German heavy metal band, Turbokill, have released a video for their new single, "Time To Wake", featured on the band's forthcoming debut album, Vice World. Watch below:





In an enlightened world, it must be allowed to ask how the musical succession to metal legends like Judas Priest or Iron Maiden is to be realized. Or is the change of guards already under way? Following in the footsteps of the metal giants of our era will by no means be an easy feat. Still, it must be done, and we need suitable candidates with a vision who align themselves with the long history of this music genre while taking their compositions and playing style into the future.




Turbokill, the new formation of former Alpha Tiger vocalist Stephan Dietrich, could be such a candidate in the making. The German band comes with an exceptionally set of skills to drive forward a heavy metal style that is traditional yet modern. Is it too bold a thesis then, to name them as a contender? Hardly, especially since the 12 songs making up the group’s first album Vice World  beg to differ. The message comes across loud and clear: The future of the classic heavy metal has already begun.


The debut album, Vice World, will be released on October 25 via SPV/Steamhammer on CD digipak, vinyl LP, download and stream. Pre-order here.





Tracklisting:


"The Grand Delusion"
"Vice World"
"War Thunder"
"Pulse Of The Swarm"
"Global Monkey Show"
"Sail With Pirates"
"Turbokill"
"Kill The Lie"
"Don't Deal With The Devil"
"Track N' Spy"
"End Of Days"
"Fortress Of The Universe"


"Pulse Of The Swarm" lyric video:





"End Of Days":





Lineup:


Stephan Dietrich (vocals)
Ronny Schuster (rhythm guitar)
Daniel Kanzler (lead guitar)
Marco "Fox" Grünwald (bass)
Philipp "Nafta" Dießl (drums)

Loosegroove Records recording artists, Seattle-based band, Brad, today release their new song and video, “Hey Now What’s The Problem?”, from the upcoming LP,  In The Moment That You’re Born, out July 28.


Brad’s new single shows off the members’ rock-n-roll roots unleashing distorted power chords from guitarist Stone Gossard (Pearl Jam), driving drums and bass guitar from Regan Hagar (Brad, Satchel, Malfunkshun) and Keith Lowe, and, as always, passionate vocals from the late singer Shawn Smith.


The video, directed by creator, drummer and Loosegroove co-founder, Brad’s Regan Hagar, mashes together footage from older Brad performances with imagery from horror films and iconic pop culture movies and television.







“Hey Now What’s The Problem?” is released on the heels of the band’s first single and video in over a decade, “In The Moment That You’re Born”. That song was released on the 30-year anniversary of Brad's acclaimed debut album Shame released on April 27, 1993 on Epic Records.





Shame featured original music that stood as a counterpoint to the music that was coming out of Seattle during that time featuring Shawn Smith’s haunting vocal ability intertwined with the musicianship of the band.


To further mark the anniversary of that landmark LP, pre-orders have begun for limited-edition vinyl reissues of the music. The vinyl will be available in various packaging configurations and released on July 28. Pre-order here.


The LP, In The Moment That You're Born features 10 new self-produced recordings with vocals by Shawn Smith in recording sessions prior to his 2019 passing. The tracks include a new version of “Stars N’ You”; written by the late Seattle musician Andrew Wood (Mother Love Bone, Malfunkshun). The song was originally recorded for the 1986 “Deep Six” compilation by Malfunkshun, and also featured Brad drummer/Loosegroove co-founder Regan Hagar.


In The Moment That You're Born was recorded and mixed by Floyd Reitsma at Studio Litho in Seattle (except for the title track, which was mixed by Josh Evans).


The artwork was created by Hagar and includes photos taken by famed Seattle photographer Lance Mercer.


(Photo - Daniel Zetterstrom)

Canadian producer Bob Rock, who has been responsible for some of the biggest rock and metal albums of the last 30 years, including all of METALLICA's studio output during the 1990s and early 2000s, says that he had to prove himself constantly when he first started working with the band.

Rock first teamed with METALLICA for the band's self-titled 1991 album (a.k.a. "The Black Album"). The Elektra set debuted at No. 1 on the Billboard 200 and stayed on the chart for 281 weeks. Rock helmed METALLICA's subsequent albums, through 2003's "St. Anger".

Bob touched upon his work on "Metallica" in a new interview with CBC News' The National. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "When you make a record, you really don't know how it's gonna turn out. I think what made it different for me is that they were very opinionated and it was really hard to do the record, but they challenged me and I challenged them, and I think we ended up that it wasn't all just happy. Not fighting, but there was that edge through the whole project, and that ended up being something special. And the thing about that METALLICA album that you hear is that James [Hetfield, METALLICA frontman] started singing rather than yelling, and I think it's his most personal lyrics on any record he's made."

When The National's Ian Hanomansing noted that Rock and METALLICA became not only colleagues but also friends, Rock said: "Eventually. It took a while. Yeah, it took a while. I had to prove myself constantly on that album."

Rock, now 69, told Reuters in 2006 that he felt "20 years younger" after his split with METALLICA, whose last couple of studio efforts, 2016's "Hardwired… To Self-Destruct" and 2023's "72 Seasons", were helmed by Greg Fidelman.

During the making of 2003's "St. Anger", a petition that some 1,500 fans signed subsequently was posted online calling for METALLICA to dump Rock, claiming he had too much influence on the band's sound.

"The criticism was hurtful for my kids, who read it and don't understand the circumstances," Rock told Reuters. "Sometimes, even with a great coach, a team keeps losing. You have to get new blood in there."

METALLICA co-manager Peter Mensch argued that Rock "nursed METALLICA out of almost complete collapse on that record. Bob is one of the five best producers on the planet. But it was time to shake things up."

In a 2006 interview with Revolver magazine, METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich stated about the band's decision to work with Rubin on "Death Magnetic" after spending 15 years and making five albums with Bob Rock: "In 1990, when we started using Bob, it was because Bob made all the best rock records that were going on at that time — MÖTLEY CRÜE, DAVID LEE ROTH, THE CULT — and he was involved in the engineering of all the BON JOVI records. Everything that was going on in the late eighties was all about Bob Rock. And now, everything that's great about rock — from SLIPKNOT to SYSTEM OF A DOWN to the [RED HOT] CHILI PEPPERS to MARS VOLTA, and even the Johnny Cash and Neil Diamond records — it's all Rick Rubin. The same thing that brought us to Bob 15 years ago is now kind of bringing us to Rick. We want to work with the guy who's got the total finger on the pulse. And Bob was the first one to bless it, to say, 'Look, I don't know what else I can offer you 15 years later.' We finish each other's sentences. We know what he's going to say, and he knows what we're going to say. We made, what, like, five records with him? And he really had been the fifth member of our band for the last 15 years. As painful as it is, getting his blessing first was really important to us."

DEF LEPPARD guitarist Phil Collen has confirmed that IRON MAIDEN's Adrian Smith and ex-WHITESNAKE/THIN LIZZY guitarist John Sykes were among a handful of musicians who tried out for DEF LEPPARD following the passing of Steve Clarke. Another WHITESNAKE alumnus, Vivian Campbell, ended up landing the gig.

Speaking to Eonmusic at a pre-show press conference at Hellfest in Clisson, France on Friday (June 16),Collen recalled the audition process to find a new second guitarist for DEF LEPPARD after Clarke's January 1991 death of a drug overdose.

"We invited five people we knew, five friends," Phil said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "And Vivian just fit in straight away; it was just like [it was] meant to be. [But] Adrian is great — he's a great singer. That was one of the other things [we were looking for], if you can sing. And there was some other people. We played with John Sykes — also an amazing player, amazing singer.

"Vivian's voice [was] unbelievable. And more than that, he just fit in the style of what we're doing.

"With Adrian, he played in context with what we were doing when we were rehearsing," he continued. "I mean, we were doing DEF LEPPARD songs — we weren't doing IRON MAIDEN songs, we weren't doing DIO songs; we were doing DEF LEPPARD. So, whoever comes into our house has to kind of play by the same rules.

"So that was the thing," Phil added. "And Viv fit straight in. And like I said, there was only five people. We didn't do, like, cattle calls or anything like that, because it was still a bit painful after losing Steve, to be quite honest. So we wanted someone who emotionally would work with us as a family member. And Viv did straight off the bat. It was just wonderful."

Adrian auditioned for DEF LEPPARD a year after he left IRON MAIDEN during the making of the latter band's "No Prayer For The Dying" album.

In a 2021 interview with Eonmusic, DEF LEPPARD drummer Rick Allen also confirmed that Smith had been on the LEPPARD radar for the role that was eventually landed by Campbell. The drummer then went on to name some of the other players who were under consideration, including an unknown Birmingham guitarist and the man who provided the licks on WHITESNAKE's colossal self-titled 1987 release. "There was a kid called Huwey Lucas that was a contender; there was John Sykes; there were all these people kind of lined up," he said.

However, it was Smith who impressed the drummer, with Rick praising Adrian for his ability to adapt.

"I loved the idea," Allen said. "It's interesting — you put somebody in a slightly different situation and new things are revealed about them, and it was cool. It was a compliment that he was so into it."

Concluding, however, Allen added: "But I think, ultimately, Vivian was the absolutely perfect choice."

In a 2020 interview with Eonmusic, Smith, who was promoting his memoir, "Monsters Of River & Rock", at the time, was asked if it was true that he was in contention to join the Sheffield rockers, to which he replied, "I was, yeah. I'm not sure… I want to write more books; that might be in my next one. [Laughs] There's a whole story about that, there's a whole story about that."

A year after he joined DEF LEPPARD, Campbell spoke to Steve Newton of Georgia Straight about how he ended up securing the spot. He said: "I've known [LEPPARD singer] Joe Elliott for a few years. He lives in Ireland, where I'm originally from, so I would see him every time I'd go there — we have a lot of mutual friends and stuff. And a couple of months after Steve had died, he had said that they were gonna continue, that they were gonna finish the record as a four-piece, but that they were eventually going to look for a new guitar player — and that he would like it to be me. Obviously, I didn't know the other people in the band very well, and they all had their own opinions. So about a year passed, and they made the record, and they had a short list of three or four people that they wanted to play with. So they came to L.A. and played with some folks, and that was that."

Elaborating on the audition process, Campbell said: "Well, it was weird. It was strange for a number of reasons. I've never played with a drummer with electronic drums before, and that's a different thing, 'cause normally when you're in a small room and you play with an acoustic drum kit, you hear it because of the proximity — you're standing next to it and it's loud. With an electronic drum kit, you don't hear it from the source, you hear it comin' through monitors, so that was a little strange from a musical point of view. The other thing was, most of my 'audition', so to speak, was them asking me questions as opposed to me playing guitar. I mean, it was more a personality test than it was to see whether the guy can sing or play."

In a new interview with Sakis Fragos of Rock Hard Greece, CRADLE OF FILTH frontman Dani Filth spoke about the decline of the music industry as consumers value access over ownership and experiences over assets. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's been deteriorating ever since… I think 2006 was the year that everything swapped from being comfortable for musicians — well, not necessarily comfortable; it was never comfortable. But [it went to] just being a lot harder with the onset of the digital age, the onset of music streaming platforms that don't pay anybody. Like Spotify are the biggest criminals in the world. I think we had 25, 26 million plays last year, and I think personally I got about 20 pounds, which is less than an hourly work rate.

"For example, the other day my girlfriend… She's got an ill cat; her cat's very sick and needed a life-or-death operation," he continued. "She's a well-known tattooist, and she posted a thing online about… a GoFundMe for her cat, and she was gonna do a raffle and people could win a tattoo, et cetera, et cetera. The point of it is a lot of people were, like, 'Why the fuck should we pay for your cat? You're going out with a multimillionaire?' And she was, like, 'Excuse me, I don't think you understand how the music industry works nowadays. One, he's not a multimillionaire at all. Two, I'm my own person, and this has nothing to do with him.'

"I think people just have this amazing ability to [believe] that when you have stuff out there, like physical product, that you're earning a fortune from it," Filth added. "They don't realize you have so many people taking pieces of the pie — record company, management, accountants, blah blah blah blah; it doesn't matter. If you're not getting any money in the first place, there's not much money to share around. And nowadays, the reason why people put out limited-edition vinyls and stuff, it's for collectors — they're the only people that buy it; other people just stream it for nothing. That's why you're finding a lot of bands, since the pandemic, are not touring. Petrol's gone up. Tour bus hire's gone up. The cost of living's gone up. Yeah, it's very hard for bands at the moment. But it doesn't help when people just have this in-built idea that it's not a privilege to get music, that music is something that should be given away free. I mean, I don't walk into someone's shop and just pick up — I don't know — a pack of bananas and say, 'Well, these grow on trees. They should be free. I'm walking out with these.' I'd be arrested for shoplifting. But it's fine for people to download… Even before albums are out, you find fans, like, 'Oh, I've got a link to it,' and they put it up and then instantly any sales you're gonna get from people buying it for a surprise are out the window because they've already heard it and then they just move on to the next thing.

"Yeah, the music industry is on its knees at the moment," Dani concluded. "I still enjoy making music — don't get me wrong; I love it — but, yeah, the musician nowadays is finding a million things against them. It's a hard time."

Two months ago, Dani talked to Dom Smith of Soundsphere magazine about the realities of post-pandemic touring, including increased travel expenses — gas, tour buses, hotels and flight costs. He said: "We're a bit in a weird state of play at the present because of the whole Russian scenario. That's had a knock-on effect with fuel and bus hire. People really now have not been able to afford to do a lot, so tours are becoming very difficult.

"There's a lot of American bands I've spoken to — big bands as well — who are not touring Europe for a while," he continued. "A lot of English and mostly European bands are not touring America for a while. Now there's even talk of bigger taxation by venues on merch, places taking bigger cuts of the band's merch, which is their life's blood, seeing as everything's digital these days and physical product's down. And America is now talking about upping the cost of touring there, the prices of the visa. I mean, it's about 30 quid for them to come over here; it's in the thousands for us to go there.

"So, yeah, it's all doom and gloom now," Dani added. "Obviously, as everything goes in cycles as well, we're seeing a bit of a re-emergence, a bit of a reaffirmation of the whole metal community."

Financial issues are continuing to wreak havoc on the touring industry, with the economics of the business simply not adding up.

Acts of all sizes are canceling or postponing shows, with several claiming that it was "not sustainable" for them to go ahead with the tours.

For many midsized acts, ticket sales are not even enough to cover their overheads.

Last October, SHINEDOWN canceled its previously announced fall 2022 dates in continental Europe due to "economic and logistical side of touring". ANTHRAX also canceled shows in continental Europe as part of its fall 2022 touring activities, citing "ongoing logistical issues" and "costs that are out of our control."

CRADLE OF FILTH released its first live album in over 20 years, "Trouble And Their Double Lives", on April 28, 2023 via Napalm Records. The LP was recorded between 2014 and 2019 at different performances in the USA, Europe, Australia and beyond during the band's "Cryptoriana" world tour and dates following.

Produced, mixed and mastered by Scott Atkins at Grindstone Studios in Suffolk, England with recording captured by Danny B, the brand new live offering not only features a slew of fan favorites encompassing the band's discography — such as "Nymphetamine (Fix)" , "Bathory Aria" and "Blackest Magick in Practice" — but also two bonus tracks and two entirely brand new songs, "She Is A Fire" and "Demon Prince Regent".

Billy Corgan of SMASHING PUMPKINS recently appeared on SiriusXM's "Metal Ambassador" podcast hosted by Jose Mangin. During the interview, Corgan shared a previously unheard story about PANTERA. He said: "Let me tell you a story since we're talking PANTERA. So, they were having a big moment, obviously, during those [first] three [major label] albums. And I was backstage with them one day, and one of those mid-nineties [METALLICA albums] — might have been 'Reload' or something — METALLICA had come out [with a new album]. And there was a lot of controversy about where METALLICA was trying to go, and what happened to METALLICA, and are they still metal, and they're wearing makeup now or whatever. And [the PANTERA guys] were just going on and on about METALLICA. Not in a negative way — more like a confused, like, 'I love METALLICA, but I don't get it. And they're not metal. And what's going on?' And I literally said — and this is a true story; I don't think I've ever told this story in public — I raised my hands… And I knew them well enough that they would sort of listen to me. I mean, that's saying something. And I would say, 'You know what? Shut the fuck up.' And they looked at me, like, 'Did you just tell us to shut the fuck up?' And I said, 'Shut the fuck up.' Okay, so the room goes silent. And I go, 'Listen, set aside METALLICA for a second. Okay? You guys right now are the best metal band on the fucking planet, okay? Shut the fuck up. Worry about PANTERA. Just worry about PANTERA. METALLICA will work it out.' And they did, right? And I said, 'You just focus on PANTERA. You just focus on being the greatest metal band on the fucking planet.' And they all kind of looked at each other like, and they were like, 'Okay, he's complimenting us.' And then it was like, 'Okay, drink this horrible poison, you fucking alternative weirdo.'"

Back in 2014, PANTERA frontman Philip Anselmo talked about some of the records that have had an impact on his life for the "Discs Of Doom" article in an issue of U.K.'s Metal Hammer magazine. Asked which album should never have seen the light of day, Anselmo replied: "I would have to say [1996's] 'Load' by METALLICA. I mean, it's a terrible record, man. I just don't get it. If you're gonna put out a record like that, just do a fucking side project or something, ya know?"

Anselmo first publicly criticized METALLICA's "Load" in 2003, when he slammed the heavy metal giants for touring with supporting acts like LIMP BIZKIT and LINKIN PARK and challenging them to a road duel, head-to-head on any stage, telling an interviewer, "Heavy metal lies in the underground and if they're worried about... Why in the hell would METALLICA be worried about ticket sales? Bring out some fuckin' good bands." He explained: "That was due to a conversation [METALLICA frontman] James Hetfield and I had years ago when I was talking to him about their new album. I think that was when 'Load' was out, and it kind of shocked everybody — everybody was freaked out." Anselmo elaborated in a subsequent interview, claiming that METALLICA never would have shared a stage with PANTERA in the U.S. "because they know what would fuckin' happen. We would fuckin' eat them alive! That's the end of the fuckin' sentence. We would crush 'em." METALLICA drummer Lars Ulrich responded to Anselmo's challenge by saying, "Is he that desperate to tour? I love all these challenges. The ol' step it up...," and adding that Anselmo "has a tendency to talk a lot of horseshit most of the time."

Anselmo appeared to soften his tone by the time DOWN and METALLICA toured together in 2008, and two years later, Anselmo told Ultimate Guitar that he considered METALLICA to be "THE ROLLING STONES of metal" in terms of career longevity.

In a 2013 interview with Revolver magazine, Ulrich was asked what he felt was METALLICA's most underappreciated release. "I think 'Load' and 'Reload' [1997] are great records," he replied. "They are creatively on par with every other record we've made. Obviously, they're bluesier records, and at that time, we were listening to a lot of LED ZEPPELIN, DEEP PURPLE and AC/DC, and we had a different kind of foundation than records before or after. And I understand that there are people who couldn't quite figure out what was going on with the haircuts and the rest of it, and that's fine. But musically, if you strip all that other stuff away, if you just listen to the 27 songs — 'Load' and 'Reload' were intended as one double-record — it's a great collection of songs that is on par with everything else that we've done creatively. But, I mean, who needs another person to sit there and argue about, you know, fucking 'Carpe Diem Baby'? They are different records, but that was the intention. [Laughs] It's not like we sat there and thought we were remaking '…And Justice For All'. [Laughs] We are obviously aware of that. But I think personally there's great songs on both of those records and I'm very proud of those records."

Corgan previously praised PANTERA this past April in an interview with Revolver magazine. He said at the time: "PANTERA I got to see many times live. I knew the band back in the day. 'Dimebag' Darrell even gave me a guitar, which I treasure. PANTERA was one of those bands in the early '90s that not everybody on the alternative side of the equation understood right away because they were seen as just a straight-up metal band. But eventually I think a lot of people in alternative music recognized that PANTERA was one of those bands that sort of transcended genres. I think thematically and the way they changed metal and the way people played metal ever afterwards, I think it almost puts them in too small a category. And like the great metal bands, they tend to almost create their own category of music."

SiriusXM's "Metal Ambassador" podcast, hosted by Mangin, is available on the SXM app.

THE SMASHING PUMPKINS's new album, "Atum", was released on May 5 and is the sequel to 1995's "Mellon Collie And The Infinite Sadness" and 2000's "Machina/Machine Of God". Featuring 33 tracks in three acts, "Atum" was written and produced by Corgan over the past four years.

In a new interview with PowerMetal.cl, David Ellefson was asked if he would rejoin MEGADETH again if approached about it. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "They slammed the door in my face, and I didn't knock again. I just turned around and walked away.

"Bands are more than just the songs. It's about a brotherhood. And what that showed me is that while we may be brothers, we definitely are not friends.

"I don't wanna be in a band with people that I can't be friends with; I just don't," he continued. "And I did for a long time. It was successful, so sometimes you put your hands in the golden handcuffs and you still say 'yes.'

"I went back to [MEGADETH] in 2010 to save their ass, because, quite honestly, they were firing James LoMenzo at that time. The poor guy; he's a nice guy and he's a good bass player. And I went back at [then-MEGADETH drummer] Shawn Drover's request. And Shawn is a friend of mine, and it was the right request. Because they put a tour on sale and they didn't have a bass player who could play the parts… So I went back and I saved their ass. And not just that, but also some personal stuff inside the band I helped fix too. And, obviously, it was celebrated and it was big. And at the end of the day, having each other's back is what's important. When I went through some personal stuff and they didn't have my back, that just showed, you know what? I don't wanna fucking be in a band like that; I just don't.

"To me, I will always do things for the fans," Ellefson added. "And so I guess my attitude has always been, keep the door open for the fans' sake. But when it comes to having brotherhood and having a new song and having a new story and writing the rest of my life, that's not gonna happen over there in that band.

"Once that door was closed in my face, I just fucking turned and kept going and don't look back. That chapter of my life ended for a reason. And as I always say, relationships of people, bands — sometimes only for a season, a season of life, and always for a reason. So now that that season has passed, keep moving forward. I like the view out of the front [window] better. The front window of a car is big because you're supposed to look through it. The rearview mirror is very small, because you're not supposed to be looking at it. Keep looking forward. I like our view forward now. It's much better."

Ellefson was fired from MEGADETH by Dave Mustaine in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter.

Shortly before Ellefson was dismissed from MEGADETH, he released a statement on Instagram denying all social media chatter that he "groomed" an underage fan. He also filed a report with the police department in Scottsdale, Arizona alleging unlawful distribution of sexually explicit images of him by unknown offenders. In the report, Ellefson admitted that he had been exchanging sexual text messages with a Dutch teenager, who captured a video of several of their virtual "masturbating encounters" without his consent and shared them with friends. (According to Ellefson, the woman was 19 at the time of their first virtual sexual encounter.) Ellefson, who lives in Scottsdale, first became aware of the video on May 9, 2021, when the claim "David Ellefson of MEGADETH is a pedophile" appeared on Instagram. Ellefson told police he was notified on May 14 by MEGADETH that the band would be parting ways with him. Three days later, he was fired.

Mustaine — who formed MEGADETH with Ellefson in 1983 — released a statement on May 24, 2021 announcing the bassist's departure from the band. In the statement, Dave said: "We do not take this decision lightly. While we do not know every detail of what occurred, with an already strained relationship, what has already been revealed now is enough to make working together impossible moving forward."

Two days after Mustaine announced Ellefson's latest departure from MEGADETH, the bassist released a follow-up statement in which he vowed to file a "defamation lawsuit" against the person who "illegally posted a very private video" of the bassist and made "false allegations" against him. He also said he was working with the police in Scottsdale "in their investigation into charges regarding revenge pornography to be filed against the person who posted the video. This person will be prosecuted to the fullest extent of the law," Ellefson wrote. He went on to say that he was "taking this time to be with my family" and wished his "bandmates" the best with their tour.

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

Following their much-acclaimed debut album, Ban The Light ( 2019, AFM Records ) and a series of live tracks, taken of their incredible show in support of JUDAS PRIEST "Live In Dalhalla", Swedish hard rock act DEAF RAT has suprised their fanbase with a brand new song!

The music video for the high-voltage banger "Schizophrenic Part Of Me" is showcasing actual studio footage of the band, who is currently working on a new EP to be released in the not so distant future! As DEAF RAT reveal: “Schizophrenic Part Of Me is a kick ass rock n roll track, a party starter as energetic, straight forward and deadly as it can get. Be prepared to get grabbed by your neck by this venomous guitar riff, the sound and the vibe of Deaf Rat 2.0!"

In a new interview with The Telegraph, IRON MAIDEN singer Bruce Dickinson once again said that he isn't interested in being inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

"I don't want to be in the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame," he said. "Because we're not dead yet."

He added: "Some people feel almost actively threatened by metal. Not by the nature of the music. But by the fact that it doesn't conform to their worldview of what pop music should be, which is: pop music is disposable, darling. Well, we don't make disposable pop music."

Even though artists are eligible for the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame 25 years after the release of their first album or single, iconic hard rock and metal bands like MAIDEN and MOTÖRHEAD have yet to be recognized by the institution, which inducted GUNS N' ROSES in that group's first year of eligibility.

IRON MAIDEN was on the ballot for the second time this year, but the institution's voters snubbed them once again.

The only metal or metal-adjacent acts to have made it into the Rock Hall so far have been BLACK SABBATH, LED ZEPPELIN, METALLICA, AC/DC, JUDAS PRIEST, KISS, VAN HALEN, RUSH, GUNS N' ROSES and DEEP PURPLE.

IRON MAIDEN finished in the fourth place in the fan vote for this year's Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame induction class.

Four years ago, IRON MAIDEN bassist Steve Harris said that he didn't care that his band had yet to be inducted into the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame despite the fact that it had been eligible since 2004.

"I don't mind that we're not in things like that," he told Rolling Stone in an interview. "I don't think about things like that. It's very nice if people give you awards or accolades, but we didn't get into the business for that sort of thing. I'm certainly not going to lose sleep if we don't get any sort of award, not just that one, any award. I don't think we deserve to have this or that necessarily. With what we do, whatever comes of it is great. Whatever doesn't come of it is great, too."

Dickinson made headlines in 2018 when he referred to the Rock Hall as "an utter and complete load of bollocks" during a spoken-word gig in Australia, insisting that the Cleveland-based institution is "run by a bunch of sanctimonious bloody Americans who wouldn't know rock and roll if it hit them in the face."

Bruce later told The Jerusalem Post that he was "so annoyed with that coverage because they took my statement out of context to make it seem like I was upset that we weren't in the Hall Of Fame.

"I'm really happy we're not there and I would never want to be there," he continued. "If we're ever inducted, I will refuse — they won't bloody be having my corpse in there.

"Rock and roll music does not belong in a mausoleum in Cleveland," Bruce added. "It's a living, breathing thing, and if you put it in a museum, then it's dead. It's worse than horrible, it's vulgar."

Harris previously told "Rock Talk With Mitch Lafon" that he wasn't concerned about whether IRON MAIDEN would eventually be inducted into the Rock Hall. "I don't really think about it, to be honest. I think awards are things that are nice to have when you get them, but it's not something you're really striving for — it's not what it's about it," he saId. "It's never been about that. It's aways been about just trying to make good music and go out and play good live shows, and that's it, really. Hopefully people will appreciate it. It's probably nice when people give you awards — don't get me wrong; I think it's great — but it's not something that you would lose sleep over if you didn't get any.

"It's the way that I am," Harris added. "I don't know. Maybe the rest of the guys [in the band] might think differently to me, but that's the way I think. It's not that I don't care about [awards]. It's just… And it's not that they're not meaningful when you do get 'em — it's nice. But I certainly don't worry about it or anything like that. I think other people are the ones that make a bigger deal out of it than us, about whether we got one or not."

Having been eligible for induction for nearly two decades, IRON MAIDEN is one of the biggest bands on the planet. Since the release of their self-titled debut album, the British heavy metal legends have released a further 16 full-length studio records, and sold over 100 million copies.

Rock Hall rules state that artists become eligible a quarter century after their first records were released, but the Hall also claims that other "criteria include the influence and significance of the artists' contributions to the development and perpetuation of rock 'n' roll," which is, of course, open to interpretation.

Eligible for induction since 1999, KISS didn't get its first nomination until 2009, and was finally inducted in 2014.

Asked in a recent interview with Taryn Daly of Audacy how he feels about the fact that the Rock Hall has gotten so much negative feedback for excluding MAIDEN from the induction, Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame president and CEO Greg Harris said: "We love that people care — that they care if they're in or out, and that their fans care. Now the truth is anybody that's nominated, the odds are good that they're eventually gonna get in. In fact, I think it may be as high as 90 percent eventually go in. RAGE [AGAINST THE MACHINE, who are finally getting inducted this year], this was their sixth time, I believe — fifth time on the ballot or sixth time. And so sometimes it takes a while. But let's see where it lands. Right now, let's celebrate this year's class, and we can start to debate about next year's class once the spotlight is off of this year's class."

In a new interview with Anne Erickson of Audio Ink Radio, JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner spoke about the overall sound of the band's upcoming follow-up to 2018's "Firepower" album. He said: "It's sounding great. I was in Phoenix with [producer and touring guitarist] Andy Sneap and [singer] Rob [Halford] a few weeks ago, putting the vocals down. And it's always exciting to hear new PRIEST tracks, because they become PRIEST tracks when Rob sings them. It's, like, the world hasn't heard them yet, but there's new PRIEST tracks that we're hearing for the first time. It's really exciting, hearing that characteristic voice that we've heard for decades singing new stuff. It's an incredibly exciting thing, so I can't wait for the world to hear it all."

Elaborating on the musical direction of the new PRIEST material, Faulkner said: "There are definitely a few more twists and turns on this record. There are a few more musical parts. So, there might be a bit of... As I said, there are twists and turns. I've used the word 'progressive' before, and the Internet ripped me a new asshole. But it is progressive in the sense that it's not like verse-chorus-verse-chorus-solo-chorus-finish. It's musical part-verse-musical part. It might do a few twists and turns, musically. It veers from the path of it, a bit like 'Sinner' or 'Tyrant' or something like that. So, it's a bit more '70s PRIEST, which I welcome as a guitar player… It's '70s PRIEST, but it's not a retro album, by any means. It's the influence of '70s PRIEST in the progressive sense, but it sounds like PRIEST in 2023."

He added: "Every PRIEST album has kind of stood on its own, stylistically. It's had that DNA of JUDAS PRIEST, because the characters are so strong. But it's always been a little bit different — retaining that DNA but having its own character. So, this one's no different, really, in the sense that it's obviously JUDAS PRIEST, but it's its own animal; it stands on its own two legs."

Last November, Faulkner told Robert Cavuoto of Metal Rules that some PRIEST fans misconstrued his previous comments about the musical direction of the band's upcoming LP. He said: "I think we've used the word 'progressive', and everyone thinks it's gonna become 'Nostradamus' [PRIEST's controversial 2008 symphonic heavy metal concept double album about Nostradamus], or RUSH, which is two different things. I've definitely used the word 'progressive' [to describe the new PRIEST material in previous interviews], purely because it's got a few musical turnarounds that 'Firepower' doesn't have. But that doesn't make it a RUSH record. It just makes it — instead of, like, a verse into a bridge into a chorus, there might be a couple of more musical passages in there to make it a bit more… interesting; might be the wrong word. I don't know. You've gotta be careful with the words you use these days. So it's not 'Firepower 2', but it's the same band a few years later, so there's obvious connections to the last record. But it's not 'Firepower 2' by any means."

Richie continued: "No PRIEST records have sounded the same, but it's got a common DNA. And you always try and make the next one sound a bit better — or whatever 'better' may be; 'better' is subjective. So, is it better written? Are the lyrics better? Does it sound better? And 'better' is always subjective. So it's hard to pinpoint, really. But it's a bit more of a musical adventure than the last one, I'd say. But then again someone might listen to it, when it does come out, and have a totally different interpretation of what it is. So it's always tough to sum up your own music without sounding up your own butt."

In February 2022, Halford was asked by Remy Maxwell of Audacy Check In if he agreed with Faulkner's comment that the band's upcoming album will be more musically "progressive" than "Firepower". He responded: "Yeah, the metal is there. But here's the thing: we've tried our best not to replicate anything that we've done. From 'Rocka Rolla' all the way through to 'Firepower', each record has had a distinctive character. And it's tough because fans go, 'We want another 'Painkiller',' 'We want another 'British Steel'.' And [it's, like], 'Dude, we've already done that.'

"Fans know that we're a band that is always full of adventure and trying new stuff," he continued. "And so, yeah, this has got probably some more progressive elements that we've never really delved into before. And that's exciting, because, again, it gives us and our fans another opportunity to see a different side of PRIEST. But it's still metal. There's just more of it. There are more notes than there were before."

Also in February 2022, Faulkner told Canada's The Metal Voice about the overall sound of the new PRIEST music: "Whenever you start a record, you never know how it's gonna turn out. So you might start with an idea of what it's gonna be, and as it kind of rolls on, it comes out something different. So you don't quite know. And also it's really hard to sum up your own music, I find, without sounding really pretentious. But I think this one — it's not 'Firepower 2', I don't think. It's its own thing, it's its own animal. If anything, I would say it's a bit more progressive in places, and in places it's got a bit more of that 'Killing Machine' swagger."

Faulkner added: "I know everyone says, 'Oh, is it the next 'Painkiller'?' or 'Is it the next…?' whatever… I don't know if they'd ever done it, but I know we've never done it when I've been in the band; we've never tried to recreate an album. It's always we try to create an album that stands on its own legs. So I think it's definitely a little bit more progressive than 'Firepower' and, as I said, in places it's got a little bit of that 'Killing Machine' angry swagger attitude going on."

Two years ago, Halford confirmed that PRIEST's next album would see the band reuniting with the "Firepower" production team consisting of Sneap, longtime collaborator Tom Allom and engineer Mike Exeter (BLACK SABBATH).

Bassist Ian Hill is the sole remaining original member of PRIEST, which formed in 1969. Halford joined the group in 1973 and Glenn Tipton signed on in 1974. Rob left PRIEST in the early 1990s to form his own band, then came back to PRIEST in 2003. Original guitarist K.K. Downing parted ways with the band in 2011, and was replaced by Faulkner.

In celebration of their 40th anniversary last year, British thrash metal pioneers ONSLAUGHT reissued their latest three studio albums "Sounds Of Violence“ (2011), "VI" (2013) and "Generation Antichrist" (2020) as red 180 gram Vinyl editions in gatefold sleeve and a special anniversary edition of "Sounds Of Violence" as a 2-CD digipak including a bonus CD. A brand new music video for one of the colossal title tracks, "Generation Antichrist", is now premiering below.

"It’s cool to hear the sonic assault of the title track from the last Onslaught studio album, Generation Antichrist, hitched up to the energetic visuals of the headline show that we put on for the UK’s Bloodstock Festival," the band comments. "It keys things off nicely for a new level of total aggression we’ve got planned for you all coming real soon…watch this space!”

Earlier in 2022, ONSLAUGHT were inducted into the "Metal Hall of Fame", being characterized as "one of the most ferocious, explosive and controversial metal bands ever to come out of the UK." ONSLAUGHT belong to one of the most influential and respected bands of their genre. To date, they have released seven studio albums, one compilation, four singles and two live recordings: a live album and a live DVD.

Peter Baltes says that he "didn't like" being in ACCEPT anymore toward the end of his four-decade tenure with the band. The 65-year-old German-born bassist discussed his decision to leave the legendary heavy metal act in a new interview with Finland's Chaoszine. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, it was… maybe the last two years, it started to go down. I didn't like it anymore. And I found out some things — I don't wanna elaborate — but I found out some things that are really not nice. I'd been together with Wolf [Hoffmann, ACCEPT guitarist] my whole life, and that wasn't really necessary. Some people have to have all the control, and when it started going into the artistic control, then it really bothered me more. So I really wasn't into it anymore. And I was glad I did it, because it was 2018, and it was the last tour. And then corona happened anyway, so I got to record a lot of different albums. I played on Mick Mars's [MÖTLEY CRÜE] solo album. I did so many different things. And I was writing music for television and radio anyway, so I had two years of working [on] other stuff that I wasn't used to. And then, on the other hand, sitting at home for two years, when Udo [Dirkschneider, original ACCEPT singer] called [and asked me to join U.D.O. and DIRKSCHNEIDER], that's why I took about five minutes to answer."

Peter's latest comments are similar to those he made in March in an interview with Scott Itter of Dr. Music. At the time, he said about his exit from ACCEPT: "The statement that came from the band literally five minutes after I announced that I'm leaving [back in November 2018], that I wanna spend more time with my family, well, that wasn't true. No, no. I was extremely unhappy. And I found out a few things. I'd been in the band forever, and I found out in the end, in this incarnation of ACCEPT, I wasn't even really a member; I was a hired gun. And it's these things that come out where you don't have any input, insight, and you start getting bitter. And there's no reason to, but somebody else's ego is just so big or whatever — two of 'em — that it just takes them there, and they just need to control everything and have everything and you name it. That's what got Udo out back then, and I think in the end it hit everybody. So I was the last one standing, but I couldn't stand it anymore. I needed happiness in my life, and there was no happiness there. It was just a dead horse. So I left after the tour. And in my case, it was the best I ever could have done."

Baltes also talked about what it was like to play bass for U.D.O., on the group's fall 2022 European tour after U.D.O.'s then-bassist Tilen Hudrap was hospitalized after the band's show in Munich, Germany.

"In retrospect, when I stepped on stage in Berlin [in September 2022] with Udo after so many years — the last time was 2005, I think — it was a moment that I can't even describe it," Peter said. "We went on stage first, and then Udo comes, and he starts singing. And the first note brought me back instantly to our days when we played little clubs. The man is such a legend, and his voice… And it's nothing to do with you're short, you're tall, you're fat, you're skinny, none of that — you're in shape or you're not — none of that matters to me, to him and the audience. [What is important is] when something is authentic. And that's what got me at that moment. I was, like, 'Man, this is the real deal.' I wasn't used to that; I wasn't. I totally forgot. And you can into this where you think, 'We've been doing this all our life.' No, we didn't. We played kind of like it, with people that kind of sound like it. But no. He's the real deal, and the power that comes out of his voice is second to none. Sheer power, meaning volume, power. Bruce Dickinson [IRON MAIDEN] has power. When he sings, you can see it — he has power. Some singers, they have power. And Ronnie [James Dio] had power. Udo has power. That's certain power that just captivates you in your ears, in your stomach, and you go with it."

Baltes was replaced in ACCEPT by Martin Motnik.

Two years ago, Hoffmann was asked by SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" if he had had a chance to talk to Peter since his departure from ACCEPT and if he had gotten clarification on why Baltes left the group. Wolf said: "No, man. That's kind of the sad part about it. He kind of made that decision alone, and we never really had a sitdown and a man-to-man talk that I was hoping we'd have. He just announced it to the world, and that was it, and at that point, it was almost too late. I have to respect his decision.

"I miss him very much, and I think he's always gonna be my buddy or whatever," Wolf continued. "But right now, we don't really have much in common. Because when somebody leaves the band, it's usually that we never really see them much again, as sad as it is. I wish we would, and maybe one day we will. But right now, we don't, really. But we didn't have any fights or anything. I can only speculate why he left the band, but I'd rather not."

Hoffmann was also asked if he was surprised to see Baltes working with Udo on some new music in 2020. He responded: "Yeah, I probably shouldn't say much about that. Again, I can only speculate what that was all about. At the end of the day, we do our thing, and everybody has to know for themselves what they wanna do. Yeah, let me not say as much about that as I can, please."

In January 2021, Hoffmann told Australia's Metal Mal that he was "a little bit heartbroken" when Baltes left ACCEPT. "I felt it was not only a sad day for ACCEPT, it was also a sad day for rock and roll, or heavy metal, in general, because I thought we were gonna be doing this until the sun goes down — I don't know; until forever," he said. "But he all of a sudden decided otherwise, and he made that decision, and that was it. And that's sad, but what can you do, man? I decided, along with everybody else, the show must go on, and we continue without him. So this is what we did. And here's the new album — without Peter. But it's still sad. I still miss him sometimes. It's just the way it is."

In November 2019, Hoffmann told Powermetal.cl that he no longer kept in touch with Baltes after the bassist exited the group a year earlier. "Unfortunately, when somebody leaves the band, they're always kind of out of sight, out of mind," Wolf explained. "It's very sad. I wish it wasn't that way, because we've been friends for so long. But the reality is I haven't really heard from him — even though I reached out a couple of times. He's almost like he wants to disappear or he wants to leave the music business altogether. It's sad and I still don't quite understand what really happened. But it is what it is, and we move on."

Three years ago, Baltes and former ACCEPT drummer Stefan Kaufmann were part of the songwriting team for U.D.O.'s album called "We Are One", a collaboration with Das Musikkorps der Bundeswehr, the military band of the German federal armed forces.

A new U.D.O. album, "Touchdown", featuring Baltes on bass, will be released on August 25 via Atomic Fire Records.

Photo credit: Martin Hausler / Atomic Fire Records

In an interview with Australia's Heavy, EXTREME guitarist Nuno Bettencourt was asked if the anticipation of a new album still gets him as excited as it used to. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "If there's an album coming out, or music that's coming out, then it's for a reason, and it's usually a good reason for me. So it actually means that we wrote something that I think is worth something to share… There's a reason why we don't put out a lot of albums, because the excitement has to be there. I told Gary [Cherone, EXTREME singer] at a very, very young age that I never wanna put any music out for the sake of putting music out. It's probably not the smartest thing financially for a band to do that, because every time you put an album out, you make money, you get advances, you tour the world. But it has to be something that you're really proud of. And what I mean by that is it has to be successful before it even comes out — meaning that you're just super proud of it. You're excited and you put your head on the pillow. Regardless of [whether] everybody hates it or loves it, it doesn't mean anything to you. It's always a bonus that they love it. But at the end of the day, there's nothing worse than people loving what you're doing if you didn't like what you did in the first place."

EXTREME's new album "Six", was released on June 9 via earMUSIC.

On "Six", EXTREME swing between unapologetic fits of fret-burning hard rock and intimately introspective balladry. For the recording of the Bettencourt-produced 12-track album, the members — Cherone (vocals),Bettencourt (guitar),Pat Badger (bass) and Kevin Figueiredo (drums) — buckled down at Bettencourt's home studio in Los Angeles to channel the electrifying eclecticism that defined their seminal output with a 21st century twist.

"Whatever you think an EXTREME album is after two or even three songs, it's not," Bettencourt previously said. "That goes for every record we've ever done. True EXTREME fans know to 'expect the unexpected.' I feel like we need a good old-school rock album. 'Six' is definitely modern, but you can put on headphones and go on a journey from top-to-bottom. It's like 'EXTREME 2.0'."

EXTREME is currently gearing up to perform for audiences across the globe on its headlining "Thicker Than Blood" world tour. It stretches from August 2 to December 16 and will see the band appear across the U.S., Australia, Japan and Europe, including special guests LIVING COLOUR (U.S., Australia and U.K. only) and THE LAST INTERNATIONALE (Europe only).

Photo credit: Jesse Lirola

During an appearance earlier today (Thursday, June 8) on ITV's "Good Morning Britain", KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons spoke to hosts Susanna Reid and Ben Shephard about the band's "End Of The Road" tour, which has been described as the "ultimate celebration for those who've seen us and a last chance for those who haven't."

"We are finally going on the final go-around," Gene said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET). "You have to have a little pride and self-respect. Know when to get off the stage. It's been half a century, and boy, do I look good. We've been doing this an awfully long time. I can't tell you how much it means to us to be in front of the fans and put on the spectacle of all spectacles. But on December the 2nd, New York City, Madison Square Garden, that will be the last time KISS will ever be on stage anywhere."

Asked by Shephard how he feels about no longer performing with KISS after the completion of the "End Of The Road" tour, Gene said: "Pride in a half a century of defying the critics. We use them as mulch. You know what that is? You grind 'em up and you put 'em in the dirt. They don't mean anything. If it was up to critics, we wouldn't have our favorite things — 'Star Wars' and all the fun stuff in life. We completely ignored them. And I will tell you, the finest part of being up on stage and putting on the best show on the planet is the look on the faces of the fans. I can't tell you what it means. So it's gonna be happy, because of the amazing journey we've had, but sad, of course, because it's gonna be heartbreaking."

KISS will end its career with two back-to-back shows at Madison Square Garden in New York in early December.

KISS's final runs of shows will kick off this September and now include stops in Crandon, Wisconsin; Cincinnati, Ohio; and Cleveland, Ohio before wrapping up with a massive concert in the city where it all began for KISS. New York City has been a part of the band's ethos and storyline for more than four decades, so they felt it fitting to culminate an iconic Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame-worthy career on stage at New York's famed Madison Square Garden.

KISS launched its farewell trek in January 2019 but was forced to put it on hold in 2020 due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

"End Of The Road" was originally scheduled to conclude on July 17, 2021 in New York City but has since been extended to late 2023. The trek was announced in September 2018 following a KISS performance of the band's classic song "Detroit Rock City" on "America's Got Talent".
'I used to teach 6th-grade and I'd try and get them enthused about this astonishing political singularity … the good-natured and civil cooperation between a monarchy and democracy'

Yesterday @genesimmons attended PMQ's as a guest of the DUP MP Ian Paisley pic.twitter.com/a48tXtNKBv

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 8, 2023


'My chewing gum sold for $245,000!'@genesimmons shares his fascinating story about how his used chewing gum got auctioned off for charity! pic.twitter.com/sNTAbYkcab

— Good Morning Britain (@GMB) June 8, 2023

During an appearance on the "New Theory Podcast", Dee Snider spoke about his decision to sell his Snidest Music music publishing catalog of 69 songs — including the classic TWISTED SISTER rock anthems "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" — to Universal Music Publishing Group (UMPG) in 2015.

The songs in the catalog have been featured in numerous national commercials, films, television and the Broadway musical "Rock Of Ages", which had a three-year residency at the Venetian and then a one-year residency at Rio All-Suite Hotel & Casino in Las Vegas until January 2017.

Regarding why he chose to sell his publishing catalog, Dee said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's math. And I was told there'd be no math [laughs] in rock and roll… But when you are getting your royalty checks every year, and they're big — I'm in the 50-percent tax bracket between state [and federal taxes] — so they're chopping off 50 percent. But capital gains on a sale of property is, like, 15, 20 percent. So if you can — they call it multiples. They give you 10 years' worth of royalties in advance, or whatever that number is. When you do the math, you look at it and you go, 'Okay, I'm gonna save 30 percent on taxes.' It's not even guaranteed that 10 years from now… I believe these songs will still have value. They're taking a chance. And I can take this chunk of change and I can invest it and secure it and make it my retirement fund, which I did. So it goes from being a thing that comes in and you're getting half of it taken away by the government every six months to a thing, guaranteed, 'Okay, I know I can work with this.' So a lot of people are doing it for just that reason."

Snider went on to say that "We're Not Gonna Take It" and "I Wanna Rock" are "the two most licensed songs of the '80s. They're like where 'We Are The Champions' and 'We Will Rock You' were in the '70s," he explained. "At first, there was a lull after the demise of the band and when grunge came in. But all of a sudden, I guess it was in the mid-to-late 1990s, this retro thing started, and there was this resurgence. And so we started getting this licensing. And that was great. And it just kept going. But now the song has transcended, particularly 'We're Not Gonna Take It', and it's become… It's almost a folk song. Not like it's acoustic, but folk in the sense that it just is a staple. And so it's now taken a life of its own, so it's not even a retro thing anymore. It just keeps popping up. So you get a movie like 'Ready Player One', Steven Spielberg's movie, and there it is in all its glory. I'm, like, 'Thank you, God.'"

"We're Not Gonna Take It" and "Stay Hungry" were the biggest hit single and album, respectively, in TWISTED SISTER's career. Snider said "We're Not Gonna Take It" is now part of America's cultural fabric. "[It has proven] itself to be a folk song," he said. "It was just in that Steven Spielberg movie, 'Ready Player One'; it was the finale of that movie. Here, all these years later, the big finale of Steven Spielberg's big movie, and the guys holds up a boombox, and the entire battle scene is set to 'We're Not Gonna Take It'."

In a 2018 interview with SiriusXM's Eddie Trunk, Snider said that he is now glad he didn't got an offer for the catalog a couple of decades ago when he really needed the money. "I bottomed out in the '90s; I was dead broke," he said. "If I had been made an offer for anything, for nothing, I would have sold. [But] there was zero interest — zero. [That stuff was thought of as] buried and over. No one saw it coming back. Metal was a dirty word. You couldn't touch my catalog with a 10-foot pole — thankfully, because I would have [done it for] pennies [on the dollar]. Because I was broke."

"We're Not Gonna Take It" has been used in commercials for hotel chain Extended Stay America, Claritin, Walmart, Stanley Steamer and Yaz birth control.

The song's lyrics say in part "Oh you're so condescending/Your gall is never ending/We don't want nothin'/Not a thing from you."

"We're Not Gonna Take It" was first released as a single (with B-side song "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll") on April 27, 1984. The "Stay Hungry" album was released two weeks later, on May 10, 1984. The single made #21 on the Billboard Hot 100 singles chart, making it TWISTED SISTER's only Top 40 single, and the song was ranked #47 on VH1's "100 Greatest '80s Songs".

"We're Not Gonna Take It" was written solely by Snider. As influences for the song, he previously cited the glam rock band SLADE, the punk band SEX PISTOLS, and the Christmas carol "O Come, All Ye Faithful".

FILTER frontman Richard Patrick spoke to Michael Presti of the 99WNRR radio station about the band's long-awaited new album, "The Algorithm", which will tentatively arrive in August via Golden Robot Records. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "This record reminds of [FILTER's third album, 2002's] 'The Amalgamut'. It's kind of a little bit of a return to 'The Amalgamut'. It's so bombastic. There's so many bangers on this record. And 'The Algorithm', it's a little bit more a part of the times."

Regarding the lyrical inspiration for "The Algorithm", which previously had the working title "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats", Richard said: "I'm still bitching, but I'm not as outwardly bitching; I'm not taking sides as much on this record. I'm bitching and I'm talking about liars and cheaters and thieves. It's just that I'm not literally calling everybody out, like I did on the other two songs that came out last year," referencing 2020's "Murica" and "Thoughts And Prayers".

According to Patrick, "Murica" and "Thoughts And Prayers" will not appear on "The Algorithm". "[Those two songs were] supposed to be on a whole record called 'Murica', but I decided those two songs just kind of live on their own, and they kind of reference each other," he explained. "And then when I started working on this new collection of songs, I just figured it was a whole new record."

Circling back to the topics covered on "The Algorithm", Richard said: "I'm still complaining politically, but I'm just not so outward. There's another thing — a friend of mine is drowning from alcoholism, and I talk about him in a couple of the songs, a song called 'The Drowning'. But most of it is just me kind of reflecting on humanity and just kind of saying, 'Are you checking yourself on this? Are you watching how we're behaving?' 'Cause our government and the way we are behaving as a [whole] is just the bitchiest, juvenile shit I've ever seen. It's just ridiculous."

Originally conceived in 2018 as a collaboration between Patrick and fellow FILTER founding member Brian Liesegang, the band's new album was given a tentative title, "ReBus", as a nod to FILTER's 1995 debut, "Short Bus", before being changed to "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats" and later to "Murica" and then back to "They Got Us Right Where They Want Us, At Each Other's Throats".

A new FILTER single, "For The Beaten", arrived last October and was followed by "Face Down". Written by Patrick, "Face Down" is classic FILTER — a tight song with loads going on, including some killer drum fills and a restrained vocal delivery that seems ready to explode at any given point as the song progresses.

"'Face Down' speaks to the hate and negativity plaguing the world today," said Patrick. "I wrote it after being inundated with lies, deceptions, and pure vitriol I saw on social media. I'm pumped. I can't wait for everyone to hear the full album."

For the first time in its 30-year career, FILTER will present "California Screamin'" — a full concert global stream performed live on location in Los Angeles. HITKOR will be the official on demand streaming partner for the show, which will take place June 17. The live performance will include special guests, classic songs FILTER has not performed in over 25 years and the debut of brand-new material.

"I've been itching to do a live stream since things shut down a couple years ago but I got caught up in the studio working on our new album," said Patrick. "When Scott [Donnell, CMO HITKOR] came to me and told me about HITKOR, and then invited me down to see MINISTRY do their thing, I was sold."

"California Screamin'" tickets are $14.99 and All-Access passes are $19.99. Purchase only at HITKOR.com.

FILTER recently kicked off a six-month-long tour crisscrossing the United States and Canada before a planned trip overseas. FILTER's tour plans so far include headline shows, festival appearances and a place on the "Freaks On Parade" tour with ROB ZOMBIE, ALICE COOPER and MINISTRY. The band will be offering a limited number of "Filter Fanatic" VIP packages that include exclusive merch, signed tour posters, used gear items, meet-and-greets and photos with the band on many of the dates. More information and tickets are available at www.officialfilter.com.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE has released "Paper Machete", the latest and final preview from its upcoming eighth album, "In Times New Roman…"

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Joshua Homme told Consequence about "Paper Machete" and its connection to past QOTSA tracks like "Little Sister" and "Regular John": "There's some classic us here… Like, that lead line that's going through the song, that's such quintessential Dean [Fertita] — it's very him, the style and the way it's played. And Troy [Van Leeuwen] was saying, 'I'm going to do a lead that's the exact tone as 'Little Sister'.' I guess we call them cousins, like 'Little Sister' is related to 'Paper Machete' — and it's also related to our first song, 'Regular John', all the way back."

He continued: "I think, lyrically, this has become this diary of a life. You're writing a soundtrack in your life. When you stop the film and pull a single frame, each song is like a single frame of an emotion. This one kind of represents the frustration of saying, 'I've had enough now.' I think it's really important to be able to really distill it down to one drop of an emotion for each song."

"In Times New Roman…" will be available across all platforms on June 16 via Matador Records. On the eve of release fans are invited to ring in the album's release at Midnight Club parties taking place at record shops and pubs across 23 countries. The Midnight Club starts at 11 p.m. June 15 and will feature giveaways, exclusive merch including limited edition colored vinyl, and — in a few select locations — signed merchandise and ticket giveaways. Midnight Club will provide the QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE faithful with a first chance to hear "In Times New Roman…" in its entirety, amongst friends, family and of course appropriate levels of bacchanalia.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE performed live for the first time in more than three years on May 26 at the Sonic Temple festival in Columbus, Ohio. Prior to the Columbus gig, Josh Homme and his bandmates played one gig in early 2020, their first since 2018.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's 11-song set included the live debut of "Emotion Sickness".

"In Times New Roman…" was recorded and mixed at Homme's own Pink Duck (RIP),with additional recording at Shangri-La. The album was produced by QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE and mixed by Mark Rankin. The album will be available across all digital platforms and on vinyl and CD. Artwork and double LP gatefold packaging designed by longtime collaborator Boneface. LP vinyl will be available globally in black, green, red, silver and blue.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE said in its album announcement that the record reflects the heartache its members have experienced in the past few years.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE's last album, 2017's "Villains", debuted at No. 3 on the Billboard 200 chart.

"In Times New Roman..." is "raw, at times brutal and not recommended for the faint of heart," a press release states. "And yet, it's perhaps the most beautiful and definitely the most rewarding album in their epic discography. Homme's most acerbic lyrics to date are buoyed by the instantly identifiable QOTSA sonic signature, expanded and embellished with new and unprecedented twists in virtually every song. With 'In Times New Roman…' we see that sometimes one needs to look beneath scars and scabs to see beauty, and sometimes the scabs and scars are the beauty."

Photo credit: Andreas Neumann

Progressive death metal project Angel Rising has officially signed a deal with renowned international label, Wormholedeath, for the release of their highly anticipated third album, titled Afterlife.


Drawing inspiration from old-school thrash and death metal, Angel Rising carves their sonic path with influences from titans such as Sepultura, Metallica, and Death. But make no mistake — this is not a mere homage. Angel Rising forges a distinctive sound, fusing the raw energy of primal brutality with daring virtuosity and an unparalleled sense of storytelling, propelling them to the forefront of the metal landscape.


Angel Rising is immensely proud to join forces with Wormholedeath for the release of Afterlife in September 2023. This new opus is set to establish Angel Rising among the best in the genre. The concept album Afterlife depicts an interdimensional being that stalks life in our universe because it represents a threat to existence itself. And the human species, or at least what it has become after the events described in the previous creations of Angel Rising, is now its target. The album cover showcases the hero, Asai, engaged in a battle against a horde of undead, unaware of the greater danger lurking ahead.







Tracklist:


"Utopia"
"Afterlife"
"Hell Bent On Rampage"
"Reign of Torture"
"In Nomine Regis"
"Dominion"
"Worn Out Blood"
"Endless Sorrow"


The album's songs were written and produced by Angel Rising, who also handled the audio recording, mixing, and mastering. The album features artwork by Dechristianize Art and a logo designed by Doccygore.


Angel Rising is a one-man band with guest appearances, that burst onto the scene in 2018 under the name Listenangel, gaining recognition through an impressive guitar-shredding YouTube channel. The debut album, self-titled Angel Rising, was released on April 18th, 2018, featuring renowned drummer Kevin Talley. The album received positive acclaim, leading to a deal with French metal label Music-records. Immortal Volition, the second album released on February 12th, 2022, showcased a darker and more technical death metal sound, garnering high acclaim upon its CD edition release on September 15th, 2022. With the upcoming release of Afterlife under Wormholedeath, Angel Rising solidifies their position as a formidable presence in the metal scene.


In anticipation of the album release, Angel Rising is proud to unveil the teaser of the first single from Afterlife, titled "Utopia." The single will be available on July 20th, 2023.

According to BBC News, Ozzy is one of the four names on the shortlist for the mechanical bull that made an appearance at last year's Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England.

Almost 2,000 names were put forward for the bull after it became a massive hit at the sporting events' opening ceremony last summer and judges have now whittled these names down to the final four: Ozzy, Bostin, Brummie or Boulton? The public vote will be open until midnight on June 20.

The 33-foot bull will be unveiled at its permanent home, Birmingham New Street station, in July.

The Ozzy name comes from legendary heavy metal singer Ozzy Osbourne, who performed at the closing of the Commonwealth Games in his original hometown of Birmingham on August 8, 2022. The BLACK SABBATH icon made a surprise appearance at the Games, declaring "Birmingham forever" as fireworks erupted. Ozzy performed "Paranoid", with BLACK SABBATH guitarist Tony Iommi and two musicians from the band's final tour, Adam Wakeman, who played bass and keyboards, and drummer Tommy Clufetos, also on stage.

Lord Peter Hendy, chair of Network Rail, said: "The response to the competition was amazing with nearly 2,000 people sending in their suggestions. It was an honor to work with the West Midlands Mayor Andy Street to choose the final four, but it's over to the public to make the all-important final decision.

"The bull was an icon of the Commonwealth Games and we just had to save it, and give it a permanent home at Birmingham New Street station."

Andy Street, Mayor of the West Midlands, added: "So the time has come for people to have their say and choose a name for the iconic bull that so wonderfully captured the spirit of the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games. Will it be Ozzy, Brummie, Bostin or Boulton? The choice is yours.

"I cannot wait to see what the public decide they want tourists and local people to call the bull as they marvel at it in the brilliant setting of New Street Station in the months and years ahead."

A petition to keep the sculpture in the city received more than 15,000 signatures.

American rock ‘n’ roll band Ten Ton Mojo will release their new EP Rebel Heart Gypsy Soul via Curtain Call Records on June 30. The EP was produced by Max Norman (Ozzy Osbourne, Megadeth). Preorder here.


/ Mojo /; a magical power, charm or spell; a lucky charismatic quality of natural or supernatural origin.


Conjured on the streets, on the stages and in the studios of New York City, emerges Ten Ton Mojo – the new classic rock. This is where bluesy southern soul meets the glory of rock ‘n’ roll! Ten Ton Mojo has been providing live support for Kix, The Supersuckers, Molly Hatchet, Enuff Z’nuff, Saving Abel, John 5, the late Scott Weiland and others.




Hip shaking rhythms and street wise guitars blend to create memorable hard rock anthems. Singer Dave Anthony says, “This band started to embrace our roots and to give back to the fans who’ve been wanting this…and we’re always determined to do it our way.”


Ten Ton Mojo has captivated a strong fan base by creating a musical energy which has yet to be experienced in the 21st century. Headlining gigs everywhere from the Viper Room in Los Angeles to Gramercy Theatre in NYC, have helped to make Ten Ton Mojo a game-changer.





Tracklisting:


“Easy Come Easy Go”
“The Hurt”
“Little Somthin’”
“Broke Some Hearts In Memphis”


Upcoming shows:


July
15 – New York, NY – Gramercy Theatre
21 – Frenchtown, NJ – Artie’s Bar & Grill
30 – Newfoundland, PA – Renegades Saloon


August
4 – Clifton, NJ – Dingbatz
26 – Plesantville, NY – The Garage at Lucy’s


September
15 – Middletown, NY – Quinnz Pinz 

JUDAS PRIEST singer Rob Halford joined SABBATH for two gigs to support Ozzy Osbourne on his last shows for the "No More Tours" tour in November 1992 in Costa Mesa, California after SABBATH's singer at the time, Ronnie James Dio, refused to take the stage. Rob also performed with SABBATH members Tony Iommi, Geezer Butler and Bill Ward on August 26, 2004 at the Camden, New Jersey stop of Ozzfest after Ozzy came down with an "attack of bronchitis" and was unable to take part in the concert.

Butler reflected on Halford's 2004 appearance with SABBATH in a new interview with 107.7 RKR's "Rocker Morning Show". He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was great. Rob's from the same area as the four of us. And Tony actually used to manage the first version of JUDAS PRIEST. So we all knew each other from the early '70s. And Rob knew all the lyrics to the SABBATH stuff. And when Ozzy got ill, JUDAS PRIEST were on the same bill as us, and we sort of asked Rob if he wouldn't mind coming on and filling in for Ozzy. He was a bit reluctant, in case he blew his voice out. But then he agreed. And it went great."

Asked what the reception was like from the audience at the Ozzfest gig, Butler said: "Well, it started off not very well, 'cause everybody's expecting Ozzy, and then there's Rob Halford coming on. And then after the first song, everybody accepted us. They didn't really know what was going on. Why is Rob Halford singing with BLACK SABBATH instead of Ozzy? And then I think he explained everything after the first song. And then the audience got it. And [it was] a good gig after that."

Three months ago, Halford told SiriusXM's Ozzy's Boneyard host Mark Strigl about his performances with SABBATH: "The first time was in Costa Mesa, in California. I can't remember when. I do know there's an amazing video of the whole show on YouTube somewhere, which sounds good and looks good. That's a great memory.

"How that happened was… You know, when Ronnie — God bless you, Ronnie — was working with SABBATH, and there was an opportunity for the band to do a little bit of a reunion at that show in Costa Mesa with Ozzy, Ronnie said, 'I'm just gonna step aside for personal reasons.' So he did," Rob explained. "And then I get a call from Tony, 'Can you come and help us out?' 'Yeah, what do you want me to do?' Blah blah blah. We talked about the setlist. We put a couple of songs in there that SABBATH hadn't done forever, 'cause they were my favorites and I thought the fans would love 'em. And then the next minute we're doing two shows. We have a bit of a blast in the studio here in Phoenix, bang out the set, and the next day we're playing two sold-out shows in Costa Mesa. So that was amazing.

"And then you go forward. And this is just what we do for each other in bands. Ozzy wasn't feeling too well with his throat, and I get a phone call from Sharon [Ozzy's wife and manager]… And the same deal. 'He's got this bronchitis thing. Can you step in for the show? 'Yeah, sure. Which one?' 'Tonight.' I'm, like, 'Tonight?' 'Yeah. Can you do the show tonight?' So I did. I did the PRIEST set, had a shower, got changed, ran out and did the Ozzy thing with SABBATH. So that's happened two or three times.

"That's what we do, man. We love each other.

"PRIEST and SABBATH go back forever," Halford added. "And so we still have this beautiful friendship and relationship that's endured within and without the music. PRIEST and SABBATH, we started it all."

In a 2005 interview with Revolver, Iommi stated about Rob's performance with SABBATH at the 2004 Ozzfest: "At first we were worried, because people expect Ozzy, but if Rob hadn't helped us out, there wouldn't have been a show at all. When our manager told me Ozzy had bronchitis and couldn't sing, he asked me what I thought about Rob doing it. I said, 'I think it's a good idea as long as you tell everybody beforehand so they know.' Of course, they told the audience right before we went onstage, so I thought, 'Oh, no.' But the crowd received him really well."

Dio replaced Osbourne in BLACK SABBATH in 1980, recording the "Heaven And Hell" and "Mob Rules" albums, plus "Live Evil", before leaving in 1982. He rejoined the group 10 years later for an album called "Dehumanizer", and again teamed with the group under the HEAVEN & HELL banner in 2006. HEAVEN & HELL released an album called "The Devil You Know" in 2009.

Ronnie passed away of stomach cancer on May 16, 2010 at the age of 67.

Mentalist and former Blind Guardian drummer, Thomen Stauch, has released a drum playthrough video for Pretty Maids' "Loud 'N' Proud", featured on that band's 1987 album, Future World. Watch the clip below:





Singer, dancer, actress and author Tina Turner, often referred to as the "Queen Of Rock 'N' Roll", passed away on May 24 after a long illness. She was 83. Thomen paid tribute to Turner with the video below.




Says Thomen: "That was sad news yesterday, May 24th, 2023! Tina Turner has passed away at the age of 83 after a long illness. A few weeks ago I recorded a drum cover video of 'We Don't Need Another Hero', which I don't want to withhold from you any longer. This performance is dedicated to Tina Turner! I would have preferred to share it with you on a positive occasion, but unfortunately that's not the case. You were a legend when you were alive and even more so now. You will never be forgotten! You're simply the best! RIP, Tina Turner!"

Swedish rockers, Sarayasign, have announced the upcoming release of their sophomore studio album, The Lion's Road, on August 11. The first single and video from the album, “Everdying Night”, are out today. Watch the clip below, and pre-order/save The Lion's Road here.


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


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




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


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


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





The Lion's Road tracklisting:


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


"Everdying Night" video:





Lineup:


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