what appears to be a penchant for self-destruction.

"I knew a long time ago I wanted to be an artist — way before I was in FEAR FACTORY," he said. "When I was in high school, I was, like, 'I wanna be an artist.' To be an artist, you've gotta suffer. You've gotta understand that people wanna take from you the entire time — what you create they wanna make money off of and take it away from you and just give you a pittance. But being bitter is not my style — never has been.

"Whatever negativity has happened in the past with FEAR FACTORY doesn't even hold up to the amount of positivity that has happened," he continued. "If you think about the negative, it can weigh you down so much, but it's not really that much in comparison to what the band achieved, what we created, what we provided to the music world, and for that I'm proud and very happy.

"No one likes to talk to a bitter person at all," Burton added. "Me for one. It's, like, 'Man, just get over it and just move on.' 'Cause holding on to the past doesn't serve me anything, it doesn't serve anybody else anything. Move on and show 'em what you can do from that point forward."

Bell's exit from FEAR FACTORY came more than two weeks after Cazares launched a GoFundMe campaign to assist him with the production costs associated with the release of FEAR FACTORY's latest LP.

Bell later told Kerrang! magazine that his split with FEAR FACTORY was a long time coming. "It's been on my mind for a while," he said. "These lawsuits [over the rights to the FEAR FACTORY name] just drained me. The egos. The greed. Not just from bandmembers, but from the attorneys involved. I just lost my love for it.

"With FEAR FACTORY, it's just constantly been, like, 'What?!' You can only take so much. I felt like 30 years was a good run. Those albums I've done with FEAR FACTORY will always be out there. I'll always be part of that. I just felt like it was time to move forward."

Bell recently unveiled "Paradise Found", his debut exhibition of photographic works, at the Vincent Castiglia Gallery in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. The photographs Bell is presenting are representational of his industrial and science-fiction aesthetic.

"Paradise Found" consists of 20 original full-color photographs of abandoned industrial buildings taken in darkness and fog from 2002 to 2003. Bell's images are printed on aluminum using the dye sublimation process — an approach Bell calls "celluloid impressionism."

Bell's ASCENSION OF THE WATCHERS project released its second full-length album, "Apocrypha", in October 2020 via Dissonance Productions.

Photo by Erica Vincent Photos / Earsplit PR

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A post shared by Burton C. Bell (@burtoncbell_official)



A Tribute To Rammstein by Cleopatra Records, an American independent record label based in Los Angeles,...

Posted by RammWiki on Tuesday, July 4, 2023

On July 7th, Arch Enemy headlined the third night of RockHarz 2023, which took place at Flughafen Ballenstedt in Ballenstedt, Germany. Fan-filmed video of the show is available below.


The setlist was as follows:


"Deceiver, Deceiver"
"War Eternal"
"In the Eye of the Storm"
"House of Mirrors"
"My Apocalypse"
"The Eagle Flies Alone"
"The Watcher"
"Handshake With Hell"
"Sunset Over the Empire"
"As the Pages Burn"
"Snow Bound"
"Nemesis"

Dååth's just released their latest digital single, a cover of Morbid Angel's classic, "Where The Slime Live" featuring a guest guitar solo performance by Dave Davidson of Revocation. The track was mixed and mastered by Dave Otero with artwork by Ryan Wolanski.





Guitarist Eyal Levi had this to say about the cover: "It's funny to say this because 'Where The Slime Live' is a total classic, but I've been feeling like people have not been giving Trey and co their due for the massive impact they've had on the evolution of metal. Not that our version of this song is going to change the world, but if any Morbid Angel song deserves the modern treatment, it's this one. Everything about it more than holds up and showcasing it in this fashion really illuminates how ahead of their time they were. I hope you enjoy listening to it as much as we enjoyed learning and interpreting this BANGER of a song!"




Dave Davidson added: "'Where The Slime Live' is one of my favorite Morbid tunes so I was stoked to be asked to lay down a solo for this killer cover. Trey has a very unique style so it was a cool challenge to tap into his vibe and let the lava flow so to speak. Hope y'all dig it!"


"As a fan of Dååth since the original demos in 2003 I absolutely jumped at the opportunity to work with the band two decades later. They perfectly executed the recording of Where the Slime Live and I'm really proud of the final mix," comments Dave Otero.


Dååth's - "Where the Slime Live"


Eyal Levi - Guitar
Sean Z - Vocals
Krimh - Drums
Jesse Zuretti - Guitar
Dave Marvuglio - Bass
Dave Davidson - Guest Guitar Solo





In album news, Dååth has just entered the studio this week to begin the recording process of their fifth full-length album, which will be released via Metal Blade Records in 2024.


Eyal had this to say about entering the studio: "I never thought I'd be able to say this, but we're back in the studio to complete the new Dååth album, which by the way, is our heaviest album in at least 13 years."


Last, but not least, Metal Blade Records will be releasing the band's 2007, debut album, The Hinderers, on multiple vinyl variants. Check it out here.





Dååth lineup:


Eyal Levi - Guitar
Sean Z - Vocals
Krimh - Drums
Jesse Zuretti - Orchestration, synth, guitar
Dave Marvuglio - Bass


(Photo - Alex Morgan Imaging)

Voivod guitarist Dan “Chewy” Mongrain contacted BraveWords to let us know that he and Pat Hamelin (Gorguts) are reuniting with their cult prog-death band, Martyr, to headline this year’s Trois-Rivières Metalfest. After a 10 years hiatus, Martyr accepted the invitation to play their Warp Zone album in its entirety and more, on November 10th 2023 at L’amphitheatre Cogeco in Trois-Rivières, Quebec.


Tickets for the Trois-Rivières Metalfest are available here.







It all began in 1989 in Quebec, Canada, when brothers François and Dan Mongrain (15 and 13 years old at the time), got their first musical instruments. With friends from high-school, the band rehearsed daily for years, cutting their teeth with metal covers and dabbling in composition.


Martyr recorded in 1995 a well received 4-track demo entitled Ostrogoth, which would lead to the production of their first 9-track studio album in 1997, Hopeless Hopes. The concept of the album was to serve as a mirror of the human state of mind. Shortly after, drummer Patrice Hamelin joined the band.


Martyr promoted their first album with local tours and had the opportunity to play at the famous Milwaukee Metalfest XII in ‘98 alongwith Meshuggah, Death, Cryptopsy, Napalm Death, Despised Icon, and Mercyful Fate.


In 2000, after many shows in Canada creating a solid fanbase, the band released a second studio album entitled Warp Zone, which was a success in the underground scene, and to this day has a worldwide respect amongst aficionados of the genre. Warp Zone is an exploration within one's life evolution, transitions, self-questionings and reflections. Martyr would then self-promote their first Pan-Canadian tour and gathered more and more fans as an amazing performing band, a must see act playing very complex music with lots of energy and passion.


A live album (Extracting the Core, 2001) captured the essence of the performance of the band playing titles from their first 2 albums.
Following the live album, departure of Guitar player Pier-luc Lampron led the band to slow down and restructured with the upcoming of new axeman Martin Carbonneau and started to play shows again leading to writing new music once the band’s chemistry became solid.
In 2006, Martyr released a third studio album entitled “Feeding the Abscess”. Much work has been put into this album both on visual art and on words and music. Feeding the Abscess contains 13 intricate songs of pure aggressiveness and mind-boggling spiderwebbed labyrinths of organized soundwaves and rhythms.


The album was followed by the production of a live DVD in 2008: Havoc in Quebec City. This amazing DVD contained over 3 hours of highly personal footage that included the following: an extended headlining performance of fifteen songs, studio footage, 5 additional live songs, plus an hour-long documentary.


In 2012, dissensions led the band to be put on hold. During the hiatus, the musicians were to be involved in different music projects:


Dan Mongrain did extensive touring and recordings with Voivod, which he already joined in 2008. He is a 2-time Juno awards recipient as a member and composer of Voivod for the Album "The Wake" (2019) and The Album Synchro Anarchy (2022) for Best Metal/Hard Album of the Year (Canada). He also wrote and recorded an album with Gorguts (2000: From Wisdom to Hate) and toured with Cryptopsy as a hired gun in 2005. He played a musical (Dracula: Entre l’amour et la mort) and played in various projects in the pop scene in Montreal including live and TV Shows, as well as studio work. He also appears on various albums for guest solos spots from bands around the globe. 


Martin teaches guitar and plays regularly in various live music projects.


François distanced himself from music until 2022 when he joined the band Apocalyptic Fear, alongwith Patrice. He filled in for Kataklysm in a North-American tour (2008) and recorded bass on the Ex-Deo project Romulus (2009).


Patrice Hamelin has been involved touring and/or recordings with Quo Vadis (2008), Despised Icon (2008), Senate (2008), Gorguts (2014-), Cephalic Carnage (2011-), Beneath the Massacre (2012-) and Apocalyptic Fear (2022-).


In 2019, there were talks about a reunion project, just before the pandemic hit the world.


in 2023, after an offer by Trois-Rivieres Metal production to play the well known Trois-Rivieres MetalFest in their hometown, Martyr decided it was time to get together and reconnect with their fans, their roots and the excitement of playing this crazy music together as Martyr.


Photo by David Surovec

UK-based heavy metal shooting stars, Tailgunner, have finally released their debut studio album, Guns For Hire.


To celebrate the release, Tailgunner reveal their new single, plus a video clip for the track, "New Horizons". It is a song about vengeance! Boasting the bands heaviest riffs and biggest hooks to date, Tailgunner tear into their latest single, combining speed metal riffs and a chorus reminiscent of those classic 80’s power metal bands like Helloween, with some lightning fast twin leads to boot. The video, shot in April 2023 in the bands spiritual home of Liverpool, is a true throwback to the glory days that inspire the band, and could be taken straight from 1986.







Guns For Hire is available on three different vinyl (royal blue, crystal clear and as a picture disc) limited to 500 copies each, as well as on CD digipak (Europe only) and a CD Jewelcase (US only) and digital. At the Atomic Fire Records Webshop you can order any format along with an exclusive bundle shirt. Order here.





The band comments: "Our debut album Guns For Hire is the result of not only the time we have spent together as a band, but a decade of Blood, Sweat, Tears, Beers, Fights N’ Endless nights - All lit by a burning love for Heavy Metal. Now, Children of the Night, Marauders of Earth N’ Hells Vagabonds on July 14 we invite you to live it with us, told by the tale of these ten songs. heavy metal is the undying beast, it cannot be killed, it cannot be stopped, it soldiers on no matter what. Our friend the Warhead, brought to life on our debut album by the incredible Sadist Art Design in a cocktail of 50’s Horror N’ 80’s B Movie posters, is the personification of this music we are so proud to carry the torch for. Are you ready to carry it with us?”





Tracklisting:


“Shadows Of War”
“Guns For Hire”
“White Death”
“Revolution Scream”
“Futures Lost”
“New Horizons”
“Warhead”
“Crashdive”
“Blood For Blood”
“Rebirth”


“Crashdive” video:





Tailgunner will tour the UK in October.

Nuclear Blast Records will reissue the 2011 solo album March Of The Norse from Demonaz on July 28. Preorder at the Nuclear Blast webshop.


The debut solo album from the Immortal founder is blackened heavy metal recorded in Grieghallen Studios and in Conclave & Earshot Studios. The album features Enslaved guitarist Ice Dale and formal Immortal drummer Armagedda. 







Tracklisting:


Side A
“Northern Hymn”
“All Blackened Sky”
“March Of The Norse”
“A Son Of The Sword”
“Where Gods Once Rode”


Side B
“Under The Great Fires”
“Over The Mountains”
“Ode To Battle”
“Legends Of Fire And Ice”


“All Blackened Sky”:

Polish heavy metal rockers Scream Maker released their fourth studio album, Land Of Fire, today (July 14). Check out a video for the new single, "Everybody Needs Illusions", below, and order/save the new album here.





"Land Of Fire is the first album where we achieved full stylistic coherence,” explains the band. “It's heavy metal, of course, but filtered through our musical tastes, experiences from recording previous albums, and a sense of what will work well in live performances. Land Of Fire may not be the most aggressive thing we've recorded, but it's not about aggression, it's about melodies and musicality. We made sure that the vocals are memorable, and the guitar solos capture the essence of what's best in classic heavy metal. Why the title Land Of Fire? We don't tell stories from Mordor on this album, nor do we directly refer to the current events that actually make the world burn. Land Of Fire is a metaphor for what's happening within us. We are torn apart by internal conflicts, contradictory thoughts swirl in our heads, paralyzing decisions. Sometimes, there's a true mental war raging within us, leaving behind ruins of memories, plans, and aspirations.”




Scream Maker formed in Warsaw, Poland in late 2010 when the original members, including current member Michał Wrona (guitar), gathered together out of a shared love of heavy metal. Wrona is joined in the current incarnation of Scream Maker by vocalist Sebastian Stodolak, bassist Jan Radosz, drummer Tomek Sobieszek, and guitarist Bartosz Ziółkowski.​ ​​The band has produced three full-length studio albums (2014's Livin in the Past, 2016's Back Against the World, 2022's Bloodking), plus one EP (We Are Not the Same' and has played over 300 shows in Poland and abroad, including gigs with luminaries such as Judas Priest, Motörhead, Megadeth, Saxon, Slayer, Nightwish, Primal Fear, Stratovarius, Onslaught, and many more.


The band recorded their debut album, Living in the Past, with producer Alessandro del Vecchio (Jorn, Hardline, Revolution Saints) and the album featured guest appearances from Jordan Rudess of Dream Theater and Wojciech Hoffmann of Turbo. The album was released by Perris Records in April of 2014 in the US and Europe and followed by a tour that included shows with Primal Fear, Paul Di'anno, Blaze Bayley, and more. In May 2014, the band toured China for the first time, playing six festivals and unexpectedly becoming the first Polish artist to have an album released by a domestic record label in China.


In the summer and autumn of 2015, between gigs with Saxon, Black Label Society, and Motörhead, Scream Maker gathered at Hear Studio in Warsaw to record their second album, 'Back Against the World'. The album was crafted under the guidance of Radoslaw Kordowski, as well as, once again, Alessandro Del Vecchio. The album was released in May 2016 and once again the band got busy playing shows in support of the album, including shows with Megadeth, Korn, Slayer, another tour of China (their third, but not last, as China has become a regular touring destination for the band), as well as the third edition of the Ronnie James Dio Memorial that they had started back in 2014, but this time, the tribute included several shows. The band would organize a fourth edition of the Ronnie James Dio Memorial in spring 2017, and in December 2017, the band opened the first ever Polish concert by the Dio Returns tour. The band has continued with the Ronnie James Dio Memorial shows as the years have gone on, turning it into a regular tradition.


Once the global pandemic hit in 2020 and slowed the band's regular busy touring schedule, they focused on fine-tuning and recording material for their third full-length album, 'Bloodking', which was released in January 2022​ and subsequently re-released by Frontiers Music Srl in December of the same year after the band signed a deal with the label​. The album was mixed by Tomasz "Zed" Zalewski, with two songs, "When Our Fight Is Over" and "Hitting the Wall" being mixed by Alessandro Del Vecchio, and was very well received by both fans and critics, with Metal Hammer Poland giving it a glowing review. With touring opening back up, the band got busy playing gigs again and planned their own two-day festival in Warsaw (with Polish legends Turbo headlining)​ in September 2022​, which also included​another edition of the Ronnie James Dio Memorial. In the fall of 2022, the band embark​ed​ on another tour with the Ronnie James Dio Memorial, after which they devote​d​ themselves to writing and recording their fourth full-length album​, which would ultimately become Land Of Fire.





Tracklisting:


"Perpetual Burning"
"Can't Stop The Rain"
"Everybody Needs Illusions"
"Zombies"
"A Nail In The Head"
"The Rider"
"Dark Side Of Mine"
"Way To The Moon"
"Land Of Fire"
"See The Light"
"Below"


"See The Light" video:





"Can't Stop The Rain" video:





Scream Maker are:


Sebastian Stodolak - vocals
Michał Wrona - guitar
Bartosz Ziółkowski - guitar
Jan Radosz - bass
Tomasz Sobieszek - drums

Queen has shared episode 25 of its yearlong "The Greatest: Live" video series. In this week’s episode, “Adapting Songs: Seven Seas Of Rhye,” Brian May and Roger Taylor discuss how Queen’s ability to recreate their singular music onstage without backing tapes or additional musicians, as demonstrated by this iconic November 1974 Rainbow performance revisited in the new episode, which you can watch below.


For Queen, the two-night stand at London’s Rainbow Theatre in November 1974 marked a turning point. The year had begun in dispiriting fashion, with the band heckled at January’s Sunbury Pop Festival in Australia by fans demanding home-grown acts, and Brian May felled by hepatitis during the band’s spring US tour under Mott The Hoople. But when the band hit the London Rainbow Theatre stage on November 19 and 20 - now armed with breakthrough album Queen II and their first hit singles in “Seven Seas Of Rhye” and “Killer Queen” - their restored confidence was palpable.


“It’s incredible how much happened to Queen in 1974,” Brian remembered in Mojo magazine. “When I see the footage of us from those shows now, I see so much confidence and adrenaline and I think, My God, we were such impatient boys.”




Filmed at the second night at the Rainbow on November 20, this week’s archive performance of “Seven Seas Of Rhye” shows a fearless live band already pushing the boundaries of the song that had changed their fortunes. Principally written by Freddie Mercury - and opening with his instant-classic cascading piano part - “Seven Seas Of Rhye”’s success lived up to its all-conquering lyric. Released as the band’s second UK single in February 1974, it was boosted to No. 10 by their first TV appearance as an eleventh-hour substitute for David Bowie on Top Of The Pops.


Even in those formative years, Queen were experimental and ambitious studio musicians, employing swirls of vocal harmony and multitracked instrumentation to create epic textured soundscapes. Translating that to the stage took an entirely different skill-set, and in this footage - incidentally, the first-ever Queen concert to be filmed and recorded, with an edited version later screened in UK cinemas as the opener to Led Zeppelin’s The Song Remains The Same, before returning to the vaults for two decades - the band’s live mastery is breathtaking.


From Freddie playing one-handed piano while holding the microphone, to Roger Taylor effortlessly hitting the high harmony that some fans assumed was studio trickery on Queen II, this is indisputably the sound of a band at the top of their game. “When I listen to Queen Live At The Rainbow now, I find it extraordinary,” says Taylor of the boxset released in 2014. “I’d forgotten how heavy we were…”