In a new interview with Revolver magazine, DREAM THEATER singer James LaBrie was asked if there are any ways people characterize his band's music that bother him. James responded: "They might just go, 'Well, that's progressive. They're all noodling, and it's these long, long songs.' And I'm like, 'Oh my God.' Obviously you haven't really listened to our album, as an album, and heard all the differences throughout each and every album, all the styles that we touch on. It's not about the epic songs."

He continued: "We love to play epics, and that has become a big part of our identity. I'm extremely proud and I'll stand behind any one of our long songs — as some people refer to them — because I think that they're brilliantly done. I'm not trying to sound pompous and conceited. I just really think that if you are going to do songs that are 12, 15, 20 minutes and so on, there's got to be a purpose behind it. There's got to be a ride there for the listener. There has to be the dynamics. Then people are going to walk away and go, 'Holy shit! Wait a minute, 25 minutes just went by?' But at the same time, you have a song from DREAM THEATER like 'I Walk Beside You'. Come on, that could have been on radio. That could have been, as far as I'm concerned, a U2 song. So it says that there's many layers to us.

"So when people say, 'Oh, you're DREAM THEATER, progressive metal,' I'm like, 'Yes, we are. But we're much more than that.' And progressive metal, I think it does describe who we are because there's an edge to our music, but there's a lot to us. There's the diversity and it's very eclectic, and we pull from several styles, and I think that's shaped us into who and what we are."

In a 2015 interview with Prog magazine, DREAM THEATER guitarist John Petrucci said that he and his bandmates "got a ton of criticism" for their songwriting approach. "They'd say our songs were too long, that we didn't know how to write songs, how the music was too complicated, the arrangements were too busy and how everyone was overplaying," he recalled. "But we just continued to do what we felt was right musically because that was just the kind of music we wanted to play together."

He added: "You have to ignore those criticisms as it only creates self‑doubt and then you get uneasy about what you're doing. If the music doesn't come from the heart, then it's all over. Now it turns out those qualities for which we were criticized were actually the ones that were embraced and praised, and even influenced other musicians."

"The Alien", a track from DREAM THEATER's latest album, 2021's "A View From The Top Of The World", landed the band its first-ever Grammy in the "Best Metal Performance" category at the 64th annual Grammy Awards, which was held in April 2022 in Las Vegas. DREAM THEATER's previous Grammy nominations were for the song "On The Backs Of Angels", from 2011's "A Dramatic Turn Of Events" album, and the single "The Enemy Inside" from 2013's "Dream Theater".

DREAM THEATER is on the road this summer presenting the first edition of "Dreamsonic". The trek will feature special guests Devin Townsend and ANIMALS AS LEADERS.

DREAM THEATER includes Petrucci, LaBrie, Jordan Rudess on keyboards, John Myung on bass, and Mike Mangini on drums. The band shares a unique bond with one of the most passionate fan bases around the globe as evidenced by their 15 million records sold worldwide. The 1992 opus "Images & Words" received a gold certification and landed on Rolling Stone's coveted "100 Greatest Metal Albums Of All Time." Guitar World placed the follow-up "Awake" at No. 1 on "Superunknown: 50 Iconic Albums That Defined 1994." The 1995 EP "A Change Of Seasons" provided the soundtrack for NBC's coverage of downhill skiing at the 2002 Winter Olympics.

Fans voted the 1999 "Metropolis Pt. 2: Scenes From A Memory" the "Number One All-Time Progressive Rock Album" in a 2012 Rolling Stone poll. The album also was ranked as the "15th Greatest Concept Album" by Classic Rock. The 2009 album "Black Clouds & Silver Linings" crashed the Billboard 200 at No. 6. In 2019, the band continued to expand its audience when they released "Distance Over Time" to critical and commercial acclaim.

Professionally filmed video of METALLICA performing the song "Harvester Of Sorrow" on June 8 at the Download festival at Donington Park in Castle Donington, England can be seen below.

As previously reported, METALLICA released "The Amsterdam Sessions (Amazon Music Presents)" on Wednesday, June 14. The four-track release is available exclusively on Amazon Music. In addition, the band has launched live videos of all four songs — "If Darkness Had A Son", "Master Of Puppets", "Lux Æterna" and "Nothing Else Matters" — exclusively on Amazon.

"If Darkness Had A Son" and "Lux Æterna" are taken from METALLICA's latest album, "72 Seasons", which sold 146,000 equivalent album units in the U.S. in its first week of release to land at position No. 2 on the Billboard 200 chart. It marks the band's 12th Top 10-charting album, of which eight have reached the top two.

"72 Seasons" had the biggest week for any rock or hard rock album since TOOL's "Fear Inoculum" arrived in September 2019 with 270,000 equivalent album units.

"72 Seasons" was released on April 14 via METALLICA's own Blackened Recordings. Produced by Greg Fidelman with guitarist/vocalist James Hetfield and drummer Lars Ulrich, it is METALLICA's first full-length collection of new material since "Hardwired…To Self-Destruct".

Tickets are on sale now for "Metallica: M72 World Tour Live From Arlington, TX – A Two Night Event" at metallica.film. Presented in cinemas worldwide by Trafalgar Releasing, this unprecedented global theatrical event brings METALLICA's "M72" world tour live from AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas, to the big screen live in cinemas in the U.S., Bolivia, Canada, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Ecuador, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, and Venezuela on Friday, August 18 and Sunday, August 20 at 9:15 p.m. EDT / 6:15 p.m. PDT with encore showings on August 19 (Friday's concert) and August 21 (Sunday's concert) at 9:00 p.m. EDT / 6:00 p.m. PDT. Movie audiences in all other exhibiting countries, including throughout Europe, Latin America, Asia, Africa, the Middle East, and Oceania, will view the concerts on August 19 (Friday's concert) and August 21 (Sunday's concert) as best suited for local time zones. For the most detailed exhibition times and dates by location, visit metallica.film.

"Metallica: M72 World Tour Live From Arlington, TX - A Two Night Event" will see the band playing two nights with two completely different setlists, with songs from across the group's 40-plus-year career, ranging from 1983's debut "Kill 'Em All" to 2023's new release "72 Seasons". You won't see the same song twice for a total of over 30 songs across both nights.

The "M72" tour features a bold new in-the-round stage design that relocates the famed METALLICA Snake Pit to center stage so that fans will have a complete 360 view of the show. With a state-of-the-art multi-camera set up, you will feel like you're right in the middle of the action, no matter where you are in the world.

In a new interview with Oran O'Beirne of Bloodstock TV, IN FLAMES frontman Anders Fridén was asked if there are plans for him and his bandmates to commemorate in any way the upcoming 30th anniversary of their debut album, "Lunar Strain", in 2024. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I think that's more in the business area, those people. In the band, we don't really think about those things. Honestly, when I'm out touring, we have fans coming up to us and saying, 'Oh, today this album turned this amount of years' and 'Today 'The Jester Race' celebrated its what[ever] birthday.' And we're, like, 'Oh, shit. I didn't think about that.' So I don't think about that at all. But 30 years — that's crazy.

"If you asked me early in our career if we would do this for 30 years, I'd be, like, 'No way, man.' [Laughs] So it's insane," he continued. "I'm so, so grateful that we can do what we do. I work with my passion, my hobby, which is insane, when you think about it. I'm grateful for all the fans that carry us around the world and come to our shows and listen to our music."

Earlier this month, IN FLAMES parted ways with bassist Bryce Paul and has replaced him with Liam Wilson (THE DILLINGER ESCAPE PLAN).

Wilson made his live debut with IN FLAMES on June 7 at the Release Athens 2023 festival in Athens, Greece.

Bryce joined IN FLAMES following the departure of longtime bassist Peter Iwers.

Iwers quit IN FLAMES in November 2016, saying that he was leaving the band "to pursue other endeavors."

IN FLAMES' latest album, "Foregone", was released in February via Nuclear Blast. According to a press release, the LP "combines the greatest aggressive, metallic, and melodic strengths of their landmark records with the seasoned songwriting of their postmodern era."

"Foregone" was the second IN FLAMES album with Paul and drummer Tanner Wayne, the first with ex-MEGADETH guitarist Chris Broderick, and the third with Grammy-winning producer Howard Benson (MY CHEMICAL ROMANCE, THREE DAYS GRACE). Mike Plotnikoff (ALL THAT REMAINS, WARBRINGER) engineered at Benson's West Valley Recording Studios. Joe Rickard (10 YEARS, STARSET, DIAMANTE),who played drums for IN FLAMES from 2016 through 2019, handled mixing duties.



Anders of Swedish Melo-Death legends, In Flames spoke to Oran about the bands long-awaited return to Bloodstock Festival this August, as well as news of their latest studio album 'Foregone' [out now via Nuclear Blast], Chris Broderick joining the band, their festival setlist, and much more!!

Check out this exclusive Bloodstock TV interview, and be sure to book your tickets for the UK's heaviest Metal weekend!

Bloodstock Ticket link below... https://bloodstock.seetickets.com/event/bloodstock/catton-park/2385666#op1

Posted by Bloodstock Festival on Wednesday, June 14, 2023

JUDAS PRIEST guitarist Richie Faulkner has weighed in on a debate about people using artificial intelligence (AI) to create music. The 43-year-old British-born musician, who is promoting the debut album from his ELEGANT WEAPONS project, was asked about the impact of AI music generators on the music industry and what the future might hold during a recent appearance on the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern" podcast. He said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's a great question, because I've been putting drums down on demo tracks for years, and I'm not a drummer. So I've been playing keyboard drums… To me, it's almost the same thing. I'm sure someone's got an argument against that. But we've been creating stuff, like drums, for example… I haven't put the time in to learn how to play paradiddles or tune a snare or mic a drum. I can just throw on a program and play a snare that's perfectly miked, perfectly tuned, sounds great and play a kit and put that on a demo to express my idea of what I want. Now, is that the same as an AI program? It's probably different. But it might be just the way things are going, and it's up to us to figure out how to do things… I don't know what I'm trying to say. I don't quite know.

"I think there's pros and cons with AI," Faulkner continued. "I think it's good to get your ideas out, like the drum program, for example, but there's still gotta be some sort of artistic merit to stuff. Or maybe there doesn't anymore; maybe people don't care about that. I don't know. It's the time we live in.

"The artwork on the [debut] record [from ELEGANT WEAPONS], I put a lot of ideas together to send to the artist that does artwork, and he said, 'We should use these.' And I said, 'Yeah, but I've done them on an AI generator and then I fixed a few of them with Photoshop, so they were a little bit different.' And he said, 'It doesn't matter. They're great.' The point being, it was just a representation of what was in my head, like the drums, like the drum thing, but it ended up being the artwork on the album. So I don't know… Is that legitimate? I don't know. Some people would say it's not. I didn't go to art school to learn how to do that. But there it is.

"I don't know whether it's legit or not, or where it's gonna go," Richie said. "I know I'll produce music the way I know how until I can't do it anymore. Or until we get overrun by the machines.

"So, yeah, who knows what the future holds with it?"

Last month, AVENGED SEVENFOLD's M. Shadows said that he "would love to" have his voice cloned using artificial intelligence in order to create new songs. The singer, whose real name is Matt Sanders, was also enthused about the possibilities, saying that "AI can be incredibly useful" for songwriters. M. Shadows went on to say that AI gives fans the opportunity to use the work of their favorite acts as a machine learning library to create their own songs.

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.

SLIPKNOT singer Corey Taylor expressed his disdain for AI during a recent interview with "Loudwire Nights". He said: "It's cheap shit. I don't know what it is about human beings — they keep fucking opening Pandora's box for God's sake. It's scary, dude. I thought deep fake was bad and now here comes AI and all you do is teach this thing to do this or you type this thing to do that and all of a sudden it's just there. How much more do we want to lessen — and I mean lessen as in detract from — what we actually do as human beings? How much more do we want to take away from our own creativity? How much more do we want to make reality completely fucking pointless or better yet, how much do we completely want to devalue true talent, true creativity, true hard work, true persistence and heart to the point now that people are going to question whether it's you or not. It's so fucking ridiculous."

DREAM THEATER keyboardist Jordan Rudess told SiriusXM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about artificial intelligence in music: "It's a very big topic, and I personally am very excited about it. If people are being nice, that know about AI, like artists, musicians, graphic artists, they'll usually say, 'Oh, we can use it as a tool. And we've had tools before. And that's kind of a cool thing.' But the reality is that the technology — as it's really always done, but now maybe even more — opens up all these incredible possibilities for new levels of creativity that we haven't seen before. So, it's, yes, a tool, but it's a complete door opener and it kind of shatters what we know in a lot of ways. And it can be used in so many ways so we can hear and we can see things that we've never really seen or heard before.

"I myself am somebody who works not only in the audio domain, but I'm also really involved in the visual domain. I'm what's called an ambassador for a company called Lightricks, which is out of Israel, and they do incredible things with AI and photo and video. And I've also been involved in the AI part of music as well. And I'm very excited about it. How much of it will roll over into the DREAM THEATER world or even need to, that's a whole another question. We've actually been pretty open to the technologies that I bring in, although it doesn't completely take over, obviously, what we do, 'cause we've been doing this for a long time. But in general, [I'm] really, really excited about it. I think it's cool. People should pay attention to it. And as a creative person, I'm very involved in, let's say, the positive sides of it."

In a new interview with Revolver, QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE frontman Josh Homme said that he was "dealing with a lot of stuff" in his personal life during the making of the band's upcoming album "In Times New Roman…", including going through a messy, acrimonious divorce with Brody Dalle in 2019 and being diagnosed with cancer in 2022. Homme didn't go into detail about the cancer other than to say that he underwent successful surgery to remove it, though he's still healing.

"I never say it can't get any worse," he said. "I never say that, and I wouldn't advise it. But I do say it can get better," Homme told Revolver. "Cancer is just the cherry on top of an interesting time period, you know? I'm extremely thankful that I'll get through this, and I'll look back at this as something that's fucked up — but will have made me better. I'm cool with that. There's a lot of stuff I want to do. And there's a lot of people I want to do that with."

Homme went on to say that all the recent personal challenges have made him stronger.

"I definitely had a serious case of emotion sickness," he said, referencing one of the songtitles on "In Times New Roman…". "There were times I almost didn't make it. It's okay for me to ruminate on that. It's not okay to stay there, feel too sorry for myself. This has been the darkest four years of my life. But that's okay, too. In the heartaches, my mistakes, these deaths and my own physical things I'm dealing with — even though all that has occurred and smashed my old life to pieces, those pieces I've been able to build into a ship that's about to launch. I will float into my new life from all those pieces."

"In Times New Roman…" will be available digitally and physically on June 16 via Matador Records. The LP 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.

QUEENS OF THE STONE AGE will embark on a North American tour this summer. The trek will kick off on August 3 in Sterling Heights, Michigan. The East Coast leg of the tour will feature support from PHANTOGRAM and THE ARMED. VIAGRA BOYS and Jehnny Beth will support on the Midwest and West Coast dates.

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.

THE GEMS, the new Swedish rock band featuring former THUNDERMOTHER members Guernica Mancini (vocals),Emlee Johansson (drums) and Mona Lindgren (bass),has released its first song, "Like A Phoenix". The official music video for the track, edited by Johansson, can be see below.

THE GEMS comment: "This song is all about getting up when you've been pushed down, not letting the negative words of others define you. Rise like a phoenix — the main focus is to empower and give you the motivation to never give up. The video is about the 'rebirth' of us as a band and how we, through fire, have become something much stronger and fearless. We felt it was the perfect first single on our new journey as THE GEMS, and we absolutely love the song!!"

THE GEMS are currently working on their debut album, to be released via Napalm Records.

THE GEMS made their live debut on March 22 at Pustervik in Gothenburg, Sweden as the support act for THE NIGHT FLIGHT ORCHESTRA.

THE GEMS see Lindgren returning to her original instrument, the guitar. Playing bass at the Gothenburg show was THE GEMS' friend and collaborator Johan Randén.

THE GEMS' live performances include material from THUNDERMOTHER's last two albums, 2020's "Heat Wave" and 2022's "Black And Gold", both of which featured songwriting contributions from Guernica and Emlee.

In February, it was announced that Mancini, Johansson and Lindgren were exiting THUNDERMOTHER and would form a new band together. At the same time, guitarist Filippa Nässil revealed that she would continue with a new THUNDERMOTHER lineup featuring singer Linnéa Vikström (THERION, AT THE MOVIES) and returning bassist Majsan Lindberg. Filippa has also since recruited Joan Massing (HONEY CREEK) as THUNDERMOTHER's new drummer.

Mancini, who joined THUNDERMOTHER in 2017, reflected on her split with the band in an interview with Canada's The Metal Voice. Asked when she first had a feeling that things were not as they should be within THUNDERMOTHER, Guernica said: "It's a tough question to answer. I would say like this, that it's never been great for me. And it's been six tough years. But regardless of that, I don't regret anything. I still had amazing experiences with the band. And I wouldn't take anything back, 'cause I've grown and I've become the singer that I am. And there are so many positives to that. So even though it has been a very bumpy ride, I still think that it's been a beautiful ride. Because it does teach you a lot about yourself, and you grow as a human."

She added: "When you go through something that's tough and hard for you, you can either choose to learn from it and try to do something positive with it. And that's kind of what I'm aiming to do for myself."

When asked by host Jimmy Kay if she is saying that she was unhappy for six years, Mancini replied: "Not a hundred percent unhappy. It's been [up and down]. Definitely I've questioned how my dream of doing music and everything that I love so much and hold so dear had to be so tough. But in my mind I've always thought that it's probably the price you pay for getting these experiences or whatever. But I think that it doesn't necessarily have to be that. But like anything in life, nothing is gonna be happy and roses all the time. You go through things. It's normal."

Guernica also addressed the fact that Emlee and Mona both voluntarily left THUNDERMOTHER, once they found out Mancini was being kicked out of the group.

"It does make me feel [good], but I also felt really guilty… I felt guilty because I knew the opportunities that they were giving up because of this, but they had their own reasons," she said. "They did this completely on their own. And the problems that we've had in the band, they're not just something that is between [Filippa] and I; it's something that's been brewing and been there always. So when this happened, they also felt that it was very disrespectful towards them, being that they believed that we were a democracy and that we had a say in these things. She more or less [told] them, 'I wanna do this, and I've already found a new singer.' And that's when Emlee just said, 'I don't wanna play with another singer. And if you're gonna go ahead and do this, I'm gonna leave the band.' And that's what she did. And Mona felt the same way."

Guernica added: "I love [Emlee and Mona], and I'm forever grateful. I wouldn't have expected anything, but I also feel like I'm so blessed. Honestly, I'm so incredibly grateful that they are my new band. And they are the two that I enjoyed working with. And I have so much fun with them. And we already had two songwriting days, and we had just so much fun. And it was drama free. It was just a dream. And it's just, like, this is what a band is supposed to be."

Mancini then clarified: "We've had our differences. If you don't fight with your family and friends, that's kind of weird in itself. And we have. But we always… we say 'sorry', and we move past it. And our relationships always grow stronger and stronger and stronger. And that's, I think, the testament of a real, solid, healthy relationship. And that's how it is with them. So I'm really grateful that we have something and we get to continue playing together."

Guernica previously discussed her departure from THUNDERMOTHER in February in an interview with the "Rock And Roll Geek Show". Regarding how she found out she was being fired from THUNDERMOTHER, Guernica said: "I was blindsided. It's almost like I'm in an episode of fucking 'Survivor'. [Laughs]

"I got an e-mail [letting me know that I was no longer in the band]. I had a feeling it was coming because the week prior, [Filippa] had taken me off all our social media accounts. And I thought we had gotten hacked. I wrote to the group; I was, like, 'Girls, I think we're getting hacked. I can't get into our e-mail or Instagram — none of the accounts.'"

Asked if Filippa had any issues with Guernica's live performance or what she was doing on stage, Mancini said: "No, that's not something that I've… no information that I've received. I think that there's nothing you can complain about my performance or my singing, 'cause I've always brought my 'A game.' And if you have problems with that, I think that's strange, considering that's something that people really enjoy and respect the band for. So I think that would be weird."

Clarifying that the reasons for the split were "a hundred percent personal", Guernica revealed that "a lot of things happened behind my back, and I was the last one to know… Like there were meetings behind my back, trying to convince my fellow bandmates that I'm an awful person, I'm all these things that I'm not."

When interviewer Michael Butler noted that all the girls in THUNDERMOTHER looked like they were getting "along really well" when they were supporting the SCORPIONS on a tour of North America last fall, Guernica said: "I deserve an Oscar nomination for my acting. [Laughs]"

According to Mancini, she is still "really close" to Emlee and Mona. "We're actually really good friends, and that's the best part of my time in THUNDERMOTHER," she said. "Me and Emlee, she's legitimately one of my best friends. And Mona has become a really good friend as well. And we have a mutual respect and similar work ethic and we want the same things. We just work together. I just feel like, if anything, it's really lovely and positive that we have each other and that we all feel the same way and we all have had the same experiences and the reasoning behind not feeling great in the band as it was."

Asked how Emlee and Mona found out Guernica was being fired from THUNDERMOTHER, Mancini said: "[Filippa] had a secret meeting behind my back. She just told the girls, 'I wanna fire Guernica, and I already have a new singer.' And the girls were, like, 'Woah. Hold up. Wait a second. We did not sign up for that. And we thought we were a democracy in this band,' because that's something that we'd been told and that's how we've done everything.' So they were shocked."

In early March, Nässil shared a six-minute video in which she addressed some of the questions surrounding the departures of Mancini, Johansson and Lindgren as well as her decision to carry on with a new lineup. She said in part: "Some stuff you read online and even now in some magazines is true and some stuff has more to it," she explained. "I mean, there's a depth to what happened and it's impossible to read in a few lines or a quote from someone. And I wanna assure you and tell you guys that I did my absolute best to work everything out between the old members. I think we should be conscious in what we're saying and trust that I have done my absolute best for peace, love and rock and roll and I did everything in my power to work it out with the previous bandmembers.

"I would never throw anybody under the bridge. I think that's another private matter. What happened has been behind the curtain, so to speak, so it's not everything that people need to know about or should know about because it's just unnecessary to throw stuff at each other, I think."

"I'm thrilled to have Majsan back, who's done hundreds of shows with me in THUNDERMOTHER. She's the THUNDERMOTHER bass player. And I'm thrilled to have Linnéa Vikström, my friend since many, many years, on vocals. And I can't wait for the future."

Photo credit: Mikael Hultén

Fan-filmed video of MÖTLEY CRÜE's June 14 performance at the Copenhell festival in Copenhagen, Denmark as part of the European leg of the band's "The World Tour" with DEF LEPPARD can be seen below.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's setlist was as follows:

01. Wild Side
02. Shout At The Devil
03. Too Fast For Love
04. Don't Go Away Mad (Just Go Away)
05. Saints Of Los Angeles
06. Live Wire
07. Looks That Kill
08. The Dirt (Est. 1981) (with Machine Gun Kelly on screen)
09. Guitar Solo
10. Rock And Roll, Part 2 / Smokin' In The Boys Room / Helter Skelter / Anarchy In The U.K. / Blitzkrieg Bop
11. Home Sweet Home
12. Dr. Feelgood
13. Same Ol' Situation (S.O.S.)
14. Girls, Girls, Girls
15. Primal Scream
16. Kickstart My Heart

In April, MÖTLEY CRÜE bassist Nikki Sixx said that the band had completed recording several new songs with longtime producer Bob Rock.

MÖTLEY CRÜE's new guitarist John 5 told Sirius XM's "Trunk Nation With Eddie Trunk" about recording the group's new music with Rock: "Bob would come in and [say], 'Okay, let's try this here, and that here and this here. It was one of the most incredible experiences ever… I'm thinking, 'We've got so much great technology today'… but we got in that room and it was like being in a garage working on a song when you were in high school… It was incredible, and we documented a lot of it too."

Regarding the musical direction of the tracks he and the rest of MÖTLEY CRÜE have recorded so far, John 5 said: "The songs are fucking heavy. I sound like a little excited kid right now, but they're heavy and they're mean. I can't wait for them to come out. I'm just so excited."

When host Eddie Trunk asked John 5 whether the new MÖTLEY CRÜE music can be compared to the band's breakthrough second album, 1983's "Shout At The Devil", the guitarist said that some of the new riffs are "heavier than anything" on that LP. "All I can tell you is that it's heavy and it's aggressive, and I think people are going to dig it because, talking as a fan, it's fucking badass," he said.

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

Mars suffers from Ankylosing Spondylitis (AS),a chronic and inflammatory form of arthritis that mainly affects the spine and pelvis. After years of performing through the pain, he informed the other members of MÖTLEY CRÜE last summer that he could no longer tour with them but would still be open to recording new music or performing at residencies that did not require much travel.

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, in early April the 71-year-old musician filed a lawsuit against CRÜE in Los Angeles County's Superior Court claiming that, after his announcement, the rest of CRÜE tried to remove him as a significant stakeholder in the group's corporation and business holdings via a shareholders' meeting.

DEF LEPPARD and MOTLEY CRUE confirmed for @copenhell 2023 #copenhell #defleppard #motleycrue #meshuggah #parkwaydrive...

Posted by Extreme Metal Festival News on Thursday, October 20, 2022

In a new interview with Graspop Metal Meeting, AS I LAY DYING's founding vocalist Tim Lambesis has confirmed that he and his bandmates are putting the finishing touches on their next studio album. The LP will mark the group's first with its new lineup, featuring Lambesis and longtime guitarist Phil Sgrosso alongside drummer Nick Pierce (ex-UNEARTH),bassist vocalist Ryan Neff (MISS MAY I) and guitarist Ken Susi (UNEARTH).

Tim said about the upcoming album (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "We partly self-produced [it], and then we also worked with another producer. So we spent about a year working on the album by ourselves before we gave it to the producer, who's mixing the album now."

Regarding how the addition of new members Pierce, Neff and Susi has affected AS I LAY DYING's sound, Tim said: "Well, [Nick, Ryan and Ken are] new for us, but, obviously, the guys have been around playing music for 20 years themselves. We're familiar, just having spent so much time with UNEARTH, and then MISS MAY I having a pretty similar sound.

"The songwriting within AS I LAY DYING has historically been mostlyPhil and I," he continued. "Josh [Gilbert], our previous bass player, helped. But the core of the songwriting is the same. So this additional layer that we get from these new guys is almost like breathing fresh new air… a breath of fresh air."

Last September, Lambesis told Metalshop TV about AS I LAY DYING's recent lineup changes: "I think for our fans, they think that the changes happened all in a very short period of time, but they actually happened over the last two years. The first change was on guitar we invited Ken Susi to fill in for us. And that was about two years ago that we invited him. But then, of course, the pandemic happened and so we had a lot of breaks until we had a tour again. So Ken's been rehearsing with us, or talking about rehearsing with us, for the last couple of years. And on drums we have Nick Pierce, who joined us. Nick Pierce was previously in UNEARTH; Ken is from UNEARTH as well. And Nick stopped playing with UNEARTH and coincidentally at the same time we needed a drummer, because our previous drummer hadn't been communicating with us; he went very isolated once the pandemic hit. And so there wasn't an argument or anything like that; it was just a situation where when the pandemic hit, he decided to take a new direction in life and kind of cut himself off from the rest of us. And we decided we wanted to keep going forward. Phil and I had been the ones writing the songs all these years, so when Nick Pierce left UNEARTH, we thought it was the perfect opportunity to have him perform with us. And then Ryan came from MISS MAY I. He was the last guy to come in. And he didn't come in until a couple of months ago. Our bass player, Josh, previously left, and he's with SPIRITBOX now. And when he decided to go perform with SPIRITBOX, we called up Ryan, who was with MISS MAY I. And Ryan Neff was on tour at the time. And then we asked him, 'Can you start touring with us as soon as this tour is over?' And he said, 'Well, I'm only gonna have three days off to rehearse in between tours.' He said, 'If you guys want me to do it, I'll make sure I come prepared.' And he had a lot to learn in three days, but he pulled it together. He's a very, very hard-working guy."

AS I LAY DYING's new album will be the follow-up to "Shaped By Fire", which came out in September 2019 via Nuclear Blast.

In June 2022, longtime AS I LAY DYING drummer Jordan Mancino announced that he would sit out the band's tour due to "a number of ongoing internal issues" that "have not yet been resolved."

Mancino's announcement came less than a month after AS I LAY DYING's longtime bassist/vocalist Josh Gilbert revealed that he was leaving the band. In a statement, the remaining members of AS I LAY DYING said that Gilbert "decided to exit" the group "to pursue other musical opportunities."

Josh was the second AS I LAY DYING member to leave the band in less than a year. In August 2021, guitarist Nick Hipa confirmed his exit from AS I LAY DYING, explaining that he could no longer justify being part of "a superficial pursuit" of the "story and meaning" that the band's 2018 reunion was built upon.

Lambesis was famously convicted in 2014 for his role in a murder-for-hire plot against his estranged wife.

In May 2014, Lambesis was sentenced to six years in jail after pleading guilty to paying a San Diego police officer posing as a hitman $1,000 to kill his wife. Approximately two and a half years later — on December 17, 2016 — he was discharged from a California detention facility and was transferred to the Division of Adult Parole Operations.

In June 2018, AS I LAY DYING played its first show with Lambesis in five years and released a new single. Lambesis also owned up to his crimes in a long apology on the band's Facebook page after his release.

The return of AS I LAY DYING raised some questions, particularly since Hipa categorically denounced the band's disgraced frontman as a "sociopathic narcissist in definite need of rehabilitation" in a social-media post back in 2014.

In September 2021, AS I LAY DYING released a new song called "Roots Below" which was originally a B-side leftover from when the sessions for "Shaped By Fire".

Usaopoly (The Op Games),the board game and puzzle publisher behind iconic licensed games and best-selling party games Telestrations, Blank Slate and Hues And Cues, has teamed up with IRON MAIDEN, one of heavy metal's most prolific and influential bands of all time, and global leader in play Hasbro to bring fans the ultimate piece of tabletop memorabilia — Monopoly: Iron Maiden Somewhere On Tour.

Played by traditional Monopoly rules, players will buy, sell, and trade properties named after classic albums, including "The Number Of The Beast", "Brave New World", "Senjutsu" and more, to bankrupt their opponents and be the last one with Eddie-faced money to win. The notorious mascot also adorns the traditional Chance and Community Chest cards, aptly renamed "Feeling Lucky?" and "Open the Box," entertaining gamers and Troopers alike with instances of success ("Advance to nearest Maiden Goodies") and brushes with bad luck ("Bad weather... Ed Force One diverted"). Six custom sculpted pewter tokens also serve as miniature tributes to the band's records and gear, such as an Albatross, Amp Stack, Flying Helmet, Nicko's Drum Kit, Wasted Years Computer, and Steve's Bass.

"We're delighted to have been given the opportunity to have Monopoly get the full Eddie treatment," said Rod Smallwood, manager of IRON MAIDEN. "In true MAIDEN fashion, we commissioned our main tour artist, Akirant, to grace the board and the box lid with some of our most loved Eddies on tour. The game is full of our humor (who else would ransom Nicko's pal Sooty?),even the player pieces reflect our unique history (yeah, the impaled albatross!) and the weird and wonderful world we share with our fans and they have come to expect from us!"

Monopoly: Iron Maiden Somewhere On Tour releases hot on the trail of "The Future Past Tour 2023" currently traversing Europe through August. Fans in North America can join the IRON MAIDEN celebration this fall when the band brings heavy metal stateside at the Power Trip festival taking place in Indio, California this October, as well as three shows in western Canada.

"We're excited to add another prolific license to our line with the launch of Monopoly: Iron Maiden edition and provide fans with a new collectible that merges one of the greatest heavy metal bands of all time with Hasbro's timeless Fast-Dealing Property Trading Game," said Dane Chapin, CEO of The Op. "The IRON MAIDEN fandom shares a universal sense of camaraderie, and we love that we can provide them with an engaging game that highlights so many of the band's legendary shows and immaculate album art."

Monopoly: Iron Maiden Somewhere On Tour (MSRP: $44.99),the ultimate collectible game for IRON MAIDEN "Troopers," is available now from The Op Games. Follow along on social @TheOpGames and @IronMaiden for more about the game and latest announcements.

Monopoly first hit shelves in 1935 with the Racecar, Thimble, Boot, Top Hat, and Battleship among the original set of Monopoly tokens, while the Scottie Dog and Wheelbarrow were added in the early 1950s. Although the brand has evolved over the 87 years, the gameplay and iconography of the classic Monopoly game has remained unchanged, making it a timeless classic sure to be enjoyed by future generations. Today, Monopoly is the world's favorite family game brand and is enjoyed by more than one billion players in 114 countries across the globe.

Founded in east London in the mid-1970s by songwriter and bassist Steve Harris, IRON MAIDEN's decades-spanning career has made them one of the most revered and influential bands of all time. With over 100 million record sales, almost 2,500 live performances across 64 countries and 17 studio albums — including their latest, "Senjutsu", released in 2021 — IRON MAIDEN have remained fearlessly creative and dedicated to their legions of fans for almost half a century.

For more information, visit The Op Games.

Golden Robot Records recently announced the signing of the fiery, full-blooded Polynesian metal band, Shepherds Reign.


Hailing from South Auckland, New Zealand, Polynesian by birth and blood; Filiva’a James (vocals/keytar), Gideon Voon (guitar), Oliver Leupolu (guitar/production), Shaymen Rameka (drums) and Joseph Oti-George (bass) are the real thing, a band who put their hearts and lives into their songs.


The latest single from Shepherds Reign’s heavily anticipated forthcoming album, Ala Mai, is a love song. Note though, a love song for Shepherds Reign is not exactly Lionel Richie territory; and indeed "Finally" is filled with the band’s trademark guttural vocal roar, heavy zig-zag riffing throughout its verses, and soaring anthemic choruses, with a characteristic mind-melting lead guitar break.




"Finally" is a song about losing hope that you would ever find your one true love, but then… finally… you find that someone, the someone who makes you happy at your core; the someone who vindicates your patience and perseverance. A person who has come into your life and completely changed your perspective. Now that’s a love worth waiting for…


Check out the official lyric video for "Finally" below.





Shepherds Reign are famous in the Southern hemisphere for their primal performance, one which evokes many aspects of their cultural heritage and fierce Polynesian pride. Coupled with their enormous intimidating physical presence, there’s tribal roars, gargantuan riffs, twisting dual melodies, virulent virtuosity and crushing, bombastic rhythms, which all give Shepherds Reign their propulsive, dynamic metal sound. There is a special passion and power in every note struck, and in every word sung.


Ala Mai  is out August 25th via Golden Robot Records.


"Ua Masa'a"

In a new interview with "Rick & Brad" morning show on the Rock 100.5 The KATT radio station in Oklahoma City, Geezer Butler was asked if he thinks there is a chance BLACK SABBATH will perform again, even if it's just a one-off show, or if the band is "put to bed now." The SABBATH bassist responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It's put to bed now. I'll never say never, because I've said it so many times before, and then something comes up. But no, I just cannot see it happening now at all.

"I'm gonna be 74 next [month]," he continued. "The others are in the middle 70s. So time starts tolling on your body physically and mentally and everything else. You can't go out and fool the public and pretend that you're really enjoying it when your back is killing you or something. It lets you know that it's time to call it a day."

Butler's autobiography, "Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath - And Beyond", was released on June 6 in North America via HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books. The book arrived in the United Kingdom on June 8.

A founding member of BLACK SABBATH, Butler is also the lyricist of such SABBATH classics as "War Pigs", "Iron Man", "Paranoid" and others.

Butler, singer Ozzy Osbourne and guitarist Tony Iommi reunited in late 2011 and released a comeback album, "13", in June 2013.

In February 2017, SABBATH finished "The End" tour in Birmingham, closing out the quartet's groundbreaking 49-year career.

"The End" was SABBATH's last tour because Iommi, who was diagnosed with cancer in 2012 and is currently in remission, can no longer travel for extended amounts of time.

Although SABBATH will not tour again, Butler, Osbourne and Iommi have not ruled out recording together.

Geezer is the third member of the original SABBATH lineup to release an autobiography. Ozzy's memoir, "I Am Ozzy", debuted at No. 2 on the New York Times' "Hardcover Nonfiction" best-seller list. The book was published on January 25, 2010 in the U.S., nearly two years after it was first expected to arrive. "I Am Ozzy" chronicled the legendary metal icon's life from his working-class beginnings in Birmingham, England to his initial fame with BLACK SABBATH to his massive solo career and forays into television.

Osbourne won the "Literary Achievement" honor for "I Am Ozzy" at the 2010 Guys Choice Awards at Sony Pictures Studio in Culver City, California. Ozzy was presented with the award by Sir Ben Kingsley.

Iommi's memoir, "Iron Man: My Journey Through Heaven And Hell With Black Sabbath", was released in hardback in November 2011. It landed at position No. 35 on the New York Times' "Hardcover Nonfiction" best-sellers list. Da Capo reportedly paid a six-figure amount at auction for the rights to the 352-page book, which was described as "'Angela's Ashes' meets 'The Ground Beneath Her Feet' meets 'Spinal Tap'" by Foundry Literary + Media co-founder Peter McGuigan, who completed the North American rights deal for the memoir.

Thrash masters, Strike Master, have unleashed their fast and furious single "Crystallized", as the spearhead of the 2023 full length album - Tangram Apocalypse, which will be released through singles.


The album will be released September 1 physically and on all major platforms. Listen to the single below:


Crystallized by Strike Master




Strike Master is:


KMU - Guitars and Vocals
Konspirator - Drums
Walter Kleinert - Bass

Conquer Divide, the international five-piece band hailing from the US, UK, and Canada, recently announced their new album. Slow Burn will arrive September 8 via Mascot Records. Pre-order it here.


The band - vocalist Kiarely Taylor, bassist/vocalist Janel Duarte, guitarist Isabel Johnson, drummer Samantha Landa, and guitarist Kristen Sturgis - has today shared the new single "the INVISIBLE." Listen below.


"'the INVISIBLE' has many lived-in, emotional layers that paint a picture that takes you right back to your youth, especially if you are part of an alt scene and made to feel like an outcast," the band explains, offering insight into the song. "It confronts the dynamic between your true self and your desire to be accepted by the 'cool kids.' One day, you realize that you don't need to seek validation from those in a sad state of affairs. They project their insecurities onto others because they lack emotional maturity and self-esteem."







Slow Burn tracklisting:


"Atonement"
"N E W H E A V E N"
"Paralyzed"
"welcome2paradise"
"PRESSURE"
"system_failure"
"playing w/ fire"
"Over It."
"Afterthought.wav"
"the INVISIBLE"
"wide awake"
"OnlyGirl"
"gAtEkEePer"


"the INVISIBLE":

This October, former lead singers from rival bands SLIPKNOT and MUSHROOMHEAD will team up for the "Numetal Mayhem" tour of Australiasia. For the first time in history, Anders Colsefni and Waylon Reavis will share the stage together, ending the legendary feud that has been waged in press and across social media for twenty-five years.

Reavis is returning to Australia after a nine-year hiatus when he stunned stadiums as the frontman for MUSHROOMHEAD at Soundwave 2014. To this day, Reavis is widely acknowledged as being the standout vocalist for the iconic masked group and his ongoing success with A KILLER'S CONFESSION is testament to that ability.

Reavis will be playing all your favorite MUSHROOMHEAD tracks, including "I'll Be Here", "Simple Survival", "1200", "Our Apologies", "Save Us" and "QWERTY". MUSHROOMHEAD have never toured New Zealand and have made no indication that they will be traveling to Australia anytime soon. If you want to hear these classic MUSHROOMHEAD, tracks this will probably be the only time you will get to.

Waylon will be rounding out the set by performing the major hits from A KILLER'S CONFESSION and is heavily hinting that he will be playing his infamous "Roots Bloody Roots" (SEPULTURA) cover.

Reavis says: "Australia is at the top of my list of places I have toured. The people, the atmosphere and the weather are mind-blowing. I am also honored to finally get down to meet all my New Zealand fans. It's just going to be amazing."

Waylon will be joined on stage by Lee Hutt, drummer of A KILLER'S CONFESSION; Slugg of KAOSIS fame on guitar; and the seasoned pro bassist James Lavel.

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

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

Anders will deliver the entire "Mate. Feed. Kill. Repeat." record from start to finish. This is the first time this record has been heard live in twenty-seven years and it maybe the only time it will ever get played live again... And it's happening in Australia and New Zealand.

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

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

Tour dates:

Oct. 11 - Sydney, Australia @ Crowbar
Oct. 12 - Adelaide, Australia @ Enigma Bar
Oct. 13 - Melbourne, Australia @ Bendigo Hotel
Oct. 14 - Brisbane, Australia @ Mansfield Tavern
Oct. 15 - Goldcoast, Australia @ Mo's Desert Clubhouse
Oct. 16 - Toowoomba, Australia @ Irish Club Hotel
Oct. 18 - Auckland, New Zealand @ Neck Of The Woods
Oct. 19 - Taranaki, New Zealand @ 8 Bar Pool And Darts
Oct. 20 - Wellington, New Zealand @ Valhalla
Oct. 21 - Christchurch, New Zealand @ The Embankment
Oct. 22 - Queenstown, New Zealand @ Yonder
Oct. 23 - Dunedin, New Zealand @ Dive

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

"That being said, PAINFACE is still working behind the scenes. Look for us sometime this year!"

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

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

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

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

In a new interview with "The Daily Distraction" host Chris Killian on ComicBook.com, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was asked if it's true that late PANTERA guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott was buried in a KISS casket. He responded: "That is true. Dimebag had [original KISS guitarist] Ace [Frehley] tattooed on his chest. Tragically he was killed onstage by a lunatic who shot him in the head. Dime's family reached out. And I had a few KISS caskets, different kinds. And I actually sent one from my collection, and he was indeed buried in a KISS casket, yeah."

Simmons also talked about the countless artists that have been influenced by KISS over the last five decades. He said: "Kirk Hammett cut his teeth on KISS records, and that's METALLICA. And Dime was in PANTERA. But it runs the gamut… You know, at a certain point, when you're 13 or whatever and you're a guy in the middle of nowhere… Tom Morello [RAGE AGAINST THE MACHINE] did our acceptance speech, or the introduction to the Rock And Roll Hall Of Fame, and his story, actually, was very inspiring about being a kid in the middle of America, not having enough things to inspire him or get him thinking about other possibilities and stuff. And he started talking about KISS and about how getting those records wasn't just how to play guitar and get up on stage, but opening up the ideas of imagination, the visual sense of things. And I've met all sorts of people, not just rockers and so on, but people from different walks of life who say, 'This was important to me in my childhood.' And listen, that's the biggest… It's not so much that they're celebrities, but it's a good piece in my heart. But I will tell you, nothing — and I mean nothing — competes with a five-year-old kid who lives, breathes and eats KISS. When you see a five-year-old kid in KISS makeup sitting on the shoulders of his father, who's got his own makeup on, next to his father, who's 50 or 60 years old, and they're all rocking out at the show, and when the kid finally [flashes the 'devil's horns' hand gesture], it doesn't get better."

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".

In a new interview with The Meista - Brews & Tunes, former VENOM drummer Antony "Abaddon" Bray was asked about the possibility of a reunion of the band's classic lineup, also featuring frontman Conrad "Cronos" Lant and guitarist Jeff "Mantas" Dunn. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I don't see why not… I thoroughly believe that, put the three of us in a room together and it would just start again. I really believe that. The balls would be there. The intent would be there. The heart and the soul would be there. Because it's what we do. We're not virtuoso players. We're not geniuses at what we do. What we are good at is being together and being in the band, and I can't see why that shouldn't happen again… I can see it happening. A lot of people say not, but I can see it happening."

Abaddon's comments come six months after Cronos told Metal Hammer magazine that the chances of a reunion of VENOM's classic lineup are "less than zero. I owe them nothing, and they've got nothing I want," he added. "We still get fans saying, 'The VENOM legions want the old lineup back together.' We tried in the '90s and it wasn't well received. The last thing I want to do is get onstage with those other two doddery old fuckers and put on a subpar performance. I'm getting better album sales now, so why the fuck would I want to go back to that? I just want VENOM to be great."

Asked if he feels sad that there's no relationship between the three of them now, Cronos said: "Yeah, of course it's sad. But we had a blast, and I'll cherish those memories."

Earlier last year, Dunn said that he would like to see the classic VENOM lineup celebrate the 40th anniversary of the band's "Black Metal" album.

Released in 1982, "Black Metal" is considered a major influence on thrash metal and extreme metal in general. VENOM's second album proved influential enough that its title was used as the name of the extreme metal subgenre of black metal. The band classic lineup trio of Dunn, Lant and Bray recorded two further studio LPs, "At War With Satan" (1984) and "Possessed" (1985),and live album, "Eine Kleine Nachtmusik" (1986). Often cited by bands such as METALLICA, BEHEMOTH, CELTIC FROST and MAYHEM as major influences, they are one of the most revered bands of their generation. VENOM is still fronted by Cronos and headlines festivals all over the globe and continues to release new music while Dunn and former VENOM bassist/vocalist Tony "Demolition Man" Dolan have joined forces in the similarly named VENOM INC.

Dunn spoke about a hypothetical VENOM celebration during an interview with Artists On Record Starring ADIKA Live! He said: "If you think that of impact and the influence that this band has had and our place, our place in musical history is secure. When people talk about heavy metal and influential bands in heavy metal, VENOM's always gonna be up there somewhere. We might not be top of the list, but we're gonna be there somewhere. And to have had that much impact and to have that much reverence from your peers; everybody knows the name 'VENOM.' And every anniversary of this band has gone past and it has never been celebrated. And that is one of the reasons that we, as VENOM INC. now, we're doing the 40th anniversary; we're doing the 'Black Metal' shows.

"There was one point… I do this Facebook Live thing twice a week — Monday and Friday. It's become a bit of a fun thing to do and just interact with people. That's all it is; it's nothing major. And people are asking about the 40th anniversary of 'Black Metal' and just the anniversaries of the band in general; that was just one of those things. And it actually did cause a bit of conflict within the VENOM INC. ranks as well, because there was things taken out of context. And the one big thing that was taken out of context was when Blabbermouth decided to just put one headline up. I was, like, 'Oh, come on, man.' And the headline was, 'Mantas wants the original VENOM to get back together.' [Editor's note: The actual headline was 'Original VENOM Guitarist MANTAS Wants Band's Classic Lineup To Reunite For 'Black Metal' 40th-Anniversary Celebration'.] And I was, like, 'That's not what I said, for fuck's sake. Watch the video to see what I said.' What I actually said was — and myself and Tony from VENOM INC., we had had a conversation about this the day before, saying it's sad that all of the members who've ever been part of this shit-show circus can't get together — not just the originals, but everybody; everybody's period of that band — and do a celebration festival just devoted to VENOM and bring on guest players or whatever. But every era of the band is represented. So what Cronos is doing now; he plays a few hit songs with his band. What VENOM INC. is doing; we play a few songs. Then you have the 'Prime Evil' era, when it was myself and Tony and Abaddon, and then Al Barnes [rhythm guitar] was involved as well. And then you could have the 'Calm Before The Storm' era where Mike Hickey and Jim Clare were involved as the guitarists. And it would culminate, obviously, with the original lineup coming on stage and playing some of the classic songs. And that was an idea that was just thrown out there. But I actually did say, 'If anybody's watching this, then get in touch. You're not gonna get any apologies from me because what I've said is true.'"

Mantas added: "I've heard so much bullshit on the Internet and in interviews [with other VENOM members] and stuff, and I was, like, 'What planet did this happen on? What dimension were you in when this was happening?'"

According to Mantas, none of the former members of VENOM contacted him about a possible 40th-anniversary celebration after his original comments were published by BLABBERMOUTH.NET. "There was nothing," he said. "There was no reachout. There was nothing at all. And I mean, the original lineup did come [back] together in '95, '96, and it lasted a couple of years, and then it just went again. But it is very sad to think that a band that has had that much impact can't be celebrated. So that's why as VENOM INC., we are celebrating it."

During the aforementioned Facebook Live chat, which took place in late February 2022, Dunn called upon Lant and Bray to come together with him for some sort of a VENOM celebration, saying: "I'll never retract anything I've said, because I'm sorry but it's true. Regardless of what him or him thinks, it's true; it's just as simple as that. I'm not gonna go out there and blatantly talk a lot of bollocks like one of us did. What I've said is absolutely true, and I've put it in print — into the book as well. It's there. It's absolutely true. But we're at that age now — I'm 60; Bray's, like, 61; Conrad's what — 58, 59? We've just been through a massive fucking pandemic where nobody's done anything. We've got fucking a war in Europe at the minute. [All the issues we've had with each other], it fucking pales into insignificance; it's fucking bollocks.

"Like I say, I'll never fucking say 'sorry'; I'll never fucking turn around and go, 'Yeah, well, I didn't fucking mean that,'" he continued. "What I said was fucking true. But we missed the 25th anniversary. We didn't celebrate the 30th anniversary. And it's, like, for a band who had such a fucking impact… And, again, my friends, I still find it difficult to take in myself, people saying…

"When I did the interviews for the 40th anniversary of 'Welcome To Hell' — there's another anniversary we fucking missed; nothing done about it; it just passed," Dunn added. "But the thing was, I got these interviews in, and people were saying to me, 'You just don't realize the importance of what you did.' I don't, because I suppose we were so close to it. I've said it a million times — I was just a fucking kid writing tunes in my fucking bedroom living with my mom, and I was lucky; people fucking dig them.

"But it's, like, could we not just fucking celebrate this for once? I mean, fucking hell — I've already died once. And fucking you haven't got long, and you haven't got long, because I know what you've fucking done to yourselves."

Addressing the fact that VENOM INC. was going to commemorate "Black Metal"'s 40th anniversary by performing it in its entirety on October 2, 2022 at the Keep It True festival at Posthalle in Würzburg, Germany, Dunn said: "When the Keep It True thing came along, I thought, 'Yes! Yes! I'm gonna fucking do it.' Because no one fucking else is. Nobody else is gonna go out there and celebrate this fucking album — monumental fucking album. It should be fucking celebrated."

Dunn, Bray and Dolan released three albums as VENOM between 1989 and 1992 — "Prime Evil" (1989),"Temples Of Ice" (1991) and "The Waste Lands" (1992).

VENOM INC. is not to be confused with the aforementioned Cronos-fronted version of VENOM, which is continuing to tour and make albums under the VENOM moniker. Joining Cronos in that group are Rage (a.k.a. Stuart Dixon) on guitar and Danté (a.k.a. Danny Needham) on drums.

In a new interview with Mike Hsu of the 100 FM The Pike radio station, Stephen Pearcy was asked about the possibility of one final reunion of RATT's classic lineup, featuring him on vocals, Warren DeMartini on guitar, Bobby Blotzer on drums and Juan Croucier on bass. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "I can kick a dead rat only so much. You can say a 'horse'… I made the effort and put out the calls. And it's all good. Some bands are supposed to be around for their term. And none of us know what that is. And if that's the case, I'm very proud of our legacy. I continue doing what I am. I started the band, created the band, and if that's it, that's it. I am not done yet; I'm still out there with what I'm calling the 'Sunset Strip Experience' and making sure that our new fans, that we continually have, understand the real trip about the 'Sunset Strip Experience'. Because a lot of the bands, these '80s bands — call it 'hair' bands; I really don't care — a lot of 'em are taking claim. They're not from the Sunset Strip; they came from Pennsylvania, they came from whoever or wherever. But the real Sunset Strip experience is what we're developing for some really cool stuff — some way cool stuff — for next year. And I'm out doing my thing, playing the songs I wrote with the band. And it's all good. I'm having a great time. It's amazing how many young folks we're getting at the show. I mean, woah!"

In a separate interview with the Sinclair Broadcast Group, Pearcy said that he continues to play 150 shows a year with his solo band and bring the music to the fans who still appreciate it in an era when a lot of other 1980s hard rock acts have called it quits.

"So many bands from the '80s are pulling out," he said. "I mean, this is getting to be an end of an era. That's why I'm out with my 'Sunset Strip Experience' and fans are diggin' it. They pack the venues and really get to into our live show, which is what really stood RATT apart from so many bands of that era."

Pearcy is currently promoting "The Atlantic Years: 1984-1991", a new limited-edition box set from BMG, in partnership with Rhino Entertainment, celebrating RATT's massively successful period where all five of their studio albums were certified gold, platinum or multi-platinum. Released on June 9, the LP set features all five albums remastered on 180g black vinyl, rare "Nobody Rides For Free" seven-inch single, 1- page replica tour book (featuring rare and never-before-seen photos from RATT's personal archives),11"x17" "Wanted" poster, bumper sticker, replica backstage pass, and guitar pick in a custom lift top box. The CD set features all five of the studio albums in a side loading box.

All albums feature the classic RATT lineup of Stephen Pearcy (vocals),Warren DeMartini (guitars),Robbin Crosby (guitars),Juan Croucier (bass/vocals),and Bobby Blotzer (drums).

Formed in Los Angeles, RATT was featured as an unsigned act on "Uncle Joe Benson's Local Licks Drive Time" show on KLOS-FM. This was their first time on radio and led to their signing to Atlantic Records.

RATT exploded on to the national scene in 1984 with the release of "Out Of The Cellar". Featuring an undeniable hook and legendary music video, lead single "Round And Round" hit No. 12 on the Billboard Hot 100, while "Out Of The Cellar" reached No. 7 on the Billboard 200 and was certified triple platinum. Two more charting singles followed with "Back For More" and "Wanted Man". RATT started the tour as an opening act, but by the end of the tour had climbed to arena headliner.

RATT returned in 1985 with its second full-length album, "Invasion Of Your Privacy". Certified double platinum and also reaching No. 7 on the Billboard 200, "Invasion Of Your Privacy" also featured the classics "Lay It Down" (No. 40 on Billboard Hot 100) and "You're In Love".

"Dancing Undercover" followed in 1986 as RATT toured North America with a then-brand new Los Angeles band called POISON as the opening act. Lead single "Dance" hit the Billboard Hot 100 and spawned another music video hit with "Slip Of The Lip", while "Body Talk" was featured in a key scene in the Eddie Murphy film "The Golden Child". "Dancing Undercover" became RATT's third consecutive platinum album and reached No. 26 on the Billboard 200.

1988's "Reach For The Sky" saw RATT return to the Top 20 of the Billboard 200 album charts, peaking at No. 17. Driven by the bluesy hit and MTV favorite "Way Cool Jr.", "Reach For The Sky" was also certified platinum and became RATT's fourth album in a row to move well over a million copies. "I Want A Woman" was also a successful single and the video captured the excitement and energy of RATT live.

RATT released its last full-length record of the Atlantic era, "Detonator", in 1990. Music was changing, but "Detonator" was still a success, peaking at No. 23 on the Billboard 200 and going gold. It was the first RATT album to feature major outside songwriting contributions (Desmond Child, Diane Warren) and guests (Jon Bon Jovi, Michael Schenker). Lead single "Lovin' You's A Dirty Job" hit No. 18 on the rock chart while the power ballad "Giving Yourself Away" reached No. 39.

In 1991, they released the single "Nobody Rides For Free" from the hit film "Point Break", starring Keanu Reeves and Patrick Swayze, which is exclusive to the LP box.
A big THANK YOU to @MarciWiser at @955KLOS (support since day 1 circa 83) for a great chit chat about the RATT Boxset release June 9, 2023. The “Sunset Strip Experience” Tours 2023-2024, the OG alumni circa 1980’s. #rattnroll PR @misstruthadare for TFE https://t.co/9io0gr3pjHpic.twitter.com/YvVwqNHtSn

— STEPHEN E PEARCY (@StephenEPearcy) June 8, 2023

Nita Strauss kicked off her "Summer Storm" tour last night (Tuesday, June 13) at the Exit/In in Nashville, Tennessee. Fan-filmed video and photos of the concert can be found below (courtesy of Anna Henry and Father Nathan Monk).

As previously reported, Nita recruited a vocalist named Kasey Karlsen to join her onstage during "Summer Storm".

In a Twitter message introducing Kasey, Nita wrote: "We needed someone fearless and versatile for this tour who could handle tons of different vocal styles, and if you've seen Kasey's videos you already know she can do it all. She is going to destroy these stages and we are beyond excited to have her with us!!"

Karlsen has a half a million followers on TikTok where she posts vocal covers of such acts as SLIPKNOT, MOTIONLESS IN WHITE, BRING ME THE HORIZON and ICE NINE KILLS.

The "Summer Storm" trek will wrap up on July 14 in New Orleans. Support on the tour is coming from LIONS AT THE GATE, the new band featuring former ILL NIÑO members Cristian Machado (vocals),Ahrue "Luster" Ilustre (guitar) and Diego Verduzco (guitar),alongside bassist Stephen Brewer (WESTFIELD MASSACRE) and drummer Fern Lemus.

Nita will release her sophomore solo album, "The Call Of The Void", on July 7 via Sumerian Records. The LP features guest appearances by IN FLAMES vocalist Anders Fridén, former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman, HALESTORM frontwoman Lzzy Hale, Alice Cooper, DISTURBED's David Draiman, Dorothy, Alissa White-Gluz of ARCH ENEMY and Chris Motionless of MOTIONLESS IN WHITE.

Regarding the album's title, Strauss shared: "Have you ever been at the top of a high building and had the fleeting thought, '… I could jump right now?' This feeling is sometimes called 'The Call Of The Void,' also known as 'high place phenomenon.' It's not a suicidal impulse, rather the exact opposite — a subconscious decision to live your life, to step back from the ledge, and take control. As researcher April Smith aptly put it: 'An urge to jump affirms the urge to live.'

"I wanted the follow-up to 'Controlled Chaos' to be exciting, new, and fresh, to take listeners to a new place and take myself somewhere new as an artist too. We have some amazing collaborations on this album with incredible musicians, as well as the instrumental guitar music that first inspired me to play.

"Some pieces of music come into the world gracefully and easily. This album is not one of them! 'The Call Of The Void' was born kicking and screaming, a labor of love for sure, but also of blood, sweat and plenty of tears. I couldn't be more proud of the end result. Making this album helped me learn and grow so much as a musician and songwriter and I'm excited to finally unleash it on the world."

In early December 2022, Nita told "The Mistress Carrie Podcast" about her decision to make the upcoming LP half vocal songs and half instrumental: "I did feel, and the label and everybody agreed, it's still important for me to keep my identity as a guitar player and not just branch off too much and go, 'Okay, well, now it's just guests.' Let me still have a little of what makes me me, which is the instrumental shred stuff. And the instrumental pieces that I've written on this record are, I think, better than anything I did on the first one — definitely more… I don't know if it could be more emotional but they're very emotional pieces of music and I think a little better crafted this time around. So I think all the songs in general are more well thought out, better put together this time around. And I do have some of my absolute favorite [singers guesting on it]."

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.



Posted by Anna Henry on Wednesday, June 14, 2023



Posted by Anna Henry on Wednesday, June 14, 2023



Posted by Anna Henry on Wednesday, June 14, 2023

Last night was FUN! 🤩 my buddy Cristian Machado (former singer of Ill Niño) who is currently on tour with Nita Strauss...

Posted by Anna Henry on Wednesday, June 14, 2023

In my continued quest to learn how to socialize post the world reopening, I had the pleasure of seeing one of my...

Posted by Father Nathan Monk on Tuesday, June 13, 2023

US-based cinematic rock band, Edge Of Paradise, have released a lyric video for "Soldiers Of Danger", off their upcoming album, Hologram, co produced with Mike Plotnikoff and mixed by Jacob Hansen. Watch the clip below.





Edge of Paradise have unveiled the pre-order package, that features signed CD/vinyl of the new album, t-shirt, signed poster and "Never Surrender" military tag necklace. Pre-order here.




For the album cover art, the band, once again teamed up with the artist, Alex Ruiz.


"Edge of Paradise thanks our production team Mike Plotnikoff, Jacob Hansen, FM Music Management, 33 & West and all the fans that keep fuelling our world!"





Tracklisting:


"Hologram"
"This Is Personal"
"Soldiers Of Danger"
"The Faceless"
"Dark"
"Unbeatable"
"Don't Give Up On Me"
"One More Time"
"Basilisk"
"Another Life"


"Soldiers Of Danger" lyric video:





"Hologram" video:





Catch the band's futuristic show at Blue Ridge Rock Fest, September 7-10, and keep posted for more upcoming tour dates on EdgeOfParadiseBand.com.

Metal heavyweights Any Given Day, who hail from the heart of the German Ruhr area, have released their flaming new single, "Get That Done," out now worldwide via Arising Empire. It's a high-octane metalcore track designed to unleash your inner beast and overcome everything in your life. Watch the video below.





"'Get That Done' is more than a - it's our anthem, echoing our unity, determination, and hunger for greatness," the band says. "From our very first show, it has been our battle cry, propelling us forward on every stage and journey. It reminds us that we have the power to overcome any obstacle, to leave our mark upon the world, and to ignite the fire within others. Together, we are an unstoppable force! So, let the world hear our anthem and join us as we rise to GET THAT DONE."







Although hailing from Germany, Any Given Day are living The American Dream. Founded in 2012, they ignited interest in 2014 with their debut, My Longest Way Home (Official German album charts: #28). Then they boldly proved they were more than just an internet phenomenon with 2016's Everlasting (Official German album charts: #14). Any Given Day look back on countless tours and shows with the likes of Caliban, Bury Tomorrow, Trivium, or Suicide Silence on stages of every size. On Overpower (Official German album charts: #19), Any Given Day perfected their blend of unruly brutality, melodies, and catchiness.


Any Given Day are:


Dennis Diehl - Vocals
Andy Posdziech - Guitar
Dennis Ter Schmitten - Guitar
Michael Golinski - Bass
Leon Stiller - Drums


(Photo - Frank Dursthoff)

Outer Heaven return with their crushing new album, Infinite Psychic Depths, out July 21. Today, the band shares the second single, “Liquified Mind”, with an accompanying lyric video. Watch below:





Infinite Psychic Depths, an exploration into the darkest depths of extreme music, showcases Outer Heaven's muscle, as the band churns out some of 2023's most visceral and frenetic slabs of twisted death metal.




“We could not be more psyched to share this culmination of many years of hard work with the world! To have this chance to build and expand upon our previous works has been extremely thrilling and rewarding. We are always striving to evolve our sound and introduce some new elements into the mix, and we feel we definitely achieved that with this album. We hope that this album drags the listener deep within themselves, to discover true madness within the Infinite Psychic Depths!“ - Austin Haines


Physical Infinite Psychic Depths pre-orders are available via Relapse.com here. Digital Downloads/streaming are available here.


Taking advantage of guitarists Jonathan Kunz’s and Zak Carter’s penchant for technical prowess and rhythmic galloping with melodic catchiness, Outer Heaven bridges the worlds of dark 'n’ dank despair and upbeat hooks. Austin Haines' vocal delivery is as unchained as ever, barking and growling through interwoven stories of societal collapse, hallucinogens, mutations, and more, connecting Infinite Psychic Depths to their acclaimed debut, Realms of Eternal Decay.


Methodological riffing swirls around muscular half-time clobbering in both “Soul Remnants” and “Unspeakable Aura". “Pillars of Dust” and “Liquified Mind” take the listener on a journey from the furthest reaches of the Earth’s exosphere to the sweat and spilled beer of a dive bar moshpit. “Fragmented Suspension” gives a backhand to the genre tunnel vision with a tendinitis-inducing palm muted shuffle that’s part Norwegian black metal iciness and part classic ‘80s L.A. hardcore skate punk.


Recorded by Ryan Reed and mixed and mastered by Greg Wilkinson at Earhammer Studios, Infinite Psychic Depths throws a few tricks and guest appearances into the mix with bass playing by Derrick Vella from Tomb Mold, as well as vocal contributions from Pig Destroyer’s JR Hayes, Morbid Angel’s Steve Tucker and Alex Jones from Undeath. The new album also features a special appearance by Dave Suzuki (Churchburn, ex-Vital Remains) doing a trade-off solo on “Rotting Stone/D.M.T.”.


Album art by Matt Stikker.





Infinite Psychic Depths tracklisting:


"Soul Remnants"
"Pillars Of Dust"
"Fragmented Suspension"
"Drained Of Life"
"Liquified Mind"
"Unspeakable Aura"
"Rotting Stone / D.M.T."
"Starcrusher"
"Pallasite Chambers"
"Warped Transcendence"
"From Nothingness To Eternity"


"Rotting Stone / D.M.T." video:





Outer Heaven are:


Austin Haines - Vocals
Jon Kunz - Guitar
Zak Carter - Guitar
Paul Tshudy - Bass
Paul Chrismer - Drums


(Photo - Scott Kinkade)

During a new appearance on "Piers Morgan Uncensored" on TalkTV, KISS bassist/vocalist Gene Simmons was asked to weigh in on criticism over Roger Waters's concerts last month in Berlin during which the former PINK FLOYD leader displayed Nazi-like symbolism and made what some people have described as offensive comments about Holocaust victim Anne Frank.

During the shows at Mercedes Benz Arena, Waters appeared on stage as the character Pink from the rock opera "The Wall" during a performance of the song "In The Flesh", wearing a black leather trench coat with a red armband bearing two crossed hammers instead of a swastika.

It was later reported that Waters was under investigation for possible incitement by German police, in addition to possibly having committed trademark abuse for the use of Frank's name without the consent of the Anne Frank Foundation, which has trademarked the name.

Waters projected Frank's name on a giant screen during the shows, along with several other names of contemporary figures including George Floyd and Shireen Abu Akleh.

Speaking to "Piers Morgan Uncensored", Simmons, who is Jewish, said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, first of all, [Roger Waters is] a very talented guy. He's written some of the most wonderful music, along with [the rest of PINK] FLOYD many, many decades [ago]. And it's obviously held up, and he's got lots of fans.

"There is something to be said for keeping your political and other beliefs off the stage. His choice is to use the stage as a platform to further his point of view. There is a difference between a political statement about Israel and about anti-Semitism. By the way, anti-Semitism also involves Arabs; the definition of a Semite includes the Arab world.

"I think he's a well-meaning guy," Simmons continued. "I don't agree with his point of views, of course… I think he is, from my point of view, inflamed, angry about the political situation — as we all are."

Addressing specifically Waters's pro-Palestine activism, Gene said: "The best way to have a discussion or even an argument is find common ground. And then get into the diversions of what you think. So what we agree with — and I'm Israeli and Jewish. My mother was in a concentration camp in Nazi Germany and so on and so forth. I'm not saying this to get your heart pumping… We agree there absolutely should be an Arab state, Palestine — no question about it. It should exist side by side with Israel. There should be free flow of information and commerce and so on. Okay, so it doesn't exist now. Let's work together to try to make it happen. So what's the problem?"

Waters has been an active member of the Boycott, Divestment, and Sanctions (BDS) movement against the state of Israel for more than a decade, and has routinely called for a total cultural boycott in Israel, urging artists to not perform in the region. He has also called out other artists for holding concerts in the Israeli capital, including RADIOHEAD frontman Thom Yorke.

Waters wrote the majority of the music and was responsible for all of the conceptual elements and lyrics for PINK FLOYD's most successful albums.

PINK FLOYD recorded some of the most popular music of the 1970s, including the albums "Dark Side Of The Moon" (1973),"Wish You Were Here" (1975),"Animals" (1977) and "The Wall" (1979).

Since his departure from PINK FLOYD in 1985, Waters has been involved in a legal dispute with former bandmates, guitarists and vocalist David Gilmour and drummer Nick Mason, about the use of the band's name.

Zakk Wylde says that the current PANTERA tour is the ultimate tribute to the band's late co-founders, guitarist "Dimebag" Darrell Abbott and drummer Vincent "Vinnie Paul" Abbott.

Wylde and ANTHRAX drummer Charlie Benante, along with PANTERA's surviving members, singer Philip Anselmo and bassist Rex Brown, are on the road as PANTERA, headlining a number of major festivals across North America and Europe and staging some of their own headline concerts. They will also support METALLICA on a massive stadium tour in 2023 and 2024.

"To me, it's just a beautiful thing," Wylde told Guitar World magazine. "Whenever we do the Experience Hendrix thing, we pay tribute to the amazing music and playing of Jimi Hendrix. And when I'm playing 'Mr. Crowley' or 'Crazy Train' with Ozzy [Osbourne], we're celebrating the greatness of Randy [Rhoads]. It's not controversial or tragic. It's about this awesome thing PANTERA created — and this community of people who still enjoy it.

"We're up there celebrating Dime and Vinnie," he added. "That's what this is about, and it brings joy to so many people. For us, it's really special because we're commemorating our buddies — the guys in PANTERA who we loved — and everything they did for music."

Asked if he already knew how to play all the songs before he started rehearsing with the rest of the current PANTERA lineup, he said: "It's so funny that people think I'd already played all these songs. On the first ANTHRAX/BLACK LABEL run we did, [bassist] Frankie Bello was like, 'Zakk, you know all the parts, right?' I go, 'No, I don't know any of the parts. Why would I?' It's like if Dime agreed to fill in for me doing a run with Ozzy and I asked him, 'Hey, can you come up right now and play the solo to 'No More Tears', 'Miracle Man' or 'Stillborn'?' He'd be like, 'Well, I've heard the songs, but that doesn't mean I know how to play 'em. First I gotta learn 'em!' You have to practice, and you have to work on it to get everything right."

Pressed about whether it was easy to learn Dime's parts, Zakk said: "Some of them. But I had to go to YouTube for a batch of stuff if I couldn't figure it out. That was definitely a massive help. And then there were still about two or three things where Rex went, 'Nah, you're slightly off. Do this' — whatever it was. And I'm like, 'Oh, okay. I got it now.'"

According to Billboard, the current PANTERA lineup has been given a green light by the estates of Vinnie Paul and Dimebag.

This past March, PANTERA headlined the 2023 "comeback" edition of Japan's Loud Park festival. The two-day "limited" event took place on March 25 at Intex Osaka in Osaka and March 26 at Makuhari Messe in Chiba City near Tokyo.

In December, PANTERA played seven shows in Mexico and South America.

Brown was forced to leave PANTERA's Latin American tour after testing positive for COVID-19. Filling in for him at some of the shows was CATTLE DECAPITATION bassist Derek Engemann, who also plays with Anselmo in both PHILIP H. ANSELMO & THE ILLEGALS and SCOUR.

Up until his passing, Vinnie remained on non-speaking terms with Anselmo, whom the drummer indirectly blamed for Dimebag's death.

Vinnie Paul and Dimebag co-founded PANTERA. When PANTERA broke up in 2003, they formed DAMAGEPLAN. On December 8, 2004, while performing with DAMAGEPLAN at the Alrosa Villa in Columbus, Ohio, Dimebag was shot and killed onstage by a troubled schizophrenic who believed that the members of PANTERA were stealing his thoughts.

Vinnie passed away on June 22, 2018 at his other home in Las Vegas at the age of 54. He died of dilated cardiomyopathy, an enlarged heart, as well as severe coronary artery disease. His death was the result of chronic weakening of the heart muscle — basically meaning his heart couldn't pump blood as well as a healthy heart.

Theogonia Records, the bastion of darkness and purveyor of extreme music has announced the debut album from the Greek black metal powerhouse Temple Of Katharsis. Prepare to descend into the depths of the abyss as Macabre Ritual is set to be unleashed on August 4, 2023.


Temple Of Katharsis, known for their unyielding intensity and uncompromising vision, has crafted a sonic opus that captures the essence of their infernal artistry. Macabre Ritual delves deep into the realm of Satanism, anti-religion, death, darkness, and war, leaving no soul untouched by its malevolent power.


This monumental release will be available in both digital format and a striking jewel case CD edition, featuring a meticulously crafted 12-page booklet that transports listeners into the twisted realms envisioned by Temple Of Katharsis. The artwork, a haunting representation of the macabre, perfectly encapsulates the atmosphere of the album, leaving an indelible impression upon the beholder.




With Macabre Ritual, Temple Of Katharsis beckons the brave to immerse themselves in the abyss. This abyssal odyssey features eight unholy hymns that will cast a malevolent spell upon all who dare to listen. From the chilling and atmospheric depths of “Abyssal Cold Void” to the relentless assault of “The Burning Flood of Antichrist“, and the occultic incantations of “Inside the Medieval Crypt” each track immerses the listener in a macabre world of sinister rituals and sinister narratives.


With bass and vocals recorded at the renowned H12 Audio in Thessaloniki, and guitars recorded at the enigmatic “Dark Templar H/Studio” in Kalamata, the production quality of Macabre Ritual is a testament to the dedication and expertise that Temple Of Katharsis brings to their craft.


Produced by Major and meticulously mixed and mastered at H12 Audio, the album emerges with an uncompromising sonic force, capturing every bone-chilling detail and enhancing the immersive experience. The collaboration between Temple Of Katharsis and these studios has resulted in a meticulously crafted sonic journey that will envelop listeners in a world of darkness and despair.


The band has y crafted this album to transport fans into a world consumed by darkness and despair. Theogonia Records’ manager expressed their excitement, stating, “We are honored to bring Temple Of Katharsis Macabre Ritual to the forefront of the black metal realm. This album is a testament to the band’s unwavering dedication to their craft, and we are confident that it will leave an indelible mark on the genre.”





Tracklisting:


“Abyssal Cold Void (Intro)”
“The Burning Flood Of Antichrist”
“Erasure Of Religious Existence”
“In The Dungeons With The Rats”
“Ο Αρχιερεύς Των Λύκων (The Archpriest Of The Wolves)”
“Inside The Medieval Crypt”
“The Kingdom Of Hades”
“Macabre Ritual”


“The Burning Flood Of Antichrist”:





(Photo – Mia Kiriaidou / WP Productions Dimitra)