Nearly five months after TWISTED SISTER's one-off onstage reunion at the Metal Hall Of Fame in Agoura Hills, California, Dee Snider was asked in a new interview with 94.5 KATS about the possibility of more live performances from him and his bandmates. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, I'm a man of my word, and I said that we were retiring in 2016. And that's it. People reacted very positively when I said I could see TWISTED getting together for a charity event for a few songs. We got together for the Heavy Metal Hall Of Fame induction [in January]. I can see something like that. We're all friends, and it's fun. But going out, hitting the road…

"I was offered a role… They're doing a new Broadway production of 'Peter Pan', and they want me to play Captain Hook," he continued. "And they wanted me to go out on tour for two years, playing Captain Hook, and then bring it to Broadway. And I was going, 'I am flattered. I would be an amazing Captain Hook, now that I think about it. But at the same time, that part of my life is done. That living out of a suitcase — I'm done.'"

This past April, Dee told Yahoo! Entertainment that the band will come back together next year for special performances "at different political rallies that need our support." The singer added: "We were all in favor of gonna go down to support Beto [O'Rourke], but we couldn't schedule it. You know, the band has a concern that the [classic TWISTED SISTER] song ['We're Not Gonna Take It'] is being co-opted by the extreme right… and we want to make sure that people still know it's a song for everybody and it does not represent that selfish micro group. It is really for the mass people, the moderate people, the people that just want to live their lives, be themselves, and not have people tell 'em they can't be themselves. So, I think you'll see us at political rallies and stuff like that. We'll be out there next year."

On hand to be inducted into the Metal Hall Of Fame were Snider, guitarist Jay Jay French, bassist Mark "The Animal" Mendoza and Mike Portnoy, who has played drums for TWISTED SISTER since the passing of former member A.J. Pero. Guitarist Eddie Ojeda was absent from the event after contracting COVID-19; filling in for him was Keith Robert War.

The highlight of the ceremony — which also saw FOREIGNER singer Lou Gramm, NWOBHM heroes RAVEN, and guitarists Chris Impellitteri and Doug Aldrich honored — was TWISTED SISTER's highly charged three-song set consisting of the staples "You Can't Stop Rock 'N' Roll" and "Under The Blade", as well as the anthem "We're Not Gonna To Take It".

In late January, Snider told Eonmusic that there were no additional TWISTED SISTER reunion performances in the works. "A hard 'no plans'," he said at the time. "No plans at all to do that."

Going on to reference both OZZY OSBOURNE and MÖTLEY CRÜE's retirement and returns, he added: "You know, I've said when people retire, they should leave the stage, and all those bands, I'm tired of buying 'No More Tours' shirts and seeing people signing contracts in blood and then they show up three years later. I don't believe in that bullshit, so I don't think it's going to happen."

In March, French told Canada's The Metal Voice that the Metal Hall Of Fame performance shouldn't give fans the impression that there will be more TWISTED SISTER performances to follow. "There's no reunion to speak of," he said. "I'm not gonna be so cynical and say that it couldn't lead to conversations, but we never had a single conversation about a reunion prior to this. Not one.

"People always go, 'When are you guys getting back together?' I say, 'Well, we talk all the time, but we never talk about playing. But we talk about business,'" Jay Jay added. "Why do we talk about business? Because 'We're Not Gonna Take It' and 'I Wanna Rock' are the most licensed songs in the history of the music business; they're in more TV commercials, movie soundtracks… So we do licensing deals all day long. It's really what we do. I'm in the business of music licensing, which is a business I didn't know existed."

In 2016, TWISTED SISTER embarked on one final trek, titled "Forty And Fuck It", in celebration of its 40th anniversary. These shows featured the band's "core lineup" of Snider, French, Ojeda and Mendoza, along with Portnoy. The band's last-ever concert took place in November of that year — 20 months after the passing of Pero.

TWISTED SISTER's original run ended in the late '80s. After more than a decade, the band publicly reunited in November 2001 to top the bill of New York Steel, a hard-rock benefit concert to raise money for the New York Police And Fire Widows' And Children's Benefit Fund.

The surviving members of the classic lineup of TWISTED SISTER previously reunited virtually in March 2021 for a special episode of Mendoza's Internet TV show "22 Now". The hour-and-a-half-long program was a tribute to Pero, who died exactly six years earlier at the age of 55 while on tour with the band ADRENALINE MOB.

Prior to the March 2021 virtual reunion, the four surviving members of TWISTED SISTER reunited for two days and nights in November 2019 to celebrate the 35th anniversary of the band's classic album "Stay Hungry".

In a 2021 interview with the "Metal From The Inside" podcast, Snider was asked if he is still steadfast about not wanting TWISTED SISTER to reunite. He responded: "[I am] one hundred percent committed to not reuniting. Now, let me just be clear: we're friends. I did a [solo] show a couple of weeks ago [on June 11 at Stereo Garden in Patchogue, New York] and [TWISTED SISTER bassist Mark] Mendoza showed up, and we did [TWISTED SISTER's] 'Under The Blade', and it was awesome. I talk to the guys all the time. I can show you my text messages. We have a little text group, and we were sending messages back and forth.

"To me, that was the reason to reunite, was to fix the relationships [between the members of the band], and we did fix' em, and we're friends," he explained. "I feel we did what we could do without just doing the same thing over. And I wanted to do some new, challenging things that I couldn't do within TWISTED. And the solo records I've done I could not have done with TWISTED SISTER. I could not have done 'Dee Does Broadway' with TWISTED SISTER — 'Twisted Does Broadway'. And I could not have done 'For The Love Of Metal' with TWISTED SISTER; people would never have accepted it. But as a solo artist, I'm allowed to change and evolve. And some things [fans have] liked; some things they've not liked. But at the same time, I'm allowed; no one's ever questioned [it]. And, again, if TWISTED SISTER did it, it would be, like, 'Hey, it doesn't sound like TWISTED SISTER anymore'; it would have been that kind of thing."

Circling back to the prospect of TWISTED SISTER reuniting, Dee said: "I could see us doing a charity — a couple of songs for charity, for the right reasons. We got [back] together originally for charity, which was a good reason to get together. I could see [talk show host Jimmy] Fallon — he's a big fan — if he said, 'Hey, guys, can you guys come on '[The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon'] and do 'White Christmas' for us?' Fuck yeah. But to do a tour, to do 90 minutes, two hours on a stage, I don't see that happening. And credit to everybody in the band, and I know some people — without naming names — some guys, they would have kept going; others did not wanna keep going. But I'm sure we get offers. Jay Jay French is the manager of TWISTED, 'cause it's still an entity — there's still royalties and licenses and things like that, and merchandise — he's not presented one offer, and I'm sure we've gotten 'em. 'Cause we're not even considering it. It doesn't matter what they're offering; we're not doing it."

Joe Lynn Turner performed without his trademark wig live this past Thursday, June 8 at the Rock Orchestra Fest at Dinamo National Olympic Stadium in Minsk, the capital and the largest city of Belarus. Video and photos of his performance can be found below.

The former RAINBOW and DEEP PURPLE singer, who turned 71 last summer, said a few months ago that now was the right time to finally drop the hairpiece he has worn since the age of 14 after being diagnosed with alopecia at three years old.

Turner went public with his new look in August 2022 in a series publicity images released to promote his latest solo album, "Belly Of The Beast". In a press release for the LP, Joe said that he started wearing the wig to deal with "emotional and psychological damage from cruel bullying in school."

"In a way, it's a blessing and a curse," Joe admitted. "I have nothing to prove, and I can wear a wig — or not. I am free to do what I want. I'm a grown man, and I'm getting to be an older man.

"Many men in this business eventually come to the decision to continue to 'wear hair' or shave their head which is very fashionable today. Either way, it takes a lot of personal courage. Assholes in high school trying to kick me around made me stronger and gave me the necessary motivation and strength to rise above the rest. Anger and pain are a great tool. If applied correctly, it could develop you to become the best version of yourself. Instead of running away, I was 'hiding in plain sight.'"

In a recent interview with Barbara Caserta of Italy's Linea Rock, Joe spoke about what it has been like finally ditching the wig after all these years. He said: "Well, first of all, I don't think I was ready. And with the love, support, understanding of my family and close friends, especially my wife, who thinks I'm much sexier without it, I just said, 'You know, I'm 71 years old. I'm not trying to hide it from anyone. What the hell is the difference?' So with the change, with the transformation of my music, I made a transformation physically. And I said, 'Okay, here we go.' It's not a big deal to me — it never was.

"But also, I think the industry wasn't ready. I think back then [in the 1980s], everything was about the hair and you had to fit in with the uniform. Everybody wears a uniform; everyone wears a costume in life.

"So I think now is the time. Just like a good wine, you can't make the wine come before its time; it needs to ferment. And I needed to ferment. I needed to be more strong emotionally, more strong psychologically, more mature, and I think I've reached that point.

"And the upshot of that whole thing is, which is really unique, is that if I want to play a show like the old Joe Lynn Turner, I just put the hair back on. And if I play 'Belly Of The Beast', I take the hair off. Now, that is a costume. And you know what? Bands like KISS, bands like SLIPKNOT, GHOST, they have the makeup, they have the masks, they have the hair, they have everything. There's no big deal with this. This is show business. So what's the big deal?"

Turner previously discussed his decision to drop the wig in an interview last September with the "Rock Of Nations With Dave Kinchen And Shane McEachern" podcast. At the time, he said: "It's absolutely liberating. First of all, I'll give a little background. It was an open secret. It wasn't like I was trying to fool people or ever denied it or anything. In fact, I never thought it was that important, but certain, shall we say haters, or whatever, these bigots, these bullies, they would always take a shot at me, which I always thought they were just pretty jealous, really, to be honest with you. And then it said more about them than it does me. That's not my kind of people. What about the music? That's what's important."

He continued: "I knew this was on my so-called bucket list before I was gonna leave this planet. And while we were making this record, I started to feel, 'Something has to happen.' And my partner, wife, co-manager — she's amazing — she just said, 'Now's the time, man.' And I said, 'You know, you're right.' Even though I was trepidatious about it — of course, she would know naturally I would be a little fearful, because you're putting your foot in an unknown territory — she said, 'You know what? Once you're yourself, people love you more.' And she was damn well right. Once you're yourself, people love you more, because you come out and say, 'This is me. I've got nothing to hide. I've got nothing to prove. Take your shots. Do what you've gotta do. And hey, by the way, here's the record. Now what?'"

Alopecia areata is a disease that happens when the immune system attacks hair follicles and causes hair loss. Hair follicles are the structures in skin that form hair. While hair can be lost from any part of the body, alopecia areata usually affects the head and face. Hair typically falls out in small, round patches about the size of a quarter, but in some cases, hair loss is more extensive. Most people with the disease are healthy and have no other symptoms.

Alopecia became a topic of discussion in the mainstream media in March 2022 when actor Will Smith slapped comedian Chris Rock at the Oscars ceremony. Will's wife, the 50-year-old actress Jade Pinkett Smith, experienced hair loss due to alopecia and has always openly shared her struggle. The confrontation took place after Rock made a joke, calling Pinkett Smith "G.I. Jane" in reference to her bald head, which she has previously explained is due to alopecia. The shocking incident saw Will storm on stage to hit Chris following the offending comment before returning to his seat and yelling "keep my wife's name out of your fucking mouth" shortly before he collected his best actor gong for his role in "King Richard".

A few hours after Joe first posted his new photos on social media, fellow ex-RAINBOW singer Graham Bonnet took to his Facebook page to share one of the images and he wrote in an accompanying message: "Hi all. Graham here. I'm posting this photo of my friend Joe Lynn Turner because I was moved to tears today when I saw it.

"Joe exemplifies the meaning of rockstar. His bravery is staggering. This industry is ruthless (especially in our genre),particularly when it comes to hair. I still hear the tale about Ritchie Blackmore posting a guard at my hotel door to keep me from getting a haircut. BTW, that never happened, although he was so pissed when I did visit the barber.

"But I digress...... I don't know if Joe will see this but I want him to know how proud I am of him and how moved I was at his honesty.

"You have blazed a trail today, Joe. If you are reading this, I want you to know that I never realized what a beautiful man you were until I saw this photo."

Joe was the singer of RAINBOW between 1980 and 1984 and he sang on the album "Difficult To Cure", which featured the band's most successful U.K. single, "I Surrender".

During Turner's time with RAINBOW, the band had its first USA chart success and recorded songs that helped define the melodic rock genre.

1990 saw Turner reunited with RAINBOW leader Ritchie Blackmore in a reformed DEEP PURPLE for the "Slaves And Masters" album.

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

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

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

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

Tremonti came together with surviving members of Frank Sinatra's orchestra, creating new takes on some of the classics and some deeper cuts from Frank's catalog. From the opening horns and piano of "I've Got You Under My Skin" to final vocal outro of "All Or Nothing At All", Tremonti showcases the signature vocal approach and exemplary musicianship that made Sinatra's work timeless. To see his vision through, Mark reached out to Sinatra's musical director Mike Smith who collected as many remaining members as possible of Frank's touring band to record the music for "Tremonti Sings Sinatra". Popular standards like "I've Got The World On A String", "My Way" and "That's Life" find new life in the hands of these incredible musicians. Tremonti — known for his guitar work that has won him countless accolades — leaves the instrument behind and just sings on the 14-track album. The artwork on the album cover is an original painting that Tremonti created especially for this project.

Photo credit: Chuck Brueckmann

Singer Tommy Karevik has quit the Swedish progressive metal band SEVENTH WONDER.

Earlier today (Monday, June 12),the 41-year-old Swedish-born vocalist, who has been a member of KAMELOT since 2012, released the following statement via social media: "Dear friends and SEVENTH WONDER supporters around the world. Tommy here. Respectfully, if I could please have a few minutes of your time.

"There's no easy way to say what I am about say, so I will just come out and say it... Moving forward, I will no longer be the singer of SEVENTH WONDER.

"Man... I knew this was going to be very hard, but it was so much harder than I thought actually putting the pen to the paper... Seeing the words written down makes me more than a little emotional.

"I love the music we've made. I love my brothers in the band and I am so incredibly proud of everything we've managed to create for ourselves during the last 18 something years. Organically, we fought for our own little piece of real estate in the prog metal universe, put a fence around it and called it our own. Unique and uplifting progmetal with catchy choruses. Playful, poppy melodies and raw emotion. Someone once said we sounded like 'EUROPE on steroids'... I loved that description so that one stuck with me. We were all boys that grew to be men alongside each other. Through celebrations and tragedies we supported each other. Some became fathers and husbands. Many of the absolute best moments and memories, not only in music but in life in general, we shared together. Nothing will ever take that away or diminish the importance of that for me.

"I am a relentlessly stubborn person... I don't consider myself a quitter... I don't give up.. However I think it is important to understand when it is best to move on for the sake of your own progress and wellbeing as well as for the people around you. To move on is simply making room for the new things you want in life. That being said, I feel like I have done my part as a singer, writer and coproducer of SEVENTH WONDER. I have said what I wanted to say. I have spent all my energy, countless hours of blood sweat and tears, and poured my heart and soul into this band since day one, and It couldn't have been any other way. It is just the way I am wired. But everything has a time and a place and it's time for me to let my creativity and energy flow in a different direction.

"Bottom line is that we only have one life. That is true for everyone and I feel like I need to make room for all the music that I still have inside me. Music that makes me happy and that not yet have had an outlet. It is the best and most honest way I can contribute to the world. It's a new chapter of my life, and one that I am very excited about. SEVENTH WONDER is definitely a part of my identity and that's never going to change.

"I am so thankful that I got to be a part of the SW journey. Thankful to my bandmates for taking me in and believing in me all those years ago, and thankful for everything that it led to. It has very much shaped me into who I am today.

"We sure have come a long way from that moldy stamp of a rehearsal space in Ulvsunda, and my somewhat unconventional audition of 'Stad i ljus'. And we did it as a band... Together.

"Lastly, I am thankful for all the beautiful friends and supporters that we, as a band, have had the honor of meeting along the way. Unconditional love is the best way I can describe it. Always there on the sidelines cheering us on, even through periods of time when there was seemingly very little to cheer for. You are some of the finest and most patient fans in the world and you are a huge reason to why this is so hard to write.

"So goodnight, but not goodbye. Rest assured that you will be hearing a lot more from both me and SW in the future, as we will all keep following our hearts in pursuit of happiness through the arts.

"There is no bad blood between me and the rest of the band as we keep being the best of friends, and I wish nothing but success and happiness for the guys moving forward.

"Thanks for listening. I Love you all, and I hope to have your continued support and understanding.

"With gratitude. Tommy".

The remaining members of SEVENTH WONDER issued a separate statement, saying: "Dear fans and friends, Tommy is leaving SEVENTH WONDER. Wow. It feels incredibly strange to write these words - that Tommy is no longer a part of the band.

"As you can see in his press release he has decided to leave SW because he can't devote the time he would want to the band. We all know his heart and character, and that he never does anything half-assed. If he needs to move on to make room for other activities, then we appreciate that it would cause too much frustration to stay. Four eager fellas banging on the door to move faster doesn't make it easier either...

"We are so impressed with Tommy and everything he has achieved, we love him dearly and as a band fully support this decision. We do wish to be clear though, that there is nothing we would want more than to have Tommy in the band giving it 100%. The five us are brothers and we all love each other so much and feel such pride over all we have created, achieved and experienced. Him leaving isn't a surprise to us, but still sad beyond belief to see the end of an era.

"For almost 20 years he has been an incredibly important part of what makes the band stand out and his genius is undisputed. Tommy's playful approach to music combined with an uncanny sense of melody helped us find our way and create our own sound. It is impossible to overstate the importance he has had on our sound and in redefining the genre of progressive metal music. There is quite honestly no one like him.

"We, the remaining members of SEVENTH WONDER, are 100% dedicated to keep on doing what we are doing. We are already writing songs for the next album and feel passionate about the new material and look at the future with great anticipation, hope and faith.

"In parallel with writing new material, we will immediately start to look for a worthy successor, to join us in the studio and on stage and grab the mike and lead the way into the next chapter of SW history. We encourage anyone, known or unknown, who would want to be a part of this journey and who has what it takes, to reach out to us.

"Thank you so much for all your support and love for the band. We ask you to keep supporting Tommy and his future endeavors and that you also keep supporting us. While we certainly encourage you to keep on celebrating all the music we have created in the past, we ask you to also dare to look optimistically towards the future and join us to find out what that future will be!

"Good luck, Tommy, we love you bro!

"People, get ready for SW mark IV!"

Originally formed in Stockholm in 2000, SEVENTH WONDER debuted in 2005 with "Become". The second album, "Waiting In The Wings", and first to feature Karevik on vocals, followed in 2006. Two more successful records, the concept album "Mercy Falls" (2008) and "The Great Escape" (2010),followed before the band went on a hiatus of sorts following Karevik being chosen to take Roy Khan's place in KAMELOT. SEVENTH WONDER returned to action with 2018's "Tiara" album and followed it up with last year's "The Testament".

Dear friends and Seventh Wonder supporters around the world. Tommy here. Respectfully, if I could please have a few...

Posted by Tommy Karevik on Monday, June 12, 2023

Dear fans and friends,

Tommy is leaving Seventh Wonder. Wow.
It feels incredibly strange to write these words - that...

Posted by Seventh Wonder on Monday, June 12, 2023

SKID ROW's Swedish-born singer Erik Grönwall has shared behind-the-scenes video from his June 10 homecoming concert with his bandmates at the Sweden Rock Festival in Sölvesborg, Sweden. Check it out below.

Grönwall famously went from auditioning for the competition show "Swedish Idol" back in 2009 by singing a cover of SKID ROW's "18 And Life" to now fronting the band.

Grönwall joined SKID ROW as the replacement for ZP Theart, who had been in the group for more than six years.

In March 2022, SKID ROW released its first single with Grönwall, "The Gang's All Here". The song is the title track of the band's latest album, which arrived in October via earMUSIC.

SKID ROW recorded most of "The Gang's All Here" in Nashville, Tennessee with producer Nick Raskulinecz, who has previously worked with FOO FIGHTERS, STONE SOUR, HALESTORM, EVANESCENCE, RUSH and ALICE IN CHAINS, among many others.

Grönwall, who was diagnosed with acute lymphoblastic leukemia in March 2021 and was declared cancer free six months later after receiving a bone marrow transplant, released his cover version of "18 And Life" that same month via all streaming platforms.

During an appearance on a recent episode of "The BlackSheep Podcast", SKID ROW guitarist Dave "Snake" Sabo spoke about how the introduction Grönwall brought about a rejuvenated energy and a burst of creativity that had been previously missing for quite some time.

"One of the great things about the way the band is now is that we've already started writing for the next record," Snake said. "I mean, there's four potential songs for the next record already. And who knows whether they'll make it or not. We've never done that before. So that's kind of where everybody's head is at. We're really staying in the moment, but we're also utilizing this newfound energy, shall I say, to be really creative and productive.

"We always kind of went by write the record, record the record, tour, get off tour and get done with touring, write the record, record the record, tour. That's been kind of the way that we've worked," he explained. "But not this time. We're actively writing. Erik is a very creative guy. He's a really good guitar player. So it really helps. We're exchanging ideas back and forth again and writing during soundchecks and things like that. So it's been nothing but positive."

As previously reported, SKID ROW bassist Rachel Bolan is sitting out some of the shows on the band's European tour due to "an urgent family matter." Filling in for him at those concerts is SKID ROW's guitar tech Casey Sproatt, who previously stepped in for Sabo last October for some of the shows on its U.K. tour after Sabo tested positive for COVID-19. Sproatt also played guitar for SKID ROW in April 2022 when Scotti Hill was forced to miss the band's concert in Ashland, Kentucky after contracting COVID-19.

Fan-filmed video of TESTAMENT's June 9 performance at the Rockfest festival in Hyvinkää, Finland can be seen below.

TESTAMENT guitarist Alex Skolnick sat out some of the band's spring/summer 2023 European tour dates in order to tend to a family emergency. He was replaced at the shows by former MACHINE HEAD and current VIO-LENCE guitarist Phil Demmel.

In a recent interview with Uruguay's El Lado Oscuro TV, TESTAMENT frontman Chuck Billy confirmed that he and his bandmates have commenced writing material for the follow-up to 2020's "Titans Of Creation" album.

"We're working on a new record now," he said. "So it's time to put that one behind us and make another one."

Asked if the next TESTAMENT LP will arrive in 2024, Chuck said: "I think so. We didn't really book a lot of shows this year. We're doing Latin America and then we're doing Europe, and that's it, and then Japan, a couple of shows. But we're leaving a lot of the schedule open so we can get a lot of the music done. And hopefully by the end of the year we'll get into the studio and start recording, so we'll have a release hopefully early next year."

Regarding his relationship with TESTAMENT guitarist Eric Peterson, who — like Chuck — has been involved with all of the band's albums so far, Billy said: "Well, I mean, at this point he's like my little brother. We argue and fight like brothers. [Laughs] But I think I'm very fortunate and lucky to have Eric as a writing partner for so many years because Eric really is the heart of TESTAMENT as far as song creation goes, because Eric doesn't listen to a lot of other bands, like modern stuff; he listens to his black or some older-style stuff. So when he writes music, he really writes just what he wants, and I think that's what always gave TESTAMENT our own sound, because Eric's never strayed away from what he does. And he's always took it a step further and created better songs. And it makes it easier for me, and I think after working for so many years, we have a good relationship as far as songwriters; he'll write something and know what I can do and I'll have a suggestion knowing what he can do and what works. So I think, at this point, our songwriting is a lot easier and better now."

He added: "The 'Brotherhood Of The Snake' [2016] was a difficult record. That took two years. So it all depends how Eric's feeling or if he's got ideas, which that record took, like two years. 'Titans Of Creation' worked a lot faster; he had much more ideas. So it's really on how much inspired Eric is to create the new stuff, 'cause we all have to wait for that. So if Eric's excited and inspired, then it comes quick."

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

Lombardo, who was the guest drummer on TESTAMENT's 1999 studio album "The Gathering", formally joined the long-running San Francisco Bay Area act last year. The former SLAYER drummer is currently a member of the MISFITS, MR. BUNGLE, EMPIRE STATE BASTARD and SATANIC PLANET, among others. He also played with SUICIDAL TENDENCIES from 2016 up until 2020.

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

In a new interview with Ruben Mosqueda of We Go To 11, ex-MÖTLEY CRÜE frontman John Corabi, who joined the band in 1992 as the replacement for original singer Vince Neil, was asked he has been in contact with Mick Mars since CRÜE's founding guitarist filed a lawsuit against his bandmates a little over two months ago. Corabi responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, we didn't 'talk talk'; we were corresponding via text.

"I don't wanna get into their business 'cause it always seems to end up as clickbait somewhere," John continued. "But this is playing out exactly how I thought it would. And right now, from what I can gather, Mick is pissed. I don't know if he's rightly pissed or wrongly pissed, but he's pissed. And we'll just leave it at that. That's something that they'll sort through and figure out. And hopefully they can bury the hatchet. But who knows, dude?"

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE last October as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, he has since filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY 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. In his lawsuit, Mars also alleged that he was the only bandmember to play 100 percent live on their most recent tour, claiming bassist Nikki Sixx "did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour."

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.

Earlier this month, Corabi told Sofa King Cool Magazine that he wasn't surprised by all the public fighting that has been going on between Mars and the rest of MÖTLEY CRÜE. "Nope. No. Not at all," he said. "Referencing the fact that he said last fall that he didn't "believe a word" of MÖTLEY CRÜE's initial statement explaining Mars's exit from the group, Corabi continued: "I caught a lot of flak of this. And to be honest, I don't really wanna get into Mick's business or MÖTLEY's business; it's not my place. I don't know why. I caught some flak for this when I was in Europe. I was over there in November and December doing some acoustic shows, and I did a book signing in London — it was like a Q&A book-singing thing — and a fan asked me about the press release that had just come out about Mick not touring with them on the rest of this tour. And all I said was, 'That's a statement that's been prepared by MÖTLEY and their management. I haven't heard anything from Mick. And until Mick speaks, I have nothing to say about this. But I'm not necessarily agreeing with what I'm hearing.'"

John added: "So, to me, this was just something that was inevitable. It's unfortunate, but it was inevitable. So… c'est la vie. [Laughs]"

Asked if he has seen any of the performances by MÖTLEY with the band's new guitarist, former ROB ZOMBIE and MARILYN MANSON axeman John 5, Corabi responded: "I've seen a few videos… Honestly, dude, and I don't mean this as a slight or disrespect or anything to MÖTLEY, I don't care. I really don't. Right now, we had three years of COVID. I'm happy everybody's back to work. I'm happy MÖTLEY's back out on the road. I know their tour with DEF LEPPARD here in the States was highly successful. I wish them nothing but the best. I wish Mick the best. But that's between them, man."

Corabi, who recently rejoined THE DEAD DAISIES, continued: "It's hilarious. I've been out of [MÖTLEY CRÜE] for, like, fuck, 25 years. And it's crazy. I get asked these questions, and you know, obviously, if you're online at all, one of those web sites will take a sentence that I say and just cut that out and run with that story for a week or two. But it's hilarious to me. All the comments… The fans get on there and they just sit there and they go, 'Man, doesn't that guy have anything better to talk about? He's still talking about MÖTLEY. He's still talking about MÖTLEY.' Well, it's, like, I didn't bring it up. [Laughs] Somebody else did. And truthfully, I'm just happy to be back to work myself. I've got a tour with Tom Keifer and WINGER coming up, and then I'm back with THE DAISIES. And I'm just looking forward to getting my feet wet with THE DAISIES again and getting back out and just having fun and playing some fucking music. So, as far as the MÖTLEY stuff goes, I don't wanna be rude or anything, but it's, like, I really don't think about them. I don't care. I could give a shit less what's going on in MÖTLEY CRÜE world. I could care less."

Back in December, about four months before Mick filed his lawsuit against MÖTLEY CRÜE, Corabi told Backstage Pass Rock News about the guitarist's exit from the band: "Personally, my verdict is… I have an opinion, I have a thought on what transpired, but I haven't heard anything from Mick. The statement that we've all gotten was from MÖTLEY and their management and whoever's on that side of the camp.

"I know John 5. I think he's a brilliant guitar player. I am not taking [anything] away from John, because I love the guy to death. He is a guitarist's guitarist. But I can't help but think, when we were doing the 'Generation Swine' record, there was a rub between me and Mick, which transpired during… They had already told me that they were bringing Vince back, and their manager said to me, 'Can you help them finish the record?' And I said, 'Yes.' And every day they would call me at nine or ten o'clock in the morning, and it was Nikki, this guy Scott Humphrey and Tommy [Lee, drums] — [they] were producing the record — and they would call me every day, and they would go, 'Hey, can you come by the studio and play some guitar?' And I said, 'Well, as long as Mick is cool with it, sure.' Well, every day I'd get to the studio and they just complained, like, 'Oh my God. We had Mick here yesterday till two o'clock in the morning. We couldn't get anything out of him,' and blah blah blah. So, that was '95. And then they did the record. Now, I can tell you right now most of the rhythms on that record were mine. And if Mick was sitting here, he'd go, 'Yeah, most of the guitars were his.' So I played on the 'Generation Swine' record. I don't know if Mick played on 'New Tattoo' — I'm not sure — but I know it was DJ Ashba on 'Red, White & Crüe', on the new songs, and I know on 'Saints Of Los Angeles', it was DJ Ashba. And then I know on the movie 'The Dirt', the new songs that they did [for the accompanying soundtrack], [a cover of Madonna's] 'Like A Virgin' and all that shit, it's John 5. So they haven't had Mick… they haven't been using him since — fuck — '95.

"Again, I'm just looking at things the way I look at 'em and I can't help but think that they just went for the upgrade — in their minds," Corabi added. "You do have a history there; the fans are used to that history.

"And you know what? Folks, if I am wrong, I'll come back again with you and I will say, 'I apologize. I'm wrong.' But until I hear it from Mick, I don't buy any of it."

Corabi previously talked about Mars's supposed retirement from MÖTLEY CRÜE during an appearance on a fall 2022 episode of the "Life In The Stocks" podcast. Saying that there was something else that was "kind of bugging" him about the way Mars's exit from MÖTLEY CRÜE's touring lineup was announced," he added: "Because since that announcement came out, I've reached out to Mick and his wife a few times. And Mick hasn't responded at all. And I sent [his wife] — she's from Switzerland — so when I was there last week, I sent some photos of the Alps — I was in the Alps — and I wrote to her, and I said, 'Hey, I'm in your motherland.' And she wrote back. Then I came back, and I was, like, 'Hey, man, how's Mick?' And she goes, 'He's fine.' [And I said], 'Hey, what's going on?' Crickets. So that's kind of unusual behavior for Mick and [his wife]; they would normally [be] just, like, 'Yeah, dude. Everything's cool. Whatever.'"

Speculating about the possible reasons for Mick's silence, Corabi said: "I don't know if he's embarrassed or he's maybe… Who knows? Maybe he's angry and maybe he's being told not to say anything to anybody. Maybe there's gonna be a lawsuit. I don't know. But I just know how those guys operate, and I would not be surprised if they didn't say, 'Mick, look. You're in pain. We've got John 5. We're gonna bring him in.' Maybe throw him a bone — like every time they tour, throw him some money — but 'we're gonna move forward with this guy.' It wouldn't surprise me."

Corabi clarified: "Now, this is all a theory. I know about as much as you guys do. But personally, I don't believe a word of that statement at all."

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

Back in 2016, Mars released snippets of two solo songs, apparently called "Gimme Blood" and "Shake The Cage". The tracks, which were recorded at Blackbird Studio in Nashville, where Mars has lived for about 10 years, featured Corabi, who appeared on CRÜE's 1994 self-titled album. Corabi later said that he didn't contribute to the writing process for the two songs, but that he was open to collaborating with Mars on some brand new material.

British rockers ASKING ALEXANDRIA have set "Where Do We Go From Here?" as the title of their eighth full-length studio album, due this fall via Better Noise Music.

The name of the follow-up to 2021's "See What's On The Inside" was revealed by ASKING ALEXANDRIA vocalist Danny Worsnop in an interview with Guitar Interactive at this weekend's Download festival in the United Kingdom.

Speaking about the meaning of the new album title, Danny said: "I think it's an internal question we all have from time to time, especially for musicians and especially ones who have been doing it 15 years. There's always the 'What's next?' We kind of passed through a generation. The industry's different. The world's different. And we've gotta figure out, how the hell is this thing working now?"

Added drummer James Cassells: "Yeah, [we've gotta] find out place in it. We've kind of touched a lot of bases here. Over the years, over the albums, we've really covered a lot. So, it's, like, yeah, where do we see ourselves for the next [chapter]?"

Last month, ASKING ALEXANDRIA shared the first single from "Where Do We Go From Here?", a song called "Dark Void". Available digitally, "Dark Void" presents contrasting themes of melancholy and aspiration of day-to-day life in the modern world, while seamlessly blending the band's anthemic stadium rock sound with a call back to their metalcore beginnings.

"With the world seemingly getting darker and darker, it's easy to see why so many of us struggle with anxiety, depression, loneliness," guitarist Ben Bruce said. "This song is about fighting those demons that live in your head and trying your hardest to be your own savior. Finding that inner strength to pull yourself out of the darkness. This theme is explored throughout the entirety of our upcoming album.

"We all have our own struggles and hurdles. We are all on our own journeys that present unique challenges and difficulties, but we all have our own inner strength to fall back on. There is always light at the end of the tunnel. I feel that there can be comfort in knowing that we aren't alone. We all feel a little down from time to time. We all feel a little lost from time to time, but somehow, in some way, we are all in this together and hopefully our new album can help people through some of their toughest times."

ASKING ALEXANDRIA — Ben Bruce (lead guitars),Danny Worsnop (vocals),Cameron Liddell (rhythm guitars),Sam Bettley (bass) and James Cassells (drums) — have relentlessly toured across the globe in addition to being showcased at several of rock's top worldwide festivals, including Download (UK),Hellfest (France),Graspop Metal Meeting (Belgium),Aftershock (USA) and many more. They will spend the summer touring across Europe before heading stateside in July for three festival appearances: Rock Fest (July 14, Wisconsin),Inkcarceration Festival (July 15, Ohio) and Louder Than Life (July 21, Kentucky).

Having joined Better Noise Music in 2021 with the release of their critically acclaimed album "See What's On The Inside", ASKING ALEXANDRIA subsequently achieved their first-ever No. 1 Active Rock radio single "Alone Again" and a follow-up Top 10 single with "Never Gonna Learn" (No. 6) in 2022 from their EP of the same name. The band has garnered over 1.4 billion combined streams to date across all platforms along with over 3.1 million monthly Spotify listeners. Their music videos have received over 700 million views.

Credit: Wombatfire

Kiko Loureiro has shared a 15-minute video recap of MEGADETH's recently completed "Crush The World" tour.

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

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

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

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

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

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

CANADA... 2023! Get ready for the CRUSH THE WORLD TOUR this spring with special guests Bullet for My Valentine and ONI!...

Posted by Megadeth on Monday, March 6, 2023

AC/DC frontman Brian Johnson joined English singer-songwriter Sam Fender on stage Saturday night (June 10) at the latter's second hometown gig at Newcastle's St. James' Park football stadium to perform the AC/DC classics "Back In Black" and "You Shook Me All Night Long" in front of 50,000 fans. Fan-filmed video of Brian's appearance can be seen below.

Fender's debut album, 2019's "Hypersonic Missiles", reached the top spot in the U.K. chart in the week of release. His hugely successful second album, "Seventeen Going Under", also landed at No. 1 following its release in October 2021.

AC/DC is among the headliners on a bill of veteran rockers who will take to the stage in California October 6-8 at the 2023 edition of the Power Trip festival. Also set to appear at the Goldenvoice-produced three-day event at the Empire Polo Club In Indio, California are METALLICA, GUNS N' ROSES, IRON MAIDEN, OZZY OSBOURNE and TOOL.

Power Trip will mark AC/DC's first concert since September 2016, when the band concluded a run of U.S. dates with GUNS N' ROSES' Axl Rose on vocals while Johnson recovered from hearing loss.

"We decided to do this wonderful show that they've put together out in the desert near Palm Springs, near Coachella," the 75-year-old told motoring podcast "Fuelling Around". "It's all rock and roll bands. It's fantastic. I think it's just a statement to say that rock and roll is a legitimate form of music. It really has made a difference. Ozzy is coming out of retirement so I'll be able to see my old pals again. The GUNS N' ROSES boys, the METALLICA boys and the IRON MAIDEN boys — all in one field. Boy, what a party!"

He added: "It's going to be in a beautiful valley, near Coachella, but I don't get involved in that kind of thing. I just like to turn up, get up and just rock my little socks off until I drop."

The much-loved Geordie has often been guarded when talking about the AC/DC's future. But he's much happier to discuss "Power Up", their 17th studio album, and how the coronavirus pandemic interrupted their desire to bring more metal magic to the masses.

"I'm so excited because three years ago we did get together when 'Power Up' the album came out," he said during the award-winning show, hosted by former Radio One star "Comedy" Dave Vitty and British Touring Car Championship legend Jason Plato. "It was fantastic. It went to number one in 27 countries or something and we went, 'Yeah, we're back. We're so proud of the album'. We started to rehearse in Amsterdam. Phil [Rudd] was back on drums. I had this new earpiece that we'd invented. It was fantastic. Honestly, I've never heard the band so tight. For three weeks, I think we had one day off because we wanted to be there in each other's company. We fucked up a few words, chords and just got them tight again and then our tour manager came up and said, 'Hey, listen, guys, we've got this thing. It's called the Chinese flu or some kind of shit. Just go home for six weeks and we'll meet again in London.' You know what happened there. Angus [Young] and Phil, New Zealand and Australia just wouldn't let them out for months and months afterwards."

Johnson added: "It does take a lot of time to get a band like AC/DC together again. Most of the crew were out working with other people. Trying to get those guys back together again was tough but I've got my fingers crossed — everything is going okay. The most important thing about it all is the eagerness we all feel. The juices are running again."

Last year, Johnson told Rolling Stone he didn't know if AC/DC would perform again. "I would love to," he said. "It's as simple as that. I think everybody would. There's a groundswell of people just asking. But I hate talking about the future, because, fuck, we were ready two years ago, and the pandemic came, and it screwed everything up. So I'm terrified to say what could happen and what couldn't."

AC/DC postponed the last 10 dates of its spring 2016 North American trek after Johnson was advised to stop playing live or "risk total hearing loss." The band went on to complete the European and North American legs of its "Rock Or Bust" tour with the GUNS N' ROSES frontman as a "guest vocalist." At the time, Johnson had been AC/DC's singer for 36 years, ever since replacing the late Bon Scott in 1980 and making his debut on the classic "Back In Black" album.

Johnson wrote in his recently released autobiography "The Lives Of Brian" that he has never seen any of the widely circulated videos of Rose's performances in the band.

"I'm told that he did a great job," Johnson said, "but I just couldn't watch — especially when you've been doing it for 35 years. It's like finding a stranger in your house, sitting in your favorite chair. But I bear no grudges. It was a tough situation. [AC/DC guitarist and co-founder] Angus [Young] and the lads did what they felt they had to do. That said, after the band released a statement confirming that I was leaving the tour and wishing me all the best for the future, I couldn't relax or concentrate on anything. It was just always there.

"Part of the pain of it was that I blamed myself," he admitted. "For most of my career, I'd been in the loudest band in the world. I'd flown constantly. I'd flown even when I knew I wasn't well.

"For a while, people would ask me if I was depressed, but depression is treatable. My hearing loss wasn't. What I was feeling wasn't depression. It was something closer to despair."

"Power Up" was released in November 2020. The LP was recorded over a six-week period in August and September 2018 at Warehouse Studios in Vancouver with producer Brendan O'Brien, who also worked 2008's "Black Ice" and 2014's "Rock Or Bust".

To enable him to perform live with AC/DC again, Johnson worked with audio expert Stephen Ambrose, who said he could help resolve the singer's hearing problems.

Ambrose, who invented the wireless in-ear monitors that are widely used by touring artists today, claimed to have invented a new type of ear-bud that would allow Johnson to perform without causing further damage to his eardrums. After three years of experimenting and "miniaturizing" the equipment, Johnson previously said the technology could allow him to tour again.

Massachusetts metallers KILLSWITCH ENGAGE were joined by ANTHRAX singer Joey Belladonna and ex-KILLSWITCH ENGAGE frontman Howard Jones during their concert last night (Friday, June 9) at the Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom in Hampton, New Hampshire. Belladonna came up on stage to perform a cover of DIO's "Holy Diver", while Jones shared lead vocals with current KILLSWITCH ENGAGE singer Jesse Leach on the song "The Signal Fire", which originally appeared on the band's latest album, 2019's "Atonement".

Joey had sung "Holy Diver" with KILLSWITCH ENGAGE several times before, including on 2017's "The Killthrax Tour", which was co-headlined by KILLSWITCH ENGAGE and ANTHRAX.

KILLSWITCH ENGAGE originally recorded a cover of "Holy Diver" for a 2006 Kerrang! magazine-commissioned compilation, "High Voltage", which was made up of classic rock and metal songs covered by contemporary bands, with ten of the tracks recorded exclusively for the CD.

When the music video for the studio version of "The Signal Fire" was first released in August 2019, Leach said that he wrote the song's lyrics "with Howard in mind and our connection through our similar mental illnesses." He explained: "I mean, now that I've hung with this guy a few times, it's 'crazy' (pun intended) how similar we are. We are brothers in metal, anxiety, hardcore music, love of medicinal marijuana and fighting depression.

"We may be very different-sounding voices, but, in truth, we are similar in many ways in our minds," he added.

Jesse went on to say that the song's lyrics are "about keeping hope in dark times and helping out those in need."

Leach, who has previously blamed his exit from KILLSWITCH in 2002 on his battle with depression, said that he planned "on using this song to help continue to raise awareness for mental health and suicide prevention. Both Howard and I have a very strong outspoken stance on the subject and I will use this to help with the cause," he said.

Leach appeared on KILLSWITCH's self-titled debut and sophomore album, "Alive Or Just Breathing", before exiting the band. Jones took over on vocals for "The End Of Heartache", "As Daylight Dies" and the 2009 self-titled set before being dismissed from the group 11 years ago.

I’ve waited 18 years to see Killswitch Engage live. I’ve purchased tickets to see them 5 separate times in the past and...

Posted by Chris Small on Friday, June 9, 2023

Amazing time at Killswitch Engage last night. Hung out with my best friend from high school, Stevens, for the first time...

Posted by Brian Phillips on Saturday, June 10, 2023

Been a minute since I’ve been to a metal show. Forgot how much I like the double bass pedal 🤣 Thanks Tyler! Joey...

Posted by Sandra B Soule on Saturday, June 10, 2023

Killswitch Engage had no other than Joey Belladonna come out to sing Holy Diver, but then also had Howard Jones come out to sing The signal Fire. I had a fanboy moment!

Posted by Chris Allin on Friday, June 9, 2023

Had a blast wish my hands worked better to take better pictures the surprises of the night were Joey Belladonna from...

Posted by Adam Cushing on Friday, June 9, 2023

TONIGHT!!!
Doors at 6pm, show at 7pm

Posted by Hampton Beach Casino Ballroom on Friday, June 9, 2023

Danish rock and rollers VOLBEAT played their first concert with their new touring guitarist Flemming C. Lund (THE ARCANE ORDER) earlier today (Saturday, June 10) at the Rockfest festival in Hyvinkää, Finland. Fan-filmed video of the performance can be seen below.

On Monday (June 5),VOLBEAT announced that it had officially parted ways with guitarist Rob Caggiano. No reason was given for the split, but the remaining bandmembers said that they wished their "brother Rob all the best with everything he does in the future." They went on to thank Rob "for ten amazing years."

A day later, Lund commented on his decision to accept the offer to play with VOLBEAT on the band's 2023 shows, saying in a statement: "The cat's out of the bag! Sometimes unexpected things happen in life and this must be said to be one of them: I can now finally reveal that I will be playing stand-in in VOLBEAT for Rob Caggiano on lead guitar on VOLBEAT's upcoming summer tour. This means I'm playing all upcoming European festival shows in Finland, Norway, Sweden (warming up for METALLICA),Switzerland, Germany and Austria as well as the US/Canada tour in July and August.

"When I was asked by Michael Poulsen not many weeks ago if I wanted to help them, I was honestly at first very overwhelmed by the request and found it very difficult to see myself in that role. But after a little time to think and talk with those closest to me, it dawned on me that it was something I could not possibly say no to.

"So this summer takes a somewhat unexpected, but obviously insanely cool turn. I will try to enjoy every moment and just take in the many experiences and impressions that will surely be an experience of a lifetime.

"A big thank you must go to my fantastic workplace MCB for the great flexibility so that it could be successful, and not least to my better half Julie who, as usual, supported and stood behind me!"

THE ARCANE ORDER is a Danish extreme metal quintet which released its fourth album, "Distortions From Cosmogony", on June 9 via Black Lion Records.

Caggiano played on VOLBEAT's last four studio albums: 2013's "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", 2016's "Seal the Deal & Let's Boogie", 2019's "Rewind, Replay, Rebound" and 2021's "Servant Of The Mind".

An acclaimed musician, songwriter and producer, Caggiano joined ANTHRAX as lead guitarist in 2001, appearing on 2003 album "We've Come For You All" and 2004's "The Greater Of Two Evils". He was onstage with the band during the famous 2010-2011 "Big Four" tour alongside SLAYER, MEGADETH and METALLICA, and he played on and produced ANTHRAX's 2011 critically acclaimed album "Worship Music".

Over the years, Caggiano has also garnered five Grammy nominations as a record producer/guitarist and has worked with a very wide range of artists including CRADLE OF FILTH, ANTHRAX, VOLBEAT, THE DAMNED THINGS, H20, Jesse Malin and even Bruce Springsteen.

When Caggiano was enlisted as producer for Danish heavy rock quartet VOLBEAT in early 2013, the collaboration was so phenomenally successful that he was quickly invited to join the band as well. The resulting album, "Outlaw Gentlemen & Shady Ladies", achieved major chart success on both sides of the Atlantic, as did "Seal The Deal & Let's Boogie".

@volbeat - "Feel the fire, he's entered the ring!" 🔥 DEFINITELY can feel the fire! 🥵✊

📸: Niki Soukkio Photography
#rockfest

Posted by Rockfest on Saturday, June 10, 2023

Metallica made the second of two appearances at the Download Festival’s 20th anniversary weekend on June 8th. It had been over a decade since the band hit the stage in Donington Park, so they're making up for lost time with two unique and completely different setlists with no repeat songs.


Metallica has shared the setlist from Night One. Fan-filmed video from the show can be viewed below.







Setlist:


"Whiplash" (tour debut)
"For Whom the Bell Tolls"
"Ride the Lightning"
"Until It Sleeps"
"72 Seasons"
"If Darkness Had a Son"
"Welcome Home (Sanitarium)"
"You Must Burn!"
"The Call of Ktulu"
"The Unforgiven"
"Wherever I May Roam"
"Moth Into Flame"
"Battery"
"Whiskey in the Jar"
"One"
"Enter Sandman"











Presented worldwide by Liquid Death and Blackened American Whiskey (in North America only) and promoted by Live Nation, Metallica’s M72 world tour sees the band in a complete 360 performance playing two nights in every city it visits - with each No Repeat Weekend featuring two completely different setlists and support lineups.


Metallica's complete 2023 / 2024 tour schedule can be found here.

Sabaton guitarist / Majestica frontman Tommy Johansson has shared his solo cover of Gary Moore's "The Loner", taken from the 1987 album, Dirty Wild Frontier. Check it out below.


Johansson: "Gary Moore has always been my #1 and 'The Loner' has always been a huge favorite of mine. The first song I ever recorded at the age of 14 was this song. Maybe one day I will release that! This is a cover of Gary Moore's version, not the Cozy Powell version."







Sabaton's final EP in the Echoes Of The Great War EP trilogy, entitled Stories From The Western Front, is now officially available on all platforms and features a never-heard-before cover of Motörhead's well-known track, “1916". Stream Stories From The Western Front here.


In celebration of this final EP, the band has also unleashed a brand-new music video for “1916” filmed in Birmingham, England, and at Britain’s famous Black Country Living Museum. The music video features an overload of historical characters from the Sabaton lore, a headbanging metal army from Birmingham, and even a cameo from the living members of Motörhead - Mikkey Dee and Phil Campbell. Watch the music video below.


The Western Front was one of World War I’s main theatres of conflict. It stretched across more than 400 miles through France and Belgium from the Swiss border to the North Sea. It was a deadly place, and to put things into perspective, at least four-million men died there, although the true figure can never be confirmed.


The Stories From The Western Front EP tells stories of those who fought and fell on the Western Front, a place where the trenches and the ceaseless shelling drove men to insanity. Often, those who returned from this treacherous place did so with shell shock and chronic nightmares, PTSD or injuries that changed their lives forever.


“We are excited to release the last EP in the Echoes of The Great War series as well as a new music video, which we had a blast filming in the UK. Our new EP tells the tales that came from the Western Front, a brutal and unforgiving theatre of war. The Battle of Verdun, which was the longest battle of the First World War, the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917 in Flanders, the Battle of the Somme… these are all things we should not forget,” explains Pär Sundstrom. “And through this EP – in fact, through this whole EP collection – our sole mission has been to immortalize these stories and ensure that these are at the forefront of everyone's minds.


“Speaking of the Battle of the Somme,” Pär adds, “this conflict resulted in a huge loss of human life – around 300,000 fatalities. It was one of the bloodiest and deadliest conflicts of WW1 - and in human history! This is what “1916” was written about, and that’s why it was the missing puzzle piece of this EP.”


Meanwhile, Joakim Brodén shares more information about the band’s cover of Motörhead: “We believed that ‘1916’ was the perfect fit for this EP, not only because it’s related to the First World War, but because we just love everything about the song. Lemmy was inspired to write this track after watching a documentary about the Battle of the Somme. The lyrics are emotionally charged and perfectly describe the experiences of all the young soldiers, most of whom were essentially just kids. A lyric that really moves me and hits home is: ‘We were food for the gun, and that’s what you are when you’re soldiers.’ I can’t get that out of my head.”


“We think we did this song justice. It’s our tribute to one of the greatest bands in the world and a nod to those who fought in the First World War and made the ultimate sacrifice!” he notes.


With each EP in the Echoes Of The Great War trilogy, Sabaton is releasing an exclusive digipak in limited numbers. They often sell out immediately, so if you want one for your collection, be quick!





Tracklisting:


"1916"
"Great War"
"Hellfighters"
"The Price of A Mile"
"Fields of Verdun"
"Race To The Sea"
"Devil Dogs"


"1916" video:

Spiritus Mortis, the oldest doom metal band still operating in Finland, released their fifth studio album The Great Seal in September 2022, and now announces the next release for October 2023. Albert Witchfinder, the band’s vocalist between 2008 and 2017, has curated a rarities collection titled Spiritism 2008-2017. 


The album contains all material the band released outside studio albums during Witchfinder’s nine-year stint in the band, plus previously unreleased live material. The LP version has one live track as bonus, while the CD has four. All material has been remixed from the original tapes and remastered by sound technician Joona Lukala under Witchfinder’s supervision.


Spiritism 2008-2017 contains, in addition to the live material, the seven-inch single When The Wind Howled With A Human Voice, the Spiritus Mortis track from the split with Pale Divine plus all SM material from their split with Fall Of The Idols.




Svart Records will release Spiritism 2008-2017 by Spiritus Mortis on October 13, 2023. The album will be available on CD and vinyl, and there is a Svart webstore exclusive colored variant of the LP, limited to 200.


Preorder at svartrecords.com.





Tracklisting:


“When The Wind Howled With A Human Voice”
“Waiting For The Sun”
“Black Night”
“Sunrise”
“The Ceremony Of The Stifling Air”
“Rise From Hell”

Finnish symphonic extreme metallers Shade Empire have released a captivating video for the title track of their sixth studio album, Sunholy. The track represents a heavier and more symphonic moment on the album, exemplified by breathtaking scenery and landscapes throughout the video.


New album Sunholy is set for release on September 15 via Candlelight Records. Preorder here.


The band comments: "We wanted to do things differently than before on the 'Sunholy' video as the music demanded epic landscapes. We ran into an extremely talented film maker Oliver König whose previous works and beautiful sceneries caught our attention. So we went to shoot the video in the Austrian Alps and ended up on one of the highest peaks in Austria (2500m). We couldn't be happier with the result!"




Formed in Kuopio, Finland in 1999, Shade Empire have developed their own genre, an unholy fusion of symphonic melody interwoven with black and death metal overtones, emotionally rich vocals and tight orchestral instrumentation. 


New album, Sunholy, features nine towering tracks of atmospheric beauty, barbed with unspeakably brutal guitar patterns, multi-layered beautiful synth walls, devastating drum parts, complex bass assaults and unique vocals that are delivered straight from the jaws of hell. Fans of Dimmu Borgir, Marduk, Septicflesh and Dark Tranquility will find something here.


Comments the band: "Six years after the release of Poetry Of The Ill-Minded, we are pleased to present you with our new album 'Sunholy'. We are very excited to let our fans hear what we have been up to. The record is brutality and beauty in perfect harmony."


Mixed by Chris Edrich (Devin Townsend, Leprous, Alcest) and mastered by Pierrick Noël (Klone), with Fleshgod Apocalypse's Francesco Ferrini responsible for the orchestrations and Andy Reich at Collapse Of Art completing the artwork, Sunholy is a long-aged piece of art and labour of love. Embodying the most comprehensive Shade Empire effort to date, the lyrics are thematically inspired by the Jonestown tragedy, a mass murder-suicide of the Peoples Temple cult, but there's also a fuller contemplation and exploration of the current state of the world.





Tracklisting:


“In Amongst The Woods”
“The Apostle”
“This Coffin An Island”
“Sunholy”
“Torn Asunder”
“Maroon”
“All-Consuming Flame”
“Profane Radiance”
“Rite Of Passage”


"Sunholy" video:





"In Amongst The Woods":





After a long-endured absence, Shade Empire have returned as grandiose experts in their craft, with an astounding soundtrack to Hell's gates' opening and a band relishing being at the top of their game.


Shade Empire are:
Henry Hämäläinen – vocals
Juha Sirkkiä – guitars and keys
Eero Mantere – bass guitar
Erno Räsänen – drums
Aapeli Kivimäki – guitars


(Photo: Oliver König)

With just over a month from the release of their fourth studio album, We Shall Remain, Swedish dark symphonic metal four-piece Eleine today unleashes their latest single, “Stand By The Flame,” reminding us that there are moments in life when one realizes that "enough is enough."





Vocalist Madeleine Liljestam and guitarist/vocalist Rikard Ekberg elaborate, "It is time to stand by the flame that has been ignited, clearly showing the pain you've been through. No longer is it ‘them’ who push you down, it is ‘us’ who push back. Stand by the flame and we'll stand victorious.




"'Stand By The Flame' is the second to last single from our upcoming album. It's a strong hymn with groovy drums and riffs and a catchy chorus that we can't wait to hear our fans sing along to on all the upcoming shows, feeling strong and empowered!"


We Shall Remain was written and produced by guitarist/vocalist Rikard Ekberg and lead vocalist Madeleine Liljestam while Thomas "Plec" Johansson took care of co-recording, mixing ,and mastering at The Panic Room Studio in Skövde, Sweden. Its fiery artwork was designed by Nestor Avalos (nestoravalosofficial.com) and Madeleine Liljestam.


We Shall Remain will be available as a digibook CD, digibook CD + signed photo card (limited edition; EMP & Sound Pollution excl.), jewel case CD, LP (Orange/White), and digitally.


Pre-order the album in the physical format of your choice, pre-save it on your favorite DSP, or pre-order it digitally to receive "Stand By The Flame", "War Das Alles", "Never Forget", and “We Are Legion” instantly at this location.





Tracklisting:


“Never Forget”
“Stand By The Flame”
“We Are Legion”
“Promise Of Apocalypse”
“Blood In Their Eyes”
“Vemod”
“Through The Mist”
“Suffering”
“War Das Alles”
“We Shall Remain”


"War Das Alles":





"Never Forget" visualizer:





“We Are Legion”:





(Photo: Madeleine Lijestam/Rikard Ekberg)

Twilight Road, the new project formed by current Nazareth vocalist Carl Sentance and Italian guitarist Dario Mollo today release a new album "Trapped" via Global Rock Records. A new video, "Dirty Rock 'N' Roll" can also be viewed below.


Dario adds: "I am very excited that today is the release of my new Twilight Road Album Trapped. I'm proud of every aspect of this album. We prepared fully, rehearsing the tracks live in the studio during pre-production and rearranged the song structures to perfectly fit Carl’s vocals. I’ve been lucky to find amazing local musicians, including Andy Senis on bass and Alessio Benedetto on drums. Together we’ve created a groove and a power that can only happen when you’re playing together in the same room.


“Working with Carl again has been incredible, he’s a fantastic singer songwriter. I also want to give a big thank you to Eddie George, Dario Patti and Gianluca Sabbi (and his fantastic 1958 Hammond organ!) for their performances on keyboards.”




The album can be purchased at Cherry Red Records, with an autographed card while stocks last.


Dario Mollo is an Italian guitarist/producer with a career which started in 1981, with the heavy metal band Crossbones, and subsequent full-length albums with musical giants Tony Martin (Black Sabbath), Graham Bonnet (Rainbow, MSG), Don Airey (Rainbow, Ozzy, Deep Purple), Glenn Hughes (Deep Purple).


Carl Sentance was born June 28, 1961.


After participating in several local bands, he replaced John Deverill as a vocalist in the NWOBHM band Persian Risk. At this point he received an offer to join Geezer Butler (Black Sabbath) as lead singer in his solo project. The collaboration lasted from 1986 to 1988. In 2015 Carl became the new singer for the legendary rock band Nazareth after founding member Dan McCafferty had to retire due to illness. More recently Carl has recorded Nazareth's latest studio album Surviving The Law. 


The album Trapped is the result of huge amount of work in the studio with the purpose of offering the best no-compromise album.


It contains 11 original tracks plus a rearranged version of Deep Purple’s “Perfect Strangers”.





Tracklisting:


"Trapped"
"Dirty Rock 'N' Roll"
"Dark Angel"
"Perfect Strangers"
"Madonna"
"Empty Mirror"
"Mafia"
"Turn It Up"
"God Is Red"
"Warning"
"Shooter's Paradise"
"Behind The Mask"


"Dirty Rock 'N' Roll" video:





"Trapped" video:

Former MEGADETH guitarist Marty Friedman has released the official music video for the song "Shukumei". The track is the fourth music video from Friedman's "Tokyo Jukebox 3" album, which received a North American release in April 2021 via The Players Club/Mascot Label Group. The record, which was made available in Japan in October 2020, was the third in a series that began with "Tokyo Jukebox" in 2009, and then "Tokyo Jukebox 2" following in 2011. The trilogy presents Friedman's inspired performances to Japanese repertoire he's chosen to cover.

Friedman stated about the "Shukumei" song and video: "When I saw the girl group PERFUME dancing to the ultra-progressive odd time signatures in their song 'Polyrhythm' live at the Budokan, it was one of the weirdest and most exciting combinations I had even seen. With that feeling in mind, I decided to combine girls dancing to 'Shukumei', a song with some of the mast bizarre and progressive guitar work on 'Tokyo Jukebox 3'. It's definitely in my personality to take the risk of confusing fans of guitar and fans of dance music, to try to bring some fun and life into what otherwise might be portrayed as a guitar showcase."

When "Tokyo Jukebox 3" was first released, Friedman explained his reasoning for making another LP in the "Tokyo Jukebox" series. "I've been playing stuff from the first two 'Jukebox' albums live all over the world, and it's taken on a life of its own," he said. "Especially in places like North and South America, Australia, Italy, France and even India. My fan base is very dedicated, and what I have found is that lots of new fans have been introduced to Japanese music and culture through me, which is very gratifying. On the tours it seems like aside from the dedicated guitar fans, the Japan fanatics have been noticeably growing, so now felt like the right time to do 'Tokyo Jukebox 3'."

On "Jukebox 3", Friedman took J-Pop hits and offered his own charismatic interpretations of contemporary repertoire that includes LiSA's "Gurenge" and Official Hige Dandism's "Shukumei", alongside Da Pump's dance track "U.S.A.", Sekai No Owari's ballad "Sazanka", and the vocaloid hit "Senbonzakura". Japanese old-school standards, Zard's "Makenaide" and Every Little Things' "Time Goes By", are also given Marty's modern overhaul to round out the album's track list to cover the full scope of his take on the Japanese music scene.

Friedman put a lot of energy into selecting the right songs to cover for the album, He shared: "In Japan, you have to get permission to record and release cover versions, and that can be a very tricky and long process. So, the last thing I wanted to do was to ask permission to do a song, only to wind up not recording it for whatever reason. That would be very impolite. I spent several weeks choosing songs and demoing them to see whether I could create versions that I could get pumped up about, before I even approached any publishers. I came up with a short list of 20 songs, and from this chose about 15 that I knew I could really score with."

Friedman also included "The Perfect World", which he wrote, recorded and originally released in 2018. This is the only track on the album with vocals. He reflected: "Back then I did the song with Jean-Ken Johnny from MAN WITH A MISSION on vocals, and that was used as the main theme for the Netflix series 'B: The Beginning'. On the day of release, the song went straight to the top of the Japanese iTunes chart." This recording is a new, fresh interpretation with Alfakyun, one of Japan's premier female J-pop singers performing the vocals. As Friedman offered: "It's really a self-cover, so it fits in with the idea of this being a covers album."

Friedman also included "Japan Heritage Theme Song", another of his own compositions on which he worked with the Tokyo Philharmonic orchestra. He said: "I was asked by the Japanese government to compose an official song to be played at government sponsored events which celebrate Japanese heritage. This was a huge honor, and it was wonderful to be able to work with such a prestigious orchestra which, rather conveniently, my wife plays cello in. Doing this was a little different from what I am used to, because instead of playing a completed track to record company people, I had to face Japanese government officials. I recall looking at their stony faces after they heard it and sweating anxiously awaiting their reaction. Thankfully, they liked what I'd done. I felt this was a great, uplifting way to close the album."

Much of the recording process was done at Power House Studios in Tokyo, with Friedman, who was also the producer on the project, joined by bassist Kiyoshi and drummer Anup Sastry. He said: "Kiyoshi has been in my band for about six years now doing all my tours and recordings. She is a powerhouse, and I honestly have never seen anyone hit the bass as hard as she does, especially while keeping up with my kind of challenging music. Anup was a member of SKYHARBOR (an Indian/American progressive metal band) and has been on my last three albums. He is just plain phenomenal as well."

The recording process started in January 2020 and was due to end in March with a release in May. Then the pandemic struck, and everything was pushed back. Friedman had no firm deadline to finish the album within, and he took advantage of the time, reflecting on executing his vision without limitations. He offered: "I kept reworking the music, and improving everything. In the end, it took several months to get the album completed, but it was time well spent. I believe the music turned out so much better because I wasn't under any deadline pressure." The mixing was handled by Jens Bogren at his own Fascination Studios in Sweden. He's a resource Friedman has the utmost confidence in offering, "Jens has mixed my last three albums and he's one of the best in the business. He knows what I want, and I know he'll get it for me."

Friedman's remarkable attention to detail on this album goes beyond the music. The cover image presents the guitarist dressed in a traditional Japanese kimono, with make-up that honors authentic tradition. He said: "I have to admit that getting this done was a hellish process. It could easily have just looked like a dude in drag and therefore rather stupid. It does take a very serious attitude and approach to pull this off properly. If you look at the covers for the first two 'Jukebox' albums, I had on kabuki make-up. There was no photoshop used at all and that's precisely why they came out so well. This time I brought on the absolute top professionals in the unique field of wardrobe and make-up, and I believe we've hit the bullseye. I am actually wearing two kimonos in the photo, as well as padding to fill me out a little like a sumo wrestler. You'd never believe I am this skinny rock dude from the East Coast of America!"

Ten years have passed since the release of GWAR’s masterwork known as Battle Maximus. The record is a tribute to fallen Scumdog Warrior Flattus Maximus (aka Corey Smoot) and was the last album recorded with vocalist Oderus Urungus (aka Dave Brockie) before he departed the planet Earth in 2014.


In celebration of this momentous occasion (and to line their pockets with filthy lucre) GWAR are pleased to announce the release of this 10th Anniversary Edition of Battle Maximus. In addition to being completely remixed and remastered, this edition features the final recorded vocal performance of Oderus Urungus on the previously unreleased and never-before heard song, “Tammy, Queen Of Dirt".


Along with the announcement, the band has released the remastered/remixed version of “Falling”. Watch the video below.




“10 years after its initial release, the wounds are just as fresh. The words that Oderus wrote as a tribute to his fallen Scumdog brother, Flattus Maximus, gain new meaning when heard as the final lyrics he would ever sing. The songs echo in stereo through the twin holes that were left in our hearts by the absence of Oderus and Flattus. This new remix of ‘Battle Maximus’ breathes new life into this album that demands to be considered as one of GWAR's greatest,” says guitarist BälSäc, the Jaws 'o Death


The Berserker Blothar adds, “‘Battle Maximus’ is an important GWAR album. Recorded as a farewell to guitarist Flattus Maximus, this album was born out of straight pain. As the Scumdog warriors grieved the passing of their brother, they had no way of knowing they were also recording the last album with singer Oderus Urungus. 'Battle Maximus' then, is on the cusp of the greatest challenge of GWAR’s career. This version has been remixed and remastered and it sounds straight up viscous. I hope you relish it as much as I…”


Available as a double LP, CD and in digital formats, Battle Maximus is set for release on September 1 via the band’s own Pit Records and is available for pre-order here.  





The double vinyl also features expanded packaging, redesigned art and an embossed cover. The standard LP is Crystal Blue with Dark Blue swirl vinyl, the Bandbox exclusive version is Stained Glass vinyl, Newbury Comics version is White with Blue swirl vinyl and Revolver Icons Series features multiple different colors all with NFTs to authenticate.





Battle Maximus tracklisting:


Intro
"Madness At The Core Of Time"
"Bloodbath"
"Nothing Left Alive"
"They Swallowed The Sun"
"Torture"
"Raped At Birth"
"I, Bonesnapper"
"Mr. Perfect"
"Tammy, The Swine Queen" *
"Battle Maximus"
"Triumph Of The Pig Children"
"Falling"
"Fly Now"
"Carry On Wayward Son"
"Wheel Of Punishment"


* Previously Unreleased Bonus Track


"Falling" video:





Don’t miss GWAR on tour this summer as part of “The Psychotherapy Sessions Tour'' alongside Mudvayne, Coal Chamber, Nonpoint and Butcher Babies.

In a new interview with the Loaded Radio podcast, former MEGADETH bassist David Ellefson was asked if he would consider returning to the band if he was ever asked again. He responded (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "Well, look, I'm not the one who closed the door. [Laughs] You know what I mean.

"Dave's [Mustaine, MEGADETH leader] always gonna be my brother, man. And it's funny, when I think about Dave — I'm just walking around the house, I'm thinking about some moment in our friendship and our history together — they're usually fond memories. And look, brothers fight, brothers hug and make up, and that's the journey. As a musical gig, it's, like, oh, well, set that off. That's off the palette now. Clearly I've moved on with other things that you can see I really enjoy. So… whatever.

"I've talked to other friends of mine about this who have had bands, and they're in other bands where members have come and gone and whatever, and especially when you're a principal, key member and a founding member and all these different things, you have a deferent kinship to your fans.

"I always say this: when you make a record, you're making it for you. But when you put that record out, that record is for your audience," he explained. "And at that point, it now becomes bigger than you; it becomes bigger than the four or five or three of you, whatever are in the band — it's bigger than you now. And those songs are gonna outlive us. And everything about that legacy and the stories we just talked about here are now in infamy; they're gonna last forever.

"So, for me, you're part of a family. And look, should there ever be a family reunion? Hey, of course, I'll always take the call," Ellefson added. "But with that said, I'm not sitting around waiting for a MEGADETH reunion. Let's just put it that way. I'm very forward focused right now and I'm very laser focused on what's ahead."

In a May 2023 interview with Brazil's Heavy Talk, Ellefson was asked if he spoke to Mustaine "about a solution" before he was fired from the group in May 2021, just days after sexually tinged messages and explicit video footage involving the bassist were posted on Twitter. He responded: "I got one call: 'You're fired.' [Laughs] And I said, 'What the fuck, man?' I said, 'Some shitty fucking people just dropped a bomb on my house. And that's it? It's not even true. It's fucking bullshit. And this is how you treat me?' It was non-negotiable. I mean, I asked. I said, 'I'm gonna take care of it. Let me just deal with it. And it will fucking be done. We'll be ready to go on the road in two months, and everything will be fine.' And it was. Because it was just false allegations and bullshit. But [Dave] didn't wanna know about it. I think he was getting pressure from some other people around him. And it's too bad it went that way. Because it was really nothing. I took care of it. And then once the word came out that I was fired, then it turned into this big fucking thing, which, quite honestly, was very damaging and very hurtful and not fair. I'm glad I don't have that fucking amends on my shoulder, because that was fucked up.

"Look, I have no choice but to have to forgive it so I can move on. I really don't," he continued. "So I don't know what more to say about it other than that. Look, at some point… The damage was done. So you move on. We're all human, and it is what it is. You can't lament it. I've watched how he's treated his dismissal from METALLICA, still bitching about it 40 years later, and I think it looks fucking pathetic. And it's, like, 'You know what? Fix you shit and move on.' And that's how I've chosen to deal with it: fix your shit and move on. And that's why I put out four records in the time the last fucking MEGADETH record came out, and I think every one of 'em are as good or better than the latest MEGADETH record. I think the quality… And part of it is I'm working with great people. Whether they're famous or not doesn't matter. I'm working with good people. They're safe, they're reliable, they're truly men of integrity, and I think that really makes a big difference. I feel safe around them. And the creative process is fun. It's not restrictive. It's unlimited. And so this creative explosion has happened. And again, listen, I'm not trying to be in 85 bands — believe me, I'm not. But it's interesting that there was this sort of post-MEGADETH season here where all these records came out. And rather than try to limit them and restrict them, I'm, like, 'Fuck it. Put 'em out. Let's go.' In a lot of ways, it's turned out okay. It's been fine. And I'm okay. People ask, and I'm, like, 'I'm okay.' It was kind of a weird ending."

Ellefson added: "I mean, look, I knew three things when I met Dave: one, our band was gonna be successful; two, it was gonna be a lot of work; and three, one day this is gonna end really badly. I just could tell. [Laughs] Even at 18 years old, a kid from the farm, naïve as I was, I went, 'Yeah, all three of those things.' And I was right: check, check, check. I certainly didn't see it ending like that. And part of me, I always kind of go, 'Is it really the end of the story?' I mean, look at how it ended in 2002. In 2004 and [200]5, we were in litigation over business matters and stuff, and I ended up going back to the band. So I'd rather not disrespect it and be pissed about it. These are things that you work out privately, not publicly. And the press liked to have a field day with it because it was good clickbait there for a season. But the truth of it is Dave and I aren't talking about it anymore, and that's why I'm not talking about it anymore. At some point, you move on. You let the music do the talking now."

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

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

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

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

Ellefson was in MEGADETH from the band's inception in 1983 to 2002, and again from 2010 until his latest exit.

According to TMZ, MÖTLEY CRÜE has filed new legal paperwork asking a judge to send the band's dispute with founding guitarist Mick Mars into arbitration, where CRÜE's attorneys say it belongs.

In the filing, the attorneys say several different entities have been created over the years to handle varying aspects of the band's business affairs, including touring and recording, and those agreements contain binding arbitration clauses. Therefore, they argue that all grievances that might come up among members must be handled in private arbitration, instead of airing them out in public courts. CRÜE is also asking the court to strike several statements Mick made in his suit, particularly provocative assertions about ex-bandmates that include claims of substance abuse and physical violence which they call totally irrelevant to Mick's case. They believe he included them purely "for purposes of character assassination."

In response to MÖTLEY CRÜE's latest filing, Mick's lawyer, Ed McPherson, told TMZ: "This is yet another attempt by bullies to hide the truth!"

When Mars announced his retirement from touring with MÖTLEY CRÜE last October as a result of worsening health issues, he maintained that he would remain a member of the band, with John 5 taking his place on the road. However, he has since filed a lawsuit against MÖTLEY 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. In his lawsuit, Mars also alleged that he was the only bandmember to play 100 percent live on their most recent tour, claiming bassist Nikki Sixx "did not play a single note on bass during the entire U.S. tour."

Mars said that when he refused to sign the papers reducing his share of touring royalties to only 5%, the band commenced an arbitration. His original filing said the group took it to arbitration "rather than a public lawsuit so that the public would not be aware of the deplorable manner in which they treated their 'brother' of 41 years."

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.

Mars — whose real name is Robert Alan Deal — served as MÖTLEY CRÜE's lead guitarist since the band's inception in 1981.

BLACK SABBATH bassist Geezer Butler spoke to the "Far Beyond Metal" podcast about his autobiography, "Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath - And Beyond", which will be released on June 6 in North America via HarperCollins imprint Dey Street Books. The book will arrive in the United Kingdom on June 8.

Regarding his reasons for writing his autobiography, Geezer said (as transcribed by BLABBERMOUTH.NET): "It was just really to tell [my story], because I always regretted not asking my parents much more than I did. I just took them for granted. It was, like, 'There's mom and there's dad and I haven't really heard [any details about] any of their lives.' And I just wanted to have a kind of history of my life so the grandkids can get to know me a little better, and their kids and stuff."

Asked why he didn't write his autobiography with the help of a co-writer or a ghostwriter, Butler said: "I've read lots of other [autobiographies], and they just don't sound like the people that are supposed to have written 'em. And I just wanted a book that sounded like me in the writing."

Geezer went on to say that he did get some help in researching and fact-checking the material that ended up being included in his book.

"I had somebody that sort of went through all the archives through the '70s and '80s," he said. "I couldn't remember half the things, where I was or what gigs were there, what gigs we did and where we were at a particular time. So he helped me with all that. He went through what gigs we did and how long the tours were and when the albums were released."

According to Geezer, some of the stories that he had originally intended to include in his autobiography ended up being on the cutting-room floor.

"I just sent in several manuscripts of my stuff, and the final manuscript I sent in was about — oh, God — probably about five hundred pages, and that was edited down to three hundred pages, as in the book," he explained.

Asked if the leftover material and other stories he may have thought of since the book was completed might end up being included in a special future paperback edition of his autobiography, Geezer said: "I'm not sure how that works. 'Cause I keep thinking of things that should be in the book, and it's too late now. So I don't know how that works, if I can do an updated version when the paperback comes out. I'm not sure. I'll have to ask the publisher."

Pressed about whether doing another book would interest him, Butler said: "Uhm… It depends if I'm gonna get sued or not. [Laughs] 'Cause I had to leave out so much stuff. They were saying, 'Oh, you can't say that.' 'You can't say that.' 'How can you prove that?' and all that kind of thing. So I don't think there would be enough for another one."

"Into The Void: From Birth To Black Sabbath – And Beyond" is described by the publisher as "a rollicking, effusive, and candid memoir by the heavy metal musician and founding member of BLACK SABBATH, covering his years as the band's bassist and main lyricist through his later-career projects, and detailing how one of rock's most influential bands formed and prevailed.

"With over 70 million records sold, BLACK SABBATH, dubbed by Rolling Stone 'THE BEATLES of heavy metal,' helped create the genre itself, with their distinctive heavy riffs, tuned down guitars, and apocalyptic lyrics. Bassist and primary lyricist Geezer Butler played a gigantic part in the band's renown, from suggesting the band name to using his fascination with horror, religion, and the occult to compose the lyrics and build the foundation of heavy metal as we know it.

"In 'Into The Void', Butler tells his side of the story, from the band's beginnings as a scrappy blues quartet in Birmingham through the struggles leading to the many well-documented lineup changes while touring around London's gritty clubs (Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix, Frank Zappa, and THE WHO makes notable appearances!),and the band's important later years. He writes honestly of his childhood in a working-class family of seven in Luftwaffe-battered Birmingham, his almost-life as an accountant, and how his disillusionment with organized religion and class systems would spawn the lyrics and artistic themes that would resonate so powerfully with fans around the world.

"'Into The Void' reveals the softer side of the heavy metal legend and the formation of one of rock's most exciting bands, while holding nothing back. Like Geezer's bass lines, it is both original, dramatic, and forever surprising."

Back in 2021, Butler told Cleveland.com that he started writing a memoir "because when my parents died, I always wished I'd asked them a lot more things than I knew about. I don't really know much about my mum and dad, 'cause they were always just there," he explained. "So, I started writing a memoir for my grandkids to read, and that's been fun going through stuff — old times and growing up in Birmingham and all that."

In the fall of 2020, Butler told Australia's Wall Of Sound that his book would be "about growing up in Aston, Birmingham and how SABBATH came about." The bassist also reflected on everything he has accomplished in this past half a century, saying: "It's a great achievement to still be relevant 50 years after we recorded our first two albums. We honestly thought we'd last a few years, then be forgotten about. Fifty years ago any form of popular music was seen as a passing fad — people even thought THE BEATLES would be forgotten about after they broke up, but nobody then [realized] how powerful the nostalgia effect would be."

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.
If you’re in London next Thursday, come say hello. @Waterstones#london#piccadillypic.twitter.com/gU3WezleeA

— Geezer Butler (@geezerbutler) June 1, 2023

Canadian metal legends Exciter recently wrapped up a May/June 2023 tour celebrating 40 years of their classic Heavy Metal Maniac album. On June 1st they performed in Tyrolen, Sweden at Muskelrock. Fan-filmed video of the band's entire show can be viewed below.


The setlist on the night was as follows:


"Stand Up And Fight"
"Heavy Metal Maniac"
"Cry Of The Banshee"
"Iron Dogs"
"Die In The Night"
"Evil Sinner"
"Blackwitch"
"War Is Hell"
"Rising Of The Dead"
"Pounding Metal"
- guitar solo -
"Beyond the Gates of Doom"
"Violence & Force"
"Long Live The Loud"
"Iron Fist" (Motörhead)